CLAIM A viral video doing the rounds on social media claims that after the Congress’ recent victory, party president Rahul Gandhi has said that farm loan waivers is not a solution.  This statement contradicts his earlier statement at a rally in Madhya Pradesh wherein he had promised farm loan waivers within 10 days after the Congress’ win.  Several users have shared the video on Twitter and Facebook, including Union Minister Smriti Irani, who retweeted the video.  Apart from Irani, Shobha Karandlaje, general secretary, BJP Karnataka and Parvesh Sahib Singh, MP from West Delhi Lok Sabha Constituency too shared the video.  The video has also been posted by several Modi fan pages on Facebook, such as Yogi Sarkar, Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar, Nation With Namo and PostCard Fans.  TRUE OR FALSE?  The viral video being circulated is clipped to make it seem as though Gandhi was backtracking on his earlier promise.  While addressing the media on the party’s victory in the recently concluded state Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi in the original video (from 22:45 to 23:32) said, “Farm loan waiver is a supporting step.  It is not a solution.  Solution is more complex.  Solution will support the farmers in terms of infrastructure and technology.  Frankly, solution is not easy.  It’s challenging and we will do it.  (translated)” At no point in the video has Gandhi said that his party would not implement farm loan waivers as promised.  On 23 November, at a rally in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi had promised that within 10 days of winning elections, the Congress will give loan waivers to farmers.  (Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified?  Send us the details at WebQoof@TheQuint. com and we'll fact-check it for you.  You can also read all our fact-checked stories here. ) (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience.  Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member.  Because the truth is worth it. )


“Period. End of Sentence.” wins Best Documentary (Short Subject) #Oscars #PeriodEndOfSentence https://t.co/EAE5xO7RAy https://t.co/1jWFthATB1

  The 91st Academy Awards was a night marked by historic firsts, inclusiveness and a final twist.

  The following is a list of nominees and the winners.

  “Black Panther”

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody”

  “The Favourite”

  “Green Book” *WINNER

  “Roma”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “Vice”

  Amy Adams, “Vice”

  Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

  Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” *WINNER

  Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

  Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

  Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER

  Adam Driver, “BlackKKlansman”

  Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

  Richard E.  Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me”

  Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

  “Capernaum”

  “Cold War”

  “Never Look Away”

  “Roma” *WINNER

  “Shoplifters”

  “Black Sheep”

  “End Game”

  “Lifeboat”

  “A Night at the Garden”

  “Period.  End of Sentence. ” *WINNER

  “Free Solo” *WINNER

  “Hale County This Morning, This Evening”

  “Minding the Gap”

  “Of Fathers and Sons”

  “RBG”

  “All The Stars” - “Black Panther”

  “I’ll Fight” - “RBG”

  “Shallow” - “A Star Is Born *WINNER

  “The Place Where Lost Things Go”  - “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” - “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “Incredibles 2”

  “Isle of Dogs”

  “Mirai”

  “Ralph Breaks the Internet”

  “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER

  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “BlacKkKlansman” *WINNER

  “Can You Ever Forgive Me? ”

  “If Beale Street Could Talk”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “First Reformed”

  “Green Book” *WINNER

  “Roma”

  “The Favourite”

  “Vice”

  Christian Bale, “Vice”

  Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

  Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

  Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

  Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

  Glenn Close, “The Wife”

  Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

  Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER

  Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me? ”

  Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

  Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

  Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

  Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” *WINNER

  Adam McKay, “Vice”

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “The Favourite”

  “First Man”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Roma”

  “Cold War”

  “The Favourite”

  “Never Look Away”

  “Roma” *WINNER

  “A Star Is Born”

  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “The Favourite”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Mary Queen of Scots”

  “A Quiet Place”

  “Black Panther”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “First Man”

  “Roma”

  “Black Panther”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “First Man”

  “Roma”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “Animal Behaviour”

  “Bao” *WINNER

  “Late Afternoon”

  “One Small Step”

  “Weekends”

  “Detainment”

  “Fauve”

  “Marguerite”

  “Mother”

  “Skin” *WINNER

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “If Beale Street Could Talk”

  “Isle of Dogs”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Avengers: Infinity War”

  “Christopher Robin”

  “First Man” *WINNER

  “Ready Player One”

  “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “Green Book”

  “The Favourite”

  “Vice”

  “Border”

  “Mary Queen of Scots”

  “Vice” *WINNER
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


YSRCP Chief and Andhra Pradesh CM designate Jaganmohan Reddy offered prayers at Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati https://t.co/yO6I18LApJ

Naveen Patnaik took oath as the chief minister of Odisha on Wednesday morning at a public function in Bhubaneswar.  This is Patnaik’s fifth consecutive term as CM.  So far only two chief ministers in India: Jyoti Basu of West Bengal and Pawan Chamling of Sikkim have been chief ministers for five terms.  Minutes later, Patnaik tweeted accepting the responsibility.  “It’s a nostalgic and personal journey for me to reminiscence the past 19 years.  Today while I take oath of office for the 5th term, I humbly accept the responsibility that comes with the faith my 4. 5 crore family members have reposed on me, yet again,” he tweeted. Watch | Naveen Patnaik takes oath as Odisha CM for fifth consecutive term More than 10,000 people attended the swearing-in ceremony despite mercury touching 40 degree Celsius.  Naveen Patnaik’s elder brother Prem Patnaik and sister Gita Mehta, a celebrated writer, attended the swearing-in ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patnaik on taking oath.  In a tweet, he assured the Odisha CM of Centre’s ‘complete cooperation. Congratulations to Shri Naveen Patnaik Ji on taking oath as Odisha’s Chief Minister.  Best wishes to him and his team in fulfilling the people’s aspirations.  I assure complete cooperation from the Centre in working for Odisha’s progress.  @Naveen_OdishaAfter Naveen Patnaik, 20 ministers also took oath; almost half of them are first-time ministers.  Odisha governor Ganeshi Lal on Tuesday evening had appointed 11 cabinet ministers and 9 ministers of state on the recommendation of Patnaik.  Despite several political analysts predicting a hung assembly due to huge anti-incumbency wave and a resurgent BJP, Patnaik’s BJD won 112 seats in the Assembly, just 5 less than what it won in 2014 polls. Also Read | In ‘special message’ to Delhi, Naveen Patnaik invites PM Modi for oath eventThe 11 cabinet ministers who were sworn in along with Patnaik are all old faces except Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das and Titlagarh MLA Tukuni Sahu.  Among the nine ministers of State, all are new faces except Ashok Panda.  The strength of the council of ministers is now 21, including the chief minister, which is within 15 % of the strength of the assembly as prescribed by Sarkaria Commission. The oath taking ceremony was attended by eminent sculptor Raghunath Mahapatra, vocalist Prafulla Kar, Odissi danseuse Priyambada Mohanty, eminent cardiologist Dr Ramakant Panda, Dr TP Das, gastroenterologist Dr Subrat Acharya, industrialists Kumaramangalam Birla, Naveen Jindal, Sanjeev Puri of ITC, Tata Steel’s MD TV Narednran, Tech Mahindra MD CP Gurnani, Mindtree president KK Natrajan, Puneet Dalmia of OCL, Sangeeta Reddy of Apollo Hospitals Group and P R Venkatarama Rajha of Ramco Group.


Bihar: Visuals of celebrations from BJP office in Patna. #ElectionResults2019 https://t.co/PkI6mlCt11

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday scored a perfect 10 in Haryana, winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats, and bettering its 2014 tally when it had bagged seven seats.  With its eyes on the assembly polls to be held later this year, the party, which had contested eight seats in 2014, went it alone this time, winning nine seats by hefty margins.  The Congress, which emerged as the BJP’s main rival, was routed, with most of its candidates losing by over a lakh votes.  Among the biggest losers were former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who lost by 1. 62 lakh votes from Sonipat, state Congress president Ashok Tanwar who lost Sirsa by about 3. 08 lakh votes, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja who lost by 3. 40 lakh votes from Ambala and Shruti Choudhary, daughter of Congress legislature party leader Kiran Choudhary, from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh by 4. 35 lakh votes. The results spelt bad news for candidates of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and its breakaway Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).  All INLD candidates forfeited deposits with Arjun Chautala, son of INLD leader Abhay Chautala, finishing fifth from Kurukshetra.  Barring JJP’s Dushyant Chautala, the sitting MP from Hisar, all JJP candidates lost their deposits.  Dushyant’s younger brother Digvijay Chautala, who contested from Sonipat, finished third, only managing about 50,000 votes. The big wins for the BJP came from Karnal where Sanjay Bhatia won by over 6. 54 lakh votes; Faridabad from where Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar won by 6. 36 lakh votes; Bhiwani-Mahendragarh from where Dharambir Singh won by 4. 35 lakh votes, Gurgaon where Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh won by over 3. 82 lakh votes and Hisar, where Brijendra Singh, a former IAS officer and son of Union minister, Birender Singh won by 3. 11 lakh votes. Chandigarh-based retired journalist VP Prabhakar said the BJP’s thumping win in Haryana was a result of the positive developmental agenda and accessible governance of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, coupled with an undercurrent of support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  “The decisiveness shown by the prime minister in undertaking the Balakot air strikes and Uri surgical strike fired the imagination of the people of the state, a large number of whom have a connect with the armed forces,’’ Prabhakar said. State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar said it was not a win for the BJP candidates, but a win for Narendra Modi, whose image secured the party’s victory, he said. Crediting the prime minister, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the BJP’s win showed that the people rejected dynastic politics, regional discrimination, nepotism and favouritism.


NEW: Pres. Trump congratulates Sen. Bernie Sanders on winning the Nevada caucuses: "We'll see how it all turns out, they have a lot of winning to do. I hope they treat him fairly." https://t.co/GJYbxlMSqu https://t.co/QuIaKoXNz4

By Devan Cole, CNNUpdated 5:16 PM ET, Sun February 23, 2020 Washington  (CNN)President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders on "a great win" in the Nevada caucuses, saying he hopes the Democratic presidential candidate is "treated fairly" during the nominating process.  CNN's Eric Bradner, Gregory Krieg, Paul LeBlanc, Dan Merica and Maeve Reston contributed to this report.


Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and BK Hariprasad to go to Bengaluru today. #Karnataka (file pics) https://t.co/PlEAR1J7U6

As the Congress fights to save its coalition government in Karnataka, the party’s leader in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday charged the BJP of orchestrating the resignation of MLAs and accused it of appointing chief ministers “in bars and restaurants”. The Congress leader’s comments came after photos emerged of independent MLA H Nagesh, who quit the coalition government on Monday, barely a month after he was made minister, boarding a plane at the Bengaluru airport that flew him to Mumbai.  On the tarmac, Nagesh is seen in the photos with two men, one of whom is said to be the personal assistant of Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa.  While the rank and file of the BJP have denied any involvement in the crisis in the Karnataka government, the Congress says that the photographs at the Bengaluru airport were proof the saffron party’s meddling. “There is a BJP hand in the Karnataka crisis.  Yeddyurappa’s PA was in the plane with rebel MLAs.  BJP appoints Chief Ministers in bars and restaurants.  They have done this before in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh,” Azad told reporters outside Parliament. A total of 13 MLAs have flown to Mumbai since the resignation drama began last weekend,Azad will be heading for Bengaluru to salvage the situation for the Congress after another MLA Roshan Baig submitted his resignation on Tuesday. Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s embattled government got a breather on Tuesday with Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s office saying the resignation letters by 8 MLAs of the 13 MLAs were not in the prescribed format and would have to be submitted afresh. Kumar also scheduled appointments on July 12 and 15 with five of the 13 MLAs to talk about their resignation letters.


A preacher said that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was "summoning demons" in a viral video which featured her dancing.

On January 25 2019, the Facebook page “Pass The 28th Amendment (Complete Removal Of The Church From The State)” shared a news article about a preacher who purportedly claimed that Rep.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was “summoning demons” in a viral video of her dancing in college: The page lamented: Pay close attention, folks.  This is how bad our education system has become that people ACTUALLY still believe this idiocy. . .  The appended article (“Preacher Claims Ocasio-Cortez Was Summoning Demons With Her Dances Moves”) was from January 21 2019, and it read: New York Rep.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has raised the ire of the entire Republican Party.  She has been criticized for everything from what she chooses to wear to dance video she made in college.  Crackpot preacher Lance Wallnau claimed Ocasio-Cortez’s success is due to witchcraft.  In an interview with Charisma magazine, Wallnau claimed Ocasio-Cortez’s success is due to demonic power.  “After watching that video, I suspect she was conjuring up demons from hell,” said Wallnau.  “I mean, she came out of nowhere, and now she’s a national figure.  Satan must have been involved with that.  Wallnau’s views are shared by several other Christians, according to Right Wing Watch.  That article linked to a January 14 2019 item by Right Wing Watch which made mention of intermittently circulating news about a coven of witches “hexing” various conservative figures, but it didn’t reference Ocasio-Cortez’s viral dance video or Wallnau.  Although the Facebook page urged its readers to “pay close attention,” it appears not to have taken its own advice.  The Business Standard News (BS News) featured an about page, which directly states that, as its name suggests, all its content is “satirical”: The Business Standard News is a satirical site designed to parody the 24-hour news cycle.  The stories are outlandish, but reality is so strange nowadays they could be true.  Article Sources +Preacher Claims Ocasio-Cortez Was Summoning Demons With Her Dances MovesDave Kubal Prays Against the Witches and ‘Diabolical Power’ Operating in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s DistrictNew York witches place hex on Brett KavanaughAbout


A top New York state legislator was charged with driving while intoxicated on New Year's Eve after urging his constituents not to drink and drive around the holidays. https://t.co/9zQ1jK4q4e

The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year's Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicleNews headlines today: Dec.  23, 2020VICTOR, N. Y.  -- The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year's Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk. Brian M.  Kolb, a Republican from Canandaigua who represents a district just outside Rochester, was arrested near his home after what he called a “lapse in judgement. "Authorities said they were called to a crash in Victor just before 10:30 p. m.  after a vehicle ran into a ditch.  Kolb was found to be the driver of the 2018 GMC Acadia that crashed in front of his home. An Ontario County sheriff's deputy administered field sobriety tests, which Kolb failed, before taking him to jail. While there, authorities said a breath test indicated Kolb's blood-alcohol content was over 0. 08%, which is the legal limit for driving in New York. No one else was injured.  Officials did not say where Kolb was driving from. Kolb said there was no excuse. “This was a terrible lapse in judgment, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it," the assemblyman said in a brief written statement.  “I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret. "Kolb has represented the district since 2000 and has served as Assembly minority leader since 2009.  The district covers all of Ontario County and a portion of Seneca County.  In 2018, Kolb briefly campaigned to unseat Gov.  Andrew Cuomo before dropping out of the race. On Christmas Eve, Kolb wrote a         column in the upstate Daily Messenger newspaper that warned against driving while under the influence of alcohol during the holidays, and acknowledged December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. “Many of our holiday traditions, especially our New Year’s Eve celebrations, involve indulging in spirits," he wrote.  “Done safely, and in moderation, these can be wonderful holiday experiences.  However, tragedy can be only one bad decision away. "News of Kolb's arrest led fellow Republican Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down. Kolb “should step down as Assembly Minority Leader," Lalor tweeted.  “That he hasn’t done so already is a disgrace. "But Assembly Deputy Minority Leader William Barclay, also a Republican, said it's "premature" to ask for Kolb's resignation.  Barclay said lawmakers will be back in Albany next week, and said Kolb should have a chance to speak before lawmakers decide how to move forward. “I've talked to a lot of members," he said.  “I think there are people who are concerned. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


PM Modi: We're happy that 1st of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft will be handed over to India next month. France is the first country with which we have signed civil nuclear arrangement. https://t.co/xauozbGT0E

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa are set to travel to Paris next month to receive the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, government sources said Wednesday. They said top military brass of France as well as senior officials of the Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, will also be present at the handing over ceremony which is likely to be held on September 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving for France on Thursday on a bilateral visit during which further boosting of defence cooperation between the two countries will be discussed. Sources said a high-level team of the Indian Air Force is already in Paris to coordinate with the French officials on the handing over ceremony. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles. The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft. The sources said the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF.  The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. A number of IAF teams have already visited France to help Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, incorporate India-specific enhancements on-board the fighter aircraft The Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others. The Congress raised several questions about the deal, including on rates of the aircraft, and alleged corruption but the government has rejected the charges. The IAF spent around Rs 400 crore to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangers and maintenance facilities at the two bases. In July 2017, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, during his visit to France, flew a Rafale jet at the Saint-Dizier airbase to gain first-hand experience of the aircraft. According to the deal, the delivery of the jets was to be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was inked.  (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text. )


"The Republican Party is at a turning point," Rep. Liz Cheney says in new opinion piece, "and Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution." https://t.co/iXNbZdh4Gr https://t.co/Gic61kGe6E

By Jamie Gangel and Michael Warren, CNNUpdated 6:38 PM ET, Wed May 5, 2021 Washington (CNN)In a new op-ed for The Washington Post, Rep.  Liz Cheney says the Republican Party is at a "turning point" and must decide whether to accept or reject Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election, which she says provoked the violence on January 6 and could provoke violence again. CNN's Annie Grayer, Daniella Diaz and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.


Meghalaya's Shillong observes #JantaCurfew in order to control the spread of #COVID19. https://t.co/6YjRc4ybZS

Sixty-three, 79, 81, 75, 65, 70, and 88.  That’s the number of new infections every day in India for the past six days. It’s clear from the numbers that the number of Covid-19 infections in the country, while increasing steadily, are not even following a geometric progression. That could mean one of two things: lack of widespread local testing is presenting an unclear (and inaccurate) picture of the extent of the pandemic’s spread in India; or containment measures have worked and the spread of the disease hasn’t entered Phase-3 (when there is community transmission) in India. That containment is important was reinforced on Thursday with the release of research by the Imperial College, London, which showed that without any intervention by countries, seven billion people (almost the entire population of the world) would have been infected by the Sars-CoV-2 virus, with close to 40 million dying. Coming back to India’s unique progression of numbers, no one can say for sure which one of the two factors is responsible for it – yet.  Most of the new cases are those of people who don’t clear airport scanning (and subsequent testing confirms the infection), or contacts of those infected that have been identified through contact-tracing – like the doctor at a mohalla (neighbourhood) clinic in Delhi’s crowded Dilshad Garden area who tested positive after treating a woman who was subsequently confirmed to be suffering from Covid-19.  His wife and child subsequently tested positive.  Now, efforts are on to trace around 1,169 people whom he may have treated (or who visited the clinic around the same time). As expected, Day 2 of the 21-day lockdown India has enforced was smoother than Day 1, with people figuring out that most essential products and services will be available, governments doing their bit to address concerns and iron out kinks, and local police departments starting to believe that not everyone who is out on the streets is a rule-breaker.  Local governments also started dealing with the issue of migrant workers who have no work, place to stay, food, or way to get back home.  Many are still walking home, but governments and non-profits have set up kitchens to feed them, and the police are no longer asking them to get off the roads. Some of these people making their way back home can take cheer from the relief package announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.  Some will get cash in hand; many will get food.  Sure, some of the cash is either just front-ending of an existing benefit (the cash transfer, which will benefit 86. 9 million farmers, for instance) or will kick in only later (the increase in wages in the job guarantee scheme, for instance), but some of it also comes with no strings attached and, like the best cash transfers, will just magically appear in bank accounts of beneficiaries. But more, much more is needed – including a relief and stimulus package aimed at individuals and businesses.  The US and the UK are among countries that have announced these.  In the case of the former, the package’s magnitude is around 10% of the country’s GDP.  Which is understandable.  Early in March, just around 200,000 people filed for unemployment benefits in the US; on Thursday, 3. 3 million, the highest in at least 50 years, did. Governments and central banks around the world are waking up to the economic fallout of Covid-19, and moving to address it, sometimes with tools that would have been considered unimaginable.  India should do the same . In the short term (at the least), everyone has to be a Keynesian.


Video shows decoration for the Bhumi Pujan for Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

A video showing ornate decorations at a temple is viral on social media with false captions claiming that the decorations are part of foundation stone laying preparations for Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which is to be held on August 5.  BOOM found that the viral clip is from the Vaikunth Ekadashi ceremony held at Ranganathaswamy Temple, Hyderabad in January 2020.  We contacted one of the priests at the temple who confirmed the same.  The clip is viral at a time when the Foundation Stone Laying ceremony or Bhumi Pujan for the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, is round the corner.  The list of invitees for the ceremony scheduled for August 5 has been cut short from 208 to around 170-180 people keeping in view the Coronavirus pandemic.  Also read 6-Year Old 3D Animation Video Peddled As Ram Mandir Blueprint   The 90-second-long viral video gives a view of an exquisite decoration inside a temple premise.  Workers can be seen giving finishing touch to the decoration.  The caption with the clip reads 'Decoration of Pandal for bhumi pujan of RamMandir, Ayodhya'.    Watch the video below and check its archived version here.  BOOM received the video on its WhatsApp tipline with the same caption.  The video has been shared from several Facebook pages and Twitter handles with captions claiming it to be from Ayodhya.  Click here to view an archived version of the post.  Click here to view an archived version of the tweet.  Also read No, This Is Not The Interior Of PM Narendra Modi's Official Aircraft   BOOM did a reverse image search with keyframes from the viral video, which led us to a slightly longer version of the same clip uploaded on YouTube with a title 'Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Jiyaguda, Hyderabad'.  The video was uploaded on January 5, 2020.         Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Vaishnavite temple located at Jiyaguda in Hyderabad.    Also read 2017 Stamps Depicting Chronicles Of Ramayana Shared As Recent   We found that the decoration shown in the video above closely matches with that in the viral video.   For further confirmation, BOOM reached out to Vamshi Krishna Acharya, one of the priests at the Ranganathaswamy Temple, who confirmed to us that the video was indeed shot at the temple, and does not have anything to do with the Bhumi Pujan for Ram Temple in Ayodhya.  "This video shows the Vaikuntha Ekadashi ceremony observed at Ranganathaswamy Temple in January 2020.  Saying this shows the Bhumi Pujan which is to be held in Ayodhya is completely false," the priest told BOOM.  We also found a 19-minute long video of the Vaikunth Ekadashi ceremony being celebrated at the Ranganathaswamy temple, uploaded on YouTube on January 6 earlier this year.  The decoration matches the viral video closely.   Also read 2018 Video Of Dhol Tasha Performance Peddled As Ram Mandir Celebration


A video has been going viral on social media with the claim that Amphan, the cyclone that wrecked Bengal forced people to perform namaz in knee-deep water on the occasion of Eid.  Caption: “बंगाल मे तुफान की वजह से ईद की नमाज़. .  शायद आपने एसी नमाज़ कभी देखा नहीं होगी।” Translation: “The namaz being offered on Eid amidst the storm in Bengal.  You probably have never seen anything like this. ” The video uploaded on May 29, 2020, in which a group of people is seen offering namaz in knee-deep water has been viewed quite a few times on Facebook.  An account named Desh Premi uploaded this video which has been viewed around 500 times.   Archive Link Another user uploaded the same video that has been viewed around 400 times.   Archive Link The same video is being shared and viewed on twitter with exactly the same caption.  बंगाल मे तुफान की वजह से ईद की नमाज़ ।
शायद आपने एसी नमाज
देखा नहीं होगा 👇🏻 pic. twitter. com/D4stBMTNlu — Azhar Qasmi (@QasmiAzhar) May 29, 2020 बंगाल मे तुफान की वजह से ईद की नमाज़ ।
शायद हमने ऐसे नमाज़ अदा करते कभी देखा नहीं होगा 👇🏻 pic. twitter. com/dG1J2fef3z — Suroor Khan✳ (@msuroorkhan) May 29, 2020 While the image really is of people offering Namaz in knee-deep water, the caption attached to it is false.  The event happened in Bangladesh and not in West Bengal.   A simple google search titled ” Namaz in knee deep water” showed a variety of results, one of which being a Youtube video uploaded on May 27, 2019.  The video is titled “Thousands Of Bangladeshi Offer EID Namaz In Knee Deep Flood Water!  প্রার্থিত ঈদ সালাত হাঁটু গভীর জল” and is the same video that is going viral with a misleading caption.  Moreover, for a more in-depth search, various keyframes were extracted from the video using InVid.  They were used to perform a reverse image search on Google and led to a variety of articles published by various media agencies in Bangladesh proving that the video indeed was shot in Bangladesh.  This particular article, published by Daily Bangladesh on May 25, 2019, consists of a still from the same video.  The angle of the image may differ, but the man speaking into the microphone can be identified as the same man in the viral video.   Another article published by The Business Standard on May 26, 2019, has the same still from the viral video too.   More details on the incident can be read here and here.


.@RahulGandhi, Sonia join protest against Rafale outside Parliament, paper planes seen
https://t.co/raIYdJtFHg

#RafaleDeal https://t.co/XoV5RyEiVK

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joined a protest outside Parliament on Wednesday morning against the Rafale deal.  The Congress lawmakers were seen carrying paper planes and posters, alleging corruption in the multi-crore aircraft deal. The protest came just before a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was tabled in the Rajya Sabha.  The opposition raised slogans as soon as the CAG report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha.  Following the ruckus, the House was adjourned.  (Follow live updates)The CAG report said the NDA government’s deal to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft saved money compared to the UPA’s deal to buy 126 fighter jets.   The report says India managed to save 17. 08% money for the India Specific Enhancements in the Rafale contract.  The overall price of the aircraft is 2. 86 per cent cheaper as compared to the UPA-era deal, the CAG report adds. Also read: Rafale jets 2. 9 per cent cheaper than UPA-era deal, says CAG report tabled in ParliamentThe Congress has questioned the CAG report on Rafale deal raising the issue of conflict of interest with Rajiv Mehrishi, the current CAG.  Mehrishi was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was being negotiated between India and France. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, said, “There is a conflict of interest.  The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report.  The man who was then a negotiator is now preparing the report. ”Also read: ‘Satyamev Jayate’: Arun Jaitley attacks Rahul Gandhi over CAG’s Rafale reportThe scrapping of the UPA deal to buy 126 aircraft became controversial with opposition parties, led by the Congress, alleging that the new price is much higher than the old one, and that due process wasn’t followed.  The government has maintained that it has managed to get the basic jet at a lower cost, and that all procedures were followed.  The issue was even reached the doors of the Supreme Court, which did not find any substance in the allegations, although its ruling didn’t put an end to the controversy because of some factual errors in the judgment, which, the government claims, are on account of misinterpretation and, the Opposition claims, arise from the government misleading the court.  The government has filed an application to correct the mistakes.


Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenas former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, Cohen's attorney says. https://t.co/9w2tzQ9gci https://t.co/nSTwFkSLVg

    President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was subpoenaed Thursday to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in mid-February, a source close to Cohen told CNN.

    Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis confirmed the subpoena was issued Thursday and said that Cohen intended to comply.  “We will comply and hope to agree upon reasonable terms, ground rules and a date,” Davis said.

    Still, the source said Cohen has the same concerns regarding the safety of his family that led him to postpone his scheduled public appearance before the House Oversight Committee next month.

    Senate Intelligence traditionally does their interviews behind closed doors, not publicly.

    Sen.  Angus King, a Maine independent who’s a member of the Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” that a Cohen interview by the committee would be behind closed doors.

    Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, declined to comment on the subpoena.  A spokeswoman for the committee also declined to comment.

    The congressional subpoena is the first of potentially several that Cohen could face before he reports to prison on March 6 for his three-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to tax and campaign finance crimes, as well as lying to Congress in his 2017 congressional testimony.

    House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings of Maryland and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of California both said this week that they expect Cohen to testify before their panels — House Oversight in public and House Intelligence behind closed doors — and could also issue subpoenas to compel Cohen’s appearance.

3 questions about the canceled Michael Cohen testimony

    Virginia Sen.  Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, declined to comment on the subpoena, but said it was essential that Cohen testify again.

    “Mr.  Cohen was someone who lied to the committee, that got him into real jeopardy.  … He has an enormous number of unanswered questions about Trump Tower and a variety of other items that we need answers to,” Warner said.

    Cohen was scheduled to appear before the Oversight Committee on February 7 voluntarily, but he announced Wednesday he was postponing that appearance, citing threats to his family from Trump and Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani.

    “Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr.  Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr.  Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr.  Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date,” Davis said in a statement Wednesday.

    Trump suggested in interviews and on Twitter that Cohen cut a deal to protect his wife and father-in-law, though he hasn’t offered any evidence of those claims.  On Wednesday, he dismissed Cohen’s concerns about threats.  “Well, I would say he’s been threatened by the truth,” Trump told reporters.

    Cummings told reporters on Wednesday that he believed Cohen was acting in good faith with the committee, and had a general concern for his family’s safety.  But he vowed that Cohen would ultimately appear, though he did not say whether he would issue a subpoena.

    “I promise you that we will hear from Mr.  Cohen,” Cummings said.  “We will make those determinations soon and we will let you know how we plan to proceed, but we will get the testimony as sure as night becomes day and day becomes night. ”

    Cummings said that he felt he could bring in Cohen even after he reports to prison, but Schiff said he thought it was necessary for Cohen to appear before March 6.

    “We’ve been in discussions with him and he understands that we’ll be wanting him before our committee.  We hope to get his testimony voluntarily, but if necessary we’ll use a subpoena,” Schiff said Wednesday.

Sources say Trump's not angry at Giuliani: 'Rudy's not getting fired'

    Cohen’s testimony before the Oversight and Intelligence panels would cover different topics.  An Oversight Committee hearing would be public, which means that Cohen would not testify on any matters concerning the ongoing special counsel’s investigation into Russia — and topics like the Trump Tower Moscow project and the payments made during the campaign to women could be off-limits, too.

    If Cohen doesn’t want to testify, it’s not clear what legal recourse he would have to avoid appearing after receiving a subpoena.

    Former federal prosecutors say Cohen would have to testify about the crimes he’s pleaded guilty to, including lying to Congress and campaign finance violations, because he waived any right against self-incrimination as part of those plea agreements.  But he may be able to argue that he can’t answer questions about other topics “if he has a fear of (prosecution for) other things for which he has not been convicted,” one former prosecutor said.

    CNN legal analyst Michael Zeldin explained: “As to matters relating to his plea agreements Cohen likely retains no Fifth Amendment right.  With respect to collateral matters (for example: ‘What do you know about this murder? ’) he arguably retains his Fifth Amendment rights, but it’s hard to imagine how this would arise in connection with his congressional testimony. ”

    Zeldin said that means Cohen would likely have to answer questions about the Trump Tower Moscow deal, because that’s what he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about.  “I would expect that he waived his rights with respect to this topic,” he said.  “But, if there are areas that go beyond his previous testimony and as to which he may still be under investigation by Mueller, he may have a colorable claim of privilege.  It’s complicated. ”

    Because Cohen has already appeared before several congressional committees, Zeldin added, “his previous testimony before Congress itself may have constituted a waiver of his Fifth Amendment rights. ” Cohen appeared behind closed doors separately before the House and Senate Intelligence committees in 2017.  In December, he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about how long the Trump Tower Moscow project discussions extended into the 2016 campaign.

    Schiff says he wants Cohen to testify behind closed doors so he can be asked questions about the Russia investigation.

    It’s likely Burr also wants Cohen to appear behind closed doors as part of the panel’s bipartisan investigation into Russia’s 2016 election meddling that’s lasted for roughly two years.

    In the wake of his guilty plea, Burr said he was confident that he would bring in Cohen before he reported for prison.

This story has been updated with additional developments from Thursday.

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


Beyond the high number of infections, hospitalizations, deaths and the missed vaccination goals is a set of interrelated obstacles that the Biden administration will inherit. https://t.co/wuSbKdYt29

By MJ Lee, CNNUpdated 5:08 PM ET, Thu January 21, 2021  (CNN)Newly sworn in President Joe Biden and his advisers are inheriting no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan to speak of from the Trump administration, sources tell CNN, posing a significant challenge for the new White House.


Responding to ideas floated by the Trump administration to loosen social distancing guidelines, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says "we need to make decisions based on science and reality."

"Boy, I would not want to be responsible for opening the door to this virus" #CNNSOTU https://t.co/QAwapfX6Qi

The La.  governor talks about how coronavirus cases are expected to surge there. 'Stay home, stay home, stay home': NJ governor's plea to residentsAs Louisiana emerges as a new hotspot in the spread of novel coronavirus, Gov.  Jon Bel Edwards said the state now has the third-highest number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the United States, per capita, in just over a month. "We remain on a trajectory, really to overwhelm our capacity to deliver health care by the end of the first week of April," he said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday. Edwards also raised concerns about the state's hospitals reaching capacity soon during a private teleconference with governors last week, and asked President Donald Trump for federal resources. The Louisiana governor said Sunday that staffing hospitals remains "very difficult," but ventilators are what the state needs. "We've had orders in for more than 12,000 ventilators, some through the national stockpile and others through private vendors," he said.  "Thus far -- over the last several weeks -- we've been able to get only 192. "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. Health care providers across the country have warned of equipment storages, including critical life support, such as ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses. Despite receiving shipments of protective equipment and hospital beds from the federal stockpile, New Jersey Gov.   Phil Murphy on Sunday emphasized the need for ventilators and said he spoke with the White House Saturday night about the problem. "We had a very specific conversation with the White House last night about ventilators.  That’s our number one ask.  It’s our number one need," he told "This Week" Co-anchor Martha Raddatz in a separate interview.   "And that’s the one that we are focused most on right now.  We have a long way to go on the whole PPE front but we’ve made more progress in other areas than we have right now on ventilators. "Globally, more than 30,000 people have died from illness related to the novel coronavirus.  More than 124,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the U. S.  and more than 2,100 people have died, according to data from the the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Earlier Sunday, Edwards announced the death of April Dunn, a 33-year-old staffer in his office.  She died due to complications from new coronavirus. In Louisiana the death toll is already beginning its rise with 137 confirmed, the second highest death count per capita in the United States, the governor said.  The state currently has over 3,300 cases, the third-highest case count per capita in the U. S. Raddatz asked about reports that Mardi Gras -- which was held as scheduled -- may have helped spread coronavirus in the state.  Edwards agreed, but pointed to the messages coming from the federal government at the time. "There was never any hint from anyone, to me, to the mayor of New Orleans, that there should be any consideration to downsizing or canceling Mardi Gras," he said. "If you go back, you will see that the federal government was saying things were under control," he added.  "And this is some Monday morning quarterbacking going on. "Sunday morning, the president signed a disaster declaration for Connecticut, where there are more than 1,500 cases and 33 deaths.  It is under a new travel warning issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with New York, where there are more than 53,000 cases and over 800 deaths, and New Jersey, with its over 11,000 cases and 140 deaths. Murphy told Raddatz in a separate interview on "This Week" that residents from his state were already not traveling much as a result of the novel coronavirus outbreak. "A travel warning, we're fine with," he said Sunday.  "The fact of the matter is we are all in on flattening that curve, social distancing as aggressive as any states in America. "Trump raised the idea of an enforceable quarantine for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut when speaking to reporters earlier Saturday.  The region has become a hotspot in the outbreak with at least 30,000 cases confirmed in New York City alone. The president reversed course in a tweet later that evening, saying that "a quarantine will not be necessary. "ABC News' Kelly Cannon and Erin Doherty contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Monday, March 30, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes.  Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


"It's amazing to me why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back."

LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers makes emotional statement and calls for police reform in wake of the video showing the police shooting of Jacob Blake. https://t.co/T43bM3ursu https://t.co/ulrlSax6oB

By Madeline Holcombe, CNNUpdated 1:29 PM ET, Fri September 4, 2020  (CNN)Jacob Blake's sister told reporters that even as he fights for his life with seven gunshot wounds from police officers, she isn't sorry or sad.  She is angry and tired.


Recently a tweet was posted by Kanhaiya Kumar on 22nd January, 2019 claiming accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojna by ‘Gappu ji’ were penalized for not maintaining minimum balance, which earned thousands of crores of rupees.  The tweet, till now had been retweeted approx 3500 times.  The tweet read “गप्पू जी ने पहले जन-धन योजना में बैंक में खाता खुलवाया, फिर नोटबंदी करके सारा पैसा उसमें डलवाया, फिर मिनिमम बैलेंस पर फ़ाइन लगाकर हज़ारों करोड़ कमाया और फिर धन्नासेठों का तीन लाख करोड़ का लोन माफ़ कर दिया। पता है ना आपको? ” गप्पू जी ने पहले जन-धन योजना में बैंक में खाता खुलवाया, फिर नोटबंदी करके सारा पैसा उसमें डलवाया, फिर मिनिमम बैलेंस पर फ़ाइन लगाकर हज़ारों करोड़ कमाया और फिर धन्नासेठों का तीन लाख करोड़ का लोन माफ़ कर दिया।  पता है ना आपको?  — Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyakumar) January 22, 2019  Translation: “Gappu ji firstly got the bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana, then got all the money deposited in them after announcing demonetisation, then earned crores by imposing fines on minimum balance and finally waived off the loans worth three lakh crores of the rich.  You know about this right? ”.  Kanhaiya Kumar in his post mentions that minimum balance is required for maintaining Jan Dhan Accounts and people have to pay fines for that.  What Kanhaiya Kumar has said is a false statement.  While the banks in India charge money for not maintaining minimum balance in the ‘savings account’, it stands totally false for Jan Dhan Accounts.  Under Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme there is no such minimum balance requirement.  A tweet from SBI twitter account stands as a proof related to no minimum balance Jan Dhan Accounts.  Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Small accounts and Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) accounts are exempt from MAB requirement and (3/6) — State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) September 16, 2017  In Latest relevant post, i. e.  31st Dec 2018, India Today published an article how banks earned more by penalizing accounts for not maintaining minimum balance than Vijay Mallya or Nirav Modi loan amount.  But they also specifically mentioned that Jan Dhan Yojna accounts are exempted from this penalty.   “The RBI has exempted basic saving bank deposits (BSBD) accounts and accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) from the minimum balance clause.  However, these accounts can be fined for extra ATM transactions.  (BSBD accounts and PMJDY accounts are saving accounts that have a cap on the amount that can be transacted from them.  They are aimed at providing banking services to low-income groups. )” Source – India Today
 The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts are the zero balance SBI savings accounts that were opened by the government for the purpose of financial inclusion and these accounts do not require maintenance of a particular minimum balance.  NDTV Profit talks about SBI Minimum Balance Rules and Zero Balance Accounts in the article posted by it.  SBI Minimum Balance Rules and Zero Balance Accounts To know more about zero minimum balance accounts one can refer to a report by an Indian Financial Daily ‘livemint’ clarifies the same and explains in detail about the Jan Dhan Accounts.  SBI’s zero minimum-balance savings account explained in 10 points


Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Gujarat, via video link. https://t.co/QwfQiMC7ME

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three projects, including Kisan Suryodaya Yojana for the farmers in Gujarat on Saturday.  He will also inaugurate the Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad, a mobile application for telecardiology at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, and a ropeway at Mount Girnar near Junagadh in Junagadh district. Under the agri scheme, farmers will be able to avail power supply from 5am to 9pm for irrigation purposes.  The project was recently announced by chief minister Vijay Rupani.  The state government has allocated a budget of Rs 3,500 crores for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.  Dahod, Patan, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Kheda, Tapi, Valsad, Anand and Gir-Somnath districts have been covered under the scheme for 2020-21.  The rest will be included in a phased manner by 2022-23. The UN Mehta Institute that Modi inaugurated will become India’s biggest hospital for cardiology.  It will also become the biggest single super-speciality cardiac teaching institute in the country and one of the biggest single super speciality cardiac hospitals in the world, the Prime Minister’s office said on Friday.  The ropeway at Girnar, the third project, will initially have 25-30 cabins with a capacity of 8 people per cabin.  It will cover a distance of 2. 3 kms in just 7. 5 minutes.  The ropeway will also provide a scenic view of the Girnar mountain. “Boosting the tourism potential of Gujarat!  A Ropeway at Girnar would also be among the projects launched tomorrow.  Thanks to the ropeway, tourists can get a spectacular view of the area surrounding the Girnar mountain,” Modi had tweeted on Friday.  Here are the highlights from PM Modi’s address >> On the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana, PM Modi termed farmers getting three phase power from 5 in the morning to 9 in the morning instead of night “a new dawn. ” “I would like to congratulate the Gujarat government that this work is being done by preparing a completely new capacity of transmission, without affecting the other systems, he said.  >> “Under this scheme, laying of about three and a half thousand circuit kilometers of new transmission lines will be done in the next 2-3 years,” the Prime Minister said adding that the scheme will also be implemented in more than a thousand villages in the coming days.  More of these villages are in tribal dominated areas, he said.  >>Modi hailed the state government’s work in the health sector.  “In the last two decades, Gujarat has done unprecedented work in the field of health.  Be it is a network of modern hospitals or medical colleges, a lot of work has been done in order to connect every village with better facilities,” he said.  >>After inagurating the ropeway at Girnar, the Prime Minister more and more devotees and tourists will now visit the destination. ”The rope-way started today is the fourth ropeway of Gujarat.  To see Ambaji in Banaskantha, three more ropes in Pavagadh, Satpura - they are already working,” he added.


Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told lawmakers he has not spoken to President Trump about special counsel Mueller's investigation as he squared off with Democrats over his tenure atop the Justice Department during a contentious congressional hearing https://t.co/bmvdygJse6 https://t.co/gXQH3qx3Zq

Whitaker also said he has not talked to the president about the probe.   Acting AG faces grilling from House DemocratsActing Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on Friday defended his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation during a highly anticipated grilling by House Democrats, testifying that he had not shared information about the investigation with President Donald Trump. “I have not talked to the president of the United States about the special counsel's investigation … I have not talked about the special counsel's investigation with senior White House officials,” Whitaker said under combative questioning by House Judiciary Chairman Rep.  Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat. In stark contrast, Whitaker later refused to answer a question from Democratic Rep.  Val Butler Demings of Florida about whether he and Trump had discussed the federal criminal case against Michael Cohen, his longtime former personal attorney and fixer. He said he was not going to talk about private conversations with the president. Not long after the hearing got underway -- Whitaker defended his decision to not recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's probe. "I have not interfered in any way with the special counsel's investigation," Whitaker testified. Whitaker’s appearance before the committee capped a lengthy standoff with Nadler over the chairman's threat to subpoena the acting attorney general and whether Whitaker might assert that his conversations with the president were covered by executive privilege. Senior ethics officials in the Justice Department had suggested to Whitaker in December that he should recuse from oversight of the probe in light of previous public statements he made while a private citizen, including an assertion that Mueller’s probe had “gone too far. ”“Why did you ignore the career officials went to extraordinary lengths to tell you that your continued involvement in the special counsel's work would undermine the credibility of the Department of Justice? ” Nadler asked in his opening statement. In spite of his previous criticism of the special counsel’s investigation, Whitaker declined, when asked, to say whether he would characterize it as a “witch hunt” – how President Trump frequently refers to it. "Congressman, it would be inappropriate for me to discuss an ongoing investigation," Whitaker told Rep.  Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. Asked the same question while testifying before Congress, FBI director Christopher Wray, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and attorney general nominee William Barr all said they did not believe the special counsel is engaged in a “witch hunt. ”Whitaker also fielded questions about the arrest of Roger Stone, the longtime adviser to Trump, who was indicted by special counsel Mueller last month.  Congressional Republicans have questioned how heavily-armed armed federal agents took Stone into custody in a pre-dawn raid and have requested FBI director Chris Wray explain the tactics agents used. “Just know the FBI makes an arrest in the manner most likely to ensure the safety of its agents and of the person being arrested,” Whitaker said, before offering to elaborate on the circumstances considered in Stone’s arrest during a closed session. Before Whitaker began his testimony, Nadler and the committee's ranking member, Rep.  Doug Collins, R-Ga. , swapped barbs over the nature of the hearing. In his opening remarks, Nadler condemned Whitaker for refusing to recuse oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.  In an impassioned rebuttal, Collins accused Nadler of attempting “character assassination” and called the hearing “a charade. ” Collins then moved to adjourn the hearing before it even began, calling for a roll count vote. Only hours earlier, it was unclear whether the hearing would even take place, with Whitaker vowing to bail on the session unless Democrats promised not to subpoena him on the same day he would be sitting before Congress for the first time as head of the Justice Department. Nadler eventually acquiesced, writing Whitaker late Thursday night that he "agreed there is no need to issue a subpoena. "In prepared remarks released prior to his hearing, Whitaker wrote that he would “not disclose” details of his conversations with the president. "I want to assure you that I will seek to answer the Committee’s questions today, as best as I can,” Whitaker said in the remarks.  “But I also must make clear that I will continue the longstanding Executive Branch policy and practice of not disclosing information that may be subject to executive privilege, such as the contents of deliberations or conversations with the President. "Friday's hearing may not be Whitaker's only congressional hurdle.  Just hours before Whitaker's testimony, Democrats on another House panel said they had obtained new information that suggests Whitaker failed to pay back money to be distributed to customers of World Patent Marketing, the company he was associated with that had been accused of scamming customers. Whitaker served on the advisory board of the company charged by the Federal Trade Commission with perpetrating “a scam that has bilked thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars. ”24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Bihar police is investigating the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.  But the case is also undergoing media trials and overzealous social media vigilance. The Indian Express reported that on July 25 Rajput’s father KK Singh filed an FIR at Patna’s Rajiv Nagar police station.  Singh accused Sushant Singh Rajput’s ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and five others of abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy.  On August 6, The Economic Times reported that a four-member Bihar police team left Mumbai after arriving in the city on July 28 for investigating the case.  Patna City SP (Central) Vinay Tiwari arrived in Mumbai on August 2.  However, he was quarantined by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at the SRPF guest house in suburban Goregaon. Around August 9, several social media users tweeted that Tiwari was deputed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after his “forced quarantine” by the BMC.  Twitter user @rvaidya2000 tweeted, “Master Stroke by Amit Shah. . !  Vinay Tiwari sent to CBI on deputation.  Yes, that Bihar SP who was by force quarantined by Thackrey’s BMC. :)) RT. ” This tweet gained around 3,000 tweets.  (archive)Master Stroke by Amit Shah. . ! 😳 Vinay Tiwari sent to CBI on deputation.  Yes, that Bihar SP who was by force quarantined by Thackrey’s BMC. :)) RT— RVAIDYA2000 (@rvaidya2000) August 9, 2020Similarly, several other Twitter users posted the same claim including — Gaurav Pradhan, editor-in-chief of Gulf Connoisseur Meena Das Narayan, @Shilpi_Flyhigh, @arnab5222, @ThePushpendra_, and @vibhor_anand.  This slideshow requires JavaScript. This claim was also published in a report by the news website Kalinga TV.  (archived link)
Alt News spoke with Tiwari who refuted social media claims regarding his appointment by the CBI.  “I am aware that several social media accounts have posted this rumour.  I categorically refute these claims,” he said. On August 10 Tiwari tweeted in Hindi, “Since yesterday, certain news is circulating.  It is totally false, misleading, and a rumour.  Kindly pay no attention to it.  (कुछ खबरें कल से प्रसारित हो रहीं हैं। वो पूर्णतः गलत, भ्रामक और अफवाह हैं। कृपया उन पर ध्यान ना दें।). कुछ खबरें कल से प्रसारित हो रहीं हैं।वो पूर्णतः गलत, भ्रामक और अफवाह हैं।कृपया उन पर ध्यान ना दें।— Vinay Om Tiwari (IPS)/विनय ॐ तिवारी (@IPSVinayTiwari) August 10, 2020

Thus, social media claims that Panta SP Vinay Tiwari, who is investigating Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, was deputed by CBI is false. Donate NowArchit is a graduate in English Literature from The MS University of Baroda.  He also holds a post-graduation diploma in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism.  Since then he has worked at Essel Group's English news channel at WION as a trainee journalist, at S3IDF as a fundraising & communications officer and at The Hindu as a reporter.  At Alt News, he works as a fact-checking journalist. A picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…Assam-based media outlets DY365, Asom Live 24, and NorthEast Now reported that 26 Rohingya Muslims…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…


Jammu & Kashmir: Security tightened in Srinagar in view of the imposition of section 144 CrPC from midnight 5th August. https://t.co/qErNGidUDi

Authorities stepped up security in tensed Jammu and Kashmir on Monday as the movement of several senior leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, was restricted and mobile internet services snapped in fast-paced developments on Sunday night. A late night tweet by former chief minister Omar Abdullah indicated that the leaders were being put under house arrest.  The government move comes after a massive security build-up and an advisory asking tourists and pilgrims to leave the restive state, citing security threats from terrorists backed by the Pakistan army. Authorities imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc), which bars the assembly of more than four persons, from midnight in Srinagar and the entire Valley.  They would remain in place till further orders, they said. “As per the order, there shall be no movement of public and all educational institutions shall also remain closed.  There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meetings or rallies during the period of operation of this order,” a government statement said.  Follow Jammu and Kashmir live updates here“Identity cards of essential services officials will be treated as movement passes wherever required.  However, there is no curfew in place as reported in a section of media,” it added. Officials said former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti would not be allowed to move out of their respective house in view of the restrictions, while Congress leader Usman Majid and CPI(M) MLA MY Tarigami claimed to have been arrested around midnight. However, no official confirmation of the arrests was immediately available. “I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders.  No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store,” National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted late on Sunday. He also appealed to the people in the Valley to stay calm. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor responded to Omar Abdullah’s tweet and said he “was not alone”.  “Every Indian democrat will stand with the decent mainstream leaders in Kashmir as you face up to whatever the government has in store for our country.  Parliament is still in session & our voices will not be stilled,” Tharoor tweeted. “What is going on in J&K?  Why would leaders be arrested overnight while having done no wrong?  If Kashmiris are our citizens &their leaders our partners, surely the mainstream ones must be kept on board while we act against terrorists & separatists?  If we alienate them, who’s left?  (sic)” he said in another tweet. Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, along with other politicians, had attended an all-party meeting that resolved to seek an audience with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the security situation in the state hours before being placed under house arrest. Mufti also tweeted saying “we are in this together & will fight it out. ”“In such difficult times, I’d like to assure our people that come what may, we are in this together & will fight it out.  Nothing should break our resolve to strive for what’s rightfully ours,” she posted on Twitter. “How ironic that elected representatives like us who fought for peace are under house arrest.  The world watches as people & their voices are being muzzled in J&K.  The same Kashmir that chose a secular democratic India is facing oppression of unimaginable magnitude.  Wake up India,” she said in another tweet. Earlier on Sunday, leaders of political parties who met in Srinagar decided to meet the President, Prime Minister and other leaders, resolving to protect and defend the identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The situation in the state was discussed at the all-party meeting, which was held at the residence of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah. “It was unanimously resolved that all parties would be united with their resolve to protect and defend identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh against all attacks and onslaughts whatsoever, modification abrogation of Article 35A, 370, unconstitutional delimitation, trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” said Omar Abdullah’s father, Farooq Abdullah, reading from a copy of the resolution. The meeting was attended by Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Taj Mohiuddin, Muzaffar Beig (PDP), Sajad Lone and Imran Ansari (People’s Conference), Shah Faesal (J&K Peoples Movement) and MY Tarigami. Enhanced securityAdditional paramilitary forces, which arrived in Kashmir in the past few days, have been deployed across the city and in other vulnerable areas of the valley, officials said. The strength of the security personnel has been increased around vital installations such as the civil secretariat, police headquarters, airport and various central government establishments in the city, they said. Barricades have been erected on many arterial roads, including the entry and exit points to Srinagar, the summer capital of the state.  Riot control vehicles have also been kept on standby in some areas where the apprehension of law and order disturbances is more, the officials added. Mobile internet services have been suspended in Kashmir Valley, the officials said, adding that satellite phones were being provided to police officials and district magistrates. Anxious residents stocked on essentials and serpentine queues were seen outside shops and fuel stations after authorities in Jammu and Kashmir curtailed the Amarnath Yatra and asked pilgrims and tourists to leave the Valley on Friday. The district administration in Anantnag ordered all fuel station dealers not to sell petrol or diesel without permission from the district magistrate or an authorised officer in view of “panic stocking”. Various educational institutions in Kashmir Valley also directed their students to vacate hostels.  Authorities in Jammu and Udhampur district also ordered the closure of schools and colleges as precautionary measures.  The University of Jammu will remain closed on Monday and all scheduled examinations have been postponed. The authorities imposed night curfew in Kishtwar, Rajouri districts and Banihal area of Ramban district. The Union government has decided to scale up the presence of defence forces in Jammu and Kashmir to prepare for a possible threat arising from the increased influence of the Pakistan-backed Taliban once US troops withdraw from Afghanistan, people aware of the developments said on Sunday. The situation in Kashmir, and the ascendency of the Taliban and fellow jihadists in Kabul as a fallout of the future US withdrawal from Afghanistan, were among the issues discussed between the home minister, national security adviser Ajit Doval, home secretary Rajiv Gauba and additional secretary (Kashmir) Gyanesh Kumar at Parliament House on Sunday, top government officials said on condition of anonymity. Thousands of tourists and Amarnath pilgrims left Kashmir over the weekend as the state administration cut short the annual pilgrimage by a fortnight and asked vacationers and pilgrims to leave the Valley because of a perceived terror threat.  Security was reinforced with additional troops over the past week, leading to tensions in the state over the security build-up. The Indian Army said on Saturday it repelled an attempt by a mixed group of Pakistani soldiers and terrorists to attack an army post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector, killing five to seven intruders. Local political parties have accused the administration of creating disquiet in Jammu and Kashmir. Governor Satya Pal Malik has dismissed reports that preparations are being made for an announcement on Article 35A and Article 370 or on the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir by creating three states of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, as has been rumoured in the state. Article 35A reserves government employment and property ownership to permanent residents of the state.  Article 370 confers special status on Kashmir. (With agency inputs)


The Israeli Air Force has bombarded nuclear facilities in Iran. The attack has left Tehran’s nuclear dreams shattered.

Recently, a major fire was reported at an Iranian nuclear facility that caused significant damage and could possibly slow down the country’s nuclear programme by months.  Iranian officials have blamed “cyber sabotage” for the fire and threatened retaliation against those responsible. Soon after, a message started circulating on social media, claiming that the Israeli Air Force has bombarded nuclear installations in Iran, practically putting an end to its nuclear ambitions. Several Facebook users have posted the message with a caption in Hindi that translates to, “There is nothing to fear when Israel is with us.  The Israeli Air Force has bombarded nuclear facilities in Iran, shattering its dream of becoming a nuclear country.  Congratulations to Israel from 100 crore Indians. ”India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading.  Till the time of writing this article, there has been no confirmation from either side that Israel has carried out an air attack on Iranian nuclear sites.  Neither has Israel openly claimed responsibility for the fire at the underground nuclear fuel enrichment facility. The archived versions of the posts can be seen here and here.  Multiple Facebook users have shared the post. The incidentEarly in the morning of July 2, a major fire broke out at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran.  The uranium enrichment site, much of which is underground, is located in the desert province of Isfahan.  This facility is one of several monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog. As per Reuters, Iran suspects this to be a cyber attack by an enemy country that resulted in an explosion at the nuclear site.  This incident has caused significant setback to Iran’s nuclear programme. ReactionsIran’s civil defence chief Gholamreza Jalali told state TV on July 2, “Responding to cyber attacks is part of the country’s defence might.  If it is proven that our country has been targeted by a cyber attack, we will respond. ”According to Reuters, an article published on July 2 by Iranian state news agency IRNA addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States, although it stopped short of accusing either directly. Reacting to Iran’s accusation, Israel defence minister Benny Gantz said Israel is not “necessarily” behind every mysterious incident in Iran. Expert speakAn unnamed “Middle Eastern intelligence official” told The New York Times that Israel used a powerful bomb for the attack on the Natanz nuclear complex.  The newspaper said, “A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who was briefed on the matter also said an explosive was used. ”Some other defence experts think a “kinetic cyber-weapon” by foreign forces caused extensive damage to the facility. However, it is still not confirmed how the incident took place.  Neither did Iran or Israel confirm an aerial bombing on any nuclear facility.  Hence, the viral claim is misleading. Also read: Fact Check: Are people wearing masks not getting enough oxygen? Also read: Fact Check: This rickshaw-puller was a lockdown saviour, wasn’t jailed for anti-CAA protestsThe number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


US consumer prices in April increased 4.2% from a year earlier, more than the 3.6% economists had predicted, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It was the biggest 12-month increase since September 2008, the height of the financial crisis. https://t.co/asIRidiAsP

The latest data comes amid mounting inflation fears from investors.  By the Numbers: Consumer prices spike 4. 2% in last yearConsumer prices spiked sharply in April, according to new data released Wednesday by the Department of Labor. The consumer price index, a barometer that measures what consumers pay for everyday goods and services, jumped by 4. 2% in the year through April, the DOL said.  It rose by 0. 8% in April alone. This marks the largest one-year increase seen since September 2008. Prices for used vehicles skyrocketed by 10% in April, marking the largest 1-month increase since record-keeping for the series began in 1953.  This was fueled in part by a global chip shortage and served as a significant contributor to the overall consumer prices increase. Meanwhile, the food index increased 0. 4% in April, the DOL said.  Prices of energy decreased by a fraction of a percentage point -- though this will likely change as the Colonial Pipeline situation continues to unfold. The core index, which excludes volatile food and energy indexes, jumped by 3% over the past 12 months and 0. 9% in April alone. The closely watched data comes amid mounting fears of inflation from investors, but also reflects unique factors as the pandemic recovery is finally gaining steam. While the consumer price increase is higher-than-expected, it will take months to gain a fuller picture as to what the impact of inflation on a pandemic-battered economy will be.  A confluence of pent-up demand, easing restrictions and pandemic stimulus programs likely contributed to figures released Wednesday. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped following the release of the data, pointing to opening losses as investors grapple with concerns over inflation. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


The Department of Homeland Security request for more troops at the border is sent to the Pentagon  https://t.co/dsF05Fn1Bz https://t.co/XRCVCBENYK

President Donald Trump is urging Americans to get vaccinations to prevent the spread of measlesMeasles outbreak leads to quarantine at UCLA, Cal StateWASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump is urging Americans to get vaccinations to prevent the spread of measles. Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, said that people "have to get their shots. "He added that vaccinations "are so important. "Measles in the U. S.  has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, hovering around 700 cases this year. The resurgence of the deadly disease is largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. But Trump has previously cast doubt on the effectiveness on vaccinations. He tweeted several times in 2012 and again in 2014 suggesting, incorrectly, that there could be a link between vaccines and autism in children. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


BREAKING: Judge sets R. Kelly's bond at $1 million in sexual abuse case https://t.co/U734MqAzDV https://t.co/J6qFkek05U

The singer turned himself into police late Friday. R.  Kelly bail set at $1 million for sex abuse chargesA Chicago judge ordered $1 million bond for R.  Kelly on Saturday after the singer was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse. Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr.  also ordered Kelly to turn in his passport and forbade contact with the singer's alleged victims.  Kelly was indicted on Friday for a decade of sexual assault and abuse against four victims, three of whom were under the age of 17.  Bail was set for $250,000 for each case. Kelly did not react during the hearing.  He sat with a straight look on his face, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with his hands crossed behind his back throughout the hearing.  Kelly only spoke with his lawyer while Lyke reviewed the charges, calling the prosecutors' claims “disturbing. ”Kelly had until 9 p. m.  local time Saturday to post bond, which he did not do, so he will spend the night in custody of the Cook County Sheriff's Office.  He can next post bail starting at 9 a. m. Steve Greenberg, Kelly's criminal lawyer, told the judge his client wasn’t a flight risk because “contrary to the song ['I Believe I Can Fly'], he doesn’t like to fly” Greenberg added: “He can’t go anywhere anyways.  He’s a recognizable person. ”Kelly’s “finances are a mess,” citing a child support judgement and no ability to generate residuals, said Greenberg.  He's expected back in court on Feb.  25. The 52-year-old embattled star, whose given name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, had turned himself into Chicago police late Friday.  A booking photo showed Kelly in a black hooded sweatshirt sporting a salt-and-pepper beard. Prosecutors on Saturday released documents outlining the allegations against Kelly. The singer met a girl at her 16th birthday party in 1998, according to prosecutors.  His manager gave the teen Kelly’s business card and suggested she contact him.  The girl’s mother overheard the conversation and took the card, but her daughter later retrieved it from her mother’s purse.  The teen contacted Kelly, and the two allegedly got together periodically and had sex for a year, according to the documents. Another accuser was 16 when she met Kelly during his 2008 child pornography trial and he gave her an autograph, according to the documents.  The pair later met at the artist’s Chicago apartment where they allegedly had sex and Kelly allegedly choking her and spitting on her. In 2003, a 24-year-old hairdresser intended to braid the singer’s hair, but instead the R & B star allegedly tried to force her to perform oral sex on him and allegedly spit in her face, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors also said in court documents that they reviewed videotapes depicting Kelly having sex with a 14-year old girl, who states her age on the videos multiple times. Kelly's supporters Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, who are living with the singer, attended the hearing.  Parents of both women claimed in the Lifetime series "Surviving R.  Kelly,” that Kelly is holding their daughters against the women's wills.  The three-part documentary chronicled decades of troubling allegations and brought renewed media attention and scrutiny on the singer. The women initially sat one row in front of Azriel’s father, Angelo Clary, who tried to speak with them.  They both ignored him, never acknowledging him or even turning around.  Then they changed seats, moving one row ahead to avoid him.  Avenatti, who said he has six clients related to Kelly, comforted Azriel’s mother after they were rejected by their daughter. Several other people — men and women — stood in the last two rows in support of Kelly. Jerhonda Pace — one of Kelly's accusers — was also in attendance. The alleged criminal behavior dates back to May 1998 and continued until January 2010, said Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly M.  Foxx announced at a press conference on Friday.  The indictment details accounts of vaginal and oral penetration of and ejaculation onto the victims by the singer. "Aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a Class 2 felony with a sentencing range of 3-7 years and is probationable," Foxx's office wrote in a statement. Michael Avenatti, who said he is representing six people related to the case, left the courthouse in a black SUV seeming optimistic that Kelly will "spend the rest of his life" in prison. "With a conviction in this case, he is never going to walk free another day of his life especially with a mandatory minimum sentence," said Avenatti. Late Friday, Kelly's lawyer called the accusers liars. "I think all the women are lying," Greenberg told reporters at a press conference.  "This has become, 'Hey, R.  Kelly -- I can say R.  Kelly did something' -- boom. "Greenberg also said that in indicting Kelly, Foxx caved into public pressure. "I had a discussion with the state's attorney’s office earlier this week [and] we were supposed to meet next week and have a discussion about what they had," he said.  "I was gonna be allowed to address what they had, then they just decided to indict him today for whatever reason.  I suspect this is succumbing to public pressure. "Greenberg also claimed one of the victims is the same person in a 2003 child pornography case in which Kelly was acquitted in 2008. "One of the cases seems to be a rehash he was acquitted for.  Double jeopardy should apply to everyone," Greenberg said. During the hearing prosecutors told the judge there is no case of double jeopardy involving the victim from Kelly’s previous acquittal because "it is not the same video. "Kelly is also facing at least three different federal investigations including at least one focusing on his alleged relationships with underage girls, who may have been trafficked, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the IRS have opened investigations after  “Surviving R.  Kelly,” which aired on Lifetime starting Jan.  3. All three agencies declined to comment. HSI is looking at potential crimes involving sex trafficking and child exploitation.  The investigations were first reported by The New Yorker, by Jim DeRogatis, who has been reporting on R.  Kelly for almost 20 years. On Thursday, two more women, Latresa Scaff and Rochelle Washington, said they were victims of R.  Kelly.  Their attorney, Gloria Allred, said the women spoke with federal prosecutors. "Yesterday, I indicated that my two clients who held a press conference here in New York would be speaking to law enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and they did in fact have that interview," Allred told WABC. In addition, Michael Avenatti, who is representing two alleged victims of Kelly, said he gave Cook County prosecutors a video depicting the singer allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old. "Earlier this month we uncovered and recovered a video tape of over 40 minutes in length," Avenatti said at a press conference Friday.  "We promptly brought it to the attention of Ms.  Foxx and others in her office.  This tape leaves no question as to whether R.  Kelly is guilty of multiple sexual illegal acts against a 14-year-old girl.  The tape was shot in the late '90s, approximately 1999, [and] it depicts two separate scenes shot on two separate days within Mr.  Kelly's residence at the time. ""Repeatedly on the video both the victim and Mr.  Kelly refer to the victim's age as being 14," Avenatti said.  "That occurs in excess of 10 separate times on the video, both the victim and Mr.  Kelly can be heard referencing her age. "Greenberg said he hadn't seen the video, but denied the allegation. "Unfortunately, the state's attorney now succumbed to public pressure, to pressure from grandstanders like Michael Avenatti," Greenberg said. ABC News' Linsey Davis and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Amid Rafale row, Union minister VK Singh says parts of HAL-made planes fall off on runway
https://t.co/AepElqIoNj https://t.co/tNquVcwNs3

Amid controversies surrounding the Rafale deal, Minister of State for External Affairs and former army chief General VK Singh has raised questions over the capability of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture good quality fighter planes.  General Singh said the “parts of the aircraft (made by the HAL) fall off on the runway”. “You have seen HAL right?  Our two pilots died.  Programme is running three and a half years late (and) only eight aircraft has been refurbished. . . All parts of aircraft fall off on the runway.  Is that the capability?  And then we say that HAL is not getting work,” news agency ANI quoted General Singh as saying at a function in Pune on Wednesday. The Union minister was referring to the February 1 incident in which two pilots died in a crash of Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft in Bengaluru.  The Mirage aircraft was on an “acceptance sortie” following an upgrade by the HAL. The HAL has been at the centre of the Congress’s charge against the Narendra Modi government in the defence agreement with France.  Congress president Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the Modi government “snatched the Rafale deal from the HAL” and gave it to the Reliance Defence, a firm of businessman Anil Ambani which is one of the offset partners of the Dassault Aviation, the supplier of the fighter jets. Gandhi has said that under the Rafale deal being negotiated by the Congress-led UPA government, the HAL was to get the licence to manufacture 108 fighter jets after transfer of technology by the Dassault Aviation.  The government has maintained that the Rafale offer made during the UPA regime was an unworkable deal forcing it to scrap the whole process and initiate fresh negotiations with the French government.  The Rafale deal was signed between the governments of India and France in 2016 for the purchase of 36 fighter jets in flyaway condition.  India was expected to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets including 26 in flyaway condition, according to the Rafale deal being discussed during UPA rule. The former army chief also dismissed Gandhi’s allegation that the Modi government favoured Ambani’s firm.  “In Rafale case, it is the French, who decided the offset firm.  The objective of the offset is to allow the industry to thrive here. . . if their firm is not satisfied with HAL, it is their decision. . . it is not the decision of the Indian government,” news agency PTI quoted General Singh as saying.


Haryana: State Health Min Anil Vij inaugurates second phase of COVID vaccination drive in Gurugram(4.2.21)

"In this phase, we'll vaccinate about one lakh security forces personnel including the police & home guard. People should not be afraid of getting the vaccination," he says https://t.co/wM6JXNASGV

The Kerala Health Department has prepared an action plan to expand the Covid-19 vaccination in the state and to commence the next phase of the drivemeticulously, Health Minister K K Shailaja said here on Saturday. A total of 133 vaccination centres were allotted in the southern state in the initial phase which were being increased with the availability of more doses of vaccines. Currently, 144 centres were ready for vaccination andit was proposed to increase it to 249 at this stage, she said. As part of this, there would be at least 14 centres in a district, she said, adding that 38 centres would be set up in Ernakulam district and 30 centres in Thiruvananthapuram. "It is time for the healthcare workers to get their second dose of vaccine by February 13. Therefore the plan is to complete the first phase of vaccination by February 15 and commence the second phase of the drive after that," she said. After healthcare workers, the next priority would be the frontline Covid fighters. So far, a total of 4,87,306 people, including health workers and frontline fighters, have registered for vaccination in the southern state. Registration for frontline fighters was currently underway which so far comprised 75,572 home department employees, 6,600 municipal workers and 8,824 revenue staff in Kerala.


It took 114 days for Odisha to register its first 10,000 #Covid19 cases. The next 10,000 cases came in just 15 days, indicating the rapid spread of the infection.

(reports @debabrata2008)

https://t.co/ZOEvyq9ip8

Till mid-May, Odisha government kept patting its back for successfully containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Calling itself a model state, chief secretary Asit Tripathy claimed that Odisha excelled while states like Delhi and Gujarat struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. Two months later, the tables have turned with Odisha’s daily Covid-19 numbers outstripping both Gujarat and Delhi - the two states that were counted as hotspots initially.  On July 25, Odisha reported 1,320 cases while Delhi reported 1,025 cases and Gujarat 1,081 cases.  The daily sample positivity rate that hovered around 3. 6 in mid-May has now climbed to over 10 while local cases account for about one third of the total cases. A Bhubaneswar student studying in Italy was diagnosed as the first Covid-19 positive case of the state on March 15.  It took 114 days for Odisha to register its first 10,000 cases (on July 7).  The next 10,000 cases came in just 15 days, indicating the rapid spread of the infection.  In July alone, the state has recorded 105 new deaths, up from 25, even as the state government announced complete lockdown in four hotspot districts including Ganjam and Khurda. Here is a look at how the Covid-19 pandemic has unfolded in Odisha:Return of migrant workersOdisha did well to start a dedicated Covid-19 helpline before the nationwide lockdown was announced.  In March, it launched a dedicated website, making it mandatory for all visitors of the state to register on the portal and announced an incentive of Rs 15,000 for those completing 14-day quarantine after return from abroad.  It was the mass influx of eight lakh migrant workers to Ganjam and several other districts that slowly led to the spread of the virus.  Ganjam alone saw influx of four lakh such workers.  In Balangir, the district labour officer had prepared 28,000 beds at various quarantine centres, but 1. 5 lakh people arrived in the district from other states.  Though a large majority of the migrant workers religiously followed the government order on staying in quarantine centres, several others jumped quarantine and mingled with the villagers.  Hundreds of migrant workers coming from Covid-19 hotspot states slipped away to their villages spreading the pandemic in rural Odisha. Lack of adequate testingIn testing too, Odisha started early setting up eight labs in the month of April and May.  Chief minister Naveen Patnaik later announced that the number of daily tests would be scaled up to 15,000 by June.  However, the government did not scale up testing and the numbers kept swinging between 3,000 and 5,000 for most days of June even as the virus transmission happened on ground unchecked.  In the quarantine centres, not everyone was tested even though they had arrived from Covid-19 hotspots.  It was only in July when the cases started rising that the government raised the daily testing numbers to 5,000 and more.  In the last three days, the tests have gone beyond 10,000 a day.  On Friday, the state tested 12,733 samples, its highest so far.  “The state should have done aggressive testing from the day migrant workers arrived.  Many of the migrant workers may have been asymptomatic and RT-PCR test would have confirmed the absence or presence of the virus.  The delay may have proved costly,” said Dr TM Mohapatra, renowned microbiologist and former director of Institute of Medical Sciences of Banaras Hindu University, who advises ICMR. Management of quarantine centresTo manage the quarantine centres, Odisha entrusted the sarpanch in each of the gram (village) panchayat and gave them the powers of district collectors.  But weeks later, the plan unravelled as several district collectors did not consult the sarpanch.  The state government later bypassed the sarpanch asking the sub-collector, and block development officers (BDOs) to monitor the quality of food, cleaning, light arrangement and overall smooth functioning of the centres.  A sarpanch in Jagatsinghpur district spent around Rs four lakh on food, drinking water facilities, sanitation and other facilities allegedly from his own pocket as the BDO refused to sanction funds.  With food quality as well as overall management in several quarantine centres not measuring up, chaos prevailed in several such centres.  In several such places of Ganjam, migrant workers jumped quarantine that has now led to rising infection in the district over the last one month.  The Rs 2,000 cash incentive that the government had announced for each of the persons completing the quarantine period, is yet to be given to hundreds of villagers. Rising infection among corona warriorsThe mainstay of the government’s fight against the pandemic, an estimated 800-900 anganwadi workers and ASHA workers have been infected while conducting door-to-door surveillance and managing the quarantine centres over the last two months.  An additional district magistrate of Gajapati district, who was in charge of Covid-19 hospitals, himself succumbed to the pandemic even though his swab tests came negative.  Hundreds of school teachers who managed the quarantine centres too have been infected with the government not been able to minimise the interaction among the migrant workers/infected people and the Covid-19 warriors.  More than 100 policemen on duty also tested positive which led to shutting down of three police stations. Lack of social distancing and masksOdisha was among the first states to make masks and social distancing mandatory and even introduced penalty for those violating it.  Yet, till last week, the police had collected more than Rs 5 crore as penalty from people flouting social distancing and masks.  In Ganjam, a Covid-19 hotspot, a hotel owner organised the marriage of his son.  The wedding party at a star hotel on Gopalpur sea beach saw 500 people in attendance throwing social distancing norms to the winds.  A naib sarpanch in the same district was arrested this for conducting a religious function in gross violation of Covid-19 regulations.  Despite penalty and pleadings by chief minister and celebrities, there have been numerous violations regarding wearing of masks and following social distancing norms which have led to spike in cases.  Though the state government has resorted to weekend shutdown and lockdowns, it has not been able to follow up on its success by doing strict containment measures. Rising infection in hospitalsFour major hospitals of the state including AIIMS Bhubaneswar, VIMSAR in Burla, The Regional Cancer centre at Cuttack, MKCG medical college and hospital in Berhampur town and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar shut down their OPDs as more than 200 doctors, nurses and patients were infected last month.  In these hospitals the standard operating procedures of treating patients were not followed while doctors did not get the necessary PPE suits and masks.  Before the pandemic began, the state’s health infrastructure was woefully inadequate to deal with the existing health issues.  With the OPDs shut, it has been a nightmarish situation for patients in the state where the doctor and patient ratio is a staggering 1:7339. Lack of transparency in Covid-19 procurementThe procurement exercise of PPE suits, masks, sanitisers as well as setting up of Covid-19 hospitals was mired in controversy with the government not caring about making the process transparent.  A senior IAS officer boasted about getting a blank cheque in procurement till he was shunted out.  There was allegation of purchase of triple-layered masks, RT-PCR machines, testing kits at prices higher than what was available in market. Lack of involvement of political leaders and civil societyIn a crisis, when the role of political leaders in motivating the people to adhering to Covid-19 guidelines including social distance and wearing masks is important, the politicians were largely absent from the scene for about four months starting from lockdown and influx of migrant workers.  The civil society too was not involved in mitigating the crisis of migrant workers’ return.  As bureaucrat-driven Covid-19 management started coming apart by mid-July, BJD MLA Pradeep Panigrahi early this month wrote to chief minister Patnaik to involve the MLAs, ministers and panchayati raj institution members in Covid-19 management.  Finally, Patnaik has now asked his ministers to organise donation drive of blood plasma of people who have recovered from Covid-19.


Visuals from Lok Sabha during Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's speech #Budget2019 https://t.co/6wM8qU5Pkh

Union minister Ramdas Athawale is known for his impromptu delivery of poems and couplets. On Friday, when Finance Minister Piyush Goyal was concluding his Budget speech with a couplet in Lok Sabha, Athawale was on his feet eager to recite a poem. He was, however, asked by BJP ministers not to disturb Goyal during his speech. Thrice, Athawale also drew the attention of Congress president Rahul Gandhi during the Budget when Goyal announced sops for middle class and farmers.