#COVID19 | Shops shut, transport off roads as lockdown enforced in West Bengal

https://t.co/ClRFFWrCVx https://t.co/ou12ge8pSn

Life came to a near standstill across West Bengal on Thursday as the state was put under a complete lockdown to break the chain of rapidly rising Covid-19 cases. All shops were shut and all modes of transport went off the road as part of the state government’s plan to clamp restrictions two days a week.  A similar lockdown will be in place on July 25 and 29. The step to implement the bi-weekly lockdown was taken amid admission of community transmission in some parts of the state. Special police teams were seen patrolling various parts of the city, especially containment zones. Barricades were put up in various parts of the state to stop people from coming out of their homes and areas. Both government and private, commercial establishments, public and private transport, as well as activities other than under emergency services would remain closed on these days. The state presently has 930 broad-based containment zones. The death toll in West Bengal mounted to 1,221 as it reported the worst daily spike of 39 fatalities on Wednesday, the health department said.  It also recorded 2,291 fresh infections, pushing the tally to 49,321, it said in a bulletin.  PTI PNT RG DV DV


A Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) made disinfectant chamber was today deployed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The chamber uses a solution that is known to kill #COVID19 & will help in controlling the spread of coronavirus: DRDO https://t.co/iSltei5u91

There are 92 coronavirus hotspots in Delhi, but the entire city is not a hotspot, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain underlined on Saturday as the Centre relaxed lockdown rules. In a midnight order on Friday, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla had allowed neighbourhood shops, standalone shops and shops in residential complexes to open on the condition that they operate with half the strength and enforce social distancing norms. “There are 92 coronavirus hotspots in Delhi.  The entire district or the entire city is not (a hotspot),” Jain said replying to a query on whether the Delhi government was considering easing the curbs enforced to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. Also Watch | Covid-19 Delhi update: Satyendar Jain on plasma therapy, lockdown extension Delhi has reported a total of 2,514 Covid-19 patients till last night, 128 of them within the previous 24 hours. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier this week said the lockdown will continue as usual in the national capital and no relaxation of prohibitions will be allowed before a review meeting of experts on April 27. The health minister also said the rate at which coronavirus cases are doubling in Delhi has now slowed down to 13 days. Of all the cases, 857 people have recovered completely, while 53 have died.  Twenty-nine patients are in the ICU, the minister added.  On plasma therapy trials, Jain said, “We have tried it on six patients.  Two patients got it four days ago, two on Thursday and two on Friday.  Those who got it four days ago have almost recovered.  The results are encouraging. ”


Monsoon may arrive early, to reach Kerala by May 31: IMD

(Reports @jayashreenandi)

https://t.co/5Oey2mupUp https://t.co/OIf8x1JzdD

The monsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala on May 31, a day ahead of its normal onset date of June 1, scientists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said as part of their forecast for the annual summer rain season that is crucial for the country’s farm-dependent economy. The southwest monsoon normally hits Kerala on June 1 and covers the rest of the country by mid-July.  The last time monsoon onset was ahead of its arrival date was in 2018, when it hit Kerala on May 29. “This year, the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be on May 31st with a model error of plus or minus 4 days,” IMD said in a statement on Friday. Earlier this week, private weather forecasting company Skymet Weather also projected an earlier onset date of May 30 with an error margin of +/-2 days. CYCLONE IMPACT? Normally, initial monsoon rains hit south Andaman Sea and monsoon winds then advance north-westwards across the Bay of Bengal.  As per IMD, the monsoon typically advances over the Andaman Sea around May 22. This time, a depression over Lakshadweep area that is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move north towards the south Gujarat coast in the next few days has strengthened wind systems over the Arabian Sea.  These winds, in turn, may drive initial monsoon advance over Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 21, a day ahead of normal schedule. Scientists say that although this is a possibility, it does not necessarily affect monsoon onset schedule. “The development of cyclone Tauktae will definitely strengthen cross equatorial flow and help in strengthening monsoon flows.  But we cannot link the cyclone with advancement in monsoon onset date directly,” explained OP Sreejith, scientist and head, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group (CMPG) at IMD Pune. Past data suggests there is no association of the date of monsoon advance over Andaman Sea either with the date of monsoon onset over Kerala or with the seasonal monsoon rainfall over the country, IMD also said in a statement on Friday. However, Skymet Weather said that the onset could be influenced by oceanic conditions in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and that the “likely cyclone formation in the Arabian Sea will be consequential for advance of monsoon stream over Indian waters”. “. . . tropical storm Tauktae will vacate the Indian region by May 22 following which the westerly winds and cross equatorial flow will strengthen over Arabian Sea.  This also will be assisted by the MJO (Madden Julian Oscillation) entering Indian Ocean with moderate amplitude.  Pre-monsoon showers will be intense and hefty over Kerala,” Skymet Weather said in a statement on Thursday. IMD has been issuing forecasts for the date of monsoon onset over Kerala since 2005 and has developed a statistical model that accounts for an error of ± 4 days for this purpose.  The model accounts for six factors to forecast monsoon’s timeline, including minimum temperatures over northwest India, pre-monsoon rainfall peak over south peninsula and tropospheric winds over southeast Indian Ocean among others. IMD said last month that India is likely to see a normal monsoon this year, with rains expected to be around 98% of the long period average (LPA) . The LPA is the average rainfall -- 88 cm -- recorded from 1961 to 2010.  IMD considers rainfall between 96% to 104% of LPA to be in the “normal” range for the country. The monsoon season is crucial for summer crops and brings about 70% of India’s annual rainfall.  Adequate monsoon rain affects farm produce, and is a lifeline for about 60% of the country’s net cultivated area that relies on annual showers for irrigation.


A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows the footage of drone attack on the Iranian Military commander Qassem Soleimani.  In the post, it is also being claimed that the video footage has been released by the Pentagon.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.  Claim: Video footage of the drone attack on the Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.     Fact: The footage is from a video game.  The Pentagon did not release it.  The same video can be found to be uploaded on YouTube in 2015.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.      When the screenshots of the video were run through the Yandex Reverse Image Search, many similar videos were found in the search results.  The same video was found to be uploaded on YouTube in 2015 with the following description: ‘Development preview of our upcoming game for mobile platforms, “AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron”.  Voted TOP 50 2014 App of the Year at SlideDB’.  So, it is an old video from a video game. Also, previously, the same video was falsely used by Russia to claim that the US is working with ISIS. To sum it up, a video game clip falsely shared as ‘the video footage of the drone attack on Qassem Soleimani’. Did you watch our video on the 10 Most Ridiculous Fake News of the Year 2019?


Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is contesting from Dharmadam, watches the election trends along with party members

He is leading from the Dharmadam Assembly constituency https://t.co/ptjzkuDhem

Kerala Election Results 2021 LIVE Updates: The ruling Communist Party of India (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is set to retain power in Kerala winning 98 out of the 140 seats in the assembly.  The United Democratic Front (UDF) currently has 40 while the NDA has not made any gain in the seats, according to Election Commission's website. Click here for complete coverage of Kerala Assembly electionsBucking the four-decade-old electoral trend of the state that usually votes against the incumbent government, Kerala voted for the Left parties once again with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the helm.  Various pre-poll and post-poll surveys had predicted victory for the ruling alliance.  Kerala CM Vijayan thanked the people of the state, saying, "Kerala has given a verdict in favor of the LDF.  But this is not the time to celebrate with great joy as Covid-19 continues to spread in the state.  This is the time to continue the fight against Covid-19. "Also Read | Amid raging pandemic, counting of votes to decide leadership in Puducherry and 4 statesThe voting for the assembly election was held on April 6.  As many as 2. 74 crore voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 957 candidates. Follow all the updates here:LDF set to win in 99 seats, UDF in 41The present seat position in Kerala stands at 99 for LDF and 41 for UDF. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal congratulates Pinarayi Vijayan on poll victoryHeartfelt congratulations @vijayanpinarayi sir.  People of Kerala have reposed faith in you becoz of ur pro-people governance. Snapshot: 5 major losers in Kerala assembly elections 2021'Historic win': CM Vijayan thanks people of Kerala"It is a historic win.  We are indebted to people.  This victory will empower us to take more people friendly measures," Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said. 'Time to fight against Covid-19 ': CM Vijayan as LDF set to return to power"Kerala has given a verdict in favor of the LDF.  But this is not the time to celebrate with great joy as Covid-19 continues to spread in the state.  This is the time to continue the fight against Covid-19," Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said. Snapshot: 5 major winners in Kerala assembly elections 2021Thank people of Kerala for reposing faith in LDF govt: Sitaram YechuryIn a video message shared on Sunday CPI(M)'s general secretary Sitaram Yechury thanked the electorate of Kerala for showing confidence in the party and vowed that the Left party will continue to fight the challenges faced by people.  "I thank the people of Kerala for reposing faith in an unprecedented manner in the way that the previous LDF government tackled all the challenges that the people have faced and also the pandemic scourge.  The government gave a Kerala model to the world on how to handle the pandemic," he said. Kerala health minister KK Shailaja thanks people of Kerala"It was out development related actives and the way we tackled situations like Nipah, floods and Covid-19 also helped us to win the elections.  We are thankful the people of Kerala and we will continue to work for the people, said Kerala Health Minister and CPI(M) leader KK Shailaja after winning by a majority of over 61,000 votes from Mattannur constituency. Why such massive mandate was given to LDF, should be studied: Mullappally RamchandranKerala Congress president Mullappally Ramchandran says the mandate should be studies "carefully. " "This government is known for its corrupt practices.  I don't understand why such a massive mandate was given to the existing chief minister in this election," ANI quoted him as saying. Shashi Tharoor wishes Pinarayi Vijayan for his 'remarkable re-election'My congratulations to @CMOKerala @vijayanPinarayi for his remarkable re-election, a first in 44 years.  It is our duty to respect the confidence the people have shown in him & his government.  In the fight against #Covid & communalism, he should have our support. Created history by winning re-election: Prakash Karat"I extend greetings to the people of Kerala who have created history by electing LDF government once again to power," says former general secretary of CPI (M) Prakash Karat. EC announces final results for six seatsCPI-M candidates bag Chelakkara, Devikulam and Dharmadam.  While Kozhikode South iswon by Indian National League's candidate, Ahammad Devarkovil.  He defeated Noorbeena Rasheed by 6327 votes.  Piravom goes Kerala Congress (Jacob) as candidate Anoop Jacob defeats Dr Sindhumol Jacob of Kerala Congress (M) by 6195 votes. KK Rema of Revolutionary Marxist Party of India defeats Loktantrik Janata Dal candidate Manayath Chandran by 9511 votes in In Vadakar. CPI-M bags three seatsCommunist Party of India (Marxist) bags three seats, according to the officials results on the Election Commission's site. Pinarayi Vijayan to hold address press at 5:30pmAs Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF heads for historic victory, he will address a press conference today at 5:30pm, announced chief minister's office. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala concedes defeatOpposition leader Ramesh Chennithala concedes defeat as LDF prepares for a comeback.  He said the party accepts the verdict humbly and inquire reasons that led to defeat.  "We never expected such an outcome.  But we accept it with all humility" Chennithala said in Harippad, his constituency. BJP's Rajnath Singh congratulates Kerala CM Pinarayi VIjayanCongratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri @vijayanpinarayi on his party’s victory in Kerala Assembly elections.  My best wishes to him for his next tenure. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan sweeps DharmadamCongress' Ommen Chandy, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala emerged victorious in their own respective seats.  Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan sweeps Dharmadam. Palakkad goes to Congress, Metro Man defeatedMetro Man defeated in Palakkad.  Sitting legislator Shafi Parambhi defeated E Sreedharan by over 3000 votes. CPI-M wins one seat in KeralaAccording to official figures by the Election Commission, Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate KK Ramachandran wins Puthukkad.  He defeated Sunil Anthikkad of Congress and won 71250LDF extends lead to 98 seatsLDF extends ist lead to 98 seats now.  UDF is leading in 42. E Sreedharan trails in PalakkadMetro Man E Sreedharan trails in Palakkad.  He is trailing by over 1000 votes aginst sitting legislator Shafi Parambhil of the Congress. Voters appreciated pro-people development in Kerala: CPI-M leaderAs LDF inches towards victory, CPI-M's Prakash Karat says, "This is a significant victory as in past 40 yrs no govt re-elected for a second successive term.  This shows people of Kerala have appreciated performance of Pinarayi Vijayan government, the way it tackled floods, Covid and pro-people development," ANI reported. Ruling LDF continues to maintain lead in KeralaAs per trends available at around 12:30pn, the LDF may retain power with between 85 and 95 seats, a repeat of the 2016 assembly elections.  If that happens, the victory will mark the first time any coalition will form its government for the second time in over four decades of time. BJP's Sobha Surendran trails in KazahakkoottamIn Kazahakkoottam, CPI (M) candidate Kadakampally Surendran secures a lead with 15165 votes.  He if followed by BJP's Sobha Surendran.  Congress' SS Lal is trailing with 7114 votes. LDF secures lead on 92 seatsThe LDF secures lead on 92 seats, according to the latest trends.  UDF trails with 47 and NDA leads on 2 seats. Trends for all 140 seats out!  Ruling LDF in leadKerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan watches election trends with his party membersKerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is contesting from Dharmadam, watches the election trends along with party membersHe is leading from the Dharmadam Assembly constituency pic. twitter. com/ptjzkuDhemT K Ramakrishnan takes lead in PeramabraIn Peramabra, labour minister T K Ramakrishnan is leading with 43201 votes.  Mani C Kappan of Kerala Congress (M) is leading in Pala. Iduki sees lead of power minister MM ManiIn Idukki, power minister MM Mani leads with a comfortable margin of over 20,000 votes. Suresh Gopi leads from Thrissur constituencyBJP's Suresh Gopi leads from Thrissur constituency.  CPI's P Balachandran follows with 15811. Early trends for 138 seats are out! Key constituencies trends in KeralaNemom: BJP's Kummanam leads with 6957 votesPala: Independent candidate Mani C Kappen leads with 20721 votesKonni: CPI (M) leader KU Jenish Kumar leads with 218022 votesDevukulam: CPI (M) candidate A Raja leads with 34969 votesKongad: CPI(M) leader Samnthakumari K leads with 19327 votesE Sreedharan leads in PalakkadIn Palakkad, BJP's E Sreedharan is leading with 10055 votes.  Congress, CPI (M) candidates trail. Pinarayi Vijayan leads in DharmadamKerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan leads in Dharmadam, according to the Election Commission's figures.  Congress' C.  Raghunathan is behind VIjayan with 10858 votes. Left appears set for an electoral lifeline in KeralaIf the LDF eventually wins this election, it will break a 40-year-old tradition in the state of switching parties and alliances in power after every five years.  Read MoreOfficial trends for 116 seats in Kerala by ECLDF leading above the halfway markEarly trends show LDF is leading above the halfway mark in Kerala.  According to latest trends, LDF has established a clear lead of 90 seats.  Opposition UDF is leading on 48 and NDA two.  The second round of voting has concluded. CPI(M) lead rises to 15CPI(M) lead rises to 15, according to the Election Commission's website.  Congress is leading on 7 while CPI is leading on 4, official figures from EC shows. Ruling CPI(M) leading on 10 seats: ECThe EC figures show lead of Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 10 seats.  COngress is leading in six, CPI 2.  Kerala Congress (M), Loktantrik Janta Dal, Revolutionary Marxist Party of India and Indendent are leading on one seat respectively. EC shows lead of Congress on 3 seatsOfficial trends by the Election Commission shows lead for Congress on 3 seats, CPI(M) leading on 1. First round of voting concludes in Kerala, LDF leads in 80 seatsFirst round of voting concluded in Kerala and as per early trends LDF is leading in 80 seats, UDF 57 and NDA 3. Metro Man E Sreedharan leads in PalakkadAs per intial trend, Metro Man E Sreedharan leads in Palakkad with 1000 votes.  Widow of late Marxist renegade K Rema establishes clear lead in Vadakara. LDF leads in 50 seats; EVM counting beginsAfter postal votes, EVMs counting begin.  Initial trends show ruling LDF is leading in 50 seats, UDF 36 and NDA 2. 'Victories are pyrrhic,' tweets Congress' Kapil SibalOn today’s election results :Whoever wins such victories are pyrrhic Today what matters is :Saving livesCounting of postal ballots is underway in IdukkiEarly leads show LDF ahead in five seatsFirst postal ballots are being counted first in Kerala and early counting show LDF is ahead in five seats.  UDF is leading in three. Counting begins in KeralaCounting began in Kerala as fate of 957 candidates including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is in the fray.  Postal ballots to be counted first and at around 8:30am EVM votes will be counted. Strong rooms opened in MalappuramThe strong room opened in Malappuram as counting of votes for #KeralaElections2021 to begin shortly. #AssemblyElections2021 pic. twitter. com/6r0GI3BkSqCongress' Oommen Chandy offers prayers at Puthuppally ChurchCongress leader and former chief minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy offers prayers at Puthuppally Church.  He is contesting the elections from Puthuppally Assembly constituency. What exit polls says? India Today-Axis My India has projected 104-120 seats for incumbent LDF as against 20-36 seats for UDF.  It has projected 0-2 for National Democratic Alliance. Counting of votes to begin soon in KeralaCongress withdraws from television debatesIn view of the escalating coronavirus situation, Congress decides to skip debates on news channels after the polls results are out.  "We shall remain available for any comment that media friends want.  We may win, we may lose, but at a time when people are looking for oxygen, beds, medicines, ventilators; our duty tells us to stand by them, work with them to heal and help.  In solidarity with India," party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet. Get our daily newsletter Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations


BREAKING: Trump administration backs down from ICE rule change requiring foreign students to attend classes in-person this fall or leave the U.S. https://t.co/MqArAEytGe

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNNUpdated 6:04 PM ET, Tue July 14, 2020  (CNN)The Trump administration has rescinded its policy that would bar international students who only take online courses from staying in the US, a federal judge announced Tuesday in Boston. CNN's Sonia Moghe, Pamela Brown, Kevin Liptak, and Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report.


BREAKING: Donald Trump will win the state of Alabama, @ABC News projects. https://t.co/woP3soJJC5 #ElectionNight https://t.co/r3cGVdIhRF

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Melissa Mahtani and Amanda Wills, CNNOur live coverage has moved.  Go here for the latest results and news from the election. From CNN's Allison GordonResults from Milwaukee have flipped Wisconsin to Joe Biden, who has a lead in the state right now, CNN's Phil Mattingly says. Earlier, the city of Milwaukee's absentee ballot information was delivered with a police escort, CNN's Ryan Young reported. "When they have those three officers walking with them, you understand the importance of the event," Young told CNN's Chris Cuomo. The election is far from over with millions of votes still outstanding in key states, including in battleground Wisconsin. Joe Biden will win Hawaii, CNN projects. There are four electoral votes at stake in Hawaii.  It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state, and President Trump won the general election. From CNN's Josiah Ryan Republican insiders are crediting a $300 million get-out-out the vote effort organized by the Trump campaign and allies for narrowing the gap in many states, CNN's Ryan Nobles reported early this morning.  "Republicans are talking about. . .  the ground game that the Republican National Committee and the Trump Victory Organization put into place shortly after President Trump was inaugurated," said Nobles. Nobles reported on Friday that the campaign had spent more than $300 million on a data and ground operation and less on television and digital advertising in the final leg of the campaign.  "They firmly believe that that ground game was going to be a big part in narrowing the gap, in many of these key states and they're now saying that we're seeing that play out in realtime as these votes come," added Nobles.  From CNN's MJ LeeJoe Biden's campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon issued a strongly worded statement following President Trump's White House speech, calling it "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect. " O’Malley Dillon went on to say that "the counting will not stop. ”From CNN's Maeve Reston and Stephen CollinsonVotes are still being counted in several key states across the US, and no winner has been determined in the presidential election. If you're just reading in, here's what you need to know about the race:From CNN's Leinz ValesBenjamin L.  Ginsberg, a longtime Republican election lawyer who co-chaired the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, said Wednesday that President Trump should “let all the votes be counted,” following his attacks on legitimate vote counting efforts. “If you have objections to either the particular ballots or to the process, then you have remedies after the fact from each state individual contests laws or recount laws if the margins are close enough,” Ginsberg told CNN’s Jake Tapper during CNN’s special election coverage.  Hear Ginsberg explain: From CNN’s Mark MoralesPhiladelphia won’t have an updated number on mail-in ballots until 9 a. m.  on Wednesday, said Lisa Deeley, head of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which is a bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration. Election officials are waiting on in-person voting numbers to be reported by some individual precincts and ingested into their system before they can report the number of mail-in ballots, Deeley said.  “That’s just the configuration of our system,” said Deeley, adding that it was a reporting issue, not mechanical. The delay in in-person results from the field are slowing down the reports, particularly in West Philadelphia, Deeley said “We are counting, we have been counting, we are going to continue counting until it's done,” Deeley said.  “We’re just waiting for the rest of the in-person results to come in from voting machines. ”Another update with mail-in votes will come at 9 a. m. , Deeley said. As of 1:10 a. m.  ET, with 1,598 of 1,703 divisions reporting, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 73. 3% of the city’s votes, and President Trump has received 25. 67% of the city’s vote. From CNN's Allison GordonBased on CNN's current projections, Joe Biden has 220 electoral votes while Donald Trump has 213 electoral votes. Here's the latest look at where things stand:Reminder: Each candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Indian Army: Indian Army has postponed all Services Selection Board (SSB) batches commencing from 20th March onwards till further orders in view of #COVID19 outbreak. https://t.co/Auzk9sLbjr

The Indian Army has deferred all Services Selection Board interviews that aspirants are required to clear before joining the armed forces as officers, said two government officials on conditions of anonymity, on Wednesday.  They said that the decision has been taken in view of the rising cases of coronavirus infections in the country. Military aspirants have to appear for SSB interviews that are spread over four days and held at different centres across the country such as Allahabad, Bhopal and Bengaluru.  The first such interviews were supposed to begin later this week. “These interviews can’t be conducted in the current circumstances.  The candidates will be notified when the interviews will be held.  No date has been fixed yet,” said one of the officers.  The Navy and the Indian Air Force are also likely to defer SSB interviews, the second official said. The army had on Tuesday postponed several of its courses for its officers to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.  These courses were to begin in different parts of the country next week. Non-essential training, conferences and movement have also been deferred.


A demonstration in Hong Kong turned combative when a group of pro-autonomy protesters began ramming and bashing the Legislative Council building.

The protesters spray painted slogans on wall and took down portraits of leaders inside the chamber. https://t.co/GGrIE8c30X https://t.co/sdpJjL7zSJ

By Ben Westcott, Jessie Yeung, James Griffiths, Julia Hollingsworth, Steve George and Jenni Marsh, CNNThe sun is beginning to set in Hong Kong but the protests are still going strong. The annual July 1 pro-democracy march is a fixture of the Hong Kong calendar but today's has been far more heated than in previous years. Here's how things stand at 6 p. m. :From CNN's Jo ShelleyYoung protesters have launched another attack on the Hong Kong government headquarters. Using metal barriers and poles, a group of masked demonstrators smashed a glass window at a public entrance where there are currently no police.  This phrase is what people here would chant at a basketball game or a sporting event.  It would be the equivalent of: “Go Hong Kong, go! ”Around the corner, there is still a tense stand off between police and protesters at the site where they pushed a metal trolley through a glass window earlier today. So far no protesters have tried to physically enter the government headquarters. From CNN's James Griffiths and Ben WestcottIt's the stretch of road that has been the site of multiple clashes between police and protesters over the past month. Today the demonstrators have once again occupied Harcourt Road, the busy street outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council, the government headquarters. This road was occupied by protesters on June 9, before police used tear gas and rubber bullets to force them to leave. Since then, it has been temporarily shut down by protests at least one more time.  Now the black-clad demonstrators have moved in. From CNN's Julia Hollingsworth and Ben WestcottYoung protesters are locked in heated police clashes outside the government headquarters, but on the other side of town thousands of citizens are marching peacefully against the China extradition bill and to call for greater democracy. This official march is bigger and has attracted a wider range of people, too.  Middle aged folk, young people and even small children, some of them being carried on their parents’ shoulders, have all turned out. What is the official march?  This is the annual July 1 protest, which takes place on the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China. Where does it go?  Their route takes them from Victoria Park along the north side of the island to the heart of the city in Central.  March organizers today, however, have changed the route to avoid being caught up in the tense stand off outside the government offices. What do they want?  Among the protest chants today are calls to "Free Hong Kong" and for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to step down.  From CNN's Jadyn Beverley ShamPolice waiting inside the Hong Kong Legislative Council in full riot gear have attempted to communicate with protesters outside using a microphone. Wearing a helmet, one of the officers stepped forward to warn protesters not to charge again.  CNN journalists outside the building, however, said it was hard to hear what the officer said, even when he used the microphone. There has been a tense stand-off between the two sides since the demonstrators shoved a metal cart through one of the glass doors of the building. Police are still holding up the red flag, warning protesters not to charge. From CNN's Serenitie Wang and Ben WestcottAs protesters clash with police in Hong Kong, mainland China is being kept more or less in the dark just a short distance away over the border. Discussion of the protests is still banned on Chinese social media platforms, including Weibo and the widely used WeChat messaging app. There is also almost no mention of the mass demonstrations in Chinese state-run media. The most prominent mention in the state-run China Daily was an article on a march in support of Hong Kong police which was held on Sunday. No Chinese government statement is expected on Monday's protests. Tensions are running high across Hong Kong as protesters congregate in two separate areas and police officers brace for an escalation. If you're just joining us now, here's what you need to know:Amid the tense standoff in Admiralty, Hong Kong police have issued a statement asking citizens to "consider seriously whether to take part" in Monday's march. The annual July 1 pro-democracy protest march has already begun, with thousands of demonstrators gathering in Hong Kong's Victoria Park. But the police said that there was a "serious safety threat" to marchers, while emphasising they supported "people's freedom of assembly. "Earlier today, Senior Superintendent Kong Wing-Cheung said he had asked march organizers to either postpone the march or change the route.  March organizers have since changed the route destination from Harcourt Road to Chater Road. Hong Kong police officers are beginning to gather outside the Legislative Council and on Tim Wa Road, outside the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).  Meanwhile, hundreds of officers in full protective riot gear are stationed inside the Legislative Council building as protesters try to break in. The police, who have so appeared reluctant to engage with protesters, are now standing with shields up, bracing for potential escalation. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Top White House negotiators are pushing to scale back the next coronavirus relief legislation, just one day before Senate Republicans plan to release their $1 trillion proposal. https://t.co/aSPPFk91oj

Democrats already don't agree with the Republicans' plan. Mitch McConnell unveils HEALS Act Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a new coronavirus relief plan on the Senate floor after Senate Republican leaders and the White House appear to have overcome their differences. "I hope this strong proposal will occasion a real response, not partisan cheap shots.  Not the predictable, tired old rhetoric as though these were ordinary times, and the nation could afford ordinary politics," McConnell said Monday afternoon in a floor speech. But Democrats already don't agree with the Republicans' plan, which includes a $200 flat-rate, short-term extension to federal unemployment benefits as opposed to $600 a week, a senior source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News, since it will take time before states' systems can shift to accommodate any federal benefit changes. Following McConnell's floor speech, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Republican Party for "wasting precious time" in the months since Congress passed its first coronavirus relief package, arguing "the White House and Senate Republicans couldn't get their act together" in the time since. "Ten weeks after Democrats passed a comprehensive bill through the House, Senate Republicans couldn't even agree on what to throw in on the wall," Schumer said, adding that support for the plan presented Monday is still not clear.  "Not only do we not know if the president supports any of these proposals, we don't even know if Senate Republicans fully support. "Sen.  Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told reporters that McConnell is about to encounter "significant resistance" to the HEALS Act --- saying the focus shouldn't be on emergency help, but on economic recovery. "I continue to have serious concerns, certainly at the cost, as our deficits and debt are spiraling out of control," Cruz said.  "But I also have concerns that the focus of this legislation is wrong.  Our priority, our objective should be restarting the economy.  This shouldn't be yet another emergency relief bill.  We had several bills at the height of the crisis that were designed to be emergency relief bills. "Republican sources familiar with the matter told ABC News later Monday that there could be as much as half the Senate GOP conference voting against the bill. The proposal comes as part of a broader bill aimed at handling economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows spent the weekend on Capitol Hill working through details of the proposal with Senate GOP leadership staff. "We've got an agreement in principle," Meadows told reporters late Sunday, saying that staff was still putting the finishing touches on the proposal.  "We have a few modifications that we're looking for clarity on, but we've gotten those down to a handful that hopefully will be resolved in the next hour or so. "The $1 trillion plan is expected to reduce the federal unemployment benefit to about $200 per week, on average, or 70% of the wages a worker earned before ending up jobless.  It would also provide $105 billion for schools, $70 billion of which would go to K-12 institutions with more going to schools that reopen; it would give $16 billion more for virus testing and tracing; it would provide another round of popular stimulus checks; it would include a second, more targeted round of forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses; and it would provide tax credits for businesses to help with rehiring and reopening. The bill also includes an administration request for $1. 75 billion to be appropriated for a new FBI headquarters. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen.  Richard Shelby was asked by reporters what the headquarters construction has to do with the coronavirus and he said, "That's a good question. "McConnell was also asked about the appropriation and he appeared to be unaware of its inclusion. "I'm not sure that it is, is it? " he said in response, prompting a staffer to confirm to the senator that it is in the legislation.  "I think this is a starting place.  We can't pass a bill in the Senate without the Democrats, nor obviously can it pass the House, so every bill has to start somewhere. "Later, when asked again about the provision, McConnell said, ""In regard to that proposal obviously we had to have an agreement with the administration in order to get started and they'll have to answer the question on why they insisted on that provision.  You'll have to ask them why they insisted that be included. "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was hosting a meeting with Schumer, Meadows and Mnuchin, an aide told ABC News, following the release of the GOP coronavirus proposal. President Donald Trump had insisted on a payroll tax cut, which caused some delay, but after the pitch met with opposition from many Republicans and Democrats alike, it was dropped.  Mnuchin acknowledged over the weekend that the tax incentive did not provide immediate relief, unlike the planned second round of direct payments to Americans with modest incomes.  Likewise, the administration caved on an effort to zero out any new funding for testing, tracing and the major federal health agencies involved in fighting the pandemic. White House officials have shown a new sense of urgency after weeks of delay, with Meadows pitching a piecemeal approach that might speed some benefits -- like those for the jobless -- that are about to expire, while not addressing others, like the moratorium on evictions that expired this weekend.  But to date, the incremental approach has been rejected by Pelosi. "Honestly, I see us being able to provide unemployment insurance; maybe a retention credit to keep people from being displaced or brought back into the workplace; helping with our schools," Meadows said.  "If we can do that, along with liability protection, perhaps we put that forward, get that passed, and we can negotiate on the rest of the bill in the weeks to come. ""For them to come now, when we're right on the brink," Pelosi said in a CBS interview, referring to expiring federal assistance, "we have been ready for two months and 10 days. "The House passed a $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill in May that included additional aid for state and local governments, schools and virus testing, but it was not taken up by the Senate. McConnell was expected to unveil the new GOP proposal in a Senate floor speech Monday afternoon, according to Meadows and GOP leadership aides, after which negotiations with Democrats can begin in earnest. But the two sides remain far apart, and over the weekend, McConnell made it clear that a resolution will take time -- even with deadlines for jobless benefits and a moratorium on evictions expiring. "Hopefully in the next two to three weeks we'll be able to come together and pass something that we can send over to the House and down to the president for signature," McConnell said. Pelosi did not rule out reducing the federal unemployment benefit, but she was adamant that Congress cannot leave on its long-planned August recess without an agreement. "We can't go home without it," Pelosi told CBS' Face the Nation. ABC News' Mariam Khan, Benjamin Siegel and Libby Cathey contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Tuesday, July 28, 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. 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


Delhi: Bodies of 2012 Delhi gangrape case convicts brought to DDU Hospital for postmortem; The postmortem will be done as recommended by the Jail manual and Supreme Court guidelines. After the postmortem, the bodies of the convicts will be handed over to their respective families https://t.co/jOl8mqQQDB https://t.co/lxONR632J7

The bodies of the four convicts in the Delhi 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder case have been sent to a hospital for a post-mortem after their pre-dawn hanging on Friday. A spokesperson of Tihar Jail said the bodies of Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma were taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital at around 8:20am after the hanging. HighlightsThe bodies of the four convicts were taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital after the hanging at 5:30pmThe autopsy will be completed by 12:30pmThe bodies will be handed over to the families after the post-mortemTihar Jail’s director-general Sandeep Goel said the bodies will be handed over to the families after the post-mortem.  However, the families will have to give a written undertaking that they will not make a public demonstration of the cremation or burial of those hanged, according to news agency ANI. Also read: Fruit seller, gym trainer, bus cleaner: The 4 men hanged for Delhi rapeThe jail superintendent will also consult the district magistrate and the deputy commissioner of police about the arrangements for the bodies’ disposal. “The post-mortem report of judicial handing is different from normal handing.  Autopsy likely to completed by 12:30pm,” an unnamed source at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital was quoted as saying by ANI. Also read: Timeline of a crime that horrified IndiaAll the four men in the Delhi 2012 gang-rape and murder case were hanged till death at 5:30am on Friday. They were convicted of the brutal gang-rape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012.  The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. Two more people, including a juvenile, were also involved in the crime. Also read: Will you celebrate convicts’ hanging?  Delhi rape victim’s mother respondsOne of the adults accused had allegedly committed suicide in the prison during the trial, and the juvenile was released from a correction home after three years.


New research suggests England has seen roughly a 30% drop in COVID-19 infections three weeks into its second nationwide lockdown. https://t.co/ifV4JgXaLV https://t.co/XTqt3Afugg

By Helen Regan, Brett McKeehan, Emma Reynolds, Ed Upright, Jo Shelley, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner, CNNOur live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has moved here. From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite in Pisa, ItalyCovid-19 infections have dropped by "roughly" 30% in England during the second national lockdown, new research suggested on Monday.  The study was conducted by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI from the Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission program. Swab tests on more than 105,000 people have shown coronavirus infections are declining, Imperial College London said on its website. The report includes results from home coronavirus tests taken between November 13 and 24, and shows "an estimated 0. 96% of England’s population has the virus, or around 1 in 100 people. ""This is roughly a 30% drop in the number of infections compared with previous findings, where more than 1 in 80, or 1. 3% of people, had the virus as of November 2," the report found.  According to the research, the R-number has fallen to below 1, estimated at 0. 88, "meaning that the country’s epidemic is currently shrinking rather than growing. "From CNN's Alta SpellsThe United States reported 138,903 new Covid-19 cases and 826 virus-related deaths on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The latest numbers bring the nationwide total to at least 13,383,320 infections.  At least 266,873 people have died in the US from the virus, according to JHU.  The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.  Some background: On Sunday, cases in the US topped more than 100,000 for the 27th consecutive day -- as millions of Americans headed home after Thanksgiving. A surge in new travel-related infections could overwhelm hospitals already stretched to capacity. Hospitalizations of US Covid-19 patients also reached a record high of 93,238 on Sunday, trumping Saturday's 91,635 figure, according to the Covid Tracking Project.  CNN is tracking the US cases: From CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo Japan recorded 2,056 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, according to its health ministry, with the number of serious infections in the country at its highest level yet.  The new infections bring Japan’s total caseload to 147,472.  The country also recorded 13 virus-related fatalities Sunday, pushing its Covid-19 death toll to 2,132.  The number of people with severe Covid-19 symptoms has reached a record high, with 462 patients being treated in intensive care units on Sunday -- up 22 from the day before.  Tokyo: Of the new infections, 418 were recorded in the capital -- the fifth consecutive day that cases there have topped 400.  Tokyo has reported a total of 40,628 Covid-19 cases. Osaka: The second-biggest prefecture counted 381 new cases on Sunday, the fifth consecutive day that cases there have topped 300.  Osaka also reported that six people, in their 70s to 90s, died on Sunday.  Some restrictions: On Saturday, karaoke venues and restaurants serving alcohol in Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, and Nagoya started three weeks of restricted business hours to help combat the resurgence in infections. Analysis from CNN's Joshua BerlingerKim Jong Un appears to have kicked North Korea's pandemic prevention plan into overdrive, further tightening the country's nearly impassible borders, cutting off nearly all trade with China, and even allegedly executing a customs official for failing to handle imported goods appropriately.  Beijing exported just $253,000 worth of goods to Pyongyang in October -- a drop of 99% from September to October, according to data published by China's customs administration.  For context, that's less in terms of dollar value than China exported to Liechtenstein and Monaco during October.  Why that matters: China is North Korea's biggest trading partner and effectively the Kim regime's economic lifeline -- the country basically doesn't import significantly from anywhere else.  Taking Covid seriously: The new customs figures, if accurate, show that Kim appears to be willing to pare back -- or even cut off -- trade with China to prevent the virus from entering North Korea, even if it means risking the country's food and fuel supply.  Alleged executions: North Korea has not publicly acknowledged the drop in trade, or the reason behind it, but the pandemic is the most likely explanation.  Kim reportedly had two people executed for Covid-19 related crimes, including a customs official who did not follow virus prevention rules while importing goods from China.  CNN has not been able to independently confirm news of the execution, nor have North Korean officials publicly confirmed it.  Other extreme measures: North Korean state media reported Sunday that authorities were enacting new, stricter anti-epidemic measures across the country, including increasing the number of guard posts at border crossings and tightening the rules of sea entry in coastal areas.  Authorities have even been ordered to "incinerate seaborne rubbish. "Read the full analysis:From CNN’s Tatiana Arias and CNNE’s Ana Cucalon in AtlantaStarting Monday, Venezuela will suspend strict nationwide quarantine measures and lift curfews imposed on all towns along its borders with Colombia and Brazil, the country's President Nicolas Maduro said during a televised briefing late Sunday. The easing of Covid-19 measures will last four weeks for economic and social activities during the month of December, Maduro said, adding that restrictions will resume in January. Fifty-three sectors of the economy -- including sporting and musical events, gyms, and cafeterias -- will be able to resume activities. Health protocols such as mask wearing, social distancing and mandatory quarantine for those entering the country will remain in place, Maduro said. As of Saturday, Venezuela had reported 101,760 cases of Covid-19 and 892 related deaths, according to the country’s health ministry.  Some background: As well as imposing stay-at-home measures, doctors say Venezuela's government has been using motels and other facilities to quarantine suspected coronavirus patients.  But these facilities have earned a reputation for being unsanitary, crowded and prison-like, with many Venezuelans fearing being locked inside them. Read more here:From CNN's Holly Yan and Madeline HolcombeSunday was expected to be the busiest US domestic air travel day of the entire pandemic -- even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that Americans not travel for Thanksgiving. Roughly 6 million travelers passed through security at US airports after the CDC's travel warning in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. But it will be weeks before anyone knows how much of a role Thanksgiving gatherings and travel play in new hospitalizations and deaths. "When you look at people who are hospitalized today, they were infected two weeks ago, maybe more," said Dr.  Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University.  "And then it takes usually another week for folks to succumb to the illness. "So infections picked up on Thanksgiving "are going to show up in three weeks and are going to show up in deaths over Christmas and New Year's and are going to spread in every state," Ranney said. Statistics reported in the days after the holiday might show a relative dip in Covid-19 cases, followed by a surge due to a lag in government agencies' reporting over the long weekend. And given Covid-19's lengthy incubation time and how long it takes an infected person to test positive, cases related to Thanksgiving are unlikely to show in public data until the first full week of December at the earliest. Read the full story:From CNN's Eric Cheung in Hong KongIndonesia reported its highest daily increase in Covid-19 infections on Sunday, with 6,267 new cases, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 534,266, with 16,815 related deaths, the ministry said.  From CNN Health’s Naomi ThomasThe Covid-19 pandemic and reductions in access to effective antimalarial treatment caused by it could result in up to 100,000 additional deaths from malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  Many countries have reported moderate levels of disruption, the WHO's World Malaria Report 2020 said.  Modeling analysis showed that reductions in access to effective antimalarial treatment of 10% could lead to an additional 19,000 deaths in the region.  A 50% reduction could lead to 100,000 additional deaths by the end of 2020 -- even if all prevention campaigns are completed. Malaria prevention campaigns involve long-lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying and seasonal malaria chemoprevention. There were an estimated 229 million malaria cases and 409,000 related deaths in 2019. From CNN's Chuck JohnstonHospitalizations of Covid-19 patients in the United States reached a record high of 93,238 on Sunday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The number trumped Saturday's 91,635 figure and marked the third time there have been more than 90,000 Americans hospitalized with Covid-19.  The first was last Thursday with 90,481 patients, before a drop to 89,834 on Friday that could be attributed to inconsistencies in reporting over Thanksgiving. Hospitalizations in the US have been hitting steady highs throughout November.  The country surpassed 80,000 daily hospitalizations on November 19 and set new records steadily for 17 days straight until Friday, according to CTP. A surge of new travel-related infections could overwhelm hospitals already stretched to capacity"There's no way that the hospitals can be fully prepared for what we're currently facing," emergency medicine physician and CNN medical analyst Dr.  Megan Ranney said. Read more about the hospitalizations in the US:Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh will join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the virtual launch of Phase II of Punjab’s Smart Village Campaign virtually on Oct 17 to pave way for next phase of the holistic development of 13,000 plus villages across State: Punjab CMO

(file pics) https://t.co/BOHptdsC92

After the BJP criticised Rahul Gandhi for his visit abroad, the Congress on Monday said he has gone to meet an ailing relative and his grandmother and is not on a holiday.  Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s absence from the party’s foundation day function at the AICC headquarters, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala came out in defence of Gandhi, saying he is currently not the party chief and has performed all the duties entrusted to him by the organisation.  The former party chief left for Italy on Sunday afternoon, a day ahead of the party’s 136th foundation day, prompting many BJP leaders to take a swipe at him and the Congress.  “Rahul Gandhi’s holiday in India has ended and he has gone back to Italy,” Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh had tweeted.  Surjewala said the BJP should not have any objection to Gandhi visiting an ailing relative.  “Rahul Gandhi has gone out on a short personal visit to meet up with an ailing relative, who is seriously sick.  He has not gone out on a holiday.  He also meets up with his maternal grandmother this time of the year, every year.  I don’t think the BJP should have objections to him visiting an ailing relative,” he told reporters.  He said today the issue is not about Rahul Gandhi but of farmers protesting in the cold, and alleged that the prime minister or his ministers do not have time to meet them.  “Why don’t the ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the prime minister of the country take care of the farmers?  Instead of abusing the opposition, why don’t they pay attention to running the country?  “Why doesn’t the prime minister and minister go 20 kilometers and talk to the farmers?  Why is the prime minister so arrogant that he is not ready to talk to farmers,” he asked.


Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a meeting via video-conferencing with the Chief Ministers over #COVID19. https://t.co/yd6mdCzukr

As India battles the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a video conference with chief ministers primarily to take their feedback on whether the 21-day nationwide lockdown be extended beyond April 14 to stem the tide of the infections. The initial visuals of the meeting showed Modi wearing a white mask during the interaction which was among others attended by chief ministers -- Amrinder Singh (Punjab), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Manohar Lal (Haryana), K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana) and Nitish kumar (Bihar).  The Central government is understood to have also obtained views on the issue from all the relevant agencies and stakeholders involved in the efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic. The video conference, which began at 11am, comes amidst indications that the central government may extend the nationwide lockdown with some possible relaxations even as Punjab and Odisha have already announced extending the lockdown beyond April 14 when the current spell of 21-day shutdown across the country ends on Tuesday. The Union Home Ministry has sought views of state governments on various aspects, including whether more categories of people and services need to be exempted.  In the current lockdown only essential services are exempted. This is for the second time the prime minister is interacting with the chief ministers via video link after the lockdown was imposed. During his April 2 interaction with chief ministers, Modi had pitched for a “staggered” exit from the ongoing lockdown. A PTI tally of numbers reported by various states as on Thursday at 9. 30pm showed a total of 7,510 having been affected by the virus nationwide so far with at least 251 deaths.  More than 700 have been cured and discharged.  However, the last update from the Union Health Ministry put the number of confirmed infections at 7,447 and the death toll at 239. Addressing floor leaders of various parties who have representation in Parliament, Modi had on Wednesday made it clear that the lockdown cannot be lifted in one go, asserting that the priority of his government is to “save each and every life”. According to an official statement after the Wednesday interaction, the prime minister told these leaders that states, district administrations and experts have suggested extension of the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. Before the lockdown was announced on March 24, the prime minister had interacted with the chief ministers on March 20 to discuss ways and means to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.  PTI NAB MPB PYK PYK


Video shows Hindus in West Bengal being attacked by Rohingyas.

With months to go for elections in West Bengal, a video of a mob attack is circulating on social media with the claim that it shows Hindus in the state being thrashed by Rohingyas.  Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh can also be seen in the video. The caption in Hindi along with one such video translates to, “Look at the condition n of Hindus in West Bengal.  Rohingyas there do not let a Hindu pass by or even campaign in their localities.  This is why NRC is required and these tenants must move out. ”India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading.  This is a 2017 video of Dilip Ghosh and other BJP workers being attacked by members of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling. The archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here and here. AFWA probeWith the help of appropriate keywords, we found that the video is from 2017 when GJM activists attacked Dilip Ghosh and other state BJP leaders who went to Darjeeling to attend a ‘Vijaya Samellani’ programme. We found visuals similar to the video clips in questions uploaded on the YouTube channel of Assamese news channel “Pratidin Time”.  The title of the video says, “Enraged Gorkhas thrash BJP leaders in Darjeeling”. Here is a screen grab comparison of the viral video and video uploaded by “Pratidin Time”. We also found similar visuals in video reports by ABP News and Republic World, confirming that the men who attacked the BJP leaders were activists of GJM and not Rohingyas. According to a report by Hindustan Times, BJP workers accompanying Ghosh and state BJP leader Jay Prakash Majumdar were attacked by members of the Benoy Tamang faction of GJM on the evening of October 5, 2017, at Darjeeling. As per some news reports, the assault was carried out as Ghosh had called Tamang a ‘traitor’.  It was just a few days back that the GJM withdrew its 104-day strike in demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. In March 2019, weeks before the general election, the same video went viral as BJP leaders being thrashed by public when they went to seek votes.  Independent fact-checkers had then debunked the claim. Hence, it is clear that the video in question shows a 2017 incident when some BJP leaders were attacked by activists of a political party and not by Rohingyas. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Senate Republicans, who have the majority in the upper chamber, have signaled plans to quickly move to take up the Supreme Court nomination in the midst of an election season where control of the White House and Congress are on the line https://t.co/Um6XEJQzrT

President Trump is expected to reveal his pick within days. Supreme Court showdown to fill Justice Ginsburg's seatThe death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has ignited a bare-knuckle debate over her replacement.  Democrats and Republicans are exchanging accusations of hypocrisy as they sling prior statements made on Senate confirmation hearings across the aisle. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. , is standing firm on his decision that there will be a vote on President Donald Trump's pending nominee to fill Ginsburg's seat, possibly by Election Day, prompting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y. , to slam McConnell's decision as a "craven" power grab. "Some -- some -- few on that side will at least have the dignity of putting their head down and plowing through it because they know there is no reason -- no reason, no argument, no logic -- to justify flipping your position 180 degrees and calling it some kind of principle.  It is not.  It is utterly craven, an exercise in raw political power and nothing -- nothing more," Schumer said in his remarks on the Senate floor on Monday. Since Ginsburg's death on Friday, McConnell and many of his Republican Senate colleagues have beaten the drum for a swift confirmation hearing for whoever Trump picks to occupy the vacancy left by the Supreme Court's most veteran liberal justice and fortify the panel's conservative wing. Some GOP senators are remaining mum, waiting to see who Trump names, what the nominee's record turns up and what the hearings reveal before they agree to a speedy vote. Democrats, assuming that Joe Biden will win the Nov.  3 election, counter that a new Supreme Court justice confirmation hearing should be postponed until after the presidential inauguration to give voters a say in the process.  If Trump prevails at the polls, then the subject of when a confirmation hearing is held becomes moot. With the Republicans maintaining a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats cling to fraying threads of hope they can still sway four Republicans to block the Supreme Court nomination and prevent Vice President Mike Pence from casting the deciding vote.  But they were dealt with what appears to be a fait accompli on Tuesday when Sen.  Mitt Romney, R-Utah -- who voted earlier this year to convict Trump during his impeachment trial -- said he supports holding a hearing for the president's Supreme Court pick. The two sides have resorted to publicly shaming the other, trading accusations of perpetuating a double standard, with statements made in 2016 when McConnell refused to allow a Senate hearing for appellate Judge Merrick Garland, who President Barack Obama nominated to fill the Supreme Court seat of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died nearly nine months before the presidential election. However, Scalia died 269 days before the 2016 presidential election.  Ginsburg's death came only 46 days before the upcoming election. At the time, the roles of the parties were reversed with most Senate Democrats calling for a hearing and with the bulk of Republicans, who occupied the majority of the chamber then as they do now, successfully thwarting Garland's bid to serve on the highest court in the land. Here is what some key players in the Senate from both sides of the aisle said then and now:- Sen.  Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. , and then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen.  Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, penned a 2016 op-ed in the Washington Post, arguing against a Supreme Court nominee hearing in an election year, saying the American voters should "decide who they trust to both lead the country and nominate the next Supreme Court justice. " On Monday, McConnell said there is "sufficient time" with six weeks to go before the election for a hearing on a nominee, and said the late Justice John Paul Stevens was confirmed in just 19 days, former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was confirmed in 33 days and Ginsburg was confirmed in 42 days. "Americans re-elected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary," McConnell said in a statement issued on the day Ginsburg died.  "Once again, we will keep our promise.  President Trump's nominee will receive- Sen.  Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2016 called for a hearing on Garland's nomination "so Senators and the public can get a deeper sense of Judge Garland's views and experience. " But in a speech on the Senate floor Monday, he said, "Our Republican colleagues in the Senate should follow the rule they set in 2016: Not to consider a Supreme Court justice in an election year. "-- Sen.  Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y. , in 2016 called for a hearing on Garland's nomination "so Senators and the public can get a deeper sense of Judge Garland's views and experience. " But in a speech on the Senate floor Monday, he said, "Our Republican colleagues in the Senate should follow the rule they set in 2016: Not to consider a Supreme Court justice in an election year. "- Sen.  Lindsey Graham, R-S. C,.  the current chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, supported blocking Garland's confirmation hearing in 2016, saying at the time, "I want you to use my words against me.  If there's a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said, 'Let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nominationNow Graham says he supports Trump "in any effort to move forward regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg. " He explained that he changed his opinion for two reasons: former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's 2013 decision to replace the 60-vote rule in Senate confirmations with a simple majority vote, and because "Schumer and his friends in the liberal media conspired to destroy the life of Brett Kavanaugh and hold that Supreme Court seat open. "Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2018 with a 50-48 vote after enduring a grueling confirmation hearing in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a high school classmate in 1982. - Sen.  Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. , the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also fought in 2016 to have a hearing for Garland, saying at the time: "President Obama fulfilled his constitutional duty by nominating Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.  Now it's time for the Senate to do its own job and fully and fairly consider this nominee. "Feinstein now says that when she made her statement on Garland, the nation was 237 days from electing its next president.  "To jam through a lifetime appointment to the country's highest court -- particularly to replace an icon like Justice Ginsburg -- would be the height of hypocrisy," Feinstein said in a statement released shortly after Ginsburg's death on Friday. - Sen.  Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was among the first senators to call for a hearing for President Trump's pending nominee.  During an interview on ABC's "This Week," Cruz told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos that the nation cannot afford to have a short-handed high court with a possible contested presidential election just weeks away. While he was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, Cruz released a statement, saying, "I proudly stand with my Republican colleagues in our shared belief -- our advice and consent -- that we should not vote on any nominee until the next president is sworn into office. "- Sen.  Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also supported holding a confirmation hearing for Garland back in 2016, saying at the time, "The Constitution is clear: the Senate must consider the president's nominee and then choose whether to vote 'yes' or 'no. ' We must do our job, hold hearings, and vote. "In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Sunday, Klobuchar challenged her Republican colleagues to "look into their souls and look at what they said back then, and justice must prevail. ""As Joe Biden said, the American People should decide this, who their president is and the president should pick the nominee," she said. - Sen.  Thom Tillis, R-N. C. , a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a 2016 statement that while Obama was entitled to nominate Garland to the Supreme Court, "the Senate has made it clear it will be exercising its Constitutional authority to withhold consent of the nomination. ""Rather than drag the nation into a bitter, partisan fight over a confirmation process that will never come to pass, I hope President Obama will use his final months in office to work across the aisle with Congress to produce meaningful solutions that create new opportunities for hardworking Americans," Tillis said at the time. Now, he says he supports Trump nominating a "well-qualified and conservative jurist," adding that if Biden is elected he will nominate someone "who will legislate radical, left-wing policies from the bench. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Congress leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui said “ First I am a Muslim then an Indian”

A short video clip of a person saying I am a Muslim first and then an Indian is doing the rounds on social media. Several people, including politicians like BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya have posted this on Twitter and claimed that the man in the video is Congress leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui. The man in the video can be heard saying in Hindi First we are Muslims, then we are Indians.  If Islam comes in collision with any law, we will be with Islam, we are not ready to follow that constitution, we will not follow that law.  We are not loyal to this country, we are the masters of this country.  Loyalty is for dogs, we are the masters of this country. A scroll goes over the video saying subscribe Satya Sanatan.  The logo of the Satya Sanatan YouTube channel is also visible at the top right corner of the screen.  At the end of the video, a graphics plate reads, people who think Hindu and Muslims are brothers show them this video. BJP IT cell head, Amit Malviya retweeted the post of the author, Tarak Fatah.  The archived version of the tweet is saved hereBJP leader and spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted the same video claiming this to be of Congress leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui and tagged the video to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi saying where are two brothers and sisters. Then later he realised his mistake and clarified with another tweet saying that the person on the video is Samajwadi party leader Maviya Ali. This similar post is viral on Twitter and Facebook. Several Facebook users like Major Surendra Poonia,VSM and Hindus of India have posted the same viral video with a similar claim that the man on the video is Congress leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui. With the help of keyword search, we found that the Samajwadi Party leader Maviya Ali in August 2017 had courted controversy by saying that I am a Muslim first and then an Indian. This was widely reported by several mainstream media like News 18 , Jagran and India Today Several people have also posted the longer version of the same video on YouTube in 2017. Who is Maviya Ali:Maviya Ali, is a former Congress MLA from Deoband constituency.  In 2017 he contested the Assembly election on a Samajwadi party ticket and was defeated by the BJP candidate. As per the website MyNeta. Info Maviya Ali has several criminal cases against him.  In some of the cases, he was also convicted. Maviya Ali’s photo is widely available on social media.  Neither his face nor his voice resembles that of Nasimuddin Siddiqui.  Before joining Congress, Nasimmudin Siddiqui was with BSP for a long time. We spoke to, Congress leader and former BSP minister from UP Nasimuddin Siddiqui about this viral video.  Siddiqui refuted the viral claim calling it malicious.  He has also sent a letter to UP police asking it to file an FIR against the people who are circulating this misinformation. Siddiqui who is the member of Congress legislative council has named Tarek Fatah and Sambit Patra in his complaint to UP police.  The letter can be seen here. Satya Sanatan, whose logo can be seen in the viral video is a YouTube channel, which has many anti-muslim posts. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


A video of an elderly man interacting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is doing the rounds on social media.  State President of West UP Youth Congress Omveer Yadav tweeted the video and claimed, “In Bijauli village of Meerut district, an old man stopped Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from entering his lane and put a cot to block his way.  The old man did not make way for the Chief Minister even after the latter urged him to let him enter and Yogiji had to go back”. Adityanath can be heard saying in the video, “Take care, wear a mask”, while a crowd raises slogans in his support.  We later see Adityanath walking away from the spot.  At the time of writing this article, the video garnered over 4,000 retweets. ब्रेकिंग न्यूज़-बस करो अब हमें आपकी ज़रूरत नहीं है-जनपद मेरठ के बिजौली गांव में एक बुजुर्ग ने मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ को अपनी एक गली में खाट खड़ी कर जाने से रोक दिया मुख्यमंत्री जी के लाख कहने पर भी बुजुर्ग ने रास्ता नहीं खोला और योगी जी को वापस जाना पड़ा ! !  pic. twitter. com/PRTWFPTanF— Omveer Yadav (@OmveerYadavINC) May 16, 2021The same video has been shared by the Facebook page of Youth Congress Central UP.
Congress leader Nagma Morarji also tweeted the video with the same claim.  Her tweet has garnered close to 450 retweets so far.
Meerut Police responded to Omveer Yadav’s tweet and dubbed his claim as false.  The police wrote that his post is completely baseless and misleading and comes under the category of rumour-mongering.  Furthermore, it is informed that the CM was inquiring about the health status of a member of a COVID-infected family in a containment zone in Meerut district’s Bijauli village.  A cot has been placed at the entrance of the containment zone to block entry. pic. twitter. com/CQUoF0Uuw3— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) May 17, 2021A few others responded to Yadav’s tweet and informed him that local news outlets have reported that Adityanath enquired about the health status of the old man and appealed him to wear a mask. Dainik Jagran reported on May 17 that Adityanath had spotted the elderly man, Tara Chandra Sharma, when the CM was returning after meeting Nitin.  He folded his hands and appealed to the man to wear a mask.  Sharma put on a mask on the CM’s request and also chanted a slogan in his support.
BJP worker Nitin Tyagi had posted about Adityanath’s visit.  He had come along with MP Rajendra Agarwal, and MLA Satyaveer Tyagi to meet Tyagi at his residence in Bijauli and inquire about his health.
Local media reported that after holding a meeting in the COVID control room at Meerut Collectorate and inspecting the same, Adityanath reached Bijauli village where he saw Tara Chandra Sharma without a mask. Therefore, a video of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister meeting an old man infected with COVID in a containment zone in the Meerut district was shared with the false claim that his visit was protested. Donate NowPriyanka Jha specialises in monitoring and researching mis/disinformation at Alt News.  She also manages the Alt News Hindi portal. A picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…


St. Louis Police officers were allegedly under the influence of alcohol when Russian roulette-like game killed colleague. https://t.co/Y8i9vougEP https://t.co/9Q92uCFOwz

  A St.  Louis police officer pleaded guilty to accidentally killing a female colleague at his home last year while they played a form of Russian roulette with a revolver.

  On Tuesday, Circuit Attorney Kimberly M.  Gardner, who is tasked with investigating the killing of 24-year-old officer Katlyn Alix, said police had used an “obstructionist tactic” during the investigation of her death.  Gardner also said  police had initially called the shooting an accident, which was “completely inappropriate. ”

  But on Thursday, Hayden slammed Gardner’s criticism in an angry press conference.  He said the detectives assigned to the case had investigated hundreds of homicides and dozens of officer-involved shootings and that he trusted they followed the law.

  The allegation that they acted inappropriately was “offensive and insulting,” Hayden said.  He also said he initially described the shooting as an accident before he learned that the circumstances were “more reckless and dangerous” than what was originally understood.

  The news conference comes a week after officer Nathaniel Hendren, 29, fatally shot Alix at his residence on January 24.  The two allegedly took turns holding a revolver containing one bullet and pulling the trigger, according to police, a description similar to the lethal game of chance known as Russian roulette.

  Hendren has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the first degree and armed criminal action relating to the death of a fellow police officer.  Alix was off duty at the time of last week’s shooting, and Hendren was on duty, according to a probable cause statement supporting the charges.

  The statement said Alix, Hendren and Hendren’s partner were playing with guns when Hendren produced a revolver.  Hendren emptied the bullets from the revolver and put one of the bullets back inside the gun, spun the cylinder and fired the gun pointing away from Alix, the statement said.  The gun did not discharge.

  Alix took the gun and pulled the trigger while pointing at Hendren, but it did not fire, the statement said.  Hendren grabbed the gun back from Alix, pulled the trigger, and this time it fired, striking Alix in the chest, the document said.  She was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Prosecutor says St.  Louis police obstructed investigation into officer's alleged Russian roulette killing

  The other on-duty officer, who has not been named, advised Alix and Hendren they shouldn’t be playing with guns and left the room, according to the probable cause statement.

  The St.  Louis circuit attorney’s office has previously criticized police, saying they obstructed the investigation and there was probable cause that drugs or alcohol may have been a contributing factor.  Police did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment at the time.

  His attorney has described the shooting as an accident.

  “We are aware of the rumors, innuendo, and salacious gossip surrounding the accidental death of Officer Katlyn Alix,” attorney Talmage E.  Newton IV said.  “There is no evidence, nor will there ever be, that this was anything more than a tragic accident. ”

  Alix had been on the force two years, and left behind a husband, her parents and a sister, among other family members.

  Her family has hired attorney Scott Rosenblum.

  “I’ve been retained by the Alix family to make sure that the investigation is thorough and proper,” Rosenblum said.  “We will obviously explore if there are any civil remedies that they can pursue.  Right now, their primary concern is making sure the investigation is thorough and proper. ”

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


A photo of an infant latching onto his dead mother for milk is being shared on Facebook with a description ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat ka Atmanirbhar Bacchha‘ indicating it to be a recent incident.  Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: Photo of an infant latching on his dead mother for milk during the lockdown. Fact: It is an old photo.  According to the article published by ‘India Today’ in 2017, the woman had died because of head injury and her dead body was found near the railway tracks in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. When the text in the photo was searched on Google, an article with the same photo published by ‘India Today’ on 25 May 2017 was found.  According to the article, the woman was found dead near the railway tracks in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh.  From the article, it is understood that the police suspected that she might have been hit by a train or fallen from a train and her wounds indicated that she died because of concussion and bleeding due to an injury on the back of her head.  Further information about the incident can be read here and here. To sum it up, a 3-year old photo of a child breastfeeding on his dead mother shared as that related to a recent incident. Did you watch our new video?


49 more persons have tested positive for #Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh, taking the total number of cases to 2837 in the state: Madhya Pradesh Health Department https://t.co/fOlm7EkC3k

As many as 58 out of 6,534 test samples have tested positive for Covid-19 in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the state’s coronavirus tally to 1,583, said the command control room on Sunday. “As many as 6,534 samples were tested within the last 24 hours -- from 9 am on Saturday to 9 am on Sunday-- across Andhra Pradesh.  58 of them were detected corona positive,” it said. The highest number of cases was reported from Kurnool (30), followed by Guntur district (11). At present, the state has 1,062 active Covid-19 cases.  Moreover, 47 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours.  A total of 488 people have been cured and discharged. As no deaths have been reported, the Covid-19 death toll stands at 33.  (ANI)


I want to tell the PM that these farmers are not going to go back home until these farm laws are repealed. Govt should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back these laws. Opposition parties stand with farmers & labourers: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/1U7QzsYWrn https://t.co/NbdGMrn9Yc

The farmers protest entered day 29 on Thursday as a stalemate between the government and the farmers continued.  On Wednesday, a meeting was held with nearly 100 farm leaders, during which they decided to continue their protests until the government repeals the contentious farm laws that aim to liberalise the agricultural economy.  They also decided to not resume the negotiations until the Centre draws up a new agenda. Meanwhile, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said farm unions should come for talks and that thousands of farmers sleeping out in the bitter cold was a “matter of deep concern” for the government. The farm unions also sent a letter to the agriculture ministry in which they asked the government to come up with “something concrete in writing” instead of “just repeating proposals and amendments. ” “you should offer something concrete in writing so that we can make that the basis of our agenda to resume the dialogue process,” it stated. Experts said this pretty much squashes hopes of negotiations restarting anytime soon. The standoff between the Union government and farmers continues over the passage of new legislation to open up the country’s agricultural sector to private investment, a move the government says will enable farmers better incomes and modernise the farm sector.  Farmers say the reforms will leave them at the mercy of private corporations. Follow all live updates here:Changes need to be made in farm laws: Dushyant Chautala“Changes need to be made in the agriculture laws and in this regard, written suggestions have been made to the central government and the Centre has also agreed to the same,” says Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. Agriculture minister meets Kisan Sena, thanks them for supporting farm laws21-member delegation of Kisan Sena meets Union agriculture minister Tomar.  “I want to thank you all for supporting three farm laws and coming here for a direct dialogue with us.  I got to know that Kisan Sena farmers were coming to Delhi to protest in support of farm Laws, but then upon intervention, you decided to come here and talk to us,” says Tomar. Demand repeal of agricultural laws: OppositionWe demand that the present Agri Laws be repealed along with the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020.  Following this, discussions on agrarian reforms must be held by the Central government with the farmers and all stakeholders: Opposition partiesIn joint statement, Opposition lashes out at PM ModiOpposition parties issue joint statement on farm law protests.  “We register our strong protest against baseless allegations being made by PM accusing opposition parties of “repeatedly lying” to farmers about new farm laws and “using them for their politics”.  PM’s accusations are a complete travesty of truth,” the statement says. Even Congress doesn’t take Rahul Gandhi seriously: Narendra Singh Tomar“Watever Rahul Gandhi says, even Congress doesn’t take it seriously.  Today when he went to register his protest with President with signatures, these farmers told me that no one from Congress came to them to get their signature,” says Tomar. Farmers from Baghpat have given letter supporting farm laws, says agriculture minister Tomar“Farmers from Baghpat have given me a letter in support of Centre’s farm laws.  They’ve told me that government shouldn’t buckle under any pressure to make amendments to farm bills,” says agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Delegation of 60 farmers from Kisan Mazdoor Sangh meet agriculture ministerA delegation of 60 farmers belonging to Kisaan Majdoor Sangh, Baghpat meets Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at Krishi Bhawan.  Delhi: A delegation of 60 farmers belonging to Kisaan Majdoor Sangh, Baghpat meets Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at Krishi Bhawan pic. twitter. com/v1KWxShAKZGovt again urges farmers to decide date of next round of talksGovernment writes to protesting farmers again, urges them to decide date and time for next round of talks.  Govt writes to agitating farmers, asking them to decide the date and time for the next round of talks.  "Govt is committed to reaching logical solutions of the issues raised by you," it reads.  pic. twitter. com/tBglPwi8fs‘There is no democracy in India’: Rahul Gandhi“There is no democracy in India.  It can be in your imagination, but not in reality,” says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after Delhi Police detains party leaders during their march to Rashtrapati Bhavan. PM Modi is making money for the crony capitalists: Rahul Gandhi“PM Modi is making money for the crony capitalists.  Whoever will try to stand against him will be called terrorist - be it farmers, labourers and even Mohan Bhagwat,” said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Farmers won’t go back until govt repeals farm laws: Rahul Gandhi“I want to tell the PM that these farmers are not going to go back home until these farm laws are repealed.  Govt should convene a joint session of Parliament and take back these laws.  Opposition parties stand with farmers and labourers,” said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Police take Priyanka Gandhi and other party leaders to Mandir Marg Police StationSin to use the kind of names BJP leaders used for farmers: Priyanka Gandhi“It is a sin to use the kind of names they (BJP leaders and supporters) used for farmers.  If government is calling them anti-nationals, then the government is a sinner,” said Priyanka Gandhi. In democracy, we have right to meet the President: Priyanka Gandhi“We’re living in democracy and they are elected MPs.  They have the right to meet the President and they should be allowed.  What is problem with that?  Government is not ready to listen to voices of lakhs of farmers camping at borders,” says Priyanka Gandhi after being stopped by police. Police detain Congress leadersDelhi Police take Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders into custody.  They were taking out a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit to the President a memorandum containing 2 crore signatures seeking his intervention in farm laws issue. Police stop Congress leaders as they march to Rashtrapati BhavanPoloce stopped Congress leaders as they were marching towards Rashtrapati Bhavan.  “Any dissent against this govt is classified as having elements of terror.  We are undertaking this march to voice our support for the farmers,” says Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi meets party leaders ahead of marchCongress leader Rahul Gandhi met senior party leaders ahead of his scheduled march from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit to the President a memorandum containing 2 crore signatures seeking his intervention in farm laws issues. Delhi’s Chilla, Gazipur borders are closed for traffic comingDelhi’s Chilla and Gazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida and Gaziabad to Delhi due to farmer protests.  People are advised to take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Apsara, Bhopra and Loni borders: Delhi traffic police advisoryHaryana police register case against farmers Haryana police register cases against farmers for allegedly blocking CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s convoy in Ambala .  “We have registered cases against 13 farmers under various sections of Indian Penal Code & have initiated a probe into the matter,” news agency ANI reported quoting DSP Ambala Madan Lal. Sikh body donates 700 geysers to protesting farmersThe Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) donates 700 water geysers to the farmers.  “We are doing everything to help the farmers in their struggle.  In view of the severe cold, DSGMC distributed 700 geysers among the protesting farmers at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders,” said DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Vice President urge farmers to resume dialogueInteracting with a group of progressive farmers on the occasion of Kisan Diwas at his residence in Hyderabad, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that any issue could be resolved through talks and added that the government has already declared that they are always ready to hold a dialogue with the farmers’ organizations.


Police rescued a 3-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the terrorist attack in Sopore: Jammu & Kashmir Police https://t.co/T5hGdXkRAs https://t.co/JaoSjrzsOD

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and a civilian were killed on Wednesday after terrorists open fired at the paramilitary’s road opening party in Sopore town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said. The terrorists had attacked CRPF’s road opening party when they were placing a check post along with personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police on the Sopore by-pass highway in Model Town of Sopore. Three other CRPF troopers were also injured in the attack and are being treated at a hospital, according to officials. “We #lost one CRPF personnel and one civilian in a #terrorist #attack at #Sopore.  Three CRPF personnel also got injured in the attack.  Area has been cordoned off and search is on to nab the #terrorists,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. The man, a 64-year-old resident of Srinagar, was passing by in his vehicle when the attack happened and was killed in the firing, officials said.  His grandson was also with him. “JKP #rescued a three years old boy from getting hit by bullets during #terrorist #attack in #Sopore.  @JmuKmrPolice (sic),” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. However, his family said he reached the spot after the attack and alleged that CRPF personnel asked him to get out of his vehicle and killed him on the road. A CRPF spokesperson said they have not received any input from the ground. After the attack, the area was cordoned off and a search operation launched to track down the assailants. Dilbag Singh, Jammu and Kashmir’s director general of police, had said on Tuesday that anti-terror operations are on at full throttle in Kashmir and 128 terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces so far this year. “In the Kashmir region, 48 terrorists have been eliminated this month.  Till June the security forces have eliminated 128 terrorists, out of whom 70 belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, 20 each from Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba and remaining from other groups,” Singh said.


California voters will decide whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom in an election on September 14, the state lieutenant governor said https://t.co/Il6snTMXIo

Newsom's backers have blasted the recall as a partisan, Republican-led effort. Caitlyn Jenner says Gov.  Newsom has ‘destroyed hope’ in CaliforniaCalifornia voters will decide whether to recall Democratic Gov.  Gavin Newsom and replace him with another candidate in an election set for Sept.  14, the lieutenant governor announced Thursday. Secretary of State Shirley Weber certified the gubernatorial recall petition earlier Thursday, prompting Lt.  Gov.  Eleni Kounalakis to set an election date between 60 and 80 days from the date of certification. While the signatures have only just been officially certified, Weber announced in late April that the organizer of the recall petition had collected more than the approximately 1. 5 million validated signatures required. During a 30-day period, voters who signed the recall petition could request their signatures be removed, but only 43 voters did so, Weber announced last week.  More than 1. 7 million signatures supporting the recall were verified. The California Department of Finance estimated on Thursday the cost of the recall election to be $276 million. Recent polling suggests Newsom is on his way to easily defeating the recall effort. According to the Public Policy Institute of California's May statewide survey, only 40% of likely voters would vote to recall Newsom if the election were held, while 57% would vote against recalling him as governor.  To successfully recall the state's governor, a majority of voters must vote "yes. "Among Californians, 55% approve of the way Newsom is handling his job overall -- and on his handling of COVID specifically, he fares even better, with 64% of Californians approving of his response, according to PPIC. Newsom's campaign has blasted the recall as a partisan, Republican-led effort that's a waste of taxpayer money. In response to the date being set, Juan Rodriguez, the leader of the Newsom-aligned group, "Stop The Republican Recall," said in a statement, "This Republican recall is a naked attempt by Trump Republicans to grab control in California -- powered by the same Republicans who refused to accept the results of the presidential election and are now pushing voter suppression laws across the country.  On September 14, Californians will have the chance to defend our state and reject this Republican power grab once and for all. "Most voters likely know Newsom is a Democrat, but back in February 2020, when responding to the recall petition, his team failed to indicate he wanted his party affiliation on the potential recall ballot.  A spokesperson for the secretary of state confirmed to ABC News Tuesday that Newsom's campaign filed a notice of his party preference to Weber on June 19, but the secretary declined to accept it, saying in a statement, "The Secretary of State's office has a ministerial duty to accept timely filed documents.  Acceptance of filings beyond a deadline requires judicial resolution. "In a statement Thursday, Orrin Heatlie, the chief proponent of the recall effort, said they objected to the legal move, while Mike Netter, another proponent of the recall, blasted Newsom, saying, "The absurdity of this suit is almost surreal.  This Governor is so focused on identity politics it is that important to him to actually sue his own appointed Secretary of State to demand she override a regulation which he signed into law. "The California Patriot Coalition, which Heatlie and Netter co-founded, plan to intervene in the lawsuit next week. When voters cast ballots, they will face two questions.  The first is whether they want to recall Newsom and the second is who they want to replace Newsom if a majority of voters support the recall. Though the recall organizers said they are nonpartisan, Republicans have rallied around the effort, including the California Republican Party, whose chairwoman called Newsom the "worst governor in California history" in a statement after the date was set. So far, no major Democrats have announced campaigns to be on the recall ballot to replace Newsom.  Organizers and Republican candidates vying to replace the governor have pointed to his handling of the pandemic, in particular government-mandated restrictions on businesses and schools, and general government overreach. Prominent Republicans in the race to replace him include San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Newsom's 2018 challenger John Cox and reality star and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner. This is the sixth official attempt to recall Newsom.  Only one California governor has ever been successfully recalled in the United States.  In 2003, California's Democratic governor, Gray Davis, lost the recall election, and actor and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger won the election to replace him. According to PPIC's polling, Davis's approval rating was significantly worse than Newsom's ever has been while in office.  In five polls over nine months leading up to the 2003 election, over 70% of California voters disapproved of Davis.  The state today is also far more Democratic than it was in 2003. ABC News' Meg Cunningham contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Janelle Monáe brings one of the night's most unforgettable outfits to the 92nd The Academy Awards red carpet. https://t.co/CrkbvzGSMA #oscars https://t.co/ToamiYo0aZ

By Frank Pallotta, CNN BusinessUpdated 2:50 AM ET, Tue February 11, 2020 New York (CNN Business)The 92nd Academy Awards drew an average of 23. 6 million viewers for ABC on Sunday -- a new low for Hollywood's biggest night.