In the last late 24 hours, 75 new #COVID19 positive cases have been reported in the state. Total number of cases now at 3093 including 1224 active cases, 1862 recovered cases and 7 deaths: Manipur Govt https://t.co/QGRVNzwzoG

The coronavirus infection has spread to new areas in the country, but 82 per cent of the total cases are still limited to 10 states and Union Territories, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Addressing a press briefing, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 50 districts account for 66 per cent of the total caseload and the Covid-19 case fatality rate has progressively declined to 2. 10 per cent, the lowest since the first lockdown was imposed on March 25. “Coronavirus infection has spread to newer areas but 82 per cent of the total cases are still limited to 10 states and UTs in the country, whereas 50 districts today account for 66 per cent of the Covid-19 caseload in the country,” he said. Giving a break-up of the mortality rate according to gender, the official said about 68 per cent of Covid-19 deaths were reported among male patients and 32 per cent among female patients in India. In terms of age, he said 50 per cent of such deaths took place in the age group of 60 years and above. “About 37 per cent of Covid-19 deaths in India took place in the age group of 45 to 60 years, while 11 per cent of deaths were recorded in the age group of 26 to 44 years,” he told reporters. India’s Covid-19 fatality rate has progressively declined to 2. 10 per cent, the lowest since the first lockdown, Bhushan said. He noted that the total number of recovered cases at 12. 30 lakh is two times the number of active Covid-19 cases. “A total of 28 states and UTs are conducting more than 140 Covid-19 tests per day per million population.  India is conducting 479 tests per day per million population for the detection of the disease,” Bhushan said. He said 28 states and UTs have a Covid-19 positivity rate of less than 10 per cent, while India’s positivity rate as on date is 8. 89 per cent. ICMR Director General Professor Balram Bhargava said rapid antigen tests account for 25 to 30 per cent of the total tests conducted so far for the detection of Covid-19.


The Chinese laboratory in Wuhan where coronavirus emerged is owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The same GSK also owns Pfizer, the pharma company that produces vaccine for the virus.

A Facebook post sniffs a conspiracy as it claims to find a common thread between the financiers of the Chinese laboratory where coronavirus first emerged and the vaccine manufacturer. A long text shared by several Facebook users broadly claims that the Chinese biological laboratory in Wuhan where coronavirus emerged is owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).  The same GSK also owns Pfizer, the pharma company that produces vaccine for the virus.  The viral post further hints at the involvement of billionaires George Soros and Bill Gates in the conspiracy. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that GSK, a British pharmaceutical company, does not own either Pfizer or the Wuhan Institute of Virology.  The Chinese government controls the Wuhan Institute of Virology.  GSK and Pfizer embarked on a joint venture in 2018, but it doesn’t involve merging or swapping ownership. The archived versions of the posts are saved here and here. The entire claim falls flat on the very first sentence which claims that the Chinese laboratory in Wuhan where the coronavirus first emerged is owned by GSK. As per its website, the Wuhan Institute of Virology is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), controlled by the State Council of the Chinese government. In an open letter to science magazine “Nature” in 2019, Qingquan Zhang, a CAS representative, wrote that CAS is not run independently of the government.  “CAS has never sought or achieved financial autonomy.  Over the past 40 years, half of its income has come directly from central government investment; the rest has been from competitive funding or technology transfer,” the letter said. The viral post also claims that GSK owns Pfizer, the US pharma company, which along with German firm BioNTech, has developed and manufactured a coronavirus vaccine. As per news reports, GSK and Pfizer had struck a joint venture in 2018 to combine their consumer healthcare units on prescription medicines.  But this deal was never meant for swapping ownership. On the other hand, the list of shareholders shows that Pfizer has multiple owners, with The Vanguard Group being the top investor. Hence, the viral post claiming that the same pharmaceutical company is financing both the vaccine manufacturer and the Chinese laboratory in Wuhan where coronavirus originated is false. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


BJP President Amit Shah cancels his all 3 public rallies in Jharkhand today, due to bad weather conditions in the state. (file pic) https://t.co/ipC9qRHkAz

The Bharatiya Janata Party is making extensive poll preparations to dent Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s citadel in the Santhal Pargana division, which comprises the three Lok Sabha seats of Dumka, Rajmahal and Godda, that will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19. The party is all set to pitch its star campaigners, which include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP’s national president Amit Shah, top leaders Smriti Irani, Manoj Tiwari and Giriraj Singh, to canvass for BJP candidates who are contesting from these three seats.  Besides, chief minister Raghubar Das will be camping in the area from May 11 to May 17. The saffron party, which had won 12 Lok Sabha seats out of 14 in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand, is eying the remaining two seats Rajmahal and Dumka, currently represented by JMM. Political stalwart and JMM supremo Shibu Soren has been representing the Dumka Lok Sabha seat for the last three decades, except for two general elections held in 1998 and 1999, when Babulal Marandi won from Dumka on a BJP ticket.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally on May 15 in Deoghar assembly segment under Godda parliamentary constituency, from where BJP’s sitting MP Nishi Kant Dubey is contesting.  Dubey had also won from Godda in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.  He is in for a direct fight with opposition-led Grand Alliance candidate and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM-P) leader Pradeep Yadav.  Modi’s detailed itinerary, however, is yet to be finalised. BJP has fielded Sunil Soren and Hemlal Murmu again to take on JMM sitting MPs Shibu Soren and Vijay Hansdak from Dumka and Rajmahal Lok Sabha seats respectively. Also Read | Lok Sabha 2019 constituency: Close expected fight in Jharkhand’s Godda seatIn the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Sunil and Hemlal were defeated by small margins of 39,193 and 41,337 votes respectively. “Amit Shah is scheduled to address a public rally at Hiranpur football ground in Rajmahal on May 11.  On the same day, Smriti Irani will hold two rallies at Agia More Maidan in Poryahat and at College Ground in Sikaripara assembly constituencies under Godda and Dumka Lok Sabha seats,” said BJP’s former state spokesperson Pradeep Sinha. He added, “Tour plans of Manoj Tiwari and Giriraj Singh are yet to be finalized.  They will probably be present in the area after May 15. ”Party leaders feel that the presence of Modi and other top leaders in the area would create a deep impact on voters and would be a game changer, as wresting Rajmahal and Dumka from JMM will also help BJP increase its national tally of seats. In order to bolster the party’s prospect in JMM’s bastion, chief minister Raghubar Das has been holding meetings to discuss minute details and draw poll strategies with all stakeholders at his residence since the last two days.  He reportedly directed all BJP state leaders to shift to the Santhal region soon after polling for the sixth phase ends on May 12. Also Read | Lok Sabha 2019 constituency: JMM, BJP in tough fight over Rajmahal seat in JharkhandA special team of 25-30 BJP party members from the state capital will camp in the area till elections are over.  They have been assigned to look after booth management in 18 assembly constituencies falling under the three Lok Sabha seats.  Reportedly, the party has collected details of every booth to figure out where the presence of BJP is strong and where considerable work needs to be done.  Focus will be on those booths where BJP performed poorly in the last Lok Sabha elections. With the opposition-led Grand Alliance being considered as a formidable opposition for BJP this time, the saffron party is leaving no stone unturned to wrest Rajmahal and Dumka, as denting JMM’s bastion will also give the party an edge in the assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year.


5 more #COVID19 confirmed cases in West Bengal taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 27. Three people were also declared as 'cured' today: Health & Family Welfare Department of West Bengal https://t.co/qzVohWKs1H

A 48-year-old woman, who died in a state run hospital on Monday night, was posthumously detected with Covid-19 taking the total death toll due to infection in the state to three, even as five fresh cases were detected and more than one lakh people put into home quarantine in West Bengal within the last 24 hours. West Bengal has a total of 27 positive cases now, of which three were ‘cured’ as stated in a bulletin issued by the government on Tuesday.  More than 1. 48 lakh people are now quarantined in home and hospitals across the state.  The state government has, meanwhile, started identifying the people who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area.  Authorities didn’t issue any official figures.  State home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay tweeted: “All those from West Bengal who have participated in the event are being identified and will be immediately tested for Covid-19 and put under mandatory 14 days quarantine. ” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee donated Rs 5 lakh each to PM National Relief fund and to Bengal state emergency fund.  She said the donations were made from her limited resources. “Out of my limited resources, I am contributing Rs 5 lakhs to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund & another Rs 5 lakhs to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund in an attempt to support our country’s efforts in fighting the COVID-19,” Banerjee tweeted.  Meanwhile, a bulletin issued by the state health department on Tuesday said that at least three persons who were earlier detected with coronavirus have been ‘cured’. This includes a UK-returned 18-year-old boy who was the first coronavirus patient of the state.  The boy, a son of a senior bureaucrat, was slammed and trolled on social media along with his family for not practicing social distancing. Following the woman’s death in a state-run hospital in Howrah district, a section of the hospital’s nurses alleged that she was treated in the general ward with 30 other patients for nearly four hours before being shifted to the hospital’s ICU. They said that the superintendent of the hospital didn’t isolate the patient despite being repeatedly warned by nurses that she was a suspected Covid-19 patient.  The superintendent could not be contacted.


NASA says it's committed to Boeing-built rocket after considering alternatives https://t.co/pColPHk0UU https://t.co/mviBtm5D2y

FAA to significantly revamp oversight of aircraft construction after Boeing 737 Max troubles, official saysThe Federal Aviation Administration plans to significantly revamp its oversight of airplane construction this summer after questions were raised about how it manages inspections done by the industry, according to testimony prepared for a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday. The testimony by Calvin Scovel III, the Transportation Department's inspector general who monitors the FAA and other agencies, said his office has found management weaknesses with a number of the FAA's oversight processes over the years. The comments come as the agency is under increasing scrutiny for its flight approval of the Boeing 737 Max jet.  Two of the jets have crashed in the past six months in Indonesia and Ethiopia with deadly consequences, and investigators are examining the role of flight-control software that Boeing designed to prevent aerodynamic stalls. FAA oversight and its program to allow manufacturers and airlines to have their own employees do inspections will be examined at Wednesday's hearing by the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee. While the agency has made improvements, it plans by July to develop new evaluation criteria for training and company self-audits, Scovel wrote in his prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "While revamping FAA's oversight process will be an important step, continued management attention will be key to ensure the agency identifies and monitors the highest-risk areas of aircraft certification," Scovel wrote. Also in prepared testimony, the acting FAA head defended his agency's certification of the 737 Max and its initial resistance to ground the planes until all other major aviation regulators around the world had done so. Daniel Elwell, also will say Wednesday that Boeing submitted proposed changes in key flight-control software to its 737 Max jetliner in January.  He says the FAA is still reviewing the aircraft manufacturer's plans for the software update and more pilot training.  He calls FAA's review "an agency priority. "Elwell's testimony, first reported by the Seattle Times, could renew questions over the FAA's response to safety concerns about the Max aircraft after the deadly Oct.  29 crash in Indonesia and another in Ethiopia on March 10, nearly seven weeks after Elwell says Boeing submitted its proposed changes. FAA spokesman Gregory Martin said Tuesday that the Boeing submission in January was preliminary, not final.  He said the FAA has not received Boeing's completed software improvements. Boeing is updating software designed to protect against aerodynamic stalls, in which planes can lose lift from the wings and fall from the sky if the nose points too high.  A company official provided more details on work to update the flight-control software, which was not part of previous 737 models. Software designers considered "a broad range" of pilot skills "to ensure that normal airmanship skills are sufficient to control the airplane," said the official, who spoke anonymously because the changes have not been made public. Investigators in Ethiopia expect to issue a preliminary report this week on a plane crash that killed 157 people.  But a final determination of the cause of the accident may take months. Boeing said the changes will include protection against faulty readings by sensors.  Erroneous measurements are suspected of triggering flight problems on the Lion Air jet.  Regulators say the Ethiopian Airlines Max jet followed a similar flight path, including erratic climbs and descents before crashing minutes after takeoff, and those similarities were an important part of their decision to ground the roughly 370 Max 8 planes around the world. The New York Times reported Monday that pilots from five airlines tested current and updated software on a Boeing flight simulator.  During a test that recreated conditions on the Lion Air flight, the pilots had less than 40 seconds to override the software before the plane uncontrollably plunged toward the ground, the newspaper said, citing two unidentified people involved in the testing. Pilots can flip one switch to reverse a move by the software to point the nose down, and they can disable the software by flipping two switches at their knees. Pilots involved in the simulator testing followed those steps and kept the plane under control using the current anti-stall software, the newspaper reported.  The Lion Air pilots, on the other hand, had received little training on the system, and it was only after the plane crashed that Boeing first notified pilots of the system's existence. Jason Goldberg, a pilot who has flown the Max 8 and is spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the union representing American Airlines pilots, told the AP that the anti-stall system "has significant control over the aircraft — it can pitch the nose down very significantly. "Goldberg said it was "inexcusable for Boeing to omit this information from the pilot manuals for training.  It's a serious breach of trust. "A Southwest Airlines Max 8, one of 34 in the carrier's fleet, had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Tuesday in Orlando, Florida, cutting short a flight to a short-term aircraft storage lot in California.  The plane was not carrying passengers. The airline and the FAA said the plane had a problem with one of its engines, not the flight-control software. ———Koenig reported from Dallas and Krisher reported from Detroit.  Elias Meseret contributed from Addis Ababa. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A photo is being shared on social media claiming it as the picture of Congress party workers offering cake to the poster of adult film actress Mia Khalifa.  In the wake of Mia Khalifa’s tweets supporting the ongoing farmers’ protests in India, this post was shared on social media.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post. Claim: Photo of Congress party workers offering cake to Mia Khalifa poster. Fact:  The photo shared in the post is an edited one.  In the original photo, Congress workers were offering cake to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s poster.  This photo was captured when Congress party workers were celebrating Rahul Gandhi’s 37th birthday in New Delhi on 19 June 2007.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE. On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found the original version of this photo in ‘Getty’ image sharing website.  In the original photo, Congress workers were offering cake to a poster of Rahul Gandhi, not to the poster of adult actress Mia Khalifa.   In the description of the photo, it is mentioned that the Indian Youth Congress supporters cut a huge birthday cake in New Delhi, during the 37th birthday celebrations of Rahul Gandhi on 19 June 2007.  This photo was credited to the AFP reporter Raveendran. The original photo was also shared in ‘The Times of India’ news  article published on 19 June 2007.  This article reported that the supporters of Indian Youth Congress cut a huge cake during the 37th birthday celebrations of Rahul Gandhi on 19 June 2007.  From all these pieces of evidence, it is concluded that the photo shared in the post is an edited one. To sum it up, an edited photo is shared as the picture of Congress workers offering cake to Mia Khalifa’s poster.


Rajasthan: Members of Gurjar community continue their protest demanding reservation, in Bharatpur https://t.co/2Vetggn73T

Protesting against the Union government’s decision to allow post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to be trained in surgical procedures, nearly 8,000 doctors, mostly from the private sector, struck work in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. The protest did not have much impact on the functioning of big hospitals in the state. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had given a nation-wide call for protest against what it termed as “mixopathy”. “Nearly 8,000 doctors across the state went on a strike.  Most of them are from the private sector,” IMA state unit vice-president Sanjay Londhe said.  “We are not against Ayurveda, but giving permission to them to perform general surgeries would lead to wrong practices which will directly affect common patients,” he said. Dentists and junior doctors also supported the IMA call, but doctors providing emergency services did not take part in the strike in view of the coronavirus situation, he said.


A photograph showing police personnel sit in protest holding a poster saying 'we cannot lathi charge innocent people', is photoshopped and fake.  BOOM debunked the same fake image in December 2019 when it was spread in connection with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).  ALSO READ: 'Cannot Lathi Charge Innocents' Have Police Joined Protests?  The photoshopped image was also tweeted by Digvijay Singh 'Dev' - State President Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS).  The fake image is being shared with a Hindi caption which translates to, 'the police does not lathi charge, the government gets it done. ' (Translated from Hindi - पुलिस लाठी चार्ज करती नही सरकार करबाती हैं ) Click here to view an archive.  पुलिस लाठी चार्ज करती नही सरकार करबाती हैं ,, pic. twitter. com/eIwxvrTTj8  The image is being shared on Facebook and Twitter with the same caption.  (Click here, here and here for archives)      FACT CHECK A reverse image search of the image shows the original photo is from November 5, 2019 when police personnel marched to the Delhi police headquarters at ITO as a mark of protest over their leaderships handling of incidents of policemen being assaulted during clashes with lawyers.   On November 2, 2019, a major clash broke out inside the Tis Hazari court premises between Delhi Police and lawyers, allegedly over a spat over parking.  Both police officers and lawyers sustained serious injuries and several vehicles were damaged in clashes that shocked the entire country.   The original photo is a Press Trust Of India photo and has been used in an article by Scroll and other news websites.  The signs on the original photo say, 'we want justice' and posters in Hindi that translate to 'who will listen?  who do we complain to? ' and 'today it's the police, tomorrow? '.  ALSO READ: No, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Is Not Hugging 'Naxal Bhabhi' In This Photo


RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points, now at 5.75% from 6%. Reverse repo rate and bank rate adjusted at 5.50 and 6.0 per cent respectively. https://t.co/greB9paac3

Corporate and consumer loans will get cheaper with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), expectedly, cutting the policy rate by 0. 25 percentage points to 5. 75% on Thursday, its third consecutive rate cut this year, in an attempt to reverse the slowdown in economic growth and boost consumer spending.  The policy rate is now the lowest it has been since July 2010, a year when the RBI effected a staggering six interest rate increases to combat stubborn inflation. Inflation is now well under control, and in its bimonthly monetary policy review, the monetary policy committee (MPC) of RBI also changed its policy stance to “accommodative” from “neutral”, which means that it could cut the rate again, and then again, if growth doesn’t pick up.  If there was still any doubt on RBI’s primary focus now, the central bank’s governor set it to rest.  “The accommodative stance basically means that the rate hike is off the table,” said Shaktikanta Das. RBI’s move highlights growing concerns in the central bank and also in government circles about growth.  On Thursday, the government set up a special Cabinet committee of senior ministers to deal with growth and investment-related issues.   Last week, the official data showed that India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate slipped to a five-year low of 5. 8% in the January-March quarter and that the annual growth slowed to 6. 8% in FY19.  Against this backdrop, RBI has revised its growth forecast for 2019-20 down to 7% from 7. 2%. “A sharp slowdown in investment activity along with a continuing moderation in private consumption growth is a matter of concern.  The headline inflation trajectory remains below the target mandated.  Hence, there is scope for the MPC to accommodate growth concerns by supporting efforts to boost aggregate demand, and in particular, reinvigorate private investment activity, while remaining consistent with its flexible inflation targeting mandate,” RBI said in its monetary policy statement.  Watch | RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis points, policy stance now ‘accommodative’As reflected in that statement, both investment and consumption growth are flagging.  “The tone of the policy and the guidance seem to suggest that the RBI is adequately worried about growth even as it is comfortable on the evolution of the inflation trajectory.  The tone of the policy communique was dovish.  Scope for further rate cuts (beyond August) will depend on extent of further growth slowdown and downside to inflation from RBI’s estimated levels,” the Kotak Institutional Equities said in a note on Thursday. Meanwhile, RBI raised its consumer price index (CPI) inflation projection for the first half of the year to 3-3. 1% from 2. 9-3% while marginally reduced the second-half inflation outlook to 3. 4-3. 7% from 3. 5-3. 8%, with risks broadly balanced.  The reason for the revision, RBI said, was factors such as sharper-than-expected seasonal rise in vegetable prices and pick-up in prices in several food items while weakening of domestic and external demand and forecast of normal monsoon. The India Meteorological Department continues to maintain its forecast of a normal monsoon, although it has admitted that the onset is delayed.  Usually, the monsoon makes landfall in Kerala on June 1.  This year, it still hadn’t till June 6.  The magnitude of MPC’s concern over growth is also reflected in the fact that this is the first time in recent reviews that the decision on a rate cut has been unanimous.  The cut also sets the tone for the Union Budget next month, experts said, adding that the latter is expected to be growth-oriented.  Expectations are that banks will pass on the rate cut by lowering their lending rates and in turn possibly lowering the equated monthly instalments (EMI) that individuals pay on home and consumer loans. “The banks will cut lending rate but it will get passed on to the consumer with a lag — probably faster than last time.  Only after deposit rates get repriced will you see the change in lending rates.  The new deposits will come at a lower rate after the individual banks’ asset-liability committee meets next.  Also, banks have been making attempts to link their deposits to external benchmark rates to enable transmission immediately,” said Ashutosh Khajuria, chief financial officer at Federal Bank. Transmission of recent rate cuts has been slow.  “Transmission of the cumulative reduction of 50 bps (basis points; one basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point) in the policy repo rate in February and April was 21 bps to the weighted average lending rate (WALR) on fresh rupee loans.  However, the WALR on outstanding rupee loans increased by 4 bps as the past loans continue to be priced at high rates,” RBI said in its statement. “The RBI policy decision to change the policy stance to ‘accommodative’ will simultaneously help the financial system to navigate to a lower-term structure of interest rates,” said Rajnish Kumar, chairman, State Bank of India, India’s biggest lender. Banks have been blaming low deposit growth for lack of rate cut transmission.  According to Motilal Oswal Research, deposit growth of banks has been in the single digits for the past 40 months -- for the first time in more than half a century.  RBI, however, has been easing liquidity in an effort to offset this.  “Liquidity in the system turned into an average daily surplus of ~66,000 crore in early June after remaining in deficit during April and most of May due to restrained government spending,” RBI said in a statement. “Liquidity in the banking system has seen a movement from deficit to positive zone.  It is important to see this situation continues to ensure credit transmission.  India rates would continue to find anchor and maintain a softening bias going forward,” said Lakshmi Iyer, chief investment officer (debt) and head products, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co.  Ltd. The stock market didn’t cheer the rate cut, perhaps because of the underlying concern on growth.  The benchmark Sensex fell 1. 38%, or 553. 82 points, to close at 39,529. 72.  The yield on 10-year bonds fell nine basis points, an 18-month low, of 6. 933% from its Tuesday’s close of 7. 02%.  Bond prices and yields move in opposite direction.  The rupee closed flat to 69. 28 to the dollar, up 0. 03% from its previous close.


The Houston Police Department is investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place at the Downtown Aquarium Thursday night. https://t.co/x9qMXV5je6

By Alta Spells, CNNUpdated 8:56 AM ET, Sat July 10, 2021  (CNN)A man and a woman were finishing dinner at a restaurant at the Downtown Aquarium in Houston, Texas, Thursday night when a man seated at the other end of the bar got up, approached the pair and opened fire, officials said.


The Right to Information Amendment Bill 2019 to be introduced in LokSabha, today. https://t.co/k6Xjl04smj

The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2019 on Thursday.  Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that seven legislations under indirect taxation are being amended to ensure greater simplicity. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Pakistan to release and release and repatriate former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to India. Also Read| ICJ’s Kulbhushan Jadhav verdict: What it means for India and Pakistan:Govt likely to extend Parliament session till Aug 2The government is likely to extend the ongoing session of Parliament to complete its legislative business, top government sources said Friday. Protection of Human rights (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed in Lok SabhaThe Protection of Human rights (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed in Lok Sabha, reports news agency ANI. Bill to protect rights of transgenders in Lok SabhaA bill which provides a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of transgenders by defining their identity and rights to prohibit discrimination against them was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, introduced by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, provides a mechanism for their social, economic and educational empowerment, reports PTI. Bill to check ponzi schemes introduced in Lok SabhaA Bill which seeks to tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities in the country was introduced in Lok Sabha Friday. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 will replace the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019. The bill seeks to help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard earned money, according to the government. The bill was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman amid noisy protests by Congress members over the ongoing political crisis in Karnataka, reports PTI. Rajya Sabha witnesses uproar over issue of attack on former legislatorOpposition members in the Rajya Sabha created an uproar on Friday over an alleged attack on a former legislator of Madhya Pradesh onboard a train and criticised Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi for not adequately responding to the grievance. During the Question Hour, SP member Javed Ali Khan raised the issue of the alleged attack on former Madhya Pradesh legislator Dr Sunilam onboard the Godwana Express, reports PTI. Why a law on mob lynching is not being made? : Asaduddin OwaisiAsaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM in Lok Sabha: I would like to ask the Home Minister, why a law on mob lynching is not being made?  Last year Supreme Court had asked government to make a law on mob lynching.  If you make all Supreme Court’s orders into laws, why not this?  Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM in Lok Sabha: I would like to ask the Home Minister, why a law on mob lynching is not being made?  Last year Supreme Court had asked govt to make a law on mob lynching.  If you make all SC's orders into laws, why not this?  pic. twitter. com/vvL4eBEswiVenkaiah Naidu pulls up minister of state for absence from Rajya SabhaMinister of state for animal husbandry,fisheries and dairying, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, was pulled up by the Rajya Sabha chairman for being absent from the house when his name was called.  “Mantriji, day before yesterday your name was there in the agenda.  But when called, you were not there.  Please note that it should not happen in future,” the Upper House chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said. Balyan, who laid paper on the table listed against his name in the House, expressed regret for being absent and assured the same will not happen again. Opposition walks out of Lok Sabha on Karnataka issueOpposition parties, including the Congress, DMK and TMC, on Friday walked out of the Lok Sabha over the Karnataka crisis, accusing the BJP of destabilising the state government, reports IANS.  The MPs trooped out of the House during Zero Hour when Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to speak on the issue but only for a few minutes. Chowdhury said the opposition was hopeful that home minster Amit Shah would speak on the issue as an adjournment motion had been given. Delhi govt should cooperate in implementing PM-KISAN scheme: Union ministerMinister of state for agriculture, Parshottam Rupala on Friday said in the Rajya Sabha that the Delhi government should cooperate in implementing the newly launched central scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) under which Rs 6,000 is paid in three equal instalments annually to each farmer who owns land.  Replying to supplementaries in the Question Hour, the minister said, “Farmers in Delhi have not been able to benefit from the PM-KISAN because the state government has not yet submitted the required data of registered farmers. ” The Centre is ready to release funds once the data is submitted to the Union Agriculture Ministry, PTI reported the minister as saying.  Democracy being killed in Karnataka: Congress in Lok SabhaThe Congress Friday raised the issue of ongoing political crisis in Karnataka in Lok Sabha, saying independence of legislature is under threat and democracy is being killed. Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly vote on confidence motion of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the BJP is conspiring to bring down governments in states where opposition parties are in power, reports PTI. Lok Sabha begins discussion on amendments to human rights actThe Lok Sabha on Friday began a discussion on a bill to amend the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, which, the government said, will make the National Human Rights Commission and state human rights commission more representative and powerful. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will help protect human rights more effectively, reports PTI. Rajya Sabha members express concern over incidents of building collapseRajya Sabha members Friday voiced concern over incidents of buildings collapse and the resultant casualties and suggested cheaper loans to people for repair of their old buildings. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, senior Congress member Viplove Thakur cited several incidents of building collapse including the recent one in Mumbai which led to several fatalities, reports PTI. No proposal to review prices under Ayushman Bharat schemeThe government Friday said there is no proposal to review prices of packages offered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. “Constant changes in package rates can lead to volatility in rates and may have unintended and undesirable consequences for the entire health sector,” Health and Family Welfare minister Harsh Vardhan told the Lok Sabha, reports PTI. Speaker to TMC MP: Don’t do marketing of West BengalLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday asked a leader of the Trinamool Congress not to do “marketing” of West Bengal after he spoke about a health scheme of the state government in the House. During the Question Hour, Trinamool Congress leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay highlighted a health scheme being implemented by the Mamata Banerjee government, which he claimed was better than the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the Modi government, reports PTI. When Harvard Law School was honouring Human Rights Lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, our govt was busy arresting her: TharoorShashi Tharoor: When Harvard Law School was honouring Human Rights Lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, our government was busy arresting her.  While government did nothing to stop wilful defaulters from fleeing country, they were desperate to offload an activist from plane only to be rapped by Delhi High Court, reports news agency ANI. 57 people in Assam have committed suicide because NRC has excluded themShashi Tharoor, Congress in Lok Sabha: 57 people in Assam have committed suicide because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has excluded them, ironically, the majority of these people are Hindus.  Shashi Tharoor, Congress in Lok Sabha: 57 people in Assam have committed suicide because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has excluded them, ironically, the majority of these people are Hindus.  pic. twitter. com/U0ifac5A4FRTI Amendment bill passed in Lok SabhaThe Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bil, 2019.  Sanitary napkins given to adolescent girls at subsidised ratesA pack of six sanitary napkins is being provided to adolescent girls at a cost of Rs 6 every month under a centrally-sponsored scheme, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Lok Sabha on Friday. Vardhan said the government is supporting the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme, a component of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, by providing funds to States and UTs which propose for it in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) through the National Health Mission for decentralised procurement of sanitary napkins for adolescent girls, reports PTI. Lok Sabha adjourned following uproar over RTI amendment billLok Sabha adjourned following uproar in the house over the RTI amendment bill, 2019. Congress members protest in Lok Sabha over Karnataka crisisLok Sabha witnessed sloganeering and protests on Friday as Congress members sought to raise the issue of ongoing political crisis in Karnataka. As soon as the Lower House began proceedings, party members wanted to talk about the situation in Karnataka but Speaker Om Birla did not entertain the request, reports PTI. Right to Information Amendment Bill 2019 to be introduced in Lok SabhaThe Right to Information Amendment Bill 2019 to be introduced in Lok Sabha, today.  The Right to Information Amendment Bill 2019 to be introduced in LokSabha, today.  pic. twitter. com/k6Xjl04smjGovt mulling extension of ongoing Parliament session by 2-3 daysThe government is considering extending the ongoing session of Parliament by at least two to three days to complete its legislative business, sources said Friday. At the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the session can be extended, if required, reports news agency PTI. Shashi Tharoor raises menstrual hygiene issue in Lok SabhaKerala Congress MP Shashi Tharoor raised the issue of female students dropping out of school and women labourers leaving their jobs due to a lack of menstrual hygiene facilities by the government. Question Hour begins in Lok SabhaHealth Minister Harsh Vardhan said the government is aiming to Tuberculosis by 2025 and for which the government will provide help with medicines for free. Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 to be introduced in Lok SabhaThe Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, will be introduced in Lok Sabha today, reports PTI. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 to be introduced in Lok SabhaThe Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 will be introduced in Lok Sabha today, reports PTI. TMC MP Sougata Ray gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over kidnapping of Karnataka MLAsTrinamool Congress (TMC) MP, Sougata Ray gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over “kidnapping of Karnataka MLAs”, reports news agency ANI. Congress gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over current political situation in KarnatakaCongress gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over “current political situation in Karnataka”.  Congress gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "current political situation in Karnataka".  pic. twitter. com/XX9X8IUFF46 Cong MPs give Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over encroachment on democratic institutionsSix Congress MPs give Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over “encroachment on democratic institutions”, reports news agency ANI. Congress MP, Husain Dalwai gives Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over Mumbai building collapseCongress MP, Husain Dalwai gives Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over Mumbai building collapse.   Congress MP, Husain Dalwai gives Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over #MumbaiBuildingCollapse.  (file pic) pic. twitter. com/ciDDVPYzj2JD(U) MP gives Zero hour Notice in Rajya Sabha to ‘declare floods in Bihar as a national calamity’Janata Dal (United) MP, Ram Nath Thakur has given a Zero hour Notice in Rajya Sabha to ‘declare floods in Bihar as a national calamity’, reports news agency ANI.


As coronavirus cases surge in the US, the White House is taking aim at the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. CNN's @drsanjaygupta reports. https://t.co/ZaEPg75XZg https://t.co/HD4R04KUlq

Trump's move comes amid a White House effort to discredit Dr.  Anthony Fauci. Trump says he has good relationship with Dr.  FauciAs the novel coronavirus spreads across the country -- leading to record numbers of cases and increased deaths in several states -- President Donald Trump shared a message on Twitter Monday saying doctors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are "lying. "Then, after promoting a message critical of the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert, Dr.  Anthony Fauci, Trump later in the day said he liked Fauci “personally. ”"The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19," read a tweet written by the game show host and conservative commentator Chuck Woolery that the president shared with his over 83 million followers on Twitter on Monday morning.  "Everyone is lying.  The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most ,that we are told to trust.  I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election.  I'm sick of it. "Trump shared the message without comment or elaboration.  There is no evidence the CDC, a federal agency, or doctors are "lying. "The president also shared a tweet disparaging Fauci. "So based on Dr.  Fauci and the Democrats, I will need an ID card to go shopping but not to vote? " Mark Young, Woolery's conservative podcast co-host, wrote in a tweet also shared by Trump, without comment. The tweet was likely a reference to an interview Fauci did in April with CNN in which he said certificates of immunity were being discussed as a potential possibility.  Immunity certificates or cards were being discussed at the time as a way to speed reopening, but in the months since the idea has lost prominence as scientists struggle to understand how immunity to COVID-19 works and amid lagging testing capabilities in the United States. The attacks on doctors and the nation's leading infectious disease scientists, in the middle of a pandemic, came as the White House has sought to discredit Fauci, a member of its coronavirus task force. Over the weekend, it provided a document to several media outlets that contained a misleading list of comments made by Fauci, in an effort to damage his reputation. Fauci has found himself a target of Trump and his supporters as he paints a less rosy picture of the pandemic than do the president and his top political appointees.  His approach has earned him praise from leading public health experts. “I have a reputation, as you probably have figured out, of speaking the truth at all times and not sugar-coating things," Fauci told the Financial Times last week. Asked Monday if he still appreciated Fauci's advice, Trump did not directly answer but said he had "a very good relationship with Dr.  Fauci. "I've had for a long time, right from the beginning," he continued.  "I find him to be a very nice person.  I don't always agree with him. ""I get along with him very well," Trump addd.  "I like him personally. "During a press briefing earlier Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday denied the characterization of the list provided to media outlets as "opposition research" -- a term used to refer to unflattering research political campaigns share with reporters about their opposition -- but did not deny the White House sent it. She said the list was sent in response to an inquiry from The Washington Post, which first reported on it, and said Trump "certainly" appreciated the advice he receives from Fauci, who said last week he had not seen the president in person in over a month. "Dr.  Fauci is one of many on the task force who provides advice," McEnany said. "There are a number of scientists who are experts in various issues, and various specialties, but the president takes the full opinions of the task force and the varying opinions sometimes and moves forward in the way he thinks is best for the country," she added. Two senior level White House sources told ABC News that Fauci has at times been referred to among Trump aides as "Dr.  Gloom and Doom. "Earlier Monday, in an interview with Fox News, McEnany pointed to comments the day before from a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services, Adm.  Brett Giroir, who told NBC News that Fauci does not necessarily "have the whole national interest in mind. “That includes Dr.  Fauci's opinion, it includes Admiral Giroir’s, and ultimately those conclusions are taken to the president," McEnany said.  "So Dr.  Fauci's one member of a team, but rest assured his viewpoint is represented, and the information gets to the president through the task force. "Trump, facing re-election this year, is facing broad disapproval for his management of the pandemic.  In an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday, 67% of Americans said they disapproved of his oversight of the crisis, a new low since ABC News/Ipsos began surveying on the coronavirus in March. Fauci has had a higher approval rating than the president in national polls related to the coronavirus response. ABC News' Katherine Faulders and John Santucci contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Tuesday, July 14, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes.  Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that  ‘if you have a runny nose and sputum when you have a cold, you cannot be a new type of coronavirus pneumonia, because coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough without runny nose’.  Let’s try to find the authenticity of the claim.  Claim: Runny nose and coughing sputum suggest that one does not have COVID-19.  They are not symptoms of COVID-19. Fact: In the advisories issued by WHO, it can be seen that ‘runny nose’ and ‘sputum production’ are also symptoms of COVID-19.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.     On the WHO’s website, ‘runny nose’ can be seen in the symptoms list of COVID-19. The ‘sputum production’ can be seen as a symptom of COVID-19 in the ‘Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ (submitted on 28 February 2020). Also, according to ‘AFP’ article, there is no medical expert with the name ‘Dr.  Khin Maung U’ at a hospital in Shenzhen and also, there is no “Shenzhen Hospital”.  Previously, FACTLY has debunked the claim that garlic protects people from the new Coronavirus; the article can be read here. To sum it up, ‘runny nose’ and ‘sputum production’ are also symptoms of COVID-19. Did you watch our new video?


Good to see the first of our medical supplies have now arrived in India and will be deployed where they are needed most. No one is safe until we are all safe. International collaboration is key to fighting this global threat: UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

#COVID19 https://t.co/4wDSQABmV2

The UK is currently moving through its domestic priority lists for Covid-19 vaccines and therefore has no surplus doses to share with countries in need such as India at this stage, Downing Street said on Tuesday. In reference to India’s devastating second wave of the pandemic, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said the process is kept under constant review, while the country sends an assistance package made up of 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators to India to meet the supply shortages over the course of the week. The first tranche of 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators arrived in New Delhi early on Tuesday. “We committed in February to sending excess doses from the UK’s supply to the COVAX procurement pool and to countries in need, once they are available,” the UK PM’s spokesperson said. “Right now we are moving through the UK prioritisation list for our domestic rollout and don’t have surplus doses, but we keep this under constant review.  We recognise that no one is safe until we’re all safe in this pandemic which is why the UK has contributed GBP 548 million to COVAX and sent vital medical supplies to India,” the spokesperson said. The COVAX facility refers to the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access global initiative aimed at equitable access to vaccines led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The latest update from Downing Street comes as it emerged that the US is to export around 60 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with India expected to be among the biggest recipients of the consignment after talks between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With 3,23,144 people testing positive for the coronavirus in a day, India's infection tally climbed to 1,76,36,307 on Tuesday.  The death toll mounted to 1,97,894 with 2,771 new fatalities. Several efforts are on within the Indian diaspora in the UK to fundraise for essential supplies such as oxygen concentrators and coordinate distribution of across India’s struggling hospitals through a series of emergency appeals, including by charities such as the British Asian Trust and British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO).


Farooq Abdullah tests positive for #COVID19, tweets Omar Abdullah

https://t.co/LCitJSGiq6 https://t.co/KhwQLfGJ83

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19), confirmed his son and party leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday. Omar added that he and his family will go into self-isolation and get themselves tested. "My father has tested positive for Covid-19 & is showing some symptoms.  I will be self-isolating along with other family members until we get ourselves tested.  I request anyone who has come in to contact with us over the last few days to take all the mandated precautions," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a tweet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish Abdullah a speedy recovery from the viral infection.  "Praying for the good health and speedy recovery of Dr.  Farooq Abdullah Ji.  Also praying for your and the entire family’s good health @OmarAbdullah," PM Modi said in a tweet.  Abdullah, who is Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, got his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital earlier this month on March 2. The NC leader was given the first dose of the vaccine at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences during the second phase of nationwide vaccination where those above the age of 60 and 45+ with comorbidities are being inoculated. Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to thank the doctors and other staff at the hospital for administering the vaccine to his father. "Thank you to the doctors, nurses and staff at SKIMS, Srinagar.  Today my 85 year old father & my mother had their first COVID jab.  My father has a number of health issues including being on immunosuppressants for a kidney transplant.  If he can get the vaccine, you should as well," Omar tweeted. The 85-year-old NC chief addressed Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) function last week on Tuesday where he spoke about the abrogation of the Article 370 in 2019.  The function was organised by the JKNPP to observe its 40th foundation day.  JKNPP founder Bhim Singh was unanimously elected its president for the next three years. "In an apparent reference to the abrogation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in 2019, he said, "It is an attack on our honour… we will lost our land and our children will be left without jobs as people from outside will come and take the jobs". He added that when people will come from outside, will they (the local youth of Jammu and Kashmir) get jobs in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Punjab or Haryana.


India is set to begin stockpiling
crude oil in American strategic reserves to shield itself from any supply disruptions

(report by @JayaswalRajeev)

https://t.co/KPGeBYVpIC

India is set to begin stockpiling crude oil in American strategic reserves to shield itself from any supply disruptions arising out of geopolitical reasons, and allow the purchase and storage of a large quantity of crude when international oil prices plunge, officials said on Friday. “We are in an advanced stage of discussions for storing crude oil in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to increase India’s strategic oil stockpile,” petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. This was one of the key outcomes of a virtual meeting between Pradhan and US energy secretary Dan Brouillette as part of the second US-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP) ministerial on Friday.  HT first reported the move on Thursday.  “The sides [India and the US] signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to begin cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves operation and maintenance, including exchange of information and best practices,” an India-US joint statement, issued after the SEP meeting, said. An Indian official said, requesting anonymity, that state-run Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) and other expert agencies involved in ensuring the country’s energy security may take this MoU forward and lay the road map for the collaboration with the US.  ISPRL operates three crude oil storage facilities in India with a combined capacity of 5. 33 million tonnes, enough to meet the country’s energy requirement for 9. 5 days. While making his opening remarks at the second ministerial on Friday evening, Brouillette said, “We are beginning to collaborate on strategic petroleum reserves . . . ” He said the two countries are collaborating on various other projects such as nuclear energy and energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. “Apart from fostering bilateral energy trade and investments, we are seeking to align energy cooperation with energy security, expand energy and innovation linkages across our respective energy sectors, facilitate increased industry and stakeholder engagement as well as institutions of excellence from both countries,” Pradhan said. He added bilateral energy trade between the two countries jumped significantly in just three years with bilateral hydrocarbons trade touching $9. 2 billion in 2019-20, which is 10% of the overall bilateral trade. Experts described the move to store crude in American strategic reserves as strategically significant since India imports more than 80% crude it processes.  It had $101. 4 billion crude import bill in 2019-20. “The move will not only ensure uninterrupted energy supply in the event of geopolitical turmoil but also protect the country from unprecedented oil price volatility as was seen in 2008 that caused immense stress on the exchequer,” CA Vijay Kumar Gupta, former central council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, said.  International crude oil prices saw a record jump at $147 per barrel in July 2008, only to plunge to $40 a barrel again in December that year. Anupam Manur, assistant professor at the think tank Takshashila Institution, said, “To keep a stockpile of crude oil in the US-based strategic reserves is an extremely beneficial move.  If the idea of maintaining a strategic reserve of petroleum is to mitigate risk and ensure energy security, the objective can be truly achieved by diversifying our strategy.  It is in India’s interest to geographically diversify the storage of our petroleum reserves.  Beyond this, we should also look at getting into strategic partnerships with Oman, UAE, Sri Lanka, and Japan for our SPR [strategic petroleum reserve] storage strategy. ”Recently, due to supply exceeding demand, international oil prices plunged as low as $19. 33 per barrel on April 21.  Taking advantage of the low international prices, India filled its three strategic reserves to the brim with an average cost of about $25 per barrel.  International crude prices soon moved north after the produces’ cartel -- the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, particularly Russia (together OPEC+) -- resorted to unprecedented output cut.  Currently, benchmark Brent crude is hovering around $43 a barrel.  The US is increasingly becoming a key partner in India’s energy security.  India has been importing oil and gas from the US since 2017.  In just two years, the US has become one of the top 10 sources of crude oil imports for India. “Ideally, India should have strategic reserves for at least 90 days.  Although it is developing its own storage capacities, it can currently store 5. 33 million tonnes (MMTs), or 39 million barrels of crude oil, in the three existing caverns,” a second official said requesting anonymity. The three underground caverns are located in Vishakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur.  The government has approved the construction of two more strategic crude oil reserves with a total of 6. 5 million tonnes of capacity at Chandikhol in Odisha and Padur in Karnataka.  The proposed facilities will provide additional storage capacity for 11. 57 days of requirements.


While addressing U.S. troops in Alaska, President Trump claims "100 percent" of the ISIS caliphate has been defeated.

The Pentagon would not confirm the president's assertion about ISIS being defeated, instead referring @ABC News back to the White House. https://t.co/mgDmwHgwEM https://t.co/96xnOUQ0sI

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that US backed forces have retaken 100% of the territory once claimed by ISIS in Syria, an announcement that surprised US officials and regional allies leading the fight who told CNN the battle isn’t over.

    “We just took over you know you kept hearing it was 90%, 92%, the caliphate in Syria, now it’s 100%, we just took over 100% caliphate, that means the area of the land we’re just have 100% so that’s good,” Trump said while addressing US troops at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on his return trip from Hanoi.

The Islamic State is dying . . .  but believers in its radical ideology live on

    But an official with the Syrian Democratic Forces told CNN’s Ben Wedeman the fighting is ongoing and that they were “surprised by this statement” from Trump.

    The official also noted that more than a thousand civilians have left the last ISIS enclave within the last few hours.

    Multiple US officials told CNN’s Barbara Starr that civilians still remain in the last piece of territory remaining under ISIS control.

    Trump’s comments Thursday followed his December announcement that the US would withdraw US troops from Syria, a decision that has been met with stark opposition from military and intelligence officials who say they were not consulted on the matter.

    In December, Trump tweeted, “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” later releasing a video where he said US troops are “all coming back, and they’re coming back now. ”

ISIS has been reduced to 1. 5 square miles in Syria.  This is its final stand.

    The decision prompted the then Defense Secretary James Mattis to resign from his post the following day.

    While Mattis’ resignation letter to the President did not explicitly cite his opposition to removing US troops from Syria, the retired four-star general was privately adamant in urging Trump against the pullback.

    Last week CNN reported that Trump has agreed to keep about 400 US troops in the country following the withdrawal of most of the troops, according to a senior administration official.

    Last month, ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion in the Syrian city of Manbij that killed four Americans, including two US service members, and at least 10 other people.  Prior to that attack, only two US service members had been killed in action in Syria since the start of the campaign in 2014.

    Questions around Trump’s unexpected decision to remove US military personnel from Syria have continued to swirl in the wake of Mattis’ departure despite repeated claims by administration officials, and the President himself, that the terror group has been defeated.

    The US commander who has been leading the war against ISIS told CNN’s Barbara Starr this month that he disagreed with Trump’s decision to withdraw troops and warned that the terror group was far from defeated, in a stark difference of opinion with the President.

Votel: "Tens of thousands" of ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq

    Joseph Votel, the top American general in the Middle East, also said that the US-backed forces on the ground in Syria were not ready to handle the threat of ISIS on their own.

    “It would not have been my military advice at that particular time … I would not have made that suggestion, frankly,” Votel said of the troop withdrawal announcement.  “(The caliphate) still has leaders, still has fighters, it still has facilitators, it still has resources, so our continued military pressure is necessary to continue to go after that network. ”

    Votel, speaking to CNN from Oman earlier this month, revealed he would only have declared that ISIS had been defeated, as Trump did in December, if he was sure they no longer posed a threat.

    “When I say, ‘we have defeated them,’ I want to ensure that means they do not have the capability to plot or direct attacks against the US or our allies,” Votel said.  “They still have this very powerful ideology, so they can inspire. ”

    Prior to that interview with CNN, Votel had said defeat “doesn’t mean the end of the organization. ”

    “Liberation of the terrain that ISIS holds is important, it’s an important objective for us to take that away from them.  But it doesn’t mean the end of the organization,” he told reporters while on an official visit to Cairo, Egypt this month.

    The commander of US Central Command has also previously said that he “was not consulted” before Trump’s controversial announcement late last year that the US would rapidly withdraw its troops from the war-torn country.

    And the intelligence community shares similar concerns over the threat ISIS poses.

    Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats clearly suggested last month that the intelligence community also believes ISIS remains a threat despite its territorial losses in Iraq and Syria, telling Senate lawmakers this year that the terror group “has returned to its guerrilla warfare roots while continuing to plot attacks and direct its supporters worldwide. ”

    But he also clearly stated that the group maintains a presence in Iraq and Syria.

    “ISIS is intent on resurging and still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria,” he said.

  CNN’s Barbara Starr, Ben Wedeman, and Betsy Klein contributed reporting
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Old man stops Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from entering lane in Bijauli, Meerut

A video clip showing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath standing in front of a makeshift barricade at the entrance of a lane is viral with captions purportedly claiming that the CM was stopped from visiting the area by an angry local.  BOOM found that the lane in question was a containment zone and the barricading was in place to restrict movement in the area.   The chief minister had on May 16 visited Noida, Meerut and Ghaziabad to review measures being taken to tackle the deadly wave of Coronavirus.  As part of this whirlwind tour, Yogi Adityanath had also visited several areas in Meerut and the viral video was recorded in one such locality of Bijauli village.  Also read Old Video From Pak Terror Camp Shared As Celebration In West Bengal The 70-second-long viral video shot on a mobile phone from the terrace of a building shows the chief minister standing in front of a makeshift barricade with folded hands.  A coterie of security persons can be seen behind him.  He interacts with an old man standing on the other side of the barricade for some moments before leaving.  Several social media users, including verified Twitter handles, have shared the video with captions suggesting that the CM was stopped by an old man from entering his lane.  Click here to view the post and here to view an archived version.   एक बुजुर्ग किसान ने योगी आदित्यनाथ को अपनी एक गली में खाट खड़ी कर जाने से रोक दिया मुख्यमंत्री के लाख कहने पर भी बुजुर्ग ने रास्ता नहीं खोला और योगी को वापस जाना पड़ा ! !  pic. twitter. com/TQ8fzKn7PT Click here for archive.  The video was also shared by the State President of Western UP Youth Congress Omveer Yadav with a Hindi caption translating to 'Enough! ! !  We don't need you - An old man from Bijauli district of Meerut stopped chief minister Yogi Adityanath from entering his lane by placing a cot.  Despite several requests by the chief minister, the old man did not allow him enter the lane'.  (ब्रेकिंग न्यूज़- बस करो अब हमें आपकी ज़रूरत नहीं है- जनपद मेरठ के बिजौली गांव में एक बुजुर्ग ने मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ को अपनी एक गली में खाट खड़ी कर जाने से रोक दिया मुख्यमंत्री जी के लाख कहने  पर भी बुजुर्ग ने रास्ता नहीं खोला और योगी जी को वापस जाना पड़ा ! !  ब्रेकिंग न्यूज़-बस करो अब हमें आपकी ज़रूरत नहीं है-जनपद मेरठ के बिजौली गांव में एक बुजुर्ग ने मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ को अपनी एक गली में खाट खड़ी कर जाने से रोक दिया मुख्यमंत्री जी के लाख कहने पर भी बुजुर्ग ने रास्ता नहीं खोला और योगी जी को वापस जाना पड़ा ! !  pic. twitter. com/PRTWFPTanF The video has been shared with similar caption from several Twitter handles.  BOOM watched the video closely.  Here's the interaction in Hindi that takes place in the video.  Someone in the background says, this is the chief minister.  A few seconds later, Yogi Adityanath can be heard saying, "Stay careful, wear masks and old people should not go out of their homes.  Ok, take care and please wear mask everyone. " (Hindi: ये हैं मुख्यमंत्री साहब ! !  योगी आदित्यनाथ: सावधानी रखिये, मास्क लगाइये और बुज़ुर्ग लोगों को घर से बाहर नहीं निकलना चाहिए, ठीक है ना.  ध्यान रखिये, मास्क सभी लोग लगाइये ) At no point in the video did we hear any confrontational statement.  BOOM also found a reply from Meerut police to the tweet wherein Omveer Yadav has shared the viral video.  The Meerut police, in its tweet, calls claims made with the viral video baseless and misleading.   https://t. co/AdGlQ6HIn3 The Meerut police, in its statement, said 'Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met a Covid positive patient in a containment zone in Bijauli village of Meerut and asked after his health.  He also visited the Primary Health Centre of the village and interacted with members of the Rapid Response Team.  He also visited the Bijauli oxygen plant.  Since it is a containment zone, a makeshift barricade has been arranged by putting up a cot and a rope.  Therefore, please don't spread rumors or legal action will be initiated'.  Also read No, This Video Does Not Show Israeli Police Killing A Palestinian Boy Also read Heart-breaking Photo From 2016 Syria Bomb Blast Shared As Gaza


CNN gets an inside look at the base where Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket will launch for space. @RachCrane reports. https://t.co/rcIzuzZf7i https://t.co/EGtjeFxl6n

Jeff Bezos and three others are launched to the edge of space on Tuesday.  Could Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launch mark a new age for commercial spaceflight? Amazon founder Jeff Bezos blasted to the edge of space and spent a few minutes outside Earth's atmosphere Tuesday on the first crewed flight from his firm Blue Origin. An elated Bezos could be heard calling it "the best day ever" after landing back on Earth. The milestone launch in the modern commercial space race comes on the 52nd anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's moon landing in 1969, though the space-faring landscape has evolved by giant leaps since then as billionaires emerge as key players driving the new race to the cosmos. Bezos, who holds the title of the richest man in the world per Bloomberg data, has said the spaceflight will fulfill a lifelong dream and he is also curious how it will "change" him. Here is how the launch unfolded. Bezos revealed what the astronauts spoke about as they were in the capsule ahead of the launch, saying he told his crew mates that the flight is not just about “adventure” but also the start of “something big. ”“What we're doing is the first step of something big, and I know what that feels like, I did it three decades ago, nearly three decades ago, with Amazon,” Bezos said.  “Big things start small, but you can tell when you're onto something, and this is important. ”“We're going to build a road to space so that our kids and their kids can build the future, and we need to do that, we need to do that to solve the problems here on Earth,” Bezos added.  “This is not about escaping Earth. ”The billionaire said Earth is “the only good planet” in our solar system, and “we’ve sent robotic probes to all of them. ”“When you go to space and see how fragile it is, you want to take care of it even more, and that's what this is about,” Bezos said. He also estimated that Blue Origin has approached some $100 million in private ticket sales already. While building space infrastructure will take decades, Bezos said, “This is how it starts. ”Funk officially became the oldest person ever to go to space on Tuesday and fulfilled a lifelong dream that had been put on hold for decades because she is a woman. “I’ve been waiting a long time to finally get up there,” the emotional 82-year-old said after the spaceflight.  “I didn't do dolls, I did outside stuff, I flew airplanes. ”Funk trained with the so-called Mercury 13 program for women astronauts in the '60s, but NASA at the time was only sending men into space. She called her trip to space on Tuesday "wonderful" and "a great time. "The pioneer for women in aerospace also added that she is not done with space travel just yet, saying, “I want to go again, fast! ”Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO earlier this month ahead of the launch, thanked the staff and customers of his e-commerce empire for funding the trip. “I also want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all of this,” he said during the post-launch news conference. “Seriously, for every Amazon customer out there and every Amazon employee, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he added. Bezos has previously said that he sold some $1 billion in Amazon stock annually to fund Blue Origin in its infancy. Blue Origin’s Jeff Ashby, a former Space Shuttle commander, presented astronaut wings to the four crew members at a post-launch press conference. Ashby said the wings were designed with “a tiny blue sapphire” at the top, “to remind these folks that they are from planet Earth and that they have a mission to protect this home. ”While presenting wings to the Amazon founder, Ashby told Bezos, "There are few people I know more deserving of this. ""I don’t know what you are going to do next, but I can’t wait to watch," Ashby added. An emotional Funk said it was the best pin she has ever received -- and promised there would be “more to come. ”


Delhi: Shooter Shreyasi Singh, daughter of former union minister late Digvijay Singh, joins Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of party leader Bhupendra Yadav. https://t.co/UGq4WFL6jR

Shooter Shreyasi Singh, daughter of former union minister late Digvijay Singh, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of party leader Bhupendra Yadav at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. Singh, gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and a silver medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, is expected to be the party’s candidate either from Amarpur (Banka) or Jamui, depending on the seat sharing with alliance partners. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national president Chirag Paswan represents the Jamui parliamentary constituency currently.  Singh was part of the Indian team at the 2013 Trap Shooting World Cup held in Acapulco in Mexico.  Her late father was president of the National Rifle Association of India.  She hails from Jamui district of Bihar and this is her first step into politics. Her late father, however, served as the Union deputy minister for ministry of finance and the ministry of external affairs.  In 1998, he became the Union minister of state, ministry of railways, in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.  He went on to serve as the minister of state in the ministries of commerce and industry, railways and external affairs.  Putul Kumari, Shreyasi Singh’s mother, is a former MP from Banka.


Tamil Nadu: DMK President MK Stalin today met State Governor Banwarilal Purohit in Chennai, demanding the release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination convict Perarivalan & others.

"Governor said that an appropriate decision will be taken & we hope for a good decision," said Stalin. https://t.co/7qYsOUh1qy

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader MK Stalin, along with senior party members, on Tuesday met Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit urging him to release the seven persons imprisoned in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case on ‘humanitarian grounds’.  For over a decade, political parties and activists have been demanding the release of the convicts—Nalini Sriharan, V Sriharan alias Murugan, AG Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and P Ravichandran.  The demand to release them is gaining momentum ahead of Tamil Nadu’s assembly elections slated for 2021 and a series of observations by the Supreme Court.  Also Read: Amit Shah tells Tamil Nadu unit to work toward capturing power in state“Perarivalan’s mother Arputham Ammal has been waging a lone battle for 29 years for his release.  We brought that to the attention of the governor,” said Stalin, speaking to reporters after the meeting.  The governor reportedly explained his position for his delayed decision.  Stalin said that he reminded him of the release of the three convicted AIADMK cadres in 2018 for torching a bus in Dharmapuri in 2000 which led to the death of three college students.  “The governor informed us that an appropriate decision will be taken,” said Stalin. The opposition leader’s appeal comes in the backdrop of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informing the apex court that it has no role in the matter of Perarivalan’s release.  In an affidavit filed on November 20, the CBI stated that the decision of remission in Perarivalan’s case rested solely with the governor.  They added that Perarivalan had nothing to do with the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MMDA) probe which is looking into a ‘larger conspiracy’ in the 1991 killing.  In 2014, the Supreme Court commuted the death penalty of Perarivalan and two other convicts (Murugan and Sathan) to life sentences.  The Tamil Nadu Cabinet passed a unanimous decision in September 2018 to release the convicts, which has been pending with Purohit since then.  Earlier in November, the apex court had expressed unhappiness over the governor’s delay in deciding on Perarivalan’s recommendation for the remission of his life sentence.  The chorus for the convicts’ freedom grew louder from voices in the film fraternity and social activists ahead of union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai last week for a state government function where the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced that their alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would continue.  On social media, #releaseperarivalan was trending on Twitter. The DMK and AIADMK have concurred on the convicts’ freedom but continue to tussle over who is responsible for their delayed freedom.  On November 5, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that it was late former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s cabinet which took the decision and blamed the DMK for rejecting the mercy petitions of all convicts except Nalini in 2000.  On Monday, the Supreme Court extended Perarivalan’s parole by another week on medical grounds.


Mahalaxmi Express rescue operation: 8 flood rescue teams from Navy including 3 diving teams mobilised with rescue material, inflatable boats & life jackets. A Seaking Helicopter also sent with divers for deployment in the area as advance assessment party. #Maharashtra https://t.co/qBNyGXefL1

Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai on Saturday leading to waterlogging and traffic snarls across the city.  Intermittent spells of heavy to very heavy showers are expected throughout the day, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.  On Friday, at least 11 flights to and from the Mumbai airport were cancelled, however, flight operations are normal as of Saturday morning. Read highlights here:400 shifted to safer place after waterlogging inside chawl“400 people, living in a chawl, at KBK Nagar, Shelu (Raigad) have been shifted to a safe place following waterlogging inside their houses creating flood like situation.  Adequate police force has been deployed there,” said Public Relations Officer (PRO), Raigad Police.  :ANIRescued passengers of Mahalaxmi Express leave for CSMTBadlapur: Rescued passengers from Mahalaxmi Express left for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) via a special train.  :ANIPeople on petrol pump roof, resort near Kalayan rescued: DGIPR Brijesh Singh“People on the petrol pump roof and in the resort near Kalayan have also been rescued now, said Maharashtra’s Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), Brijesh Singh.  :ANI‘Express gratitude to Railway, Defence official on behalf of home minister’: Nityanand Rai“On behalf of the Home Minister, I express my gratitude to Railway officers, Defence officials - especially the Air Force officers, and everyone who helped in rescuing the passengers on-board the train,” said Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai on Mahalaxmi Express rescue operation. ‘Home Minister himself monitored situation’: Nityanand Rai“Home Ministry contacted Air Force officials, Railway officials and Maharashtra government officials.  We were in constant touch with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.  The Home Minister himself monitored the operation,” said Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. 900 saved thanks to effective management of PM, HM: Nityanand Rai“Under guidance of PM, NDRF has made such advancement in its resources that it works successfully in any part of country when a situation arises.  900 people were saved today due to effective management of PM and HM,” Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, on Mahalaxmi Express rescue operation. People chest-deep in water in Ulhasnagar of Thane districtPeople were seen wading through chest-deep water in Ulhasnagar of Thane district.  Several parts of the state are flooded due to heavy rainfall.  :ANIStreets in Bhiwandi region floodedStreets in Bhiwandi have been flooded due to heavy rainfall in the region.  :ANISpecial train to leave passengers in KolhapurA special train with 19 coaches will leave from Kalyan to Kolhapur with the passengers of Mahalaxmi Express, Central Railways has said.  All passengers aboard Mahalaxmi Express rescued: Thane district collectorAll passengers aboard Mahalaxmi Express have been rescued safely, Thane district collector Rajesh Narvekar said in a statement.  The passengers are being provided food and medical aid, he added.  There were nine pregnant women in the train who were safely rescued.  One of them is admitted to a nearby hospital for check-up. ‘Don’t worry’: Maharashtra CM to stranded passengersMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has appealed the citizens stranded in Mahalaxmi Express to not worry and has ensured that all measures to rescue them are taken care of by expert teams from NDRF, Army, Navy, Local administration, Police, and the Railway Ministry. Over 500 people, including 9 pregnant women, rescued so farOver 500 passengers, including 9 pregnant women, have been rescued so far by the NDRF teams.  Ambulances with 37 doctors with gynaecologist have been deployed for emergency. Necessary arrangements like food etc made at Sahyadri Mangal Karayalay. At least 14 buses and three tempos have been arranged for further movement of passengers.  Arrangements for shelter, food at nearby villageTowards the left of the railway tracks where Mahalaxmi Express is stranded, there is a village where all the rescued passengers are being moved.  Administration has made arrangements for shelter and food, and transport out of there.  500 passengers rescuedCentral Railway said that around 500 passengers have been rescued till now. Woman goes into labour in stranded trainA woman in D1 coach of the Mahalaxmi Express went into labour while the train is still stranded between Badlapur and Wangani stations.  The woman identified as Reshma Kamble was nine months pregnant.  The state disaster management cell said that Kamble has been moved to a nearby hospital.  Situation under control: CMOSeven Navy teams, two helicopters of Indian Airforce, and two Military columns have been deployed for rescue operations along with the local administration. Two more military columns are on the way. Situation is under control, the chief minister’s office tweeted.  Fadnavis instructs Chief Secy to monitor rescue opsMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed the Chief Secretary to personally monitor Mahalaxmi Express rescue operations that is stranded with almost 500 people still on-board.  At least 217 people have been rescued so far.  Four teams of NDRF have reached and they are evacuating passengers with the help of eight boats, the chief minister’s office tweeted.  Train services hit on Mumbai Goa routeTrain services on Mumbai-Goa route of Konkan Railway have been halted since 10 am after flood water of a river crossed danger mark and touched a rail bridge.  As Konkan Railway waits for water to recede to resume operations, several trains stuck enroute are stranded.  Rescue ops likely to get over in 2 hoursTwo NDRF teams from Pune and two from Mumbai with 45 personnel each are involved in the rescue operations that are likely to finish in two hours.  The rescue teams first evacuated ladies and children from the Mahalaxmi Express.  They are now evacuating senior citizens.  At least seven people are being rescued and taken in one boat by two NDRF personnel per boat.  2 trains cancelled, 13 divertedDue to heavy rainfall and overflowing Ulhas river that has caused water logging at Ambernath, 13 trains have been diverted while six have been short-terminated and two have been cancelled, news agency ANI quoted Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway as saying.  150 passengers rescuedOf the 700 people on board, 150 have been rescued from Mahalaxmi Express which is stranded between Maharashtra’s Badlapur and Vangani stations owing to flooded tracks, Central Railways said.  Mahalaxmi Express stranded for 15 hoursAs rain continued to lash Mumbai and the surrounding areas for the third consecutive day, tracks between Maharashtra’s Badlapur and Vangani stations are flooded and this stranded the train Mahalaxmi Express with 700 passengers on-board for over 15 hours now, reported news agency IANS.  Landslide at Bhor Ghat between Mumbai and Pune stationsEarly Saturday morning a landslide took place between Mumbai and Pune stations, which has affected train operations.  Navy sends 8 rescue teamsTo rescue passengers on board Mahalaxmi Express, in all eight rescue teams from the Navy that include three diving teams have been sent to the spot with rescue material, inflatable boats and life jackets, news agency ANI reported.  A Seaking Helicopter has also been sent with divers for deployment in the area as advance assessment party, according to ANI. Navy chopper reaches for rescue opsAlong with a team of NDRF, a navy chopper has also reached the site for rescue operations where Mahalaxmi Express is stranded with 700 people on board, news agency ANI reported.  NDRF team at spotAn NDRF team and has arrived to rescue passengers on board Mahalaxmi Express, which is stranded between Badlapur and Vangani stations due to flooded rail tracks, reported news agency ANI.  NDRF team to reach stranded train shortlyEight NDRF boats with personnel are only a few hundred metres away from site where Mahalaxmi Express is stranded with 700 passengers on board.  The team will shortly reach the train, Central Railways tweeted.  Passengers asked not to step out of stranded train“We have requested the passengers of Mahalaxmi Express to not get down from train.  Train is at a safe place and railway staff, RPF and the city police are present at the location to look after their well-being.  Hence we request them to wait for advice from the NDRF and other disaster management authorities,” said Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of Central Railway. Train service between Kalyan-Karjat-Khopoli suspendedThe train service between Mumbai’s Kalyan-Karjat-Khopoli have not resumed yet.  It was suspended since last night due to flooded tracks between Ambernath to Vangani stations.  Central Railway said that the tracks are still flooded at Vangani though there is no water on tracks at other locations.  Therefore, some outstation trains have been diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Diva alternate route. Police Force reaches to help passengers on stranded trainRailway Police Force and city police have reached the site where Mahalaxmi Express is held up.  They are distributing biscuits and water to the stranded passengers.  NDRF team will be reaching in shortly for evacuation , said the Central Railways. Westerly winds draw moisture, thick cloud cover along Mumbai coast“Under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat, strong westerly winds continue to draw moisture and thick cloud cover along the Mumbai coast leading to active monsoon conditions with short bursts of heavy rain,” said Bishwambhar Singh, director, regional meteorological centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai.  Heavy to very heavy showers expectedAccording to the India Meteorological Department, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to lash Mumbai through the day.  Train services hitWith around 700 passengers on board, Mahalaxmi Express is held up between Badlapur and Wangni stations near Mumbai.  Central Railway has asked for help from local municipal disaster manager cell.  “A team of 40 NDRF personals are reaching the spot with boats and other equipment to rescue the passengers.  We have also asked the local civic bodies to send in help,” said Sunil Udasi, chief public relation officer of Central Railways.