Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Answers

Hegseth, Vance appear to give different answers on sending troops to Ukraine

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Friday that “the reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely,” but insisted that there was “no daylight” between himself and Vice President JD Vance.

In a bilateral press conference with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Hegseth touched on the possibility of U.S. troops going into Ukraine. At first, he appeared to shut down the idea, but then he seemed to not take it entirely off the table.

Hegseth added that he would “never put constraints around what the President of the United States would be willing to negotiate with the sovereign leaders of both Russia and Ukraine.”

VANCE WARNS US WILL USE SANCTIONS, MILITARY ACTION IF PUTIN DOESN’T AGREE TO UKRAINE PEACE DEAL: REPORT

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth deliver a press statement after a bilateral meeting at the Ministry of Defense on Feb. 14, 2025 in Warsaw, Poland. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

On Thursday, in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, Vance reportedly said that the option of sending U.S. troops to Ukraine remained “on the table.”

Vance also told the outlet that the U.S. could use “economic tools” or “military tools” against Russia to bring about an end to the nearly three-year-long war. The vice president said that President Donald Trump wants “a productive negotiation” with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also teased a deal that would “shock a lot of people.”

Vance is in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, where he is expected to meet with Zelenskyy.

The vice president’s remarks appear contrast with what Hegseth told the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels earlier this week. In his opening remarks to the group, Hegseth said that rather than admitting Ukraine to NATO, security guarantees to the country would be supported “by capable European and non-European troops.” However, he also appeared to completely rule out the possibility of U.S. troops

“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine,” he said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Feb. 5 in Arlington, Va. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO NATO PREDICTS IMMINENT CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE

At the Munich Security Conference, Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker, R-Ms., told Politico that he was “puzzled” and “disturbed” by Hegseth’s remarks in Brussels.

“Everybody knows … and people in the administration know you don’t say before your first meeting what you will agree to and what you won’t agree to,” Sen. Wicker told Politico, classifying Hegseth’s comments as a “rookie mistake.”

President Donald Trump (center), Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images | Contributor/Getty Images | Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Trump has long spoken about ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, often asserting that it would not have started had he been in the Oval Office.

On Wednesday, Trump announced that in a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call Putin agreed to “immediately” begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump said he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations, saying he thinks they “will be successful.”

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 14, 2025
American Airlines plane crash: Kansas lawmakers vow to find answers

Kansas’ entire congressional delegation is vowing to find answers for the families grieving loved ones after the deadly crash of a flight from Wichita to Washington D.C., which officials have said left no survivors.

A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines PSA commercial jet that was moments from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night, temporarily halting all flights in and out of the small but critically located airport.

“Our prayers are with the families and friends of those affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred in our nation’s capital. South Central Kansas is a close community, and it’s likely that many of us directly or indirectly know people who were on Flight 5342 on Jan. 29,” the lawmakers’ joint written statement said.

VIDEO SHOWS DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT, BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER

Rep. Ron Estes, left, and Sen. Roger Marshall, right, were part of Kansas’ congressional delegation statement on the tragic American Airlines PSA collision. (Getty Images)

“This is a sad day for Kansans and our nation, and this community, steeped in aviation and manufacturing history, will feel the pain of this catastrophe for years to come. We are grateful for the first responders and rescue crews who worked through the night.

“Our focus now is supporting the family and friends of those who perished, including the crew and military personnel, and then getting answers for the grieving individuals who have lost a loved one and making sure this doesn’t happen again.”

It was signed by GOP Kansas senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, as well as Republican House representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and the delegation’s lone Democrat, Sharice Davids.

Estes represents much of Wichita, where the flight originated.

Moran said in a press conference shortly after midnight Thursday he was familiar with the flight route, having lobbied American Airlines for it to begin last year.

President Donald Trump briefed reporters on the crisis earlier Thursday, saying there were no survivors from the crash.

President Donald Trump briefed the media on the crash. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Members of Trump’s new Cabinet, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, both promised to find swift answers for the families grieving loved ones after the crash.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who represents Arlington County, where the airport is located, similarly said he would work toward accountability.

“As the local representative, I want the families to know that our office is available to serve you in any way that we possibly can in this time of grief and transition and loss,” Beyer said at another press conference Thursday morning.

AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

“And then, also, I’d just note that we are deeply grateful for the people who risked their lives last night on a moment’s notice and spent the whole night on the river in the ice and the wind, serving us.”

Beyer added that, through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) probe into the crash, “we’ve got to make sure that, at the federal level and with the support of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., we’re doing everything we can to make sure that this does not happen again.”

Six white roses and photographs of victims are displayed at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)

American Airlines has said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the plane, and the airline encouraged any loved ones looking for information to call the numbers on its site.

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U.S. officials are investigating why the Black Hawk helicopter flew into the path of the descending plane, Duffy told reporters.

“I would say the helicopter was aware there was a plane in the area,” he said.

Hegseth said the helicopter was manned by an experienced crew and was undergoing an “annual proficiency training flight.”

Duffy told reporters that while the collision was a highly unusual and tragic event, the two aircraft’s mutual patterns were not atypical.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

January 30, 2025
House Democrats demand answers on DOJ’s move to fire former special counsel officials

House Democrats are demanding answers regarding the Justice Department’s move this week to fire more than a dozen officials involved in former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, arguing the action was in “complete contradiction” of President Trump’s effort to keep a “merit-based system” for government employees.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerald Connolly, D-Ma., penned a letter to acting Attorney General James McHenry Tuesday, obtained by Fox News.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM

“We write to you with alarm and profound concern about reports of the administration engaging in the widespread summary firing and involuntary reassignment of excellent career prosecutors and federal agents throughout the Department of Justice (DOJ),” they wrote. “This onslaught against effective DOJ civil servants began within hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in complete contradiction of the president’s repeated pledges to maintain a merit-based system for government employment.”

The seal for the Justice Department is photographed in Washington, Nov. 18, 2022. The Justice Department has announced three arrests in a complex stolen identity scheme that officials say generates enormous proceeds for the North Korean government, including for its weapons program. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Raskin and Connolly added that the officials worked “strenuously to defend the rule of law have been removed from their positions without any evaluation—much less any negative evaluation—of their work.”

McHenry, on Monday, fired more than a dozen key officials on Smith’s team who worked to prosecute the president, saying that they could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda.”

Fox News Digital first reported the news exclusively on Monday.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

Raskin and Connolly argued that the officials terminated on Monday were “part of an expert, non-political workforce tasked with protecting our national security and public safety.”

Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“They have been hired and promoted based on their professional merit and excellence,” they wrote, adding that “many of them have decades of experience under their belt and have served under, been promoted by, and received awards from presidential administrations of both major political parties, including President Trump’s first administration.”

The Democrats argued that McHenry removed them from their posts “without regard to their demonstrated competencies, their recognized achievements, or their devoted service to the Department, in some cases reassigning them to areas that are outside of their legal expertise.”

“By removing them from their positions in this hasty and unprincipled way, you have very likely violated longstanding federal laws,” they wrote, also accusing McHenry of having “taken aim at law students who applied to, interviewed for, and received offers from the Department based on their demonstrated academic achievements and their commitment to public service.”

DOJ RELEASES FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

The Democrats claimed that the DOJ “rescinded job offers to summer interns and entry-level attorneys hired through the Attorney General’s Honors Program, a highly competitive 72-year-old recruitment program that receives applications from students at hundreds of law schools across the country.”

Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly, R-Ma. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

“We have also received disturbing reports surfacing that White House staff are playing a substantial role in these employment decisions and examining career civil servants’ LinkedIn and other social media profiles to ascertain their personal political leanings,” Raskin and Connolly wrote. “Taken together, your actions raise significant concern that you are determined to fill the ranks of the DOJ and FBI with career employees selected for the personal loyalty or political services they have rendered to President Trump.”

Raskin and Connolly are demanding the DOJ provide them with a list of names of officials who have been reassigned or terminated; and provide any communications between the DOJ and the White House since Inauguration Day regarding the content of personal social media accounts of career DOJ employees or applicants.

Raskin and Connolly demanded the information by Feb. 11 at 5:00 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., January 24, 2025. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Their letter comes after McHenry, on Monday, transmitted a letter to each official notifying them of their termination, a Justice Department official exclusively told Fox News Digital. It is unclear how many officials received that letter. The names of the individuals were not immediately released.

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“Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. “In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.”

This action “is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government,” the official told Fox News Digital.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

January 29, 2025
Rubio demands answers with 2 more Americans said to be held by Taliban

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In the final hours of his term, President Joe Biden negotiated a prisoner exchange with the Taliban that released U.S. citizens Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty from Taliban custody.

Not included in the deal, however, were U.S. citizens George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that he was “just hearing” of the detentions of additional Americans by the Taliban.

“If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden,” Rubio wrote.

2 AMERICANS RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR TALIBAN PRISONER

Dennis Fitzpatrick, who is coordinating efforts outside the U.S. government for Glezmann’s release, claimed Glezmann was “never a serious priority for the Biden White House.”

“President Biden and [former National Security Advisor] Jake Sullivan decided to leave George Glezmann in Kabul for no good reason,” Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital. “We are confident that President Trump’s clear-eyed leadership will secure George’s release to his family.”

Two U.S. citizens, George Glezmann, left, and Mahmood Habibi, were not included in the recent Biden administration deal that freed two other Americans from the Taliban. (James Foley Foundation/Getty Images)

Fitzpatrick added that 66-year-old Glezmann is “a totally innocent man” who was “a hard-working, blue-collar airline mechanic before he was wrongfully detained. He doesn’t deserve to be used as a pawn.”

Glezmann has been in detention since Dec. 5, 2022, when he was traveling to Afghanistan to “explore the cultural landscape and rich history of the country” according to a Senate resolution from July 2024 calling for his immediate release.

The resolution states that Glezmann’s mental and physical condition were deteriorating as a result of his detention in a nine-foot square underground cell. He has only been allowed limited calls to family and has experienced “facial tumors, hypertension, severe malnutrition, and other medical conditions” as a result of his detention.

Former President Joe Biden at the White House (Anna Moneymaker)

While the Taliban admit to holding Glezmann in custody, they insist they do not hold Mahmood Habibi.

TALIBAN DISMISS DISCRIMINATION ACCUSATIONS AS ‘ABSURD’ DESPITE BANNING WOMEN FROM THE PUBLIC IN AFGHANISTAN

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus Tuesday, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Habibi’s brother Ahmad told Fox News Digital the family “know[s] that my brother is still in Taliban custody. I can’t share too much about that because we don’t want to put him or others at risk. But anyone accepting the Taliban’s hollow suggestions that they do not have him is falling for their lies.

“We have multiple witnesses to his arrest by the [General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI)]. We have multiple witnesses who were held with him at GDI headquarters. The Taliban has always claimed they don’t have him and don’t know who he is. How do they explain the obvious contradictions to this?”

Ahmad also claimed the family “know[s] that the U.S. government has technical evidence that Mahmood was in GDI custody long after his arrest.”

He alleges the Biden National Security Council “micromanaged the State Department’s effort to secure my brother’s release” and “blocked [the State Department] from using the data in their discussions with the Taliban, even though we told them that it would have directly confronted the Taliban’s claims that they never heard of my brother.”

TOP GENERAL IN FIGHT AGAINST THE TALIBAN SAYS AFGHANISTAN HAS ONCE AGAIN BECOME A ‘CRUCIBLE OF TERRORISM’

Neither the State Department nor the National Security Council responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for confirmation of Ahmad’s claims.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Taliban spokespersons Zabihullah Mujahid and Suhail Shaheen about Habibi’s detention and asked Mujahid what happened to Habibi after he was arrested by the GDI. Mujahid did not respond. Shaheen directed Fox News Digital to reach out to the GDI and claimed no knowledge of the situation.

The Taliban have long sought the release of Guantanamo Bay detainee and al Qaeda facilitator Muhammad Rahim in exchange for the Americans they admitted were in their prisons. Ahmad Habibi told CBS News President Biden assured him in a Jan. 12 phone call that the U.S. would not release Rahim unless the Taliban released Habibi.

Taliban fighters in Kabul, Afghanistan (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

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Former Principal Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Hugh Dugan told Fox News Digital the Trump administration could pursue multiple “lines of effort” to secure the release of Glezmann and Habibi.

Dugan said this could involve “outright rescue by the military” at one level or continued “subtle diplomacy in the background.”

Dugan said he recognized that “to say we’re doing everything we can … is not satisfying to a family member, frankly, or anybody, and they want to hear that you’re continuing to identify what might have eluded us all along, or that there’s a crack in the horizon that’s opening.

“And we need to realize that that might be another step in our path to recovery and a line of effort has to be amended to accommodate new realities at any given moment.”

January 26, 2025
Republic Day 2025: Who Unfurls National Flag on R-Day? Who Is the Chief Guest? Who Are Special Guests? When Does Republic Day Parade Start? Get All Answers Here

Delhi, January 21: India is all set to celebrate its 76th Republic Day on January 26, 2025, with grand festivities at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. This year’s celebrations hold special significance as they mark 75 years of the Indian Constitution, with the theme “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas.” The event promises a dazzling display of cultural diversity, military strength, and public participation. With just a few days remaining, many are left wondering: Who unfurls the national flag on Republic Day? Who will be the Chief Guest, and what time does the iconic Republic Day parade begin?

Adding to the excitement, the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, will attend as the Chief Guest, leading a contingent from his nation. Special guests, including sarpanches, artisans, and achievers from across India, will witness the event, as per the PIB press release. The day begins with the Prime Minister laying a wreath at the National War Memorial, followed by the President unfurling the tricolour and taking the salute. The parade will showcase 31 tableaux and conclude with a thrilling flypast by 47 aircraft. Let’s delve into the details of this grand celebration and explore who will be part of this momentous occasion. Republic Day 2025 Wishes and Greetings: Share HD Images, Wallpapers, Patriotic Quotes and Messages To Celebrate 76th Gantantra Diwas.

Who Unfurls the National Flag on R-Day?

On Republic Day, the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, will unfurl the national flag at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. This tradition symbolises the formal adoption of the Indian Constitution on January 26, 1950. Unlike Independence Day, where the flag is hoisted, the Republic Day flag is already tied at the top of the pole and unfurled as a bouquet of flowers is released. The act symbolises the country’s republic status, democratic ideals and the President’s role as the ceremonial head of state.

Who Is the Chief Guest?

The Chief Guest for Republic Day 2025 is President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia. As part of the celebration, Indonesia will also send a 160-member marching contingent and a 190-member band to participate in the parade. This collaboration underscores the strong bilateral ties between India and Indonesia. Republic Day 2025 Fancy Dress Competition Ideas: From Rani Lakshmi Bai To Mahatma Gandhi, Dress Up Your Child in Patriotic Style for Gantantra Diwas (Watch Videos).

Who Are Special Guests?

Approximately 10,000 special guests from 34 categories have been invited to witness Republic Day 2025. These include sarpanches from top-performing villages, disaster relief workers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, artisans, and Paralympic athletes. The initiative aims to honour their contributions to society, symbolising the spirit of “Jan Bhagidari” (people’s participation). Couples dressed in traditional attire from across India will also attend, showcasing the nation’s cultural diversity.

When Does the Republic Day Parade Start?

The Republic Day Parade begins in the morning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. The President arrives at Kartavya Path in a ceremonial buggy and takes the salute during the march past. The parade will begin at 10 AM and will feature Armed Forces contingents, tableaux from states and ministries, and cultural performances. It concludes with a spectacular flypast by 47 aircraft, leaving the audience in awe.

As India gears up to celebrate its 76th Republic Day, the occasion will be marked with the participation of distinguished guests and a grand parade showcasing the nation’s diversity and progress. With President Droupadi Murmu unfurling the national flag and the presence of Chief Guest Prabowo Subianto, along with special guests from various sectors, this year’s celebrations promise to be a unique blend of tradition and modernity.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 21, 2025 04:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

January 23, 2025
National Trivia Day 2025: 15 Fun Trivia Questions With Answers to Test Your General Knowledge and Celebrate the Day in a Fun Way

What holiday celebrates little-known facts? National Trivia Day! Our love for trivia has been a huge part of popular culture for decades, and it is easy to see why. Every year, we celebrate National Trivia Day to honour this fascination. National Trivia Day 2025 falls on Saturday, January 4. Trivia is the perfect mix of competition and social interaction, making it a fun game for many people. If you too are someone who enjoys impressing your friends and loved ones with interesting tidbits, fun facts, or random trivia on various topics, this day is all about you! To join the fun, we have put together some exciting trivia questions. Test your knowledge and share the fun with your near and dear ones! National Trivia Day: Date, History, And Some Crazy Trivia You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know.

Trivia is the perfect blend of fun and learning, and it brings people together in a friendly yet competitive way. Whether at home or at a party, it is a great way to spark fun conversations and test everyone’s knowledge.

Fun Trivia Questions

Give these a shot and see how many you can nail! No cheating! Let’s keep it fair and square!

1) What bird is a symbol of peace?

2) Where were French fries first made?

3) How many dogs survived the Titanic disaster?

4) Where is Sheldon Cooper from in The Big Bang Theory?

5) What is the world’s happiest language?

6) What is the first letter of the Greek alphabet?

7) Which country invented ice cream?

8) Which writer has the Guinness World Record for the most translated works?

9) How many pieces does each player get in Ludo?

10) What is the largest organ in the human body?

11) Which food never goes bad?

12) What is the largest country in the world?

13) What is the fifth zodiac sign?

14) What do you call an eight-sided shape?

15) Which country has the unicorn as its national animal?

Trivia Answers

Dove, Belgium, Three, Galveston in Texas, Spanish, Alpha, China, Agatha Christie, Four, Skin, Honey, Russia, Leo, Octagon, Scotland. World Ocean Day Facts and Trivia: 10 Scary Truths About the Ocean To Celebrate the Day With

Now, how many did you get right? Don’t stop there! Have a fun trivia night at home or at a party with friends and family. Don’t forget to ask these questions for a great way to celebrate the day!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2025 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

January 4, 2025