Biden would be nothing more than 'Trojan horse' for radical left, says Vice President Mike Pence

News Network
August 27, 2020

Washington, Aug 27: Seeking re-election, US Vice President Mike Pence has launched a frontal attack against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, saying he has been a "cheerleader" for communist China and would be nothing more than a "Trojan horse" for a radical left.

Pence, 61, formally accepted the Republican Party's vice-presidential nomination on the third night of the National Republican Convention on Wednesday as a crowd in Baltimore, Maryland, cheered, "Four more years."

“The choice is clear to bring America all the way back, we need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House,” Pence said in his acceptance speech.

Trump and Pence are being challenged by Biden and his running mate Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party in the November 3 presidential election.

“Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for communist China – wants to repeal all the tariffs that are levelling the playing field for American workers and actually criticised President Trump for suspending all travel from China at the outset of this pandemic,” Pence said in his address from Fort McHenry in Baltimore.

President Donald Trump along with the First Lady Melania made a surprise attendance at the event.

In his address, Pence tore apart each and every policy of Biden, who has nearly five decades of public life including decades as US Senator and eight years as vice president of the United States.

Pence called Biden “nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left.”

And he said if voters want a president who “falls silent when our heritage is demeaned or insulted,” Pence said, then Trump is “not your man.”

“When you consider their agenda it’s clear: Joe Biden would be nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left. The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher,” Pence said.

“My fellow Americans you deserve to know, Joe Biden criticised President Trump following his decision to rid the world of both of those terrorists. But it’s not surprising because history records that Joe Biden even opposed the operation that took down Osama Bin Laden,” he said.

“It's no wonder Bob Gates, secretary of defence under the Obama Biden administration said Joe Biden had been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades, So, we’ve stood up to our enemies and we’ve stood with our allies,” Pence said.

President Trump kept his word and moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of the state of Israel, setting the stage for the first Arab country to recognise Israel in 26 years, he said.

Last year, American armed forces took the last inch of ISIS (the Islamic State) territory, crushed their caliphate and took down their leader without one American casualty, he added.

“Earlier this year, I was there when President Trump gave the order to take out the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Iran’s top general will never harm another American again because Qassem Soleimani is gone,” he said.

“Last week, Joe Biden said democracy is on the ballot but the truth is… our economic recovery is on the ballot, law and order is on the ballot. But so are things far more fundamental and foundational to our country. It’s not so much whether America will be more conservative or more liberal, more Republican or more Democrat,” he said.

Pence said the choice in this election is whether America remains America.

"It’s whether we will leave to our children and our grandchildren a country grounded in our highest ideals of freedom, free markets, and the unalienable right to life and liberty — or whether we will leave to our children and grandchildren a country that is fundamentally transformed into something else,” Pence said.

Noting that the country as its crossroads, Pence said that while Trump set the nation on a path to freedom and opportunity from the very first day of this administration, Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline.

“Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in America’s cities. The hard truth is... you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.

"Under President Trump, we will stand with those who stand on the Thin Blue Line, and we’re not going to defund the police – not now, not ever,” he said.

He said America is passing through a time of testing.

"Soon, we will come to a time for choosing. Joe Biden has referred to himself as a 'transition candidate'. But many are asking: A transition to what? Last week, Democrats didn’t talk much about their agenda, and if I were them, I wouldn’t want to either,” Pence said.

At the root of their agenda, Pence alleged, is the belief that America is driven by envy, not aspiration — that millions of Americans harbour ill-will toward their neighbours, instead of loving neighbours as themselves.

“The radical left believes the federal government must be involved in every aspect of our lives to correct those American wrongs. They believe the federal government needs to dictate how Americans live, how we should work, how we should raise our children — and, in the process, deprive our people of freedom, prosperity, and security,” he said.

“Their agenda is based on government control; our agenda is based on freedom,” Pence said. “Where President Trump cut taxes—Joe Biden wants to raise taxes by nearly USD4 trillion,” he added.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

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News Network
January 28,2026

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Mumbai: The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in his hometown of Baramati has plunged the state into political uncertainty, raising a pressing question for both the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its rival faction, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar): what next?

For the two factions that emerged after the dramatic split of June–July 2023, the moment marks their gravest challenge yet. Many believe the answer now rests with party founder Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999 after parting ways with the Congress over Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, has already indicated his intention to step away from electoral politics once his Rajya Sabha term ends in April 2026.

Speaking at a public event in Baramati ahead of his 85th birthday on December 12, 2025, Pawar said he would not contest any further elections. “I have contested 14 elections. The younger generation needs to be given an opportunity,” he said, adding that he would decide later whether to seek another Rajya Sabha term.

Often described as the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics, Pawar also spoke of his gradual withdrawal from active leadership. “For the first 30 years, I handled everything. For the next 25–30 years, Ajit Dada handled responsibilities. Now, arrangements must be made for new leadership,” he said.

Ajit Pawar’s death has dramatically altered that transition, especially as he was working towards reunifying the two NCP factions.

“After the developments of June–July 2023 and the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, there were deep changes within the family and the party. In the last six months, serious efforts were made to reunite. Even workers from both sides wanted unity. This is a massive blow,” a Pawar family insider told DH over phone from Baramati.

Electoral outcomes over the past year reflected the split. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NCP (SP) recorded the best strike rate in Maharashtra, winning eight of the 10 seats it contested. The NCP, by contrast, won just one seat out of four.

However, the trend reversed in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections, where the NCP emerged stronger, securing 41 of the 288 seats, while NCP (SP) managed only 10.

Within NCP (SP), Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule serves as Working President, followed by leaders such as Rohit Pawar, state president Shashikant Shinde and former state chief Jayant Patil.

In the NCP, Praful Patel is the Working President and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare heads the state unit. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, is a Rajya Sabha MP, while their sons Parth and Jay are not actively involved in day-to-day politics. Parth Pawar briefly entered electoral politics in 2019 but lost the Lok Sabha election from Maval. Jay Pawar’s political debut was under consideration.

With Ajit Pawar gone, speculation has intensified that a member of the family may be asked to assume a larger role. For now, Sunetra Pawar is expected to play a key coordinating role in party affairs, alongside Patel and Tatkare.

The NCP continues to have several heavyweight leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dattatreya Bharne, Manikrao Kokate and Dhananjay Munde.

Ajit Pawar had already begun steps towards reconciliation between the two factions. While they contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections separately, they later decided to fight the zilla parishad elections together under the ‘clock’ symbol—seen as the first formal step towards reunification.

Nagpur meet and party roadmap

Both NCP factions claim adherence to the ideology of ‘Shiv–Shahu–Phule–Ambedkar’. At the Rashtravadi Chintan Shivir held in Nagpur on September 19, 2025, the NCP reaffirmed its commitment to sarva dharma sambhav and discussed strengthening ties with the BJP “for the welfare and development of Maharashtra”.

In recent days, reports had suggested Ajit Pawar might return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi following the party’s poor performance in Pune municipal elections, but these claims were denied.

Big question for Maha Yuti

Ajit Pawar’s death also presents an immediate challenge for the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maha Yuti government. Pawar held crucial portfolios, including Finance, Planning and Excise. With the Budget Session approaching, appointing a new Finance Minister has become urgent.

Beyond numbers and portfolios, Maha Yuti has lost a swift decision-maker known for his administrative grip and political finesse—leaving a vacuum that will not be easy to fill.

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News Network
January 31,2026

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A fresh cache of files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains documents that reference President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and British billionaire Richard Branson.

Here are key details about mentions of the celebrities, none of whom have been accused of wrongdoing:

Donald Trump

The files included an FBI-compiled list of sexual assault allegations related to President Donald Trump -- many of them involving anonymous callers and unverified tips.

The allegations -- some secondhand -- were sent to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center which receives information by phone and electronically.

The document suggests that investigators followed up on a number of the tips. Some were deemed to lack credibility.

Trump has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

In a statement accompanying Friday's file dump, the Justice Department said: "Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false."

Bill Gates

In a draft email among the documents, Epstein alleged Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs.

In the mail, Epstein wrote that his relationship with Gates had ranged from "helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women."

Richard Branson

Files show friendly relations between the two billionaires.

In an email sent to Epstein on Sept 11, 2013, Branson wrote "It was really nice seeing you yesterday. The boys in Watersports can't stop speaking about it! Any time you're in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!"

Elon Musk

The files contain numerous mail exchanges between Epstein and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

In November 2012, Epstein sent Musk an email asking "how many people will you be for the heli to island."

"Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?" Musk replied.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The disgraced former prince invited Epstein to visit him at Buckingham Palace in September 2010 while the financier was making a trip to London.

An email exchange shows Epstein contacting Andrew to ask: "What time would you like me... we will also need... private time."

Andrew replied: "we could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy."

Howard Lutnick

Emails show that Epstein and businessman Lutnick -- currently Trump's commerce secretary -- made plans in December 2012 to lunch on Epstein's Caribbean island.

"We are heading towards you from St. Thomas" Lutnick's wife wrote to Epstein's secretary, asking where they should anchor.

Steve Tisch

Several mails suggested Epstein connected Steve Tisch, 76, producer of the movies "Forrest Gump" and "Risky Business" and the co-owner of the New York Giants football team, with multiple women.

In one exchange with Tisch, Epstein describes a woman as "russian, and rarely tells the full truth, but fun."

Zohran Mamdani's Mother, Filmmaker Mira Nair 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, attended an afterparty at convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell's house for her 2009 film "Amelia", reveals a new set of Epstein files.

An email dated October 21, 2009, sent by publicist Peggy Siegal to Jeffrey Epstein, also surfaced in documents. The email, sent in the early hours, right after Siegal left the gathering, gives an insight into the afterparty. 

The party was also attended by former President Bill Clinton and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

"Just left Ghislaine's townhouse...after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there...Jean Pigoni, director Mira Nair....etc," the email read.

The email described the reaction of guests to Nair's film as "tepid."

"Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more...Hillary Swank and Gen: at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportwear department....very weird. Studio went for free party from store and windows for a month....Going to be in Wall Street 2 tomorrow ....more to come. xoxo Peg," the email read.

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