RJD launches protest ahead of #AmitShah’s virtual rally in Bihar

https://t.co/klnAB4M9mt https://t.co/VNjCwic1Bs

The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar launched a protest against the virtual rally on Union home minister Amit Shah.  The party has named the protest “Garib Adhikar Diwas”. RJD leaders Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav clang utensils as part of the protest.  The leaders stood in a circular marking and observed social distancing while observing the protestTejashvi had on Saturday called Shah’s rally during the coronavirus crisis “political vulturism” and alleged that the BJP was only interested in electoral victory even at the cost of human lives. “Electioneering at this juncture is nothing but political vulturism.  Rather than helping the poor, needy and migrants, they want to win elections even at the cost of human lives,” he had told news agency PTI on Saturday. Shah will address the people of Bihar on Sunday, in his first virtual rally ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar.  The elections are due in the state later this year. Through this rally, Shah will sound the poll bugle and it will also be broadcast live on Facebook, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal said.  He also said that the party has set a target of roping in “at least one lakh people across the 243 assembly segments in the state” for the event. Days before the rally, the BJP rejected Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national president Chirag Paswan’s proposal of backing the saffron party even if it opts for a change of face in the assembly polls.  The BJP reiterated that the elections will be contested only under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar only. Shah had declared in late 2019 that Nitish Kumar will lead the alliance in the next assembly elections. The BJP leader’s announcement comes at the backdrop of an interview given by the LJP president to a news agency in which he mooted the idea of backing the BJP, if it opts for a change of face in the Bihar assembly polls scheduled later this year. Paswan had recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the Bihar chief minister’s handling of the migrant crisis. The BJP, the Janata Dal United or JD(U) and the LJP are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state and are likely to be challenged by the RJD-Congress combine besides some smaller parties in the assembly polls. In the 2015 assembly polls, the NDA had lost badly to the grand alliance of the RJD-JD(U)-Congress but Nitish Kumar broke ties with his allies in 2017 and entered the saffron alliance again after a gap of over four years.


Kerala: A special train carrying migrant workers left from Kozhikode earlier today for Jharkhand, amid #CoronavirusLockdown. https://t.co/XkEZNN15Uj

Sep 08, 2021-Wednesday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

Other cities -  Noida,
											Gurgaon,
											Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal
											, Chandigarh , Dehradun,
											Indore,
											Jaipur,
											Lucknow,
											Patna,
											Ranchi

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Train carrying around 1,200 students from Rajasthan's Kota reaches JharkhandLokpal judicial member Ajay Kumar Triapathi dies due to coronavirusSingapore to ease some coronavirus curbs over next few weeksChandigarh reports six new coronavirus cases; total count at 94More than 5,000 coronavirus cases reported in GujaratAIIMS makes it mandatory for patients to wear masksTwo BSF personnel test positive for coronavirus in TripuraIndia reports 2,411 new cases, 71 deaths due to Covid-19 in last 24 hoursFrance extends health emergency till July 24PM Modi holds meeting to discuss ways to boost agriculture sector2 more test positive for Covid-19 in Kerala, total at 96Iran reports lowest virus infections since March 10US commits over $775 million to help countries fight Covid-19PM meets FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Amit Shah to discuss economic stimulus package: ReportWe urge PM to lay exit plan from lockdown, says CongressIndia on Saturday reported 2,411 new cases and 71 deaths due to coronavirus, taking the total number of active cases to 26,535.  So far 1,223 people in India have died due to the virus. As a measure to control the spread of coronavirus outbreak in India, the Centre on Friday extended the nationwide lockdown by two more weeks.  India has been under lockdown since March 24 due to Covid-19 pandemic. The government has profiled the districts into red, green and orange zones to bring in some ease during restrictions.  The Ministry of Home Affairs issued fresh guidelines as well in this regard to all the states and union territories permitting considerable relaxations in the districts falling in green zones. Follow live updates here:Train carrying around 1,200 students from Rajasthan's Kota reaches JharkhandA special train from Rajasthan’s Kota, carrying around 1,200 students belonging to Jharkhand, reached the Hatia railway station in Ranchi on Saturday, reported PTI quoting a senior railway official. Lokpal judicial member Ajay Kumar Triapathi dies due to coronavirusJustice Ajay Kumar Tripathi, Lokpal judicial member died due to coronavirus on Saturday, according to a report in ANI. He was former Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. Singapore to ease some coronavirus curbs over next few weeksSingapore will start easing coronavirus restrictions over the next few weeks, authorities said on Saturday, as the city-state takes the first tentative steps towards reopening its economy. Chandigarh reports six new coronavirus cases; total count at 94Six more people were found infected with coronavirus in Chandigarh, taking the infection count to 94 in the union territory on Saturday. The number of coronavirus cases in the city has gone up by over three times since April 25. More than 5,000 coronavirus cases reported in GujaratCoronavirus cases in Gujarat cross 5,000-mark after the state reports 333 new cases.  The death toll so far is at 262 with 26 deaths reported in one day, reported PTI quoting official. AIIMS makes it mandatory for patients to wear masksThe AIIMS has made it mandatory for patients to wear masks while visiting the emergency or other patient-care areas in the hospital and will provide one to anybody who does not have a mask. The decision was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Director, AIIMS on Friday. Two BSF personnel test positive for coronavirus in TripuraTwo BSF personnel on Saturday tested positive for novel coronavirus in Tripura, days after two COVID-19 patients in the state were cured of the disease, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said. "Alert!  In Tripura two persons from Ambassa #BSF unit found #COVID19 positive.  Total #COVID19 positive cases in Tripura stands at 4.  (Two already discharged, so active hospital cases: 2)," Deb wrote on Facebook. India reports 2,411 new cases, 71 deaths due to Covid-19 in last 24 hoursIndia on Saturday reported 2,411 new cases and 71 deaths due to coronavirus, taking the total number of active cases to 26,535.  So far 1,223 people in India have died due to the virus. France extends health emergency till July 24France on Saturday decided to extend a health emergency imposed to fight the new coronavirus for two months until July 24, Health Minister Olivier Veran said. A proposal to be put to parliament on Monday said the lifting this month of the emergency, which began on March 24, would "be premature" and "could see a risk of the outbreak" intensifying. PM Modi holds meeting to discuss ways to boost agriculture sector"Had a meeting to review aspects relating to agriculture reform.  Our priority areas are reforms in agriculture marketing, management of marketable surplus, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing agriculture sector of various restrictionsm" PM Modi tweeted"Discussed ways through which existing measures ranging from Kisan Credit Cards, PM-KISAN and e-Nam can be made even more effective and contribute to farmer welfare.  We also discussed ways to invigorate agriculture sector with modern technology. "2 more test positive for Covid-19 in Kerala, total at 96"Two more people have been tested positive for Covid-9 in Wayanad and Kannur, taking the active number of cases to 96 in Kerala.  A total of 80 hotspots have been identified in the state," said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VijayanIran reports lowest virus infections since March 10Iran witnessed a "clear drop" in the number of new coronavirus infections as it reported 802 fresh cases, the lowest daily count since March 10. The new cases brought to 96,448 the number recorded in Iran since it announced its first cases in mid-February, according to news agency AFP. US commits over $775 million to help countries fight Covid-19Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the US has committed over USD 775 million in emergency health, humanitarian and economic assistance that will help over 120 countries, including India, in fighting the pandemic, a report in PTI said quoting the State Department of US. PM meets FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Amit Shah to discuss economic stimulus package: ReportPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a series of meetings with key ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and officials of economic ministries to firm up the second stimulus package for sectors impacted by lockdown to curb spread of coronavirus, PTI reported quoting sources. We urge PM to lay exit plan from lockdown, says CongressDuring a press conference on Saturday, Congress urged PM Modi to lay an exit plan for lockdown. "We urge PM to lay exit plan from lockdown, spell out goalpost to deal with coronavirus, economy," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said. The Congress also said that migrants issue in the country post lockdown was not handled in compassionate manner. "Migrant labour issue has not been handled in humane, compassionate manner.  We urge upon PM to ferry migrant labourers to their home for free in sanitised trains, with food," reports PTI quoting Randeep Surjewala. First published: May 02, 2020 06:10 IST


Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, Maharashtra: 2 people test positive for #Coronavirus in Nagpur; Total 3 positive cases in the city https://t.co/imBOINbWat

Three more coronavirus positive cases have been confirmed in Kerala on Friday even as confusion continued over the death of a man admitted to an isolation ward in Kottayam. Talking to the media, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said an Italian tourist and two others who have travel history to the United Kingdom and UAE had tested positive.  He said the condition of 19 infected people was stable.  “We are trying our best to contain the virus.  We have to be more vigilant as more people are expected in coming days,” he said. The CM has lauded the social responsibility of a youth who missed his father’s funeral in Kottayam.  Working in Qatar, Lino Abel had rushed to Kerala after hearing the news that his father was serious after a fall from the bed.  Arriving at the airport, Abel showed some symptoms of the virus and got himself admitted at the isolation ward.  By that time his father died of stroke.  Though his father’s body was at the same hospital in Kottayam he could see his father’s funeral only through a video conference. “We really laud his social responsibility and commitment.  He put his social responsibility before his personal loss.  We really salute him,” the CM said.  His situation came to light after he posted a message on his social media handle paying rich tribute to his father.  His post has gone viral since then. Meanwhile, a man admitted to an isolation ward in Kottayam died on Friday but state health authorities said he had not tested positive and the exact cause of death will be known only after the final report from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The 72-year-old patient was the neighbour of two coronavirus infected patients in Kottayam.  He was isolated two days ago after he came in close contact with the two infected people but did not show signs of the disease, said district medical officer A N Sheeja adding that initial examination showed he died of septicaemia. She said he tested negative at the Alappuzha virology laboratory and they are awaiting test results from the NIV.  “He had been kept in isolation as a precaution since he had come in contact with his coronavirus-infected neigbours,” she said adding his body will be buried as per the World Health Organization norms. His death comes just a day after the Union Health Ministry confirmed the country’s first coronavirus-linked death in neighbouring Karnataka.  The test results, which confirmed that the 76-year-old man who died two days earlier in Kalburgi district was coronavirus positive, had surfaced on Thursday. Kerala has reported 19 of India’s 81 confirmed coronavirus cases and it was the first to report three cases in the country in January but all three were discharged after they fully recovered.  Since the state has a large expatriate population it began an intensive surveillance in January itself but three people who returned from Italy had dodged the health authorities and hid their travel history compounding the state’s woes.  At least eight others got infected through these cases.  A 24-year-old man and his parents had landed at the Cochin International Airport on February 29 and came out of the airport allegedly concealing their travel history.  A week later they fell ill and rushed to the isolation ward and later tested positive.  By the time, they had contacted hundreds of people in two districts, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam.


President Trump and Kim Jong Un will sign a joint agreement on Thursday, according to the White House; it's not yet known what is contained in the document https://t.co/jEcDsOvKMs https://t.co/0LtoRqek6i

The two leaders dined together Wednesday before Thursday's day of meetings. Ahead of summit, Trump says NK could mimic VietnamHanoi, Vietnam -- With a handshake and smile, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kicked off their second summit Wednesday evening at the historic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel and offered an optimistic outlook for their coming meetings. "I thought the first summit was a great success and I hope this one hopefully will be equal or greater than the first.  And we made a lot of progress and think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one," Trump, who has called Kim a "friend," said. Speaking through a translator, Kim expressed hope that whatever results from the summit would be welcomed by everyone.  "I'm sure that we can do this," he added. Despite the friendly interactions, when asked if he had walked back his vow to denuclearization the Korean Peninsula, Trump simply replied, "No. "Accompanied by their translators, the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting before having a small, private dinner.  Sitting at a white table-clothed table, the president was joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.  Kim was joined by his two top advisers, former spy chief Kim Yong Chol and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. Kim said the leaders had "very interesting dialogue" during their one-on-one meeting. "If you could have heard that dialogue," Trump teased in reply. The summit begins in full on Thursday with a day of meetings and lunch expected.  But first, the president met with the host of the summit, Vietnamese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong at the presidential palace for a bilateral meeting and to sign a commercial trade agreement. The road to Hanoi, Vietnam, and the second meeting between President Trump and North Korea's Kim has been long: A 10,300-mile flight with two refueling stops for the American president and a 2,500-mile train ride through China and 100-mile drive through Vietnam for the young dictator. But it's also been a process filled with stops and starts.  After tense early meetings, long periods without high-level engagement and a burst of diplomacy in the last month, the two leaders will meet again to advance the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" that they agreed to in Singapore last June. There's still no agreement on what that term means, however, and both sides are under pressure to win concrete results from the meeting. While publicly the president appeared to stick to a diplomatic script, on Wednesday morning after his meetings, he tweeted about Sen.  Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. , falsifying his military service during the Vietnam War and even said he discussed it with Vietnamese officials. “I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senate from Connecticut (how is Connecticut doing? ),” Trump tweeted.  “His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud — he was never even there.  We talked about it today with Vietnamese leaders! ”White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not mention Blumenthal or his military record in a readout of the visit.  Just hours before his first handshake with Kim, the president also turned his attention to another high profile event at home -- the public testimony of his former attorney Michael Cohen before the House Oversight Committee.  In a Twitter attack, the president sought to distance himself from his former fixer. Once at war with the U. S.  and now a growing economic power in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is seen as a potential model for North Korea -- a communist state that maintains tight political control while allowing for some economic liberalization, like private businesses and property.  Trump himself offered up the prospect in a tweet, saying Vietnam is "thriving" and North Korea "would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize. ""We both felt very good about having this very important summit in Vietnam because you really are an example as to what can happen with good thinking," Trump said of he and Kim during his meeting with the Vietnamese president. Crowds amassed on Tuesday hoping for a glimpse of the reclusive North Korean strongman, who has smiled and waved for cameras.  While he seems comfortable as a statesman on the world stage, it was less than a year ago that he'd never left his country while in power.  Now, thanks in part to his summit diplomacy with Trump, he's visited China three times, had meetings with leaders in Singapore and Vietnam, and has been invited to Seoul, South Korea. But it's unclear if Kim wants the kind of economic opening Vietnam has.  The third ruler in a hereditary, communist dynasty, he's maintained sharp control over his citizenry, including through prison camps, severe restrictions on access to information and purges of high-ranking officials perceived as disloyal.  Allowing outside economic investment could undermine that iron rule. Instead, Kim's goal in Hanoi is sanctions relief, with his country still under the thumb of United Nations Security Council sanctions over its nuclear weapons proliferation and human rights abuses.  While North Korea seeks recognition as a nuclear weapons state and normalized ties with the U. S. , Kim may be willing to give up some aspects of his nuclear program in exchange for that relief. That would likely include inspections of the main reactor and other nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and verification that test sites like Punggye-ri nuclear facility and Sohae missile engine launch site have been destroyed.  However, analysts point out those are largely hollow concessions, as those facilities were no longer in use. Trump is eager for some success on the world stage, lowering expectations this week by saying Sunday, "I'm not in a rush.  I don't want to rush anybody.  I just don't want testing.  As long as there's no testing, we're happy. "North Korea halted ballistic missile and nuclear tests in 2017, in large part because it claims to have perfected its nuclear capability and no longer needs to test.  Some analysts doubt that claim, but the lack of testing has helped cool tensions that once prompted Trump to promise to "totally destroy" North Korea if provoked. But more important, while some say formalizing an end to testing would be a good first step, it does nothing to eliminate North Korea's already existing nuclear weapons, a stockpile reportedly estimated at 20 to 60 bombs and long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental U. S. The U. S.  intelligence community says Kim and his regime have no intention of giving that up, viewing it as essential to their survival.  Trump's chief negotiator, Special Representative Stephen Biegun, conceded that point, but said that's why they are giving summit diplomacy another shot: "It is all the more urgent that we engage diplomatically with North Korea to see if we can change the trajectory of their policies by changing the trajectory of our own," he said last month. Those changes in U. S.  policy could include opening liaison offices in each other's capitals -- diplomatic facilities that would allow for better communication and closer ties. It may also mean signing a declaration to end the Korean War, which ended with a truce in 1953.  While that would be welcome in Pyongyang as a symbol that the U. S.  is less of a threat, many analysts criticize it as a means to push U. S.  troops from allied South Korea and an empty agreement given the ongoing threat posed by North Korea's arsenal. The most controversial decision could be providing North Korea some kind of sanctions relief.  The Trump administration has been adamant that sanctions would not be lifted until there were concrete steps toward dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program, but in recent days, Pompeo and others have indicated small sanctions loopholes could be granted to incentivize North Korea. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin now faces an additional murder charge in the death of George Floyd after a Hennepin County judge reinstated a charge of third-degree murder https://t.co/lf6nVBwMS0

Chauvin also is facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Judge reinstates third-degree murder charges against ChauvinThe judge presiding over the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd has reinstated a third-degree murder charge in the case after the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the application of the count in another civilian death involving a Minneapolis police officer established precedent. Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill, who dismissed the third-degree murder charge in October, granted the motion by prosecutors to reinstate the charge after hearing arguments from both sides of the case. Cahill's decision hinged on a recent appellate court decision upholding a third-degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond after she called 911 to report an assault in progress near her home. "With regard to the state's motion to reinstate, the court is going to grant the motion," Cahill said before the third day of jury deliberations began. Cahill said that he initially disagreed with the appellate court's decision in the Noor case. "I denied the motion initially because of my disagreement, but not without first checking to see if I was duty-bound to follow it as precedent," Cahill said.  "Now, based on the defendant's appeal, the Court of Appeals has made it very clear: Yes, I was bound from the moment the appeal was filed.  And I accept that. "Chauvin, 44, also has been charged with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.  He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prior to the Feb.  1 Appeals Court decision in the Noor case, a third-degree murder charge in Minnesota only applied if the defendant's actions endangered more than one person. Chauvin's attorney's filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to review the appellate decision, contending it did not apply to Chauvin's case because the former officer is accused of targeting only Floyd.  The petition prompted prosecutors in the case to ask the appeals court to halt jury selection, contending Cahill did not have total jurisdiction as long as Supreme Court was considering Chauvin's request. Despite the petition from prosecutors on Monday to stay the trial, Cahill ruled that he was moving on with jury selection until the appeals court told him otherwise, which it never did. The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Chauvin's petition, putting the decision on the third-degree murder count back on Cahill. "The court of appeals has said in a precedential opinion specifying the single-person rule applies to third-degree murder.  I feel bound by that and I feel it would be an abuse of discretion not to grant the motion," Cahill said. Prior to the ruling, Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, presented an unsuccessful last-ditch argument on why he believed the third-degree murder should not be reinstated.  Nelson contended that the Noor case was procedurally and factually different than the Chauvin case. "If you look at the facts of Noor, it's a Minneapolis police officer.  This is a case involving a former Minneapolis police officer and that's about where the similarities end," Nelson said. He said Noor was inside a patrol car with his partner and fired a gun across his partner's chest at a silhouette outside the vehicle that turned out to be Ruszczyk Damond, an "inherently dangerous" action that jeopardized anyone in the line of fire, including a bicyclist who was riding by at the time.  He cited other cases to support his argument, saying they all include some form of instrumentality, whether it be a gun or a vehicle used to run someone over. "Factually, there is no instrumentality here other than arguably Mr.  Chauvin's knee," Nelson said. He argued the cases are also procedurally different because Noor's appeal was filed after his conviction, and the Cauvin case is still in a pre-trial phase. The prosecution's key evidence in the case against Chauvin is a bystander video of the May 25 arrest in which Chauvin, who is white, is seen kneeling on the back of Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as the handcuffed and prone Black man repeatedly cried out, "I can't breathe. "Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent the Floyd family, applauded Cahill's decision. "We're gratified that the judge cleared the way for the trial to proceed and for Chauvin to face this additional charge," Crump and Romanucci said in a statement.  "The trial is very painful and the family needs closure.  We're pleased that all judicial avenues are being explored and that the trial will move forward. "The circumstances of Floyd's death prompted weeks of protests in Minneapolis and across the nation, some of which were accompanied by violent clashes against police, looting and vandalism of businesses. Like many people across the country, President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the Chauvin trial, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday.  She said Biden has no intention of weighing in on the criminal case, but added the president has previously spoken about racial justice and his support of police reform. "He's watching it closely, as are many members of the administration," Psaki said. Chauvin is being tried separately from three other former officers involved in Floyd's death.  J.  Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter and are scheduled to go on trial in August.  All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges. After the issue of the third-degree murder was settled, jury selection resumed, with the sixth juror seated on Thursday. The latest member added to the panel is a man who works as a route driver, who described himself as Real Madrid soccer fan who enjoys true crime podcasts.  He said it was "mind-blowing" to receive a jury summons in such a big case. Attorneys said they're looking to select 14 jurors for the case, including two alternates. ABC News' Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


The Raam is the worlds most stable and expensive currency

Social media posts, claiming the 'Raam convertible bearer bond is the world's most expensive currency are false, as it is a bearer bond issued by United States-based non-profit Global Country Of World Peace as an instrument of global development.  Lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao made claims that the Raam is a "currency" used in the Netherlands (which he refers to Holland) that is the world's strongest and most expensive currency.     Many users of social media too have been these claims.      When the bhoomi pujan happened the whole world joined us.  Here we have Raam currency which was started by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi 20 years ago in Holland.  The most costly currency.  Shame on some seculars of our country who are against Sri RAM#RaamCurrency#MaharshiMaheshYogi pic. twitter. com/Rv1LNTUAPk     The bond is being issued in the US and in the Netherlands, and 1 Raam can be exchanged for $10 or €10 in these countries respectively.  The claim is being purported on the calculation that since 1 Raam carries the above mentioned denomination and since 1 euro equals around ₹88. 79 (Financial Benchmarks Private Limited, August 17, 1:30 PM), the Raam is thus worth ₹888 (10 times the current exchange rate), thus making is more expensive than others.  In reality, while publicly available evidence suggests that the Raam has been used as a medium of exchange within a closed group of stakeholders, it is neither a recognised national currency in any of these countries nor legal tender, but it is in fact a bearer bond.  The GCWP calls the 'Raam' initiative as a 'local currency'.  A bearer bond is a promise of value (quite like a currency), and since it does not carry the name of the owner, the bearer of the bond becomes its de facto owner.  The bond bears interest (currency does not) and cannot purchase commodities as freely as currency.  While currency does not have expiry/maturity date, bonds may carry one, even though the Raam is perpetual (does not mature).  The Raam bears 0. 6% simple interest per year, which is another characteristic to show it is a bond, and not a currency.  To differentiate these terms, a currency is a system of money being used in a particular country.  A medium of exchange is a mutually acceptable standard for the exchange of goods and services.  Legal tender is any acceptable coin or banknote of money (usually the national currency, but there may be more than one) that can be accepted to extinguish financial obligation or debt.   The Raam bonds are visually characterised by their depiction of Lord Ram, the words 'World Peace Nation' and 'Ram Rajya Mudra' in Hindi, along with it visually looking like an actual banknote. They are available in three denominations: 1 Raam, 5 Raams and 10 Raams.     The Raam was introduced as a Global Peace Currency  in 2001 by the GCWP, specifically Stichting Maharishi Global Financing Research based in Maharishi Vedic City in the US state of Iowa.   Maharishi Vedic City describes project has been described as "the ideal local currency to support economic development in the city and development of local businesses and organizations wishing to accept that currency. " The initiative was begun by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a spiritual leader, with a known following of six million and whose disciples popularly include the Beatles.  His movement is aimed to be cohesive "currency" in a global country of world peace.  Little is known of these bonds today.   But despite the nomenclature stating that it is currency, relevant sources from within the movement, and from government have stated that it is not a national currency intended to complement or supplant national currencies like the US dollar or euro.  A spokesperson for the Dutch Central Bank described the Raam as legal, with 100,000 Raam "notes" issued as of 2003.  "The raam can be used as long as the notes are not used as legal tender and it stays within a closed-off circuit of users," he said.   However, back then, the Dutch Central Bank said that they were keeping an eye on the Raam, so that it would not confuse the public.  Around 100 Dutch shops and 30 department stores accepted the Raam bond.  The Raam bonds could be exchanged for euros at Fortis Bank's branch in the Dutch city of Roermond.  These can be read here.   The prospectus issued for the Raam in the Netherlands describes the Raam Europe "bearer form".  Further, Raam Europe bears interest of 3% every 5 years (0. 6% simple interest every year), which is not characteristic of a currency.  The prospectus for 2006 can be found here and 2007 here as with the Dutch Authority of Financial Markets.   Raam bonds were accepted in 35 states in US as of 2003.   The "finance minister" of Maharishi Vedic City said the Raam could be used to globally kick start agriculture and eradicate poverty in jurisdictions where the US dollar was hard to obtain.  Later, once situations improved, the Raam could be exchanged for other established currencies or be taken out of circulation.   At Maharishi Vedic City, the Raam, along with US dollars and credit cards were accepted, with change of less than one Raam being given in US currency.  This can be read here.


A video is being shared on social media with a claim that it shows the funeral procession of the pregnant elephant that died in Kerala on 27 May 2020.  Let’s verify the claim made in the post. Claim: Funeral procession video of the pregnant elephant that died in Kerala.  Fact: Video shown in the post is a combination of two different videos.  While the video at the beginning is related to the funeral of a bull in Karnataka, the latter part shows the funeral of an Elephant in Tamilnadu from 2018.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.     On Extracting the screenshots from the video and reverse searching them, we get to know that two different videos used to make this video. The latter part of the video (Image Video-1 above) is related to the funeral of an Elephant named ‘Rukku’ that belongs to Arunachaleshwar Temple in Thiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu), which died in 2018 due to an injury.  Reverse image search led to a video posted by Tamil news channel, Puthiyathalaimurai TV on their youtube channel.  A keyword search led to articles published by media that reported the death of this Elephant.  These can be read here and here. The other part of the video which is shown at the beginning is related to the funeral of a bull in Karnataka.  When this video alone went viral earlier as the funeral procession of the pregnant elephant in Kerala, Factly has debunked this claim, which can be read here. To sum it up, funeral procession videos of an elephant in Tamil Nadu and a bull in Karnataka are edited and falsely shared as funeral procession video of the pregnant elephant from Kerala. Did you watch our new video?


"The findings of the Department of Justice are a total and complete exoneration of the President of the United States," White House says.

Barr's letter said special counsel Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether obstruction of justice occurred. https://t.co/zTKgOSGCNZ https://t.co/mXPXOfU9KE

  Nearly a year before his letter Sunday telling lawmakers he did not believe President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice, Attorney General William Barr authored a memo saying he thought the obstruction investigation was “fatally misconceived. ”

  Barr, then a private citizen and former attorney general to President George H.  W.  Bush, issued the memo to senior Justice Department officials in June 2018.

  Trump went on to nominate Barr to lead the Justice Department on a permanent basis after Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions in early November.  As CNN reported in December, Barr’s June 8, 2018, memo offers a detailed analysis of one of the most consequential episodes of Trump’s presidency, concluding that while he was “in the dark about many facts,” special counsel Robert Mueller’s obstruction inquiry was “fatally misconceived. ”

Trump's pick for attorney general warns Mueller's obstruction inquiry 'fatally misconceived' in memo to DOJ

  In his memo, Barr added that Trump asking then-FBI Director James Comey to let go of the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and later firing Comey was within his powers as head of the executive branch.

  Barr’s memo from last June took on heightened relevance Sunday, when he issued a letter to Congress offering his summary of Mueller’s report.

  Barr’s letter on Sunday said Mueller’s report addresses obstruction of justice and “did not draw a conclusion one way or the other as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction. ”

  Barr said both he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined the evidence from Mueller was “not sufficient” to support a prosecution of the President for obstruction of justice.

  Barr addressed the memo in his prepared testimony for his confirmation hearing in January, saying there that his memo “was narrow in scope,” regarding “a specific obstruction-of-justice theory under a single statute that I thought, based on media reports, the special counsel might be considering. ”

  During the confirmation process, Barr acknowledged sharing the memo with nearly all of Trump’s lawyers as well.

  CNN’s Ariane de Vogue, Laura Jarrett, Jeremy Herb and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.
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EAM S. Jaishankar: PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) is a part of India and we expect one day we will have physical jurisdiction over it. https://t.co/9XUVAbnVor

India on Thursday condemned what it said were provocative and irresponsible statements by the Pakistani leadership following the effective revocation of Kashmir’s special status even as defence minister Rajnath Singh questioned Pakistan’s claim on Jammu and Kashmir. The stinging reaction to comments by Prime Minister Imran Khan and other Pakistani ministers, who have repeatedly spoken of the possibility of war, came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two countries over the changes effected by Parliament in the status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 and 6. “We strongly condemn the highly irresponsible statements made by the Pakistani leadership on matters internal to India.  These statements include references to jihad, and to incite violence in India,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a news briefing in response to several questions on statements by Pakistan’s top leadership.  Watch | ‘Lies & deceit’: India slams Pak’s ‘interference’ over J&K | Art 370 “This is intended to project an alarmist situation which is far from the ground realities.  Pakistan needs to understand the world has seen through their provocative and unsubstantiated rhetoric which is based on lies and deceit,” he said. The comments came on the heels of Pakistan testing its nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Ghaznavi ballistic missile, with a range of 290km.  Kumar said Pakistan had informed India about the test.  “According to established confidence-building measures, we were informed about the test by Pakistan,” he said. Earlier in the day, defence minister Singh said at Leh in Ladakh that Pakistan has no locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir and should stop making statements on India’s internal affairs. Pakistan had illegally occupied parts of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, he told a gathering of security personnel and scientists at an event organised by the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research.  A resolution passed unanimously by Parliament in February 1994 had clarified India’s position on Kashmir, he said. “I want to ask Pakistan – when was Kashmir with Pakistan?  Even Pakistan was created out of India.  We respect the existence of Pakistan but that doesn’t mean it should continue indulging in rhetoric on Kashmir,” he said in Hindi. “There was never any doubt in this country that Kashmir was ours.  The truth is that Pakistan has illegally occupied PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Gilgit-Baltistan.  Pakistan should focus on violation of the human rights of the residents of PoK,” he added. Kumar reiterated India’s demand that Pakistan crack down on terrorists operating from its soil, who were being used to create disturbances in the Kashmir Valley and other parts of the country. “We are all aware that Pakistan has been using terrorism and cross-border terrorism as an instrument of its state policy, we have continued to highlight our concerns in this regard with them,” he said.  “Pakistan has an obligation to take action against terrorists and terror groups operating from its soil and it is important for them to now start behaving like a normal neighbour. ”Kumar said normal neighbours didn’t “push terrorists into a neighbouring country” and instead engaged in “normal talk” and “normal trade but this is not something which is happening from Pakistan”.  Over the past few weeks, Khan and other ministers have spoken of the possibility of war with India even as New Delhi maintained that the changes in Kashmir were an internal matter.  The Indian government has largely refrained from responding to these comments.  People familiar with the developments said India had informally taken up provocative tweets and comments by Prime Minister Khan and other Pakistani ministers with world leaders to highlight the “war-mongering” by Islamabad. “They have resorted to a hashtag war and a misinformation campaign to create an alarming picture which doesn’t match the ground realities.  This is because they have run out of options.  The military option is clearly ruled out,” said an official who didn’t want to be named. Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Thursday also called for nationwide demonstrations to protest over the Kashmir issue.  “I want all Pakistanis to come out tomorrow (Friday) 12 noon -12. 30 pm to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people. . .  We must send a strong message to Kashmiris that our nation stands resolutely behind them,” he wrote on Twitter.  The international community was largely satisfied by India’s stance that the changes in Kashmir were an internal matter and this had been reflected in public statements by world leaders, the people cited above said.  Pakistan’s efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue hadn’t gained much traction, they said. India’s efforts to pressure Pakistan on the issue of cross-border terrorism received support from Poland following talks between visiting external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz in Warsaw on Thursday.  Without naming Pakistan, a joint statement issued after the meeting said Czaputowicz “expressed the commitment of Poland to support global efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, particularly cross-border terrorism”. In a related development, the Mundra Port, run by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, and state-owned Kandla Port said on Thursday they had been warned by the Coast Guard and intelligence agencies that Pakistan-trained commandos had entered the Gulf of Kutch to carry out attacks on ports.  Both ports directed their employees and ship operators to be vigilant. The external affairs ministry spokesperson said he had no information in this regard, but added: “Our security forces are always prepared to deal with any eventuality. ”


HAPPENING NOW: @ABC and @ABCPolitics have continuing live coverage and analysis of the first 2020 #DemDebate. https://t.co/gW49GLZOCZ https://t.co/sSwHizzyrh

  Sen.  Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was the top-polling Democratic presidential candidate onstage Wednesday night, and the early moments of the party’s first 2020 debate showed why.

  Warren was asked four other questions before most of the nine other contenders had been asked two.  Her platform set the pace for the night, with other candidates embracing elements of it – or at least passing on opportunities to break directly with her.

  Meanwhile, two of the most aggressive candidates onstage, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, chose another target to mercilessly attack: former Rep.  Beto O’Rourke of Texas.  De Blasio hammered O’Rourke on health care, while Castro accused his fellow Texan of failing to do his homework on immigration.

  Sen.  Cory Booker of New Jersey was a steady presence onstage Wednesday night, offering an aspirational message and separating himself from other candidates on gun control.

  Warren dominated the debate’s first half hour, moving herself closer to Sen.  Bernie Sanders of Vermont on single-payer health care – a move that could ease the concerns of progressives in the process.  She faded the rest of the way, but went unscathed.

  That Warren’s policy focus dominated the first quarter of the debate, and largely went unchallenged, also signaled a clear leftward shift within the Democratic Party.  But that dynamic was apparent throughout the night, especially when candidates were asked about health care, immigration, protecting abortions rights and gun control.

  Another candidate who took no fire: former Vice President Joe Biden, the party’s front-runner, who will debate with nine other Democrats on Thursday night.

  Here are eight takeaways from the opening night of Democrats’ first 2020 presidential debates:

  One question going into the debate was how hard Warren – who has cut deeply into Sanders’ hold on Democrats’ progressive wing – was willing to fight for single-payer health insurance when she had signaled an openness to more moderate plans in the past.

  “I’m with Bernie on ‘Medicare for all,’ ” Warren said.

  Her answer further narrowed the political distance between Warren and Sanders, who will be on the debate stage Thursday night.

  In her response, Warren channeled Sanders’ attacks on the insurance industry, casting it as a fundamentally corrupt enterprise, then targeting candidates who, for whatever reason, opposed or cast doubt on the plan.

  “There are a lot of politicians who say, ‘Oh, it’s just not possible.  We just can’t do it.  There’s a lot of political problems,’ ” Warren said, before further sharpening her language: “What they’re really telling you is they just won’t fight for it.  Well, health care is a basic human right and I will fight for basic human rights. ”

  O’Rourke got the third question of the night, about the economy – and answered it in Spanish before delivering the English version.

  It was an effort to show the former El Paso congressman’s ability to reach Spanish-speaking voters as immigration takes center stage in the Democratic race – as well as to reach the audience watching live on Telemundo.

  Booker’s stare-down of O’Rourke during the answer got buzz on Twitter – and 30 minutes later, it became clear why: Booker went with the same move, beginning his answer on immigration by speaking Spanish.

  Castro got in a line in Spanish, too, at the beginning of his closing remarks.

  It was by far the most Spanish that had ever been spoken on a presidential debate stage.

  And it came on the heels of history being made at the debate’s outset: Three female candidates (Warren, Sen.  Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Rep.  Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii) were onstage, more than ever before.

  Castro took aim at his fellow Texan, O’Rourke, over immigration in what was by far the most direct and personal clash of the night.

  Castro has called for decriminalizing crossing the border by repealing Section 1325 of the Immigration and Nationality Act – a position O’Rourke opposes, saying he wants a “comprehensive rewrite” of immigration laws and backs plans to “ensure you don’t criminalize those who are seeking asylum. ”

  Castro jumped on these comments, telling O’Rourke that “if you did your homework on this issue” he would understand that what he is talking about is different from what Castro is proposing.

  Castro brought up comments O’Rourke had made on CNN earlier this month, when he told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he did not think the law should be repealed.

  “Let’s be very clear: The reason that they are separating these little children from their families is that they are using Section 1325 of that act, which criminalized crossing over the border, to incarcerate the parents and then separate them,” Castro said.  “Some of us on this stage have called to end that section, to terminate it; some, like Congressman O’Rourke, have not. ”

  Castro added: “And I want to challenge all of the candidates to do that.  I just think it is a mistake, and I think if you truly want to change the system then we have to repeal that section. ”

  It took mere minutes, with the focus on Warren’s more liberal policies for the first quarter of the debate, for the contest to show how the Democratic Party has moved left since Trump took office.

  Biden and a handful of other candidates are seeking to moderate the party’s message on issues like single-payer health insurance.  But the debate showed that most candidates are trying to win over primary voters by showing their commitment to progressive causes.

  That leftward lurch was on display throughout the night, with candidates staking out positions on health care, gun control and immigration rights that would have once been viewed as to the far left of Democratic politics.

  Warren advocated for an end to private insurance as part of implementing Medicare for All, Booker drew a contrast with his competitors with his plan to require a federal license to own a gun and Castro attacked O’Rourke for not wanting to decriminalize border crossings.

  It underscored a view that, even as Democratic primary voters say they are concerned about electability, the party’s candidates believe their path to the Oval Office depends on a motivated base – and that reaching that base won’t cost them too much with the evaporating middle in American politics.

  Klobuchar brushed Washington state Gov.  Jay Inslee back on abortion rights, responding to his claim that he was the only person onstage to sign into law measures that protect women’s choice by saying that “there are three women on this stage” who have fought for abortion rights.

  It was a simple but effective reminder that there are more women on this debate stage and the one Thursday night than you’ve ever seen on a presidential debate stage.

  Klobuchar also brought a straightforward approach to the stage Wednesday night.  She was the first to attack President Donald Trump, and invoked him in nearly every answer.

  Warren was the highest-polling candidate onstage Wednesday night, but her opponents showed little willingess to take her on directly.

  Instead, several lower-tier contenders had clearly decided their best chance at a breakout moment would come by ignoring her and instead attacking O’Rourke – the candidate positioned to her left.

  First, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio assailed O’Rourke for saying his health care plan would preserve a role for private insurance.

  “Private insurance is not working for tens of millions of Americans,” de Blasio said.

  Then Castro launched his sustained attack on the issue of immigration.

  Warren, meanwhile, dominated the first half hour of the debate.  Moderators asked her four questions before any other candidate had been asked a third, and before most had been asked a second.  And her vast policy platform steered the terms of the debate.

  Booker took an opportunity Wednesday night to draw a contrast with other candidates on gun control.

  “If you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to buy and own a firearm,” he said, adding that “not everybody in this field” agreed with that position.

  Booker unveiled his gun plan in May.  It would create a gun license, making it a federal standard, similar to a driver’s license or a passport.  The license would require fingerprints, an interview and completion of a gun safety course.

  “My plan to address gun violence is simple,” the New Jersey Democrat said in a statement at the time.  “We will make it harder for people who should not have a gun to get one. ”

  Biden isn’t onstage until Thursday night – but it had seemed likely that other Democrats would have something to say about him.

  After all, O’Rourke had criticized Biden’s reversal on the Hyde Amendment.  Booker had called on him to apologize for his comments about “civility” with segregationist senators.  Warren had cast him as backward-looking and out of touch with systemic problems.

  But Biden didn’t come up at all on Wednesday night.  Trump was a punching bag, as expected; O’Rourke took a lot of shots; and lower-tier candidates like Rep.  John Delaney of Maryland looked to inject themselves at every possible opportunity.  But for the most part, the candidates didn’t take aim at members of the vast Democratic presidential field who weren’t there – including the party’s front-runner.

  The exception to that rule was de Blasio.

  He was willing to interject at every turn.  He pummeled O’Rourke all night.  And he also made reference to South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who isn’t onstage until Thursday night.

  De Blasio said he’s had serious conversations with his black son, Dante, about how to protect himself.

  He went on to describe some of the discussions he’s had with his son, including “how to deal with the fact that he has to take special caution because there have been too many tragedies between our young men and our police, too, as we saw recently in Indiana. ”

  It was a reference to criticism of Buttigieg after a white police officer shot and killed a black man in South Bend.

  “Look, obviously they are going through a tragedy there in South Bend and a lot of cities, including our city, have been through tough, tough moments like that.  I certainly, my heart goes out to everyone in South Bend.  It is a tough, tough thing to go through,” de Blasio said.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Here are a few takeaways from the Mueller report summary https://t.co/BDB2NsAtlQ https://t.co/4Lt1dbgAW9

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


Active cases have been sustained below 10% of the total cases for last three days suggesting only 1 in 10 cases are active COVID19 patients across the country. Presently, active cases comprise merely 9.29% of total positive cases of the country standing at 7,15,812: Govt of India https://t.co/p5O8dX3SIc

With more than 61 lakh (or 6. 1 million) coronavirus cases, India is now the second worst-affected country by Covid-19 after United States.  The overall number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed the 33 million-mark, while the deaths have increased to 1,006,379, according to Worldometers. The global death toll from Covid-19 rose past one million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, a bleak milestone in a pandemic that has devastated the global economy, overloaded health systems and changed the way people live. These are the 5 most-affected countries with the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world:The United States on top with 7 million coronavirus casesThe United States has registered 7,361,611 novel coronavirus cases, according to latest data in Worldometers.  The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of at least 2,09,808 people in the United States, which leads the world in the number of confirmed infections. India is now second worst-affected country by Covid-19India’s novel coronavirus tally has crossed 61-lakh mark with a spike of 70,589 new cases and 776 deaths.  According to Union health ministry update on Tuesday, there are 9,47,576 active cases, while 51,01,398 patients have been cured or discharged from hospitals. Brazil has more than four million Covid-19 casesThird in the list of worst-affected countries is Brazil which has more than four million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Worldometers.  The country has so far reported 4,748,327 total cases and 142,161 deaths due to coronavirus. RussiaRussia reported 1,159,573 cases of coronavirus infections so far and 20,385 deaths.  The country has the fourth-highest number of infections behind the United States, India and Brazil, but the number of new cases has seen a stellar rise everyday in the past month. Columbia: 818,203 coronavirus casesColumbia’s novel coronavirus tally has crossed the eight lakh-mark with the death toll rising to 25,641, according to Worldometers.


A helicopter rescue in Phoenix turned into a terrifying ordeal for a 75-year-old hiker.

Former Black Hawk Helicopter pilot Elizabeth McCormick explains how this could happen. https://t.co/6qc0pjIKZh https://t.co/SLQ2W8cZlF

The woman sustained facial and head injuries as a result of a ground level fall. Stretcher spins out of control during air rescueDramatic video captured a dizzying helicopter rescue on Tuesday after a woman sustained injuries while hiking in Arizona. The victim suffered facial and head injuries as a result of a ground level fall, according to the Phoenix Fire Department. The 74-year-old was hiking Piestewa Peak when the incident occurred, according to ABC News station KNXV-TV.  The news station's chopper recorded the rescue, which shows the woman spinning out of control as she was hoisted into the air and airlifted to a nearby hospital for medical attention. The landing zone was a half-mile from where the woman was injured, authorities said. The patient is currently in stable condition and has no ill effects from the spinning except for dizziness and minor nausea, according to hospital officials. While the rescue appears to be a bit jarring, Phoenix Fire Department Capt.  Bobby Dubnow assures the woman was secured safely in a bag and basket, which had "multiple points of packaging. "Spinning, while rare, can occur during rescue transport, but crews are trained to handle it, Dubnow said during a news conference. The circling motion occurs as the basket nears a helicopter and interacts like a windmill, according to Phoenix Police Air Support chief pilot Paul Apolinar.  Firemen on the ground typically hold the line to help reduce spinning. Forward flight usually helps to stop this from occurring during rescue, according to helicopter operator Deek Geisel. The helicopter used in the rescue was hoisted 210 times in the last six years, according to Apolinar.  Spinning has happened twice during that time frame. ABC News' Rebecca Patterson contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A photograph shows Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao during a boxing match.

Muhammad Ali was an all-time great boxer who fought (and beat) a number of boxing icons, such as George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Sonny Liston.  So when we came across a photograph of Ali and Manny Pacquiao, it seemed, for a moment, plausible that these two boxers once faced off in the ring: This is not a real photograph.  Ali and Pacquiao never faced off in a boxing match.  For one, Pacquiao, who was born in December 1978, was 3 years old when Ali fought his last match in 1981.  This image was created by combining two separate photographs of Ali and Pacquiao.  The portion of this image featuring Ali (and Referee Carlos Padilla, Jr. ) comes from a 1975 photograph during the “Thrilla in Manila. ” Ali’s opponent during this match was not Pacquiao, but Joe Frasier.  The portion of this image featuring Pacquiao was taken in 2009 during a match against British boxer Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.  Here’s a look at the original photographs (bottom) and the doctored image (top): It appears that the edited image was created by Flickr user Mario Duque in 2010.  In addition to being one of the earliest postings that we could find, Duque’s Flickr page also contains other manipulated images of fictional Pacquiao fights.   After Ali’s death in 2016, Pacquiao released a statement: “We lost a giant today.  Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali’s talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the Ali family.  May God bless them. ”


Due to ongoing #COVID19 situation & keeping in mind the academic future of students, I have advised CBSE to conduct board examinations only for 29 main subjects that are required for promotion & maybe crucial for admissions in HEIs: Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (file) https://t.co/XAMcATfSzw

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct its Class X and XII exams for only 29 main subjects that are required for promotion and crucial for admission in higher education institutions. This is the advice that Union Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has given to the premier board as lakhs of students find themselves in a state of limbo with their annual exams disrupted due to the coronavirus crisis. Also Read: CBSE students of classes 1 to 8 to be promoted without exams, classes 9 and 11 on basis of previous testsIn a tweet, Nishank said that due to the current situation, the CBSE will conduct board examinations for only 29 main subjects which are required for promotion and crucial for admissions to the next session. “For rest of the subjects the board will not hold examinations, the instructions for marking or assessments in all such cases shall be separately issued,” he added. As and when the board is in a position to hold examinations for the 29 subjects it will do so after giving adequate notice, he said. Also Read: CBSE introduces ‘applied mathematics’ as academic elective for Class 11 studentsThe decision was taken after Nishank had detailed meetings with Education secretary Amit Khare and other top officials. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools will also promote all students of classes I to VIII to the next grade in view of the present coronavirus inflicted lockdown. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has asked these schools that students of class IX and XI will also be promoted to the next grade based on the school-based assessments, projects, periodic tests, term exams conducted so far. “In the view of the current situation due to COVID 19, I have advised CBSE to promote all students studying in classes I to VIII to the next class or grade,” the minister announced in a tweet. He said students of class IX and XI will be promoted based on school-based assessments including project, periodic tests, term exams, etc. Also Read: No pending board exams to be conducted in foreign countries due to COVID-19 situation: CBSESignificantly, it has also been decided that students not promoted this time can appear in school-based tests online or offline. According to an official, the CBSE schools may also soon begin online classes. The HRD ministry and CBSE are also closely examining the possibilities for providing the best possible solution to the students of class X and XII, whose annual exams have been disrupted.  Subjects of class 10 for which exams will be held:1.  To be conducted for North East Delhi: Hindi Course A, Hindi Course B, English Communication, English Language and Literature, Science, and Social Science.  2.  To be conducted for whole of India: NilSubjects of class 12 for which exams will be held:1.  To be conducted for whole of India: Business Studies, Geography, Hindi (Elective), Hindi (Core), Home Science, Sociology, Computer Science (Old), Computer Science (New), Information Practice (Old), Information Practice (new), Information Technology, and Bio-Technology.  2.  To be conducted for North East Delhi: English Core, Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Political Science, History, English Elective - N, English Elective -C, Physics, Accountancy, and Chemistry.


#WATCH Kerala: Visuals from outside the Karipur Airport, after Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight (IX-1344) with 190 people onboard skidded during landing at the airport. https://t.co/hCimakcNRY

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said it was a “tragic day” for Kerala after an Air India Express flight from Dubai skidded off the runway at Kozhikode airport and broke up into two, and hoped that rescue efforts will succeed in saving all the passengers.  “Tragic day for Kerala.  First the deaths in Munnar & now this: I hear both pilots have died.  Hope rescue efforts will succeed in saving all the passengers,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram tweeted soon after the news of the accident broke.  Thr Air India Express flight with 191 passengers and crew skidded off the tabletop runway and fell into a 50-foot deep valley breaking up into two parts on Friday evening, police sources said.  At least two people were killed in the accident.  Many people have been rushed to nearby hospitals and the condition of some of them is said to be serious.


BJP will easily win over 200 seats in West Bengal, claims @AmitShah

https://t.co/Jf9EYKOFWc https://t.co/oA5RP5Arfm

Union home minister Amit Shah claimed on Sunday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will a majority of seats in Assam and West Bengal, where voting for the first phase of elections for 47 and 30 assembly constituencies was held on Saturday.  Shah also said that the BJP will easily win more than 200 seats in the West Bengal assembly and based his claim on 'clear indicators' and feedback received from the ground after the first phase of polling was conducted a day before. Watch | How many seats is BJP winning in 1st phase in Bengal, Assam?  Amit Shah predicts"In the first phase, the BJP is winning more than 26 out of 30 seats in Bengal.  The margin of seats is also increasing.  We have also got clear indications that the party will win more than 37 seats out of 47 seats in Assam," he claimed. Click here for full election coverage"I believe that after winning 26 seats in the first phase in Bengal, it will be very easy for us to win over 200 seats overall.  The party workers and I have full faith in this," he added. Thanking the people of both the states for turning up in large numbers, he said more than 84 per cent turnout in West Bengal and over 79 per cent in Assam shows that there is huge enthusiasm among the public. "The development that has taken place in Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the way our government has ensured unprecedented development is getting huge public support.  The concept of 'double engine government' has been understood by the people of Assam by the conduct of the BJP," he said. In West Bengal, however, there has been an atmosphere of utter despair, he added.  "After 27 years of communist rule, the people of Bengal hoped that Didi (Mamata Banerjee) would bring about a new beginning.  But only the sign and name of the party were changed, not the situation of Bengal,” the senior BJP leader said. He also congratulated the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting the first phase of polling peacefully and credited them for bringing about a positive change as both Assam and Bengal are often in the news for violence during elections.  The voting process in Bengal was completed without any deaths, bombings, and re-voting after many years, he said. "Assam was known for electoral violence a few years ago and Bengal too.  This time the polling has been peaceful in both places and not a single death was reported due to poll-related violence.  These are auspicious signs for both the states," he said. The seven remaining phases will be held between April 1 and April 29 in West Bengal.  Polling for the next two phases in Assam will be held on April 1 and April 6.  Votes will be counted on May 2.


A few Facebook users are posting an image of a wave hitting the Mumbai Beach and are alleging that it is ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the coasts of Mumbai.  In the post, they have even cautioned the public to stay on alert as the situation is dangerous all over the city.  Let’s try to verify the authenticity of the image posted. Claim: The wave hitting the Mumbai beach in the image is ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the Mumbai coast. Fact:  The image was uploaded in 2018 by an Instagram user.  So it is not related to the latest ‘Cyclone Vayu’.  Hence, the claim stands FALSE.   On doing a Google Reverse Image Search, the photo was found in an Instagram account.  When one checks the date of publishing the image, it was found to be July 16, 2018.  So, the image posted on Facebook is an old one and is in no way related to the recent ‘Cyclone Vayu’. Hence, the image is not related to ‘Cyclone Vayu’ hitting the Mumbai coast. Did you watch our Facebook live on Fake News (Misinformation)


A two-minute video which shows a group of men aggressively interrogating a man in a red shirt is widely circulating on social media.  The men interrogating in Haryanvi ask – “who taught you this? ” and “what is your plan? ” Subsequently, they threaten to pour oil on the man and immolate him.  It is also evident that the man being interrogated is severely injured – there is blood on his head, chest and legs. Several Twitter and Facebook users have shared the video with the claim that the man used an injection filled with spittle on fruits to spread coronavirus.  The Hindi text associated with the video reads, “Found in Bawana.  Planned to fill fruits with an injection filled with spit.  After all, what do these people want?  (translated from बवाना से मिला है ये। थूक को इंजेक्शन से फ्रूट्स में भरकर कोरोना फैलाने की तैयारी थी.  आखिर ये लोग चाहते क्या हैं). ”Facebook page Resurging Hinduism posted the viral video along with the Hindi text on April 6.  Since then it has been shared over 1,200 times and viewed over 37,000 times.  (archive link)बवाना से मिला है ये। थूक को इंजेक्शन से फ्रूट्स में भरकर कोरोना फैलाने की तैयारी थीबवाना से मिला है ये। थूक को इंजेक्शन से फ्रूट्स में भरकर कोरोना फैलाने की तैयारी थीPosted by Resurging Hinduism on Monday, April 6, 2020On April 9, media outlets including IndiaTV (archive link), Huffington Post (archive link) and The Quint (archive link) carried a report by Press Trust of India (PTI) which quoted the police as saying that a “22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death in Delhi’s Bawana after he was suspected of a conspiracy to spread COVID-19”.  Similarly, Maktoob Media (archive link) also published the report with the same claim. Alt News has received several requests to fact-check the video on WhatsApp (+91 76000 11160) and on our official Android application.
Alt News performed a keyword search on Google and found a report by The Hindu (archive link) published on April 6.  According to the report, Shamshad Ali, a 30-year-old man, was thrashed by a group of men in Harewali village in Bawana in outer-north Delhi over the suspicion that he was part of a “conspiracy” to spread coronavirus.
Several media outlets including Indian Express, Times Now and Catch News reported the incident.  However, unlike in the report by The Hindu, the man has been identified as 22-year old Dilshad alias Mehboob Ali.  Alt News spoke with Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bawana who confirmed the man in the video is 22-year-old is Ali. Alt News found a longer video of the violent incident which we are refraining from adding to the fact-check.  Those who wish can watch the full clip here. ACP Bawana informed that the claim that Ali used injections filled with spit on fruits is false.  The ACP said that Ali had gone to attend a jamaat in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.  While returning to Delhi in a truck, he was stopped by the police and taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for coronavirus screening.  Since no symptoms were observed, Ali was allowed to go home where he was attacked by three men who have now been arrested. Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said, “Naveen, 30 years old, Prashant 26 years old, Pramod 30 years old have been arrested in case FIR No.  189/2020 under Section 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), Section 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and Section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code by the Bawana Police Station. ” Furthermore, the officer informed that Ali has been booked under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) for breaking the lockdown protocol. It is noteworthy that Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor was booked under IPC Section 188, Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life).  Had Ali been involved in an act to spread the infection a case would’ve been registered against him under the aforementioned IPC Sections.  However, he has only been booked under Section 188 for flouting lockdown protocol. Mittal said, “22 years old Dilshad Ali, alias Mehboob resident of village Harevli is still admitted in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, Delhi as a coronavirus suspect.  The investigating officer of the case had a telephonic conversation with him today morning in which he stated that he is fine. ”Alt News spoke with Ali’s family friend Akram Chaudhary who informed, “Ali is currently quarantined under suspicion of being infected with coronavirus. ” Chaudhary also confirmed Ali’s name and age. Therefore, PTI-led reports carried by IndiaTV, Huffington Post and The Quint misreported that Ali died in the attack.  Maktoob Media also incorrectly reported the same.  Furthermore, The Hindu misidentified the survivor as 30-year-old Shamshad Ali. The man who was beaten is 22-year-old Dilshad Ali, alias Mehboob.  While mainstream media misreported that he lost his life in the attack, social media added a false communal colour to the incident. Donate NowArchit is a graduate in English Literature from The MS University of Baroda.  He also holds a post-graduation diploma in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism.  Since then he has worked at Essel Group's English news channel at WION as a trainee journalist, at S3IDF as a fundraising & communications officer and at The Hindu as a reporter.  At Alt News, he works as a fact-checking journalist. Assam-based media outlets DY365, Asom Live 24, and NorthEast Now reported that 26 Rohingya Muslims…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…Actor Amitabh Bachchan tweeted a video on September 8, 2021, as the first unveiling of…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…An alleged statement by former President Dr.  APJ Abdul Kalam has been circulating on social…


A speaker who was scheduled to deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday was abruptly removed from the program after she retweeted a thread promoting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory with ties to the fringe conspiracy theory, QAnon https://t.co/QxSzNMKJCZ

Mendoza was scheduled to appear Tuesday night in a video message. 2020’s DNC and RNC are different than any beforeA speaker scheduled to appear on the second night of the Republican National Convention was pulled from the lineup hours after she promoted an anti-Semitic QAnon conspiracy theory on Twitter. Mary Ann Mendoza was scheduled to appear about an hour into the convention Tuesday night in a video message, one of several women voicing their support for President Donald Trump. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh confirmed that Mendoza was dropped.  "We have removed the scheduled video from the convention lineup and it will no longer run this week," he said in a statement to ABC News. The campaign did not cite a reason for dropping Mendoza, but the move comes after The Daily Beast reported that early Tuesday morning, Mendoza shared in a since-deleted tweet an anti-Semitic thread on the Rothschilds, a Jewish banking family.  The thread claimed that "malevolent Jewish forces in the banking industry are out to enslave non-Jews and promote world wars," and included references to the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, the Daily Beast said. Mendoza took to Twitter Tuesday night to apologize for "not paying attention to the intent of the whole message," and said that the thread "does not reflect my feelings or personal thoughts whatsoever. "This was not the first time Mendoza referenced the Rothschilds on Twitter.  In November 2018, she tweeted another message with anti-Semitic language, saying, "The Rothschilds have used their globalist media mouthpiece to declare that Donald Trump is threatening to destroy the New World Order! "According to RNC organizers, Mendoza, who sits on the campaign's Women for Trump advisory board, was set to talk Tuesday night about her son, an Arizona police officer who was killed in 2014 in a head-on collision by an undocumented immigrant. In a preview of her prepared remarks provided by the RNC, Mendoza said that Trump is the "first political leader we've ever seen take on the radical left to finally secure our border and to end illegal immigration since day one.  I've met him many times and I know what's in his heart … I know what he hopes and dreams for this country. "The Biden campaign reacted to Mendoza's initial inclusion in the RNC, expressing condolences for her loss but adding that the choice was "not surprising" given Trump's "both sides" reaction to the 2017 Charlottesville protests and his embrace of "fringe movements," including QAnon, which the FBI has identified as a potential domestic terror threat. "As much as they may try to disguise it, giving room for these ideas is what Trump has done from Day One," the campaign's Jewish engagement director, Aaron Keyak, said in a statement.  "No parade of speakers can drown out the phrase 'very fine people on both sides' after the anti-Semites marched in Charlottesville to the chant of the 'Jews will not replace us. ' To anyone really watching and listening, that refusal of Trump to condemn such hatred still rings loudly and clearly. "At least two QAnon supporters who are running for Congress -- Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene and Colorado's Lauren Boebert --  have said they've been invited to the White House for Trump's acceptance speech on Thursday. ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and John Verhovek contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Mourners to say goodbye to a student killed after getting into a car she mistook for an Uber https://t.co/Qe6moktdpn https://t.co/wFET81slt7

Samantha Josephson, 21, was killed after mistaking a car for her Uber ride. Bill aims to boost Uber safety in wake of killingSouth Carolina lawmakers introduced a bill that would require illuminated signs in Ubers and Lyfts in response to the killing of University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, who police say was murdered after getting in a car she thought was her Uber. "This could happen anywhere, and it really exposes the dangers of ride sharing," South Carolina State Rep.  Seth Rose, a co-sponsor of the bill, told ABC News on Tuesday.  "I live with my wife and three kids a fourth of a mile from the curb that Samantha was picked up from.  . . .  I'm just very disturbed and bothered by it. "Samantha Josephson, 21, was alone when she requested an Uber ride early Friday morning, police said.  After she got into a stranger's car, mistaking it for her Uber, the child safely locks were activated, preventing her from escaping, police said. She died from multiple sharp force injuries, officials said, and her body was recovered in a wooded area. The "Samantha L.  Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act" would require ride-sharing vehicles to have an illuminated, company-provided sign with the company's "trademark or logo that is patently visible so as to be seen in darkness," according to the bill. In larger cities, illuminated lights are mandatory.  But that's not the case in Columbia, South Carolina, Rose said. The bill also requires that an Uber or Lyft employee who stops working as a driver must return the light to the company, Rose said. "In the wake of this tragedy and examining the law, I realized that we need to do more," he said.  "Having the light illuminated is a step in the right direction so we can decipher who is who. ""Her name is on the bill," he said of Josephson, "and that was in keeping with what I perceive to be her father's wishes.  And I hope in this tragedy we can find some good. "The bill will go to the house floor on Wednesday for a vote, said Rose. An Uber spokesperson told ABC News: "Since 2017, we’ve been working with local law enforcement and college campuses across the country to educate the public about how to avoid fake rideshare drivers.  Everyone at Uber is devastated to hear about this unspeakable crime, and our hearts are with Samantha Josephson’s family and loved ones.  We remain focused on raising public awareness about this incredibly important issue. "Josephson's suspected killer, Nathaniel Rowland, was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping, said police.  He didn't attend his first court appearance Sunday and is next due in court on April 22. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Delhi: Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar holds meeting with farmers' leaders from Haryana at Krishi Bhawan. https://t.co/Wzmd1zesW0

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday was holding a meeting with farmers’ leaders from Haryana at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, news agency ANI reported.  The meeting comes even as a farmers’ leader said they will sit on a hunger strike on December 14 at Delhi’s Singhu border.  Farmers have been protesting at the border for 17 days now against the three laws passed by Parliament in September.  The farmers fear that latest legislation will leave them at the mercy of the big corporates as it does not promise minimum support price. The Centre had sent a draft proposal of reforms earlier this week that it is planning to incorporate in the laws.  However, the protesting farmers rejected the proposal and have remained firm on the demand for the repeal of the laws


The Ardha Kumbh Mela is going on in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj

Journalist and director Vinod Kapri tweeted a photo of India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, saying, in Hindi, what closely translates to, "India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has performed the 'Snan' during Kumbh, and he could be seen wearing a Janeu. " à¤¤à¤¾à¤à¤¿ à¤¸à¤¨à¤¦ à¤°à¤¹à¥ : à¤ªà¤¹à¤²à¥ à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤§à¤¾à¤¨à¤®à¤à¤¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤ªà¤à¤¡à¤¿à¤¤ à¤à¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤°à¤²à¤¾à¤² à¤¨à¥à¤¹à¤°à¥ à¤à¥ à¤à¥à¤à¤ à¤®à¥à¤ à¤¸à¥à¤¨à¤¾à¤¨ à¤à¤° à¤à¥à¤à¥ à¤¹à¥à¤ à¤à¤° à¤à¤¨à¥à¤ à¤à¥ à¤§à¤¾à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤¿à¤ à¤¹à¥à¤ à¤¹à¥à¤à¥¤â¦ https://t. co/qJj49Z1gjl— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) 1547798314000Kapri's tweet, made on January 17, has by now gotten over 4,000 likes and more than 1,100 retweets.  A Twitter user -- @girishs2 -- replied to Kapri saying, "Don't spread lies, Vinod Kapri.  This photo is from Illahabad (Prayagraj) clicked when Nehru was there to immerse his father's ashes. " Kapri responded to the user saying, "If you want to spread lies, go ahead.  It's a fact that Nehru's father Motilal passed in 1931 and then, Nehru was 42 years old.  You see a 42-year-old Nehru in this photo?  This photo is from 1952 Kumbh (Mela) when Nehru was 65. " Twitter user @bhaiyyajispeaks quote-tweeted Kapri's tweet the next day saying, in Hindi, what closely translates to, "There is no need of politicising this photo but this was not clicked during the 1954 Kumbh Mela.  This photo was clicked after Jawaharlal Nehru immersed his mother's ashes at Allahabad (Prayagraj, now).  This photo is also there at Anand Bhavan (museum) in Prayagraj. " à¤¹à¤¾à¤²à¤¾à¤à¤à¤¿ à¤à¤¸à¥ à¤°à¤¾à¤à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤ à¤µà¤¿à¤·à¤¯ à¤¬à¤¨à¤¾à¤¨à¥ à¤à¥ à¤à¥à¤ à¤à¤¼à¤°à¥à¤°à¤¤ à¤¨à¤¹à¥à¤ à¤¹à¥ à¤ªà¤° à¤¯à¤¹ à¤¤à¤¸à¥à¤µà¥à¤° à¤à¥à¤à¤ à¤à¥ à¤¨à¤¹à¥à¤ à¤¹à¥, à¤¯à¥ à¤à¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤°à¤²à¤¾à¤² à¤¨à¥à¤¹à¤°à¥ à¤à¥ à¤®à¤¾à¤¤à¤¾à¤à¥ à¤à¥â¦ https://t. co/Ob0ocUAuHJ— Bhaiyyaji (@bhaiyyajispeaks) 1547813147000Times Fact Check found what the truth behind this photo of Nehru is.  TRUTHThe photo Kapri tweeted was clicked in 1938 when Nehru had visited Prayagraj, then called Allahabad or Illahabad, to immerse his mother's ashes.  It is not a photo from 1954 Kumbh Mela.  VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGYA simple reverse-image search on Google on the photo Kapri tweeted will lead you to the truth.  We found a photo gallery on reckontalk. com titled, "15 Rare & Old Photoâs Of âPlace Of Sacrificeâ Allahabad | Part II".  The twelfth photo in this gallery is exactly the one Kapri tweeted.  The photo caption said, "Nehru after immersing his mothers ashes at Allahbad. " In the reverse-image search results, we also found an article on Open Magazine titled, "Homeless in Allahabad" published on November 14, 2014 with a photo gallery that had the same photo.  The caption of the photo in this gallery said, "Jawaharlal Nehru after immersing his motherâs ashes at Allahabad on 10 January 1938".  On the second page of the reverse-image search results, we found a review of the book titled "'The Nehrus: Personal Histories' by Mushirul Hasan and Priya Kapoor", published in the March 6, 2006 issue of the India Today magazine, and the article had the same photo Kapri tweeted with a caption, "ENDURING TRAGEDY: Jawaharlal Nehru immersing his mother's ashes in Allahabad. "


Advice And Dissent by YV Reddy praises the Narendra Modi government and criticises the Congress

Viral messages and posts have falsely distorted observations made by former Reserve Bank of India Governor Dr.  YV Reddy about India's political economic history in his book 'Advice and Dissent'.  The messages misinterpret various sections from the book and string these instances together into a 700-word long tirade against the Congress-led governments of 1980s and 1990s, the Gandhi family and the World Bank.  It also falsely states that India has never borrowed from the World Bank under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.   The book narrates Reddy's career and experiences of the various roles played by him - as a lecturer, with the Ministry of Finance, a stint at the World Bank, Governor of the RBI and chairman of the Fourteenth Finance Commission among others.  The book was published in 2017, with the storyline ending in December 2014 with the submission of the finance commission's report.   The message in its entirety can be seen in the image below.   BOOM received the message on its helpline (7700906588).  Using keywords, different versions of the message have been viral on social media since late 2018.   इसे ध्यान पूर्वक पढ़े:-कांग्रेस के शासन काल80 से 90 के दशक मे ! ! 👇*RBI गवर्नर रहे Y. V रेड्डी की पुस्तक ADVISE AND DECENT से साभार*कांग्रेस के शाशन काल में सिर्फ 40 करोड़ रुपए के लिए हमे अपना 47 टन सोना गिरवी रखना पड़ा था. ये स्थिति थी भारतीय इकॉनमी की. (आगे पढ़े)👇    The RBI pledged 47 tons of gold for $405 million ($40. 5 crore) to the Bank of England, according to the book, to overcome India's prevailing balance of payments crisis.  This rationale behind the pledge was the sentimental value of gold in Indian society, and to signal that the problem was temporary.   For reference, the US government has stated that the dollar was worth 19. 08 rupees as on March 31, 1991, making the loan amount approximately ₹727 crores at this rate.  According to data provided by RBI,  that the average annual exchange rate of 1991 was ₹22. 69 to the dollar, making the loan worth more than ₹919 crores.  In 1991, India approached the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance to mitigate its low foreign exchange reserves and a balance of payments crisis.  The IMF lends towards macroeconomic stability, and the World Bank towards long-terms economic development.   In his book, Reddy outlined his experience with the World Bank and how it handled loan negotiations with India, but did not mention gold pledging with them.  Also Read: India's Per Capita GDP To Fall Below Bangladesh, Reverse Next Year  Reddy mentioned that in 1991, the van transporting the gold punctured a tyre during a night-time operation.  He mentions that the sound of tyre burst drew some public attention.  Armed guards escorting the van immediately surrounded the van.  No mention is made of 2 guards or a driver.  A photograph was taken while the gold was being loaded into the aircraft transporting it, and that the gold reached its destination safely.  The books does contain an account of the diminishing state of the economy during the '80's and the associated political scenario.   States the book: What were the origins of stress on our balance of payments that led to the crisis?  The root cause can be traced to unsustainable fiscal policies of the early 1980s.  The finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, presented three budgets from 1982 to '84, that increased plan allocation to all ministries to spur growth.  India was already in a debt trap by 1986.   Further, he sums up the Indian story during the 1980s, where he states that India did not heed to warning from multiple institutions about its declining economic situation.  In brief, political expediency to spur growth spur growth at any cost from 1982 led to an unsustainable situation by 1987.  Warning by the IMF, the World Bank, and in particular by the RBI about the difficult conditions were ignored.  From 1989, domestic political uncertainties and leadership changes made the the necessary bold policy action difficult, if not impossible.  Later, Reddy mentioned 1990, when the Gulf War started showing its detrimental impact on the economy.   The book only mentions Bofors in the context of exploring options to delay large-ticket payments.  The option of delaying large payment obligations in the Bofors arms import contract was considered, without incurring a default as a relief measure to mitigate financial stress.  But this exercise was to no avail, as the contract had precise import payment obligations.  No mention is made of kickbacks or brokerage.   The book does not write about the economy under the Narendra Modi-led government in detail.  In the last chapter of the book, Reddy describes his tenure as the chairman of the Fourteenth Finance Commission.  He formally worked under the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2014 from May 26 to December 15, when he submitted the report of the commission.  His book does not go into 2015 and beyond.    The book mentions Reddy seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Modi after he was elected to office, and making a customary call to him a few days after submitting the report.  According to the book, Modi was informed about the recommendations in the report and the reasons behind them, but did not make his reaction known.   Firstly, as mentioned above, the book does not comment beyond December 2014.  Secondly, a book published in 2017 could not possibly comment on lending in 2018 - 2019.   It is untrue that India has not borrowed under the Modi-led government.   The World Bank is made up of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Associations.  The former lends to creditworthy low and middle-income countries.  The latter gives interest-free loans - or credits - and grants to the poorest of countries.  As of September 30, 2020, here's the total lending by the IBRD and IDA by financial year.     A screenshot of the total can also be seen here.  The page has been archived as the World Bank tends to update these pages quarterly.    Projects in FY19 include an approved $80 million to PSU Energy Efficiency Services Limited for the Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program and in FY20 include $30 million to the central government towards improving the quality of statistics in India, and $381 million towards the 'Second National Ganga River Basin Project'.  BOOM's mails to Reddy for comment went unanswered at the time of publication.  Also Read: India's GDP To Contract 9. 6% In FY21, Estimates World Bank