News & Current Events

[ad_1] File photo: Judge Hannah Dugan (Picture credit: AP) Milwaukee County circuit judgeHannah Dugan has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction and concealing a person from arrest after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid capture by immigration agents during a court appearance, according to the department of justice.The indictment, announced Tuesday evening at a Milwaukee federal courthouse, allows the case to proceed after the initial charges filed in April. Judge Dugan is accused of assisting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national previously deported in 2013, to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents waiting outside her courtroom during a domestic abuse case hearing on April 18.As per news agency AP, Dugan allegedly learned from her clerk that immigration officers were present in the hallway. Visibly angry, she reportedly called the situation “absurd,” left the bench, […]

[ad_1] TAIPEI: In line with bolstering air defence preparedness, Taiwan conducted the live fire debut of Land Sword II, said the Ministry of National Defence on Tuesday.The details of the Surface-to-Air Missile System were provided in a post on X.As per the MND, Land Sword II possesses the capability of countering varied aerial threats, thereby significantly enhancing the protection of the force.In the visuals shared by the MND, the live-firing of the Missile System could be seen, with videos showcasing its launch."Land Sword II makes its live fire debut. This SAM system is capable of countering diverse aerial threats and significantly enhances force protection for #ROCArmy", MND wrote on X.This development follows after Taiwan had conducted its first live-firing of the American-supplied high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) at a base in Pingtung County on Monday, as reported by Focus […]

[ad_1] Trump is greeted by Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh (NYT photo) No, don't call it purple. When President Donald Trump disembarked from Air Force One in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, he stepped onto the rich lavender-colored carpet unfurled before him, just one feature of the lavish welcome extended to the visiting American leader on the first day of his Gulf tour. Along with a fighter-jet escort in the air and riders on Arabian horses on the ground, the lavender carpet is one of the distinctive and symbolic Saudi protocols for greeting high-profile dignitaries. Saudi Arabia swapped red carpets for lavender in 2021, as the ruling royal family sought to define its own protocols and celebrate national identity, according to a report by the official Saudi Press Agency published at the time. "Lavender in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is […]

[ad_1] ISTANBUL: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine appealed to US President Trump on Tuesday to meet him this week for peace talks, saying it would put pressure on President Vladimir Putin of Russia to attend, but he cast doubt on Putin's desire for either talks or peace.The Kremlin on Tuesday declined to say whether Putin would travel to a meeting in Turkiye, where peace talks are set for Thursday in Istanbul. "As soon as the president sees it fit, we will announce" the delegation's makeup, said the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry S Peskov.Zelenskyy said of Trump: "If he were to confirm his participation, I think it would give an additional push for Putin to come." Trump said on Tuesday that he would send secretary of state Marco Rubio to Istanbul and has also offered to attend. Trump is also sending senior […]

[ad_1] Representative image (Picture credit: AP) A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration can invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport Venezuelan nationals alleged to be members of the gang Tren de Aragua, marking the first court decision to endorse such use of the centuries-old wartime law.US district judge Stephanie Haines, a Trump appointee, issued the ruling in the case of a Venezuelan man identified as ASR, who denies being a gang member. Haines ruled that the administration may proceed with deportations under the AEA, but only after giving individuals at least 21 days' notice in both English and Spanish and ensuring they have an "opportunity to be heard" in court. Interpreters must also be provided when necessary.The decision contrasts with rulings from judges in Texas, Colorado, and New York, who previously found […]

[ad_1] Cassie Ventura, left, and Sean "Diddy" Combs Cassie Ventura broke down in court on Tuesday while recounting the violent behaviour she allegedly endured from Sean “Diddy” Combs, as reported by the New York Post. Ventura testified in Manhattan federal court during Combs' sex-trafficking trial, describing how Combs’ eyes would suddenly “just go black” when he went into violent rages. She explained, "He would be violent with me, his look would just change over, he would just become a different person. I wouldn't know what would happen."Ventura is now married with two children and eight months pregnant with her third.She shared how Diddy's outbursts often came without warning. "The best way to describe it is, his eyes just go black. The version that I was in love with is no longer there," she said.Her testimony is central to the prosecution's […]

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump's administration has escalated its pressure on Harvard University, cutting another $450 million in federal grants on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen, reports CNN In a statement released on Tuesday, the White House's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that "eight federal agencies across the government are announcing the termination of around $450 million in grants to Harvard, which is in addition to the $2.2 billion that was terminated" previously.The statement called Harvard’s campus “a breeding ground for virtue signalling and discrimination.”“There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritising appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support,” the statement, signed by attorneys from the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, asserted.This move is the latest in a broader battle between […]

[ad_1] Biden could not recognize George Clooney at a fundraiser that Clooney hosted for Biden. Original Sin, the bombshell new book revealing the crisis of the Democrat campaign, has claimed that Joe Biden was so lost at a fundraiser that he did not recognise George Clooney. Clooney was shaken to the core and then wrote his (in)famous piece in the NYT asking Biden not to contest this election. After this revelation was made by this yet-to-be-published book written by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper, social media users started saying that now everything makes sense -- as to why a lifelong Democrat like Clooney turned against Biden, his longtime friend. The awkward interaction took place at a Biden fundraiser that Clooney organized. The book says the assisting aide alerted Biden by saying 'You know George' as the duo met and Biden […]

[ad_1] Anita Anand, the Indian-origin Canadian politician, has been appointed as Canada’s new foreign minister in a major Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Mark Carney.Anand replaces Mélanie Joly in the role and previously served as the country’s defence minister. She took her oath with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, a tradition she has followed in previous Cabinet appointments as well.The 58-year-old was born in Nova Scotia to Indian immigrant parents—her mother from Punjab and her father from Tamil Nadu. She has built a strong career in law, teaching, and public service.Before entering politics, she worked as a corporate lawyer and joined an Ontario government expert panel in 2015. She was elected MP from Oakville in 2019 and served as minister of public services and procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic, later becoming defence minister.Anand is married to Canadian lawyer and […]

[ad_1] Hindu American Foundation slammed Senator Alex Padilla for his response after Pahalgam attack. Hindu American Foundation slammed California senator Democrat Alex Padilla for his response statement after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 Indians were killed. The foundation said in his statement, the senator ignored the attack entirely and recycled some talking points attacking India's domestic policies. "This response failed to mention decades of Pakistan-backed terror, choosing instead to echo USCIRF’s biased narratives – a body known for excluding Hindus and erasing Hindu victims of religious persecution.""California is home to one of the largest Indian and Hindu American communities. When constituents reach out about terrorism, they deserve moral clarity and respect, not dismissive rhetoric that shifts blame onto the victims."The senator, in his reply to the Hindu American Foundation, spoke about religious freedom, human rights in […]