Assam: Voters waiting in a queue at a polling station in JP Nagar, Dibrugarh, as polling gets underway for the first phase of Assembly elections https://t.co/VFHIGvoOJB

Polling for phase 1 of the assembly elections in the states of West Bengal and Assam ended at 7pm on Saturday.  In the first phase, voters in 77 assembly constituencies-30 in West Bengal and 47 in Assam- cast their votes.  The two states have 294 and 126 assembly constituencies, respectively. Click here for all assembly election 2021 updatesThe West Bengal assembly elections are scheduled to take place in eight phases, while Assam will vote in three.  In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) faces a stiff challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, in office since 2011, seeks a third consecutive term as the chief minister of the state.  Meanwhile, in Assam the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is pitted against the Congress-led 'Mahajoth'. Also Read | Battle for the east kicks off in 1st phase of voting todayOther than West Bengal and Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will also go to polls in a single-phase on April 6.  Counting of votes and result declaration for the four states and one Union territory will be held on May 2. Follow all the updates here:Nearly 80% turnout in Bengal, 73% in Assam as polling ends: ECBengal reported 79. 79 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of the 2021 Assembly election while Assam reported 73. 38 per cent turnout. Visuals from a polling booth in Contai, West BengalPoll ends for the first phase of #WestBengalAssemblyElection2021; visuals from a polling booth in Contai pic. twitter. com/H0g3B1SeshPoll ends for the first phase of West Bengal assembly electionsPoll ends for the first phase of #WestBengalAssemblyElection2021; visuals from a polling booth in Purulia pic. twitter. com/w6Caj5QU3hPoll ends for the first phase of Assam assembly electionsPoll ends for the first phase of #AssamAssemblyElections2021; latest visuals from polling booth number 10 in Jorhat.  pic. twitter. com/XYE5J7rj7rOver 79% turnout in Bengal, 72% in Assam till 6pm72. 14% and 79. 79% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. In Photos: Voting underway at a polling booth in Contai in the first phase of polling for West Bengal Assembly electionsVoting underway at a polling booth in Contai in the first phase of polling for West Bengal Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/58NgxCe2rJOver 70% turnout in Bengal, 62% in Assam till 4pm62. 36% and 70. 17% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 62. 36% and 70. 17% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. Over 55% turnout in Bengal, 47% in Assam till 3pm47. 10% and 55. 27% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 47. 10% and 55. 27% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. BJP delegation meets EC following attack on BJP leader Soumendu AdhikariWB: BJP delegation met EC following attack on BJP leader & Suvendu Adhikari's brother, Soumendu Adhikari1st election in 6 years with fewer instances of rigging & violence.  To avoid even 10% of such cases in 2nd phase, we demanded EC round-up anti-social elements: BJP Gen Secy pic. twitter. com/DCnNtukI0oSisir Adhikari, father of TMC-turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his voteSisir Adhikari, father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his vote at a polling booth in Contai, in the first phase of #WestBengalPolls pic. twitter. com/5P1gPLQsUQSisir Adhikari, father of TMC-turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his vote at a polling booth in Contai, in the first phase of West Bengal elections. 54% turnout in Bengal, 45% in Assam till 1:30pm: EC45. 02% and 54. 90% voter turnout recorded till 1:30pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India (ECI)Over 37% turnout in Assam, nearly 41% in Bengal till 1pm: EC45. 24% and 54. 90% voter turnout recorded till 2 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 37. 06% and 40. 73% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India (ECI)TMC demands local polling agents from phase 2 onwardsThe new system is not acceptable to us.  We demand that from the next phase the polling agent must be local of the concerned polling booth.  CEO has assured us to look into the matter: TMC's Sudip BandyopadhyayTMC delegation meets West Bengal CEO, demands that from phase 2 onwards, the polling agent must be local of the concerned polling booth. Poll rigging was underway at three booths: Soumendu Adhikari, BJPUnder the leadership of TMC block president Ram Govind Das and his wife poll rigging was underway at three polling booths.  My arrival here created problem for them to continue with their mischiefs so they attacked my car and thrashed my driver: Soumendu Adhikari, BJPBengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh casts his voteWest Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh casts his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram in the first phase of state assembly elections.  pic. twitter. com/bAL4RulEMyWest Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh casts his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram in the first phase of state assembly elections. People know CAA-NRC won't affect them, says Assam CM SonowalCongress and other parties are only seen in the media but BJP and its allies are the ones on the ground.  People of Assam now know that CAA-NRC will not affect them.  My aim is to make the BJP government in the State again: Assam CM Sarbananda SonowalTMC knows it's losing, says BJP Bengal chief Dilip GhoshTMC knows that it is losing and that's why it is saying all this.  For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission.  TMC and Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things: BJP West Bengal Pres Dilip Ghosh on TMC alleging rigging of pollsTMC alleges 'discrepancy' in voter turnout appVoter turnout for ACs Kanthi Dakshin (216) and Kanthi Uttar (213) at 9:13am was 18. 47% and18. 95% respectively, 4 mins later at 9:17am voter turnout reduced to 10. 60%and 9:40%.  Such discrepancy raises question on genuineness of data issued by EC: TMC's Derek O'Brien writes to ECCongress leader Gaurav Gogoi casts voteIt's a very emotional moment for me as it's the first time after many yrs that I'm coming to a polling station without my parents.  Confident that people are going to vote out politics of lies & deceit & voting for politics that guarantees that their future is bright: Gaurav Gogoi pic. twitter. com/1ybYHGSEn0Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, son of late former CM Tarun Gogoi, casts his vote at polling both in Jorhat.  "It's a very emotional moment for me as it's the first time after many years that I'm coming to a polling station without my parents," says Gogoi. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts voteAssam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts his vote a polling centre in Dibrugarh"We will get more than 100 seats," CM says pic. twitter. com/nHpEdNpVssAssam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts vote at polling booth in Dibrugarh, says that the BJP will win "more than 100 seats. "BJP delegation to meet West Bengal CEO at 2pmBJP delegation, led by state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, to meet West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) at 2pm today. 10-member TMC delegation to meet EC at 12pm10-member TMC Parliamentary delegation led by Sudip Bandyopadhyay, leader Lok Sabha and Derek O'Brien, leader Rajya Sabha to meet Election Commission in Kolkata at 12 noon. Bengal's daughter will defeat traitor, says TMC's O'BrienTMC will win Bengal.  Bengal's daughter will defeat Bengal's traitor in his own backyard at Nandigram, members of tourist gang will continue to do what they do best - try and destroy institutions in India.  Women in Bengal will continue to wear sarees any way they want: Derek O'Brien, TMC leader on BJP's Suvendu AdhikariOver 6% and 2% polling in Assam, Bengal in first two hoursAssam records 6. 69% turnout while Bengal sees 2. 44% polling in the first two hours across 47 and 30 assembly constituencies, respectively, in phase 1 of polls. TMC scared, says BJP leader Soumendu AdhikariWe approached EC that there should be free and fair polls.  People will choose whom they want.  TMC is scared.  We've given name of one Alauddin to EC, he creates disturbance there: BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari, brother of party's Nandigram candidate Suvendu AdhikariTMC workers trying to create disturbance, alleges BJP candidateVoting underway smoothly in Midnapore town.  But, at some places in rural areas, TMC workers are trying to create a disturbance.  At booth no.  266 and 267, seven-eight TMC workers entered the booth to influence the voters.  We've complained to EC: Samit Das, BJP candidate from West MidnaporeMamata Banerjee tweets as polling begins in Bengalবাংলার সকল মানুষকে আমি অনুরোধ করব নিজের গণতান্ত্রিক অধিকার প্রয়োগ করুন, সবাই আসুন, ভোট দিন।I call upon the people of Bengal to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting in large numbers. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee appeals to voters to exercise their democratic rights by voting in large numbers. HM Amit Shah requests voters to cast votes in large numbersUnion home minister Amit Shah tweeted in Hindi, Bengali and Assamese, urging voters to cast their votes in large numbers as phase 1 polling began in the two states. Large turnout in Assam's Nagaon#WATCH Voters turn out in large numbers in Rupahi, Nagaon District, for voting in the first phase of Assam Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/5vjn7GgVNnNagaon district in Assam witnesses large voter turnout as first phase of polling gets underway. Scene from a polling booth in Assam's DibrugarhAssam: Voters waiting in a queue at a polling station in JP Nagar, Dibrugarh, as polling gets underway for the first phase of Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/VFHIGvoOJBVoters waiting in a queue at a polling station in JP Nagar, Dibrugarh, as polling gets underway for the first phase of Assembly electionsExercise right to franchise in record numbers: PM ModiToday, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin.  I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today in West Bengal to exercise their franchise in record numbers. PM Modi tweets as polling begins in AssamThe first phase of elections begin in Assam.  Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers.  I particularly call upon my young friends to vote. PM Modi urges voters to vote in "record numbers" as first phase of voting begins in Assam. 509 'vulnerable' booths set up in East Midnapore, says officialWe've 509 vulnerable booths in our district.  We've deployed 169 companies.  We're monitoring booths with CAPF & non-CPF measures.  Over 50% of polling booths have webcasting facility & CCTV, videographer.  We've 800 micro-observers for phase 1: District election officer, East MidnaporeFirst phase of voting to begin at 7amFirst phase of polling in both West Bengal and Assam will begin at 7am, and conclude at 6pm.  Total 77 assembly constituencies-30 in West Bengal and 47 in Assam-will cast their votes. Get our daily newsletter Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations


A gruesome video from Rajasthan showing a minor boy bleeding profusely after a family member slit his throat is viral  with false child kidnapping rumours on social media.  The video shows gory visuals of the victim resisting the attack; moments later the minor can be seen writhing in pain and lying in a pool of blood as bystanders rush to pull away the assaulter.    The video is being shared with several other already debunked clips to spread false rumours about alleged child abductors on the prowl.  The viral video was sent to BOOM's helpline and tipline numbers for verification.  Child kidnapping rumours first surfaced almost three years ago with messages being spread over WhatsApp about alleged child abductors on the prowl.  BOOM has debunked videos and images which were falsely used to stoke the abduction rumours further from 2017.  Read here.  Similar rumours, which BOOM debunked surfaced on 2018 and 2019.  Read here and here.   BOOM found that the video is of an attack by a 21-year-old man on his cousin in Rajasthan, earlier this month.  We have chosen not to embed the same, given its graphic nature.  Screenshot of the video can be seen below.  Video from Karad village of Dantaramgarh tehsil, Rajasthan We ran a reverse image search on a few of the key frames of the video and was led to a report by Dainik Bhaskar featuring a screenshot from the video.  According to the report, a minor's throat was slit by his cousin in a freak act of revenge in Karad village of Dantaramgarh Tehsil of Rajasthan.  The accused, identified as Kailashchand Rager, 21, killed the minor, 10-year-old Uttam Rager by slitting his throat with a blade.  Below is a screenshot of Dainik Bhaskar report.  Graphic content The incident was filmed on the phone moments before the assailant was pulled back and handed over to cops.  According to Dantaramgarh Police, the accused, who has been mentally unstable, killed his cousin because of an ongoing family feud.  He has since been taken into custody.  We reached out to Himmat Singh, inspector, Dantaramgarh police station, who said, "The victim and the assailant are related to each other.  The victim returned from the school and they were playing in the main market area of Karad village until an hour before the crime took place.  According to local villagers, Kailashchand has psychiatric problems and was jealous of his 10-year-old cousin.  He has been under medication for the same. "  In a viral clip that emerged after the murder, the accused can be seen without remorse.  He says, "I was weak in studies till fifth grade.  I knew I will not get a job.  Then I started believing in lord Balaji.  I gradually became bright.  Then in my twelfth grade, I stood second. " Inspector Himmat Singh also dismissed child abduction rumours associated with the same video.


UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today. Their discussions covered various facets of our strategic partnership: Ministry of External Affairs https://t.co/M5gubUGqNA

The UK’s planned “Indo-Pacific tilt” is as much about managing the challenges and pressures arising from China’s assertive actions as it is about taking advantage of opportunities across the region, British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday.  Raab, who held talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on Tuesday on a 10-year road map for bilateral ties and a free trade deal, also said he raised the farmers’ protest in Delhi in view of the strong connect between the politics of the two countries given the Indian diaspora in Britain.  In an interaction with a small group of Indian reporters, Raab said the UK was acting to address “as swiftly as possible” the outstanding legal issues that have held up the extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.  The UK’s integrated defence and foreign policy review, set to be published in early 2021, is expected to outline the “Indo-Pacific tilt”, and Raab said the rise of China juxtaposed with the growth of economies in Southeast Asia and the Far East present both challenges and opportunities.  “Actually, that’s all part of the Indo-Pacific tilt, which is to be more engaged in grasping the opportunities but also more engaged in managing some of the challenges and the pressures,” he said in response to a question on China’s belligerent actions, including the miliary standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).  “Obviously, there is the rise of China and the position of China, and the opportunities but also the risks it presents,” he said.  India and the UK, Raab said, can cooperate on issues such as cyber-security and countering disinformation.  The UK has also inked free trade deals with Japan, Vietnam and South Korea and applied to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a dialogue partner as part of its wider trade and investment engagement with the Indo-Pacific.  Against the backdrop of Indian-origin British MPs asking the UK government to raise the farmers’ protest with New Delhi, Raab said he had discussed the issue with Jaishankar.  “Obviously, we respect the fact that the reforms going through your system here are domestic reforms.  Of course, they’ve elicited the protests that you refer to, and your politics, in some sense because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our politics,” he said.  “But I think India, as well as having a market-driven economy, also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate and we watch that with interest and we respect it. ” Asked about the delay in the extradition of Mallya, Raab declined to specify whether the matter had figured during his meetings in New Delhi but said the two sides always had discussions on “issues of concern”.  He added: “We’ve made it clear that in those cases, there’s still some legal issues outstanding.  Obviously, they’re independent from politics or political intervention, but we would like to see those expedited as swiftly as possible. ” The UK earlier said a “confidential” legal issue was holding up Mallya’s extradition.  Britain’s stance gave rise to speculation tht the 64-year-old businessman, wanted in India to face charges of financial irregularities, could have applied for asylum in the UK.  Raab also said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit in January to join the Republic Day celebrations as chief guest will help drive cooperation on the Covid-19 crisis, trade, maritime issues and climate change.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to both the G7 leaders’ summit and the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be hosted by the UK in 2021, he said.


A decade ago, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake — the worst to ever hit Japan — struck 370 kilometers (230 miles) northeast of Tokyo, triggering a huge tsunami.

This man had scrambled 3 meters (10 feet) up a pine tree, where he clung for his life. https://t.co/rtKrEHyOkD

This day in history: March 11, 2011Today in HistoryToday is Thursday, March 11, the 70th day of 2021.  There are 295 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History:On March 11, 1918, what were believed to be the first confirmed U. S.  cases of a deadly global flu pandemic were reported among U. S.  Army soldiers stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas; 46 would die.  (The worldwide outbreak of influenza claimed an estimated 20 to 40 million lives. )On this date:In 1862, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln removed Gen.  George B.  McClellan as general-in-chief of the Union armies, leaving him in command of the Army of the Potomac, a post McClellan also ended up losing. In 1935, the Bank of Canada began operations, issuing its first series of bank notes. In 1941, President Franklin D.  Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Bill, providing war supplies to countries fighting the Axis. In 1942, as Japanese forces continued to advance in the Pacific during World War II, U. S.  Army Gen.  Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia, where he vowed on March 20, “I shall return” — a promise he kept more than 2½ years later. In 1954, the U. S.  Army charged that Sen.  Joseph R.  McCarthy, R-Wis. , and his subcommittee’s chief counsel, Roy Cohn, had exerted pressure to obtain favored treatment for Pvt.  G.  David Schine, a former consultant to the subcommittee.  (The confrontation culminated in the famous Senate Army-McCarthy hearings. )In 1955, Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, died in London at age 73. In 1959, the Lorraine Hansberry drama “A Raisin in the Sun” opened at New York’s Ethel Barrymore Theater. In 1977, more than 130 hostages held in Washington, D. C. , by Hanafi Muslims were freed after ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined the negotiations. In 1985, Mikhail S.  Gorbachev was chosen to succeed the late Konstantin U.  Chernenko as general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. In 1986, the state of Georgia pardoned Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman lynched in 1915 for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. In 2004, ten bombs exploded in quick succession across the commuter rail network in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida-inspired militants. In 2006, former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic (sloh-BOH’-dahn mee-LOH’-shuh-vich) was found dead of a heart attack in his prison cell in the Netherlands, abruptly ending his four-year U. N.  war crimes trial; he was 64. Ten years ago: A magnitude-9. 0 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station.  Wisconsin Gov.  Scott Walker signed a measure to eliminate most union rights for public employees, a proposal that had provoked three weeks of loud, relentless protests.  NFL owners and players broke off labor negotiations hours before their contract expired; the league imposed a lockout that lasted 4½ months.  Songwriter Hugh Martin, whose works included “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Trolley Song,” died in Encinitas, California, at age 96. Five years ago: Nancy Reagan’s life was celebrated by 1,000 invited guests gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, to pay final tribute to the former first lady who had died five days earlier at the age of 94.  Keith Emerson, 71, founder and keyboardist of the progressive-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, took his own life in Santa Monica, California; he was 71. One year ago: With infection clusters expanding in the United States and Europe, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.  In an Oval Office address to the nation, President Donald Trump said he was sharply restricting travel from Europe to the U. S.  The NBA suspended its season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.  Actor Tom Hanks said that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive in Australia; they were isolated in stable condition in a hospital.  Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual abuse after delivering a rambling plea for mercy in a New York courtroom.  Russian lawmakers approved constitutional reforms that would let President Vladimir Putin stay in power until 2036.  Three service members, including two Americans, were killed when a barrage of rockets was fired at a military base in Iraq. Today’s Birthdays: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is 90.  Former ABC News correspondent Sam Donaldson is 87.  Musician Flaco Jimenez (FLAH’-koh hee-MEH’-nez) is 82.  Actor Tricia O’Neil is 76.  Actor Mark Metcalf is 75.  Rock singer-musician Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) is 74.  Singer Bobby McFerrin is 71.  Movie director Jerry Zucker is 71.  Singer Cheryl Lynn is 70.  Actor Susan Richardson is 69.  Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (eye-VEEN’) is 68.  Singer Nina Hagen is 66.  Country singer Jimmy Fortune (The Statler Brothers) is 66.  Actor Elias Koteas (ee-LY’-uhs koh-TAY’-uhs) is 60.  Actor-director Peter Berg is 59.  Singer Mary Gauthier (GOH’-shay) is 59.  Actor Jeffrey Nordling is 59.  Actor Alex Kingston is 58.  Actor Wallace Langham is 56.  Former U. S.  Rep.  Jesse Jackson Jr. , D-Ill. , is 56.  Actor John Barrowman is 54.  Singer Lisa Loeb is 53.  Neo-soul musician Al Gamble (St.  Paul & the Broken Bones) is 52.  Singer Pete Droge is 52.  Actor Terrence Howard is 52.  Rock musician Rami Jaffee is 52.  Actor Johnny Knoxville is 50.  Rock singer-musicians Benji and Joel Madden (Good Charlotte; The Madden Brothers) are 42.  Actor David Anders is 40.  Singer LeToya Luckett is 40.  Actor Thora Birch is 39.  TV personality Melissa Rycroft is 38.  Actor Rob Brown is 37.  Actor Jodie Comer is 28. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Karnataka: Complete lockdown being observed in Kalaburagi today, due to rise in #COVID19 cases. The state government has announced a complete lockdown in the state on all Sundays till August 2. https://t.co/YMUrzvMzFQ

Failing to arrest the surge of Covid-19 cases, the Bihar government on Thursday decided to extend lockdown till August 16.  The state government had reimposed lockdown from July 16 till July 31.  Bihar has reported 48,001 Covid-19 cases to date, including 2,082 on Thursday.  In fact from July 25 till July 30, cases have jumped from 36,314 to 48,001.  A notification issued by the state home department said that restrictions will remain in force in State headquarter, district headquarter, sub-divisonal headquarter, blocks and all municipal areas in the state of Bihar with effect from August 1 till August 16.  No public transport would be allowed to ply in areas falling under fresh lockdown norms, but there would be no bar on construction activities, state officials said.  Also read: India’s Covid-19 recovery now over 64%, 16 states have higher ratesAir and rail travel have been allowed to continue and offices, banks, and other offices would function with minimal staff strength, they added.  Restaurants would not be allowed to operate, except for takeaway and home deliveries.  Thursday’s order said that “all offices of the Government of India and the State Government and their autonomous/subordinate offices and public corporations shall work with 50% of staff”. Exemptions have been made for defence, central armed police forces, treasury, public utilities (including Petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG), power generation and transmission units, etc. , which can work with full strength.  “All commercial and private establishments will be allowed to function normally with exceptions of shopping malls, restaurants while restaurants/ dhabas/eateries will be allowed to open with home delivery / take away services only. ” Shops and markets will also be allowed to operate subject to restrictions imposed by district administration.  Medical shops, grocery shops, and other essential services would remain open like the previous lockdown norms.  Last month, a three-member Central team, which visited Patna and Gaya on a two-day trip , had warned the state government that the “very low” testing ratio, as compared to the national average, might impact its case fatality rate (CFR) of the viral outbreak.


BKU’s Rakesh Tikait to address second Mahapanchayat in Dadri tomorrow

https://t.co/17YZrbdcD7 https://t.co/bHq6wJ4Ukc

After receiving an overwhelming response at Haryana's first mahapanchayat amid farmers protest at Haryana’s Jind district on February 3 (Wednesday), Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait is set to address the second one on Sunday in the state’s Dadri district.  Internet services were restored in Dadri and Panipat on Wednesday that had been suspended in view of the violent clashes which broke out during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi. Earlier on Saturday, Tikait said the Centre has "time" till October 2 to repeal the laws adding that discussions with the government would not be held under any pressure. During the mahapanchayat held in Jind on Wednesday, Tikait was accompanied by Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni and BKU leader from Punjab, Balbir Singh Rajewal along with 50 khap leaders.  Addressing the rally in the Kandela village of the district, Tikait had warned the Centre that it could find it difficult to remain in power if the laws were not removed.  He further asked for the creation of a new law to assure the continuation of the minimum support price (MSP) system. Also Read| ‘To uphold law’: Centre defends power cut at farmers’ protest sites“We have so far talked about 'bill wapsi'.  The government should listen carefully.  What will you do if the youth call for 'gaddi wapsi'? " he said. A total of five resolutions were passed during the gathering that appealed to the Centre to repeal the laws, provide a legal guarantee for MSP, implement the Swaminathan Commission report, waive farm loans and release farmers arrested post the Republic Day violence.  Tikait had further urged all participants to keep protesting against the laws in a peaceful manner and assured that they would win. Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday that MSP was being given at 50% more than the production cost and the government has ensured that requisite investment reaches the agriculture sector.  He asserted that the offer to make changes in the laws did not mean there was any problem with them and said that farmers were being misled. “I made it clear that if the government is ready to make amendments, it doesn’t mean there is any problem in farm laws.  People in a particular state are misinformed,” Tomar said during his address to the Rajya Sabha.


#Puducherry continues to receive rainfall

#CycloneNivar to move northwestwards and weaken further into a cyclonic storm during the next 3 hours, says India Meteorological Department (IMD) https://t.co/xC3SUsn0Ro

The very severe cyclonic storm, Nivar, has weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and has crossed the coast near Puducherry, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) early on Thursday. “Very severe cyclonic Storm #Nivar weakens into a severe cyclonic storm.  Centre of #NivarCyclone lies over land.  Crossed coast near Puducherry during 11:30 pm of 25th November to 2:30 am of 26th November,” IMD said in a tweet. Also Read | Cyclone Nivar makes landfall, rain hits Tamil NaduEarlier on Wednesday, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu braved strong winds as landfall process of Cyclone Nivar continued.  Puducherry also received strong winds and heavy rainfall.  According to officials, over one lakh people have been evacuated across Tamil Nadu and more than 1,000 people shifted to safer places in Puducherry. The Indian Navy on Wednesday put ships, aircraft, helicopters, diving, and disaster relief teams on standby.  An Indian Coast Guard vessel has also been deployed off Chennai coast with disaster relief items. The Indian Army has also deployed eight rescue teams by “Dakhshin Bharat Area”, following requisition by Puducherry civil authorities to undertake rescue operations.


Schools in Delhi reopen for Class 9 and Class 11; visuals from Rajkiya Sarvodaya Kanya/Bal Vidyalaya in West Vinod Nagar area.

The government had resumed schools for classes 10 and 12 on January 18. https://t.co/8fOhEKVpcq

After remaining shut for over nine months due to the coronavirus outbreak, schools for classes 10 and 12 and colleges for final year graduation and post-graduation students reopened in Gujarat on Monday. Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing is a must for students, teachers and other staff members, and everyone entering the schools and colleges is being checked using thermal guns, state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told reporters. Various state ministers and BJP MLAs remained present at different schools in Gujarat to welcome the students, a release from the state government said. Chudasama welcomed students at a school in Kalol town of Gandhinagar, while Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja was present at a school in Vastral area of Ahmedabad to greet students. "There is great enthusiasm among students as schools and colleges are reopening after a long COVID-19 vacation.  Apart from reopening colleges for final year under-graduate and post-graduate students, we have decided to open schools for classes 10 and 12 because of the upcoming board exams," Chudasama said. Managements of schools have already been instructed to strictly follow Centre's standard operating procedures to check the spread of COVID-19, he said. Following a significant drop in the number of new COVID-19 cases being reported daily, the state cabinet last week decided to reopen schools for Classes 10 and 12, and colleges for the final year graduation and PG students. It was also announced that students attending schools must get the consent of their parents. The government had also made it clear that attendance will not be mandatory and online classes will continue. Schools, colleges and university campuses across the state were shut after the outbreak of coronavirus in the state in March-end last year. Since then, classes are being held online. Though the government had earlier decided to reopen secondary schools and colleges after the Diwali vacation last year, it eventually dropped the idea following a sudden spike in the daily coronavirus cases at that time. Later, the number of new cases being reported daily started declining from mid-December. As against 1,500 to 1,600 cases emerging in a day in October and November last year, around 700 cases are getting registered daily at present.


Grammy host Alicia Keys—the show's first female host in 14 years—promises "good energy" at 2019 Grammy Awards show Sunday night. https://t.co/otSjbiUC9j https://t.co/qZiRqxHqj1

By Lisa Respers France, Veronica Rocha and Brandon Griggs, CNNOur live coverage of the Grammys has ended.  Thanks for reading! From CNN's Lisa Respers FranceShout out to Kacey Musgraves' little sister. Musgraves thanked her sis for shooting and designing all of her album covers, including the one for her latest, "Golden Hour" -- which took home the prestigious album of the year Grammy.  The album takes Musgraves' country sound in a poppier direction, adding dance beats on a few songs. In all, the singer-songwriter took home four Grammys, making her one of the night's biggest winners. And Musgraves' acceptance speech may have been the closest we had all night to a political statement. "Life is pretty tumultuous for all of us right now. . . and because of that I feel like art is really important right now," the 30-year-old country star said. She also won for best country album, best country solo performance for "Butterflies" and best country song for "Space Cowboy. " Some of the music industry's biggest names were no-shows at tonight's Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift skipped the show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to Variety.  The 10-time Grammy winner is filming the musical adaptation of "Cats" in London. Childish Gambino, who won record of the year, best rap/sung performance and best music video, didn't attend the show, even though his hit "This is America" made history by being the first rap tune to win song of the year. Rapper Kendrick Lamar was also a no-show.  His song "King's dead" tied with Anderson . Paak's "Bubblin" for best rap performance. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande was so over the Grammys.  She took to Twitter on Thursday to air her grievances after she said Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich stifled her creativity and self-expression. "It's just a game y'all. .  and i'm sorry but that's not what music is to me," she tweeted.  Kelly Clarkson, who was also nominated tonight, didn't walk the red carpet and go to the show because she's on tour. And Lady Gaga and her "A Star is Born" co-star Bradley Cooper split award-show duties tonight.  Cooper attended the BAFTAs in London while Gaga performed "Shallow" at the Grammys and won for best pop duo/group performance. Childish Gambino's "This is America" just took home record of the year.  It's the first time a rap song has won in that category. Earlier tonight, Gambino's ambitious record also made history by being the first rap song to win song of the year. The artist, the musical alter ago of actor Donald Glover, reportedly declined an invitation to perform at the Grammys. From CNN's Lisa Respers FranceListen up awards shows: This is how you do a tribute. You gather performers like Andra Day, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams, who can sing their faces off, and then you get the hell out of the way. Because it should give you chills. That's just what the trio's version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" did. It was worthy of giving honor to the Queen of Soul, who died in August.  From CNN's Lisa Respers FranceDua Lipa followed up her sexy performance with St.  Vincent with a win for best new artist. The "New Rules" singer thanked her team and fans "who have allowed me to be the best version of myself. ""I'm so nervous, so grateful and so excited," said Lipa, who beat out H. E. R, Chloe x Halle and five others for the award. The singer continued to talk even as she was played off.  She paid tribute to individuality and being true to yourself.  Cardi B just won best rap album for "Invasion of Privacy," becoming the first solo woman artist to win the Grammy in that category. (In case you're wondering, Lauryn Hill won in 1999 for R&B album, not rap album. )She was clearly emotional, appeared to be shaking and held tight to husband rapper Offset's hand, telling him at one point, "I can't breathe, babe. "Cardi then joked, "Maybe I need to start smoking weed. "She thanked her daughter, Kulture, explaining that her pregnancy forced her to get her album and videos done before her stomach started showing. "I want to thank all the artists that took their time and did verses for my album," Cardi B said before turning to Offset.  "You, husband, thank you. "From CNN's Lisa Respers FranceBeyonce chose well. Queen Bey signed Chloe x Halle, sisters and former YouTube stars, to her label in 2015. The R&B duo were up for best new artist tonight.  And they didn't disappoint. The pair paid tribute to the late singer Donny Hathaway by performing a flawless rendition of "Where Is The Love," his 1972 hit duet with Roberta Flack. From CNN's Lisa Respers FranceNewcomer H. E. R.  won best R & B Album for her self-titled project and promptly reminded the audience that it's actually an EP, not an LP.  (An EP is a smaller collection of songs. )It's almost not correct to call her a "newcomer" to the business, either, as she was  signed to her label, RCA, when she was 14 years old (she's now 21). H. E. R.  said she was overwhelmed by the honor, thanked God, invited her team to join her on stage and got played out as she tried to thank the rest of the village that has contributed to her success. Full album or not, H. E. R.  is having a moment.  Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tells @martharaddatz "we're still way short" on medical supplies, even with shipment from national stockpile.

"The big headline for us are ventilators... that's our number one ask. That's our number one need." https://t.co/jrWqmoSQZP https://t.co/ijMfsK8jBx

By Chandelis DusterUpdated 2:00 PM ET, Sun March 29, 2020 Washington (CNN)New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday that the city, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, only has enough medical supplies to last through the week.


Despite being a public figure for 30 years, Donald Trump was never accused of racism before he ran for the U.S. presidency.

In May 2016, as Donald Trump closed in on clinching the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, his supporters spread a graphic attempting to whitewash (so to speak) his history of racist discourse.  The meme, which pushed the claim that Trump had never been accused of being a racist prior to seeking the presidency, gained attention online after it was shared by Curt Schilling, a former professional athlete who later became a right-wing radio host: But the accusations against Trump and his father, Fred Trump, had actually dated back decades.  In 1973, for instance, the U. S.  Justice Department sued the Trump Management Corporation — where the younger Trump served as president at the time — for violating the Fair Housing Act by falsely telling Black prospective tenants that apartments were not available.  The New York Times reported on the lawsuit that October: The case was settled two years later, with the Trumps reportedly promising the department that they would not engage in racist business practices, but not before the future president tried — and failed — to sue the department for $100 million over “false allegations. ” As NPR reported in 2016, the evidence for the case was gathered by the New York City Human Rights Division, specifically testers like Sheila Morse.  In one instance in 1972, she said, she was sent to an apartment complex in Brooklyn after a Black resident was told by the building superintendent that an apartment promoted as vacant had actually been taken.  According to the story: “He met with the superintendent, and the superintendent said, ‘I’m very sorry, but the apartment is rented — it’s gone,'” Morse says.  “So the gentlemen said to him, ‘Well, why is the sign out?  I still see a sign that says apartment for rent. ’ And the superintendent said, ‘Oh, I guess I forgot to take it down. '” When Morse went to the building to ask about the same apartment, she says, “They greeted me with open arms and showed me every aspect of the apartment. ” Morse says she reported her experience to the Human Rights Commission, and then returned to the apartment building.  After she was offered a lease, the Black man who had tried to rent the apartment entered the office with a city human rights commissioner, and the three of them confronted the building superintendent.  “He said, ‘Well, I’m only doing what my boss told me to do — I am not allowed to rent to Black tenants,’ ” Morse says.  The commissioner asked the building superintendent to take him to his boss.  That turned out to be Trump Management.  Trump was also accused of racism after buying a full-page advertisement in the New York Daily News in 1989 calling for the death penalty for the “Central Park 5,” a group of Black and Latinx teenagers accused of raping and beating a jogger.  As the New Yorker reported in 2014: Perhaps he thought it gave him gravitas, that spring, to weigh in on the character of the teen-agers in the park: “How can our great society tolerate the continued brutalization of its citizens by crazed misfits?  Criminals must be told that their CIVIL LIBERTIES END WHEN AN ATTACK ON OUR SAFETY BEGINS! ” And his headline suggested what ought to be done with them: BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY.  BRING BACK OUR POLICE!  The group of teens — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Kharey Wise — were wrongfully convicted and sent to prison before the person who actually attacked the victim came forward, leading to the release of the “Central Park 5” in 2002.  Two years after he bought the Daily News ad, John O’Donnell — a former executive at a casino owned by Trump — ccused him of “making slurs against Black people” in his book Trumped.  One excerpt from the book shared widely by news outlets involved Trump complaining about a Black executive at Trump Plaza.  Trump was quoted as saying: I’ve got Black accountants at Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza.  Black guys counting my money!  I hate it.  The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys wearing yarmulkes….  Those are the only kind of people I want counting my money.  Nobody else… Besides that, I tell you something else.  I think that guy’s lazy.  And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in Blacks.  O’Donnell wrote in the book that he advised Trump against publicly espousing such views.  Trump was also fined $200,000 by the Casino Control Commission after managers at the Trump Plaza casino removed a Black dealer from a table at the request of Robert Libutti, a patron who reportedly boasted about being connected to mafia boss John Gotti.  As United Press International reported in October 1992, an appeals court in New Jersey upheld the penalty: Libutti, a race horse broker, lost millions of dollars in Atlantic City.  Witnesses testified that managers at several casinos would transfer both Black and women dealers to other tables.  A two-judge panel said most of the witnesses for the Trump Plaza were high-ranking executives who had “an identity of interest” with the casino, while many of those who testified for the Division of Gaming Enforcement were current employees who were risking their jobs by testifying against their employer.  “In our view, the transcript fairly reeks of Trump Plaza’s guilt,” the judges said.  Schilling’s attempt to claim that Trump — who won the presidency in 2016 but lost to Democrat Joe Biden four years later — had never been accused of racism was demonstrably false even by the time he began running for office; it was Trump who egged on the “birther” conspiracy theory claiming that Barack Obama was ineligible for the presidency.  And Trump literally began his campaign by stirring up xenophobia against immigrants from Mexico.  Update 6/11/21, 1:07 pm PST: This article has been revamped and updated.  You can review the original here.  Article Sources +Trump Plaza Loses Appeal of Discrimination PenaltyMajor Landlord Accused Of Antiblack Bias in CityDecades-Old Housing Discrimination Case Plagues Donald TrumpDonald Trump and the Central Park FiveCentral Park RevisitedAll The Times Donald Trump Has Never Been a Racist Donald Trump's Long History of Racism, From the 1970s to 2020


Immediately after the proposal, the two embraced and shouted "Black Lives Matter" before continuing to march. https://t.co/ZAMWYi3tA5

By Helen Regan, Angus Watson and Carly Walsh, CNNUpdated 3:08 AM ET, Thu June 11, 2020  (CNN)Protesters have gathered in major cities across Australia demanding justice over minority deaths in police custody in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.  CNN's Tara John, Melissa Bell and Barbara Wojazer contributed.


Several Indian news outlets published reports that said that Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi will “face up to three years in jail for levelling false accusations of sexual harassment” against actor-singer Ali Zafar.  Shafi, in 2018, had accused Zafar of sexual harassment amid the #MeToo movement.  After Shafi went public with her accusations, more women came forward with similar allegations.  Ali Zafar denied the allegations and later filed a defamation suit against the artiste and several others.  Contrary to the reports by the India news outlets, the legal battle is still going on between the two and no verdict has been passed by any Pakistani court on the matter.  CLAIM A report in The Times of India read, “As per a report, post Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha, a Pakistani Court has awarded 3 years of jail term to Meesha for causing ‘irreparable damages to his career, thanks to the false case’.  Hindi daily Amar Ujala published a report that was titled, “मीटू: अली जफर पर आरोप लगाने वाली गायिका मीशा शफी को तीन साल की कैद की सजा”. [Translation: #MeToo: Singer Misha Shafi, who had accused Ali Zafar, sentenced to three years’ imprisonment ] International Business Times India tweeted their report on the incident and said, “Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi who accused Ali Zafar of sexual misconduct has been given three years in prison”.  Their report, however, said that she will have to go to prison ‘if she loses the case’.  Other news organisations that reported incorrectly on the same case were ABP News and DNA.  Both these news organisations, in their headlines, said that “Shafi faces three years in jail”, but failed to report that she hadn’t been convicted yet.  British tabloid Daily Mail also published a story on the case while misinterpreting a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).  The tabloid story was cited as a reference in many Indian news reports.  We looked for reports on the defamation case filed by Zafar against Shafi and other accusers and didn’t find any report that said a verdict had been passed.  According to a report published by Pakistan news agency Dawn on 29 September 2020, Shafi and eight other people were booked under section 20(1) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and R/W 109-PPC.  According to the law, if convicted, they could face a jail term of maximum three years.  We read the article published in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that detailed the case and found that the report didn’t mention anything about a ‘verdict’.  The report clearly mentioned that “if convicted, she could be sentenced to up to three years in prison”.  The report also talked about Shafi’s fight in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to bring her case under a law meant to protect women in the workplace.  The article said that judicial authorities ruled that her case isn’t covered under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act of 2010.  Shafi took to her Instagram page and shared a debunk published by Paksitani website, Samaa.  Her lawyer, too, posted a clarification on Twitter and said that the reports were fake and no verdict had been passed in the case.  “Let there be no confusion that no such verdict has been passed by any court in Pakistan.  In fact, the court has not even indicted any of the several men and women accused by Ali Zafar of spreading falsehood,” he wrote.  Clearly, Indian news outlets published misleading or false reports on Shafi getting three years in jail in a defamation case filed against her by Zafar.


The Trump administration has still not explained why Washington has been so slow to distribute coronavirus testing kits in bulk, and has dragged its feet on removing restrictions for who can conduct diagnosis | Analysis by @stcollinson https://t.co/h569svvT3v

Trump incorrectly blamed an Obama-era policy for the delay in testing.  Trump falsely blames Obama admin on slow rollout of coronavirus test kitsPresident Donald Trump is falsely blaming the Obama administration for the slow rollout of U. S.  tests for the new coronavirus, ignoring his administration’s own fumbles in responding to the health crisis and mischaracterizing Obama-era policies. His comments, delivered to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, come as many Americans are asking how they can get tested for the dangerous virus to ensure it doesn’t spread unnecessarily through communities. The Trump administration has faced sharp questions by state governors and Democratic lawmakers for the lack of tests available to doctors and hospitals.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged that its initial test kits didn’t work as designed and that new tests were needed -- delaying the government’s ability to detect and contain the spread of the virus. At a briefing at the White House this week, Trump pointed the finger at the Obama administration, inaccurately suggesting that “a decision” made under President Barack Obama had tied the hands of his current administration. “The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we're doing,” Trump said Wednesday.  “And we undid that decision a few days ago so that the testing can take place in a much more accurate and rapid fashion. ”Under Obama, the Food and Drug Administration exercised only some oversight of large commercial test kits shipped across state lines.  But there was little to no check done on single medical labs, former officials said. “The FDA has generally not enforced premarket review and other applicable FDA requirements for laboratory tests,” the agency confirmed in a statement. In fact, the lack of regulation of medical tests was so concerning to Obama aides that the FDA proposed the idea – and found bipartisan support on Capitol Hill – of increasing oversight of medical testing to protect patients from being given tests they don’t need or from inaccurate results. But the Obama administration ultimately never acted on the proposal and it never became a regulation.  Instead, in January 2017, it issued a “discussion paper” as it left the matter up to Trump. Last Saturday, the FDA invoked a 2004 law – passed well before Trump or Obama took office – to specifically authorize coronavirus tests to be developed in private laboratories like hospitals and given to patients without prior federal approval. Worth noting though is that this power was something Health Secretary Alex Azar and the FDA have had since coronavirus became a global health crisis in late January. But standing next to Trump, Robert Redfield – head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – backed up Trump’s mischaracterization of Obama-era policy when it came to medical tests. Redfield told reporters that “in the previous administration that became regulated” and that the recent move by the FDA allowed “regulatory relief. ”The White House and CDC did not respond to a request for comment. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn called the agency's decision to make clear lab tests wouldn't run afoul of federal regulators was the “right balance” in the face of a health crisis.  At the time of the policy change, the CDC said it had enough tests for about 75,000 people – a fraction of the tests health officials expect they will need. “That means ‘X’ hospital in whatever state, whatever county, if they're certified, can develop their own laboratory based test.  They notify us when that occurs, and then 15 days later provide us the validation data,” Hahn told reporters. Washington Democratic Sen.  Patty Murray, who is facing an outbreak of the virus in her state, has accused the administration of overestimating the number of tests that would become available to Americans and called on the administration to “do better. ”“People across Washington  -- and the nation – are really scared,” she said during a hearing this week.  “I’m hearing from people who want to get tested and believe they have been exposed – but nobody can tell them where to go. ”ABC's Ben Gittleson, Sophie Tatum and Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.  24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


BREAKING: Donald Trump will win the state of North Dakota, @ABC News projects. https://t.co/l3WP0qSjWK #ElectionNight https://t.co/Wzj1x3KVXI

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Melissa Mahtani and Amanda Wills, CNNOur live coverage has moved.  Go here for the latest results and news from the election. From CNN's Allison GordonResults from Milwaukee have flipped Wisconsin to Joe Biden, who has a lead in the state right now, CNN's Phil Mattingly says. Earlier, the city of Milwaukee's absentee ballot information was delivered with a police escort, CNN's Ryan Young reported. "When they have those three officers walking with them, you understand the importance of the event," Young told CNN's Chris Cuomo. The election is far from over with millions of votes still outstanding in key states, including in battleground Wisconsin. Joe Biden will win Hawaii, CNN projects. There are four electoral votes at stake in Hawaii.  It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state, and President Trump won the general election. From CNN's Josiah Ryan Republican insiders are crediting a $300 million get-out-out the vote effort organized by the Trump campaign and allies for narrowing the gap in many states, CNN's Ryan Nobles reported early this morning.  "Republicans are talking about. . .  the ground game that the Republican National Committee and the Trump Victory Organization put into place shortly after President Trump was inaugurated," said Nobles. Nobles reported on Friday that the campaign had spent more than $300 million on a data and ground operation and less on television and digital advertising in the final leg of the campaign.  "They firmly believe that that ground game was going to be a big part in narrowing the gap, in many of these key states and they're now saying that we're seeing that play out in realtime as these votes come," added Nobles.  From CNN's MJ LeeJoe Biden's campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon issued a strongly worded statement following President Trump's White House speech, calling it "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect. " O’Malley Dillon went on to say that "the counting will not stop. ”From CNN's Maeve Reston and Stephen CollinsonVotes are still being counted in several key states across the US, and no winner has been determined in the presidential election. If you're just reading in, here's what you need to know about the race:From CNN's Leinz ValesBenjamin L.  Ginsberg, a longtime Republican election lawyer who co-chaired the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, said Wednesday that President Trump should “let all the votes be counted,” following his attacks on legitimate vote counting efforts. “If you have objections to either the particular ballots or to the process, then you have remedies after the fact from each state individual contests laws or recount laws if the margins are close enough,” Ginsberg told CNN’s Jake Tapper during CNN’s special election coverage.  Hear Ginsberg explain: From CNN’s Mark MoralesPhiladelphia won’t have an updated number on mail-in ballots until 9 a. m.  on Wednesday, said Lisa Deeley, head of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which is a bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration. Election officials are waiting on in-person voting numbers to be reported by some individual precincts and ingested into their system before they can report the number of mail-in ballots, Deeley said.  “That’s just the configuration of our system,” said Deeley, adding that it was a reporting issue, not mechanical. The delay in in-person results from the field are slowing down the reports, particularly in West Philadelphia, Deeley said “We are counting, we have been counting, we are going to continue counting until it's done,” Deeley said.  “We’re just waiting for the rest of the in-person results to come in from voting machines. ”Another update with mail-in votes will come at 9 a. m. , Deeley said. As of 1:10 a. m.  ET, with 1,598 of 1,703 divisions reporting, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 73. 3% of the city’s votes, and President Trump has received 25. 67% of the city’s vote. From CNN's Allison GordonBased on CNN's current projections, Joe Biden has 220 electoral votes while Donald Trump has 213 electoral votes. Here's the latest look at where things stand:Reminder: Each candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


In Surat, Gujarat, people have come out on the streets saying either give us food or shoot us.

The viral post is fake.  An old tweet by Priyanka Gandhi is edited with objectionable comment against Nehru.
New Delhi (Vishvas News).  An objectionable
comment on the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in a tweet
allegedly by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is viral on social media recently.
Vishvas News investigation revealed the viral claim is
fake.   An old tweet of Priyanka Gandhi has
been tampered and edited. Facebook user Rajesh Verma uploaded a picture of a tweet allegedly by Priyanka Gandhi on 20 November expressing anger and disappointment with Nehru’s family.  The archived version of the viral post can be seen here. InvestigationWe started searching the viral tweet using keywords in Twitter search.  We found an old tweet of Priyanka Gandhi posted on 14 November 2019 writing, “My favorite story about my great-grandfather is the one about when PM, he returned from work at 3 am to find his bodyguard exhausted and asleep on his bed.  He covered him with a blanket and slept on an adjacent chair. ”My favourite story about my great-grandfather is the one about when as PM, he returned from work at 3 am to find his bodyguard exhausted and asleep on his bed.  He covered him with a blanket and slept on an adjacent chair.  #JawaharlalNehru pic. twitter. com/HDDiC1hkedVishvas News investigation
revealed that the objectionable content was added to the original tweet by editing.  We
could clearly identify the difference between the original and the viral tweet.  We contacted Congress National Spokesperson
Akhilesh Pratap Singh for verification.  He said that the Gandhi-Nehru
family has always been intimidating to the troll army and people continue creating
such fake posts. Social scanning of the user
who shared the viral post revealed that he is a resident of New Delhi and has
shared several viral posts even in the past.


West Bengal: 30 people, who were discharged from a #COVID19 dedicated hospital in Siliguri yesterday after recovering from the disease, were felicitated by the staff and administration of the hospital. https://t.co/LvdQMytcVd

India’s tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is now more than 1. 53 million after 48,513 fresh cases and 768 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry on Wednesday. The country added 946,176 Covid-19 cases to its tally till Wednesday—there were 585,493 infections on July 1—and now has 1,531,669 infections to its count.  The number of fatalities stands at 34,193 so far. According to the health ministry’s dashboard, India’s recovery rate has seen a sharp increase from around 53% in mid-June to more than 64. 50% till date.  With 35,286 patients discharged in the last 24 hours, the recoveries stand at 988,029. There have been more than 30,000 recoveries daily for the sixth day in a row now. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemicThe gap between the recovered and active cases has also been persistently increasing—there were 509,447 infections as of Wednesday—data showed. India’s case fatality rate (CFR) is 2. 25%, the government has said. According to data analysed by HT, Karnataka’s trajectory of Covid-19 cases is on a path much worse than Tamil Nadu and Delhi’s and that Andhra Pradesh may cross the Capital’s tally soon. Karnataka, which on Monday crossed 100,000 total cases, in 74 days since its 1,000th case has 101,465 confirmed cases — 30,000 cases more than Delhi and Tamil Nadu in the same time period.  Tamil Nadu and Delhi, the second and third worst-hit regions in the country after Maharashtra, had 67,468 and 66,602 cases respectively by Day 74. Andhra Pradesh, the state with the second-highest number of new cases in the past week after Maharashtra, has also seen a near-vertical rise in the last two weeks.  Maharashtra could cross another grim landmark of four lakh cases on Wednesday based on the current trend of the daily increase in its caseload.  India’s worst-hit state has reported 391,440 cases of the coronavirus disease till Tuesday. Mumbai reported its lowest tally in three months with 700 new cases, the lowest since around the first week of May, on Tuesday. Authorities in Delhi, which has seen a decrease in daily cases, will conduct another serological study in the city to determine how much closer the Capital is to achieving herd immunity to Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The survey will be conducted in the first five days of August to collect blood from around 20,000 people, health officials have said.  The results are expected by mid-August. The first survey of this sort showed 22. 86% of those tested had the antibodies. There are 16,682,030 infections and 659,374 deaths around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker.


Aparna Kr becomes the 1st woman IPS DIG & Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to complete the expedition to South Pole. She reached the South Pole on 13 Jan. She is a 2002 batch UP Cadre IPS officer, who has been posted at Northern Frontier Headquarters of ITBP in Dehradun. https://t.co/P6cOD4Mulu

Aparna Kumar, who is known for conquering mountains, on last Sunday, became the first woman IPS officer to reach the South Pole. While the mission was as challenging as conquering the Mt Everest, unfurling the tricolour at the South Pole was special for her, especially since she suffered from pneumonia just before leaving for the expedition. “And if that was not enough, I also broke my prescription sun glasses during the expedition,” said beaming Aparna while talking to Hindustan Times. “Braving high speed icy wind which slashed my face amid bouts of frost bite and chest congestion made the experience of skiing up to eight hours a day at a temperature of minus 40 degree Celsius memorable,” said the 2002 batch IPS of UP Cadre, currently posted as DIG, ITBP in Dehradun. “The weather is never the same.  It is cloudy, windy, icy cold and snowing.  Antarctica is the driest and coldest place on earth.  It was a great struggle to stay in open in such an extreme weather condition.  My hands and fingers were terribly cold and I always feared of getting frostbite.  Even toes get very cold while moving,” shared the mountaineer, who reached the South Pole on January 13.  “I felt really blessed and fortunate,” she said while crediting her husband Sanjay Kumar for her success. Sanjay Kumar, who is secretary, urban development, Uttar Pradesh is the brain behind all her expeditions. “At every break I would get terribly cold and I had to be extra careful about not getting frostbite or falling ill.  I had to finish my drinks, snacks, wear mittens and start warming up my body for skiing till others got ready. ”That frosty cold that it was, she had to wear double mittens.  And since she just recovered from pneumonia, she had to carry the medicines to Antarctica also. “As soon as the skiing commenced, I started pneumonia drugs.  I was constantly coughing.  Pulling the 35 kgs sled was also energy sapping as every day we were gaining altitude,” she narrated.  While one of the team members from UK had to leave due to altitude problem, another team member from Ireland had to leave due severe tendonitis, she claimed. In fact, one of her guides too had to leave towards the end of the expedition due to heart issues.


BJP President @AmitShah files his nomination for #Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency. (ANI)

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#ElectionsWithHT #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/lUXNEuZR1m

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be addressing poll rallies in Aalo in Arunachal Pradesh, Moran in Assam and Gohpur in Assam.  BJP chief Amit Shah will also be addressing poll rally in Gandhinagar followed by a road show before he files his nomination from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.  Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of BJP’s allies such as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be present during party president Amit Shah’s filing of nomination.  Follow Live updates here: BJP’s mission in Arunachal Pradesh is 60+2: CM KhanduExuding confidence in the BJP’s poll prospects in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Saturday that voters will help the saffron party accomplish its mission of “60 plus two” in the state. “We have a target of winning all the seats and the BJPs mission is 60 plus two,” Khandu said while addressing an election rally here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has already opened its account in the state with three candidates declared elected unopposed in the 60-member Assembly. Approved five new bridges on Brahmaputra: PM ModiConstructed roads in villages and cities, our government has also approved five new bridges on Brahmaputra for Assam’s welfare: PM Modi When world is praising India, opposition is raising questions on India’s achievement: PM Modi in AssamWhole world has been praising the India for its development steps and security stances.  But the opposition has been raising questions on India’s achievements: PM Modi In Assam’s Gohpur‘Backed Congress in 1971 when India defeated Pakistan in war’: PM Modi in AssamWe supported Congress in 1971 when the then government defeated Pakistan and provided freedom to Bangladesh, but today Congress has been raising questions on our soldier’s valour: PM Modi in Assam Worked with honesty for Assam: PM Modi in AssamI have worked with honesty for the betterment of Assam, Congress only destroyed the states: PM Modi in Assam BJP chief Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seatAmit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, top NDA leaders including Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackrey and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani accompany him.  Working to develop Northeast as India’s new energy hub: PM ModiNortheast has power to become new India’s new energy hub, govt is working hard to develop region for realising this dream: PM Modi in Moran. Only Congress and terrorist not happy with BJP govt.  : PM ModiPeople are happy with BJP govt but it is only Congress and terrorists who are not happy: PM Modi at Moran rally,reports news agency PTI.  Planning to provide Schedule Tribe status to Assam’s six communities: PM ModiNDA government committed to save Assam’s tradition and culture.  We are thinking to provide Schedule Tribe status to Assam’s six communities: PM Modi Congress donot want to see anyone associated with Tea business: PM ModiCongress has problems with Chowkidars and Chaiwalas, Initially I thought the problem was with only one chaiwala but after touring whole country I realised that they don’t want to see any chaiwala or anyone associated with tea business: PM Modi in Assam’s MoranWhen ASAT test was done, Congress had tears in their eyes: PM ModiWhole world stood with India after surgical strikes, but Congress did not.  When our scientist carried out A-SAT test, Congress got tears in their eyes: PM Modi in Assam Assam first state to provide gas and fuel to nation, but only 40% residents of Assam got gas connections in 70 years: PM ModiAssam was the state where India for the first time got fuel and oil but only 40 percent of the houses of this state got gas connection, but now within 5 years we have taken the number to 85 percent.  Same with electricity, only 40 percent of houses in Assam got electricity in 70 years, but within 5 years of our government almost ever house in Assam has electricity connection.  Congress made fun of our scientists: PM ModiCongress’s statement after Surgical strikes were seen by the nation, even when our scientist had achieved what only three countries could, congress made fun of them also: PM Modi while addressing poll rally in Arunachal  आपने सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक के समय ये खुद देखा है।जब भारत ने आतंकियों को घर में घुसकर मारा, तो इनका क्या रवैया रहा, ये भी आपने देखा है।जब हमारे वैज्ञानिक दुनिया को हैरान कर देते हैं, तो भी ये उसका मजाक उड़ाने के बहाने खोज लेते हैं: पीएम श्री @narendramodi #NorthEast4ModiDouble engine of growth for Arunachal after 2019 LS polls: PM ModiI believe youth of Arunachal Pradesh, I am sure NDA government at both centre and state will act as double engine of growth for the state: PM Modi Congress is blinded by love for neighbouring country : PM Modi Congress and its leaders have been blinded by the love for neighbouring country to the point that they don’t cherish Northeast or India anymore, their statements are being flashed in Pakistan: PM Modi Other PMs did not visit Arunachal Pradesh in 30 years, I visited Northeast 30 times in 5 years: PM Modi in Arunachal Pradesh’s AaloIt is after 30 years that a Prime Minister has visited Arunachal Pradesh’s Aalo, but in BJP’s rule Prime Minister has visited Northeast over 30 times within five years: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing poll rally in Arunachal Pradesh’s AaloBJP president Amit Shah holds road show in GandhinagarGujarat: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah holds a road show in Ahmedabad,reports news agency ANI.   Gujarat: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah holds a road show in Ahmedabad.  pic. twitter. com/T42WkCPz9iFeel fortune to be named BJP’s candidate from Gandhinagar LS seat: Amit ShahMy political career started in 1982, when I was a poll party head in Gandhinagar.  I feel fortunate to be announced BJP’s candidate from Lok Sabha seat which was once Lok Sabha seat to LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee: BJP president Amit Shah If we can credit Indira Gandhi for 1971 war victory, why can’t we credit Modi for airstrikes: Rajnath SinghIn 1971 Atal Bihari Vajpayee congratulated Indira Gandhi for war victory over Pakistan because we placed nation first and party later but Congress has been trying to discredit Narendra Modi’s decision making abilities: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh India will soon be one of the top 3 super powers of the world: Union Home Minister Rajnath SinghIt is Narendra Modi who has taken India ahead of time, if given second chance then NDA government under Narendra Modi’s leadership will soon be regarded as one of the top three super powers of the world: Union Home Minister Rajnath SinghNDA government is ‘Power to the Poor’ government: Ram Vilas PaswanNDA government is ‘Power to the Poor’ government, we made sure SC/ST and OBC get economically and socially stronger: LJP founder Ram Villas Paswan ‘Kaun banega PM’: Uddhav Thackeray’s poser to Opposition Grand alliance should hold a rally together and announce PM candidate, they are all busy proving different leaders as PM candidates: Uddhav Thackeray Some people were celebrating thinking BJP and Shiv sena are fighting, but we are on same track now: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav ThackeryPeople must be surprised that I reached at Amit Shah’s nomination filing.  Some of them were celebrating thinking that two parties of same ideologies were fighting.  We had detailed discussion over our misunderstandings and now we are on same track: Uddhav Thackery Our government achieved things that other governments could not in 50 years: Nitin Gadkari in GandhinagarWhat other governments failed to achieve in 50 years, our government did in 5 years.  Amit Shah is India’s biggest organiser and campaigner: Prakash Singh BadalAmit Shah is India’s biggest organiser and campaigner, he was chief campaigner and organiser in 2014 when Narendra Modi was elected as Prime Minister of India: SAD supremo Prakash Singh Badal Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel before addressing poll rally in GandhinagarAhmedabad: BJP President Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he will file his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency today, reports news agency ANI.  Ahmedabad: BJP President Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he will file his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency today.  #Gujarat pic. twitter. com/HL1a0fupMxUP village threatens to boycott LS polls over demand for bridgeThe residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections over the authorities not paying heed to their demand to construct a bridge over Solani river. The decision was taken at a panchayat meeting in Yogender Nagar village. A villager, Pratap Singh, said since the village is located near the river, residents face problems in getting across. These problems are aggravated during the monsoon season, he added, reports news agency PTI.  Top NDA leaders to be present during Amit Shah’s filing of nominationUnion ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of BJP’s allies such as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be present during party president Amit Shah’s filing of nomination, reports news agency PTI Amit Shah to address poll rally, before filing nomination from GandhinagarBJP president Amit Shah will be addressing poll rally in Gandhinagar followed by a roadshow before he files his nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha.   भाजपा राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @AmitShah जी 30 मार्च, 2019 को दोपहर 1. 20 बजे गांधीनगर संसदीय क्षेत्र से नामांकन करेंगे।नामांकन से पूर्व माननीय अध्यक्ष जी विशाल जनसभा और रोड शो भी करेंगे।जनसभा- सुबह 9. 40 बजेरोड शो- सुबह 10. 40 बजेनामांकन- दोपहर 1. 20 बजे pic. twitter. com/PGD7y1Qwn2


A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the video shows Tata salt being packed into covers by some people in Begum Bazaar (Hyderabad).  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.  Claim: Video shows Tata salt being packed in Begum Bazaar.     Fact: The incident is related to Dera Bassi (Punjab).  ‘Tata Salt’ has clarified that the video pertains to a raid conducted by their team along with the Punjab Police against counterfeit salt operations in Dera Bassi.  Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.      In the comment section of the post, it can be seen that a user, claiming to be a representative of ‘Tata Salt’, has posted an image of a news article by the ‘Hindustan Times’ on the incident.  He also wrote that ‘this video pertains to a raid done by Tata Salt and Punjab Police to fight counterfeits When searched on Google with the keywords, the same news article by the ‘Hindustan Times’ was found in the search results.  In the article, it can be read that the incident took place at Sundra village in Mohali’s Dera Bassi subdivision.  The image of the same article was also posted by the ‘Tata Salt’ on its official Facebook pageTo sum it up, the video is related to a raid by authorities against counterfeit salt operations in Dera Bassi (Punjab), not Begum Bazaar (Telangana). Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?


Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Parliament. (Source: DD)

#BudgetSession https://t.co/p6exAts4vp

West Bengal 2021 is as thrilling as it gets as far as elections in India go… There are big stars, action, drama and emotions thrown into this political pot-boiler that has all of us on the edge of our seats every minute. In the latest, speculation is flying thick and fast that Mamata may well contest against PM Modi from Varanasi in 2024. The buzz ties up beautifully with perceptions of Mamata Banerjee’s national ambitions.  There is no doubt that if Mamata Banerjee wins this high octane election - and if she wins comfortably - she could emerge as the most powerful leader in the Opposition camp that has mostly been rudderless over the last several years. For now, the Mamata vs Modi face-off in Varanasi is just a social media virtual thought and not an on-ground reality.  But what if…. HOW THE VARANASI CHATTER BEGANA seemingly humble, retaliatory Twitter post by the Trinamool Congress on Thursday night set the cat among the pigeons.  The post, which was uploaded late Thursday night from Trinamool’s official handle, was a comeback to PM Modi’s claim at a rally in Bengal that there were rumours that Mamata Banerjee may contest from another seat in the last phase. “Is there any truth in the rumour that you (Mamata) are going to file your nomination from another constituency?  First, you went to Nandigram and people gave you an answer.  Go somewhere else and the people of Bengal will give you the right answer," PM Modi said on Thursday while campaigning in South 24 Paraganas. The TMC delivered its counter on Twitter: “Didi is winning Nandigram.  The question of her fighting from another seat doesn't arise. ” The tweet also cautioned PM Modi to “look for a safer seat in 2024, as you (Modi) will be challenged in Varanasi. ”The cryptic reference to Varanasi came not just from Trinamool’s official Twitter handle but also echoed by another firebrand TMC MP Mahua Moitra.  In a tweet, she categorically asked the PM to don his “armour” as Mamata Banerjee will run from Varanasi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Varanasi has been PM Modi's constituency since 2014 when he first came to power at the Centre following the BJP's landslide victory in the national elections. MAMATA’S NATIONAL AMBITIONSNow just five days ago – and smack in the middle of a do-or-die assembly election - the Bengal chief minister wrote a letter to at least a dozen opposition leaders – Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin, Akhilesh Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal - calling for a united and effective struggle against the BJP. In the letter, she made a clarion call to all opposition parties to come together and offer a credible alternative to what she dubbed was BJP’s “one-party authoritarian rule” in India.  The Trinamool supremo had suggested that a meeting of all leaders be held to chart out a plan of action after these assembly elections. Several opposition leaders have accused the BJP of aspiring to rule all the states.  No doubt that a democracy is defined not only by the government, but also by the dynamism of its Opposition.  And by all accounts, India’s opposition has never been as weak as it is today.  So if India seems to be veering towards a one-party rule, many analysts have argued the opposition is also to be blamed. Mamata Banerjee’s letter is seen as significant in this context.  Several political analysts in Bengal and outside have interpreted the letter to signal that Mamata Banerjee wants to focus on national politics once the assembly polls are over. And if Mamata wins Bengal in 2021 – many opinion polls did make this prediction before the election process was formally kickstarted – she might just acquire the necessary heft among opposition parties to become the face of the anti-BJP front that she has outlined in her letter. Mamata Banerjee did play a key role in trying to forge an anti-BJP coalition of parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections too.  She had organised a massive rally in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground in January 2019 attended by almost all leaders of regional parties opposed to the BJP. But that initiative fell flat owing to differences between various parties over seat-sharing. THE 2024 POLL BUGLEWest Bengal 2021, and the chatter about Mamata contesting against Prime Minister Modi from Varanasi, has certainly blown the poll bugle for 2024. When Arvind Kejriwal picked up the cudgels in Varanasi in 2014, many dubbed it the proverbial David vs Goliath battle.  PM Modi had won Varanasi by a massive margin of 3. 37 lakh votes. If Mamata Banerjee goes up against the PM in 2024 – the ‘Khela’ in Varanasi will be worth a seat in the front row with popcorn to match.


Defence Minister Nirmala SitharamanIs Says, Is Rahul Gandhi Really On Mansarovar Yatra?

A parody handle of news channel Republic TV tweeted a statement supposedly made by the Union Minister of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman.  The tweet quoted the minister saying, "Is Rahul Gandhi really on Mansarovar Yatra? ?  Why is he sharing Edited pics, even the shadow of stick was not there in one of the Pic he shared. "   The parody Twitter handle @RepubliicTV, created in April 2018 had around 121 followers at the time of writing the story.      Is Rahul Gandhi really on Mansarovar Yatra? ?  Why is he sharing Edited pics, even the shadow of stick was not there in one of the Pic he shared::Defence Minister in BJP Headquarter, File Pic pic. twitter. com/ic5Cmuwmc4 — Republiic (@RepubliicTV) September 8, 2018    You can find the archived version of the tweet here.  The tweet got got more than 650 likes, 428 replies and 227 retweets.    Meanwhile the Union Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman called out the tweet from the parody account.      . Fake News Alert!  Nothing of the above was spoken.  A supposedly ‘parody’ account!  — Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 9, 2018    While many on Twitter noticed that the handle is not an official handle of the news channel, Manickam Tagore, a former MP and Secretary of All India Congress Committee, tweeted that Sitharaman is unfit to the the Defence Minister.  Tagore later deleted the tweet but his tweet can be accessed here.       But the account that tweeted the false information clearly mentions that it is a parody account in its description.  The name of the Twitter handle has an extra 'I' and the Twitter handle is also different from the original account of Republic news channel.  Not only this but the logo of the parody account is also different than the original one.           The original Twitter handle of the news channel Republic is @republic and has around 477k followers.    This is not the first time parody handles of news channels have created confusion.  A Twitter parody handle @LimesofIndia has 17,000 followers and tweets frequently.  Recently, it called the official Times of India fake.      Beware of this fake Twitter handle masquerading as real account pic. twitter. com/uuTaVFnxlQ — Limes Of India (@LimesOfIndia) September 7, 2018    Another handle @TiimesHow has also fooled several users in the past who thought that it is the official Times Now handle.  The handle which also declares itself as satire and parody in its description has over 12,000 followers.      Some other active parody handles on Twitter, include that of @CNNews69, @NDVT2002.  Both the handles have declared themselves as parody handles.  While many users have asked Twitter to take down such handles as they mislead users into retweeting their tweets, the platform has a clear policy regarding parody and satire handles.    Twitter's policy states that users are allowed to create parody, newsfeed, commentary, and fan accounts on Twitter, provided that the accounts follow the requirements as mandated by them -


The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 passed by Rajya Sabha https://t.co/jixNAn3x0y

The controversial National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019 has been cleared by the parliament on Monday.  The bill aims to replace the graft-tainted Medical Council of India (MCI). The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, four days after Rajya Sabha passed it with amendments. Reacting to its passage, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a strike on August 8 to protest against certain provisions of the Bill. It said the medical students will continue their strike across the country under IMA Medical Students Network. One of the main contentions against the Bill is that it proposes a common entrance exam- National Exit Test (NEXT)- which could be treated as the final year exam for the undergraduate course, as the licentiate exam for a career in medicine, and an entrance exam for post graduate courses in the country.  It will be used to screen students graduating from foreign countries. The other problem is that it allows ‘limited access to practice medicine’ for people connected with modern scientific medicine mid-level community health providers that students feel will give rise to quackery. “The call is for all the modern medicine doctors to leave their work place across the sectors at all levels,” according to a statement by the IMA. The doctors’ body has also called for demonstrations and hunger strikes at its local branches and urged medical students to boycott classes and proclaim solidarity with the IMA. On Sunday, resident doctors of AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital had called off their strike and resumed duties after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan assured them that their concerns over the NMC Bill will be duly addressed.


Karnataka: Visuals of celebrations from BJP office in Bengaluru. #ElectionResults2019 https://t.co/7bZLeOGy26

The ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh won seven Assembly seats and is leading in 11 constituencies, election officials said on Thursday. The Janata Dal United and an Independent candidate also won a seat each. Arunachal Pradesh Assembly has 60-seats, but elections were held for 57 seats as three BJP candidates had already won unopposed. Follow Assembly Elections Results 2019 Live Update here Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein won the Chowkham seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Khunang Kri by 7,291 votes. The deputy chief minister who had won from the Lekang constituency in Namsai district for the last five consecutive terms since 1995 but this time contested from the Chowkham seat. Tana Hali Tara of the BJP won from Doimukh constituency defeating his nearest rival Nabam Vivek of the National Peoples Party (NPP) by 2, 385 votes. BJP retained the seat as in 2014, Nabam Rebia of BJP had won from the seat. In the Itanagar constituency, Janata Dal United candidate Techi Kaso won by a slender margin of 302 votes in a multi-cornered contest, defeating his nearest rival Kipa Babu of the BJP. Kaso who retained the seat, polled 12,162 votes while Babu polled 11, 860 votes. First timer Goruk Pordung of the BJP won the Bameng Assembly seat defeating Home Minister Kumar Waii of the NPP by a margin of 393 votes. Sitting MLA from Lumla constituency in Tawang district Jambhi Tashi of BJP was re-elected by defeating his lone rival Jampa Thirnly Kunkhap of the Congress by a margin of 1,288 votes. While Tashi polled 4567 votes, Kunkhap could poll 3279 votes. PHE Minister Wangki Lowang (BJP) retained the Namsang seat in a multi-cornered contest, by defeating his nearest rival Ngonglin Boi of the NPP by a margin of 1682 votes. While Lowang polled 3,202 votes Boi could manage 1,520 votes. Sitting BJP MLA from Nari Koyu constituency Kento Rina retained the seat by defeating his nearest rival Tojir Kadu of the Congress by a margin of 216 votes in a triangular contest. The BJP retained the seat. While Rina polled 2,489 votes, Kadu polled 2,273 votes. In the un-reserved Bordumsa-Diyun seat in Changlang district, Independent candidate Somlung Mossang tasted victory by defeating his nearest rival Jawra Maio of the BJP by a margin of 2,379 votes. BJP woman candidate Gumtayeng won the Damduk seat defeating her nearest NPP rival Tony Pertil by a margin 873 votes.


Satellite photos show North Korea has begun a rapid rebuilding of a missile launch site that has been inactive since last summer. https://t.co/y5PT3GNbSh https://t.co/CRt15Zj6GU

    Satellite images appear to show that North Korea has begun rebuilding a portion of a facility previously used to test long-range missile engines, analysts said Tuesday, raising potential questions about the future of US-North Korea negotiations.

    The Center for Strategic Studies’ Beyond Parallel project and 38 North, both respected North Korea monitoring websites, each said it had observed activity at the Tongchang-ri satellite launch facility, which has been dormant since about August of last year.

    Tongchang-ri is one of the few known missile component development facilities inside North Korea.

    38 North found that efforts to rebuild the site’s launch pad and missile engine test stand began sometime between February 16 and March 2, meaning work began either in the days before, during, or immediately after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump abruptly ended their second summit in Hanoi on February 28 without signing a deal.

    Satellite launches use similar technology as ballistic missiles, and experts have long cautioned that North Korea’s attempts to shoot satellites into space could help them develop viable long-range ballistic missiles.

    Beyond Parallel reported there has been “activity” at a vertical engine test pad and a launch pad’s rail-mounted rocket transfer structure.  It concluded that the activity was “deliberate and purposeful. ”

    The CIA declined to comment on the photographs.

    South Korean lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon told CNN Wednesday that the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed in a briefing that there has been restoration activity at Tongchang-ri.

    Speaking Wednesday, Trump said it was “too early to see” whether Kim had restarted the country’s missile testing program but added that he would be “very disappointed” if that turned out to be the case.

    Asked whether Kim broke his promise, Trump told reporters: “We’re gonna see.  It’s too early to see.  But we have to solve a problem.  We have a really nasty problem.  We have to solve a problem. ”

    Though the satellite images provide useful information, analysts and experts caution against reading too much into them without sufficient intelligence to complement.

    “If North Korea does something they want us to know, they would say it.  They haven’t said anything,” said Joseph Yun, the State Department’s former special representative for North Korea policy.

    “We don’t know enough to say one way or the other.  My own guess is it’s too early to think that this is a response to happen in Hanoi,” Yun said.

    Joel Wit, a former State Department diplomat and founder of 38 North, said on Twitter that the movement at Tongchang-ri did not provide any evidence that North Korea was preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.

    But the activity is surprising.  After Trump and Kim’s first summit in Singapore, the US President appeared to tout reports that North Korea had begun dismantling the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, another name for Tongchang-ri.

    Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies specializing in satellite imagery analysis, said that the more notable development is the work being done to the engine test stand, where Pyongyang could theoretically improve the engines on its nuclear-capable missiles.

    North Korea has already successfully tested two types of ICBMs on mobile launchers, so it doesn’t necessarily need the launch pad to test-fire long-range missiles.

    It’s also possible that the activity at the facility is a chess move in North Korea’s negotiating strategy, Schmerler said, to ratchet up pressure on Washington.

    Trump and Pompeo have touted as progress the fact that North Korea has not conducted any missile or nuclear tests in more than a year.

    “The site itself, in the macro-sense, is very transparent.  And the North Koreans know we are always watching,” he said.

    “When they do something at Sohae, they know that this could very easily be in the public conversation for domestic American politics. ”

    It’s unclear if the recent developments will affect how the White House moves forward with North Korea.

    US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino did not directly answer questions as to whether American diplomats have been in touch with North Korean officials since leaving Hanoi, only saying the two sides remain in “regular contact. ”

    John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, said Tuesday that following the Hanoi summit, he expects the North Koreans to soon reveal “if they’re serious about the talks, whether they want to get back into them and fundamentally, whether they’re committed to giving up their nuclear weapons program and everything associated with it.  “

    “If they’re not willing to do it, President Trump has been very clear they’re not going to get relief from the crushing economic sanctions that have been imposed on them and we’ll look at ramping those sanctions up in fact,” Bolton said.

    Trump had previously said the two sides departed amicably from the summit and left the door open for negotiations.

    The reports of activity at Tongchang-ri come just hours after South Korea’s NIS reported that parts of the Yongbyon nuclear complex, including the reactor that is believed to produce weapons-grade plutonium, have not been active since the beginning of 2019.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency announced similar findings earlier this week.  The organization’s general director, Yukiya Amano, said Monday the agency has not observed activity at several important facilities at Yongbyon but did see “indications of the ongoing use of the reported centrifuge enrichment facility. ”

    38 North said shortly before the summit that there was no indication that the site’s plutonium production reactor was operating.  A post in January said that Yongbyon appeared to be “well maintained” but its main facilities “did not appear to be operating,” except for what is believed to be the uranium enrichment plant.

    Yongbyon is the only publicly known complex where North Korea produces fissile material for nuclear weapons, but experts have long believed North Korea operates a series of covert sites that contribute to its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program.

    Trump appeared to hint at the existence at least one of those during his news conference following the Hanoi summit, a second uranium enrichment plant.  South Korean lawmaker Lee Eun-jae’s office said that an “additional uranium facility” was discussed during the Hanoi summit.

    While it’s unclear what or where this site is, a team of North Korea open-source analysts published findings in the online news site The Diplomat in July revealing a covert uranium enrichment facility which the US government calls Kangsong.

  CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Yoonjung Seo, Will Ripley and Sophie Jeong contributed to this report
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