"It's not a holiday. It's a lockdown."

Police in London used a loudspeaker to order people sitting and sunbathing on the green to go home after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new restrictions this week amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/5gT5wFyGxY https://t.co/uQizasvvBS

By Helen Regan, Joshua Berlinger, Adam Renton, Ivana Kottasová and Meg Wagner, CNNFrom CNN's Max Foster in LondonPrince Charles, the Queen's son and the first in line to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus and is now self-isolating in Scotland.  Here's the statement from Clarence House:“The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus.  He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.  "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus.  In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.  The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. “It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. ”The palace added the Queen "remains in good health. "This post has been updated. From Steven Jiang in Beijing and Eric Cheung in Hong KongChina will resume domestic passenger flights to and from Wuhan starting April 8, when travel restrictions placed on the original epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak are to be lifted, according to the Hubei provincial transportation authority. Speaking on Wednesday, the authority's deputy head Wang Benju said that while most domestic flights will resume, all flights from Wuhan to Beijing and international destinations will remain suspended. On Tuesday, the Hubei provincial government announced that travel restrictions on Wuhan will be lifted on April 8, and residents that have been issued green health QR codes will be able to leave the city and move about. From CNN's Nadine Schmidt and Stephanie HalaszThe President of Germany's Robert Koch Institute, the national agency for disease control and prevention, has warned that the coronavirus epidemic is just starting in the country.  “We are at the beginning of the epidemic and the number is growing,” Lothar Wieler said. Addressing the comparatively low death rate in Germany, Wieler said “We don’t know why this is the case but there are several factors playing into it. ”There was widespread testing in Germany and many mildly ill people were detected, he said.  And there hasn't been a large number of old people who have fallen sick so far. But Wieler warned that it is completely "open ended how this epidemic will develop," and added that the death death toll will rise in Germany. The German Parliament is debating a financial aid package to help combat the coronavirus.  The package would be around 750 billion euros ($812 billion) and is expected to be ratified quickly, German chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday. Senior German conservative Ralph Brinkhaus, who is parliamentary leader in Merkel's CDU party, said on Wednesday that, ''this will probably not be the last aid package we agree upon here. "Earlier this week, Merkel hailed the emergency aid package as ''unprecedented. "Germany's Bundesrat -- the federal council representing the country's 16 federal states -- is set to approve the emergency aid package on Friday. From CNN's Matthew Hilk, Arman Azad and Wes BruerMarch came in with a sickness and will go out with a surge. An analysis of CNN's daily state coronavirus case numbers not only reveals where the numbers are rising, but also suggests that the rate of new cases could be stabilizing in the state with the earliest outbreak. According to CNN's tally of US cases, there were at least 53,204 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States as of Tuesday night and more than 700 people have died.  The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases.  CNN's coronavirus tally is based on numbers of confirmed cases provided by state and local health departments. CNN's tally of total confirmed cases has increased by at least 23% each day since March 4 -- in some cases, much more steeply.  From March 18 to March 19, confirmed US cases rose 51% in just one day, from 8,760 to 13,229, the largest one-day increase in recent weeks. Read more:From CNN's Lisa DrayerThere's no magic food or pill that is guaranteed to boost your immune system and protect you against coronavirus.  But there are ways to keep your immune system functioning optimally, which can help to keep you healthy and give you a sense of control in an uncertain time. One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat a nutritious diet.  That's because our immune system relies on a steady supply of nutrients to do its job.  For a starter dose of immune-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits.  Here are some key nutrients that play a role in immunity, and food sources of them:read the full story here.  From CNN's Theresa Waldrop and Stephanie GallmanAt least one person in Kentucky is infected after taking part at a "coronavirus party" with a group of young adults, Gov.  Andy Beshear said Tuesday. The partygoers intentionally got together "thinking they were invincible" and purposely defying state guidance to practice social distancing, Bashear said. Covid-19 has been more deadly and severe for people older than 60 and those with underlying health issues in data from China.  However, health officials and leaders around the United States have been imploring millennials and other young people to practice social distancing, because even those who are infected but asymptomatic can transmit it to others. Read more hereThere are at least 53,204 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States and 709 people have died, according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested through US public health systems.  Twelve states are reporting no deaths.   The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases. From CNN’s Hada Messia in RomeItaly has announced strict new punishments to try and clamp down on the spread of the coronavirus in the country, including possible jail time for people who have the virus and violate quarantine. The new orders, published late Tuesday night, include: The decree does not extend the length of the current restrictions, which are due to end on April 3. Italy, the new epicenter of the virus, has recorded nearly 70,000 cases and almost 7,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Punjab: Protesters block roads as part of 'Chakka Jaam' call given by farmers from 12 pm to 3 pm today; visuals from Golden Gate on Delhi-Amritsar National Highway in Amritsar
#FarmLaws https://t.co/X4pEN56Kct

The chakka jam call given by farmer unions got a good response in south Punjab on Saturday.  A large number of villagers, including women, blocked national and state highways in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka and other adjoining towns.  Also read: Farmers offer food, water to stranded commuters on Rohtak-Delhi highwayProtesting farmers parked their tractor-trolleys at Bhai Ghanaiya Chowk since noon.  Several trade unions also come out in support of farmers.  The protesters blocked roads at Malout, Ferozepur and Faridkot.  In Bathinda, the farmer unions blocked traffic at five places, including Sangat, Maur and Rampura.  Private bus operators have already announced suspension of services in solidarity with the farmer unions.  Bathinda police chief BS Virk said the administration has made traffic diversions at 20 spots.  “We are monitoring vehicular movement in the area and immediate support will be provided to commuters.  A large number of police personnel have been deployed at the designated spots of protests,” he said.  Blockades in border towns of Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran Farmers and their supporters blocked roads at key points in Amritsar and its neighbouring towns of Tarn Taran, Batala and Gurdaspur in protest against the Centre’s three farm laws and the internet shutdown at the demonstration sites on Delhi’s borders.  Apart from Golden Gate, which is the main entrance to the holy city, the road was blocked at Gumtala Chowk, Rialto Chowk, Mirankot Chowk, Tarn Taran road, Bhandari Bridge and Fatehgarh Churian bypass.  The farmers held up placards and banners against the central government.


A cruise ship owned by the Church of Scientology was quarantined in St. Lucia after a confirmed case of measles on board. The boat is now back at sea. Dr. Alok Patel joined Full Circle to discuss the case and what's next. Tune in on Facebook Watch: https://t.co/rfuY40DKnB https://t.co/Wj2nqCLflb

The boat, which had been quarantined in St.  Lucia, left Thursday night. Cruise ship quarantined for measles on the moveThe The Church of Scientology cruise ship Freewinds that was quarantined on the island nation of St.  Lucia for three days because of a measles case is on its way to its home port, where authorities plan to quarantine it again. The ship is expected to arrive in Willemstad, Curacao, around daybreak Saturday, according to officials on the island and Albert Elens, managing director of Maduro Shipping, the Freewinds' agent in Curacao. When it arrives, a team of local health officials will assess those on board before consulting with international health agencies on a disembarkation plan, the head of the Epidemiology and Research Unit at Curacao’s Ministry of Health, Izzy Gerstenbluth, told ABC News.  The vast majority of those aboard the ship were crew members, including the woman who had tested positive for measles, Gerstenbluth, said. The ship is expected to arrive around 3:45 a. m.  Saturday, according to the Curacao Ports Authority.  There are about 300 crew members and passengers on board, according to Elens. On Tuesday, Dr.  Merlene Fredericks-James, chief medical officer in St.  Lucia, announced that a cruise ship had docked on the island and was being quarantined as health officials investigated a possible case of measles aboard the vessel.  By Wednesday, St.  Lucia police had confirmed the ship was the Freewinds and belonged to the Church of Scientology. The Freewinds website describes the ship as "a religious retreat that marks for Scientologists the pinnacle of their journey to total spiritual freedom. "St.  Lucia's Department of Health and Wellness said in a statement Thursday that its investigation aboard the ship had confirmed that one person had measles. Gerstenbluth, who is a public health physician and epidemiologist, said he had been in touch daily with the ship's doctor, who originally thought the woman with measles had a cold.  The woman had been in Europe "for a while" before boarding the ship on April 17, he said.  The ship's doctor said she exhibited cold symptoms on April 22, developed a fever the next day, and three days later developed a rash, according to Gerstenbluth, who said the ship's doctor isolated the woman from the start. When the ship stopped in Aruba on Monday, the ship's doctor took a blood sample that, two days later, tested positive for measles, Gerstenbluth said.  At that point, Gerstenbluth consulted with the ship's doctor about isolating the woman and taking an inventory of those on the ship, as authorities in St.  Lucia -- the ship's next destination -- were notified. "On the ship, you have to be a bit more broad-minded and consider the entire ship to have had contact," Gerstenbluth said. In St.  Lucia, both police and the health ministry said that no one had been allowed on or off the ship until it departed Thursday night over fears that others on the ship may be infected. "Measles, we know, is a highly infectious disease.  So because of the risk of potential infection, not just from the confirmed measles case but from other persons who may be on the boat at the time, we thought it prudent to make a decision not to allow anyone to disembark," Fredericks-James said.  "The Ministry of Health continues to work with all authorities. "St.  Lucian authorities did not disclose any information about the woman and Gerstenbluth said he did not know her nationality. The woman, as well as other crew and passengers, were "stable" and under surveillance by the ship's doctor, the St.  Lucian health ministry said Thursday. "Continued surveillance is necessary as the incubation period for measles ranges from 10 to 12 days, before symptoms in exposed persons occur," the health ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it had also provided 100 doses of the measles vaccine, free of charge, at the request of the ship's doctor. When Curacao authorities investigate Saturday, they will also seek out information about people who had been in contact with the infected woman in the days before she tested positive for measles and who had already left the ship, Gerstenbluth said. "That’s another group that we’re trying to make an inventory of," he said.  "Who are these people, where do they live, and where do they come from? "Gerstenbluth said those still aboard who had been previously vaccinated or who had previously had the measles would likely be allowed to disembark after authorities investigate Saturday. Before the ship's departure from St.  Lucia Thursday night, authorities there were in contact with their counterparts in Curacao and shared information with them, St.  Lucia's health ministry said.  It also said local officers who boarded the ship while it was in St.  Lucia would continue to be monitored.  St.  Lucia confirmed Friday that the ship had departed Thursday night "for its home port in the Dutch Caribbean. "An adviser to Dominica's prime minister told ABC News Thursday that the ship had intended to come to Dominica for an event but that the event had since been canceled and the ship was not coming. The ship was scheduled to depart to Aruba on Sunday night but Elens said the health-inspection team and Aruban officials would determine whether the ship would stay in Curacao or continue onward as planned. "[We] will have to wait and see," he said. The Church of Scientology has not responded to a request for comment from ABC News. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A post is being widely on social media with a claim that a bill related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 11 February 2020.  BJP had issued a whip, on 10 February 2020, asking all its members to be present in Rajya Sabha on 11 February 2020 to ‘support the government’s stand’.  So, people started speculating that the government would be introducing a bill related to UCC.  A photo of a ‘list of bills’ containing ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020’ is also being shared to support their claim.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post. Claim: Government to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the Rajya Sabha on 11 February 2020. Fact: The UCC bill has not been introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 11 February 2020.  The image going viral on social media relates to the business of private members bills on 07 February 2020 and has nothing to do with the government.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. In the photo of ‘list of bills’ containing ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020’, the date can be seen as ‘6 February 2020’ and ‘Bills: To be introduced in the Rajya Sabha’ was written.  When searched for the bills in the ‘List of Business’ documents of Rajya Sabha, in the revised ‘List of Business’ for Rajya Sabha proceedings on 7 February 2020, all the bills mentioned in the list can be found.  It can be read that ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill,2020’ was supposed to be introduced as a private member bill by Kirodi Lal Meena on 7 February 2020.  More about the ‘private members’ bills’ can be read here.  All the bills mentioned in that image are private members bills that were to be introduced on 07 February 2020.  But, the ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill,2020’ was not introduced in Rajya Sabha on 7 February 2020, as he was not present in the house when his name was called to introduce the bill.  The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha can be read below.  Also, it can be seen that ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill,2020’ is absent from the list of bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha during this session.  Kirodi Lal Meena cannot introduce the bill on 11 February 2020 (Tuesday) as private members’ bills are generally introduced only on Fridays.  Secondly, the government has nothing to do with a private members bill.  Hence the image being shared on social media has nothing to do with government bills.  In the revised ‘List of Business’ for Rajya Sabha proceedings on 11 February 2020, it can be seen that there is no mention of the introduction of any bill.  Also, it can be seen that Vice President has told the house today that ‘nobody needs to have any apprehensions that the house is going to take any bill.  No bill.  Only budget’.  The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 March 2020 without introducing any bill on 11 February 2020. To sum it up, an image that shows the business relating to private member bills in the Rajya Sabha for 07 February 2020 is being shared as proof for government’s UCC bill to be introduced on 11 February 2020.  Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?


Male | Prime Minister @narendramodi leaves for Sri Lanka from #Maldives. He will meet Sri Lanka's President @MaithripalaS later in the day

Track updates here: https://t.co/HPy3CsHemb

(News agency ANI) https://t.co/fQAIUNDe4T

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today hold talks with Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena.  He would also be called upon by Sri Lankan Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa and later meet leaders of the Tamil National Alliance. PM Modi will offer prayers at the Tirumala temple in Tirupati later today.  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will accompany him, reports news agency ANI. :Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Tirumala temple in TirupatiPrime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Tirumala temple to offer prayers.  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy also present. ‘Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary and 75 years of independence in 2022, 2 big opportunities ahead of us’: PM ModiThe chapter of the election is over and the chapter of serving 130 crore countrymen has started. There are 2 big opportunities in front of the country, one occasion is 2019, Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary and the second is 2022, which is 75 years of independence.  On these occasions, if 130 crore countrymen take one step forward, the country can move 130 crore steps forward. Jagan Reddy will take Andhra forward, says PM ModiI want to give my best wishes to Jaganmohan Reddy ji, he too will take Andhra Pradesh forward, I want to assure that Indian govt will always be there for the people of Andhra.  ‘We, the BJP workers, will take country to greater heights in next 5 years’: PM Modi‘We, the BJP workers, will take country to greater heights in next 5 years.  We are not just electoral creatures, we are part of a dedicated system of activists associated with the happiness and sorrow of the people and committed to building a grand India: PM Narendra Modi addresses public meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Jagan Mohan Reddy receives PM Modi in TirupatiPrime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Tirupati; received by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.  PM will offer prayers at temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from ColomboPrime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Colombo for India after concluding his two-nation visit to Sri Lanka & Maldives.  Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe accompanied PM Modi to the airport. Indian diaspora responsible for country’s strong position in world: PM Modi“Today India’s position in the world is getting stronger and a large part of that credit goes to Indian diaspora.  Wherever I go, am told about the successes and accomplishments of the Indian diaspora,” said PM Modi in Colombo.  Indian community overseas and Government of India on same page: PM“I am happy to share that the Indian community overseas and the Government of India are on the same page when it comes to several issues,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Indian Community at India House in Colombo.  PM Modi signs visitor’s book Presidential Secretariat in ColomboPrime Minister Narendra Modi today signed visitors’ book at Presidential Secretariat.  He was accompanied by the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena. PM Modi meets former Sri Lanka president Mahinda RajapaksaPrime Minister Narendra Modi today met Sri Lankan Leader of Opposition and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.  PM Modi plants sapling at Presidential Secretariat in ColomboPrime Minister Narendra Modi today planted a sapling at Presidential Secretariat in Sri Lanka’s Colombo.  He was accompanied by Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena. Colombo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi plants a sapling at Presidential Secretariat.  Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena also present.  pic. twitter. com/CA97JrK4gaPM Modi pays tribute to terror victimsPM Narendra Modi today paid tribute to victims at St Anthony’s Church in Colombo.  The church had come under terrorist attack on Easter Sunday in April this year.  “I am confident Sri Lanka will rise again.  Cowardly acts of terror cannot defeat the spirit of Sri Lanka.  India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka,” the Prime Minister tweeted.  Colombo turns a fortress as PM Modi lands in Sri LankaIn preparation for PM Modi’s visit, the Sri Lankan capital’s nerve center, its Galle Face where the presidential secretariat and most ministries are located, has been all but barricaded for much of the weekend. Also Read| Colombo turns a fortress as PM Modi lands in Sri LankaHappy to be back in Sri Lanka, my third visit to this beautiful island in four years: PM Modi“Happy to be back in Sri Lanka, my third visit to this beautiful island in four years.  Share the warmth shown by the people of SL in equal measure.  India never forgets her friends when they are in need.  Deeply touched by the ceremonial welcome,” tweets PM Narendra Modi.  Happy to be back in Sri Lanka, my third visit to this beautiful island in four years.  Share the warmth shown by the people of SL in equal measure.  India never forgets her friends when they are in need.  Deeply touched by the ceremonial welcome.  @RW_UNP pic. twitter. com/wjZjKPno01PM Modi arrives in ColomboSri Lanka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Colombo, received by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Bandaranaike International Airport.  Sri Lanka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Colombo, received by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pic. twitter. com/OjRRHRnPf1PM Modi and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih reaffirmed their “unequivocal and uncompromising position” against terrorismPrime Minister Modi and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih reaffirmed their “unequivocal and uncompromising position” against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, both within the region and elsewhere, according to India-Maldives joint statement. PM Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka shows India’s humane approach: Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Austin FernandoOn Friday, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Austin Fernando said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka shows India’s humane approach towards the people of island-nation after the Easter Sunday blasts, reports news agency ANI. PM Modi first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka after Easter terror attacksPM Narendra Modi will become the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka since the bloody carnage by Islamist terrorists on Easter Sunday in April, in which more than 250 persons were killed. Also Read| PM Modi, first foreign visitor to Lanka after attacks, to fire many messagesVisit will lead to stupendous outcomes: PM ModiAs Prime Minister Narendra Modi left from the Maldives on Sunday, he said that he is humbled by the affection received in the island nation and added that the two-day visit will lead to “stupendous outcomes”. “Dear citizens of the Republic of Maldives, I am humbled by the affection I have received in your wonderful nation.  Thank you for being great hosts.  I also thank the Government for the hospitality.  This visit will lead to stupendous outcomes, adding vigour to bilateral ties,” tweeted Narendra Modi. India, Maldives ink 6 pacts as PM Modi, Maldivian President Solih hold talksPrime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih held wide-ranging talks on Saturday as the two countries signed six agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas like defence and maritime security. Read More| India, Maldives ink 6 pacts as PM Narendra Modi, Prez Solih hold talksPM Modi urged world leaders to unite for combating terrorismIn a veiled attack on Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday that state sponsorship of terrorism is the biggest threat the humanity is facing today as he urged the world leaders to unite for combating the menace. PM Modi leaves for Sri Lanka from MaldivesMale: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Sri Lanka from Maldives.  He will meet Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena later in the day.  Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Sri Lanka from Maldives.  He will meet Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena later in the day.  pic. twitter. com/VhAzOeaftGNarendra Modi arrived in Maldives on his first foreign visit after re-election as Prime MinisterNarendra Modi arrived in Maldives on his first foreign visit after re-election as Prime Minister to strengthen the bilateral ties, reflecting the importance India attaches to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. PM Modi was conferred with Maldives’ highest honour “Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen” on SaturdayPrime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Maldives’ highest honour “Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen” on Saturday during his two-day state visit to the country. PM Modi to offer prayers at Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh later in the dayLater in the day, the Prime Minister will offer prayers at Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh before returning to New Delhi.  Newly-elected Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will accompany him to the holy shrine, reports news agency ANI.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer prayers at the Tirumala temple in Tirupati later today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to accompany him.  (file pic) pic. twitter. com/yNh1VqZlqAPM Modi would be called upon by Sri Lankan Leader of Opposition Mahinda RajapaksaPrime Minister Narendra Modi would also be called upon by Sri Lankan Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa and later meet leaders of the Tamil National Alliance. PM Modi to hold talks with Sri Lanka President Maithripala SirisenaPrime Minister Narendra Modi will today hold talks with Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena.


MoS Home Affairs says could not meet development targets in Jammu & Kashmir due to Covid

https://t.co/V4YcB8CiI5 https://t.co/SaqVybXwsm

Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Monday said speedy developmental work has been underway in the newly-constituted Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the last two years, but the set target could not be achieved due to Covid-19 pandemic. Asserting that "revolutionary and historical decisions" have been taken for the development of the Union territory, the minister said in Rajya Sabha that Kashmir will be connected by train by December 2022 and an elevated light rail system is also being planned in the region. He said 100% piped water connection to 80. 16 lakh rural households will be provided by September 2022 in the region. "Since the last two years, speedy development is happening in Jammu and Kashmir, when compared to the last 70 years.  Both the Centre and the J&K government are trying to develop the region and will do more.  Due to coronavirus, we could not reach the set target," Reddy said in reply to a debate on J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha. After his reply, the Upper House passed the bill which seeks to replace an ordinance issued in January with an aim to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of IAS, IPS and IFS with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory cadre, also known as AGMUT cadre. The MoS asserted that all major projects are on track in Jammu and Kashmir, and bottlenecks have been removed. Highlighting the major steps taken in the region, Reddy said the foremost is the municipal polls in rural and urban bodies. The District Development Council polls were completed successfully.  There was 74% voters' participation in rural bodies elections, while 98% in block development council polls that were held post independence for the first time, he said. Not only elections were held, local bodies were strengthened giving them the responsibility of midday meal scheme, Anganwadi programme and MGNREGA, he said, adding that grievances boxes were also installed in panchayats. The minister further said gazetted officers have been asked to visit villages for two days as part of 'Back to Villages' programme to review development activities and address grievances of villages.  Similarly in urban areas, 'My town and My pride' programme is being implemented. Stating that about 54% of work has been completed under the PM's Development package for J&K, he said about 20 projects, including central and UT projects, have been executed.  Eight more projects are likely to be completed by the end of the financial year, he said. Among other steps taken, Reddy said the 359-metre-high Chenab bridge work is underway and will be completed by next year. In the power sector too, he said the government has started many works and an action plan has been made for creating additional capacity of nearly 3,498 mega watt (MW) by 2055. In the last two years alone, projects above 300 MW were revived and put on track.  About 330 MW new projects will be kickstarted and an MoU was signed by NHPC in January this year.  Four projects worth ₹34,882 crore will also be launched, he said. That apart, J&K has achieved 100% electrification, including in border villages.  About 3. 57 lakh beneficiaries have been covered under the 'Saubhagya' scheme, the minister added.


NASA's first all-female spacewalk was delayed because there aren't enough spacesuits that fit https://t.co/l9ZTdiPNOx https://t.co/phnfEk5gFL

The spacewalk will now be done by one female and one male astronaut. NASA cancels history-making all-female spacewalkThe history-making, all-female spacewalk that was scheduled to happen on Friday, during Women’s History Month, has been canceled by NASA. The cancellation is due in part to “spacesuit availability,” NASA announced Monday.  In other words, the agency did not have enough spacesuits sized for women on the International Space Station. The spacewalk was supposed to be led by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch, with the assistance of Kristen Facciol, a Canadian Space Agency flight controller, on the ground in Houston. Two more women, Mary Lawrence, lead flight director, and Jackie Kagey, lead spacewalk flight controller, were also scheduled to take part from Houston. McClain, who has been stationed at the International Space Station since December, completed her first spacewalk on March 22 and discovered then that she needed a “medium-size hard upper torso,” or the shirt of the spacesuit, according to NASA. That is apparently the same size worn by Koch, who arrived at the space station earlier this month.  NASA has a limited availability of spacewalking spacesuits and there is only one medium-size top on the space station. Koch will now do the spacewalk on Friday with a male astronaut, Nick Hague. McClain is now expected to perform her next spacewalk on April 8 with another male, Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques, according to NASA. McClain and Koch are both part of the Expedition 59 crew at the International Space Station.  They joined NASA in 2013, the year NASA's astronaut class was 50 percent female. A spacewalk is defined by NASA as "anytime an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space. " Friday’s spacewalk, to upgrade batteries on the space station, is expected to last around seven hours. The revelation from NASA that it cannot outfit two female astronauts in spacesuits at the same time drew outrage on Twitter, including from former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


14-year-old from Aurangabad has been invited as a panellist by NASA to review proposals for the its Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Fellowship Programme.

Editor's note: The story has been voluntarily updated to withhold the identity of the girl who is a minor.  Last week, the Indian media reported a rather incredible story of a 14-year-old from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, being invited as a panellist by NASA to review proposals for its Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Fellowship Programme.   What is incredible about the story is that the teen is studying in 10th standard, while reviewing proposals by those having higher educational degrees.  The articles also claimed that the teen was selected based on a paper on 'black holes and God', and that she was being funded a trip to the United States by NASA.  When the story became viral, several social media users started inspecting the claims made by the teen, and began spotting red flags all over.  While some alleged fraud, others smelt a scam.  Regardless, several mainstream news outlets in India ran the story anyway, without identifying or probing the red flags any further.  NASA officials told BOOM that while the teen was in fact selected as an 'expert panellist' through a third-party service, her selection was based on false information regarding her background and credentials.  NASA also dismissed the claims about accepting any research paper from her, or offering her a job, a fellowship, or a funded trip to the United States, as claimed by the news articles.   A NASA spokesperson told BOOM, "In May 2021, NASA's Office of STEM Engagement sought applications through a third-party service for expert panellists to review a series of proposals and applications for NASA Fellowships with Minority-Serving Institutions.  [Name redacted] was selected as a panellist based on false information regarding her background and credentials.  NASA is currently reviewing the process of verifying potential panellists' backgrounds. " "The matter has also been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General.  [Name redacted] is not employed by NASA nor has the agency awarded her a fellowship, which are only opportunities available to U. S.  citizens.  Furthermore, NASA has not accepted a scientific paper from [name redacted] or presented her with any other accolades.  Any claims that NASA is funding a trip to the U. S.  for her are also false," the spokesperson added.  Another NASA official had confirmed to BOOM that topics like "black holes and God" were irrelevant to NASA, and that such papers would not be accepted.  This story was pieced together by BOOM through an online investigation, conversations with the teen and her mother, and email conversations with NASA officials.  On August 19, news agency ANI published a Twitter thread about the teen, stating that she was selected as a panellist for NASA's MSI fellowship review panel, and that she has already attended panel meetings in July.  "I wrote a theory on black holes & God.  It was accepted by NASA after 3 attempts.  They asked me to write articles for their website," she was quoted as saying by ANI.  Click here to view an archive of the above thread.  ANI also posted pictures of what is purported as 'certificates' by NASA for the teen's achievements.  The story was carried by the Economic Times, as a part of agency feed, and was also reported by News18, Mint, TV9 Bharatvarsh, Lokmat, NDTV India, Times Now, Amar Ujala and Free Press Journal, among other publications.  In the initial reporting on the matter, none of the publications raised any questions on the claims made by the teen, and reported them as it is.  However, as the story got more and more viral, questions were being increasingly raised on social media by those who doubted the story and the claims.  Following this, ANI posted some screenshots purported to show the teen's email conversations with NASA's MSI team.  Click here to view an archive of the tweet.  ANI Editor Smita Prakash later tweeted that the organisation stood by the story.  Click here to view an archive of the tweet.  A compilation of all such red flags on the teen's claims were made in a thread by user Zeeshan Mhaskar (@MhaskarChief).  Click here to view an archive of the thread.  The first one was regarding one of the 'certificates' published by ANI.  The certificate (below) itself is highly ambiguous, and claimed to be an award for "NASA Proposal Research 2020".  We, however, found no existing award going by that name.  Furthermore, it was signed by two people - Jim Bridestine, designated as CEO and President, and James Federick, designated as Department Chair.  Mhaskar pointed out that there is no such designation as CEO or President at NASA.   We looked at the NASA's organisational structure, and found that it is the Administrator who leads the space agency.  There is no mention of a CEO or President in the entire organisation.  Additionally, we could not find any trace of someone called Jim Bridestine or James Federick linked to NASA.  However, upon searching for these names on the internet, we found that they are both erroneously spelt names of the same person - James Frederick Bridenstine, also known as Jim Bridenstine.   Bridenstine was the 13th Administrator of NASA during the Trump administration, between April 23, 2018 – January 20, 2021.  Mhaskar also pointed out the uncanny similarity in the design and wording of the teen's 'Certificate of Achievement' published by ANI, with that of a Canva template.  The 'certificate' stated that the teen had won the "1st place in the NASA Proposal Research 2020-2021" contest, of which we found no trace on the internet.  The teen also claimed to have penned a research paper titled "We Live In A Black Hole? ", which she claimed was accepted for publishing by the International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research (IJSER) in May 2021.  This claim was dismissed by the The Public Outreach & Education Committee of the Astronomical Society of India, who issued a statement drawing attention to the reliability of IJSER as a scientific journal.  Speaking on the existence of predatory journals, the statement read, "It is true that you have to send your research to an academic journal, which will get it checked by some other scientists and then will publish it.  It is also unfortunately true that some journals demand processing charges from the authors.  However, there are too many bad journals lurking in the back alleys of academic publishing, looking to exploit unsuspecting authors.  They would publish anything and everything given to them without any quality checks.  They just make money by charging such authors.  This is called 'predatory publishing' in academic circles. " The statement also provided a link that listed such predatory journals - IJSER is listed as one of them.  The Astronomical Society of India also added the following to their statement: "It is impossible that NASA or any other credible agency would invite a 13-14 year old non-citizen student, who has no academic pedigree, to evaluate serious research proposals.  It may happen by accident if some NASA admin staff gets confused between names of the student and some other person they actually wanted to invite.  Alternatively, the student may be the victim of some prank played by someone not related to NASA.  All the emails shared by ANI (see below) seem to be addressed to senior academics.  So it is difficult to imagine a valid scenario in which this invite would be sent to a 14 year old student. " BOOM had requested the teen several times to provide a copy of the research papers she claims to have written.  However, she did not get back to us on this matter despite several reminders.  Following all the red flags in the claims published by the news outlets, netizens went further and started analysing other claims made by the teen - especially on her highly dubious LinkedIn account.  Firstly, she had added the title of "Dr. " to her name, despite being a 10th standard student.  When BOOM asked her about the usage of 'Dr. ', she initially distanced herself from the account, and said she did not have access to it.   However, her mother told us that it was correct, and the she has been addressed by the title of 'Dr. ' before.  They, however, dismissed our questions on how a 10th standard student can be called a 'Doctor'.  The LinkedIn account has since been deleted, but we have the following screenshot.  Yet another user pointed out that her LinkedIn bio has been plagiarised from a document containing LinkedIn bio templates.  Click here to view an archive of the above tweet.  The teen had also posted another 'Certificate of Nomination' for a scholarship of USD $25,000 by the American Astronomical Society.  Social media users, yet again, pointed out the resemblance between the certificate posted by the teen, and a Canva template.  During our conversation with the teen and her mother, the duo insisted that she was really nominated for the scholarship.  However, we decided to verify by reaching out to one of the names who signed the certificate - Dr.  Jacqueline Faherty.  In conversation with BOOM, Faherty dismissed the certificate as fake, and said no such scholarship is given by the AAS.  "This is not real.   No such scholarship exists and I don't know why my name was used.   There is no department to be the head of at AAS," she said.  Throughout our conversation with the teen and her mother, they stood by their story, and also provided us with over 20 screenshots to prove their point.  The screenshots contained email conversations with NASA officials and senior academic researchers, with the teen's email address appearing in the conversations at times.  She also sent screenshots of what look like Zoom meetings, with other senior researchers.  Out of the 14 faces we saw in the screenshots, we were able to confirm at at least 11 of them were real academic researchers.  Some of their names also matched the email addresses in the screenshots of the conversations.  We also received a screenshot of a bank account transfer of USD $675, equivalent to Rs.  50,000, which she claimed was given to her for attending the panel meetings.  While conversing with BOOM, the teen and her mother reiterated the same claims that were published by ANI and the other news outlets.   She also told us that she has been attending her 'research meetings' since August 20, when the matter erupted in the news.  However, she added that the topic of the ongoing controversy was not discussed in any of these meetings.  Finally, NASA's confirmation of the teen being selected as a panellist, albeit based on false background information and credentials, suggests that the screenshots of emails were, in fact, authentic.  BOOM has reached out to the teen and her family to inform them of NASA's response, and to further inquire about the third-party service through which she had applied.  The story will be updated upon getting a response.  Additional reporting by Sujith A.


Sushant Singh Rajput case: Mayawati accused the Congress of using the case to serve its political interests, not to get justice for the actor’s family.

https://t.co/CsD9lxUCrS

Bahujan Samaj Party boss Mayawati on Thursday waded into the row over the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, saying that it would be better that the Central Bureau of Investigation takes up the probe rather than police officers of Bihar or Maharashtra.  She also attacked the Congress for speaking in two voices in Maharashtra and Bihar, accusing the party of using the case to serve its political interests. Mayawati’s remark came days after the 34-year-old actor’s father KK Singh filed a complaint with Bihar police accusing actor Rhea Chakraborty and six others of abetting the actor’s alleged suicide.  A team of Bihar police was also sent to Mumbai. This line of investigation appeared to be a contrast to the probe by Mumbai police that was seen to be focused at exploring the professional rivalry angle. Rajput was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in Mumbai suburb Bandra on June 14.  In two tweets, Mayawati referred to the mystery around Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. “The mystery around the death of a young actor of Bihar origin Sushant Singh Rajput is deepening following new facts emerging every day and his father filing an FIR with Patna police.  Now it would be better if the case was investigated by the CBI instead of Maharashtra and Bihar police,” Mayawati said in a tweet. Rhea Chakraborty has already moved a petition in the Supreme Court to request that the Bihar police probe be transferred to Mumbai police which was already investigating Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Maharashtra home minister and Congress leader Anil Deshmukh has rejected demands for a CBI probe into the actor’s death on more than one occasion, insisting that the Mumbai police is doing a fine job. Congress leaders in Bihar, like most other state politicians, have supported demands for a CBI inquiry. Mayawati referred to this difference in the stand taken by Congress leaders in Maharashtra and Bihar, asserting that this implied that their real objective was not to get justice for Sushant Singh Rajput’s family but use it to serve their political interests.  “This is not appropriate.  Maharashtra government should get serious (about the case),” she said. Mayawati’s pointed attack that aimed at Congress leaders comes against the backdrop of worsening ties between the two opposition parties that had, ahead of the 2019 elections, considered having some kind of an agreement.  The BSP had an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party for the general election but it collapsed after the elections. Mayawati has been particularly upset with the Congress last year after the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan lured the BSP’s 6 lawmakers in the state to join the Congress rather than support the state government from outside.


The claim along with the video in Hindi reads, 'योगी सरकार मैं यूपी की जनता गुंडों से नहीं खाकी वर्दी वालों से ज्यादा डर रही है 100 नंबर पुलिस को देखो शराब दिनदहाड़े खुलेआम पी रहे हैं ये है इन पुलिस वालों की ड्यूटी उत्तर प्रदेश जंगलराज जय हिंद भारत माता की जय.'

A video is being circulated on the internet with the claim that two policemen were drinking alcohol while on duty in Uttar Pradesh, taking a dig at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government.  However, the viral video could be traced back to 14 March 2017 and was taken in UP's Shamli district when Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was the Chief Minister of the state.  CLAIM The claim along with the video in Hindi reads, 'योगी सरकार मैं यूपी की जनता गुंडों से नहीं खाकी वर्दी वालों से ज्यादा डर रही है 100 नंबर पुलिस को देखो शराब दिनदहाड़े खुलेआम पी रहे हैं ये है इन पुलिस वालों की ड्यूटी उत्तर प्रदेश जंगलराज जय हिंद भारत माता की जय. ' (Translation: Under the Yogi-led government, people in Uttar Pradesh are more afraid of men in khaki uniforms than goons.  Look at the Dial 100 police, they are drinking alcohol openly in broad daylight.  This is the duty of these policemen in UP. ) The video shared by Facebook user '5K Broadcasting' had nearly 2,000 views at the time of writing the article.  Several social media users also shared the same claim on Facebook and Twitter, and the archived versions can be accessed here, here, here, and here.  WHAT WE FOUND OUT Using Google Chrome's InVid extension, we divided the video into several keyframes and performed a reverse image search on each of them.  This led us to a video uploaded on a website called 'Uttar Pradesh. org' that was published on 14 March 2017.  We found another article by Financial Express titled as: 'Uttar Pradesh: Mayawati’s BSP exposes Dial 100 service of UP police, video of on-duty drunk cops uploaded'.  The article, published on 15 March 2017, mentioned that the cops were drinking alcohol at the highway in UP's Shamli district.   News channel India TV also carried the viral visuals in a bulletin uploaded on 15 March 2017, mentioning that the cops were drinking alcohol during Holi celebrations.   The 'Dial 100' service of the UP police was started by the Samajwadi Party to reach people in distress in the quickest time.  Twitter handle 'Bahujan4India' had also shared the viral visuals in March 2017.  It is pertinent to note that Yogi Adityanath was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the state on 19 March 2017, while the viral video could be traced back to 14 March 2017.   Evidently, a video showing drunk policemen in Uttar Pradesh was falsely linked to the Yogi Adityanath-led government as it was shot before he became the chief inister.


The captain of the Conception dive boat, which went up in flames off the coast of California last year leaving 34 people dead, was indicted on 34 counts of seaman's manslaughter, the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said. https://t.co/GzkRhhpZL4

Feds said the captain violated major safety guidelines during the 2019 trip. Captain charged with seaman's manslaughter in boat fire that killed 34Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that a grand jury indicted the captain who piloted a boat that caught fire off the coast of Santa Barbara last year with 34 counts of seaman's manslaughter. Jerry Nehl Boylan, 67, of Santa Barbara, the captain of the Conception during the scuba diving excursion during the 2019 Labor Day weekend, "was responsible for the safety and security of the vessel, its crew, and its passengers," according to Nicola T.  Hanna, the United States attorney for the Central District of California. During the early morning hours on Sept.  2, 2019, the 75-foot boat caught on fire while it was docked at Platt's Harbor near Santa Cruz Island, killing 33 passengers and one crew member.  Boylan and four other crew members survived. The cause for the fire could not be identified due to the boat burning and sinking, according to a report released in October by the National Transportation Safety Board, but it did say the fire started in the rear of the main back salon where the passengers had plugged in their phones and other devices before going to sleep. Boylan and the surviving crew members had tried to rescue the passengers below deck before eventually jumping overboard. Hanna said Boylan caused the deaths "by his misconduct, negligence, and inattention to his duties. ""With this indictment and our commitment to vigorously prosecute the case, we seek a small measure of justice for the victims and their loved ones," she said in a statement. Boylan's attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. The U. S.  attorney's office said the captain violated three safety guidelines that are required by the Code of Federal Regulations.  Boylan allegedly failed to have a night watch or roving patrol, even though those were required for the boat's inspection certificate by the U. S.  Coast Guard, according to the U. S.  attorney's office. The captain allegedly didn't conduct mandated fire drills and didn't provide significant training for its crew, according to the indictment. Each charge of seaman's manslaughter carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, according to the U. S.  attorney's office. "Federal prosecutors informed Boylan's attorneys of the indictment after it was filed, and the defendant is expected to self-surrender to federal authorities in the coming weeks," the U. S.  attorney's office said in a news release. The families of many of those who died in the fire have filed wrongful death lawsuits against Boylan and the owners of Truth Aquatics, the Conception's owners, contending they knew about the safety hazards. Truth Aquatics did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday's indictment. In the report released by the NTSB, the agency found "the probable cause of the accident on board the small passenger vessel Conception was the failure of Truth Aquatics, Inc. , to provide effective oversight of its vessel and crewmember operations. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A new video shows a different side of the encounter between a Native American elder and teens in MAGA hats https://t.co/DN81wwxuWo https://t.co/7Am85r1p3L

Sandmann was accused of mocking a Native American protester on Friday. New fallout after viral confrontation between high schoolers, Native AmericansA Kentucky high school student spoke out on Sunday after video appeared to show him taunting a group of Native American protesters in Washington, D. C. , over the weekend. Nick Sandmann, a junior at Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, was accused of taunting and mocking a Native American protester at the end of the Indigenous People's March on Friday, but the teenager said he'd been falsely accused. "The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him," Sandmann said in a statement on Sunday.  "He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face.  He played his drum the entire time he was in my face. "I never interacted with this protestor.  I did not speak to him.  I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves.  To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me," he added. The protestor, Vietnam veteran Nathan Phillips, who was banging a drum and singing when he confronted Sandmann, said the teens yelled derogatory comments at him before the stare down took place. "I heard them say, 'Build that wall, build that wall,' you know? " Phillips told reporters over the weekend.  "This is indigenous lands, you know.  We’re not supposed to have walls here.  We never did.  Before anybody else came here we never had walls.  We never had a prison. "In a separate interview with the Washington Post, Phillips said teens from Sandmann's group had harassed him and other Native American protesters before the encounter. "It was getting ugly," he said, describing his confrontation with Sandmann, who was wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat at the time.  “I started going that way, and that guy in the hat stood in my way and we were at an impasse.  He just blocked my way and wouldn’t allow me to retreat. ”Sandmann disputed those claims in his statement on Sunday and said he never heard "any students chant 'build that wall' or anything hateful or racist at any time. ""The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him," Sandmann said.  "I did not see anyone try to block his path.  He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face.  He played his drum the entire time he was in my face. ""I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation," he added. Sandmann said he and his family have received threats after the incident became public. "I have received physical and death threats via social media, as well as hateful insults.  One person threatened to harm me at school, and one person claims to live in my neighborhood.  My parents are receiving death and professional threats because of the social media mob that has formed over this issue," Sandmann said in the statement. The Diocese of Covington and the Covington Catholic School issued a joint statement over the weekend as video of the encounter sparked outrage online. “We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general," the statement said.  "We extend our deepest apologies to Mr.  Phillips. "This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.  The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion,” it added. Sandmann defended his actions in the statement and said he planned to cooperate with the school's ongoing investigation. "I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict," Sandmann said.  "I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand. ""I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor.  I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation," he added. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: "We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen." https://t.co/NtkskFXXHc https://t.co/62AfpTbkS0

By Max Foster, CNNUpdated 1111 GMT (1911 HKT) January 9, 2020  (CNN)2020 brought us Brexit.  And now, the exit of the royal family's two biggest stars (aside from the Queen, obviously).


The next House impeachment witness is the most important so far https://t.co/DuSGcee6Jz https://t.co/KeKX8t0yqu

Democrats have worked to secure William Taylor's testimony for weeks. It’s Morning, America: Tuesday, Oct.  22, 2019William Taylor, the top diplomat in Ukraine who privately raised concerns about whether nearly $400 million in U. S.  aid to Ukraine was being withheld for political purposes, told his version of the story  to  House impeachment investigators Tuesday and Democrats described his testimony as damning and a "sea change. "Considered one of their most important witnesses, Democrats have worked to secure his testimony for weeks after Kurt Volker, the former U. S.  envoy to Ukraine, shared text message exchanges with Taylor and other officials with Congress earlier this month.  He spent nearly 10 hours behind closed doors with lawmakers and investigators. In his opening statement and initial hours of questioning, Taylor colored in the timeline of events at the center of the Ukraine impeachment inquiry, and the deliberations inside the Trump administration, committee members said, but Democrats and Republicans gave starkly different accounts. At midday, one Democrat emerging from the closed-door session, called his testimony "disturbing. "Another, Rep.  Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. , described Taylor as having "extensive notes on all of his correspondence. "Lynch, a conservative Democrat who was one of the impeachment holdouts in the caucus, referred to Taylor's testimony as a "sea change" that could even "accelerate" the timeline of impeachment, although he was only speculating. He "remembered some things that previous witnesses somehow failed to remember," Rep.  Tom Malinowski, D-N. J. , said, adding that Taylor did not provide any documents or records to the committee Tuesday. Republicans, for their part, claimed Taylor hadn't shared anything new. "I think for all of us we’re trying to see if any witness has a connection between foreign aid — and pausing the foreign aid — we haven’t had any witness address that," Rep.  Mark Meadows, R-N. C. , a staunch Trump ally said. "The information that [we] got from the ambassador was very good, for you know, what actually happened, and the truth here," Rep.  Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said.  "I thought it was fine. "In Taylor's opening statement, obtained by ABC News, he told members of Congress that he believed it was "crazy" to withhold aid to Ukraine only if the country's leadership agreed to an open investigation into 2016 election interference and business matters related to former Vice President Joe Biden’s family. "By mid-July, it was becoming clear to me that the meeting President Zelenskyy wanted was conditioned on the investigation of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U. S.  elections.  It was also clear that this condition was driven by the irregular channel I had come to understand was guided by Mr.  Giuliani," according to the statement, referring in part to the president’s personal counsel Rudy Giuliani and an investigation he was running for several months regarding matters related to Ukraine. In exchanges provided earlier to Congress, Taylor and other diplomats discussed a potential White House visit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as well as efforts to pressure Ukraine to conduct investigations -- including into a discredited conspiracy theory allegedly involving Democrats and the 2016 election -- sought by President Donald Trump. In a July exchange with Gordon Sondland, the U. S.  ambassador to the European Union, Taylor said the Ukrainian president was "sensitive about Ukraine being taken seriously, not merely as an instrument in Washington domestic, reelection politics. ""Absolutely, but we need to get the conversation started and the relationship built, irrespective of the pretext.  I am worried about the alternative," Sondland wrote back. On Sept.  1, Taylor raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the withheld foreign aid to Ukraine, which was not released until Sept.  11. "Are we saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations? " he asked Sondland. "Call me," Sondland, who testified before lawmakers last week, replied. In an Sept.  9 exchange, Taylor said it would be "crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign. ""Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump's intentions.  The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo's of any kind," Sondland replied in a message five hours later.  "The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelenskiy promised during his campaign. "Sondland testified to lawmakers that he spoke to Trump before replying to Taylor, and that Trump told him he wanted "nothing" from Ukraine and said repeatedly that "there is no quid pro quo," according to his opening statement to lawmakers last week, obtained by ABC News. "I tried hard to address Ambassador Taylor's concerns because he is a valuable and effective diplomat and I took very seriously the issues he raised," Sondland testified, according to a copy of his statement to Congress.  "I did not want Ambassador Taylor to leave his post and generate even more turnover in the Ukraine mission.  I further encouraged Ambassador Taylor to contact Secretary Pompeo, as I followed up as far as I could go. "Taylor's appearance on Capitol Hill comes as the White House has scrambled to backtrack on comments from acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney about the withholding of the Ukraine aid over the summer. At a White House briefing last week, Mulvaney acknowledged the aid was withheld in part until Ukraine agreed to investigate an unsubstantiated theory about Ukraine's involvement in the 2016 election.  He later walked back the statement in a written statement, and again on Sunday. Taylor is the seventh witness to appear before impeachment investigators and the latest high-profile diplomat to cooperate with the inquiry over the objections of the White House. On Monday, acting White House budget director Russ Vought said he and Michael Duffey, a deputy who oversees national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget, would not cooperate with requests for depositions this week. In a Cabinet meeting opened to White House reporters Monday, Trump suggested Republicans aren't doing enough to defend him from the impeachment inquiry, and that GOP lawmakers "have to get tougher and fight. " Democrats killed a motion in the House Monday evening to censure House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff brought forward by Republicans over concerns about his handling of the investigation. On Tuesday, Trump again blasted the impeachment investigation, likening it to a "lynching' in a tweet, which prompted backlash from Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. Taylor previously served as the U. S.  ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 and 2009 after working in the Middle East and Afghanistan.  A West Point graduate who served in Vietnam and Germany, Taylor was most recently working as the executive vice president of the U. S.  Institute of Peace, before rejoining the State Department. On Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper is expected to appear on Capitol Hill, according to an official working on the inquiry.  Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs, is now expected to testify on Saturday morning, the official said. While many Democrats hope the impeachment probe will wrap up by the end of the year -- and that the relevant committees hold public hearings and prepare articles of impeachment for a floor vote by the holidays -- others have suggested an extended timeline. "I don't like artificial deadlines, we should do our work, we should do it well," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N. Y. , told ABC News about wrapping up before Democratic presidential primary voting begins early next year.  "We shouldn't do it one minute more than we have to, but we shouldn't do it less either. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz: "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment." https://t.co/ijrkNxs639 https://t.co/pQtGPzbW7y

By Nikki Carvajal, Paul LeBlanc and Marshall Cohen, CNNUpdated 9:06 PM ET, Wed January 29, 2020  (CNN)A member of President Donald Trump's legal team argued on the Senate floor Wednesday that a politician trying to win reelection is acting in the national interest, and therefore a quid pro quo aimed at boosting reelection chances cannot be impeachable.


Jharkhand: Farmer groups take out a rally in Ranchi paying homage to their counterparts in Delhi, who lost their lives during ongoing farmers' agitation.

"We've come to pay tribute to 18 farmers who died during the agitation in Delhi. We support the protest," says a farmer. https://t.co/AGl9BggpAJ

Farmers on Sunday observed a Shahidi Diwas to pay homage to those who have lost their lives in the agitation against the farm laws.  Farmers agitating at the Burari ground joined in to pay homage as they took out a procession in Delhi.  “Farmers across the country are paying homage to those martyrs who died during this movement,” news agency ANI quoted a farmer as saying. The protests entered 25th day on Sunday as the impasse between the government and agitating farmers continues.  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. In Jharkhand too, various farmer groups carried out a march in the state capital.  “We support the protest,” a farmer told news agency ANI.  “We’ve come to pay tribute to 18 farmers who died during the agitation in Delhi,” he further said. The three farm laws enacted in September have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.  The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Assocham event, during which he reiterated that the laws are made for farmers’ benefit only and not otherwise as the opposition is trying to project.  Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar met agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and said a fresh round of talks may happen soon. Meanwhile, All India Kian Sangharsh Coordination committee which is agitating at Ghazipur border said they will block both sides of the road if their negotiation with the local administration over the movement of tractors is not fruitful.


A video of an altercation between shoppers at a supermarket is being shared with the claim that Chinese are not being allowed into the supermarkets of Australia.  Let’s check the claim made in the post. Claim: Video of Chinese not being allowed into the supermarkets of Australia. Fact: The video shows an altercation between a couple and a staff member over the former’s attempt to purchase the ‘baby formula tins’ beyond the supermarket’s permissible limit.  So, the claim is FALSE.    When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search, an article of ‘Daily Mail’ was obtained in the search results.  As per this article, at a Big W store in Melbourne (Australia), an altercation broke out between a couple and a staff member over the former’s purchase of ‘baby formula tins’ beyond the permissible limit in the store.  The couple seen wearing face masks in the video was confronted by a staff member as they were over the limit with four tins and were seen in the same store with more of the same product earlier that day.  The same can be seen in the ‘Newshub. co. nz’ article.  Also, as per the article, Woolworths, which owns Big W, has a two-tin limit on purchasing baby formula to stop people from bulk-buying them for re-sale. To sum it up, the video shows an altercation over the baby formula tins at a Big W store in Melbourne (Australia). Did you watch our new video?


Many Facebook users are sharing a post with a video of a child singing a song with the comments, “This is an Army Officer’s son.  His father died in an operation against militants.  His mother died of shock on hearing the news.  He is studying in a boarding Army Public School.  Look at his confidence.  An exceptionally beautiful video. ” Let’s try to analyze the claims made in the post. Claim: The child singing song is the son of a martyred Army officer. Fact: The child is the son of Pakistani singer Nadeem Abbas who is still alive.  So, the claim that he is the son of a martyred Army officer stands FALSE.   When one goes through the comments section of the video, a certain user has commented that the boy in the video is Ghulam-e-Murtaza, a social media star from Pakistan. When searched for additional information, it was found that he is the son of a Pakistani singer Nadeem Abbas.  While going through his Facebook account, a 2-year old post was found.  From this post, it is clear that Nadeem Abbas’s son Ghulam-e-Murtaza has sung this song ‘Baba Mere Pyaare Baba’ as a tribute to the martyred school children in Peshawar terrorist attacks. Gulam-e-Murtaza clarified through his Facebook account that his father is still alive and he had performed the song along with his father Nadeem Abbas.  He even requested people to stop spreading fake news that his father had died.   In 2014, Pakistani Taliban terrorists have attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar killing 141 persons that included 132 children. To summarise, the child isn’t the son of a martyred Army Officer.  He is the son of a Pakistan singer Nadeem Abbas, who is still alive.  Did you watch our new Episode of DECODE series on Parliament?


📸: Prince Philip leaves King Edward VII’s Hospital in London after a one-month stay. https://t.co/IFYSGvJHQa https://t.co/IsognqdGc7

By Jack Guy and Max Foster, CNNUpdated 8:47 AM ET, Tue March 16, 2021  (CNN)Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has left King Edward VII's Hospital in London one month after he was first admitted. CNN's David Wilkinson contributed to this report.


#Maharashtra: Farmers under All India Kisan Sabha in Nashik, continue to march to the state Legislative Assembly in Mumbai, over demands of complete loan waiver for farmers & implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations among others. https://t.co/t603HcUWUg

Thousands of farmers began their eight-day protest march on Thursday from Maharashtra’s Nashik to Mumbai to press for their demands, including loan waivers, minimum support price and land rights, 11 months after a similar agitation in the state. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which has organised the approximately 200 kilometre Long March, has said the protest will start even as they are holding talks with the BJP-led government in the state.  The organisation affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said its meeting with state water resources minister Girish Mahajan late on Wednesday night was satisfactory but they want the state government to take action accordingly.  “Mahajan has said he will consult the chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) and solve this tangle.  However, we have decided to start our march and will withdraw only when we get a proper guarantee and timeline [to resolve the issues] from the state government,” said AIKS president Ashok Dhawale.  The farmers’ march, which was supposed to start on Wednesday, was deferred by a day after police detained vehicles carrying the farmers to the venue in places like Palghar, Kasara, Dahanu and Jawhar.  In addition, Nashik Police denied them permission for the march and gave them the green signal just for the meeting at the venue.  However, the farmers have started their long march disregarding the permission saying they were exercising their democratic right to protest.  The farmers have been demanding a revision of the river linking agreement to ensure that water is not diverted to Gujarat, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, transfer of forest land to tribals and pension scheme for farmers. In March last year, a similar protest was organised by AIKS in which 30,000 farmers participated.  They withdrew the protest after the state government assured it will fulfil their demands.  However, they claim that they were cheated as a majority of their demands are yet to see the light of the day.  Also read: What Maharashtra farmers demanded, and got, from the Fadnavis govtLok Sangharsh Morcha, an outfit that works for the rights of tribals and farmers in Maharashtra and Gujarat, held a similar march in November last year to demand, among other things, transfer of land rights to 2. 31 lakh eligible tribals and relief to drought-affected farmers. They withdrew their protest following a written assurance from the state government that their demands would be met within three months. Also read: ‘Temporary truce’: Maharashtra tribals, farmers withdraw stir on government’s written assurances


Video shows leopard walking in a balcony outside a room in Taj Hotel, Ranthambore, Rajasthan.

A video of a leopard roaming in a resort premise in South Africa is viral on social media with claims that the incident happened in a plush wildlife resort in Ranthambore, Rajasthan.   The viral video shows a leopard being filmed from inside a room while he walks around the premises of the resort and drinks water from a private pool.  The person shooting the video can also be heard speaking in English towards the end of the recorded footage.   The video is viral on Twitter and Facebook with the caption, ''TAJ Ranthambore guest of honor! '' The post can be seen here and has been archived here.   Archives of similar posts can been seen here, here and here.   Below is a tweet that misleadingly identify the footage as India.   This is MAGNIFICIENT. Hotel Taj, Ranthambor, Rajasthan. (Received on WhatsApp)@susantananda3 @ParveenKaswan @SudhaRamenIFS @ranthambhorpark @TajHotels pic. twitter. com/nFb4NfIQgi  Also read: Video Of Man Cuddling Cheetahs In South Africa Shared As Rajasthan Temple We ran a keyword search on YouTube and found a video of a leopard walking in the premises of a resort's restaurant on a channel named Kruger Sightings.  The video was uploaded on September 6, 2020 and the description stated that it was shot at Singita Ebony Lodge.  Among other videos uploaded in the channel, we found one from October 28, 2014, which showed a clip similar to the viral video.  The video shows a leopard that was found roaming in the balcony of a room at the same resort located in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.   We then searched the official website of the Singita Ebony Lodge and found a video which shows similar room decor and washroom setting surrounded by glass doors with a private pool outside the room, as shown in the viral footage.  Photos of the rooms and suites at Ebony Lodge on TripAdvisor show the exact same setting shown in the viral video as well.   Additionally, the resort's official Instagram handle has replied corroborating a post by England's cricketer and commentator Kevin Pietersen featuring the same video.  It is however unclear if Pietersen has filmed the video himself.   Also read: Photo Capturing Unlikely Leopard-Cow Bond Is Two Decades Old


A photo of Modi having a feast was juxtaposed with a photo of a woman and child, and is being shared on social media to give the impression that, while people are starving in the country, the prime minister is having a feast.  Let’s try to analyze the extent of truth in this post. Claim: Prime minister Narendra Modi having feast while others starve. Fact: A photo of Narendra Modi having food at an annual Diwali lunch party organized by him for journalists in 2008 is photoshopped and used in the post.  This lunch was organized in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 12 November 2008, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.    When the photo of Modi having a feast was searched on Google using reverse image technique, an original photo related to it was found on ‘Timescontent. com‘.  Based on that information, it is understood that the photo was captured during the annual Diwali lunch party for journalists organised by Modi on 12 November 2008 in Gandhinagar when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.  But, someone photoshopped the image related to it as Modi was having a feast. On reverse searching the portion of the photo with food, it is found that the dishes represent a Lebanese Mezze and is prepared by LebaneseChef Mohammad Farran.  The image was posted by ‘We Are Lebanon’ group on their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest accounts. When the image of the woman with a child is reverse searched, it is found that the image is from Somalia and represents a mother holding her starving child and is captured on 01 August 1992. To summarize, a morphed photo is shared as Modi feasting while people in the country are starving. Did you watch our new video?


#COVID19 positivity rate in India is on a constant downward trend - cumulative positivity rate at 8.07%, weekly rate at 6.24% and daily rate at 5.16%: Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Union Health Ministry https://t.co/7vgWXSJeiz

The Union health ministry said on Tuesday the positivity rate of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India is on a “constant downward trend” and that the country’s cumulative positivity rate is at 8. 07%, weekly rate at 6. 24% and the daily rate at 5. 16%. The health ministry also said India has sustained its global position of being the country with one of the lowest Covid-19 cases and related deaths per million.  “The average daily Covid-19 positivity rate has declined from 8. 50% between September 9- 15 to 6. 24% between October 7- 13,” it said. There are 838,729 active cases in the country as on date and they have been below the 900,000-mark for the fifth consecutive day, it added.  “India is reporting a consistent slide in the new confirmed cases with 55,342 fresh infections being registered in a span of 24 hours in the country.  The new low in daily cases is the result of collaborative action by states and UTs under the Centre’s strategy of comprehensive and aggressive testing, prompt tracking and surveillance, hospitalization and adherence to the Standard Treatment Protocol which has ensured a standardised quality of medical care across the public and private hospitals and for home isolation,” the ministry said.  The ministry said that 76% of new cases are from 10 states and Union territories.  “Karnataka has overtaken Maharashtra with the highest number of new reported cases.  Both still are contributing more than 7,000 new cases.  The states which are reporting spurt in cases are Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.  Also, 77,760 new recoveries were added in a span of 24 hours, according to data.  With this, the total number of recoveries has surged to 62,27,295,” it added. The higher number of single-day recoveries is also reflected in the continuous increase in the national recovery rate, which is at present 86. 78%, it added.  “Besides, 78% of the new recovered cases are in 10 States and UTs.  Maharashtra contributes more than 15,000 to the single-day recovery followed by Karnataka with more than 12,000 recoveries.  The number of fatalities due to Covid-19 has been lower than 1000 mark for the successive days,” it said. There were 706 Covid-19 related deaths in the 24 hours and of these, nearly 79% are concentrated in 10 states and UTs.  “More than 23% of new fatalities reported are from Maharashtra.  The state contributed more than 15,000 to the single-day recovery followed by Karnataka with more than 12,000 recoveries,” the ministry added. India’s total Covid-19 caseload mounted to 7,175,880 and its death toll climbed to 109,856, according to the health ministry’s dashboard on Tuesday morning.


Gujarat: Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, where US President Donald Trump's 'Namaste Trump' will be held today. https://t.co/a3mM7GhWFv

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

Other cities -  Noida,
											Gurgaon,
											Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal
											, Chandigarh , Dehradun,
											Indore,
											Jaipur,
											Lucknow,
											Patna,
											Ranchi

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Talks with PM Modi, state banquet on Prez Trump's Tuesday schedule'President and First Lady have promised to visit again': Taj Mahal guideTrumps lands in New DelhiYogi Adityanath presents Taj Mahal portrait to the Trumps'In America and India, we fight for the citizens we proudly serve'Trumps leave after visiting the Taj Mahal'Timeless testament of Indian culture': Trump on Taj MahalIvanka Trump, Jared Kushner pose at Taj MahalUS president, First lady visit Taj MahalPresidential cavalcade moving towards the Taj Mahal'India and US will make their future brighter than ever before': TrumpTrumps welcomed at airport with cultural programmeUS President lands at Agra airportArtists wait in Agra to welcome Trump25,000 students will line up on Trump's Agra routeUnited States president Donald Trump began his maiden two-day India visit on Monday.  Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration, arrived in Ahmedabad around 11. 40 am for the first-leg of his trip. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the US president at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport in Ahmedabad.  The leaders then participated in ‘Namaste Trump’ rally at the Motera Stadium. After attending the rally, Trump flew to Agra where he and the First Lady Melania Trump spent about an hour at the Taj Mahal before sunset.  The delegation arrived in Delhi in the evening where Trump and PM Modi will hold talks on Tuesday. Talks with PM Modi, state banquet on Prez Trump's Tuesday scheduleUS President Donald Trump has a slew of official engagements in New Delhi on Tuesday, the second and last day of his India visit.  After a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the US president will visit the Rajghat, followed by a meeting with PM and signing of agreements at the Hyderabad.  The last official engagement will be a state banquet for the visiting president at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.  'President and First Lady have promised to visit again': Taj Mahal guideNitin Kumar Singh, president Trump's  tour guide at the Taj Mahal says that the president and the first lady  have promised to visit the monument again, reports ANI . "I gave every minute detail of the Taj Mahal to US President Donald Trump and the First Lady.  'Incredible' was the first word they uttered after seeing the Taj Mahal.  President and the First Lady have promised to visit once again," said Singh.  Trumps lands in New DelhiPresident Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, arrives in New Delhi. Yogi Adityanath presents Taj Mahal portrait to the TrumpsUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presented a large portrait of Taj Mahal to US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they left Agra for Delhi. 'In America and India, we fight for the citizens we proudly serve'Comparing the Constitutions of India and the US, President Trump said in a tweet that in America and India alike, "we honor, respect, trust, empower and fight for the citizens we proudly serve! "Our two national constitutions both begin with the same three beautiful words: “We the people. ” That means that in America and India alike, we honor, respect, trust, empower, and fight for the citizens we proudly serve!  🇺🇸🇮🇳 pic. twitter. com/hfKKSqlVfeTrumps leave after visiting the Taj MahalPresident Trump and others leave after visiting the Taj Mahal and are now on their way to the Agra air base. 'Timeless testament of Indian culture': Trump on Taj MahalDonald Trump says the Taj Mahal "inspires awe".  Writing in the visitors' book at the monument, Trump said, 'The Taj Mahal Inspires Awe, A Timeless Testament to the Rich And Diverse Beauty of Indian Culture"Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner pose at Taj MahalPresident Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner also looked around the Taj Mahal and posed for photos. Uttar Pradesh: US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner at the Taj Mahal in Agra.  pic. twitter. com/z1LtpUQJjeUS president, First lady visit Taj MahalUS President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the Taj Mahal in Agra.  Thep president later wrote in visitor's book. Agra: US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Taj Mahal.  pic. twitter. com/DOd4tu8iOQPresidential cavalcade moving towards the Taj MahalThe cavalcade of President Trump is moving towards the Taj Mahal.  Cultural events have been organised at stages created on crossings along the 14 km route. Agra: Artists perform, students line the streets as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump head to the Taj Mahal.  pic. twitter. com/ezHd5pf2Vq'India and US will make their future brighter than ever before': TrumpPresident Trump says that India and the US will make their future brighter than eve before.  In a tweet in Hindi, the US president said, "India and the US will make their nations stronger, their citizens more affluent, give wings to people who dream big and their future brighter than ever before. . . and that is just the beginning. "अमेरिका और भारत अपने देशों को मजबूत बनाएँगे, अपने लोगों को सम्पन्न बनाएँगे, बड़े सपने देखने वालों को और बड़ा बनाएँगे और अपना भविष्य पहले से कहीं अधिक उज्जवल बनाएँगे. . .  और यह तो शुरुआत ही है।Trumps welcomed at airport with cultural programmeUttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel and CM Yogi Adityanath welcomed President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the airport.  A cultural programme was presented for the guests who included the president's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump applauded the cultural event by clapping for the artistsUS President lands at Agra airportUS President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have landed at Agra airport.  They will visit the Taj Mahal shortly. Artists wait in Agra to welcome TrumpThe UP government and the Agra administration have made preparations to welcome President Trump and First Lady when they arrive in Agrra.  Artists are waiting at Phool Sayyad crossing in Agra on route to Taj Mahal25,000 students will line up on Trump's Agra routeAbout 25,000 school students will welcome US President Donald Trump along his 13 km long route in Agra, officials said on Monday, reports news agency IANS. A senior UP government official told IANS, "Over 25,000 students from government as well as private schools will welcome President Trump here. "He said, besides the government school students, about 500 women associated with self help groups will also welcome Trump in the historic city. The official further said that the students will be holding Indian and US national flags in their hands and they will wave the US President. First published: Feb 24, 2020 08:36 IST


Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the nation through his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' at 11 AM today. (file pic) https://t.co/HAJ7EfHdKa

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

Other cities -  Noida,
											Gurgaon,
											Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal
											, Chandigarh , Dehradun,
											Indore,
											Jaipur,
											Lucknow,
											Patna,
											Ranchi

											Powered by
Famers tell me how new demensions are being added to agriculture: PM ModiHad we followed the essence of Bapu's economic philosophy. . . . : PMInclude inspirational stories from period of foreigh rule: PMPM Modi pays tribute to Bhagat Singh a day before his birth anniversaryPM Modi tells uplifting, inspiring stories on Indian farmersBREAKING: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi hails passage of farm billsOne who is grounded, stays firm during biggest of storms: PM ModiImportant tradition of storytelling in Tamil Nadu, KeralaAs a family, set aside some time for storytelling: PM ModiCoronavirus criris period served in forstering bonding among family: PMMany Indians making storytelling popular: PM ModiWhere there is a soul, there is a story: PM ModiPM Modi stresses on importance of storytellingIndia has a glorious tradition of storytelling: PM ModiStorytelling is as old as civilisation, PM Modi on Mann Ki BaatPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the naiton on 69th edition of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio show. On September 27, PM Modi stressed on importance of storytelling and highlighted the achievements of individuals working in the field on his Mann Ki Baat. The prime minister on September 14 had requested people to send in their suggestions that can be addressed on his radio programme. Mann ki Baat is a radio show where PM Modi interacts with the nation on the last Sunday of every month on ALL India Radio. In his last address on August 30, the prime minister had praised farmers for higher crop production amid Covid-19 pandemic.  PM Modi had also pushed for startups in India to work together to make India a manufacturing hub for toys. Follow for more updates below:Famers tell me how new demensions are being added to agriculture: PM ModiIn recent times, these sectors have freed themselves from many shackles.  Attempts were made to bust many myths.  Farmers tell me how new dimensions are being added to agriculture, how farming is changing.  I want to share here what they have shared with me: PM Modi on Mann Ki BaatHad we followed the essence of Bapu's economic philosophy. . . . : PMHad we followed the essence of Bapu's (Mahatma Gandhi) economic philosophy, we would never have to be working to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat now.  It would have happened much earlier. Include inspirational stories from period of foreigh rule: PMI urge all storytellers to include all inspirational stories from the period of foreign rule as we are going to celebrate 75 years of independence.  Especially between 1857 and 1947.  We can introduce our new generation to them in form of stories: PM ModiPM Modi pays tribute to Bhagat Singh a day before his birth anniversaryAhead of late Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary on September 28, PM Narendra Modi remembered him and paid his tribute. PM Modi tells uplifting, inspiring stories on Indian farmersOn his Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared inspiring stories of a few farmers and praised them for their hardwork. BREAKING: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi hails passage of farm billsOn Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi hails passage of farm bills, says it has empowered farmers and given them freedom to sell their produce. One who is grounded, stays firm during biggest of storms: PM Modi"There is a saying: 'One who is grounded, stays firm during the biggest of storms'.  Our farmers are a living example of this during Covid-19,"" PM Modi says on Mann Ki BaatImportant tradition of storytelling in Tamil Nadu, Kerala"There is an important tradition of storytelling in Tamil Nadu and KeralaIt is called Villu Pattu.  There are many initiatives making rural stories popular. Find a topic and tell a story on that - every member should pick a topicIt can be about Covid, valour, compassion, bravery or anything else," PM said. As a family, set aside some time for storytelling: PM Modi"As a family, set aside some time for storytelling.  This will be a wonderful experience.  The same way, highlight stories relating to the great women and men who have made India proud," PM Modi said. Coronavirus criris period served in forstering bonding among family: PMCoronavirus crisis period has served in fostering bonding among family members, bringing them even closer: PM Modi on Mann Ki baatMany Indians making storytelling popular: PM ModiAll across India, there are many Indians making storytelling popular, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Mann KI Baat. Where there is a soul, there is a story: PM ModiHistory of stories is as ancient as the human civilization itself.  'Where there is a soul, there is a story'. . . .  We're proud to be denizens of land that nurtured tradition of Hitopadesha & Panch Tantra: PM Modi on Mann Ki BaatPM Modi stresses on importance of storytellingOn Mann ki Baat, PM Modi stresses on importance of storytelling, highlights achievements of individuals working in the fieldIndia has a glorious tradition of storytelling: PM Modi"India has a glorious tradition of storytelling.  These days, stories relating to science are gaining popularity," says PM ModiStorytelling is as old as civilisation, PM Modi on Mann Ki BaatFirst published: Sep 27, 2020 09:46 IST


A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it is related to a light show in Jodhpur (Rajasthan).  Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: Video of a light show in Jodhpur (Rajasthan). Fact: The video was not taken in India.  It is related to a show at Shuangqing Bay Park in China.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. When the screenshots of the video were run through Google Reverse Image Search, a couple of Chinese fact-check articles related to the video were found in the search results.  The Chinese fact-check articles published in 2019, when the video went viral with another claim, can be read here and here.  The articles have attached a clarification from the Hangzhou Internet police regarding the video.  In the clarification, it is written that the video is related to ‘War of Shunchang’ theme show in Shuangqing Bay Park, Fuyang, Anhui.  When searched with ‘War of Shunchang’ keyword, a similar video was found on YouTube with the description – ‘Best Fountain-ShuangQing Bay Water Show Theatrical Show ShunChang Battle’. Also, when we searched with a few related Chinese keywords, many similar videos were found on the Chinese ‘Tencent Video’ website.  Those videos can be watched here [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The location of the place can be found in China on Google Maps.  Also, some other pictures of the same place can be seen here, here, and here. To sum it up, video related to a light show in China is being falsely shared as that from Jodhpur (Rajasthan).


Karnataka: Taluk health official R Makandar suspended for administering #COVID19 vaccine to minister BC Patil (in file photo) at the latter's residence.

The Minister was administered the vaccine shot at his residence in Hirekerur, Haveri on 2nd March. https://t.co/0FNLBXbcjU

With coronavirus cases surging in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government on Thursday announced suspending regular classes for standard six to nine in Bengaluru urban district with immediate effect.  "Keeping in view the increasing COVID cases, the physical classes for standard six to nine has been stopped with immediate effect till the next order," state Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said in a statement. The decision was taken in view of the health of students in this age group, he added.  However, the regular classes for Class 10 students will continue.  The regular physical classes for standard six to nine in other parts of the state will continue as it is subject to the condition that decisions will be taken keeping in view the situation in future. Regarding exams, the minister clarified that the directions on holding the exams for classes six to nine will be taken in the coming days.  The regular classes for class six to nine started from January 1 in the state after the primary and secondary schools remained shut more than half of the 2020-21 academic year. Virtual classes or the online classes were the only means to impart education to the students between Class six and 10 to contain coronavirus cases last year. The decline in cases encouraged the government to conduct regular classes but the sudden spurt in cases, which the Karnataka Health Minister called 'Second Wave of Coronavirus' has now forced the education department to suspend regular classes for standard six to nine.