New North Korean Video Shows Missiles Destroying US City In A Giant Fireball

Beijing, Jan 24: As China stepped up measures to control the spread of coronavirus, locking down Wuhan and Huanggang cities in the Hubei province where several Indians live, the Indian Embassy here has set up hotlines for their assistance.

Chinese officials assured all assistance, including food supply, to the Indians who stayed put in the province, the Indian Embassy here said in a press release on Thursday.

Wuhan and its surrounding area became the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak as the confirmed cases climbed to over 600 mostly from the city and the province with 17 deaths so far.

China has virtually sealed Wuhan and Huanggang cities, halting all public transport, including flight services, and advised people to stay at home and follow the precautions. The two cities put together have a population of over 17 million people.

Chinese officials said the measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus to other cities and the world.

Concerns arose for India too as about 700 Indian students, mostly studying medicine in different Chinese universities, resided in Wuhan and its neighbouring areas.

While many of them were believed to have left home for the Chinese New Year holidays, others remained in the city to complete their academic work. However, the exact number is not yet known.

“The Embassy of India has been receiving queries from Indians in Hubei province as well as their relatives in India in connection with the evolving situation of coronavirus infection in China,” the embassy press release said.

The embassy is in touch with relevant Chinese authorities in Beijing and Wuhan as well as Indians in Hubei Province, especially in Wuhan, it said.

“We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in China, including the advisories issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” the embassy said.

According to the embassy, Chinese authorities have assured all assistance to residents of Wuhan, including food supply.

“At present, it is reported that supermarkets (particularly those that are government-run) and e-commerce services, including food delivery, continue to remain operational in Wuhan,” it said.

The embassy has started two hotlines for those who wish to get in touch with the Mission in this regard in the following phone numbers:              +8618612083629 and +8618612083617.

“All are advised to also keep track of the embassy's social media accounts (Twitter:@EoIBeijing; Facebook: India in China) for updates on this evolving situation,” the release said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign ministry said all assistance would be provided to consular officials of the foreign missions to ensure the safety of the foreigners in the country.

Asked whether China would consider any request from the respective countries to move their citizens out of Wuhan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, “We always help foreign consular officials in China in their official jobs, we offer them all the assistance and convenience necessary and we work to guarantee foreign citizens' legitimate rights and interest in China.”

He said while specific detailed would be provided by local officials, China in principle, has always handled issues according to domestic laws, international laws and bilateral consular agreements.

New Delhi, May 28: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey today reinforced his stance on pointing out "incorrect or disputed information about elections globally", a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to shutter social media over Twitter's actions on his posts.

Mr Dorsey appealed to "leave our employees out of this" as the face-off with Mr Trump is likely to escalate.

"Fact check: there is someone ultimately accountable for our actions as a company, and that's me. Please leave our employees out of this. We'll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make," Mr Dorsey tweeted.

"This does not make us an 'arbiter of truth.' Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions," said the Twitter CEO.

Fact check: there is someone ultimately accountable for our actions as a company, and that's me. Please leave our employees out of this. We'll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make.

— jack (@jack) May 28, 2020

"Per our Civic Integrity policy (https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/election-integrity-policy), the tweets yesterday may mislead people into thinking they don't need to register to get a ballot (only registered voters receive ballots). We're updating the link on

@realDonaldTrump tweet to make this more clear," Mr Dorsey tweeted.

Twitter had tagged two of Mr Trump's tweets in which he claimed that more mail-in voting would lead to what he called a "rigged election" this November. There is no evidence that attempts are being made to rig the election, and under the tweets Twitter posted a link which read: "Get the facts about mail-in ballots."

Five states in the US already conduct elections primarily by mail-in vote: Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon.

For years, Twitter has been accused of ignoring the US President's violation of platform rules with his daily, often hourly barrages of personal insults and inaccurate information sent to more than 80 million followers, news agency AFP reported.

But Twitter's slap on the wrist was enough to drive Mr Trump into a tirade - on Twitter - in which "Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen," Mr Trump said.

He said that an increase in mail-in ballots - seen in some states as vital for allowing people to avoid crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic - will undermine the election.

"It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots," wrote Mr Trump, whose re-election campaign has been knocked off track by the coronavirus crisis. His torrent of angry tweets earned a top-10 trending hashtag: #TrumpMeltdown.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg also waded in to the row, telling Fox News that his social network - still the biggest in the world - has a different policy. "I just believe strongly that Facebook should not be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online," Mr Zuckerberg said in a snippet of the interview posted online Wednesday by Fox.

"I think, in general, private companies, especially these platform companies, shouldn't be in the position of doing that," he said.

 he claimed that the political right in the US is being censored.

"Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen," Mr Trump said.

He said that an increase in mail-in ballots - seen in some states as vital for allowing people to avoid crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic - will undermine the election.

"It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots," wrote Mr Trump, whose re-election campaign has been knocked off track by the coronavirus crisis. His torrent of angry tweets earned a top-10 trending hashtag: #TrumpMeltdown.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg also waded in to the row, telling Fox News that his social network - still the biggest in the world - has a different policy. "I just believe strongly that Facebook should not be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online," Mr Zuckerberg said in a snippet of the interview posted online Wednesday by Fox.

"I think, in general, private companies, especially these platform companies, shouldn't be in the position of doing that," he said.

Jun 10: Indian-origin California Senator Kamala Harris has joined former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to raise USD 3.5 million for the upcoming November elections.

Tuesday's fundraiser is the second-largest single event haul so far for the Biden campaign, which raised USD 4 million at one event earlier this month.

Harris' presence during the virtual mega fund raiser assumes significance as the Democratic Party leaders consider her to be one of the front-runners to be the nominee for vice president. The 55-year-old lawyer-politician was once considered to be a strong opponent of Biden in the 2020 Democratic primaries.

Introducing Harris to the 1,400 supporters present at the event, Biden underlined the history-breaking nature of her past electoral wins.

"For much of her career, she was the only person in the room who looked like she did," he said.

At the start of the campaign last year, Harris was very critical of Biden. She later endorsed him, months after she decided to withdraw herself from the race to the White House.

During the fundraiser, Harris was effusive in her praise for Biden.

Referring to Biden's meeting with George Floyd's family, she said, "He (Biden)is someone who whether one on one or speaking to the nation always has a sense of how people are experiencing this world, and what their needs are...This moment in the history of our country really represents an extraordinary exercise in contrast."

"On the other hand, we have a Donald Trump who had the gall to dispatch the US military to clear the streets so that he could prance down and then, like a prop, hold up the bible for a photo op," Harris said.

The death of African-American Floyd during police confinement in Minneapolis on May 25 has resulted in widespread protests not only in the US but across the world.

"There are so many contrasts between Joe Biden and Donald Trump that really point to the choice that we as Americans have today," Harris said.

California Lt Governor Eleni Kounalakis also joined the fund raiser.

In his remarks, Biden, 77, said the US is reeling in anguish and anger over the brutal killing of Floyd or the systemic racism that still infects every part of the society. "Harris knows better than anybody," he said.

"At the same time, we're facing the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. American history is not a fairy tale with a guaranteed ending, a happy ending. This is a battle for the soul of the country.

"It's been a constant tug of war between the American ideal that we all are created equal -- and the harsh reality that racism has long torn us apart...I'm going to ask every American to look where we are now and to think, is this who we are? Is this who we want to be?" Biden asked.

Participating in the questions and answers session, Harris said America has still not fully embraced, acknowledged or addressed its history of racism and its current history of racism.

"One can think of this moment as an inflection moment, and it will require bold action and it will require immediate action...This stresses the importance and the immediacy and the urgency of electing Joe Biden," she said.

Replying to a question, Biden said, "Did you see today where the President of the United States while George Floyd was being buried, was condemning the older man who was knocked down with his head bleeding and everyone walking by. Did you see that? I mean, my lord. What have we become if we abide by this? So much we can do and must do."

Harris said the election is going to be rough and tumble.

"There are very powerful forces that thrive off of the hate and division that Donald Trump has been sowing. This is not going to be easy. And we have about just a few months to get this thing done," she said.