Punjab: Rainfall lashes parts of Ludhiana. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light rainfall in the city for the next four days. https://t.co/NMhiy7y5jf

It reflects the cynicism of the times that we live in that the “encounter” that killed Uttar Pradesh (UP) gangster Vikas Dubey has not come as the slightest shock to anyone.  It is almost like a death foretold.  The criticism — as happened with the Hyderabad police’s elimination of four rape accused last year — is likely to be dismissed as the fuzzy, needless hand-wringing of liberals.  After all, Dubey, it will be argued, was the man responsible for the murderous assault on eight policemen.  Why should anyone waste any angst on a man like him?  That is missing the point.  The same lawlessness and absence of due process that makes it possible for the police to avenge the killings of their own men, permits the men in khaki in Tamil Nadu to push rods and sticks up the private parts of a father and son, Jayaraj and Bennicks.  You can’t outrage over one and see the other as morally permissible.  Yes, in one case the victims were hapless citizens who did nothing but supposedly keep their shop open for a few minutes beyond the lockdown-stipulated curfew.  And another case, the self-declared don of Kanpur, was a brutal, violent thug.  But the principle that makes one extrajudicial killing possible cannot but spill over into the responses of the police force across the board.  Simply put, you cannot morally calibrate fake encounters.  There’s also the sheer tackiness of the script.  Even as stories go, this one has a weak plot and poorer direction.  We are actually being asked to believe that a man who dramatically surrendered after a five-day chase from Uttar Pradesh, through Haryana and Rajasthan before ending up in a temple in Ujjain suddenly turned on the police and attempted an escape after the car ferrying him overturned.  This is the same man whom we have all seen on video, being slammed against a police car and whacked on the back of his head by an unarmed officer, as he shouts, “Main Vikas Dubey hoon, Kanpurwala” Curiously, of course, the media, that was tailing the convoy taking Dubey back from Madhya Pradesh to UP, was stopped two kilometres ahead of the site where the alleged accident and subsequent encounter takes place.  The police will also have to explain why Dubey’s car is switched at the last moment.  Video footage shows Dubey in two different cars at different points in the journey.  And, of course, the most basic question of all: How was a dreaded gangster not cuffed?  Even if his car did overturn-- and who is buying that — how was he able to make a run for it that he needed to be shot?  And if he was shot, why was he not shot in the leg, so that he could be recaptured alive and be interrogated? Or is that the exact point.  Dubey who was implicated in 62 criminal cases, including five cases of murder and eight cases of attempted murder, could not have thrived for 30 years, without the patronage of the rich and powerful.  A disturbing letter has done the rounds on social media, purportedly written by one of the eight policemen murdered by Dubey.  It alleges that station officer Vinay Tiwari was in cahoots with Dubey.  The letter, which was unmarked, was officially denied.  But, since then Tiwari and another of his colleagues have been suspended on charges of tipping Dubey off about the police raid that was meant to arrest him. Eerily, a public interest petition in the Supreme Court just a few days ago demanded the judiciary’s intervention, predicting this is how Dubey would die.  Instead of delivering justice for the eight policemen murdered by Dubey, the actions of the Uttar Pradesh police force have further sullied the reputation of the uniform.  Not too many people will believe that the police encounter was motivated by collective rage at what the gangster had done to their own comrades.  The suspicion that Dubey had far too many secrets to out and that it was best to pack them off with him to his grave, will now never be shaken off.  Even before his death, a widely-shared video allegedly showed Dubey claiming the backing of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators (though in 2001 he was accused of chasing another BJP leader into a police station and shooting him in broad daylight).  His mother separately claimed that her son is now linked to the Samajwadi Party, which the party denied.  The demand for his call records to be placed in the public domain is legitimate.  The country has a right to know which people of influence — whether in the police, government or Opposition — Dubey was in touch with.  The families of the eight policemen who lost their lives in the line of duty may mistakenly believe that justice has been served.  The very opposite has happened.  Yet, again, in a country that proudly gave even the terrorist involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack, Ajmal Kasab, due process, we have faltered on the fundamentals of law.


President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic is "as dangerous as it sounds," Bill Gates has said https://t.co/p7JL2dDP6l

Their foundation is giving additional funding to battle COVID-19. David Muir Exclusive with Bill and Melinda Gates on CoronavirusIn an exclusive interview, Bill Gates told ABC News anchor David Muir that he did not agree with President Trump's move to halt U. S.  funding to the World Health Organization. "I'm hopeful that he doesn't follow through on that because we need their support.  This is a global problem.  They are the institution that, you know, brings nations together and make sure that, you know, that were sharing best practices between all of those countries," said Gates, who spoke to Muir along with wife Melinda Gates on Wednesday. "There'll be plenty of time to look back and see which countries did things well, which didn’t, where should WHO have done things differently, but we're very supportive of the role WHO plays," Gates said.  "You know, they're the ones who helped eradicate smallpox.  They, you know, see what's going on globally.  And so I hope that doesn't actually happen. "On Tuesday, Trump said he was halting funding to the World Health Organization and accused the United Nations agency of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the novel coronavirus" by "parrot(ing)" Chinese government data and not "call(ing) out China's lack of transparency. "His decision has been criticized by lawmakers who challenge its legality, public health experts who say it undermines the global fight against COVID-19, critics who argue Trump is searching for a scapegoat after he was slow to act and similarly praised China's initial response, and even the U. S.  Chamber of Commerce, a conservative business lobby, which said the timing is wrong. Bill Gates said that he and Melinda Gates had tweeted their support for the WHO. Tune into ABC at 1 p. m.  ET and ABC News Live at 4 p. m.  ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. "I think it's worth saying, we've been working with the WHO for over 20 years as a foundation.  And no institution is perfect, but it's the global response that's going to get us through this, and WHO was created after World War II to deal with exactly these kinds of issues around the world.  So halting funding right now, that just doesn't make any sense," Melinda Gates told Muir, the anchor of "World News Tonight. "On Wednesday, the Gates Foundation announced that it would be expanding its funding for the global response to COVID-19 with an additional $150 million of grant funding, raising the foundation's commitment to fighting the pandemic to more than $250 million. "This new $150 million that we are announcing is really to help low- and middle-income countries, because we're watching the spread of the disease around the world," Melinda Gates told Muir.  "We need to shore up their health system so they have the protective gear for their health care workers. "According to the news release, funding was also intended to "support development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines; help strengthen African and South Asian health systems; and help mitigate the social and economic impacts of the virus. "The foundation said it was calling on "world leaders to unite in a global response to COVID-19 to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines" and that it would work with national governments and groups like WHO, UNICEF and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Melinda Gates said that there was still a lot of science that researchers around the world needed to do, but that Americans could do their part in fighting the virus and its spread by protecting the most vulnerable at this time. "Our health is our most important thing.  . . .  We have to protect our health while we slowly go back to the economic opportunities that we all have, and we're going to have to take care of families who, you know, their business has gone under, they've lost their job, or they’re still struggling to put a meal on the table after the economy starts to slowly open up," Melinda Gates said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Texas shelters along the southern border scramble to house migrants https://t.co/skLbsHlE2P https://t.co/KT0VyFmJyy

Attempted crossings steadily rose following zero-tolerance policy. US predicts 1M migrants will be stopped at border this yearU. S.  border authorities are predicting the number of undocumented migrants stopped at the southern border could reach as high as 1 million by the end of the year, potentially doubling last year's level, federal officials told ABC News on Tuesday. The estimate, which includes illegal crossings and people arriving at ports of entry, comes as administration officials say they have limited options when it comes to deterring families traveling with children.  The influx has gotten so bad at places like El Paso, Texas, that the central processing center there was 395 percent over capacity last weekend, forcing officials to process people beneath a street overpass. "The numbers are trending from bad to worse, which is why we need Congress to act to fix outdated laws to address migrant flows," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen tweeted Tuesday. Nielsen met with government officials from Mexico Tuesday and was planning a trip to Honduras to meet with foreign leaders there this week. Kevin McAleenan, head of the U. S.  Customs and Border Protection, canceled his testimony before Congress on Wednesday to travel to the Texas-Mexico border, a congressional staffer said. Federal officials told ABC News they predict there will be some 95,000 attempted crossings in March and possibly 100,000 in April.  That would put attempted crossings at more than half a million -- about the same number as in the entire 2018 budget year -- with several months to go. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the numbers have not been publicly released. The 1 million estimate reflects a complex humanitarian crisis at the border and political headache for President Donald Trump, who staked his candidacy on curbing migration to the U. S.  But it wouldn't be a record high. In 2000, the U. S.  apprehended 1. 6 million people trying to cross illegally between ports.  That figure, however, does not include the number of undocumented migrants arriving at ports, referred to by the government as "inadmissible. " Most of those people are there to claim asylum. Still, officials say the arrivals are no longer men from Mexico looking for work, but rather families fleeing poverty and violence in Central America.  That complicates how border authorities have operated, now having to care for children. The influx raises questions about whether the administration may have inadvertently encouraged migrants to travel to the U. S.  by pursuing and then backtracking on a zero-tolerance policy.  That policy resulted in thousands of children separated from their parents.  But after the practice of family separations collapsed amid public backlash and a federal judge's order to reunite the families, the number of families arriving at the border steadily began to increase. Since then, administration officials have spoken at lengthy publicly on the limited options the U. S.  has to detain migrants who arrive with their children.  A 1997 court agreement mandates that children not be held for more than 20 days. Last week, U. S.  Customs and Border Protection said it planned to start releasing some families apprehended near the border in south Texas as detention centers fill to capacity.  Some of the families apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley area would be given notices to appear in court.  Others will be released on their own recognizance, meaning they have a court date but no set bond amount. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Fact check: President Trump misleadingly claims drugs will kill more Americans than the Vietnam War https://t.co/A0hYzoOcYh https://t.co/kFGvYYvp4y

ABC News is fact checking Trump's latest claims tonight. Trump calls border security a 'crisis of the soul'  President Donald Trump was holding court front and center Tuesday night as he delivered remarks from the Oval Office in the hope of convincing the American public and skeptical lawmakers that there is a crisis at the southern border. His goal: to secure billions of dollars in funds to build his promised "big, beautiful" wall amid a partial government shutdown that has no end in sight. Trump has a history of making statements on immigration that are often misinformed, inaccurate or downright unfounded. ABC News is fact-checking his latest claims tonight. There is no evidence that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement deal would pay for the wall. The United States, Mexico and Canada came to an agreement on the USMCA, essentially a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.  Congress still needs to approve the trade deal, which has provisions including requirements that 75 percent of auto content be made in North America and 40 to 45 percent of auto workers earn at least $16 per hour.  It's unclear what funds, if any, would be available to pay for the wall. Looking at the situation at the southern border by the flow of migrants alone, there is little justification to call it a "security crisis. " The numbers are clear: Total apprehensions by Customs and Border Protection have been trending downward the past two decades. According to Customs and Border Protection data, in 2001 there were 1,643,679 apprehensions at the border, compared with 396,579 in 2018 -- a decrease of more than 75 percent. While apprehensions are down in great numbers along historical trends, they have increased during the president's most recent year in office.  In 2018, there were roughly 92,000 more apprehensions at the southern border than in 2017.  In other words, they went up under his watch after a brief dip. Overall, the numbers have been under 1 million since 2007 and have been hovering under 500,000 since 2010.  In fact, the lowest number of apprehensions in the past two decades -- 303,916 -- came in 2017. However, Trump is not far off when he says there is a "humanitarian crisis" at the border.  The number of unaccompanied migrant children in custody today is approaching 15,000.  And by Trump's own admission in the Oval Office Tuesday evening, immigration detention facilities in general are being pushed to the limit. Many critics of the administration's immigration policy have called for more resources at the border to more quickly move these people through the system and out of detention.  There are also thousands of migrants now living in tent cities on the Mexican side of the border waiting to claim asylum in the United States. Ironically, one of the most dire humanitarian crises of his presidency came last year when his administration began separating children from their families under the short-lived zero-tolerance policy. This is true.  According to the DEA 2018 Drug Threat Assessment, the southwest border is where large amounts of drugs enter the U. S.  But it's important to note those drugs largely come through legal points of entry.  A border wall won't fix that. Heroin claimed 15,958 lives in 2017 -- about 300 every week. The rapid increase in the number of drug deaths in recent years is largely attributable to fentanyl.  If there is a crisis, fentanyl is it.  But the fentanyl is mostly coming through the points of entry at the southwest border, and it's not just coming into the country there -- China is a significant source as well. According to the DEA 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment: "Large volumes of fentanyl are seized at the SWB [southwest border], although these seizures are typically low in purity, less than 10 percent on average.  Conversely, the smaller volumes seized after arriving in the mail directly from China can have purities over 90 percent. "Drug organizations "most commonly smuggle the multi-kilogram loads of fentanyl concealed in POVs [privately owned vehicles] before trafficking the drugs through SWB [Southwest Border POEs [Ports of Entry]," the report states. Trump's prediction is consistent with the law enforcement official's expectations. According to the National Archives, 58,220 Americans died as a result of the Vietnam conflict. Drug-poisoning deaths surpassed that number in 2016 at 63,632, that number continued to climb in 2017, to 70,237. Statistics for 2018 are still being compiled, but according to law enforcement sources, that number is expected to surpass 2017. Trump is right to suggest that at several points Schumer has backed the idea of a wall. As recently as January 2018, Trump and Schumer appeared to have an agreement for permanent protections for some young undocumented immigrants in exchange for border security, including the wall.  But those negotiations eventually fell apart. Democrats have voted for a physical barrier in the past, but it was far different than what he is asking for today. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 called for the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the southern border, including enhanced surveillance technology, satellites, radar coverage and cameras.  The barrier was far less ambitious than the "big, beautiful" concrete wall Trump promised voters. The legislation was part of the Bush administration's broader strategy for comprehensive immigration reform.  And while the bill itself called for the construction of border "fencing," it also included a multi-faceted approach at securing the border. The final vote in the Senate was 80-19.  Twenty-six Democrats voted in favor of the bill, including Schumer, the current Democractic leader. The final vote in the House was 283-138.  Current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted against it. The legislation was signed into law by President George W.  Bush. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Dr. Rick Bright's decision to go public about his ouster is exposing months of turmoil inside one of the key divisions at the Department of Health and Human Services charged with responding to the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/Ngtq1LoVe2

Rick Bright claims he's being "sidelined" amid pandemic. Man who led US drug agency removed from his postThe head of the federal agency charged with overseeing the rapid production of a vaccine to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic said Wednesday he was removed from his post after trying to push back against what he called "cronyism" infecting the federal effort. Dr.  Rick Bright said he was transferred "in response to my insistence that the government invest the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit. ""I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science -- not politics or cronyism -- has to lead the way," Bright said in a statement that came less than 24 hours after the Department of Health and Human Services circulated an internal memo, reviewed by ABC News, saying he had been promoted to a position in another agency.  "Sidelining me in the middle of this pandemic and placing politics and cronyism ahead of science puts lives at risk and stunts national efforts to safely and effectively address this urgent public health crisis. "The White House declined to comment for this report, but President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had "never heard" of Bright. "The guy says he was pushed out of a job.  Maybe he was.  Maybe he wasn't.  You'd have to hear the other side.  I don't know who he is," the president said at his daily press briefing. Thursday lawyers for Bright said "soon" they would be filing a whistle-blower complaint "detailing the retaliatory treatment to which he was subjected by HHS political leadership after raising appropriate science-based concerns about White House pressure on treatment and vaccines related to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Bright had been in charge of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, which recently received more than $3 billion in federal funds to help ramp up production capacity so that any discovery of a coronavirus vaccine can be quickly manufactured and distributed to hundreds of millions of Americans.  His removal from the post stunned lawmakers who had been pushing for a more robust vaccine effort. "We need to be listening to experts and science, not pushing them aside," Sen.  Patty Murray, D-Wash. , wrote on Twitter following news reports regarding Bright's statement.  "A global pandemic is not the time to shuffle personnel, or contradict and remove experts for wanting to do their job well.  These reports are incredibly disturbing and I will be pushing for answers. "Bright will be moving to a position at the National Institutes of Health to lead a new initiative "to accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccine and treatment options," said a spokesperson for Health and Human Services, which is BARDA's parent organization, prior to Bright's statement.  Gary Disbrow, Bright’s current assistant secretary, will serve as the acting director of BARDA.  In a follow-up statement, the HHS said at the NIH Bright would "work on development and deployment of novel point-of-care testing platforms. "An internal message announcing Bright’s departure reviewed by ABC News congratulated Bright on the new position. "The President and the Secretary and Congress see this as an essential effort requiring the best effort and people this Nation has," the HHS email read.  "One of our own has been tapped. "BARDA plays the crucial role of overseeing and investing in the development, manufacturing, purchasing and deployment of vaccines during the pandemic -- what experts say is the key to emerging from the coronavirus pandemic safely.  The little-known agency is part of the Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. As ABC News previously reported, medical experts and sources familiar with the organization have privately raised concerns about the agency.  BARDA entered the pandemic crisis with a strategic plan that had not been updated since 2016, and medical experts have privately said more funding does not mean the agency will be able to catch up in time. "Where has the investment been going for pandemic preparedness? " asked one infectious disease expert familiar with the agency's operations. When asked for the agency’s updated plan last week, Bright told ABC News in a statement that the agency’s goals are "woven into the [2018] National Biodefense Strategy, the National Health Security Strategy and Implementation Plan, and the Public Health Medical Countermeasures Enterprise multi-year budget. ""Vaccine technology development and manufacturing initiatives begun 10 years ago and have continued towards national preparedness goals," Bright said at the time. But this week, reports began to emerge of tensions between Bright and Dr.  Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS.  Sources told ABC News the two men sparred on some aspects of managing BARDA throughout the coronavirus pandemic.  In recent weeks, the tensions boiled over, the sources said. Bright’s statement Tuesday also painted a bleak picture of the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak began.  In it, he said he was being handed "misguided directives" pushing the drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which he said lacked scientific merit. "While I am prepared to look at all options and to think ‘outside the box’ for effective treatments, I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public," Bright said.  "I insisted that these drugs be provided only to hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 while under the supervision of a physician.  These drugs have potentially serious risks associated with them, including increased mortality observed in some recent studies in patients with COVID-19. "Those drugs had been promoted heavily by Trump during his public appearances at the White House. Earlier this month, Trump said at his daily briefing he though there were "some very strong, powerful signs" of the drug’s potential to fight coronavirus. "If it does work, it would be a shame we did not do it early," he said.  "We are sending them to various labs, our military, we’re sending them to the hospitals. "Late Wednesday, an HHS spokesperson said in a statement that it was Bright who requested the Food and Drug Administration give the drugs an Emergency Use Authorization.  "The EUA is what made the donated product available for use in combating COVID-19," the spokesperson said. Murray, among others in the Senate, recently raised concerns about political efforts to push unproven medical solutions.  In a letter sent last week, the senior Democrat on the Senate’s Health Committee called on the FDA to "act with speed and flexibility in its response to this extraordinary public health crisis but must do so in a manner that upholds scientific integrity over political influence. "After Bright's statement, Sen.  Ed Markey, D-Mass. , called on the HHS inspector general to investigate what he called the "shocking and disturbing allegation" that Bright was removed for questioning and "resisting" Trump's promotion of the drugs. In his statement, Bright himself asked the inspector general to "investigate the manner in which this administration has politicized the work of BARDA," among other allegations. ABC News' Mike Levine contributed to this report. This report was updated Thursday to include comment from Bright's attorneys concerning a potential whistle-blower complaint. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


The letter sent to Congress by Attorney General William Barr describes "two main" Russian efforts to influence the election and says Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether obstruction of justice occurred. https://t.co/38bKXJNXwB https://t.co/uwE0roMIt6

  Jay Sekulow, an attorney for President Donald Trump, said Monday he does not want the written answers the President submitted to special counsel Robert Mueller to be released, describing them as “confidential. ”

  “Well, that would not be a position that I would want, to just make a statement where we would release confidential communications that took place between the President of the United States and the Department of Justice or the special counsel’s office,” Sekulow told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day. ”

Special counsel and DOJ deliberated seeking subpoena for Trump

  Sekulow continued, “as a lawyer, you don’t waive privileges and you don’t waive investigative detail absent either a court order or an agreement between the parties.  And you’d have to weigh a lot of factors there on how that affects other presidencies. ”

  Sekulow called such a move “very inappropriate,” and added that it’ll “be a decision (Attorney General William Barr) makes, but I’ve some strong opinions about that. ”

  On Sunday, Barr delivered a summary to Congress detailing the principal conclusions of Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

  For months, Mueller’s team had requested a sit-down interview with Trump, but the President’s lawyers refused to commit and negotiations continued.  Eventually, the special counsel submitted written questions to the President last fall concerning the time frame before the 2016 election, which Trump answered in late November.

  Barr’s letter to Congress stated that Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election and said that based on the report, Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined there was not enough evidence to prosecute the President for obstruction of justice.

  CNN’s  Pamela Brown, Evan Perez and Laura Jarrett contributed to this report.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Karnataka: In a bid to spread awareness against  #coronavirus, Bengaluru Traffic Police at Nagenahalli checkpost wrote on the road, "If you come to road, I'll come to your home." (1.04.2020) https://t.co/gzGOC8m1pZ

To discourage people from venturing out on roads during the ongoing lockdown, different police departments are employing unusual – and sometimes entertaining – ways.  It can be singing Hindi songs to highlight the importance of the ongoing situation or shaming lockdown violators by performing aarti.  Now, Bengaluru traffic police has joined the trend too and in an interesting way. A few policemen from the department have inscribed a message on the road at Nagenahalli check-post in the regional language.  Translated it reads, “If you come to road, I’ll come to your home. ” News agency ANI shared the images of the same on Twitter.  Here’s what they tweeted:Karnataka: In a bid to spread awareness against #coronavirus, Bengaluru Traffic Police at Nagenahalli checkpost wrote on the road, "If you come to road, I'll come to your home. " (1. 04. 2020) pic. twitter. com/gzGOC8m1pZTo fight the ongoing pandemic, India is under lockdown.  Different authorities, including the police, are repeatedly urging people to practice social distancing and stay inside their homes. (With inputs from ANI)


President Trump weighs 244 pounds, stands 6 feet 3 inches, has a blood pressure of 121/79 mmHG and a resting heart rate 63 beats per minute, the White House says in a summary of the President's annual physical https://t.co/lx4vMxUokc

The findings are based on examinations between November 2019 and April 2020. Trump's physical results show weight gain, but he's 'in good health overall': WHAs the Trump administration fields a global pandemic and nationwide protests, the White House Wednesday afternoon released President Donald Trump's latest physical results, with his physician writing that Trump "remains healthy" and experienced no side effects from taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic against the novel coronavirus. In a memo made public from Dr.  Sean Conley, the president's physician said the findings are based on examinations between November 2019 and April 2020. "There has been no interval change to the President's medical history," Conley wrote. Results showed the president weighed in at 244 pounds -- up one pound from his last reported physical -- passing the official threshold of being considered obese for at least the second year in a row. The president's lab values and test results were within normal range, including his screening for diabetes (A1C), high cholesterol (lipid panel) and high blood pressure -- important conditions to look for in an obese individual, according to medical experts. Trump's heart was also monitored via an electrocardiogram, or EKG, while he was taking hydroxychloroquine, a drug unproven to treat COVID-19 that the president repeatedly promoted but that has, separately, been linked to increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias.  Patients taking any medication that have a known cardiac side effect generally will get an EKG prior to beginning the medication, then periodically at the discretion of their physician. ABC News medical experts did note, however, that someone on a short course of hydroxychloroquine would generally not get periodic EKGs, so this was likely monitored out of an abundance of caution. The memo reinforced Trump's previous comments that he completed a round of the drug without side effects and that all of his coronavirus tests have come back negative. It also showed the president's cholesterol level slightly improved to 167 from 196 the year before. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced earlier Wednesday that the president's annual physical had been completed and that the results would soon be made available to the public. McEnany's announcement was unusual because the president typically travels to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to complete his annual physical. , but has not made a recent trip to the hospital. Trump did make an unannounced trip to the hospital in November, when the White House said he was completing "portions" of his annual physical exam, in a visit that lasted more than two hours. Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said at the time, "Anticipating a very busy 2020, the president is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington, D. C. , to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed. "While Trump's 2018 and 2019 physicals were both announced ahead of time, the 2020 physical was not. After the president's last full physical examination in February 2019, Dr.  Conley released a memo saying Trump was in "in very good health overall" and should remain so "for the remainder of his presidency and beyond. "Exam results at the time showed that at 6-foot 3-inches tall, Trump had a body mass index of 30. 4, passing the official threshold of being considered obese.  He weighed 243 pounds -- up seven pounds from September 2016, before he became president.  Results also showed that Trump had increased his daily dose of rosuvastatin, a medication used to treat high cholesterol. One year prior, Trump's first comprehensive physical as president revealed he had a common form of heart disease and high cholesterol.  Then-White House physician Dr.  Ronny Jackson suggested a reasonable goal for the president would be to lose 10 to 15 pounds, but he praised Trump for otherwise "excellent health. ""It is called genetics," Jackson told reporters in the White House Briefing Room in January 2018.  "Some people have just great genes.  I told the president that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old. "Trump is the oldest president to ever take office.  He doesn't drink alcohol or smoke, but he is known to enjoy fast food, steaks and ice cream.  Golfing is his primary source of exercise. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha on Delhi violence: All those who caused the violence will not be able to escape the law https://t.co/ZdpnH0jngB

HighlightsHome minister Amit Shah says police was probing the conspiracy angle in Delhi riotsShah said three people had been arrested for alleged funding of the riotsShah said several accounts had been opened just before the riots and closed in four days Home minister Amit Shah said a conspiracy could not be ruled out behind the Delhi communal riots in February that killed 52 people in the national capital and added that the investigations so far suggested the rioting was organised and that it could not have been done without advance planning. Home Minister also said that not a single incident of rioting was reported in Delhi after 11 pm on February 25 and that it was contained within 36 hours by Delhi police. “It was a big responsibility to contain rioting that had spread in an area with 20 lakh population,” Shah said, before adding, “Delhi police were able to end the riots in 36 hours time. ”Shah’s response was aimed at criticism at alleged laxity by Delhi Police in its handling of the riots. “Questions have been asked about what the Delhi Police was doing.  Police were on the ground then, police will also probe and submit a report in the coming days.  I would like to praise the Delhi Police for not allowing the riots to spread to other areas,” Shah said. Also read | ‘No incident of rioting in Delhi after February 25’: Amit Shah in Lok SabhaThe home minister said the scale and the rapid escalation of violence suggested a well-planned conspiracy, which was being probed. “The spread of riots on such a big scale in such a short time is not possible without a conspiracy.  We have registered a case of conspiracy to probe this angle,” Shah said. Elaborating further, the home minister said several people from the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh had sneaked into the riot-hit areas in Delhi before the violence broke out and said there was likely to be a “deep conspiracy”, which was being probed.  He added that the police had arrested three people who were suspected of having funded the violence in Delhi.  He added that there were 60 bank accounts that had been set up only for four days at the time of the riots and that the police will find out who these people were. “Three people have been arrested for financing the violence in North East Delhi,” Shah added. Shah said a scientific investigation as underway into the riots and all those who caused the violence will not be able to escape the law.  He said over two thousand six hundred arrests or detention had been made and over 700 FIRs had been registered and 25 or more computers were being analysed along with several CCTV footage. “Police is analysing CCTV footage using face identification software, it does not discriminate on the basis of religion or clothes,” Shah said. He added that residents of Delhi had also sent several video clips to Delhi police and one such video could likely solve the mysterious murder case of IB staffer Ankit Sharma- whose heavily-stabbed body was recovered near a northeast Delhi drain near his house on February 26. “A video sent by one of the Delhi residents is likely to reveal the secret behind Ankit Sharma’s murder” Shah added. The home minister assured that no innocent people will be made to suffer.  “We are ensuring that no action is taken against any innocent person,” he said. He also responded to the opposition criticism alleging he was not on top of law and order in the capital and said he had cancelled all his programmes when the rioting began in Delhi and was busy monitoring the situation with Delhi police. “US Pres’s program was pre-scheduled, it was in my constituency, my visit there was also pre-scheduled.  The next day, when the US Pres visited Delhi, I wasn’t present at any event.  The whole time I was sitting with Police officials. ,” shah said rejecting allegations that he was busy attending to US President Donald Trump when Delhi was burning.


428 positive cases & 1 death reported and 74 people recovered from #COVID19 today in Delhi. The total number of positive cases in the national capital rises to 5532, including 1542 recovered and 65 deaths: Government of Delhi https://t.co/CY8wnofgAk

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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Donald Trump says coronavirus crisis 'worse than Pearl Harbor' or 9/11Air India opens bookings for those passengers who meet eligibility criteria99 more Covid-19 cases and 7 deaths reported in Pune in the last 24 hoursPM Modi to deliver keynote address on Buddha Purnima in honour of Covid-19 warriorsMumbai Covid--19 cases cross 10,000-mark with 769 new additionsTotal number of cases in Uttar Pradesh is now at 2,99844 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Nagpur todayNumber of containment zones in Delhi is now 87No 'certainty' but 'significant evidence' coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab: Mike PompeoMaharashtra Covid-19 cases stand at 16,7581 death and 68 new Covid-19 positive cases reported in Dharavi todayTwo more cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Ranchi, taking the total number of cases to 127 in JharkhandInstances of overcrowding in bazaars, bathing of people in rivers, people playing cricket, football during lockdown in West Bengal: MHADelhi government announces summer vacation in its schools from May 11 to June 30: OfficialsLockdown violations noted in Kolkata, Howrah by specific groups in specific localities: MHACoronavirus continues to ravage global economies as infections across the globe continue to surge past 37 lakh.  Though more than 12 lakh people have recovered, the recovery rate globally still remains 33%.  US remains still the worst-affected country but the Trump administration is pushing the governors to reopen their states to restart the economy even as infections are surging. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemicIndia's recovery rate rose up to 29% as the amount of recovered cases tally crossed the 14,000-mark.  India currently has recorded 49,391 cases of Covid-19 with 1,694 deaths. Follow latest updates on how Covid-19 is affecting India and the world: Donald Trump says coronavirus crisis 'worse than Pearl Harbor' or 9/11US president Donald Trump says coronavirus crisis 'worse than Pearl Harbor' or 9/11, reports news agency AFPAir India opens bookings for those passengers who meet eligibility criteriaAir India opens bookings for those passengers who meet eligibility criteria and wish to travel from India to London, Singapore and select destinations in the USA on flights operating between 8th May to 14th May: Air India99 more Covid-19 cases and 7 deaths reported in Pune in the last 24 hours99 more Covid-19 cases and 7 deaths reported in Pune in the last 24 hours.  Total number of cases in the district is at 2300, including 665 discharged & 127 deaths: Pune Health DepartmentPM Modi to deliver keynote address on Buddha Purnima in honour of Covid-19 warriorsPrime Minister Narendra Modi shall be delivering the keynote address in the morning.  The event is being organised in honour of the victims and the frontline warriors of Covid-19: Prime Minister's OfficeMumbai Covid--19 cases cross 10,000-mark with 769 new additionsMumbai Covid-19 cases cross 10,000-mark with 769 new additions; Case count 10,527 while death toll rises by 25 to 412: Brihanmumbai Municipal CorporationTotal number of cases in Uttar Pradesh is now at 2,998118 more Covid-19 cases reported in Uttar Pradesh today, as of 6 pm.  Total number of cases in the state is now at 2998, including 1808 active cases, 1130 discharged, and 60 deaths: State Health Department44 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Nagpur today44 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Nagpur, taking total number of cases to 200 out of which 139 cases are active.  58 patients have recovered while three others succumbed to the infection in the city: Nagpur Municipal CorporationNumber of containment zones in Delhi is now 87One more area removed from the list of Covid-19 containment zones in Delhi.  The number of containment zones in the national capital is now at 87. No 'certainty' but 'significant evidence' coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab: Mike PompeoNo 'certainty' but 'significant evidence' coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab: Mike Pompeo, reports AFP. Maharashtra Covid-19 cases stand at 16,7581,233 new cases found on Wednesday, highest ever rise in a day.  State's count reaches to 16,758, according to the state health department1 death and 68 new Covid-19 positive cases reported in Dharavi today1 death and 68 new Covid-19 positive cases reported in Dharavi today.  Total positive cases in the area stands at 733* which includes 21 deaths: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)Two more cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Ranchi, taking the total number of cases to 127 in JharkhandTwo more cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Ranchi, taking the total number of cases to 127 in Jharkhand out of which 37 patients have recovered: Jharkhand Health Secretary Nitin Madan KulkarniInstances of overcrowding in bazaars, bathing of people in rivers, people playing cricket, football during lockdown in West Bengal: MHAInstances of overcrowding in bazaars, bathing of people in rivers, people playing cricket, football during lockdown in West Bengal: MHADelhi government announces summer vacation in its schools from May 11 to June 30: OfficialsDelhi government announces summer vacation in its schools from May 11 to June 30: OfficialsLockdown violations noted in Kolkata, Howrah by specific groups in specific localities: MHALockdown violations noted in Kolkata, Howrah by specific groups in specific localities; 'corona warriors' attacked there: MHA. First published: May 06, 2020 06:16 IST


Through her stoic resolve and empathy for the victims, New Zealand's PM Jacinda Ardern became the reluctant face of the terror attack in Christchurch.

On Friday, Ardern's face was projected onto Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. https://t.co/BKLblcQCk4 https://t.co/5FctrVn5Ws

Thousands of people are gathering in the New Zealand city of Christchurch to listen to prayers, songs and speeches at a vigil to remember the 50 people killed in a terrorist attack on two mosquesCHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand -- Thousands of people gathered in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Sunday to listen to prayers, songs and speeches at a vigil to remember the 50 people killed in a terrorist attack on two mosques. One of those watching from a wheelchair was 21-year-old Mustafa Boztas, who was shot in the leg and liver during the March 15 attack at the Al Noor mosque. "It's beautiful to see what the community has put together to show they care about us, and to show that we are all one," Boztas said. He said he was recovering well and hoped to be walking normally soon. Officials estimate up to 40,000 people attended the event on a sunny evening at Hagley Park.  It was held on a stage that had been set up for a concert by Canadian singer Bryan Adams that was cancelled after the attacks. The names of each of the 50 people killed were read out. Okirano Tilaia, the head boy at Cashmere High School, which lost two students in the attack, cited Martin Luther King Jr.  in his speech, saying he conquered people with love, peace and solidarity. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can," Tilaia said.  "And hatred cannot drive out hatred.  Only love can. "New Zealand has been holding a series of memorials since the attacks.  On Friday, people across the nation observed the Muslim call to prayer one week after the attacks.  Next Friday, a national remembrance is scheduled. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with murder in the attacks and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on April 5. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


In seven of the last nine competitive Democratic primaries, the candidate who placed first in the Iowa caucuses went on to become the party's presidential nominee. Here are six things to watch in the Iowa caucuses. https://t.co/VkRZ4GpJ4g

As of early Thursday, there were 97% of precincts reporting. Candidates out in force ahead of crucial New Hampshire voteThe Iowa Democratic Party released more caucus results early Thursday morning, more than two days after polls closed following a problem-plagued night of voting. With 97% of precincts reporting, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders both had 26% of the vote, according to the Iowa Democratic Party.  Massachusetts Sen.  Elizabeth Warren had 18%, former Vice President Joe Biden had 16% and Minnesota Sen.  Amy Klobuchar had 12% of the vote. Iowa's caucusgoers were without results late Monday night and much of Tuesday after technical issues and confusion on the ground upended the vaunted caucuses.  The ensuing chaos cast a pall over what has traditionally been a high spirited start to the Democratic primary season and raised questions about the impact of the Hawkeye State's first-in-the-nation status going forward. Absent those full results, none of the candidates who crisscrossed Iowa leading up to the caucuses, making nearly 400 stops collectively, with more than 330 days spent in the Hawkeye State while holding more than 2,300 events and spending millions of dollars in ads and on campaign events, saw a return on their investment by having their "moment. "Further, the problems that plagued Monday night's caucuses raised for both the campaigns and voters serious concerns about the accuracy of counting highly-sought after delegates whose role is important in counting toward the number of pledged delegates needed to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention.  The total number of pledged delegates needed to win the nomination and become the presumptive nominee is 1,991. Buttigieg's team was quick to claim victory. "Just in case you haven't been glued to your phone last few minutes, I want you to hear something from me," Buttigieg said Tuesday at a campaign rally in Laconia, New Hampshire.  "A little later than we anticipated, but better late than never.  Official verified caucus results are coming in from the state of Iowa.  They're not complete, but results are in from a majority of precincts, and they show our campaign in first place. ""We want to thank the people of Iowa," Sanders senior adviser Jeff Weaver said in a statement.  "We are gratified that in the partial data released so far it's clear that in the first and second round more people voted for Bernie than any other candidate in the field. "Despite his 16%, Biden said he was hopeful about the road ahead. "Now there are a lot of votes left to cast in the campaign, and I'm going to fight for every single one of them," Biden said in a fundraising email.  "But, I’m going to need your help to do that. "The Trump campaign seized on Biden's vote total, saying he "got beat like a drum" in an email to supporters. Ahead of the release, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Tony Price sought to offer accountability on the technical issues that led to a protracted delay in caucus results while stressing that backup systems were successful. "The thing to remember here, folks, is that we have a paper trail . . .  We have backups to this system," he said.  "We have redundancies built in. "On Monday night, "inconsistencies" became clear as precinct caucus results started coming in and they were run through an accuracy and quality check, according to Price, who noted that the "underlying cause of these inconsistencies was not immediately clear, and required investigation, which took time. "Price previously said the pre-planned backup measures of calling in results and entering the data manually "took longer than expected. "Polk County Democrats Chairman Sean Bagniewski confirmed to ABC News that the DNC had been calling precinct chairs and asking for results -- meaning the national party committee is actively engaging in calling the leaders of each precinct in order to verify the results. And one Democratic official was told that the DNC was "taking over" the accounting.  The official said that to their knowledge, this has never happened before. Ahead of that results release, Carl Voss, a precinct chairman for Des Moines-55, said while attempting to drop off his precinct packet that he'd been contacted by the Democratic National Committee. "They wanted a copy of my math sheet," he said. Voss said he didn't know why they wanted his math sheet or if it was standard procedure.  This was only Voss' second time as a caucus precinct chair and said he wasn't asked for this the first time. Math sheets are included in the precinct packets that every chair received from the Iowa Democratic Party.  In addition to the math sheets, presidential preference cards, county candidate petitions, and summary of results forms for delegates and alternatives are in the packet. He added that  while using the reporting app, they reported an overcount of participants and weren't unable to go back and revise the numbers. But as results remained in limbo, a number of the 2020 Democratic presidential campaigns appeared to be growing antsy in anticipation and attempted to spin the thus-far ambiguous night as their own victory. Buttigieg was on the ground in New Hampshire Tuesday and made multiple rounds on cable after claiming victory in the Iowa caucuses Monday night. On "CBS This Morning," Buttigieg was asked if it was premature to say he won if the final reports weren't out yet.  He pointed to his campaign's internal data. “We have the results from our organization, and if you look at what we were able to do, what happened last night, the fact that this campaign was able to gather support in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike, in counties that Hillary Clinton won, counties that Donald Trump won, we are thrilled and absolutely consider that a victory," he said. Other campaigns expressed frustration with the chaos and delay as well as concern over how the count will now be tabulated fairly. Warren's campaign manager Roger Lau Tuesday morning expressed that doubt -- and saying even before any data is released -- that they've got the receipts. "Our campaign collected photos and other raw documentation of the results at hundreds of caucus locations as part of our internal reporting process," Lau tweeted.  "Today we will provide what we have to the Iowa Democratic Party to help ensure the integrity of their process. "His tone echoed that of former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign last night which called for a "full explanation" about the quality control methods used to verify the results, and a chance to respond before any results are released. As other 2020 presidential candidates look for clarity out of Iowa as they pivot on to New Hampshire, the next early contest, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg pressed on with his gambit to key in on the Super Tuesday spots with a high delegate yield.  Moreover, he's specifically honing in on the swing states Trump picked up in 2016 that Democrats “should” have won, like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. He is skipping the four early states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and New Hampshire -- in seeking to make inroads in California and woo and win its 415 delegates. All in all, California has more delegates than all first four early voting states combined. "I hear something happened in Iowa or didn't happen.  I don't know which.  Still can't figure that out.  I was on a plane coming up here and I slept -- was sleeping and I woken up and I said, what happened?  . . .  But while all the other Democratic candidates have flown to New Hampshire now, I‘m here in Michigan because this is a state we absolutely -- Look, we have to win this state in November if we're going to beat Donald Trump," Bloomberg said during his organizing event in Detroit. ABC News' Meg Cunningham, Armando Garcia, Justin Gomez, Averi Harper, Kendall Karson, MaryAlice Parks, Sasha Pezenik and Briana Stewart contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


HBO releases "Game of Thrones" debut date for climactic final season, "official teaser" video. https://t.co/NZNmHxzua5 https://t.co/hdCb7mzEZ0

    The wintry wait for “Game of Thrones” isn’t over, but fans at least officially know when the suspense will end.

    HBO announced Sunday that its signature series will begin its final season on April 14.  The service had previously said only that the show will return in April.

    Just six episodes remain of the program, although many installments of the eighth and final season are expected to run longer than an hour, as the producers endeavor to bring the TV version of George R. R.  Martin’s epic fantasy tale to a satisfying close.

    HBO chose to tease that the announcement was coming in advance, then drop it on air prior to the third-season premiere of its crime drama “True Detective. ” The stunt reflects how the pay channel – like CNN, a unit of WarnerMedia – intends to leverage its most-watched show and “Thrones’” avid fan base to help launch other programs leading up to and during its finishing run.

    The seventh-season finale set a ratings record in 2017, attracting 16. 5 million viewers on HBO and via same-day streaming, according to Nielsen data.  That represented a surge of more than 35% compared to the corresponding episode the previous season.

    The premiere puts the series finale date at May 19.
  © 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


A video showing looting and violence at a livestock market has gone viral on social media with the claim that the incident occurred at Maharashtra's borders.  The video is being shared in the context of the Eid festival held on 31 July.  However, we found that the video is actually from Casablanca in Morocco.  CLAIM The viral video is being shared with the claim that "non-secular politicians and police" are behind the loot of these goats at the Maharashtra borders to harass the Muslims who actually bought them.  The Quint also received the video on its WhatsApp helpline number.  WHAT WE FOUND OUT A reverse image search of the key-frames of the video led us to an article by a Moroccan daily tabloid, ahdath. info.  The article stated that the video captures the recent loot and violence at a sheep market in Al-Hassani neighbourhood in Casablanca.  A keyword search of "violence," "loot" and "Al-Hassani" led us to several news reports of the incident.  Morocco World News, an Arabic and English language e-newspaper, reported on 31 July that, "Azmat, a Moroccan “rehba,” a livestock market offering sheep and goats for sale for Eid Al Adha, was rocked with violence and chaos. " The article carried a screenshot from the viral video.  We also found a report by a Casablanca-based digital media company, We Love Buzz,on the same incident, in which it said that the General Directorate of National Security, Morocco, stated that "interventions made it possible to arrest several individuals involved in these criminal acts and to restore order in the market.  The news outlet is verified on Facebook and had uploaded the viral video with details of the incident, and said it took place the day before Eid al-Adha.  They are also verified on Twitter.  We also found that Moroccan journalist Ridouane Erramdani had shared the video on his verified Instagram handle, with the caption, "Eid al-Adha. . .  no comment. . . " Further, we checked the Facebook page of the General Directorate of National Security, Morocco and found that they had uploaded a post about the incident on 31 July.  The post said that the incident had taken place in Casablanca’s Hasani neighbourhood and that 20 individuals have been arrested by the police so far, for their alleged involvement in the violence and theft at the livestock market.  It is therefore clear that although the video was shot recently ahead of Eid al-Adha, it's actually from the city of Casablanca in Morocco and not from Maharashtra.


CNN PROJECTION: Joe Biden wins New York https://t.co/HsxkSi49nt #CNNElection https://t.co/uOYOaq11o1

The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris deliver 1st message of unity after historic winJoe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump.  ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency. The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate. Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed. Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign. The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016. A Justice Department official confirmed Monday evening that Richard Pilger, a career official who was serving as director of the Elections Crimes Branch, has resigned from his role in the division because of the attorney general's memo authorizing U. S.  attorneys to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Pilger has stepped back into a role in the DOJ's Public Integrity Section. The New York Times reported that Pilger wrote to colleagues in an email this evening, "Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications, I must regretfully resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch. ”A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Pilger's resignation. When ABC News sought a response from Pilger, an automatic reply to the email said, "I am no longer the Director of the Election Crimes Branch, and have stepped back to the line at the Public Integrity Section. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinThe Biden transition team will not receive full intelligence briefings until the General Services Administration officially "ascertains" the former vice president to be winner of the presidential election, according to a statement from the Office of Director of National Intelligence on Monday. "ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition.  ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA Administrator," an ODNI spokesperson said in a statement. Meanwhile, outside government watchdogs are already warning that a continued delay in briefings could carry grave national security implications for the incoming administration. Aaron Scherb, the legal director at Common Cause, told ABC News on Monday that the "petty and unproductive" decision by GSA to withhold key resources to the Biden transition could have the "potential for catastrophic results. " "By GSA not signing off on this, there is certainly some classified intelligence information that the incoming administration would not have access to -- and would potentially not be fully prepared on day one to be able to counteract ongoing efforts from our adversaries like all previous incoming administrations have," Scherb said. "If the Biden transition team doesn't have access to some of the documents and information," he continued, "there are national security concerns. "-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Lucien BruggemanAttorney General William Barr sent a memo to U. S.  attorneys Monday evening authorizing them to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. In the memo Barr says that such inquiries "may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State. "But Barr emphasized in the letter that this should not be taken as the DOJ believing there was widespread fraud -- a baseless claim being made by attorneys for Trump and the RNC.  Rather, he's doling authority out to U. S.  attorneys in the event they might uncover any such credible evidence of a fraud conspiracy that might affect vote tabulations before election results are certified. "Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election," Barr wrote.  "Rather, I provide this authority and guidance to emphasize the need to timely and appropriately address allegations of voting irregularities so that all of the American people, regardless of their preferred candidate or party, can have full confidence in the results of our elections. ""While it is imperative that credible allegations be addressed in a timely and effective manner, it is equally imperative that Department personnel exercise appropriate caution and maintain the Department's absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship," Barr said in the memo.  "While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinBiden is slated to give remarks focused on the Affordable Care Act and the Trump administration's lawsuit to overturn it.  Biden will talk about his own plan "to expand access to quality, affordable health care. "The event in Wilmington, Delaware, is slated for 2 p. m. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments at 10 a. m.  in the case brought by Trump and 18 Republican-led states asking that the Affordable Care Act be eliminated in its entirety.


Union Health Minister @drharshvardhan to visits GTB Hospital to review the dry run drill for administering COVID-19 vaccine

(photos by: @rajkraj_ht)

Updates: https://t.co/tIAw3kghvU https://t.co/o8eJWlH7GR

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

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

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Chandigarh reports 29 new Covid cases in last 24 hoursRussia inoculates more than 800,000 people against Covid-19Jharkhand logs 151 new Covid cases in last 24 hoursHimachal Pradesh records 149 new Covid-19 casesUK records 57,725 new Covid-19 cases, 445 deathsJ-K record 244 new coronavirus casesKarnataka logs 755 new Covid casesCovid-19 recoveries in Iran cross 1 million markRajasthan government imposes night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am in 13 urban districtsManipur records 37 new Covid casesMumbai logs 592 fresh Covid casesFinland records first adverse reaction to Pfizer Covid-19 vaccineTamil Nadu records 910 new Covid casesFour UK returnees to Gujarat test positive for new strain494 new Covid-19 cases and 14 deaths in DelhiA one-day nationwide dry run for Covid-19 vaccination began on Saturday and is currently underway, after the exercise was carried out in four states-Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab-on December 28 and 29.  The country's search for a Covid-19 vaccine is also on the verge of ending as a subject experts committee (SEC) of the government on Friday reportedly gave its approval for the emergency use authorisation (EUA) of Oxford University-AstraZeneca's Covishield, which will be manufactured in India by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII).  The vaccine will by officially cleared for use after approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), where its EUA application will be sent next. Click here for full Covid-19 coverageIndia's tally of cases of Covid-19, meanwhile, is at 10,305,788 after the Union health ministry on Saturday reported that the country had logged a total of 19,079 infections in the preceding 24 hours.  Recoveries, active cases and death toll are at 9,906, 387, 250,183 and 149,218 respectively.  These constitute 96. 12%, 2. 43% and 1. 45% of the country's total Covid-19 cases thus far. Follow all live updates here:Chandigarh reports 29 new Covid cases in last 24 hoursChandigarh on Saturday reported 29 fresh coronavirus cases and one death, taking the infection count to 19,865, according to a medical bulletin, reports PTI. Russia inoculates more than 800,000 people against Covid-19More than 800,000 people in Russia have been inoculated so far against the new coronavirus and more than 1. 5 million vaccine doses have been dispatched, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday, reports Reuters. Jharkhand logs 151 new Covid cases in last 24 hoursJharkhand reported 151 new #COVID19 cases & 205 recoveries & 4 deaths today. The total number of cases now stands at 1,15,392 including 1,12,734 recoveries, 1034 deaths, and 1,624 active cases: State Health Department pic. twitter. com/fO42PbojUbHimachal Pradesh records 149 new Covid-19 casesHimachal Pradesh reports 149 new #COVID19 cases, 339 cured cases, and 2 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 55,619Total cured cases: 52,443Deaths: 926Active cases: 2,202 pic. twitter. com/DOdTXQ0LdlUK records 57,725 new Covid-19 cases, 445 deathsThe United Kingdom recorded a further 57,725 cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, the fifth day running that it has topped 50,000, and another 445 deaths, official data showed, reports Reuters. J-K record 244 new coronavirus casesJammu and Kashmir recorded 244 new coronavirus cases and another death, taking the tally to 1. 21 lakh and the toll to 1,885 on Saturday, officials said, records PTI. Karnataka logs 755 new Covid casesKarnataka reported 755 new #COVID19 cases, 976 discharges and 3 deaths today. Total cases: 9,21,128Total discharges: 8,98,176Death toll: 12,099Active cases: 10,834 pic. twitter. com/rhteaRq2QSCovid-19 recoveries in Iran cross 1 million markIranian health authorities announced 6,045 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, bringing the overall count to 1,237,474 cases in the country, reports ANI. Rajasthan government imposes night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am in 13 urban districtsNight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am will be in force within the urban limits of the district head quarter towns of 13 districts — Kota, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Nagore, Pali, Tonk, Sikar & Ganganagar: Rajasthan GovernmentManipur records 37 new Covid casesManipur reported 37 new #COVID19 cases, 40 recoveries & 1 death today, says State Health Department. Total cases so far: 28,243Total recoveries: 26,782Active cases: 1,104Total Deaths: 357Recovery rate is 94. 82 % pic. twitter. com/mKvBW239YnMumbai logs 592 fresh Covid casesMumbai reports 592 new #COVID19 cases, 695 recoveries/discharges and 7 deaths today.  Total cases rise to 2,94,659 including 2,74,767 recoveries/discharges and 11,132 deaths.  Active cases stand at 7,892 pic. twitter. com/XhSBDC1t5BFinland records first adverse reaction to Pfizer Covid-19 vaccineThe Finnish Medicines Agency has received the first report of an adverse reaction to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against coronavirus a week after Europe started its mass immunization campaign, the Finnish YLE broadcaster reported on Saturday, reports ANI. Tamil Nadu records 910 new Covid casesTamil Nadu reported 910 new #COVID19 cases, 1,007 discharges, and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health DepartmentTotal cases: 8,19,845Total discharges: 7,99,427Death toll: 12,146Active cases: 8,272 pic. twitter. com/8M6nlxfVCqFour UK returnees to Gujarat test positive for new strainFour passengers who returned from the United Kingdom have tested positive for the new strain of Covid-19 in Gujarat, says Jayanti Ravi, state principal secretary (health). 494 new Covid-19 cases and 14 deaths in DelhiDelhi reports 494 new Covid-19 cases, 496 recoveries and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi health department. Delhi reports 494 new #COVID19 cases, 496 recoveries and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health DepartmentTotal cases: 6,26,448Total recoveries: 6,10,535Death toll: 10,571Active cases: 5,342 pic. twitter. com/kyi7wIp4aTFirst published: Jan 02, 2021 07:01 IST


Twitter has disabled an account that appeared to represent a violent Antifa group after it was determined to be a bogus front for a white nationalist group. https://t.co/H43OMxKemL

By Donie O'Sullivan, CNN BusinessUpdated 1709 GMT (0109 HKT) June 2, 2020 New York (CNN Business)A Twitter account that tweeted a call to violence and claimed to be representing the position of "Antifa" was in fact created by a known white supremacist group, Twitter said Monday.  The company removed the account.  CNN's Besty Klein in Washington contributed reporting


New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says health care workers are expressing concern over PPE use guidelines set forth by CDC: "If we believe the CDC guidelines don't protect health care professionals, then we will put our own guidelines in place." https://t.co/vLYqHWrMao https://t.co/vaLHJ2T8JE

By Kristina Sgueglia, CNNUpdated 3:12 PM ET, Sat March 28, 2020  (CNN)New York Gov.  Andrew Cuomo said the state's presidential primary election will be postponed from April 28 until June 23 amid coronavirus fears, making it the 13th presidential primary contest date change due to the virus.  CNN's Dan Merica, Sheena Jones, Adam Levy and Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.


An image of a news article is viral with it’s title digitally edited, falsely malign journalism.   Although the first reaction would consider the title edited, but then many are forwarding, sharing this considering real, blaming the journalist who wrote the article.  The news article is about a probable third wave of COVID-19 stating that IIT experts have studied it and it would not be much smaller as compared to the first (last year), and second (last few months) The title in the viral image is “राहत: कोरोना की तीसरी लहर %^ट बराबर आएगी” It’s viral on whatsapp with text –“ये क्या भाषा हो गयी है पत्रकारों की” Translation – “What kind of language the journalists are using now ? ”  That is convincing🥳 pic. twitter. com/YZHCeG1BGb — KABIR The 2nd (@kabir_shelby) June 16, 2021  The following user thought this to be real thinking the journalist who wrote the article actually wrote this title too महान "पत्तलकार" को "100 झांट" ओ…माफ़ कीजिए…"100 तोपों" की सलामी@sambitswaraj अपने विचार रखें "झांट बराबर" 😂🤣 हद्द हो गई देश में "मोदी मीडिया" pic. twitter. com/D66VX9qI2v — सौरभ जैन (सोनीपत) 🖊🖊 (@vaibhavj36) June 12, 2021  और सब तो ठीक है, ये "झांट बराबर" का होता है बे 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😅😅😅😅😍😍 pic. twitter. com/fYzQBvDyTs — SaNaM (@SaNaM001997) June 16, 2021  A Facebook Page posts the edited image with a text “पत्रकारिता के नए मानदंड तय करते हुए भारतीय मीडिया! “ Translation – “Indian Media Setting New Standards for Journalism! ”   The title/heading of the article in the viral image is edited.  Following is the real article with real title  The above article was printed in a Hindi daily Newspaper Live Hindustan, The article was written by journalist Mr.  Madan Jaira.  SMHoaxSlayer contacted MR.  Jaira and got hold of the actual article.  The article was printed on the front page of Live Hindustan on10th June in it’s Lucknow version.   You can read it here


MMA star Conor McGregor was charged with felony strong-armed robbery and criminal mischief after police say he slapped a phone out of a fan's hand and stomped on it https://t.co/uHy4oN027Z https://t.co/1yMfJyT2wE

He was arrested after an altercation with a fan who wanted a selfie with him.  UFC fighter arrested after altercation with fanUFC superstar Conor McGregor was arrested in Miami on Monday after an alleged altercation with a fan who attempted to take a selfie with him. The MMA fighter is facing two felony charges after allegedly smacking a man's phone out of his hand and smashing it on the ground, police said. The incident happened outside of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach around 5 p. m.  when the man approached McGregor with his mobile phone and attempted to take a photo with him, according to an arrest affidavit. McGregor, 30, allegedly stomped the man's phone several times and walked away with it, according to the affidavit. McGregor was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County on felony charges of strong-armed robbery and criminal mischief over $1,000. He was released Monday evening after posting $12,500 bond. His defense lawyer, Samuel Rabin, confirmed the incident in a statement to ABC News, saying his client "was involved in a minor altercation involving a cell phone that resulted in a call to law enforcement.  Mr.  McGregor appreciates the response of law enforcement and pledges his full cooperation. "The Irish UFC champion recently completed court-ordered community service in connection to a case from last April, when he was seen on video going on a rampage that injured another fighter at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. McGregor pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in that case. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Australian Federal Police: Police and emergency services have responded to suspicious packages to embassies and consulates in ACT & VIC today. The packages are being examined by attending emergency services. The circumstances are being investigated. #Melbourne https://t.co/oAehVjBHHY

Suspicious packages were found on Wednesday at several diplomatic missions in Melbourne, including the Indian Consulate, prompting Australian authorities to launch a major emergency response.  A major operation is underway after packages were delivered to at least 10 international consulates across Melbourne.  Firefighters and Ambulance Victoria paramedics were attending the Indian Consulate and US Consulate on St Kilda Road. “Police and emergency services have responded to suspicious packages to embassies and consulates. . .  The packages are being examined by attending emergency services.  The circumstances are being investigated,” Australian Federal Police tweeted.  The Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said it was assisting the Australian Federal Police at a number of incidents at embassies across Melbourne.  The United Kingdom Consulate, located on Collins Street, along with the Korean Consulate (St Kilda Road), German Consulate (Queen Street), Italian Consulate (St Kilda Road), Swiss Consulate (Ashwood), Pakistan Consulate (Cardigan Place), Greek Consulate (Albert Road) and the Indonesian Consulate (Queens Road) are also believed to have been affected.  Emergency workers wearing chemical suits were seen entering some of the buildings.  There was no reports of any one injured so far.  More than a dozen hazardous material alerts have been issued on the VicEmergency website. The developing situation comes just two days after a “suspicious” white powder was found at the Argentinian Consulate in Sydney.


Chopper of the Indian Air Force showers flower petals on the Police War Memorial in order to express gratitude and appreciation towards the police officials

#COVID19

(pics: ANI)

Follow updates : https://t.co/XlUCBZN2ju https://t.co/hvKB2IaEz8

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
											Chennai,
											Kolkata

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

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Coronavirus cases in Pune cross 2,000-markTelangana reports 21 new virus cases, total cases in state mount to 508Tamil Nadu issues guidelines for resumption of economic & commercial activitiesDelhi records biggest jump in Covid-19 cases, 427 reported in 24 hrsMaharashtra coronavirus cases up by 678 to 12,974MHA asks states to take precautions against virus in jails, other detention centresCoronavirus cases in Punjab cross 1,000 markBritish govt reports 315 more coronavirus deathsHaryana cases reach 442Migrant workers protest in Hyderabad'America became greater than before': TrumpMumbai Covid-19 cases cross 8,600; Dharavi sees highest single-day spikeGujarat records above 5,400 Covid-19 casesMHA says movement allowed for people who are distressedNo Covid-19 cases reported in KeralaMore than 35 lakh people have been infected by the novel coronavirus.  US continues to top the list of worst-affected nations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  In India, total number of cases have now reached 40,263 with 1,306 people dead so far. Click here for complete coverage of coronavirus pandemicElsewhere in the world, Spaniards filled the streets to exercise outside for the first time in seven weeks and German children rushed to playgrounds as countries in Western Europe gradually relaxed coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Here are the highlights on coronavirus from India and around the world:Coronavirus cases in Pune cross 2,000-markPune district in Maharashtra has reported 138 new coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking its overall Covid count to 2,050, a Health official said on Sunday, reports PTI.  Telangana reports 21 new virus cases, total cases in state mount to 508Twenty-one new cases of coronavirus were reported in Telangana on Sunday. A media bulletin from the Health Department said: "21 coronavirus positive cases reported today, taking the total number of active cases to 508 in the State.  Total cured or discharged patients today are 46. ", reports ANI. Tamil Nadu issues guidelines for resumption of economic & commercial activitiesAs the national lockdown enters its third leg on Monday, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday issued the dos and don'ts regarding resumption of economic and commercial activities in the state, which has robust manufacturing and software sectors, reports PTI. Delhi records biggest jump in Covid-19 cases, 427 reported in 24 hrsDelhi witnessed the biggest jump in coronavirus cases in a day.  427 cases have been reported in the national capital in the last 24 hours.  The total cases in the state now stand at 4,549. Maharashtra coronavirus cases up by 678 to 12,974The number of Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra grew to 12,974 with 678 new cases on Sunday, a state health official said.  The death toll due to coronavirus went up to 548 in the state as 27 more people succumbed to the infection, the official said, reports PTI. MHA asks states to take precautions against virus in jails, other detention centresThe Centre has asked all states to take precautions against a COVID-19 outbreak in jails and correctional homes and ensure proper hygiene at such facilities.  In a communication to all states and Union Territories, the Home Ministry said the novel coronavirus is a global health crisis and has affected a huge population the world over, reports PTI. Coronavirus cases in Punjab cross 1,000 markPunjab saw the steepest rise in the number of coronavirus cases on Sunday with 331 more persons, mostly pilgrims returning from Nanded, testing positive for the disease, officials said, reports PTI.  British govt reports 315 more coronavirus deathsBritain's death toll in the coronavirus outbreak rose to 28,446 on Sunday, after the government reported 315 more fatalities in hospitals, care homes and the wider community, reports AFP.  Haryana cases reach 44266 people in Haryana have tested positive for Covid-19 in Haryana on Sunday.  Sonipat reported 18 new cases.  #COVID19 cases in Haryana rise to 442 after 66 people, including 18 in Sonipat, 12 in Faridabad, 11 in Panipat & 9 in Gurgaon, test positive; biggest single-day spike in cases: Health DepartmentMigrant workers protest in HyderabadMigrant workers in Hyderabad raised protests demanding that the state government arrange their return home. Telangana: Scores of migrant workers stranded here amid #COVID19 lockdown gathered in Hyderabad today allegedly demanding state government to send them back to their native places.  pic. twitter. com/EIgeaqSWxy'America became greater than before': TrumpUS President Donald Trump in a cryptic tweet declared victory over the pandemic. . . . . And then came a Plague, a great and powerful Plague, and the World was never to be the same again!  But America rose from this death and destruction, always remembering its many lost souls, and the lost souls all over the World, and became greater than ever before! Mumbai Covid-19 cases cross 8,600; Dharavi sees highest single-day spikeMumbai's Covid-19 infected numbers have now reached 8,613 cases with 441 new cases being reported.  Dharavi reported 94 fresh cases taking the total number of infected to 590. 441 new #COVID19 cases & 21 deaths have been reported in Mumbai today, taking the total number of cases to 8613 & deaths to 343.  Total 1804 patients discharged till today: Public Health Department, Mumbai.  #Maharashtra pic. twitter. com/SVF3mjYHgNGujarat records above 5,400 Covid-19 casesGujarat has 5,428 cases of Covid-19.  290 people have died so far. Gujarat reports 374 new COVID-19 cases and single-day highest 28 deaths; Total cases now 5,428 and fatalities 290: Health officialMHA says movement allowed for people who are distressedMHA states that this permission for movement in buses and special trains by states has been specifically given to such stranded persons, who had moved from their native places/workplaces, just before the lockdown period, but could not return to their native places/workplaces on account of restrictions placed on movement of persons and vehicles as part of lockdown measures. No Covid-19 cases reported in KeralaHealth Minister KK Shailaja said that the total number of active cases in the state is now 95. No COVID-19 case reported in Kerala today.  The total number of active cases in the state stands at 95 now.  Total 401 patients have recovered so far: Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja pic. twitter. com/EBE9ok4VdoFirst published: May 03, 2020 06:40 IST


Chennai: A couple got married earlier today at the protest site in Old Washermanpet area where demonstration is being held against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). #TamilNadu https://t.co/oojAN35phW

A Muslim couple, holding an anti-CAA placard, got married at the venue of the ongoing protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act here on Monday.  The couple, Sumayya and Shahin Shah, who arrived at the protest venue at north Chennai, was welcomed by the people and their marriage was solemnised by an Imam. The priest introduced the couple to the gathering and community elders blessed them.  After a brief ceremony during which the tricolour fluttered in the background, the couple was showered with gifts. Shah, along with Sumayya, held an anti-CAA placard and joined those raising slogans against the ‘contentious’ law. The placard read: “No CAA, NPR, NRC. ” The newly weds have been actively taking part in the protest and decided to tie the knot at the venue, with elders agreeing to it. The bride was clad in bright red saree with prominent zari works, while the bridegroom was dressed in maroon. The protest has been on at Old Washermanpet in north Chennai from February 14, and been dubbed as “Chennai’s Shaheen Bagh” in the social media. A congested neighbourhood, Muslims form a sizeable chunk of the population here.  Two streets serve as a protest venue and volunteers have put up a lengthy pandal to provide shade.


Photo of an Italian doctor waving goodbye to co-doctors as he is about to die due to coronavirus.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several health workers across the world.  These were people treating patients infected with coronavirus.  A recent report says more than 60 doctors have died in Italy during the outbreak. Amid this, an emotional post is circulating on social media showing a man lying on a hospital bed and giving the thumbs-up sign to health care workers standing near him.  It is being claimed that this is 38-year-old Italian doctor Julian Urban, waving goodbye to co-doctors as he is about to die due to coronavirus. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim along with the photo to be untrue.  The photo was taken in a hospital in China's Wuhan when a team of doctors was treating a Covid-19 patient. AFWA probeFacebook user "Thila Balasubramaniyan" shared the image with the caption, "They are saying their final Goodbyes to love ones Not because of Exotic food eating habits, not because of travelling despite Lockdown, not because of going against Goverment rules and regulations or Not because of going againts Nature.  They are dying because they have done nothing but chose to be a DOCTOR ! "On the viral image is superimposed the following text: "A 38-year-old Italian Doctor waves Goodbye to co-doctors as he could no longer survive Coronavirus Dr.  Julian Urban.  A 38 year-old doctor serving in a hospital in Lombardy, Italy Sends his last words to co-doctors. " The archived version of the post can be seen here. The misleading post has been shared widely on social media.  We found that the screenshot shared in the viral post was of an article from a website called "Magical Earth". Some other dubious websites (https://www. faithpot. com/atheist-doctor-finds-god-covid-19/) have also carried the story with the same photo. Using reverse search, we found that the viral photo has been used by many credible news websites.  As per "Buzzfeed", the photo was taken at Hankou hospital in Wuhan on January 27, 2020. A report by "South China Morning Post" also carries the viral photo with the caption, "Doctors in Wuhan are working around the clock and against the odds to battle the coronavirus outbreak. "None of the credible news reports, carrying the viral photo, says that the patient seen here is himself a doctor.  AFWA could not independently verify the story of an Italian doctor named Julian Urban who died after waving goodbye to his co-doctors.  But it is clear that the viral photo is not from Italy but China. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal), former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief merges his party with the Bharatiya Janata Party at an event in Ranchi, in the presence of @AmitShah

(pics: ANI)

Read: https://t.co/XX9YIDRPb1 https://t.co/ALwzPEUHoC

Fourteen years after he quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jharkhand strong man Babulal Maranadi in a grand show of homecoming will announce a formal merger of his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) with the BJP on Monday. The homecoming of the former Jharkhand chief minister comes soon after the BJP faced a drubbing in the assembly elections held in December, and is making concerted attempts to build bridges with the tribal communities in the state. The lack of a recognisable tribal face in Jharkhand was identified as one of the prime reasons for the party’s defeat in the assembly polls, which was exacerbated by the incumbent chief minister Raghubar Das failing to retain his seat. The BJP has been assiduously wooing the tribal communities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.  However it’s efforts have failed to reap rewards, because the party does not have strong leadership among the tribals communities, even though it included tribal faces such as Arjun Munda in the current Union cabinet.  In the last cabinet, Jual Oram from Odisha was the party’s tribal face. The growing schism between the tribal communities and the BJP has also been flagged by the party’s ideological mentor, the RSS. After the party lost elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the RSS had identified a vacuum in the leadership as a reason for the party’s poor show, especially in states where it was in power for decades. The BJP and the RSS are confronted with issues such as subsuming the tribal identity within the larger Hindu fold, land rights for tribal communities. With Marandi back in the party fold, the BJP is hopeful of strengthening its tribal outreach. The merger will take place in the presence of the BJP top brass including party president JP Nadda, former president Amit Shah and hundreds of party workers from across the state. A former Sangh pracharak, Marandi rose to prominence in the BJP after defeating another tribal leader and JMM strongman Shibu Soren in 1998 and his wife Rupa Soren in 1999 from the Dumka parliamentary constituency.  He was given charge as the minister for environment and forests in the Atal Bihar Vajpayee cabinet and later became the chief minister, a position he held till 2003. His return to the BJP is anticipated to earn him a bigger role in the state unit.  There is speculation that he could even be the state unit president. “He has been a vice president of the BJP, he has helped build the party cadre in the state, so it is obvious that we will continue to hold a key position and be involved in decision making.  His return to the party comes at a time when the party has to regain lost ground; the merger will be beneficial for both the party as well as Marandi and his JVK,” said a BJP functionary on condition of anonymity.


Charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange focus on allegations of a computer hacking conspiracy dating back to 2010, but that episode is just one of many for the whistleblower and the website he founded. https://t.co/Jm7hxZSeCT https://t.co/YcrST6pN47

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Nick Thompson, Brian Ries and Veronica Rocha, CNNThe first photographs showing the arrest of Julian Assange in central London on Thursday have started to cross.  Here's the full statement from London's Metropolitan Police on the arrest of Assange: Julian Assange, the 47-year-old WikiLeaks founder, has been arrested in London.  London's Metropolitan Police confirmed Assange's arrest on Twitter  on Thursday morning. Assange had been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London in 2012 while wanted for questioning over sexual assault allegations in Sweden. The Swedish case may have since been shelved but he was still wanted by British authorities for jumping bail. Assange maintained his innocence and claimed the charges were nothing more than an attempt to extradite him to the United States. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


In search of historical guidance and legal tools to respond to the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol last week, members of Congress and legal scholars alike are re-examining a little known section of a Reconstruction-era constitutional amendment. https://t.co/eabCw7rI7m

By Nicole Gaouette, Oren Liebermann and Barbara Starr, CNNUpdated 9:50 AM ET, Wed January 13, 2021  (CNN)America's most senior military leaders condemned the violent invasion of the US Capitol last week and reminded service members of their obligation to support and defend the Constitution and reject extremism in a statement that underscored the unprecedented challenges facing the country in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection attempt by President Donald Trump's supporters. CNN's Jake Tapper, Daniella Diaz, Manu Raju, Ryan Nobles, Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.