He continued to contrast the discovery of sensitive materials in his own possession with the FBI seizure of documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in August.
“The best of my knowledge, the kind of things they [investigators] picked up are things that — from 1974, stray papers. There may be something else, I don’t know,” Biden said of the investigators that looked for materials in his possession. 1974 was Biden’s second year in the U.S. Senate, and he didn’t explain what type of material from that year he might have had in his possession.
He also maintained he “volunteered to open every single aperture” in cooperating with the Justice Department, a notable difference from Trump. The former president is under investigation not only for allegedly holding highly sensitive national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, but also for possibly obstructing the investigation process. Trump has repeatedly complained about the process that led to the FBI seizures at Mar-a-Lago.
Classified documents have been found at Biden’s Wilmington, Del., home, as well as a Biden-associated private think tank space in Washington. Biden previously said he was “surprised” at the discovery of classified materials in the think tank space and that he didn’t know what was in them.
Federal agents also searched Biden’s Rehoboth Beach, Del., home last week, but no additional documents with classified markings were found, according to Biden’s personal lawyer.
His administration has repeatedly said they’re cooperating with the investigation, which is being led by special counsel Robert Hur.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Gangtok: Citizens of Sikkim including Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and other political leaders on Wednesday expressed jubilation after the Supreme Court ordered the removal of reference to the Sikkimese-Nepalese as “people of foreign origin” from its January 13 verdict.
The remark made by the apex court had sparked protests in the small northeastern state, with the formation of a Joint Action Council (JAC) by people from all sections of the society to carry out demonstrations seeking removal of the tag from the verdict on tax exemption in Sikkim.
Tamang, who is also the chief of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), state BJP president DR Thapa, opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) and the JAC said they are happy with the development and thanked the Supreme Court.
A bench of justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna earlier in the day modified the verdict while hearing the Centre’s plea along with petitions filed by Sikkim and private parties seeking modification of the remark.
The chief minister in a social media post said that he wanted to express gratitude to the Supreme Court for its understanding of the sentiment of the people of Sikkim and for resolving the matter.
“The government of Sikkim has taken up the matter with all due seriousness from day one. We believe in working silently without hullabaloo. Being a responsible government, we never joined the race for one-upmanship for scoring brownie points and earning political mileage on this sensitive issue,” he said.
State BJP president DR Thapa said that the entire credit for the removal of the “foreigner” tag in the Supreme Court goes to the people of Sikkim as “they have dealt with the issue in a civilised and intellectual way even when it had hurt them very hard”.
In a statement, the SDF said it is grateful to the Supreme Court for the justice provided to the people of Sikkim.
“This positive result is a victory of the unity and strength of the Sikkimese people. The SDF party is also grateful to all those who have worked towards achieving this fruitful result,” it said.
The JAC, which was spearheading protests against the issue for the past few days in the small Himalayan state, expressed happiness at the top court’s order of Wednesday.
The JAC also called a 12-hour bandh in the state during the day.
The SC bench said that the error has crept in because the original writ petitioners have made more than 25 amendments to the petition but this fact was not brought to the notice of the court.
On January 13, the top court had ruled that the exclusion of a Sikkimese woman from exemption allowed under the Income Tax Act merely because she has married a non-Sikkimese man after April 1, 2008, is “discriminatory and unconstitutional”.
Ghaziabad: A leopard strayed into the court complex under the Kavinagar police station area here on Wednesday afternoon and injured six people, police said.
“Around six people have sustained injuries after being attacked by the animal, which is still on the court premises,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhishek Srivastav said.
A joint operation of police and the forest department is underway to rescue the leopard, he said.
According to police officials, the court premises were vacated after news of the animal’s presence spread.
“Teams of the forest department and local police reached the complex and assisted some people who were stuck inside,” Srivastav said, adding that the injured have been hospitalised.
New Delhi: “Hello, are you safe?” Sercan Unsal, a Turkish-origin person settled in Delhi, utters these words every few minutes as he rings relatives and friends in Earthquake-hit T rkiye and disconnects soon after hearing the answer from the other side in affirmation.
“As the rescue operation is underway, I don’t want to occupy the phone lines. There is no electricity and people living there are also facing network issues. We just want to ascertain whether they are well and fine. I ask them ‘Are you safe’. If they say ‘Yes’, I cut the call,” 45-year-old Unsal, who owns a Turkish restaurant here, told PTI.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday and multiple aftershocks killed more than 5,000 people and flattened thousands of buildings in T rkiye and neighbouring Syria. The quake was centred in T rkiye’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras and felt as far away as Cairo.
Turkish-origin people living in India are trying to stay calm despite knowing that their home country would take several years to overcome the devastation.
Some are still oblivious of the whereabouts of their loved ones, Unsal said. A few Turkish-origin people have left for the country after they did not hear back from their family members, claimed Unsal.
Some are calling their loved ones sitting here anxiously waiting for reply and watching the news continuously for updates.
Unsal shifted to Delhi 25 years back while most of his family is in T rkiye. Soon after the earthquake reports came in, he telephoned his family members.
“I heave a sigh of relief knowing my family and in-laws are safe. We are fine, yet not fine,” Unsal said.
With every passing hour, Unsal, who lives here with his son, is receiving reports about the demise of friends, a school teacher and his family, and several of his neighbours are still missing.
“It is very heartbreaking to know. Every time I call, I get to know about so and so’s death and it is devastating to know that my country where I spent my childhood is facing this,” Unsal rued.
There is also regret among the Turkish diaspora as they feel they are sitting while most of their family members are on roads without roofs and have to witness the tragic and heart-wrenching scenes.
“We are sitting safely at home. Thousands of miles away…our family members back home do not have place to spend chilly nights and many of their friends are still missing. It is making us restless,” he noted.
Around three friends have left for T rkiye as they did not hear from their family members, he informed.
“My friends’ families live in Hatay and their houses have been demolished. Their family is not responding which is why they left for the country,” Unsal informed.
Unsal thanked India for extending help to the country. “I welcome India’s move to send help to the country. I want to thank the government. It fills my heart.”
Fidan Duman, another Turkish-origin person living in Delhi, is overwhelmed with emotions as devastating news keeps on pouring from his country.
Talking to this PTI reporter, Duman, a civil engineer who lives with her two children and husband in the capital, said in a heavy voice “though my family is safe, my friends and other acquaintances are still nowhere to be found”.
“I wish I could talk to you more but I am in no position. My country is in great pain. My family is safe but so many people are dying,” she said.
India on Monday decided to immediately dispatch search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, medical teams and relief material to T rkiye following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions to offer all possible assistance to the country.
SRINAGAR: More than 2600 people were reported dead in a devastating earthquake that flattened most of Turkey’s Gaziantep area bordering Syria. The devastation is visible across Turkey’s 10 provinces and a vast belt in war-torn Syria.
Tensions in Kashmir families whose wards are studying in Turkey has mounted even though the Government of India is making efforts to reach the Indian students if any, in the disaster-hit areas. India said it was sending medical squads, search and rescue teams and relief material to assist Turkey’s response. Officials in India said they prepared 100 rescue workers with specially trained dogs to send to Turkey in the wake of the earthquake.
Malatya’da yeni yapılan bir bina, Kahramanmaraş depremi sonrası bugün yerle bir oldu. pic.twitter.com/dcNzSDi5yO
The destruction was the outcome of two massive earthquakes – the first one having a magnitude of 7.8, and hours later another one with 7.5 magnitudes. The winter is supposed to impact rescue operations as the toll is likely to go up many times more. It was raining when a major tremor hit the area.
The wee-hour earthquake led to the pancake collapse of a vast number of housing blocks, trapping people under the rubble. The rescue was on when the second one hit the same belt thus adding to the crisis. Some of the buildings that survived the first or both major jolts later collapsed like pack of cards. Some of these destructions were captured by people on their cell phones.
JUST IN: 🇹🇷 Thousands estimated to be dead following 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/Z4VHxtPvaF
Turkey and parts of Syria fall in a high seismic zone. Given the magnitude of the earthquake, it is been seen as the second only to December 1939 earthquake that killed 39000 people.
“I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I have lived,” BBC quoted Gaziantep resident Erdem saying. “We were shaken at least three times very strongly, like a baby in a crib.”
In certain areas the earthquake damaged the gas pipeline triggering fires. Turkey’s state-owned crude oil and natural gas corporation, BOTAS, the flow of natural gas to Gaziantep, Hatay and Kahramanmaras provinces, as well as nine nearby counties, was stopped as a result of damage to the Kahramanmaras-Gaziantep transmission line.
2,200 years old Gazintap Castle destroyed by the earthquake in Turkey.
“I barely got myself and my family out of the building. We were just coming out of the wreckage when we saw a person reach out through a small gap,” Veysel Şervan told BBC. “The building collapsed on our friend who tried to save them. They have no chance of escape, it collapsed on them completely. We are in a very difficult situation.”
The earthquake reduced Gaziantep castle and the Shirvan Mosque to rubble. The castle was over 2000 years old and belonged to the Roman period. Built by the Romans during the second and third centuries, the castle was strengthened and expanded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. Later the Ayyubids in the twelfth and thirteen centuries improved it. It was a museum.
Pray for #Turkey A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey Syria,(State of Catastrophe) early on Monday, It’s a major earthquake in the history of centre thousands of building collapse,912 people died & 5373 above people injured😭💔 #TurkeyEarthquake#turkeyearthquake2023pic.twitter.com/QEqjFVgFok
Turkish official news gatherer, Anadolu Agency reported the earthquake — felt as far away as Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt — occurred in Kahramanmaras province, north of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border. It devastated the southern Turkey and northern and central Syria. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake.
700+ people have died as a deadly earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 jolted 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇸🇾 Syria, and 🇱🇧 Lebanon. إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون#TurkeyEarthquakepic.twitter.com/5d3M5u2mQU
Given the fact that the winters and the collapse of public communication systems have been seriously impacted, the survivors have uploaded hundreds of photographs and visuals explaining the devastation. A number of global media houses have used these motion photographs to detail the tragedy for larger audiences.
Latest reports suggest that a tsunami has hit the Turkish shores and it is adding to the costs.
Hyderabad: The three-day twin expos featuring Dairy and food products, processing & packaging held at Hitex in Madhapur on Sunday shed light on the diary industry in the state.
Telangana home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali inaugurated the expo and stated that the industry had a bright future.
The expo was organised by Media Day Marketing in support of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), Ministry of Agriculture Govt of India, Government of Telangana and MSMEs.
Around 105 exhibitors were featured in this expo including Coffee Board of India, Godrej, Creamline Jersey Products, Dodla Dairy etc showcasing their products and services. Over 7500 visitors showed up at the expo.
Mr Soma Bharath Kumar, Chairman of Telangana State Dairy Development Cooperative Federation (TSDDCF) said at the opening of the expo, “Hyderabad needs one crore litre of milk every day but it is able to provide only 60 to 70 lakh litres.”
He also shared its expansion plans that they were planning to add 2000 more outlets across Telangana. Currently, Vijaya dairy has 1000 outlets.
“Similarly it is also expanding its products portfolio. Currently, we have 27 products and we will be adding 100 more products such as Milk Shake, Coffee, Tea, Flavoured Milk, Ice Cream, Kulfi, Cookies, Health Bars etc and others,” he added.
The expos, which are an annual event, will be held next year from March 8 to 10, 2024.
SRINAGAR: CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami has asserted that the ongoing so called anti-land encroachment drive and eviction has on ground generated fear among the common masses.
In a statement issued in Jammu today, the CPI(M) leader said, while big land grabbers have to be identified and action be taken strictly under law, the manner and the method used to evict the alleged land encroachers, especially the peasants, marginal farmers, small shopkeepers and those living in small houses constructed years back, sends a message that the administration is insensitive to the interests and sentiments of the general public and that of the individuals and organisations which express resentment against the reckless drive and coercive manner of the evictions.
“If the present Campaign of eviction attains roughshod propostions, it will generate more resentment,” said Tarigami in a statement.
The present ‘drive’ gives the impression as if the administration has waged a ‘war’ against the public, he said.
The selection of areas and individuals for bulldozing, creates doubts regarding the real intentions of the administration.The eviction campaign seems selective and discriminatory, he added.
Referring to the Chief Secretary’s latest directions to the officers regarding action against those who dare to criticize the handling of the eviction drive, Tarigami affirmed that it speaks of a highhanded approach of the dispensation.
“Those at the helm should keep in mind that it has to function under the Constitution and it should not give the impression that there is an undeclared emergency in J&K. This will in no way serve the cause of peace, law and order and the larger interests of the country,” said Tarigami in a statement.
New Delhi: Hamdard Laboratories, India’s leading Unani brand, it encourages people to visit the Hamdard Wellness Centres to avail free consultation from the doctors and Hakeems, and get 15% off on select medicines along with free BP/Sugar test.
The announcement was made on Monday for the World Unani Day observed on 11th February, which will be celebrated across all Hamdard wellness centres from 30th January to 12th February 2023.
Unani, a form of traditional medicine based on a holistic approach compared to conventional medicine targeted on organs, is now getting a boost more than ever. Moreover, time and again, Unani has proved its scope in boosting immunity and its efficacy. Hamdard Laboratories’ Unani product range is the first line of defence against any infection and disease.
“Our immune system is the natural defence system that fights invading diseases. Such invaders can be viruses, parasites, and fungi. But, if the system gets compromised, one might end up becoming sick. That’s why we should always strive to boost our immune systems. We believe the Unani system of medicine, is a natural way of boosting our immunity. Therefore, we encourage everyone to utilize the opportunity and take free consultation from our doctors.” said, Suman Varma, CMO, Hamdard Laboratories.
In the past, Hamdard launched twelve OTC immunity-boosting products that also treats illness like fever, cold, cough, etc. Hamdard’s special initiative of boosting immunity on Unani Day is another step towards uplifting everyone to prioritize their health and strengthen their immunity through holistic Unani solutions.
SRINAGAR: Stating that the ongoing demolition drive going on across J&K has triggered a wave of frustration and chaos among people, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Monday advocated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of State land. He was quick to add that the National Conference was not against those who have grabbed State land but “a proper procedure should be followed.”
“In J&K, there is chaos everywhere. Bulldozers are being sent everywhere to demolish houses, complexes and buildings. But nobody knows what is the procedure and on what basis this demolition drive is being conducted,” said Omar while addressing a press conference in Srinagar, as per news agency KNO.
He said his sister approached the High Court with regard to the proposed demolition of the Gupkar house of Omar and was told by the government before the Court that the list making rounds in the media are “forged.” “Given the government response in the court, I urge the government to make the genuine list of people who have grabbed State land public,” he said.
Omar suggested a slew of measures to the government with regard to the demolition drive. “No government is supposed to bring trouble for the people. Bulldozers should be the last resort. The Government must issue proper notices to those who, according to it, have grabbed State land and given them at least six weeks’ time to prove their claim on land under them and show the documents,” he said. “In our case, my sister produced the documents before the HC that states that the lease of Gupkar house is still active and has some years to expire. Likewise, people should be given time to present the documents and let the revenue team verify the same. If after proper verification land under anybody is found under illegitimate possession, then a bulldozer can be used for sure.”
Omar said that the government should also make a public “genuine list of people who have occupied State land.” “It seems that the ongoing drive is aimed at creating a wedge between communities. This drive lacks proper procedure,” he said.
He said in the case of demolition of NC leader Ali Muhammad Sagar, he found that no notice was served. “There is a procedure that if the person doesn’t receive the notice, the same is fixed on the front portion of the gate. Nowhere this is being done,” he said, adding, “Officials accompanying bulldozer at Nedous, told my relatives that they had pressure from the top and have to do something to show their bosses.”
Omar said in many areas the ongoing demolition-cum-eviction drive is becoming a “hub of corruption.” “I got many calls from several areas with people saying that they are being told to pay Rs 1 or 1.5 lakh to get their names removed from the list,” he said.
He said that NC MPs will try to raise the issue in the Parliament if they are given time to speak.
To a query that whey NC would approach the court on the issue, Omar said that he has suggested some measures to the government and that if the J&K administration fails to give positive response, they would surely consult lawyers and discuss the future course.
Even some of those most supportive of legalization, such as the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), are calling for more regulation and better oversight.
“One of the reasons I have fought so hard to be able to legalize, regulate and tax is because I want to keep this out of the hands of young people. It has proven negative consequences for the developing mind,” said Blumenauer, Capitol Hill’s unofficial cannabis czar.
Last year, he and Joyce teamed on legislation, since enacted, to ease federal restrictions on researching cannabis for medical purposes and on growing marijuana for research.
That could significantly improve understanding of the drug.
They’re now talking about standards on dosing, mandates for childproof containers for edibles, and advertising restrictions aimed at protecting children. They’re also concerned about high potency cannabis and its effects.
Federal agencies are also taking action. The FDA recently rejected applications from companies making products out of cannabis who were seeking regulation under the loose standards governing dietary supplements.
The agency said that the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, an active ingredient of cannabis, poses safety risks and that Congress needs to bolster safeguards to mitigate risk.
“We have not found adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm,” said Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement.
Despite its history, there hasn’t been much health research on pot until recently, said Giselle Revah, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa whose research last year in the journal Radiology linked marijuana smoking to the lung condition emphysema.
Before her study, Revah said, “what was in the literature was extremely limited” because “it’s very hard to study something that’s illegal.”
But recently, in addition to Revah’s work, new scientific studies have uncovered evidence of a rise in children accidentally ingesting edibles, a slight uptick in teenagers getting asthma in states legalizing marijuana, and growing rates of simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana among young adults.
Sea change
With public opinion turning pro-legalization, 21 states have moved to permit its use for medical reasons or for recreation. A further 16 allow medical marijuana.
And marijuana use is becoming much more common.
On the current trajectory tracked by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more Americans will use marijuana in 2030 than use tobacco products. Nearly 50 million people used weed in 2020, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an increase of nearly 75 percent since 2009.
Researchers are only beginning to examine the data on how this massive increase in use is affecting public health.
As states have opened up cannabis laws, pediatric edible poisonings in the U.S. have grown from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021, according to federal data, and states legalizing cannabis like Colorado have seen a bigger increase in hospitalizations and poison control visits than other states.
Pre-proof research from late December found that legalization of cannabis for recreational use could be contributing to an increase in asthma among teens.
The researchers found that from 2011 to 2019, teenagers in states that legalized recreational cannabis saw a “slight” uptick in asthma rates in kids ages 12 to 17 compared with states in which cannabis remained illegal. The team, from the City University of New York, Columbia University, the University of California San Diego and others, also found an increase in asthma among children in some racial and ethnic groups.
Renee Goodwin, an adjunct associate professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, said it could be a sign of the downstream effects of legalization. Parents could be smoking more in the home, exposing kids to second-hand smoke, she said.
“You’ve got these sweeping, very rapid changes in policy and there’s no science to inform them,” Goodwin said. “Ideally, there would be at least accompanying clinical guidelines for clinicians to advise parents.”
The mental health impacts of using cannabis aren’t yet clear, though some studies have linked it to increased risk of depression and suicide.
“We really have to slow down,” said Leana Wen, George Washington University public health professor and former Baltimore health commissioner. “We’re getting so far ahead of where the research is.”
In a Washington Post column last year, Wen detailed “abundant research” that she said demonstrated “how exposure to marijuana during childhood impacts later cognitive ability, including memory, attention, motivation and learning.”
Marijuana legalization also coincides with an increase in driving-while-high.
The percentage of driving deaths involving cannabis has more than doubled from 2000 to 2018, according to a 2021 study in the American Journal of Public Health.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is running an ad campaign to combat that increase.
Research published last month found that pediatric poisonings were much higher in Canadian provinces where edible sales are legal compared with a province that barred edibles.
Canada’s rise came in spite of child-resistant packaging and THC content restrictions, said Daniel Myran, lead author of the study and fellow at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
“It suggests that if you put cannabis into candy or chocolate, you’re going to see an increase in these poisonings,” Myran said. “It’s a question for regulators — do you need this product form? Can adult consumers get the choice and the option to purchase a legal cannabis product that doesn’t have to appeal this strongly to young kids?”
The policy response
Questions like that are raising the prospect of more regulation.
The FDA called on Congress last month to create a new regulatory pathway for CBD, including labeling, content limits and a minimum purchase age to help avoid harm to the liver, interactions with medications and damage to men’s reproductive systems.
Blumenauer and Joyce both say they plan to push for childproof packaging and rules to standardize dosing.
“Consumers need to be able to know how much THC is in the products they are consuming, as opposed to the unregulated market we are currently facing which makes it nearly impossible to know,” Blumenauer said.
That’s something public health advocates support. But many in the public health world are frustrated that policymakers eager to get on with legalization missed the opportunity to mitigate the consequences in advance.
“We’re in a massive natural experiment,” said David Jernigan, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University School of Public Health. “Are we learning the lessons from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs when we go to regulate cannabis?” Jernigan asked. “Absolutely not.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
