Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on 7 Congress MPs suspended for rest of session: They reached the height of indiscipline & arrogance. Some pieces of paper were directly thrown at Speaker's chair (in Lok Sabha). This is highly condemnable & unpardonable. https://t.co/t8CMH6X7FT

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday suspended 7 Congress MPs -- Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Benny Behanan, Rajmohan Unnithan and Adv.  Dean Kuriakose for disrupting the proceedings of the House for the rest of the Budget Session.  The motion was passed by a voice vote.  The House was adjourned at 15:03 hours for the day to meet again tomorrow March 6 at 11:00 hours. “Snatching papers from Speaker’s table utmost disrespect to Chair, we condemn this.  We have requested Speaker to set up panel to look into continuous indiscipline by Congress members,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary condemned the suspension of the MPs and said, “Is this a dictatorship?  It seems the government doesn’t want Delhi violence issue to be discussed in Parliament that is why this suspension.  We strongly condemn this. ”Also read: Delhi violence rocks House as Oppn repeats debate demandLok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the third day on Wednesday as Opposition parties created an uproar demanding immediate discussion on the Delhi violence. The House was first adjourned soon after it met at 11 am, then at noon and finally for the day a little past 2 pm. The Opposition parties were demanding an immediate discussion on Delhi violence but Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said it can be taken up on March 11 in the Lower House and on March 12 in Rajya Sabha. Not convinced, the Opposition continued the protest storming the well on several occasions.  Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was not present during the day and the proceedings were chaired by presiding officers. Amid din, the Direct Tax Vivaad Se Vishwas Bill was passed by the House. Opposition parties continued to demand resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah and continued to chant slogans -- ‘Modi Sarkar Shame Shame’, ‘Pradhan Mantri Jawab Do’. Earlier, Congress members trooped into the Well shouting slogans and some of them displayed placards, demanding resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah. Nearly 30 members from the Congress were in the Well.  Some of them were heard asking where was the Speaker and also shouted ‘we want justice’. Despite the din, two questions were taken up during the Question Hour.  Supplementaries to a query related to coal production was answered by Joshi, who is also the Coal Minister. Kirit Solanki, who was in the chair, told agitating members that Question Hour should continue. As the ruckus continued, he adjourned proceedings till noon. Both Houses have been witnessing disruptions over Delhi violence since the second leg of the Budget session began on March 2. (with inputs from PTI)


Karnataka: BJP State President BS Yediyurappa reaches Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. He will take oath as Chief Minister, today. https://t.co/14PY5JBrZG

Karnataka’s BS Yediyurappa government has called for a trust vote on July 29, Monday.  Yeddiyurappa’s BJP has 105 MLAs in the state Assembly with current strength of 222 MLAs.  The half-way mark after yesterday’s disqualification of three Congress MLAs has come down to 112.  Speaking to press after taking oath, Chief Minister Yediyurappa said his government will put the Finance Bill for consideration and vote right after the confidence motion on Monday. After becoming Karnataka’s Chief Minister for the 4th time, Yediyurappa announced two major decisions.  Two additional installments of Rs 2000 for the beneficiaries of PM Kisan scheme, in-addition to the relief given by the Centre was the first and Rs 100 crore loan-waiver for weavers was the second.  Farmers and labourers were his government’s top most priority, he said explaining the move.  Also read | Yediyurappa takes over as chief minister, BJP big guns keep their distanceYediyurappa said he was not interested in “politics of revenge” and wanted to “forget and forgive” while looking to breathe fresh life into the state “administration” that had “collapsed”.  He was committed to showing “the difference” between his government and the one run by the Congress-JD(S) coalition, he said.  He thanked the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for returning him as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.


US in a rare instance of such direct finger-pointing said that JeM founder Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Sajid Mir were “widely believed” to be living “under the protection of the state” in Pakistan

(reports @yashwantraj)

https://t.co/gOLZK3f4ay

The United States on Wednesday said in a rare instance of such direct finger-pointing that Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Sajid Mir were “widely believed” to be living “under the protection of the state” in Pakistan, which, additionally, had still not taken “decisive actions” against terrorists based on its soil. The United State has pushed Pakistan for long through threats and appeals to arrest and prosecute terrorists sheltered there and in the state department’s 2019 country reports on terrorism released Wednesday, it welcomed the prosecution of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba, in 2019, along with 12 associates. But Pakistan has made “no effort to use domestic authorities to prosecute” other terrorist figures such as Azhar and Mir, “both of whom are widely believed to reside in Pakistan under the protection of the state, despite government denials”, the repot added. JeM claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019, that led to significant escalation in tensions between the two nuclear power neighbors.  India carried out a retaliatory strike on a JeM camp in Balakot, Pakistan hit back with an air raid, that led to the first air battle between the two air forces in decades.  It was rare for the United States to have so very directly accused Pakistan of not only looking the other way as these two terrorists have lived and thrived there, but also of providing them state protection, which had been long apparent to most South Asian officials and experts. The United States has bene critical of Pakistan for yers now for allowing terrorists sheltering on tis soil to operate against India to the east and Pakistan to the west, and had gone so far as to say the Haqqani Network, of the Afghan Taliban, was a “veritable arm” of the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI. But accusing Pakistan of providing state protection to Azhar and Mir and their likes, is unusual, but not enough.  “The United State has known of the presence in Pakistan of jihadi leaders who operate in India and Afghanistan but wants to keep its channel of communication open with Pakistan which is why it has not used the kind of firm language that it uses about other countries,” said Husain Haqqani, the former US ambassador to Pakistan who now lives in the US. Hafiz Saeed’s arrest and prosecution, for the ninth time, in 2019, had come under intense global pressure as Pakistan had faced with the possibility of being blacklisted at the initiative of the US by a global watchdog on terror financing and money-laundering, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force. Pakistan narrowly escaped then, but has remained in the dock, as the US terror report reminded.  “The FATF expressed serious concern at its October 2019 plenary about Pakistan’s continued deficiencies but noted it had made some progress and extended the deadline for full Action Plan implementation to February 2020. ” A final call is expected later in the year, in October. But in the US state department’s assessment, Pakistan still has much to show and improve.  “Pakistan continued to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups. ,” the report said, adding, “It allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated HQN, as well as groups targeting India, including LeT and its affiliated front organizations, and JeM, to operate from its territory. The report acknowledged that Pakistan had made “some” and “modest” progress on countering terrorism, “the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan to counter terrorism remains unfulfilled – specifically its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay and discrimination”.


Protesters are marching through cities across the US over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Here's a look at demonstrations around the country. https://t.co/cr9P3Ud4G2 https://t.co/rZUWjXjH0D

Demonstrators gathered outside the U. S.  Embassies in London and Berlin.  Violent protests create turmoil across the nationLONDON -- Hundreds of demonstrators were seen chanting and carrying Black Lives Matter signs outside a number of U. S.  embassies in Europe and across the world over the weekend, as the protests against the killing of George Floyd spread internationally. On Saturday and Sunday, crowds gathered outside the U. S.  embassies in London and Berlin to protest against the death of Floyd and show solidarity with the protests in the U. S.  with chants of “I Can’t Breathe” a regular feature of the weekend demonstrations. In London, hundreds took part in a “Black Lives Matter” demonstration beginning with protesters taking a knee for nine minutes in Trafalgar Square before marching onto the U. S.  Embassy. "Well, we've seen for hundreds of years black people and people of color be absolutely abused and killed on the streets and it's just getting worse and worse,” one London protester said.  “We've had enough, and if they're not going to listen we're just going to scream louder and louder. ”London’s Metropolitan Police announced they arrested 23 people for “various offenses” across the U. K.  capital on Sunday, and said they were on hand to make sure crowds complied with social distancing regulations. Two black soccer players in Germany referenced the protests after scoring goals in weekend games.  Jadon Sancho, an English player for Borussia Dortmund, wore a shirt underneath his jersey saying “Justice for George Floyd. ” Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring a goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach in tribute to the U. S.  protests. In Canada, thousands took to the streets in Vancouver and Montreal, echoing the chants heard across the U. S.  in mostly peaceful protests Sunday.  In the Montreal gathering, crowds were dispersed after projectiles were thrown at the police later in the evening. And in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, crowds chanting “I Can’t Breathe” were dispersed by police in riot gear outside the state government palace on Sunday as anti-government protests against police brutality in Brazil fed off the global sentiment felt by the killing of Floyd. Last year in Rio up to 1,402 people between January and September were killed by police, particularly in operations in the favelas, according to Human Rights Watch. In Iran and China, two countries which the U. S.  has been heavily critical of human rights abuses, state run media and foreign ministers criticised the American handling of the George Floyd protests. Manslaughter charges have been brought against Derek Chauvin, the white police officer accusing of kneeling on Floyd's neck for nine minutes, and tthe National Guard has been activated in Minneapolis and 17 states. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


#Sensex opens at - 38,819.68, up by 888.91 points; #Nifty opens at - 11,691.30, up by 284.15 points. https://t.co/8cbTwyniyU

After opening on a flat note, the benchmark Sensex fell over 190 points during the early trade on Friday. Investor sentiment took a hit after oil prices rose sharply. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, surged over 5 per cent on renewed tensions in the Middle East after Iran shot down a US military drone. At 10 a. m. , the Sensex traded 190. 27 points or 0. 48 per cent lower at 39,411. 36. The Nifty was 44. 80 points or 0. 38 per cent down to 11,786. 95. On Thursday, Indian shares rose sharply, taking cues from firm global markets after the US Federal Reserve hinted at a rate cut. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. )


CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield says there are over 500 coronavirus cases in the U.S. in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

"At the present time, the risk to the American public does remain low." https://t.co/ZacMwZ0t26 https://t.co/HgkZnB9AwG

Medical workers outside Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, where students have been place under quarantine, in St.  Petersburg, Russia. By Jessie Yeung, Joshua Berlinger, Steve George, Tara John and Meg Wagner, CNNThere are now 564 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to state and local health agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here's the breakdown:49 cases are repatriated from abroad: three from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, and 46 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. 21 cases are from the Grand Princess cruise ship, currently docked in quarantine off the California coast. 494 cases across 34 states and Washington, DC, were detected and confirmed on US soil. These tallies includes presumptive positive cases -- meaning the patients tested positive in a public health lab, and their results are pending confirmation from the CDC lab. California, Washington, and New York are reporting the most cases so far. Here are the states that have confirmed cases:From CNN's Hyoungjoo Choi in SeoulSouth Korea is seeing an apparent slowdown in the number of new cases per day -- but there may be other factors at play, and it's too early to say the infection itself is slowing, said South Korean officials today. Yesterday, the country reported the lowest number of new infections per day since February 26. This is the lowest number of new daily infections since February 26. Kim Ganglip, Deputy of Central Disaster Relief Headquarters, spoke about the slowdown at a press briefing, but warned that there are still sporadic cluster infections in facilities such as nursing homes and residential complexes. There may also be other reasons for this perceived slowdown -- bad weather conditions over the weekend may have caused fewer people to leave home to get tested, leading to a decrease in case numbers.  Country battles outbreak: South Korea has the most coronavirus cases outside of China, and has been fighting the outbreak for weeks with aggressive measures like widespread early testing. More than half of all nationwide cases have links to the Shincheonji religious group, based in the country's south. From CNN's Hyoungjoo Choi and Sophie Jeong in SeoulSouth Korea confirmed 248 more coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the national total to 7,382, according to the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It sounds like a lot -- but this is the lowest number of new infections per day since February 26. Among the 248 new cases, 190 are from the southern city of Daegu, where the outbreak has been concentrated -- a total of 5,571 cases have been from Daegu.  26 cases are from the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province. 10 cases are from Seoul, 11 from Gyeonggi Province, and the last 11 are in various other locations. There was one new death on Sunday.  The national death toll is at 51. Daegu and North Gyeongsang: About 90% of cases nationwide are from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. The Shincheonji religious group's Daegu branch is at the heart of the national outbreak, with over half of all confirmed cases linked to the group. The government has designated Daegu, along with the cities of Cheongdo and Gyeongsan, as "special care zones" due to the spike in cases in these locations. The spread of the novel coronavirus has resulted in 3,821 deaths worldwide, with more than 108,000 people infected, according to CNN's tally.  The vast majority of those infections are in mainland China, where the outbreak was first identified in December last year.  Here's the latest:Daily numbers on the decline in ChinaChina’s National Health Commission recorded 40 new daily coronavirus cases and 22 fatalities on Sunday, bringing the national totals to 3,119 deaths and 80,735 patients.  Of the 40 cases identified Sunday, 36 are in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and four were from people returning from overseas.  The NHC also said 58,600 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Italy on lockdownLarge swaths of the northern Italy has been placed under lockdown, restricting the movements of more nearly 15 million people in an attempt to control Europe's biggest outbreak. As of Sunday evening, Italy has recorded 7,375 cases of the virus and 366 deaths. The restrictions are among the most draconian measures implemented by governments worldwide, second only to mainland China, which restricted the movement of tens of millions of people in order to halt the spread of the virus. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree early Sunday, placing travel restrictions on the entire Lombardy region and 14 other provinces. People who do not adhere to the restrictions, which are in place until April 3, will face up to three months in prison and a fine of 206 euros ($232). US cases riseAt least 550 coronavirus patients have been identified in the United States, authorities there said, including 70 people who were repatriated from abroad.  Cases have been identified in 34 states. At least 21 people have died, 18 in Washington state, two in Florida and one in California.  The hardest-hit area has been the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, where 16 people in a nursing home succumbed to the virus.  Several cruise ships have also been affected, including the Grand Princess.  Twenty-one people aboard the ship have contracted the virus.  It is expected to dock sometime Monday in Oakland, California, Gov.  Gavin Newsom said in a news conference Sunday. The Grand Princess has been in limbo since Wednesday, when officials learned a California man who traveled on the same ship last month later died of coronavirus.  Sen.  Ted Cruz of Texas said he will self-quarantine out of an "abundance of caution" after interacting with an individual who tested positive for the coronavirus while the two attended a prominent conservative political conference. Correction: This post has been updated to reflect the accurate number of novel coronavirus deaths worldwide. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree early Sunday that enforces  sweeping quarantine measures across most of Italy's northern regions in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The decree, which went into effect on Sunday, impacts the lives of nearly 16 million people. The unprecedented move places travel restrictions on the entire Lombardy region, as well as 14 other provinces.  The lockdown is the toughest control measure to be implemented outside of mainland China since the emergence of the virus in December last year. The lockdown areas, or "red zones," are subject to strict measures, including the cancellation of all public events, civil and religious ceremonies, closure of schools and universities, and the cancellation of sporting events.  The rest of the country is also subject to less-expansive preventative measures. The announcement came after Italy saw a dramatic spike of 1,247 confirmed novel coronavirus cases on Saturday. New presumptive positive cases were identified today across the United States, reported in at least 17 states. Presumptive positive means the patients have tested positive in a local or public health lab, but their results are pending confirmation at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab. Florida: One new presumptive positive case was identified in Broward County, according to a tweet from the Florida Department of Health. South Carolina: Four new presumptive positive cases were identified, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Nevada: A second presumptive positive case was identified in Clark County, according to Southern Nevada Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore. California: Contra Costa County in Northern California five more cases, and Riverside County in Southern California confirmed its first "locally acquired" case. Kentucky: Three new presumptive positive cases were identified, Gov.  Andy Beshear announced Sunday. Maryland: Two more people tested positive, according to a news release from Gov.  Larry Hogan. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania announced two new presumptive positive cases in Montgomery County on Sunday, according to the state's Department of Health. Massachusetts: Massachusetts has confirmed 15 new cases, according to the state’s Department of Health.  Illinois: A Chicago man has been identified as Illinois’s seventh case, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner. Washington: The Seattle and King County Health Department reported 12 new cases, two of which have been fatal. New Jersey: Two more cases were confirmed in New Jersey, the state’s department of health posted today. Connecticut: The first confirmed case in Connecticut was announced by the state’s department of health. Tennessee: A case was confirmed today in the Memphis area, announced Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.  New York: 16 new cases were confirmed in New York, Gov.  Andrew Cuomo announced this morning. Iowa: Iowa has identified three presumptive positive cases -- the first cases in the state, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Minnesota: The second presumptive positive case was identified in Minnesota, according to a press release from the state Department of Health. Nebraska: Two new presumptive positive cases were identified in Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Texas: A new presumptive positive case was identified in Harris County. Georgia: Four new presumptive positive cases were identified in Georgia, according to the state's Department of Public Health. From CNN's Hollie SilvermanThere are 550 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 49 cases of repatriated citizens, including three from Wuhan China, 46 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 21 on the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked off the coast of California. There are 480 cases in 34 states and the District of Columbia, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 550, according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through public health systems. A total of 21 people have died from the coronavirus in the US. From CNN's Hollie SilvermanIowa has identified three presumptive positive cases of coronavirus, the first cases in the state, according to the state Department of Public Health. The three patients are all residents of Johnson County who were on a cruise in Egypt, the department said in a press release on Sunday. The group was on the cruise between February 17 and March 2.  They returned to the US on March 3, state public health director Gerd Clabaugh said during a press conference. One of the patients is between the ages of 41 and 60, and the two others are between the ages of 61 and 80, the release said. Two patients have underlying health conditions, but none of them required hospitalization, according to the release. A total of 37 people have undergone testing in Iowa for the virus.  Of those 37, three were positive, 26 were negative and eight tests are still pending, according to Clabaugh. From CNN’s Sarah Faidell and Shanshan Wang Forty new cases of coronavirus and 22 deaths were reported in mainland China on Sunday, according to China’s National Health Commission.  Since the virus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the death toll across mainland China has risen to 3,119, with 3,007 deaths in Hubei, of which Wuhan is the provincial capital.  The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China now stands at 80,735. Of the 40 new cases on Sunday, 36 are in Wuhan.  The other four cases outside Hubei are imported cases from people arriving from overseas.  Hubei province had 21 of the 22 reported deaths on Sunday. The NHC added that in total, 58,600 patients have now recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


3041 new #COVID19 cases & 58 deaths reported today, taking the total number of cases to 50231, of which 33988  are active cases. Death toll stands at 1635. Total 1196 people recovered & discharged today, 14600 patients have been discharged till date: Maharashtra Health Department https://t.co/Y9ppeipZdk

India reported another steep single-day surge in Covid-19 cases with 6,767 new infections.  With this, India’s coronavirus tally jumped to 131,868 on Sunday.  India’s coronavirus death toll stands at 3,867 fatalities while more than 54,000 patients have recovered from the disease across the country.  The big 4 Covid-19 states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi - continue to struggle with a surge in Covid-19 cases.  Together, these four states account for over 67% of the total number of cases in India.  Here’s taking a look at Covid-19 state-wise tallyThe big 4Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra crossed the 47,000 on Sunday with 47,190 patients.  The state has recorded 1,577 deaths so far, highest in the country, while over 13,000 patients (13,404) have recovered from Covid-19.  Tamil Nadu has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.  The state has reported 15,512 coronavirus cases so far while 7,491 people have recovered and 103 patients have died. The Covid-19 tally in Gujarat stands at 13,664 - third highest in the country.  Gujarat has seen 6,169 people recover from coronavirus while 829 people have died. In Delhi, the Covid-19 has jumped to 12,910.  Two hundred and thirty-one people have died from the infection here while 6,267 have made a recovery. Also read: India now has infrastructure to treat 10 lakh Covid-19 patientsStates with over 5,000 casesRajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the states where the coronavirus cases have breached the 5,000-mark and are rapidly inching towards 10,000.  Coronavirus cases in Rajasthan touched 6,742 on Sunday.  The state has reported 160 fatalities while 3,786 patients have recovered from the infection in the state. In Madhya Pradesh, as many as 6,371 people been infected from Covid-19 till date.  Two hundred and eighty-one people have died from Covid-19 in the state while 3,267 have recovered. The number of Covid-19 positive cases have jumped to 6,017 in Uttar Pradesh.  While 3,406 people have recovered from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, 155 have died from the infection here. Situation in other statesWest Bengal is a state where coronavirus cases have breached the 3,000-mark and are rapidly rising.  The number of infected cases in West Bengal reached 3,459 on Sunday.  There have been 269 deaths and 1,281 recoveries in the state. States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Haryana and Bihar have reported over 1,000 but less than 3,000 Covid-19 cases till date.  States like Kerala, Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura have reported under 1,000 Covid-19 cases.  Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Manipur have less than 100 Covid-19 cases.  States and Union territories with just one positive Covid-19 case include Dadar Nagar Havel, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.  All patients in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have recovered.  Note: Figures are from official data released by the Ministry of Health, and may differ from realtime numbers released by various state governments subject to confirmation from the Centre.


The death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police reignited protests Saturday night in Atlanta, where hundreds blocked a major interstate, a fast-food restaurant was set ablaze and authorities responded with tear gas. https://t.co/bvS8nQfHu3

Police were responding to a complaint of a man asleep outside the restaurant. Atlanta police chief resigns over shooting of Rayshard Brooks The fatal shooting of an Atlanta man by a city police officer at a fast-food restaurant late Friday night launched a day of protests and the resignation of the department's highest-ranking official on Saturday. Officials have identified the man as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks. At 10:33 p. m.  local time, officers responded to a Wendy's restaurant on University Avenue after receiving a complaint that Brooks was asleep in a parked car in the drive-thru, authorities said.  After failing a field sobriety test, officers said they attempted to place him into custody.  It was at that point, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, that Brooks resisted and a struggle ensued. Surveillance video from the restaurant shows that during a physical struggle with police, Brooks obtained one of the officer's stun guns and began to flee, GBI said in a statement Saturday afternoon. "Video appears to show to the naked eye Brooks running away four, five, six, seven parking spaces before he appears to turn around and point a Taser at an officer.  At that point the officer retrieves his weapon from his holster and discharges it, striking Brooks.  This account has been corroborated by witness interviews," said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. The Atlanta Police Department identified the two officers involved in the incident as David Bronsan and Garret Rolfe.  Officer Bronsan has now been placed on administrative duty and Officer Rolfe has been terminated. David Bronsan has worked for the Atlanta Police Department since 2018 and Garrett Rolfe was a seven year veteran of the force having worked for them since 2013. A copy of the video was released to the public Saturday afternoon. Just hours after the shooting, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields submitted her resignation to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.  Shields had led the department since December 2016. "Chief Erika Shields has been a solid member of APD for over two decades, and has a deep and abiding love for the people of Atlanta," Bottoms said in a statement.  "And because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as Police Chief so that the city may move forward with urgency and rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities. "An earlier account of the incident was based on the officer's bodycam, which was knocked off during the physical struggle, preventing the capture of the entire shooting incident, GBI said. Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after emergency surgery.  Brooks was the father of three daughters, as well as a stepson.  He had been celebrating his 8-year-old daughter's birthday earlier in the day, his family lawyer said. One officer was treated for an injury sustained during the encounter, but has already been released from the hospital, according to GBI. Once the GBI concludes its investigation, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney's office, which intends to conduct its own probe. "I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Bottoms said in a press conference regarding the officer's actions.  "I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer. "The other officer has been placed on administrative duty. Friday night's deadly encounter with police led to large groups gathering and protesting at the scene, chanting Brooks' name.  Protesters appeared to start a large fire in the Wendy's building where Brooks was shot late Saturday. Attorney L.  Chris Stewart, who is representing Brooks' family, stressed in a Saturday night press conference that the officers involved had other options and did not need to kill Brooks. "I've had cases where officers have used Tasers . . .  and they argue with us that Tasers are not deadly," Stewart said.  "You can't say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody when you say it's not deadly. "District Attorney Paul Howard Jr.  is asking anyone who witnessed, photographed or took any videos of the incident to call their office's tip hotline 404-612-4903. This is the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been requested to investigate this year.  Those 48 cases include the fatal shootings of 15 people. "Are you not tired of seeing cases like this happen? " Stewart asked.  "People are sick of watching black men murdered. "Reynolds has asked agents to expedite the investigation "due to the nature of the case in the current environment we’re living in today. "A frustrated Stewart asked, "I don’t know what justice is anymore.  Is it getting [the officer] arrested?  Is it getting somebody fired?  Is it the chief stepping down?  I know that this isn’t justice, what’s happening in this country right now. ”Atlanta, along with cities across the U. S.  and the world, has been the site of massive protests following the death of George Floyd while in police custody on Memorial Day. Floyd was killed after an officer pressed his knee against his neck for nearly nine minutes.  During the gruesome video, Floyd can be heard saying, "I can't breathe. "That video and Floyd's death sparked widespread protests again racism and police brutality throughout the U. S.  Major demonstrations, including protesters taking over a precinct in Seattle, are continuing this weekend as many are calling for significant police reforms. ABC News' Matt Foster, Ahmad Hemingway, Josh Hoyos and J.  Gabriel Ware contributed to this reportThis report was featured in the Monday, June 15, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes.  Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


People traveling to NY, NJ and CT from states with a high Covid-19 infection rate will be required to quarantine for 14 days. “We are jointly instituting the travel advisory today because what happens in New York happens in New Jersey happens in Connecticut,” NY Gov. Cuomo said. https://t.co/rwjxlipRan

Gov.  Cuomo made the announcement Wednesday. NY, NJ, CT announce quarantine for COVID hotspots Anyone visiting New York, Connecticut or New Jersey from Florida and other high-risk states for coronavirus will have to quarantine for 14 days, the governors announced Wednesday. "We have to make sure the virus doesn't come on again in a plane," New York Gov.  Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference, joined by Connecticut Gov.  Ned Lamont and New Jersey Gov.  Phil Murphy.  "We worked hard to get the viral transmission down and don't want it to go back up again. "The quarantine applies to states with a 10% infection rate.  Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas. Florida had imposed a similar quarantine on New Yorkers at the start of the pandemic. The news of the quarantine comes as all of New York's key coronavirus figures appear to be flat or declining, according to an ABC News analysis, with the state seeing its lowest levels of hospitalizations on Wednesday.  In New Jersey and Connecticut, there has been a decrease in the daily rate of positivity, hospitalizations and deaths, the analysis showed. The governors called the quarantine "common sense. "Metrics in the Tri-State area are hopeful, but an ABC News analysis showed that in 23 states there were increases in the daily rate of positivity and in 21 states there were increases in current hospitalizations. Cuomo noted that the affected states could change as the infection rates change and the list will be updated daily. He noted that no one was stopped from entering the state, but there would be penalties for those who violate the quarantine. Cuomo said someone could face a judicial order, mandatory quarantine or fines.  The fines would be $2,000 for the first issue, $5,000 for the second and up to $10,000 if someone "caused harm. "It was not immediately clear how those in quarantine would be checked on, but Cuomo gave the example that if someone has a Florida license plate, they could be stopped by a police officer. The quarantine goes into effect at midnight tonight. ABC News' Jason Volack contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Patna: Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi & Mukesh Sahni of  Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) take oath as a Cabinet Minister of Bihar. https://t.co/mYCYhk22Pr

In the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar on Monday took oath as Bihar chief minister for the fourth consecutive term.  Apart from Kumar, a host of leaders from the constituent parties of the NDA alliance took oath as cabinet ministers.  The deputy CMs — Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi — also took their oath in the ceremony.  The presence of Amit Shah was significant as unlike Kumar’s past swearing-in ceremonies, this was a small-scale gathering owing to Covid-19 restrictions.  Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary and Mewa Lal Choudhary were also sworn in. The swearing-in of Vijay Kumar Choudhary as a cabinet minister indicates that the Speaker post is going to BJP as Choudhary was the Speaker in the last term. Also Read: Nitish Kumar forms government in Bihar, inducts new Cabinet.  Full list of ministers hereNitish Kumar’s new cabinetSushil Kumar Modi who has been Bihar’s for the maximum time since 2005 has not found any place in the new cabinet.  According to reports, he might get a Central berth.  The ministers who were sworn in on Monday form the interim cabinet.  More ministers will be inducted later on.  RJD boycotted Nitish’s swearing-inRJD leader Tejashwi Yadav did not attend the oath-taking ceremony as his party said the election has been rigged.  The mandate was “against the NDA”, but has later been changed by a “fraud”.  “The RJD boycotts oath-taking ceremony of this puppet government.  The mandate is for a change, and against the (ruling) NDA.  The peoples verdict has been changed by the rulers order,” the RJD alleged in a tweet. Swearing-in ceremonies in 2010, 2015Bihar state assembly election was the first major election to be held amid Covid-19 pandemic.  Bearing the brunt of Covid, the swearing-in ceremony has become small-scale this year.  During his previous terms, Kumar had taken oath amid large gatherings of dignitaries and common people at Gandhi Maidan.  According to pre-election seat-sharing agreement, the JD (U), which has 43 MLAs, will get a maximum of 14 ministerial berths.  BJP which has won 74 seats will get 20 posts in the cabinet.  Both HAM (S) and VIP will have to settle for one ministerial berth each. Here are the latest updates of Nitish Kumar swearing-in 2020> The newly formed Bihar cabinet will hold a meeting tomorrow.  A special session of the state legislative assembly to be held on November 23. > The new government in Bihar will be pro-farmer, said BJP chief JP Nadda Congrats to @NitishKumar Ji and all newly sworn-in ministers.  I am sure that under the guidance of PM @narendramodi Ji, NDA will give pro-farmer, women, youth and development-oriented govt in the State.  I assure people of Bihar that NDA is committed to fulfil their aspirations. > Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Nitish Kumar after his swearing in.  Congratulations to @NitishKumar Ji on taking oath as Bihar’s CM.  I also congratulate all those who took oath as Ministers in the Bihar Government.  The NDA family will work together for the progress of Bihar.  I assure all possible support from the Centre for the welfare of Bihar. > Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Mangal Pandey and Amarendra Pratap Singh take oath as Bihar cabinet ministers.  Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Mangal Pandey and Amarendra Pratap Singh take oath as Bihar Cabinet Ministers.  pic. twitter. com/U9Cn6oR3bk> Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) take oath.  Patna: Santosh Kumar Suman, son of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi & Mukesh Sahni of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) take oath as a Cabinet Minister of Bihar.  pic. twitter. com/mYCYhk22Pr> JDU leaders Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, and Mewa Lal Choudhary take oath as cabinet ministers of Bihar.  Patna: JDU leaders Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, and Mewa Lal Choudhary take oath as Cabinet Ministers of Bihar.  pic. twitter. com/peFgFjM8vq> Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi take oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.  Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi take oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar.  pic. twitter. com/60kHuDDzOC> Nitish Kumar takes oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh time - his fourth consecutive term.  #WATCH: Nitish Kumar takes oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh time - his fourth consecutive term.  pic. twitter. com/5jcZXabSYw


A video of a ship battling in the storm is going viral on social media claiming that “Cyclone Fani continues to strengthen as it tracks over the Bay of Bengal.”

A video of a ship battling in the storm is going viral on social media claiming that “Cyclone Fani continues to strengthen as it tracks over the Bay of Bengal. ”     More than 4000 shares  It was found that the video was two years old and it was a video of an oceanic storm at Russia.  We found an extended version of the same video uploaded, on Odnoklassniki, a Russian social media site, on November 17.  2016.  It was mentioned that ” “Storm 12 points on the Beaufort scale. ”
Here is the link of Odnoklassniki Here is the link of the you tube video that was uploaded on December 2016.


Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill backed by the state's Republican governor that would effectively ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy https://t.co/OW2XYYJKkO

Opponents say they will take state to court over law. Tennessee lawmakers pass 6-week abortion banThe Tennessee state legislature passed a restrictive ban on abortions in the state during the early morning hours Friday in a closed-door session. And opponents of the legislation, which bans abortions done as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, have already said they are going to challenge the issue in court. Under the provisions of the bill, doctors would also be prohibited from conducting an abortion procedure if the patient is seeking one because of the baby’s sex, race or "a prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating Down syndrome or the potential for Down syndrome in the unborn child. "The bill, which voted along party lines with Republican majority in both the state House of Representatives and state Senate and has the support of Gov.  Bill Lee, does not make exceptions for rape or incest but allows for procedures if the life of the patient is at risk.  Medical professionals are also mandated to show ultrasound images to the patient. Health care providers would be fined $10,000 for violating the measure. Democratic leaders and the American Civil Liberties Union argued against the last-minute vote without any public viewing and warned that the measure would be hard on low-income parents who cannot travel out of state to get an abortion.  The ACLU said it plans to take Tennessee lawmakers to court. "Lawmakers used this measure in a game of political maneuvering to pass the state budget – pushing it through without regard for the actual Tennesseans who will be denied access to the care they need," Hedy Weinberg, the executive director of ACLU Tennessee, said in a statement Friday. Similar bills that banned abortion procedures at six weeks of pregnancy were struck down in states such as Ohio.  None are currently in effect. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


In the midst of protests and destruction around the nation, a moving scene unfolded Sunday in New York when some police officers knelt with protesters. Similar heartening moments emerged even as cities around the US have seen days of violent protests. https://t.co/PleywhGf5T https://t.co/2cJ0gh3kz5


Thousands more kids may have been separated from their parents at the border under the Trump administration than was previously thought, according to an internal government report. https://t.co/45Lg17uJNQ

    The Trump administration does not know how many children were separated from a parent or guardian last year, but it’s “thousands” more than the 2,737 it has previously acknowledged, according to a new inspector general report.

    “More children over a longer period of time were separated by immigration authorities and were referred to HHS for care than is commonly discussed in the public debate.  How many more children were separated is unknown,” said Ann Maxwell, Assistant Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections.

    The Department of Health and Human Services and the inspector general were unable to identify how many more children were separated because there were “significant challenges in identifying separated children. ”

    “There was no effort underway to identify those children,” Maxwell said, adding that “HHS faced significant challenges. ”

    Officials estimated that “thousands of other children” were separated, received by HHS for care and released prior to the June 26, 2018, court order that required the government to identify and reunify certain separated children, and that children continued to be separated after the court order ordering reunification.

    Agency officials noticed a “steep increase” in the number of separated children starting in the summer of 2017, said Maxwell.

    At least 118 separated children were sent by the Department of Homeland Security to HHS for care from June 1 to Nov.  7, 2018.

    DHS had previously said that separations continue to take place in cases when the parents have a criminal history or medical concerns.

    “But in some cases DHS has provided HHS with limited information about the reasons for these separations,” said Maxwell.

    The report is part of a series that will be released this year.

    “OIG responded quickly, dedicating an unprecedented level of resources to conduct multifaceted reviews,” said Christi Grimm, chief of staff of HHS OIG, citing health and security issues that arose in 2018.  A future report will review the challenges of reunification.

    In response to the inspector general report, HHS Press Secretary Evelyn J.  Stauffer said in part that the department “is committed to the accurate and transparent reporting of data” on the unaccompanied minor program and “welcomed the opportunity to cooperate” with the investigation.

    “Our focus at HHS is always on the safety and best interest of each child.   These are vulnerable children in difficult circumstances, and HHS treats its responsibility for each child with the utmost care,” added Stauffer in a statement.

    Department of Homeland Security Spokeswoman Katie Waldman defended the department’s actions.

    “For the HHS OIG to claim it was not known that as a result of DHS actively (enforcing) this policy in the same manner for more than a decade children were placed in HHS custody casts doubt on the HHS OIG’s credibility on this topic,” she said.

    The American Civil Liberties Union, which had sued the administration to halt the “zero-tolerance” policy, threatened of more litigation in the future.  “This policy was a cruel disaster from the start.  This report reaffirms that the government never had a clear picture of how many children it ripped from their parents.  We will be back in court over this latest revelation,” said Lee Gelernt, lead attorney and deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project.

    Last year, the Trump administration erected a temporary tent facility in Tornillo, Texas, to hold children who had arrived unaccompanied at the southwest border or been detained as a result of the administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.

    The facility came under scrutiny last November when the HHS Inspector General Daniel R.  Levinson warned of “significant vulnerabilities,” including not properly vetting staff and a “dangerously low number of clinicians. ”

    It has since seen a drop in population, as children have been placed with sponsors.  An official with BCFS, the company that operates the Tornillo, Texas “tent city” facility for HHS, told CNN that there are no longer children left at that shelter.  At its peak, Tornillo housed almost 3,000 migrant children.  The vast majority have ended up in homes of vetted sponsors and about 300 were moved to other facilities while still in the sponsorship process, the official said.

    The source tells CNN that the next move is to finish breaking down and removing structures from the site.  They expect Tornillo to be completely shut down before the end of the month.

    In December, the administration reversed a controversial policy that required that adult members of a sponsor’s household to submit fingerprints to the FBI when applying to take in a child.  Immigrant advocates argued that the practice dissuaded some of those who lived in mixed-status households to come forward, leaving children in shelters for extended periods of time.

    Now, only sponsors must be fingerprinted and undergo background checks.

    After a child is apprehended, he or she is turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services.  The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is within the HHS, is charged with caring for the children and placing them with a sponsor in the United States.

    Customs and Border Protection apprehended about 50,000 unaccompanied children in fiscal year 2018, up from 41,435 in fiscal year 2017.
  © 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


The full articles of impeachment against Pres. Trump "for high crimes and misdemeanors" are read before the House Judiciary Committee.

The articles charge the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. https://t.co/Kq3iLF5z6h https://t.co/xXZCcwVNF9

As prepared for delivery:

    Good evening Ranking Member Collins, and distinguished Members of this Committee.

    Tonight, we begin consideration of two articles of impeachment against President Donald J.  Trump.

    The first article charges that the President used the powers of his public office to demand that a foreign government attack his political rivals.

    The second article charges that the President obstructed the congressional investigation into his conduct.   Other Presidents have resisted congressional oversight, but President Trump’s stonewall was complete, absolute, and without precedent in American history.

    Taken together, the two articles charge President Trump with placing his private, political interests above our national security, above our free and fair elections, and above our ability to hold public officials accountable.

    This Committee now owes it to the American people to give these articles close attention, and to describe their factual basis, meaning, and importance.

    I believe that three questions should frame our debate.

    First, does the evidence show clearly that the President committed these acts?

    Second, do they rise to the level of impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors?

    Third, what are the consequences for our national security, for the integrity of our elections, and for our country if we fail to act?

    To the first question, there can be no serious debate about what President Trump did.

    On July 25 of this year, when he spoke by telephone to President Zelensky of Ukraine, President Trump had the upper hand.   Ukraine had been invaded by Russia.   Zelensky had only recently been elected.   He badly needed our help.   He needed it in the form of military aid already appropriated by Congress because of our national security interests in Ukraine.   And he needed help in the form of an Oval Office meeting, so he could show the world that the United States stands with him against Russian aggression.

    President Trump should have been focused on America’s national security and on the interests of the American people on that call.

    Instead, he completely ignored them to push his own personal, political interests.

    President Trump asked for a favor.   He wanted Ukraine to announce two bogus investigations: one into former Vice President Biden, his leading opponent in the 2020 election; and another to advance a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, attacked our elections in 2016.

    These were not legitimate requests.   Neither was supported by the evidence.   One investigation was designed to help President Trump conceal the truth about the 2016 election.   The other was designed to help him gain an advantage in the 2020 campaign.   Both were divorced from reality—and from official U. S.  policy.

    The evidence proves that these requests were not related to any real interest in rooting out corruption.   President Trump eagerly does business with corrupt governments every day.

    The evidence shows that President Trump did not care if real investigations took place.   A public announcement that the government of Ukraine was investigating his rivals would have been enough for him to release the aid, whether or not an actual investigation ever took place.

    After the call, President Trump ratcheted up the pressure.   He dangled the offer of an Oval Office meeting.   He withheld $391 million in military aid.   His personal lawyer traveled to push the Ukrainians directly.   The President deployed other agents, including outside the official channels of diplomacy, to make his desires clear.

    By September, President Zelensky was ready to comply, and to announce the two fake investigations.   Then the scandal broke into the open.   Caught in the act, the President was forced to release the aid.

    When the House of Representatives opened an inquiry into the President’s actions, President Trump did everything in his power to obstruct the investigation.   He declared across-the-board resistance.   He ordered every official in the federal government to defy all subpoenas related to the inquiry.   At his command, the Administration also refused to produce a single document related to the inquiry.   Not one.

    To put this obstruction into context, during the Watergate hearings, President Nixon turned over recordings of his conversations in the Oval Office; later, President Clinton would hand over his DNA.

    President Trump’s obstruction was, by contrast, absolute.

    Those are the facts.   They are overwhelming.   There is no denying them.

    Having reviewed the evidence, we come to our second question:  is the President’s proven conduct impeachable?

    The answer is simple: absolutely.

    Under Article I, the President can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.

    The highest of high crimes is abuse of power.   It occurs when a President uses his official powers to serve his own personal, selfish interests at the expense of the public good.   To the founding generation that had fought a king and won our freedom, it was a specific, well-defined offense.

    The first article of impeachment charges President Trump with abuse of power.   The article describes President Trump’s conduct and lays out two aggravating factors that we must consider:  in pressuring Ukraine for a personal favor, President Trump both betrayed our national security and attempted to corrupt our elections.

    When the President weakens an ally who advances American security interests by fighting an American adversary, the President weakens America.

    And when the President demands that a foreign government investigate his domestic political rivals, he corrupts our elections.   To the Founders, this kind of corruption was especially pernicious.   Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy.

    If our elections are corrupt, everything is corrupt.

    The President faces a second article of impeachment for his ongoing efforts to obstruct a lawful investigation of his conduct.   We have never, in the history of our nation, seen a President categorically defy Congress in this manner.

    If the President can first abuse his power and then stonewall all congressional requests for information, Congress cannot fulfill its duty to act as a check and balance against the Executive—and the President becomes a dictator.

    Later tonight, you will hear more about both articles—and how they describe a pattern of behavior that President Trump seems determined to repeat, again and again.   My colleagues will also address various procedural objections that have been raised in the President’s defense.

    But there is one of those objections that I wish to address right away.   Some ask, why not take more time?   Why is this necessary now?   Why not let the next election handle it?

    This brings us to the third and final question: what is the risk if we do not act?

    Over the past 94 days since the House investigation began—indeed, over the past three years—one indisputable truth has emerged: if we do not respond to President Trump’s abuses of power, the abuses will continue.

    We cannot rely on an election to solve our problems when the President threatens the very integrity of that election.   Nor can we sit on our hands while the President undermines our national security—and while he allows his personal interests and the interests of our adversary Russia to advance.

    The President’s personal lawyer was in Ukraine again just last week.

    That was not three years ago.   That was not three months ago.   That was Saturday.   President Trump’s continuing abuses of power jeopardize our security and our elections.   The threat is urgent.   If we do not act—now—what happens next will be our responsibility as well as his.

    I will close with a word to my Republican colleagues.   I know you.   I have worked with many of you for years.   I have met your families.   I consider you to be good and decent public servants.

    I know this moment must be difficult, but you still have a choice.

    I hope every member of this Committee will withstand the political pressures of the moment.   I hope that none of us attempt to justify behavior that we know in our heart is wrong.   I hope that we are able to work together to hold this President—or any President—accountable for breaking his most basic obligations to the country and to its citizens.

    And while you think about that choice, please keep in mind that—one way or the other—President Trump will not be president forever.

    When his time has passed, when his grip on our politics is gone, when our country returns, as surely it will, to calmer times and stronger leadership, history will look back on our actions here today.   How would you be remembered?

    We have each taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.   I hope to be remembered for honoring that oath.   I hope you feel the same.

    And so, with a heavy heart but clear in my duty to our country, I support these articles of impeachment.   I urge my colleagues to support them as well.

    I yield back the balance of my time.
  © 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


A collage with a couple of images is being shared on social media claiming it as the pictures of mysterious tunnels in Dwaraka.  This post claims that an English author named John Wood published a book about the mysterious tunnels in Dwaraka.  Let’s verify the claims made in the post. Claim: Photos of the mysterious tunnels in Dwaraka. Fact: The first photo in the post shows a digitally created image, designed by a graphic designer named Batkya.  The second photo shows a pedestrian tunnel constructed between Kamenovo beach and Rafailovici village in Montenegro.  It is nowhere reported that an English author named John Wood, published a book on the Dwaraka Tunnels.  Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE. Photo-1:On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, a similar photo was found in an art community website ‘DeviantArt’.  It is mentioned as a digitally created image designed by a graphic designer named Batkya.  Batkya published this image on the ‘Behance’ image sharing website. Batkya (actual name Sergey Likhachev), is a graphic designer from Moscow city in Russia.  He created this image as part of his ‘Lost City’ album.  Batkya shared the making process of this image on his YouTube channel.  ‘Creative Media’ also shared this video on their YouTube channel.  From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post is a digitally created image. Photo-2:On the reverse image search, a similar photo was found in an article published by the ‘Total Montenegro News’ website.  According to the article, this photo shows a pedestrian tunnel constructed between Kamenovo beach and Rafailovici village in Montenegro.  Reporting the same, another news website published a similar image in their article. ‘Trip Advisor’ website also mentioned it as a tunnel constructed between Kamenovo beach and Rafailovici village.  Similar images of this tunnel can be found on Alamy, Shutter Stock websites.  A similar image of the tunnel is also available in Google Maps.  From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the photo shared in the post shows a pedestrian tunnel in Montenegro country. We could not find any reports on English author John Wood publishing the ‘Unsolved and Dangerous Mysteries’ book about the mysterious tunnels in Dwaraka. To sum it up, unrelated photos falsely shared as the mysterious tunnels in Dwaraka.


Congress and Left hold a joint meeting in Kolkata to discuss seat-sharing for the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections. https://t.co/IRD6OAm6wT

West Bengal Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) conducted a meeting on Thursday to discuss seat-sharing ahead of the 2021 Assembly Elections in the state. Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front along with Congress’ Abdul Mannan along with other Left leaders held a meeting after central leadership of both parties permitted the state units to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. “Seat sharing was discussed, but there has been no conclusion to that discussion as yet.  Further talks will take place,” Bose was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.  Both CPI(M) and Congress have attacked Trinamool Congress over the state’s law and order situation and on December 31 demanded that the Mamata Banerjee-led government prove its majority in the assembly. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that he does not believe that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has the support of an adequate number of legislators.  “Many ruling party MLAs have told me in private that the government is apparently scared to call an assembly session.  They also claimed that governance was getting affected due to the prevailing confusion,” Chakraborty was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury earlier this week said he does not want to take the TMC along with other Left parties in its objective to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).  He cited a strong anti-incumbency sentiment prevailing against Mamata Banerjee government as a reason behind his decision.  He also pointed out that TMC was a former ally of the BJP. “The anti-incumbency sentiment against the TMC government runs so deep and so large that any unity of all the anti-BJP forces will only help the BJP more.  It will be counter productive.  People have great anger against the TMC.  Aligning with Trinamool will therefore only turn people against us and help the BJP,” Yechury was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Congress leaders have also intensified their attacks on Mamata Banerjee-led government amid TMC suffering from a series of defections.  Abdul Mannan after hearing reports of discontent in TMC’s ranks had challenged chief minister Mamata Banerjee to prove her majority in the assembly.  “If your claim is true, please appear for a floor test in assembly,” the Congress leader said. Trinamool Congress is likely to face a close contest in the legislative assembly elections which are scheduled to take place later this year.  BJP leaders have travelled to Bengal multiple times with union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda leading the charge.  BJP president Nadda will once again visit the state on Saturday to review the state BJP unit’s preparations for the elections.  The state has also seen incidents of violence during rallies and skirmishes between party cadres which has raised concerns among ordinary citizens and lawmakers alike.


The timing of the shooting at Congregation Chabad is significant. It's the last day of Passover, one of the holiest Jewish celebrations of the year.

It also comes exactly six months to the day after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh https://t.co/a1vfjDkedq https://t.co/0venBiuWEg

The incident occurred at the Chabad of Poway synagogue. 1 dead, 3 injured in synagogue shootingA woman was fatally shot and three others were injured in a shooting during a Passover celebration at a San Diego synagogue Saturday, officials said. The shooting happened about 11:30 a. m.  local time at the  Chabad of Poway synagogue. The suspect, identified as 19-year-old John Earnest of San Diego, appeared to fire more than 10 rounds before leaving the synagogue, a law enforcement source told ABC News, noting that it all happened very quickly. "[We were] outside in front of our house and heard about six gunshots, a pause, some yelling and then another six or seven gunshots," neighbor Chris Folts said, adding that he went inside to call 911. During a news conference, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said that the shooter had an AR-15 style assault weapon. The four victims were transported to Palomar Medical Center, where one of them, a 60-year-old woman, died.  She was identified by the synagogue as Lori Gilbert Kaye. The three others, including a 1-year-old girl, are in stable condition, said Dr.  Michael Katz, a trauma doctor where the victims were taken. The sheriff said “some digital evidence” possibly ties Earnest to last month's mosque arson in Escondido, California, but would not elaborate.  While authorities are reviewing writings Earnest allegedly posted online, they have confirmed he has no known connection to white supremacist groups. Minoo Anvari, whose husband was inside the synagogue, said that she was with a customer when he called her. Anvari said that he told her, "One of my friends . . .  is down.  They took her to [the] hospital.  The rabbi lost two fingers.  But in spite of bleeding, he was trying to finish his speech.  He was telling all the people who know him, 'Be strong.  . . .  God helps us, God helps [our] country. '"Katz said the rabbi and the deceased woman were hit by "shrapnel from bullets. "An off-duty border patrol agent was inside the synagogue during the shooting.  The agent chased Earnest outside as he attempted to flee and fired at the alleged gunman, striking his vehicle, Gore said. Earnest was taken into custody after a K-9 officer saw him on the freeway, after which he jumped out of his car and put his hands up, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said during the conference. Officers saw a rifle in the front seat of the Earnest's vehicle, he added. The mayor of Poway tweeted Saturday afternoon, saying "hate has no place in ANY community. . . least of all Poway. ""The Poway I know comes together as we did just a few weeks ago. . .  We always walk with our arms around each other and we will walk through this tragedy with our arms around each other," Mayor Pete Vaus said during the news conference.  "We will get through this. "President Donald Trump also tweeted about the incident, praising law enforcement for their "outstanding job. "Relatives looking for their loved ones and synagogue-goers who were separated from the shooting were advised to go to Poway High School at 15500 Espola Road. The shooting comes six months to the day that 11 people were killed in a shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.  It also occurred on the last day of Passover in a synagogue whose members are part of one of the largest and most widely known Orthodox Jewish communities in the world. With the Chabad movement based in Brooklyn, New York, the New York Police Department said it was "closely monitoring" the situation and increasing patrols and presence at houses of worship out of an abundance of caution. ABC News' Christopher Donato contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane visited Ministry of Defence Riyadh and called on General Fayyad bin Hamid Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff CGS. He discussed issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation: Indian Army https://t.co/Ol31bxTjeC

Indian Army chief General M M Naravane on Sunday discussed issues of bilateral defence cooperation with Commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutir during his historic visit to the Gulf Kingdom. Gen Naravane, who arrived in Saudi Arabia on the second leg of his two-nation visit that included the United Arab Emirates, is the first-ever head of the Indian Army to travel to the two strategically important Gulf countries. “COAS discussed issues of bilateral defence cooperation with General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutir, Commander Royal Saudi Land Forces,” the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information said in a tweet on Sunday. He also received a Guard of Honour at headquarters of the Royal Saudi Land Forces. Earlier, Gen Naravane visited the UAE where he discussed bilateral defence cooperation and issues of mutual interest with the UAE’s Commander of the Land Forces Major General Saleh Mohammed Saleh Al Ameri. His visit is seen as a reflection of India’s growing strategic ties with the two countries and is expected to further open up new avenues for cooperation in the defence and security sphere. Gen Naravane’s visit comes in the midst of fast-paced developments in the Gulf region including normalisation of Israel’s relations with several Arab countries as well as situation arising out of the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Ahead of his visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Army said in a statement in New Delhi that “During the visit, he will be meeting his counterparts and senior military leadership of these countries.  The visit is historic in the sense that it will be the first time an Indian Army chief is visiting the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ” Gen.  Naravane’s visit to the Gulf region comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s trips to Bahrain and the UAE during which he called on top leaders of the two countries. In the last few years, India’s ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have witnessed a major upswing.  Last month, the Army chief travelled to Nepal on a three-day visit that had significant diplomatic overtone. In October, Gen.  Naravane travelled to Myanmar along with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on a very crucial visit during which India decided to supply an attack submarine to the Myanmar Navy besides agreeing to further deepen military and defence ties.


Encounter underway in Hardshiva area of Sopore. Police and security forces are on the job: Jammu & Kashmir Police https://t.co/Uo1LpSSQOS

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has been conferred with three prestigious Deen Dayal Upadhyay Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP) awards for its outstanding contribution to the socio-economic development of the gram panchayats across the Union territory. The awards conferred by the panchayati raj ministry were given to three villages in districts Rajouri and Pulwama. Rathal and Badakana in Rajouri and Meej in Pulwama were adjudged the best performing panchayats in recognition of their work in improving the delivery of services to the public including sanitation, natural resource management, maintaining record, construction of PMAY(G) houses, data management, implementation of agriculture-related schemes, electricity coverage etc. The J&K administration was earlier awarded three national awards – Nanaji Deshmukhh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar, Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award, Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award – by the Union ministry appreciating the good work done at different levels in the UT. Hailing the efforts of the department and sarpanches of these panchayats, secretary rural development and panchayati raj department Sheetal Nanda said, “These panchayats have adopted best practices in all the parameters, including providing piped water to the residents, maintaining record, giving scholarships to eligible students, providing employment to poor and marginalised residents etc.  She urged the other panchayats of the UT to emulate their best practices for the welfare of the general masses. She congratulated sarpanches Sobia Shaheen of Badakana, Abdul Rehman of Rathal and Naseer Ahmad Khanday of Meej.  Nanda also hailed the efforts of the concerned district panchayat officers Abdul Khabir and Mir Nasrool Hilal Jerri for their tireless dedication in achieving this feat.


India to go on a lockdown in next five days

The Press Information Bureau's (PIB) official fact-checking Twitter handle on Sunday rubbished a viral audio clip, which claimed that India will go into a lockdown in the next five days on account of the increasing positive cases of COVID-19 in the country.   As many as 108 people have tested positive in the country so far.   In the tweet, the PIB Fact Check said the claims about a lockdown are fake and called the clip an attempt at 'scaremongering'.   #PIBFactCheckThere is an audio clip being shared on WhatsApp that claims India will go into a lockdown.  The assertions made in the audio clip is fake and pure scaremongering.  Please do not forward it. #HelpUstoHelpU pic. twitter. com/64cmjXyNmq BOOM was able to ascertain that the clip in question is an audio recording of a girl, who claims that her father, a medical practitioner in the armed forces, has confirmed that the country will go into a lockdown from the next week.   The girl quotes his father as saying, "that all the army hospitals are now in direct contact with the Ministry of Health and now they have been ordered to create quarantine facilities everywhere. " The speaker claims that her father is in charge of one of the army hospitals, used for quarantining patients.  She further quotes her father as saying that "the Ministry of Health has instructed that the country is going to go on a lockdown for at least a month in the next five days. "  She then appeals to the listeners to decide whether "they want to go to their houses soon" or stay back wherever they are put, "as the situation will go worse. " In the later part of the audio clip, she claims that the lockdown has been announced till April 15 and that the country will come to a standstill during the period.  Later, she claims that the information is completely legitimate, as her 'father is in direct contact with the ministry. ' BOOM has chosen not to include the viral clip.  The clip has been doing the rounds on Whatsapp with the caption, "Some girl saying her army officer dad is in contact with the ministry of health who says k Country will go into lockdown within 5 days. " The audio is also viral with another message which appeals people to stock up grocery in the next five days, as 'situation will worsen. ' It is not clear who is behind the audio clip.


“This is a slap on the face of ‘godi’ media… The farmers’ revolution has reached even the most remote villages of the country.”

An image of a bullock cart rally has been falsely linked to the ongoing farmers’ protest with the claim that the ‘revolution’ has reached even the remote corners of villages.  The image can be traced back to September 2018 when Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress had led a rally to protest against the hike in petrol and diesel prices.  CLAIM The image was shared with the claim, “ये थप्पड़ है गोदी मीडिया के मुंह पर. . .  देश के सबसे पिछड़े गांवों तक भी किसानों का इन्कलाब पहुंच गया है. ” (Translation: “This is a slap on the face of ‘godi’ media… The farmers’ revolution has reached even the most remote villages of the country. ”) The image was extremely viral on Facebook with the false claim, and was also shared on Twitter.  WHAT WE FOUND OUT On a reverse image search we came across a report by Hindi daily, Patrika, dated 13 September 2018, carrying the image.  The report stated that the Youth Congress Party and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) had organised a bullock cart rally in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh to protest against the ‘arbitrary’ hike in petrol and diesel fuel prices.  The words ‘पेट्रोल’ (Petrol) and ‘जिला युवा कांग्रेस बालाघाट’ (Zilla Youth Congress Balaghat) can be seen in the posters held up by the protesters.  The flag of NSUI is also seen.  We also found photos of the rally on Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress’ Facebook page from the same day.  Other news reports, also reported on the incident, stating that the rally went to the Collector’s office to present their demands.  Evidently, a two-year old image from Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat has been falsely linked to the ongoing famer’s protest.  The Quint’s WebQoof team has debunked several other claims around the protest, which can be read here.


Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath), Congress leader @digvijaya_28 and Shiv Sena MP @rautsanjay61 at Andhra Pradesh CM & TDP Chief  N Chandrababu Naidu's (@ncbn) day-long fast in AP Bhawan, Delhi.  (ANI)

Follow live updates here: https://t.co/hLNnbCaMP7 https://t.co/1My5LXyz0A

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will undertake a day-long fast in Delhi on Monday, seeking special category status for the state and fulfilment of other commitments made by the Centre at the time of state’s bifurcation.  Naidu will begin the ‘Dharma Porata Deeksha’ at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan at 8 am after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat. Also Read | Andhra Pradesh hires two trains for Rs 1. 12 cr for Chandrababu Naidu’s Delhi protest against CentreThe fast is expected to turn out to be a grand show of unity of opposition parties with 21 leaders expressing their solidarity for the Naidu’s cause.  A source from the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP) said on condition of anonymity Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Naidu and express his solidarity for the cause of Andhra Pradesh, besides several other national leaders. Also Watch | Chandrababu Naidu to sit on one-day fast over special status for AP  Read highlights here:Chandrababu Naidu ends fastChandrababu Naidu ends his fast with water offered by former PM Deve Gowda. Prime Minister and NDA govt, they are dividing the country: CM NaiduThe present Prime Minister & NDA govt, they are dividing the country.  They are building hate campaign among people.  Ultimately, they want political gain, but it can’t be, says Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi, reports ANI. At Chandrababu’s day-long hunger strike, Kejriwal says Modi behaves like PM of PakistanDelhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, DMK’s T Siva and TMC’s Derek O’ Brien have arrived at Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s day-long fast in Delhi.  “We want to tell the prime minister that he is not the PM of BJP, he is the pm of the people of this country.  The way he treats the states with Opposition parties at helm.  it seems he is not the PM of Hindustan but of Pakistan,” said Kejriwal.  Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, DMK's T Siva and TMC's Derek O' Brien at Andhra Pradesh CM & TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu's day-long fast in Delhi pic. twitter. com/MITRXrgyiHNaidu joined by cabinet colleagues, Opposition leaders at his day-long hunger strikeNaidu’s cabinet colleagues, MPs, state legislators and leaders of student and employees groups and mass organisations were sitting with him on the fast.  A string of Opposition political leaders also met the TDP chief at his day-long hunger strike. Demand of special status to Andhra should be fulfilled without any further loss of time: Manmohan SinghFormer PM Manmohan Singh arrived at TDP chief’s day-long hunger strike, where he said, “the demand of special status to Andhra Pradesh should be fulfilled without any further loss of time. ”Delhi: Former Prime Minister & Congress leader Manmohan Singh at Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu's day-long fast, at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan.  pic. twitter. com/wEym76Hftk‘Is Andhra not part of India? ’: Rahul joins Chandrababu’s dharna“What kind of a prime minister is this, who can’t fulfil a promise he made to the people of Andhra Pradesh.  Is Andhra Pradesh not a part of this country that he is not fulfilling the commitment he made to the state?  Mr.  Modi has got no credibility left.  I assure you, in coming days the Opposition will show BJP its true place,” said Rahul Gandhi at Chandrababu Naidu’s day-long hunger strike. Rahul arrives at Chandrababu’s day-long hunger strikeRahul Gandhi has arrived at Chandrababu Naidu’s day-long hunger strike against Centre.  National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah and NCP’s Majeed Memon are also at the hunger strike venue. Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi at the Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu's day-long hunger strike against the central government.  pic. twitter. com/rKCjz9wz2lWe are here to unite the nation, BJP is here to divide: Chandrababu Naidu“We are seeking justice.  We are a part of the country.  I am asking national media to show solidarity to us.  It is our duty to remind him when he is not protecting Raj dharma.  We are suffering because of central government.  We are here to unite the nation, the BJP is here to divide, said Chandrababu Naidu. PM visited Guntur one day before the dharna.  What was the need?  asks ChandrababuAttacking the prime minister’s Andhra Pradesh visit, Chandrababu Naidu said,”Today, we came here all the way to protest against central govt.  Yesterday, PM visited Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, one day before the dharna.  What is the need, I am asking. ”Personal attacks by PM on me unwarranted: Chandrababu“You (PM spend so much time launching personal attacks on me that you forgot your promises.  The personal attacks by PM on me are unwarranted.  You can criticise my work but you shouldn’t do personal attacks.  You haven’t fulfilled your promises.  If you don’t , even now, we know how to get it done.  It’s about our self respect,” said Chandrababu NaiduBJP govt failed at every front: Naidu“The BJP govt failed at giving special status to Andhra, to release funds for the state.  They have failed at every front,” said TDP chief Chandrababu NaiduChandrababu’s hunger strike against Centre over demand of special status to AndhraAndhra Pradesh CM and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu began his day-long hunger strike at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan.  His hunger strike is against the central govt over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh. In March last year, the TDP had pulled out of the NDA government over its refusal to grant a special status to Andhra Pradesh. Andhra CM likely to be joined by cabinet colleagues, lawmakers in his day-long fastThe Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, Naidu, is likley to be joined by his cabinet colleagues, MPs, state legislators, and leaders of students and employees groups and mass organisations in his day-long fast in Delhi. Farooq Abdullah, Arvind Kejriwal to visit NaiduChairman of JKNC Farooq Abdullah and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will also visit Chandrababu Naidu’s one day fasting protest at 10 am and 1pm at AP Bhavan respectively. Rahul Gandhi to visit Chandrababu Naidu at Andhra Pradesh BhavanCongress president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting N Chandrababu Naidu’s Dharma Porata Deeksha (one day fasting protest) on Monday between 9am to 10am at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan. Chandrababu Naidu pays tribute at RajghatAndhra Pradesh CM and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu paid tribute at Rajghat.  Naidu is observing a daylong hunger strike here today against the central govt over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh.  Delhi: Andhra Pradesh CM and Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu pays tribute at Rajghat.  He is observing a daylong hunger strike here today against the central govt over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh.  pic. twitter. com/jqlvtwYStn


Facebook announces "ban on praise, support and representation of white nationalism and separatism on Facebook and Instagram." https://t.co/Vu7VKRt1Kq https://t.co/oiUnvA9OlS

By Lauren Fox and Ted Barrett, CNNUpdated 7:53 PM ET, Wed March 27, 2019  (CNN)The President has vowed to make the Republican Party the "party of health care. "CNN's Tami Luhby, Manu Raju and Mackenzie Happe contributed to this report.


Hollywood's cutest partners hit the red carpet together at the #Oscars. https://t.co/YJYz1jTWjb https://t.co/mMQUlQuj3G

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


Brazil says it will reject the $22 million G-7 countries promised to help fight the wildfires raging in the Amazon, and instead takes shots at French Pres. Macron over the Notre Dame fire. https://t.co/Dskud9cLcF

By Ivana Kottasová, Shasta Darlington, Claudia Dominguez, Vasco Cotovio and Jonny Hallam, CNNUpdated 0828 GMT (1628 HKT) August 28, 2019 São Paulo, Brazil (CNN)The Brazilian government walked back its rejection of $20 million in foreign aid to help fight fires blazing in the Amazon rainforest on Tuesday, saying it would take international aid after all.   Shasta Darlington reported from São Paulo, Claudia Dominguez and Jonny Hallam reported from Atlanta, Vasco Cotovio reported from London and Ivana Kottasová wrote in London.


P Chidambaram,Congress in Rajya Sabha: Momentarily you may think you have scored a victory, but you are wrong and history will prove you to be wrong. Future generations will realize what a grave mistake this house is making today. #Article370 https://t.co/NC3XrFeeU5

As members of the treasury benches clapped and gave a standing ovation to Home Minister Amit Shah when he entered the Rajya Sabha, it became amply clear that the Modi government had decided to axe Article 370 of the Constitution that gives Jammu and Kashmir special status. When Rajya Sabha Chairman M.  Venkaiah Naidu told the members that he had given special permission to the Home Minister to move a resolution and bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, it was a clear indication what lay behind the major military build up in the state. Minutes later, Shah proposed scrapping provisions that allowed Jammu and Kashmir a special status among all Indian states.  This triggered a massive uproar from the Congress and other parties over the manner in which the resolutions had been brought.  Two PDP members, Nazir Ahmad Laway and Mir Mohammad Fayaz, were very agitated.  They were immediately removed from the House by marshals on orders from the Chairman. Watch Amit Shah move resolution on Article 370: Opposing the bills introduced by Amit Shah, Fayaz tore his own kurta while Nazir Ahmad tore up the Indian constitution. The din continued even as the Chair repeatedly appealed members to allow the House to function.  Members of many parties including Congress, TMC, PDP, CPI and regional parties staged a sit-in protest in the well of the House. Even as the uproar continued, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the tearing up of the Constitution, saying “We stand by the Indian Constitution.  We will sacrifice our lives for protecting the Constitution. ”After proposing to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir by removing the controversial Article 370, Amit Shah quoted Article 370 (3) of the Constitution to assert that the President of India can make the Article 370 inoperative under this provision. “This morning, a Presidential notification, a Constitutional order, has come under which the Honourable President has said that constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir means Jammu and Kashmir assembly.  Because there is no constituent assembly today, the rights of it is vested in the assembly of J&K assembly.  As there is President Rule in the state at this time, the rights of J&K assembly is vested in the two Houses of Parliament,” the Minister said in the Rajya Sabha. “We can pass the Presidential order unanimously.  This has not happened for the first time.  In 1952 and 1962, the Congress had amended the Article 370 using the same provision.  We have followed the same route,” Shah said. As per the proposed legislation, the government has decided to bifurcate the state into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature, and Ladakh which will not have any Assembly. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)


"We're told it could still totally collapse any minute now, yet firefighters are still inside."

@VictorOquendo has the latest from the scene of an urgent search and rescue operation following a building collapse in Surfside, Florida. https://t.co/jBk8ByGUVL https://t.co/DOjXElyeB0

By Jason Hanna and Leyla Santiago, CNNUpdated 10:08 PM ET, Thu June 24, 2021 Surfside, Florida (CNN)An intense search and rescue effort will continue through the night after part of a 12-story residential building collapsed early Thursday in the South Florida town of Surfside, killing at least one and leaving almost 100 people unaccounted for. CNN's Leyla Santiago reported from Surfside; Amanda Watts and Jason Hanna reported and wrote from Atlanta.  Curt Devine, Rosa Flores, Paul P.  Murphy, Melissa Alonso, John Couwels, Gregory Lemos, Steve Almasy, Hollie Silverman, Michelle Krupa, Joe Sutton and Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.


India demonstrates solidarity with the people of Lebanon in the aftermath of the tragic explosions in Beirut. 58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid, including crucial medical & food supplies, is on its way to Beirut in IAF C17 aircraft: S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister https://t.co/OJZaR06XOn

India on Friday sent 58 tonnes of emergency humanitarian aid to Lebanon in an air force plane to assist the people affected by the explosions in Beirut on August 4.  The external affairs ministry said a separate consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE), including surgical gloves and surgical gowns, is being sent to Lebanon following a spike in Covid-19 cases.  This will reach Beirut in the coming days, ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. India stands in solidarity with #LebanonToday C-17 of @IAF_MCC delivered 58 MT of humanitarian aid from India to the people of Lebanon to assist relief efforts in wake of the tragic #BeirutBlast.  Read @IndiaInLebanon’s press release https://t. co/vd4HQaAXtO for more.  pic. twitter. com/GeJi8myRCQThe emergency humanitarian aid was despatched on Friday morning in a C-17 heavy lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in response to an assessment of requirements by Lebanese authorities.  “In response to the massive explosion in Beirut on August 4, we had offered our assistance to Lebanon and sought from them an assessment of their requirement.  Based on this, an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft was deployed to deliver 58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the government of India to Lebanon,” Srivastava said.  “The aircraft landed in Beirut a few hours back and the aid has been handed over by our ambassador to senior officials of the Lebanese armed forces, which is coordinating all the relief efforts. ” The aid sent by India includes emergency medical supplies, wheat flour, sugar, pulses, and relief materials such as blankets, dignity kits and sleeping mats, which are required by the large number of people left homeless by the explosion.  “India demonstrates solidarity with the people of Lebanon in the aftermath of the tragic explosions in Beirut.  58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid, including crucial medical and food supplies, is on its way to Beirut in IAF C17 aircraft,” external affairs minister S Jaishankar tweeted.  Nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut’s port blew up on August 4, virtually wiping out the city’s commercial hub and damaging many parts of the Lebanese capital.  The blasts killed more than 170 people, injured another 6,000 and left nearly 300,000 homeless.  The total damage has been estimated at $10 billion to $15 billion.  A preliminary assessment by the World Bank showed some 50,000 residential units were damaged and 80 per cent of residential buildings and infrastructure were affected by the explosions.