Pakistan faces dilemma of sourcing #COVID19 vaccines

(Reports @Rezhasan)

https://t.co/tYirocLmxv https://t.co/Z8SxdtrD16

Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directive to expedite the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, Pakistan is grappling with a dilemma – how to source millions of doses to inoculate the country’s most vulnerable. Unlike other countries in the neighbourhood such as Bangladesh, Pakistan didn’t place orders well in advance with foreign vaccine makers.  It also doesn’t have a well developed vaccine industry, and authorities are now grappling with the possibility of having to acquire doses at significantly higher prices. On Tuesday, Khan directed the Cabinet committee on procurement to speed up the process for acquiring vaccines.  This came days after Pakistan’s regulatory authority approved the emergency use of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Sinopharm vaccine made by state-run China National Pharmaceutical Group. In early December, Pakistan approved $150 million in funding to buy vaccines, initially to cover the most vulnerable 5% of the population, including frontline health workers and people above the age of 65. Also Watch | India sends vaccines to Nepal & Bangladesh; govt says ready to help others tooThis was almost a month after Bangladesh’s drugmaker Beximco Pharma signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India for 30 million doses of Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine.  These doses would be in addition to the two million doses of Covishield provided by India to Bangladesh on Thursday as a gift. Also Read: Bhutan, Maldives first to benefit from India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’There has also been no announcement by Pakistan’s “iron brother” ally China about assistance in the supply of vaccines. Given its troubled relationship with India and reluctance to cooperate even on issues such as the pandemic, Pakistan has not reached out to India for help with vaccines, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. It also doesn’t figure in the list of nine neighbouring and partner countries, including Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius and Seychelles, to whom India is providing vaccines as grant assistance. Also Read: UAE Air Force to help 3 Rafale fighters reach India, 7 more in AprilAuthorities in Islamabad are now looking to acquire vaccines either through commercial sales or under the Covax facility of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to which the Serum Institute is committed to supplying at least 200 million doses this year. Pakistani authorities are now faced with the possibility of having to pay as much as $6 to $7 a dose if they opt for the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the country’s sole authorised distributor of the vaccine is currently unable to give a timeline for deliveries, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday. “Since the government has allowed [the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine] and given us the nod to import the consignments, we have estimated that it would be available to the government for something between US$6 and US$7,” said Usman Ghani of Sindh Medical Stores, one of Pakistan’s biggest importers of vaccines and pharmaceutical products. “The offer has formally and clearly been made to both governments [federal and provincial], but it is a difficult question to answer when it would be made available.  Frankly speaking, we don’t have exact idea about this right now. ”Ghani also pointed to another key factor – the Indian manufacturer of the AstraZeneca vaccine will first meet the needs of the Indian government, and then the needs of Gavi and other countries such as Bangladesh that concluded commercial agreements in advance. “We have very cordial relations with Serum Institute of India and we would try our best to procure it as early as possible,” he said. Pakistan has so far recorded nearly 530,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.


The Government Accountability Office says the Trump administration broke the law when it withheld US security aid to Ukraine last year that had been appropriated by Congress -- an issue at the center of the impeachment of President Trump. https://t.co/c3PIT9Ttqm

The hold coincided with Trump's demands that Ukraine investigate the Bidens. White House violated law putting Ukraine aid on hold: WatchdogPresident Donald Trump's hold on security assistance to Ukraine was illegal, according to the federal government's independent watchdog. The new determination by the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, comes as the Senate is set to take up the articles of impeachment against Trump, which were delivered from the House on Wednesday. Last June, Trump placed a hold on $214 million of security assistance from the Pentagon for Ukraine, as it battles Russian-led separatists in its eastern provinces.  The White House Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, told Congress, which had passed the budget law appropriating those funds, that they were being withheld to ensure they weren't spent "in a manner that could conflict with the President’s foreign policy. "But GAO said that the executive branch can't use that kind of policy reason to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. "OMB violated the [law] when it withheld" the Ukraine assistance "for policy reasons," the report concludes. Trump has always maintained he's done nothing illegal.  A spokesperson for OMB said the agency disagreed with the GAO findings. "We disagree with GAO's opinion," the spokesperson, Rachel Semmel, said in a statement.  "OMB uses its apportionment authority to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent consistent with the President's priorities and with the law. "The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan watchdog agency that investigates the federal government on behalf of Congress, taking up requests on behalf of both Republicans and Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters the GAO decision "reinforces again the need for documents and eyewitnesses in the Senate" impeachment trial. "This bombshell legal opinion from the independent Government Accountability Office demonstrates, without a doubt, that the Trump Administration illegally withheld security assistance from Ukraine," said Sen.  Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. , who originally requested the GAO investigation.  "This violation of the law reflects a contempt for the Constitution and was a key part of his corrupt scheme to abuse the power of the presidency for his personal political purposes. "Trump had placed a hold on a total of $391 million of security assistance to Ukraine and has provided various reasons for doing so -- including that he was concerned the money would be well-spent and not used for corruption or that European allies have not contributed enough to Ukraine's security.  The European Union has provided more than €15 billion in loans and grants to Ukraine, according to the bloc, with an additional €134 million in humanitarian assistance for the ongoing conflict. The other portion of the $391 million came from the State Department, and the GAO is still investigating whether its funds were withheld for legitimate reasons, but said that the department and OMB have failed to comply with their investigation. The GAO issued its decision as chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman took the podium at a press briefing.  He said while he had "not had a chance to look at it or talk to our lawyers in the building" he is "sure we'll be looking at it. "He also for the first time said that Ukraine had now received all of the aid appropriated to it for fiscal year 2019, including a portion that was not distributed before the fiscal year ran out at the end of September. Asked if the Defense Department was looking to do anything differently given it was "such a mess" getting the aid to Ukraine, Hoffman told reporters he "would not characterize it as a mess. ""I believed that we were able to get the aid out the door as we were intended to, so I would not characterize it as a mess," he said.  "We were able to get – as Congress requested and as we were instructed to do – the aid went out the door and went to Ukraine and is being available to the Ukrainian people in their own defensive efforts. "ABC News's Benjamin Siegel and Elizabeth McLaughlin contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


CLAIM As the coronavirus pandemic has pushed countries across the world into lockdown, a video is being massively shared on various social media platforms; it shows a man dressed in a tribal attire using a whip to disperse people from crowded areas.  This video is being circulated with a claim that the Kenyan government has deployed the Massai tribe for the curfew “after the police failed to implement” it.  The video has been shared by a verified Twitter user called 'Purijagan’ with his 2. 6 million followers with the same claim.  At the time of writing the story, the video had garnered 51,900 views.  The story is also being massively shared on Facebook with the same claim.  (Click here for live updates on COVID-19.  Also visit Quint Fit for comprehensive coverage on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. ) TRUE OR FALSE?  The video has been shared with a misleading caption.  The Kenyan government hasn’t deployed the Maasai tribe to make people follow the curfew rules.  In fact, this video has been made by a YouTube user who is based out of Kenya.  As per the description available on the video, it has been made for the purpose of entertainment.  WHAT WE FOUND OUT The video which is being shared has a very prominent watermark on top which reads ‘MBUZISELLER’.  We tried looking with the same keywords on YouTube and came across a longer version of the video which was uploaded on 2 April.  We then noticed the caption which was written partially in Swahili and partially in English.  According to this description, the video was “comedy”.  Further, Mbuzi Seller had engaged with people in the comment section of the video where he suggested that he was creating awareness about social distancing.  We also found other similar videos with the same person, dressed in the same attire, on the YouTube channel.  We also didn’t come across any media reports which suggested that the Kenyan government had deployed the Maasai tribe to ensure that people follow social distancing.  Evidently, a video that has been created for entertainment and awareness purposes is being shared out of context.  You can read all our fact-checked stories on coronavirus here.


Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as the Chief Minister of Assam.  He is being administered the oath by Governor Jagdish Mukhi. BJP national president JP Nadda and other leaders present at the ceremony. https://t.co/1bZQVPlWsd

Himanta Biswa Sarma took charge as the 15th chief minister of Assam on Monday, a day after he was selected unanimously as the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party.  The 52-year-old was administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Jagdish Mukhi at a brief function at the auditorium of Srimanta Shankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.  Sarma, who wore traditional Assamese attire, took oath in Assamese.  He was accompanied to the event by his mother Mrinalini Devi, wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and son and daughter.  Thirteen other newly elected MLAs of BJP and alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) were also sworn in at the ceremony, which set the ball rolling for the second successive BJP-led government in the state.  The new ministers are state BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Parimal Suklabaidya, Ronoj Pegu, Sanjay Kishan, Jogen Mohan, Ajanta Neog, Ashok Singhal, Pijush Hazarika, Bimal Bora (all from BJP) Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta (from AGP) and Urkhao Gwra Brahma (from UPPL).  While Atul Bora, Parimal Suklabaidya, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Keshav Mahanta, Sanjay Kishan, Jogen Mohan and Pijush Hazarika were part of the Sarbananda Sonowal Cabinet as well, the others are new faces.  Allocation of portfolios is expected to take place within the next few days with Sarma retaining key responsibilities.  The Cabinet is likely to be expanding soon to accommodate four other ministers.  Also Read | 3. 7 magnitude earthquake hits Nagaon in Assam, second tremor in a dayThe new Cabinet saw the inclusion of Ajanta Neog, a former Congress minister who had joined BJP just prior to the assembly polls while former BJP state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya, who was a Cabinet minister in the previous government, has been kept out.  The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda and minister for development of north eastern region (DONER) Jitendra Singh.  Sarma’s predecessor Sarbananda Sonowal was also present.  Chief ministers of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya, Neiphiu Rio, N Biren Singh, Biplab Kumar Deb and Conrad Sangma respectively, were also present at the function.  Assam assembly has 126 seats.  While BJP got 60 this time, same as its figure in 2016, its allies AGP and UPPL won 9 and 6 seats respectively, taking the alliance’s total to 75 seats.


August 26 was a historic day for professional sports in the US, with athletes banding together to stand against racial injustice and refusing to play in games across the country following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. https://t.co/1B3CdD9GLd https://t.co/qamP6kA1US

Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this week. NBA postpones all games after players refuse to play over Jacob Blake shootingThe NBA announced Wednesday it chose to postpone all three playoff games scheduled for the day after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play their Game 5 against the Orlando Magic and other teams appeared likely to follow suit. The Bucks decided not to take the court for Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games -- Bucks vs.  Magic, Houston Rockets vs.  Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs.  Portland Trail Blazers -- have been postponed," the NBA said in a statement.  "Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled. "The WNBA announced its three regular season games Wednesday -- being held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida -- would also be postponed. The MLB's Milwaukee Brewers also announced they will not play their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, according to ESPN.  The Seattle Mariners, the roster with the league's highest number of Black players, also said it would not play against the San Diego Padres.  The Los Angeles Dodgers vs.  San Francisco Giants game was also postponed. Blake, who was unarmed, was shot seven times in the back by police after leaning into his car and is paralyzed from the waist down, according to his family.  The shooting has caused violent protests in Kenosha the last three nights.  Two people were killed in shootings during protests on Tuesday night. The Kenosha Police Department and FBI have said they are investigating the shooting. "The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African American communities," Bucks guard Sterling Brown said, reading a statement after the team chose not to play.  "Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings.  Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we've seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protesters.  Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball. "The Bucks lead the series 3-1, and were scheduled to play Game 5 at 4 p. m.  on Wednesday. "Some things are bigger than basketball," Bucks Senior Vice President Alex Lasry tweeted.  "The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we’re fed up.  Enough is enough.  Change needs to happen.  I’m incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100% behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change. "The Magic said it supported not playing as well. "Today we stand united with the NBA Office, the National Basketball Players Association, the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest of the league condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police against people of color," the team said in a statement. The Lakers lead their series 3-1 over Portland and the Thunder and Rockets are tied at 2-2.  Three games are also scheduled for Thursday.  No announcement has been made on whether they will be played. All three games Wednesday were to be played at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, where the NBA is conducting its playoffs due to COVID-19. Milwaukee is the No.  1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the NBA playoffs.  They lost Game 1, but have won three straight games.  The team features Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA MVP, who was named defensive player of the year on Wednesday. In an interview with The Undefeated, Bucks guard George Hill said, "We’re tired of the killings and the injustice. "The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, who open their second-round playoff series on Thursday, have also discussed a boycott, according to Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. "Boycotting the game has come up for them as a way to try to demand a little more action," Nurse said Wednesday, prior to the Bucks' announced boycott.  "That's really what they want.  I think there's enough attention and not quite enough action, and that's what I can sense from the discussions, is their disappointment.  Like, 'Man, how can we get something to change, like now? ' We need something to change, not just attention on the problem.  We need a plan of action. "Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell tweeted "WE DEMAND CHANGE!  SALUTE @Bucks" in response to the shooting. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted similarly, adding an expletive and saying, "WE DEMAND CHANGE.  SICK OF IT. "Presidential contender Joe Biden also tweeted, supporting the players' decisions. "This moment demands moral leadership.  And these players answered by standing up, speaking out, and using their platform for good.  Now is not the time for silence," Biden tweeted Wednesday evening, linking to a video of the Bucks players reading their statement earlier tonight. ABC News' Dan Linden and Karyn Rodus contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Thursday, Aug.  27, 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


Delhi: Dinesh Trivedi, who had resigned as TMC MP in Rajya Sabha on February 12th, joins BJP in the presence of the party's national president JP Nadda. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also present. https://t.co/wCHlDbrcAz

Ahead of the crucial West Bengal Assembly Election 2021, former Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi on Saturday joined the BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda in Delhi.  Union minister Piyush Goyal was also present.  The former Trinamool MP resigned from the Rajya Sabha on February 12, delivering an unexpected and emotional speech in the House, where he lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thanked Trinamool Congress for sending him to the Upper House, but said it was time to respond to his inner voice asking him to something for West Bengal. I do not have to wait to speak to PM Modi, at least he listens: Dinesh TrivediWelcoming the former railways minister into the party, Nadda said, "Dinesh Trivedi was the right person in the wrong party, now he is in the right party. " Trivedi, on the other hand, said it was the golden moment he had been waiting for. Watch | ‘Right person now in the right party’: JP Nadda on Dinesh Trivedi joining BJPIn his final speech in the Rajya Sabha, Trivedi said, "The way violence is being unleased in my side, democracy is being attacked, I am feeling uneasy sitting here.  I am feeling uneasy sitting here.  I am from the land of Subhash Chandra Bose, Khudiram, Rabindranath Tagore. . . There are limitations here.  My party has sent me here so I am grateful.  But now I can't take any more what is happening.  I am feeling suffocated and that's why I want to resign from here and want to work for my Bengal. "Dinesh Trivedi joining the BJP was only a matter of time after his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and the party with which he has been associated since the beginning of the party. Earlier when Trivedi was asked whether his resignation means he would be joining the BJP, he told HT, "It would be a privilege to join the BJP as it is the No.  1 party in the world.  [Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader] Sitaram Yechury is also a good friend; so is [Maharashtra chief minister] Uddhav Thackeray.  I meet [Nationalist Congress Party leader] Sharad Pawar; everybody is a friend. "


Ford announced Tuesday that it's working with 3M and GE Healthcare to produce medical equipment and protective gear for healthcare workers to help address shortages in the fight against the coronavirus. https://t.co/lG1Itcklm1 https://t.co/4hPJvGJcmL

Ford and others have stepped up efforts to fight the global pandemic.  Ford Motor Company to help make masks, ventilators amid coronavirus pandemicFord Motor Co.  on Tuesday said it was partnering with 3M and GE Healthcare to speed up production of medical equipment and supplies for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker, working closely with GE, will manufacture a simplified version of GE's existing ventilator design.  These ventilators, which deliver air to COVID-19 patients in respiratory distress, could be produced at a Ford manufacturing site in addition to a GE location. "We have a range of options in terms of facilities that we can leverage to build these things," Jim Baumbick, vice president of enterprise product and line management at Ford, told reporters Tuesday on a conference call.  "We are expanding their capacity and leveraging what GE Healthcare and 3M have. "Ford engineers are also helping to boost manufacturing capacity of 3M's Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) by wielding parts from both companies to quickly get respirators to hospitals and health clinics.  Off-the-shelf parts include fans from Ford F-150's cooled seats and portable tool battery packs that can power respirators for up to eight hours.  Mike Kesti, global technical director at 3M's personal safety division, said the goal was to increase production tenfold from current levels. "We're really impressed with Ford's response," Kesti said on the call.  "We are trying to be creative, agile and resourceful . . .  focusing on increasing scale and impact. "Moreover, Ford said its workers, in cooperation with the UAW, would assemble more than 100,000 plastic face shields per week at a Ford manufacturing facility and apply its in-house 3D printing capability to produce disposable respirators. The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 392,000 people around the globe and at least 17,159 have died since the first case was reported last December in Wuhan, China.  Health officials and hospitals worldwide have pleaded with private businesses and world leaders to ramp up production of lifesaving medical devices. President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that he had given U. S.  automakers the "go ahead" to manufacture ventilators and "other metal products, FAST. "General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have also stepped up efforts to alleviate the dire shortage of medical devices across America. FCA said it would manufacture and donate more than 1 million protective face masks per month to police, EMTs and firefighters as well as workers in hospitals and health care clinics.  FCA will start manufacturing the masks in the coming weeks with initial distribution across the United States, Canada and Mexico. GM said it would work with Ventec Life Systems "to enable Ventec to increase production of its respiratory care products to support the growing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," adding that Ventec will "leverage GM’s logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise to build more of their critically important ventilators. "Carla Bailo, president and CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, said she would like to see more collaboration among automakers to stop the virus' insidious spread. "Everyone needs to protect the health of the country . . .  it's what we should be doing," she told ABC News.  "These companies can't build cars now so let's form partnerships and work together. "Retooling a car assembly line and turning it into a "ventilator line" may be unrealistic, she noted, but carmakers could set up temporary tents to manufacture the devices.  Automakers would have to establish safety protocols to make sure the workers coming back to the production line are healthy and provided with the appropriate masks, shields and other equipment needed to perform the job with zero risk of infection. "But the key is getting the parts and components and quickly enabling training," she added. Dan Hearsch, a managing director in the automotive and industrial practice at consulting firm AlixPartners, applauded automakers for proactively taking action. "This is a big deal," he told ABC News.  "They're lending their supply chain and manufacturing expertise to other industries.  [It's about] how do you get the most out of production quickly and efficiently. "Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has questioned the reported danger of the coronavirus, changed course on Sunday, tweeting that Tesla and SpaceX, his private space transportation services company, would distribute 1,255 ventilators from China this week but "getting them delivered, installed & operating is the harder part. "He also noted that members of his team have been in talks with Medtronic about the production of ventilators. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Hollywood's A-listers brought their A-game to the Oscars red carpet. See the big fashion moments that have everyone talking. https://t.co/xTGZdWE3Vp https://t.co/rAvPBmzNJI

Wakanda forever! How fashion at the Oscars has evolved since the 1930sThe cast of the the breakout film "Black Panther" wowed on the 2019 Academy Awards red carpet Sunday night. The flick made history as the first superhero film to earn a best picture nod at the Oscars.  It also broke barriers for having a almost-entirely black cast and crew in Hollywood. In addition to best picture, "Black Panther" is up for five other Academy Awards. Michael B.  Jordan, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman and more stars of the film were photographed on the red carpet ahead of the awards show. Gurira posted a video on Twitter of her rolling up to the Oscars with co-star Winston Duke who exclaimed "'Black Panther' crew is in the house! "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Hope Hicks, one of Pres. Trump's closest advisers, has tested positive for the coronavirus, @ABC News has confirmed. https://t.co/pH1dFJ5xaH

By Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins, Betsy Klein, Jim Acosta and Paul LeBlanc, CNNUpdated 1011 GMT (1811 HKT) October 2, 2020  (CNN)President Donald Trump announced early Friday that he and his wife both tested positive for the coronavirus, an extraordinary development coming months into a global pandemic and in the final stretch of his reelection campaign in which he has flouted experts' guidance on preventing the disease's spread. CNN's Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.


The royal family will gather on Monday at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham estate. https://t.co/CHcMUzqXOG

By Tara John, CNNUpdated 4:40 AM ET, Tue January 14, 2020 London (CNN)Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to a "period of transition" while details of a more "independent" role for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are hammered out. CNN's new Original Series goes inside the story of the world's most famous Royal family.  "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty" premieres Sunday, February 16 at 10 p. m.  ET/PT.  Follow along with #TheWindsorsCNN.  CNN's Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this piece.


A message being attributed to Nitin Gadkari says no toll charges for return journey completed within 12 hours.

Is it true that you don't need to pay any toll charges if you make a return journey within 12 hours? Sounds hard to believe, but this is exactly what is being claimed by a WhatsApp forward under the name of Road and Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari.  The message has been circulating on WhatsApp groups and Facebook for quite some time now. Two of our readers, including Bhanu Pratap from Delhi, sent us this message for verification. The viral message reads-Whenever you pay toll at a tollbooth, they ask u whether you wish to pay for one side or 2 sides (going and coming back).  Tell them that you wish to pay for 12 hours.  If you come back within 12 hours, there is no toll.  The ticket stamps the time as well.  The toll administration(s) makes lakhs of rupees by cheating the citizens due to lack of awareness of this rule.  Please educate and inform others.  Nitin Gadkari, Indian Government. India Today Fact Check found these claims to be baseless. Neither Gadkari has made any such statement nor has any such rule been notified by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).  NHAI is responsible for maintaining majority of highways in India. When we searched for this message on social media using the keywords, we found that the similar messages were shared way back in 2017. India Today reached out to the Ministry of Road and Transport for a reaction. Gadkari's office out rightly denied the existence of any such order or statement.  They also shared with us a statement issued earlier, debunking the viral message being attributed to Nitin Gadkari. The statement says It has come to MoRTH’s attention that there are statements being falsely attributed to the Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari regarding the Toll Rates.  The Ministry wishes to clarify that the statements are wrong. The detailed clarification can be read here. We could also not find any media report which mentions the waiver of toll charges for the journeys completed within 12 hours.  The rules notified by the ministry only says that for a return journey completed within 24 hours, there is provision for discount if toll tickets for the return journey are bought together. Earlier, SM hoax Slayer and the Quint had also debunked this misleading message. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Footage of a large crowd of people offering namaz in knee-deep water is circulating widely on social media.  The accompanying Hindi caption reads, “This is a plan to capture a secluded place in the river Ganges by offering prayers there.  According to their plan, a temporary encampment should be built on the banks of the river, which will be converted into permanent accommodation.  Because the next war of the world will be for water.  And the experiment to convert Mother Ganges to Abe Zamzam has begun! ”#उत्तराखंड_मांगे_भू_कानून#जमीन_जिहाद यह मुस्लिमों की एक योजना है कि एकान्त स्थान पर गंगा नदी में अज़ान लगा कर कब्जा किया जये।इनकी योजना के अनुसार गंगा नदी के किनारे किनारे पर अस्थाई निवास बनाये जाय बाद में यह स्थाई निवास में परिवर्तन कर दिया जायेगा।क्यों कि विश्व की अगली👇 pic. twitter. com/4ANIH8zduk— 🇮🇳कल्याणी_पुष्पा🇮🇳 (@P_Katyayan) July 28, 2021यह मुस्लिमों की एक योजना है, की एकांत स्थान पर गंगा नदी में, अजान लगाकर कब्जा कर लिया जाए, इनकी योजना के अनुसार गंगा नदी के किनारे किनारे पर अस्थाई निवास बनाया जाए, बाद में यह स्थाई निवास में परिवर्तन कर दिया जाएगा, क्योंकि विश्व की अगली लड़ाई पानी के लिए होनी है। pic. twitter. com/CaypnUoZUa— 🇮🇳 शेषधर तिवारी 🇮🇳 (@sdtiwari) July 28, 2021Facebook user Sanjay Singh shared the visuals with the same caption.  यह मुस्लिमोंकी एक योजना है कि एकान्त स्थान पर गंगा नदी में अज़ान लगा कर कब्जा किया जये। इनकी योजना के अनुसार गंगा नदी के किनारे किनारे पर अस्थाई निवास बनाये जाय बाद में यह स्थाई निवास में परिवर्तन कर दिया जायेगा। क्यों कि विश्व की अगली लड़ाई पानी के लिए होनी है। और यह गंगा के किनारे रह कर यह मुस्लिम इस्लाम को बुलन्द करेंगे।Posted by Sanjay Singh on Monday, July 26, 2021Facebook page ‘I Love MODI JI’ promoted the clip as well.
The video is viral on Facebook and Twitter.
The same video has been shared on YouTube as Florida, India and Maharashtra. Alt News performed a keyword search, which led us to a Dhaka Tribune article dated May 25, 2020.  The accompanying image is a still from the viral video.  The outlet states that there was a flood in the Koira subdistrict of Khulna, Bangladesh due to the Amphan cyclone.  Because of this, locals offered prayers in knee-deep water on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.  The storm, which hit at a speed of 180 kmph, caused a lot of devastation.  Mohammad Humayun Kabir, chairman of the Koira Sadar Upazila Parishad, revealed that close to 3,000 people had offered prayers at three different places in the city during flooding.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of a screengrab from the viral video and the image carried by the Dhaka Tribune.
Bangladeshi newspapers like the Daily Sun and Bangla Mirror also reported about residents offering prayers in water during flooding in Koira. Therefore, a video of a crowd of people offering Eid prayers in knee-deep water in Bangladesh amid the 2020 floods was shared on social media as India and Florida.  While sharing the visuals, users falsely claimed that Muslims were offering prayers in the River Ganges, considered holy by Hindus. Donate NowA set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…An alleged statement by former President Dr.  APJ Abdul Kalam has been circulating on social…A photo of a billboard featuring Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray has been shared by BJP…A video of a group of people beating a boy in police presence over an…


Pres. Trump announces FAA grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 planes in the U.S. after Ethiopia crash. https://t.co/pZprkvsTIw https://t.co/mnNsJg0CKR

By Meg Wagner, Brian Ries, Veronica Rocha and Ben Westcott, CNNBoeing announced on Wednesday it would be recommending the grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes globally "out of an abundance of caution. "But the move hasn't stopped countries taking matters into their own hands, with Mexico, Panama and Thailand all subsequently announcing they would be suspending Boeing 737 Max jets temporarily. In total, 50 countries have now grounded or banned the controversial Max 8 models which were involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash Sunday. From CNN Business's Chris IsidoreFollowing the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Boeing's 737 Max planes would be grounded across the country, the aerospace company's stock value plunged. Shares of Boeing immediately fell 3% after Trump’s announcement.  They later recovered to close slightly higher by the end of the day. But since the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, Boeing’s stock has lost more than 10% of its value, wiping out more than $25 billion of the company’s market value. Read the full article here. From CNN's Margot HadadThe black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 are due to arrive in Paris for analysis on Thursday morning, a vital clue into what caused the Sunday crash which killed 157 people. The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) will conduct the investigation into the recorders but a spokesman for the bureau said they wouldn't be announcing the results. "Only the Ethiopian authorities will report on the progress of the investigation.  There will be no press conference," a BEA spokesman told CNN Wednesday. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told CNN’s Richard Quest on Tuesday that  Ethiopia did not have the necessary equipment to perform analysis tasks on its own and would work alongside external analysts. Mexico became the 50th country to take action against Boeing 737 Max 8 planes on Wednesday evening, following the United States decision earlier in the day to suspend the planes' operation inside the country. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation said they were banned until further notice to "guarantee the safety and confidence" of aircraft flying in Mexican airspace. Since China's decision to ground its Boeing Max jets on Monday, more and more countries around the world have banned the use of Boeing 737 Max planes inside their airspace. South Korea's largest airline, Korean Air, announced Thursday it would be putting on hold plans to introduce Boeing 737 Max 8s into their fleet. "Korean Air had originally scheduled to introduce the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts to its (air) routes from May," the statement said.  Instead, the airline will use other planes in their place. It is just another reminder of the economic cost of the worldwide ban to Boeing. Wall Street firms Melius Research and Jefferies estimate a three-month grounding could cost the US aerospace company up to $5 billion. China was the first country in the world to ground their fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes on Monday, which set off a chain reaction around the world. In an editorial Wednesday, state-run tabloid Global Times told Boeing it had to take "responsibility" for the crisis and reprimanded the US government for "protecting" them. "Such protection of a company seems incredible to Chinese, yet in US society it seems to make sense thanks to the US political system," the editorial said. It's a bold statement which might strike some observers as ironic given the Chinese government's unequivocal statements in recent months supporting tech giant Huawei during its legal troubles with the US. The article also praised Boeing as a "giant in the aerospace industry" but added it had to be "modest and cautious as any startup company" given the recent news. From CNN's Kocha OlarnAnother country has joined the international pushback against Boeing and its 737 Max 8 aircraft, within hours of the US announcement. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand announced all operations of Max 8 and Max 9 planes would be temporarily suspended until midnight on March 20. "Currently, there is no clear indication for the actual cause of accidents in Indonesia & Ethiopia, and no evident risk management measures or any mechanism to ensure the safety of 737 Max 9 aircraft from the aircraft manufacturer," the statement said. More than 40 countries have now suspended operations of the planes following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. From CNN's Christina ZdanowiczDave Wasserman took this video of a United Airlines employee announcing to passengers the airline's plan to ground its 737 Max 9 aircraft at George Bush Intercontinental Airport today. Watch the moment:From CNN's Christina ZdanowiczPassenger Mort Greenberg was waiting at the gate in Miami on American Airlines Flight 2809 when the news broke that President Trump was grounding all Boeing Max 8 planes. He was scheduled to fly on a Max 8 plane.  His flight, however, has been canceled, according to American Airlines’ website. "Airport staff were upfront and said that was reason.  Moments later news came out about Presidents order.  Entire terminal just cleared out.  But in 5 minutes or so AA had send me a notice of rebooking without even having to ask,” Greenberg told CNN on Twitter. Greenberg, who works in advertising sales, was supposed to be flying into LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


When Amit Shah was being taken to the court with handcuff (hidden through handkerchief) by the police...make the historic picture go viral

An image showing Home Minister Amit Shah with a few police personnel is viral with the claim that he hid his handcuffs under a handkerchief while being taken to the court.  However, the image dates back to 2010 when Amit Shah was taken to the CBI office in Gandhinagar in connection with the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.  On zooming into a clearer version of the viral image, we saw that he was not handcuffed.  CLAIM The image shared by one Manohar Shrivastava had garnered over 10,000 shares at the time of publishing this article.  The claim along with the image reads: “अमित शाह तड़ीपार को जब न्यालय में हत्कडी (रुमाल से छुपा ली) लगाकर पुलिस ले गयी थी . . . . . ऐतिहासिक फोटो को वायरल करें” (Translated: When Amit Shah was being taken to the court with handcuff (hidden through handkerchief) by the police. . . make the historic picture go viral) WHAT WE FOUND OUT A Google reverse image search led us to an article published by The Hindu in August 2010 which carried the viral image.  The article is headlined as: “Amit Shah had active role in fake encounter: CBI. ” Amit Shah was then being taken to the CBI office in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar in connection with the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.  The minister was discharged in the case in December 2014 citing lack of evidence.  We found a clearer version of the image in an article published in Outlook.  On carefully looking at the image, we found that Amit Shah was not handcuffed then, rather is just holding a handkerchief in his hands.  Evidently, an old image of Amit Shah being taken to the CBI office is being shared with false claim that he hid his handcuffs under a handkerchief.  (With inputs from SM Hoax Slayer) (You can read all our coronavirus related fact-checked stories here. )


Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, came closer together than they have been in 400 years on Monday. The pair's appearance as a double planet in the sky was nicknamed the "Christmas Star." https://t.co/UvAk0lwCJd https://t.co/oH3gJjBc1J

Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer than they have in centuriesAnnual Orionid meteor shower hits its peak CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  -- Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century. Astronomers say so-called         conjunctions between the two largest planets in our solar system aren't particularly rare.  Jupiter passes its neighbor Saturn in their respective laps around the sun every 20 years. But the one coming up is especially close: Jupiter and Saturn will be just one-tenth of a degree apart from our perspective or about one-fifth the width of a full moon.  They should be easily visible around the world a little after sunset, weather permitting. Toss in the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest night of the year — and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere — and this just-in-time-for-Christmas spectacle promises to be one of the greatest of Great Conjunctions. “What is most rare is a close conjunction that occurs in our nighttime sky," said Vanderbilt University’s David Weintraub, an astronomy professor.  "I think it’s fair to say that such an event typically may occur just once in any one person’s lifetime, and I think ‘once in my lifetime’ is a pretty good test of whether something merits being labeled as rare or special. ”It will be the closest Jupiter-Saturn pairing since July 1623, when the two planets appeared a little nearer.  This conjunction was almost impossible to see, however, because of its closeness to the sun. Considerably closer and in plain view was the March 1226 conjunction of the two planets — when Genghis Khan was conquering Asia.  Monday's conjunction will be the closest pairing that is visible since way back then. Saturn and Jupiter have been drawing closer in the south-southwest sky for weeks.  Jupiter — bigger and closer to Earth — is vastly brighter. “I love watching them come closer and closer to each other and the fact that I can see it with my naked eyes from my back porch! ” Virginia Tech astronomer Nahum Arav said in an email. To see it, be ready shortly after sunset Monday, looking to the southwest fairly low on the horizon.  Saturn will be the smaller, fainter blob at Jupiter’s upper right.  Binoculars will be needed to separate the two planets. Despite appearances, Jupiter and Saturn will actually be more than 450 million miles (730 million kilometers) apart.  Earth, meanwhile, will be 550 million miles (890 million kilometers) from Jupiter. A telescope will not only capture Jupiter and Saturn in the same field of view, but even some of their brightest moons. Their next super-close pairing: March 15, 2080. ———The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.  The AP is solely responsible for all content. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Indian Flag is being burnt down by the farmers who are protesting in the Delhi borders

A collage of three old images of groups disrespecting the Indian national flag has resurfaced in the backdrop of the ongoing farmers' protest with claims that the demonstrating farmers have been burning the tricolour.   The images are viral to support the narrative that the protests have been driven by anti-India sentiments.   Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other northern states are gathering around the borders of Delhi to protest against the contentious farm bills introduced by the government.  Various farmer unions had called for a total shutdown (Bharat Bandh) on December 8, after the government failed to meet their demands.   The viral post shows a collage of three images of protesters disrespecting the Indian national flag by stepping on it, garlanding it with shoes and burning it, respectively.   Also read: Farmers' Protest: Old Photo Of Separatists Disrespecting Tricolour Revived The caption of the post in Bangla reads, ''Flag of India being burnt in the farmers' movement.  Now think who has been involved in the movement. '' (Original text in Bangla: ''কৃষক আন্দোলনে ভারতের পতাকা পুড়ানো হচ্ছে।।এবার ভাবুন আন্দোলন কারা করছে।'') Archive of the post can be seen here.  Another such post can be seen below.  Archive can be seen here.   Also read: 2018 Photo Of Man From Bihar Standing On Tricolour Shared As West Bengal BOOM ran a reverse image search on each of the images in the collage and found they are old and unrelated.   Image 1 Upon reverse image search, we found Facebook posts from August 2014 featuring the same image.  The caption of one such post reads, "Share this picture everywhere and show how they disrespect India and it should reach the Indian government. '' We were also led to a blog titled Hate India End India where the above image was posted on December 13, 2013 with a headline: Khalistan Youth.  While BOOM was not independently able to verify the veracity of the image, it has been present on the internet since 2013.   Image 2 Upon running a reverse image search, BOOM found this image in a Flickr account by a user named Harpeet Dhillon.  Dhillon shared multiple other images of a protest by Sikhs in the United States.  The image was posted on August 16, 2009 in an album by the user titled ''Protest against 15th August India Independence Parade in Fremont, CA''.   Image 3 A reverse image search on this image took us to a Pakistani website, Siasat. pk, which had posted the same image in an article titled, ''Liberate Khalistan trend gets momentum on Twitter'' on July 12, 2015.  We also found some tweets on #LiberateKhalistan Ths is how much sikhs respect INDIAN FLAG! !  #LiberateKhalistan pic. twitter. com/FHRZsJDaHp While we could not independently verify the time and location of each of the image, it is clear that all the three have been present on the internet years before the farmers' agitation gained momentum.   BOOM has previously debunked misinformation around the farmers' protests.  Read below.   #Thread🚨: Since the ongoing #FarmersProtests at the borders of Delhi, we have seen a flurry of Fake News and debunked misinformation around the protests.  (1/n) 👇🏽 #FakeNews #BOOMFactCheck Also read: Photo Of Protesters Burning Tricolour Is From Pakistan Not India


Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Army Commander, Northern Command, accompanied by the White Knight Corps Commander, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh has visited forward posts in Akhnoor Sector (J&K) to review the operational preparedness and the prevalent security situation. https://t.co/uYd0tt2C1H

Four security personnel, including two from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and one civilian were killed in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Kupwara on Friday.  A statement from the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the army, state police and the CRPF launched an operation in Babagund village late on Thursday night following information about the possible presence of militants in the area. There was a lull in firing several times during the day but militants would resume firing as soon as the security forces advanced towards the house where the extremists were hiding, the police said.  After one such interval, the militants opened indiscriminate fire on an advancing team of security personnel, it added. The Jammu and Kashmir police statement identified the two dead police personnel as Naseer Ahmad Kholi and Ghulam Mustafa Barah and the two CRPF men as Inspector Pintu and Constable Vinod , using only their first names.  “In the nearby area one individual identified as Waseem Ahmad Mir also sustained bullet injury and consequently succumbed at the hospital,” the statement added.  It was not immediately clear how many militants were killed as no bodies were recovered.  The operation was in progress as of press time and the number of casualties was expected to rise.  State police officials said on condition of anonymity that in the middle of the encounter, one militant who was presumed to be dead rose from the rubble and started firing.  That led to an unspecified number of deaths and injuries.  Officers said eight security personnel were injured, but that their injuries were not serious.  Villagers living close to encounter site were asked to stay in their houses while the firing was going on.  “The search operation was launched late last night and firing began in the morning.  In the afternoon, there was again firing and some officials told us that forces personnel have been injured during the search operation when militant who was believed to be dead opened fire on the forces,’’ said Abdul Gaffar, a local resident who lives close to encounter site. As the encounter was underway, clashes broke out in the village between security forces and villagers who were trying to move close to encounter site.  Medical superintendent of the district hospital of Handwara, Rouf Ahmad, said a 17-year-old civilian who had a firearm injury was brought dead to hospital.  On Wednesday, a Pakistani was among two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants killed in a firefight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Meanwhile in Jammu, Pakistan violated a 2003 ceasefire on Friday by shelling four sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts, leaving a woman injured, said the army.  Defence officials said Pakistan troops used heavy guns to target civilian areas in Poonch.  “At about 1800 hours, Pakistan continued initiating unprovoked ceasefire violation by heavy shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC in Mendhar, Balakote and Krishna Ghati Sectors,” the defence public relations officer said. The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, he said.  On Thursday, a woman was killed and a soldier was injured when the Pakistani Army shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Rajouri districts.


Kerala records 1,239 new #COVID19 cases, active caseload climbs to 24,081

https://t.co/Limx3pMuBQ https://t.co/5VBZLEOJrr

Active cases in Kerala touched 24,081 as the state recorded 1,239 new coronavirus cases and 1,766 recoveries on Monday.  The toll mounted to 4,507 with 12 more additional deaths.  Six health workers were among those who tested positive.  While the Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,05,816, as many as 10,76,571 people have been cured of the disease, Health minister K K Shailaja said in a press release. In the last 24 hours ending at 2 pm, 34,821 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 3. 56 per cent. So far, 1,26,96,542 samples have been sent for testing, the release said. Thiruvananthapuram reported the highest number of cases-175-today, followed by Kannur 125, Kozhikode 114, Kollam 112 and Ernakulam 106. Wayanad recorded only 24. Of the positive cases, 60 had come from outside the state and 1,067 were infected through contact.  At least 1,26,125 people are under observation in various districts, including 3,743 in hospitals. PTI UD BN BN


Pres. Trump reacts to Manafort sentencing, focusing on fact that none of the charges related to potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia: https://t.co/ZBt3Tnf1Y8 https://t.co/L7iBeGRh2u

    President Donald Trump weighed in Friday to the sentencing of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort by twisting a federal judge’s words to claim that there was no collusion with Russia in the 2016 campaign.

    “Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia,” Trump said in a Friday morning tweet.

    “The judge said there was no collusion with Russia,” Trump later told a gaggle of reporters, before leaving the White House to meet with victims of deadly tornadoes in Alabama.

Facts First: The judge said no such thing.  He noted that Manafort wasn’t accused of collusion and that the trial focused on unrelated financial crimes.  But the judge did not declare that there was no collusion in 2016.

Judge T. S.  Ellis sentenced Manafort on Thursday to serve nearly four years in prison for a vast financial fraud scheme.  But Manafort “is not before the court for anything having to do with colluding with the Russian government to influence this election,” Ellis said.

    Ellis later repeated that Manafort “is not before the court for any allegation that he or anybody at his direction colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election. ”

    The judge never said during the three-hour hearing that there had been “no collusion” between Trump’s campaign and Russia.  Ellis presided over Manafort’s fraud case in the Eastern District of Virginia.  He has not been involved in Mueller’s investigation of potential collusion in 2016.

    Later with reporters on Friday, Trump correctly said, “The judge, for whatever reason, I was very honored by it, also made the statement that this had nothing to do with collusion with Russia. ”

    Throughout the trial, Ellis made it apparent that he wanted to separate the whole issue of Russia and collusion from the facts surrounding Manafort’s financial crimes.

    Manafort was convicted in August of eight counts of financial fraud.  He committed some of those crimes — bank fraud, tax fraud and hiding foreign bank accounts – while he was running Trump’s campaign.  But the charges weren’t tied to his work for Trump or the 2016 election.

    Before the trial, Manafort’s lawyers asked the judge to drop the charges because they weren’t directly related to Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.  Ellis rejected their argument, saying at the time that Mueller simply “followed the money” from pro-Russian sources to Manafort.  He specifically reminded Manafort’s defense lawyers of that decision at the sentencing hearing.

    Ellis was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.  During his career, Ellis has established himself as a cantankerous yet witty ringmaster in the courtroom.

This story has been updated.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


Maharashtra: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continues rescue operations in Sangli. #maharashtrafloods https://t.co/khJCho9YlB

The flood situation in Kolhapur and Sangli districts in western Maharashtra showed signs of improvement on Saturday as water started to recede from inundated areas, officials said. However, it would take at least two to three days for the water to completely recede from the districts, they said. Although the overall situation has improved slightly, the operation to evacuate the flooded areas and moving stranded people to safer locations and providing relief to them is still on. “There is an improvement in the overall situation.  Water is receding, albeit slowly. . .  Currently the water level in Kolhapur is at 52 feet although the danger level is 47 feet.  The highest water level during the current flood was 57 feet,” Abhinav Deshmukh, Kolhapur Superintendent of Police, told PTI.  As rains have stopped in the district, the situation is likely improve further, officials said. In neighboring Sangli district as well, the water level is receding gradually.  Till 6 am, it stood at 56. 7 feet, the officials said. Deshmukh said considering the current situation, it might take another two to three days for the water to recede from Kolhapur district completely. The operation to evacuate the flood-hit areas is going on, but there is no life-threatening situation is there in the district, he said. “Currently the evacuation is mainly concentrated in Shirol and Kurundwad tehsils of Kolhapur,” the officer said, adding that copters are being used to drop food packets. Meanwhile, three more bodies were recovered in the boat capsize incident that took place on Thursday near Brahmanal village in Palus tehsil of Sangli district during the flood rescue operations. Nine persons had drowned and as many others had gone missing in the incident. “We have recovered three more bodies, including that of a girl,” the officer said. With the recovery of three more bodies, the death toll in the incident has gone up to 12. A total of 26 Navy teams with 110 personnel and 26 boats have been deployed in Kolhapur and Sangli districts.  They will continue to remain stationed in the area till the flood situation improves, a defence statement said. Additional 15 teams of the Navy from Visakhapatnam will reach Kolhapur by Saturday afternoon to assist in the rescue operation, a defence spokesperson said. At present there are 14 Navy teams in Kolhapur district and 12 in Sangli helping the state administration in evacuating the flood-hit areas, the official said. According to officials, over 2. 85 lakh people were rescued due to the devastating floods, from Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Pune and Solapur districts and the death toll due to floods in the five districts was 29 till Friday. According to an official, the discharge from Almatti dam in Karnataka on the Krishna is 5,00,000 cusec (cubic foot per second), which is expected to ease the floods upstream.  (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text )


Traffic Signal Being Swept Down The Street In Mumbai

A video from China of a traffic signal being swept away on a flooded street is being shared with the false claim that it is from Mumbai.      In the six second video, one can spot a traffic signal floating in the water on an inundated street.  The video is viral in the backdrop of Mumbai receiving incessant rains resulting in water logging on September 4.       Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri tweeted the video asking the Mumbai Traffic Police what was the fine amount " if a signal crosses the road. "     Hello Traffic Police of Mumbai, How much fine if the signal crosses the road?  pic. twitter. com/zDQ51YLEng    Click here to view an archive    Quint Neon also included a a shot from the viral video in its 'Perfect playlist for Mumbaikars' tweet.        Click here to view an archive.     Breaking News. .  First time in history. .  signal is crossing the road😜😂🤣 #Trafficviolation #TrafficFine #TrafficRules #Traffic #TrafficSignal #MumbaiRains #Delhi #MumbaiRainlive #MumbaiTraffic #Ahemdabadtraffic #Ahemdabad pic. twitter. com/jkApn9Oy1F    Click here to view an archive    Viral on Facebook       Click here to view an archive       We ran a reverse image search on keyframes from the video and were led to results from Chinese news websites and blogs.      A longer version of the video was uploaded by China Global Television Network (CGTN), a nationally owned media outlet in China on its YouTube Channel on May 12, 2018.         According to CGTN, the video was filmed in Yulin City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.     Shop boards and bike sticker in mandarin     Additionally the shop boards in the background a sticker visible on a two wheeler in the viral video are in Mandarin.     The same video was previously viral in June 2018, and shared by a Facebook page claiming that the video clip was shot in Luchuan County in Guangxi, China in May.        We also found the same video uploaded in September 2018, on Tencent Video, a Chinese video streaming site.   In the video, at 33 seconds, a partial number plate is visible on a black car parked by the side of the road.        The visible characters on the plate are "HF86" and it is a blue number plate with white letters.  A search revealed that no region or state in India and no number plates in India are registered using "HF".        More than 70,000 people in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region were affected by heavy downpours reported China Daily on May 11, 2018.


"President Donald Trump is leaving America in a vortex of violence, sickness and death and more internally estranged than it has been for 150 years." Analysis by @StCollinson https://t.co/SssxLtNfvz

An internal FBI note obtained by ABC News shows warnings of "a huge uprising. "US Capitol riots: Tracking the insurrectionStarting this week and running through at least Inauguration Day, armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols and at the U. S.  Capitol, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News. The FBI has also received information in recent days on a group calling for “storming” state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in the event President Donald Trump is removed from office prior to Inauguration Day.  The group is also planning to “storm” government offices in every state the day President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Biden or Trump. "The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January," the bulletin read.  "They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur. "Federal law enforcement officials have advised police agencies to increase their security posture at statehouses around the country following the riot at the U. S.  Capitol, law enforcement sources told ABC News. Following the violent pro-Trump breach of the U. S.  Capitol last Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives pushed forward Monday with an effort to get Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would declare Trump incapable of performing his presidential duties and would install Pence as acting president until Biden is inaugurated Jan.  20. The effort was ultimately blocked by Republican Rep.  Alex Mooney of West Virginia, and House Democrats then introduced an article of impeachment against Trump for "incitement of insurrection. "The measure, which has more than 200 Democratic co-sponsors, states Trump has "demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. "According to the FBI, approximately 29 individuals and/or social media accounts of individuals who unlawfully entered the Capitol had been identified as of Sunday. The FBI has received nearly 45,000 digital media tips that are now being reviewed. At least five people died during the siege on the Capitol, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.  The FBI bulletin said Sicknick "died from injuries sustained during the U. S.  Capitol breach. "ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this report. This report was featured in the Wednesday, Jan.  13, 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


Gujarat: Volunteers of 'Team Prayas' have set up a facility to provide first aid to birds that were injured by kite strings during #Uttarayan festival, in Surat.

"We have taken all precautionary measures due to COVID & bird flu protocols," says a member.
(15.1) https://t.co/VUudQ9lno9

Two people were killed and over 140 were injured during the kite flying festival in Rajasthan, held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. While a 14-year-old boy was run over by a train in Kota, while attempting to catch a kite on the railway tracks, a young biker’s throat was slit by a sharp made in China string, used for kite flying. 14-yr-old Kishore, a resident of the Mahatma Gandhi colony in Kota, was crushed under the wheels of an express train when he was trying to catch a kite on the Delhi-Mumbai railway track, passing near his house on Thursday evening. "With his eyes glued to the kite, the boy did not see the approaching Awadh Express or hear its horn before he was hit by the speeding train," said a police official.  Kishore died on the spot.  His body was handed over to his family for last rites. Meanwhile, in another shocker, 25-year-old Lakshya Suthar’s throat was slit by a sharp Chinese kite-flying string while he was riding on a bike.  Suthar died due to excessive bleeding. Nearly 140 persons, including 100 in Jaipur alone, are reported to have been injured in kite-flying incidents in the state on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.


Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan inspects the management and preparedness for #CoronaVirus, at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport

Get the latest updates on the #Covid19 global outbreak here: https://t.co/tkvgg4tEwA

(pics: ANI) https://t.co/w3JsxZSYWz

Sep 05, 2021-Sunday

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France reports three more coronavirus deaths'Long list' of countries not doing enough against virus, says WHOSpecial flights to start between Iran and India for the stranded passengers, says Iran embassy official: ANIArrangements being made to facilitate return of stranded Indians in Iran: MEAAir travellers coming from Italy, South Korea to carry medical certificate, says DGCAPaytm shuts Gurugram office for 15 days after employee tests positiveNew York confirms two more coronavirus cases, state total at 13Kendriya Vidyalayas in Delhi to remain closed for primary classes till March 31Iran reports 15 more deaths, toll goes up to 107Ghaziabad man tests positive, total cases in India go up to 30Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan to be closed from March 72 suspected cases in Telangana test negative for COVID-19: MinisterGreece reports 21 new coronavirus cases in group travelling from IsraelBMC launches helpline to report coronavirus cases in Mumbai'Have to be careful next 10-15 days': Uddhav ThackerayAs coronavirus scare looms across the world with at least 30 people infected with the novel Covid-19 in India, airports in the country are all set for a mammoth screening exercise. Health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said in the Parliament that 28,529 persons across the country have been brought under surveillance. Prime Minister Modi's visit to Brussels to attend India-EU Summit was cancelled on Thursday and the meeting has been rescheduled, said the MEA spokesperson. Here are latest updates on coronavirus:France reports three more coronavirus deathsFrance reported three more deaths due to coronavirus infection on Thursday, taking the total toll to seven.  The number of confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 138 to 423, a health official said according to a report in Reuters. A total of 23 people are in a very serious condition, health agency director Jerome Salomon said at a daily briefing about the virus. 'Long list' of countries not doing enough against virus, says WHOThe World Health Organisation on Thursday warned that many countries were not taking necessary steps to fight the spread of coronavirus. “This is not a drill.  This is not the time for giving up.  This is not a time of for excuses.  This is a time for pulling out all the stops,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing in Geneva, according to a report in AP. "Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades.  Now is the time to act on those plans," he added. Special flights to start between Iran and India for the stranded passengers, says Iran embassy official: ANIFrom tomorrow, special flights will start between Iran and India for the stranded passengers.  Over 2000 Indians are stranded in Iran.  We can send them back to India only after proper approval of Indian authority, an Iran embassy official said. Arrangements being made to facilitate return of stranded Indians in Iran: MEAArrangements are being made to facilitate the return of stranded Indians from Iran in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak through normal civil aviation channels, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.  MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said as of now there are no Indians infected with the virus in Iran. Air travellers coming from Italy, South Korea to carry medical certificate, says DGCAAir travellers having visited or arriving from Italy and South Korea will require to submit a certificate of having "tested" negative from a health authorities-designated lab in their countries for coronavirus at the departure airport, a senior DGCA official said on Thursday.  The fresh travel curbs, which are in addition to the visa restrictions already in place, would come into effect from midnight of March 9 and will remain in place until cases of coronavirus subside, he said. Paytm shuts Gurugram office for 15 days after employee tests positivePaytm has shut its Gurugram office for up to a fortnight after one of its employees tested positive for coronavirus, the company said, as it looked to contain the spread of infection to other employees. New York confirms two more coronavirus cases, state total at 13New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced there were two more confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected patients in the state to 13, reports ReutersKendriya Vidyalayas in Delhi to remain closed for primary classes till March 31Kendriya Vidyalayas in Delhi to remain closed for primary classes till March 31 in view of coronavirus: PTI quotes officialsIran reports 15 more deaths, toll goes up to 107Iran on Thursday reported 15 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, raising the national toll to 107, and said it would keep schools and universities closed until early April, reports AFP. Ghaziabad man tests positive, total cases in India go up to 30A suspected case of coronavirus from Ghaziabad has been confirmed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune.  The man, with travel history of Iran, has been found to be covid-19 positive.  This takes the total number of infected cases in India to 30. Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan to be closed from March 7The Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be closed for public from March 7 in view of coronavirus outbreak.  "Continuing the precautionary measures at Rashtrapati Bhavan in view of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, the Mughal Gardens will close for public from Saturday, March 7 to avoid any large gathering of people," a Rashtrapati Bhavan tweet said on Thursday evening. 2 suspected cases in Telangana test negative for COVID-19: MinisterTwo suspected coronavirus cases in Telanagana have tested negative, the health administration announced on Thursday.  The administration said there are no fresh cases of COVID-19 in the state. The samples were of a man having travel history to Italy and a sanitation worker in Secunderabad's Apollo Hospitals who had come in contact with the techie who had tested positive on Monday, said the state health minister E Rajender. Greece reports 21 new coronavirus cases in group travelling from IsraelGreek health officials on Thursday reported 21 new coronavirus infections among a group that had recently travelled to Israel, raising the country's total to 31, reports Reuters. "Twenty-one out of 24 people tested positive," Sotiris Tsiodras of the national public health organisation (EODY) told a news conference. BMC launches helpline to report coronavirus cases in MumbaiMumbai's civic body.  Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has launched a 24x7 helpline number '1916' to report coronavirus cases in the city. 'Have to be careful next 10-15 days': Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked people of the state not to panic but added the need to be careful over the next few days. "Municipal corporations and administration of the state are on alert.  We have to be more careful in next 10 to 15 days.  It is advised to avoid big gatherings during Holi as already requested by PM Modi," Thackeray said, reports ANI. First published: Mar 05, 2020 05:25 IST


Video shows Chicago police officers punching and dragging a 16-year-old girl down the stairs https://t.co/keSgX26Rn3 https://t.co/iPpjhEbjUW

Dnigma Howard, 16, was originally charged with two felonies. Surveillance video shows police dragging female student down stairsThe actions of two former Chicago school resource officers toward a 16-year-old student, including dragging her down a flight of stairs and Tasering her three times, are being further called into question after the release of new surveillance video on Thursday. Dnigma Howard, 16, had allegedly disobeyed a teacher who told her to put her phone away when she was kicked out of class in the early February incident.  Her father, Laurentio Howard, has come to John Marshall Metropolitan High School to pick up his daughter when a confrontation between the teen and two school police officers deteriorated into a physical fight. In cellphone video shared days later, Howard can be seen at the bottom of a flight of stairs, kicking out at the officers -- one male and one female -- but it's unclear what led up to the incident. School surveillance video newly released by Chicago ABC station WLS on Thursday tells a different story than what police said at the time -- that the 16-year-old began fighting the officers.  Instead, in the surveillance video, Dnigma Howard and an officer can be seen standing at the top of the stairs when the officer grabbed her and tackled her to the ground, then dragged her down the stairs by one leg. "In the video you can see they pull her by the leg down the stairs, the whole flight of stairs," Laurentio Howard, who was standing by as his daughter was punched and Tased, told WLS. "I thought maybe they were going to try to choke her out or she would lose consciousness or something like that," he added.  "They had their foot on her chest.  She has asthma, she's telling me she can't breathe. "The initial cellphone video did not fully show the actions of the police officers at the bottom of the stairs as they moved out of view.  In the new video, they can be seen pinning her to the ground, throwing several punches and eventually using a stun gun on her three times. Both officers were reassigned in the wake of the incident, Chicago police said in February. A police spokesman said the officer have been assigned to "different duties with the district. "The Civilian Office of Police Accountability "has not given us a recommendation to relieve them of police powers as of yet," the spokesman added.  One of the officers is currently on medical leave, the spokesman added. "We hold our officers to the highest level of professional standards.  CPD will remain guided by the facts of the investigation," the department said in a statement.  "Due to the fact that this incident is currently under the jurisdiction of COPA for the purpose of an independent investigation, we cannot comment on the specifics of the incident or the investigation. "Dnigma Howard was initially charged with two felony counts for aggravated battery against a peace officer.  Those charges were later dropped by the State's Attorney's Office. "The Board of Education and the Chicago Police Department continue to fail our children," Howard's lawyer, Andrew M.  Stroth, said.  "An unarmed, 16-year-old girl was beaten, kicked, punched and Tasered by Officers Johnnie Pierre and Sherry Tripp at Marshall High School.  The Inspector General's report and the Consent Decree have made clear recommendations to effectively address the issue of police in school. "Stroth also called on Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot to "address this important issue and make our schools safe. "ABC News' Alondra Valle and Andy Fies contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Alex Acosta: “I do not think it’s right and fair for this administration’s Labor Department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy we have today. And so I called the President this morning. I told him that I thought the right thing was to step aside” https://t.co/m5hcKq1l5H

Acosta had defended his role in the plea deal at a news conference Wednesday.  Trump on Acosta's resignation: 'He's doing this for the administration'Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has resigned amid controversy over his role in a 2008 plea deal with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The resignation comes as ABC News has learned that nearly a dozen new alleged Epstein victims have come forward.  Attorneys representing other alleged victims in the Epstein case say they’ve been contacted by the women, ABC News' Tom Llamas reported.   On Monday, the U. S.  Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, who is overseeing the case against Epstein for alleged crimes in New York, made a public plea for any additional victims to contact his office. President Donald Trump said Friday that it was Acosta's decision to resign and not his as he spoke to reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Wisconsin. Acosta was standing next to Trump as the president called him  "a great labor secretary, not a good one. "Trump said it was very sad to see him go but said Acosta told him he didn't want to distract form the strong economy and the work the administration is doing. Acosta said he didn't think it was fair to have Epstein as the focus rather than "the incredible economy. "Trump repeated what he had said earlier this week about the financier he had called a "terrific guy" in a 2002 interview.  "I'm not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein," Trump told reporters. When asked by ABC News' Kyra Philips whether he knew Epstein was molesting young girls, Trump said no. Just Wednesday, at a news conference he held to explain his role in the plea deal, Acosta had said he had an excellent relationship with Trump. After the news conference, which Trump had directed Acosta to hold, the first reviews were lukewarm, according to senior level administration sources.   One source close to the president said Trump’s initial reaction was surprised that Acosta did not say more about Epstein’s victims, however multiple sources insist the president did not want Acosta to leave his position. Over the last few days, the president and Acosta had spoken routinely, sources said, and on Thursday the president and Acosta spoke and Acosta offered up the idea he resign because he felt the media coverage and calls for his resignation were causing a distraction. Friday morning, Acosta called Trump and told him it was time to go and the president did not push back and accepted his resignation, according to sources.   Acosta then headed to the White House.   It is unclear what if anything changed the circumstances overnight. President Trump’s senior staff had no idea any of this was happening until Trump and Acosta walked out of a meeting, Trump informed his team he accepted Acosta’s resignation and the two men walked out to cameras gathered on the South Lawn ahead of Trump’s departure. In that Wednesday news conference, Acosta defended his the deal with Epstein in a 2008 case in Florida that allowed him to serve a lesser sentence on state charges of prostitution. "The goal here was straightforward," Acosta said.  "Put Epstein behind bars, ensure he registered as a sexual offender, provide victims with a means to seek restitution, and protect the public by putting them on notice that a sexual predator was within their midst. "Acosta added, "We believe we proceeded appropriately. "When asked by ABC News' Tom Llamas whether Epstein's victims deserved an apology, Acosta responded by noting decisions the prosecutor in the case made to try to help victims secure financial restitution.  He did not offer an apology. "When it was finally clear that Epstein would comply with the agreement, she talks about how she made efforts to notify the victims," Acosta said. Acosta has faced growing calls from top Democrats that he resign over his role in the controversial plea deal in Florida involving Epstein, arrested over the weekend on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy in New York. During his time heading the U. S.  Attorney's Office in Miami, Acosta negotiated a plea deal that allowed Epstein to serve a 13-month sentence on state prostitution charges, avoiding more serious federal sex trafficking charges calling for a much longer prison term.  While serving out his sentence in a private wing of the Palm Beach County Jail, Epstein was allowed out for work release 12 hours a day, six days a week.  The deal, now under review by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, also gave Epstein and any alleged co-conspirators immunity from further federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida. Acosta was asked Wednesday whether he would resign if the Office of Professional Responsibility found misconduct related to the case.  Acosta said he would "clearly submit for an interview" but said he would refer to the office for further information the status of the review. During the press conference, Acosta said that Epstein served more time than he would have under charges initially brought by the state as a result of his intervention in the state case.  A state grand jury brought a single charge against Epstein that would have resulted in no jail time. "Simply put, the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office was ready to let Epstein walk free, no jail time, nothing," Acosta said.  "Prosecutors in my former office found this to be completely unacceptable, and they became involved. "But in a statement released Wednesday evening, former Palm Beach State Attorney Barry Krischer refuted Acosta's account.  Krischer wrote that after the state grand jury returned a single count against Epstein, Acosta's office produced an indictment that was abandoned after "secret negations" between Epstein's lawyers and Acosta, that the State Attorney's Office was not a part of. Acosta, who said his resignation would be effective July 19, was the only Hispanic member of Trump's Cabinet and speaks Spanish fluently.  He is the son of Cuban refugees, a native of Miami, and first-generation college graduate, according to his biography on the Department of Labor's website.  "My parents left Cuba as refugees in search of freedom to make a better life in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America," he said in his resignation letter to Trump. "They worked hard and wanted the best opportunities for their son and grandchildren, In one generation, their dreams were more than surpassed when you offered me the honor of a lifetime to serve as a member of your Cabinet, as Secretary of Labor," he said in the letter. "He said Friday that he hadn't met Trump before the president offered him the post after Trump's previous nominee, Andrew Puzder, was forced to withdraw. Acosta received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.  He later clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito when Alito was an appeals court judge.  He has practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis, served as a Republican member of the National Labor Relations Board, and has been dean of the Florida International University School of Law. In 2003, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U. S.  Department of Justice, and from 2005 to 2009 he served as the U. S.  Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, according to the website, and was twice named as named one of the nation’s 50 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine, the website biography reads. ABC News' John Santucci, Aaron Katersky, James Hill and Kaitlyn Folmer contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attends the prayer meet for the victim of Hathras incident, at Maharishi Valmiki Temple https://t.co/NmbHMpUhqn

: A day after former she and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police on their way to Hathras to meet the family of Dalit woman who was gang raped and murdered, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended a prayer meeting for the victim at a Valmiki temple in the Capital.  The UP Police has been accused by the victim’s family of forcibly cremating her in the middle of the night earlier this week, and access to the town and the family have been cut off for the media and opposition leaders.  District officials have contended that they have consent from the woman’s family, but the manner in which the developments took place have raised questions over the conduct of the administration and law enforcement.  Priyanka Gandhi joined hundreds of people, including Congress leaders PL Punia, Sushmita Dev, Anil Choudhary and BV Srinivas, in solidarity with the 19-year-old woman.  Priyanka Gandhi told reporters that she was at the event to express her condolences and offer prayers for the deceased.  “We are all here to ensure that the girl gets justice.  We will pressure the government to get her justice,” she said.  “Her family has got no help from the state government.  They must feel they are all alone.  We are holding the prayer meeting for them.  They should know that they are not alone and fight the injustice being done to them.  We will put political pressure and every woman in this country must put moral pressure on the government,” she added.  All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev said it is the women of this country who will take down the National Democratic Alliance government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  “As the Mahila Congress, we have to take the lead and protest against this injustice,” Dev said. Delhi Congress chief Choudhary said that the party will work relentlessly to ensure the family gets justice.  “Every day, there are at least 10 incidents of rape in UP.  Why are Rahul ji and Priyanka ji not being allowed to meet the family?  They are silencing democracy and we will not stand for it. ” Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas said that the PM and the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must resign.  “They have not said a word all this time, they must take responsibility and be held accountable. ”“It is unfortunate that a humanitarian issue is being politicised.  The government is already taking action that is needed,” said Sanjay Mayukh, national spokesperson of the BJP. On Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi and her brother Rahul Gandhi were briefly arrested as they tried to visit Hathras on the grounds that there was a ban on public assembly in the town.  The UP Police took them to a guest house at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida before escorting them back to Delhi.