Photo shows Hindu woman in Kerala thrashed by Christian missionaries and Muslims

An old photo from Bangladesh, of an injured woman is viral with a false communal claim that Christian missionaries and Muslims beat up a Hindu woman in Kerala for praying in a temple.   BOOM found that the photo of the injured woman is old and from Bangladesh and has been viral with the same narrative since 2018.  The false communal post is being shared on Facebook and Twitter with a caption in Hindi which translates to, "In Kerala, the terror of Christian missionaries and Muslims has reached a point where they have started taking away the rights of Hindus to pray and fulfill their religious customs.  This woman, who is a Dalit Adivasi was badly thrashed and her clothes torn because she was praying" (Original text in Hindi - केरल में ईसाई मिशनरीयो और जिहादियों का आतंक अब इतना बढ़ चुका है कि हिन्दुओ को पूजा अर्चना और अपने धार्मिक रीती रिवाज़ो को पूरा करने का अधिकार भी छिना जा रहा है. . !  इस दलित आदिवासी महिला को बुरी तरह पीटा ओर कपड़े फाड़ दिए क्यों की ये पूजा कर रही थी. . ! ! ")  The same photo with the false claim as also shared by Renee Lynn on Twitter, who runs Voice For India also tweeted the photo with a claim, "Christian Missionaries & Jihadis in Kerala are terrorizing Hindus.  This Hindu woman was beaten because she was worshiping. "     FACT CHECK The same set of images have been viral since 2018 with the same caption.   A reverse image search for the first image showed results from various Facebook pages including a few with captions in Bengali.  An advanced search on Twitter using the same keywords in the caption, showed results for a tweet by a Twitter user Advaid who had called out the same fake news shared by Shankhnaad in 2018.   Sanghi Fake News Busted. ShankhNaad (@ShankhNaad) used a 6 month old images from Bengal and twists them as "Elderly Hindu woman brutally attacked by Muslims in Kerala. "Please take action @KeralaCMO pic. twitter. com/IjYk4RpkjR The tweet had a screenshot and link to a Facebook post from October 8, 2017 on a page then called Suptodisha.  The page has since changed its name to Chittagong Tuber. Link to the page below and archive can be accessed here The page shows the same woman with her mouth bleeding and injuries on her back and identifies her as Panchabala Karmakar, a resident of Chittagong district.  Chittagong is in Bangladesh.  The post further says the woman was beaten up her neighbours Pradip Ghosh and Biswajit.  The original Facebook posts translates to, "This woman is Panchabala Karmakar, resident of Jaldhi village in the Banskhali Police Station of Chittagong district.  This poor and helpless woman was beaten up badly in a preplanned attack by her influential neighbour Pradip Ghosh and his son Biswajit.  Her situation is now precarious.  There is now no one to take care of her or treat her.  Kindly share this. " BOOM could not independently verify the second image of a broken idol and money fallen on the ground.


#Visuals from Kerala: Two Youth Congress workers Kripesh and Sarath Lal have been hacked to death in Kasaragod by unidentified assailants. United Democratic Front (UDF) has called for a hartal in the district tomorrow. https://t.co/FwlHB3MURE

Two Youth Congress workers were hacked to death allegedly by a group of CPI (M) workers in north Kerala’s Kasargode district on Sunday night, police said.  The slain activists were identified as Kripesh (21) and Sharth Lal (26). The victims were returning home in Periya on a motorbike when they were waylaid by assailants.  While Kripesh died on the spot and Lal succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in neighbouring Mangaluru. The Congress has called a shutdown in Kasargode district on Monday but the ruling CPI (M) denied any role in the twin murders saying some personal enmity between two groups led to the killings.  But the Congress reiterated that it was cold-blooded political murders. Police said there were some skirmishes between Congress and CPI (M) workers a couple of days back and they suspect the latest murders as a fallout of that fight.  The CPI (M) Periya branch secretary and two workers were injured in a recent clash with Congress workers and the latest attack is suspected to be a sequel to this.  Police had registered cases against both parties after the clash. “CPI (M) activists are behind this heinous attack.  Going by witnesses accounts it is a well planned and executed political murders.  It is sad the party still feels it can silence its political opponents by annihilating them,” said district Congress committee president Hakkim Kunnel. Opposition leader Ramesh Cheniithala also condemned the murders and said he will visit the district on Tuesday.


Saddened to know about the passing away of senior leader and MP #AmarSingh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh https://t.co/5fKRejJ99P

Former Pakistan skipper and cricket legend Javed Miandad made some explosive statements against the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.  Miandad accused Imran Khan of ruining the state of affairs of cricket in Pakistan by favouring foreigners over countrymen for several key positions in the Pakistan Cricket Board.  Miandad was indirectly referring to Wasim Khan, the CEO of PCB, and someone who was born and brought up in England.  Miandad wasn’t happy that Imran appointed Wasim for an influential position in the country’s cricket board. READ | Young, fast and furious“All officials in the PCB do not know the ABC of the sport.  I will talk to Imran Khan personally about the sad state of affairs.  I will not leave anyone that is not right for our country,” Miandad said on his official YouTube channel. “You appointed a foreigner on a key position.  What will happen when he flees the country after doing corruption?  Is there a shortage of people in your own country that you had to bring people from abroad to work in the PCB,” Miandad added.  Miandad went on to land some more barbs on Imran by stating that he acts like God now.  He also claimed that Imran went to his home and ‘came out as a Prime Minister’. “I was your captain, you weren’t my captain.  I’ll come to politics and then I’ll talk to you.  I was the one who led you all the time, but you act like God now.  It is almost like you’re the only intelligent person in this country as if no one has gone to Oxford or Cambridge or any other university in Pakistan.  Think about the people,” said Miandad. “You don’t care about the country.  You came to my home and went out as a Prime Minister.  I challenge you to deny this. READ | England vs Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez breaks bio-secure bubble, will have to self isolate - Report“What’s the meaning of being a Pakistani?  To live and let live.  Help your own.  Be intelligent.  I’ve echoed the nation’s voice.  I know it is difficult for common people to raise their voice, but I’m at a position where I can raise their voice in front of the world,” said Miandad. “I come from a different field.  But I care about the world I live in, and I live among the people.  And I’ve said this to Imran.  I made him the Prime Minister,” he added. Miandad is never the one to hold back and has often spoken his mind over several issues pertaining to cricket.


Students from Delhi University gather at Singhu border in support of farmers who are protesting against farm laws

(pics: ANI)

https://t.co/kqVAv1ex4U https://t.co/LyqclEUaqH

The fifth round of talks between the protesting farm union leaders and government to bring a solution to the deadlock over the new farm laws is going on at Vigyan Bhawan. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi hours ahead of the talks between the government and protesting farmers over the contentious farm laws. Four rounds of negotiations, conducted between three Union ministers and farmers’ representatives, have so far failed to break the deadlock between the two sides. The Centre has agreed to review the recently enacted legislation and bring amendments if required to address the farmers’ demands.  The farmers, however, said that they did not want amendments to the new laws but want them rolled back entirely. Follow live updates here:Tomar requests farmers to stop protesting in cold weatherI want to request protesting farmers to give up their movement so that they don't face inconvenience in this cold weather & citizens of Delhi can also live a life of convenience: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar after 5th round of talks at Vigyan Bhawan today https://t. co/nn1gRw7joB pic. twitter. com/sXBb1d83olUnion minister Tomar urges farmers’ union to have faith in Modi govt’s decisionUnion Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar after the fifth round of talks with the farmers’ union leaders asked them to have faith in the Modi govt.  He thanked the farmers’ union for maintaining discipline and said whatever the govt will do, it will be in the interest of the farmers.  Farmers’ leader hopeful govt will repeal lawsWe said at the beginning of meeting that our demand is withdrawal of laws, don't want amendment.  We took a firm stand.  Finally we were told that next meeting will be held on Dec 9.  It seems govt will definitely roll back the laws: Hannan Mollah, General Secy,All India Kisan Sabha pic. twitter. com/vNCJCagTJjUnion minister Tomar urges farmers to leave agitation, join discussionI’d not like to comment on program of Unions.  But I’d like to urge farmers & Unions to leave path of agitation and come to path of discussion.  Government has had several rounds of talks with them and is ready for further discussion for a solution, said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Bharat Bandh scheduled for Dec 8, reports ANI. Doubts on MSP baseless, ready to resolve every suspicion, says CentreWe have said that the MSP will continue, there is no threat to it.  It is baseless to doubt this.  Still, if someone is suspicious then the government is ready to resolve it, said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, reports ANI.  Bharat Bandh on Dec 8 to go on as announced, says farmers’ union leaderGovt will prepare a draft and give us.  They said that they’ll consult the states too.  Discussions were held on MSP too but we said that we should also take up laws & talk about their roll back.  Bharat Bandh (on 8th Dec) will go on as announced, said Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union, reports ANI. Farmers’ leaders say will hold internal discussion on govt proposal before Dec 9Central Government has said that they will send us a proposal on December 9th.  We will discuss it amongst ourselves after which a meeting with them will be held that day: Farmer leaders say after the fifth round of meeting with Central Government concludes#FarmLaws2020 pic. twitter. com/GidiFmEDYXNext talk of rounds between centre, farmers’ leaders on Dec 9It was decided at the meeting that the next round of talks between farmer leaders and central government to be held on December 9th, on the request of all stakeholders reports ANI.  We do not want corporate farming, law to benefit only govt: Farmers’ leadersFarmers’ leaders during the fifth round of talks said, “We do not want corporate farming.  The government will benefit from this law, not the farmer. ”  We do not want corporate farming.  The government will benefit from this law, not the farmer: Farmers to the centre, at the fifth round of talks over farm laws https://t. co/P412cKXOXeUnion minister Tomar appeals farmers’ leaders to send children,senior citizens homeAgriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar requests the farmer leaders during the fifth round of talks to send senior citizens and children home.  He said, “Iappeal to all of you to kindly ask senior citizens and children, at the protest site, to go home. ”, reports ANI. Farmers from Bilaspur, Uttarakhand reach Delhi borders to join protestFarmers from Bilaspur, Uttarakhand reach Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi border) & join protesting farmers stationed at Delhi-Meerut Expressway, reports ANI. Farmers’ leaders threaten to walk out of meeting if Centre fails to decide on demands raised‘The government should make a decision on our demands, otherwise, we are walking out of the meeting’, say farmer leaders participating in the fifth round of talks with the Central Government, at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, reports ANI.  Why can’t our parliament discuss issue if Canada’s parliament can: farmers’ representativeIf Canada’s parliament can discuss the issue, why can’t our parliament do it, asks Kulwant Singh Sandhu, General Secy, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Punjab on Canadian MPs raising the issue relating to the farmers protest in the Parliament post which the Canadian PM wrote a letter to the government of India.  Farmers’ leaders have lunch carried by them to the fifth round of talks venue#WATCH Delhi: Farmer leaders, present at the fifth round of talks with Central Government, have food that they had carried to the venue.  A Kar Sewa vehicle that carried food for them arrived here earlier today.  They'd got their own food even during 4th round of talks on Dec 3.  https://t. co/hDP8cwzSGJ pic. twitter. com/XSR6m2lljSGovt gives written reply of minutes of meeting to farmers’ leadersThe government has given written response of the minutes of the meeting to the farmers’ leaders.  The fifth round of talks has been paused for a 15-minute break, reports ANI.  Farmers’ leaders ask centre its decision over farmers’ demandsFarmers’ union leaders during the fifth round of talks with the centre at the Vigyan Bhawan said they don’t want further discussion and instead just need a solution or commitment.  They want to know what the government has decided on the demands of the farmers. Union minister Tomar tells farmers’ unions Centre committed to talksUnion agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar tells farmers’ unions Centre committed to talks, welcomes feedback on farm bills, reports PTI. Farmers’ representatives bring their own food to fifth round of talks at Vigyan Bhawan Delhi: A Kar Sewa vehicle carrying food for Farmers' representatives arrives at Vigyan Bhawan during 5th round of talks between Farmers Unions & Centre. Farmers are carrying their own food at the venue today.  They'd got their own food even during the 4th round of talks on Dec 3.  https://t. co/EzZgHcoHTr pic. twitter. com/dKDreXetkyGovt agrees to give written reply of last talks on farm laws as per farmers’ leaders demand Farmers’ representatives during the fifth round of talks regarding the farm laws asked the centre to provide a pointwise comprehensive written reply of the last meeting, the government has agreed to do so.  Fifth round of meeting at Vigyan Bhawan between farmers’ leaders, Centre begins New Delhi: Fifth round of meeting between farmers' representatives and the Central government begins at Vigyan Bhawan.  pic. twitter. com/L4u2LaTi1rProtest to continue until laws rolled back, says farmers’ leaderWe want to complete rollback of the laws.  If the government doesn’t accept our demand, we will continue our agitation, said Harjinder Singh Tanda, state chief of Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, reports ANI.  Narendra Singh Tomar reaches Vigyan Bhawan to hold talks with agitating farmersUnion Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar reaches Vigyan Bhawan to hold talks with agitating farmers. Farmers’ representatives reach Vigyan Bhawan to hold fifth round of talks Farmers’ representatives reach Vigyan Bhawan to hold fifth round of talks with the Central government on the farm laws. AAP workers in Mumbai protest against Centre’s farm billAam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers in Mumbai protest against Union government over farm bill and in solidarity with farmers protesting in Delhi. Rashtriya Janata Dal holds protest at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan against the Centre’s farm lawsRashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) holds protest at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan against the Centre’s farm laws. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “We demand that the Centre repeals the black laws. ”Farmers’ leaders leave from Singhu border for Vigyan Bhawan to hold fifth round of talksFarmers’ leaders leave from Singhu border for Vigyan Bhawan to hold fifth round of talks with the Central government on the farm laws. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leaves from the Prime Minister’s residenceDefence Minister Rajnath Singh leaves from the Prime Minister’s residence. Farmers’ doubts will be cleared in today’s meeting with Centre: Kailash ChoudharyFarmers’ doubts will be cleared in today’s meeting with Centre.  In recent meetings, some issues were clarified.  It’s Opposition’s politics, they’re instigating the protest.  The meeting will be fruitful & we expect farmers will roll back protest: MoS Agriculture, Kailash ChoudharyWe are hoping today’s meeting with central leadership will be positive: Protestor Farmers protest at Burari’s Nirankari Samagam Ground against recent farm laws enters 10th day. “We’re hoping today’s meeting with central leadership will be positive.  We won’t stop until govt agrees to our demands.  We’ll make the movement bigger,” says a protestor. Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Narendra Singh Tomar reach PM Modi’s residence in New DelhiAhead of the fifth round of meeting with agitating farmers, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Narendra Singh Tomar reach PM Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi.  Union Minister Piyush Goyal also reaches the Prime Minister’s residence. Government should announce to withdraw the three black laws: Kisan Mahapanchayat presidentThe government should announce to withdraw the three black laws and give in writing that MSP will continue.  If any positive result doesn’t come out of today’s talks, farmers from Rajasthan will march along NH-8 towards Delhi and camp at Jantar Mantar: Rampal Jat, president, Kisan Mahapanchayat. Hopeful that farmers will think positively and end their agitation: Narendra Singh TomarA meeting is scheduled with farmers at 2 pm today.  I am very hopeful that farmers will think positively and end their agitation: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee prepares food for protesting farmersDelhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) prepares food for the farmers protesting at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana).  A volunteer says, “We are providing meals three times a day. ”Delhi: Farmers continue to hold a sit-in protest at Chilla border Farmers continue to hold a sit-in protest at Chilla border (Delhi-Noida Link Road) against the Centre’s farm laws. A farmer says, “If anything concrete doesn’t happen in today’s meeting with the Central government then we will gherao the Parliament. ”Gazipur border (UP-Delhi border) on NH-24 is closed for traffic Gazipur border (UP-Delhi border) on NH-24 is closed for traffic from Gaziabad to Delhi due to farmers protests: Delhi Traffic Police5th round of talks between farmers, Centre to be held todayThe fifth round of talks between the central government and farmers is scheduled to be held today. A large number of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against the three farm laws. Delegation of JJP leaders met Anil Vij and sought withdrawal of cases against farmers during protest A delegation of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leaders met Home Minister Anil Vij seeking withdrawal of cases against farmers during protest. Digvijay Chautala said, “Home Minister has assured us that he will look into the matter and discuss the issue with Chief Minister”.


Govt has gone to Kolkata so we will also go there on 13th March to speak with farmers: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait https://t.co/s0wLKcdjYS

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Singh Tikait will address three rallies in Madhya Pradesh from Monday to drum up support for his protest against the Centre's three agri marketing laws, a functionary of his outfit said. The rallies will be held in Sheopur on Monday, in Rewa on March 14 and in Jabalpur the next day, and a decision would be taken later on holding more rallies in the state, said BKU MP general secretary Anil Yadav. Yadav told PTI Tikait will be touring MP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Telangana to interact with farmers and widen the protests against the Centre's new laws. Incidentally, there is an arrest warrant pending against Tikait in connection with a 2012 attempt to murder and rioting case in the state's Anuppur district, said police officials. Tikait had led a BKU protest against a power plant in Jaithari area, which turned violent, leading to injuries to policemen and torching of vehicles, they added. Over 100 people, including Tikait, were arrested under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with armed weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, an official said. "However, after being released on bail in 2012, Tikait failed to appear before court for subsequent hearings, after which an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2016.  We will take necessary action on the arrest warrant," Anuppur Superintendent of Police Mangilal Solanki said.


A post claiming school children from Uttarakhand are hanging onto a cable in order to cross a river on their way to school is doing rounds on social media.  Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: Uttarakhand school children hanging onto a cable to reach schoolFact: Reverse image search led us to many websites in which this image is featured and in all these websites the image is reported to be from Nepal.  The image has nothing to do with Uttarakhand.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. Reverse image search of the photo led us to a few website links in which the same image was featured.  In one such link, we found the same image and according to the description below the image, the kids are crossing the Trishuli river on their way to school.  Taking a cue from this, when we ran google search with the keyword ‘Trishuli river’, we found that the Trishuli river is one of the major tributaries of the Narayani river basin in central Nepal. Another search result directed us to a news article which reported the image back in 2013.  As per this article, the image in which kids are hanging onto a cable is from Nepal. Further, the same image is featured in a listicle titled “Top 10 Dangerous Routes School Kids Around The World Have To Take Everyday”.   The description below of the image in the listicle reads “In the Benighat district of Nepal, children have to use these cable ropeways to reach their school on the other side”. A couple of more search results in which the same image is featured can be seen here and here.  Even in these, the image is reported to be that from Nepal. From all these search results, it can be inferred that, though the image is on the internet for many years, none of these results attributed this image to Uttarakhand.  In all these results the image was reported as from Nepal. Did you watch our new video?


In all five – Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – the seven-day average of new cases has increased at a rate more than twice that of the national average in the past week, shows an analysis by HT

(by @mullickjamie)

#COVIDSecondWave

https://t.co/qrnSz6DSbm https://t.co/TIJg8Gc5VO

In the four states and one Union territory that went to the polls in the latest round of assembly elections, Covid-19 cases started rising much later than the rest of the country, but a steeper curve in these regions has now pushed them ahead in terms of new cases per capita, shows data. These numbers are as important, if not more than the election results themselves -- and highlight both the folly of holding elections without proper protocols (the Election Commission’s role, for much of the duration of the campaign was restricted to guidelines on this, and involved no monitoring whatsoever, something that earned the body harsh words from the Madras high court) in the midst of the pandemic, as well as the immediate challenge facing the new governments of these regions. In all five – Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – the seven-day average of new cases has increased at a rate more than twice that of the national average in the past week, shows an analysis by HT. To be sure, the key factor behind the delayed surge in the five regions with elections appears to be that daily tests there lagged significantly compared to the rest of the country till the first week of April (till elections in all but West Bengal were wrapped up).  The West Bengal polls continued in eight phases in all, till April 29 -- their sheer length is inexplicable given the backdrop of Covid-19, and the Election Commission has understandably come under criticism for that. Click here for full coverage on electionsIn order to give the two sets of regions (those with elections and the rest of India) a common base for comparison, figures used in the analysis have all been normalised for their respective populations – case and testing numbers are per million residents of the respective sets of regions. In terms of daily infections, regions with elections were reporting a seven-day average of 17 new infections per million residents a day for the week ending March 1.  This number was slightly lower in the rest of the country (10 new cases a day per million population). India’s first Covid wave bottomed out on February 11, and started surging at alarming levels through the middle of March.  In the latter period, cases in the rest of the country started overtaking the regions with elections. By the end of March, non-electoral regions in the country were reporting more than 2. 5 times as many new infections than those going to the polls (52 new cases per million against 21 for week ending March 31).  But a massive surge of new infections was reported in the regions with elections by the second week of April, which sent the trajectory soaring. By the end of April, areas with elections were reporting more cases than the rest of the country – 280 new infections a day per million residents against 273 in the rest of the country (Chart 1). This trend is mimicked very closely in the rate of daily tests in these two sets of regions.  At the start of March, the two groups were nearly identically placed in terms of daily tests per million residents. By mid-March, as cases surged in the rest of the country, testing saw a near-continuous increase (with the exception of a small blip towards the end of March) as well.  The five regions with elections, however, only picked up testing after the first week of April.  Primarily this increase in testing only occurs after April 6, the day when elections had been wrapped up in all regions except West Bengal, which was to see four more phases of polling. In absolute numbers, the seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases has gone up more than twice that of the national average in the past week in the four states and Puducherry.  The seven-day average of new infections in India for the week ending Saturday is 372,005.  This number was 309,855 last Saturday – meaning it has seen a 20% week-on-week increase in the country. The states that went to the polls have seen at least twice this rate of growth.  Even Tamil Nadu, which has seen the lowest increase in new cases among these regions, has seen twice this growth rate (40%) in the last week.  Cases in Kerala have grown 47% in the past week, in Puducherry new infections have gone up 50% in the same time period. The two eastern states – West Bengal and Assam – have seen their cases rise most from this group, 54% and 76% respectively.  Assam’s health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on camera that there was no Covid in his state when asked why he was not sporting a mask.  The numbers tell a different story.


Alex Trebek on persevering in his fight against stage 4 pancreatic cancer: "Truth told, I have to because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy' for three more years. So help me. Keep the faith, and we'll win. We'll get it done." https://t.co/Oz0Y0rN2mz https://t.co/X97mfAYici

The heartbreaking news was announced on YouTube.  'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancerLegendary "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek announced Wednesday that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek shared the news on YouTube, telling his fans, "I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our 'Jeopardy! ' fan base. ""Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working," he added.  "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease. "In classic Trebek fashion, he closed the video with wit and humor, saying, "Truth told, I have to!  Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy! ' for three more years!  So help me.  Keep the faith and we’ll win.  We’ll get it done. "The 78-year-old has been the host of "Jeopardy" since 1984 and is currently in his 35th season fronting the popular quiz show. He took the job at "Jeopardy" after almost two decades hosting other game shows in his native Canada and in the U. S.  with programs like "Jackpot," "High Rollers" and "The $128,000 Question. "Trebek took a leave of absence from the show last year after he underwent brain surgery for a subdural hematoma, which is blood clots on the brain. Celebrities and members of the "Jeopardy! " community, including star Ken Jennings, posted well-wishes and messages of support on social media. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB): Pakistan Media (File pic) https://t.co/sgLIhTBTV9

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested on Thursday by the National Accountability Board, a spokesman for the anti-graft body said. He gave no details on the grounds for the arrest. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.  )


Kashmiri Truck Driver Attacked In Udhampur

An old video of  an injured truck driver from Kashmir is viral on social media with a misleading claim that he was beaten up in Udhampur by locals anrgy about the attack on para military personnel in Pulwama On February 14,  a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir was attcked causing the death of atleast 40 soldiers.  Following this incident, on February 15, protests erupted in many parts of Jammu region with several vehicles being set on fire by protestors and subsequently curfew being imposed.  (Read here) In tune with these protests, an old video showing an injured Kashmiri truck driver was revived on social media, with misleading claims that he was beaten up during the ongoing protests in Jammu.   The 1-minute 21-second video is viral on Facebook with the caption of 'Udhampur update. . . Kashmiri driver beaten'.   (Note : The video contains offensive language) Click here for archived version Click here for archived version The video is viral on Facebook with many groups and pages sharing it with the same caption.  FACT-CHECK BOOM broke the video into keyframes and ran a reverse image search for one of the key frames and found that it was uploaded on some sites in April 2018.  On April 21, 2018, a Facebook page 'Kashmir Prism' had uploaded a similar video with the caption 'Kashmiri driver beaten by police in Punjab'.  In the video, which is most likely shot a few seconds after the viral post, the same injured man is spotted with people around him alleging that a traffic police cop was asking a bribe of Rs 500, and when refused the driver was beaten up and his truck grass was broken.   When the injured driver says he's unable to speak in Hindi, a man near him talks in Hindi saying "He had parked his vehicle to the side.  The traffic policeman came and started hitting him on the head. . . he also started asking for Rs 500. " The same video was uploaded on Youtube by the same page on April 21, 2018.  BOOM also contacted the Udhampur police who denied that any such incident had happened in the protests that broke out on February 15 of this year.  Speaking to BOOM, Rajiv Pandey, Senior Superitendent of Police, Udhampur said, "The video that is circulating is old and no such incident has been reported in Udhampur. " He added that the video circulating is fake. " BOOM further found that The Jammu and Kashmir police on February 16, 2019, had put out a tweet quoting the Senior Superintendent of Police of Udhampur alerting people about rumors being spread about an attack on Kashmir based drivers/vehicles at Udhampur.


Srinagar: PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti arrives at the office of the Enforcement Directorate, to appear before the agency, in connection with an alleged money laundering case https://t.co/CbMzA9zVRp

In a nationwide special drive, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted searches at over 100 places in 11 states/Union Territories, in connection with more than 30 cases of bank fraud amounting to over ₹3,700 crore. These searches were a part of a special drive to book the fraudsters on the complaints received from different nationalised banks in India.  The complainant banks include Indian Overseas Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, IDBI, Canara Bank, Indian Bank and Central Bank of India. The various cities/towns where the searches were conducted include Kanpur, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Noida, Gurugram, Chennai, Thiruvarur, Vellore, Tiruppur, Bangalore, Guntur, Hyderabad, Bellary, Vadodara, Kolkata, West Godavari, Surat, Mumbai, Bhopal, Nimadi, Tirupati Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Karnal, Jaipur and Sri Ganganagar. During searches, various incriminating documents and other material/digital evidence were recovered. The central agency has been receiving many complaints from various banks alleging cheating, diversion of funds, submission of fake/forged documents by different defaulting firms while obtaining loans/credit facilities etc. There have been allegations that such firms have been turning defaulters resulting in the loans becoming Non-Performing Assets(NPAs), thus causing heavy loss to the public sector banks. After scrutiny, the cases were registered by the CBI.  A thorough investigation is carried out in order to book the culprits, take them to face the law and endeavour to salvage public money.


Mumbai: #RheaChakraborty at DRDO guest house; she reached the guest house earlier today after being summoned by Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. https://t.co/SsNAN2dpNT https://t.co/NLKNBKt4gU

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, after questioning the delay in calling the assembly session, arrived in four buses with his MLAs from the luxury resort to the state governor Kalraj Mishra’s residence. The CM has been pressing for an assembly session to discuss coronavirus and the political situation in the state.  He has accused the governor of stalling on the question of convening an assembly session.  The development came after the Rajasthan high court ordered status quo to be maintained in the disqualification case against rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident MLAs. The CM, who had been expecting the orders to convene the House session last night, had warned that if they are not issued today, he will be meeting governor Mishra at the Raj Bhawan, requesting him to make the decision.  He wants the session to be called on Monday. The Congress MLAs, who the CM claims are over 100 in number, flashed the victory sign for the posse of cameramen as the buses drove through the gates to the governor’s house. Upon reaching, CM Gehlot headed straight to meet governor Kalraj Mishra, while the lawmakers were seen sitting under the sun in the Raj Bhawan garden.  The MLAs resorted to sloganeering.  “Inquilab Zindabad, Ashok Gehlot Zindabad” slogans rend the air on a crisp cool summer afternoon on the expansive lawns of the governor’s house.  Soon after the governor, accompanied by CM Gehlot, came to the lawns to meet the MLAs.  An independent assessment of the breakup of the 200-member Rajasthan assembly had earlier indicated that the Gehlot camp has 101 legislators and the Pilot camp, 22 including 19 Congress rebels and three independents. The Opposition has 75 MLAs, including 72 of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and three of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party.


Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes -- including almost three minutes while Floyd was unresponsive -- according to court documents. https://t.co/74aq22QfJe

By Brian Ries, CNNUpdated 4:55 PM ET, Tue June 2, 2020  (CNN)8 minutes and 46 seconds.  CNN's Kara Devlin as a contributor on this story.


#Oscars flashback: @ladygaga when she first walked the Oscars red carpet as the face of Versace vs. tonight where she is nominated for best actress for @starisbornmovie. https://t.co/1F5SFjWsFK https://t.co/iBTixmSAlv

By Lisa Respers France and Veronica Rocha, CNNNetflix's "Roma" won best foreign language film. It's the ninth movie from Mexico to be nominated, and the first to win the Oscar for foreign language film, according to the Academy Awards. In accepting the award, director Alfonso Cuarón said he was inspired by films like "Jaws," "Citizen Kane," "The Godfather and "Breathless. "Cuarón offers a semi-autobiographical tribute to the women who raised him, focusing on the family maid (Yalitza Aparicio) amid a period of unrest, both within the family and society at large, in his native Mexico in the 1970s.  Shot in black and white, the film is Netflix’s first best picture nominee. Remember when Jennifer Hudson got eliminated way too early on "American Idol? "We don't either because it still hurts! Anyway, the singer showed up and showed out in a striking pantsuit with a train (a train, people! ) to perform the song "I'll Fight," from the CNN Films documentary "RBG. " It wasn't her strongest performance, but even a less than 100% Hudson is better than so many other singers.  The award for best costume design went to Ruth Carter and in her own words, it was "a long time coming. "Carter won for "Black Panther" and became the first African American to take home the statue. She thanked Spike Lee for giving her her start and said she hoped she made him proud. She also paid homage to the film that made her a trailblazer. "Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design, we turned him into an African king," Carter said. She also showed love to her mother. "This is for my 97-year-old mother watching in Massachusetts," Carter said.  "Mom, thank you for teaching me about people and telling their stories.  You are the original super hero.  "Melissa McCarthy mocked "The Favourite" in probably one of the wackiest costumes to grace the Oscars stage. McCarthy walked on stage with Brian Tyree Henry, who also wore an early 18th century gown, to present the best costume award. Her dress was dotted with stuffed bunny rabbits — an homage to the main character in "The Favourite. "As McCarthy presented the award, she performed ventriloquism with the rabbits. "These artists create a pastiche of textiles with authenticity, yet never distract from the story.  Costume designers construct the looks that ground a character to a particular time and place in the subtlest of ways," McCarthy said. It was a strange bit, but it brought plenty of laughs. The internet went crazy for Chris Evans helping Regina King up on stage when she won for best supporting actress.  We get it.  He's adorable.  It was adorable.  Regina has always been adorable.  Heart it all.  National Geographic's "Free Solo" just won for best documentary. Directed by award-winning filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, "Free Solo" follows Alex Honnold for more than two years as he prepares for the climb of his life. In June 2017, the 33-year-old became the first person to climb Californian granite monolith El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any ropes -- a skill known as free soloing. These three women are hilarious. Former "Saturday Night Live" stars and real-life BFFs Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph presented the first award of the night, best supporting actress.  They riffed on everything from the show's lack of host to how all actresses are into supporting because women are supportive. "For example, I support both of you financially," Poehler joked.  They also gave us an example of what it would have been liked if they had been chosen as hosts. "Hey Chadwick Boseman, 'Wakanda' plans you got later on tonight," Rudolph said, giving us a taste of how they would have acted.  Regina King won the award, BTW.  Regina King just won best supporting actress for “If Beale Street Could Talk. ” She is the third black actress to win both an Oscar and a Primetime Emmy, joining Halle Berry and Viola Davis. King thanked her mother and Baldwin, the author of the book that was adapted into the film. King has three Emmys, which she won in 2015, 2016 and 2018.  If nothing else, the Oscars opening let us know which celebs can and cannot dance. Queen, fronted by Adam Lambert, kicked off the 91st Academy Awards with a medley of the group's hits including "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions. " "Bohemian Rhapsody," the story of the late Freddie Mercury, Queen's lead singer, is nominated for best picture as is its star, Rami Malek, for best actor. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


Congress leader & former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah: Election Commission is acting at the behest of BJP government. The decision of EC to conduct by-elections in the state is only to favour the disqualified legislators. https://t.co/BzeWfrYLwG

In a bid to revive the party organisation ahead of assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress leadership in West Bengal is reaching out to disgruntled leaders.  “We are reaching out to leaders and party workers who for some reason have become inactive.  We are trying to bring back everybody into the party fold,” a senior TMC leader leader said. Kolkata mayor and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim on Sunday called up former city mayor Sovan Chatterjee, who had taken a sabbatical from active politics.  He urged Chatterjee to return to the party fold and look after the organisation, but the latter did not commit anything. TMC district presidents also called up disgruntled leaders and urged them to forget the ‘misunderstanding’ and return to the party. Meanwhile, reports say many TMC leaders have joined the BJP.  TMC MLA Subhrangshu Roy, the son of BJP leader Mukul Roy, who was recently suspended by the party Monday went to Delhi along with his father.  He is likely to join the saffron party soon.  Subhrangshu is said to be accompanied by another TMC MLA and several other party leaders.


West Bengal: Bombs were hurled at Bijayanagar area of Naihati police station, late last night (April 23). Police later visited the spot https://t.co/HDyOivnPEP

The violence that marked the second phase of Bengal assembly polls, which ranged from the murder of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker at Keshpur in West Midnapore district to a face-off between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the state’s ruling party supporters during Mamata Banerjee’s visit to a polling booth in East Midnapore’s Nandigram, neither surprised citizens nor political experts. Even as the Election Commission (EC) thought of prolonging the presence of central armed police forces to tackle post-poll violence, political observers said that with the BJP’s rapid and phenomenal rise posing a threat to the TMC, a new chapter is apparently being added to the state’s history of bloodshed inked over the last six decades. The turbulent 1960sAfter Bengal emerged from pre- and post-Independence communal bloodbath, the seeds of violence were sown deep inside its political ethos in the 1960s. Bengal’s Marxists first tasted power in 1967 through the formation of the United Front government.  Since the Congress was losing ground, especially in the rural belts, the turf war between the state’s two primary formations—the Congress and communists—was bloody and widespread. Also Read | From voter turnout to polling trends, a fact-sheet for West Bengal’s NandigramKolkata witnessed processions by armed Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres who swore to establish the rule of the proletariat.  Three years later, in one of the most macabre displays of political hatred, members of the Sai family in Burdwan were butchered on March 17, 1970.  The victims were ardent followers of the Congress and refused to switch allegiance to the CPI(M).  In February 1971, just ahead of the general election, All India Forward Bloc national secretary Hemanta Basu was murdered in Kolkata.  A section of Bloc leaders pointed fingers at the CPI(M), while the latter blamed the Congress.  The actual killer was never caught. But this was also a time when a radical Left movement emerged from Naxalbari—a small hamlet in the state’s northern district of Siliguri.  With the aim of waging war against the State and winning power through the barrel of the gun, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) engaged in the “annihilation of class enemies”—which, translated into reality from theory, meant the killings of land owners as well as all those elements the party decided were serving the regime. Records show that between 1972 and 1977, the Congress government headed by Siddhartha Shankar Ray then unleashed a fierce attack against the ultra-left.  The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted the movement to be crushed and Ray’s regime faced countless allegations of police atrocity and fake encounters. The years of Left rule The Marxists returned to power in 1977, this time to stay rooted for 34 years.  One of the key ingredients of their hold over state power was their control over the rural political and government apparatus—through an almost parallel machinery.  While the Left did initiate progressive land reform measures and continued to enjoy mass support, it also relied on coercion and violence—sometimes direct, often merely the threat of violence—to cement its hold. A major incident that helped Mamata Banerjee rise during the Jyoti Basu regime was the lynching of 11 landless Muslim labourers by CPI(M) cadres at Suchpur village in Birbhum district on July 27, 2000, almost a year after a general election.  The killings rocked the nation and most of the accused men were convicted. Also Read | Central forces to stay after voting to prevent clashes in some WB constituenciesBuddhadeb Bhattacharya, who took over in November 2000, managed to ensure peace during the first years of his tenure but things changed once he tried to set up new industries and the issue of land acquisition came up.  Fatal clashes between CPI(M) and TMC workers at Nandigram, where Bhattacharjee wanted to set up a chemical hub, became an election issue that led to the Left’s downfall in 2011. On March 14, 2007, 14 residents of Nandigram in East Midnapore fell to police bullets when they set up a blockade.  CPI(M) cadres engaged in a violent clash against the TMC-backed Bhumi Uchched Protirodh Committee.  The Maoists, then a strong force in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, also joined the farmers.  More than 50 people were killed in two years, although Bhattacharya abandoned the project. The 2008 panchayat polls were rocked by violence which claimed more than 20 lives.  Even Left Front allies, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and the CPI(M), got into a protracted battle to retain control over some villages in South 24 Parganas district.  Gauri Naskar, a relative of senior RSP leader and irrigation minister Subhas Naskar, was injured in a blast at the minister’s ancestral home while the house of Uday Naskar, his nephew, was attacked.  The RSP accused CPI(M)-backed goons.  Left leaders were weary because RSP supporters retaliated at some places. “It is true that our men had weapons.  But their crude bombs and improvised firearms were no match for the firepower of CPI(M) cadres,” a senior RSP leader admitted on condition of anonymity on Thursday. In Murshidabad district’s Domkal, more than 90 people were injured in a series of clash during the 2008 panchayat polls.  Of them, more than 70 were Left supporters. The rise of the Maoists triggered killings at Lalgarah in West Midnapore.  Around the Lok Sabha polls in 2009, many local CPI(M) leaders were killed and the house of the party’s Lalgarh zonal committee secretary, Anuj Pandey, was demolished by a mob. The Trinamool regime Before assuming power in 2011, Mamata Banerjee promised to put things in order.  “We will bring in the politics of change, not vengeance,” she said. Yet, the killings and turf wars continued.  In February 2012, former CPI(M) MLA Pradip Tah and Burdwan district leader Kamal Gayen were bludgeoned to death, allegedly by TMC workers, taking the number of CPI(M) leaders and workers killed in post 2011 assembly poll violence to 56 in just nine months. The 2018 panchayat polls virtually took Bengal back in time.  While only 10 people died on the day of polling, against an all-time high of 76 in 2003 and 39 in the 2013 rural polls, the elections stood out because of alleged electoral malpractices.  The TMC, which won 34% of the seats uncontested, was accused of perpetrating violence in all districts, although the state election commission was asked by the Calcutta high court and Supreme Court to ensure free and fair polling.  The polls triggered the rise of the BJP and Bengal’s tryst with violence saw a new beginning. The rise of the BJP Eleven men and a two-year-old child died in violence after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in which the BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 seats, posing a major threat to the TMC.  The saffron camp now claims that more than 130 of its supporters have been killed since that election and the ongoing assembly polls. Political scientist and former principal of Presidency College, which is now a university, Amal Kumar Mukherjee said that Thursday’s violence is not unrelated to the bloodshed Bengal has witnessed over the decades. “The current violence has its roots in the Naxalite movement of the 1970s.  The Left Front inherited it.  After coming to power the TMC supremo said she would usher a positive change in politics but she has not done that.  The tradition continues and it is a shame for any resident of Bengal.  While other states conduct peaceful elections Bengal stands out as an exception in national politics,” said Mukherjee. “I wonder how violence took place during the second phase of polling despite the presence of central forces.  The EC tried to best to ensure peaceful polls.  It did not work out because violence is an integral part of Bengal politics,” he added. BJP’s leaders accused Banerjee for the clashes that have been taking place since months. “The BJP does not believe in the politics of violence.  Mamata Banerjee follows that path and she proved it in the 2018 panchayat polls.  We assure people that after her defeat elections in Bengal will not be scarred by killings,” said Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu. Though they faced criticism for 34 years, the Left parties, too, are accusing the current dispensation of violence. “Mamata Banerjee created a Frankenstein by not allowing people to cast their votes freely during the last 10 years.  Common people have become victim of the violence which is perpetrated either the TMC or the BJP.  The latter is the ruling party’s ‘B’ team.  In Nandigram, for example, CPI(M) candidate Minakshi Mukherjee’s followers were attacked because she represents the young generation which forms a sizeable chunk of the electorate.  But the media did not highlight this,” said CPI(M) politburo member Mohammad Salim. The chief minister, however.  has squarely put the onus on the Centre, saying Central forces allowed the violence under instructions from the Union home ministry. “I do not blame the Central forces because they have been instructed by the Union home ministry to support BJP candidates.  There are Hindi-speaking outsiders.  They are not from Bengal,” Banerjee said on Thursday. Retired Kolkata Police commissioner Gautam Chakraborty said the ECI should come up with a different strategy to end violence during elections in the districts. “Bombs and guns have always been used in the districts to scare voters so that they do not leave home on the day of polling.  The Central forces are deployed around a polling booth, not in the villages where voters live.  These forces have no intelligence network to track criminals.  It is the job of the local police.  In Kolkata, it is possible to cordon off an area and flush out criminals but it cannot be done in the districts,” said Chakraborty


Roughly three weeks ago the special counsel's team told Attorney General Bill Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that Robert Mueller would not be reaching a conclusion on obstruction of justice, according to a source familiar with the meeting. https://t.co/bg1GwWYfUB https://t.co/K6Kfry7QGB

The report doesn't conclude Trump committed a crime and doesn't exonerate him.  Special counsel report delivered, focus shifts to attorney generalSpecial counsel Robert Mueller's report into the Kremlin's interference in the 2016 presidential election  did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia, according to a letter to Congress from Attorney General William Barr. The letter describes "two main" Russian efforts to influence the election  including “attempts by a Russian organization… to conduct disinformation and social media operations in the United States” and “the Russian government’s efforts to conduct computer hacking operations” targeting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic Party. In both circumstances, the “Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts. ”The special counsel’s office made no conclusion on the matter of possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump. "The Special Counsel, therefore, did not draw a conclusion – one way or the other – as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction," the letter read.  "Instead, for each of the relevant actions investigated, the report sets out 'difficult issues' of law and fact concerning whether the President's actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction. "In his communique to lawmakers, Barr underscored that the special counsel states that “while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him. ”While Mueller’s report did not reach a conclusion as to whether obstruction of justice occurred, Attorney General Barr’s letter said he determined a case for obstruction was not warranted. “In cataloging the President’s actions many of which took place in public view, the report identities no actions that, in our judgment, constitute obstructive conduct, had a nexus to a pending or contemplated proceeding, and were done with corrupt intent, each of which, under the Department's principles of federal prosecution guiding charging decisions, would need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to establish an obstruction-of-justice offense. "Barr said his intent is to release as much as possible but there are grand jury secrecy concerns with some portions. The White House celebrated the news, with President Donald Trump hailing the report on Twitter and, later in comments to reporters, as an "exoneration. ""This was an illegal takedown that failed and hopefully, someone is going to be looking at the other side," Trump told reporters on Sunday. He tweeted: "No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION.  KEEP AMERICA GREAT! ""The Special Counsel did not find any collusion and did not find any obstruction," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.  "Attorney General Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein further determined there was no obstruction.  The findings of the Department of Justice are a total and complete exoneration of the President of the United States. ”Jay Sekulow, one of President Trump’s lawyers, told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos that the report was a "complete win for the president and the American people. ""Not just a win. " Sekulow said.  "The entire basis upon which this inquiry was instituted was a concern over collusion between the Russian government and the trump campaign, Bob Mueller and the Department of Justice could not be clearer.  To have the obstruction issue even as a viable one, which it was not, there would have to be an underlying crime, which there wasn't. "House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N. Y. , questioned the timing of the letter tweeting "Special Counsel Mueller worked for 22 months to determine the extent to which President Trump obstructed justice.  Attorney General Barr took 2 days to tell the American people that while the President is not exonerated, there will be no action by DOJ. " He later tweeted that "in light of the very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department following the Special Counsel report," the House Judiciary Committee will be calling Barr in to testify in the near future. In his letter to members of Congress on Sunday, Barr described the breadth of the special counsel’s extensive and exhaustive probe.  Mueller’s 19 prosecutors and 40 FBI agents issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses, Barr wrote, the results of which amounted to 37 indictments and six guilty pleas to date. The news comes amid Democrats continued calls for the full release of the findings. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a joint letter, seemed to sum up the sentiment of many congressional Democrats in saying that Barr's letter "raises as many questions as it answers" and that Congress "requires the full report and the underlying documents. ""The fact that Special Counsel Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," they wrote.  "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. "The congressional leaders also took issues with the president's claims of being "exonerated. "On the campaign trail and on the Hill, Democrats made clear they are going to want every detail and document about the investigation and some have said they are willing to use their subpoena power in order to get it. "It means make the request, if the request is denied subpoena, if the subpoenas are denied we will hold people before the Congress and yes, we will prosecute in court as necessary to get this information," House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep.  Adam Schiff, D-Calif. , said Sunday on "This Week". Democratic candidates running to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020 reacted quickly to the news that Mueller delivered his report to DOJ with one consistent message: Make it public. "The Mueller report must be made public — all of it," Sen.  Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY said in a presidential campaign speech outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City. She added: "It is not often that I agree with Richard Nixon, but he was right to say that the American people have a right to know whether their president is a crook. "The much-awaited report was handed to the Justice Department for Barr’s review, and Congress was notified of the transfer late Friday afternoon, according to a Justice Department spokeswoman. After reviewing Mueller's report, Barr will then send what he has described as his own "report" on the Mueller investigation to the top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Judiciary committees.  Barr has promised to be as transparent as possible, but it's unclear how extensive or detailed Barr's own "report" to Congress will be. In a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, Barr wrote that he intends to "consult with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Mueller to determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public consistent with the law. "A senior Department of Justice official told ABC News on Friday that the report would not include any further indictments. Mueller and his team investigated how far the Kremlin went to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, including trying to determine whether any Americans may have helped those efforts. At the heart of Mueller’s probe were two Russian operations: the spread of disinformation on social media, and the release of thousands of sensitive emails stolen by hackers from the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic targets.  Mueller’s team has charged 25 Russian nationals and three foreign companies for their alleged role in those operations. In appointing a special counsel to investigate, however, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also directed Mueller to look into “allegations” of possible “coordination” between Russian operatives and associates of President Donald Trump. Trump and his Republican allies have derided the investigation as a “witch hunt. ” But Rosenstein, FBI Director Chris Wray and Barr have each explicitly disputed that description. At least four Trump associates, including Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, have pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents during the Russia-related investigation. Another Trump associate, the president’s former attorney Michael Cohen, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s business dealings in Moscow.  And former Trump adviser Roger Stone has been charged with lying to Congress about his alleged role in tracking information stolen from Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign. Mueller’s investigation grew out of a probe the FBI launched in late July 2016. By then, the FBI was already scrutinizing Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s business dealings with pro-Russian officials in Ukraine – dealings that have since landed Manafort in jail.  And the FBI was keeping tabs on Trump adviser Carter Page, who was previously targeted for recruitment by Russian spies and had raised eyebrows with a trip to Moscow in mid-July 2016. But claims by Trump adviser George Papadopoulos – that the Russians were touting “dirt” on Clinton – really set off alarms inside the FBI. “If any Americans were part of helping the Russians [attack] us, that is a very big deal,” James Comey, who was FBI director at the time, later told lawmakers. Several weeks after formally launching the Russia probe, counterintelligence agents leading the investigation in Washington received a so-called “dossier,” which had been compiled at the behest of Democrats and detailed uncorroborated allegations of coordination between Trump’s campaign and the Kremlin. Some of the allegations involved Page, who was already on the FBI’s radar, so agents began secretly intercepting his communications.  Page has never been charged with any crimes. The wide-ranging investigation continued even after Trump took office.  After Jeff Sessions became attorney general, he recused himself from oversight of the FBI’s Russia-related probe, citing his previous advocacy for Trump on the campaign trail. Rosenstein subsequently assumed oversight of the investigation. And then Trump shocked the federal law enforcement community: He fired Comey. The move prompted Rosenstein to appoint Mueller to take over the whole matter, including a review of whether Comey's firing and other actions meant Trump improperly tried to obstruct the probe. Comey later alleged that in a private meeting with Trump before his removal, the president directed Comey to “let [Flynn] go. ”Mueller has not released any evidence suggesting Trump committed a crime related to Russian efforts. However, Mueller did uncover evidence of other possible crimes and referred those cases to other federal prosecutors. The U. S.  Attorney’s Office in Manhattan ended up tying Trump to federal campaign violations, alleging that – in the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign – Trump personally directed Cohen to silence two woman claiming affairs with Trump by making illegal payments to them; Trump has repeatedly denied the affairs. Cohen has pleaded guilty for his role in the matter, but no other charges have been filed. ABC News' Pierre Thomas, John Santucci and Kyra Phillips contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


It is a very important day for #SushantSinghRajput's family and his fans all over the world. Supreme Court accepted all our points, it also held that what Maharashtra Police was doing was in a limited scope: Vikas Singh, lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajput's father https://t.co/hzYpcKZBJG

The Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, one of India’s biggest religious festivals, is underway on Tuesday in the temple town in Odisha amid the coronavirus pandemic. About a million devotees converge in Puri during the festivities but this year people will not be allowed after the Supreme Court placed several conditions, including the imposition of a curfew in Puri during the festivities. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, said in its order that each chariot would be pulled by not more than 500 people, including officials and police, and there has to be an interval of one hour between pulling of the chariots.  The Odisha government has imposed a 41-hour curfew in the temple town and started Covid-19 tests of 700 temple priests who would pull the three chariots. Here is all about the Rath Yatra festival in Puri:* Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are usually worshipped in the sanctum of the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri.  They are brought out of the temple every year on the second day of the third Hindu month of Asadha onto the Bada Danda street of Puri in three huge chariots accompanied by Sudarshana Chakra. * The nine-day Rath Yatra, or the chariot procession, celebrates this annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple, 2. 5km away.  The Gundicha Temple is their aunt’s home. * The rituals for Rath Yatra will begin at 3am inside the 12th-century shrine.  * The Pahandi ritual (procession) will begin at 7am and the deities will board the chariots at the Singha Dwara facing towards the Gundicha Temple by 10am.  The Chherapahara ritual will be held at 11. 30am.  The chariots will be pulled thereafter at around 12pm. Also read: How Centre, nudged by PM Modi, made a case for Rath Yatra in Supreme Court* The three deities are taken in the massive wooden chariots weighing 85 tonnes each.  After staying in Gundicha temple for nine days, the three deities come back to the Jagannath Temple on the 10th day in a return journey. * Lord Jagannath’s chariot Nandighosa is 45. 6 feet in height and has 18 wheels.  The 45- feet chariot of Lord Balaram comes with 16 wheels and is known as Taladhvaja and Devadalana is Goddess Subhadra’s 44. 6 feet chariot with 14 wheels.  * The chariots are built every year only from a particular type of tree. * Thousands of devotees pull the chariots to their aunt’s temple, the Gundicha Temple.  It is considered to be a good omen and is also believed to bring luck and success if one gets a chance to pull the chariots. * The deities stay at the Gundicha Temple for nine days, after which they ride the chariots back to their Jagannath Temple, a journey known as Bahuda Jatra. * The chariots on the way back stop at the Mausi Ma Temple or home of Lord Jagannath’s aunt.  The deities are offered Poda Pitha, a special pancake which said to be the favourite of Lord Jagannath, at the Mausi Ma Temple. * In the 425 years of the Rath Yatra, the event has been stopped 32 times, mostly during invasions.  * It was not held for the first time in 1568 when Kala Pahad alias Kala Chand Roy, a general of Bengal king Suleiman Kirrani, attacked the temple and pillaged the deities. * The last time it could not be held was between 1733 and 1735 when Mohammed Taqi Khan, deputy governor of Odisha, attacked the Jagannath temple, forcing the shifting of the idols to Ganjam district.


Netflix's "Roma" was the ninth movie from Mexico to be nominated for best foreign language film at the #Oscars -- and the first to win https://t.co/gaPTC97ZFX https://t.co/Sjbb4F7OkG

There was glitz, glamour and so much more! Gaga, J. Lo, Glenn Close: Here's our round up of the best red carpet looks of the 2019 OscarsThe 2019 Oscars are officially here, and the red carpet is full of celebrities who have waited for this moment to bring their fashion A-game. We've rounded up some of our favorite looks of the night. Lady GagaConstance WuAngela BassettBilly PorterDiane WarrenStephen JamesRegina KingAshley GrahamAmandla StenbergSpike LeeYalitza AparicioCharlize TheronAdam LambertMelissa McCarthyEmilie ClarkeAwkwafinaGlenn CloseJennifer HudsonMichelle YeohHelen MirrenEmma StoneMaya RudolphTina FeyBrie LarsonTessa ThompsonSarah Paulson24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A critical care nurse was one of the first in New York to be vaccinated during a livestreamed event with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as the rollout of the first coronavirus vaccine begins in the U.S. https://t.co/mRnY4HuDct https://t.co/GxP5AsxcuH

By Eric Levenson, CNNUpdated 9:58 PM ET, Mon December 14, 2020  (CNN)A critical care nurse was the first person in New York and among the first people in the United States to get a shot of the coronavirus vaccine authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration. CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman, Steve Almasy, Ben Tinker and Andrea Diaz contributed to this report.


A video of an Islamic funeral home is being shared on social media which is allegedly taken from inside the apartments of The Dawah Group which is associated to be another religious group similar to that of the Tablighi Jamat in India.  The disturbing clip shows a room full of corpses covered in white.  The full video can be viewed here.     The Dawah group USA (similar to India Tablighi Jamat) announced they were not afraid of Covid19 and would go everywhere even if they had the virus.  What is the result now in New York ?  The Dawah Group is littered with dead bodies inside their own apartments. @seriousfunnyguy pic. twitter. com/IzYvdRj204 — #StayHomeStaySafe (@jagat_darak) April 21, 2020   This video was falsely misinformed to be taken from an apartment occupied by the Dawah Group.  On a closer look at the video in question, it shows phone numbers written outside the building.  A reverse search of the numbers list out an Islamic International Funeral Service which operates out of Brooklyn.    Another version of the video shows with clarity the board that clearly states that its a funeral service.  The screenshot of the same is attached below and the archived post can be found here.  It is clearly visible the writing outside the building mentions it to be the Islamic International Funeral Service.   A simple Google search of the funeral service shows a video uploaded on Ruptly where footage of vans driving out of the building with dead bodies of people are shown.  On comparison with the video being spread on social media, it can be seen that the two places are the same.   Therefore, it is established that the building in question is not an apartment belonging to the Dawah Group but an Islamic Funeral home operating out of Brooklyn.


Bishkek: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds delegation level talks with China President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. #Kyrgyzstan https://t.co/J4oKMcnCdN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here and discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations. This is the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi’s re-election following the stunning victory of the BJP in the general elections last month. “Deepening friendship with China.  PM @narendramodi’s first meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit is with President Xi Jinping.  Both leaders are discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted. Also Watch | SCO summit: PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping, discusses Pak Ahead of the meeting, China hinted that President Xi would highlight the need to forge a united front against US President Donald Trump’s policies of trade protectionism and unilateralism using tariffs as a weapon. China and the US have been in an escalating conflict over trade for the past year.  The scope of the battle has expanded in recent months as Washington has tightened trade restrictions on Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Chinese officials hope that India, which is also facing trade frictions with the US specially over termination of its designation as a ‘beneficiary developing country’ under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), would join the fight against Trump’s protectionist policies. Prime Minister Modi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Thursday for the SCO summit, the first multilateral engagement post his re-election.  The SCO is a China-led 8-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017. Last month, Xi extended his “heartfelt congratulations” to Prime Minister Modi for winning the general elections, in a rare gesture of greeting a foreign leader well before the official announcement of the results. The economic and commercial engagement between India and China constitutes a major component of the bilateral relations with bilateral trade which crossed USD 95 billion last year and is set to cross USD 100 billion this year. The two leaders have met more than 10 times in the last five years, including thrice after their informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan in April, 2018 -- first at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in June last in China’s Qingdao, the second time at the BRICS summit in South Africa’s Johannesburg in July and third time in December last on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina. The Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff, triggered by Chinese troops attempts to build a road close to Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan in 2017. After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations on different spheres including the military-to-military ties. Last month, the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the powerful UN Security Council designated Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after veto-wielding permanent member China lifted its technical hold on the proposal by the US, the UK and France to blacklist him. It was a huge diplomatic victory for India after a decade of relentless efforts to ban the mastermind of several terror attacks against India, including the deadly Pulwama attack against Indian security forces. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.  Only the headline has been changed. )


CLAIM A letter is doing the round on WhatsApp claiming that Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has exempted lawyers across India from paying charges at toll plazas.  The letter, dated 3 December, is addressed to Advocate Ravi Gowda and has been purportedly issued by IAS Officer and Private Secretary to Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Sanket Bhondve.  The letter reads: “As per your letter dated 1 December 2019, I am directed to inform that all lawyers of all the states in India are permanently exempted from paying toll charges in all tolls.  Lawyers ID to be shown. ” The Quint received a query on the claim made in the letter via its WhatsApp helpline.  Several Twitter users also claimed that lawyers have been exempted from paying user charges at toll plazas.  WHAT’S THE TRUTH?  The National Highways Authority of India issued a clarification on Wednesday, 11 December, stating that advocates are not exempted from paying user fee at NH Fee toll plazas.  But, did Bhondve ever write a letter to advocates regarding the same?  Yes.  An article published in The Times of India on Wednesday mentioned that in a reply to lawyers seeking exemption from paying toll charges at national highways, Bhondve wrote a letter on 3 December to advocate R Baskaradoss.  The reply mentioned that the letter written by Baskaradoss had been forwarded to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.  “Your letter has been forwarded to the chairman, National Highways Authority of India for taking necessary action,” read Bhondve’s reply to the advocate, as per the report.  (With inputs from The Times of India)


With 10,386 patients having recovered from #COVID19 in the last 24 hrs, the total number of recovered patients is now 2,04,710. The recovery rate is 53.79%: Government of India.
(Representative image) https://t.co/b1hwHEXY48

Bihar reported 138 new Covid-19 cases on Friday and two deaths from the disease were recorded during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of those infected with coronavirus in the state to 7,178 while the death toll climbed to 49. A 58-year-old male from Nautan block of Saran district died at the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), a dedicated Covid special facility in the state capital Patna, on Friday.  Another male, a 22-year-old from Nawada town died at the Patna Medical College Hospital late Thursday evening. “The 58-year-old Saran resident had a travel history of Delhi and showed symptoms of breathlessness,” said Dr Mukul Kumar Singh, nodal officer of coronavirus at the NMCH. “His son and he had come to our facility directly from the railway station after getting down from a Shramik Special train on June 17.  He did not have fever or cough, but was uneasy and complained of breathlessness.  He tested positive for the virus the same day.  His condition, however, deteriorated rapidly and he died today,” Dr Singh added. However, health officials were perplexed over the death of the 22-year-old from Nawada, as he neither had a travel history nor did he claim to have come in contact with any Covid-19 patients, said officials. “Four people have tested positive on the TrueNat machine as part of the contact tracing of the victim.  It is quite possible that the victim himself had come in contact with an unsuspecting Covid-19 positive patient in his family or his close acquaintance.  We are trying to ascertain the infection trail,” said Nawada civil surgeon Dr Wimal Prasad Singh. The government, in its customary media briefing Friday evening, reported five deaths, including two from Darbhanga and one from Nalanda, besides one each from Nawada and Saran. That was because the health department, which disseminates Covid-19 information to the public through its Twitter handle @BiharHealthDept, did not update the death toll on Thursday evening even though it had updated information about rise in the number of positive cases.  Three of the five deaths, the government announced Friday, were reported around 5pm on Thursday itself. Meanwhile, the recovery rate of patients has gone up to 71% in Bihar, said Bihar health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh during the media briefing on Friday. “Of the total 7,178 Covid-19 cases in the state so far, 5,098 had recovered, including 137 who were discharged from different health facilities during the last 24 hours,” he added. Bihar had tested a maximum of 5,978 samples on Thursday, taking the total number of tests to 1,45,562 so far, said Singh. He further said that 4,736 migrant workers, who returned to the state after May 3, had tested positive for the virus.  This meant that 66% of the total Covid-19 cases in the state were attributed to the migrants.  The percentage was as high as 72% till recently. Though the number of migrant workers coming to the state has gone down, 18 more Shramik Special trains were expected to reach the state from different parts of the country by June 22, said Anupam Kumar, secretary, information and public relations department, Bihar. Earlier in the day, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar inspected the Covid-19 isolation centre at the Patliputra Sports Complex at Kankerbagh and gave necessary instructions to officials.


FROM THE ARCHIVES: @ABC News' report on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's pending confirmation for the Supreme Court following her nomination by Bill Clinton in 1993. https://t.co/2zqu10z5T4 https://t.co/Mw3pGOFOR7

By Joan Biskupic, CNN legal analyst & Supreme Court biographerUpdated 7:30 PM ET, Sat September 19, 2020 (CNN)Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 on Friday, reached the heights of power at her own pace, always recalibrating the time she put to family and her pioneering career.


People seen standing in a queue outside a liquor shop in Hubli, Karnataka, as state government permits sale of liquor between 9 am to 7 pm from today

(pics: ANI)

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Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

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Delhi govt imposes 70% tax on liquorCovid-19 cases in Delhi near 4,900 markBillions raised for Covid-19 vaccine, says WHO ChiefCovid-19 cases in Mumbai cross 9,000 mark, death toll at 361Bangladesh extends lockdown to May 16, eases restrictions gradually12 arrested, 248 vehicles fined for defying lockdown in NoidaIran reopens mosques, records almost 80,000 hospital recoveriesTotal Covid-19 cases in Mumbai’s Dharavi mount to 632Coronavirus cases in Netherlands reach 40,770Covid-19 infections surpass 145,000 in RussiaChandigarh reports 5 new virus cases, total cases in state at 102HC directs Delhi govt to ensure Covid results get declared within 48 hrsIndia to evacuate citizens stranded abroad from May 712, including CRPF personnel test positive for Covid in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar DistrictTamil Nadu reports 527 new Covid-19 cases, total cases in state mount to 3,550In India, the third phase of ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus has begun from today with some relaxations in the restrictions.  States and Union Territories have drafted their own rules, mostly in line with the guidelines of the central government that have given area-specific relaxations in a graded approach to bring back normalcy amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here for complete coverage on coronavirusThe number of Covid-19 cases in India crossed 42,000 on Monday and the death toll stands at 1,389 as per the Union health ministry figures. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has said the United States will have a coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year. “We are very confident that we’re going to have a vaccine at the end of the year, by the end of the year,” Trump said Sunday in a Fox News “town hall” show broadcast from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Here are the highlights on coronavirus from India and the world:Delhi govt imposes 70% tax on liquorThe Delhi government has imposed a special coronavirus fess, which is 70% tax on the maximu retail price of liquor that will be implemented from May 5, reports ANI. Covid-19 cases in Delhi near 4,900 markThe number of novel coronavirus cases in Delhi mounted to 4,898 on Monday with 349 new infections being reported in a day, according to the government authorities, reports PTI. Billions raised for Covid-19 vaccine, says WHO ChiefWorld Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that billions were raised for Covid-19 vaccine 'powerful' show of 'global solidarity', reports AFP. Covid-19 cases in Mumbai cross 9,000 mark, death toll at 361The tally of the coronavirus cases in Mumbai crossed the 9,000-mark and jumped to 9,123 on Monday with the addition of 510 new patients, while 18 more died due to the viral infection, the city civic body said, reports PTI. Bangladesh extends lockdown to May 16, eases restrictions graduallyBangladesh authorities said on Monday they will gradually open up more factories, as well as farms and logistics operations, as they try to diminish the economic impact of a coronavirus lockdown which they extended to May 16, reports Reuters. 12 arrested, 248 vehicles fined for defying lockdown in NoidaTwelve people were arrested and challans issued to owners of 248 vehicles across Noida and Greater Noida on Monday for allegedly defying curbs imposed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, police said, reports PTI. Iran reopens mosques, records almost 80,000 hospital recoveriesIran on Monday reopened mosques in parts of the country deemed at low risk from coronavirus, as it said almost 80,000 people hospitalised with the illness had recovered and been released, reports AFP. Total Covid-19 cases in Mumbai’s Dharavi mount to 63242 more test positive for coronavirus in Mumbai's slum colony Dharavi, taking tally of cases to 632, a BMC official said, reports PTI. Coronavirus cases in Netherlands reach 40,770The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 199 on Monday to 40,770, with 26 new deaths, health authorities said, reports Reuters. Covid-19 infections surpass 145,000 in RussiaRussia registered a near record in new daily coronavirus cases on Monday as total infections topped 145,000, cementing its position as the European country reporting the most new cases, reports AFP. Chandigarh reports 5 new virus cases, total cases in state at 102The number of coronavirus cases reached 102 in Chandigarh on Monday, with five more people testing positive for the disease in the Union territory, officials said here, reports PTI. HC directs Delhi govt to ensure Covid results get declared within 48 hrsThe Delhi High Court directed the AAP government here on Monday to ensure that coronavirus samples sent to the accredited labs are processed swiftly and the results declared within 24-48 hours, reports PTI. India to evacuate citizens stranded abroad from May 7The government of India will facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner starting from May 7.  The travel arrangements will be made through air crafts and naval ships.        12, including CRPF personnel test positive for Covid in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar DistrictTwelve people including a CISF personnel tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Monday, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases in the district to 179, according to officials, reports PTI. Tamil Nadu reports 527 new Covid-19 cases, total cases in state mount to 3,550With the sharpest increase of 527 new positive Covid-19 cases and one death in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu on Monday climbed to 3,550, said the State Health Department, reports ANI. First published: May 04, 2020 06:39 IST


"We have a larger problem…" says @ChrisCuomo as the Senate prepares to battle over Pres. Trump's SCOTUS pick.

"It's not just about the swamp. It's the ocean of us that are supposed to flush it clean with our good conscience and voting…If you don't like what's happening, vote." https://t.co/YDLbLkpEtw

His announcement is a major boost to Mitch McConnell's effort to secure support. How does the Supreme Court justice nomination process work? Utah Republican Sen.  Mitt Romney, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, announced Tuesday that he will support a vote on his Supreme Court nominee this year -- which could happen before the Nov.  3 presidential election. “The Constitution gives the President the power to nominate and the Senate the authority to provide advice and consent on Supreme Court nominees.  Accordingly, I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the President’s nominee.  If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications,” he said in a statement. “My decision regarding a Supreme Court nomination is not the result of a subjective test of ‘fairness’ which, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.  It is based on the immutable fairness of following the law, which in this case is the Constitution and precedent.  The historical precedent of election year nominations is that the Senate generally does not confirm an opposing party’s nominee but does confirm a nominee of its own," he said. Romney's announcement is a major boost to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's effort to lock down GOP support for a nomination vote over angry Democratic objections. McConnell can afford to lose three of the 53 Republican senators and still get a nominee confirmed because Vice President Mike Pence would break any tie. Romney was seen as a possible vulnerability for Republicans being the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump during his impeachment trial. But he dashed Democratic hopes he would join GOP Sens.  Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska who have stated they oppose moving forward before the election.  They've cited the Republican move in 2016 to block Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy nearly nine months before Election Day, when Republicans then argued it was too close to the election. Romney said Tuesday that he does not believe moving forward with a nomination now -- with the election just six weeks away -- is inconsistent with the GOP position on the Garland nomination. When Garland was nominated, Republicans controlled the Senate.  Romney, echoing the argument many Republicans have made in recent days, said he believes the circumstances are different now because Republicans have control of both the White House and the Senate. "I think there's some perception on the part of some writers and others that, 'Gee, what happened with Merrick Garland and some others was unfair. ' I don't agree with that," Romney said.  "It wasn't unfair because it was consistent with history. "Romney's announcement keeps him in lockstep with McConnell who on Tuesday said "history and precedent were on this Senate majority side in 2016 and they are overwhelmingly on our side now. "Other Republicans are also lining up behind McConnell. Sen.  Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia also announced Tuesday that she believes President Trump should be allowed to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Without at least four Republicans joining their efforts to block the nomination, Democrats have few means to stop McConnell from moving forward. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans Tuesday of using "brute political force" to push for a quick vote despite laying out a different set of rules in 2016. "Leader McConnell has defiled the Senate like no one in this generation and Leader McConnell may very well destroy it," Schumer said on the Senate floor.  "If leader McConnell presses forward the Republican majority would have stolen two Supreme Court seats four years apart using completely contradictory rationales. "On "This Week" on Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday suggested to ABC Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that Democrats were considering all procedural options at their disposal to delay a nominee, not ruling out a new impeachment effort. "We have our options," Pelosi said.   "We have arrows in our quiver that I'm not about to discuss right now but the fact is we have a big challenge in our country. "In days since, some Democrats have signaled they could be open to adding additional justices to the Supreme Court bench if Democrats were to take the Senate majority in November. McConnell, also on the Senate floor Tuesday, said Democrats are stoking "outrage and hysteria. ""Giving in to political blackmail would not do a thing to secure our institutions," McConnell said.  "You do not put a stop to irresponsible hostage taking by making hostage-taking a winning strategy. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Amid reports of civilians being shot by the Taliban in Afghanistan, a video of a group of armed men shooting at a passing vehicle and pulling out corpses from it is going viral on social media.   Loud chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ (god is great) can be heard over a speaker system as more civilians are frisked, threatened, and made to kneel in the middle of a road before being executed.  But the video, which is being shared as the ‘live situation’ in Afghanistan is in fact an old video of a street show, which was performed to reenact similar incidents that have occurred in Jalrez district in Afghanistan, where the Taliban executed members of the Hazara community.  CLAIM The video is being massively shared on WhatsApp with claims such as "live from Afghanistan", "situation in Afghanistan" among others.   Another Twitter user Sameet Thakkar shared the video.  It had been viewed over 67,000 times at the time of writing this story.  The Quint received multiple queries about the video on its WhatsApp Tipline number.   WHAT WE FOUND We carefully observed the video for clues to help us get more details about the incident in the video.   On the top-left corner, a watermark with the word ‘Afghan’ accompanied by text in another language was visible.  Using Google Lens, we scanned the logo and found that it translated to Afghan International.  We looked up ‘Afghan International’ on Google and found a YouTube channel with the same name.  We also found the same viral video uploaded to the channel on 25 September 2019.  Upon translating the page, we saw that the video’s caption mentioned “artists being beaten by the Taliban in Jalriz”.   Adding the channel’s name to keywords similar to the caption in Pashto (افغان نړیوال هنرمندان د طالب جلریز لخوا وتړل شول), we came across a news report by Etilaaroz, an Afghan news media website.  This report carried a still from the video, noting that it was a ‘symbolic movement’ by activists in Kabul, which was related to the killing of civilian passengers in Jalrez, Afghanistan.  Further, one can notice cameras and the artists using mics during the act, making it evident that it is not a real incident.   To understand the context of the video better, we contacted Farhad Mohammadi, a BBC reporter in Kabul, who told us that the video was a recreation of a prior event.  Evidently, the video does not show the current situation in Afghanistan, but is an old video of a street play that was performed to highlight civilian killings by the Taliban.


First lady Jill Biden posts message thanking "service members, first responders, civil servants who have put in hours upon hours of work to make sure our inauguration was a reflection of the pride and promise of our nation." https://t.co/q6XKpohpAl https://t.co/JtruMP5xX1

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNNUpdated 7:26 AM ET, Thu January 21, 2021  (CNN)On the first morning of Joe Biden's presidency, America has changed utterly, and not at all.


"We're not powerless against this virus. We can reduce the spread of Covid-19 by taking simple steps: physical distancing, social distancing and staying home as much as we can."

Dr. Leana Wen, ER doctor and George Washington University professor, on coronavirus. #CNNTownHall https://t.co/tqNJrh4hyZ

The video is part of the U. K. 's Clap for our Carers campaign. The Royal Family shares sweet message for medical professionals fighting coronavirusPrincess Charlotte and Princes George and Louis and  are paying tribute to people on the front lines of the fight against the novel coronavirus. Kensington Palace shared a video of Prince William and Duchess Kate's three children clapping for first responders and others in the medical field. The video is part of the viral Clap for Our Carers campaign, which, according to the BBC, is meant to be a morale booster for those on the giving and receiving ends of the applause. "To all the doctors, nurses, carers, GPs, pharmacists, volunteers and other NHS staff working tirelessly to help those affected by #COVID19: thank you.  #ClapForOurCarers #ClapForNHS," read Kensington Palace's caption. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reports that as of Thursday, there have been 526,044 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, and nearly 24,000 deaths. The U. S.  has the most confirmed cases with more than 83,500, with at least 1,200 deaths nationwide.  The U. K.  has more than 11,800 confirmed cases. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events