Collapse of an under-construction building in Kumareshwar Nagar, Dharwad: Latest visuals from the spot as the rescue operation continues. 35 people have been rescued so far, 2 people have died. #Karnataka https://t.co/vgYlxYlVik

Two persons were killed and several others feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad in north Karnataka on Tuesday, police said.  MN Nagarj, commissioner of police, Dharwad, which is located about 450 km from the state capital, said the rescue operations were on and that he could not confirm how many people were still trapped under the debris.  “So far two persons have been confirmed dead.  We have deployed three cranes and four earth movers . . . ,” he said, adding that the identities of the deceased had not yet been established.  Karnataka chief minister H. D.  Kumaraswamy expressed “shock” over the incident.  He said he had advised the chief secretary of the state to ensure that experts were flown in to Dharwad to help in rescue efforts.  “Shocked to learn about the collapse of an under-construction building in Dharwad.  I have instructed the chief secretary to supervise rescue operations.  I have also directed the CS to send additional resources and expert rescuers by a special flight to Dharwad,” Kumaraswamy tweeted. Meanwhile, former minister and Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni confirmed that the building belonged to one of his relatives.  “There are around eight partners, one of whom is a relative of mine,” he said.  “It’s a big tragedy and no matter whose mistake it was action should be taken. ” Rescuers have pulled out 28 people from the rubble, police said, adding, the injured have been hospitalised. As many as 10 ambulances and five fire tenders were deployed to carry out relief and rescue operations. Residents said there were several shops on the ground floor and many people often used to visit there.  Most of those trapped were migrant labourers from North India. (with agency inputs)


India's #Covid19 tally rises to 10,450,284; death toll nears 151,000 mark

https://t.co/ssW9facKWP https://t.co/CVdgpN1KhX

India recorded 18,645 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Sunday, adding that this latest rise in the country's Covid-19 cases has taken the national tally to 10,450,284.  In its previous rise, India had recorded 18,222 new infections. Click here for full Covid-19 coverageThe country reported a total of 19,299 recoveries from the disease in the last 24 hours-more than new infections-taking the total number of recovered cases to 10,075,950, the ministry's dashboard showed.  In the same duration, the dashboard showed, there were 201 fatalities, taking the death toll to 150,999.  Active cases, meanwhile, slumped further to 223,335, the dashboard further showed.  Recovered cases, active cases and deaths contribute 96. 41%, 2. 15% and 1. 45% of the total cases respectively. India's latest rise in cases comes at a time the country is getting ready for a nationwide vaccination drive.  Two vaccines, Oxford University-AstraZeneca's Covishield, and Bharat Biotech International Limited's Covaxin, were, earlier this month, granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).  While Covishield will be manufactured here by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), Covaxin is the country's first indigenous vaccine against Covid-19.  Another vaccine, Ahmedabaad-based Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D has been granted permission to initiate phase 3 trials. On Saturday, the government announced the nationwide vaccination drive will commence on January 16.  Two pan-India vaccination dry runs have been carried out, on January 2 and 8, respectively.  On December 28 and 29, the exercise was conducted in four states-Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab. India has the second-highest caseload of Covid-19 in the world.  The United States has the highest number of infections globally, with Brazil in third.  The USA and India are the only two countries to have crossed the 10 million mark, with the former's tally currently exceeding 22 million, while Brazil has recorded more than 8 million cases thus far.


Dr. James Goodrich, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon and director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Montefiore Medical Center, has died of COVID-19 complications. https://t.co/DjoMh1DGT8 https://t.co/Tssavi1X1V

By Mallory Simon, CNNUpdated 7:58 AM ET, Tue March 31, 2020  (CNN)Dr.  James T.  Goodrich, the neurosurgeon who allowed CNN inside a remarkable operation to separate twins Jadon and Anias McDonald, died on Monday after complications related to Covid-19, according to the hospital where he worked. Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr.  Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.


Rajasthan: Tiger mauls man to death in Ranthambore

https://t.co/dOVE4ZebHt https://t.co/pd2hU6L96K

A tiger mauled a man to death in a village in Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur on Thursday. The incident took place in the Baler range of the national park in the afternoon. The field director of the national park, Tikam Chand Verma, said, “The administration received information from the patrolling team that a tiger mauled a resident of Kanedi village in Khandar region along the national park. ”Authorities identified the victim as 40-year-old Pappu Gurjar but have not been able to identify the tiger so far, he said, adding that Kanedi village is situated on revenue land and lies on the periphery of the national park. Verma said a patrolling team had warned the villagers that tigers could be moving close to their homes. He said that prima facie it appeared that while the tiger attacked the man, it did not eat him. “The wildlife department will provide compensation of Rs4 lakh to the family of the deceased man,” Verma said.


Pending 10th and 12th Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams will be held at students' schools and not at external centres. Results likely to be declared in July end: Ramesh Pokhriyal, Union Human Resource Development Minister https://t.co/HJjO4ksMKt

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will not conduct pending class 10 and 12 examinations in foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to officials. Also Read: CBSE to conduct 10th, 12th board exams for 29 subjects only, check list here“There are several CBSE schools located in 25 countries.  Each of these countries are also under lockdown or have decided to close down the schools for various and differential lengths of time.  Under such circumstances, it is felt that the board will not be in a position to hold differential set of exams for each of these countries,” CBSE Secretary Anurag Tripathi said.  “Also, in the present situation, it will be difficult to bring the answer books to India for evaluation purposes.  Therefore, the Board has decided to not hold any more exams for the students of class 10 and 12 schools located outside India.  The system of marking and assessment for the purpose of declaring results will be worked out by the Board shortly and informed to these schools,” he added. Also Read: CBSE students of classes 1 to 8 to be promoted without exams, classes 9 and 11 on basis of previous testsThe exams were postponed on March 18 following the coronavirus outbreak. The worldwide number of officially confirmed fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 43,082 on Wednesday.  In India, as many over 375 new cases of COVID-19 were since Tuesday evening.


We welcome Pakistan's arrest of terrorist leader Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing: Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US State Department https://t.co/28OjfA85fj

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by Pakistani authorities on charges of terror financing but also called for his prosecution for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.  “We welcome Pakistan’s arrest of terrorist leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing,” the US state department’s bureau of South and Central Asian affairs said on Twitter. “We will follow his prosecution & sentencing closely & urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks,” it said. Lakhvi, one of the alleged masterminds of the Mumbai attacks, was arrested by Pakistani authorities on January 2 on charges of involvement in terror financing, almost five years after he was freed on bail.  His whereabouts had not been known since he was released on bail from a jail in Rawalpindi in April 2015.  However, it was widely believed he had continued playing a key role in directing the activities of LeT even while he was in prison after being arrested in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage.  Six US citizens were among the 166 people killed when a 10-member LeT team attacked Mumbai in November 2008. A spokesperson for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistan’s Punjab province said in a statement that Lakhvi was arrested on charges of terrorism financing during an intelligence-based operation.  “He is accused of running a dispensary [and] using funds collected for terrorism financing.  He [and] others also collected funds from this dispensary and used these funds for further terrorism financing.  He also used these funds for personal expenses,” the spokesman said.  Lakhvi, who is also a UN-designated terrorist, will face trial in an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, the spokesperson said. Last year, LeT founder Hafiz Saeed was convicted in five separate cases of terror financing and given a jail term ranging from five years to fifteen-and-half years.  These sentences will run concurrently.  Lakhvi’s arrest came weeks ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) planned reassessment of Pakistan’s efforts to counter terror financing.  In October last year, the multilateral watchdog retained Pakistan in its “grey list” for failing to fully deliver on an action plan to fight terror financing, and gave the country time till February to address what it said were “very serious deficiencies”.


Meet so called Kisan Sardar VM Singh He wants MSP as Law He is a Congress leader. He was Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit. Contested Pilibhit on Congress ticket in 2004 (against Maneka Gandhi) and 2009 (opposite Varun Gandhi). Lost every time ! In 2009 he has assets worth ₹6.32 billion. Itni Hypocricy and Shamelessness Kahan se Laate hain Ye log (sic)

The screenshot of an ANI tweet carrying a statement by farmer leader Sardar VM Singh during the ongoing farmers’ protest has gone viral with a claim that he belongs to the Indian National Congress (INC).  However, we found that while he was a part of INC and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections under their banner, he left the party in 2011.  We also reached out to Singh’s team who confirmed to us that he was currently not a part of any political party.  CLAIM The image is viral with a caption that reads, “Meet so called Kisan Sardar VM Singh He wants MSP as Law He is a Congress leader.  He was Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit.  Contested Pilibhit on Congress ticket in 2004 (against Maneka Gandhi) and 2009 (opposite Varun Gandhi).  Lost every time !  In 2009 he has assets worth ₹6. 32 billion.  Itni Hypocricy and Shamelessness Kahan se Laate hain Ye log (sic)” RSS ideologue and a member on the board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), S Gurumurthy, also made the same claim on Twiter.  Right-wing website OpIndia published an article that was titled, “‘Farmer leader’ VM Singh protesting and demanding assurance on the MSP is actually a Congress leader accused in 8 cases, has assets worth crores. ” WHAT WE FOUND OUT Upon conducting a simple Google search for “VM Singh + Congress”, we found that Singh used to be an INC leader and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit.  However, he quit the party in 2011.  We reached out to Singh and a member from his team confirmed to us that Singh was currently not associated with any political party.  We also found a news report published in The Economic Times on 24 April 2009 that was titled, “Cong's VM Singh declares Rs 631 cr assets, richest candidate. ” The article was published in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections where he was standing against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his nephew Varun Gandhi.  Singh lost in the election.  Singh contested, unsuccessfully, in the 2012 Assembly Elections from the Palia (Kheri) constituency of Uttar Pradesh but this time on an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) ticket.  MyNeta reported his declared assets as Rs 631 crore.  He didn’t contest in any Assembly or Lok Sabha elections after 2012.  Singh was an MLA from Puranpur in 1993 when he won on a Janata Dal ticket.  He was later defeated by the BSP candidate in the 2007 Assembly Elections.  Evidently, the claim that farmer leader VM Singh is associated with the Indian National Congress is false.


The bells at Howard University, Kamala Harris' alma mater, toll 49 times to honor the historic moment as she becomes the 49th vice president of the United States. https://t.co/0lZPOZJw12 #InaugurationDay https://t.co/BoyPdgQAcG

By Maeve Reston, CNNUpdated 10:59 PM ET, Wed January 20, 2021  (CNN)President Joe Biden ended his first day in office with a note of hope and optimism, closing his inaugural activities with an appearance at the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday night, where he asked the nation to answer his call for unity, saying it will require "us to come together in common love that defines us as Americans. " Pamela Brown, Chandelis Duster, Betsy Klein and Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.


The move is another sign that airlines see a recovery from the pandemic on the horizon https://t.co/GjCWLm7SRb

The 270 narrow-body jet order is potentially worth a reported $30 billion. Airlines struggle to keep up with travel demands ahead of July 4thUnited Airlines is betting big on the post-pandemic travel boom. On Tuesday, United announced the largest aircraft order in the airline's history and the largest for the industry by a single carrier in more than a decade. "Travel is back," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in an interview with ABC News.  "There's an amazing amount of pent-up demand for people to connect with each other and reunite. "The 270 narrow-body jet order is potentially worth a reported $30 billion.  It includes up to 200 Boeing 737 MAX and 70 Airbus A321neo aircraft.  United also announced its going to be retro-fitting all of its narrow-body cabins -- adding larger overhead bins, and entertainment screens on all seats. As a result of adding new planes, United said it expects to create approximately 25,000 well-paying, unionized jobs over the next few years. "They're really careers and because you can have a job -- even without a college education required, as a flight attendant or a gate agent -- you can get to a six-figure salary with a good union job by the time you get to the top of the seniority scale," Kirby said. The order is a sign of hope that the dark days of decimated air travel are over. The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday screened 2,167,380 people nationwide -- the highest checkpoint volume since the start of the pandemic.  It was just 18% shy of traveler volume on the same day in 2019. United CEO Scott Kirby revealed on Monday that his airline is now profitable for this first time since the start of the pandemic. Kirby posted on Instagram saying, "This achievement is a result of our employees' perseverance and their commitment to our customers -- all under the toughest of circumstances. "U. S.  airlines received billions of dollars in federal aid during the pandemic to keep employees on their payroll. "While we're not quite out of the crisis yet as we wait for international and business travel to return in more meaningful ways, today's achievement feels just as good as seeing busy airports once again," Kirby said. All of the major U. S.  airlines and the TSA have struggled with staffing as air travel has rapidly jumped from historic lows to approaching pre-pandemic levels. When air travel came to a halt in March 2020, thousands of employees were offered early retirements and buyouts, but now the airlines are desperate to fill these positions again. American Airlines canceled about 400 flights last weekend, in part due to staffing issues.  The airline is now warning hundreds of flights will be canceled in the coming weeks. United Airlines is desperate for baggage agents. And at one point over the Memorial Day weekend, Delta Air Lines' automated service told customers the wait time to talk with a reservation agent was more than 21 hours. Experts said travel numbers will continue to rise this weekend as Americans celebrate the July 4th holiday. AAA is projecting 3. 5 million people will take to the skies from July 1 to July 5. American Airlines expects to operate nearly 5,500 daily flights from Thursday to Monday, with the busiest travel days being Thursday and Friday, a spokesperson said. United Airlines expects to fly 2 million customers from Thursday to Tuesday.  The airline said Thursday and Monday will be busiest. "July 1 is going to be the busiest day since COVID started, but it'll only have that record for four days because July 5 is going to break it," Kirby said.  "It's just another indication of how we really are on the road to recovery. "ABC News' Sam Sweeney contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Congress Pres Rahul Gandhi in CPP meeting,earlier today: There's no institution that is going to support you in this country, not one is going to support you. It's like the British period, when not a single institution supported the party yet we fought & won, we will do it again. https://t.co/WoWzlAMPEM

The Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) met at Parliament Annexe this morning.  The meeting was presided over by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and attended by all Congress MPs, including party president Rahul Gandhi. Catch the highlights here:Dalit activists hold dharna, urging Rahul continue as Congress chiefMembers of various Dalit organisations in the national capital on Saturday organised a dharna, urging Rahul Gandhi to continue as the president of the Congress party, reported news agency ANI. Urging Gandhi not to resign, former Congress MLA Jai Kishan said: “Rahul might be correct in deciding to resign, but for the millions of people who have placed their faith in him and the party, it is not justifiable.  He shouldn’t let us down by resigning from his post. ”“He is not the only one who should be held accountable for the party’s performance in the elections.  All the party workers should take moral responsibility and work hard to strengthen the party” ,he said. Rahul Gandhi is the president of Congress, Surjewala clarifies“Rahul Gandhi remains the president of the Congress, there is no doubt about it” ,Randeep Singh Surjewala said. ‘Everything but one’s right to bread and butter can wait’: Surjewala“The youth of the nation is saying, everything else can wait, but our right to bread and butter cannot” ,Randeep Singh Surjewala said. ‘Govt did nothing to prevent US withdrawal of special status to India’: Randeep Singh Surjewala“The withdrawal of the special trade status to India was announced on March 4, 2019.  Yet, the government did nothing to prevent it.  Sectors like agriculture and pharmaceutical will get affected significantly.  The government should suggest a way forward, a way to recover from the economic crisis we are in” ,Randeep Singh Surjewala said. ‘US withdrawal of special trade status a double whammy’: Randeep Singh Surjewala“Withdrawal by US of the special trade status is a double whammy.  India has decided to yield to the pressure of the US and stop purchasing crude oil from Iran.  Now our special trade status with the US is gone” ,Randeep Singh Surjewala said. AICC press briefing by Randeep Singh Surjewala begins at Cong HQAICC press briefing by Randeep Singh Surjewala has begun at the Congress headquarters. Rajnath Singh takes charge as Defence MinisterRajnath Singh took charge as the Defence Minister.  Union minister Shripad Yesso Naik was also present on the occasion.  :ANIAmit Shah takes charge as Union Home MinisterAmit Shah took charge as the Union Home Minister.  G Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai were also present on the occasion.  :ANI‘Defeat in an election will not affect our ideology’: Sonia Gandhi“We will remain firm on our ideals.  Defeat in an election will not affect our ideology,” said Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi congratulates Sonia Gandhi on Twitter“Congratulations to Smt Sonia Gandhi on being elected Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.  Under her leadership, the Congress will prove to be a strong and effective opposition party, that will fight to defend the Constitution of India,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted. Need for introspection in the party, says Rahul GandhiCongress president Rahul Gandhi said there was need for introspection in the party. ‘Will fight govt till our last breath if it works against us’: Sonia GandhiWe will support the constructive work of this government, but if it works against us, we will fight it till our last breath,said Sonia Gandhi at the meeting. Sonia Gandhi leaves the venue after CPP meet concludesSonia Gandhi has also left the venue after the conclusion of CPP meeting.  :ANICPP meeting concludes, Rahul Gandhi leaves the venueThe CPP meeting has concluded and Congress President Rahul Gandhi has left the venue.  :ANIRahul Gandhi thanks voters and Congress workersRahul Gandhi thanked the voters and Congress workers.  “Every Congress member must remember that each one of you is fighting for the Constitution, for every person in India irrespective of the color of his skin or belief” ,he said.  Rahul Gandhi did not meet Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot after resigningRahul Gandhi did not meet Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot who were at his 12, Tughlaq Lane residence for a meeting with his sister and Congress general secretary for east Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi had brief interaction with party leaders after quittingSince the CWC meeting on May 25, Rahul Gandhi has had just a few brief interactions with party colleagues.  He only met senior leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal and attended a prayer function in memory of his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, to mark his 55th death anniversary.  On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi held brief but separate discussions with Venugopal and party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of CPPSonia Gandhi has been elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party during the CPP meeting.  Smt.  Sonia Gandhi is elected as leader of Congress Parliamentary Party.  She thanks the voters & workers for their faith in the party. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi arrive for CPP meeting Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi arrive for Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting.  pic. twitter. com/sGf7d5l0PrSonia Gandhi had also resigned from the post in 1999On May 15, 1999, just before the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had faced a similar situation.  The then Congress president Sonia Gandhi resigned from the post after senior leaders Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar opposed her being projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, ostensibly on the grounds of her foreign origin. Rahul Gandhi leaves for Congress Parliamentary Party meetingCongress President Rahul Gandhi leaves for Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting.  :ANICongress constitution says AICC has to ratify all CWC resolutionsAs per the Congress constitution, all CWC resolutions have to be ratified by the AICC. Leaders likely to discuss if an AICC session should be calledAccording to a senior leader who asked not to be named, one of the suggestions to discuss the matter further involves calling a session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to give an opportunity to Rahul Gandhi to interact directly with 2,000-odd delegates from across the country. First meet after Rahul Gandhi announced his decision to quitThe meeting would be the first interaction between Rahul Gandhi and party leaders since the fractious Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25 when he announced his decision to quit before it was rejected by the party’s highest decision-making body.  CPP may also elect a new chairperson in the meetingThere are speculations that the CPP may also elect a new chairperson, a post currently held by Sonia Gandhi. Cong workers urging Rahul Gandhi not to quit post of presidentCongress workers in several cities across the country have been holding demonstrations, urging him to rethink his decision to quit following reverses in the Lok Sabha elections. CPP meet to be attended by all Cong MPs, including Rahul GandhiThe meeting,which is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am, is going to be attended by all Congress MPs, including party president Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s leadership to be focus of Congress meetThe focus of the CPP meeting, which is to be presided by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, will be Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. CPP to hold meeting todayThe Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) will meet at Parliament Annexe today morning, party functionaries said on Wednesday.


Maharashtra: Heavy crowd seen at the vegetable market in Dadar in Mumbai, amid nationwide lockdown in wake of #Coronavirus. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 302. https://t.co/BAVbf0h170

With three patients from Rajasthan cured, the total number of patients freed from the Coronavirus has reached 13 in India. The Union Health Ministry said till Sunday night, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India were 110, including the foreign nationals. “A total of 12,76,046 passengers were screened at the airports as on 11. 30 p. m.  on March 15,” the Ministry said in a statement. In a tweet, it says: “Three from Rajasthan are now nCoronavirus-free.  The total number of patients now free of COVID-19 is 13. ”In Delhi, there have been seven cases with two being cured and one death, since the outbreak of the virus in India. There have been a total of two deaths in the country with the other one from Karnataka. With the increase in the load of screening samples for the coronavirus (COVID-19) from suspected cases with symptoms and travel history to the affected countries, a total of 52 testing sites have been commissioned across the country with two of it in Delhi. Along with these 52 labs, 57 laboratories are helping in sample collection for the COVID-19.


Comedian #BhartiSingh and  husband Harsh Limbachiyaa arrive at Narcotics Control Bureau office in Mumbai

NCB conducted raid at their residence, earlier today

(ANI)

https://t.co/rxEnMuqbL3 https://t.co/WT5Sgf8jIb

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday conducted a search at the residence of comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiyaa and recovered small quantity of cannabis from the place, an official said. The search was conducted as part of the ongoing probe by the NCB into alleged drug use in the entertainment industry, he said. “A team led by NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede carried out a search at Bharti Singh’s residence at Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri based on specific information. Bharti Singh has appeared in many comedy and reality shows on TV.  She has also hosted a few such shows. The NCB has been probing the alleged drug use in Bollywood after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June on the basis of WhatsApp chats involving drugs. The central agency had earlier arrested Rajput’s girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, some employees of the late filmstar and a few others under various sections of the NDPS Act. Rhea Chakraborty and some other accused are currently out on bail. All you need to know about Bharti Singh’s case:1.  The NCB has summoned Singh and her husband hours after conducting a raid at their residence in Mumbai, news agency ANI reported. 2.  A small quantity of cannabis was recovered from her place.  Singh’s name had cropped up during the interrogation of a drug peddler,” the official said. 3.  The agency is also carrying out searches at two other locations in the metropolis, the official added. (With inputs from PTI)


Liquor bottles were served in lunch packets to minors at an event organised by Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Nitin Agarwal in Uttar Pradeshâs Hardoi on Sunday

However, while reporting about this incident, several news outlets wrongly branded Nitin as a BJP leader.  Some news websites described Nitin as BJP leader Naresh Agarwalâs son, while failing to mention that he is an MLA from SP.  TRUTHThe father-son duo (Naresh and Nitin) hosted Pasi Sammelan at the revered Shravan Devi temple in Hardoi.  People attending the event were in for a surprise as the food packets they received were stashed with bottles of alcohol along with âpoori and sabziâ.  The same packets (with liquor) were also distributed to minor boys, one of who brandished the liquor bottle and said it has been given to him by Nitin.  Naresh, who was formerly with SP, left the democratic socialist party on March 12, 2018 and joined the BJP after SP chose actress Jaya Bachchan as its candidate for election to the Rajya Sabha.  In a bid to support his fatherâs Rajya Sabha membership, Nitin is believed to have voted for the BJP.  Naresh had then said that his son would join and vote for BJP.  However, technically, Nitin is still a member of SP and is the sitting MLA of Hardoi constituency.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYUnder the anti-defection law, if a sitting lawmaker voluntarily resigns from his party to join any other party, his state legislature gets disqualified and a re-election takes place in the constituency.  For such a defection to happen, the MLA has to submit his resignation to the speaker of state legislative assembly.  Had Nitin done that, he would have ceased to be an MLA.  As per the current records of sitting MLAs in UP Vidhan Sabhaâs official website, Nitin is still allied with SP.  Times Fact Check spoke to Nitin, who described himself as a BJP supporting SP MLA.


Delhi: Bedlam in Rajya Sabha during the discussion on Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2019. https://t.co/xcUvSfNcEp

A rapid depletion in the opposition ranks over the last several months paid off for the ruling BJP-led national coalition on Thursday when it was able to start the debate on a set of changes to the right to information that the opposition insists were designed the hurt the transparency initiative. A resolution moved by a group of opposition to send the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2019 for scrutiny by a Select Committee of lawmakers wasn’t successful in stopping Rajya Sabha from considering passage of the Bill. The amendments moved by the government pertain to the tenure, allowances, and the terms of service of information commissioners.  The existing law mandates a fixed five-year term, and equates the status of the information watchdog to that of election commissioners. Follow LIVE updates here. As the debate progressed, it was clear that the BJP had been able to reach out to some of the non-NDA parties – often seen as fence sitters – such as Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress, K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal.  The two parties have votes in the 240-member Rajya Sabha where the BJP is the largest group with 78 seats. The BJD’s Sasmit Patra made his stand clear early in his maiden speech when he underlined that his party had some reservations about the bill and was looking for some firm assurance from the government that there would be no detrimental impact on the working of the law due to the amendments and the federal structure wouldn’t be compromised. V Vijayasai Reddy of the YSR Congress, on the other hand, offered unqualified support to the amendment.  “There is nothing wrong in this amendment bill… We support the bill,” Reddy told the Rajya Sabha during the debate that was punctuated with loud protests and disruptions by opposition parties. K Keshava Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi accepted that his party had initially had objections about the bill.  Rao said he had earlier demanded that the bill be sent to the select committee but had changed his mind after discussing the provisions with the minister Jitendra Singh.  He told the house that he had been assured that the independence of RTI would not be impacted. The extension of support by these three parties which have 16 MPs gives the NDA a clear majority in the Rajya Sabha to push through the legislation.  If the government is able to broadly keep this template intact, it might not have to wait till next year to end its dependence on the goodwill of the opposition parties to clear legislation. Rajya Sabha chairperson Harivansh had to adjourn the proceedings nearly three times through the day over protests against the bill.  After the third one, the opposition decided to participate in the debate. The Congress, Left and the Trinamool Congress, which have led the attack on the government’s bill, say the changes are designed to undermine the status of the information commissioners to get back at the organisation that had often exerted its independence.  The Centre has also appropriated powers to notify term of office of the commissioners that information activists say, will give the government the power to get rid of uncomfortable commissioners.


President Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen will unleash a stunning indictment of his former client Wednesday that will amount to one of the strongest rebukes of a sitting President in living memory: https://t.co/ixDaFme4do | Analysis by @StCollinson https://t.co/1sPiEDFmVJ

Trump and Cohen go back more than a decade.  Who is Michael Cohen? Michael Cohen, once undeniably devoted to Donald Trump, is now about to spend days on Capitol Hill testifying against him. A Manhattan-based lawyer, Cohen began working for him well before the 2016 campaign and election.  During the campaign, he was a prominent spokesperson, often appearing on news shows and vehemently defending then-candidate Trump. In fact, for more than a decade, Cohen stood by Trump's side as his personal attorney, fixer and confidant, famously proclaiming that he would "take a bullet for the president" and "never walk away. "But over the first two years of Trump's administration, as investigators targeted Cohen's personal finances, he flipped on his former boss and cooperated in multiple investigations, including special counsel Robert Mueller's probe. It was ultimately hush-money deals with two women who said they had affairs with Trump -- affairs the president's denied -- that brought Cohen into the spotlight. In December 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for various crimes, including campaign finance violations, tax evasion and lying to Congress. Cohen initially came under scrutiny after acknowledging that he made a $130,000 payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels as she was shopping her story of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006 to major media outlets shortly before the 2016 election, a story first reported by The Wall Street Journal at the beginning of 2018. A few months later, in April, Cohen's home and offices were raided by the FBI -- a turning point in his relationship with the president.  A source close to Cohen said the FBI seized documents related to the Stormy Daniels matter, as well personal, financial and banking records dating back to 2013. Initially, Cohen said the president had no knowledge of two payments made -- one to Karen McDougal and one to Stormy Daniels, both of whom claimed past affairs with Trump.  But federal prosecutors later alleged he acted "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump.  Trump has argued the payments amount to nothing more than a "simple private transaction," and do not qualify as campaign finance violations. In the midst of it all, Cohen stopped representing the president as his personal attorney. In August, Cohen agreed to a deal with federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and pleaded guilty to eight counts, saying that he made illegal campaign contributions "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," who was Trump. A month later, news reports broke that Cohen had participated in a month-long series of interviews with investigators from Mueller's office.  In November, Cohen struck a second deal -- this time with Mueller -- pleading guilty to lying to Congress about the Russia investigation. When he was sentenced at the end of 2018, the judge on the case said "Cohen plead guilty to a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct" and "lost his moral compass," adding that "as a lawyer, Mr.  Cohen should have known better. "In addition to three years in prison, Cohen will have to pay $1. 39 million in restitution, plus $500,000 in forfeiture for the financial and campaign finance crimes.  He will face an additional fine of $50,000 for lying to Congress. Cohen sat for an interview with ABC News after his sentencing. "I knew what I was doing was wrong," Cohen told ABC News' Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in December 2018.  "I stood up before the world [Wednesday] and I accepted the responsibility for my actions. "Cohen said he was "angry at himself" for his role in the deals, but that he did it out of "blind loyalty" to Trump. "I gave loyalty to someone who, truthfully, does not deserve loyalty," he said. His testimony before the House Oversight Committee will be the first time he publicly pulls back the curtain on 10-plus years by Trump's side.  He's also testifying behind closed-doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Like Trump, Cohen supported Democrats in the past, including then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008. During his 2011 interview with ABC News, when Trump was publicly speculating about running for president in 2012, Cohen said that he was "prepared to put the fact that I voted for Obama to the side. "But Cohen, reportedly referred to as "Tom" around the Trump Organization offices in a nod to "Godfather" character Tom Hagen, who was the consigliere to Vito Corleone, was clear about his support for the president. "It means that if somebody does something Mr.  Trump doesn't like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr.  Trump's benefit," Cohen told ABC News in 2011. "If you do something wrong, I'm going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I'm not going to let you go until I'm finished," Cohen added. Fast-forward to Trump's actual presidential bid and Cohen was an ardent supporter of his friend in the Republican primary. It wasn't until after Trump was in office, however, that Cohen officially became a Republican.  On March 9, 2017, Cohen posted a picture of himself appearing to sign the paperwork and "[make] the official move" to joining the Republican Party. "It took a great man (@POTUS) to get me to make the switch," he wrote. His party switch was followed shortly by an announcement from the GOP that he was added to the Republican National Committee's finance leadership team as national deputy chairman. This isn't the first time that Cohen switched to the Republican Party, however, having run a failed bid as a Republican for an Upper East Side city council seat in 2003, according to real estate news site The Real Deal. Well before that, his other earlier forays into professional politics came on the Democratic side, including volunteering for Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential campaign and working as a legislative intern for former Rep.  Joe Moakley, D-Mass. While Cohen's public image is intrinsically intertwined with Trump, he has shared some tidbits of information about his personal life online as well. Cohen has used his online presence to praise his "Ivy League daughter," which prompted some outcry since it was accompanied by a picture of her modeling in tights and lingerie. And he's defended himself against claims of being a racist by posting that he is the "son of a Holocaust survivor" along with a collage of photos of him with various African-American Trump supporters. But the most constant topic of conversation on Cohen's Twitter account was undeniably the Trump administration, members of the Trump family, and Trump himself. It shows the long history between the current president and his former fixer, which dates back long before Twitter was even around but was well documented on Trump's preferred social media site. In a declaration of support for Trump's birthday in July 2017, Cohen shared a picture of them together in what looks like Trump's New York City office. "I stand with you every day as you work to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain for all Americans! " Cohen wrote. ABC News's Meghan Keneally contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


NEW: Top Democrats reject AG Barr's offer to view less-redacted version of the Mueller report.

"Your proposed accommodation—which among other things would prohibit discussion of the full report, even with other Committee Members—is not acceptable." https://t.co/dqTpEpcrR2 https://t.co/qWFGx1Cjmy

By Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner, Amanda Wills and Brian Ries, CNNFrom CNN’s Manu RajuHouse Democrats are planning to pursue their investigations on multiple fronts in the aftermath of the release of Robert Mueller's report, pushing to examine areas they believe were not fully explored by the special counsel, according to multiple Democrats involved in the matter. Here's what to expect:House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, speaking to reporters in Burbank, Calif. ,  said Thursday his plan is to not "recreate the wheel" but to be "guided by the good investigative work" Mueller has done, which is why, he said, Congress needs to see all the information the special counsel has uncovered. The House Judiciary Committee wants to hear from individuals who had “incriminating evidence” laid out in the report, according to a Democratic source.  Several Democrats said there’s an interest in bringing McGahn in for a hearing, but no decisions have been made. McGahn is one of five former White House officials who could soon be served with subpoenas to turn over documents.  The others: Steve Bannon, Hope Hicks, Reince Priebus and Annie Donaldson. Democrats said the House Judiciary Committee inquiry is “much broader” in scope than the one launched by Mueller, who probed whether any criminal conduct occurred to thwart the Russia investigation.  The Democrats’ investigation, they said, is not limited to campaign activities and criminal conduct. From CNN's Jim AcostaA Trump adviser explained former White House counsel Don McGahn and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's actions ignoring President Trump’s attempts to interfere with the investigation:“Sometimes it’s him thinking out loud,” the adviser said. From CNN's Jason SeherRep.  Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, took aim at Attorney General William Barr over the report, saying Barr had done a “grave disservice” to the country by “misrepresenting” special counsel Robert Mueller's report and putting a “positive spin” on the findings. Schiff went on to say Barr is “not the President's personal lawyer, although he may feel he is. " He noted that if Mueller had found evidence to exonerate the President, he would have said so. Schiff said whether or not the President’s actions were criminal, they “are unquestionably dishonest, unethical, immoral and unpatriotic and should be condemned by every American. ” Schiff called the facts in the report “damning,” adding, "whether they could or should have resulted in the indictment of the President or the people around him, they are damning.  And we should call for better from our elected officials.  The standard cannot simply be that you can do anything you like as long as you can declare at the end of the day that, ‘I am not a crook. ’ That is not the ethical standard that the American people expect in their President. ”Schiff said they are asking for the unredacted report, as well as for Mueller to testify.   Watch more:From CNN's Jeremy HerbSenate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr appeared to brief the White House counsel’s office about the targets of the FBI’s Russia investigation in March 2017, the special counsel’s report says. The report states that FBI Director James Comey briefed the Gang of Eight — the Intelligence Committee and congressional leaders — about the investigation on March 9, 2017, before he revealed its existence publicly at a House hearing on March 20, 2017.  “The week after Comey’s briefing, the White House counsel's office was in contact with SSCI Chairman Senator Richard Burr about the Russia investigations and appears to have received information about the status of the FBI investigation,” the report states. In a footnote, the report states that the White House counsel’s office was briefed by Burr on the "existence of 4-5 targets," citing notes from former deputy White House Counsel Annie Donaldson.  The notes included references to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, a redacted individual due to an ongoing investigation and “Greek Guy,” which is likely George Papadopoulos — although the footnote also notes that the Intelligence Committee “does not formally investigate individuals as ‘targets. ’” “The notes on their face reference the FBI, the Department of Justice and Comey; and the notes track the background materials prepared by the FBI for Comey's briefing to the Gang of 8 on March 9,” the footnote says.  Burr spokeswoman Caitlin Carroll said that Burr did not recall the specific conversation with White House counsel Don McGahn in March 2017. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump just left the White House.  They are headed to Mar-a-Lago in Florida for the weekend. Trump, who waved to cameras, ignored all questions and did not talk to reporters. From CNN's Erica Orden and Marshall CohenFormer Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak repeatedly tried to meet with President Trump's aides.  The highest-ranking official caught up in Kislyak’s outreach was former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. During Sessions’ meeting with Kislyak in September 2016, Sessions criticized Russian aggression in Ukraine and they discussed NATO.  Sessions told investigators that Kislyak mentioned that the Kremlin was receptive to Trump’s public overtures.  None of the attendees who spoke to special counsel Robert Mueller — Sessions and at least two of his Senate aides — told Mueller that Russian meddling came up during the meeting.  One of Sessions’ aides told him that Kislyak was an "old school KGB guy” and advised him against accepting an invitation from Kislyak for a one-on-one meeting at his personal residency. Kislyak tried to meet Sessions again after Trump’s victory, but Sessions was out of town.  Kislyak did end up meeting with other Trump aides during the transition, like Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn. From CNN's Erica Orden and Marshall CohenAt the direction of President Trump, White House counsel Don McGahn and other aides made extensive and repeated attempts to prevent then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to special counsel Robert Mueller's report.  In early March 2017, after media reports revealed that Sessions had not disclosed two meetings he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before the election, prompting questions about whether Sessions should recuse himself, Trump called McGahn and “urged him” to contact Sessions “to tell him not to recuse himself. ” McGahn followed Trump’s direction, calling Sessions to say Trump was “not happy” about the possibility he might recuse himself.  After Sessions told McGahn he intended to comply with the recusal rules, McGahn reported that back to Trump, who reiterated his displeasure. Over the course of the rest of the day, McGahn “continued trying on behalf of the President to avert Sessions's recusal,” contacting Sessions' personal counsel and chief of staff, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Sessions himself twice more.  Other White House advisers also contacted Sessions that day to oppose his recusal, according what Sessions told Mueller. That afternoon, Sessions announced his recusal. From CNN's Marshall CohenInvestigators scrutinized Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and concluded that he didn’t collude with the Russians despite his previous ties to Russian spies and campaign-era contracts with Russians. During one of Page’s multiple interviews with investigators in 2017, he appears to have partially confirmed a detail that first appeared in the controversial Trump-Russia dossier.  The dossier said Page met the president of Rosneft, a state-run oil company, and discussed a deal for Trump to lift US sanctions in exchange for future energy cooperation between the two countries. What's in the report: Special counsel Robert Mueller's report said Page actually met Andrey Baranov, Rosneft's head of investor relations.  Page told investigators they “might have mentioned the possibility of a sale of a stake in Rosneft in passing. ” But Page has always vehemently denied brokering any quid-pro-quo regarding Trump and Rosneft. Some of the details of Page’s meeting have been previously reported from Page’s testimony on the Hill.   Years before Trump ran for president, Russian spies in New York City targeted Page for recruitment, according to old court filings that Mueller cited in his report.  Page had many contacts and meetings with one of the spies, and the Russians faced criminal charges in 2015. From CNN's Holmes LybrandIn his remarks prior to releasing the redacted report from special counsel Robert Mueller, Attorney General William Barr said that President Trump's lawyers were given the chance to read a final version of the redacted report before it was publicly released. That has sparked a debate over whether Barr acted properly in sharing the report with the President's lawyers before sending it to Congress.  In his remarks, Barr defended his decision, claiming it was "was consistent with the practice followed under the Ethics in Government act, which permitted individuals named in a report prepared by an Independent Counsel the opportunity to read the report before publication. "  Facts first: It's unusual that Barr relies on an act covering independent counsels, since neither he nor Mueller operates under it.  That said, there's nothing in the special counsel regulations that pertain to Barr and Mueller that either prohibit or mandate sharing advance copies of a report with outsiders.  The Ethics in Government act Barr references covers independent counsels (Robert Mueller, instead, was a special counsel).  Regulation -- which expired in 1999 -- around independent counsels left it up to the courts to determine whether "any individual named in such report" would be permitted to review the report before its release.  "(T)he court may make any portion of a final report . . .  available to any individual named in such report," according to the US code which addresses information disclosure from independent counsel reports.    David Kendall, a lawyer for then-President Bill Clinton during Ken Starr's independent counsel investigation, sent a letter to Starr requesting that those named in his report be allowed to see the report before its release.  Kendall closed his letter by asking Starr "to join with us in seeking a Rule 6(e) order from the Chief Judge to allow us to review the draft 'report' and file comments with it. "  While Starr disagreed with Kendall's legal interpretation of the regulations surrounding independent counsels and denied Kendall's request, it was not up to Starr to release the report to Kendall, et al.  -- which is why Kendall was requesting Starr's support in asking the court to allow a review of the draft.   Barr's suggestion that allowing those mentioned in the report to see it before its release "was consistent with" former practices is irrelevant because those practices and the act cited do not apply to Barr and Mueller's authority.  Barr is not legally prohibited from allowing people to see the report before releasing it, so his justification for doing such is unnecessary and out of place. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


A photo is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it was taken during Nehru’s visit to the USA in 1954.  This photo is being shared in the context of Modi’s recent visit to the U. S.  and the ‘Howdy Modi’ event.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.  Claim: Photo taken during Nehru’s visit to the USA in 1954. Fact: Photo was taken during Nehru’s visit to the USSR in 1955.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.   Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has also posted the same picture with a similar claim on his Twitter account but later clarified that the picture was forwarded to him and ‘is probably from a visit to the USSR and no the US’.  (Archived Tweet). I am told this picture (forwarded to me) probably is from a visit to the USSR and not the US.  Even if so, it still doesn’t alter the message: the fact is that former PMs also enjoyed popularity abroad.  When @narendramodi is honoured, @PMOIndia is honoured; respect is for India.  https://t. co/9KQMcR0zTDWhen the image in the post was run through the Yandex Reverse Image Search, the same photo was found in a website with the description, ‘The meeting of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi 1955, Russia, Chelyabinsk oblast, Magnitogorsk’ (translated from Russian).  A user has also given the geo-location of the place in the comments below the photo.  The two buildings in the background can be seen in the street view of the location – ‘28 Prospekt Pushkina, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia’. In an article (‘The Soviet land, 1955’) on the ‘Outlook Traveller’ website, it can be found that Nehru, along with his daughter Indira, has travelled to the USSR in June 1955 and the itinerary included ‘Magnitogorsk’.  The article reads, ‘In June of that year our first PM Jawaharlal Nehru travelled to Moscow for his first official tour of the USSR (he had been once before in 1927 as an Indian National Congress delegate to the 10th anniversary celebration of the October Revolution).  His daughter was with him and they began an epic itinerary from Moscow to Leningrad by way of Stalingrad, Crimea, Georgia, Ashkabad, Tashkent, Samarkand, the Altai Territory, Magnitogorsk, and Sverdlovsk. ’ Other photos and more information about this visit can be found here and here. To sum it up, the photo shared as taken during Nehru’s visit to the USA in 1954 is actually from his visit to the USSR in 1955. Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?


In case the situation does not appear to be normal in view of #COVID19, to maintain social distancing, safety, and health of the college students...: Ministry of Human Resource Development (1/2) https://t.co/CFfNnModb1

Sep 08, 2021-Wednesday

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Manipur's Covid-19 tally crosses 300 with 22 fresh cases211 fresh Covid-19 positive cases reported in Madhya PradeshDelhi govt has withdrawn Special Corona Fee levied at 70% of maximum retail price on all categories of liquor16th Covid-19 positive case in Rail BhawanTotal of 369 Covid-19 positive cases reported in Rajasthan todayItaly reports 79 coronavirus deaths, 283 new cases389 positive cases reported in UP in last 24 hoursTotal number of Covid-19 cases in Goa is now 35958 deaths and 1015 new Covid-19 positive patients reported in Mumbai todayWith 470 new cases of coronavirus, Gujarat's tally rises to 21,044PM Modi thanks Philippines President for taking care of Indian community in Philippines amid Covid-19 pandemicMaharashtra's case count crosses 90,000-mark with 2,259 casesPM Modi spoke with Philippines President and discussed steps beig taken by both governments over Covid-1938 more Covid-19 cases reported in Gautam Buddha Nagar todayTotal of 4,346 positive cases have been detected in Jammu and Kashmir so farIndia continues to grapple with ever-increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases, with its total count going past 2. 66 lakh and death toll beyond 7,400 on Tuesday even as the country eased some more lockdown curbs with restaurants, hotels, malls and places of worships opening in many states after a gap of two and a half months on Monday. The coronavirus pandemic is worsening globally even as the situation in Europe is improving, the World Health Organisation has warned.  According to its head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, about 75% of cases reported to the UN health agency on Sunday came from 10 countries in the Americas and South Asia. Click here for complete coverage on coronavirusHere are the highlights on Covid-19 pandemic from India and the world:Manipur's Covid-19 tally crosses 300 with 22 fresh casesManipur recorded 22 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the state's coronavirus tally to 304, officials said. 211 fresh Covid-19 positive cases reported in Madhya Pradesh211 fresh Covid-19 positive cases reported in Madhya Pradesh, 6 new cases of death and 193 people cured from the disease.  The total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 9849, including 420 deaths and 6729 recovered: Madhya Pradesh health departmentDelhi govt has withdrawn Special Corona Fee levied at 70% of maximum retail price on all categories of liquorDelhi govt has withdrawn Special Corona Fee levied at 70% of maximum retail price on all categories of liquor, with effect from 10 June.  Further, Value Added Tax increased from existing 20% to 25% on all categories of liquor sold in jurisdiction of Delhi with effect from 10 June16th Covid-19 positive case in Rail Bhawan16th Covid-19 positive case in Rail Bhawan; eight officials to go in quarantineTotal of 369 Covid-19 positive cases reported in Rajasthan todayA total of 369 Covid-19 positive cases reported in Rajasthan today, 9 deaths and 211 recovered also reported.  The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 11,245, including 255 deaths and 8328 recovered: State health departmentItaly reports 79 coronavirus deaths, 283 new casesDeaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 79 on Tuesday against 65 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases was broadly stable at 283 against 280 on Monday. 389 positive cases reported in UP in last 24 hours389 positive cases reported in the state in last 24 hours; 325 discharged and 18 deaths re[orted during the period. A total of 11,335 cases have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state till date, including 6,669 discharged and 301 deaths: Uttar Pradesh governmentTotal number of Covid-19 cases in Goa is now 359The total number of Covid-19 cases in Goa is now 359 including 29 positive cases reported today: State Health Department58 deaths and 1015 new Covid-19 positive patients reported in Mumbai today58 deaths and 1015 new Covid-19 positive patients reported in Mumbai today, taking the total number of positive patients to 50,878: Municipal Corporation Greater MumbaiWith 470 new cases of coronavirus, Gujarat's tally rises to 21,044With 470 new cases of coronavirus, Gujarat's tally rises to 21,044; 33 patients die, taking toll to 1,313: Health official. PM Modi thanks Philippines President for taking care of Indian community in Philippines amid Covid-19 pandemicHad a useful exchange with President Rodrigo Duterte about Covid-19 and other issues.  I thanked him for taking care of the Indian community in the Philippines. Maharashtra's case count crosses 90,000-mark with 2,259 casesMaharashtra's case count crosses 90,000 mark as 2259 cases recorded on Tuesday.  Case count stands at 90,787.  It also records 120 deaths taking the toll to 3289.  Mumbai saw addition of 1,015 cases in a day and it's case count reaches to 51,100.  It also records 64 deaths. PM Modi spoke with Philippines President and discussed steps beig taken by both governments over Covid-19Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on telephone today with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and discussed the steps being taken by the two Governments to address the challenges arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Both leaders expressed appreciation for cooperation extended to ensure welfare of their citizens in each other's territory, as also for their repatriation home.  Pres Duterte also appreciated steps taken by India to maintain supply of essential pharma products to Philippines: Prime Minister's Office. 38 more Covid-19 cases reported in Gautam Buddha Nagar today38 more Covid-19 cases reported in Gautam Buddha Nagar today.  Total number of cases in the district is now at 691, including 258 active cases, 423 cured & 10 deaths: District Surveillance OfficerTotal of 4,346 positive cases have been detected in Jammu and Kashmir so farA total of 4346 positive cases have been detected in Jammu and Kashmir so far - 939 in Jammu and 3407 in Kashmir.  48 deaths reported till date - 5 in Jammu and 43 in Kashmir.  1506 people have recovered till date - 241 in Jammu and 1265 in Kashmir: Govt of Jammu and Kashmir. First published: Jun 09, 2020 06:39 IST


Himachal Pradesh: After fresh snowfall, total 588 roads have been closed, 2436 electricity supply lines disrupted and 33 water supply schemes hampered in the state. In 8 districts of the state, 1 feet to 4 feet snow has accumulated at different locations; Visuals from Shimla https://t.co/i4UQFNvA14

Parts of North India received snowfall on Wednesday.  Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur witnessed snow.  State capital Shimla also received season's heaviest snowfall.  The snowfall snapped internal road links and disrupted water and power supply. Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations


Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with beneficiaries and vaccinators of #COVID vaccination drive in Varanasi, via video conferencing. https://t.co/75irDxmjUG

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with beneficiaries and vaccinators, who will share their experience of the inoculation campaign against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi on Friday.  The vaccination drive has started at six centres in the city and the first shot of the vaccine was administered to a sanitary staff Rashid Khan at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), according to news agency ANI. “The interaction follows continuous dialogue and discussion by the Prime Minister with scientists, political leaders, officials and other stakeholders to proactively ensure smooth conduct of the world’s largest vaccination drive,” Modi’s office said in a statement. As many as 10,40,014 health workers have been administered Covid-19 vaccines through 18,161 sessions till Thursday 6pm, Dr Manohar Agnani, the additional secretary in the Union health ministry said citing a provisional report.  The health ministry said 187 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were till 6pm on the sixth day of the vaccination drive. In the first phase of the vaccination drive, nearly 30 million health and frontline workers are being administered the shot and in the second phase, around 270 million people above 50 years of age, and those below 50 years of age with comorbidities or with a high risk of infection, will be vaccinated. Top government officials have said that the Prime Minister, 70, is likely to be vaccinated for Covid-19 in the second phase of the immunisation programme, which may happen in March or April.  “PM will take the vaccine when his turn will come after completion of the first phase,” said an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).  “He himself said this in his meeting with chief ministers that politicians shouldn’t try to break the queue and only take the vaccine when their turn comes,” the official added. India is currently administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India and known locally as Covishield, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. On Thursday, Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said vaccination will be the last nail in the coffin of Covid-19 and that it was unfortunate that some people are spreading misinformation about the vaccination for political reasons.  He was referring to doubts raised by opposition leaders against the indigenously developed Covaxin, which is still in the third phase of trial.


“We need to see it and we need to see it in full, and we need to see it as rapidly as possible,” says iconic journalist Carl Bernstein on the Mueller report.

“Then we’ll learn the full story and maybe the American people could get some resolution and calm about this." https://t.co/KD0zX79hWY

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


Kerala:Kummanam Rajasekharan,BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram constituency offers prayer at Ayyaguru Ashram,Thycaud.Rajasekharan is fielded against Congress' Shashi Tharoor&Left Democratic Front candidate C Divakaran.Counting of votes to begin at 8 AM. #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/dO0OCUHcNQ

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Dhaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive in Dhaka today on his two-day visit to Bangladesh

PM Modi will attend the Bangladesh National Day program today. https://t.co/oHK13lmQ9J

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday went from Delhi to Dhaka on a new custom-made VVIP aircraft, using it for the first time on a foreign journey. The prime minister is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh are currently celebrating the golden jubilee of the 1971 war victory.  India had defeated Pakistan in December 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. The B777 aircraft, which has registration number VT-ALW, was delivered by Boeing to the Indian government in October last year.  The aircraft, which has call sign AI1 or Air India One, departed from Delhi around 8 am and landed at the Dhaka airport around 10. 30 am on Friday, government officials said. Another custom-made B777 aircraft, with registration number VT-ALV, was also delivered by the American aircraft giant to the Indian government in October last year.  Both custom-made planes are to fly only president, vice president and prime minister of the country. These two aircraft were part of Air India's commercial fleet for a few months in 2018 before they were sent back to Boeing for retrofitting for VVIP travel.  The B777 planes have state-of-the-art missile defence systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures and Self-Protection Suites.  PTI DSP NSD NSD


A post accompanying a news clip which states that Hyderabad traffic police is organising a mega Lok Adalat during October 4-7, through which people can clear their pending traffic challans by paying only 50% of the amount, is being shared widely across all social media platforms.  Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: Hyderabad traffic police is organising a mega Lok Adalat during October 4-7; people can clear their pending traffic challans by paying only 50% of the amount. Fact: Hyderabad traffic police through their official social media handles clarified that they are not organising any traffic Lok Adalat during October 4-7, 2021.  They have rated the viral news clip as fake.  The viral news clip is at least five years old.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. Google search yielded the ‘newsmahal’ story which reported about the traffic Lok Adalat.  However, this news article dates back to 2017.  The viral post is nothing but a screenshot of this news clip.  However, a Telugu regional daily carried a similar news recently in its Hyderabad district edition, which could be the source of the viral news and the revival of the old English news clip. As the news went viral on social media, Hyderabad traffic police through their official social media handles clarified that the viral news about Hyderabad traffic police organising a traffic Lok Adalat is fake.  Hyderabad traffic police through a Facebook post shared both the viral English news clip and the Telugu news clip and rated them as fake.  Their clarification further warned that ‘a legal action will be initiated against those who post or forward this fake message. ’While there have been instances in the past (2016 & 2017) wherein Hyderabad traffic police organised a Traffic Lok Adalat, through which they offered 50% off on the pending traffic challans, there is no such Lok Adalat presently being organised by Hyderabad traffic police between October 4-7. News articles which published the clarification of the Hyderabad traffic police regarding the viral news can be read here.  Hence, from these, we can infer that an old news clip about traffic Lok Adalat is being shared as latest. To sum it up, Hyderabad traffic police is not organising any traffic Lok Adalat during Oct 4-7 of 2021.


BREAKING: Joe Biden will win Hawaii, @ABC News projects. https://t.co/HtBj7ykdwt #ElectionNight https://t.co/dgBAvwXKuS

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.


Assault charges against two Buffalo, New York, police officers seen in a video shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground during a protest last year have been dropped, prosecutors say. https://t.co/iEusGzDq61

By Taylor Romine, CNNUpdated 5:37 PM ET, Fri February 12, 2021  (CNN)A grand jury chose not to indict two Buffalo, New York, police officers who pushed a 75-year-old protester to the ground last June, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Thursday. CNN's Jessica Prater and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.


Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar takes the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at JJ hospital in Mumbai

#COVIDVaccine https://t.co/Tvz3f0JeWz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.  The Prime Minister tweeted that he got the first dose and urged those eligible to get vaccinated. “Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS.  Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19.  I appeal to all those who were eligible to take a vaccine.  Together, let us make India COVID-19 free! ,” he tweeted. Starting Monday, the coronavirus vaccination drive has been opened to senior citizens and people with comorbidities in the age group of 45 to 59 years.  Those eligible for the vaccine can register on the CoWIN app, or walk into a vaccination centre without registration.  While government hospitals will provide the vaccine free of charge, the price has been kept at Rs. 250 per dose in private hospitals. Watch: PM Modi gets Bharat Biotech's Covaxin as India widens vaccinationRegistration will open at 9am on Monday and citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the CoWIN 2. 0 portal or through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu, etc, according to an official release on Sunday.  The private empaneled Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs) were also trained on various aspects of the process of vaccination and management of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) through video conference with the support of the National Health Authority (NHA), as per news agencies. Also Read: PM Modi regrets not having learnt Tamil languageSister P Niveda, from Puducherry, administered a dose of Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat BioTech to PM Modi.  The second nurse seen in the picture is from Kerala.  PM was seen wearing an Assamese 'gamcha', symbolic of blessings of women from Assam.  He has worn it on many occasions. As per people aware of the development, the PM went to AIIMS without any restrictions imposed on traffic.  He chose an early morning slot to ensure there was no inconvenience to people. Several ministers who are eligible for the shot are in the process of finalising the schedule for their vaccination.  “A few ministers who are above 45 and have co-morbidities will travel to their respective constituencies to get the first shot,” said a person aware of the details. Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will take the first vaccine shot in Rampur on Tuesday at 11 am, a person aware of the details said.


Sen. Joe Manchin reaffirmed that he will not back proposed changes to the Senate filibuster rule or support "shortcutting the legislative process through budget reconciliation," dealing a possible blow to Pres. Biden's agenda. https://t.co/jeFPB8r5CH

By Lauren Fox, Annie Grayer and Clare Foran, CNNUpdated 7:06 PM ET, Thu April 8, 2021  (CNN)Democratic Sen.  Joe Manchin of West Virginia cited the deadly attack on January 6 at the US Capitol as an event that changed his perspective on a divided Washington, saying, "You can't have this many people split to where they want to go to war with each other," as he calls for Democrats and Republicans to work together on top legislative priorities.


Agitating farmers have proposed 'chakka jam' tomorrow. In view of the violence that happened on January 26, Delhi Police have made adequate security arrangements at borders so that miscreants can not enter the national capital: Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police PRO https://t.co/9TThtvPjlg

Farm unions agitating against three agriculture laws announced on Thursday that no protester will enter Delhi during a three-hour nationwide highway blockade on February 6 in a bid to avoid a repeat of the clashes and violence witnesses on Republic Day. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana drummed up support for the chakka jam, scheduled between 12pm and 3pm on Saturday, held village-level meetings and deputed special security volunteers to avert any clashes with security forces. In Delhi, Union home minister Amit Shah met national security adviser Ajit Doval and Delhi Police commissioner S N Shrivastava inside the Parliament complex to review the security situation. The Centre had already conveyed to Delhi Police that additional central paramilitary forces are on standby if required.  Currently over 60 companies (6,000 personnel) of central paramilitary forces are assisting Delhi Police at the borders. Farm leaders said cultivators camping at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders, and those who will join them by Friday, will carry out the chakka jam at their respective venues. “Farmers will block the highways in their respective states and no attempt will be made to enter Delhi.  In case anyone gets stuck during the chakka jam, they will be served water and food by the farmers.  We will also explain to them the reason behind our protest and what the government is doing with us,” Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said at the Ghazipur border. During this chakka jam – the first big event by the agitators after the Republic Day tractor rally went out of control and protesters ran riot on Delhi’s streets – farmer leaders assured that they will not stop ambulances and fire brigades. “We would like to request the people to cooperate with farmers on February 6, just for three hours, and let’s do our protest peacefully,” said Manjeet Singh Rai, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba). Many farmers said they will ask family members and supporters to block roads peacefully in their home states.  “We are already sitting on a highway and we will continue doing so.  We need people to participate in the chakka jam in different parts of the country.  We are urging people to stay back at their places and support us from there,” said farmer leader Jagtar Singh Bajwa. Farmer leaders held meetings with people in various states to discuss the plan to avoid the scenes from Republic Day, when farmers ran riot during a tractor rally on Republic Day, storming the Red Fort and hoisting the Sikh flag from its ramparts. “From the security point of view, farm leaders, as well as volunteers, have been visiting all tractor trolleys and tents and telling people to remain non-violent.  Volunteers in security duty will remain present at the border points to ensure nobody crosses the line,” said Lakhbir Singh, a farmer leader. Rai said that to strengthen their numbers, announcements were made in villages in Punjab that R1,500 will be collected as a fine from people who didn’t visit Delhi borders. “This announcement is having an impact now as many farmers have come from those villages in Punjab from where not a single participation was made in the past 70-71 days.  We don’t want our agitation to die in the absence of protesters,” said Rai. Farmers at the Tikri border also said that they will avoid getting into confrontation.  “Only anti-social elements resorted to violence on Republic Day.  For the past two months, farmers had been protesting peacefully and the same will continue on February 6,” said Bijender Pal, a farmer from Mansa in Punjab. Across Punjab and Haryana, farmers held meetings.  Response was especially enthusiastic in Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar as local people thronged toll plazas.  “This agitation is at its peak and we need your support to win it,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni in Kurukshetra district.  He said block-level meetings were held to fix responsibilities and they were finalising locations to block highways. In Delhi, police officers said that their strengthened security arrangements, deployment of security personnel and closure of the three borders will continue.  The protest sites have turned into fortresses with police digging trenches, putting up barbed wire fences, concrete barricades and hammering beds of nails on roads. A senior police officer, who did want to be named, said intelligence inputs were being received that farmers may try to enter Delhi from several borders for the chakka jam and stopping them may lead to confrontation with the police. “Whenever there is a call for any such event (nationwide chakka jam), Delhi Police always make security arrangements to maintain law and order and avoid inconvenience to the public.  Our police personnel will be deployed at the borders and on the streets across the city to manage traffic and security,” said Delhi Police spokesperson Chinmoy Biswal. In Haryana, district administrations across the state said they were making arrangements to deal with the situation.  “We are holding talks with farmers and urging them not to block Delhi-Chandigarh, National Highway 44 as this may cause problems for thousands of commuters”, said Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav.


Here's what we know so far about the fire at Notre Dame cathedral: https://t.co/tM4V2uX7ka https://t.co/UHRtZQhfWl

The flames caused a 315-foot spire to topple over.  Fire nearly destroys Notre Dame CathedralA fire has engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, one of the city's most iconic sights. The fire began at 6:50 p. m.  local time Monday, the Paris fire department said, and continued to burn hours later. A French firefighter official told reporters the main structure of the cathedral has been saved and the two iconic main towers are intact and have been saved as well. French Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that authorities were evacuating people from buildings in the area -- including homes close to the cathedral. A spokesperson for the cathedral described the damage to French media as "colossal. ""Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame," the spokesperson said. First responders are currently trying to salvage priceless art stored inside the cathedral, said Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire.  Last week, the statues of the apostles were removed for restoration, The Associated Press reported. Images on social media show smoke and flames shooting from the top of Notre Dame as massive plumes of smoke billow into the sky above. One video shows a spire toppling over as a result of the flames. The fire may be connected to the recent restoration of the church, officials said.  The restoration work costs 120 million euros, the Notre Dame Paris office told ABC News, adding that a fire alarm test conducted last week went well. The roof has completely collapsed, witness John Dickas, an American professor living in Paris, told ABC News. Large crowds have begun to gather around the scene.  Some members of the crowd began to sing hymns as the cathedral burned. The cathedral was built around 1260 AD and towered over the city of Paris for centuries.  Much of the facade and interior are true to their original designs. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed sadness at the sight of the historic building's demise, saying it captures the "emotion of an entire nation. ""Thinking of all the Catholics and all the French people," Macron wrote.  "Like all of our countrymen, I am sad tonight to see part of us burning. "Monday is the start of Holy Week, the busiest and most important period of the liturgical year.  Easter is on Sunday. American Kelly Weymouth, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, said she was taking a sunset cruise on the Seine river with her mother when the fire broke out. At one point, as the traffic on the river was stopped, Weymouth and about 40 fellow passengers from all over the world watched in horror for about 45 minutes as the fire destroyed the cathedral, she said. The Frenchmen who were on the boat began to sob and embrace each other, Weymouth said, describing the moment as "very intense. ""We express our closeness to French Catholics and the Parisians and assure them of our prayers for the firefighters and all those that are doing everything possible to fight this dramatic situation," the statement read. "If it collapses, you can imagine how important the damage will be," Gallet said. Around 500 firefighters were involved in helping to put out the fire, Macron said. "The worst was avoided even if the battle has not been completely won," Macron said, vowing to rebuild the historic structure by utilizing "the best talents. "ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Kirit Radia contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Congress leader @RahulGandhi has sharpened his attack on the government over the #COVID19 situation.

https://t.co/nUu2T0BDJt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharpened his attack on the government over the Covid-19 situation.  He particularly focussed on Gujarat, comparing it with six other states ruled by Congress or its allies. “Covid19 mortality rate: Gujarat: 6. 25%, Maharashtra: 3. 73%, Rajasthan: 2. 32%, Punjab: 2. 17%, Puducherry: 1. 98%, Jharkhand: 0. 5%, Chhattisgarh: 0. 35%.  Gujarat Model exposed,” Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday.  Covid19 mortality rate:Gujarat: 6. 25%Maharashtra: 3. 73%Rajasthan: 2. 32%Punjab: 2. 17%Puducherry: 1. 98%Jharkhand: 0. 5%Chhattisgarh: 0. 35%Gujarat Model exposed. https://t. co/ObbYi7oOoDThe former Congress president also attached a news article in his post on the tally in Gujarat. Gujarat reported 514 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the count to 24,104, while the death toll rose to 1,506 with 28 new fatalities, 23 of them in Ahmedabad, the state health department said. With 339 more patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the state increased to 16,672, it said. The state now has 5,926 active cases, out of which 71 patients are on ventilator and the condition of 5,855 others is stable, the health department said. Out of the 514 new Covid-19 cases recorded in the state between Sunday and Monday, Ahmedabad alone reported 327 cases, taking the total in the district to 16,967.