The US has become the first country to exceed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as Donald Trump signed into law the largest economic stimulus package in US history, a $2.2tn bill designed to rush federal assistance to workers and businesses.

A March 28 report in The Guardian states, “The US has become the first country to exceed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as Donald Trump signed into law the largest economic stimulus package in US history, a $2. 2tn bill designed to rush federal assistance to workers and businesses. ”As the US becomes the new epicentre for the coronavirus, a 3-minute video with the claim “US President Trump joins Muslims prayers for respite from Coronavirus after failing to tackle it” has gone viral.  On the bottom right corner, the viral video has a logo of ABC News.  Alt News received several requests to fact-check the viral video on WhatsApp (+91 76000 11160) and on our official Android application.
#ब्रेकिंग न्यूज़ दुनिया के सबसे बड़े ताकतवर मुल्क ने भी माना कुरान की ताकत को और अल्लाह की ताकत को व्हाइट हाउस में कुरान पढ़ा गया और दुआ की गई कोरोना वायरस के लिए शेयर कीजिए 👇👇👇 pic. twitter. com/D4k5iGqDXU— Sonu Prtapgarhi.  (@PrtapgarhiSonu) March 26, 2020Alt News performed a reverse image search on Yandex and found link which suggested that the video could be from an interfaith service held in 2017.
Using that as a clue Alt News performed a keyword search on YouTube and found that the viral video is a clip from the National Prayer Service for the 58th presidential inauguration at the National Cathedral, Washington on January 21, 2017.  According to a 2017 article in NPR, “The inaugural prayer service is a tradition that began with President George Washington and was revived in 1933 by President Franklin Roosevelt, continuing ever since. ”The guest list for the event is available on the National Cathedral‘s website.  Islam was represented by Imam Mohamed Magid, executive Imam, ADAMS Center, Sterling, Virginia and Sajid Tarar, advisor, Medina Masjid, Baltimore, Maryland at the event. The viral video begins with Magid’s address followed by a portion of Tarar’s address.  Alt News could not find the video uploaded by ABC News.  However, we found the same video by C-SPAN.  The relevant section of the video begins from the 36:58 mark.  A video of the same event shot from a different angle was uploaded by Fox News.  The relevant section can be watched onward 35:40. A January 21, 2017 article by Washingon Post reported, “President Trump spent more than an hour Saturday at an interfaith prayer service designed to appeal for national unity as an expected 500,000 people streamed into the nation’s capital to protest his fledgeling presidency. ”Thus, a video of an interfaith national prayer service from 2017 was shared as US President Donald Trump offering Islamic prayers in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. 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 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…An alleged statement by former President Dr.  APJ Abdul Kalam has been circulating on social…A photo of a billboard featuring Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray has been shared by BJP…A video of a group of people beating a boy in police presence over an…


On a campaign stop in Atlanta, Georgia, Sen. Kamala Harris clarifies Joe Biden's comments on fracking during the final presidential debate: "Joe was talking about was banning subsidies, but he will not ban fracking in America." https://t.co/pVqHnzCfJZ https://t.co/QZTSa07GeV

By Meg Wagner, Kyle Blaine, Jessica Estepa, Melissa Macaya and Fernando Alfonso III, CNNFrom CNN's Kevin LiptakIn perhaps a sign of things to come, President’s Trump’s first answer — which was meant to state how he would lead during the next stage of the coronavirus — relied instead on looking backward and wishful thinking about a vaccine. “It will go away and as I say, we’re rounding the turn, we’re rounding the corner.  It’s going away,” he said.  As he does nearly every time he is pressed on his pandemic response, Trump cited his decision to close travel to China, though thousands of people were exempt and were still able to enter the country.  He insisted the United States was suffering alongside Europe, which is also experiencing new spikes.  But unlike Trump, leaders there — including French President Emmanuel Macron — have imposed new lockdowns. And he placed nearly all of his optimism on a vaccine, which he claimed would arrive “within weeks. ” There is no indication that is true; vaccine trials are still underway and the Food and Drug Administration has imposed rules requiring months of data for emergency use of a new vaccine.  Later, Trump acknowledged his promise of a vaccine “within weeks” was not a “guarantee. ” But he said he was hopeful for one by the end of the year.  His answers were a sign that Trump doesn’t plan to change his approach to coronavirus, even as cases surge.  He said as much earlier this week; in a town hall event, Trump responded when asked what he would do differently: “Not much. ”This is how the question played out:From CNN's Dan MericaDemocratic presidential nominee Joe Biden opened the final general election debate on Thursday by arguing President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States should guarantee he is voted out of office in November. Biden contrasted Trump’s handling of the virus to what he says his own would be: A focus on pushing people to wear masks and more rapid testing for the virus. “I would make sure that we set up national standards as to how to open up schools and open up businesses so they can be safe and give them the wherewithal, the financial resources to be able to do that,” Biden said. The former vice president also warned that the worst of the virus could be yet to come, saying the country is about to “go into a dark winter” and Trump “has no clear plan and there’s no prospect that there’s going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the American people before the middle of next year. ”Coronavirus has dominated the general election, with voters telling pollsters and reporters that it is the most important issue on their minds as they consider who to vote for in November. Watch the moment:From CNN's Jennifer HanslerPresident Trump has in recent months lambasted China over the coronavirus pandemic, but he praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s handling of the deadly disease for months at the beginning of the outbreak. As cases of Covid-19 first began to appear in the United States, Trump spoke highly of Xi’s handling of the outbreak in China and repeatedly said the US was in close coordination with Beijing on the matter. “I think they've handled it professionally and I think they're extremely capable and I think President Xi is extremely capable and I hope that it's going to be resolved,” he said on Feb.  13. Hundreds of US deaths later, Trump’s attitude toward Beijing began to change. Yet even as cases skyrocketed in the US and Trump’s ire with China grew, he directed his actions not at Beijing but at the World Health Organization. Trump said he was halting funding to the organization in mid-April and announced his intention to withdraw from the WHO in May after he said it "failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms. " Trump had denounced the US' contribution to the WHO — $400-500 million — in comparison to China's and consistently accused the organization of aiding China in allegedly covering up the origins of the virus and allowing its spread.  In July, he officially initiated the US withdrawal from the WHO, which will be complete next July.  Trump said last week that he could not say when he had last spoken to his Chinese counterpart. “I have not spoken to him in a while because I don’t want to speak to him,” he said. From CNN's Amanda Watts and Ben TinkerThe first question of tonight's debate is about the coronavirus pandemic, which has become a pivotal issue of the 2020 election. Here are key facts you need to know: Here's where new cases are rising across the US in comparison to the previous week: From CNN's Maeve RestonThe final 2020 presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden just kicked off in Nashville.  Trump enters the debate in need of a major shakeup that will change the trajectory of the race as he trails Biden in both national polls and key swing states that will determine whether he has a path to victory in the Electoral College. With just 12 days to go before Election Day, Trump has been campaigning across the country with grievance-laden rallies, lashing out at his advisers and medical experts, blaming China for the spread of coronavirus and refusing to take any blame for his poor handling of the pandemic, which has created a huge drag on his poll numbers. Biden currently has a larger lead in national polls than Hillary Clinton did at this point in 2016.  In CNN's Poll of Polls, Biden is leading Trump by 10 points nationally and he is also showing considerable strength in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin where Trump won by narrow margins in 2016. From CNN's Kate BennettMelania Trump has entered the debate hall and is wearing a mask.  Her attendance marks a shift from Tuesday, when, citing an "abundance of caution" and a "lingering cough" after her bout with Covid-19, Trump backed out of a planned appearance with her husband to introduce him at a Pennsylvania rally. CNN's Aditi SangalCNN's Gary Tuchman is watching tonight's presidential debate with 11 undecided voters in Davidson, North Carolina. One voter says she's looking get some more specifics tonight before making a decision. Another voter is split between voting on policy issues or election fairness. "Well, I really oppose abortion.  But I'm concerned that President trump is a threat to the fairness of elections, so I'm really torn," he said. We'll check in with these voters at the end of the debate to get their reaction and ask them if they've made a decision.  Hear what the voters had to say:From CNN's Kevin LiptakWin or lose, tonight is President Donald Trump’s final appearance ever on a presidential debate stage.  His methods haven’t changed much since his first time out in a primary debate in 2015 — when he sparred with moderator Megyn Kelly and later made sexist attacks on her.  He still enters the sessions relying primarily on his instincts as a brawler and doesn’t prepare nearly as much as his adversaries. He held a brief and informal session earlier on Thursday with some of his team, but did not conduct a full mock debate before tonight. That has been his practice for most of his relatively brief debating career.  Trump has preferred more ad-hoc sessions, with advisers peppering him with questions during down moments, than a full dress rehearsal.  He’s had some hits and misses along the way.  Some of his general election debates in 2016, and particularly his final one against Hillary Clinton, were viewed by his team as a success. After that first debate with a large GOP primary field in 2015, many Republicans wondered how much longer they would have to contend with his outbursts and behavior. Five years later, those traits — and those concerns — are as present as ever. President Trump's motorcade has arrived at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, for his final debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.  The debate begins at 9 p. m.  ET.  Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


2,976 fresh #COVID19 cases reported in West Bengal today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 1,68,697 including 24,445 active cases, 1,40,913 discharged patients and 3,339 deaths: State Health Department https://t.co/YFbH4Sf7kU

There were 46,790 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 587 related deaths in the last 24 hours as India’s infection tally went up to 7,597,063, according to the Union health ministry on Tuesday.  The number of Covid-19 cases and death have been relatively low for two days now -- there were 55,722 infections and 579 fatalities on Monday.  For the fourth day in a row, the active cases dropped below the 800,000 mark at 748,538, according to the health ministry’s Covid-19 dashboard at 8am, India’s death toll has gone up to 115,197, it showed.  There were 69,720 Covid-19 patients who recovered between Monday and Tuesday and the number of recovered is 6,733,328 across the country.  The national recovery rate has gone up to 88. 63%. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which have been the most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, have seen a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases since the last one month.  The health ministry said the trend of daily cases of the coronavirus disease in these five reveals the various stages of decline of active cases.  “These mirror the steady decrease in ACTIVE CASES in the country, with the caseload being sustained below 8L for 3 days in a row,” the ministry tweeted on Tuesday morning with a graph of the cases from these five states. Also read | China’s Sinovac vaccine is safe, Brazil institute saysOn Monday, the ministry had said the national cumulative positivity rate has fallen under 8% and that the trend has been sustained without a break for four days.  The cumulative positivity rate was 7. 94%, which the ministry attributed to the “high level of comprehensive country-wide testing. ” “As evidence has revealed, higher numbers of testing on a sustained basis have aided in bringing down the positivity rate.  The decline in the cumulative positivity rate has demonstrated that the rate of spread of infection is being effectively contained,” the ministry added. Also read | AIIMS reports first case of Covid-19-related brain nerve damage in a childThe average daily positivity rate or the percentage of samples that have tested positive from the total samples tested was 6. 13% for the third week of October, the ministry said.  “This is a result of successful TEST, TRACK, TRACE, TREAT and TECHNOLOGY strategy of the Central government effectively followed by States/UTs,” it said. On Monday, 79% of the new recovered cases were concentrated in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.  Maharashtra had contributed the maximum with more than 11,000 single day recovery followed by Kerala and Karnataka with more than 8,000 recoveries each. Also read | Israel’s Covid-19 vaccine ‘Brilife’ to begin human trials by end of OctoberOf the 55,722 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, 81% were from 10 states and Union territories.  Maharashtra continues to be the state reporting a very high number of new cases with more than 9,000 cases followed by Kerala and Karnataka with more than 7,000 cases each. The ministry said on Monday that of the 579 fatalities nearly 83% are concentrated in 10 states and Union territories.  More than 25% of new fatalities reported are from Maharashtra with 150 deaths, it added. India is the second worst-hit country after the United States as the number of coronavirus disease cases have risen to more than 40 million across the world.


This man lit a marijuana cigarette in front of a judge during his court appearance for a simple marijuana possession charge https://t.co/eFBCIYCR29

He now faces two new charges and will have to spend 10 days in jail. Tennessee man smokes marijuana in front of judgeA 20-year-old man caused a stir in a Tennessee courthouse when he advocated for the legalization of marijuana and then proceeded to spark a joint in front of the judge. Spencer Alan Boston was appearing before Judge Haywood Barry on Monday at the Wilson County Courthouse in Lebanon, on a simple possession-of-marijuana citation, when he began to tell Barry that marijuana should be legalized, according to Lt.  Scott Moore, a spokesman for the Wilson County Sheriff' Office. Courtroom video captured what came next: Boston is seen seen reaching into his jacket pocket, pulling out what appears to be a joint and lighting it up, taking multiple puffs. Security quickly intervened and took Boston into custody. Moore told ABC News in a telephone interview that Boston said something to the effect of "the people deserve better" before he was taken away. "I've been here 20 years," Moore added, "and this is the first time I've ever seen that. "Boston faces two new charges: disorderly conduct and simple possession of marijuana.  He's being held on $3,000 bond, online jail records show.  He'll also have to serve 10 days in Wilson County Jail because Barry held him in contempt of the court, according to Moore. A spokesperson at Barry's office said the judge had no comment on the incident. The joint smoked in court was collected as evidence. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A suspected poacher who was hunting rhino in South Africa was killed by an elephant and his body was devoured by lions, park officials said. https://t.co/804ltVolbf https://t.co/4mHatfHhIw

By Livvy Doherty and Eliott C.  McLaughlin, CNNUpdated 1400 GMT (2200 HKT) April 8, 2019  (CNN)Only a skull and a pair of trousers remained after a suspected rhino poacher was killed by an elephant and then eaten by lions in Kruger National Park, South African National Parks said.


I thank Tejashwi Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren and Shiv Sena for extending their support to me: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee https://t.co/NxbF567UTV

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Friday released its first list of 291 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.  While Banerjee will contest from the Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay will fight from Bhawanipore seat, the seat the chief minister has been winning since 2011. The ruling TMC will not be contesting on three seats in north Bengal, which the party has left its ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).  The elections on 294 seats across the state will be held in eight phases beginning March 27 till April 29.  Eligible voters will cast their ballot on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29.  The results will be announced on May 2. Banerjee’s TMC faces a fierce battle from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time which has vowed to get a majority of over 200 seats in the eastern state.  If TMC emerges victorious, Banerjee will retain the chief minister’s post for the third time in a row. Check the full list of TMC candidates of West Bengal Assembly elections 2021 here:


A photo of an overturned IAF chopper is viral claimed as a recent M17 crash in Laddakh.    A noted Pakistani ‘investigative’ journalist, Mubasher Lucman posted the image asking Indians to fact check.  Indians please check is this your M 17 crashed in Laddakh?  We will keep you posted of any developments pic. twitter. com/Oc8LJVlGYp — Mubasher Lucman (@mubasherlucman) September 13, 2020  archive آج ، لداخ میں بھارتی ایم آئی 17 ہیلی کاپٹر گر کر تباہ ہوگیا ہے۔#Today, #Indian MI 17 #Helicopter has #crashed in #Ladakh.  #China #Pakistan pic. twitter. com/Yv8aXuCw1r — Today Pakistan News (@todayPakistan8) September 14, 2020    Indian MI 17 Helicopter has crashed in Ladakh.  I'm sure that they have crossed the line pic. twitter. com/YZg3fYNUxB — Engin Altan Duzyatan (@eadksk__0) September 13, 2020  A Nepali handle, Irmak Idoya, which usually tweets such Fake News tweeted this too – Today, Indian MI 17 Helicopter has crashed in Ladakh.  pic. twitter. com/p4dQSCwZ8u — Irmak Idoya इरमक ईड्या🇳🇵 (@Irmaknepal) September 13, 2020  See more such tweets here   It indeed was MI-17 but this accident happened in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, 2 years ago.   One person was killed while three others were injured when the chopper while landing hit an iron girder.  It was attempting to land at a helipad near Kedarnath Temple.    Below is the video of the crash WATCH: MI-17 helicopter of IAF crashed in Kedarnath, earlier today.  No casualties reported.  #Uttarakhand pic. twitter. com/z94x3Rbt18 — ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2018        Recently Pakistani’s created fake Ids in the name of Indian journalists to post fake news which we debunked Pakistan creates fake Indian twitter handles to show fake Rafale training crash using old photos


Mehbooba Mufti gets back to work, holds first meeting of PDP after release from detention

(reports @mirehsankhaliq)

https://t.co/GiSaKmJNIq https://t.co/b9NI1sahMs

Peoples’ Democratic party (PDP) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti held her first party meeting in Srinagar on Thursday nine days after her release from a 14-month detention on October 13. The meeting was held at the Fairveiw Guest House, her official accommodation and was attended by top PDP leaders including former ministers and legislators.  Thursday’s meeting was significant as the PDP president is now trying to revive her party especially after dozens of former legislators and ministers left to join the Apni Party led by former PDP minister Altaf Bukhari.  “It was an important meeting in which the party president reviewed the political situation of the last 14 months.  The leadership also discussed the party’s core politics and organisational issues,” said a senior party leader who attended the meeting. Also watch| ‘Will raise tricolour when. . . ’: Ex-J&K CM Mufti’s fresh attack on Centre Another PDP leader said that many issues related to Kashmir politics were discussed in the meeting.  “It was after more than one year when the party president was able to meet the party leadership and everyone felt encouraged by her presence. ”PDP leaders said that Mufti assured them that the party would emerge as a strong political force.


Michael Cohen, a longtime confidante of the president, his former personal attorney and fixer, arrived on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to share publicly, for the first time, his side of the story.

Here are some of the notable moments from the hearing. https://t.co/oifNCX7joU https://t.co/6Kes7qfxN5

  There are 18 GOP members on the House Oversight Committee, but one Republican has dominated the minority’s time at Wednesday’s hearing with Michael Cohen.

  Rep.  Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, took his initial five minutes to aggressively question the credibility of President Donald Trump’s former attorney and “fixer. ”

  But several of Jordan’s Republican colleagues yielded a portion of their five minutes of question time back to Jordan so the ranking GOP member could continue his assault on Cohen’s integrity as a witness.

  Rep.  Mark Green of Tennessee, for instance, asked Cohen if he had a book deal lined up (no, Cohen said) and who had paid his expenses to travel to Washington for the hearing (he paid the expenses himself, Cohen said).  Green, after noting he was limited in his time, then yielded the remainder of his five minutes to Jordan, who proceeded to press Cohen on whether he was still in contact with the Office of the Special Counsel.

  Numerous other Republican members followed suit, giving Jordan (and occasionally North Carolina Rep.  Mark Meadows) the chance to push forward their own lines of questioning.

  In most congressional hearings, members are allotted equal time for questioning of witnesses, but a member can choose to yield all or a portion of their time to another member of the committee or even a staff member.  This often has the effect of organizing one party’s questions and reducing the scatter-shot quality of inquiries from less-prepared members.

  In last fall’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford, Republican senators yielded some of their time to the committee’s staff counsel, Rachel Mitchell.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had said there’s nothing like coronavirus and the government is fooling people. Picture shows the Hyderabad MP taking a corona test.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been a vocal critic of the current dispensation.  But did the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad ever say that coronavirus does not exist and the government is fooling people? That is what is being claimed on social media along with a picture of Owaisi getting himself tested for the virus.  The claim in Hindi translates to, “Isn’t he the same person who said there is no such thing as coronavirus and the government is fooling people? ” India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim along with the picture to be misleading.  We did not find any such statement by Owaisi. Along with Facebook, the claim is also circulating on Twitter.  The archived version of the post can be seen here. AFWA probeUsing keywords, we searched for news reports on Owaisi’s statements regarding coronavirus.  We did not find any report that said he had denied its existence.  On the contrary, we found several articles highlighting his contribution to the fight against the pandemic. In April, he had donated 178 Personal Protective Equipment kits and 2,640 mini kits to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. In the same month, he had said that the burial of people who had died due to Covid-19 does not require kafan (shroud) or ghusl (cleansing) since they are martyrs.  By this, he had tried to convince the Muslim community to immediately offer janazah and carry out the burial process with a few people so that chances of contamination can be reduced. Jis insaan ka inteqaal waba ki wajah se hota hai, Islam mein uska darja shaheed ka hota hai.  Shuhadah ko ghusl aur kafan ki zaroorat nahi hoti aur unhein jald se jald dafan kiya jaana chahiye https://t. co/lmQJxf30cZHe had also urged Muslims to offer their prayers at home and the Telangana government to increase the number of tests. Recently, he underwent a Covid-19 test at the Nizamia Tibbi Hospital in Hyderabad’s Char Minar area.  He tweeted about this on July 11 and encouraged people not to hesitate and get tested too.  The viral picture can be seen in a July 12 article by “Deccan Chronicle” here. Got my antigen & RTPCR tests done for COVID-19 today.  My antigen test results were negative, Alhamdulilah.  There are 30 odd centres in the South of Hyderabad where antigen testing is being conducted, I encourage all of you to not hesitate & get tested!  pic. twitter. com/lihGjG7upxCriticism of Modi govtIt is true that Owaisi has time and again taken a dig at the Centre over its handling of the pandemic. He had also defended the Nizamuddin Markaz event, one of the earliest clusters of coronavirus.  He had then said, “The day the event began, the health ministry had said that coronavirus was not a health emergency. ”AFWA reached out to Owaisi regarding the viral claim, to which he responded, “I have never given such a statement.  On the contrary, I have been constantly trying to bring awareness about the Covid-19 disease.  Recently, I got my Covid-19 test done in a government testing centre so that the stigma and fear about this virus and testing is eradicated.  I have given a target to my 45 municipal corporators, that in each ward, 500 tests should be done. ”Therefore, it is clear that though Owaisi has been critical of the government’s handling of the pandemic, he never denied the existence of coronavirus, as said in the claim. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach Delhi-Noida flyway.

They are en route to #Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to meet the family of the alleged gangrape victim. https://t.co/VLWrj6vCPX

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

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

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Former Lok Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary to visit Hathras on Sunday'All parents must teach their daughters good values': BJP's Surendra Singh'Determined to ensure the harshest punishment': UP CM AdityanathUP CM Yogi Adityanath recommends CBI probe in Hathras casePriyanka Gandhi meets Hathras gang-rape victim's familyRahul, Priyanka Gandhi reach Hathras, to meet victim's family soonLeft, Congress protest in Kolkata over Hathras incidentSP workers booked for protesting against Hathras incident in MuzaffarnagarSIT will look into all issues raised by victim's family: OfficialsMamata Banerjee to protest Hathras gang-rape, to take out a rally'Want to know whose body was burnt that day': Kin seek answers5 people to meet Hathras victim's family, says Rahul GandhiValmiki community members clash with police in AgraRahul, Priyanka Gandhi at Delhi Noida borderHigh security at DND as Rahul Gandhi leaves for HathrasMarking key developments in the case on Saturday, top officials of the Yogi Adityanath-led government have been rushed to meet the family members of 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped and assaulted by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras village on September 14. The district administration had clamped prohibitory orders in the village, restricting access of people to the victim's family members on Saturday. In a second attempt, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have decided to go to Hathras on Saturday afternoon to meet the family of the 19-year-old victim who died earlier this week in Delhi. Catch all the major highlights from Saturday here: Former Lok Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary to visit Hathras on SundayFormer Lok Sabha MP from Rashtriya Lok Dal Jayant Chaudhary said he will reach Hathras on Sunday at 11 am via a tweet.  कल ११ बजे, भूलगढी गाँव, हाथरस पहुँचूँगा!  बलात्कार_से_UP_शर्मसार'All parents must teach their daughters good values': BJP's Surendra SinghUP BJP MLA from Ballia Surendra Singh said that parents who have daughters should emphasize upon imparting good values.  He said these incidents can be curbed if the government and people work together.  He said harsh punishments might not deter people from committing such acts again.  #WATCH Incidents like these can be stopped with help of good values, na shashan se na talwar se.  All parents should teach their daughters good values.  It's only the combination of govt & good values that can make country beautiful: Surendra Singh, BJP MLA from Ballia.   #Hathras pic. twitter. com/47AmnGByA3'Determined to ensure the harshest punishment': UP CM AdityanathUP CM Yogi Adityanath said the state government is seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe into all aspects linked to the Hathras episode. “We are determined to ensure the harshest punishment for all those responsible for this incident,” he tweeted in Hindi. हाथरस की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटना और जुड़े सभी बिंदुओं की गहन पड़ताल के उद्देश्य से @UPGovt इस प्रकरण की विवेचना केंद्रीय अन्वेषण ब्यूरो (CBI) के माध्यम से कराने की संस्तुति कर रही है।इस घटना के लिए जिम्मेदार सभी लोगों को कठोरतम सजा दिलाने के लिए हम संकल्पबद्ध हैं।UP CM Yogi Adityanath recommends CBI probe in Hathras caseमुख्यमंत्री श्री @myogiadityanath जी ने सम्पूर्ण हाथरस प्रकरण की जांच सीबीआई से कराए जाने के आदेश दिए हैं।Priyanka Gandhi meets Hathras gang-rape victim's familyHathras: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra interacts with the family members of the alleged gangrape victim.  pic. twitter. com/1yPItFq1EGRahul, Priyanka Gandhi reach Hathras, to meet victim's family soonHathras: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach the residence of the victim of #HathrasIncident.  pic. twitter. com/oswFEhSjHnLeft, Congress protest in Kolkata over Hathras incidentLeft and Congress activists protested in Kolkata on Saturday against the alleged gang rape of a Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras that has triggered a nationwide outrage. Carrying placards having slogans such as "Defeat fascist BJP at Centre and TMC in Bengal" and "Down with fascists who throttle democracy", around a 1,000 members of the CPI(M), Congress and their affiliates marched from Moulali to Esplanade in the heart of the city in the afternoon. SP workers booked for protesting against Hathras incident in MuzaffarnagarSamajwadi Party workers, including its youth wing vice president Gaurav Jain and district media in-charge Sajid Hasan, were booked for violation of prohibitory orders in Civil Lines area, police said on Saturday. SIT will look into all issues raised by victim's family: OfficialsThe SIT will look into all issues raised by the family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, and the strictest action will be taken against the culprits, Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi, said on Saturday after meeting the victim's kin.  Mamata Banerjee to protest Hathras gang-rape, to take out a rallyWest Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee takes out rally in Kolkata in protest against alleged gang-rape and assault of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.  'Want to know whose body was burnt that day': Kin seek answersTalking to media after two days, the 19-year-old victim's family questioned hurried cremation by the government.  "We want to know whose body was burnt on that day.  And if it was our sister's body then why did they burn her (the body) in this manner?  All of us requested the police and the administration to allow us to see her one last time," said the victim's brother after the media was allowed in the village and to speak with the victim's family. 5 people to meet Hathras victim's family, says Rahul GandhiA maximum of 5 people will meet Hathras gang-rape victim's family in view of Section 144, says Rahul Gandhi in address at Delhi-Noida border. Valmiki community members clash with police in AgraScores of Valmiki community members who were protesting against the Hathras incident clashed with the police in Agra on Saturday. The protesters pelted stones at the policemen and official vehicles. Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi at Delhi Noida borderCongress leader Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, on their way to Hathras, stopped at Delhi-Noida border.  High security at DND as Rahul Gandhi leaves for HathrasHeavy police deployment has come up on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Noida on Saturday, ahead of a scheduled visit of a Congress delegation that plans to meet the family of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras who died after allegedly being gang-raped. First published: Oct 03, 2020 12:15 IST


PM Narendra Modi, Donald Trump meeting tonight in New York at 9.45 pm

https://t.co/yHeT0eAM4k https://t.co/YMTEXNJCGZ

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shared the stage at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, the two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday here on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. The meeting will take place at 12. 15 pm local time (9. 45 pm IST), Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said at a briefing on Monday. When asked about Trump saying that he’d heard a “very aggressive” statement by Modi at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event, Kumar declined to reply, saying: “There is a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday)between the Prime Minister and the US President, let us wait for it. ”Trump, who renewed his offer to mediate on Kashmir during a media interaction here alongside Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, said on Monday that he had heard a “very aggressive” statement by Modi during Sunday’s event.  Also watch| Howdy Modi: Donald Trump says India never had better friend in White HouseTo a question if he was concerned about the human rights situation in Kashmir, Trump said: “Sure.  I’d like to see everything work out.  I want it to be humane.  I want everybody to be treated well.  You have two big countries, and they’re warring countries and they’ve been fighting. “And I mean, I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday.  I don’t have to say that.  I was there.  I didn’t know I was going to hear that statement.  But I was sitting there and I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday from India, from the Prime Minister, and I will say it was very well received within the rule, you know, within in the room.  The statement itself.  That was a big room; there were 59,000 people. “But it was a very aggressive statement, and I hope that they’re going to be able to come together, India and Pakistan, and do something that’s really smart and good for both. . . ”Trump and Modi had shared the dais on Sunday in Houston at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event that was attended by over 50,000 strong Indian diaspora. During his address, Modi attacked Pakistan as the hub of terror and for the 9/11 attacks and the Mumbai 2008 attacks, and said there should be a definitive war against terrorism.


Almost a year after West Virginia teachers and other school employees shut down schools across the state, demanding higher pay and better benefits, union officials announced Monday night they would go on strike again https://t.co/1SeBELwf6U https://t.co/LB4na4PUMa

West Virginia teachers' unions have called a statewide strike over an education bill that they view as retaliation for a nine-day walkout last yearNews headlines today: Feb.  18, 2019CHARLESTON, W. Va.  -- West Virginia teachers' unions on Monday called a statewide strike over an education bill that they view as lacking their input and as retaliation for a walkout last year. The strike is scheduled to start Tuesday, leaders of three unions for teachers and school service workers said at a news conference, almost a year to the day after teachers started a nine-day walkout. "We are left with no other choice," said Fred Albert, president of the American Federation of Teachers' West Virginia chapter. The 2018 walkout launched the national "Red4Ed" movement that included strikes in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington state, and more recently, Los Angeles and Denver.  Teachers in Oakland, California, have authorized a strike starting Thursday. Now the movement has come full circle. Both the state Senate and House of Delegates have approved separate and far different versions of the complex bill, but both call for creating the state's first charter schools.  The unions believe charter schools will erode traditional public schools. After the strike call, the Senate passed an amendment to its bill 18-16 Monday night.  The unions have said lawmakers never asked for their insight into what has become a rushed process in the Senate. West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said that upon watching the Senate's actions, "it appears that they are more interested in listening to the outside interests than they are the educators across West Virginia. "We will work as closely as we can to get a resolution, but at this point, there doesn't seem to be a resolution. "Earlier Monday, Sen.  Patricia Rucker, a Jefferson County Republican, moved to adopt the Senate's amended version before senators even had a chance to read changes to the bill, prompting Democrats to protest.  The Senate later adjourned for more than an hour to enable senators to catch up. "Why are we pushing it through with about 10 minutes of advance notice? " said Michael Romano, a Harrison County Democrat.  "Here we are with no time to digest it. "Among other things, the Senate version would allow for up to seven charter schools statewide and provide for up to 1,000 education savings accounts for parents to pay for private school.  The accounts would be for special needs students and those who have been bullied. Proponents say the moves would give parents more school choices.  Charter school laws have been enacted in 43 states and Washington, D. CThe House version does not call for such savings accounts and would limit charter schools to one each in Cabell and Kanawha counties. Like the House, the Senate has removed a clause that would invalidate the entire legislation if any part is struck down.  It also removed language requiring teacher pay to be withheld during a strike as long as the school calendar is unaffected. "We are watching this hour by hour," Albert said. Sen.  Craig Blair, a Berkeley County Republican, said the bill includes more than $66 million to directly help teachers and school service workers. "Change is never easy in West Virginia," he said.  "This is the right thing to do.  At this moment in time, this is exactly the right thing to do to get a better education outcome for our students. "Teachers won a 5 percent pay raise after last year's strike.  The current legislation calls for similar raises. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Image of PM Modi with a lavish spread juxtaposed with a starving woman and child.

A collage of two images, one showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi eating from a lavish spread, juxtaposed with another picture of a starving woman with a rickety child, has gone viral on Facebook. Facebook user "Bhupinder Singh Raju" posted the image with a caption in Hindi, which can be translated as, "This picture tells a lot to wise people. "India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the post to be misleading.  While the image of PM Modi is photoshopped, the other of a starving woman with a kid is from Africa. Till the filing of this story, the post has already been shared more than 25,000 times.  The archived version of the post can be seen here. Many people in the comment section criticised Modi for having a lavish feast at a time many Indians are suffering from poverty and hunger.  By using reverse search on the two images separately, we found the truth behind the photos. Was Modi having a feast? The image showing PM Modi having lavish food is photoshopped.  This image has been going viral for quite a few months. Congress politician Sanjay Nirupam had also tweeted this image earlier.  Fact-check website "Boom Live" had then debunked it. The viral image The original image can be seen in the website of "Timescontent. com".  The details of the photo read, "Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi relishes his food during the annual Diwali lunch party organized by him for journalists in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on November 12, 2008. "In the original image of PM Modi, one can see that the table is not filled with many food items. The real imageThe starving mother and childSeveral people on Facebook believed that the other picture in the collage of a starving mother with a child is from India. By using reverse search, we found that the picture is from Africa.  It is available on the Getty Images website with the caption, "Mother Holding Her Starving Child".  As per Getty images, this picture was taken by David Turnley in 1992. Therefore, it is evident that the viral image of PM Modi having a lavish feast is photoshopped, and the other picture showing a starving mother and child is from Africa.  Hence, the entire viral post is misleading. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Punjab: Lakha Sidhana (in white shirt and sweater), an accused in Jan 26 Delhi violence, was seen at a farmers' rally in Bathinda.

Earlier this month, Delhi Police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest. https://t.co/Wq4Wc57olx

Gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, who was accused of instigating violence in the national capital on Republic Day, was spotted at a farmers' rally in Bathinda's Mehraj. Sidhana, who has been on the run since January 26, also gave a speech at the rally and said that the agitation called by the farmers will be intensified. Accused of allegedly perpetrating violence in Delhi last month, Sidhana is wanted by the Delhi Police which has announced a bounty of ₹1 lakh for any information leading to his arrest.  Sidhana, also known as Lakhbir Singh, however, has denied the charges of instigating the protesters to climb the Red Fort.  He has told news agency PTI that on January 26, he had only marched up to the Outer Ring Road. Also read: Who is former gangster Lakha Sidhana, accused of R-Day violence? Last week, Sidhana in a video on social media, appealed to people to participate in his programme in a large number. “We have been agitating for the last seven months.  Now, this stir is at its peak and in this connection, we are holding a big programme in village Mehraj in district Bathinda on February 23,” Sidhana said in the video. “I appeal to all Punjabis living in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to participate in lakhs so that the central government comes to know that youth are not dejected, broken, but are ready and will fight for their rights till last breath,” he stated. Sidhana, who was once a dreaded gangster, had several cases registered against him in Punjab and was jailed many times.  He had even unsuccessfully contested the 2012 assembly polls.


The #Grammys is traditionally one of the most bold and outrageous award ceremonies, fashion-wise. Some attendees found last-minute ways to pay homage to late NBA legend Kobe Bryant. https://t.co/XbMyy2UNuM https://t.co/oAkY30mUZY

Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world for the deceased athlete. Fog before Kobe Bryant’s fatal crash 'thick' like milk, witness saysThe federal probe into the devastating helicopter crash that killed retired NBA star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others has investigators exploring why the pilot took flight in weather so foggy it had prompted local law enforcement agencies to ground its choppers. An 18-member team from the National Transportation Safety Board, along with help from the FBI, continued on Monday to comb through the wreckage of the 1991 Sikorsky S-76 aircraft that slammed into a hillside on Sunday morning in Calabasas, California, killing everyone onboard and sending shockwaves across the globe. Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant were among those who were instantly killed after the helicopter faded from radar just before 10 a. m.  local time on Sunday.  Reports of the crash into the steep hillside followed soon after. The helicopter pilot, identified Monday as Ara Zobayan by Los Angeles aviation company Group 3 Aviation, the company that trained him, had climbed to more than 2,000 feet when the aircraft made an unusual and rapid descent just before it crashed, according to information from the aviation database Flightradar24. Investigators had no immediate explanation for the aircraft's rapid descent. When it struck the ground, the helicopter was flying at about 184 mph and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute, the data showed. "It was a pretty devastating accident scene," NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy said at a press conference Monday evening. The listed owner of the aircraft is Island Express, but it is unclear if Bryant rented it or had a long-term arrangement with the company to use it.  The helicopter was painted with Bryant's logo. Eyewitness Scott Daehlin described the fog as "like jumping into a pool of milk. "Daehlin told ABC News that he was setting up audio equipment for Sunday service at the Church In The Canyon in Calabasas when he heard a big thud and what sounded like a fuselage breaking apart inside the canyon. While Daehlin could hear the helicopter, it was impossible to see the crash because of the fog, he said.  He then called 911 and told dispatchers that something horrible had happened. Members of the FBI were sent to the crash site and are assisting the NTSB with collecting and documenting the evidence. Jennifer Homendy, a member of the NTSB board, said investigators will look into the history of the pilot and maintenance records of the helicopter.  It was not immediately clear if the helicopter was equipped with a black box. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said that because of the difficult terrain at the crash site, it could take several days to complete the recovery. The medical examiner's Special Operations Response Team recovered three bodies from the wreckage on Sunday before recovery operations were suspended due to darkness and safety concerns, the agency said in a statement.  The team returned to the crash site on Monday and were working to recover the remaining victims, according to the statement. The bodies are being taken to the medical examiner's Forensic Science Center for examination and formal identification. The LA County Sheriff’s Department has asked the public to stay away, calling the scene a logistical nightmare.  The sheriff said Monday people tried to access the site overnight and it was now being patrolled by horseback and ATV. The Los Angeles Police Department said that Sunday's weather conditions did not meet its standards for flying -- an 800-foot cloud cieling and 2 miles of visibility -- at the time of the crash yesterday morning.  The LAPD’s fleet was grounded at the time of the accident. The pilot was flying under visual flight rules due to the foggy conditions and requested authorization to fly through transit-controlled airspace, according to the NTSB.  After a 12-minute wait due to traffic, the authorization was approved.  Four minutes later, the pilot told air traffic controllers he was flying higher to avoid a cloud layer.  Traffic went silent, with no response from the pilot in response to the request, the NTSB said. Other victims killed in the crash included John Altobelli, a local college baseball coach, as well as his wife, Kerri Altobelli, and his daughter, Alyssa Altobelli.  Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach for a private school in Orange County, was also killed in the crash, her husband confirmed on Facebook. Two other people aboard the doomed flight were identified as Sarah and Peyton Chester, ABC News has confirmed. Bryant and the others who perished were flying from Orange County, where Bryant has a home in Newport Park, to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, a sports facility where the former LA Lakers' star hosted basketball clinics.  Bryant's daughter's basketball team was scheduled to play in the Mamba Cup, a youth basketball tournament that's named after Bryant's moniker. The Lakers game against the Los Angeles Clippers scheduled for Tuesday night at the Staples Center has been postponed "out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday," the NBA said in a statement.  The game will be rescheduled for a later date. Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in from all over the world.  Bryant's image was splashed across newspapers Monday morning as basketball fans and beyond begin to mourn the loss of the hoops legend. Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant's former LA Lakers teammate who won three consecutive NBA championships with him in 2000, 2001 and 2002, posted a picture of the two embracing, and said that "there are no words to express the pain I’m going through now with this tragic and sad moment. "Another close friend and retired basketball star Dwyane Wade paid an emotional tribute to Bryant on Instagram. Basketball legend and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets Michael Jordan issued a statement saying that Bryant "was like a little brother to me. "Bryant was drafted to the NBA out of high school in 1996 and spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships.  He was awarded NBA MVP in 2008 and NBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010. Bryant won gold medals as a member of the U. S.  men's basketball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Bryant's career was marred, however, during a 2005 trial when he was accused of sexual assault by an employee at a Vail, Colorado, hotel.  Bryant always denied the encounter was nonconsensual and the case was later dismissed after the victim said she did not want to testify and the two parties settled a civil suit. LeBron James surpassed Bryant on the all-time scoring list on Saturday during the Lakers' game against the Philadelphia 76ers. "I'm happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bean Bryant -- one of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play, one of the all-time greatest Lakers," James told reporters after the game.  "The man got two jerseys hanging up in Staples Center.  It's just crazy. "In 2018, Bryant won an Academy Award for his animated short "Dear Basketball," which is based on a poem he wrote in 2015 when he announced his retirement. ABC News' Julia Jacobo, Joshua Hoyos and Tom Llamas contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the nation at 4pm today

https://t.co/g3np7gT9tn https://t.co/u03ItOSQag

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 4pm on Tuesday, the PMO said in a tweet without saying what the address would be about.  Prime Minister @narendramodi will address the nation at 4 PM tomorrow. The PMO’s tweet came shortly after the government announced that it was banning 59 mobile phone apps linked to China that it said were prejudicial to India’s sovereignty, defence, security and public order. It also followed the announcement of the Union home ministry’s Unlock 2 guidelines that seeks to open up more activities outside containment zones from July 1 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In his Mann Ki Baat radio address on Sunday, Modi said India is much better placed than many other nations with respect to the fight against the pandemic and that the country’s recovery rate is rising. India’s Covid-19 tally stands at almost 5. 5 lakh. PM Modi’s address will come amid an ongoing stand-off between India and China at Ladakh’s Galwan valley.  Military commanders of India and China are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday to explore means to disengage. Modi in his Mann Ki Baat radio address had praised Indian soldiers who died in a clash with Chinese troops in Galwan valley on the night of June 15 that sparked outrage in the country. The Prime Minister did not name China in his Mann Ki Baat address when he said that Indian soldiers had given a befitting reply to those who coveted Indian territory. The Opposition, particularly the Congress which has claimed that Chinese troops have intruded into Indian territory, has been demanding that the PM should openly condemn China’s aggression.


“Green Book” wins best picture #Oscars https://t.co/YK1EjtsvS0 https://t.co/njtMWH4Aw2

"Green Book" won best picture while Rami Malek took home best actor. The best moments from the 2019 OscarsThe 2019 Academy Awards were one for the books, with stars like Lady Gaga, Rami Malek and Spike Lee taking home an Oscar. Regina King won the Oscar for actress in a supporting role for "If Beale Street Could Talk" and Mahershala Ali won his second Oscar for best supporting actor in "Green Book. "Iconic director Spike Lee won his first Oscar for original screenplay for his work in "BlacKkKlansman. " Gaga took home her first award for her original song "Shallow," which she also performed alongside "A Star Is Born" co-star Bradley Cooper.  Olivia Colman won best actress for "The Favourite," beating out Glenn Close, who had seemed like a shoo-in heading into the show. Overall, "Bohemian Rhapsody" lead the way with four wins, including Malek for actor in a leading role.  "Black Panther," "Roma" and "Green Book" have all won three awards each.  The biggest award of the night, best picture, went to "Green Book. "Here are your 2019 Oscar winners:Best PictureActor in a Leading RoleActress in a Leading RoleBest DirectorActress in a Supporting RoleActor in a Supporting RoleDocumentary FeatureMakeup and HairstylingCostume DesignProduction DesignCinematographySound EditingSound MixingForeign Language FilmFilm EditingAnimated Feature FilmAnimated Short FilmDocumentary ShortVisual EffectsLive Action Short FilmOriginal ScreenplayAdapted ScreenplayOriginal ScoreOriginal Song24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Bihar: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan & MoS Health Ashwini Choubey meet patients & their families at Sri Krishna Medical College&Hospital in Muzaffarpur. So far, 80 people have died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur. https://t.co/zQA1q3Pp6n

The death toll due to encephalitis in Muzaffarpur mounted to 93 on Sunday with people creating a ruckus at a government-run hospital here while Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan was visiting to take stock of the situation. Those demonstrating alleged inadequate services by the hospital and negligence by politicians. Vardhan, accompanied by his deputy Ashwini Choubey, visited Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) where 79 children have lost their lives.  The central ministers, however, had to face public outrage as black flags were shown to their convoy. A visibly distraught man, whose brother is admitted in the hospital, took off his shirt and protested against visits by political leaders and also alleged medical negligence. “No one listens to us.  Why do these politicians come here if they do not want to listen or care about us?  Who made them leaders?  We chose them and made them leaders.  They are all thieves.  Our children are dying.  All leaders and the media pay a visit every day and then go.  But no one thinks about us.  My brother is admitted here.  The management is not listening to us.  What should I do?  I’d rather prefer dying,” said the man. In the wake of the deaths, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yesterday announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to families of the children who died due to the disease.  He has also given directions to the health department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to fight the menace. Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Saturday said that the state government is doing its best to save the children.  Speaking to ANI, Pandey said doctors and nurses are being called in from Patna for additional help. Earlier today, attendants of patients had also alleged unavailability of doctors at the hospital, while a girl had died while Vardhan was present at the institute. At another hospital named Kejriwal Hospital, 14 deaths have been recorded due to encephalitis. It is a viral disease, which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions and headaches and has been claiming lives in the district for the past few weeks.


Delhi: Protesting farmers block main Delhi-Mohan Nagar road at UP Gate (Delhi-Ghaziabad border).

"NH-9 & NH-24 closed from Delhi to Ghaziabad due to farmers' protests. People are advised to take alternate route for Ghaziabad via DND, ITO & Wazirabad," tweets Delhi Traffic Police https://t.co/ntnh4J7CFq

It has been a month since farmers mainly from Punjab and Haryana, began their protest march to the national capital seeking the removal of the three controversial farm laws passed by the central government in September.  Till now, five rounds of talks have been held between farmer groups and Union ministers which remained inconclusive.  On Friday, the protesters held a meet to discuss the Centre’s latest invitation for talks, with some of them indicating that they might resume dialogue in order to find a solution to the deadlock.  Another meet of farmer groups will be held today where a formal decision will be taken on the invite for resumption of talks.  Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the government was open for talks and blamed opposition parties for misleading farmers against the three new laws for their political agenda.  Releasing the next instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, Modi added, “I bow to farmers.  A majority of them have supported the laws.  I will never allow farmers’ interests to be compromised at any cost. ” The farmer groups however, hit out at the Prime Minister’s address and said he did not even once address those who have been protesting adding that the speech was a mix of fabricated and fake news.  The protesting farmers, who have been camping at several border points in Delhi and neighbouring states are seeking the removal of Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.  The Centre has projected that the new laws will eliminate middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce across India.  However, the farmers maintain that the laws would demolish the Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy and do away with the wholesale market system.  Follow live updates here: Bhartiya Kisan Union Spokesperson receives death threatRakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union alleged that he received a life threatening phone call.  “It was a phone call from Bihar.  They were threatening to kill me with arms.  I’ve forwarded the recording to the police captain.  They will do what is needed to be done next,” he said.   It was a phone call from Bihar.  They were threatening to kill me with arms.  I've forwarded the recording to the police captain.  They will do what is needed to be done next: Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union, on receiving life threatening phone call pic. twitter. com/FxNffCRi2LRLP quits NDA over farm bills, says party chief Hanuman Beniwal After Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Rajasthan’s Rashtriya Loktantric Party(RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal also walked out of National Democratic Alliance.  While addressing farmers’ rally in Shahjahanpur of Alwar, Beniwal said, “Bye-bye.  We are quitting NDA.  Nothing is above the pride of farmers in the country. ” State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Mukesh Pareekh said that Beniwal’s party is an independent party and one man’s party.  Just because of him BJP left the parliamentary seat from Nagaur and helped him in winning the election.  “Earlier, he had supported the agri laws but now just to gain political mileage he had quit the alliance,” Pareekh added.  Activist Yogendra Yadav says farmers ready to resume discussions Tuesday onwards, reports ANIAccording to ANI, activist Yogendra Yadav said that the farmers are ready to resume discussions from Tuesday, December 29.  MSP should be part of talks: Tikait Modalities for repeal of three farm laws, legal guarantee for MSP should be part of agenda for talks with government said farmer leader Rakesh Tikait according to PTI. Former Lok Sabha MP Harinder Singh Khalsa quits BJP citing government’s negligence towards farmersFormer Lok Sabha MP Harinder Singh Khalsa resigned from BJP on Saturday citing government negligence towards the farmers.  He said that he is resigning “in protest against the insensitivity shown by party leaders & the govt towards the sufferings of the farmers, their wives and children protesting against the three agrarian laws”. Centre indifferent towards farm stir, says SaamnaAmid the ongoing farmers’ protest, Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Saturday said that the Congress party has turned “feeble and disintegrated” and further suggested that all anti-BJP parties including the Sena should come together under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to provide a formidable alternative.  Saamana added that those in power the Centre were indifferent towards the farmers’ agitation and added that instead of blaming the government, the main opposition party should introspect about its leadership issue. Two national highways closed due to stir; farmers yet to decide on sixth round of talksThe Delhi Traffic Police on Saturday said that two National Highways- NH9 and NH24 have been closed for traffic movement from Delhi to Ghaziabad as the farmers are continuing their protests against the central government’s agriculture reforms introduced in September.  Delhi: Protesting farmers block main Delhi-Mohan Nagar road at UP Gate (Delhi-Ghaziabad border). "NH-9 & NH-24 closed from Delhi to Ghaziabad due to farmers' protests.  People are advised to take alternate route for Ghaziabad via DND, ITO & Wazirabad," tweets Delhi Traffic Police pic. twitter. com/ntnh4J7CFqFarm reforms implemented in Madhya Pradesh, no confusion over it: CM ChouhanMadhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that the farm reforms have been implemented in the state adding that there is no confusion over it.  While speaking to news agency ANI, Chouhan added that training sessions will be organised on the laws in all the 313 blocks of the state so that they can learn how to benefit from them.  Centre will have to listen to protesting farmers, says Rahul GandhiCongress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the central government will have to listen to the farmers protesting against the new agriculture reforms.  Gandhi shared a video of the protesters on Twitter and wrote, “ “Mitti ka kann kann goonj raha hai, sarkar ko sun na padega---The government will have to listen (to the farmers). ” मिट्टी का कण-कण गूंज रहा है,सरकार को सुनना पड़ेगा। pic. twitter. com/yhwH6D8uWOI challenge Rahul Gandhi, DMK to debate over reforms: JavadekarUnion minister Prakash Javadekar hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and challenged him and the DMK for an open debate on whether the farm reforms introduced by the central government are in the interest of farmers or not.  Gandhi on Thursday had called the agitation a ‘Satyagraha’ and urged people to support the farmers.  Rahul Gandhi suddenly said you'll have to withdraw #farmlaws.  I am giving him open challenge for a debate, whether the laws are good, in the interest of farmers or not.  I am giving challenge to Rahul Gandhi & DMK to debate: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in Chennai.  (25. 12) pic. twitter. com/QIbnVGgjcXCentre adopting a callous and insensitive attitude towards farmers: SADThe Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) targeted the Central government over the ongoing stir and accused it of adopting a “callous and insensitive attitude” towards farmers.  Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the government should hold talks on ways and means to repeal the three farm laws in a “sincere manner.


Stunning photo shows a frigid Niagara Falls as East Coast grapples with arctic temperatures. https://t.co/QxmIADDmBR https://t.co/KDUL2tZbYl

    It’s so cold, parts of Niagara Falls are frozen.

    The winter storm that has blanketed the Midwest in snow and turned the Northeast into a deep freezer has now brought the falls’ rushing waters to a halt in places.
  A post shared by Inge Groot (@ingegroot)
    Visitors to Niagara Falls snapped pictures of the majestic sights and still waters Sunday.

    Emma Grafham told CNN she felt like she was in “Elsa’s castle. ”

Here's what winter can do to lighthouses and waterfalls

    “There was even this set of stairs that were placed just outside the look-on spot and they had so much ice on them, it looked like Elsa had just cast her arm out and summoned up some stairs like she does in the movie,” she said.
  A post shared by Emma Grafham (@nostalgikid)
    Bone-chilling cold is expected to continue in parts of the Northeast this week.

    New Englanders could wake up Tuesday to temperatures that feel as cold as five to 20 degrees below zero, and many parts of the Northeast will remain under wind chill advisories through Wednesday morning.

    Another cold snap will move in during the weekend, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said.

    “The waves of cold air will continue for the next two weeks,” he said.

  CNN’s Amanda Jackson and Michael Guy contributed to this report.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


A critical care nurse was the first person in New York and among the first people in the US to get a shot of the coronavirus vaccine authorized by the FDA https://t.co/9ohJ9C0bSG https://t.co/0FPJV0W0tV

The FDA authorized Pfizer's vaccine last week. Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine? The rollout of the first coronavirus vaccine began Monday morning and marked a major turning point in the U. S. 's battle against surging case numbers as the first doses of the Pfizer medication was administered to health care workers and nursing home staffers. Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse from Northwell Long Island Jewish Medical Center was the first vaccinated in New York at 9:23 a. m.  during a livestreamed event with Gov.  Andrew Cuomo. Lindsay, who lives in Queens, one of the hardest hit counties in the country, told the governor she wanted to instill trust in the vaccine. "I believe in science.  As a nurse, my practice is guided by science and so I trust that," she said during the livestream.  "What I don't trust is that, if I contract COVID, I don't know how it would impact or those who I come in contact with, so I encourage everyone to take the vaccine. "Elected officials and state health leaders in different states, including Connecticut, Iowa, Florida and California, also welcomed the shipments and first shots Monday. "First COVID vaccination in MS - proud and privileged," Dr.  Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi's state health officer, said in a tweet that included a photo of his bandaged shoulder. Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden praised the initial vaccine administrations on their respective social media pages. The rollout comes less than a week after the U. S.  Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine for emergency use for Americans over 16.  The order from the FDA led to the pharmaceutical company shipping 2. 9 million doses to 636 sites across the country. Pfizer, which produced the vaccine alongside German company BioNTech, began shipping the doses from its Michigan warehouse Sunday directly to those sites, which were pre-selected by governors and local health officials. Pfizer said it would roll out a second batch of 2. 9 million doses shortly after the first batch.  The U. S.  government is opting to keep 500,000 doses in reserve to address any shipping or distribution mishaps. The vaccine, which requires two doses for full inoculation, began distribution in the United Kingdom last week. The vaccine is the first in the country to use the genetic technology mRNA instead of viral components.  Pfizer claimed its trials showed the vaccine was 95% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The FDA will hold a hearing on Dec.  17 with Moderna, which also developed an mRNA-based vaccine, before possibly giving emergency authorization for its deployment. Moderna said its clinical trials showed the vaccine was 94% effective at preventing the coronavirus and trial patients who had the vaccine had elevated antibodies in their system three months after the vaccines were administered. According to the World Health Organization, there are 52 COVID-19 vaccines in human trials, and 162 vaccines in preclinical development. The vaccine developments come as the U. S.  is in the midst of the deadliest period of the pandemic, according to health data.  America leads the world with over 16 million cases and close to 300,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. The seven-day averages of new daily cases, 211,494, hospitalizations, 106,656, and deaths, 2,427, were at record highs on Dec.  13, according to health data from the COVID Tracking Project. ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman and Eric Strauss contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Monday, Dec.  14, 2020, episode of "Start Here," ABC News' daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes.  Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


CNN PROJECTION: Joe Biden wins Virginia https://t.co/gj0szijlpd #CNNElection https://t.co/NR0e6ZZsEK

The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris deliver 1st message of unity after historic winJoe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump.  ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency. The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate. Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed. Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign. The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016. A Justice Department official confirmed Monday evening that Richard Pilger, a career official who was serving as director of the Elections Crimes Branch, has resigned from his role in the division because of the attorney general's memo authorizing U. S.  attorneys to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Pilger has stepped back into a role in the DOJ's Public Integrity Section. The New York Times reported that Pilger wrote to colleagues in an email this evening, "Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications, I must regretfully resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch. ”A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Pilger's resignation. When ABC News sought a response from Pilger, an automatic reply to the email said, "I am no longer the Director of the Election Crimes Branch, and have stepped back to the line at the Public Integrity Section. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinThe Biden transition team will not receive full intelligence briefings until the General Services Administration officially "ascertains" the former vice president to be winner of the presidential election, according to a statement from the Office of Director of National Intelligence on Monday. "ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition.  ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA Administrator," an ODNI spokesperson said in a statement. Meanwhile, outside government watchdogs are already warning that a continued delay in briefings could carry grave national security implications for the incoming administration. Aaron Scherb, the legal director at Common Cause, told ABC News on Monday that the "petty and unproductive" decision by GSA to withhold key resources to the Biden transition could have the "potential for catastrophic results. " "By GSA not signing off on this, there is certainly some classified intelligence information that the incoming administration would not have access to -- and would potentially not be fully prepared on day one to be able to counteract ongoing efforts from our adversaries like all previous incoming administrations have," Scherb said. "If the Biden transition team doesn't have access to some of the documents and information," he continued, "there are national security concerns. "-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Lucien BruggemanAttorney General William Barr sent a memo to U. S.  attorneys Monday evening authorizing them to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. In the memo Barr says that such inquiries "may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State. "But Barr emphasized in the letter that this should not be taken as the DOJ believing there was widespread fraud -- a baseless claim being made by attorneys for Trump and the RNC.  Rather, he's doling authority out to U. S.  attorneys in the event they might uncover any such credible evidence of a fraud conspiracy that might affect vote tabulations before election results are certified. "Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election," Barr wrote.  "Rather, I provide this authority and guidance to emphasize the need to timely and appropriately address allegations of voting irregularities so that all of the American people, regardless of their preferred candidate or party, can have full confidence in the results of our elections. ""While it is imperative that credible allegations be addressed in a timely and effective manner, it is equally imperative that Department personnel exercise appropriate caution and maintain the Department's absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship," Barr said in the memo.  "While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinBiden is slated to give remarks focused on the Affordable Care Act and the Trump administration's lawsuit to overturn it.  Biden will talk about his own plan "to expand access to quality, affordable health care. "The event in Wilmington, Delaware, is slated for 2 p. m. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments at 10 a. m.  in the case brought by Trump and 18 Republican-led states asking that the Affordable Care Act be eliminated in its entirety.


CLAIM A video showing Pakistani security officials attacking its minorities has gone viral on social media.  The video, that has over 1. 4 million views on the Facebook page भा. ज. पा : Mission 2019, purportedly shows members of a Pakistani police force brutally beating up Hindus, a minority in Pakistan.  The 200-second video, showing police breaking into people’s homes and thrashing them, was shared with the title: “इस विडियो को देखने के बाद आपकी भी आँखे भर जायेगी ,हो सके तो कुछ और लोगो को जगा देना (You will tear up after watching this video.  Share it to make more people aware). ” The video, shared on 2 January, shows forces taking away the men in the family after breaking into houses, while the women can be heard wailing and shouting in the background.  It was shared on several other Facebook pages ( We Support Hindutva, Narendra Modi PM 2019, नमो समर्थक, बजरंग दल – चौमूं नगर, etc) as well with similar claims.  TRUTH A reverse image search of the frames of the video reveals that it dates back to June 2013 and does not show a religion-based persecution.  It was originally shot in Faisalabad in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab.  The search also uncovered news reports (see RozeTV, DunyaNews, and Tribune) of the actual incident – which had no communal angle at all.  At least five personnel of Elite Force were suspended for forcing themselves into the houses of citizens and torturing women, as per the news report.  The same video had also been shared earlier accompanied by a message claiming that a Hindu family in Pakistan was attacked by police for placing a  saffron flag on their house, Boom Live had reported.  VIDEO ALSO SHARED TO SHOW ‘PERSECUTION’ OF CHRISTIANS The reverse search of the video also revealed that the same footage has also been used in the past to falsely highlight the persecution of the Christian minority in Pakistan.  (Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified?  Send us the details at WebQoof@TheQuint. com and we'll fact-check it for you.  You can also read all our fact-checked stories here. ) (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience.  Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member.  Because the truth is worth it. )


Jammu & Kashmir: Three terrorists killed in an encounter at Amshipora area of Shopian. Operation still in progress. (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) https://t.co/6RpE7qX7Xr

At least three terrorists were killed in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian districts, officials said on Saturday. The encounter had started early in the morning at Amshipora area of Shopian, a police spokesperson had said earlier. Police on Friday had claimed to have killed three terrorists in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, including a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander believed to be an IED expert. Vijay Kumar, Kashmir’s inspector general of police, had recently said the security forces have prepared a list of group of top commanders who will be tracked and neutralised in the coming months. Security forces had killed 48 terrorists, most of them in the four districts of south Kashmir, in June during various encounters in the Valley.


Video shows policeman being set on fire during protests following George Floyds death.

A graphic video of a police officer being set on fire by protesters in Mexico has gone viral in light of the ongoing protests against police brutality in the United States.  The video is being shared on Twitter by account attempting to pass it off as protesters in America, setting policemen on fire.  Protests have raged in the US after George Floyd, an African-American man, died in police custody in Minneapolis.  Floyd's death, along with the deaths of several other African-American people at the hands of the police, has sparked protests across America.  Several cities including New York and Seattle saw violent protests with the police resorting to using tear gas and rubber bullets, to clamp down protesters.  The video begins with a police officer getting on a bike.  A protestor pours something from a bottle onto the police officer's back and sets it on fire.  The police officer gets off the bike and tries to put out the fire by rolling on the ground as other cops and protestors try to help them.       Many verified Twitter handles from the US, have shared the video without mentioning that the incident is from Mexico.   A rioter set this cop on fire 🔥 pic. twitter. com/eXwAxzCmE9 Also Read: Did Protesters Storm The White House?  A Fact Check   Radio host Jesse Lee Peterson shared the video on Twitter with the text "Peaceful protest".  Former baseball player Aubrey Huff quote tweeted Peterson's tweet and wrote that if he was set on fire, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot the perpetrator.   I don't give a fuck.  If I was a cop & you light me on fire I'm putting one right right between the eyes then going home to sleep like a baby.  #selfdefense https://t. co/x02kfd27wJ Conservative podcaster and producer at BlazeTV Elijah Schaffer also tweeted the video.  He however clarified in a subsequent tweet that the incident did not take place in the USA.  This was not in the USA btw Archived links of the tweets can be found here, here, here and here.   This tweet falsely stated that the incident happened in Italy.  The video was also shared on Facebook here and here.  Fact Check Many users replied to the tweets saying that the incident took place in Mexico and not the United States as insinuated.  BOOM did a keyword search with "Mexico police officer set on fire" and found multiple reports on the incident.   NBC Philadelphia reported that on June 4 a police officer was set on fire by protesters that broke out in Guadalajara in Jalisco state of Mexico.    BOOM found this video posted by The Telegraph on YouTube.  The title of the video is: Police officer set on fire during protests in Mexico.  According to reports, protests have erupted in Mexico against police brutality like in the US.  Mexicans are protesting after a construction worker, Giovanni Lopez, was allegedly beaten to death by police officers in town of Ixtlahuacán de Los Membrillos near Guadalajara on May 4  allegedly for not wearing a mask.  The incident was caught on camera leading to widespread outrage.  We compared screensots from the news video with the video shared on Twitter and found several similarities.  We also found a building C.  UNIVERSITARIO AZTECA written on it geo located the same to show that the incident took place on Ave Juarez in Guadalajara.  Also Read: Antifa - The Anti-Fascist Movement: All You Need To Know    Below are the screenshot comparisons.  The identifiers are circled in red.        Media reports did not identify the police officer set on fire, but said he belonged to a local police unit.  The reports following the incident said that the police officer was rushed to the hospital and treated for burns on his neck.


Video shows pro-CAA rally attacked in Kerala

A one year-old video from Kerala of a group of people attacking a rally held against the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple is being shared with the false claims online.  The clip is being shared with the claim that 'communists' in the state attacked a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).   The 47 seconds clip was shared on Twitter with the caption, "this is how Communists in Kerala attacked peaceful #BJP & RSS bike rally in support of #CAA & NRC.  (sic)" This is how Communists in Kerala attacked peaceful #BJP & RSS bike rally in support of #CAA & NRC.  Trying to disguise as nationalists in the garb of National Anthem or Tricolor, Leftists can't hide their hideous face for too long  #WorldBiggestBikeRally #LEFTISTS_ARE_CANCER pic. twitter. com/vlz1jh1kcG Click here to view an archive.       BOOM has in the past debunked fake and misleading posts shared by the same Twitter user.    MOST AMAZING VIDEO #Kerala RSS & #BJP Bike rally #CAASupport.  See what happened next, U wont Believe #DeepikaPaducone pic. twitter. com/p15nMbm5Ar Click here to view an archive.  Viral on Facebook We searched on Facebook with the same caption and found that it was viral with the misleading caption.   We broke the video into key-frames and ran a reverse image search using Yandex, a Russian search engine which results showed that the video was a year old and was not recent as claimed.  The search results led us to an article dated January 3, 2019, by the Times of India titled, "Sabarimala row: Mob attacks hartal supporters at Edappal in Malappuram district of Kerala" that had the same screen grab from the viral video.  In the 51 seconds clip by TOI, one can spot the same visuals as in the viral video.  According to the TOI report, a large number of people attacked the supporters of a rally being held at Edappal in Malappuram district of Kerala.   The report further states that the organisation Sabarimala Karma Samithi had called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the state in protest against the entry of young women to the Sabarimala temple.  After two women under the age of 50 managed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple the Sabarimala Karma Samithi had called for the daylong hartal in the state on January 3, 2019 reported the News Minute on January 2, 2019.


‘CM is supreme’: Haryana home minister Anil Vij after being stripped of CID dept

https://t.co/43gwwXI2kp https://t.co/Jk7SI0M1vI

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said he has always maintained that the chief minister is supreme and can take away or divide any department, hours after he was stripped of the charge of CID.  The portfolio of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been allocated to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, a Haryana government statement said here on late Wednesday night.  “Governor of Haryana, on the advice of the chief minister, has allocated some new portfolios to the chief minister and to two ministers.  As per a notification issued by the chief secretary, the portfolios of the Criminal Investigation Department, and the departments of Personnel and Training and of Raj Bhawan Affairs have been allocated to the chief minister, Manohar Lal, in addition to his existing portfolios, with immediate effect,” the statement said.  Apart from this, the portfolio of Elections has been allocated to Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma while the portfolio of Art and Cultural Affairs, hitherto allocated to Sharma, has been allocated to Education Minister Kanwar Pal, in addition to their existing portfolios.  “Thus, the home minister, Anil Vij, will cease to hold the portfolio of Criminal Investigation Department and the transport minister, Mool Chand Sharma, will cease to hold the portfolio of Art and Cultural Affairs,” the statement said.  When asked to comment on being stripped of the charge of CID department, Vij told PTI, “I have always maintained chief minister is supreme and he can take away or divide any department. ” He declined to comment on the matter any further.  Earlier, Vij had said that there were no differences between them and the chief minister was his “best friend”.  Vij, who had expressed unhappiness over not being briefed or given feedback by the CID, appeared satisfied and said on Wednesday, “Today was the first time that an SP-rank officer briefed me.  Now he will be briefing me daily. ” His comments came after the Bharatiya Janata Party said the differences between Khattar and Vij over the CID’s control have been resolved.  “The issue has been resolved.  The chief minister is the head of the government and he can keep whatever (departments) he wants to have,” BJP general secretary Anil Jain told PTI.  The Haryana home minister in an informal chat with the media on Wednesday evening said, “The chief minister is my best friend.  I never had any differences with him.  I had some issues with the (CID) department but that too have been resolved. ” However, Vij said, there was no going back on the demand of disciplinary action against the state chief of the agency.  The minister has demanded that state CID chief Anil Rao, who is an ADGP-rank officer, be replaced with Shrikant Jadhav, another senior IPS officer, after charging the former with “disobedience and negligent behaviour in official duty”.  Vij also refuted media reports that he had aired grievances pertaining to the CID issue with newly-appointed BJP president J P Nadda when he went to congratulate him in Delhi.  “There was no talk on this issue.  I had gone to congratulate him,” Vij said.  Rising tensions between the minister and the state CID chief had triggered a tug-of-war between Vij and the chief minister over the control of the department.  Khattar recently said the CID remained under the chief minister’s control during the terms of Bansi Lal and Devi Lal, an assertion that appeared to counter the home minister’s claim over the department.  Khattar, however, sought to downplay the row.  Vij had taken exception to two state government websites showing the CID was held by Khattar.  “Governments are not run by websites.  They are run by the rule of law,” Vij had said.