Odisha: Huge quantity of arms & ammunition recovered from the house of Dhalasamant gangster siblings, in Cuttack.

Poice say, "We are investigating how these arms have come to Cuttack & who are involved. We're suspecting that one of the gangsters is involved in a gun syndicate." https://t.co/hMXJ1IkQr9

Odisha police have seized over 1000 rounds of bullets and 16 automatic arms from the house of notorious gangster brothers, who are behind bars for over 4 years. Brothers Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant are lodged in different prisons since January 2016 when they were arrested over a litany of cases including extortion, murder, running of arms racket and tender fixing.  In 2018, the two brothers were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in two different cases for illegal possession and use of firearms. Commissioner of Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, Sudhansu Sarangi, said after arms peddler Prakash Behera was arrested on Thursday, the house of the gangster brothers was raided by a special team of Commissionerate Police. On Thursday, police in the Choudwar area of Cuttack had nabbed Behera and seized two firearms from his possession.  During interrogation, Prakash revealed to have supplied firearms to one Saroj Sethi who then confessed to having smuggled a lot of arms to the gangster duo before their arrest in 2016. “As part of our campaign, we came to know about extortion activity following which a special team raided the residence of the two gangsters on Thursday.  A thorough search of the house led to the discovery of 16 automatic arms including an assault rifle.  The arms were kept in wooden frames and looked like wall paintings while bullets were hidden in cans.  Searches in other parts of the house led to discovery of knives and swords that were kept in jars.  There could be more arms and ammunition hidden inside the house,” said the police commissioner.  Eight persons have been arrested in this connection. Sarangi said the arms were mostly procured from Munger in Bihar and kept hidden since 2016. He said the seizure of arms indicated that the Dhal Samanta brothers were in touch with their gang members even though they are behind bars since January 2016.  “We would take the brothers on police remand to get more details about the gun running. Police got a clue of the extortion racket run by the two gangsters after Kuna Swain, an associate, was arrested in August, while allegedly involved in an extortion bid for Rs 5 lakh. Also Read: Odisha job scam gets bigger, investigators suspect 100 youths were cheated In January 2016, the gangster brothers were arrested from their house in the Bidanasi area of Cuttack following a directive from a court.  The police had then seized around Rs 2. 35 crore in cash, two Audi and three Mercedes cars apart from a huge cache of arms and ammunition stashed in hidden locations of the house. In a separate search of their house in Bhubaneswar, the cops had seized Rs 11 lakh in cash, three revolvers, 100 bullets, two double-barrel guns and 27 rounds of double-barrel gun bullets. In 2017, the Enforcement Directorate had attached immovable properties of the brothers worth Rs 16 crore.  Before their arrest, the Dhal Samant brothers were on the run after being accused in several murder cases and used several pseudonyms.


USA: Indian nationals at the San Fransisco airport to board the repatriation flight under #VandeBharatMission. It is the first repatriation flight for Indians, from the US. https://t.co/VXU5hGvFN5

Two stranded persons, who were evacuated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday amid the lockdown restrictions imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, tested positive on Saturday, said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Both the persons, who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, arrived in Kerala on Thursday by two Air India special flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, the CM said. Vijayan warned that the state has to maintain utmost vigil because of the influx of expatriates and all those who are stranded in other parts of the country because of lockdown restrictions. Three flights from the Persian Gulf are expected to arrive in Kerala as part of the ‘Mission Vande Bharat’ -- the largest-ever evacuation since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 -- on Saturday evening. Similarly, a naval ship, which is ferrying 650 stranded people from the Maldives, will reach Kochi port on Sunday. The CM said that Kerala would observe a total shutdown on Sunday in a bid to step up its vigil and only essential services would be allowed to be delivered. ”If we lower our guard at this juncture, we’ll forgo our advantage.  We’ll continue our strict surveillance.  We can’t allow people to enter Kerala without valid passes.  It’s mandatory for people coming from other states to carry passes from their place of origin to their chosen destination in a bid to contain the viral outbreak,” he added. The CM also announced that the state government would arrange special trains from New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc; to bring back all those who are stranded. “We’re in talks with the Union Ministry of Railways.  Among the stranded, students, pregnant women, and senior citizens will get first priority to come back home,” he added.


When the May jobs report dropped Friday morning, the numbers were shocking: US unemployment actually fell, defying virtually all economists' predictions.

How did they get it so wrong? https://t.co/JHTRLw7Be1

Employers added 2. 5 million jobs last month.  Trump calls improved jobs numbers ‘great day in terms of equality’The U. S.  unemployment rate dropped to 13. 3% in May, slightly below the April high of 14. 7%, according to data released Friday by the U. S.  Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employers added 2. 5 million jobs last month as economic activity slowly resumes and coronavirus pandemic restrictions ease. The numbers represent a much more optimistic view for the economy moving forward.  President Donald Trump tweeted after the report was released, writing, "Really Big Jobs Report.  Great going President Trump (kidding but true)! "While the unemployment figures may be lower than expected, economists warn they are still at devastating highs. "Although today’s report feels like a relief for many, it's important to remember the labor market still faces an unemployment rate at the highest level since the Great Depression with tens of millions of Americans still out of work," Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said in a commentary Friday morning.  "While the labor market may be on the path to recovery, there is still a long way to go until the labor market returns to pre-crisis levels and makes up for lost growth. "Chris Zaccarelli, the chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance, called the jobs numbers "shocking" and "for the first time this year it was a positive shock. ""At 13. 3%, we are still at a higher rate than any that we hit during the Financial Crisis in 2007-2009, but as long as that continues to move lower, it will show that the re-opening of the economy is proceeding smoothly," he added. Some of the most notable job gains in May occurred in leisure and hospitality, construction and retail trade as those sectors begin to reopen. "These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it," the government said in its news release Friday. The leisure and hospitality sector saw an increase of 1. 2 million jobs in May after losses of 7. 5 million jobs in April.  Food and drinking places gained 1. 4 million jobs last month after losing more than 6 million jobs in March and April combined. Employment in construction increased by 464,000 in May, gaining back almost half of the jobs lost in April.  Meanwhile, employment in retail rose by 368,000 last month but lost more than 2 million jobs in April. The accommodation industry, however, lost 148,000 jobs last month and 1. 1 million jobs in total since February. Some economists are still taking a more measured outlook on the economy. "As the economy reopens a lot of the jobs aren't going to come back right away.  A lot of people are still trying to figure out . . .  how do they operate it safely and in compliance," Karen Kimbrough, the chief economist at LinkedIn, told ABC News.  "And they may not need as many people or they may need different types of people. "Jasmine Wright, a small business owner from Akron, Ohio, who was able to reopen her clothing boutique last Friday, said sales are still down despite reopening. "COVID has affected my business with a lot of sale," Wright told ABC News.  "I went from being open every day into just not being able to open at all not being able to engage with my customers. "In February, prior to the health crisis, the unemployment rate was at a historic low of 3. 5%. ABC News' Taylor Dunn contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani resigns from All Party Hurriyat Conference. (file pic) https://t.co/6Xzm198g5U

Srinagar: Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 90, has resigned from his faction of the Hurriyat Conference, 17 years after he was chosen as its lifetime head, citing the inability of the leaders of the grouping to raise their voice against the Centre’s move to divest Jammu & Kashmir of its special status in August last year as one reason.  He also blamed internal bickering, financial irregularities within the grouping’s Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) chapter, and attempts by its leaders to seek positions of power. In an audio message released on social media on Monday, Geelani said he has apprised leaders of the constituents of his Hurriyat faction about his decision to quit through a detailed letter.  Later, the letter also surfaced on social media. Geelani criticised the Jammu & Kashmir-based constituents of the grouping saying he tried hard to reach those leaders, who were not jailed in August last year, despite his detention so that they could raise their voice against the Centre’s move.  He added the leaders were unavailable then.  “Now that today you have felt the heat of being questioned, that the veil is slipping off your financial irregularities, you have started to convene meetings and support an unconstitutional decision thereby setting a strange example of unity,” Geelani said in the letter. It wasn’t immediately clear as to who would succeed Geelani who, along with the Hurriyat itself, has increasingly become a fringe player in Kashmir, especially after the Centre abrogated Article 370 and split the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories.  Geelani is currently under house arrested and could not be reached for comment. Geelani, who served as a member of Jammu & Kashmir assembly before joining the separatist movement in the late 1980s, said the constituents were free to make decisions about their parties and the future.  He added he will continue to struggle against India until his last breath.  The Hurriyat is a grouping of around two-dozen separatist and spiritual organisations.  Geelani, who has been under house arrest since August last year and was instrumental in organising massive street protests since 2008, has been ailing from some time.  A cancer survivor, Geelani has also undergone kidney and gallbladder removal surgeries. Almost all separatist leaders were detained in August 2019 when Article 370 was nullified to divest Jammu & Kashmir of its special, semi-autonomous status.  Three former chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, were also among hundreds of people, who were detained to prevent protests against the Centre’s move.  Mufti still remains under detention although the Abdullahs have been released. A communications blackout and a lockdown were imposed in Kashmir last year in August when Jammu & Kashmir was also divided into two Union territories. The separatist leadership has since maintained a low profile even as Geelani has occasionally been releasing statements.  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq leads the other Hurriyat faction.  Mirwaiz is under house arrest. In his letter, Geelani cited several complaints about the PoK chapter of the grouping over the last two years.  “The leaders there were trying to be part of government and ministries.  There were internal bickering, fear of losing posts, financial irregularities, and many other issues.  Recently after investigations, some people were expelled and as the investigations were going on against other people, the representatives of your parties started calling separate so-called meetings which led to the dissolution of the chapter till further orders,’’ said Geelani. Ishfaq Ahmad, a political analyst, said it is still unclear why Geelani quit.  “We came to know about this decision through the audio clip and the letter.  So it is premature to say whether it is end of his politics, but yes, this could be a start for a process of new leadership. ”The Bharatiya Janata Party lashed out at geelani, with its general secretary Ram Madhav saying he “was responsible for ruining the lives of thousands of Kashmiri youth and their families” and that the resignation would not absolve him of his “past sins”.


A post with a couple of photos is being shared on Facebook with a claim that Muslims in Sri Lanka are demolishing mosques and are converting into Hinduism.  Let’s try to check the claim made in the post. Claim: Sri Lankan Muslims are demolishing mosques and are converting into Hinduism.  They are saying that they finally realized the hatred present in Islam. Fact: Muslims in Sri Lanka are demolishing a mosque because it was built using foreign funds and the site where it was built was actually allotted for a children library.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.  When the image in the post was run through Google Reverse Image, Sri Lankan newspaper articles with similar images were found in the search results.  According to an article in the ‘Ada Derana’, Muslims in Kekirawa demolished a mosque but not to convert into Hinduism.  They demolished the mosque because it was built using foreign funds and was on a site previously allotted for a children library.  Also, there was already a mosque in the village so they did not want an additional mosque.  The demolition of the mosque is not related to hatred towards Islam or conversion into Hinduism.  So, the post tries to mislead people by twisting the reasons behind the demolition of the mosque. To sum it up, Mosque was demolished because it was foreign-funded, not because Muslims got converted into Hinduism.  Did you watch our new Episode of DECODE Lite series.


Andhra Pradesh: Former CM and TDP leader, N Chandrababu Naidu carried out a rally in Krishna district's Machilipatnam yesterday to seek people's support for his demand to retain the state capital in Amaravati. He also sought donations from people to continue his movement. (09.01) https://t.co/NeDBdAZLpE

A video with the claim that it shows Sadhus and Agoras marching in a pro-CAA rally is being shared by many across social media.  The same video is being posted by people on Twitter and Facebook.  The claim, however, is untrue. “A procession of Sadhus, Agoras, in Haidwar in support of Modi’s CAA.  No one knows where these people live and how they are receiving messages,” Twitter user Srinivasa Subramanian G wrote and shared the video on January 8.  “No stone pelting, No Cruel slogans, No bus burning, No police Attack, No Pak zindabad, No public property damage,” the user further added. *A procession of Sadhus, Agoras, in Haidwar in support of Modi's CAA.  No one knows where these people live and how they are receiving messages. **No stone pelting, No Cruel slogans, No bus burning, No police Attack, No Pak zindabad, No public property damage pic. twitter. com/WBV7hNckXWThe same video with exact caption was also shared on Facebook by many. A reverse image search of the video’s keyframe on Yandex presented links to YouTube videos and tweets containing the same clip.  All of them were shared back in March, 2019, and indicate that the video was captured during last year’s Kumbh Mela.  Hence, it cannot be a pro-CAA rally. The greatest temporary spectacle on earth, peaceful and orderly for such a great mass of humanity.  Incredible Indian civilisation.  #Kumbh2019 pic. twitter. com/GBQKraOZ6EThough the exact origin of the video is unclear, one thing is confirmed that it’s not recent.  Hence, it cannot be a pro-CAA rally.


Jammu and Kashmir: Mortal remains of Naik Rajeev Singh Shekhawat brought to District Hospital Poonch today. He lost his life in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Degwar sector of Poonch district yesterday. https://t.co/Jndt1kLoPT

A private ambulance driver, who brought a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive patient from Odisha’s Kalahandi district to a hospital in Cuttack, has been forcibly quarantined by his family members and villagers at a state government-run facility in disregard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plea to support frontline healthcare workers combating the viral outbreak. On April 5, Banamali Sethi, a private ambulance driver of Dadpur village in Kalahandi district, had taken the 29-year-old Covid-19 patient to a hospital in Cuttack.  His family members and the villagers denied him entry to the village on April 6, as they were afraid that he might have contracted SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, and ensured that he stays in quarantine for 14 days. “I was meted out this harsh treatment because I had taken the Covid-19 positive patient to a hospital in Cuttack in the ambulance,” said Sethi.  He has been staying in the quarantine facility on the outskirts of his village since April 6.  The villagers refused to be convinced by the healthcare workers, who tried to reason with them that Sethi had taken all precautionary measures, including wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) units such as masks and gloves, while ferrying the Covid-19 positive patient to Cuttack. Kalahandi district collector (DC) Dr Gavalli Prashad weighed in on the villagers’ unreasonable behaviour.  “Sethi couldn’t have contracted the infection because of the partition between him and the patient.  We booked a private ambulance, as the one owned by the government doesn’t have a partition.  He was given all the PPE units in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol.  The vehicle was sanitised after it came back to Kalahandi from Cuttack.  There is no cause for concern,” Prashad said.  Initially, the DC said, Sethi refused to ferry the Covid-19 patient to Cuttack, but he relented after much coaxing.  “We had sent another driver as a back up to Sethi.  We’ve spoken to his family members and have convinced them that his health is not at risk,” he added.


Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress in Rajya Sabha: Shameful that you have turned J&K into a non entity by making a Lt Governor there, so that you can appoint even a peon or a clerk, sitting here(Delhi). #Article370 https://t.co/aIjKu3Ju5n

The Union government has decided to scale up the presence of defence forces in Jammu and Kashmir to prepare for a possible threat arising from increased influence of the Pakistan-backed Taliban once US troops withdraw from Afghanistan, people aware of the developments said on Sunday. The situation in Kashmir, and the ascendency of the Taliban and fellow jihadists in Kabul as a fallout of the future US withdrawal from Afghanistan, were among the issues discussed between the home minister, national security adviser Ajit Doval, home secretary Rajiv Gauba and additional secretary (Kashmir) Gyanesh Kumar at Parliament House on Sunday, top government officials said on condition of anonymity. Thousands of tourists and Amarnath pilgrims left Kashmir over the weekend as the state administration cut short the annual pilgrimage by a fortnight and asked vacationers and pilgrims to leave the Valley because of a perceived terror threat.  Security was reinforced with additional troops over the past week, leading to tensions in the state over the security build-up. Watch: Prakash Javadekar exclusive interview on situation in Jammu and KashmirThe Indian Army said on Saturday it repelled an attempt by a mixed group of Pakistani soldiers and terrorists to attack an army post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector, killing five to seven intruders.  With India anticipating the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government feels that the biggest impact of the rise of fundamentalist forces in Kabul will be on Kashmir, an official said.  National security planners have reviewed how Harkat-ul-Ansar (parent of the Jaish-e-Mohammed) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) camps had shifted to Khost in eastern Afghanistan under the protection of the then Taliban regime.  The Khost camp of the al Qaeda was bombed by US cruise missiles in August 1998 under directions of then President Bill Clinton. The threat of terrorism in Kashmir could increase just as it did after the Taliban took control of Kabul in 1996, the official added.  The rise of the Taliban in the past lead to terror attacks by jihadists in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the IC-814 hijacking by the Harkat-ul-Ansar. “We expect the US to virtually leave Afghanistan to the Pakistan-supported Taliban through some power-sharing agreement… And this will happen very soon, with talks between the US and Taliban already on in Qatar,” said another senior official.  The fallout of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will be a subject of discussion when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump next month, the officials added.  Around 25,000 -30,000 troops have already been deployed in the state over the last week, according to people aware of the deployment.  While Indian security forces are prepared for the new challenge, the government is also thinking about what political steps can be taken in Jammu and Kashmir, including conducting state elections this winter, the officials said. Local political parties have accused the administration of creating disquiet in Jammu and Kashmir.  An all-party meeting was held on Sunday evening at the residence of National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah amid tensions over the deployment of additional troops. The parties, including the National Conference and the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party, unanimously resolved to fight any attempt to abrogate the constitutional provisions that guarantee Jammu and Kashmir special status.  The parties also appealed to India and Pakistan not to take any steps that will escalate tension in the region. Mufti earlier said the leaders of various political parties decided to meet at a hotel, but the police did not allow any political meeting there.  She said the Centre was not bothered to speak on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “We had made an effort to tell the people of this country and the government about the consequences if they toy with Articles 35A and 370 (of the Constitution).  We made an appeal too, but no assurance has been given yet from the Centre.  They are not bothered to say anything, to say that everything will be alright,” Mufti said. Governor Satya Pal Malik has dismissed reports that preparations are being made for an announcement on Article 35A and Article 370 or on the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir by creating three states of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, as has been rumoured in the state.  Article 35A reserves government employment and property ownership to permanent residents of the state.  Article 370 confers special status on Kashmir. Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Sunday that the Jammu and Kashmir governor had already cleared the air over the current situation in the region.  “I think the government has made it very clear that there is a perceptible threat perception and we don’t want terror attack, we want to foil it; therefore, the governor has made it very clear to not only the delegation of political leaders, but to the people by giving interviews and holding press conference that people should not worry, nothing is going to happen dramatically.  These are all precautionary measures,” Javadekar told Hindustan Times in an interview. At the two-hour-long meeting on Sunday, Shah was informed that at least one attempt by terrorists to cross the Line of Control was successful recently. Security agencies have told the government that they have noticed heightened activity by Pakistan-based terror groups, including JeM and LeT, along the border.  “Our assessments indicate that at least one group of terrorists has managed to breach the LoC in the last one week,” a senior security official said, asking not to be named. “Separately, the Indian Army has told the government that there have been at least four operations carried out by Pakistan’s Border Action Teams in the last one week alone,” another official said. The home ministry did not officially comment on the meeting.  The state remained on edge on Sunday.  Barricades have been erected on many arterial roads in Kashmir, including the entry and exit points to Srinagar.  Riot control vehicles have also been kept on standby in some areas where apprehension of law and order disturbances is more, according to security officials.  Residents could be seen lining up at markets to stock up on essentials amid fears of a security crisis.  (Inputs from HTCs)


Yesterday, we told the Government that the farm laws should be withdrawn. On 5 Dec, effigies of PM Modi will be burnt across the country. We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal) General Secretary, HS Lakhowal at Singhu Border https://t.co/dA1Xykds2K

The farmers protesting against the three newly-enacted farm laws have hardened their stance, announcing a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8.  The farmers have so far held four rounds of talks with the government, but the impasse has not ended and the borders of Delhi, where the protest is going on, are choked.  The protests were launched by farmers of Haryana and Punjab, but those from Uttar Pradesh later joined them. “Yesterday, we told the government that the farm laws should be withdrawn.  On December 5, effigies of PM Modi will be burnt across the country.  We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8,” said HS Lokwal, the general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal). Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at the borders of the national capital demanding that the bills passed by Parliament in September be withdrawn. “We need to take this protest forward.  The government has to take back the farm laws,” said Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha. The farmers are protesting against The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the farmers are hoping that the government will meet their demands during the fifth round of talks scheduled on December 5, failing which they will continue their protests against the new farm laws. “The government and the farmers did not reach any decision during the meeting held on Thursday.  The government wants to make amendments to the three laws, but we want the laws to be completely repealed.  “If the government does not agree to our demands, we will continue to protest.  We are looking to find out what happens in Saturday’s meeting,” Tikait told news agency PTI. The government had invited the farm leaders for fourth round of talks on Thursday, but the it remaind inconclusive.  The two sides are scheduled to meet on Saturday again. The farmer community has expressed apprehension that the new laws are “anti-farmer”, and would pave the way for dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.  However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.


Many social media users are sharing a collage of three photos with the claim that weapons were seized from a mosque in Gujarat by Gujarat Police

For instance, a Facebook user who goes by the name 'Mahakal Bhakt Chaurasya' shared the collage with a caption in Hindi that closely translates to, "Weapons seized from a mosque in Gujarat - what do these Muslims want to do?  Will weapons be seized from mosques across the nations if checking is done? " The post made yesterday has been shared over 500 times by now.  Another Facebook user who goes by the name 'Sanwer Nath Siddh RIp' made the post yesterday with the same caption above with an addition of what loosely translates to, "The words of politics are black on white papers.  Weapons are seized from mosques, but terrorists are saffronists. " The same photo is being shared by many social media users, both on Facebook and Twitter, with similar claims.  A Times Fact Check reader sent us a screenshot of one of the similar posts made on Facebook on our WhatsApp number 8527001433 asking us to check if the claim made is correct.  TRUTHThe three photos used to make the collage that is being shared by many social media users to claim that weapons were seized from a mosque in Gujarat is actually from 2016, clicked when an illegal weapons racket was busted by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Rajkot and Kuvadava Road police in March, 2016.  The illegal arms racket was being operated from a hotel near Kuchiyadad village of Chotila on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway.  Five people were arrested then.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYA simple reverse-image search on the collage will lead you to an article published on March 5, 2016 on a website called Gujarat Headline with the title, "Rajkot: Stock of lethal weapons found from novelty store; 5 persons arrested".  The article carried one of the photos used in the collage.  Using another reverse-image search, we found that the other photos used in the collage were tweeted by the Twitter handle of Gujarat Headline website.  We then used relevant keywords and searched on Google to find a TOI report titled, "Five held for running illegal arms trade near Chotila," published on March 6, 2016.


After the successful completion of the Phase-1 of Lok Sabha General Elections 2019, few posts related to exit polls are doing rounds on social media.  One such exit poll alleged to be that of Times Now, has been in circulation on Facebook since the past few days.  Let us try to analyze the authenticity of this exit poll. Claim: Times Now has released its Exit Poll survey of Phase-1 of 2019 General Elections. Fact: The original infographic of the one put in the post can be seen in ‘The Indian Express’ article regarding ‘Gujarat exit polls 2017’.  Hence, the claim is FALSE. When the image in the post is searched using the Google Reverse Image search technique, then we can obtain a link of a ‘The Indian Express’ article published on December 14, 2017.  The article titled ‘Gujarat exit polls 2017’ has the exit poll survey results conducted by various news channels for Gujarat Assembly Elections.  In it, the infographic of Times Now can also be seen.  With the numbers changed, it is now being circulated as the Exit Poll survey of Phase-1 of 2019 General Elections in India. And moreover, The Election Commission of India in its press note released on 8th April 2019, notified that no exit polls should be published between 7. 00 A. M.  on 11. 04. 2019 (Thursday) and 6. 30 P. M.  on 19. 05. 2019 (Sunday). Hence, it is clear that Times Now hasn’t published any Exit Poll results after the first phase of Lok Sabha elections and the infographic doing rounds is a photoshopped one.


University at Buffalo student who was on life support after "potential" hazing incident dies. https://t.co/Nj1SV0pcco https://t.co/PWfxupzIXb

    An 18-year-old University at Buffalo student died Wednesday after falling victim to a suspected hazing incident last week, his school’s president said in a statement.

    “I am deeply saddened to share with you that UB freshman Sebastian Serafin-Bazan passed away today,” University at Buffalo President Satish K.  Tripathi said.  “Our hearts go out to Sebastian’s family for the devastating heartbreak they are experiencing. ”

    Serafin-Bazan was hospitalized last Friday with “a serious medical condition” as a result of a possible hazing incident, Tripathi said in a statement to the university community on Friday before announcing the suspension of all fraternity and sorority activities.

    Serafin-Bazan was at the Sigma Pi fraternity’s off-campus house when an undisclosed incident that led to the student’s injury took place, the fraternity said when they learned of the incident last week.

They pledge.  Get hazed.  The cycle continues

    The fraternity says it’s deeply saddened by Serafin-Bazan’s death and extends its “heartfelt condolences to Sebastian’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time. ”

    “We remain in communication with the Buffalo Police Department and University officials, and have offered our support for their ongoing investigation,” the fraternity said.

    The Buffalo Police Department, New York State Police, and university police are investigating the incident and looking into whether or not drugs and or alcohol played a role.

Is it time to change our thinking on fraternities?

    The university and fraternity are also each initiating an internal investigation and review.

    “The (university’s) internal review will continue this spring and through the summer,” John Della Contrada, University at Buffalo Interim Vice President for Communications, tells CNN.  The results of the review will be made public, he added.

    “As the investigation into this very serious matter continues, let me reiterate that our university has zero tolerance for hazing.  Not only are hazing incidents a violation of our university policies, but they are also crimes,” Tripathi said Friday.

    Della Contrada said he’s not aware of any hazing deaths in the history of the university, and Sigma Pi did not answer multiple questions from CNN including how many hazing-related activities have lead to injury or death, or how many lawsuits the fraternity has had or is facing in relation to hazing-related incidents.

3 fraternity brothers sentenced to jail in Penn State hazing death

    Sigma Pi told CNN that it “deplores hazing” and is “establishing a revised alcohol policy that bans hard alcohol” from their premises.

    On its website, the fraternity identifies several Sigma Pi chapters whose charters have been revoked for “being found responsible for hazing new members. ”

    A new member of the fraternity’s Ohio University chapter died after EMTs responded to a 911 medical emergency call at an off-campus residence in November of last year, Sigma Pi said in a post.

    Sigma Pi has more than 120 active chapters and colonies in the US and Canada, with over 100,000 alumni and 5,700 undergraduates, it says.

  Carma Hassan contributed to this report.
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The House and Senate both approved a measure to temporarily reopen the federal government. It next heads to President Trump for his signature. https://t.co/QNmaOlB2wj https://t.co/fBjrWv6Wyr

Nicolas Maduro has said he's willing to meet with opposition leader Juan Guaido. US pulls diplomats, families from VenezuelaWith the military support crucial to his ability to hold on to power in Venezuela beginning to fracture, embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Saturday walked back his demand that American diplomats leave the country this weekend and instead extended that deadline to 30 days, a significant political concession. The longer time frame will allow for both the U. S.  and Maduro's administration to keep diplomats at their embassies in Caracas and Washington D. C.  to negotiate severing or downgrading diplomatic ties with each other.  Maduro's new position was issued in a tweet on Saturday afternoon by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza. Meanwhile, opposition leader and now-interim president Juan Guaido on Saturday took to Twitter to triumphantly welcome the support of Venezuela's highest-ranking military diplomat, who broke from Maduro and urged other members of the country's armed forces to switch their allegiance to Guaido. Venezuela's news media is controlled by the Maduro administration, so Twitter is a potent way to get word out inside the country. Col.  José Luis Silva, the military attache at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D. C.  had said in a telephone interview from Washington, D. C.  with el Nuevo Herald  that he does "not recognize Mr.  Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela. " The el Nuevo Herald is the Spanish-language sister paper of the Miami Herald. “My message to all armed forces members, to everyone who carries a gun, is to please let’s not attack the people," Silva said, according to the newspaper.  "We are also part of the people, and we’ve had enough of supporting a government that has betrayed the most basic principles and sold itself to other countries. "Sources in Venezuela told ABC News that the military there is already split -- otherwise Guaido would be in custody. My message to all armed forces members, to everyone who carries a gun, is to please let’s not attack the people.  We are also part of the people, and we’ve had enough of supporting a government that has betrayed the most basic principles and sold itself to other countries. Earlier Saturday, the impasse in Venezuela made its way to the United Nations. Arreaza and U. S.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out their positions Saturday during a Security Council meeting, which was called by the United States and narrowly approved.  The council's members include countries that have backed Guaido and countries that continue to support Maduro, The Associated Press reported. During his speech Saturday morning, Pompeo urged other nations to recognize Guaido. "Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem," Pompeo said. Russia's ambassador to the U. N. , Vassily Nebenzia, accused the U. S.  of trying "to attempt a coup d'etat in the country. "Germany, France and Spain said they would recognize Guaido if new elections are not held quickly in Venezuela.  Both Spain and France said in their statements that new elections must be held within eight days, the AP reported. Maduro and Guaido gave dueling, defiant national addresses Friday that took place hours after a caravan of armored SUVs was seen leaving the American embassy in Caracas, as the deadline imposed by embattled Maduro for American diplomats to leave the country looms.  A Reuters report also suggested that private military contractors were dispatched from Russia to help beef up Maduro's security team. More than two dozen people have died during protests this week, several organizations said, and as of Friday evening local time, 369 protesters had been detained since protests started Monday, according to Foro Penal, a local legal organization tracking arrests. The U. S.  State Department yesterday ordered all "non-emergency" staff to leave Venezuela, but said the embassy would remain open at the request of the government of Guaido, whom American officials and several governments recognize as the legitimate president of Venezuela. Those who want to see Maduro leave office are cheering Guaido's decision this week to swear himself in as interim president, a move supported by the U. S. , Canada, Brazil and a handful of other countries.  But others are calling the National Assembly president's move a coup d'etat.  Both sides fear that the political conflict could spiral into widespread violence and perhaps even a civil war. Russian intervention? Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Friday that private military contractors “who do secret work for Russia” have been dispatched to Venezuela to help beef up Maduro’s security team. We're getting ready with the military to defend Venezuela in any scenario that could take place.  I have not abandoned power and I will not abandon it. Russia’s ambassador to Venezuela, Vladimir Zayemsky, denied the Reuters report, telling Russian state media it was a “spoof story. ”Evgeny Shabaev, the leader of a paramilitary Cossack group with ties to the contractors, told ABC News that the contractors were military veterans who specialize in VIP protection, and that they had been flown into Caracas via Havana on the night Jan.  22, landing the same day that Guaido declared himself interim president. Shabaev said some of the contractors' relatives had told him the group could be as many as 400 men, flown on two flights.  Other sources told Reuters that the numbers were much smaller. Brothers, I'm talking to you: the time is here, the time is here to work side by side with the constitution, the time is here to respect the people of Venezuela. Russian mercenaries have been appearing with increasing frequency around the world, most prominently in Syria but recently also in Africa, including in Central African Republic where they are believed to be guarding the country’s president. They’ve also been reported in Sudan and Gabon.  Shabaev said he did not know who had hired the men for Venezuela.  The contractors are often linked to a private company known as the Wagner Group, owned by an oligarch close to Putin.  Experts believe the contractors are often hired for sensitive missions where the Kremlin prefers some deniability. In recent years Russia has invested billions of dollars in Venezuela, mostly as loans and military contracts, which Moscow now risks losing if Maduro falls from power.  Maduro’s most recent visit to Moscow in December, he announced Russia would invest $5 billion in Venezuela’s oil industry and another $1 billion in its mining industry. As Pompeo prepared for a meeting with the United Nations Security Council, Maduro said he was planning to send his own foreign minister to New York. "We're getting ready with the military to defend Venezuela in any scenario that could take place," he said in a televised address.  "I have not abandoned power and I will not abandon it. "Venezuela's Minister of Defense and the head of the military said Thursday that they backed Maduro, while a former Venezuelan official told ABC News that there are growing concerns about the possibility of two warring factions forming within the military. Potential meetingMaduro also said he had received a request from rival Guaido asking for a meeting with government officials, and that he was willing to meet with him. For his part, Guaido reaffirmed his commitment to offer amnesty to any and all military and government officials, soldiers and police officers who chose to support his interim government. Speaking to several hundred people at a public square in Caracas, Guaido -- who had not been seen in person since his swearing in Wednesday amid security concerns -- made direct appeals to the armed forces and asked them to join what he calls the "only legitimate government" in Venezuela. "Brothers, I'm talking to you: the time is here, the time is here to work side by side with the constitution, the time is here to respect the people of Venezuela," he said, as hundreds yelled chants calling Guaido president and Maduro an "usurper. "Guaido added that his government is making moves towards ensuring that the Maduro regime can't access the country's financial assets, from which Guaido claimed Maduro has been pilfering. "We won't keep allowing them to steal Venezuela's government like they've been doing for so many years," he said.  "We'll see what the Armed Forces say when they realize that the usurpers who now live in the Miraflores presidential palace can't even pay the check, they can't even pay for their salaries. ”Hours later, the Department of State signaled the U. S.  would start taking economic measures against the Maduro government to make American economic policies "consistent" with the government's recognition of Guaido as Venezuela's leader. "The United States will use its economic and diplomatic tools to ensure that commercial transactions by the Venezuelan Government, including those involving its state-owned enterprises and international reserves, are consistent with this recognition," State Department officials said in a statement. We know it’s not easy, but we’ll keep on going until we win.  We know that the hope that started today in the hearts of millions of Venezuelans is not because of one person, it’s because of the firm belief that we can have a better country. Secret talksIn mid-December, Guaido slipped across the lawless border with Colombia to brief leaders there on his opposition strategy of widespread demonstrations in Venezuela set to coincide with Maduro's swearing in for a second term, earlier this month, the Associated Press reported on Friday. Guaido took the hidden route into Colombia to sidestep immigration officials, who reportedly sometimes harass opposition leaders or prevent them from international travel.  Guaido also traveled quietly to Washington D. C.  and Brazil last month for the same purposes, according to the AP. Saying that Venezuela has finally "woken up" from the nightmare it's been living in for two decades now, Guaido said his movements will stay on the streets until they can guarantee a transitional government and free elections. Under the Venezuelan constitution, Guaido's government has 30 days from the moment he was sworn in to hold presidential elections in the country.  During his speech today, he said the international community's recognition of his interim government implies a certain degree of trust that he will get the country on the road back to democracy. Humanitarian aid -- he said -- was the first step toward helping Venezuelans distressed by the country's current economic crisis. “In just two days we achieved what [the Maduro government] couldn’t do in six years -– authorizing the entry of humanitarian assistance," he said, referring to the $20 million in aid Pompeo pledged yesterday. Guaido claimed he's been in communications with other countries to get more help. In just two days we achieved what [the Maduro governmentStill, the 35-year-old politician remains realistic about the risks of moving forward with his agenda in a country where dissidents are consistently imprisoned or exiled. "They could put me in jail today, and the Venezuelan people very well know that, as does the world," he said in an interview on Friday morning.  "We know it’s not easy, but we’ll keep on going until we win.  We know that the hope that started today in the hearts of millions of Venezuelans is not because of one person, it’s because of the firm belief that we can have a better country. ”ABC News' Conor Finnegan, Kaelyn Forde, Kirit Radia and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


📸 Rose petals representing the blood spilled on "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, are seen scattered on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, ahead of a memorial and procession for civil rights icon and congressman Rep. John Lewis. https://t.co/lQfHhqfJiM https://t.co/crPAzzHWaU

Updated 10:26 PM ET, Thu July 30, 2020People this week have been paying their respects to US Rep.  John Lewis, a civil rights icon and longtime congressman who died earlier this month at the age of 80. Lewis' funeral took place Thursday at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the Rev.  Martin Luther King Jr.  served as a co-pastor from 1960 until his assassination in 1968.  Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W.  Bush and Barack Obama were in attendance.  Obama delivered the eulogy. Earlier this week, Lewis became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state at the US Capitol rotunda.  On Sunday, an honor guard escorted his body across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where Lewis and others were beaten by police while marching for voting rights in 1965. Lewis, who served Georgia's 5th Congressional District for more than 30 years, was widely seen as a moral conscience of Congress because of his decades-long embodiment of the nonviolent fight for civil rights.  His passionate oratory was backed by a long record of action that included, by his count, more than 40 arrests while demonstrating against racial and social injustice.


Former special counsel Robert Mueller rises after hours of testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. https://t.co/CXfCvYspNV #MuellerHearings https://t.co/vRGjYRR7tr

By Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner and Amanda Wills, CNNFrom CNN's Adam LevineFormer special counsel Robert Mueller testified today before the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees. We're wrapping up our live coverage of his testimony. In case you missed it, here are the key takeaways from his second hearing:Democratic Rep.  Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the House will seek grand jury material to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Don McGahn. Some background: In May, the White House instructed former McGahn not to comply with a subpoena for documents Nadler, teeing up the latest in a series of escalating oversight showdowns between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats. McGahn's decision not to comply with the subpoena could push Nadler to hold McGahn in contempt of Congress, just as he's moving to do with Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department defied a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report and underlying evidence. Asked if the House should launch impeachment proceedings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi avoided answering the question directly, saying they still have some things to sort out. Democratic Rep.  Elijah Cummings, chair of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, said at the press conference that, “This is a critical moment in our country's history. " Cummings called today's hearings a "giant step in making sure that the American people got a picture of all this and, hopefully, will look towards the future and say we’re not going to have this. ""I’m begging the American people to pay attention to what is going on," he said. Rep.  Adam Schiff said the US needs to "harden" its "election defenses" going into the 2020 election. The comments come after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before two congressional committees today.  Mueller talked about his investigation into Russian election meddling: a topic Schiff said puts America in a "vulnerable" position. During his testimony, Mueller said the Russians expect to meddle in the 2020 election. "It wasn't a single attempt.  They're doing it as we sit here.  And they expect to do it during the next campaign," Mueller said. Rep.  Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, laid out key lines from Robert Mueller's testimony this evening. Nadler, speaking at a news conference, said Mueller's report found that President Trump obstructed justice and abused power.  He went on to say that Mueller also found Trump benefited from Russia's help. From CNN's Betsy KleinAsked by CNN about former special counsel Robert Mueller saying he generally agreed that President Trump's written answers to investigators were not always truthful, Trump claimed Mueller’s answers weren’t truthful. “I don’t know whose answers weren’t — I guess his (Mueller’s) answers weren’t, because if you look, the whole report, you take a look at what they did.  Some of the things that didn’t even know about, some of the things he didn’t even know what was going on.  But you know, in the end what he did, he actually probably came through for himself,” Trump said. He went on to criticize Mueller’s performance. “The performance was obviously not very good.  He had a lot of problems, but what he showed more than anything else is that this whole thing has been three years of embarrassment and waste of time for our country.  And you know what, the Democrats thought they could win an election like this.  I think they hurt themselves very badly for 2020,” Trump said. Asked if Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. , spoke with Mueller, Trump said he did not know. “I don’t know.  I really don’t know — I don’t know — I mean frankly, whether or not he did it wouldn’t matter to me because he did nothing wrong,” Trump said, calling his son’s June 2016 meeting with Russians “a very unimportant meeting. ”From CNN's Jeremy DiamondPresident Trump said that he has no regrets about refusing to sit down for an interview with former special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation. "No, I did the right thing," he told reporters today, pointing to the number of individuals who were charged with lying to federal investigators. Trump falsely diminished the lies that witnesses who were charged with lying told to investigators, suggesting that simply mischaracterizing "a date" or the weather could lead to federal charges. "I've seen how they've destroyed people like Gen.  Flynn and so many others, what they've done to people," Trump said.  "No, I did the right thing. "President Trump said he knew the investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia was a "hoax. "Trump's remarks come after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified in front of two congressional committees today and told lawmakers that Russia's interference was "not a hoax. ""Absolutely, it was not a hoax.  The indictments we returned against the Russians, two different ones, were substantial in their scope using the scope word again.  And I think one of the -- we have underplayed to a certain," Mueller said. Trump also told reporters that he appreciated Republicans and "those incredible warriors" who were "defending our country. ""Republicans that defended something and defended something very powerful, very important because they were really defending our country more than anything else.  They were defending our country.  But they were warriors and they’ve been warriors for a long time.  And everybody knew it was a hoax, especially the Democrats," Trump said. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


American rock climber Brad Gobright has died after a fall in northern Mexico https://t.co/YX5Pf2caII https://t.co/5V2bBGsbCS

Brad Gobright, 31, was with Aiden Jacobsen, 26, who survived the accident. Elite climber rescued after fall on Yosemite’s El CapitanA famed American climber died in an accident in Mexico, friends and family confirmed to ABC News on Thursday. Brad Gobright, 31, was climbing in El Potrero Chico, Mexico, on Wednesday when he fell nearly 1,000 feet to his death, the Nuevo León Civil Protection Authority said. Gobright was climbing with Aidan Jacobsen, 26, on the Shining Path route, which reaches about 2,700 to 2,950 feet in elevation, authorities said. While both climbers fell, Gobright seemed to fall significantly farther and Jacobsen suffered lesions on the right ankle and various parts of the body, according to authorities. Mexico's Civil Protection Agency coordinated Jacobsen’s descent, supported by Hidalgo police and other climbers. Gobright free soloed -- that is, to climb alone and without rope -- and free climbed many famous walls across the world.  He free soloed the Rostrum in Yosemite, according to Outside, a news outlet the covers the outdoors community. "Brad dispatched Boulder’s most dangerous traditional climbs, broke the speed record on Colorado’s most famous route — the Naked Edge — and, most notably, climbed ropeless in Eldorado Canyon with a boldness and fervor unlike anything I’d ever seen," Cedar Wright, professional climber and National Geographic explorer, wrote in 2018 for the magazine. Gobright and climbing partner Jim Reynolds broke a speed record on the Nose at El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2017, according to Rock and Ice Magazine.  He climbed the 3,000-foot route in 2 hours 19 minutes 44 seconds, according to the magazine. News of his death spread quickly throughout the climbing community, with many mourning Gobright's death on social media. Alex Honnold, who gained fame as the subject of the Oscar-winning film "Free Solo," which documented his historic climb of El Capitan, mourned Gobright’s death online. "He was such a warm, kind soul - one of a handful of partners that I always loved spending a day with," he wrote in an Instagram post. "I guess there's nothing really to say.  I'm sad," the post continued.  "The climbing world lost a true light.  Rest in peace. . . "Gobright's fall is the second high-profile climbing accident in less than a week.  World-class climber Emily Harrington fell Monday while attempting to free climb El Capitan on the Golden Gate Route in under 24 hours. "It wasn't a moment of panic.  It wasn't a moment of surprise," Harrington, 33, told "Good Morning America. " "Honestly, it was a very calm moment.  In my head, it was just kind of like, 'OK, I'm falling.  This is happening. '"Harrington had climbed about 150 feet Monday when she lost her grip. Honnold was with Harrington when she fell and was holding the rope that Harrington used to protect herself in case of this type of fall. He explained on "GMA" Wednesday that Harrington was "using equipment to protect her in case of a fall but she was trying to just climb [El Capitan] with her hands and feet. "Honnold said even he is not sure exactly what happened during Harrington's fall because it was in the dark and was what he described as an "unusual situation. "Harrington described her condition in a post on Instagram as "’banged up but gonna be ok thankfully. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


DMK President MK Stalin calls for an All-Party meeting on August 10 to discuss the next course of action regarding the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 passed in Parliament, today. (File pic)  #TamilNadu https://t.co/e3wTj447GP

People from Ladakh hailed the Union government’s decision to grant a Union Territory status to the region with the Rajya Sabha passing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill on Monday.  The Bill proposes to bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.  BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said the decision will usher in development and strengthen border security. Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Corporation (LAHDC), Leh, Gyal P Wangyal said people of Ladakh had been demanding freedom from Kashmir for the past 70 years.  PT Kunzang, president of Ladakh Buddhist Association called it the coming true of a “long cherished dream”.  “The people of Ladakh have been striving to get separated from the state since 1949.  In last 70-odd years, we staged several agitations to fulfil our demand,” Kunzang said. “The sole credit for Ladakh getting the UT status goes to the BJP-led NDA government.  Today, PM Modi took a historical stand and we are thankful to the BJP government for taking such a bold step,” he said. Rigzin Lundup, councillor for Tegar, said the move will ensure that Ladakh gets adequate funds for development.  “Despite being the 70% geographical area of the state, Ladakh used to get a minuscule share of the development funds.  Also, tourism had remained affected because of disturbance in Kashmir.  Now, the industry will flourish in Ladakh,” he said.  Gurmet Dorjay, councillor for Korzok, said the Union Territory status will rid Ladakh of the “Kashmir-centric rule”.


FM Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha: This reservation bill ensures 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. It is a move for equality, will enable social upliftment. https://t.co/Eb81Yk840K

The Congress on Tuesday questioned the government move to provide for quota in private higher educational institutions in its bill seeking 10 per cent reservation for poorer sections among general category aspirants, being currently debated in the Lok Sabha. The bill states, “…the Constitution (one hundred and twenty four amendments) Bill 2019, provides for reservation for economically weaker section of the society in higher educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state other than the minority educational institutions referred to in the article 30 of the constitutions. ” (Click here for live updates on debate on quoat bill in Lok Sabha)Responding to this clause, Congress’s KV Thomas during the debate demanded to know how the government planned to ensure quota in private unaided institutions. The discussion on the bill comes just a day after the Union Cabinet cleared the draft legislation.  The bill has to be passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.  After that, it will have to be passed by at least half of all state legislatures.  Social Justice Minister Gehlot told the Lok Sabha that the bill seeks to benefit people suffering due to ‘economic incapacity’. “The economically weaker sections have largely remained excluded from attending higher educational institutions and employment on account of their financial incapacity,” the bill said. People who have an annual income less than 8 lakh, own less than 5 acre farm land, have house smaller than 1,000 sq feet in a town or a 100 sq yard house in notified municipal area would qualify for the proposed quotas. The bill that is expected to give the BJP a major talking point in the Hindi heartland in particular has already been criticised as an ‘election stunt’ by BSP chief and prominent Dalit leader Mayawati. Experts say the bill could face a legal challenge.  The Supreme Court has laid the bar for reservations at 50% — the current proposal will exceed the limit and thus could be legally challenged.  The government could overcome this through the legislative route, and force other parties to make a choice.


Had a very fruitful meeting with Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, in Tehran. We discussed regional security issues including Afghanistan and the issues of bilateral cooperation: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh https://t.co/TbUuduRAky

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said he had a “very fruitful” meeting with his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional security issues, including Afghanistan.  Singh arrived in Tehran from Moscow on Saturday after concluding his three-day visit to Russia where he attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers.  He also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and the Central Asian countries.  “Had a very fruitful meeting with Iranian defence minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami in Tehran.  We discussed regional security issues including Afghanistan and the issues of bilateral cooperation,” he said in a tweet.  “Both the Defence Ministers discussed ways to take forward bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Singh’s office said in a separate tweet.  The meeting between the two ministers took place in a “cordial and warm atmosphere,” it said, adding that the leaders emphasised upon the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilisational ties between India and Iran.


The BJP and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had alleged that there has been a multi-crore scam in the purchase of medical equipment to fight #Covid19 pandemic in Bengal.

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Under fire from the opposition over allegations of corruption in purchase of medical equipment to fight coronavirus in Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, in a counter attack, sought to know how much money has been deposited with the ‘Take Care Fund’, an indirect reference to the PM Cares Fund.  The BJP and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had alleged that there has been a multi-crore scam in the purchase of medical equipment to fight the pandemic in Bengal.  “Some people are questioning the money spent over purchasing masks.  I would ask them to first come clean and let me know how much money has been deposited with the ‘Take Care Fund’ before questioning others,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat during a virtual administrative meeting with district officials.  The PM Cares Fund was set up by the Centre on March 28 as a public charitable trust with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation such as that posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Taking note of the allegations, the West Bengal government had set up a three-member committee last week to look into the matter. “We enquire whenever we get an allegation of corruption from any citizen be it against any minister or any officer.  The state’s top bureaucrats, including the chief secretary, home secretary and finance secretary were handling the process of purchasing medical equipment.  There was no political interference,” said Banerjee.  Dhankhar, however, had alleged that that the probe panel set up by the Mamata Banerjee-administration was an attempt to cover up the truth.  Leaders of the BJP’s Bengal unit echoed the sentiment.  “Multi Crore Scam-Pandemic Purchase @MamataOfficial.  Cover Up Probe-Lacks credibility.  Decision Makers (-one) probing to shield culpability #MAP.  Post facto saviour mechanism!  Independent Probe can alone fasten culpability.  Need Probe to track money trail and ill-gotten gain,” Dhankhar had tweeted on Friday.  Banerjee, however, reminded how the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had to withdraw swab testing kits after they were found defective.  “Even the ICMR had to recall the kits after they were found defective.  This means something (some scam) was behind it.  Before questioning the West Bengal government, one should first ask from where the ICMR purchased the defective kits,” she said.  Mamata lashed out at the ruling BJP government at the Centre, claiming that it owes more than Rs 53,000 crore to the West Bengal government.  “The state hasn’t received a penny from the Centre to fight the pandemic.  Have you ever found out from where the state is arranging the funds to purchase medical equipment?  We had set up a Covid-19 fund and have received more than Rs 150 crore which we utilised.  But we never come to know how much money other such funds have received till date,” she added.


One hundred and forty-nine 149 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Monday, taking the state total to 8,980

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One hundred and forty-nine 149 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Monday, taking the state total to 8,980.  Four deaths were also reported.  The total number of deaths is 198. As per the state health department Covid bulleting, 149 new positive cases were reported till 10. 30 am.  Additional chief secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said two deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Baran and Bikaner.  Details were not immediately available. A spurt in cases was recorded in Bharatpur district which reported 44 cases.  The total cases in the district number 297, of which 159 are active cases. Jaipur district reported 32 cases, while Baran district reported 27 cases and Pali had 21 cases. Kota district recorded 10 cases and Jhalawar district, which had seen a sudden spike in cases last week, seems to have managed to contain the spread of the virus and reported five cases. The number of migrants testing positive is rising with 2,543 testing positive so far.  The total recoveries stand at 6,040 while the active cases are 2,742. Health minister Raghu Sharma said SMS hospital in Jaipur has been declared Covid-free and is open to the general public from Monday.  “We had made it designated Covid hospital when Jaipur saw a spike in the cases in Ramganj.  At that time we asked doctors to put-off all non-emergency surgeries as our priority then was to treat Covid patients,” he said.


Kerala facing acute shortage of #Covid19 vaccine: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan

https://t.co/l3XVMvz1MC https://t.co/6aAmabhDQq

Kerala is facing an acute shortage of vaccine and it is not in a position to provide shots to people in the 18-45 age group now, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday, adding that repeated requests to the Union government for more doses failed to yield any result.  Talking to newsmen in a virtual meeting, the CM said the state was keen to vaccinate people in the 18-45 group but it was delayed due to a paucity of doses.  “We will start as and when we get enough stock.  But they will have to wait,” he said, adding that the government will give priority to people who received the first shot and waiting are for the second.  He said in some areas people are panicking over the non-availability of the second dose and are crowding vaccination centres.  About 74 lakh doses were given in the state. The chief minister said some laboratories were not conducting RT-PCR tests after the price of the test was reduced from ₹1,700 to ₹500.  The government will not tolerate this attitude and he requested all labs to adhere to the price fixed by the government.  Many labs complained that it was not feasible to conduct tests as per the latest price. “We have decided after weighing all options.  The kit is priced at ₹260 and the rest is the fee and other related heads.  Protesting labs will have to realise that it was not time to make huge profits,” he said, adding if the protests continued the government will take action under relevant provisions of the epidemic control act.  Kerala reported 35,636 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday with a high test positivity rate of 24. 33 per cent.  It also reported 48 deaths in the past 24 hours taking total fatalities to 5,356.  At least three districts reported more than 4000 cases - Kozhikode 5,554, Ernakulam 5,002 and Thrissur 4,070.  The state’s active caseload also rose to 3,23, 828, according to the data released by the state health ministry.


Delhi Police check vehicles of commuters on Delhi-Haryana border near Gurugram amid heightened security in view of #IndependenceDay. https://t.co/DDM49WL2GN

: The Saturday virtual launch of a book on the February Delhi riots has turned controversial with Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra being named in invitations as one of the guests of honour at the event, and the publisher claiming it was not organising or sponsoring the event.   The clashes between Hindus and Muslims in different parts of north-east Delhi left at least 53 dead and around 400 injured.  A copy of the invite, doing the rounds of social media, says that two other guests of honour are filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and OpIndia editor Nupur Sharma.  It adds that BJP’s national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav will launch the book.  Responding to the comments on social media about his role in the book launch, Mishra said: “Freedom of Expression ke thekedar ek kitab se darr gaye (the custodians of freedom of expression are getting scared of a book).  Because they know this book will expose their lies and will bring the truth of Delhi riots. ” He also tweeted about the event on Friday.  While Mishra has not been charged by the police, he delivered a speech ahead of the riots -- between pro- and anti Citizenship (Amendment) Act protestors that snowballed into a Hindu-Muslim communal riot -- that people would take matters into their own hands if the police did not remove anti-CAA protestors from near the Jafrabad Metro station.  Sonali Chitalkar, one of the authors of the book took, to Twitter to urge people to read the book before criticising it .  “The book is available for pre-order.  I would love to debate side after you have read the book,” she tweeted.  She also said that Mishra’s speech was unobjectionable.  “I have heard his speech.  He has only told the police officials that if they did not clear the stretch occupied by anti-CAA protesters within two days, then they would take matters in their own hands.  There is nothing inciting or objectionable in it.  The police in its affidavit has found that Kapil Mishra’s speech did not incite the violence.  Then what’s wrong in him being in the guest list? ” Monica Arora, another author of the book said the “messiahs of freedom of speech” are criticising a book even before it has released.  “No one has read the book, then how can anyone decide its tone or tenor?  At least, read the book first and then we can have a debate. ” . While the book is being published by Bloomsbury India, the publishing house denied organising the launch event.  “Bloomsbury India is publishing the book Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story by advocate Monica Arora, Sonali Chitalkar, Prerna Malhotra in September 2020.  We are not organising any launch event for the book tomorrow and there are no events being planned yet.  If you have come across any event information for the above book, please note it is not being organized or sponsored by Bloomsbury India,” read a statement from Bloomsbury India on Friday.  Senior advocate Rebecca John, who has represented several of those accused in various cases related to the Delhi riots said: “At least 53 people lost their lives in the riots and they deserve better than this.  Those who made inciting speeches or were held responsible for the violence as per the account of several victims, should be investigated for their roles and not allowed to use platforms to further their agenda.  Bloomsbury said that their logo was inappropriately used but the fact is that they published the book and this, to me, amounts to further lowering of standards in public life.  “


Gandhinagar: BJP President Amit Shah files his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 #Gujarat https://t.co/u4oMwnCk4K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be addressing poll rallies in Aalo in Arunachal Pradesh, Moran in Assam and Gohpur in Assam.  BJP chief Amit Shah will also be addressing poll rally in Gandhinagar followed by a road show before he files his nomination from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.  Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of BJP’s allies such as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be present during party president Amit Shah’s filing of nomination.  Follow Live updates here: BJP’s mission in Arunachal Pradesh is 60+2: CM KhanduExuding confidence in the BJP’s poll prospects in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Saturday that voters will help the saffron party accomplish its mission of “60 plus two” in the state. “We have a target of winning all the seats and the BJPs mission is 60 plus two,” Khandu said while addressing an election rally here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has already opened its account in the state with three candidates declared elected unopposed in the 60-member Assembly. Approved five new bridges on Brahmaputra: PM ModiConstructed roads in villages and cities, our government has also approved five new bridges on Brahmaputra for Assam’s welfare: PM Modi When world is praising India, opposition is raising questions on India’s achievement: PM Modi in AssamWhole world has been praising the India for its development steps and security stances.  But the opposition has been raising questions on India’s achievements: PM Modi In Assam’s Gohpur‘Backed Congress in 1971 when India defeated Pakistan in war’: PM Modi in AssamWe supported Congress in 1971 when the then government defeated Pakistan and provided freedom to Bangladesh, but today Congress has been raising questions on our soldier’s valour: PM Modi in Assam Worked with honesty for Assam: PM Modi in AssamI have worked with honesty for the betterment of Assam, Congress only destroyed the states: PM Modi in Assam BJP chief Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seatAmit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, top NDA leaders including Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackrey and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani accompany him.  Working to develop Northeast as India’s new energy hub: PM ModiNortheast has power to become new India’s new energy hub, govt is working hard to develop region for realising this dream: PM Modi in Moran. Only Congress and terrorist not happy with BJP govt.  : PM ModiPeople are happy with BJP govt but it is only Congress and terrorists who are not happy: PM Modi at Moran rally,reports news agency PTI.  Planning to provide Schedule Tribe status to Assam’s six communities: PM ModiNDA government committed to save Assam’s tradition and culture.  We are thinking to provide Schedule Tribe status to Assam’s six communities: PM Modi Congress donot want to see anyone associated with Tea business: PM ModiCongress has problems with Chowkidars and Chaiwalas, Initially I thought the problem was with only one chaiwala but after touring whole country I realised that they don’t want to see any chaiwala or anyone associated with tea business: PM Modi in Assam’s MoranWhen ASAT test was done, Congress had tears in their eyes: PM ModiWhole world stood with India after surgical strikes, but Congress did not.  When our scientist carried out A-SAT test, Congress got tears in their eyes: PM Modi in Assam Assam first state to provide gas and fuel to nation, but only 40% residents of Assam got gas connections in 70 years: PM ModiAssam was the state where India for the first time got fuel and oil but only 40 percent of the houses of this state got gas connection, but now within 5 years we have taken the number to 85 percent.  Same with electricity, only 40 percent of houses in Assam got electricity in 70 years, but within 5 years of our government almost ever house in Assam has electricity connection.  Congress made fun of our scientists: PM ModiCongress’s statement after Surgical strikes were seen by the nation, even when our scientist had achieved what only three countries could, congress made fun of them also: PM Modi while addressing poll rally in Arunachal  आपने सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक के समय ये खुद देखा है।जब भारत ने आतंकियों को घर में घुसकर मारा, तो इनका क्या रवैया रहा, ये भी आपने देखा है।जब हमारे वैज्ञानिक दुनिया को हैरान कर देते हैं, तो भी ये उसका मजाक उड़ाने के बहाने खोज लेते हैं: पीएम श्री @narendramodi #NorthEast4ModiDouble engine of growth for Arunachal after 2019 LS polls: PM ModiI believe youth of Arunachal Pradesh, I am sure NDA government at both centre and state will act as double engine of growth for the state: PM Modi Congress is blinded by love for neighbouring country : PM Modi Congress and its leaders have been blinded by the love for neighbouring country to the point that they don’t cherish Northeast or India anymore, their statements are being flashed in Pakistan: PM Modi Other PMs did not visit Arunachal Pradesh in 30 years, I visited Northeast 30 times in 5 years: PM Modi in Arunachal Pradesh’s AaloIt is after 30 years that a Prime Minister has visited Arunachal Pradesh’s Aalo, but in BJP’s rule Prime Minister has visited Northeast over 30 times within five years: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing poll rally in Arunachal Pradesh’s AaloBJP president Amit Shah holds road show in GandhinagarGujarat: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah holds a road show in Ahmedabad,reports news agency ANI.   Gujarat: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah holds a road show in Ahmedabad.  pic. twitter. com/T42WkCPz9iFeel fortune to be named BJP’s candidate from Gandhinagar LS seat: Amit ShahMy political career started in 1982, when I was a poll party head in Gandhinagar.  I feel fortunate to be announced BJP’s candidate from Lok Sabha seat which was once Lok Sabha seat to LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee: BJP president Amit Shah If we can credit Indira Gandhi for 1971 war victory, why can’t we credit Modi for airstrikes: Rajnath SinghIn 1971 Atal Bihari Vajpayee congratulated Indira Gandhi for war victory over Pakistan because we placed nation first and party later but Congress has been trying to discredit Narendra Modi’s decision making abilities: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh India will soon be one of the top 3 super powers of the world: Union Home Minister Rajnath SinghIt is Narendra Modi who has taken India ahead of time, if given second chance then NDA government under Narendra Modi’s leadership will soon be regarded as one of the top three super powers of the world: Union Home Minister Rajnath SinghNDA government is ‘Power to the Poor’ government: Ram Vilas PaswanNDA government is ‘Power to the Poor’ government, we made sure SC/ST and OBC get economically and socially stronger: LJP founder Ram Villas Paswan ‘Kaun banega PM’: Uddhav Thackeray’s poser to Opposition Grand alliance should hold a rally together and announce PM candidate, they are all busy proving different leaders as PM candidates: Uddhav Thackeray Some people were celebrating thinking BJP and Shiv sena are fighting, but we are on same track now: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav ThackeryPeople must be surprised that I reached at Amit Shah’s nomination filing.  Some of them were celebrating thinking that two parties of same ideologies were fighting.  We had detailed discussion over our misunderstandings and now we are on same track: Uddhav Thackery Our government achieved things that other governments could not in 50 years: Nitin Gadkari in GandhinagarWhat other governments failed to achieve in 50 years, our government did in 5 years.  Amit Shah is India’s biggest organiser and campaigner: Prakash Singh BadalAmit Shah is India’s biggest organiser and campaigner, he was chief campaigner and organiser in 2014 when Narendra Modi was elected as Prime Minister of India: SAD supremo Prakash Singh Badal Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel before addressing poll rally in GandhinagarAhmedabad: BJP President Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he will file his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency today, reports news agency ANI.  Ahmedabad: BJP President Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he will file his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency today.  #Gujarat pic. twitter. com/HL1a0fupMxUP village threatens to boycott LS polls over demand for bridgeThe residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections over the authorities not paying heed to their demand to construct a bridge over Solani river. The decision was taken at a panchayat meeting in Yogender Nagar village. A villager, Pratap Singh, said since the village is located near the river, residents face problems in getting across. These problems are aggravated during the monsoon season, he added, reports news agency PTI.  Top NDA leaders to be present during Amit Shah’s filing of nominationUnion ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of BJP’s allies such as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be present during party president Amit Shah’s filing of nomination, reports news agency PTI Amit Shah to address poll rally, before filing nomination from GandhinagarBJP president Amit Shah will be addressing poll rally in Gandhinagar followed by a roadshow before he files his nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha.   भाजपा राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @AmitShah जी 30 मार्च, 2019 को दोपहर 1. 20 बजे गांधीनगर संसदीय क्षेत्र से नामांकन करेंगे।नामांकन से पूर्व माननीय अध्यक्ष जी विशाल जनसभा और रोड शो भी करेंगे।जनसभा- सुबह 9. 40 बजेरोड शो- सुबह 10. 40 बजेनामांकन- दोपहर 1. 20 बजे pic. twitter. com/PGD7y1Qwn2


A video where a few policemen are seen picking up notes with sticks from a roadside and placing them inside a bag is doing the rounds on social media.  It is being claimed that a member of the Muslim community had thrown Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 notes to spread coronavirus. Is this New Modas operandi ! !  Currency notes lying unclaimed on road triggered panic in Hira Nagar area of Indore – a city which has emerged as one the prime #Covid19India hotspots in the country. #StayAlert #StayHomeStaySafe#घरमेंरहेंस्वस्थरहें pic. twitter. com/NlAUYTOJxS— जय श्री राम Bultyy Jaglan 🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@bultyy_jaglan) April 16, 2020Twitter handle @SortedEagle posted this video with the message, “They’ve found a new way to spread the virus now.  A resident of this area in Indore saw a Muslim chap scatter currency notes of 100, 200 & 500 in the locality for people to pick up & get infected.  Police was called & they collected them with protection.  10 grand scattered around. ” It has been retweeted more than 1,200 times so far.
This video has also been shared on Facebook with a similar narrative.  It is also getting shared with a message in Tamil.  The message claims that Muslims in West Bengal are throwing notes on road to spread the virus. #பொதுமக்கள் கவனத்திற்குரோட்டில் #ரூபாய் நோட்டுகள் கிடந்தால் யாரும் அதை எடுக்க வேண்டாம் தற்போது கோரோணா வைரஸை பரப்ப…Posted by இந்து on Friday, 17 April 2020The video has been shared with a message in Hindi as well.  However, the Hindi text doesn’t give any communal angle to the incident.  Alt News has received several requests on its Android application to fact-check this video.
With a Google search, Alt News found a report published by Dainik Jagran on April 17, 2020.  According to the report, the incident took place at Indore’s Khatipura-Gori Nagar road on Thursday.  People informed the police after seeing some notes scattered on the road after which they sanitised the notes and ceased them.  Furthermore, the police went through the footage of near-by CCTV camera but they couldn’t find a suspected vehicle or a person.  The report nowhere identified the person suspected of having thrown the notes as a Muslim.
We then reached out to Hira Nagar police station regarding this matter.  In conversation with Alt News, station in-charge Rajiv Bhaduria said, “It is clear that any person or a Muslim didn’t deliberate scatter the notes.  Actually, the notes fell from the pocket of an Indane gas delivery guy.  The person’s name is Narendra Yadav and he is a resident of Indore’s Gauri Nagar.  Yadav had come to us to know about the notes.  After listening to his story, we checked the CCTV footage and it became clear that these were his notes. ” Thus, it is certain that these notes in Khatipura area of Indore were not deliberately thrown on the roadside by a member of the Muslim community to spread the coronavirus.  A similar incident took place in Delhi with a man who had borrowed money from an ATM.  A video of that incident was also shared with an anti-Muslim angle on social media.  Note: The number of positive cases of the novel coronavirus in India exceeds 17,000 and over to 500 deaths have so far been reported.  The government has imposed a complete restriction on movement apart from essential services to tackle the pandemic.  Globally, more than 24 lakh confirmed cases and close to 1. 6 lakh deaths have been reported.  There is a sense of panic among citizens, causing them to fall for a variety of online misinformation – misleading images and videos rousing fear or medical misinformation promoting pseudoscience and invalid treatments.  While your intentions may be pure, misinformation, spread especially during a pandemic, can take lives.  We request our readers to practice caution and not forward unverified messages on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Donate NowA picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…


Odisha asks colleges and universities to start online classes by July 13

https://t.co/dEtcvLN9Kx

Aware of the curve of Covid pandemic not flattening out soon, the state government has asked its higher secondary schools as well as degree colleges to start online classes from July 13 while asking them to prepare online content for the students. While director of higher secondary education asked the principal of the higher secondary schools in the state to explore online methods instead of chalk and talk method without breaking the rules and advisories of Covid-19 guidelines, the authorities of undergraduate colleges have been asked to from WhatsApp and e-mail groups of students not exceeding 32 students for teaching. The order for online coaching came after the state government extended the closure of schools, colleges and universities till August 31 in view of the rising Covid cases in the state.  In June alone, the total number of cases as well as deaths jumped 3 times.  Due to the rising cases, the Council for Higher Secondary Education on Wednesday had cancelled the pending papers of higher secondary examinations. The government said teachers would provide soft copy of notes, text books, PPTs and recommended lectures either through WhatsApp or e-mail for study at home.  “However, the teachers have to conduct online classes with students for at least 2-3 hours a day for 3 days a week using Google Meet, Zoom or Skype or other digital platforms.  The online classes however have to be conducted from college premises.  Teachers would maintain attendance register of students attending online classes and prepare time-table for the classes,” an order from higher education department said. Officials said government universities and colleges would carry out their official work, (except teaching in physical classroom mode and running of hostels) with 50% employees’ strength from July 1 to August 31.


Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will be on a visit to India from 14th to 16th January. During the visit he will participate in 6th India - Nepal Joint Commission Meeting and also meet EAM Dr S Jaishankar.

(File photo) https://t.co/m2dS0sjWRf

Saima Ubaid has become the first woman from Kashmir to chose a career as a power-lifter and securing a gold medal in the sport. Saima said her husband Ubaiz Hafiz, who is himself a power-lifter trained her and helped her achieve this milestone. "I suffered from excessive weight gain when I joined the gym.  My husband helped me lose the excess weight.  He trained me and lead the path to the carrier as a weight-lifter," she said. For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir Powerlifting Association had organized the powerlifting competition for women in Srinagar.  Men and women from all over the state participated in the event. In December 2020, the 4th Kashmir Powerlifting, Benchpress, and Deadlift Championship was organized.  Saima secured a gold medal by lifting a weight of 255 kgs. She said that she wanted to be an example for the women who cut their own wings by societal pressure. "Even after marriage and a kid, I continued the sport as I wanted to show women that they can achieve whatever they dream for.  No societal pressure will stop you from achieving your dreams if you are dedicated," Saima said. Her husband said that he only guided the path for her. "I saw she had natural strength to lift weights that is essential for powerlifting.  Then I proposed the idea of the sport and she agreed.  We then started preparing for the competition and by God's grace she achieved a great milestone," Ubaid said. Saima has done her Bachelors in Home Science from Government College for Women, Srinagar.  She is now working as a trainer for females and simultaneously work-out for herself.  (ANI)


Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were in West Bengal to campaign for the BJP in the ongoing assembly elections.  Photographs of the two leaders have been shared with the claim that they campaigned in Sonagachi, the largest red-light area in Asia. बहारों फूल बरसाओ हम सोनागाछी में पधारे हैं. . ! 😂😂😂😂 pic. twitter. com/ofRdur9Mdq— 𝐀𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐩𝐮𝐭 (@AnjaliSingh_INC) April 11, 2021Most people have shared Amit Shah’s photograph which shows him in a lane where a poster that reads ‘Savita Rani Sonagchi’ is pasted on the wall. सोनागाछी के गलियों में जुगाड़ खोजता पुरुष….  pic. twitter. com/AWoXw15HbB— Nita Thakur (@nithakur0) April 10, 2021The images have also been shared on Facebook. बहारो फूल बरसाओ 😳😳 हम सोनागाछी मे,घप-घप के लिए पधारे हैं 🙊🙊Posted by Shyam Babu on Wednesday, 14 April 2021They are in fact widespread on the social media platform.
Both images have been morphed.  Amit Shah had himself tweeted the original photograph.  It does not carry the wall poster that says ‘Sonagachi’.  The image was taken during door-to-door campaigning in Bhabanipur. Few more from Bhabanipur’s door to door campaign.  #BJP200PlusInBengal pic. twitter. com/wuuKmeaZyz— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 9, 2021The other image has also been morphed to show PM Modi leaving a brothel.  Below is the original photograph.
Morphed images were therefore shared to show PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Sonagachi. Donate NowAbhishek has completed his bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, currently working as a content writer in Careers 360, interested in fact checking. A picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…


Images with patriotic caption linking up with Pulwama terrorist attack.

Social media has witnessed a whopping increase of patriotic posts in the last few days after Pulwama attack, but sometimes they also come up with comments which might be well intention-ed, but misleading. An army veteran Major Surendra Poonia posted two images on Friday (February 15) with #RIPBravehearts and comment - "Cost of freedom and pain of losing brothers! "One of the pictures show coffins covered with tricolours and other one is of soldiers wiping their face. This post has been shared by hundreds of people on Facebook with comments believing it to be of Pulwama martyrs and their fellow colleagues. India Today Anti Fake News War room (AFWA) found that this is a misleading post, neither of these images are related to Pulwama attack. Please see the archived version here. Major Poonia has also posted the same images with same caption on Twitter that have been retweeted 6,000 at the time of writing this article.  People posted emotional patriotic comments on his tweet almost believing these images related to Pulwama. Heart-wrenchingCost of Freedom and Pain of loosing brothers ! #RIPBravehearts pic. twitter. com/up9OorwxgTOne user @ben10jt slammed Major Poonia on Twitter calling his post as "bluff". By using reverse image search we found that both the images are of different incidents and of different times.  The first image with coffins is not of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, but of a deadliest Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattishgarh in 2017, which killed 25 CRPF jawans. This same image has been used by many websites like India Spend and Business Standard, which has used this photo giving courtesy to Reuters. The second picture was originally used by The Seattle Times in July, 2011, with the caption "Indian armed forces personnel react to the heat during a march at India Gate after a tribute ceremony to commemorate 12 years since the victory of the Kargil war in New Delhi on July 26, 2011". So this is not a picture of soldiers who are wiping off their sweat from the face after the drill.  This picture was misused with false narratives several times in 2016 after Uri attacks on various social media platforms. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Eight patients dead after fire breaks out at Covid-19 hospital in Ahmedabad: Official

https://t.co/Kxt4E3bhAs https://t.co/lipvCPPvtY

Eight patients in the ICU ward of a private Covid-19 designated hospital died after fire broke out there on Thursday, a fire official said. Fire broke out at the Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad during the early hours of Thursday, the official said. Around 40 other Covid-19 patients at the facility were rescued and shifted to a civic hospital in the city, he said. The cause of the fire is not known yet, he said.


At least 36 people are reported dead after a passenger train derailed in a tunnel near the city of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, according to local authorities. https://t.co/FRfIduw7fc

By Jessie Yeung, Joyce Huang and Rob Picheta, CNNUpdated 2:22 AM ET, Sat April 3, 2021 A busy passenger train carrying 490 people has derailed in a tunnel in eastern Taiwan, killing at least 50 and injuring dozens more, authorities said. Additional reporting by Reuters and journalist Andy Lee in Taipei.