These were some of the key moments from the chaotic first presidential debate. https://t.co/KgVPVWkkmN #Debates2020 https://t.co/gnmt23pNJW

By Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Kyle Blaine and Jessica Estepa, CNNOur live coverage has ended.  Watch and read below to catch up on the big moments.  From CNN's Maegan VazquezTonight’s presidential debate made for a chaotic first foray between Joe Biden and Donald Trump since the start of the general election race.  Trump was intent on interrupting Biden on nearly every question and the former vice president wasn't above name-calling, calling the President a “clown” and telling him to “shut up. ” In case you missed tonight's debate, here are four key moments: Trump addresses the New York Times report on his taxesThe President offered a simple defense for the low amount of income taxes he’s paid over the years: “I don’t want to pay tax. ” At the same time, however, Trump also insisted that he pays millions in taxes, contradicting the New York Times’ reporting, which indicated that he paid $750 in income taxes in 2016 and 2017.  Different realities on the coronavirusBiden, citing the staggering coronavirus death toll and case number in the US, said, “The President has no plan.  He hasn’t laid out anything. ”Trump, however, insisted that Biden “could not have done the job we did. ” The President also brought up his administration's plan to quickly distribute a coronavirus vaccine, but Biden questioned why Americans should trust someone who lies so frequently.  “This is the same man who told you by Easter this would be gone away.  By the warm weather, it’d be gone — like a miracle.  And by the way, maybe you could inject some bleach into your arm," Biden said.  Biden responds to Trump’s attacks on his son, HunterReacting to Trump's repeated unfounded and false claims about Hunter Biden acting corruptly in Ukraine, the former vice president said, "This is not about my family or his family, this is about your family — the American people. ” “He doesn't want to talk about what you need,” Biden added.  At another point in the debate, Trump raised Hunter Biden's past issues with drug addiction.  "My son had a drug problem, but he's overcome it and I'm proud of him,” Biden responded. Trump refuses to condemn white supremacistsTrump refused to explicitly call out white supremacists for inciting violence at anti-police brutality demonstrations across the country, saying during the debate that the violence wasn’t an issue caused by the right and telling one far-right group to “stand back and stand by. ”“Sure, I’m willing to (tell them to stand down), but I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing.  I’m willing to do anything.  I want to see peace,” Trump said.  “Who would you like me to condemn? ” Trump asked moderator Chris Wallace.  “Proud Boys — stand back and stand by.  But I’ll tell you what.  . . .  Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem(. )” From CNN's Tami LuhbyPresident Donald Trump tried to paint former vice president Joe Biden’s health care plan as the same as “Medicare for All,“which was promoted by Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders and would have shifted the nation’s health insurance to a single government-run program.  “You are going to extinguish 180 million people with their private health care that they are very happy with.  You’re going to socialist medicine,” Trump said. From CNN's Anneken TappeFormer Vice President Joe Biden claimed that President Trump is “going to be the first President of the United States to leave office having fewer jobs in his administration than when he became President. ”From CNN's Andrew KaczynskiIn attacking Joe Biden for his advocacy of the 1994 crime bill, President Trump claimed that Biden had called African Americans “super predators. ”“He did a crime bill,” Trump said.  “1994.  Where you called them super predators.  African Americans.  Super predators.  And they’ve never forgotten it.  They’ve never forgotten it. ”From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury Republicans Rick Santorum and Scott Jennings agreed that President Trump's antics took the conversation away from core GOP issues during tonight's debate and at times were offensive. "If I was a Republican elected official, if I was someone running for office right now, I'd be pretty mad at him. . .  He indulged himself," Santorum said.  Santorum added, that while he believes that Trump has a winning message and policy, and had an overall edge over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during the debate, Trump's behavior overshadowed that.  "We can't win with a center-right campaign if we have someone who is as caustic as what the President is in this debate. . .  Donald Trump's personality ran wild tonight," he said.  Jennings told CNN's Anderson Cooper that Trump's strategy of being on the offense turned into "just being offensive. " Jennings also slammed the President for not condemning white supremacists.  From CNN's Katie LoboscoFormer Vice President Joe Biden suggested that the United States currently has a higher trade deficit with both China and Mexico than it has had before.   From CNN's Sarah MuchaThe Biden campaign broke its single hour fundraising record during the debate, raising $3. 8 million between 10 p. m.  and 11 p. m. , the campaign’s Kate Bedingfield announced on a post-debate press call.  Asked if they still believe it is worth debating President Trump given the chaos of tonight’s debate, the campaign expressed its intent for Biden to continue participating.  “We are going to the debates, yes,” Bedingfield said, committing to the final two presidential debates.  She said that there will be “ongoing discussions with the commission" about "formats and rules," adding, "we think the opportunity for Biden's address the American people directly as is powerful. " She did didn't provide any changes they are considering following tonight's debate.  Bedingfield argued that the debate did Trump a “disservice” and casted him as “weak. ” She said she thinks the President came across as “somebody who believes that he is losing this race.  I think that was readily apparent written all over his face. ” Asked if they'd had a chance to ask Biden how he felt and if he had expressed regret about any of the lines he threw at the President, Bedingfield replied, "He expressed regret that the President of the United States chooses to conduct himself this way on the national stage and on the international stage. "   This is what undecided voters said about tonight's first presidential debate:From CNN's Jennifer AgiestaSix in 10 debate watchers said former Vice President Joe Biden did the best job in tonight’s debate, just 28% say President Donald Trump did, according a CNN Poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS.  In interviews with the same voters conducted before the debate, 56% said they expected Biden to do the better job while 43% expected that Trump would.  The post-debate result is about the same as the outcome of a post-debate poll in 2016 after the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton.  In that poll, 62% thought Clinton won the debate, 27% said Trump did.  About two-thirds said Biden’s answers were more truthful than Trump’s (65% Biden to 29% Trump), and his attacks on the President were more frequently seen as fair.  Overall, 69% called Biden’s attacks on Trump fair while just 32% said Trump’s attacks were fair.  The survey is designed to be representative of those registered voters who watched tonight’s debate; it does not represent the views of all Americans.  The voters who watched the debate were more partisan than Americans as a whole, 35% identified as independents or non-partisans compared with around 40% in the general public, and the group of debate watchers was more Democratic than a typical survey of all adults, with 39% identifying as Democrats and 25% as Republicans. The CNN post-debate poll was conducted by SSRS by telephone and includes interviews with 568 registered voters who watched the Sept.  29 debate.  Results among debate-watchers have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 6. 3 percentage points.  Respondents were originally interviewed September 22-27 either by telephone or online, and indicated they planned to watch the debate and would be willing to be re-interviewed when it was over.  Respondents initially reached online are members of the SSRS Opinion Panel, a nationally representative probability-based panel. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Sensex up 449.94 points, at 28,985.72; Nifty starts at 8,451.00 https://t.co/AeTWESWQ4z

Indian shares edged lower on Monday morning as the number of coronavirus infections in Asia’s third-largest economy showed no signs of slowing in spite of a nationwide lockdown. The Nifty fell 2. 76% to 8,421. 05 by 0345 GMT and the Sensex was 2. 86% lower at 28,962. 47. Positive coronavirus cases rose above 1,000 in India as of Sunday evening, government data showed, while the total number of deaths touched 27.


Prince Charles infected with coronavirus after meeting Kanika Kapoor.

As soon as news of Prince of Wales Charles having contacted coronavirus hit the headlines, netizens started taking a dig at Kanika Kapoor for having infected him. The Bollywood singer had tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from the United Kingdom on March 9.  And now, social media users are sharing her photos with Prince Charles to establish the claim. Facebook user "Damayanti Bhattacharya" posted a collage of two pictures of Kanika with Prince Charles with the caption, "Kanika Kapoor spreading love and care all around the world.  With HRH Prince Charles here who was diagnosed with Covid19 today". Here, Kanika can be seen wearing an orange dress.  The archived version of the post can be seen here. Similarly, sharing another picture of the singer in a shimmery silver dress and with Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, some Twitter users have made the same claim. India Today Anti-Fake News War Room (AFWA) found that the pictures being shared are actually from 2015 and 2018. It is not clear if she met the Prince during her recent visit to the UK. Kanika at present is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lucknow.  No one answered her phone when we called.  So far, we haven't got any reply to the message that we sent her.  We will update the story if we get a response. Many news reports (https://bit. ly/2wBTeee) on the internet point to the photo being from 2015. According to these reports, Kanika was to perform at the fundraiser Elephant Family charity function organised by the Royalty.  It was in this event that Kanika had met Prince Charles and exchanged a few words. The reverse search tool helped us find some news reports from 2018.  Kanika had tweeted the photo herself as well after performing at the Buckingham Palace, in the presence of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.  She was invited to the palace for a grand gala organised by the royal family to mark the 10th anniversary of the British Asian Trust. Both singer and Prince hospitalisedKanika was hospitalised last week and she was found to have attended a few high-profile parties as well. After she was hospitalised, many political leaders who had attended the parties had to be sent to isolation too. The Prince was hospitalised on Tuesday night and is said to be stable. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Ankit Lal, social media strategist of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shared incomplete information from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report of 2017 to attack Modi-led NDA government on corruption

Lal tweeted a graphic card that said that as per the CVC report, corruption cases increased by a whopping 67% in the central government departments.  He labeled Modi government âa complete failureâ as it fulfilled no promises.  TRUTHThough the figure Lal quoted is not incorrect in isolation, the fact that he shared only partial information should be considered.  Can rise in complaints about corruption be considered a rise in corruption?  If yes, then will a fall in complaints about corruption indicate a fall in corruption?  The CVC report says that the number of corruption complaints received by the Commission increased from 29,838 in 2015 to 49,847 in 2016, an increase of 67%.  What Lal did not mention is that the number of complaints declined to 23,609 in 2017, a fall of 52%.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYTimes Fact Check checked the CVC annual report of 2017 to find that the data corresponding to corruption complaints received by commission from 2013-2017 indicates no particular trend.  While there is a huge jump in the corruption complaints in 2014, the year Narendra Modi became PM, thereâs a steep fall in 2015.  The figure rises again in 2016, and then declines in 2017.  It is true that a large number of complaints of corruption were received against the railways and government-owned banks in 2016.  Overall, complaints declined by over 52% in 2017.  The number of corruption complaints received cannot be a true measure to form an opinion on whether corruption in the country has increased or decreased.  The figures can be interpreted in different ways.  For instance, as per the CVC report, there was a rise in the number of complaints in 2014.  Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government can say that this rise in 2014 indicated people had more faith in the Modi government than the ousted Congress government.  Critics of the BJP government in the Centre can argue, if they consider rise in corruption complaints an indicator of rise in corruption, that right when Modi came to power, corruption shot up.  Over the years, the number of rapes being reported has risen.  Does that necessarily mean more rapes are being committed in the country now?


JUST IN: One person has died from the shooting at the Chabod of Poway synagogue, three others are injured and in stable condition, according to officials. https://t.co/vidRjHsekG https://t.co/EiPwKvd1sG

By Harmeet Kaur, Nicole Chavez and Christina Kline, CNNThe timing of the shooting at Congregation Chabad is significant. It's the last day of Passover, one of the holiest Jewish celebrations of the year.  It also comes exactly six months to the day after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a man opened fire and killed 11 people.  A federal law enforcement official said at the time that Robert Bowers made anti-Semitic statements during the shooting and targeted Jews on social media. The Anti-Defamation league said the shooting at Tree of Life was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said that he considers today's shooting a hate crime "because of statements that were made when the shooter entered. "The 19-year-old man who allegedly opened fire at the synagogue fled the scene and then called 911 to identify himself as the suspect, according to San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. Investigators are looking into an open letter apparently connected to the suspect, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said.  He did not elaborate on the suspect's motivations. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum released a statement today on the shooting that occurred at a San Diego-area synagogue.  The Museum expressed shock and alarm over the "second armed attack" on a synagogue in six months, a reference to the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh where 11 people were killed. "Now our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones," the Museum Director Sara J.  Bloomfield said. Here's the full statement:At least one person is dead and three others are wounded.  One of the people who was shot was a rabbi at the Congregation Chabad synagogue, Minoo Anvari told CNN affiliate KUSI.  Anvari said her husband called her while he was in the synagogue, saying the rabbi and others were injured.  Her husband is “in shock,” she said.  Lawmakers and presidential contenders are starting to respond to the shooting on Twitter. "I am disturbed by reports of a shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue and am closely monitoring the situation," California Sen.  Kamala Harris tweeted.  Here's what some of the other presidential contenders have tweeted:Investigators are looking into an open letter apparently connected to the suspect in the shooting, according to San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore. “We have copies of his social media posts and his ‘open letter’ and will be reviewing those to determine the legitimacy of it and exactly how it plays into the investigation,” Gore said during a news conference. The Sheriff would not answer specific questions about the letter or about the suspect’s motivations.  The San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit identified him as a 19-year-old man, saying he fled the scene of the shooting and then called 911 to identify himself as the suspect. From CNN's Nikki CarvajalPesident Donald Trump said the shooting at a synagogue near San Diego "looks like a hate crime” and was “hard to believe,” as he was about to board Marine 1.  Trump said the White House is doing “heavy research” and “will get to the bottom of it. ” “My deepest sympathies to the people, the families, everybody affected by those shootings at the synagogue in California,” he said.  Trump and Vice President Mike Pence also tweeted about the shooting. "Thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by the shooting at the Synagogue in Poway, California.  God bless you all.  Suspect apprehended.  Law enforcement did outstanding job.  Thank you! " Trump wrote on Twitter. "We condemn in the strongest terms the evil & cowardly shooting at Chabad of Poway today as Jewish families celebrated Passover.  No one should be in fear in a house of worship.  Antisemitism isn’t just wrong - it’s evil. " Pence added. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said he considered Saturday’s attack to be a hate crime "because of statements that were made when the shooter entered. "The mayor said the congregation was targeted by "someone with hate in their heart . . .  towards our Jewish community and that just will not stand. " The congregation "took security very seriously," he said. Just moments ago, the San Diego Sheriff's office tweeted out a meeting place for synagogue-goers who got separated from their families during the shooting:"The Family Assistance Center at Poway High @PowayHighTitans will also serve as the meeting place for synagogue goers who got separated during the shooting.  For the media, please be considerate of those who decline interviews during this very difficult time," the tweet reads. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


JUST IN: White House chief of staff Mark Meadows suggested to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn that his job could be on the line if his agency doesn't authorize emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of the day, sources say. https://t.co/6nvAe0iarY https://t.co/twVOhg2k4t

By Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Jim Acosta, CNNUpdated 10:22 AM ET, Sat December 12, 2020 Washington (CNN)White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr.  Stephen Hahn he needed to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine by the end of Friday, and if not, he would have to resign, an administration official and a source familiar with the situation tell CNN. CNN's Caroline Kelly and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.


Maharashtra: Houses have been submerged in floodwater in Kalyan, Thane. https://t.co/0DmGIgdhWs

Incessant rains has thrown Mumbai out of gear as waterlogged roads and cancelled trains have brought normal life to a halt.  Flood alert has been issued in Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Badlapur.  These areas are still recovering from the impact of the rains from the past week.  Santa Cruz has already recorded 173 mm of rainfall overnight.  Colaba has recorded over 100 mm of rainfall until now, according to Skymet Weather.  Indian Meteorological Department has also said that isolated extremely heavy rainfall will batter Madhya Maharashtra.  Waterlogged roads at Sion, Ghodbunder Road, Dombivli has affected residents.  Central Railways has cancelled 8 trains and terminated three trains due to waterlogging, boulders on railways tracks and incessant rains.  Catch all the major updates here: Follow highlights here:BMC’s solid waste management team reaches Marine DriveAs high tide hits the coast, it is expected that the huge waves will bring along with it waste from the sea.  Since we are aware, what the sea may send as a return gift to the city in the high-tide today!  The solid waste management team of @mybmcWardC standing ready at the #MarineDrive pic. twitter. com/6qmVdUQShzIndian Air Force launches rescue operationAir Force is deploying a helicopter to rescue 35 residents from a village in Thane.  IMD says heavy to very heavy rainfall to lash cityThe weather body said that city and the suburbs will heavy to very heavy rainfall in a tweet.  Updated list of trains cancelled and diverted due to rains5 trains have been cancelled as boulders fell in the tracks in the south-east ghats.  Trains Update-7due to heavy rains, water logging/boulder fallen in southeast ghat. . .  pic. twitter. com/Q5Ode5GZTxMithi river swells, more than 400 people evacuated400 people living around Mithi river evacuated and sent to nearby schools, as the river water swells to dangerous levels. Train services resume from Kalyan to ThaneTrain services from CSMT to Thane currently remain suspended.  Mumbai Police issues safety alerts for specific areasMumbai Police issues waterlogging alert for 25 locations. Dear Mumbaikars,Please be advised about waterlogging at the following locations:Nehru Nagar SCLR Bridge, ChemburNaik Nagar Signal, SionDahisar SubwayMagathane Bridge Netaji Nagar, Andheri Shraddha Junction, KurlaChincholi Port Road, New Link Road, Malad(1/2)Sion Junction, Railway StationAndheri Subway Gandhi Nagar, GhatkoparLokmanya Tilak Ganesh Nagar Visarjan Talao, Jogeshwari. J. V. L. R Junction, JogeshwariDurga Nagar Junction, JVLR. Please take due care and precautions while venturing out. #MumbaiRains (2/2)Mumbai Police posts special message for Mumbaikars on Friendship DayMumbai Police in a tweet saluted the spirit of the maximum city’s residents and police officials who braved the weather to help out fellow Mumbaikars.  Real friendship is sticking through the rainy days!  Mumbai, for you, we'd always do it all over again.  #HappyFriendshipDay2019 pic. twitter. com/sbcAytGvZ8Landslide injures four in GoregaonAccording to BMC four people are injured in Goregaon due to a landslide.  Water recedes at Wadala and Goregaon, says BMCOberoi mall, Matunga labour camp see receding water levels, said BMC in a tweet.  Water has receded at Swastik Chamber, Matunga Labour Camp, SIES College, Wadala, Oberoi Mall, Goregaon #MumbaiRainsLiveUpdate #MCGMUpdates pic. twitter. com/7wQ1Lv3zCnDadar and Ghatkopar received lowest rainfall this monsoon, says IMDHere is the amount of rainfall received by Mumbai (location-wise) until now, according to IMD data.  Malad and Mulund West continue to receive high amounts of rainfall.  Flood alert sounded in parts of Ulhasnagar and BadlapurFlood alerts given out in areas of Ambernath, Badlapur, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Murbad among others.  Civic authorities are trying hard to minimise the effect of the rains which has taken a toll on Ulhasnagar’s civic properties.  Power cuts hit parts of ThaneSevere waterlogging has led to power cuts in Titwala, Manda, Varap, Badlapur and some areas of Kalyan.  Signs of respite for Mumbaikars as monsoon conditions to shiftPrivate weather forecasting agency Skymet said non-continuous showers were expected through Sunday and rain intensity would reduce from Monday.  “Rain bearing weather systems are likely to die down by Sunday evening resulting in reduced rain activity from Monday onwards up till August 9 for Mumbai as the monsoon conditions will shift to south Konkan and interior Maharashtra,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet. Earlier today water was released from the Barvi Dam due to heavy rains. Extreme rainfall events led to new rainfall record for MumbaiLast monsoon, Mumbai recorded 2,239. 6mm rain over four months, which was 77. 6mm less than the season’s average.  In 2017, the city had recorded 3,029. 9mm rain, highest in six years. Over the last 48 hours, Mumbai received 337. 9mm rain, which helped the city surpass the milestone.  Earlier this season, two extremely heavy rain days July 1 and 2 when 375. 2mm was recorded in 24 hours and 219. 2mm from July 26 to July 27 were ‘extreme rainfall’ events that helped surpass the season’s total. Local services suspended between CSMT and KalyanEntire train services on central railways slow and fast railway corridor of mainline has been suspended.  Few trains were operated between Kalyan and Kasara railway stations but have been stopped since morning.  Mumbai rains cross season average with two months to goThe southwest monsoon spans across four months for Mumbai (June - September), which means excess rainfall will continue for the remainder of the season. The Mumbai suburbs weather observatory recorded 204mm over 24 hours (8. 30am Saturday to 8. 30am Sunday) taking the tally for the season to 2,374. 2mm against the seasonal average of 2,317. 2mm. Flights diverted from Mumbai airport‘There have been six go arounds and two flight diversions at Mumbai airport’, says Mumbai International Airport Ltd.  (MIAL) spokesperson.  Thane Railway Station faces severe waterloggingThane has also broken its ten years record as it received 283. 55mm of rainfall in the last twenty four hours.  The total rainfall this year is 2689. 33 mm which has crossed last year’s rainfall of 2688. 33 mm.  Water logging was reported from 64 areas across the city while 31 tree fell in different parts of the city. Navi Mumbai battered by heavy rainsWater logging on Sion Panvel Highway Service Road at Turbhe.  High tide timings released by SkymetHigh tide to hit the coast at 2:30 pm in the afternoon.  Today’s High Tide hrs- 14:29hrs- 4. 83 mtr, Low Tide 20:33hrs - 0. 85mtr.  #MumbaiRainlive #MumbaiRainsLiveUpdate #MumbaiRainsLiveUpdates #MumbaiRain #Mumbai #MumbaiRainsLive https://t. co/y5mIKYUGXoLocals in Kalyan suffer due to intense waterloggingResidents of Khadegolavli from Kalyan East brave the heavy rains. Local trains from Churchgate are operationalWestern Railway has also suspended train services between Vasai and Virar railway stations due to waterlogging.  Local trains between Churchgate and Vasai Road and Virar and Dahanu Road are operational. Central Railway services slow downEntire train services on central railways slow and fast railway corridor of mainline has been suspended.  Few trains were operated between Kalyan and Kasara railway stations but have been stopped now. Virar to Vasai railway services resumedTrain services have been resumed between Virar and Vasai railway stations on the slow railway line.  Due to water logging train are being operated with speed restrictions. High tide up to 4. 5 metres predicted, locals asked to stay indoorsThe weather bureau said intense rain activity was likely to continue through Sunday based on latest radar and satellite images.  “Rainfall varied across south Mumbai with most areas receiving 100mm while parts of the suburbs recorded over 250mm.  Strong westerly winds and heavy showers will continue on Sunday under the influence of weather systems being activated along the west coast due to a low pressure formation over northwest Bay of Bengal,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, India Meteorological Department (IMD). Thane records 342. 2 mm over the past 24 hoursRain over last 24 hours (Saturday 8. 30am to Sunday 8. 30am)Mumbai suburbs - Rain data for Santacruz not available since trains are shut, no IMD officials are present at the observatory to take readingsSouth Mumbai - 142mmAlibaug- 410. 9mmThane - 342. 2mmMalegaon - 373mmHarnai - 102. 6mmRatnagiri - 153. 6mmMahabaleshwar - 305. 8mmCentral Railways cancels 8 trains due to waterloggingCentral Railways in a tweet told passengers that several trains. Trains Update-6 due to heavy rains, water logging/boulder fallen in southeast ghat. . .  pic. twitter. com/jiq0ERFF7W


Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind celebrated #RakshaBandhan with nurses of The Trained Nurses’ Association of India, Military Nursing Service and President’s Estate Clinic.

The President appreciated role of nurses as saviours in the fight against #COVID19: President’s Secretariat https://t.co/Oqlhi7Spcq

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched India’s first mobile laboratory for Covid-19 testing in rural and inaccessible areas of India. “To ensure testing facilities in far-flung areas, such innovations have been developed in the interior, inaccessible parts of the country,” said Union Health Minister. In the wave of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Ministry of Science and Technology and Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone have collaborated to address the shortage of critical healthcare technologies in India and move progressively towards a stage of self-sufficiency.  Explaining the scope of this lab, Vardhan said, “It has the capability to perform 25 RT-PCR tests per day, 300 ELISA tests per day and additional tests for TB, HIV as per CGHS rates. ”“We had started the fight against Covid with one laboratory in February.  Today, we have 953 laboratories across the country.  Out of these 953, around 699 are government labs,” he added. India has witnessed the highest single-day increase of 12,881 Covid-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours and the cumulative count for the cases have surged to 3,66,946 on Thursday.


Farmer union seeks removal of 3 committee members alleging bias, appeals to Supreme Court

https://t.co/1q7Zo7q6IV https://t.co/iWiEHyq7QK

In a vote of no confidence against the Supreme Court-appointed four-member Committee to resolve farmers’ concerns over the three farm laws, one of the protesting farmers' groups has asked the Supreme Court to remove the three members who remain in the Committee after one of the members, Bhupinder Singh Mann refused to be part of the Committee proceedings. The demand was raised by Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Lokshakti in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Saturday alleging bias against the three members in favour of the farm laws.  The affidavit came in response to an application moved by the Delhi Police seeking a stay on any disruption of the Republic Day proceedings by the protesting farmer unions.  A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde had issued notice on this application last Tuesday and posted the same for hearing on January 18. In its response, BKU-Lokshakti through its advocate AP Singh told the Court that the Delhi Police application was unnecessary as Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code is already in place in central Delhi which restricts gathering of five or more persons. The affidavit then proceeded to address its concerns over the composition of the Committee.  It said, “The principle of natural justice is going to get violated by forming these persons as members of the Committee.  Members appointed by the Supreme Court, how they will hear all the farmers on equal parameters when they have already supported these three farm Law. ” Instead, the farmer union has requested appointment of a former Supreme Court judge along with farm leaders of protesting farmer unions. The Court had on January 12 formed a four-member Committee to hear out the protesting farmers and submit a report to the Court after eight weeks.  The members were Bhupinder Singh Mann (National President, BKU and All India Kisan Coordination Committee), Pramod Kumar Joshi (Agricultural Economist, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute), Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist and Former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, and Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sanghatana.  The Committee was to hold its first sitting by January 22.  The Court directed the Committee to listen to the grievances of the farmers on the farm laws as also the views of the Government and make recommendations. Two days later, Mann refused to join the Committee proceedings in solidarity with the farmer protests leaving just three members.  The response by BKU-Lokshakti referred to news clippings where the three members had openly supported the farm laws and criticized protesting farmers of being misled by political parties. “When all committee members appointed by the Supreme Court are already in favour of these three farm laws and already support the laws made and passed by the Central government without enough discussion with farmers, then how can they make fair report without any bias before the Court,” the BKU-Lokshakti said. The union requested the Court to “remove all three members from the committee” and appoint persons who would prepare the report on basis of “mutual harmony” and who can “think about the interest of farmers with impartiality, trust and goodwill. ” The union requested the Court to appoint independent, impartial persons such as former Supreme Court judge and include within the Committee the President of BKU-Lokshakti among other farmers’ organization leaders participating in the protests. The apex court on Tuesday had stayed the implementation of the three laws in question, namely Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. While passing the order, the bench, also comprising of Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said, “While we may not stifle a peaceful protest, we think that this extraordinary order of stay of implementation of the farm laws will be perceived as an achievement of the purpose of such protest at least for the present and will encourage the farmers bodies to convince their members to get back to their livelihood, both in order to protect their own lives and health and in order to protect the lives and properties of others. ”


Carrie Johnson, the wife of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has taken her first step onto the global stage as she welcomed US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to Cornwall, southwest England. https://t.co/oE2MN4khHd

Group of Seven leaders have brought pledges to share vaccine doses and make a fairer global economy to a seaside summit in EnglandG-7 nations pledge to match Biden’s donation of COVID-19 vaccine to poorer countries CARBIS BAY, England -- Group of Seven leaders brought pledges to share vaccine doses and make a fairer global economy Friday to a seaside summit in England, where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus pandemic should not be allowed to leave a “lasting scar” on the world. The wealthy nations’ leaders were all smiles and unity as Johnson greeted them on the freshly raked sand of Carbis Bay, but they jostled over who was doing most to help the world’s poorer nations fight COVID-19. Recovery from the pandemic was set to dominate their discussions, and members of the wealthy democracies club committed to sharing at least 1 billion vaccine shots with struggling countries.  That includes a pledge from U. S.  President Joe Biden to share 500 million doses, and a promise from Johnson for another 100 million shots. Host Britain said the G-7 will also announce a package of measures aimed at reducing the chances of another pandemic.  The U. K.  government said the grandly titled “Carbis Bay Declaration” will aim for a 100-day goal to develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for future disease and to bolster surveillance for new illnesses. The group will also pledge to strengthen the World Health Organization, which former President Donald Trump pulled out of and Biden rejoined. Johnson said the goal of the measures was “to make sure that never again will we be caught unawares. ”Opening three days of talks in Cornwall, southwest England, Johnson warned that world leaders must not repeat errors made over the past 18 months — or those made in the recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis. “It is vital that we don’t repeat the mistake of the last great crisis, the last great economic recession in 2008, when the recovery was not uniform across all parts of society,” he said after leaders posed for a formal “family photo” by the sea. “And I think what’s gone wrong with this pandemic, and what risks being a lasting scar, is that I think the inequalities may be entrenched,” Johnson added. The leaders of the G-7 — which also includes the United States Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — hope the meeting at the resort will also energize the global economy.  Beneath moody dark skies, the group walked away from the photo as cheerful as children who had just built a sand castle. As Johnson led the politicians off the beach, French President Emmanuel Macron threw his arm around the shoulders of Biden, whom he was meeting for the first time.  The White House later said the two men discussed COVID-19 and counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region of Africa and would have a meeting on Saturday. Facing criticism that they are hogging vaccines, the leaders are competing to be the global champion of so many wounded by the virus.  With 3. 7 million people lost in the pandemic, the world’s richest democracies are eager to show themselves the champions of the afflicted. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hoped the summit would show the world “we’re not just thinking of ourselves. " Macron sought to underscore that, noting that France had already shipped vaccine doses to the world’s poor — and gently chiding countries that have not by urging in a tweet for “clear goals” and “concrete commitments. ”For Johnson, the first G-7 summit in two years — last year’s was scuttled by the pandemic — is a chance to set out his vision of a post-Brexit “global Britain” as a mid-sized country with an outsized role in international problem-solving. On Friday Queen Elizabeth II — Britain's biggest global star — traveled from Windsor Castle near London for a reception with the leaders and their spouses at the Eden Project, a futuristic botanical garden housed inside domes that features the world's largest indoor rainforest. The 95-year-old monarch drew laughter from her guests as she chided them during a group photo session: “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself? ”Senior royals — including heir to the throne Prince Charles, his son Prince William and William’s wife, Kate — joined the leaders for the reception and a dinner of roasted turbot, Cornish new potatoes and greens with wild garlic pesto cooked by a local chef. The choice of an ecologically themed venue was deliberate.  Climate change is also a top issue on the agenda, and hundreds of protesters gathered in Cornwall to urge the leaders to act, some dressed as sea creatures such as jellyfish.  Demonstrators deployed a barge off the coast with two large inflatable figures depicting Biden and Johnson on board. The G-7 is also set to formally embrace a global minimum tax of at least 15% on multinational corporations, following an agreement reached a week ago by their finance ministers.  The minimum is meant to stop companies from using tax havens to shift profits and to avoid taxes. It represents a potential win for the Biden administration, which has proposed a global minimum tax as a way to pay for infrastructure projects, and it dovetails with the president's hope to focus the summit on ways the democracies can collaborate to build a more inclusive and fair global economy to help compete with rising autocracies like China. But the main issue of the day was vaccines and the mounting pressure to outline global vaccine-sharing plans, especially as inequities in supply around the world have become more pronounced.  In the U. S. , there is a large vaccine stockpile, and the demand for shots has dropped precipitously in recent weeks. Biden said the U. S.  will donate 500 million Pfizer vaccine doses in the next year, 200 million of them by the end of 2021.  That commitment was on top of 80 million doses Biden has already pledged to donate by the end of June.  A price tag for the doses was not released, but the U. S.  is now set to be the larges donor to the international COVAX vaccine effort, as well as its biggest funder. Johnson said the first 5 million U. K.  doses would be shared in the coming weeks, with the remainder coming over the next year.  Macron said France would share at least 30 million doses globally by year’s end.  Germany plans to donate the same amount.  White House officials said the G-7 leaders on Friday committed to 1 billion doses in all. The COVAX vaccination campaign got off to a slow start as richer nations locked up billions of doses through contracts directly with drug manufacturers.  The alliance has distributed just 81 million doses globally, and large parts of the world, particularly in Africa, remain vaccine deserts. Humanitarian workers welcomed the new donations but said the world needs more doses and sooner. “We are still far from getting there,” said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is due to attend the summit Saturday as a guest. “We need a concerted effort.  We need a global vaccination plan,” he added.  “If not the risk is there will still be large areas of the developing world where the virus spreads like wildfire. ”Biden will wrap up his eight-day journey by meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.  Asked on the beach Friday what his message would be, Biden said, “I'll tell you after I deliver it. ”Putin, in an interview with NBC, said Russia's relations with the U. S.  had deteriorated to their lowest point in recent years. Asked if he agreed with Biden’s assessment in March that he is a killer, Putin laughed and said the criticism was part of America's macho attitude.  “I’ve gotten used to attacks from all kinds of angles and from all kinds of areas under all kinds of pretext, and reasons of different caliber and fierceness and none of it surprises me," he said, adding, "So, as far as harsh rhetoric, I think that this is an expression of overall U. S.  culture. "———Kirka reported from Falmouth, England.  Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui in Falmouth and Jonathan Lemire in Plymouth, England, also contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Farmers from Punjab wait at the Shambhu border between Haryana and Punjab, near Ambala, to cross into Haryana to proceed to Delhi to protest against Farm laws

Security deployed, barriers and water cannon vehicle placed at the border to prevent farmers from entering Haryana https://t.co/LexWymMvoJ

Thousands of farmers, most of them from Punjab, have crossed Bahadurgarh in Haryana and reached the Tikri border near Delhi despite police using water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse them. Many farmers are yet to reach Bahadurgarh as they are busy preparing their meals on the roadside between Rohtak and Bahadurgarh, nearly 40 kilometers away from Tikri border. After a day of clashes, the farmers, who had entered Haryana from Ratia border, have been travelling since Thursday evening.  They said the police had used barricades at Hansi and Hisar but they managed to cross them.  However, the Rohtak police had stopped the second group of farmers at Rohad village by digging up holes on the Rohtak-Delhi national highway. Shamsher Singh, a farmer from Ludhiana, told HT that they will cross all hurdles to reach Delhi. “Ab Delhi dur nahi hai paji (Now Delhi is not far away brother).  We had started our journey at 4 pm on Thursday and reached Haryana through Ratia border.  The Haryana farmers have been clearing their fields to give us a path.  Throughout the night, we have been marching and local farmers have been providing food, tea, warm clothes and guiding us through short routes to avert police nakaas,” he added. Another farmer, Gurmail Singh, who was busy preparing a meal for three dozen farmers at Rohad village, said the Haryana government behaved like an enemy but the local farmers have been welcoming them with open hearts. “Local farmers told us that a few people were instigating them not to cooperate with Punjab farmers as they had stopped their share of Satluj-Yamuna link canal but our brothers have now become intelligent.  The elder and younger brothers will return back from Delhi after winning the battle against the Union government,” he added. Also Read: Farmers’ protest: Tear gas shells fired at Singhu borderJagroop Singh, a farmer from Ludhiana’s Sheikh Daulat village, said that over 300 farmers from their village have been marching towards Delhi against the three farm laws. “We have asked for one member from each family to take part in the protest.  We know this is a long battle but we have ration for three months.  We are not caring about the ongoing wheat season because if the government will not roll back these laws, there will be no use of growing crops,” he added. Also Read: Dilli Chalo: Haryana, Punjab farmers unite in Panipat, move together towards Delhi Heavy security deployment has been done on the Singhu border at Sonepat and Tikri border at Bahadurgarh to prevent farmers from crossing over to Delhi. Delhi Metro entry and exit gates at Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan and Ghevra stations on the Green Line have been closed.  The police had installed 7 feet height wall on the Delhi-Rohtak highway at Rohad toll plaza in Haryana but farmers managed to cross it by breaking it from one half of the highway.  Now long queue of vehicle is stranded at the toll plaza. The Delhi Police has stationed sand-laden trucks and water cannons and used barbed wire for fencing at the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana to prevent the protesters from entering the city.  Police were also deployed on Delhi’s border with Faridabad and Gurgaon. One more group of farmers had reached near Delhi’s Tikri border after entering Haryana from Rohtak district.  A farmer leader leading a group of protesters at Haryana’s border with Punjab in Dabwali, said they will break police barriers later in the day to march ahead. On Thursday, farmers from Punjab faced water cannons and broke police barriers at the state’s border with Haryana as they pushed towards the national capital on their march against the Centre’s farm laws.


The brothers accused of attacking actor Jussie Smollett, only to be cleared of the crime when prosecutors announced Smollett had orchestrated a hoax to advance his career, are suing his legal team for defamation, attorneys say https://t.co/LKW1uVDN05 https://t.co/Drn4WCC7R7

Ola and Abel Osundairo claim the actor paid them to help stage a street attack.  Brothers implicated in Jussie Smollett 'hoax' attack sue the actor's lawyersThe two Chicago brothers who claim Jussie Smollett paid them to help stage what police deemed a "hoax" attack filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against the "Empire" actor's lawyers. Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo filed the lawsuit in U. S.  District Court in Chicago accusing Smollett's attorneys Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian of making false public statements about them during a media blitz that has damaged them both emotionally and economically. The lawsuit claims Smollett's lawyers continued to proclaim the actor's innocence even after prosecutors said he agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond and do community service in exchange for them dropping 16 felony disorderly conduct counts against him stemming from what a Chicago Police Department investigation determined was a false police report about a January homophobic and racist attack. The March 26 decision by the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx prompted outrage from police and then-Mayor Rham Emanuel, who called the move "a whitewash of justice. " Foxx and her first assistant, Joe Magats, stressed the decision was not an exoneration of Smollett and expressed confidence that he would have been convicted if the case had gone to trial. But the actor immediately held a press conference to continue denying the allegations made against him, saying he had been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.  I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I was accused of. "The Osundairo brothers' lawsuit claims Geragos and Glandian continue to foster the myth that the attack on Smollett was real and portrayed the brothers as the perpetrators. "Mr.  Smollett's attorneys, faced with an outraged public, did not retreat after their success.  Instead, they doubled down. . . ," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit details a litany of "false" statements made by Geragos and Glandian in media interviews, including ones with ABC News, NBC and numerous newspapers.  Among the statements the suit characterized as defamatory were that the brothers "criminally battered" Smollett and committed a hate crime against him, that one of the brothers donned "whiteface" on the day of the attack, that the brothers illegally distributed foreign steroids, that they committed perjury in front of the grand jury and that Abimbola Osundairo had engaged in a homosexual relationship with Smollett. Geragos and Glandian, in a statement, called the lawsuit "ridiculous" and said they look forward to "exposing the fraud. ""At first we thought this comical legal document was a parody.  Instead this so-called lawsuit by the brothers is more of their lawyer driven nonsense, and a desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated," according to the statement.  "While we know this ridiculous lawsuit will soon be dismissed because it lacks any legal footing, we look forward to exposing the fraud the Osundairo brothers and their attorneys have committed on the public. "Smollett's defense lawyers, according to the suit, not only affirmed their client "was a wholly innocent victim," but accused the Osundairo brothers of leading "a criminally homophobic, racist, and violent attack against Mr.  Smollett. "Geragos and Glandian, according to the lawsuit, "made these comments knowing they were untrue to distract from Mr.  Smollett's farce and to promote themselves and the Geragos & Geragos Law Firm. "In a joint statement released by their attorneys at a news conference on Tuesday in Chicago, the brothers, who also go by the names Abel and Ola Osundairo, said they are fed up with the "lies" being told about them by Smollett's legal team. "We have sat back and watched lie after lie being fabricated about us in the media only so one big lie can continue to have a life," the brothers' statement said.  "These lies are destroying our character and reputation in our personal and professional lives. ""Those who know us personally know hate for anyone is not who we are," the brothers said.  "We try to spread as much love and positivity with whoever we come in contact with.  We will no longer sit back and allow these lies to continue. "Attorneys for the Osundairos said at the news conference that they were taking action in federal court so that those responsible for trashing the brothers' reputations are held accountable. "Let me make one thing clear: The Chicagoan brothers told the truth.  They could have remained silent," said Gloria Schmidt, one of the attorneys representing the brothers. Schmidt said she hopes the lawsuit will also ensure that the "lies and malice" perpetrated on the brothers, the city of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department "are met with truth and healing. "James Tunick, another attorney for the brothers, described the public remarks by Geragos and Glandian about Abel and Ola Osundairo as "scorched earth lawyering" and added that such tactics "will not play out in the United States District Court in Chicago. "Smollett told police that on Jan.  29 he was walking to his Chicago apartment about 2 a. m.  when two men wearing masks attacked him, screaming homophobic and racist slurs while pouring a liquid on him and putting a noose around his neck.  Smollett also told police that the attackers yelled "This is MAGA country! " an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again. "As part of the investigation, Chicago police spent hours combing through video surveillance before finding images of two men walking in the general vicinity of the reported attack around the time Sollett said it occurred.  Detectives eventually tracked down the Osundairo brothers on Feb.  15. While being questioned by investigators, the brothers claimed Smollett paid them $3,500 to help orchestrate and stage the crime after he became upset that a letter threatening him, sent Jan.  22 to the Fox studio where the television series "Empire" is filmed, did not get enough attention, police said.  Police said they suspect that Smollett was the letter's author. Schmidt said the brothers, who testified before the Cook County grand jury that indicted Smollett, knew Smollett from bit parts they performed on "Empire" and because the actor had hired them to get him in top shape for an upcoming music video. The lawsuit claims that on Jan.  25 Smollett solicited the brothers to help him stage the street attack. "Mr.  Smollett told [the brothers], in private, that he needed a favor from them: they were to help him stage a social media hoax and pretend to attack him," the lawsuit says.  "Mr.  Smollett's motivation was simple.  He wanted his employer and the public to notice and appreciate him as a successful Black, openly gay actor.  So, Mr.  Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose. "The suit goes on to say that “Mr.  Smollett used his clout as a wealthy actor to influence [the brothers], who were in a subordinate relationship to him and were aspiring to ‘make it’ in Hollywood. ”24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


In 16-point action plan, @nsitharaman talks about doubling farmers’ income in Budget speech

#BudgetWithHT #Budget2020

https://t.co/q38zZ7MRxi https://t.co/FIWyAzmjzS

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is committed to doubling the farmers’ income as she presented 16-point action plan to boost their income in her Budget speech. “Farmers who have fallow or barren land will be helped to set up solar power generation units and also sell surplus power to the solar grid and also make living out of even barren land,” the Finance Minister said as she tabled the Budget in the Lok Sabha. Track Live Updates of Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget Speech Here“Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) to be expanded to provide 20 lakh farmers in setting up standalone solar pumps,” Sitharaman further added. She also stressed the need to liberalise farm markets.  “Farming need to be made more competitive, hand-holding of farm-based activities need to be provided sustainable cropping patterns and more technology is needed,” said Sitharaman. The Finance Minister also said that this year’s Budget will boost the income of people and enhance their purchasing power, adding that the government committed to doubling farmers’ income by 2022. “We will encourage balanced use of all fertilisers, a necessary step to change the incentive regime which encourages excessive use of chemical fertilisers,” said Sitharaman. Also Read: Sitharaman pays homage to Arun JaitleyAgriculture accounts for 15 per cent of India’s gross domestic and a source of livelihood for more than half of the country’s 1. 3 billion population. The Budget also proposed a scheme Krishi Udaan (by the civil aviation ministry) to transport agricultural products to national as well international destinations, she said adding that Indian Railways will set up Kisan Rail in Public-Private Partnership (PPP model) for cold supply chain to transport perishable goods. The economic survey, presented on Friday, had also emphasised government’s focus on doubling farmers income by 2022 and laid stress on mechanisation of agriculture, livestock and fisheries sector, food processing, financial inclusion, agricultural credit and crop insurance, micro-irrigation and buffer stock management.


On June 13, the Indian army confirmed the demise of Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar.  Babu was martyred during a face-off with Chinese soldiers in the Galwan valley near patrolling point 14, reported The Economic Times. Around June 16, a photograph of a child paying homage to Babu’s portrait was widely circulated on social media including on Facebook and Twitter.  As per the claims, the girl in the image is the daughter of Babu.  Even mainstream media outlets like Deccan Chronicle (archive link) and Assam-based TV channel DY365 (archive link) made the same claim in their news reports.
IPS Madhur Verma (archive link) and AS Sonal Goel (archive link) also made the same claim.  Their tweets got over 1000 likes each.  Navika Kumar, group editor of Times Group, tweeted the viral image without making an explicit claim.  It was retweeted over 4,700 times (archive link).
The child in the viral image is a sister of an ABVP Karnataka member.  On June 17, the Twitter handle of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) posted multiple tweets and clarified, “We understand their sentiments, but deem it necessary to clarify that the girl is younger sister of an @ABVPKarnataka karyakarta. ”We noticed some personalities & prominent handles have mistakenly, without any ill-will reported the girl to be daughter of martyr Col Santhosh Babu. We understand their sentiments, but deem it necessary to clarify that the girl is younger sister of an @ABVPKarnataka karyakarta.  pic. twitter. com/3Zgt5M9TNK— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) June 17, 2020

We noticed some personalities & prominent handles have mistakenly, without any ill-will reported the girl to be daughter of martyr Col Santhosh Babu. We understand their sentiments, but deem it necessary to clarify that the girl is younger sister of an @ABVPKarnataka karyakarta.  pic. twitter. com/3Zgt5M9TNK— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) June 17, 2020

Their Facebook page also shared multiple pictures from the private homage ceremony along with the caption, “Karyakarta of ABVP in Nelamangala Taluk of Karnataka, along with his little sister, paid homage to Col.  Santhosh Babu who was martyred during the scuffle between India and China at LAC in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. ”Karyakarta of ABVP in Nelamangala Taluk of Karnataka, along with his little sister, paid homage to Col.  Santhosh Babu…Posted by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020The Times of India had earlier fact-checked the image. Thus the social media claim associated with the viral image is false.  The girl is not late Col Santosh Babu’s daughter. Donate NowArchit is a graduate in English Literature from The MS University of Baroda.  He also holds a post-graduation diploma in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism.  Since then he has worked at Essel Group's English news channel at WION as a trainee journalist, at S3IDF as a fundraising & communications officer and at The Hindu as a reporter.  At Alt News, he works as a fact-checking journalist. A picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…


Thrissur: More than 1000 chefs from over 500 bakeries in Kerala created a Guinness World Record by baking the world's longest-ever cake measuring about 6.5 kilometers
and weighing over 20 tonnes, yesterday. #Kerala https://t.co/mXuBDYgEZL

It was a record-baking effort.  Hundreds of bakers and chefs in southern India came together Wednesday to create what they said is the world’s longest cake -- about 6. 5 kilometres (four miles). They spread chocolate ganache on the serpentine dessert stretched out on thousands of tables and desks at a festival ground and adjoining roads in the coastal state of Kerala’s Thrissur city. The vanilla cake, four inches (10 centimetres) wide and thick, weighed in at about 27,000 kilograms (59,500 pounds). About 1,500 bakers and chefs, wearing traditional whites and toque blanche caps, spent nearly four hours to put it together using 12,000 kilograms of sugar and flour. Large crowds watched the event organised by Bakers Association Kerala (BAKE).  The group’s secretary general, Naushad, said Guinness World Records had assessed the cake as being 6,500 metres but their confirmation of the exact length was pending. Guinness World Records also tweeted a video of the baking from their official account:New record: Longest cake - 5,300 metres (17,388 ft).  Congratulations to Bakers Association Kerala in Thrissur, India 🍰🎉 pic. twitter. com/fakSK3xIMJReplying to the same tweet, they also shared some images:And the icing on the cake - a certificate presentation 👏 pic. twitter. com/T9UJZsZdhzThat much cake would surpass the Guinness record held by Chinese bakers in Zixi county who made a fruitcake almost 3. 2 kilometres long in 2018. “This is an effort to showcase our skills to the world,” Naushad, who uses one name, told AFP.  “We ensured hygiene and taste are up to the mark. ”


Attorney General William Barr has delivered his summary of Robert Mueller's investigation to Congress, clearing the President of collusion. @CNNopinion's commentators explain why there's more to it than that: https://t.co/fFoviXOvu8 https://t.co/2OdagJ1KQ4

Democrats also want Attorney General William Barr to appear before Congress.  Democratic leaders question the conclusiveness of Barr's summary on Mueller reportHouse Democrats on Monday demanded that the Justice Department turn over the full report from special counsel Robert Mueller to Congress by next Tuesday, while also requesting Attorney General William Barr's appearance before lawmakers. The move to escalate the fight over Mueller's findings could be followed with subpoenas, signaling Democrats plans to continue investigations even as President Trump and Republicans have declared victory after Mueller found that the Trump campaign did not conspire with the Kremlin in the 2016 election, according to Barr's summary of Mueller's findings sent to Capitol Hill Sunday. "There are a lot of open questions," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. , said Monday.   “These questions have not been answered by the summary we got from Bill Barr.  I would hope that there are answers in the Mueller report.  Now those answers, I imagine, don’t amount to proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime.  But they are concerning nonetheless, particularly as they shed light on whether there is any form of compromise on these individuals. "Their continued focus on the investigations could hurt Democrats politically, following the end of the Mueller investigation, as Republicans continue to accuse them of overreach. "They need to get over it but they won’t get over it," House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. , told ABC News.  "They’re still going to keep harassing the president. "Democrats have taken issue with Barr’s obstruction of justice determination, citing a memo that he sent to the Justice Department before his confirmation arguing it would be "fatally misconceived" that Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey could be the basis of an obstruction of justice inquiry. "His conclusions raise more questions than they answer," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep.  Jerry Nadler, D-N. Y. , said Sunday.  "The American people are entitled to a full accounting of the president's misconduct referenced by the special counsel. "Mueller, according to Barr's summary, did not find that the Trump campaign officials or any associated with it conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.  Barr also revealed Mueller's conclusion on obstruction, that "while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also doesn't exonerate him," and said the special counsel set out evidence on "both sides of the question. ""Given Mr.  Barr’s public record of bias against the Special Counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement. Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill celebrated Mueller's conspiracy conclusion, arguing that it vindicated the president. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. , said in a statement Sunday that the findings meant  the "case is closed" on the matters investigated by Mueller, a conclusion rejected by Democrats. “This is just the beginning,” Rep.  Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. , a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, told ABC News Sunday afternoon.  "It’s case closed criminally but not case closed as to whether the president committed a high crime or misdemeanor. "Rep.  Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, a Trump ally and member of the House Judiciary Committee, argued that Democrats’ focus on the Russia probe would hurt their standing with the public. “We will be able to show that this batch of Democrats that had been telling lies about the president for 22 months, cannot be trusted,” he said, previewing Republicans’ message ahead of the 2020 presidential election.  “They can't be trusted on healthcare, on infrastructure, on education, because they came here to Washington insisting that there was this Russia collusion.  They've spent all their time on that narrative, it's proven to be false. “And I think the American people see who's fighting for them in this president, and who's just trying to create a distraction that ultimately was disproven. ”Nadler and five House Democratic chairs asked the Justice Department for the full Mueller report by next week, and for the underlying evidence to be transmitted to Congress beginning on, April 2.  The House Judiciary Committee has also asked Barr to appear before the panel to testify, according to Judiciary Committee members, who met privately on Monday evening with the committee's special oversight counsels to plot out the path forward. In a statement with Schiff and House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, he said it was "unacceptable that, after Special Counsel Mueller spent 22 months meticulously uncovering this evidence, Attorney General Barr made a decision not to charge the President in under 48 hours," and did so without interviewing Trump. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who also said he wanted Barr to testify, stood by the attorney general’s conclusions on Monday, and said he wanted his committee to investigate the handling of the Russia counterintelligence investigation. The attorney general is also expected to appear before the House Appropriations Committee for a budget hearing on April 9, according to a committee aide, giving Democrats another opportunity to question him about the Mueller investigation. ABC's John Parkinson contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Mumbai: Fire breaks out at a building in Raghuvanshi Mills of Lower Parel area; 8 fire tenders are at the spot. #Maharashtra https://t.co/5PJKB7cmR8

China on Tuesday accused the Indian army of provoking and attacking Chinese soldiers after a border meeting to de-escalate the ongoing tension, leading to a “physical conflict” between the two sides on Monday. ”These are the first Indian casualties in a clash with the PLA s ince 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. HT learns that the officer is the commanding officer of the unit involved in the scrap, and that one of the other casualties is that of a JCO. The Indian army said the incident took place at a time the “de-escalation process” was “underway in the Galwan valley”.  Senior “military officials of the two sides are currently meeting to defuse the situation”, the army said, signalling that the efforts to stabilise the situation is still work in progress. The Chinese foreign ministry said it was not aware of Indian soldiers being killed in the exchanges.  Neither did it say anything about casualties on its side. Also Watch l India-China border faceoff: What led to escalation of tensions?  A violent face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers near the line of actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, where rival soldiers were caught in a standoff that began with a confrontation between rival patrols near Pangong Tso on the night of May 5-6, has led to multiple casualties on the Indian side, New Delhi said in a statement on Tuesday. Responding to a query on the development, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, said he wasn’t aware about the fatalities. “I am not aware of the information you provided.  Recently to ease the situation on the India, China border, the two countries have been in close communication through military and diplomatic channels on June 6,” Zhao said at the regular ministry briefing on Tuesday. Zhao then put the blame squarely on Indian soldiers for triggering the violent exchange. “Our border troops had a high-level meeting and reached important consensus on easing the border situation.  But astonishingly on June 15, the Indian troops seriously violated our consensus and twice crossed the border line for illegal activities and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel which led to serious physical conflict between the two sides,’’ Zhao said. China has lodged strong protest and representation with the Indian side, Zhao added. Last week, when asked about the reports of the troops on both sides disengaging and moving back to their previous positions, spokesperson Hua Chunying said that both sides were taking steps to ease the situation along the borders.  “Recently the diplomatic and military channels of China and India held effective communication on the situation along the border and reached positive consensus,” she said.  “The two sides are following this consensus to take actions to ease the situation along the borders,” Hua added.  The Chinese foreign ministry had earlier said the situation along the border was “stable and controllable”.  HT was the first to report on May 10 about border tensions between India and China flaring up when 150 soldiers were involved in a tense standoff in north Sikkim a day earlier.  Four Indian and seven Chinese soldiers were injured at Naku La during the confrontation.


The FBI is investigating whether a woman who allegedly participated in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol stole a computer or hard drive from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the intention of selling it to Russia's intelligence service. https://t.co/SUHVlyJYNq

By Katelyn Polantz, CNNUpdated 10:22 PM ET, Mon January 18, 2021  (CNN)In a new criminal court case against a woman alleged to have entered the US Capitol on January 6, the FBI noted that a tipster raised the possibility of a laptop being stolen from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office to potentially sell to Russia. CNN's David Shortell and Evan Perez contributed to this report.


The stunning apparent leak of tax information on the nation's wealthiest Americans, as published by ProPublica, is already reshaping the national debate in ways that could impact Pres. Joe Biden's agenda from multiple directions. https://t.co/TQW3C2vGjC

By Maegan Vazquez and David Goldman, CNN BusinessUpdated 9:25 AM ET, Wed June 9, 2021 New York (CNN Business)The Biden administration said Tuesday it is investigating how tax information from several of the world's richest people -- including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett -- was leaked to the public.


Barack Obama urges anxious Democrats to "chill out" over 2020 candidates at California fundraiser. https://t.co/DXlmqKvzpX https://t.co/knBFrGFZvZ

    Former President Barack Obama bluntly urged Democrats nervous about the state of the party’s primary field to “chill out” on Thursday, stressing that while there are differences between the numerous Democrats running for president, those differences are “relatively minor” compared to what the Trump administration is doing.

    The comments from Obama build on a series of statements the former President has made about the race for his old job, injecting the popular Democrat into a nomination fight that he had largely avoided.

    “Everybody needs to chill out about the candidates, but gin up about the prospect of rallying behind whoever emerges from this process,” Obama said after a lengthy answer that defend the arduous primary process that Democrats are currently in.

    Obama, until recently, rarely commented on the 2020 field, but at a fundraiser here in Silicon Valley on Thursday the President cheered on the vigorous debate happening inside the party while stressing the need to get elected and warned about some of the obstacles the numerous women candidates and one gay candidate will likely face.

    Obama did not mention any of the candidates by name, but it was clear that the former President – whose legacy continues to loom large over the party – is watching the debate play out with a close eye on how the candidates are positioning themselves to defeat President Donald Trump.

    And the comments come as the field of Democrats vying to take on Trump has fluctuated in recent weeks with former Massachusetts Gov.  Deval Patrick launching a late-entry presidential campaign last week.  Patrick, who is a close friend to Obama, largely jumped into the race of fear over the state of the current crop of Democrats could not beat Trump.

    “There will be differences,” Obama said about the candidates, “but I want us to make sure that we keep in mind that, relative to the ultimate goal, which is to defeat a president and a party that has … taken a sharp turn away from a lot of the core traditions and values and institutional commitments that built this country,” those differences are “relatively minor. ”

    The former President added it was important to draw a line between contentious arguments playing out inside the party and the need to get elected, decrying “purity tests” because “the country’s complicated. ”

    “Those are good arguments to have,” he said about debates of health care and climate change, “but you got to win the election. ”

    He also cautioned Democratic voters from getting too wrapped up in the issues they have with individual candidates, telling the audience in California that people’s “flaws are magnified” during a primary.

    “The field will narrow and there’s going to be one person, and if that is not your perfect candidate and there are certain aspects of what they say that you don’t agree with and you don’t find them completely inspiring the way you’d like, I don’t care,” Obama said bluntly, “because the choice is so stark and the stakes are so high that you cannot afford to be ambivalent in this race. ”

    The roughly 100-person fundraiser was hosted by Karla Jurvetson, a physician-turned-Democratic megadonor.  Jurvetson was previously married to Steve Jurvetson, a venture capitalist who sits on the board of SpaceX and Tesla.

    The highest priced tickets to the event went for $355,000, which guests paid to “chair the event” and attend a private “VIP reception” with the former President.  Entry level tickets cost $10,000.  Event attendees included Steph Curry, the All-Star guard for the Golden State Warriors, and his wife, actress and author Ayesha Curry.

    The event benefits the DNC’s Democratic Unity Fund, a cache of money that will is being raised to eventually benefit the party’s general election campaign.  This is Obama’s first event of the cycle for the DNC.

    Obama’s comments follow similar statements he made earlier this month, where he urged the 2020 candidates to “pay some attention to where voters actually are,” warning them about going so far on certain policies that they become out of step with voters.

    “My one cautionary note is I think it is very important for all the candidates who are running at every level to pay some attention to where voters actually are,” Obama said last week, specifically saying he doesn’t think candidates should be “diluted into thinking that the resistance to certain approaches to things is simply because voters haven’t heard a bold enough proposal. ”

    Those statements – at the time – were particularly noteworthy for Obama.  But the President has now made a series of comments about the field, signaling that he may be interested in having more of a say in the race than previously understood.

    One issue Obama spoke at length about on Thursday was income inequality, where he urged Democrats to “push hard” on the issue, arguing that this is “an area where the room to talk about this in bold ways is greater than it was in 2008. ”

    “I think it is very important for the Democratic Party to be clear and bold about saying … we are going to initiate structural changes that reduce that inequality,” Obama said.

    A number of Democratic candidates – including Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen.  Elizabeth Warren – have made fighting income inequality central to their campaigns and Obama said he believes it’s one area where there is more room now for Democrats to go big.

    “It is something we were aware of in 2008 and we wanted to do more about, but the first thing was putting out a big fire to make sure we didn’t have a great depression,” Obama said of the issue.

    The former President also specifically related questions about his race in 2008 to headwinds the numerous women running for president and the one gay candidate, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, could face in the future.

    “We have a number of women candidates and we have one gay candidate and those candidates are going to have barriers if they win the nomination or if they win the general election just like I did,” Obama said, adding that there were many people in 2008 who said, “I don’t know about Barack Hussein Obama. ”

    But, Obama said, those candidates can “overcome that resistance” if they are able to fame issues and have a message that shows them as “part of an American tradition of opening up opportunity and making room for people and treating everybody fairly. ”
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#Election2021 | Voting across 4 states - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam - underway

https://t.co/luzAJbeUYg

Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/7mGUCl242o

#ElectionsWithHT https://t.co/C6gs5bvTRS

Tuesday is the big day of the ongoing election season -- 475 of the total 824 assembly constituencies (ACs) across the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union territory of Puducherry will vote on April 6. This makes it the biggest phase in the eight days this election cycle has been split into, although the remaining five days are exclusively devoted to voting in one state, West Bengal.  All of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry vote on April 6.  Polling will come to an end in Assam after the last 40 ACs vote on April 6. West Bengal will see five more phases with 203 of the 294 assembly constituencies in the state voting in five phases till April 29. Click here for complete coverage on electionsIn Tamil Nadu, the ruling All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is fighting the elections in partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party is hoping to win for the third straight time , something that hasn’t happened since the time of MG Ramachandran, the party’s iconic founder, under whom it won three straight elections between 1977 and 1984. And in Kerala, the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front, currently in power, is hoping to reverse a four-decade long trend by winning the assembly elections; it and the Congress-led United Democratic Front have alternated in power, starting with the latter, since 1982.  . Indeed, in almost all the four states going to polls, the elections are largely a bi-polar affair.  In West Bengal, an ascendant BJP (it won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019, and 40% of the votes) is hoping to unseat the Trinamool Congress, which ended 34 years of Left Front rule in the state in 2011, and returned to power in 2016.  The TMC is led by the charismatic Mamata Banerjee , but it is battling anti-incumbency and a wave of defections. Also Read | Tamil Nadu: An election that is Stalin's to loseIn Kerala, the contest is between the LDF and the UDF; in Tamil Nadu, while both Dravidian parties have large alliances that include national parties, the primary battle is between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the AIADMK; and in Assam, again, while there are alliances at play, the two main rivals are the Congress and the BJP (the latter is in power, having won in 2016, after 15 straight years of Congress rule). Sure, the BJP is hoping to make a mark in Kerala, just as Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam is looking to establish itself as a serious political force in Tamil Nadu, but the primary nature of all four contests is bipolar. Demographically, Tuesday’s elections capture the diversity of Indian politics.  The 475 ACs where polls are taking place are spread over 72 Lok Sabha constituencies of the 543 in India.  The ACs range from Muslim-majority ones to those where Muslims do not even account for 0. 5% of the population; ones where the share of Scheduled Tribe (ST) groups is as high as 46% (Chirang in Assam) to those s where they are barely present. Kerala is among the most demographically diverse states in India.  The combined share of Muslims and Christians in the state’s population is 44. 9%, which puts it second after Punjab in the list of major states ranked by share of minorities in the population. Also Read | Sabarimala to BJP: Key factors at play in KeralaThere is also significant economic diversity in the ACs going to polls.  According to the 2015-16 National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) among the 63 districts where polling will take place on Tuesday, the share of the bottom 20% households by national wealth quintiles in district’s population is 0. 5% or less in 13 (10 of them in Kerala) and above 20% in seven (six in Assam). Of the 63 districts voting, 17 have a rural population share of at least 80% while in 16, at least 60% of the population lives in urban areas.  Among states, Tamil Nadu has the highest share of urban population (48. 4%), while region of Assam voting today has the lowest (17. 5%). Tuesday’s vote will also seal the fate of 35 Rajya Sabha seats in the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry , four of which will go to polls this year itself.  Of the 35 Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP and its ally AIADMK and the Asom Gana Parishad (in Assam) have eight.  With the BJP not expected to win a significant number of ACs in Kerala, any reduction in the BJP-led national Democratic Alliance’s current tally in Tamil Nadu or Assam could lead to a corresponding reduction in its strength in the Rajya Sabha.  To be sure, these losses could be more than compensated if the BJP even manages to replicate its 2019 Lok Sabha performance in West Bengal. With Covid-19 appropriate norms being flouted during campaigning, this election cycle could be one of the reasons these states are also seeing a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.  When elections to the four states and the UT of Puducherry were announced on February 26, all states except Kerala were going through a trough in terms of the seven-day average of daily new cases .  On February 26, this seven-day average in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was 22, 190, 456, and 22, respectively.  By April 4, these numbers were far higher: 57, 1278, 2905, and 180 respectively in the four.  In Kerala, the number was 3774 on February 26 and declining, reached a low of 1804 on March 18, but has since increased to 2463 by April 4.  To be sure, even these increased numbers may not be capturing the full extent of the resurgence in cases, as testing in at least Assam and Kerala has reduced.  On February 26, the 7-day-average of tests conducted was 13,013 and 61,840 in Assam and Kerala, respectively, which reduced to 11,505 and 48,777 on April 4.  In Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, testing has increased, but not at the same rate as cases.


Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19: AstraZeneca https://t.co/oPobtrbR00

Oxford University’s AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, AZD1222, against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has shown 70% efficacy on average, according to the newly published data of phase 2/3 clinical trials held in the United Kingdom and Brazil, the company announced on Monday. In effect, the results mean that of all the people who get vaccinated, about 70% will not be infected by the disease. Also, experts had tried two different dosing regimens, of which one showed a better profile—close to 90% efficacy. “Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing Covid-19, the primary endpoint, and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants receiving the vaccine,” said AstraZeneca in a statement issued on Monday. Also Read | A regular dose of nature may improve mental health during Covid-19 pandemic“One dosing regimen (n=2,741) showed vaccine efficacy of 90% when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart, and another dosing regimen (n=8,895) showed 62% efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart.  The combined analysis from both dosing regimens (n=11,636) resulted in an average efficacy of 70%,” the statement read. Also Watch l Covid vaccine: How much will you have to pay?  SII CEO reveals at #HTLS2020 The data analysed by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) determined that the analysis met its primary endpoint showing protection from Covid-19 occurring two weeks or more after receiving two doses of the vaccine. “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives.  Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90% effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply,” said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator, Oxford vaccine trial at oxford, in a statement. Additionally, no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed, and the vaccine was well-tolerated across both dosing regimens. Since the results are based on an interim data analysis, the company has said it will be conducting additional analysis based on further data that gets generated over time, to refine efficacy reading and establish the duration of protection. AstraZeneca is now preparing regulatory submissions of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval. “The Company will seek an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization for an accelerated pathway to vaccine availability in low-income countries.  In parallel, the full analysis of the interim results is being submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal,” the company statement read.


What's at stake protests continue in Hong Kong over extradition bill: https://t.co/8J3cvlVawG

Editor’s Note: Alvin Y. H.  Cheung is a J. S. D.  candidate at New York University School of Law and an affiliated scholar at NYU’s US-Asia Law Institute.  He previously worked in Hong Kong as a barrister and as a lecturer in the Law & Public Affairs Department at Hong Kong Baptist University.  The views expressed in this commentary are his own.  View more opinion on CNN.

    On June 9, 2019, organizers say that more than 1 million protesters in Hong Kong – which would be nearly one in seven people in the city – voiced their opposition to an extradition bill that would allow fugitives to be transferred to mainland China.  Speaking to the Hong Kong Free Press, demonstrator and retired civil servant HK Lau said that the passage of the bill would mean the end of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle under which the city had been governed since the resumption of Chinese rule in 1997.

    But speaking after the demonstration, Chief Executive Carrie Lam pledged to continue with the bill, asserting that it would improve the legal system.  However, describing a bill that would permit renditions to China – a country whose leader, Xi Jinping, has categorically rejected judicial independence – as strengthening the rule of law is not merely cynical doublespeak.  Rather, Lam’s statement reflects her government’s strategy of abusing the city’s judiciary to do its dirty work.

    Hong Kong’s government frequently touts the territory’s rule of law, with a particular focus on the judiciary’s international reputation for independence.  In contrast, the Umbrella Movement and subsequent repression of the territory’s pro-democracy movement have underscored the extent to which the executive and legislative branches are beholden to Beijing.  As a result, the Hong Kong and Beijing governments have increasingly tried to hide their repression behind Hong Kong’s judges.

    In 2014, police cleared Umbrella Movement protesters from Mong Kok district not by exercising public order powers, but by enforcing a civil injunction obtained by private actors like minibus and taxi companies.  The lawyer representing one bus company that obtained an injunction was part of a pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong and attended a closed-door meeting with President Xi Jinping, along with a group of Hong Kong’s elite  – raising questions that the injunctions amounted to the legal equivalent of “astroturfing,” or disguising the true sponsors of a political message to make it resemble a grassroots initiative.  The fact that then-Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen had met with the “plaintiffs” in connection with what was supposedly a civil action brought by minibus and taxi operators strongly suggests that Yuen was using the suit as a fig leaf to conceal the suppression of peaceful protest.  (Yuen has publicly disputed these allegations. )

'I am calling on HK people to think of smarter ways to fight,' says Denise Ho

    More abuses of judicial process followed.  In 2016, after pro-democracy and localist politicians – the latter advocate for the preservation of the city’s autonomy – made major gains in legislative elections despite pre-emptive disqualifications, the Hong Kong government took to the courts to demand the expulsion of localists Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung.  Before the Hong Kong court could issue a ruling, an “interpretation” of the Basic Law – the territory’s constitutional document – by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in Beijing effectively dictated the outcome of the case, by declaring that oaths of office must be made “sincerely and solemnly. ” The “interpretation” became the basis for four further expulsions in 2017.

    Further, the Department of Justice has abused its prosecutorial discretion to serve partisan political purposes by prosecuting pro-democracy activists and by demanding harsher sentences for them, while turning a blind eye to abuses by police officers during the Umbrella Movement.  Although Lam has denied that her government engages in political persecution through judicial means, this pattern of prosecutions has prompted international concern.  In its 2016 Concluding Observations on Hong Kong, the United Nations’ Committee Against Torture – a body of experts tasked with monitoring compliance with the Convention Against Torture – specifically cited concerns over “consistent reports that police resorted to violence against more than 1,300 people,” as well as violence by pro-Beijing counterdemonstrators.  It also called on Hong Kong authorities to duly prosecute alleged perpetrators of such violence.

China's terrifying moves on Hong Kong

    Seen in light of this pattern of conduct by Hong Kong’s government, the extradition bill is nothing new.   As the Hong Kong Bar Association explained in a guide to the bill, the Hong Kong courts’ function in dealing with an extradition application is merely to see that the formalities have been satisfied and that there are no grounds for refusing surrender.  It may not conduct a hearing into whether the suspect is guilty of the alleged offense.  Nor may it inquire into the “quality of justice” they will receive once surrendered.

    The bill, therefore, leaves no meaningful scope for the Hong Kong judiciary to protect the rights of anyone whom the mainland authorities seek to extradite.  Instead, it would compel Hong Kong judges to rubber-stamp extradition requests from Beijing, even if potentially based on cooked-up charges.

    Hong Kong’s judges, like their counterparts in Britain and the commonwealth, have historically remained discreet on political issues.  However, the developments described above have prompted some of them to speak out.  In 2018, several senior judges expressed concerns to Reuters about the extent to which Basic Law “interpretations” were limiting judicial authority.  One diplomat described the judges to Reuters as “trapped” in a situation where “they will have to increasingly implement party diktat. ”

    The bill has only made these anxieties more acute.  A senior judge told Reuters they were “deeply disturbed” by the bill, which they described as “unworkable. ” Others pointed out that such cases would expose them either to political pressure from Beijing or to accusations that they were no longer independent.

    The judicial unease about the bill should prompt alarm.  If – as currently seems likely – the Beijing-packed legislature approves the bill by July, Hong Kong’s judges will soon be forced to choose between protecting the territory’s human rights and rule of law – and doing China’s bidding.  In a system where the Chief Executive retains the power to veto recommendations for judicial appointments, and in which official state policy describes Hong Kong’s judges as “administrators,” Lam and her successors should not take the continued good repute of the territory’s courts for granted.
  © 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Delhi Police Special Cell files charge sheet against 15 accused in riots case under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, IPC and Arms Act.

The charge sheet filed at Karkardooma Court is over 10,000 pages. https://t.co/nTaRK9SJpZ

The Delhi Police has named fifteen people as accused in charge sheet filed over the violence that took place in national capital in February this year.  The accused have been named for orchestrating the riots that killed at least 53 people and injured hundreds. Out of the 21 persons arrested so far, police charge-sheeted 15 accused based on scientific, documentary and testimonial evidence gathered during investigation.  The remaining 6 persons are expected to be charge sheeted in due course after collecting sufficient evidence and completing statutory and procedural requirements, police said in a statement. The charge sheet filed by Delhi police special cell at Karkardooma Court is over 17,000 pages.  Packed in steel boxes, 2,692 pages of the vast charge sheet specifies the charges against the accused whereas the rest pages include the annexure.  Among those named in the charge sheet are Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Safoora Zargar and Khalif Saifi. In February, Delhi was shaken up with communal riots, worst in at least three decade, with clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups in several parts of the city.  Houses were burnt and broken into, while vehicles were set on fire.  It all started as clashes between pro- and anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act groups,but further escalated into communal violence with rioters from both communities, taking to streets armed with swords, stones and guns. The fifteen people named in the charge sheet have been accused under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, IPC and Arms Act.  For the investigation in the case, the police on Wednesday said they are relying on WhatsApp chats and call records.  Twenty-five Whatsapp groups were created for each of the protest sites, police said. “There was an impression that it was an anti- CAA protest but conspirators were being guided through the protest sites,” said police. The charge sheet filed by police on Wednesday does not name Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam as accused in Delhi riots case.  Umar and Sharjeel were arrested a few days ago and their names will be in the supplementary charge sheet. - Delhi Police registered 751 cases -In connection with the riots that took place in Delhi, police received over 16,000 PCR calls and registered a total of 751 cases. Of 751 cases, 59 cases were assigned to SIT constituted in the Crime Branch, 691 cases were investigated by the district police and one case, which was registered on March 6, 2020 to investigate the larger conspiracy behind these riots, was assigned to the Special Cell, police said in a statement. In order to investigate specific offences committed during these riots, police has seized 12 pistols, 121 empty cartridges, 92 live cartridges, 61 glass bottles filled with noxious chemicals and an assortment of sharp-edged weapons in the matter. - Took 195 days to complete first phase of investigation -Further in the statement, police said that it took 195 days for Delhi police’s special cell to complete the first phase of investigation, during which, 747 witnesses were questioned. Police has seized at least 75 electronic devices as part of the probe.