Former White House national security adviser John Bolton called President Donald Trump "naive and dangerous," in an interview that aired Sunday, adding that he hopes his former boss will be remembered as a one-term president. https://t.co/43fWNm5lzx

Here are the many headlines from ABC's interview with Trump's former top aide. ‘Trump should not be president,' John Bolton saysPresident Donald Trump's longest-serving national security adviser John Bolton condemned his presidency as dangerously damaging to the United States and argued the 2020 election is the last "guardrail" to protect the country from him. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Bolton offered a brutal indictment of his former boss, saying, "I hope (history) will remember him as a one-term president who didn't plunge the country irretrievably into a downward spiral we can't recall from.  We can get over one term -- I have absolute confidence, even if it's not the miracle of a conservative Republican being elected in November.  Two terms, I'm more troubled about. "In the interview with ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz and in his new book, "The Room Where It Happened," Bolton paints Trump as "stunningly uninformed," making "erratic" and "irrational" decisions, unable to separate his personal and political interests from the country's, and marked and manipulated by foreign adversaries. "I don't think he's a conservative Republican.  I'm not going to vote for him in November -- certainly not going to vote for Joe Biden either.  I'm going to figure out a conservative Republican to vote in," he told Raddatz. Since excerpts of the book -- out June 23 -- leaked, Bolton has faced a tsunami of criticism both from Trump and his allies, for betraying his trust, and from Trump's critics, for coming out against the president now when he refused to testify before the House impeachment hearings and stayed silent with Trump on trial in the Senate. Trump himself has blasted Bolton as a "wacko" and "liar," while accusing him of revealing classified information and attacking him personally: "Everybody in the White House hated John Bolton. " Those comments contradict what Trump said just months ago after Bolton left the administration, telling reporters in November, "I like John Bolton.  I always got along with him. "In his interview, Bolton predicted Trump's response would be "volcanic," countering, "It's typical of the Trump administration that when faced with criticism, they don't deal with the substance of the criticism, they attack the person, which I fully expect and doesn't surprise me. ""The president isn't worried about foreign governments reading this book.  He's worried about the American people reading this book," Bolton added, saying he was "very conscious" to avoid including classified information, but, "The people of the country need to hear the reality. "A federal judge ruled Saturday that while Bolton's book can be released, publishing it without formal clearance from the White House "has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability. "Pressed by Raddatz on his own support for Trump, Bolton called it a "mistake. ""I overrated the chances to make this into a coherent, rational, systematic, decision-making process, to advance American interests.  . . .  That turned out not to be right," he said, adding that he stayed for 17 months "because the stakes are so high that I thought I could continue to make a contribution. "The critics have not been swayed by Bolton's explanation for why he stayed silent for months, until his book was ready for release.  Last fall after resigning -- Trump said he was fired -- he rejected a request to testify before the House and said he would testify only if a judge ordered him to obey a subpoena.  The House declined to issue the subpoena to avoid a legal battle.  Bolton later said he would obey a subpoena if one was issued by the Senate, but the Republican-controlled Senate did not issue one. Bolton now said his testimony wouldn't have mattered, while also accusing House Democrats of "impeachment malpractice" for not taking their time and widening their inquiry's scope to include potentially impeachable offenses that Bolton only alleges publicly for the first time in his book. "I didn't think the Democrats had the wit or the political understanding or the reach to change what, for them, was an exercise in arousing their own base, so that they could say, 'We impeached Donald Trump,'" he said, adding "that conduct (is) almost as bad and somewhat equivalent to Trump. "Bolton told Raddatz he now has "an obligation to let the American people know what it's like in the White House and what their leader is doing. "But pressed about what public obligation he had at the time, he again turned to how the probe was initially conducted. "It's not my obligation to help the Democrats out of their own problem.  My judgment was that I was prepared to testify.  But I think now this is actually a better time to tell the story because now the American people can look at it in the context of the most important political decision we make as a nation every four years," he said. The Republican-controlled Senate ultimately voted not to call any witnesses to testify in Trump's trial, but Bolton now argues it wouldn't have made a difference. "Minds were made up on Capitol Hill, and my feeling was in the midst of all the chaos that had been created, this would have come and gone, and nobody would have paid any attention to it," he said. While congressional Republicans have had a muted response to Bolton's allegations, his account might have moved the needle.  Bolton is the first witness to come forward alleging that Trump directly told him that he was tying Ukrainian investigations into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, to his hold on nearly $400 million of U. S.  security assistance to Ukraine, which is battling Russian-led separatists in its eastern provinces. In fact, Bolton's claims countered many of the legal defenses put forward by Trump's lawyers and Republicans, including that Trump never connected the investigations and the assistance, that Trump instead cared about combating corruption in the country and that the Ukrainians never knew about the connection. "The defense of the president was, he cares about the general corruption in the Ukraine, and that was on his mind -- that's utter nonsense," Bolton told ABC News, adding the Ukrainian government "fully understood" the connection. "He was bargaining to get the investigation, using the resources of the federal government, which I found very disturbing," Bolton said. He heard it from Trump himself on Aug.  20, he claimed, when Trump "directly linked the provision of that assistance with the investigation. "Trump has denied that, tweeting in January, "I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. "Bolton said Trump is lying, "and it's not the first time either. "According to Bolton, that connection was "widely understood at senior levels in the government," too, including the White House, State Department, Pentagon and Department of Justice. Specifically, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Attorney General Bill Barr were all aware and equally "alarmed" as he, according to Bolton, who also said he had conversations about the legality of it with the White House counsel's office and Barr -- something Barr's spokesperson has denied. Bolton said they all were actively working to convince Trump to separate the aid from any Ukrainian probe. "People in the aftermath, in light of the impeachment investigation thought that those of us like Pompeo and Esper and myself should have been sort of junior woodchuck FBI agents looking for evidence of impeachable offenses.  What we were all trying to do was get the assistance released to the Ukraine because it was in America's interests to do so. "While the aid to Ukraine was ultimately released, Bolton said Trump's actions there were part of a larger "pattern" of behavior where he put his personal relationships and political interests above the country's national security priorities. "When it comes to reelection, his attention span was infinite, and his focus was very direct.  It's just too bad there wasn't more of that when it came to national security," Bolton told ABC News. He cited specific examples of strongmen leaders who had "mastered the art of ringing (Trump's) bells," including Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. According to Bolton, Erdogan asked Trump to intervene on behalf of Halkbank, a Turkish state-run bank that faced possible criminal charges for violating U. S.  sanctions against Iran and was said to operate like a slush fund for Erdogan's family. "And the president said to Erdogan at one point, 'Look, those prosecutors in New York are Obama people.  Wait till I get my people in and then we'll take care of this,'" Bolton said. "I've never heard any president say anything like that.  Ever," Bolton added.  "It did feel like obstruction of justice to me. "Whatever was said to Erdogan, Halkbank was indicted last fall for fraud, money laundering, and sanctions violations after a negotiated settlement fell apart. While some critics have charged that Bolton's stories will weaken Trump's position on the world stage, Bolton shot back he's "not telling Vladimir Putin anything that he doesn't already know -- and it's telling the American people something they may not be aware of. ""The North Koreans, as perhaps with Iran and China and Russia as well, think that if they can separate Trump from his advisers, they can get him to make a deal.  . . .  They see him as somebody who's fundamentally not aware of the trade-offs he's making," Bolton added. That drive to make a deal that would burnish his image as a deal-maker and support his reelection was dangerous, according to Bolton. "There really isn't any guiding principle that I was able to discern other than what's good for Donald Trump's reelection," Bolton told Raddatz.  "There's no coherent basis, no strategy, no philosophy, and decisions are made in a very scatter-shot fashion, especially in the potentially mortal field of national security policy.  This is a danger for the republic. "Beyond his critiques of Trump's foreign policy or philosophy, Bolton takes aim at Trump's decision-making, at the man himself: "The president's thought process is a random walk that never stops.  I mean, it's like a random walk meets Groundhog Day. ""I couldn't tell from day to day in the White House what was gonna happen," he added, calling the president "stunningly uninformed" and saying it was "very difficult, therefore, to have sustained conversations about policy development over a period of time. "According to Bolton, Trump spoke about as much as he listened during his intelligence briefings, which were far less frequent than other presidents.  He listened to unknown outside advisers who gave him, what Bolton describes as "inaccurate" information that was not vetted by the professional staff, and he could not grasp "bits of history that help to inform the current context of a lot of situations.  And we just never made headway on many of them," Bolton said. "It's one thing to be erratic and impulsive and episodic and anecdotal on day-to-day stuff.  It's when you get into crisis situations or very high-stakes circumstances where it becomes not only important, but potentially dangerous if the president doesn't maintain the focus on what's in front of him," Bolton said. Raddatz pushed back on Bolton's characterization, pointing to his own past praise of Trump as a deal-maker with an "outstanding" ability to "size up" opponents. Bolton said he didn't "particularly" believe that at the time, but had to defend the president and put "the triumph of hope over limited experience at that point. "This report was featured in the Monday, June 22, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes.  Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


CEO Tim Cook took the witness stand as the high-stakes legal showdown between Apple and Epic Games, makers of the wildly-popular "Fortnite," heats up. https://t.co/xtXh0fakIi

By Rishi Iyengar, CNN BusinessUpdated 7:10 PM ET, Fri May 21, 2021 San Francisco  (CNN Business)In his first-ever court appearance as CEO of Apple, Tim Cook sought to defend the tech giant from allegations that it abuses its market power by touting it as a principled company with an obsessive focus on users.


A birthday party was behind a cluster of coronavirus cases in Pasadena, California, according to health officials. The event took place after the city issued a stay-at-home order in March. https://t.co/P5FRUhiRgU

At least five confirmed cases were linked to the early April party. Economy vs.  death: How April shaped America’s coronavirus responseThe Pasadena Public Health Department is reminding residents to stay home after a cluster of COVID-19 cases were traced to a birthday party in the Southern California city. More than five confirmed cases and "many more ill individuals" were tied to the party, the department announced.  The party was held in early April, after the state's stay-at-home order went into effect. The first patient identified with the disease in connection to the outbreak was coughing and not wearing a face mask at the party, the department said.  Guests, which included a "large number" of extended family members and friends, also were not wearing face coverings or practicing social distancing, according to the department. "This is an example of how good contact tracing can identify disease clusters and tell us more about the spread of disease in our community," Dr.  Matthew Feaster, an epidemiologist with the Pasadena Public Health Department, said in a statement on Saturday. California's stay-at-home order went into effect on March 19.  On Friday, the order was modified to allow curbside retail. Dr.  Ying-Ying Goh, director of the Pasadena Public Health Department, reminded residents in a statement that "gatherings of people who do not live in the same household are still prohibited. ""The virus remains highly contagious," Goh said.  "Social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing face coverings remain our best defenses against the further spread of COVID-19 in our community. "California has 66,680 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,745 deaths, according to the latest figures from the state. ABC News' Matt Fuhrman contributed to this report. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


#CycloneTauktae is a warning; The future of India’s western coast is at stake

(Report by @naalmot & @jayashreenandi)

https://t.co/CxfD6eW0Xh https://t.co/937b2ooNJa

India is bracing for a second cyclone in a month as it prepares for Cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to cross the Odisha-Bengal coast on May 26.  To be sure, cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are almost an annual affair. But Cyclone Tauktae in the Arabian Sea, which affected almost all states on the western coast of India earlier this month, was a more uncommon phenomenon.  Not only are cyclones relatively uncommon in the Arabian Sea, Tauktae also intensified (measured by the surface wind speed of the storm) rapidly into one of the most severe cyclones in the Arabian Sea in over two decades.  This is something the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had not forecast.  With the climate crisis, the Arabian Sea could see more such intense cyclonic disturbances going forward, according to experts. An HT analysis shows that this will inflict a far bigger cost on lives and livelihoods than cyclonic activity on India’s eastern coast. 2011-20 saw the highest number of cyclones in Arabian Sea since 1890s IMD has records of cyclones among the two major seas of the North Indian Ocean – Indian Ocean area north of the equator – going back to 1890s.  A decade-wise analysis of the data shows that Bay of Bengal has had more cyclones than the Arabian Sea in every decade since 1891-1900. Also Watch | Cyclone Yaas to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’; prep ramped upHowever, the data also shows Arabian Sea has been becoming more and more turbulent.  It had 17 cyclonic events between 2011 and 2020, the highest in a decade since the 1890s.  Eleven out of these were severe cyclones.  Climate scientists, including those at IMD, also suggest that the Arabian Sea might see more increase in intensity of cyclones, if not the number, than the Bay of Bengal in the future. “The sea surface temperatures over Arabian Sea have gone up, so has the ocean heat content.  This may not affect the total number of cyclones developing over Arabian Sea.  But when cyclones form over Arabian Sea, they are likely to experience severe intensification.  This is because the warming over Arabian Sea is higher than Bay of Bengal.  We should be prepared,” said M Rajeevan, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.  Clearly, stronger cyclones pose a bigger threat to life and property in the future. Warmer Oceans increase cyclones; make them more unpredictable Predicting cyclone trajectories is crucial to minimising their damage.  “Climate projections indicate that Arabian Sea will continue warming under increased carbon emissions, resulting in more intense cyclones in the future.  Ocean warming has made some new challenges also.  Cyclones are now intensifying rapidly since warm ocean waters act as fuel for them,” said Roxy Matthew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. Higher sea surface temperature acts as a catalyst for intensification of low-pressure areas to cyclones.  If the ocean and atmospheric conditions like high sea surface temperature and atmospheric instability continue to be favourable, the cyclone will continue to intensify further. “Extremely severe cyclones such as Fani (2019) and Amphan (2020) (in the Bay of Bengal) intensified from weak to severe status in less than 24 hours due to warm ocean conditions.  That gives us less time to be prepared.  State-of-the-art cyclone models are unable to pick this rapid intensification because they do not incorporate the ocean dynamics accurately,” Koll added. The following map shows how Tauktae intensified from a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm to an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm within a few hours from 11. 30pm on May 16 to 5. 30am on May 17.  Its sudden intensification took IMD by surprise as it was not expecting Tauktae to turn in to an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm.  “Tauktae intensified very rapidly.  We did not state that it would intensify to an extremely severe cyclone in our forecast.  But it did because of extremely favourable oceanic and atmospheric conditions,” said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD on May 17. Western coast has more to lose from cyclones in material terms The states on India’s western coast — from Gujarat to Kerala — contributed 35% to the country’s GDP in 2018-19, the latest year for which data from all states is available in the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) database.  The states on the eastern coast — from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu — contributed 21%. Natural disasters do not affect all sectors of the economy in the same way.  An oil refinery stands to lose much more than a law firm or outsourcing-based IT firm if a city is hit by a cyclone.  The western coast appears more vulnerable once this is accounted for too.  States on the western coast contributed 46% of India’s manufacturing GVA in 2018-19.  This number was just 22% for states on the eastern coast. To be sure, one could argue that cyclonic disruptions need not affect the entire state on India’s coastline.  HT has analysed district-wise data from the Annual Survey of Industry (ASI) to factor in this point.  ASI is the most important source of registered organised manufacturing statistics in India.  Because ASI stopped publishing district-wise statistics after 2009-10, the numbers are a bit dated.  But the spatial distribution of manufacturing is unlikely to have changed radically since then. The analysis shows that the problem might be worse than it appears.  India’s manufacturing activity is highly skewed in nature.  Of the 593 census districts at that time, 82% of India’s total manufacturing output was concentrated in just 100 districts.  Among these 100 districts, 15 were on the western coastline while 12 were on the eastern coastline, and 73 were not on the coast.  Output value of western coastline districts was disproportionately more than their number.  Western coastline districts among these 100 accounted for 27. 4% of India’s total manufacturing output, while eastern coastline districts and non-coastal districts among the 100 accounted for 10% and 44. 4%. To be sure, as the accompanying map shows, there are also districts that are not exactly on the coast but close to it and have a high share in manufacturing output.  Pune, for instance, had a share of 3. 29% — the fourth highest among the 593 census districts — and is close to the coast, although not exactly on it. Western coast has more densely populated districts which also entails a greater risk to human livesIt’s not just money at stake if cyclones become more intense on the west coast.  Western coast has more densely populated pockets than the eastern coast. This also increases the risk of loss of human lives.  There are 33 census districts each on the western (from Kutch to Thiruvananthapuram) and eastern coast (from Kanyakumari to North 24 Parganas) of India. While the overall population density of the western coast (474 persons per square kilometre) is less than the eastern coast (565), the mean and median density of the districts on the western coast is higher.  This means that the western coast has more pockets of high population density than the eastern coast.  This will make evacuation and relief work more challenging as cyclones intensify in the future.


Bihar: Severe waterlogging in parts of Patna today, following heavy rainfall. https://t.co/bFioeFi1YL

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning on Friday in at least eight districts of Bihar, where more than 80 people were killed in several parts of the state on Thursday. Siwan, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar will receive heavy rainfall along with thunderstorm, lightning and squalls on Friday, according to the weather bureau. East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalgunj, Siwan, Saran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Kishanganj, Katihar, Madhepura, Purnia, Saharsa and Araria will continue to receive heavy rainfall on Saturday. IMD had said earlier that a situation conducive for enhancing rainfall activities is likely to prevail over the foothills of the Himalayas along with Bihar-Nepal border and adjoining areas. Eighty-three people were killed and 30 others injured in the thunderstorm and lightning on Thursday. The Nitish Kumar-led government in the state asked people to adhere to safety norms during bad weather conditions and follow guidelines issued from time to time by the disaster management department. The chief minister secretariat said financial help to those who lost animals and cattle was also being extended. The maximum number of people, 13, died in Gopalganj, eight each lost their lives in Madhubani and Nawada, six each in Siwan and Bhagalpur, five each in East Champaran, Darbhanga, and Banka, three each in Khagaria and Aurangabad, two each in West Champaran, Kishanganj, Jehanabad, Jamui, Purnia, Supaul, Buxar and Kaimur and one each in Samastipur, Sheohar, Saran, Sitamarhi and Madhepura. Reports from Gopalganj said all the victims were farmers from Barauli, Manjha, Vijaipur, Uchkagaon and Kateya areas.  The lightning struck them when they were working in their fields. In Khagaria, a woman died and five minors were injured in Choutham locality.  More than 15 cattle deaths were also reported. In Darbhanga, which saw five deaths, Pushpesh Kumar, in charge of disaster management, said the fatalities included a woman from Uchhati village who was planting paddy in the field when the lightning struck. Reports from Madhubani said that eight people, including four of a family, besides a farmer and two others, were killed in Phulparas and Benipatti police stations areas. In East Champaran district, a 49-year-old man died and three others were injured at Belwatiya village under Sagauli police station.  A 14-year-old girl from Surendra village under Raxaul police station was also killed in the lightning. “Three others injured are undergoing treatment at the local hospital in Sagauli and the body of the deceased has been sent to Motihari Sadar Hospital for autopsy,” Mithilesh Kumar, station house officer of Sagauli police station, said. In neighbouring West Champaran, two villagers were killed in Narkatiaganj. “Widespread rain after a gap causes more thunderstorm and lightning activity.  Since it’s a favourable time of crop sowing, more people are out in the fields and they are the most vulnerable to a lightning strike,” Anand Shankar, a weather scientist at Patna IMD centre, said. He said that a similar incident took place in April this year but since people stayed indoors, the damage was less. “MeT has mobile apps like Damini and IndarVajr, which give an early alert of thunderstorm and lightning.  People are advised to use this app and stay alert during monsoon,” he said. Last year, lightning had killed 39 people in Bihar.


Video shows a girl collapsed and died after being infected by Coronavirus

CCTV footage of a young woman collapsing in a supermarket in Malayasia is being falsely linked to the deadly Coronavirus.  The video shows the woman walking around the aisle of a supermarket and looking at the products on display.  Moments later, she holds her head and collapses on the aisle.   The video is doing the rounds with a caption that can raise panic among netizens regarding the deadly pathogen.  "This is coronavirus, coronavirus attack her and she dead in 2 minits ,now coronavirus have China,india, malaysia, Singapore.  ples everybody careful. "  In another Facebook post, the clip has been identified to be an incident from Singapore.  It has been captioned as, "Today Singapore one people die for corona virus.  Friends see this video after u understand ready how dangerous this virus. " The caption further states in Bengali that the video has raised an alarm among netizens because even smaller countries are being infected.  (Original text in Bengali: মনে ভয় ঢুকে পড়েছে ছোট্ট দেশ যে কোন সময়ে আক্রান্ত করতে পারে. . .  Share korben plzz ( সবাইকে দেখার সুযোগ করে দিন)    The Coronavirus is believed to have originated in China's Wuhan.  The death toll has risen to 170, with a confirmed case in Tibet now, reports the BBC.  More than 7700 people have been infected so far.  The Coronavirus has triggered panic across nations, with multiple airlines suspending flights to China and adopting swift precautionary measures to stay safe.   The first case of Coronavirus was found positive in Kerala on January 30.  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a press release which stated that a student studying in China's Wuhan University had tested positive of the Novel Coronavirus.   Fact Check  BOOM broke the video into its key frames and ran a reverse image search.  We were directed to a Malaysian news report that featured a screenshot from the video.  According to the news report, the mother of the deceased rubbished claims that her daughter died after being infected by the Coronavirus, after the same footage was viral in Malaysia.    The incident happened in Klang area of Malaysia on January 26, where a 20-year-old woman, Nur Izzah Izzati, died while shopping at a departmental store.  The family denied that the Coronavirus was the cause of her death.   BOOM reached out to a relative of Izzati, who corroborated the same.  According to Hafiz Russidah, Izzati collapsed due to heart failure and not an infection caused by the virus.  He stated the same in a Facebook post, where Russidah urged netizens to not share the video in the context of the Coronavirus.   The official Twitter handle for Ministry of Health, Malaysia, tweeted urging netizens to not share the video with a Coronavirus narrative.   Keluarga minta henti sebar video kononnya anak meninggal dunia kerana #coronavirus Rakyat Malaysia, hentikan menyebar berita dan video palsu.  #2019nCoV https://t. co/dxYuJG2GLU Furthermore, Izzati's friend shared reports about the cause of her death and how the CCTV footage spread like wild fire, after it was obtained from the store.   Assalamualaikum .  Malam ni aku nak bagi detail pasal apa yang jadi berkenaan dengan Allahyarhamah Nurul Izzah Izzati Binti Norazlan .  Firstly, dia kawan sekerja aku .  Secondly, pada hari kejadian arwah tidak bekerja sebab menghadiri majlis pertunangan kawannya .  Eight people have been tested positive of the Coronavirus infection in Malaysia so far.  All of them are Chinese nationals.  The country has not reported any death caused by the Coronavirus yet.


Kristofer Hivju, who played Tormund on the HBO series "Game of Thrones," announces he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"My family and I are self-isolating at home for as long as it takes." https://t.co/6P0ASPmX3Q

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNNUpdated 8:27 AM ET, Tue March 17, 2020  (CNN)Actor Idris Elba said he has tested positive for Covid-19.  This morning I tested positive for Covid 19.  I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus.  Stay home people and be pragmatic.  I will keep you updated on how I'm doing 👊🏾👊🏾 No panic.  pic. twitter. com/Lg7HVMZglZ


Constructive discussion with NSA Doval. Discussed Afghan Peace Process & talks in Doha. He assured India’s full support for peace efforts & any peace settlement acceptable to Afghans, will have India's support: Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman, High Council for National Reconciliation https://t.co/tvKN0ov3VC

Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday discussed his country’s peace process with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who told him India is in favour of a democratic and sovereign Afghanistan “where no terrorists can operate”. Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation in Afghanistan, met Doval on Wednesday evening to brief him on the talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban at Doha in Qatar.  Doval hosted a dinner for Abdullah’s delegation that was attended by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, army chief Gen MM Naravane, senior officials of the external affairs ministry and key members of the High Council for National Reconciliation. Abdullah tweeted that he had a “constructive discussion” with Doval on the Afghan peace process and the talks in Doha.  “He [Doval] assured me of India’s full support for the peace efforts, and that any peace settlement acceptable to Afghans, will have the support of India,” Abdullah said. “He [Doval] further stated that his country is in favour [of] an independent, democratic, sovereign & peaceful Afghanistan, where no terrorists can operate,” he added. Abdullah also thanked India for its continued support for Afghanistan and its “constructive role in peace efforts”. There was no official word on the meeting from the Indian side. Abdullah arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon for a five-day visit, during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday.  He will also deliver a speech at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on Thursday.  Before his arrival in India, Abdullah issued a statement that described India as a “strategic partner of Afghanistan”.  He said, “Our historical relation with India is very important to us, and the role of India in establishing a lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region is vital.  I am visiting India on an official invitation by the government of India to discuss the peace efforts, and the need for regional consensus and support for the Afghan peace process. ” Abdullah’s visit is part of an outreach to key countries in the region for support for the negotiations in Doha.  He travelled to India after a three-day visit to Pakistan last week.  In Islamabad, he had met Prime Minister Imran Khan, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.  Abdullah told the Pakistani leadership that a message about reducing violence and showing greater flexibility in negotiations should be communicated to the Taliban leadership participating in the negotiations in Doha.  India, the region’s largest provider of development aid to Afghanistan, has expressed concern at a recent spike in violence by the Taliban and terror attacks on minorities such as Sikhs.  It has said intra-Afghan negotiations must ensure the interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections of society and reduce violence across Afghanistan and its neighbourhood.  Since 2001, India has undertaken projects worth $3 billion in Afghanistan, including $1 billion pledged in 2016 under the “new development partnership” scheme for five years.


A ‘high alert’ message is being shared on social media with a claim that Dr.  Anjali Mathur, Chairman and CMO at Indo American Hospital in South Dakota (US), has issued a precautionary health warning regarding some consumer products like Appy Fizz, Kurkure, Mentos, etc.  Let’s try to analyze some claims made in the post. Claim: Precautionary health warning by Dr.  Anjali Mathur (Chairman & CMO – Indo American Hospital, South Dakota, US) on Appy Fizz, Kurkure, Mentos-Pepsi, etc.       Fact: There is no hospital with the name ‘Indo American Hospital’ in South Dakota (US).  Also, some of the claims in the post regarding Kurkure, Appy Fizz, Mentos-Pepsi are false.  Hence the claim that Dr.  Anjali Mathur issued the posted warning message is FALSE.     On social media, it can be found that the same message is being shared for many years under the names of different sets of doctors.  (Pakistan Doctors, Nepal Doctors, and Indian Doctors)In the post, the health warning is authenticated by the name ‘Dr. Anjali Mathur’ (Chairman & CMO – Indo American Hospital, South Dakota, US).  But, when looked for the ‘Indo American Hospital’ in South Dakota, it was found that there is no hospital with that name.  So, a fake doctor profile was created to authenticate the claims in the post.  Let’s try to check some of the claims in the post. Kurkure contains plastic? When searched for information on Kurkure containing plastic, it was found that the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) have tweeted regarding this issue.  In the tweet, the FSSAI has said that the rumour on plastic Kurkure is a hoax.  In a news article on its website, it was also found that the FSSAI has “clarified that the presence of a compound called acrylamide causes the food item to burn when lit with a match stick and it does not contain any plastic material. ”FSSAI has informed consumers that the “rumours on plastic cabbage, plastic kurkure, plastic rice and plastic egg are hoax.  FSSAI has also raised the issue with Ministry of Electronics and IT.  Perpetrators to be booked, who spread such fake news.  Visit https://t. co/ghvnHEbF1dMentos + Pepsi = Cyanide? In an article published by the ‘Deccan Chronicle’ in 2014, a video can be found in which a person eats Mentos and drinks Diet Coke.  But, it can be seen that the person is fine even after consuming that combination.  The article, also, contains the reason for the blow out of Coke from the bottle when Mentos is dropped into Coke.  The explanation reads, “the numerous small pores on the candy’s surface catalyze the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from the soda, resulting in the rapid expulsion of copious quantities of foam”.  So, Cyanide is not formed when Mentos and Pepsi are combined. Appy Fizz contains Cancer-causing agent? This rumour is in circulation from many years and was debunked earlier too.  In a fact-check article published by Hoax or Fact in 2012, it can be found that none of the ingredients of Appy Fizz is carcinogenic.  Also, neither FSSAI nor any research studies reported on Appy Fizz containing carcinogenic ingredients. To sum it up, the ‘HIGH ALERT’ message from Dr.  Anjali Mathur is a hoax.  Also, most of the claims in the message are false. Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series on Indian Rivers?


#WATCH Defence Minister Rajnath Singh finishes 30-minute sortie in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, in Bengaluru. He is the first ever Defence Minister to fly in the indigenous LCA Tejas. https://t.co/VkYnv9cikd

Rajnath Singh became the first defence minster to take a sortie in the indigenously built Tejas.  The minister flew a sortie in the twin-seater version of Tejas from HAL airport in Bengaluru.  The Defence minister was wearing a G-suite, a white helmet and an oxygen mask.  After completing the sortie, Rajnath Singh was seen taking pictures with the pilot and said that it was an amazing and exhilarating experience.  Watch: Rajnath Singh becomes first defence minister to fly in Tejas


A 99-year-old British war veteran has raised more than £2,000,000 ($2,514,300) for the country's National Health Service (NHS) as he aims to complete 100 laps of his garden, aided by a walking frame. https://t.co/v0hVOredHc

Capt.  Tom Moore has raised almost $9 million so far. 99-year-old WWII vet raises $15M for health workers amid pandemicCapt.  Tom Moore, who fought in World War II, is again going to great lengths for his countrymen. The 99-year-old British veteran has raised more than £7 million -- almost $9 million -- for U. K.  health services battling COVID-19 by walking laps in his garden while under lockdown in Buckinghamshire, England. Health Minister Matt Hancock began the government's daily coronavirus briefing on Wednesday by giving a special mention to Moore. "I want to pay a special tribute today to Capt.  Tom Moore," Hancock said.  "At the age of 99, he's raised over £7 million so far for NHS charities by completing 100 laps of his garden.  Capt.  Tom, you're an inspiration to us all, and we thank you. "Moore originally aimed to raise £1,000 for charity, but his online campaign, set up just last week, has exploded -- he's received donations from hundreds of thousands of people. With the help of a walking frame with wheels, Moore began walking 82-foot laps, 10 laps per round, in hopes of completing 100 before he turned 100. He completed the feat on Thursday morning. Moore has lived with his daughter's family in Buckinghamshire England for 12 years since his wife died.  His grandson, Benjie Ingram-Moore, shared with ABC News how much he values time with his grandfather and how Moore, who's needed a walking aid since breaking a hip a year ago, couldn't be slowed down. "He was incredibly active," Ingram-Moore said.  "He drove his car until around a year ago, and did a lot of gardening. " Moore still drove a tractor lawnmower across the 6-acre family garden until he turned 98. The idea of walking around the garden as a fundraising effort came from a moment of inspiration among the family only a weekend ago. "He's been walking laps of our garden for a year, which is how we spotted it as an idea and a big opportunity to raise money," Ingram-Moore continued.  "To think we started with £1,000 and it's now past £7 million -- it's incredible, I've stopped being able to describe it. "Ingram-Moore said his grandfather's fundraising campaign has sparked huge national media attention and that fielding calls and interviews has taken up much of the family's time. "This event has been amazing for us, helping us get through the lockdown," he added.  "My parents have 20,000 emails to reply to -- we haven't been off our laptops! "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Former White House national security adviser John Bolton called President Donald Trump "naive and dangerous," in an interview that aired Sunday, adding that he hopes his former boss will be remembered as a one-term president. https://t.co/tt60E2kNVz


A group of 52 former Black franchise operators filed a lawsuit accusing McDonald's of systematically discriminating against Black franchise operators by offering better financial support and more favorable locations to their White counterparts. https://t.co/OdOIti6Cl7

McDonald's has denied the allegations.  On Location: September 10, 2021Dozens of Black former franchisees are suing McDonalds, alleging years of systemic racial discrimination and inequity at the fast-food corporation. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U. S.  District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 52 Black former McDonald's franchise owners say the company denied them the same opportunities as white franchisees, and steered them instead to "locations that are destined to fail. "The lawsuit alleges McDonald's misled these Black entrepreneurs and they were "denied equal opportunity to economic success by McDonald’s systematic and covert racial discrimination. "The plaintiffs seek a jury trial and damages of between $4 million and $5 million per store. "Each and every one of these businessmen and women tell a story of dashed hopes and lost dreams," attorney James Ferraro, who is representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement.  "The world will soon see how these 52 people of color risked everything on the Golden Arches only to be kept down, marginalized and driven to ruin. ""Black lives matter on the streets, in our communities and they matter in Corporate America," Ferraro added. The complaint alleges the company steered Black franchisees to locations with low sales, high security and insurance costs, and were essentially a "financial suicide mission. "It also states that Black franchisees were treated differently by being denied assistance during financial hardships that white franchisees were given, and claims the Black franchisees were denied the same growth opportunities that were offered to white franchisees. While in 1998 there were 377 Black McDonald's franchisees, today there are only 186 left standing, according to a statement from Ferraro's office.  During that same period, however, McDonald's stores have increased from 15,086 to 36,059. Moreover, the cash flow gap for Black McDonald's franchisees has tripled between 2010 and 2019, the court documents state, citing National Black McDonald's Operators Association data. McDonald's categorically denied the lawsuit's allegations in a statement, and emphasized its commitment to diversity and equal opportunity. "These allegations fly in the face of everything we stand for as an organization and as a partner to communities and small business owners around the world," the company said in a statement to ABC News. "Not only do we categorically deny the allegations that these franchisees were unable to succeed because of any form of discrimination by McDonald’s, we are confident that the facts will show how committed we are to the diversity and equal opportunity of the McDonald’s System, including across our franchisees, suppliers and employees," the statement added. The company noted that Black franchisees, including former franchisees who are part of the complaint, operate in rural, urban and suburban communities and that its inaccurate to suggest McDonalds limits opportunities for Black franchisees to certain communities. McDonald's added that while it may recommend locations, franchisees ultimately select the location they wish to purchase themselves.  The company also says it's inaccurate and there is no evidence to suggest that McDonald's evaluates Black franchisees differently than other franchisees. The lawsuit comes as much of the nation and corporate America has been thrust into a racial reckoning as protests over the police-killing of Black Americans have brought longstanding issues of systemic racial inequity into the spotlight. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


BJP's winning candidate from Mathura, Hema Malini takes oath as a Member of Parliament. She concluded her oath with "Radhe Radhe! Krishnam Vande, Jagat Guru." https://t.co/lsrYDdo2WT

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, who won the Mathura Lok Sabha seat for the BJP, took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Dressed in a peach saree with golden borders, she read the oath in Hindi.  Known as Bollywood’s ‘dream girl’, Hema concluded her oath with “Radhe Radhe!  Krishnam Vande, Jagat Guru”, which led to the thumping of tables and chants of “Radhe Radhe” in the House.  Hema Malini won Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura seat for a second consecutive term in the national elections.  She had contested against Narendra Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and local industrialist Mahesh Pathak of Congress. ALSO WATCH | ‘Mandir wahi banayenge’ slogan after BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj takes oath in LSIn 2014, the yesteryear’s superstar had won the constituency by over 3 lakh votes. Malini is the second member of her family to join politics.  Earlier in 2004, her husband Dharmendra had also won the Bikaner Lok Sabha constituency for the BJP. This year, Dharmendra’s son Sunny Deol also took the political plunge and joined the BJP.  He won Punjab’s Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat defeating sitting MP of Congress, Sunil Jakhar.  Sunny also took oath as a parliamentarian earlier today. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.  Only the headline has been changed. )


A photo of a flooded garment store with furniture floating around is being shared on social media with a claim that it is from Mumbai as the city has been experiencing heavy rainfall.   Social media users have reacted in different ways, from questioning the use of taxpayers' money to expressing sadness over the damage to life and livelihood.  However, we found that the photograph was taken in a clothing store in Patna in 2019, when northern Bihar saw severe floods in which 13 districts were inundated.  CLAIM Users on social media have shared the photograph, claiming that it is recent and from Mumbai, Maharashtra.  More claims on Facebook and Twitter can be seen here, here, and here.  WHAT WE FOUND We ran the photograph through reverse image search, which led us to a Facebook post by page 'Chakia Live Champaran'.  This post, published on 28 September 2019, identified the location as 'The Raymond Shop' opposite Hathwa Market in Patna, Bihar.   We found a tweet by News18 Bihar from 28 September that year with the photograph.  The tweet confirmed the shop's location in Patna and provided a helpline number for people to call on.  Next, we reached out to a local reporter who also confirmed that the photograph was from Patna and was taken in 2019, when the city experienced heavy waterlogging.   According to an article by India Today, Bihar experienced devastating floods in 2019, in which more than 88. 4 lakh people were affected in 13 districts and 130 people lost their lives.  Clearly, a photograph from Patna was shared with a false claim that it showed Mumbai's condition after rain.


2 terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian

https://t.co/UglhD8n2Qh https://t.co/Ubc89coyxG

Security forces gunned down four terrorists in a gun battle in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said on Wednesday. The terrorists were killed after security forces launched a joint operation in Malhura Zanpora village of the district late on Tuesday.  The operation started after the security forces received information about the presence of the terrorists in the area. Six terrorists have been killed in separate encounters in south Kashmir in the last one month and with Wednesday’s gun fight security forces have eliminated nearly 17 of them in the region. However, the Indian Army has also lost five commandoes of the elite Special Forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Kupwara district on April 6 and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost three of its personnel in another attack in Sopore town.


President Ram Nath Kovind virtually confers the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2020. https://t.co/f0VZoDoz9y

National Sports Awards Ceremony highlights: The award winners were connected virtually to President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from nine different Sports Authority of India-designated locations.  An unprecedented five India athletes – cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, para athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu, women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, and paddler Manika Batra – were virtually conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. Follow National Sports Awards highlights:President hails women athletesPresident Ram Nath Kovind pointed out that three - hockey player Rani Rampal, paddler Manika Batra and wrestler Vinesh Phogat - out of the five Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award winners are female athletes.  President addresses winnersPresident Ram Nath Kovind is currently addressing the winners in various category.  He congratulates all the athletes, coaches and sports association for their tireless efforts in taking Indian sports forward.  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad TrophyPunjab University has been awarded the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award! Col.  Sarfraz Singh, Taka Tamut, Late Maagan Bissa, Asnita Devi, Keval Hiren Kakka and Satendra Singh being awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.  Manpreet Singh gets Dhyan Chand awardKuldip Singh Bhullar (Athletics), Trupti Murgunde (Badminton), N.  Usha (Boxing), Ajit Singh (Hockey), Manpreet Singh (Kabaddi), J.  Ranjith Kumar (Para Athletics), Satyaprakash Tiwari (Para Badminton), Manjeet Singh (Rowing), Late Shri Sachin Nag (Swimming), Nandan P Bal (Tennis), Netarpal Hooda (Wrestling), Lakha Singh (Boxing), Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu (Football), Jincy Philips (Athletics), Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe (Badminton)Dhyan Chand awardThe Dhyan Chand award is now being conferred.  This is the third award category after the Dronacharya award for life time achievement and the Arjuna awards. Dutee Chand gets ArjunaIndian sprinter Dutee Chand has been awarded the Arjuna Award.  Sawant Ajay Anant (Equestrian), Sandesh Jhingan (Football), Aditi Ashok (Golf), Akashdeep Singh (Hockey), Deepika (Hockey), Deepak (Kabaddi), Kale Sarika Sudhakar (Kho Kho), Divya Kakran (Wrestling), Rahul Aware (Wrestling), Suyash Narayan Jadhav (Para Swimming), Sandeep Para (Athletics) Manish Narwal (Para Shooting) also conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award. Manu Bhaker gets ArjunaIndia shooter Manu Bhaker is being conferred with the Arjuna Award.  The other prominent athletes to get the Arjuna Award currently is Dattu Baban Bhokanal (Rowing), Saurabh Chaudhary (Shooting), Divij Sharan (Tennis), Madhurika Suhas Patkar (Table Tennis). Arjuna awards being presentedThe Arjuna Award is being presented after the Dronacharya in life time category.  The first ones to be conferred with it are Dutee Chand (Athletics), Atanu Das (Archery), Chirag Chandrasekhar Shetty (Badminton), Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (Basketball), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Subedar Manish Kaushik (Boxing) Ishant Sharma (Cricket), Deepti Sharma (Cricket). Dronacharya awardDronacharya Award in Lifetime category has been awarded to Dharmendra Tiwary (Archery), Purushotham Rai (Athletics), Shiv Singh (Boxing), Romesh Pathania (Hockey), Krishan Kumar Hooda (Kabaddi), Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar (Para Powerlifting), Naresh Kumar (Tennis), Om Parkash Dahiya (Wrestling).  Khel Ratna awardsCricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, para athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu, women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, and paddler Manika Batra virtually conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. The locationsThe nine SAI designated centres are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Bengaluru Pune, Sonepat, Hyderabad, Bhopal. National sports AwardsHello and welcome the live updates of the National Sports Awards 2020 being held virtually for the first time.  The award winners will be connected virtually to President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from nine different Sports Authority of India-designated locations


A video of an elephant on a truck is going viral with the claim that it shows how PETA mistreated the pachyderm while forcing it to go where they were taking it.  The claim says this is a Kanchi Mutt elephant.  But we found that this is a false claim and this incident has nothing to do with PETA.  CLAIM The video, which compiles several clips together, shows an elephant on a truck, which can be seen bleeding from the ears.  The animal can then be seen trying to get off the truck and falling off it and later walking down a road with someone who appears to be a handler and into a gated compound.  The message claims that the elephant is being tortured by animal rights group PETA.  The tweet, by a handle called Indu Makkal Katchi (Official) had over 3,000 retweets and comments and 5,000 likes at the time this story was published.  Indu Makkal Katchi is a right-wing Hindu nationalist party in Tamil Nadu.  We also found other people sharing the same message and video on social media.  The video was also shared with a similar claim on YouTube as well.  WHAT WE FOUND Firstly, we found that the party’s Twitter handle had tweeted the same video on 29 June, without any mention of the PETA claim.  This tweet told a completely false story, saying the elephant jumped out of the truck when it heard its mahout’s call, and that an NGO was involved in the incident.  Secondly, we saw that PETA had replied to the tweet claiming the group was involved in the incident, denying any role in it and calling it fake news.  Further, we found that the incident caught on camera here took place on 14 May 2016, indeed involving three Kanchi Mutt elephants, but had no relation to PETA at all.  What had happened is that in 2016, three elephants, Sandhya, Indu and Jayanthi were handed over by the Kanchi Mutt or the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam to the founders of Tree Foundation, an NGO, to provide them a happy home closer to their natural habitat.  Accordingly, the three pachyderms were to be moved to a set up with a chain-free facility at Marakkanam, in Kurumbaram village, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu.  A Deccan Chronicle report from 2016 said that this decision was taken after the authorities of the Mutt in Kancheepuram district took a decision to provide rest and rehabilitation to three elephants that suffered injuries during their time in the temple.  We found that the article also mentioned that one of the elephants, Sandhya, jumped off the truck and was sheltered at a nearby village before she joined the other two elephants at Marakkanam.  But we found no mention of PETA being involved anywhere.  In 2019, following a Public Interest Litigation, the Madras High Court on 19 September ordered all the three elephants be moved to an elephant care facility at MR Palayam Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Trichy within four weeks.  The Quint accessed the order of this Madras High Court too and found no mention of PETA having been involved in the elephants being moved to the facility at Marakkanam here either.  Additionally, PETA shared a letter about the incident from 2016 on their Twitter handle, which showed that the parties involved in the movement of the three elephants were the Kanchi mutt, and two NGOs - Tree Foundation and Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre.  Additionally, The Quint also reached out to Suparna Ganguly, Co-founder and trustee of Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), who called the claim about PETA or the animal being tortured fake news.  Ganguly had partnered with Supraja Dharini, Founder, Tree Foundation to rehabilitate the elephants in 2016 and was an eye-witness present on the scene of the incident.  She said that PETA was not involved and that the elephant jumped out of the truck over some confusion.  “This incident didn’t happen recently but when Sandhya was being transported with the permission and blessings of the temple and written permission of the forest department to a better facility.  PETA was never involved,” she added.  Therefore, Indu Makkal Katchi is clearly sharing an an old video from 2016 with a false claim to malign PETA.


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats in a closed-door meeting this morning that she "shredded" President Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night because Trump "shredded the truth" in his address, according to one person in the room. https://t.co/gY6SLFYOUd

Pelosi later called the address "a dirty speech. "State of the Union: 5 key takeawaysIn a moment that bookended an already divided night at the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore in half a copy of the State of the Union address given to her by the president just as he finished speaking. President Donald Trump didn't appear to notice as Pelosi, standing behind him in the gallery, ripped up the papers. When asked after the event why she ripped up the speech, Pelosi told reporters it was "because it was a courteous thing to do considering the alternative.  It was such a dirty speech. "The White House responded on Twitter, writing that Pelosi tearing up the pages was "her legacy. "The address put America's divided politics on display, with Republicans offering up raucous support while Democrats mainly glared on and kept quiet. One such moment was when Trump called California "a very terrible sanctuary," a comment not included among his prepared remarks. "The State of California passed an outrageous law declaring their whole State to be a sanctuary for criminal illegal immigrants -- a very terrible sanctuary --  with catastrophic results," Trump said. Pelosi's jaw dropped at the comment.  She represents California's 12th congressional district, which includes San Francisco. Other House Democrats at time could be heard booing, while Rep.  Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and Rep.  Bill Pascrell, D-N. J. , walked out. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


People in Madhya Pradesh village go on a digging spree in a hope to find Mughal-era treasure

(report by @shruti26tomar)

https://t.co/T23SdxRRoj https://t.co/hg9q3UlTiI

Scores of people are camping on the bank of dry Parbati river in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district, 141 kilometres north of Bhopal, for the past three days to dig the riverbed in hope to find treasure dating back to the Mughal period. After a section of people found ancient coins on the bank of river in Shivpura village a few days ago, some people spread a rumour of the presence of Mughal-era treasure in the river.  With the spread of the rumour, a large number of people from Rajgarh, Guna and Sehore districts gathered in the village for a treasure hunt, said an officer of local administration. Heavy gathering of people led to the deployment of police and district administrative officers to keep a vigil on the situation and maintain law and order. Rajgarh superintendent of police Pradeep Sharma said, “We are taking care of the law and order situation in the area with ensuring the safety of people.  We are telling them not to believe in rumours. ”"People of different age groups are digging at different places of the river bank to test their luck as we came to know that these coins have value of lakhs of rupees," said Ranu Yadav, 18, who is a local. “We are trying our luck 24x7 and we are sure that we will get the coins,” said Ramnaresh Singh, 37, a resident of Ahmedpur, Sehore. Also read: PM Modi to meet chief ministers on Monday over Covid-19 vaccine rolloutThe district administration is also investigating the matter. Rajgarh collector Neeraj Kumar Singh said, “A few days ago, some people found some ancient coins on the bank of river of the district.  Later, a rumour spread in the area about hidden treasure. ”“We have asked the archaeology department about the importance and the era of the coins.  We also checked with jewellers to evaluate the value of the coins but they informed that coins are made of bronze and iron and don't have any value. ”“We are spreading awareness to make people understand that these coins have no value but people are not paying any attention to our request,” he added.


#COVID19 | As many as 16,49,73,058 vaccine doses have been administered across India so far, including 23,70,298 doses administered in the last 24 hours: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting https://t.co/S9RkCbHj0X

The Pfizer vaccine is slightly less effective but appears to still protect against the more transmissible Indian strain of the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a study by France's Pasteur Institute. "Despite slightly diminished efficacy, the Pfizer vaccine probably protects" against the Indian variant, according to laboratory test results, said Olivier Schwartz, the institute's director and co-author of the study that was published on the BioRxiv website ahead of peer review. The study sampled 28 healthcare workers in the city of Orleans.  Sixteen of them had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, while 12 had received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. People who had received two doses of Pfizer saw a three-fold reduction in their antibodies against the Indian variant, B. 1. 617, according to the study, but were still protected. "The situation was different with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which induced particularly low levels of antibodies neutralising" the Indian variant, the study said. Patients who had had Covid-19 within the past year and people vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer retained enough antibodies to be protected against the Indian variant, but three to six times less antibodies than against the UK variant, Schwartz said. The study shows that "this variant. .  has acquired partial resistance to antibodies," Schwartz said. Since first emerging in late 2019 in China, the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 has developed several variants, usually named for the places where it first appeared including the so-called South Africa and UK strains. The variant first detected in India appears to be much more transmissible than earlier variations. It has now been officially recorded in 53 territories, according to a World Health Organization report. To try to curb its spread, France and Germany have re-introduced tighter rules on arrivals from affected countries, including the United Kingdom. bc/yad/bpPFIZERASTRAZENECA


118 new #COVID19 positive cases have been reported in Punjab today, taking the total number of positive cases to 1644. One death has been reported, death toll is at 28: Department of Information and Public Relations, Punjab https://t.co/3bVCl9hU4a

India’s tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) stood at 332,424 after 11,502 new cases were recorded between Sunday and Monday, the Union health ministry data showed. This is the third consecutive day that there have been more than 11,000 Covid-19 cases in the country.  There were 325 fatalities in the last 24 hours which takes the country’s death toll to 9,520, according to the health ministry. Click here for full Covid-19 coverageIndia’s recovery rate continued to rise as 169,797 patients were cured of the deadly infection taking it to a little over 51% from Sunday’s 50. 59%. The number of recovered Covid-19 patients in the worst-hit state of Maharashtra also went up with 50,978 people discharged from hospitals.  Maharashtra’s case tally stood at 107,958 and the state reported 3,950 deaths so far. In Delhi, Union home minister Amit Shah has called another round of meeting.  Shah will meet members of all political parties on Monday for further assessment of the pandemic situation in the Capital. Amit Shah had announced a comprehensive door-to-door survey in containment zones for contact tracing and promised the city 500 railway coaches having a capacity of 8,000 beds to treat Covid-19 patients to mitigate any possible shortage of beds. Delhi has recorded 41,182 infections, with 24,032 active cases, and 1,327 deaths.  From Monday, June 8, to Sunday, the city has registered 12,246 cases.  In the previous week—June 1-7— it had recorded 9,092 cases. In Tamil Nadu, the number of those affected by the respiratory disease stood at 44,661 and the state’s death toll is 435, according to the Union health ministry. Gujarat, another state which has contributed to the rising Covid-19 cases in India, has recorded 23,544 infections and 1,477 deaths till date. A new pre-print study has said the eight-week lockdown in India shifts the peak of the epidemic by 34-76 days and reduces the number of cases at the end of the lockdown by 69-97%The study was done by academics at the department of community medicine and School of Public health at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Research and Education and Research, Chandigarh, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, ICMR.  It was funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). India imposed a lockdown that was nearly 10 weeks long and some of the restrictions are still in place although many have been eased. The study, which is yet to be peer reviewed, also claimed that “intensification of public health surveillance measures with 60% effectiveness” would reduce the number of cases at the peak by 70% and cumulatively by 26. 6%.  Such measures would also reduce the requirement for ICU beds and ventilators by 83%, the study added. It puts the cost of managing Covid-19 in India at 4. 5% of GDP in the absence of any “intervention” and 6. 2% with “intensified public health measures. ”It said that India’s health care infrastructure may prove inadequate later this year with the demand for isolation and ICU beds and ventilators exceeding supply in November even with “intensified public health measures with 60% effectiveness. ”


Sensex at 31,812.73, plunges by 2290.75 points. https://t.co/oAIUWrGMYQ

Resuming its free fall, the BSE Sensex plunged over 2,713 points on Monday, tracking a selloff in Asian peers as the coronavirus pandemic continued to wreak havoc on markets.  Dalal Street was buzzing with speculation of an inter-meeting rate cut by the RBI after Governor Shakitkanta Das called a press conference at 1600 hours amid widespread calls for a rate cut following similar steps by the world’s leading central banks.  The rupee depreciated 55 paise to 74. 31 per US dollar (intra-day).  The 30-share BSE index settled 2,713. 41 points or 7. 96 per cent lower at 31,390. 07.  Likewise, the broader NSE Nifty gave up the 9,200 level, slumping 757. 80 points or 7. 61 per cent to close at 9,197. 40.  All Sensex components ended in the red.  IndusInd Bank was the top loser, followed by Tata Steel, HDFC, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Infosys and ITC.  According to traders, market became more volatile after RBI’s surprise press conference announcement.  Many analysts, over the past week, have said the RBI has legroom to cut rates to the tune of 65 bps by June.  Some like Barclays and BofA have also spoken about the likelihood of an inter-meeting cut (before the April 3 policy meeting).  Global markets have been roiling in fears of a global economic recession led by restrictions in wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.  Indian markets opened on the negative side following subdued Asian markets post surprise cut by US Fed on Sunday, said Narendra Solanki, Head- Equity Research (Fundamental), Anand Rathi Shares & Stock Brokers.  Reacting to the shutdown taking place globally due to coronavirus scare, mood of the market remained dampened as credit pressures intensified on India Inc, he added.  Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai dropped 3. 40 per cent, Hong Kong 4. 03 per cent, Seoul 3. 19 per cent and Tokyo cracked 2. 46 per cent.  Markets in Europe crashed up to 8 per cent in early trade.  Meanwhile, Brent crude oil futures melted 7. 53 per cent to USD 31. 30 per barrel.  Covid-19 has claimed over 6,000 lives and infected more than 1,62,000 people across the globe.  The number of infected cases in the country stood at 110 on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said.


NEW: Asked if he thinks Pres. Trump would pardon him if convicted, Roger Stone tells @TomLlamasABC, "The only person I have advocated a pardon for is Marcus Garvey." https://t.co/ipf6MXqI96 https://t.co/53pE8cgApo

  Former Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote on Thursday about receiving help changing his tire from a veteran who lost his leg in Afghanistan, writing that it “touched my soul. ”

  Powell, who’s also a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Facebook that he had been on his way to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, driving along Interstate 495, when his left front tire blew out.

  “I am a car guy and knew I could change it but it was cold outside and the lug bolts were very tight,” Powell writes.  “I jacked the car up and got several of the bolts removed when a car suddenly pulled up in front of me. ”

Colin Powell Fast Facts

  While talking to the man who had pulled over to help, Powell wrote he learned the man had lost his leg in Afghanistan.  The man told Powell he had recognized him and wanted to help.

  “He grabbed the lug wrench and finished the job as I put the tools away,” Powell writes, and then they both headed off to appointments at Walter Reed.

  “I hadn’t gotten his name or address but he did ask for a ‘selfie,’ ” Powell writes, and posted the photo of them together.

  Powell wrote that the man messaged him the following on Wednesday night: “Gen.  Powell, I hope I never forget today because I’ll never forget reading your books.  You were always an inspiration, a leader and statesman.  After 33 years in the military you were the giant whose shoulders we stood upon to carry the torch to light the way and now it is tomorrow’s generation that must do the same.  Anthony Maggert”

  “Thanks, Anthony,” Powell writes.  “You touched my soul and reminded me about what this country is all about and why it is so great.  Let’s stop screaming at each other.  Let’s just take care of each other.  You made my day. ”
Yesterday was a reassuring day for me.   I was on my way to Walter Reed Military Hospital for an exam.   As I drove along. . .
  Maggert, who told CNN he served as a contracting officer in the Army and did three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan before leaving the military in June 2018 and obtaining the rank of major, said in a phone interview that he encountered Powell as he was headed to see the prosthetist for a routine appointment.

  “I was going down the road and I saw somebody on the side of the road and they looked like they were in need.  I didn’t know who it was but that didn’t matter to me.  The closer I got, I realized who it was,” Maggert told CNN.

  Powell “was always a hero of mine when I was a kid,” Maggert said.  He said he submitted the paragraph addressed to Powell through his website and then a member of Powell’s team reached out to him.

  Maggert told CNN he lost his leg due to flesh-eating bacteria, and said, “I was still in active duty and I still continued to serve.  I never left active duty as an amputee. ”

  He said he had served 23 years in the military, and after retiring last year went to culinary school.

  CNN’s Ashley Billings contributed to this report.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Jammu & Kashmir: Chief of Army Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat visited Kupwara sector, today; Reviewed operational preparedness & security situation https://t.co/oOf5ZyMkAY

Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday asserted that the country’s armed forces were fully prepared for any eventuality, including possible action in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), if the government cleared it. “We are always in a complete state of preparedness,” the army chief said when asked if the army was ready to act in the PoK.  He was talking to select newspersons at the CRPF Group Centre in Trishundi, Amethi where the army will hold a recruitment rally in November. His comments came a day after union minister Jitendra Singh said that the next agenda was to ‘retrieve’ territories under PoK and integrate them with India. “Look, it’s for the government to clear the action.  Whatever the government decides, all the agencies would act accordingly,” the army chief said. His statement comes less than a month after the defence minister Rajnath Singh stated that any future dialogue with Pakistan would not be on Jammu and Kashmir but on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the area of Kashmir under Pakistani control since 1947. On the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir, including the nullification of Article 370, the army chief said, “It is important that the people in J&K understand that whatever actions have been taken are for their welfare only.  All the actions are to integrate Jammu and Kashmir with India. ”He also welcomed Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s statement mentioning J&K as the “Indian state”. “We are as happy as you all are (over the statement),” General Rawat said adding that over the years Kashmir had suffered vastly due to terrorism.  In a separate event in Gwalior, union minister General V K Singh (retd), is reported to have said that the Central government had a “special strategy” for Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which will be acted upon.  He, however, added that “such things are not discussed in public,” according to news agency PTI.


South Korea has reported 113 newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, its first daily jump over 100 in nearly four months.

https://t.co/3SEOTQPwAI

South Korea has reported 113 newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, its first daily jump over 100 in nearly four months. But the rise was predictable as health authorities had forecast a temporary spike driven by imported infections found among cargo ship crews and hundreds of South Korean construction workers airlifted out of virus-ravaged Iraq. The figures released by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Saturday brought the national caseload to 14,092, including 298 deaths. The KCDC said 86 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals while the other 27 were local transmissions.  It said the imported cases included 36 South Korean workers who returned from Iraq and 32 crew members of a Russia-flagged cargo ship docked in the southern port of Busan. South Korean officials consider imported cases as less threatening than local transmissions as they mandate tests and enforce two-week quarantines on all overseas arrivals. Kwon Jun-wook, director of South Korea’s National Institute of Health, said during a briefing Friday afternoon that the newly reported cases the next morning would likely exceed 100 for the first time since April 1 and urged the public not to be overly alarmed by it. He said 89 of the 293 South Korean workers who arrived home Friday aboard two military planes from Iraq were exhibiting symptoms. South Korea has been dealing with a virus resurgence since easing social distancing guidelines in mid-April.  Health authorities over the past week have found new clusters tied to churches, welfare centers, office buildings and a front-line army unit.


10 Republican lawmakers voted to impeach Pres. Trump on Wednesday. Two of them took to the House floor to explain why: "My vote to impeach our sitting president is not fear-based decision... I'm choosing truth." https://t.co/kTmVUvB51r https://t.co/Fz82rm43Nm

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-largeUpdated 11:57 AM ET, Thu January 14, 2021  (CNN)When Tom Rice voted "yes" on the impeachment of Donald Trump over the President's role in inciting the riot that led to the storming of the US Capitol, most close congressional watchers assumed he had made a mistake.  THE POINT -- NOW ON YOUTUBE!  In each episode of his weekly YouTube show, Chris Cillizza will delve a little deeper into the surreal world of politics.  Click to subscribe!


White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insists that the indictment of President Trump's longtime associate Roger Stone has nothing to with the President https://t.co/1m7LZ7DQVk https://t.co/GZdzPhPnL4

Stone is a longtime friend and confidante of the president. FBI arrests longtime Trump adviser Roger StonePresident Donald Trump's longtime friend and veteran political operative Roger Stone was arrested Friday morning after special counsel Robert Mueller filed a seven-count indictment against him as part of an ongoing probe into Russia interference during the 2016 presidential election. The special counsel leveled against Stone, 66, five counts of lying to Congress, one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, and one count of witness tampering. Stone was arrested and appeared in court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, late Friday morning.  The indictment was filed on Thursday. Within hours of the FBI’s pre-dawn arrest at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Stone made an initial court appearance Friday morning, where a federal judge set his bond at $250,000 and limited his travel to Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington, DC, where he will be arraigned next week. The charges brought by Mueller’s office largely revolve around false statements Stone is accused of making to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees regarding his communications with associates about Wikileaks. In court documents unsealed Friday morning, Mueller’s prosecutors wrote that after WikiLeaks began releasing internal Democratic National Committee emails in the summer of 2016, an unidentified "senior Trump campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information [Wikileaks] had regarding the Clinton Campaign. ""Stone thereafter told the Trump Campaign about potential future releases of damaging material by [Wikileaks]," prosecutors say. In a hastily organized press conference following his court appearance, a defiant Stone pledged to fight the charges. “I am falsely accused of making false statements,” he said, shouting over protesters outside the courthouse.  “There is no circumstance whatsoever under which I will bear false witness against the president. . .  I look forward to being fully and completely vindicated. ”Stone, 66, struggled to shout over protesters chanting “lock him up! ” – a reference to chants of “lock her up” directed at Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign. Although never mentioned by name, WikiLeaks' alleged role in the 2016 presidential campaign was previously referenced in Mueller’s indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers, whom the special counsel’s office accused of hacking Democrats' emails. During the campaign, WikiLeaks published emails allegedly hacked and stolen from Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign chairman John Podesta and documents from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic National Committee.  Some of the hacked emails were first published on the "DCLeaks" website, which Mueller alleges was a front for Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU. In addition to the pre-dawn raid on his Florida home, federal agents obtained a search warrant for Stone’s New York home – described as a “spacious two bedroom” apartment in Harlem.  Agents were spotted Friday taking hard drives and other evidence from the apartment. An attorney for Stone, Grant Smith, chalked up Stone’s alleged lies to Congress as “something he honestly forgot about” and “vowed to fight the charges. ”President Donald Trump weighed in with a tweet, calling Mueller’s investigation the “Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! ” One of Trump’s lawyers, Jay Sekulow, released a statement arguing that “the indictment today does not allege Russian collusion by Roger Stone or anyone else,” adding, “rather, the indictment focuses on alleged false statements made to Congress. ”Stone, who has taken credit for persuading Trump to get into politics, served as an adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign but left amid controversy in 2015. Rep.  Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, to which Stone is accused of making false statement, told ABC News Friday he believes the indictment is important because “it shows the Trump Organization was aware of his efforts.  It shows there was awareness of Stone’s efforts to get the hacked emails. ”“It also puts into context why Donald Trump was talking so much about WikiLeaks,” Swalwell said.  “Why was Trump talking so often about new information that was coming?  Why was he talking so much about WikiLeaks?  Why did he make that invitation to the Russians?  Now you know they had a connection in Roger Stone. ”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday night issued a statement saying it is "staggering that the President has chosen to surround himself with people who violated the integrity of our democracy and lied to the FBI and Congress about it. ""The indictment of Roger Stone makes clear that there was a deliberate, coordinated attempt by top Trump campaign officials to influence the 2016 election and subvert the will of the American people," Pelosi said in the statement. The youngest person to testify in the Senate Watergate hearings at the age of 20, Stone – who is known for - among other things - a tattoo of Nixon's face on his back– was profiled in a 2016 Netflix documentary, "Get Me Roger Stone," which focused on his eccentric political career and painted him as the original architect of Trump’s political career. The special counsel’s indictment comes amid scrutiny about the self-described “dirty trickster” and his alleged contact with WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange in the summer of 2016.  Stone has told ABC News multiple times that he had never met or spoken with Assange and had no intermediary providing a back channel to communicate with the controversial WikiLeaks founder. Mueller's interest in Stone and WikiLeaks goes to the heart of the U. S.  intelligence community’s conclusion, released in a report in January 2017, that the online organization weaponized and published damaging information provided to it by a hacker from the Russian government on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her campaign. In July, the mercurial Stone told ABC News that he is the unnamed Trump campaign regular who allegedly corresponded with Russian hackers, as described in special counsel Mueller’s July 13 indictment against a dozen Russians intelligence officers, who were posing as a hacker, Guccifer 2. 0.  The indictment alleges that the 12 Russians engaged in a sustained effort to hack Democrats and aides to Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.  Stone has dismissed his short Twitter direct message communications with Guccifer 2. 0 as innocuous and denied knowledge that Russian agents were behind the account. More than a dozen witnesses associated with Stone have been contacted by the special counsel's office, many of whom have appeared before the grand jury impaneled by Mueller’s team.  The witnesses have told ABC News they were asked about Stone’s dealings during the 2016 election and what, if any, contact he may have had with Assange through an intermediary. Among them is political humorist and radio show host Randy Credico, whom Stone claims to have asked to act as an intermediary for him to contact Assange to confirm that the Wikileaks founder had a cache of information on Clinton during the 2016 campaign. The list also includes Jerome Corsi, the former Washington bureau chief of the far right site, Infowars, who is known for his role in pushing political smear campaigns. Over the course of his nearly two-year-long probe, Mueller and his team of prosecutors have now indicted 34 individuals and three Russian businesses on charges ranging from computer hacking to conspiracy and financial crimes. Those indictments have led to seven guilty pleas and three people sentenced to prison.  Four former Trump campaign officials -- including his onetime national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign chairman Paul Manafort, also a former associate of Stone – are among those who have pleaded guilty. In October, ABC News reported that special counsel prosecutors had been asking Manafort — their newest cooperating witness — about Stone, who was Manafort’s friend and had also been his partner at the lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly in the 1980s, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Stone told ABC News in November, “There’s no circumstance under which I bear false witness against President Trump. ”ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Janice McDonald, Scott Withers and Tom Llamas contributed to this report.  24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


On the court he was a basketball legend.

Off the court, Kobe Bryant blended his passion in every aspect of his life, including in film. https://t.co/NOuJOqgO5S

By Clare Duffy and Alexis Benveniste, CNN BusinessUpdated 11:14 AM ET, Thu January 30, 2020 New York (CNN Business)Kobe Bryant's legacy extends beyond his time on the basketball court.  He was also known to the business world as a brand-builder; an investor; and a coach to other athletes and company founders.


A week after Nipsey Hussle was gunned down in front of a store he owned in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Los Angeles police, lawmakers and street gangs planned to continue honoring the beloved rapper https://t.co/dbAxgL6waV https://t.co/z3FFvyb0C5

The Grammy-nominated rapper was gunned down on March 31.  Nipsey Hussle's legacy lives on in the Los Angeles communityThe funeral for slain rapper Nipsey Hussle has been scheduled for Thursday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to reports. A Grammy-nominated rapper and father of two, Hussle, 33, was shot and killed on March 31, standing outside of his store, Marathon Closing, near the Crenshaw District in Los Angeles. Though few details were available about the funeral plans, ABC News station KABC in Los Angeles reported that the funeral would be held Thursday. Hussle, whose given name was Ermias Asghedom, was a prominent member of the community in South Los Angeles.  He gave back to that community in significant ways, including revitalizing neighborhood businesses, empowering young people and  trying to end gang violence. The suspect in Hussle's murder, Eric Holder, 29, has been arrested by police. Holder has been charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm.  Holder's lawyer, Christopher Darden, has entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. He is being held on $5 million bail.  Authorities have said they believe the killing stems from "a personal matter between the two of them. "Hussle's death prompted an outpouring of condolences from all over, including politicians like L. A.  Mayor Eric Garcetti, and prominent members of the entertainment industry, including Meek Mill, Ava DuVernay and Pharrell Williams. "You were about something. . positive and for your community," tweeted Williams.  "You inspired millions. . millions who will uphold your legacy forever. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Celine Dion was photographed wearing Las Vegas Knights gear.

Where do Celine Dion’s NHL loyalties lie?  Since the singer was born in Quebec, Canada, it would seem reasonable to assume that she would support the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL playoff.  But Dion now takes up residency in Las Vegas where she frequently performs, so maybe she supports the Las Vegas Knights.   On June 21, 2021, the Knights attempted to answer this question when they displayed a picture of Dion in their team’s gear on the Jumbotron at center ice.  At least that’s how it seemed: This is not a genuine image of Dion wearing a Las Vegas Knights helmet.   It was created by doctoring a photo of Dion that was taken for her 2007 album “Taking Chances. ” Here’s a look at the fake Knights image (left) and the 2007 photo (right): Dion has also addressed this controversy on social media.  The singer wrote (translated via Twitter): “Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste to all Quebecers.  I embrace you and wish you a happy national day!  By the way, I have nothing to do with this photo….  And you know what photo I’m talking about! ” Bonne Saint-Jean-Baptiste à toutes les Québecoises et à tous les Québécois.  Je vous embrasse et vous souhaite une bonne fête nationale !  💙💫En passant, je n’ai rien à voir avec cette photo….  Et vous savez de quelle photo je parle !  😉 – Céline xx… — Celine Dion (@celinedion) June 24, 2021 We can only assume that the Knights created this image in order to taunt their NHL playoff opponents.  The taunt may have backfired, however, as the Canadiens defeated the Knights in 6 games to advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs.


Rajasthan: State Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup and State DGP (Director General of Police) Bhupendra Yadav met Governor Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur, today. https://t.co/ls7HpMaXzZ

Rajasthan governor Kalraj Mishra on Sunday reviewed the security arrangements at his official residence, Raj Bhawan, as well as the Covid-19 health crisis in the state, amid severe political turmoil which has seen Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot locked in a bitter power tussle with his erstwhile deputy and rebel leader Sachin Pilot. The security review at the Raj Bhawan comes barely two days after the Chief Minister accompanied by about 100 Congress legislators protested on the lawns of the Governor’s residence on Friday.  They were demanding that the Governor should convene an assembly session by Monday and let them face a floor test in the 200-member assembly. After a lot of political drama, the Congress government in the state has urged him to summon the assembly session on July 31.  The party has also called for a nationwide dharna in front of Raj Bhawans on Monday. Chief Secretary Rajiva Swarup and Director General of Police Bhupendra Yadav participated at the meeting at Raj Bhawan and briefed Mishra about the protest being organized by the Congress party on Monday.  Adequate security arrangements have been made at the Raj Bhawan, a statement issued by governor’s office said. At the meeting, the statement said, the Governor also expressed concern about the growing number of cases of coronavirus in the state.  Mishra said that the number of Covid-19 cases had gone up three-fold since July 1. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that the government wants to hold a session of the assembly to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the state and the political crisis. According to the statement, Mishra directed the government officials that serious efforts should be made to control the growing cases of Covid-19 in the state.  “A new strategy will have to be considered to control the pandemic in the state,” the statement said, quoting Mishra. On Saturday, a BJP delegation had submitted a memorandum to the Governor saying that the Congress threatening to surround the Raj Bhawan was a criminal act under Section 124 of the Indian Penal Code. Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara, said, “The Governor should not worry about anything.  Congress follows Gandhian principles and protests, if any, would be peaceful. ”BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek, however, pointed out that the post of the Governor is a constitutional one and the kind of statements the chief minister made had raised concerns and the review of security arrangements seemed necessary.  He said the Rajasthan government since the last 15 days had been locked in a hotel, and a Covid-19 review by the Governor was necessary in public interest.  On Friday, the Governor had written to Gehlot expressing concern at Congress legislators staging a protest on the lawns of Raj Bhawan on Friday afternoon.  In his letter to the chief minister, the Governor wrote, “Before I could discuss the matter with experts regarding an assembly session, you have openly said that if Raj Bhawan is ‘gheraoed’ then it is not your responsibility. ”“If you and your Home Ministry cannot protect the Governor then what about law and order in the state?  What agency should be contacted for the Governor’s security?  I’ve never heard such a statement from any CM.  Is this not the beginning of a wrong trend where MLAs protest at Raj Bhawan? ” Mishra questioned in his communication to Gehlot.


Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, foreign Envoys and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building. https://t.co/DnkranVSuY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new building of Parliament on Thursday.  The ceremony was attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, foreign envoys and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla.  The ceremony was followed by a ‘sarva dharma prarthana’ (multi-faith prayer).  The Prime Minister delivered his address at 2:15 pm. The new Parliament building will cost Rs 971 crore and is estimated to be completed by 2022.  Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said that the new building will be a prime example of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.  The current Parliament building was constructed by the British and its foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921. The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India’s democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.  The Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats, keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses. Follow all live updates here: PM Modi: We will have to take the pledge of ‘India First’ The Prime Minister urged citizens to take decisions that would improve the welfare of the country and that their efforts must be towards how India stands in 2047, the centenary year of Independence.  PM Modi: There can be differences, but disconnect should not be allowedThe PM said that differences in a democracy were normal but any type of disconnect was not and that democracy in India has always been about sorting out differences and contradictions.  The PM also said that despite differences in policies and political ideologies, the ultimate goal should be to serve people.  PM Modi: Day will soon come when out countries will say ‘India is mother of democracy’The Prime Minister praised India’s spirit of democracy, saying that it has been sacred and a way of life in the country that has been developed based on centuries of experience.  He said that other countries discuss elections and other administrative issues when speaking about democracy and that a day would soon come when out countries will say ‘India is mother of democracy’.  PM Modi: Future generations will feel proud of a Parliament building made in independent India The PM said that future generations would feel proud to see the new Parliament complex that is made in independent India, and that they need to understand why democracy is successful in India.  PM Modi: New Parliament building will fulfill the country’s aspirations The Prime Minister said that the need was felt for a new Parliament building for years.  21st century India needs a new Parliament complex.  The old building fulfilled the needs of the country, the new Parliament building will fulfill the country’s aspirations, he continued.  PM Modi: New building to do away with space crunch, will have additional space for visitors People who come to meet public representatives in Parliament face many difficulties, there was space crunch.  The new building will have additional space to allow people to meet the representatives.  PM Modi: New Parliament building is an example of the co-existence of the new and the old The Prime Minister said that the new Parliament building is an example of the co-existence of the new and the old and that it was an effort to make changes within oneself in accordance with the time and needs.  PM Modi: Ceremony important milestone in historyThe Prime Minister, in his address, called the foundation stone laying ceremony a historic event and an important milestone in India’s history.  Union Minister HS Puri delivers welcome addressUnion Minister HS Puri delivered the welcome address in which he praised the PM for laying the foundation of a modern, strong, prosperous & self-reliant India with the inclusion of our proud history.   In the last 6 yrs PM Modi laid the foundation of a modern, strong, prosperous & self-reliant India with the inclusion of our proud history.  In this continuation, today is a very important day: Union Minister HS Puri at foundation stone laying ceremony of new Parliament building pic. twitter. com/ITTwcbBjauMulti-faith prayer underwayPM Modi, foreign envoys and other ministers attend the ‘sarva dharma prarthana’ (multi-faith prayer) at the foundation stone laying ceremony.   Delhi: The various religious leaders at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building perform 'Sarva Dharma Prarthana'.  pic. twitter. com/YsdS3n9JIDPM Modi unveils plaque to mark foundation stone laying ceremony of new Parliament buildingPrime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building.    Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils a plaque to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony of New Parliament Building in Delhi pic. twitter. com/k7eYzd0ceyMinisters and foreign envoys present at ceremonyUnion Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, foreign Envoys and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building.  Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, foreign Envoys and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building.  pic. twitter. com/DnkranVSuYPM Modi lays foundation stone of new Parliament building Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone for the new Parliament building in the Parliament House Complex.  Tata Trusts’ Chairman Ratan Tata, Union Minister HS Puri, Dy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh & various religious leaders present at ceremony.   #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of New Parliament Building in Delhi pic. twitter. com/gF3w7ivTDe PM Modi to lay foundation to new Parliament buildingPrime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone to the new Parliament building at 1pm, followed by an inter faith prayer at 1:30pm and his address at 2:15pm.  The new building will cost Rs 971 crores and is estimated to be completed by 2022.