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3:47 AM

Facebook to remove content with "stop the steal" phrase

Facebook Inc said on Monday it would remove any content containing the phrase "stop the steal" from its social media platform and Instagram.The company said it was treating the next two weeks as a "major civic event" and would take additional measures to prevent misinformation and spread of content that could incite further violence, according to a blog post.

3:45 AM

Facebook suspends political donations

Facebook Inc said on Monday it is pausing all of its contributions to political action committees for at least the current quarter, following the storming of the US Capitol last week.

2:01 AM

I will live, work and die for people: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said, without naming anyone, that she will not allow the country to be divided, and will live, work and die for people.
 

Speaking at the inauguration of the rest camp of Gangasagar pilgrims at Babughat area of Kolkata, she said that great leaders treat all people equally.
 

Since Independence, the country faced many problems but the country has not been divided, said Banerjee who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo.
 

"I will not allow the country to be broken up, to be divided. I will live, work and even die for the common people," she said.
 

The country has seen many great leaders such as Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Birsa Munda, Kaji Nazrul Islam, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Vallabhbhai Patel, she said.
 

On the eve of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, Banerjee said that he had predicted that India will have leaders from all cross-sections of people - farmers, cobblers and Dalits.
 

Swamiji once used the hooka of a Muslim man to smoke to check what happens to his religion, she said.
 

The chief minister said that her government has made arrangements for 'e-snan (e-bathing)' for those who will not be able to come to Gangasagar Mela due to the pandemic situation.
 

1:56 AM

Twitter tumbles as Trump ban puts social media in spotlight

Twitter Inc's stock tumbled over 6% on Monday after its move to permanently suspend US President Donald Trump's widely-followed account spurred concern among investors over the future regulation of social networks.

 

The San Francisco-based social media company said on Friday its suspension of Trump's account, which had 88 million followers, was due to the risk of further violence following the storming of the US Capitol last week.
 

The move drew criticism from some Republicans for quelling the president's right to free speech, while European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton said the past week's events likely heralded a new era of heavier official control.
 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose relations with Trump have been frosty, criticized Twitter's ban and warned through a spokesman that legislators, not private companies, should decide on potential curbs to free expression.
 

The attention drawn to Twitter increased investors' worries that it could be more exposed to regulation than its bigger rivals Facebook Inc or Google and YouTube-owner Alphabet .
 

Other social media platforms, including Facebook, have issued similar bans on Trump, but Monday's fall of as much as 12% in Twitter's stock was much deeper than for any of its peers. Facebook was last down almost 4% and Alphabet lost 2%.
 

Speaking during the Reuters Next conference, Facebook's operations chief Sheryl Sandberg said the world's largest social network had no plans to lift its block on Trump's accounts.
 

1:55 AM

Biden gets second shot and faults mask-rejecting Republicans

President-elect Joe Biden received his second dose of a coronavirus vaccine on Monday -- warning that the pandemic will worsen before it improves and criticizing Republican lawmakers who refused to wear masks while hiding from a mob at the US Capitol last week.
 

Biden told reporters he was “appalled” to learn that some Republican members of Congress refused to wear masks while hiding with colleagues from a mob that overran the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers counted Electoral College votes.
 

Representative Bonnie Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, announced Monday on Twitter that she had tested positive for coronavirus infection after sheltering “with several colleagues who refused to wear masks.”
 

“It’s irresponsible,” Biden said. “It’s not a political issue, it’s an issue of public safety and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
 

He added that 3,000 American deaths per day from Covid-19 is “beyond the pale.”
 

Biden is due to unveil a proposal for another coronavirus aid package on Thursday, and will meet remotely with his advisers later Monday as he plots a plan to speed up vaccinations and pass a relief bill.
 

“My number one priority is getting vaccine into people’s arms, like we just did today, as rapidly as we can,” Biden said. “It’s going to be hard, it’s not going to be easy, but we can get it done.”
 

Biden said he has asked whether lawmakers can “bifurcate” handling an impeachment trial along with confirmation of his cabinet and passage of a new aid package.
 

“My priority is to get, first and foremost, a stimulus bill passed,” he said. “Could you go half a day on dealing with impeachment and half a day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package? So, that’s my hope and expectation.” He said he hasn’t yet been told if that’s possible.
 

1:53 AM

Biden says Trump should not be in office after Capitol riot

President-elect Joe Biden said Donald Trump should no longer hold office after inciting a riot at the US Capitol last week but that his legislative priority is economic stimulus, not the current president’s impeachment.

“I think President Trump should not be in office. Period,” Biden told reporters while receiving his second dose of a coronavirus vaccine in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday.

11:25 PM

Theatres in Kerala to reopen on January 13

Theatres in Kerala, which had remained shut for months due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, will be reopened on January 13, Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce officials said here on Monday. Tamil film star Vijay starred 'Master' will be the first movie to be released in Kerala theatres that day, they said. The decision to reopen the theatres was taken at a meeting of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce officials here, after the state government decided to address the KFCC's main demands and concerns.

Earlier in the day, the Kerala government announced that it has decided to waive entertainment tax for cinemas from January to March 2021 along with 50 per cent reduction in the fixed charges on electricity during the lockdown period since March last year to help the film industry in the state. Kerala Film Chamber officials said the government has addressed all their concerns and they were grateful to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the special interest he took in the matter.

11:12 PM

Rajnath Singh speaks to Goa CM; enquires about Sripad Naik's condition

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and enquired about the condition of Union minister Shripad Naik who was injured in a road accident earlier in the day. Naik, the minister of state for defence, was injured in the road accident in Karnataka and is being brought to Goa.

"I am shocked and extremely saddened by the news of the Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik being injured in a road accident. I have had a conversation with the Chief Minister of Goa Shri Pramod Sawant. The state government is properly managing the treatment of Shripadji," Singh tweeted in Hindi. Sources said Singh discussed with the Goa chief minister the option of bringing Naik to Delhi for better treatment, if required.

The vehicle in which Naik was travelling met with an accident near Ankola in Uttar Kannada district, while he was returning to Goa from Dharmasthala in Karnataka, according to officials.

11:12 PM

Union Minister Shripad Naik injured in accident; wife, close aide dead

Union Minister for Ayush and Defence Shripad Y Naik was injured and his wife Vijaya and personal assistant killed when their car overturned at Ankola in Uttara Kannada district on Monday night, police said. The minister's condition was stable, they said.

 

Police said Naik, along with his wife, personal assistant Deepak, his close confidante Sai Kiran, gunman and the driver were heading from Yallapur to Gokarna on Monday night. On the way, the driver lost his control over the car near Hosakambi village in Ankola Taluk of Uttara Kannada and the vehicle overturned.

 

"It was not a collision between vehicles. Prima facie it appears to be the case of the driver losing control of the car" a police officer told PTI. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed shock over the accident and condoled the demise of Naik's wife.

10:15 PM

US Democrats formally introduce article of impeachment charging President Trump

Democrats introduce Trump impeachment article in US House of Representatives charging him with "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the attack on the US Capitol last week.

9:38 PM

Bird flu confirmed in Delhi; sale of processed, packaged chicken from outside city banned

Testing of samples of crows and ducks confirmed bird flu cases in the national capital on Monday, prompting the city government to impose a ban on sale of processed and packaged chicken brought from outside the city. "Only samples of ducks from Sanjay Lake have tested positive for bird flu. There is no cause for concern. Reports of other samples are awaited," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, asking people not to panic as there is no cause for concern. However, officials said eight samples from three areas in Delhi, sent to a Bhopal-based laboratory, tested positive for avian influenza.

All eight samples -- four from a park in Mayur Vihar Phase 3, three from Sanjay Lake and one from Dwarka -- have been found positive for avian influenza, said Dr Rakesh Singh from the Animal Husbandry Unit of the Delhi government's Development Department. A drive to cull ducks has begun at the famous Sanjay Lake, where several ducks were found dead in the last few days, Singh added. Seventeen more ducks were found dead at Sanjay Lake on Sunday, prompting authorities to declare it an "alert zone".

Besides, officials said, 91 crows have been found dead in 14 DDA parks in the last couple of days. A few days ago, around 50 crows were found dead in Central Park, Mayur Vihar Phase 3. In a press briefing, Sisodia said results of 100 samples that have been sent to a Jalandhar lab are awaited. He said Sanjay Lake area was sanitised after the samples of ducks from there tested positive for bird flu.

9:04 PM

Bird flu spreads to 10 states; Centre allays fears of transmission to humans

Hundreds of birds were reported dead in different parts of the country on Monday as the raging bird flu spread to 10 states and Union Territories, prompting several control measures and a government assurance that there are no scientific reports of the virus' transmission to humans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all state governments to remain alert and ensure a constant vigil near places such as water bodies, zoos and poultry farms.

 

He expressed hope that through proper coordination between Forest, Health and Animal Husbandry Departments, "we will be able to overcome this challenge soon".

 

Officials also tried to allay fears of those consuming poultry products, saying there is no risk of infection from fully cooked chicken, or boiled and cooked eggs as the virus cannot withstand high temperatures. Delhi, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra on Monday confirmed bird flu cases, adding to the list of seven states -- Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh which had already reported avian deaths due to the disease.

8:42 PM

Poultry business owners say businesses affected due to Bird Flu in Lucknow

8:31 PM

China moves back around 10,000 troops from depth areas near LAC in Eastern Ladakh

In a significant development, the Chinese Army has moved back around 10,000 troops from the depth areas near the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. However, the deployment in the frontline areas has remained the same and the troops from both sides remain in an eyeball to eyeball situation at several locations in that sector.

 

Government sources told ANI that the Chinese Army has moved back around 10,000 troops from its traditional training areas opposite Eastern Ladakh sector and areas near it.

 

The Chinese traditional training areas are around 150 kilometres and beyond the Indian side of LAC. The Chinese had maintained these troops there since April-May timeframe last year.

8:20 PM

PM Narendra Modi asks states to be alert to bird flu spread

With the outbreak of bird flu in several parts of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked all state governments to remain alert and ensure that local administration keeps a constant vigil near places like water bodies, zoos and poultry farms. Modi said that the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has put in place a plan to tackle the problem in which district magistrates will have a key role.

 

"I request that chief ministers of all affected states, through the medium of chief secretaries, should guide the district magistrates. The states where bird flu has not been found, there also the governments should be vigilant," he said at a virtual meeting with chief ministers held to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out in the country.

 

"All states and local administrations should keep a constant vigil near water bodies, zoos, poultry markets, poultry farms, etc so that information about illness among birds is received on priority," he said.