Top 10 headlines: WHO reports 14,000 monkey cases globally; Sri Lanka crisis & more

Oppn Issues Statement On Sonia Gandhi's ED Summon: 'Will Intensify Fight Against Vendetta'

The Opposition on Thursday issued a joint statement condemning the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and dubbed the move 'political vendetta'. In the statement, the Opposition claimed that the PM Modi government had unleashed 'a relentless vendetta' against political opponents through misuse of investigative agencies. Furthermore, the parties have vowed to 'intensify its fight against the anti-people Modi Sarkar'. The statement has been undersigned by CPI(M), VCK, TRS, Shiv Sena, RJD, CPI, IUML, RSP, DMK, and J&K NC.

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Ranil Wickremesinghe Takes Oath As Sri Lanka's New President To Lead Crisis-hit Nation

Amid the ongoing economic crisis, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday took an oath as the new President of Sri Lanka, a day after he secured a comfortable victory with 134 votes in the Parliament. He was administered oath by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at Parliament complex. Wickremesinghe replaced the ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa amid anger over the spiralling financial situation of the island and will remain in office until November 24. 

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'I Am Indira Ji's Daughter-in-law...': Sonia Gandhi's Video Surfaces Ahead Of ED Quizzing

Ahead of her appearance before the ED in the National Herald case on Thursday, Congress shared an old video of Sonia Gandhi to showcase her determination to face any situation. In the video which dates back to December 2015, she is heard saying, "I am Indira (Gandhi) Ji's daughter-in-law and I am not scared of anyone". She was reacting to her being summoned by a trial court along with her son Rahul Gandhi in connection with this case. Dubbing the ED action as "politics of revenge", Congress has decided to stage protests across the country today. 

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Droupadi Murmu's Brother Hopeful Of Her Win; Calls It A 'matter Of Pride For Tribals'

As the vote counting for the Presidential Elections in India is all set to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, a wave of happiness, as well as excitement, is already in the air of Rairangpur town in Odisha, which is the hometown of NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. 

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Joe Biden's 'I Have Cancer' Gaffe Stuns Twitter; White House Clarifies Speech Flub

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday left his audience and the internet startled after he claimed to "have cancer" during an address in Somerset, Massachusetts. Biden was discussing the adversities of emissions from oil refineries, recalling his childhood near one in Delaware, when he "accidentally" stated many people he grew up with have cancer.

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EU Diplomats Agree To Impose 7th Round Of Sanctions On Russia Over War In Ukraine: Report

As Western nations, including the US continue to lambast Russia over its military offensive in Ukraine, the seventh set of sanctions on Putin's administration has been agreed by the European Union Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), a source in EU institutions revealed on Wednesday. According to the source, “The Coreper agreed to the seventh package of sanctions, including the gold embargo, black list expansion and updates to financial and trade sanctions," Tass reported.  

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Mark Zuckerberg To Face Six-hour Deposition Over Facebook's Handling Of User Data

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Facebook's parent company Meta, Mark Zuckerberg is set to face a six-hour deposition over the company’s handling of data of its users pertaining to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Guardian stated citing new court filings, that the deposition is part of the lawsuit filed in California court on behalf of Facebook’s users impacted by the website’s partnership with Cambridge Analytica, which is a firm accused of manipulating user data. 

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Tibetan MP In Exile Speaks To Republic, Explains Why Dalai Lama's Influence Worries China

With China cracking down on Tibetans in the aftermath of Dalai Lama's visit to Ladakh, Republic TV spoke exclusively to the MP of Tibetan Parliament in exile, Thupten Gyatso, who elaborated on why the Communist country was intensifying its repression against the people. Thupten Gyatso told Republic that while Chinese aggression against the Tibetan people was not new, China was 'demonizing' Dalai Lama's actions since he stood as a living symbol of free Tibet.

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BJP Slams Cong Protests On Sonia Gandhi's Summon: 'When Modi Was Quizzed, Did We Protest?'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went guns blazing at the Congress on Thursday as the party organized a nationwide satyagraha against the summon issued by Enforcement Directorate to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald Case. Recalling the time when Narendra Modi faced questioning in the Gujarat riots case of 2002, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the then Chief Minister respected the agencies and attended every summon.

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WHO Confirms Nearly 14,000 Cases Of Monkeypox Worldwide & 5 Deaths In Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday confirmed nearly 14,000 cases of Monkeypox worldwide, with 5 deaths reported in Africa so far. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that more than 70 countries and territories have confirmed the growing threat of Monkeypox. He further assured that the organisation will keep doing everything it can to help nations stop the spread of the disease and save lives. 

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