Delhi: Migrant labourers in large numbers gather in Gazipur at Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. After the #Auraiya accident, UP Government has ordered its district magistrates to arrange buses for migrant workers who are found walking on foot. https://t.co/UAzqEgSiVn

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday said it will launch a massive evacuation drive to bring back migrant workers from Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in the next few days even as those from Madhya Pradesh have started to arrive. Students of UP, enrolled in educational institutions or coaching centres in Delhi, Noida and Aligarh, who wish to return home will be transported by Uttar Pradesh roadways buses to their respective home districts. Addressing a press conference, additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed senior officers to prepare a plan to evacuate migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan who have been stranded due to the lockdown. The state government has received guidelines from the Centre on the transportation of migrants, he said.  The arrival of migrants from Madhya Pradesh started on Thursday.  One hundred buses of Madhya Pradesh government are bringing 3,000 migrants to UP and in turn the UP government is sending migrants of MP in 40 UPSRTC buses. The UP government plans to bring back 10 lakh migrants from various states, Awasthi said. “The state government has already transported three lakh migrants from the Delhi border, over 12,000 migrants from Haryana and evacuated 10,500 students from Kota in Rajasthan and sent home 15,000 students from Prayagraj to various districts,” he said. “The Chief Minister has expressed concern over the migrants wayfaring or riding bicycles to reach home in UP.  He called upon the migrants to have patience and wait for a few days as the state government was committed to bring them back home.  Those walking home might face problems as the border is sealed and police personnel have been directed not to permit entry of people from other states,” Awasthi said. The migrants have to report to quarantine centres in the districts they are staying, get themselves registered and the officers managing the centres will prepare a list and conduct their medical tests. The chief secretary and home department is in regular touch with officers of other states to bring back the migrants.  Students of other states in UP will also be sent to their respective states, Awasthi said. All migrants will be brought to UP after screening and medical tests. The UP government has established quarantine centres across the state to house seven lakh migrants and the chief minister has directed officers to increase the centres’ capacity for 10 lakh. The UP government is also collecting details of migrant workers -- name, address, mobile numbers, Aadhaar number etc -- to prepare a database of such workers who migrate to other states in search of employment, he said. After completing 14 days in quarantine centres, the workers will be sent home and will have to undergo another 14-day home quarantine. The district magistrates of all districts have been directed to hand over a food-kit to the migrants when they leave the centre for home after completing 14 days quarantine.


2,406 new #COVID19 cases, 2,067 recoveries & 10 deaths reported in Kerala today. There are 22,673 active cases and 43,761 recovered cases so far in the state: Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala CM https://t.co/tUnJosxzmB

China on Thursday reported three new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 1, compared with three cases a day earlier, the health authority said. Two of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement, while the capital city of Beijing reported one new case.  There were no new deaths. China also reported two new asymptomatic patients, down from three a day earlier. As of July 1, mainland China had a total of 83,537 confirmed coronavirus cases, it said. China’s death toll from the coronavirus remained at 4,634.


States, UTs given over 9.8 million vials of Remdesivir so far: Union minister Sadananda Gowda

https://t.co/5pjmDqXjF6 https://t.co/oaGA0SeLr4

The government has allocated 98. 87 lakh vials of antiviral drug Remdesivir to states and union territories so far, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Sunday. He noted that 22. 17 lakh vials of the drug, which is being used in the treatment of Covid-19, have been allocated to states for the period May 23 to May 30. "Additional 22. 17 lac vials of #Remdesivir have been allocated to all states/UTs for the period 23rd to 30th May.  Earlier, 76. 70 lacs vials of the drug were made to all states till May 23, thus total 98. 87 lacs vials of #Remdesivir have been allocated across the country so far," Gowda tweeted. With a massive surge in coronavirus infections across the country, demand for Remdesivir has gone up manifold. The government has already waived customs duty on Remdesivir, its raw materials and other components used to make the antiviral drug in order to help augment domestic availability and reduce the cost of the injection. On April 11, the Centre banned the export of the injection and its APIs till the situation improves. Various drug companies have also cut the prices of Remdesivir injection following intervention of the government.


1347 new #COVID19 cases and 11 deaths reported in Rajasthan today; 1306 recovered and 1469 discharged. The total positive cases in the state rise to 63,977 including 898 deaths, 48,960 recovered patients and 48,518 discharged. Active cases stand at 14,119: State Health Department https://t.co/sYXvYyhwrZ

Sep 08, 2021-Wednesday

Metro cities -  Delhi, Mumbai,
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											, Chandigarh , Dehradun,
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Jharkhand's health minister tests positive for Covid-19. Bihar's Covid-19 tally past 1. 9 L with 3,257 new infectionsBJP wants village, local council polls in Mizoram deferred due to CovidDelhi's Covid-19 count past 1. 54 lakhPunjab sees highest single -day spike of 1,704 cases, tally past 34K-mark7,665 new Covid-19 cases in Karnataka, 139 deathsBengal reports highest single-day spike of 3,175 casesCovid-19 guidelines to be followed during Odisha Assembly monsoon sessionHarayana DGP office to remain closed for 2 days after 6 cops test positiveMaharashtra's Covid-19 tally past 6. 15 L, death toll rises to 20,687Ahmedabad's Covid-19 tally rises to 29,327Goa reports 339 new cases54 new cases in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar district push tally to 6,596Prohibitory order in Kathmandu Valley after rise in casesKerala's Covid-19 tally nears 48,000, death toll at 175Countries around the world raced to develop a vaccine for coronavirus (Covid-19) as the pandemic continues to rage.  Worldwide there are 22,040,412 million coronavirus cases and 777,129 confirmed deaths, according to worldometer.  India recorded 57,981 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 941 deaths yesterday, pushing its tally to over 2. 64 million, data from the Union health ministry showed.  The United States crossed 50,000 deaths in 23 days, Brazil in 95 days and Mexico in 141 days.  India took 156 days to reach the figure, according to the government. Meanwhile, hard-hit US states including Arizona, California and Florida showed signs that their coronavirus outbreaks are easing after a summer surge.  The challenges to bring college students back to campus were underscored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which switched to online learning after a rapid jump in cases. Click here for full Covid-19 coverageJharkhand's health minister tests positive for Covid-19. Jharkhand's Health Minister Banna Gupta has tested positive for Covid-19.  He announced it  on Twitter on Tuesday night. सभी राज्यवासियों को जोहार,मैंने आज अपना कोरोना जांच कराया, जिसकी रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई हैं।विगत कुछ दिनों में जो भी लोग मेरे संपर्क में आये हैं उनसे अनुरोध है कि अपनी जांच करा लें।आप सभी से अनुरोध हैं घर पर रहे सुरक्षित रहें।Bihar's Covid-19 tally past 1. 9 L with 3,257 new infectionsSixteen fatalities due to Covid-19  in last 24 hours take Bihar's death toll to 558.  The overall tally now is 1,09,875 with 3,257 fresh infections: Health departmentBJP wants village, local council polls in Mizoram deferred due to CovidBJP's Mizoram unit petitions state election commission to defer village and local council polls scheduled to be held simultaneously on August 27, following surge in Covid-19 casesDelhi's Covid-19 count past 1. 54 lakhDelhi reported 1,374 new Covid-19 cases, 1,146 discharged/recovered/migrated cases and 12 deaths on Tuesday.  Total number of cases are now at 1,54,741 including 1,39,447 dischraged/recovered/migrated cases, 11,068 active cases and 4,226 deaths: Delhi GovernmentPunjab sees highest single -day spike of 1,704 cases, tally past 34K-markSteepest single-day spike of 1,704 Covid-19 cases pushes Punjab's tally to 34,400, death toll reaches 898 with 35 more people succumbing to infection; number of active cases 11,740: Medical bulletin7,665 new Covid-19 cases in Karnataka, 139 deathsKarnataka on Tuesday reported 7,665 new cases of Covid-19 and 139 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 2,40,948 and death toll to 4,201, the health department said, reports PTI. Bengal reports highest single-day spike of 3,175 casesWest Bengal reported highest single-day spike of 3,175 new Covid-19 cases, pushing tally to 1,22,753; toll rises to 2,528 with 55 more deaths: Health DepartmentCovid-19 guidelines to be followed during Odisha Assembly monsoon sessionThe monsoon session of Odisha Assembly will be held before September 30 and all Covid-19 guidelines including maintaining social distancing will be followed during the session, SN Patro, Assembly Speaker said on Tuesday, reports ANI. The venue for the session has not yet been finalised and the date will be fixed after consulting with CM and the Governor, he said. Harayana DGP office to remain closed for 2 days after 6 cops test positiveHaryana DGP office in Police HQs in Panchkula will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday following six police personnel having tested positive for Covid-19 there, according to Haryana Police: ANIMaharashtra's Covid-19 tally past 6. 15 L, death toll rises to 20,687Mahashtra recorded 11,119 new Covid-19 cases and 422 deaths on Tuesday while 9,356 patients discharged during the day.  The total cases in the state rise to 6,15,477 including 20,687 deaths and 4,37,870 recovered patients.  Active cases stand at 1,56,608: Public Health Department, MaharashtraAhmedabad's Covid-19 tally rises to 29,327Ahmedabad's Covid-19 tally rises to 29,327 with addition of 165 cases; fatalities up by four to 1,666: Gujarat health department.  Goa reports 339 new casesGoa reported 339 new Covid-19 cases, 298 cured cases on Tuesday.  The total number of cases stands at 12,333, including 3,861 active cases, 8,356 recovered cases and 116 deaths: State Health Department, Goa54 new cases in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar district push tally to 6,596UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar records 54 fresh Covid-19 cases, pushing district's infection tally to 6,596; active case count 774: Official dataProhibitory order in Kathmandu Valley after rise in casesIn Nepal, local administration imposes prohibitory order in Kathmandu valley till 26th August in the wake of the rise in Covid-19 cases there.  The order comes into effect from midnight today: ANIKerala's Covid-19 tally nears 48,000, death toll at 175Kerala reports 1,758 new cases, taking infection tally to 47,898; six more deaths raise toll to 175: Health Minister K K ShailajaFirst published: Aug 18, 2020 06:51 IST


Fire breaks out in The Park hotel in Delhi, 14 injured

https://t.co/PXh1k7JiDs https://t.co/sgJmhd3Z8L

A minor fire broke out in the basement of ‘The Park’ hotel in Delhi on Saturday, but the surprising thing is that the hotel management kept this news away from the police and the fire department.  The fire was reported only after three foreigners complained of breathlessness due to smoke.  They have been admitted to a hospital.  Overall 14 people were admitted to the Ganga Ram hospital after complaining of breathlessness.  Except three, most of them have been discharged now.  The incident happened on Saturday morning around 9 a. m.  but the fire department received a call at 12. 25 p. m. , following which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Delhi fire service chief Atul Garg told IANS, adding that by the time the fire tenders reached there blaze had been brought under control.  He said why the fire department or the police were not informed will be part of an investigation.  According to Delhi Police, “The smoke which emanated from the basement of the hotel engulfed the entire building which left the people gasping for breath.  The hotel management without informing the police took the affected people to Ganga Ram hospital.  After that someone called the police about the incident. ” Deepak Yadav, additional DCP, New Delhi, said, “SHO Connaught Place has been asked to investigate the matter as to why police was not informed about the fire incident, though it was minor. ” According to the Police and Delhi Fire Service, 14 people were affected due to the smoke.  Out of them only three are still in Ganga Ram hospital.  They are from Norway. The hotel management told IANS, “This was a minor fire due to a short circuit.  Some people complained of breathlessness due to smoke and were taken to the hospital.  We are trying to fix the problem so that the incident is not repeated. ”


Rana Ayyub in an interview with CNN said, “You cannot hate all Muslims for just two beheadings.”The statement was made in relation to the recent beheadings in France.

Following the recent beheadings of a teacher in Paris and a woman in Nice, France has been in a state of unrest.  The country has raised its national security alert to its highest level in the likely event of more militant attacks. Amid various reports of turmoil in France, a screengrab of Indian journalist Rana Ayyub’s interview with CNN is viral on social media.  According to one claim which shared the screengrab, Ayyub purportedly said that people cannot hate all Muslims just because of two beheadings that took place in France. The caption to one such post in Hindi translates as “Rana Ayyub says you cannot hate all Muslims owing to "only" two beheadings.  These are the people who find the country unsafe if someone puts a tilak or sticks Lord Hanuman's poster on the car. . . ”Similar claims are also shared on Facebook. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the claim is false.  The viral image is morphed and is from an interview Ayyub gave on March 1, 2020, in connection with the Delhi riots that took place in February.  She has not made any claim - like the viral post suggests - on the beheading. The archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here and here. When we searched for interviews of Ayyub with CNN, we found a Fareed Zakaria show uploaded on the official website on CNN in March this year.  The title of the video reads, “On GPS: Delhi's worst sectarian violence in decades”.  The description of the video reads, “Rana Ayyub tells Fareed about what's spurring the latest violent riots in New Delhi. ”In the video, Ayyub can be heard talking about the Delhi riots that happened in February 2020. On comparing the video with the viral image, it became clear that the image is a morphed screengrab from the interview Ayyub gave to CNN in March. Throughout the interview, we could not find any statement by Ayyub that matches the viral claim.  Also, no ticker appeared in the video that reads, “You can not hate all the Muslims for just two beheadings”. The ticker in the viral image has misspelt "Ayyub" as "Ayub".  It also has other evident grammar and spelling mistakes such as “cannot” written as “can not” and “beheading” instead of “beheadings”. The interview was shared by CNN on its official Twitter handle on March 1, 2020.  The description of the video reads, “Violent communal clashes killed dozens in New Delhi during President Trump’s visit to India. ”Violent communal clashes killed dozens in New Delhi during President Trump’s visit to India. “All this was happening at the same time as Trump was. . .  telling the world that Modi has got everything in control,” Indian journalist @RanaAyyub says. https://t. co/Le24mtzW8d pic. twitter. com/WQQXSHoecwThe same interview was also shared by Ayyub on her Facebook page on March 2, 2020. On October 31, Ayyub too shared one of the viral posts on her verified Twitter handle and clarified that the claim is false and she has not made any such statement on the beheading in France. “The Indian right wing at it again.  Morphed a fake statement on an old image stating that "you cannot hate all muslims for just two beheadings".  This image has been shared a thousand times all over social media and i am sick of battling this disinformation,” Ayyub tweeted. The Indian right wing at it again.  Morphed a fake statement on an old image stating that "you cannot hate all muslims for just two beheadings".  This image has been shared a thousand times all over social media and i am sick of battling this disinformation.  pic. twitter. com/UbpQZG83bMWe also checked comments made by Ayyub on the recent attacks in France.  However, we couldn’t find any similar claims. Hence, it becomes clear that the viral screengrab is morphed and Ayyub has not made any such statement condoning the beheadings in France. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Hyderabad: Congress leaders including the party's state chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy who were protesting outside assembly have been taken in preventive custody.12 Congress MLAs had earlier met Telangana Assembly Speaker,and gave him a representation to merge with TRS https://t.co/N1kNPWmLWz

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday blamed the Congress for the trouble in Kashmir and alleged that the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru committed a mistake by introducing Article 370 and was responsible for Pakistan continuing to occupy a part of Kashmir because he declared cease fire.  Chouhan, who is the in-charge of BJP’s membership drive, said when Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession there was no condition of Article 370.  “Congress should tell why the Article 370 was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, which is to be blamed for terrorism and bloodshed in Kashmir,” Chouhan said at a press conference.  “Nehru committed another blunder by declaring cease fire even as our Army was bravely repulsing the Pakistani invaders.  Had the war continued for few more days, whole of Kashmir would have been ours,” he said and blamed Nehru for internationalising the issue by taking it to the UN.  The 60-year-old leader said that RSS and BJP fought for 70 years to abrogate Article 370 which Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in 48 hours.  “After Article 370 was repealed, Jammu and Kashmir became integral part of India.  The only issue that now remains is that of PoK,” said Chouhan adding that development will also gather pace in the northern state.  The BJP national vice-president said that Congress had no clear stand on Article 370 as a section of leaders was opposing the move to repeal it while others are supporting.  He also slammed Congress for opposing law on triple talaq.  “Congress today is heading toward self-destruction.  It’s a sinking ship whose captain (Rahul Gandhi) has fled,” he said.  The BJP leader, however, ducked queries on arrest of his successor Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri by Enforcement Directorate and defense minister Rajanth Singh’s statement on likely shift in India’s No First Use nuclear policy.  Speaking about the party’s membership drive, Chouhan said it was a step towards building a strong nation by reaching out to all the sections of the society.  In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP has added more than 9. 5 lakh new members during the membership drive, Chouhan said.  Half a dozen retired Army, Navy and Air Force officers from Dharamshal town joined BJP in his presence on Tuesday.


An image of dogs garlanded is doing the rounds on social media with the claim that 13 sniffer dogs were also killed in the Pulwama attack along with the soldiers.  Let’s check the authenticity of the claim. Claim: 13 sniffer dogs were killed in the Pulwama attack. Fact: Sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the Pulwama attack.  The news is fake.  So, the claim is FALSE. When searched with the text ‘Sniffer dogs killed in Pulwama attack’, no corroborating information was found in the results.  The media, in their news reports about Pulwama attack, have reported only about the death of 40 CRPF jawans; they did not mention about the death of sniffer dogs.  Those reports can be seen here, here and here.  When the image is cropped to the extent of dogs and subjected to reverse image search technique, it was found in a Facebook post from 2016.  So, it has nothing to do with the Pulwama attack that occurred in ‘February 2019’. Also, earlier, when ‘The Quint’ had contacted ‘CRPF’ about information regarding the death of sniffer dogs in the Pulwama attack, they were told that sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the attack as the convoy was transporting only jawans. To summarize, sniffer dogs weren’t killed in the Pulwama blasts.  Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?


A post with a video in which few men can be heard complaining that AAP leaders failed to pay them the pre-agreed amount for attending the meeting is being widely shared on social media with a claim linking it to ongoing farmers’ protest.  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: AAP is outsourcing paid volunteers to farmers’ protest. Fact: This is an old video, it went viral back in 2018 after AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s meeting in Hisar, Haryana.  This video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post led us to a 2018 YouTube video which carried visuals similar to the video in the post. Further YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to a 2018 news video which carried visuals of one of the men who can be seen in the viral video.  According to this news video, after Arvind Kejriwal’s meeting in Hisar, a video went viral in which volunteers who attended the meeting can be seen complaining that AAP leaders failed to pay the pre-agreed amount. A member of AAP’s social media team shared a video in which the viral video was juxtaposed with another video of the man seen in the viral video stating that the man was made to lie in the viral video.  Though we were not able to confirm the allegations made against AAP in the video, all these prove that the video has nothing to do with the ongoing farmers’ protest. AAP paid ₹ 350 to get Crowd for @ArvindKejriwal 's Haryana Bachao Rally झूठ झूठ झूठ Another Fake Propaganda Bursted by the Same Man 👉🏼 They made him lie for the sake of their jobs.  pic. twitter. com/c0fIQ9GT9iTo sum it up, old video alleging AAP paid workers were part of a rally is falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest.


A video accompanying a post is being widely shared on social media claiming that lightning strikes a river.  Let us fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: Video of lightning striking a river. Fact: The video does not show lightning striking a river.  It was taken by a Finnish Water Engineering Company named ‘Rannikon Merityö’ which handles dredging, excavation, and beach construction; and according to company’s webpage, the excavation is carried out by placing an underwater special explosive.  When the video is slowed down it is clear that the lightning doesn’t come from the sky, but from up the hill.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. When reverse image search of the screenshots of the video is done, the same video was published on YouTube by the channel named ‘Rannikon Merityö’ on 21 December 2012.  The title of the video in English translates to ‘Drilling rig, part 3: Blasting’, and the description in the video says that ‘In this video, we deepen the waterway’.  According to the Rannikon Merityö website, it is a Finnish water engineering company.  Also on the website, the same video was included on a page about underwater mining and blasting.  According to the explanation on the page, excavation is carried out by placing an underwater special explosive in the boreholes, which is immersed in the holes drilled in the rock. When the video is slowed down it is clear that the lightning doesn’t come from the sky, but from up the hill.  At the 7-second mark in the video, moments before the impact, a bright coloured line can be seen up from the hill. A similar explosion can be seen in a YouTube video showing the removal of the City Mill Dam in the U. S.  State of Georgia’s Chattahoochee River. To sum it up, video showing a controlled explosion by an Engineering company is passed off as lightning strike on a river.


Bengaluru: Candlelight protest being held at Bilal Bagh against Citizenship Amendment Bill. https://t.co/beWnnl8gXI

The local police have detained a woman for raising “Pakistan Zindabad” slogan during a rally to protest the amended citizenship act, the proposed National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register, in Bengaluru on Thursday . The woman, identified as Amulya, asked people to shout with her “Pakistan Zindabad” after the organisers of the event under the banner of “Save Constitution” invited her to address the gathering.  AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who was one of the speakers at the event, snatched the mike from her and denounced her action.  “Neither me nor my party has any link with her.  We denounce her.  The organisers should not have invited her here.  If I knew this, I would not have come here.  We are for India and we no way support our enemy nation Pakistan.  Our entire drive is to save India,” he said. As per news agency ANI, the woman was handed over the police and will be produced before a court after questioning.


Research has shown that a lot of the spreading is caused by #COVID19 super spreaders, perhaps explaining the clusters of infection that emerge

Here's what you need to know today

(by @HT_Ed)

https://t.co/KWCiowhdZ6

I have questions. It is clear, from the trajectory of infections in countries around the world, that the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) starts slow, builds up momentum, rises to a peak, then starts plateauing, and finally falls. This is more or less true for every country in Europe.  It is true for Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. And, within every country, it is true for every region. In large countries, it is also true of states that were early hunting grounds for the virus — New York in the US; Delhi, perhaps, in India. So, the first question is simply this: Is there a pattern? Does the trajectory of infections across countries follow a certain timeline?  If so, what is this timeline?  45 days?  Two months? Click here for complete coronavirus coverage Or, does it dance to a different metric — say, the population infection rate, rising till a certain proportion of the population is infected, and then falling?  If so, what is this proportion?  15%?  20%?  25%? And if this is indeed the case, what does it mean for the herd immunity level?  60% or 43%?  Or could it be some other value? I ask these questions because I haven’t come across any answers on why the infection followed the pattern it did in continental Europe, and New York City.  Countries on the continent may see a flare-up, but, on current evidence and case statistics, the worst is definitely behind them.  That can be said of New York State and New York City too.  And closer home, the same can be said, albeit tentatively, of Delhi. Why did the infections start falling in Europe?  Why did they start falling in New York?  And why in Delhi? Also read: Regulate Covid treatment costs at private hospitals, orders Supreme CourtSure, masks, lockdowns, social distancing, better hygiene, and extensive testing and tracing helped, but the infection still traversed a similar trajectory in most countries (and states within countries) that have seen off the worst of it. Does it indicate an overall population infection rate that is rarely crossed?  And because this can’t be herd immunity (not at the levels we are talking of), does this mean only 15%, 20%, 25% of a population is vulnerable to the infection itself under certain conditions (which would include our current response to the disease)? Like I said at the beginning of this column, I have questions.  Scientists who believe they are good enough to be hypotheses that merit research are welcome to use them.  I’m not particular about credit — I just want the answers. We know that the Sars-CoV2 virus which causes Covid-19 does not infect everybody.  In fact, why it infects who it does is one of the questions researchers are scrambling to answer (they have a reasonably good explanation on how it infects, though, and also how it kills).  It might be even better to flip the question around – why does the virus not infect those it doesn’t? We also know that not everyone who is infected spreads the disease — research has shown that a lot of the spreading is caused by super spreaders, perhaps explaining the clusters of infection that emerge. And finally, we know that the infection rate on the Diamond Princess (the yacht, which for some time had more cases than most countries) was 20%, and that on the US Navy’s Theodore Roosevelt 25%.  Both were contained spaces and, at least in theory, the virus should have infected more people, perhaps everyone on board. Why did it not? Still, the preceding three statements are internally consistent – not everyone exposed to the virus gets infected; and not everyone infected by the virus passes it on. It would help to know the prevalence of the infection in, say, Italy, New York City, and Delhi, because that could be a starting point for some of the answers. That’s what makes serological surveys (blood tests) of the population, to find out who has antibodies to the virus and who doesn’t, important.


CNN PROJECTION: Joe Biden wins New Mexico https://t.co/B8vCtlqb5e #CNNElection https://t.co/bzgBXbNVwN

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


Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addresses the nation: "When our very democracy was on the ballot in this election, with the very soul of America at stake and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America" https://t.co/lhUqwcWuBD https://t.co/ksRTsHFpjz

Harris is set to make history after being elected vice president.  Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivers speech ahead of Joe BidenKamala Harris addressed the nation Saturday night after her historic election as vice president of the United States. Harris, the California senator and daughter of immigrants who broke many barriers in her political career, is set to become the first female vice president in the nation's history after her apparent win with former Vice President Joe Biden in the state of Pennsylvania. That victory put the Biden/Harris ticket over the threshold of 270 electoral votes needed to defeat Donald Trump and Mike Pence and head to the White House, according to ABC News analysis. "You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth! " Harris told the ecstatic crowd in Wilmington, Delaware. During the speech, Harris paid tribute to her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, Biden's late son and her good friend, Beau, the women who struggled for the right to vote and "the Black women who are often, too often overlooked but so often proved they are the backbone of our democracy. ""This is a country of possibilities," she said. Here is her full speech:Good evening!  Good evening.  Good evening.  Good evening.  Thank you, thank you.  Good evening.  So, thank you, good evening.  So, Congressman John Lewis -- Congressman John Lewis before his passing wrote "Democracy is not a state, it is an act. " And what he meant was that America's democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.  To guard it and never take it for granted.  And protecting our democracy takes struggle.  It takes sacrifice.  But there is joy in it. And there is progress.  Because we, the people, have the power to build a better future. And when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election with the very soul of America at stake and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America.  To our campaign staff and volunteers, this extraordinary team, thank you for bringing more people than ever before into the democratic process. And so making this victory possible.  To the poll workers and election officials across our country who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted, our nation owes you a debt of gratitude. You have protected the integrity of our democracy.  And to the American people who make up our beautiful country, thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard.  And I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months. The grief, sorrow, and pain, the worries and the struggles, but we have also witnessed your courage, your resilience and the generosity of your spirit.  For four years, you marched and organized for equality and justice, for our lives and for our planet and then you voted! And you delivered a clear message.  You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth!  You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States of America! And Joe is a healer, a uniter, a tested and steady hand.  A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose.  And a man with a big heart who loves with abandon.  It's his love for Jill, who will be an incredible first lady. It's his love for Hunter and Ashley and his grandchildren and the entire Biden family.  And while I first knew Joe as vice president, I really got to know him as the father who loved Beau, my dear friend who we remember here today. And to my husband Doug and our children Cole and Ella and my sister Maya and our whole family. I love y'all more than I can ever express.  We are so grateful to Joe and Jill for welcoming our family into theirs on this incredible journey.  And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today, my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is always in our hearts.  When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn't quite imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this  is possible, and so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women, Black women, Asian, white, Latina, native American women, who throughout our nation’s history, have paved the way for this moment tonight. Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all.  Including the Black women who are often, too often overlooked but so often proved they are the backbone of our democracy. All the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century.  One hundred years ago with the 19th Amendment.  Fifty-five years ago with the Voting Rights Act and now in 2020 with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. Tonight I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been.  And I stand on their shoulders.  And what a testament it is to Joe's character that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country and select a woman as his vice president. But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.  Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and to the children of our country regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they've never seen it before. But know that we will applaud you every step of the way.  And to the American people, no matter who you voted for, I will strive to be a vice president like Joe was to President Obama, loyal, honest, and prepared, waking up every day thinking of you and your family, because now is when the real work begins, the hard work, the necessary work, the good work, the essential work to save lives and beat this epidemic. To rebuild our economy so it works for working people, to root out systemic racism in our justice system and society.  To combat the climate crisis, to unite our country and heal the soul of our nation.  And the road ahead will not be easy.  But America is ready.  And so are Joe and I. We have elected a president who represents the best in us, a leader the world will respect and our children will look up to.  A commander in chief who will respect our troops and keep our country safe and a president for all Americans. And it is now my great honor to introduce the president-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden! 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


What A Great Welcome To The BJP MLA By This Woman

A 2018 incident of two female bus conductors of Himachal Road Transport Corporation beating a union leader with slippers is being shared with a false claim that the man being assaulted a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in the state.     The video shows two women trying to step closer to a man under the pretext of garlanding him and then one removes her slipper and beats him with it.     BJP विधायक का क्या लाजवाब स्वागत कि है इस महिला ने , ऐसी महिलाओं के लिए 👏👏👏 pic. twitter. com/ysXEGiLelF    Click here to view, and here for an archive.     The caption when translated reads, "What a great welcome to the BJP MLA by this woman, for such women (clapping emoji)"    (In Hindi - BJP विधायक का क्या लाजवाब स्वागत कि है इस महिला ने , ऐसी महिलाओं के लिए)    The text on the video reads, "बीपी विधायक का स्वागत जूतो से किया गया हमीरपुर मैं और करो जुमलेबाजी", which translates to " BJP MLA was welcomed with shoes in Hamirpur"    Viral on Twitter    ये हिमांचल प्रदेश में भाजपा के विधायक जी का कोई स्वागत कार्यक्रम बताया जा रहा हैं!  हम इस विडीओ की सत्यता की पुष्टि करने के लिये इसे डाल रहे हैं.  क्या ये सत्य घटना हैं?  pic. twitter. com/UMTj1zCIXQ     Click here to view, and here for an archive.        Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Union President not BJP MLA     While viewing the video one can spot a banner which reads, 'Himachal Parivahan Mazdoor Sangh', and a date, 'June 22 , 2018'.         We then searched online with the keywords, "Himachal Parivahan Mazdoor Sangh" and found media reports from June 2018.        In an article published by Amar Ujala, the photo used matches a still from the viral video.     Amar Ujala identified the man as Shankar Singh Thakur, state president of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) union who was attacked by two female trainee conductors while attending a union meeting in Hamirpur on June 23, 2018.     The two women had accused Thakur of leaking an audio clip about them and beat him up for the same reason.          The two trainee women conductors were later discharged from their jobs reported Jagran on June 28, 2018.      Viral since July 2018    The video has been viral on Facebook with the misleading caption since August 2018.        This was earlier fact-checked by India Today who spoke to Thakur, who had said that he had no links with the BJP, but was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.


Randeep Singh Surjewala on Leader of Opposition: We will not stake a claim to the Leader of Opposition till we have the strength of 54 & since we don't have we're not going to stake a claim. https://t.co/Yjthql3coc

The Congress on Saturday said that it will not formally stake claim for the post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha as it is two seats short of the required number of 54. The party also said that Rahul Gandhi will continue to be the Congress President. According to the rules, a party needs to have 10 per cent of 545 members, the total strength of the Lok Sabha, to qualify for the post of Leader of Opposition, which is a Cabinet-rank position.  But the Congress has got only 52 members in the Lower House, two short of the required numbers. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “We will not stake claim for the post of LoP in the Lok Sabha as we are two short of the 54 members required for the status.  However, the onus also lies with the government. . .  whether it wants to designate a party formally as the principal opposition. ”Even in the previous Lok Sabha, the leader of Congress in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge, was not granted the status of Leader of Opposition as the party had won only 44 seats in the 2014 general elections. When asked if the party was looking at a merger with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Surjewala said that he had no information about any such merger between the two parties. When asked if the Congress could stake claim for the LoP status as an Opposition block along with other opposition parties, he said, “The newly-elected Parliamentary party will decide the party’s strategy. ”The Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) met earlier in the day for the first time after the Lok Sabha elections where UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was elected the leader of the Congress parliamentarians. However, the suspense over the post of leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha continues.  The party has authorised Sonia Gandhi to take a decision on this matter. When asked if Rahul Gandhi was still insisting to step down from the post of Congress President, Surjewala said: “Rahul Gandhi continues to be the Congress President.  The naysayers will say what they have to.  The media has to wait rather than trying to jump to any conclusion.  The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has urged him (Rahul Gandhi) to continue as the party President. ”When asked about nationalism and other important issues which were used by the BJP to consolidate support ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Surjewala pointed fingers at Doklam, where Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a two-month standoff in 2017. “Even today Chinese army is deployed in Doklam just 10 metres from the Indian post where a road has been constructed.  It is a diplomatic failure on the part of the Indian government,” he said.


We are prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency use authorisation approvals. The final call will be taken by the government: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan

DGCI gave approval to two vaccines on January 3 https://t.co/g6sWMsX4cG

With the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approving the restricted emergency use of two coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines on Sunday (January 3) and state governments preparing to inoculate their residents, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday that it was prepared to roll out a vaccine within 10 days of emergency-use authorisation approvals.  Addressing a news briefing on Tuesday evening, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “We are prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency use authorisation approvals.  The final call will be taken by the government. ”Also Watch | Covid-19: Health Secretary explains how vaccination process in India works Bhushan pointed out that there were four primary vaccine stores called GMSD (Medical Stores Organisation) situated in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and 37 vaccine stores across India adding that they store vaccines in bulk and further distribute them. Also Read| ‘Misinformation’: Health ministry says no ban on export of Covid-19 vaccine“The facility including the number of vaccines stored and temperature trackers is monitored digitally.  We have this facility for over a decade in the country,” he added.  We are prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency use authorisation approvals.  The final call will be taken by the government: Union Health Secretary Rajesh BhushanDGCI gave approval to two vaccines on January 3 pic. twitter. com/g6sWMsX4cGAs healthcare, frontline workers have been identified as priority groups for inoculation, according to government guidelines, the health secretary said that these people would not be required to register themselves as beneficiaries as their data has been populated on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner. The Co-WIN app, which was introduced by the Centre, allows people to self-register themselves for getting a vaccine shot.  The app is in the pre-product stage and data of healthcare workers is being uploaded as of now.  Over 7. 5 million beneficiaries were registered during the nationwide dry run on January 2.  Also Read| Covid-19 worries force UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call off India visitBhushan at the beginning of the briefing had said that the total active coronavirus cases in India were less than 250,000 and were continuing to decline adding that the positivity stood at 1. 97 per cent.  On Tuesday, the country added 16,375 fresh cases- which have been the lowest in more than six months- and 201 related deaths in the last 24 hours which pushed the overall tally to over 10. 3 million, according to the health ministry’s update at 8am.  Nearly 9. 98 million people have recovered from the disease so far and the national recovery rate is 96. 32 per cent of the total caseload.


In describing his efforts to “break the logjam” of withholding aid to Ukraine, Amb. Gordon Sondland says he tried on multiple occasions to persuade the Ukrainians to publicly announce support for the investigations Trump sought.

LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/RwNT1cX24R

US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, in his opening statement, made clear that some of President Donald Trump’s senior-most aides were aware of a link between US aid to Ukraine and the country opening investigations that would benefit Trump politically.

  “Everyone was in the loop,” he said.  “It was no secret. ”

  Here is what he says these officials knew, and what they’ve said before Wednesday’s testimony about their involvement:

What Sondland says: The ambassador’s own efforts to pressure Ukraine into opening the investigations came at the “express direction of the President of the United States. ”

  “We followed the President’s orders,” Sondland said.

What Trump has said: Trump has been adamant in his self-defense, insisting over and over there was “no quid pro quo” in Ukraine.

What Trump says now: Departing the White House on Wednesday, Trump continued to insist he’d told Sondland there was no “quid pro quo” with Ukraine.

  Quoting Sondland in his testimony, Trump said he told Sondland, “I want nothing.  That’s what I want from Ukraine.  That’s what I said.  I want nothing.  I said it twice. ”

What Sondland says: He told Pence in early September that he was concerned US aid to Ukraine was being tied to investigations into Trump’s political rivals.

What Pence has said: Under repeated questioning, Pence has refused to say whether he knew there was a link between US aid and investigations.  He’s denied ever linking the issues in his own conversations with Zelensky, and told CBS last month: “I can only tell you what I know, and what I know is that the transcript of the President’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows that there was no quid pro quo. ”

What Pence’s office says now: In a statement released as Sondland was testifying, Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short said the vice president “never had a conversation with Gordon Sondland about investigating the Bidens, Burisma, or the conditional release of financial aid to Ukraine based upon potential investigations. ”

  “This alleged discussion recalled by Ambassador Sondland never happened,” Short said.

What Sondland says: Pompeo was kept apprised on his efforts in Ukraine, and cites emails to the top diplomat showing he raised the issue of linking aid to Ukraine with investigations.  Sondland also says “based on my communications with Secretary Pompeo,” he felt comfortable raising concerns about the linkage to a top aide to Zelensky.

What Pompeo has said: Asked on ABC in October about claims the White House conditioned US aid on investigations, Pompeo said: “I never saw that in the decision-making process that I was a part of. ”

  “The conversation was always around, what were the strategic implications?  Would that money get to the right place? ” he said.

What Pompeo’s office says now: On Wednesday, the State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus released a statement denying some of Sondland’s claims.

  “Gordon Sondland never told Secretary Pompeo that he believed the President was linking aid to investigations of political opponents,” she said as Pompeo was traveling in Brussels.  “Any suggestions to the contrary is flat out false. ”

What Sondland says: An email to Mulvaney on July 19 to set up a phone call between Trump and Zelensky made the alleged exchange clear.  Mulvaney responded that he was asking the National Security Council to arrange the call for the next day.

What Mulvaney has said: In a now-infamous news conference, Mulvaney confirmed there was a quid pro quo but downplayed its significance.  He later denied he said that.  He’s refused to be interviewed by congressional investigators.

What Sondland says: Perry was directly involved in carrying out the wishes of the President by working with Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani secure the investigations.

What Perry has said: Perry has denied any quid pro quo, including in an October 18 interview with Fox: “There was no quid pro quo in the sense of what those folks out there would like for it to be … I never heard that said anywhere, anytime in any conversation. ”

  He’s also refused to cooperate with the investigation.

What Perry’s office says now: Energy Department press secretary Shaylyn Hynes issued a statement Wednesday in response to Sondland’s testimony, saying the ambassador “misrepresented both Secretary Perry’s interaction with Rudy Giuliani and direction the Secretary received from President Trump. ”

What Sondland says: Like other witnesses, Sondland recalls a meeting in Bolton’s office on July 10 where he linked the investigations and a White House meeting for Ukraine’s Zelensky.  Sondland also says Bolton’s office requested Giuliani’s contact info before a visit to Kiev.

What Bolton has said: Bolton has remained silent as the impeachment proceeding advances.  He has refused congressional requests for an interview, and wants a judge to decide whether he should cooperate with investigators or follow the White House guidance not to comply.

  CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect Bolton has denied congressional interview requests but has not yet been subpoenaed for testimony.
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


The red carpet usually sees a flood of big ball gowns and vibrant dresses. But for the 2019 #Oscars, women showed up in some incredible pantsuits. https://t.co/PVhQjSjcjm https://t.co/TdFkTlN1xL

Hollywoodâs awards season wrapped up Sunday night with the Oscars. Check out the best photos from the red carpet before the show:Lady Gaga (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Mahershala Ali and his wife, Amatus Sami-Karim (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Yalitza Aparicio, left, and Marina de Tavira (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Regina King (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee.  Spike Lee is wearing rings that say âloveâ and âhate. â The jewelry paid homage to Radio Raheem,Â a beloved character in the directorâs film âDo the Right Thing. â Lee also wore purple in honor of the late musician Prince.  (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Olivia Colman (Rick Rowell/ABC/Getty Images)Gemma Chan (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Billy Porter, left, and Adam Smith (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Charlize Theron (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images)Ruth E.  Carter (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Paul Rudd and Queen Latifah (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Rachel Weisz (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Kiki Layne (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Danai Gurira (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Lucy Boynton and Rami Malek (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Krysten Ritter (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Octavia Spencer (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Bradley Cooper with his mom, Gloria Campano, and his girlfriend, Irina Shayk (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Michelle Yeoh (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Michael B.  Jordan and his mother, Donna (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Serena Williams (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Emma Stone (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Pharrell Williams and his wife, Helen Lasichanh (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Brie Larson (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Chadwick Boseman (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Helen Mirren (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Amy Adams (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)David Oyelowo (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Kacey Musgraves (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Jennifer Hudson (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Tina Fey (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)SZA (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Glenn Close (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images)Linda Cardellini (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Melissa McCarthy (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)US Rep.  John Lewis (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Awkwafina (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)Constance Wu (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Amandla Stenberg (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)Marie Kondo (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Shangela, left (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Produced by Brett Roegiers and Kyle Almond


Clip shows a soldier saying goodbye to his family during intense gunfire during a war

A dramatic clip from an Iraqi short film where a soldier is seen recording himself bidding farewell to mother and family as gunfire rages on in the background is being shared with the false claim that it is from a real incident.  In the viral clip, the man in army uniform can be seen recording a video of himself speaking in Arabic, asking his brother to take care of his mother as he feels he might not be able to make it back home alive.  The clip is being shared with the caption, "soldier says goodbye to family during war" Click here to view, and here for an archive.  Viral on Facebook On searching with the same caption on Facebook, we found that the clip was being shared with the misleading caption.  Also Read: Makers Of 'Sita:The Incarnation' Deny Kareena Kapoor Khan Was Approached BOOM found that the viral clip is from an Iraqi short film Dialing and is not from a real incident as being falsely claimed.  Taking a cue from users in the comments to the viral video pointing that it is from a movie, we found the short film uploaded by a YouTube user in 2017.  In the 17 minutes clip at the beginning, we can spot the same part as in the viral clip where the soldier can be seen recording himself bidding farewell to his family.  The YouTube user states that the film name is Dialing and was directed by Bahaa Al-Kazemi and the plot of the movie revolves around an Iraqi woman who is traumatised by the loss of her son who dies while fighting against ISIS for the Iraqi army.   The description of the video when translated from Arabic reads, "The movie "Dialing" tells the story of an Iraqi woman who is traumatized by the loss of her son who is fighting with the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces against the terrorist organization ISIS.  She refuses to accept the idea of her son's martyrdom despite the factual and material evidence that proves it! !  You try in various ways to contact him via a mobile phone that you do not know how to use! ?  The film is produced by: Imam Al-Kadhim Center for Culture and Arts, Executive Producer: Ain Al-Basra Center for Cinema & Basra University. . . . " We also found that the film had premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2015, and the trailer was uploaded on its official YouTube channel.  We also found that the lead actor - Menhel Abbas who plays the solider in the movie had uploaded a collage of shots from the movie while shooting in March 2016 on Instagram and had also uploaded the viral shot from the movie asking people to watch his film in June 2019.  Click here to view A post shared by MENHEL ABBAS - منهل عباس (@menhelabbas)


The Senate will vote today on competing GOP and Democratic bills to end the shutdown. https://t.co/JgySDCl7LA https://t.co/MA8ATFVVlz

  Former White House chief of staff John Kelly and the other four former secretaries of homeland security sent President Donald Trump and Congress a letter Wednesday calling for full department funding and an end to the month-long partial government shutdown.

  “As former secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we write to you today with a simple message – fund the critical mission of DHS,” wrote the bipartisan group of Kelly, President George W.  Bush alums Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, and President Barack Obama alums Janet Napolitano and Jeh Johnson.

  Kelly, who left his White House role just as the shutdown began, derided the border wall at the center of the funding battle during an exit interview last month, telling the Los Angeles Times, “to be honest, it’s not a wall. ”

  Kelly continued at the time, “The president still says ‘wall’ — oftentimes frankly he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended toward steel slats.  But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it. ”

  In their letter Wednesday, the former secretaries cited the historical precedent of Congress prioritizing funding agencies such as the Department of Defense as a matter of national security.

  “Congress does so because putting national security at risk is an option we simply can’t afford,” the group wrote.  “DHS should be no different. ”

  As federal employees face their second missed paychecks Friday, some have turned to food pantries to make ends meet.  While they were “heartened” at the community support for both furloughed and essential employees – those required to work during the shutdown – “this cannot and should not be the answer,” the group argued, citing how members of the Coast Guard are legally barred from quitting or pursuing other full-time employment.

  “DHS employees who protect the traveling public, investigate and counter terrorism, and protect critical infrastructure should not have to rely on the charitable generosity of others for assistance in feeding their families and paying their bills while they steadfastly focus on the mission at hand,” they added.  “This is unconscionable. ”

  The group also warned of a large scale brain drain from government employees leaving for the private sector, as “the Department is facing a real crisis in retaining this workforce week after week. ”

  “We call on our elected leaders to restore the funding necessary to ensure our homeland remains safe and that the Department’s critical national security functions continue without compromise,” the letter concludes.

  On Thursday, Johnson said “from a security standpoint we are letting our guard down,” and warned a breaking point for federal workers may come on Friday when they miss a second paycheck.

  Johnson said the “very people we depend on for security are made to suffer,” and noted that for years the US fought high attrition in the Secret Service and said he fears “this shutdown and missing paychecks are a huge setback. ” Johnson was speaking at an event with former senior DHS officials hosted by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat.

  CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Geneva Sands and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
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BJP wins all the eight seats that were in the fray, in #GujaratByPolls2020 https://t.co/kgTM2vaEw2

The counting of votes for the 243-member Bihar assembly elections began at 8 am on Tuesday at 55 centres in 38 districts across Bihar.  The six Assembly constituencies of Khajauli, Babubarhi, Rajnagar, Jhanjharpur, Laukaha and Baniapur in Bihar are part of the Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituency. Khajauli assembly election 2020 result updates: Arun Shankar Prasad of BJP wins Khajauli after defeating RJD’s Sitaram Yadav with a margin of 22,689. Babubarhi assembly election 2020 result updates:  Meena Kumari of JD(U) wins Babubarhi.  She defeated RJD candidate Umakant Yadav by a margin of 11,488. Rajnagar assembly election 2020 result updates:  With a huge margin of 14,824 votes, BJP’s Ramprit Paswan retains Rajnagar.  In the 2015 election as well, Ramprit had won from here. Jhanjharpur assembly election 2020 result updates: BJP’s Nitish Mishra wins Jhanjharpur with a huge margin of 39,353 votes . Baniapur assembly election 2020 result updates: RJD’s Kedar Nath Singh wins by a margin of 27,789 votes.  He defeated  Virendra Kumar Jha of VIP.  Laukaha assembly election 2020 result updates:  Bharat Bhushan Mandal of RJD has secured a lead of 7,300 votes over seating MLA Lakshmeshwar Ray of JD(U).  Click here for complete coverage on Bihar Assembly electionIn 2015, the six seats had following winning candidates: Arun Shankar Prasad of BJP (in Khajauli), JD(U)’s Laxmeshwar Rai (in Laukaha), Kapil Deo Kamat of JD(U) (in Babubarhi), BJP’s Ram Prit Paswan (in Rajnagar), RJD’s Kedar Singh (in Baniapur) and RJD’s Gulab Yadav (in Jhanjharpur). There are 317,676 eligible voters in Jhanjharpur with 166,269 of them being males, 151,400 females and 7 transgenders. Voting in the three-phase assembly election in Bihar concluded on November 7 as candidates from NDA, grand alliance and LJP contested for 243 assembly constituencies. According to the exit polls, released shortly after the third and final round of polling on November 7, RJD-led grand alliance got an edge over the NDA, which is aiming to come back to power. The exit polls are based on responses from people who pollsters speak to after they come out of a polling station.  Assuming that the voters have correctly revealed their choice, pollsters predict the results much before the actual counting of votes begins. These exit polls have been off the mark in the past, so almost all the candidates and parties are waiting for the official counting to get over to know who emerges as the winner.


Pres. Trump underscores claim made Wednesday by Attorney General Barr that "spying did occur" on Trump's presidential campaign, as Democrats say Barr's comments "destroyed" his credibility. https://t.co/YtTH7dGD3z https://t.co/jLT3aq9iXk

  President Donald Trump is celebrating Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli election victory like it’s his own – and in many ways, it is.

  Trump and his foreign policy team orchestrated one of the most undisguised US interventions in an election abroad of recent times, helping to win the Israeli Prime Minister a fifth term.

  Now he’s claiming some of the spoils.

  “Trump flags being waived at the Bibi @Netanyahu VICTORY celebration last night! ” Trump tweeted before calling his friend to congratulate him on Wednesday.

  Netanyahu’s main opponent, Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party, conceded the election on Wednesday.  Barring any stunning results in the remaining votes to be counted, the veteran Prime Minister will begin the task of building a new governing coalition next week.

  Trump didn’t wait for the formalities, saying on Wednesday morning that Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party, was a “great ally” and a “friend” and that he heard the Prime Minister “won it in good fashion. ”

Netanyahu set for fifth term as Israel's leader as rival concedes defeat

  The bond between the President and the Prime Minister – two instinctive, predatory politicians – has clear benefits for them both.  While Trump is spontaneous and impulsive, his embrace of Netanyahu shows the savvy that he brings to his own electoral positioning; Netanyahu’s embrace of Trump is strategic and calculated.

  Netanyahu hugged Trump close during a tight election campaign, which featured huge posters on buildings of both men in downtown Tel Aviv.

  Netanyahu argued that his experience and being in lockstep with Trump fulfilled the wish list of his right-wing coalition and ultimately made Israel more safe.  Those steps included the US relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last year, and Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which it had seized from Syria in the Six-Day War in 1967.  The latter came in the weeks before the election.  With no pressing need for the recognition, it came across as a blatant political gift to Netanyahu – one of many in the closing days of the campaign.

  In many ways, the leaders, each prone to tough talk, reviling Iran and a willingness to embrace near demagogic campaign tactics and to infringe on campaign taboos over race, are political soulmates.

  It doesn’t hurt that both harbor deep disdain for Trump’s predecessor President Barack Obama, who pressured Netanyahu on the Palestinian issue and made a nuclear deal with Iran.

  Both men will be sure to draw lessons from the last few weeks of intense campaigning in Israel.

  Netanyahu succeeded partly with a sharp shift to the right in the waning days of the campaign and adopted divide-and-rule scare tactics that Trump had already perfected in his own election win in 2016.  Afraid of losing out on right-wing votes, Netanyahu also courted a far-right party with extremist elements decried as racist.

  Now Netanyahu has laid a road map for how a scandal-tainted leader under existential threat from political and criminal probes can ride a scorched-earth strategy to win re-election.

  Trump has shown over his two years in power that he is largely motivated by his own political imperatives and above all bolstering the conservative base he needs to win re-election.

  Helping Netanyahu is good politics for him, too.

  Relocating the US Embassy and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan play especially well with evangelical voters, who Trump is always looking to reward.

  So as a political matter, the President can judge his clear attempt to put a finger on scales of Israeli democracy a success that will keep delivering into the 2020 election in the US.

  Such sharp shifts in US foreign policy also satisfy hard-line elements in the conservative national security establishment who have long agitated for an a tougher US stance against the Palestinians.

  Supporters argue that the regional threats to Israel and what they see as feckless Palestinian leadership have in themselves dampened peace negotiations and require a change to US policy positions that have endured for decades.

  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued in a congressional hearing on Tuesday that Presidents George H. W.  Bush, Bill Clinton, George W.  Bush and Obama had pursued policies that “didn’t solve this problem. ”

  Standing firm with Netanyahu also plays into the Trump administration’s goals of betting big on one side in the Middle East – on Sunni states including Saudi Arabia alongside Israel – as part of its top priority of isolating Iran.

  But Trump’s willingness to shape US foreign policy for his own political ends – evident all over the globe, not just in the Middle East – comes with potential long-term complications for the US.

  There is the risk that, by aligning the US so closely with one side of the political aisle in Israel, Trump will diminish American leverage if Israel’s recent shift to the right takes a moderate reversal.

  That may not concern Trump much, since he rarely seems to look that far ahead and a full four-year term for Netanyahu would stretch deep into his own second mandate if he wins reelection.

  But Trump is also taking significant policy steps – avoided by previous pro-Israel and other Republican presidents – that could box in his successors for decades.

  While the relocation of the embassy may not have caused the firestorm across the Arab world of which Trump was warned, it did prejudge the outcome of any future Israeli peace talks with the Palestinians, who see East Jerusalem as their future capital.

  On its own, the embassy decision is likely to cost the US a role as a pro-Israel but third-party broker in peace talks with the Palestinians, which previous administrations played.

  Just before the Israeli election on Tuesday, Netanyahu indicated that he may be willing to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including isolated settlements deep in the Palestinian territory, in an apparent bid to shore up his right flank.

  Such a move would create new realities on the map even before talks on a peace “deal of the century” that the Trump administration wants to hold.  It would also likely end any faint hopes of a two-state solution in the Middle East, nearly 30 years after the Oslo Accords.

  Pompeo declined to criticize Netanyahu over his West Bank aspirations and did not openly advocate a two-state solution in congressional hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

  His silence will not have gone unnoticed in the Arab world – nations such as Saudi Arabia, which is crucial to the yet-to-be revealed peace plan and Trump’s wider Middle East aspirations.

  Trump’s designation this week of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization – another Netanyahu goal – represents another tectonic shift in US foreign policy.  It could expose US troops in vulnerable terrain, such as Iraq, to retaliation from pro-Iranian militia forces.

  The move also narrows any hope a future President may have of reentering dialogue with Iran – perhaps to shore up the international nuclear pact from which Trump withdrew.

  Politics in Israel, like in the US, is never static.  Even if Netanyahu succeeds in framing a new coalition, there is a strong possibility that it will not all be smooth going in relations with the White House.

  Potential coalition partners are sure to seek to nail down the Prime Minister on his promise of annexing territory in the West Bank.  But if he complies, he is sure to outrage regional political sentiment, which will make it tough for Arab leaders to back the Trump peace plan.

  And even a US strategy that is weighted heavily against the Palestinians could cause political ripples in Israel.

  “I do think whatever the Trump administration would put forward in a peace plan – even if it would be very much skewed to the likes of Likud – could cause a problem with Netanyahu’s other right-wing coalition partners,” said Michelle Dunne, senior associate with the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment.

  Dunne told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that Netanyahu may prefer Trump to continue taking unilateral actions that favor Israel, rather than to push a broad peace plan.

  Trump, who is looking for big political wins at home and abroad, however, seems convinced that with Netanyahu now safe, he may be more ready to embrace a deal, even if it is, as many experts believe, dead on arrival due to Palestinian opposition.

  “I think we now have a better chance with Bibi having won,” said Trump on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday.  It may or may not have been a coincidence that he was wearing a light blue tie and a white shirt, the colors of the Israeli flag.

  Netanyahu’s survival will also have a wide impact on politics in Washington, where support for Israel has been almost universal and one of the few areas of genuine bipartisanship.

  But Trump’s embrace of the Likud Prime Minister in his march to the far right and his attempt to brand any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic could have significant consequences in the US and even for the Israel itself in the long term.

  Sen.  Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, confronted Pompeo on this question in a Wednesday hearing, forcing the secretary of state to agree with his point: “You can be pro-Israel … if you don’t agree with all the policies of the Netanyahu government. ”

  Politically, the President appears to be seeking to break the Democratic stranglehold on the Jewish vote, which is especially significant in swing states, such as Florida, which will be in play in 2020.

  Yet there is no sign that vote is slipping: According to a nationwide CNN exit poll, Jewish voters went 79% for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections, and their vote typically is not solely dictated by Israeli issues.

  This raises the possibility that support for Israel – or at least its government – could become a more partisan affair in Washington that over many years could end up harming the interests of the Jewish state.

  If Democrats beat Trump next year, the incoming President may be initially cool to Netanyahu given his bromance with the current US President, leaving the Israeli leader, a dextrous operator who has proved he’s willing to play politics in Washington, with work to do.
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Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who passed away today, in Delhi due to a cardiac arrest. https://t.co/1xaLh7iz9p

Sheila Dikshit, three-time Delhi chief minister and a veteran Congress leader, breathed her last in a city hospital late on Saturday afternoon.  As news of her death spread, tributes started pouring in for the senior leader, with a “devastated” Rahul Gandhi hailing Dikshit as a “beloved daughter of the Congress party”.  Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia announced that the government will observe a two-day state mourning in memory of the Congress leader.  Leaders, cutting across party lines, made a beeline outside the late leader’s house to pay their last respects.  Read highlights here:‘Lost an administrator and a fine leader, knew her before she joined politics’: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Sheila DikshitFormer President Pranab Mukherjee says, it is a great loss for the nation.  Former President Pranab Mukherjee: I knew her (Sheila Diskhit) even before she entered politics, it's a great loss to the nation, they have lost an able administrator and a fine leader.  pic. twitter. com/y1d4zS11wU‘Country will remember her contribution towards the transformation of Delhi’: Manmohan Singh‘It is great loss for the country & Congress party.  Delhi has lost an outstanding leader & administrator who transformed the state beyond recognition.  Country will remember her contribution towards the transformation of Delhi for a long time,’ says former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.  Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lays wreath & pays respects to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the latter's residence in Nizamuddin.  Dikshit, 81, passed away due to cardiac arrest, earlier today.  pic. twitter. com/N1Vra29yUcActress Sharmila Tagore pays respects to former Delhi CM Sheila DikshitThe actress has reached Nizamuddin to pay her tributeDelhi: Actress Sharmila Tagore pays respects to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the latter's residence in Nizamuddin.  Dikshit, 81, passed away due to cardiac arrest, earlier today.  pic. twitter. com/zCMGrfOBAKFormer President Pranab Mukherjee reaches Sheila Dikshit’s residenceFormer President of India and veteran Congress Mukherjee arrives at Sheila Dikshit’s residence to pay his tributes to his former colleagueDelhi: Former President Pranab Mukherjee pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who passed away today, due to cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/DGwf4KCgbF‘Her political life was spotless’: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sheila DikshitThe Union Minister called the former Delhi CM ‘among the most seasoned politician of our nation. ’ Defence minister Rajnath Singh pays tribute to Sheila DikshitThe Union Minister has reached the residence of Delhi CM Sheila DikshitDelhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who passed away today, due to cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/CcfGLpZptsDelhi Government to observe two-day mourning to pay tribute to Sheila DikshitManish Sisodia spoke to the media after visiting Sheila Dikshit.  He said, ‘Delhi govt has decided to observe a two-day state mourning as a mark of respect in the memory of former Chief Minister and veteran leader Sheila Dikshit ji.  She will be accorded a state funeral. ’Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pays tribute to Sheila DikshitThe BJP MLA also said, that her death brings a sudden calmness in the turbulent world of politics.  ‘Whenever, people will talk of a developed & growing Delhi, Sheila ji’s name will be remembered’, says Sandeep Dikshit, Sheila Dikshit’s sonThe three-time Delhi CM’s son speaks to the media.  Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit: My mother passed away, it's natural that I'll miss her.  The pain of losing a mother cannot be erased.  Whenever, people will talk of a developed & growing Delhi, Sheila ji's name will be remembered.  pic. twitter. com/hEl9DJiDneDelhi CM Arvind Kejriwal reaches Sheila Dikshit’s residenceAccompanied by deputy CM Manish Sisodia, they pay their tributes to former three-time Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal & Deputy CM Manish Sisodia pay tribute to Sheila Dikshit, who passed away today, due to cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/4Pu5DHQR7rBJP Delhi Chief Manoj Tiwari reaches Sheila Dikshit’s residenceThe BJP MP pays his tribute to the former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit.  BJP MP & BJP Delhi President, Manoj Tiwari pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who passed away today, due to a cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/Tg0affJdMx‘Sheila Dikshit was a motherly figure’: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla‘Sheila Dikshit’s contribution was immense to Delhi’, says the Lok Sabha speaker while speaking to the media.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to former CM Sheila DikshitPM Modi has reached the residence of three-time Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit.   #WATCH Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who passed away today, due to a cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/YV1YpychEhLok Sabha speaker Om Birla pays tribute to Sheila DikshitSpeaker Om Birla reaches the residence of Sheila Dikshit and meets her family members and pays tribute to the three-time Delhi CMLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who passed away today, in Delhi due to cardiac arrest.  pic. twitter. com/skHDEKdh7ICongress Leader Jyotiraditya Scindia reaches Sheila Dikshit’s residenceThe Congress leader pays tribute to the three-time Delhi CM.  Sonia Gandhi reaches Sheila Dikshit’s residenceUPA chairperson pays tribute to the former Delhi Chief MinisterDelhi: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi pays tribute to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.  pic. twitter. com/FxKxCCT48JBJP MP Gautam Gambhir calls Dikshit - ‘a fierce champion of the people’The former cricketer expressed his grief at Sheila Dikshit’s death.  He said, ‘ A huge loss for the capital.  My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends’BJP Leader Vijay Goel reaches Dikshit’s residenceThe senior BJP leader pays tribute to three three-time former Delhi CM.  Delhi: BJP leader Vijay Goel pays tribute to Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at her residence in Nizamuddin.  #SheilaDikshit pic. twitter. com/aOJAJEKehYFormer CM Sheila Dikshit’s last rites to be held at Nigambodh GhatHer mortal remains will be kept at her residence in Nizammuddin for people to pay their tributes. ‘Sheila Dikshit personified Delhi’s aspirations’: P Chidambaram“In the passing away of Sheila Dikshit ji, the Grand Old Lady of Delhi, the nation, Delhi and the Congress party have suffered an irreparable lossFor nearly two decades, Sheilaji personified Delhi and the aspirations of its citizens.  She served them with her heart and mind and they gave her their abundant loveEvery resident of Delhi will feel that he or she has today lost a member of his or her familyMay Sheilaji’s soul rest in peace,” senior Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted.  Delhi govt to declare 2-day state mourning“Delhi government has decided to declare 2-day state mourning over the demise of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,” said Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as quoted by news agency ANI.  Sheila Dikshit, the longest serving chief ministerFormer Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was the longest serving chief minister.  She died today at a private hospital in Delhi, where was admitted for a heart ailment. For three consecutive terms, from 1998 to 2013, senior Congress leader served as the chief minister of Delhi.  ‘We will all miss her’: Mamata BanerjeeWest Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.  “Deeply saddened at the passing of Sheila Dikshit Ji.  When I became MP, she was the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.  She always maintained good relations with me.  We will all really miss her,” she tweeted.  Mortal remains of Sheila Dikshit brought to her Delhi homeMortal remains of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit have been brought to her residence in Nizamuddin.  Nirmala Sitharaman condoles Sheila Dikshit’s death“Sorry to know that former Chief Minister of Delhi Smt.  #SheilaDikshit is no more.  Condolences to her family, friends and followers,” tweeted finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.  Sheila Dikshit’s mortal remains to be taken to Cong headquarters tomorrow: Ahmed Patel“The mortal remains of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit will be taken to her home in about one hour or so.  It will then be decided at what time tomorrow morning they’ll be taken to the Congress headquarters, and will then proceed to Nigam Bodh Ghat for cremation”, said Congress leader Ahmed Patel as quoted by news agency ANI.  Her contribution towards to Delhi is immense: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra“Deeply saddened by the demise of Sheila Dikshit Ji.  She loved me, whatever she did for Delhi and the country, people will remember it.  She was a big leader of party, her contribution towards party, politics of nation especially to Delhi, is immense,” news agency ANI quoted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as saying.  Deputy CM of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot expressed his grief at Sheila Dikshit’s deathPilot tweeted that Sheila Dikshit worked tirelessly towards building Delhi into a world class city.  Saddened to hear that Smt Sheila Dikshit has passed away, a true congressperson she worked tirelessly building Delhi into a world class city, yet her heart was always set on working for the people, a loss for India, my condolences to the family & prayers for the departed soul pic. twitter. com/FCugKnMAvN‘She welcomed me like a mother’: Manoj Tiwari“I had met her recently, it is a big shock.  I remember how she welcomed me like a mother.  Delhi will miss her.  May God give her family and her closed ones the strength to bear this loss,” said BJP MP and BJP Delhi president Manoj Tiwari as quoted by news agency ANI.  Sheila Dikshit’s term period of momentous transformation of Delhi: President“Sad to hear of the passing of Smt Sheila Dikshit, former Chief Minister of Delhi and a senior political figure.  Her term in office was a period of momentous transformation for the capital for which she will be remembered.  Condolences to her family and associates,” President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.  ‘Warm and affable personality’: PM ModiPrime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.  “Deeply saddened by the demise of Sheila Dikshit Ji.  Blessed with a warm and affable personality, she made a noteworthy contribution to Delhi’s development.  Condolences to her family and supporters.  Om Shanti. ” the Prime Minister tweeted.  ‘Huge loss for Delhi’: Arvind Kejriwal“Just now got to know about the extremely terrible news about the passing away of Mrs Sheila Dikshit ji.  It is a huge loss for Delhi and her contribution will always be remembered.  My heartfelt condolences to her family members.  May her soul rest in peace,” tweets Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.  ‘Devastated to hear about passing away of Sheila Dikshit: Rahul”I’m devastated to hear about passing away of Sheila Dikshit Ji, beloved daughter of Congress Party,with whom I shared a close personal bond.  My condolences to her family&citizens of Delhi, whom she served selflessly as a 3 term CM,in this time of great grief”, tweeted Rahul Gandhi.  Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal called Sheila Dikshit a visionary leaderAnil Baijal also tweeted his tribute saying that the former three-time CM was an able administrator.  ‘Country has lost a dedicated Cong Leader’: EX-PM Manmohan Singh“I am shocked to hear the sudden passing away of Smt Shiela Dixit.  In her death the country has lost a dedicated Congress Leader of the masses.  People of Delhi will always remember her contribution to the development during her tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi,” said former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.  Sheila Dikshit dies at 81Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit died at a private hospital in Delhi today.  She was 81.


A post with the video of a crocodile being spotted in a water body is being widely shared on social media with the claim that this particular crocodile is spotted in Himayatsagar lake in Hyderabad.  This is being shared in the context of heavy rains in Hyderabad.  Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post. Claim: A big crocodile spotted in Himayatsagar lake during the ongoing heavy rains in Hyderabad. Fact: Similar video is uploaded on YouTube on 08 February 2018.  The video is an old one with no connection to the current Hyderabad rains.  Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE. Reverse image search of the screenshots of the video in the post led us to a YouTube video which carried similar visuals.  This particular video was uploaded on YouTube on 08 February 2018 and the description of the video reads “Crocodile swimming in Ganga at Farraka”. We found other similar Youtube videos with the same claim that the crocodile is spotted at farraka barrage.  However, we did not find any credible source confirming that the crocodile is actually spotted in Ganga at Farraka barrage.  However, it can be safely concluded that the video is at least 2 years old and has nothing to do with the current rains & floods in Hyderabad. In the wake of the incessant rains in Hyderabad, videos and posts like the ones in the post are being widely circulating on social media platforms with misleading claims. To sum it up, the video in the post is doing rounds on the internet since 2018 and has nothing to do with the recent heavy rains in Hyderabad.


David Ortiz was not the intended target of the murder-for-hire plot that ended in the former Boston Red Sox star being shot, authorities in the Dominican Republic said https://t.co/zJjoktG92S https://t.co/7EHoGJcv8W

Ortiz is currently in a Boston hospital recovering from the shooting.  New developments in attempted murder of David OrtizBoston Red Sox icon David Ortiz was not the intended target of the Dominican Republic shooting that left him fighting for his life earlier this month, police revealed on Wednesday. The islands's attorney general said Ortiz's friend, Sixto David Fernandez, was the actual target in the nightclub shooting, but the gunman told police that he got confused.  Fernandez and Ortiz were sitting at the same table and dressed similarly at the time of the shooting, police noted. Ortiz previously told authorities that he didn't know who would target him. The retired Red Sox legend, affectionately known to fans as "Big Papi," was shot in the back while at a nightclub in Santo Domingo on June 9.  The bullet entered the former player's back and exited through his abdomen, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.  He was still recovering at a Boston hospital as of Wednesday evening. At least 13 people have been named as suspects in the shooting.  The masterminds were identified as Victor Hugo Gomez and Alberto Rodriguez Mota, who was sentenced to prison for drug trafficking in 2011 along with some of the other suspects. Gomez, a convicted drug dealer who met many of the other suspects involved in the shooting while previously behind bars, ordered the hit on Fernandez, according to authorities. Gomez was described as a "dangerous fugitive" who is wanted by the U. S.  Drug Enforcement Administration and others for his alleged role within the feared Gulf drug cartel, officials said.  Gomez was charged in connection to a drug trafficking sting in March 2019 in Houston called "Operation Wrecking Ball," according to an indictment obtained by ABC News. Gomez believed that Fernandez spoke to law enforcement and was responsible for causing Gomez to be incarcerated in the La Victoria prison in the Dominican Republic for years, officials said. Fernandez previously identified Gomez as the one person who would want kill him, noting that he'd received threatening messages from him in the past, according to police. Authorities said Gomez was last seen in the U. S.  and they believed he planned the hit from there. The suspects began conducting surveillance on Fernandez a week before the shooting, including going to his home, authorities said. Fernandez was known to reserve a table every Sunday at the nightclub, El Dial, where the shooting took place. At 5:40 p. m.  the day of the shooting, Alberto Miguel Rodriguez Mota, one of the suspects, arrives at the nightclub before Fernandez. Ortiz arrives at the club at around 7:30 p. m.  where he meets up with Fernandez. At one point before the shooting, Mota gets up from his table and takes a picture of Fernandez, the intended target, and marks it with a circle and arrow showing who is supposed to be shot, officials said. The photo is relayed to a number of the co-conspirators and is ultimately shown to the gunman minutes before he gets on a motorcycle and heads toward the nightclub, police said. When police recovered images from the phones taken from the suspects, they saw photos of Ortiz and Fernandez together, wearing what appears based on the photos themselves to be very similar shirts. The suspects soon realized they shot the wrong person, officials said. Three suspects are still wanted in connection to the shooting, police said. Luis Alfredo Rivas-Clase, whose nickname is "The Surgeon," Victor Hugo Gomez, the alleged mastermind and Alberto Miguel Rodrigez Mota, who took the photo of Fernandez at the nightclub, are all wanted by authorities. The police chief said they have requested help from U. S.  authorities including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U. S.  Marshals Office. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events