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Haley and Ramaswamy show the rising political power of Indian Americans even as they feud in debates

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Haley and Ramaswamy show the rising political power of Indian Americans even as they feud in debates

The tension between Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy was hard to miss when they last met on a debate stage.

“Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Haley told Ramaswamy.

Responding to the broadside, Ramaswamy argued “we will be better served as a Republican Party if we’re not sitting here hurling personal insults.” He later told reporters he would “use smaller words next time to make it easier” for Haley.

The two are poised to meet again on Wednesday for the third presidential debate, one of their final chances to make a case in front of a large audience before voting begins in the GOP primary next year. Though they are polling far behind former President Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 nomination, Haley and Ramaswamy represent the growing political influence of Americans of Indian descent and are a reminder of the nuanced views within the Indian diaspora.

“It is a growing, heterogeneous community,” said Milan Vaishnav, the director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who co-wrote a study about how Indian Americans vote.

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Haley and Ramaswamy exemplify the diversity of views among Indian Americans.

A former South Carolina governor and later U.N. ambassador for Trump, Haley generally aligns with the party’s traditional establishment, particularly when it comes to foreign policy. The 51-year-old has called for continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia and has portrayed the 38-year-old Ramaswamy as untested in world affairs. A biotech entrepreneur, Ramaswamy has pilloried the GOP’s establishment wing and questioned the need for continuing to back Ukraine.

They both are out of sync with the broader community of Indian Americans, who overwhelmingly support Democrats. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 68% of Indian American registered voters identified as Democrats and 29% identified as Republicans.

“What we are seeing with the Republican field is not representative of where the Indian American population is as a whole,” Vaishnav said.

Republicans may not be on the verge of winning over the Indian diaspora in America. But even marginal gains could be notable in closely contested states.

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There are segments of the diaspora that still support, fund and engage in advocacy related to Indian politics. But for most Indian Americans, issues stateside matter more, said Maina Chawla Singh, a scholar-in-residence at American University’s School of International Service.

“The political positions for Indian Americans will be shaped by what matters within the U.S. context — whether it is reproductive freedom, anti-immigrant policies, recession or hate crimes,” she said. “That is what ultimately swings it for them because it is their future.”

Sangay Mishra, a political science professor at Drew University in New Jersey, said he believes Indian Americans now are well placed to produce conservative thinkers and political aspirants because they can easily get behind ideas such as a free market, low taxes and the meritocracy.

“If we say 3 out of 10 Indian Americans are Republicans, we can conclude that these candidates are not aberrations, but they also do not represent the dominant thinking in the community,” he said.

Indian Americans have now “settled in and become a part of the U.S. society” compared with where they were between the 1960s and the 1980s when the first wave arrived, Mishra said.

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He said Trump’s election in 2016 also motivated more progressive Indian Americans to get involved in local city council and school district races.

“I’ve seen examples of people who felt like they needed to challenge that environment where populations such as immigrants, women and Muslims were being marginalized.” The election in 2008 of Barack Obama as America’s first Black president and Kamala Harris, whose is half Indian American, as vice president in 2020, also played a role, he said.

While Mishra and other researchers see no potential shift in party allegiance among younger voters, 26-year-old Rohan Pakianathan, a graduate student of public policy at Rutgers University, says he can envision himself working in a conservative think tank someday. Pakianathan is supporting Ramaswamy.

“I identify with Vivek because I think that’s what the future of politics and the future of the Republican Party should be,” he said.

Like Ramaswamy, Pakianathan’s parents emigrated to the United States from southern India. Even though his parents are Democrats and progressive, they respect Ramaswamy’s candidacy, he said.

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Pakianathan, who is Christian, says Ramaswamy’s Hindu faith is not an issue for him because he views America as a Christian country that was founded on Judeo-Christian values.

Pakianathan said he sometimes feels alone in his own community, with his sister and most of his friends leaning Democrat, but he has never had a problem engaging in civil debates.

“Eventually, I’d like to see America have a candidate whom both parties can acknowledge and respect,” he said. “I hope we can get to a place where it doesn’t have to be one side against another.”

Henry Olsen, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, said the candidacy of Indian American candidates is an extension of a “real openness” the Republican Party has shown to people of color.

“There is no barrier to the rise of talent when talent shows itself,” he said.

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Regardless of these candidates’ prospects, the Republican Party does have an urgent need to “do well with people of color” because their share of America’s electorate will continue to rise, Olsen said.

He added that the GOP might also have to position itself as “less observably and doctrinally the Christian party” in order to appeal to large swaths in diaspora communities that are not Christian, as well to those who are unaffiliated with any organized religion.

“If you tell people they are not welcome, they will most likely not knock on the door,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Aid is surging into Gaza under the ceasefire. Is it helping?

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Aid is surging into Gaza under the ceasefire. Is it helping?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Two weeks after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect, aid is flooding into the Gaza Strip, bringing relief to a territory suffering from hunger, mass displacement and devastation following 15 months of war.

But Palestinians and aid workers say it’s still an uphill battle to ensure the assistance reaches everyone. And looming large is the possibility that fighting will resume if the ceasefire breaks down after the six-week first phase.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel said it would allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day, a major increase. Israel estimates that at least 4,200 trucks have entered each week since the ceasefire took hold.

Humanitarian groups say aid distribution is complicated by destroyed or damaged roads, Israeli inspections and the threat of unexploded bombs.

On Saturday, Samir Abu Holi, 68, watched over a food-distribution point in Jabaliya, an area in northern Gaza razed to the ground during multiple Israeli offensives, the most recent of which cut off nearly all aid for over a month.

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“I have more than 10 children. All of them need milk and food. Before the ceasefire, we used to provide food with difficulty,” he said. “Today there is a little relief.”

Here’s a closer look at the aid situation.

A surge of aid

The main U.N. food agency, the World Food Program, said it dispersed more food to Palestinians in Gaza during the first four days of the ceasefire than it did, on average, during any month of the war. Over 32,000 metric tons of aid have entered Gaza since the ceasefire, the agency said last week.

Aid is now entering through two crossings in the north and one in the south. Aid agencies said they are opening bakeries and handing out high-energy biscuits, and Hamas police have returned to the streets to help restore order.

Before the ceasefire, aid organizations said delivery was complicated by armed gangs looting the trucks, attacks on aid workers, arduous Israeli inspections and difficulties coordinating with COGAT, the Israeli military body charged with facilitating aid. Israel blamed the U.N. and humanitarian organizations for failing to deliver aid once it reached Gaza.

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There’s now the “political will to make everything else work,” said Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians’ right to move freely within Gaza.

“COGAT is fast-tracking responses to coordination requests. It’s allowing two crossings instead of one to operate in the north. The ceasefire is allowing Hamas forces to operate freely to stop looting … and the lack of hostilities allow aid agencies to move freely and safely,” Hary said.

Food prices are still a challenge

Nadine Jomaa, a young woman in Bureij in central Gaza, said the aid is not freely available, and she needs to buy goods in the market, where they are resold for inflated prices. Though prices are coming down, flour and cooking gas still cost roughly triple the amount they did before the war, according to the World Food Program.

Her family is eating only cheap canned goods. “We need more food, water, household items for the kitchen and bathroom and women’s items,” she said.

Although humanitarian officials have long said the best way to prevent extortion is to flood Gaza with aid, Palestinians in the north say that, so far, the influx appears to have only boosted shadowy middlemen. Residents complain that there are not nearly enough tents entering Gaza while non-essential items such as chocolate, nuts and soda are suddenly ubiquitous.

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Ahmed Qamar, 34, who returned to live in the ruins of his former home in Jabaliya, said his area has seen just a few dozen aid trucks.

“Hundreds of families here are sleeping in the open and in the cold,” he said. “We need electricity and shelter, and meanwhile markets are flooded with chocolate and cigarettes.”

Though aid workers say the Israeli inspection process has accelerated, getting certain types of aid into Gaza is still challenging. Some items are deemed “dual-use,” barring them from Gaza because of concerns they could be diverted by militants for military purposes.

Some hospitals and desalination plants still have fuel shortages. And Hamas on Sunday accused Israeli officials of obstructing the delivery of medical supplies and reconstruction machinery.

According to a list circulated to humanitarian groups by COGAT and shared with The Associated Press, desalination and water-collection devices, storage units, tools, tent kits, ovens, water-resistant clothing and equipment for shelter construction teams all require “pre-approval” before entering Gaza. Large tents, sleeping bags, portable toilets, heating pads and vaccines are cleared to enter the strip without Israeli approval.

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“While aid is getting in in higher numbers, we also know that those restrictions on essential items are persisting,” said Sophie Driscoll, head of communications for the International Rescue Committee in the Palestinian territories.

COGAT acknowledged keeping certain items on the dual-use list but said it is still permitting them into Gaza after screening. The agency said tents are not considered dual-use, and Israel has allowed tens of thousands into Gaza in recent weeks “without restriction.” It also said Israel has extended the hours crossings are open and allowed road repairs inside Gaza.

“Regarding the distribution of aid inside Gaza, Israel does not control the situation inside,” COGAT said.

Destroyed roads, unexploded ordnance

Roads have been heavily damaged by the war, and unexploded bombs litter the landscape. The U.N. estimates that 5% to 10% of all ammunition dropped in Gaza has failed to detonate, making the territory potentially perilous for civilians and aid workers.

UNMAS, the U.N. agency handling unexploded ordnance, said that since the ceasefire took hold, humanitarian convoys and civilians have reported finding large aircraft bombs, mortars and rifle grenades.

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As they return home, many Palestinians are living in areas where the water network has been destroyed. That makes dehydration and the spread of disease due to poor sanitary conditions and limited medical care a threat.

Speaking from southern Gaza, Jonathan Crickx, chief of communications at UNICEF, recalled being on a road where “thousands and thousands of children and families were walking.”

“I was seeing them with nothing,” he said, “only the clothes they’re wearing on their back.”

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Panama pledges to end key canal deal with China, work with US after Rubio visit

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Panama pledges to end key canal deal with China, work with US after Rubio visit

Panama’s president vowed Sunday to end a key development deal with China after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and after complaints from President Donald Trump that the Latin American country had ceded control over its critical shipping canal to Beijing.

José Raúl Mulino, Panama’s president, said his nation’s sovereignty over the 51-mile waterway, which connects the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, will remain unchanged. But he said he would not renew a 2017 memorandum of understanding to join China’s Belt and Road global development initiative and that Panama would instead look to work more closely with the U.S.

“I think this visit opens the door to build new relations … and try to increase as much as possible U.S. investments in Panama,” Mulino told reporters after meeting with Rubio on his first international trip since being confirmed.

Rubio, who was a senator representing Florida before Trump tapped him to be America’s top diplomat, said his team is ready to push the U.S. agenda.

‘TAKING IT BACK’: INTERNAL HOUSE GOP MEMO OUTLINES CASE FOR TRUMP TO Y PANAMA CANAL

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“Had the pleasure of meeting the incredible @USEmbPAN team during my first embassy meet and greet in my new role as Secretary of State!” Rubio wrote in a post on X. “Thankful for their dedication and ongoing efforts to promoting President Trump’s vision of an America First foreign policy.”

During his visit, Rubio wrote in a post on X that “the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue with its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area.” 

Trump has complained that China exerts control over the canal and charges U.S. ships six-figure premiums to cross Panama’s isthmus. The canal was built over several decades by the U.S. and completed in 1914 but handed over to Panama during the Carter administration.

Trump has made regaining ownership of the Panama Canal a priority in his administration. House Republicans introduced a bill for the United States to repurchase the Panama Canal after Trump raised concerns that the critical waterway is under Chinese control. 

The bill, named the Panama Canal Repurchase Act, was introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the Select Committee on China and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

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“President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal,” Johnson said in a statement. “China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. America must project strength abroad – owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe.”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE BILL TO REPURCHASE PANAMA CANAL AFTER TRUMP RAISES CONCERNS OF CHINESE CONTROL

Panama announced it won’t renew the Belt and Road Initiative with China after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the country. (Reuters)

If it becomes law, the bill would give the president authority to act in coordination with the secretary of state to “initiate and conduct negotiations with appropriate counterparts of the Government of the Republic of Panama to reacquire the Panama Canal.”

CHINA’S INFLUENCE ON PANAMA CANAL POSES ‘ACUTE RISKS TO US NATIONAL SECURITY,’ SEN CRUZ WARNS

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Trump panama canal

President Donald Trump has expressed concern that the Panama Canal is being controlled by China. (Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of State estimates around 72% of all vessels that travel through the Panama Canal are coming from or going to a U.S. port.

Noting the canal’s strategic importance to the United States, Johnson’s office also noted how the waterway is a key transit point for U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Defense vessels. 

 

Without access to the canal, ships would be forced to travel 8,000 additional miles around South America. 

“More than 10,000 ships use the Panama Canal each year, generating billions of dollars of tolls which would economically benefit America,” Johnson’s office said.

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While the canal and China’s role in the region topped the agenda, Rubio had other items to raise.

“We also discussed efforts to end the hemisphere’s mass migration crisis and ensure fair competition for U.S. firms,” Rubio added.  

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

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Germany's Scholz meets UK PM Keir Starmer on eve of Brussels summit

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Germany's Scholz meets UK PM Keir Starmer on eve of Brussels summit

While ruling out rejoining the EU trade bloc five years after Brexit, Starmer said he wants to forge a closer relationship on defence, energy and trade.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at his country estate on Sunday, ahead of talks aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union.

Starmer hosted Scholz at Chequers, the prime minister’s official retreat in Buckinghamshire, about 50 kilometres northwest of London. Their meeting came ahead of a visit to Belgium on Monday, where they will meet with EU leaders as Starmer seeks a “reset” in the UK’s relationship with the bloc.

While ruling out rejoining the EU trade bloc five years after Brexit, Starmer emphasised his desire for closer cooperation on defence, energy, and trade.

“I think that is certainly in the U.K.’s best interest, I do believe it’s in the E.U.’s best interest, and already I hope that in the last seven months there’s been a manifest difference in approach, tone and relationship,” he said.

According to a spokesperson for Starmer, the two leaders also discussed Ukraine and the Middle East, with the prime minister highlighting their shared stance on key global challenges, including continued support for Kyiv as its war with Russia enters its fourth year.

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Scholz described the meeting, which included a walk around the estate’s grounds and a working lunch, as a “good sign of the very good relations between our two countries, and indeed between the two of us.”

Video editor • Lucy Davalou

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