Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee win the #Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for @blacKkKlansman #Oscars https://t.co/tEXbKJYRoj https://t.co/AC39TNFFhk

By Lisa Respers France and Veronica Rocha, CNNDirector Spike Lee won his first Oscar ever for best adapted screenplay for his film "BlacKkKlansman. "Lee, who has been nominated five times, took the moment to remember the past and honor Black History Month.  He also paid homage to his grandmother, who he said saved up 50 years of Social Security checks to help put him through school. Lee also brought up the 2020 presidential election, nodding to his critically acclaimed film, "Do the Right Thing. "The movie was controversial, but "Green Book" still nabbed an Oscar. The film was awarded for best original screenplay. Screenwriter Nick Vallelonga, who wrote the story about his father accompanying musician Don Shirley for a tour in the South in the 1960s, thanked the voters and "the other amazing nominees. ""This is an amazing room of filmmakers," Vallelonga said.  "Embrace ourselves and love each other.  Thank you all.  My mother and father, I love you, we did it. "Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga do not play fair. All of the chills, tears and whatever else for the riveting performance of their hit "Shallow" from their film "A Star Is Born. "How to even handle the hotness. The pair, who play lovers on the screen, have such a special connection, and it was on display while crooning the nominee for original song. So. Damn. Good.  "Period.  End of sentence. ," a movie that aims to end the stigma of menstruation in other parts of the world, won an Oscar for best documentary short subject.  Director Rayka Zehtabchi gave us the quote of the night in her acceptance speech. "To the women, know that you are empowering women all over the world to fight for menstrual equality," she added. Producer Melissa Berton said the film was created after a group of high school students wanted to "make a human rights difference. ""A period should end a sentence, not a girl's education," Berton said.  Diversity is on display at the Oscars. From the presenters to the winners, this year's ceremony just feels more inclusive.  Some of the presenters spoke in Spanish. History was made, with Ruth Carter becoming the first African American woman to win an Oscar for costume design and Peter Ramsey being the first black director to win for an animated film with "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. "The latter featured the first Afro-Latina Spider-Man and one of the writers of the screenplay mentioned the importance of inclusion in his acceptance speech. Phil Lord said that when they hear a kid acknowledging that Spider-Man looks like them or speaks Spanish, "we feel like we already won. ""We see you.  You’re powerful.  This world needs you," Ramsey said.  "Ok?  So please, we’re all counting on you. "But Twitter was quick to point out that as great as the awards ceremony has been, there is still work to be done. A very grown up version of Wayne and Garth just showed up to Oscars. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised their roles as the lovable rockers to present "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is nominated for best picture.  Remember: The pair and their buddies rocked out to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in their film "Wayne's World. "While Myers and Carvey were not dressed as their characters (they wore black tuxedos), they brought out their classic one liners. Here's how that went down: Myers: "We're not worthy! "Carvey: "I think I'm gonna hurl. "Myers: "Don't hurl.  'Cause if you hurl, I'll spew. "Carvey: "If you spew, I'll blow chunks.  So I shall not hurl. "Mahershala Ali just won best supporting actor for his role in "Green Book. "Ali is the second African-American actor to win multiple Oscars.  (Denzel Washington is the other actor. ) Ali is also a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice winner. In his acceptance speech, Ali thanked co-star Viggo Mortensen and dedicated the award to his grandmother. Ali and Mortensen starred in the fact-based story about the relationship between pianist Don Shirley (Ali) and the man hired to drive the African-American musician during a tour of the South in the early 1960s.  The title refers to the guide that lists what restaurants, hotels and gas stations served black people at the time. Ali also won a best supporting actor Oscar three years ago for his role in the film "Moonlight. "So many of the Oscar winners are remembering where they came from. Literally. The winners for best actor, best supporting actress, costume design, sound mixing and film editing all thanked their moms because honestly, where would we be without them? Best supporting actress winner Regina King brought her mother to the awards ceremony, as did nominee Bradley Cooper and "Black Panther" star Michael B.  Jordan. Mamas are everything, and they deserve of all the accolades.  Bette Midler performed the absolute perfect song for her. Midler sang "The Place Where Lost Things Go," from the film "Mary Poppins Returns," which is nominated for original song.  Honestly, Midler kind of reminds us of Mary Poppins, so it fits. Plus, she's a diva deserving of all the respect, which is what she got with a standing ovation. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Uttarakhand reports 3,012 fresh cases and 27 deaths; case tally rises to 1,29,205, death toll 1,919

Recovery rate in the State: 80.21% https://t.co/jY1WiyxJs9

The murder case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd went to the jury Monday in a city on edge against another round of unrest like the one that erupted last year over the harrowing video of Chauvin with his knee on the Black man's neck. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial began deliberating after nearly a full day of closing arguments in which prosecutors argued that Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd last May in a way that even a child knew was wrong. The defense contended that the now-fired white officer acted reasonably and that the 46-year-old Floyd died of a heart condition and illegal drug use. The jurors deliberated about four hours before retiring for the night to the hotel where they are being sequestered for this final phase of the trial.  They were due to resume Tuesday morning. After closing arguments were done, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a defense request for a mistrial based in part on comments from California Rep.  Maxine Waters, who said “we've got to get more confrontational” if Chauvin isn't convicted of murder. The judge told Chauvin's attorney: “Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned. ” He called her comments “abhorrent” and "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch. ”Chauvin, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, all of which require the jury to conclude that his actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death and that his use of force was unreasonable. The most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison. “Use your common sense.  Believe your eyes.  What you saw, you saw,” prosecutor Steve Schleicher said in closing arguments, referring to the bystander video of Floyd pinned to the pavement with Chauvin's knee on or close to his neck for up to 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as onlookers yelled at the officer to get off. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson countered by arguing that Chauvin did what any reasonable police officer would have done after finding himself in a “dynamic” and “fluid” situation involving a large man struggling with three officers. As Nelson began speaking, the now-fired Chauvin removed his Covid-19 mask in front of the jury for one of the very few times during the trial. With the case drawing to a close, some stores were boarded up in Minneapolis.  The courthouse was ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and National Guard troops were on patrol.  Floyd's death set off protests last spring in the city and across the US that sometimes turned violent. The city has also been on edge in recent days over the deadly police shooting of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, in a nearby suburb on April 11. About 300 protesters marched in the streets outside the courthouse shortly after the jury got the case, lining up behind a banner reading, “Justice 4 George Floyd & all stolen lives.  The world is watching. ”Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell had the final word Monday, offering the state's rebuttal argument.  The prosecutor, who is Black, said the questions about the use of force and cause of death are “so simple that a child can understand it. ”“In fact, a child did understand it, when the 9-year-old girl said, ‘Get off of him,’” Blackwell said, referring to a young witness who objected to what she saw.  "That’s how simple it was.  `Get off of him. ' Common sense. ”Under the law, police have certain latitude to use force, and their actions are supposed to be judged according to what a “reasonable officer” in the same situation would have done. Nelson noted that officers who first went to the corner store where Floyd allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill were struggling with Floyd when Chauvin arrived as backup.  The defense attorney also pointed out that the first two officers on the scene were rookies and that police had been told that Floyd might be on drugs. “A reasonable police officer understands the intensity of the struggle,” Nelson said, noting that Chauvin’s body camera and badge were knocked off his chest. Nelson also showed the jury pictures of pills found in Floyd’s SUV and pill remnants discovered in the squad car.  Fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in Floyd’s system. The defense attorney said the failure of the prosecution to acknowledge that medical problems or drugs played a role “defies medical science and it defies common sense and reason. ”During the prosecution's argument, Schleicher replayed portions of the bystander video and other footage as he dismissed certain defense theories about Floyd's death as “nonsense. " He said Chauvin killed Floyd by constricting his breathing. Schleicher rejected the drug overdose argument, as well as the contention that police were distracted by hostile onlookers, that Floyd had “superhuman” strength from a state of agitation known as excited delirium, and that he suffered possible carbon monoxide poisoning from auto exhaust. The prosecutor sarcastically referred to the idea that it was heart disease that killed Floyd as an “amazing coincidence. ”"Is that common sense or is that nonsense? ” Schleicher asked the jury. Blackwell, his fellow prosecutor, likewise rejected the defense theory that Floyd died because of an enlarged heart: “The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr.  Chauvin’s heart was too small. ”Earlier, Schleicher described how Chauvin ignored Floyd’s cries and continued to kneel on him well after he stopped breathing and had no pulse.  Chauvin was “on top of him for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he had to know,” Schleicher said.  “He had to know. ”He said Chauvin heard Floyd, “but he just didn't listen. ”The prosecutor said Floyd was "not a threat to anyone" and was not trying to escape when he struggled with officers but instead was terrified of being put into the tiny backseat of the squad car. He said a reasonable officer with Chauvin’s training and experience — he was a 19-year Minneapolis police veteran — should have sized up the situation accurately. Chauvin, wearing a light gray suit with a blue shirt and blue tie, showed little expression as he watched himself and the other officers pinning Floyd to the ground on bodycam video played by his attorney.  He cocked his head to the side and occasionally leaned forward to write on a notepad. An unidentified woman occupied the single seat set aside in the pandemic-spaced courtroom for a Chauvin supporter. Floyd’s brother Philonise represented the family in court, as he often has during the trial. Schleicher also noted that Chauvin was required to use his training to provide medical care to Floyd but ignored bystanders, rebuffed help from an off-duty paramedic and rejected a suggestion from another officer to roll Floyd onto his side. “He could have listened to the bystanders.  He could have listened to fellow officers.  He could have listened to his own training," Schleicher said.  “He knew better.  He just didn’t do better. "


Amul creates an ad featuring Urmila Matondkar

An old Amul advertisement featuring actor and former Indian National Congress (INC) member Urmila Matondkar has resurfaced with claims that the dairy brand has taken a dig at Matondkar following her remarks against actor Kangana Ranaut.     The advertisement features the iconic Amul girl in an avatar inspired by Matondkar's spunky character in the movie 'Rangeela', along with the text that says, 'Not MASOOM anymore? '  However, netizens who mistook the ad for being recent have slammed Amul for what they call a 'distasteful' ad.  Ranaut and Matondkar have been sparring over the former's criticism of the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra government in the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's case.  Ranaut even referred to Matondkar as a 'soft porn actor' in a recent interview.   BOOM reached out to Rahul Da Cunha, one of the creators of Amul advertisements, who clarified that the hoarding was created as a tribute to Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rangeela', which released in 1995.   Also Read:'My Wife Did Not Convert To Islam': Urmila Matondkar's Husband Refutes Viral Posts Below is a screenshot of a tweet, featuring the advertisement, that was shared by journalists Sreenivasan Jain and Deepanjana Pal.  The tweets were later deleted after netizens pointed out that it is from 1995.     Deleted the Amul ad because it seems the ad is an old one (from when Rangeela was released).  Doesn't really make the ad any better or more humorous but it is definitely not a response to the current 'conversation' around Urmila Matondkar.   Click here to view an archive of journalist Swati Chaturvedi's tweet.  Chaturvedi later deleted her tweet.   The advertisement is also doing the rounds on Facebook   FACT CHECK We found the same image in Amul's archive in an album titled 'Amul hits of 1995'   'The advertisement was released in 1995 after Rangeela's release' BOOM reached out to Rahul Da Cunha, one of the creative directors of the Amul advertisements since 1994, who confirmed that the advertisement was released in 1995 after Rangeela hit theatres.  It was created by cartoonist Jayant Rane in the same year.  Da Cunha said, "This advertisement has been taken completely out of context by trolls.  This is an old feature we did in 1995," Da Cunha said.  Amul is known for topical ads that they release on several platforms featuring the Amul girl, part of the butter brand's campaign since 1966.   Rangeela, starring Urmila Matondkar, Jackie Shroff and Aamir Khan, released in 1995.  The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and was considered to be one of the major box office success of that year.  It also marked Urmila Matondkar's arrival in a new avatar.  Varma tweeted the same advertisement earlier this month.   Amul hoarding after RANGEELA released @UrmilaMatondkar pic. twitter. com/CDUZbBvrMQ  The text 'Not MASOOM anymore? ' refers to Shekhar Kapur's film Masoom, where the actor featured as a child star, clarified Da Cunha.   Matondkar and Ranaut's war of words Kangana Ranaut and Urmila Matondkar sparred after the latter asked Ranaut to introspect about the drug culture in her home state of Himachal Pradesh before leveling allegations against Maharashtra and Mumbai's film industry.  To this Ranaut launched a personal attack by referring to Matondkar as a 'soft porn actor' in an interview with Times Now.  Ranaut further referred to actor Matondkar for 'not being known for her acting' skills.


AAP releases first list of election candidates

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday refuted a viral list circulating on WhatsApp, that claims 21 out of 27 candidates on the list are Muslims in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.  Social media and IT strategist of AAP, Ankit Lal rubbished the viral list, and told BOOM that no such list has been released yet.   Also Read: Can WhatsApp Admins Be Jailed For Posting Photos Of Modi, Kejriwal?


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

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


Assam: In a joint operation Army and police have arrested one NDFB(S) terrorist in Kokrajhar; one AK-56 and one magazine recovered from him https://t.co/ABzH30WGOu

A police sub-inspector and three other policemen have been arrested and sent to jail for smuggling liquor following a tip-off from the rioting accused they were bringing from Varanasi. The four policemen have been identified as sub-inspector Om Prakash Singh of Kudra police station, police driver Chandan Kumar and chowkidars Thakur Prasad and Murari Yadav. The incident occurred on Friday evening in Kaimur when a team led by SI Om Prakash Singh was bringing two rioting accused from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. As the police vehicle reached Tengana (on the outskirts of Varanasi), the SI gave ₹1,100 to driver Chandan Kumar and asked him to bring four bottles from the liquor store.  Liquor was brought and kept in the vehicle. In the meantime, one of the arrested accused, Kamta Paswan, sent a WhatsApp message to Kaimur’s superintendent of police Dilnawaz Ahmad, regarding purchase and transportation of liquor by the police team.  Ahmad sent a police team led by Raghunath Singh, sub-divisional police officer of Mohania, who intercepted the vehicle and recovered the liquor at integrated check post near Mohania.  All four policemen were arrested and were produced in court on Saturday and sent to jail.  “There is zero tolerance for offences related to consumption and transportation of liquor,” SP Ahmad said. This is the fourth such incident in the district within a year when police personnel were found consuming or transporting liquor. Kudra police station has gained notoriety in the matter.  One SHO, one S-I, a driver and three chowkidars posted with this police station have been arrested in the offence. Liquor is banned in Bihar since 2016.  On August 8 this year, chowkidar Vinod Kumar Singh was arrested for planting liquor to frame a murder witness for checking him from deposing in the court. On October 3 last year, Kudra SHO Nagendra Paswan was arrested while consuming liquor at police station premises.  He was later dismissed by the department.


Satellite images appear to show that North Korea has begun rebuilding a portion of a facility previously used to test long-range missile engines, analysts say, raising potential questions about the future of US-North Korea negotiations https://t.co/U32HpH3oLh https://t.co/L219BR2Em6

The new activity at the Sohae launch site comes days after Trump-Kim summit. Photos show North Korea rebuilding missile facilityPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would be "very, very disappointed" if it is determined that North Korea is in fact rebuilding its missile launch facility as was disclosed in commercial satellite imagery that was made public Tuesday by a Washington think tank. "It's too early to see.  We'll see," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.  "We have to solve a problem.  The relationship is good.  I would be very disappointed if that were happening. "The satellite images, taken on March 2, 2019, were acquired by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Beyond Parallel and show new activity at the Sohae (Tongchang-ri) launch facility located in the northwestern part of North Korea.  The images showed what appears to be rapid rebuilding at a site that has been inactive since last August. "It's a very early report," Trump said.  "We're the ones that put that out. "But I would be very, very disappointed in Chairman Kim but I don't think I will be, but we'll see what happens," he continued, expressing optimism that Kim will ultimately be shown to be trustworthy. The development comes days after Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that did not result in a denuclearlization agreement between the two countries. The images showed activity to rebuild the launch stand at the location that is the country's main site for long-range satellite launches and missile-engine testing.  The site has not been used for the launch of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are fired from mobile launchers. However, U. S.  officials have said that the civilian satellite launches are a cover for military intercontinental ballistic missile tests since the technologies are so similar. Activity at the site includes two construction cranes, as well as several vehicles and supplies laying on the ground next to the vertical engine test stand. The satellite photos also showed activity at the launch pad's rail-mounted rocket transfer structure. The covers that typically shroud the site's umbilical launch tower have now been opened to show the launch pad itself. The renewed activity at the launch site was detected two days after the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, that failed to reach an agreement to eliminate North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The Sohae facility has been inactive since Aug.  2018, when North Korea seemed to be following through with a commitment they made to Trump at the Singapore summit that Kim would dismantle a launch facility. CSIS analysts believe the current activity "is deliberate and purposeful" to show North Korea's resolve in the wake of the Hanoi meeting. Though no agreement was reached in Hanoi, Trump told reporters that Kim had committed to continue not to conduct ballistic missile or nuclear tests, as he had following the Singapore summit. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that several states including Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana need to get the virus under control or risk watching their transmission rates get out of control. https://t.co/1zrTzRW7aF

By Chandelis Duster, CNNUpdated 2:56 PM ET, Tue July 28, 2020 Washington (CNN)Dr.  Anthony Fauci defended himself on Tuesday, saying he is "not misleading the American public under any circumstances" after President Donald Trump retweeted messages criticizing the nation's top disease expert. CNN's Gisela Crespo contributed to this report.


Authorities rescued a 190-pound mastiff named Floyd from a mountain near Salt Lake City as temperatures began to drop and several hikers called to report that the dog was on the trail with his owner and unable to move. https://t.co/ggFga8882V https://t.co/kbsodTTHkI

    Floyd the mastiff went for a hike with his owner up the Grandeur Peak trail near Salt Lake City on Sunday.  But when it was time to come down, Floyd was too exhausted and just sat down.

    Thanks to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team, the 190-pound dog made it home by being carried back down the trail.

    The rescue team was called around 6:30 p. m.  after other hikers passed Floyd on the trail and saw his owner needed help.  The 3-year-old dog wouldn’t budge and temperatures in the area were quickly dropping, according to police.

    “The team is completely volunteer,” Sgt.  Melody Gray of the Unified Police Department, which works with the sheriff’s search and rescue team, told CNN.  “They had no hesitation whatsoever, even when they heard it was a dog. ”

    The rescue team strapped Floyd to their litter, a stretcher, and began their descent to the trailhead.  The team posted video on Facebook showing the huge dog being carried across a narrow beam over a creek.
  Our patient Floyd tonight being carried down Grandeur Peak.

Please visit our website and donate if you can: http://saltlakesearchandrescue. org/donation/
    “Floyd was a good boy and was happy to be assisted,” the rescue team’s Facebook post says.

    The whole rescue took about four hours, Gray said.

    Amy Sandoval commented on the Facebook post, saying Floyd was her brother’s dog.  She said they took a wrong turn and it was difficult for them to get back on trail.  Once they did, Floyd was exhausted.

    “My brother never left his side,” she wrote.  “He was going to sleep with him overnight. ”

    She added that Floyd is now resting at home and getting lots of TLC.
  © 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Over 500 #COVID19 patients were discharged in Karnataka, as the state reported 442 new cases and six related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 10,560

https://t.co/mvkQDEI1uz

Over 500 Covid-19 patients were discharged in Karnataka on Thursday, as the state reported 442 new cases and six related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 10,560. The day also saw total number of discharges in Udupi alone crossing 1,000 mark, even as 160 patients in the state were undergoing treatment at ICU. As of June 25 evening, cumulatively 10,560 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 170 deaths and 6,670 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.  It said out of 3,716 active cases, 3,556 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 160 are in ICU. Among the six dead include- three from Bengaluru rural and one each from Kalaburagi, Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru. Those from Bengaluru rural include two elderly women of age 60 and 80 years and a man aged 38. All three are with the history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). The other three deceased are- a 61-year-old man from Kalaburagi, whose contact history is still under tracing, a 68-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada with history of SARI, and a 87-year-old man from Mysuru with inter district travel history to Bengaluru. Out of 442 new cases, 81 are returnees from other states, while 23 are those who returned from other countries. The remaining cases include contacts of patients earlier tested positive, those with history of SARI, ILI, inter district travel among others. While contact history of few patients are still being traced. Among the districts where new cases were reported, Bengaluru urban accounts for 113 cases, Kalaburagi 35, Ramanagara 33, Dakshina Kannada 29, 26 each from Ballari and Dharwad, Mysuru 22, 18 each from Bagalkote and Kodagu, Udupi 14, twelve each from Hassan and Bengaluru rural, Uttara Kannada 11 and 10 each from Vijayapura, Gadag and Haveri. While Mandya reported 9 cases, Bidar was 8, Davangere 7, four each from Belagavi, Shivamogga and Kolar, two each from Yadgir and Chikkaballapura, and one each from Tumakuru, Chikkamagaluru and Chamarajanagara. Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 1,791 infections, followed by Kalaburagi 1,289 and Udupi 1,116. A total of 5,53,325 samples were tested so far, out of which 14,078 were tested on Thursday alone. So far 5,27,731 samples have been reported as negative, and out of them 12,343 were reported negative today.


“I was very pleased that in the last several days the congressional Democrats were able to turn upside down … a trickle down corporate bill. It is now a bubble-up workers bill and we’re very proud of that,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says about the $2 trillion stimulus bill. https://t.co/JbCmYWEd9H

He said the government response to the virus "has to move much faster. "Joe Biden's biggest concern about the coronavirus outbreakFormer Vice President Joe Biden, currently the Democratic front-runner in the 2020 presidential race, joined ABC's "The View" on Tuesday, urging Americans and the Trump administration to listen to the health experts leading the novel coronavirus response -- criticizing the president in the process. "Listen to the scientists.  Listen to the doctors.  Listen to what they have to say," Biden told the hosts.  "I would respectfully suggest that you should have Dr.  [Anthony] Fauci on a lot more than the president -- or anyone who's not an expert like Fauci -- laying out exactly what's going on. "When prompted, Biden pushed back on President Donald Trump's argument that "the cure cannot be worse . . .  than the problem. " He said the focus of the response has to remain on flattening "the curve" and taking steps to curb the spread of the virus. "We have to take care of the cure.  That will make the problem worse no matter what," he said.  "No matter what.  We know what has to be done. "Biden also took issue with recent comments made by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, focused specifically on fixing the economy and sending Americans back to work amid the crisis. "I don't agree with the notion that somehow it's okay to let the -- let people die and I'm not sure that would happen," Biden told the hosts.  "I heard earlier comments on your show, to make sure the economy is there for our kids.  The whole world is suffering from this.  We have the strongest, most vital, most vibrant economy in the world.  We can bounce back, but we need workers to bounce back. "He added that his main goal is not to "criticize" Trump’s response to the crisis, saying he does not blame him for the outbreak, but added that it is important to call out what he believes are mistruths coming from the White House. "I think there's truth to both sides.  That's why, if you notice what I've been doing, I've not been criticizing the president but I've been pointing out where there's disagreement as to how to proceed," Biden said, adding "The coronavirus is not his fault, but the lack of speed with which to respond to it -- it has to move much faster . . .  as I pointed out, this is not about Democrat or Republican. "Biden also weighed in on the over $1 trillion stimulus package for those impacted by COVID-19 that is currently being negotiated on the Hill.  He said it is "pretty good," and feels both sides are close to an agreement. "The House and the Senate as of 10 minutes before . . .  this program, it looks like they're pretty close to a deal.  It's not everything that I would want, nor that I think the Democrats want, but it's pretty good," he said.  "It has about $1,200 direct checks or payments for folks and . . .  $500 per child. "He added, "We should be focusing on keeping people on the payroll. "Biden’s appearance on the show marks his first on-screen interview since the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on all in-person campaigning -- moving the 2020 race largely to the virtual world. Asked about his only remaining rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen.  Bernie Sanders, Biden said he is not urging him to exit the race -- but did call for unity as the party heads towards a general election matchup with Trump. "I have not had any personal conversations with him.  My staff and his staff have had discussions.  I think it's up to Bernie," he said. "Bernie and I have always gotten along well,” he continued, adding that he is listening to the Vermont senator’s supporters and has spoken with other leading liberals like Sen.  Elizabeth Warren about how to craft a policy platform that appeals to the entire party. Biden, who committed to pick a female running mate during the last presidential campaign, acknowledged that while he has not secured the nomination, he has begun to think about who he would want to serve as his second in command. "There is a short list, meaning somewhere between -- there's about 12-15 women who I think would be qualified to be president tomorrow, but I think we're going to narrow the list down to about 11.  We're going to start vetting soon,” Biden said, but did not give specific names that he felt would "raise expectations. "Biden cited his own relationship with former President Barack Obama as an example of the type of partner he would want in the White House with him, saying he has spoken to Obama about his vice presidential pick. "The lawyers are putting together what will be the nature of the vetting process.  It's got to be thorough, which it should be, and I'm, you know, we're looking at when to start sooner than later,” Biden said. The sudden shift to online campaigning created challenges for Biden’s team, who struggled with initial efforts at virtual events.  He's also faced criticism for being largely absent from the public’s view for the better part of last week, as they "desperately" worked to scale up the infrastructure needed to stay in regular contact with voters and reporters. Biden, joined "The View" remotely from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where his campaign recently constructed what he described as a television studio out of a recreation room, and said that while he is confined to his home, he is staying active. "I start the morning off with an hour and a half briefing with my medical experts on the health circumstances.  They send me all these graphs and lay out exactly what the status of things are," Biden said.  "And then I have an hour and a half meeting with my economic team, former members of the administration and others who are laying out what they think is about to happen and how we should be dealing with it.  I spend time on the phone with our congressional leaders. "The former vice president, who has built a potentially insurmountable delegate lead over Sanders, has been regularly excoriating the government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. During his remarks on Monday, Biden scolded the president for his contentious exchanges with reporters in the White House briefing room, urging him to level with the American people on what steps the government is taking to stem the outbreak. "These briefings are an important opportunity to inform and reassure the American public," Biden said during his roughly 15-minute address.  "They're not a place for political attacks, or to lash out at the press.  They're about the American people. "But as he looks to cast himself in a leadership role opposite Trump ahead of a likely general election matchup, Biden still has to contend with both Sanders’ candidacy and a primary calendar that has largely put voting on hold for the foreseeable future. As of Tuesday, at least 10 states have either postponed their nominating contests or have in some form changed the voting process. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Years old tradition of @MumbaiPolice,  paying respect at Mahim Dargah is viral falsely relating it to politics.  A video clip is viral in which few men in police uniform are seen saluting Pir Makhdoom Ali Mahimi at Mahim Dargah in Mumbai.  Following text is viral with the video – “मुंबई पोलीस ये क्या कर रही है? 😡😡पीर हजरत मकदूम शाह को सलामी. . 👇👇👇
यकीन करिये शिवसेना(शवसेना) अब अपने अंतिम पड़ाव पे है. . 👇👇👇” Translation – “What is Mumbai Police doing ?  Saluting Pir Hazrat Makhdoom Shah.  Believe me, Shivsena (corpse army) is on last stage. ”
    *मुंबई पोलीस ये क्या कर रही है? *😡😡पीर हजरत मकदूम शाह को सलामी….  इनमे सिद्धिविनायक मंदिर को सलामी देने की हिम्मत नहीं है.  जनाब सेना झिंदाबाद.  🙄🙄🙈🙈🤷♂🤦♂🤦♂ pic. twitter. com/24QeacFcg9 — Abhi Athavale🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@athavale_abhi) January 9, 2021    *मुंबई पोलीस ये क्या कर रही है? *😡😡पीर हजरत मकदूम शाह को सलामी. . यह भारतीय संविधान का अपमान है। सेक्युलरिज्म पर हमला है।🙄🙄🙈🙈 pic. twitter. com/2ICcXiQ7GT — अरिहन्त जैन (@JainArihantknp) January 8, 2021    Although the video is real, but this ritual by ‘Mahim‘ Police is decades old, not new and is not related to any party or politics.  “Once a year on Mahimi’s Urs, thousands from around the city, not least the Mumbai police force, come to pay their respects and seek his blessings.  The Mumbai police force has the privilege of laying the first chadar, or decorative tomb covering, of the Urs in Mahimi’s respect.  The Mahim police station, about 200 metres away from the dargah, has been built on the site where Mahimi is said to have lived.  A green steel cupboard in the Senior Inspector’s room is said to contains the saint’s possessions.  During the ten days of the fair held each year to honour Mahimi, the office is thrown open for devotees. ” – The Scroll   Following videos are from years before Shiva Sena came in power –    Times of India –    So it’s the Mahim Police, not entire Mumbai Police, who had been paying respect to the Pir for decades, so it’s not related to any Party or politics.


A video showing a man hitting some of the kids walking in front of him is being shared widely across social media platforms and WhatsApp with a claim that the man is a 'teacher' who is hitting 'Hindu' girls for not wearing a hijab

The video is also being shared with a similar claim, that the 'teacher' hit only those girls who were not wearing a hijab.  A Times Fact Check reader alerted us about this video by sending a message to our Facebook account.  TRUTHThe incident has nothing to do with hijab.  The man hitting the kids, most of them girls, is doing so for not wearing uniform shoes.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYOn watching the video closely, it was found that the man, possibly a teacher, hit kids who were not wearing uniform shoes.  Hereâs an analysis:The first kid who got hit by the âteacherâ was a boy, and he wasnât wearing the uniform shoes: If the man was hitting kids for not wearing hijab, why would he hit a boy?  The second kid who got hit, a girl not wearing the uniform shoes, could be seen trying to hide behind a friend but does not escape the man.  The friend behind whom the girl tries to hide could be seen wearing a headscarf and uniform shoes.  She is not seen getting âpunishedâ.  The third kid who gets hit is also not seen wearing uniform shoes.  The man hits another kid, again one who cannot be seen wearing shoes.  The man could be seen hitting two other kids, both of them seen without shoes.  You can watch the video here.    It is clear from the analysis that the man was hitting kids who were not wearing shoes, and not those who were not wearing a hijab.  It is deplorable that students are meted out with such violent punishments, whatever be the reason.


Seamus, a 9-year-old pit bull mix who had spent more than five years living at a shelter, was adopted by his new family on December 21 -- just in time for Christmas. https://t.co/RQCVt800oC

The Fresno Bully Rescue shared photos of Seamus with his new owners. This adorable rescue cat is going viral for her resemblance to Baby Yoda A dog has finally found his forever home just in time for the holidays. Seamus, a 9-year-old dog who has been cared for at Fresno Bully Rescue in California for five years, was adopted Sunday according to the organization's Facebook. The dark grey and white pit bull mix spent over half of his life with Fresno Bully Rescue and seemed happy to be under his new family's Christmas tree. The Fresno Bully Rescue described Seamus as a "Donut Killer" for his love of the sweet treat. Seamus had some specific needs that included a forever home without kids and no other dogs, according to ABC Fresno station KFSN,24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


The results of a ‘readers’ poll’ by a hitherto unknown website called ‘British Herald’, declaring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the most powerful world leader, are being widely shared on Indian social media.  Among those circulating the poll are BJP leaders and supporters, and a few media outlets, notably Zee News, Republic TV and Aaj Tak. Union Minister Giriraj Singh shared the result, terming PM Modi the “supreme leader” of the country. It’s a matter of pride when the supreme leader of our country becomes the world’s most powerful man Narendra Modi Wins Reader’s Poll for World’s Most Powerful Person 2019 – British Herald https://t. co/LuqgzqjnAy— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) June 21, 2019Zee News referred to British Herald as a “leading British magazine”.  Its story further detailed, “In yet another proof of his image of a global leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been declared as the winner of a reader’s poll for world’s most powerful person 2019 conducted by a leading British magazine. ”PM Narendra Modi wins British Herald reader’s poll for world’s most powerful person 2019https://t. co/Z8Wc6jLXat— Zee News (@ZeeNews) June 21, 2019Alt News decided to find out more about the poll that is being pushed so enthusiastically by sections of the media as a “matter of pride” for all Indians. The ‘cover’ of the magazine featured the Indian Prime Minister was revived during the COVID-19 pandemic to suggest that British Herald declared him the most powerful man based on his handling of the pandemic.
The website www. britishherald. com describes itself as “among the world’s leaders in online news and information delivery. ” It mentions “via Reuters” in its logo banner and carries a wide variety of world news stories. Alt News found that the website is owned by Herald Media Network Limited, a company registered in the UK.
The company was incorporated in April 2018 by an Indian national, Ansif Ashraf.  Ashraf owns 85% of the shares and the rest is owned by four other shareholders.  Apart from Ashraf, the company has another director, Ahamed Shamseer Koliyad Shamsuddeen.  Ansif Ashraf’s Wikipedia page describes him as an Indian businessman from Kerala who is the editor-in-chief of the Cochin Herald and owns British Herald. So, how popular is British Herald which is being projected by Indian media as a leading British magazine? 1.  British Herald has a global Alexa web traffic rank of 28,518, which grew from 95,979 three months ago.  To give a perspective, indiatimes. com has a global Alexa ranking of 190, NDTV has an Alexa ranking of 395.  In terms of traffic, British Herald is nowhere close to ‘leading’. 2.  British Herald Twitter account has less than 4,000 followers.  Contrastingly, Alt News’ Twitter account has more than 120,000 followers.  Leading British media houses such as BBC and The Guardian have millions of followers. 3.  British Herald Facebook page has 57,000 followers.  In comparison, BBC’s Facebook page has 48 million followers and The Guardian’s has 8 million. 4.  British Herald, at the time of writing, doesn’t have a Wikipedia page of its own.  Every leading media organisation has one. 5.  Not a single reputed international publication has carried the news of PM Modi having won a global leader poll by a ‘leading’ British website, only Indian publications did. 6.  In fact, even the results of the poll announced on British Herald’s Twitter account has only been shared around 150 times at the time of writing. Narendra Modi Wins Reader’s Poll For World’s Most Powerful Person 2019@narendramodi@PMOIndiahttps://t. co/QimXPIWBbe— British Herald (@HeraldBritish) June 18, 20197.  Incidentally, British Herald had tweeted an image of the magazine declaring PM Modi the “world’s most powerful person” nearly a month before the voting ended.  This tweet was made on May 23 and barely had 30 retweets at the time of writing. Congratulations @narendramodi for keeping the world’s largest democracy to think and act with unity for the sustainable development.  @BharatiyaJanataParty @AmitShah pic. twitter. com/hJEtjL1dXA— British Herald (@HeraldBritish) May 23, 2019From the above, it is clear that British Herald is not a ‘leading’ British Magazine.  The company that owns British Herald and carried out the poll is incorporated in the UK.  No details of methodology or the sample size of the poll are available, even though the website said that it experienced a sudden surge in traffic during the voting period. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan, called PM Modi’s ‘victory’ a “matter of pride and honour” for 130 crore Indians. https://t. co/22w7aUp7Kx के सर्वे में यशस्वी प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी को विश्व का सबसे ताकतवर राजनेता घोषित किया गया है। यह 130 करोड़ भारतवासियों के लिए गर्व व सम्मान की बात है। प्रधानमंत्री जी को बहुत बधाई व शुभकामनाएं। @PMOIndia @BJP4India @HeraldBritish pic. twitter. com/S3s2eSupSC— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) June 4, 2019The sentiment was echoed by a plethora of BJP leaders.
The same was reported as “a big development” and a moment of pride for the nation by Republic TV. PM Narendra Modi chosen as World’s Most Powerful person of 2019 by British Herald, beats Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and othershttps://t. co/jKjemKB3qn— Republic (@republic) June 21, 2019Several other media outlets also caught with the theatrics.
While chest-thumping about the results by BJP leaders and supporters is par for the course, the role of the media in projecting the results of an unheard website raises eyebrows.  Not one of the outlets that reported the news as a “matter of pride for all Indians” bothered to check the details of the organisation behind the poll. Donate NowFollow @free_thinkerA 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…


Meghalaya: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar arrives at the CBI office in Shillong. He will be questioned here today in connection with Saradha chit fund scam. https://t.co/rT3naYZz6E

Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar reached the CBI office in Shillong on Saturday for questioning in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, days after a standoff between the Mamata Banerjee government and the Centre. Kumar arrived in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Friday for the questioning as per Supreme Court orders that had also made it clear that Kumar cannot be arrested by the CBI. Kumar, who headed a special investigation team that looked into the ponzi case and is accused of destroying evidence to allegedly protect the accused, sent a letter to CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla and offered himself for questioning in Shillong. Also Read | ‘No Jhansi ki Rani, Mamata Banerjee is a demoness’: Giriraj SinghIn an unprecedented turn of events on Sunday night, a CBI team was detained by the Kolkata police after they reached Kumar’s residence in connection with the probe. They were released three hours later after the Union home ministry worked the phones, but the incident led to a standoff between the West Bengal government and the Centre, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee launching a protest and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of plotting a ‘coup’ and using the CBI and government agencies to threaten political opponents.  Read here: All you need to know about the Saradha scamShe called off the protest — which drew the support of several regional party leaders planning a grand alliance against the BJP — 45 hours later on the third day following the Supreme Court’s intervention. The CBI has meanwhile dispatched a team of 10 officers to the Bengal capital to help the local unit headed by joint director Pankaj Srivastava to probe chit fund scam cases in the state. The officers have been put at the disposal of Srivasatva, who is leading the CBI probe into chit fund scams, and will remain there till February 20.


New research suggests Black Lives Matter protests across the US have not led to a jump in coronavirus cases https://t.co/XEc4VQpkdF

The U. S.  death toll currently stands at 121,969. Florida hits 1-day record for new COVID-19 casesAs coronavirus cases continue to climb across the country, a new forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U. S.  could soon see 150,000 fatalities. The number of confirmed cases in the U. S.  currently stands at 121,969 with 2. 38 million confirmed cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There have been over 482,000 deaths globally. This story will be updated with the latest coronavirus news.  Please refresh for the newest information. Dozens of U. S.  Secret Service agents are now in self-quarantine after President Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa over the weekend, according to a report in The Washington Post. A source familiar with the matter told ABC News that the number of Secret Service personnel who are self-quarantining for 14 days is in the "low dozens. "To put that number in context, the Secret Service employs approximately 3,200 special agents, 1,300 uniformed division officers and 2,000 support personnel. ABC News previously reported two Secret Service members were among the six Trump staffers to test positive before the rally.  Two other staffers later tested positive in conjunction with the president's return to the campaign trail. The USSS said the self-quarantined members would not affect operational capacity. "The U. S.  Secret Service remains prepared and staffed to fulfill all of the various duties as required," USSS Director of Communications Catherine Milhoan said in a statement.  "Any implication that the agency is in some way unprepared or incapable of executing our mission would be inaccurate. ""To protect the privacy of our employees’ health information and for operational security, the Secret Service is not releasing how many of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, nor how many of its employees were, or currently are, quarantined," the statement added. Many health officials, including coronavirus task force member Dr.  Anthony Fauci, had warned Trump against holding the rally due to COVID-19 fears. In response to questions about the sick agents, White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement, "The President takes the health and safety of everyone traveling in support of himself and all White House operations very seriously.  When preparing for and carrying out any travel, White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office, to ensure plans incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible. "As Southern California deals with a concerning increase in coronavirus cases, Disneyland is delaying its planned reopening. Disneyland had previously announced it would reopen on July 17, pending government approval.  But the state now says it will not offer guidelines for theme parks to reopen until July 4. "Given the time required for us to bring thousands of cast members back to work and restart our business, we have no choice but to delay the reopening of our theme parks and resort hotels until we receive approval from government officials," the park said in a statement.  "Once we have a clearer understanding of when guidelines will be released, we expect to be able to communicate a reopening date. "The Downtown Disney District will still reopen on July 9 as previously planned. Orange County, which includes Anaheim, has seen over 11,000 confirmed cases, while nearby Los Angeles County has more cases than any other county in the nation. Nevada Gov.  Steve Sisolak issued a mandate for everyone in the state to wear masks or facial coverings in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. "I know Nevadans are worried not only about their health but also about their jobs and commerce," Sisolak tweeted.  "They keep asking, 'What can I do to help? ' You can do this.  Everyone can.  This simple act is this is not only a way for us to save lives, but a way for us to save the Nevada economy. "After test positivity rates dropped steadily through May and early June, rates are now creeping up again.  The number reached a low of 5. 2%, but has been up seven of the last eight days and now sits at 5. 7% of tests coming back positive, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. "I don’t want to have to take steps backward by imposing stronger restrictions on those identified as high risk if I don’t have to -- and the best way to prevent that is to not let a business type or industry become high risk in the first place.  It's on all of us, Nevada," Sisolak wrote. "That’s why, today, I signed a directive with a new requirement for Nevadans and visitors to wear a cover their nose and mouth with a mask or face covering, when in public space, whether publicly or privately owned," he added. The directive goes into effect on Friday. So far, there have been 14,362 confirmed cases and 494 deaths in Nevada, according to the state. The number of cases reported the previous day in Texas was 5,551, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.  The total is a new one-day record for the state. The previous one-day high was 5,489 -- recorded Tuesday. The state also recorded its highest number of tests -- both viral and antibody tests -- at over 40,000.  However, the percentage of positive tests hit a high of 10. 42%, a steady climb from one week ago (6. 94%). There have been over 125,000 cases in the state so far, and at least 2,249 deaths. In the CDC's weekly "ensemble forecast," an average of predictions from 20 different models, the organization said that the U. S.  death toll will likely be between 130,000 and 150,000 by July 18. The U. S.  death toll currently stands at 121,746. Forecasts indicate that the number of new deaths will likely surpass the number of deaths reported over the last several weeks in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. In all other states, the number of new fatalities is expected to stay steady or slightly decrease. In California, COVID-19 cases saw a stunning 69% jump in just two days, Gov.  Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. On Sunday, California reported 4,230 new cases, on Monday there were 5,019 new cases and on Tuesday cases increased by 7,149, Newsom said. And as the state increases testing, residents should anticipate more of an increase in the positivity rate, the governor warned. Hospitalization numbers have increased and 30% of ICU capacity statewide is being used, he said. Newsom urged Californians to wear masks and practice social distancing, stressing that the state is still in the first wave of the virus. Los Angeles County has more cases of coronavirus than any other county in the U. S. LA has over 88,500 residents diagnosed with COVID-19, followed by 87,700 cases in Cook County, Illinois, and 64,000 cases in Queens in New York City. In comparison, the entire state of Florida had 109,000 cases as of Wednesday. LA County has about 10 million residents while Florida's population stands at roughly 21. 4 million. But Florida is also seeing a major increase.  The state's Department of Health reported 5,511 news cases Wednesday, representing a 15. 91% positivity rate out of 36,300 tests conducted Tuesday -- the highest percentage positive in the last calendar month and almost one-third higher than one day earlier. Florida Gov.  Ron DeSantis on Wednesday blamed rapid transmission in the 18 to 35 age group for the new rise in daily cases. On Monday, the director of LA County's Department of Public Health, Dr.  Barbara Ferrer, revealed that she's received death threats due to the pandemic. Ferrer said she was holding a COVID-19 briefing on Facebook Live in May "when someone very casually suggested that I should be shot. ""I didn’t immediately see the message, but my husband did, my children did, and so did my colleagues," Ferrer said in a statement. "One reason I handle these briefings myself is to shield the extraordinary team at L. A.  County Public Health from these attacks which have been going on, via emails, public postings, and letters -- since March," she continued.  "It is deeply worrisome to imagine that our hardworking infectious disease physicians, nurses, epidemiologists and environmental health specialists or any of our other team members would have to face this level of hatred. ""Our job and our calling is to keep as many people as safe as possible during this pandemic," Ferrer said.  "While frustration boils over in our communities as people are done with this virus, this virus is not done with us. "In Los Angeles' fight against the virus, Los Angeles International Airport is implementing thermal camera technology and city officials are bringing mobile testing to about 25,000 people at 15 Los Angeles public housing developments. LA County is continuing to reopen in phases.  Among the open facilities are bars, wineries, public pools, beaches and piers, day camps, gyms and museums. Concert venues, nightclubs, youth sports leagues and movie theaters are among the businesses still closed. ABC News' Jack Date, Scott Withers, Ben Gittleson, Gina Sunseri, Marilyn Heck and Bonnie McLean contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Mortal remains of Goa CM #ManoharParrikar brought to BJP office in Panaji, Goa. Union Minister @nitin_gadkari arrives to pay his last respects.

(News agency ANI)

For more updates: https://t.co/SMvOq6JOtV https://t.co/qMFDw8ls76

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar died at his residence in Panaji on Sunday, prompting the Centre to announce a national mourning even as tributes flowed in from across the political spectrum for the 63-year-old former defence minister who was widely considered the tallest BJP leader from the state.  Also Watch: PM Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala pay homage to Manohar Parrikar in Goa Announcement of new Goa chief minister soon, says Amit Shah“BJP lost a great leader after death of Manohar Parrikar.  I have paid last respects to Manohar Parrikar.  The BJP is with the family of Parrikar.  The BJP leaders are discussing over the future course of action and the new chief minister of Goa will be announced soon,” said BJP chief Amit Shah. Thousands bid emotional farwell as Parrikar’s son Utpal lights funeral pyreThousands bid emotional farewell to Manohar Parrikar as his son Utpal lit the funeral pyre. Thousands of supporters and BJP workers accompanied the funeral cortege from the Kala Academy Arts and Cultural Centre, where the remains had been kept throughout the day for the public to pay last respects to the nearby Miramar beach. The mortal remains of Parrikar, wrapped in the national tri-colour, were placed on a pyre amid gun salutes at the beach and his elder son Utpal Parrikar consigned it to flames. Manohar Parrikar cremated with military honours, gun saluteManohar Parrikar was cremated with full military honours.  He was accorded with gun salute. US envoy to India condoles Parrikar’s deathUnited States Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, on Monday condoled the demise of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the family and friends of Manohar Parrikar, Goa Chief Minister and former Indian Defence Minister.  He was greatly respected by the United States, and his loss will be deeply felt,” Juster tweeted. Parrikar’s funeral cortege reaches Miramar beach for final rites amid chants of ‘Manohar Parrikar amar rahe’Parrikar’s funeral cortege has reached Miramar beach for the final rites amid chants of ‘Manohar Parrikar amar rahe’. US, Russia condole Parrikar’s deathUnited States Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, on Monday condoled the demise of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the family and friends of Manohar Parrikar, Goa Chief Minister and former Indian Defence Minister.  He was greatly respected by the United States, and his loss will be deeply felt,” Juster tweeted. Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev also expressed his deepest condolences to Parrikar’s family.  “Your party and India have lost a charismatic leader, an eminent politician and a statesman of perfect integrity, whose role in political and social life was significant and inspiring.  In his capacity as Defence Minister, he contributed greatly to the development of the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation between our two countries and will be remembered in Russia as a true friend,” Kudashev wrote.  Russian Embassy in India tweeted, “#Russian Ambassador to #India H. E.  Mr Nikolay #Kudashev expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Chief Minister of #Goa H. E.  Mr Manohar #Parrikar, who passed away yesterday. ” Thousands in cortege to bid him farewellAs Parrikar’s funeral procession began, thousand of common folk were in cortege to bid him farewell. Manohar Parrikar to be accorded a state funeralManohar Parrikar would be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, according to the home ministry.  The central government has announced a national mourning on MondayParrikar’s last rites will be performed at 5 pmHis last rites will be performed at 5 pm at the Miramar beach in Panaji, next to the memorial of Goa’s first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar, who was also cremated there, a state BJP spokesperson said. Haryana declares one-day state mourning as a mark of respect to ParrikarThe Haryana government declared a one-day state mourning on Monday as a mark of respect to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday. “The State government has decided to observe a one-day state mourning as a mark of respect to the departed dignitary.  The national flag will fly at half-mast on March 18,” an order issued by Haryana Chief Secretary’s office said. Thousands line up Goa streets to bid goodbye to Manohar ParrikarThe affection and popularity he enjoyed from ordinary Goans was on display as thousands of common folks, and his party workers lined up to pay tributes to Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who died Sunday after prolonged illness. Sad that Cong playing politics after Parrikar’s death: BJP leader“It is so sad that Congress party is finding this as an opportune moment to play politics in Goa.  We all can wait for the politics but right now, here is a person whom not only his friends, followers and colleagues but also the adversaries always respected and liked as an individual,” Madhav said while reacting on the demise of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Smriti Irani gets emotional as she pays last respects to ParrikarUnion minister Smriti Irani gets emotional as she pays last respects to Manohar Parrikar in Panaji. Panaji: Union Minister Smriti Irani gets emotional as she pays last respects to Goa CM #ManoharParrikar.  pic. twitter. com/NOOucOU8iOGoa cancels Shigmo festivitiesThe department of tourism, Goa, has cancelled Shigmo festivities scheduled between March 21 and 24 as a mark of respect and observance of state mourning following the death of Manohar Parrikar.  Shigmo is an annual spring festival celebrated in Goa with public parades and festivities. PM Modi meets Parrikar’s family membersPrime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Goa Governor Mridula Sinha meet family members of Manohar Parrikar, in Panaji. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Governor Mridula Sinha meet family of Goa CM #ManoharParrikar, in Panaji.  pic. twitter. com/X11DkUJofUPM Modi pays last respects to ParrikarPrime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman pay last respects to Manohar Parrikar.  Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pay last respects to Goa CM #ManoharParrikar pic. twitter. com/aNUC7nEJPmRahul Gandhi observes two-minute silence at public rallyCongress president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders observe two-minute silence at a public rally in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi to pay last respects to Manohar Parrikar. Karnataka: Congress President Rahul Gandhi and party leaders observe two-minute silence at party's public rally in Kalaburagi, to pay last respects to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar pic. twitter. com/QbLS5ls3xnCongress stakes claim to form govt in Goa“We met the Governor and staked claim to form the government as we are the single largest party in Goa.  We have 14 MLAs and we should be given the chance to form the government.  We have told that we will prove majority,” Chandrakant Kavlekar, CongressMGP refuses to comment on swearing in“I can’t say anything about the swearing in because we have a meeting of the executive committee.  Unless there is a decision there, we cannot give letters of support to them (BJP),” says MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar. Congress leaders meet Goa Governor Mridula SinhaMGP leaders huddle in a meetingWe will have a meeting of the executive committee of MGP now to see how to go forward.  Until that happens, I cannot confirm anything: MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar. Swearing in of new Goa CM today itself: State BJP chiefAs of now nothing is finalised (regarding CM candidate).  Things should become clearer by 2pm.  The swearing in will happen today itself, probably after 3pm: BJP Goa state president Vinay Tendulkar.  He doesn’t say who will be sworn in. Goa Archbishop pays last respects to Manohar ParrikarGoa Archbishop Filipe Néri Ferrão pays his last respects to Manohar Parrikar at Kala Academy, Panaji. Jayant Sinha offers condolences to Manohar ParrikarUnion minister Jayant Sinha offers condolences to Manohar Parrikar who passed away last evening. भाजपा मुख्यालय में श्रद्धेय मनोहर पार्रिकर जी को श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित की।मनोहर जी द्वारा देशहित में किए गए कार्य देशवासियों के लिये प्रेरणा हैं।उनका जाना राष्ट्र के लिए अपूर्णीय क्षति है। मेरी ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि वे दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने चरणों में उच्च स्थान दें। ॐ शांति!  pic. twitter. com/4FWw0YfyFDCongress MLAs in Goa reach Raj BhavanCongress MLAs in Goa reach Raj Bhavan to try for an audience with the Governor. MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar meets Nitin Gadkari againMGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar meets Nitin Gadkari again.  There may be yet another attempt to arrive at a consensus for the CM’s candidate. Congress MLAs to go to Raj BhavanCongress MLAs in Goa to go to Raj Bhavan a short while from now to try for an audience with the Governor. Shatrughan Sinha expresses condolencesWords will never be able to condole the death of a true nationalist, rare leader & extraordinary administrator, CM, Goa & former Defence Minister, Shri.  Manohar Parrikar #manoharparrikar.  He was a kind, charismatic personality, with an approachable nature which helped empower the state to achieve remarkable development & progress.  His greatest contribution to the Indian military establishment was the one rank, one pension scheme (OROP).  The BJP stalwart fought his aliment courageously with dignity working till the end.  His exemplary service to the nation will never be forgotten: Shatrughan Sinha says in a series of tweets. WATCH: Political leaders condole Manohar Parrikar’s demise‘Definitely, BJP MLA should lead Goa’Definitely, one among the 12 of us BJP MLAs should lead Goa, it is but obvious: BJP MLA Glenn Ticlo tells ANI in Panaji. Indian national flag at half mast at Rashtrapati BhavanThe Indian national flag has been hoisted at half mast at Rashtrapati Bhavan as a mark of respect to Manohar Parrikar who passed away last evening. Union cabinet observes two minutes silenceUnion cabinet condoles demise of Manohar Parrikar , observes two minutes silence. People gather to pay last respects to ParrikarPeople gather at the BJP office in Panaji to pay last respects to late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Goa: People gather at BJP office in Panaji to pay last respects to late Goa CM #ManoharParrikar pic. twitter. com/2jQpNMG60RGoa heading towards ‘suspended animation’Goa heading towards ‘suspended animation’ as consensus eludes ruling BJP dispensation on Manohar Parrikar’s successor. Parrikar to be accorded state funeral with full military honoursManohar Parrikar to be accorded state funeral with full military honours, according to the home ministry, reports news agency PTI. PM Modi to pay last respects to Manohar ParrikarPM Narendra Modi to leave for Goa to pay last respects to Manohar Parrikar who passed away last evening. Nitin Gadkari arrives to pay last respects to ParrikarMortal remains of Manohar Parrikar brought to BJP office in Panaji.  Union Minister Nitin Gadkari arrives to pay last respects to him. Parrikar’s mortal remains brought to BJP office in PanajiMortal remains of Manohar Parrikar brought to BJP office in Panaji. Goa: Visuals from BJP office in Panaji.  Mortal remains of Goa CM #ManoharParrikar will be brought here for people to pay last respects to him.  pic. twitter. com/zSHGEZqwBuParrikar’s mortal remains being taken to BJP office in PanajiMortal remains of Manohar Parrikar being taken to BJP office from his residence, in Panaji. Goa: Mortal remains of Goa CM #ManoharParrikar being taken to BJP office from his residence, in Panaji.  pic. twitter. com/Ksr8afYDNaVisuals from outside Parrikar’s residence in PanajiVisuals from outside the residence of #ManoharParrikar in Panaji, Goa.  pic. twitter. com/5M6lzmaVWvMGP leader demands CM’s chairBJP MLA Michael Lobo said that MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar demanded that he be made the chief minister, which has not found favour with the BJP as well as Goa Forward Party MLAs and independents. Nitin Gadkari in hectic parleys with alliance partnersThe BJP’s central leadership dispatched a team comprising Union minister Nitin Gadkari who held discussions with BJP MLAs as well as leaders of alliance partners — the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party — and independents. Deadlock over Goa CM candidate continuesDespite extensive discussions that continued late into the night on Sunday, the BJP failed to break the deadlock over who should fill the shoes of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar who passed away last evening.


President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic is "as dangerous as it sounds," Bill Gates has said https://t.co/SRJNGSRZsn

Their foundation is giving additional funding to battle COVID-19. David Muir Exclusive with Bill and Melinda Gates on CoronavirusIn an exclusive interview, Bill Gates told ABC News anchor David Muir that he did not agree with President Trump's move to halt U. S.  funding to the World Health Organization. "I'm hopeful that he doesn't follow through on that because we need their support.  This is a global problem.  They are the institution that, you know, brings nations together and make sure that, you know, that were sharing best practices between all of those countries," said Gates, who spoke to Muir along with wife Melinda Gates on Wednesday. "There'll be plenty of time to look back and see which countries did things well, which didn’t, where should WHO have done things differently, but we're very supportive of the role WHO plays," Gates said.  "You know, they're the ones who helped eradicate smallpox.  They, you know, see what's going on globally.  And so I hope that doesn't actually happen. "On Tuesday, Trump said he was halting funding to the World Health Organization and accused the United Nations agency of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the novel coronavirus" by "parrot(ing)" Chinese government data and not "call(ing) out China's lack of transparency. "His decision has been criticized by lawmakers who challenge its legality, public health experts who say it undermines the global fight against COVID-19, critics who argue Trump is searching for a scapegoat after he was slow to act and similarly praised China's initial response, and even the U. S.  Chamber of Commerce, a conservative business lobby, which said the timing is wrong. Bill Gates said that he and Melinda Gates had tweeted their support for the WHO. Tune into ABC at 1 p. m.  ET and ABC News Live at 4 p. m.  ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. "I think it's worth saying, we've been working with the WHO for over 20 years as a foundation.  And no institution is perfect, but it's the global response that's going to get us through this, and WHO was created after World War II to deal with exactly these kinds of issues around the world.  So halting funding right now, that just doesn't make any sense," Melinda Gates told Muir, the anchor of "World News Tonight. "On Wednesday, the Gates Foundation announced that it would be expanding its funding for the global response to COVID-19 with an additional $150 million of grant funding, raising the foundation's commitment to fighting the pandemic to more than $250 million. "This new $150 million that we are announcing is really to help low- and middle-income countries, because we're watching the spread of the disease around the world," Melinda Gates told Muir.  "We need to shore up their health system so they have the protective gear for their health care workers. "According to the news release, funding was also intended to "support development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines; help strengthen African and South Asian health systems; and help mitigate the social and economic impacts of the virus. "The foundation said it was calling on "world leaders to unite in a global response to COVID-19 to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines" and that it would work with national governments and groups like WHO, UNICEF and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Melinda Gates said that there was still a lot of science that researchers around the world needed to do, but that Americans could do their part in fighting the virus and its spread by protecting the most vulnerable at this time. "Our health is our most important thing.  . . .  We have to protect our health while we slowly go back to the economic opportunities that we all have, and we're going to have to take care of families who, you know, their business has gone under, they've lost their job, or they’re still struggling to put a meal on the table after the economy starts to slowly open up," Melinda Gates said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, arrives in New Delhi. He is scheduled to attend PM @narendramodi's oath ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

Read more here: https://t.co/pwHLNqbIt2

(Source: ANI) https://t.co/vDdquovgRT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Cabinet will be sworn in at 7 pm on Thursday in a glittering ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.  President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office to the prime minister and his Council of Ministers.  A number of foreign delegates from neighbouring countries will also be attending the event.  With a total of 8,000 guests in attendance, the swearing in ceremony on May 30 is slated to be the biggest ever event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.  The programme will be held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.  In 2014, the event had been attended by about 5,000 guests. Leaders of SAARC nations like Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Bhutan’s prime minister Lotay Tshering have confirmed their participation at the event.  Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will also be present to wish his Indian counterpart. Follow  Live updates hereCongress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will attend the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.  Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has also confirmed his participation, accompanied by his wife Rashmi and son Aditya.  The chief ministers of all states have been extended invitations to the programme.  However, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel will not attend.  West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee too has turned down the invitation after having accepted initially.  Sports icons Rahul Dravid, Saina Nehwal, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh, former athlete PT Usha, badminton coach Pulella Gopichand and gymnast Dipa Karmakar have been invited to the event and are likely to be part of the gathering.  Industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and Gautam Adani are also among those invited. Bollywood personalities Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajnikanth and Kangana Ranaut are also expected to participate in the mega event.


Union Min&BJP leader P Goyal in Alleppey: Their(Congress) party pres has run away from Amethi as Smriti Irani ji is going to defeat Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.But ppl of Kerala are smart;they don't want discarded material.I'm sure even from Wayanad,#Kerala ppl will defeat him.(17.04) https://t.co/H60opknbpm

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala apart from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Announcing the decision at a news conference at the party headquarters in Delhi on Sunday, senior Congress leader AK Antony said Rahul Gandhi has accepted the demands of thousands of workers from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to contest from a second seat in south India. “There were many considerations while selecting Wayanad and the foremost one was that it is a tri-junction and borders both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,” he said.  (Click for live updates)Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “While Amethi remains the karmabhoomi of Rahul Gandhi, he has respected the sentiments of the thousands of workers from south India by accepting to contest from Wayanad in Kerala. ”Wayanad, a rural district, has been a Congress stronghold.  The constituency was carved out from Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur during the restructuring of constituencies in 2008. The ruling Left Democratic Front has fielded CPI’s PP Suneer and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has left the seat for BDJS (Bhartiya Dharma Jana Sangam, an outfit being floated by backward Ezhava community).  CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran had earlier said there was no question of withdrawing the party candidate. Pressure had been building up on Rahul Gandhi to contest from south India apart from Amethi to boost the morale of the cadre with leaders from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala urging him to select a second seat of his choice in their respective states.  Also read:12 things to know about Kerala’s Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi’s second seatThe Congress boss was given the option of Bangalore Central, Bidar and Mysore from Karnataka, Kanyakumari and Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in Kerala. With this decision, Rahul Gandhi becomes the third member of the Gandhi family to select a second seat from south India.  Prior to him, his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikmagalur in Karnataka in 1978 while his mother and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi fought from Bellary in the same state in 1998. Indira Gandhi had contested the Lok Sabha by-elections from Chikmagalur in 1978, a year after she was defeated by Raj Narain of Janata Party from Rae Bareli post the Emergency. One of her loyalists, DB Chandre Gowda, had vacated the seat for her.  The former Prime Minister defeated former chief minister and Janata Party candidate Veerendra Patil by a margin of more than 77,000 votes. It was a turning point in Indira Gandhi’s career and the victory gave her a political rebirth and two years later she swept back to power in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections, with the Congress winning 353 seats. However, she contested from Rae Bareli this time and defeated the opposition candidate Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia and once again assumed the office of the Prime Minister. Also read: ‘Just file nominations,’ elated Congress workers certain of Rahul Gandhi’s victory from WayanadFollowing the footsteps of her mother-in-law soon after joining the politics, Sonia Gandhi contested the 1999 Lok Sabha elections from two seats – Bellary in Karnataka and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. She defeated BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj from Bellary and Sanjay Singh from Amethi.  Sonia Gandhi, however, chose to represent Amethi and gave up Bellary. Out of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats, 130 are in south India with 39 in Tamil Nadu, 28 in Karnataka, 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 20 in Kerala, 17 in Telangana and one in Puducherry. While Congress has substantial presence in Karnataka and Kerala, it is in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) but is weak in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the past several weeks, Kerala unit chief Mullapally Ramachandran, former chief minister Oommen Chandy and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala had urged Rahul Gandhi to contest from their state. Similarly, Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao and former chief minister Siddaramaiah had formally invited Rahul Gandhi to contest from Karnataka. From Tamil Nadu, state Congress chief KS Alagiri and senior leader Manickam Tagore, had made similar requests to Rahul Gandhi, saying he was first proposed as the next Prime Minister by DMK chief MK Stalin.


Personal Protective Equipment designed&produced by Indian Navy has been tested by Institute of Nuclear Medicine &Allied Sciences Delhi, a DRDO organization tasked with testing&certification of PPE. It is now certified to be mass-produced&used in clinical #COVID19 situations: Navy https://t.co/7TbD0AkvoT

In its latest contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), the Indian Navy is ready to help the industry mass-produce personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, with a top testing agency approving the equipment designed and developed by it, a navy spokesperson said on Thursday. The navy’s PPE kits have been tested and approved by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), which is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.  The PPE has been certified to be mass produced and used in clinical Covid-19 situations, he said. “Shortage of PPE during the ongoing Covid-19pandemic is of serious concern as it imperils the well-being and availability of the healthcare workforce, apart from adversely impacting their security and morale…The Indian Navy has risen to this challenge of making available this critical resource in the fight against Covid-19,” navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. A team formed by the Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine, Mumbai and the Naval Dockyard Mumbai collaborated to design the PPE. The cost of the PPE is significantly lower than those commercially available and can be produced by basic gown manufacturing units, he said. “The PPE passed with 6/6 synthetic blood penetration resistance test pressure.  (Government mandates minimum 3/6 and above level as per ISO 16603 standard),” the official said. Three weeks ago, the DRDO shifted a key testing facility for carrying out quality checks on PPE from Gwalior to New Delhi to cut down delays and ensure faster delivery of the safety gear to healthcare workers. At a time when the country is facing a shortage of PPE kits, the testing facility was shifted from Gwalior-based Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE) to the Delhi-based INMAS.


‘Jai Shri Ram’: @ArvindKejriwal wishes the country ahead of #Ayodhya event

https://t.co/ZsydSjGfmA https://t.co/nKuNSjzxKb

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday congratulated the entire country for the groundbreaking ceremony in Ayodhya where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for a Ram temple. “Congratulations to the entire country on the occasion of Bhoomi Pujan.  May we continue receving Lord Ram’s blessings.  His blessings will help India end hunger and poverty and become the most powerful country in the world.  May India show the path to the world in the future.  Jai Shri Ram!  Jai Bajrang Bali! ” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.  भूमि पूजन के मौक़े पर पूरे देश को बधाईभगवान राम का आशीर्वाद हम पर बना रहे। उनके आशीर्वाद से हमारे देश को भुखमरी, अशिक्षा और ग़रीबी से मुक्ति मिले और भारत दुनिया का सबसे शक्तिशाली राष्ट्र बने। आने वाले समय में भारत दुनिया को दिशा दे। जय श्री राम!  जय बजरंग बली! The grounbreaking ceremony will begin after 12 pm on Wednesday. “It’s an emotional and historic moment.  Wait has been worthwhile,” veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani, who was at the forefront of the party’s temple campaign in 1990s, said on Tuesday. Only 175 people, including 135 saits, have been invited for the ceremony where PM Modi will lay a 40-kilogramme silver brick to symbolise the start of construction of the Ram temple. Construction of the temple was made possible by a verdict last year from the Supreme Court. Barricades have been put up across the town with heavy police presence, as authorities try to limit the number of visitors to maintain social distancing in the wake of Covid-19.  At least two priests in the area and four policemen have tested positive for the coronavirus disease. The grand affair will be beamed onto large screens in Ayodhya as well as many cities across the country.  Devotees have also been asked to light diyas (earthen lamps). Soil from almost 2,000 holy sites around India and water of around 100 holy rivers will be used in the foundation.


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

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


The President of Azerbaijan was caught on camera touching a woman’s back. He had apparently forgotten to switch off the camera after a video chat.

A video circulating on social media shows an aged man touching a woman’s back, with netizens claiming he is the President of Azerbaijan who apparently forgot to switch off his camera after a video chat. The video shows the man facing the camera when a woman enters the room.  As she bends to get something, the man turns and touches her back.  Several Facebook users have posted the video with the caption, “Azerbaijan President forgot to Exit Zoom meeting”. Some Facebook users also claim the man is the Prime minister of Azerbaijan. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the man is neither the President nor the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan.  He is a former MP of the country and university professor Huseynbala Miralamov, who was fired from both the university and the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) after the video leaked on social media last month. Using keyword search, we found media reports from Azerbaijan related to the viral video.  As per these reports, the man is Huseynbala Miralamov, a former MP of the country and university teacher. Miralamov was the head of ‘Oil and Gas Transportation and Storage’ department at the Faculty of Gas and Petroleum Engineering, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University.  After the video went viral last month, he was dismissed from his post and also expelled from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP). In an interview to a local website, Miralamov said the incident happened during a university conference, and alleged that certain people leaked the video to blackmail him. The President of Azerbaijan is Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister is Ali Asadov.  There is no recent media report of either of them being embroiled in a video leak controversy involving a woman. Hence, the Facebook posts claiming that the man touching a woman in the viral video is the President of Azerbaijan are misleading.  The man is a former MP of the country. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.