Fact-checking Trump's border speech and DACA offer https://t.co/MGyihx91eK https://t.co/dhlScPR56K

Amid the border wall funding fight, the dubious claims mounted.  Trump on border wall: 'I will never ever back down'President Donald Trump and House Speaker Speaker Nancy Pelosi engaged in a political tit-for-tat over border wall funding this week, as the longest government shutdown in U. S.  history seemed to have no end in sight.  While the back and forth continues over border wall funding, the dubious claims mounted. Welcome to Fact Check Friday. On day 28 of the partial government shutdown, President Trump cited an article from a conservative news outlet reporting that residents along the Southern border have found Muslim prayer rugs.  The president tried to use the story to show that people from outside of Mexico and Central America are illegally entering the U. S. "Border rancher: “We’ve found prayer rugs out here.  It’s unreal. ”  Washington Examiner," Trump tweeted.  "People coming across the Southern Border from many countries, some of which would be a big surprise. "In his tweet, the president is falsely trying to tie prayer rugs used during worship by Muslims to terrorism and the threat of terrorists entering the United States via the Southern border. There is no evidence of prayer mats being strewn across the border.  The article the president referenced includes a list from Arizona's Customs and Border Protection of the countries of origins of people arrested on the border.  None of those countries are predominantly Muslim. After his appearance on CNN this week, Giuliani tried to clear up things up with a statement. "I represent only President Trump not the Trump campaign," Giuliani said.  "There was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form.  Likewise, I have no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign.  The only knowledge I have in this regard is the collusion of the Clinton campaign with Russia which has so far been ignored. "President Donald Trump, speaking in New Orleans on Monday, listed tens of thousands of crimes he said were committed by undocumented immigrants, part of a pattern of statements he’s made linking immigrants to crime in his effort to gain support for his proposed border wall. It echoed his prime-time address last Tuesday in which he used the same numbers. Here’s the problem:There is no national database that compares crimes committed by immigration status.  In fact, only one state – Texas – does so.  That means there’s no national database that breaks down crimes committed by native-born citizens or immigrants, or those in the country illegally, making it difficult to confirm or dispute the president’s numbers. What available studies do show, however, is that overall, crime rates are lower among immigrant groups than they are among native-born Americans. Read more from Cheyenne Haslett’s reporting. In the last 5 days #YumaSector #BorderPatrol has arrested people from 7 countries trying to illegally enter the U. S.  #NationalSecurity #SouthwestBorderChinaGuatemalaHondurasMexicoEl SalvadorNicaraguaIndia pic. twitter. com/8pHeFnbYOiIt's also the latest attempt by the president to bolster support for border security and justify his demands for $5. 7 billion to build a wall or barrier, but, as we noted in last week's fact check, there is no evidence of terrorist operatives entering through Mexico, according to a State Department report. “At year’s end there was no credible evidence indicating that international terrorist groups have established bases in Mexico, worked with Mexican drug cartels, or sent operatives via Mexico into the United States,” the department concluded in a 2017 report.  “The U. S.  southern border remains vulnerable to potential terrorist transit, although terrorist groups likely seek other means of trying to enter the United States. ”Administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen have repeatedly claimed that 3,755 "known or suspected terrorists were prevented from traveling to or entering the United States. "However, the Department of Homeland Security has clarified that the majority of these individuals were trying to come into the U. S.  by air. In an interview on CNN, President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed he never said there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Giuliani was on CNN to defend his client, the president, regarding "false reporting" on the Russia investigation. Chris Cuomo pressed Giuliani.  "Mr.  Mayor, false reporting is saying that nobody in the campaign had any contacts with Russia.  False reporting is saying that there has been no suggestion of any kind of collusion between the campaign and any Russians. ""You just misstated my position," Giuliani jumped in to say.  "I never said there was no collusion between the campaign!  Or between the people in the campaign. "This simply isn’t true. Giuliani, the president, and the White House, have claimed – at least a dozen times, according to an ABC News analysis – that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. According to sources close to Manafort defense: “The coooeration agree does not involve the Trump campaign. . . . There was no collusion with Russia. ” Another road travelled by Mueller.  Same conclusion: no evidence of collusion President did nothing wrong. After his appearance on CNN this week, Giuliani tried to clear up things up with a statement. "I represent only President Trump not the Trump campaign," Giuliani said.  "There was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form.  Likewise, I have no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign.  The only knowledge I have in this regard is the collusion of the Clinton campaign with Russia which has so far been ignored. "President Donald Trump, speaking in New Orleans on Monday, listed tens of thousands of crimes he said were committed by undocumented immigrants, part of a pattern of statements he’s made linking immigrants to crime in his effort to gain support for his proposed border wall. It echoed his prime-time address last Tuesday in which he used the same numbers. Here’s the problem:There is no national database that compares crimes committed by immigration status.  In fact, only one state – Texas – does so.  That means there’s no national database that breaks down crimes committed by native-born citizens or immigrants, or those in the country illegally, making it difficult to confirm or dispute the president’s numbers. What available studies do show, however, is that overall, crime rates are lower among immigrant groups than they are among native-born Americans. Read more from Cheyenne Haslett’s reporting. "You just misstated my position," Giuliani jumped in to say.  "I never said there was no collusion between the campaign!  Or between the people in the campaign. "This simply isn’t true. Giuliani, the president, and the White House, have claimed – at least a dozen times, according to an ABC News analysis – that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. According to sources close to Manafort defense: “The coooeration agree does not involve the Trump campaign. . . . There was no collusion with Russia. ” Another road travelled by Mueller.  Same conclusion: no evidence of collusion President did nothing wrong. After his appearance on CNN this week, Giuliani tried to clear up things up with a statement. "I represent only President Trump not the Trump campaign," Giuliani said.  "There was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form.  Likewise, I have no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign.  The only knowledge I have in this regard is the collusion of the Clinton campaign with Russia which has so far been ignored. "President Donald Trump, speaking in New Orleans on Monday, listed tens of thousands of crimes he said were committed by undocumented immigrants, part of a pattern of statements he’s made linking immigrants to crime in his effort to gain support for his proposed border wall. It echoed his prime-time address last Tuesday in which he used the same numbers. Here’s the problem:There is no national database that compares crimes committed by immigration status.  In fact, only one state – Texas – does so.  That means there’s no national database that breaks down crimes committed by native-born citizens or immigrants, or those in the country illegally, making it difficult to confirm or dispute the president’s numbers. What available studies do show, however, is that overall, crime rates are lower among immigrant groups than they are among native-born Americans. Read more from Cheyenne Haslett’s reporting. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


President Trump congratulated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on "a great win" in the Nevada caucuses, saying he hopes the Democratic presidential candidate is "treated fairly" during the nominating process. https://t.co/SwE8TKUNsn

Sanders also ran competitively in the state among unaccustomed support groups. Sen.  Bernie Sanders wins Nevada Democratic primarySen.  Bernie Sanders ran competitively in unaccustomed support groups amid the Nevada Democratic caucuses while sweeping the table among Latino, young and very liberal voters, leaving his competitors wrestling inconclusively over the sharply fragmented remains, according to ABC News' entrance poll results. Latinos joined the Sanders brigade in Nevada, the most diverse state to participate so far, giving him 51% of their votes, a vast tally in a seven-candidate race.  Sanders fell off sharply among blacks, to 27% -- yet that was good enough for second place to former Vice President Joe Biden’s 39% among blacks, Biden’s single best group.  The Vermont senator won 29% of whites, easily first in this group,Sanders won half of independent caucusgoers in the Silver State on Saturday, a core support group in his 2016 race against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Yet he won Nevada Democrats as well, with 31% support.  While seven in 10 mainline Democrats voted for someone else, no other individual candidate won more than 20% of their votes, well under Sanders’ tally among party regulars. Further, Sanders won half of very liberal caucusgoers and 29% of "somewhat" liberals, prevailing in both groups.  Yet he also ran competitively among moderates, with 22% support  near Biden, with 25% and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, with 20%. Sanders did better among moderates and Democrats in Nevada than in Iowa or New Hampshire. The results in some respects are similar to the 2016 Republican contests, when President Donald Trump fell short of majority support until mid-April, but maintained a plurality in most contests while his opponents divided the rest. As in Iowa and New Hampshire, caucusgoers far and away cited health care as their top issue -- 44% placed it first among four issues tested -- and Sanders won 38% support in this group.  He won 48% among the majority who support a government-run, single payer health system.  And he pulled 41% among those most concerned with income inequality, another signature issue. Sanders ran about evenly with Biden among the majority of caucusgoers -- with 66% -- who said they care more about beating Trump than about supporting the candidate who agrees with them on major issues.  Twenty-three percent in this group backed Sanders, compared with 21% for Biden, 17% for Buttigieg and 10 to 13% apiece for Minnesota Sen.  Amy Klobuchar, Massachusetts Sen.  Elizabeth Warren and Businessman Tom Steyer. On the flip side, among those most focused on choosing the candidate who aligns with them on major issues, Sanders soared to 54% support. The Nevada caucusgoers made up their minds comparatively early; among those who voted Saturday -- excluding early voters -- just 13% say they finally chose their candidate in the last few days, compared with 36% in Iowa and 51% in New Hampshire.  This at least in part reflects the fact that Nevadans were the first to have the ability to vote early, from Feb.  15-18. Sanders did especially well, 47% support, among nearly half of voters who decided before January. The Nevada electorate was more diverse and more liberal than in Iowa or New Hampshire.  Whites accounted for 65% of participants, compared with about 90% in the first two states.  Latinos accounted for 19% of Nevada participants; blacks, 11%. At the same time, entrance poll results indicated a decline in participation of racial and ethnic minorities.  Nonwhites accounted for 35% of caucusgoers, compared with 41% in 2016. Sanders won a thumping 57% support from voters younger than 45.  He garnered far less support among those 45 and older, plummeting to 11% among seniors, in a narrow band with Buttigieg, Steyer and Warren. Biden won seniors with 29%, followed by Klobuchar with 19%. Sanders further won about half of those who described themselves as "very liberal"-- 30% of caucusgoers, compared with 25% in Iowa and 21% in New Hampshire. By education, Sanders again did better with less-educated voters, winning 42% of those without a college degree vs.  27% of those with one. Labor made more of an appearance than in the previous contests: 24% of caucusgoers were from union households, compared with 16% of New Hampshire primary voters.  That said, their votes didn’t differ substantially than those from non-union households. The Nevada entrance poll measured caucusgoers’ initial preferences; final results can differ since those whose candidate falls short of 15% get a second choice. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Check out the most eye-catching looks from the #Oscars red carpet https://t.co/7OPAyZdTOu https://t.co/p8GiQDdQzR

There was glitz, glamour and so much more! Gaga, J. Lo, Glenn Close: Here's our round up of the best red carpet looks of the 2019 OscarsThe 2019 Oscars are officially here, and the red carpet is full of celebrities who have waited for this moment to bring their fashion A-game. We've rounded up some of our favorite looks of the night. Lady GagaConstance WuAngela BassettBilly PorterDiane WarrenStephen JamesRegina KingAshley GrahamAmandla StenbergSpike LeeYalitza AparicioCharlize TheronAdam LambertMelissa McCarthyEmilie ClarkeAwkwafinaGlenn CloseJennifer HudsonMichelle YeohHelen MirrenEmma StoneMaya RudolphTina FeyBrie LarsonTessa ThompsonSarah Paulson24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


"It doesn't really feel like we're being impeached," said Pres. Trump at his Michigan campaign rally, moments before becoming the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. https://t.co/RGzT2NBJqr https://t.co/3k2dqa1tga

By Jeremy Herb, Alex Rogers and Phil Mattingly, CNNUpdated 1:58 PM ET, Thu December 19, 2019Washington (CNN)Nancy Pelosi was irritated. CNN's Manu Raju and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.


IAF Wing Commander #AbhinandanVarthaman was accompanied by IAF Group Captain Joy Thomas Kurien, Defence Attache to Indian High Commission in Pakistan. https://t.co/CWNiLvYFgU

The body of a 45-year-old Pakistani prisoner killed in Jaipur Central Jail on February 20, allegedly by four other inmates after a brawl over watching television, was sent to the Wagah border post on Friday evening, the police said. Shakir Ullah, alias Mohammed Hanif, hailed from Sialkot in Pakistan.  He was arrested by the Rajasthan anti-terror squad from a jail in Ferozpur, Punjab, in 2000 after the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) intercepted phone calls from him to some locals in Jhalawar in south-east Rajasthan to expand Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) terror activities in the region.  He was convicted of terror activities on December 6, 2017.  “We received orders from the ministry of home affairs to send the body to Wagah border.  Our team will hand it over to the MHA (ministry of home affairs) or MEA (ministry of external affairs) officials at the border,” said additional commissioner of Jaipur police, Laxman Gaur. An escort vehicle with one circle inspector and four members of the police quick response team (QRT) accompanied the body, he added. The body, which left Jaipur around 6pm, is likely to reach the Wagah post in 20 hours.  The body had been kept in a deep freezer in Sawai Man Singh Hospital’s mortuary after the post mortem on February 21, and was embalmed before the dispatch.  “Documents of the police and competent authorities are also being sent along.  The body will be handed over after getting the NOC (no objection certificate) from the high commission,” said Jaipur (East) deputy commissioner of police Rahul Jain.


CNN PROJECTION: Joe Biden wins New Jersey

Donald Trump wins Arkansas https://t.co/fzYSTctTS0 #CNNElection https://t.co/e7imC0UAE8

The president-elect emphasized how he would handle the pandemic response. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris deliver 1st message of unity after historic winJoe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump.  ABC News characterized Joe Biden as the apparent winner of his home state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 vote threshold needed to capture the presidency. The hard-fought battle against the president was set against the backdrop of racial unrest and the coronavirus pandemic and bitter divisions among the electorate. Trump had falsely declared on election night, when he held a lead in several key states, that he won the contest and alleged without evidence, after the count started to swing the other way, that the election was being stolen from him and that fraud had been committed. Painting the election as a "battle for the soul of the nation," Biden won on a message of unity over division, compassion over anger, and reality over what he called Trump's "wishful thinking" as the coronavirus pandemic cast a heavy shadow over the campaign. The 2020 election has shattered voting records with votes totaling 147 million and counting, surpassing the 138 million who voted in 2016. A Justice Department official confirmed Monday evening that Richard Pilger, a career official who was serving as director of the Elections Crimes Branch, has resigned from his role in the division because of the attorney general's memo authorizing U. S.  attorneys to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Pilger has stepped back into a role in the DOJ's Public Integrity Section. The New York Times reported that Pilger wrote to colleagues in an email this evening, "Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications, I must regretfully resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch. ”A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Pilger's resignation. When ABC News sought a response from Pilger, an automatic reply to the email said, "I am no longer the Director of the Election Crimes Branch, and have stepped back to the line at the Public Integrity Section. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinThe Biden transition team will not receive full intelligence briefings until the General Services Administration officially "ascertains" the former vice president to be winner of the presidential election, according to a statement from the Office of Director of National Intelligence on Monday. "ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition.  ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA Administrator," an ODNI spokesperson said in a statement. Meanwhile, outside government watchdogs are already warning that a continued delay in briefings could carry grave national security implications for the incoming administration. Aaron Scherb, the legal director at Common Cause, told ABC News on Monday that the "petty and unproductive" decision by GSA to withhold key resources to the Biden transition could have the "potential for catastrophic results. " "By GSA not signing off on this, there is certainly some classified intelligence information that the incoming administration would not have access to -- and would potentially not be fully prepared on day one to be able to counteract ongoing efforts from our adversaries like all previous incoming administrations have," Scherb said. "If the Biden transition team doesn't have access to some of the documents and information," he continued, "there are national security concerns. "-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Lucien BruggemanAttorney General William Barr sent a memo to U. S.  attorneys Monday evening authorizing them to "pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities," despite little evidence surfacing thus far of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. In the memo Barr says that such inquiries "may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State. "But Barr emphasized in the letter that this should not be taken as the DOJ believing there was widespread fraud -- a baseless claim being made by attorneys for Trump and the RNC.  Rather, he's doling authority out to U. S.  attorneys in the event they might uncover any such credible evidence of a fraud conspiracy that might affect vote tabulations before election results are certified. "Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election," Barr wrote.  "Rather, I provide this authority and guidance to emphasize the need to timely and appropriately address allegations of voting irregularities so that all of the American people, regardless of their preferred candidate or party, can have full confidence in the results of our elections. ""While it is imperative that credible allegations be addressed in a timely and effective manner, it is equally imperative that Department personnel exercise appropriate caution and maintain the Department's absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship," Barr said in the memo.  "While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries. "-ABC News' Alexander MallinBiden is slated to give remarks focused on the Affordable Care Act and the Trump administration's lawsuit to overturn it.  Biden will talk about his own plan "to expand access to quality, affordable health care. "The event in Wilmington, Delaware, is slated for 2 p. m. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments at 10 a. m.  in the case brought by Trump and 18 Republican-led states asking that the Affordable Care Act be eliminated in its entirety.


A Democratic congressman ate KFC at today's House hearing on the Mueller report: "Chicken Barr should have showed up" https://t.co/WE2GtlPp5W https://t.co/BsKVKt9a2G

The attorney general met with lawmakers for five hours on Wednesday. William Barr to face questions over Mueller reportA defiant Attorney General William Barr arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday amid relentless criticism from Democrats over his rollout of special counsel Robert Mueller's findings. Democrats' concerns were buttressed before Wednesday's hearing when news outlets, including ABC News, reported that Mueller had expressed frustration over the attorney general's failure to "fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his conclusions in a letter Barr sent Congress shortly after receiving the special counsel's report. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday had their first crack at questioning Barr since the report was made public.  Here are seven key takeaways:Despite questions about his impartiality from Democrats, Barr maintained a posture defending President Donald TrumpThe attorney general on Wednesday consistently appeared to defend Trump, repeatedly claiming that he and his campaign had been "falsely accused. ""How did we get to the point here where the evidence is now that the president was falsely accused of colluding with the Russians, and accused of being treasonous, and accused of being a Russian agent? " Barr asked.  "The evidence is now that was without a basis, and two years of this administration have been dominated by the allegations that have now been proven false. ""To listen to some of the rhetoric," Barr continued, "you would think the Mueller report had found the opposite. "The word "collusion," itself, does not appear in the federal code.  Mueller in his report weighed in on the use of the non-legal term saying "this Office evaluated potentially criminal conduct that involved the collective action of multiple individuals not under the rubric of 'collusion,' but through the lens of conspiracy law. "The attorney general justified examples of what the report described as potential instances of obstruction against Trump investigated by Mueller's office, including his use of the word "flipping. ""By 'flipping,' he meant succumbing to pressure on unrelated cases to lie and compose in order to get lenient treatment on the cases," Barr said.  "Discouraging 'flipping' in that sense is not obstruction. "On obstruction of justice, the special counsel's office made no conclusion on the matter of possible obstruction of justice by Trump, but Barr noted, that the attorney general himself determined that the evidence against Trump did not amount to a crime. Mueller didn't intend report as roadmap for Congress, according to Barr: 'That would be very inappropriate'As Democrats grapple over the implications and effectiveness of pursuing impeachment proceedings against Trump, the attorney general on Wednesday insisted the special counsel did not intend for his report to be used as a roadmap for Congress to consider possible obstruction of justice. "[Mueller] has not said that he conducted the investigation in order to turn it over to Congress," Barr told Sen.  Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.  "That would be very inappropriate, that is not what the Justice Department does. "Leahy cited a passage in Mueller's report in which he suggested that Congress, as an equal branch of government, has the authority to take the information uprooted by Mueller and either craft laws to prevent future presidents from conducting behavior described in the report, or, as "a drastic and rarely invoked remedy," pursue impeachment. "I don't think Bob Mueller was suggesting the next step was for him to turn this stuff over to Congress to act upon," Barr insisted.  "That's not why we conduct grand jury investigations. "Tensions between Barr and MuellerBarr and Mueller have known each other since the early 1990s, when both served in the Justice Department.  But on Wednesday, Barr landed several jabs at his long-time friend, calling into question some of Mueller's procedural decisions. During questioning by Sen.  Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Barr said he remains unsure of Mueller's rationale for declining to decide one way or the other whether Trump obstructed justice, telling the committee he "didn't want to try and put words in Bob Mueller's mouth. ""I think that if he felt that he shouldn't go down the path of making a traditional prosecutive decision, then he shouldn't have investigated," Barr said.  "That was the time to pull up. "For his part, Mueller complained in a March 27 letter that Barr's initial four-page summary of the probe's findings led to "public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. "At the end of Wednesday's hearing, Barr took a parting shot at Mueller, calling that letter "a bit snitty. " The attorney general blunted the blow by following up, "I think it was probably written by one of his staff people. "Barr had no interest in releasing summaries, despite Mueller's requestsIn his March 27 letter addressed to Barr, the special counsel pleaded for the attorney general to release executive summaries prepared by his office to "alleviate the misunderstandings that have arisen. "But Barr was not interested. "[Mueller] argued for putting out summaries of each volume," Barr said.  "And I thought summaries by very definition, regardless of who prepared them, would be under-inclusive and we would have sort of a series of different debates and public discord. ""The body politic was in a high state of agitation," Barr said, and there was speculation about whether the president or members of his family might be indicted. "People were suggesting if it took any time to turn around the report and get it out it would mean the president was in legal jeopardy," Barr claimed.  "So I didn't feel that it was in the public interest to allow this to go on for several weeks without saying anything. "Furor over Mueller complaint is 'mind-bendingly bizarre,' Barr argued The attorney general said furor over the special counsel's March 27 letter is a moot point -- "mind-bendingly bizarre," as he put it -- because the report was eventually released in its entirety, albeit lightly redacted.  Mueller sent the letter after in response to Barr's four-page communique to Congress describing the report's conclusions. "I think this whole thing is sort of mind-bendingly bizarre," Barr said, referring to uproar over revelations that Mueller expressed frustration over the attorney general's handling of his findings.  "I made clear from the beginning that I was putting out the report, as much of the report as I could, and it was clear it was going to take three weeks or so, maybe four, to do that. "Mueller Letter to Barr Marc. . .  by  on ScribdDemocrats have accused Barr of "[shaping] the public's perception of the report," Rep.  Adam Schiff, D-Calif. , chairman of the House Oversight Committee, by penning a four-page letter describing the report's "principal conclusions" within 48 hours of receiving the special counsel's findings. "My concern is that gave President Trump and his folks more than three weeks to say I was completely exonerated," Sen.  Chris Coons, D-Del. , said Wednesday. Democrats call Barr's credibility into question as Republicans turn attention back to Hillary Clinton Democrats and Republicans viewed Wednesday's hearing through a deeply partisan lens. Democrats on the panel sought to condemn Barr for his handling of Mueller's report, criticizing his "willingness to seem to brush over this," as presidential hopeful Sen.  Cory Booker, D-N. J. , said.  Another Democrat, Sen.  Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, called on Barr to resign during her questioning, and another prospective 2020 contender, Sen.  Kamala Harris, D-Calif. , said the same to reporters outside the committee room. In one of the testier exchanges of the hearing, Sen.  Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R. I. , accused Barr of "masterful hair-splitting. "Republicans had a different focus: Hillary Clinton. Several Republicans invoked the former Democratic nominee, including the committee's chairman, Sen.  Lindsey Graham, R-S. C. , who spent a considerable portion of his opening statement slamming her campaign and the Justice Department investigation into email server controversy. Others heaped praise on the attorney general, including a former 2016 presidential hopeful, Texas Republican Sen.  Ted Cruz, who commended Barr for "leading the department of justice both with integrity and fidelity to law. "Graham punts to the House, won't call Mueller to testify: "Enough already! ""For me, it is over," the committee chairman said -- not at the end of Wednesday's hearing, but at the beginning -- capturing a sentiment shared by many of his Republican colleagues. By the end of the hearing, as he departed the committee room, Graham said he would give the special counsel the opportunity to respond to Barr's testimony in writing, but pressed for an answer as to why he would not invite Mueller to testify in person, Graham exclaimed, "enough already! "With the Republican-controlled Senate panel ostensibly finished handling fallout from the special counsel's report, attention moves to the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee. The Justice Department on Wednesday informed the House Judiciary Committee that Barr would decline to testify before the panel on Thursday, amid disagreements over the hearing's format, according to committee aides. "When push comes to shove, the administration cannot dictate the terms of our hearing and our hearing room," House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler told reporters.  He added that his committee is seeking the full unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and that compliance with the committee's request is "not optional. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Recently, a few posters of BCCI president and former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly were shared on Facebook and Twitter.  Each poster correlates to a different political party’s colours and symbols.  In one of these, he is seen wearing a saffron kurta with the BJP logo in the background.  In the second, he is pictured in a green kurta with the Trinamool Congress symbol behind him.  The final one shows him in a red kurta standing in front of the CPI(M) banner.  All three feature the same Bengali text that reads, ‘স্বাগতম দাদা’ (Welcome Dada). The images, which are viral on Facebook, are posted below. This slideshow requires JavaScript. Several users are sharing the collage.
A few Twitter users are also circulating the posters. স্বাগতম দাদা।।।।। এবার বাংলায় দাদাকে চাই।।।।। বাংলায় নতুন পরিবর্তন চাই।। খেলা হবে।।।। জমিয়ে খেলা হবে।।।।।।। 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎 pic. twitter. com/Y78PxHli9F— Rinku Modak…🇮🇳🚩 (@jai_Bhagwa) March 2, 2021Alt News performed a reverse image search and located the original photo on Pinterest which says that this is a promotional photo used for an incense stick advertisement.  Sourav Ganguly is endorsing the Cycle Rhythm Agarbathi (incense sticks). The original picture given below features the company colors and imagery in the background instead of any party symbol.
The ex-cricketer himself tweeted a similar picture of the advertisement in which he is wearing the same saffron kurta with the brand’s logo in the background. The sweet smell of cycle rhythm agarbatti pic. twitter. com/YCa8X8Nmrv— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) September 4, 2016The full-length advertisement, uploaded on October 5, 2016, can be viewed on the company’s YouTube channel.  It is more than four years old. The posters are being circulated now since West Bengal is set to go to polls for the upcoming assembly election.  It is common for new entrants to join parties and change their affiliations ahead of polls.  There has been constant speculation about the former sportsman entering politics and contesting in the Bengal elections.  There were rumours that he would join Prime Minister Modi at his recent rally in Kolkata.  Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh had cleared the air, stating that while no such discussions took place with the ex-cricket captain, he would be welcomed if he ever decided to join.  Aaj Tak spoke to Sourav Ganguly on March 8.  He has not issued any concrete statement yet on joining a particular party or entering politics. We found that most users shared all three posters together while taking a dig at the BCCI president’s political affiliations.
Photoshopped posters of former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly have gone viral, each featuring the colours and imagery of a different political party.  The images were all created from the same photo lifted from an advertisement.  Each of them reads ‘স্বাগতম দাদা’ (‘Welcome Dada’ in English).  The edited photos are making rounds on social media amid intense speculation about Ganguly joining a political party ahead of West Bengal elections. Donate NowA journalist and a dilettante person who always strives to learn new skills and meeting new people.  Either sketching or working. A picture of Tej Pratap Yadav has been making the rounds on social media recently…. A video of police tying a rope around an elderly person’s wrists has been circulating…A photo of a man being flogged with his hands tied has been gathering a…A set of two images, an alleged tweet and a video has been shared on…A photo of an idol of Hindu deity Nandi found buried in the ground has…


Jussie Smollett's story risks obscuring a crucial and disturbing fact many Americans face every day: hate crimes are on the rise, Johnathan Greenblatt writes for CNN Opinion https://t.co/aLX3ejKMYU https://t.co/XtyaZ82TH9

Concern comes amid the latest chapter in the "Empire" star's case.  Jussie Smollett taken into custody by Chicago policeMultiple experts with law enforcement backgrounds believe that a side effect of the ongoing Jussie Smollett drama could be an increased skepticism towards people reporting hate crimes moving forward. The question of whether or not an alleged victim is telling the truth is at the heart of the drama surrounding the “Empire” actor, who is accused of falsely reporting that he was attacked in what police are now saying was a staged hate crime in which his race and sexual orientation were allegedly included as factors.  Smollett has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false report. Now that the actor, who was once viewed as the victim, is in custody as a suspect, many with ties to law enforcement worry that Smollett’s actions are going to be troublesome for future victims. Smollett’s attorneys released a statement Wednesday, before he turned himself into authorities on Thursday, noting that “like any other citizen, Mr.  Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence. ”During a scathing news conference on Thursday, in which he detailed the investigation and their findings, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson stressed that “bogus police reports cause real harm. ”“They do harm to every legitimate victim who's in need of support by police and investigators as well as the citizens of this city,” Johnson said. “The Chicago police department will continue to investigate all reports of these types of incidents with the same amount of vigor that we did with this one, but my concern is that hate crimes will be publicly met with a level of skepticism that previously didn't happen,” Johnson added. John Cohen, a former senior Homeland Security official and longtime law enforcement officer who is now an ABC News contributor, echoed that sentiment.  He said that hate crime victims are usually hesitant to come forward “because of a fear that they won’t be believed, and in other cases it’s a fear of them being targeted for additional acts of violence. ”Cohen said that he also worried that this incident, if proven to involve false claims, “will be used by those who oppose public policy action in this area. ” He noted that recent nationwide increases in reported hate crimes could be a call to action for public officials, but now opponents could use Smollett’s case “as an example that these things are made up. ”The latest FBI data shows that in 2017 there were 7,175 hate crimes reported, an increase from 6,121 in 2016. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino released a report in May 2018 noting that they found 17 false hate crime reports in 2017 and six others that they deemed to be unclear whether they were true or false. Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor who is currently ABC News’ senior legal analyst, said on “Good Morning America” that she remembers how hard it was to convince victims that they will be believed. “I spent many, many, many hours trying to get victims of crimes to come forward, to testify against their abusers, against their attackers and they didn't want to come forward because people -- they thought -- would not believe them.  They thought that there would be repercussions.  They thought that there would be consequences.  This type of crime, if true, has a tremendous chilling effect,” Hostin said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


US President #DonaldTrump races ahead of #JoeBiden with  213 electoral votes following Florida and Texas win. Biden at 210: Reuters
#USElections2020
(file pic) https://t.co/NGWpz0E2pd

President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are battling it out for the White House, with polls gradually closing across the United States Tuesday and a long night of waiting for results ahead. The first results are trickling in, with US media projecting wins for the Republican incumbent so far in 12 states including Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia -- all states he won in 2016.  Biden has captured 10 states including his home state Delaware and big prize New York, plus the US capital Washington Connecticut.  As with Trump, so far, all states claimed by Biden were won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Click here for complete coverage of US Presidential ElectionsSo far, that gives Biden 117 electoral votes and Trump 80.  The magic number is 270.  Observers expect the hotly contested race for the White House to come down to a handful of key battleground states. The following is a list of the states won by each candidate and the corresponding number of electoral votes, based on the projections of US media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC/NBC News, ABC, CBS and The New York Times.  TRUMP (80)Alabama (9)Arkansas (6)Indiana (11)Kentucky (8)Louisiana (8)Mississippi (6)North Dakota (3)Oklahoma (7)South Dakota (3)Tennessee (11)West Virginia (5)Wyoming (3)BIDEN (117)Connecticut (7)Delaware (3)District of Columbia (3)Illinois (20)Maryland (10)Massachusetts (11)New Jersey (14)New York (29)Rhode Island (4)Vermont (3)Virginia (13)


Rami Malek is a champion, my friends. Malek picked up the Oscar for best actor for playing Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody." https://t.co/AoJ3GAK8sD https://t.co/qhpP5WKLAz


Karti Chidambaram tweets "The drama and spectacle being enacted by the agencies is to simply sensationalise and satisfy the voyeuristic pleasure of some." (file pic) https://t.co/vJ1sWWM8kI

Former finance minister P Chidambaram was brought to CBI headquarters from his Jor Bagh house in capital late Wednesday evening following half-an-hour long drama involving the CBI and ED officials who had to climb the wall of the senior Congress leader’s residence to reach him in the presence of national media.  Supporters of the Rajya Sabha MP who had assembled in no time outside his house even tried to physically stop the CBI car when it left with Chidambaram inside.  LIVE| Chidambaram taken to CBI HQ amid high drama, arrest likely soonChidambaram’s son and Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram soon addressed the media in Chennai.  He said the whole episode was a bid to “divert the attention of the people of India from serious issues” and was carried out to satisfy voyeuristic pleasures of a few. “The drama and spectacle being enacted by the agencies is to simply sensationalise and satisfy the voyeuristic pleasure of some,” Karti told reporters in Chennai. Chidambaram was taken to CBI headquarters soon after he had returned home from the Congress headquarters after appealing to the investigating agencies to wait till Friday when the Supreme Court is likely to decide his plea challenging Delhi High Court’s order cancelling his protection against arrest in the INX media foreign funding approval case.  “Between now and Friday, I shall walk with a clear conscience and my head held high, I shall respect the law even if it is applied with an unequal hand by the investigating agencies, in the name of freedom, I can only hope and pray that the investigating agencies will also respect the law, in the present circumstances, respect for the law can only mean one thing, await the decision of the Supreme Court on Friday,” Chidambaram said. Also Read: ‘Between now and Friday…’: Chidambaram after his surprise visit to Cong HQKarti Chidambaram said his father will be eventually vindicated in court, “ED has summoned him a number of times and he has appeared every time.  We will go to the court, we will be vindicated eventually,” he said, adding that the action by enforcement agencies was “totally politically motivated witch-hunt. ”Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate had issued look out notices against P Chidambaram after the former minister didn’t show up as requested in a notice issued last evening. CBI had registered an FIR in the case on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to INX media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during P Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister. Thereafter, ED also lodged the money laundering case against the company’s founders, the Mukerjeas, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28, 2018 by the CBI on his return from the United Kingdom. Chidambaram faced a major setback on Tuesday when the Delhi High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in corruption and money laundering case related to alleged INX Media scam. Following this, the Congress leader filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the High Court order seeking pre-arrest bail. The CBI and the ED had also filed a caveat petition in the Supreme Court over Chidambaram’s plea seeking protection from arrest.


Punjab reports 104 new #COVID19 positive cases, taking the total 3371. Death toll stands at 72 after one death was reported today: Department of Information and Public Relations, Punjab https://t.co/fIGthTanc7

There were 457 more novel coronavirus cases in Jharkhand, taking the tally to 8,349 on Monday, while the toll rose to 85 with two more deaths, a government bulletin said.  The active cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) rose to 4,560, while 3,704 people have recovered so far, the bulletin said.  Two more Covid-19 patients died on Sunday, it said.  The recovery rate is 44. 36 per cent, while the fatality rate is 1. 02 per cent, it added.


The evacuation of passengers from a Viking Sky cruise ship has ended and the ship has docked at a quay in Molde harbor, western Norway. https://t.co/pCUmSNMMsj https://t.co/RY2j9E8YPi

The ship regained power on Sunday morning after 479 were rescued. Helicopters mobilized in rescue of crippled cruise shipRescue helicopters battled severe winds on Saturday in an attempt to airlift more than 1,300 people off a Viking Cruises' ship that issued a distressed call after an engine failure off the coast of Norway. Of the over 1,300 stranded, 915 were passengers on the Viking Cruises' ship called The Viking Sky, Norway's Rescue Coordination Centre told ABC News. After hundreds were airlifted, Viking Cruises announced Sunday the ship had regained power and was continuing on to Molde, Norway.  Viking said 436 guests and 458 crew remained on board as it returned to port.  Another 479 passengers who were airlifted by helicopter will be flying home, the cruise company said. The initial mayday was received by the agency at 2 p. m.  Saturday local time, a Viking spokesman said.  The cruise ship was close to shore and had one engine working and one anchor holding. The ship can house 930 guests and was built in 2017, according to the company's website. "Our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew, and in close cooperation with the Norwegian Coast Guard, the captain decided to evacuate all guests from the vessel by helicopter," the spokesman said in a statement. Four helicopters were involved in the operations to remove passengers, the agency said. Twenty people suffered minor injuries on the ship, Viking said. "Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and our crew," Viking said in a statement.  "We would like to thank the Norwegian Redningssentral and the Norwegian emergency services for their support and skill displayed in managing the situation in very challenging weather conditions. "Danny and Judith Bates were among those rescued on Saturday. "Very frightening.  We went up on a helicopter with a sling, the two of us together and it was quite scary," Danny Bates told Eurovision. His companion, Judith Bates said, "I felt surely, they have everything under control, it’s all going to be OK.  So we just take this as an unexpected adventure. "Viking said it made every attempt to keep passengers and their families updated during the process. The ship's next departure, scheduled for March 27, has been cancelled. ABC News' Chris Donato, Mark Osborne and Alex Faul contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Kerala reports 4545 new #COVID19 cases and 4659 recoveries today.

Total recoveries 7,43,467
Active cases 64,179 https://t.co/SBY0EoU9pv

India added 26,291 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 118 more related deaths on Monday, according to the Union health ministry's dashboard.  The active cases reached 219, 262 while 11,007,352 people have recovered till now.  Confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) globally reached 120,057,630 on Sunday, according to data by worldometer.  The tracker also said 2,659,831 people have succumbed to the viral disease and 96,589,358 have recovered from the infection across the world.  The US, India and Brazil occupy the first, second and third positions, respectively in terms of the caseload of Covid-19.  Brazil took over the second position in the list only on Saturday outpacing India after more than 30,000 cases were reported in the country. Follow all the updates here:Countries should continue using AstraZeneca jab for now: WHOCountries should continue using the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for now, the World Health Organization said Monday, after a number of nations halted its use over blood clot fears. "We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca," WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a press briefing. "So far, we do not find an association between these events and the vaccine. "Due to rising Covid-19 cases, remaining T20 International Matches between India and England will be played without audienceDue to rising Covid-19 cases, remaining T20 International Matches between India and England will be played without audience at Narendra Modi Stadium (in file photo) in Ahmedabad.  Refund will be given to the spectators who have purchased tickets, says Gujarat Cricket Association. WHO experts to meet Tuesday on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safetyWHO experts to meet Tuesday on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safety, says Tedros. Moderna begins testing of new Covid-19 vaccineModerna Inc said on Monday it had dosed the first patients in an early-stage study of a new Covid-19 vaccine candidate for evaluation as a next-generation shot. Cinema halls/hotels/restaurants found violating Covid-related rules will remain closed for a period: Maharashtra govtIn an order, Maharashtra government says cinema halls/hotels/restaurants found violating Covid-related rules will remain closed for a period until Covid-19 pandemic stays notified as a disaster by Central government. Italy suspends use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine nationwideItaly on Monday suspended the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, making it the latest European country to put the product on hold following reports of recipients falling ill. Britain reports 5,089 new cases of Covid-19Britain reported 5,089 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, government statistics showed, with a further 64 new deaths within 28 days of positive coronavirus test. France suspending use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccinePresident Macron says France suspending use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccineKarnataka reports 932 new Covid-19 casesKarnataka reports 932 new Covid-19 cases, 429 recoveries, and 7 deaths in the last 24 hoursTotal cases: 9,61,204Total recoveries: 9,39,928Active cases: 8,860Death toll: 12,397Germany to halt AstraZeneca vaccinations: Health MinistryGermany will stop administering AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, a spokesman for the Health Ministry said on Monday, making Germany the latest of several European countries to pause following reports of recipients being taken ill. In wake of rising cases of Covid-19, Gujarat's Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation orders closure of shops after 10 pm in 8 wardsIn wake of rising cases of Covid-19, Gujarat's Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation orders closure of shops after 10 pm in eight wards -- Jodhpur, Navrangpura, Bodakdev, Thaltej, Gota, Paldi, Ghatlodia & ManinagarDelhi reports less than 400 new Covid-19 cases for first time since March 10, 368 fresh infections recordedDelhi reports 368 new Covid-19 cases, 306 recoveries, and 3 deaths in the last 24 hoursTotal cases: 6,44,064Total recoveries: 6,30,799Death toll: 10,944Active cases: 2,321Goa sees 89 Covid-19 cases, 62 recoveries, 1 deathGoa's coronavirus caseload went up by 89 and reached 56,006 on Monday, while the toll rose by one and the recovery count by 62 during the day, an official said. Maharashtra reports 15,051 new Covid-19 casesMaharashtra reports 15,051 new Covid-19 cases, 10,671 discharges, and 48 deaths in the last 24 hoursTotal cases: 23,29,464Total discharges: 21,44,743Active cases: 1,30,547Death toll: 52,909Bangladesh records 1,773 new Covid-19 cases, 26 more deathsBangladesh reported 1,773 new Covid-19 cases and 26 more deaths on Monday, taking the tally at 559,168 and the death toll at 8,571, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. 94 new Covid-19 cases in Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir recorded 94 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the tally to 1. 28 lakh, while no fresh death was reported, officials said. Facebook to label, add Information to posts on Covid-19 vaccineFacebook Inc. , trying to counteract the spread of false information about vaccines, is planning to label posts about Covid-19 shots with a link to information from medical authorities including the World Health Organization. Negligence towards Covid-19 appropriate behaviour behind rising cases: Harsh VardhanUnion Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said negligence towards Covid-19 appropriate behaviour is the main reason behind rising cases, adding that few states account for more than 80 per cent of the cases. 1,054 fresh Covid-19 cases and 3,463 recoveries reported in Kerala1,054 fresh Covid-19 cases and 3,463 recoveries reported in Kerala today. Total active cases: 27,057Recovered cases: 10,60,560Pandemic has negatively impacted teens' mental health, says National PollFor teens, pandemic restrictions resulted in restrictions included months of virtual school, less time with friends and cancelling activities like sports, band concerts, for the ones who rely on social connections for emotional support, the Covid-19 induced lockdown may have taken a heavy toll on mental health, a new national poll suggests. 147 new Covid-19 cases in Andhra PradeshThe rise of Covid-19 cases continued in Andhra Pradesh as 147 were added afresh in 24 hours ending 9 am on Monday, pushing the gross to 8. 92 lakh. Around 20 lakhs people in Mumbai have been fined for not following Coviid norms: Rajesh TopeCorona cases are increasing, if situation deteriorates then lockdown will be announced in districts that will report more cases.  Around 20 lakhs people in Mumbai have been fined for not following Coviid norms: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope. US prison guards refusing vaccine despite Covid-19 outbreaksA Florida correctional officer polled his colleagues earlier this year in a private Facebook group: “Will you take the Covid-19 vaccine if offered? ”The answer from more than half: “Hell no. ” Only 40 of the 475 respondents said yes. Better Covid vaccines are coming, WHO’s chief scientist saysNew Covid-19 vaccines, including ones that don’t require needles and can be stored at room temperature, may be ready for use later this year or next year, the World Health Organization’s top scientist said.  Six-to-eight new immunizations may complete clinical studies and undergo regulatory review by the end of the year, Soumya Swaminathan, the Geneva-based agency’s chief scientist, said in an interview Saturday. Russia says Sputnik V production agreements reached in key EU countriesThe developers of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said Monday they had reached production agreements in key European countries as the EU's medical agency deliberates official approval for the Russian jab.  The head of Russia's Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev said in a statement that his organisation "has already reached agreements with companies from Italy, Spain, France and Germany to launch production of Sputnik V". Somalia receives 300,000 doses of Covid vaccineSomalia on Monday received its first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, destined for frontline workers and those most at risk from Covid-19, the government said in a statement.  The conflict-torn nation has seen coronavirus cases soar 77 percent over the past month, to 9,190, while deaths have more than doubled to a total of 367. South Korea to expand Covid-19 vaccine drive, aims to inoculate a quarter of population by JuneSouth Korea unveiled on Monday plans to expand its immunisation campaign in the second quarter to include more senior citizens, health workers and other frontline professionals, with an aim to inoculate nearly a quarter of its 52 million people by June.  Starting in April, more priority groups will receive a vaccine, including more people aged 65 or above, other healthcare workers, police, fire officials, soldiers and flight attendants, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Indonesia orders 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for private inoculationsIndonesia expects to receive 20. 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines developed by Moderna Inc and China's Sinopharm from the second quarter to use in a private vaccination scheme, the head of a state pharmaceutical firm said on Monday.  Indonesia authorised one of the world's first private vaccination programmes last month to run alongside its national drive, enabling firms to buy state-procured vaccines for their staff in Southeast Asia's biggest country. Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 6,604The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 6,604 to 2,575,849, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday.  The reported death toll rose by 47 to 73,418, the tally showed. One new Covid-19 case in Andamans; tally at 5,031The Covid-19 caseload in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,031 as one more person has tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Monday.  The death toll remained at 62 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours. China reports 5 new mainland Covid-19 cases vs 10 a day earlierMainland China reported five new Covid-19 cases on March 14, down from 10 a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Monday.  The National Health Commission, in a statement, said all of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas.  The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to nine from 10 cases a day earlier. France records 26,343 coronavirus infections in past 24 hoursFrance registered 26,343 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours while coronavirus-linked hospitalizations went up again, according to data released by the health authorities on Sunday.  The country now recorded an accumulative total of 4,071,662 Covid-19 cases.  Some 90,429 patients have succumbed to the respiratory illness.  After fourth successive daily fall, the number of Covid-19 patients who are hospitalized went up again.  Some 318 more people were admitted to hospitals in one day, bringing the total to 24,989.  That included 4,127 cases in intensive care, up by 57. Get our daily newsletter Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations


Delhi: The tableau of Jammu and Kashmir being showcased at the #RepublicDay parade. Jammu and Kashmir government’s ‘Back to Village’ program is the theme of the union territory's tableau, this year. https://t.co/URFbGnP7K8

Celebrations for the 71st Republic Day began on Sunday in the national capital with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in attendance as the chief guest. India’s military and cultural might was on display at the parade that saw many firsts. Twenty-two tableaux – 16 from states and Union territories and six from various ministries and departments – depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage and economic progress also rolled down the Rajpath. Here is a list of the many firsts1.  The ‘Dhanush’ gun system, commanded by Capt.  Mrigank Bharadwaj, was part of the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath for the first time on Sunday.  The 155mm/45 Caliber Dhanush gun system is a towed Howitzer designed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board.  The gun with a maximum range of 36. 5 km has the capability of automatic gun alignment and positioning.  Also Watch | Captain Tanya Shergill leads all-men marching contingent at Republic Day parade2.  Breaking from tradition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial here on the Republic Day for the first time instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti beneath the India Gate arch. 3.  Captain Tanya Shergill, a fourth generation officer with the Army’s Corps of Signals, who became the second woman parade adjutant for the Republic Day parade, led an all-men contingent at the march past in Rajpath. 4.  Jammu and Kashmir took part in the Republic Day parade for the first time as a Union Territory5.  One of the main highlights was the marching contingent of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that showcased Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) - Mission Shakti.  It was a major breakthrough in demonstrating the nation’s capability to bring down hostile satellites. 6.  A contingent of women bikers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) performed daredevil stunts for the first time.  Inspector Seema Nag led the contingent and was seen saluting while standing on top of a moving motorcycle. 7.  The fly-past – the grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade – saw the ‘Trishul’ formation by three advanced light helicopters.


BS Yediyurappa takes charge as the Karnataka Chief Minister. #Bengaluru https://t.co/UVUZ3f9Ynx

BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa was sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka for 4th time at 6:30 pm on Friday evening, three days after the collapse of coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy in a trust motion.  The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Vajubhai Vala at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. Earlier today, Yediyurappa had met Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake the claim to form the government and requested him to administer the oath of office and secrecy on Friday itself.  Yediyurappa said as the acting Leader of the Opposition he didn’t need to call a Legislature Party meeting to get himself elected as the leader.  The 76-year-old leader from the politically dominant Lingayat community has taken oath as Karnataka’s CM for the fourth time — the last one was after the May 2018 Assembly polls. HighlightsConfidence motion to take place on MondayChief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa has said that they strength of his government will be tested on Monday in a confidence motion.  The CM has also said that the state assembly will take up the finance bill immediately after the confidence motion. Promises galore by Yediyurappa within an hour of taking oathThe newly appointed chief minister of Karnataka has promised to address the drought facing the farmers in the state.  “We will focus primarily on farmers and workers.  I have taken two prominent decisions at the Cabinet meeting.  In addition to the PM Kisan scheme I will also provide two installments of Rs 2000 to the beneficiaries. ”BSY thanks PM Modi, Amit Shah after becoming CMAddressing the reporters, CM Yediyurappa said, “I have come to this place thanks to prime minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. ”I believe in forget and forgive, says BSY rejecting politics of revengeIn 4-5 months, Yediyurappa said, that his party has to show the difference between our government and the coalition government.  “Administration has collapsed and we need to rectify that.  We will not go in for politics of revenge.  I believe in forget and forgive, the fourth times CM of Karnataka said.  I thank 6 crore people of Karnataka for making me the CM: YediyurappaAddressing his first press conference after taking charge as CM, Yediyurappa said, “I thank the 6 crore people of Karnataka for making me the chief minister of the state.  I feel that my becoming chief minister is a matter of pride for the people. ”Muralidhar Rao, SM Krishna present at the swearing-in ceremonyBJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao along with former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna-- who joined the BJP on March 22, 2017-- was present for the function.  Congress rebel MLA Roshan Baig was also present for the swearing-in despite Bajrang Dal activists opposing his presence in messages posted on social media. BS Yediyurappa takes oath as CMBJP’s face in Karnataka BS Yediyurappa has taken oath as the state’s next chief minister at 6:30 pm.  Yediyurappa is the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka state, different from the Mysore state that existed before that.  Draped in white safari suite, with a folded green shawl over his shoulders, the 75-year-old Yediyurappa took oath in Kannada in the name of god in the presence of dignitaries, special invitees and top officials of the state, including police officers. Karnataka Governor arrives at Raj BhawanGovernor Vajubhai Vala has arrived at Raj Bhavan to administer BS Yediyurappa’s oath. CM designate BS Yediyurappa arrives at Raj BhavanOath will be administered to BJP leader BS Yediyurappa shortly who has arrived at the Raj Bhavan.  Yediyurappa today met Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake the claim and requested him to administer him the oath of office and secrecy on Friday itself between 6 -6:15 pm. BJP will provide stable government in Karnataka: NaddaDismissing the Opposition’s claim that his party engineered defections to bring down the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, BJP working president J P Nadda said on Saturday that it fell due to internal reasons and asserted that his party would provide a stable government in the state. Hold orders issued by Kumaraswamy: Karnataka Chief Secretary to SecretariesKarnataka Chief Secretary T. M.  Vijaybhaskar has ordered all departmental Secretaries to put on hold the orders given by caretaker Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in July. “B S Yediyurappa has given directions suggesting all Dept Secretaries to put on hold the orders given by care-taker Chief Minister (HD Kumaraswamy) in July, till they are looked into by Chief Secretary or Dept.  Secretaries,” he said in a letter to the Secretaries. Congress, JD-S to boycott Yediyurappa’s swearing-inCongress and JD(S) have decided to boycott the swearing-in of BJP leader BS Yediyurappa as the state’s chief minister on Friday evening.  “Our party’s state President Dinesh Gundu Rao has directed our leaders, former ministers and legislators to boycott Yediyurappa’s oath-taking ceremony as chief minister, as he has no moral right to assume power when his party does not have the majority in the Assembly,” Congress spokesman Ravi Gowda said. Yediyurappa visits BJP office before taking oathShortly before taking oath as chief minister of Karnataka, senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa on Friday addressed his party workers at the state BJP headquarters and thanked the party workers for their continued support. ‘Karnataka govt fell on its own’, says BJP’s working president JP NaddaParty’s Working President JP Nadda said that the Karnataka government had collapsed due to its own reasons and the BJP will provide a “stable” and “clean” government under BS Yediyurappa’s leadership.  Nadda, also rejected suggestions that party’s Karnataka mascot was over the hill at 76 years of age and may not qualify to hold a post according to BJP’s own retirement policy for party elders. Read full story here. Yediyurappa offers prayers at Kadu Malleshwara templeBJP’s state president BS Yediyurappa offers prayers at Kadu Malleshwara temple in Bengaluru ahead of taking oath as chief minister at 6 pm today. Yediyurappa visits National Military Memorial ahead of swearing-inYediyurappa paid tributes at the National Military Memorial ahead of taking oath as the 25th Chief Minister of the state.  “On this day 20 years ago, Indian armed forces defeated Pakistan in 1999 in the Kargil war.  As a mark of respect to all soldiers who fought this great war, I have come here to pay my tribute to our armed forces before taking oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka,” Yediyurappa told reporters before visiting the memorial.  On account of 20th year of Kargil Vijay Diwas, visited Bengaluru’s National Military Memorial to pay tributes to our brave hearts.  Our MLAs were present.  #KargilVijayDiwas pic. twitter. com/wXU0N7WJdRYediyurappa preps for oath, changes spelling again on astrologer’s adviceYediyurappa has gone to great lengths this time around to ensure that he enjoys a good stint at power having reverted to spelling his name as Yediyurappa as he used to before 2007, when he changed it to Yeddyurappa.  The changed in spelling has come because he felt Yeddyurappa wasn’t lucky, especially because he has not managed a full five-year term in his previous three attempts. Read full story here.


Railways is getting fully ready to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) & oxygen cylinders across key corridors. Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra governments had approached Railway Ministry to explore whether LMO tankers could be moved by rails: Indian Railways https://t.co/u4BbdhjwTO

The Indian Railways will deploy first-of-a-kind ‘Oxygen Express’ trains over the next few days to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and oxygen cylinders in bulk along key corridors, amid high demand from states grappling with the second wave of the Covid-19 health crisis. “Railways is leaving no stone unturned in the battle against Covid-19.  We will be running Oxygen Express trains using green corridors to supply oxygen in bulk and rapidly to patients,” Union railways minister Piyush Goyal tweeted. Tentatively, a movement plan has been made for dispatching 10 empty tankers on Monday; the railway ministry said adding that the Transport Secretary of Maharashtra has assured to provide the tankers.  “On April 17th, a meeting was held between Railway Board officials and State Transport Commissioners and representatives of industry on the subject of issues related to transportation of Liquid Medical Oxygen.  It was decided that the tankers would be organized by the Transport Commissioner, Maharashtra.  These empty tankers would be moved from Kalamboli/Boisar, Railway stations in and near Mumbai, and sent to Vizag and Jamshedpur/Rourkela/Bokaro, for loading of liquid medical oxygen tankers from there,” the railway ministry said in a statement on Sunday. “Zonal Railways have been informed regarding the demands from state governments.  CFTMs and PCOMs are in touch with the Industry and state governments.  Railway Board has directed the concerned GMs to be fully prepared and proactively assist the state and Central Government Agencies in movement of oxygen by rail,” it added. With several states reporting a shortage of oxygen, the Centre on Friday directed them to ensure uninterrupted movement of medical oxygen carrying vehicles along their borders and said they must not impose any curbs on production and supply of the essential public health commodity anywhere. The railway ministry on Friday approved transportation of liquid medical oxygen in cryogenic tankers under its Roll on-Roll off model as a special case following a request from the Maharashtra government.  “A request had been received from the principal secretary in the public health department of Maharashtra government for transport of medical oxygen in cryogenic containers.  The matter has been examined.  Competent authority has approved the transport of liquid medical oxygen in cryogenic containers,” it said.  It also summed up the charges to be levied for the service, the railway board said in its circular issued late on Friday. The move comes days after Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre’s support in addressing the shortage of oxygen in the state.  Maharashtra, crippled by the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, is facing a crisis with the medical and health infrastructure collapsing under the weight of rising cases and deaths. The circular also said that the staff accompanying liquid oxygen trucks to be loaded on the Ro-Ro service will be charged second class ticket for the journey and only two people will be allowed to accompany the truck.  The empty flow direction of the containers will also be charged by the railways.


Former Maharashtra CM and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis appointed party's Bihar in-charge, ahead of Bihar Legislative Assembly elections
#BiharElections2020
(file pic) https://t.co/7nCILiS27I

The BJP on Wednesday appointed former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as its in-charge for the Bihar assembly elections, the party said in a statement.  The announcement came on a day party president J P Nadda is holding talks with state BJP leaders here to discuss the three-phase polls to the 243-member state assembly, including seat-sharing arrangements with allies like the JD(U) and the LJP.  Also read| Bihar Assembly Election 2020: State faces flood challenge in run-up to pollsThe LJP has been blowing hot and cold over the issue as it is said to be unhappy over the offer being made to it by the BJP.  For the last few weeks, Fadnavis had been participating in the party’s internal meetings over the Bihar polls and has even visited the state a few times.  The BJP has the practice of appointing senior leaders as in-charge for state elections. The Bihar assembly polls will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.


In an exclusive interview, Bill Gates told @ABC News anchor @DavidMuir that he did not agree with President Trump's move to halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization. https://t.co/ItDtesCYWt

By Christina Maxouris, CNN BusinessUpdated 1153 GMT (1953 HKT) April 15, 2020  (CNN Business)President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic is "as dangerous as it sounds," Bill Gates said Wednesday. -- CNN's Joe Sutton,Betsy Klein, Michelle Toh, Jennifer Hansler, Michael Nedelman and Jen Christensen contributed to this report.


Sec. of State Mike Pompeo censures International Criminal Court after Pres. Trump authorized sanctions on ICC officials involved in investigating U.S. service members. https://t.co/jw6gIPnaBV

By Jennifer Hansler, CNNUpdated 4:50 PM ET, Sun June 14, 2020 Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized sanctions and additional visa restrictions against International Criminal Court personnel -- the latest attempt by the administration to strong-arm the international body out of an investigation into potential war crimes by US military and intelligence officials. CNN's Jamie Crawford, Casey Riddle, Vivian Salama, David Shortell, Richard Roth, Sarah Dean and James Frater contributed to this report.


CNN PROJECTION: Donald Trump wins Kansas, Utah, Louisiana and at least 3 of 5 electoral votes in Nebraska.

Joe Biden wins New Hampshire https://t.co/nEYXGlCG3R #CNNElection https://t.co/smVtz1tfjw


Voting begins for 91 constituencies in 20 states and union territories in the 1st phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/7RyvOElPz9

What is being called the great “festival of democracy” - the Lok Sabha elections - began on Thursday with 91 seats across 20 states going to vote in the first of the seven phase elections to elect the 17th Lok Sabha. While many states will witness elections in multiple phases, states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha will witness elections in single phases.  Over the seven phases, the elections will cover 543 constituencies.  The results, or counting of votes, will take place on May 23. The main parties that are contesting the Lok Sabha polls are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.  Leaders from the two parties have been criss-crossing the country almost every day in and holding three to four rallies in different locations in a bid to garner as many votes as possible for their parties.  Among the top speakers at the various political rallies have been Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Explained: Key seats which may signal outcome of Phase 1 of 2019 LS pollsIn Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have joined hands with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), to fight the BJP together in the state. Opposition parties have come together to form alliances in different states as well to put up a stiff fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party, which had achieved an absolute majority with 282 seats in its kitty out of 543 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.  The Congress had been left far behind with just 44 seats. This time around, the BJP is banking on the work it has done in the past five years, while the Congress is contesting the elections on the poll planks of jobs, minimum income guarantee and has been raising the issues of the Rafale deal, farmer suicides among others. Voting for the first phase of elections began at 7 am in most of the constituencies. The 20 states that are voting in the first phase of elections are: Andhra Pradesh (25 seats), Arunachal Pradesh (2 ), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Odisha (4), Sikkim (1), Telangana (17), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman (1) and Lakshadweep (1). The constituencies that will go to vote across the 20 states are:  table,th,td {font-size: auto; font-family: "Open Sans"; color:#242424; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #CCC; text-decoration:none} table{width:100%; text-decoration:none; color:#242424} th,td{width:auto; text-align:left; padding:5px; text-decoration:none; color:#242424; list-style:none}th. center{text-align:center; text-decoration:none}tr:nth-child(odd) {background-color: #f7f4ed; text-decoration:none} tr:nth-child(even) {background-color:#fff; text-decoration:none} th {width:auto; background-color: #d9d6d6; color: #242424; font-weight: bold} . sportshead {width:100%; background-color:#1f77b4; color:#FFF; padding:5px; font-size:140%; font-weight:bold; float:left}. sportssubhead {width:100%; font-size:110%; font-weight:normal; float:left}. base a {color:#242424; text-decoration:none}. base {width:100%; color:#242424; text-decoration:none}. cont1 {width:48%; float:left}. cont2 {width:48%; margin-left:10px; float:left}. divider {width:100%;}@media only screen and (max-width:480px) {. cont1 {width:auto; float:left}. cont2 {width:auto; margin:10px 0px 0px 0px; float:left}}


West Bengal: Preparations underway at polling station 76 in Nandigram constituency, ahead of voting for the second phase of #WestBengalElections2021 today https://t.co/ASoJm4XcIm

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While federal investigators try to determine what caused Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash, excerpts of air traffic control recordings help build a timeline of what happened in the flight's final moments https://t.co/b0ahZGoNWQ

Bryant, his daughter and seven others were killed on Sunday.  Kobe Bryant helicopter lacked terrain alarm systemA chilling home security video has surfaced that captures the sound of the helicopter crash that killed retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others en route to a basketball game. The footage was taken by a Google Nest camera on a home near the crash site in Calabasas, California, and contains audio of the 1991 Sikorsky S-76B aircraft as it made a rapid descent and crashed into a mountainside in dense fog Sunday morning. Audio from the video obtained by ABC News includes what is believed to be the aircraft hitting the mountain, followed by an eerie silence. The video came from the home of Ronna Leavitt, who told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles that the camera was near her front door. Leavitt said she turned the video over to National Transportation Safety Board investigators, who are analyzing the footage as part of their probe to determine what caused the crash, which sent shockwaves across the globe. Leavitt said the helicopter, owned by Island Express and leased by Bryant, passed over her housing complex in Los Angeles County and appeared to make a U-turn before it crashed at high speed into the mountainside. Bryant and his daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, were headed to a youth basketball game at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, along with others connected to the basketball program. On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner announced the cause of death of all nine aboard the helicopter as "blunt trauma. "In addition to Bryant and his daughter, the coroner's office also confirmed the identities of the other seven on board as college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli; girls' basketball coach Christina Mauser; Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton Chester; and pilot Ara Zobayan. All of the passengers are believed to have died instantly when the helicopter crashed northwest of downtown Los Angeles. NTSB member Jennifer Homendy, who's leading the investigation into the crash, said the helicopter was not equipped with a Terrain Awareness Warning System, or TAWS, which could have alerted the pilot that he was flying too close to the mountain. Homendy said a 2004 crash of a Sikorsky S-76 in Galveston, Texas, that killed 10 people, prompted the NTSB to recommend to the Federal Aviation Administration that "all existing and new U. S.  registered turbine-powered roto-craft certified for six or more passenger seats be equipped with a Terrain Awareness Warning System. ""They did not implement the recommendation," Homendy said at a news conference on Tuesday.  "Certainly, TAWS could have helped to provide information to the pilot on what terrain the pilot was flying in. "But she added it remains uncertain whether the warning system would have prevented the crash. Current FAA regulations mandate a TAWS installation only in helicopters that conduct "air ambulance operations," an agency spokesman told ABC News. The helicopter containing the Bryants took off from John Wayne Airport near their home in Orange County before heading toward Thousand Oaks. During the flight, the pilot radioed the air traffic tower at Burbank Airport to request permission to fly under special visual flight rules, Homendy said.  The helicopter circled over Glendale for several minutes waiting for instructions from the Burbank tower before permission to fly visually was granted. "It's very common.  This is not out of the ordinary," Homendy said of the pilot's request. In the last moments of the flight, the helicopter climbed to 2,300 feet in an attempt to fly out of a cloud layer then suddenly made a rapid descent, she said. "The descent rate for the helicopter was over 2,000 feet a minute," Homendy said.  "So we know that this was a high-energy impact crash.  And the helicopter was in a descending left bank. "Homendy said there was no evidence the helicopter broke apart before hitting the mountainside. She said all the "significant components" of the aircraft were located at the crash site. "Preliminary information is that the helicopter was in one piece when it impacted the terrain," Homendy said. She said the helicopter hit the mountain at about 1,085 feet.  The aircraft missed clearing the mountain by 20 to 30 feet, but other, taller mountains nearby could have presented a similar challenge. The helicopter was not equipped with a "black box" showing pertinent data from the aircraft at the time of the crash.  However, investigators recovered an iPad that's being analyzed at the NTSB laboratory in Washington to determine if it contains flight data. She said the most difficult part of the investigation will be evaluating the pilot's judgment about flying in foggy conditions. "We can't make any assumptions about what somebody is thinking," Homendy said.  "So our investigation is strictly focused on the facts, and then those facts will lead us to an analysis. "Weather conditions on Sunday morning caused the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to ground its fleet of choppers, but Homendy said comparing that decision to the decision made by Bryant's pilot is "an apples to oranges comparison. ""We have to look at this specific crash and this specific helicopter," Homendy said. The remains of all of the victims have been recovered from the crash site, officials said on Tuesday. The L. A.  coroner officially identified four of those killed in the crash, including Bryant and Zobayan, and passengers John Altobelli, a local college baseball coach, and Sarah Chester. ABC News has independently confirmed that other victims were Bryant's daughter, Chester's daughter, Payton, Altobelli's wife, Kerri, and their daughter, Alyssa.  Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach for a private school in Orange County, also was killed. The L. A.  Lakers were expected to resume practice on Wednesday.  The team's scheduled game on Tuesday night was postponed. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


#Oscars 2019: See the full list of winners https://t.co/oWjCh6SsqZ https://t.co/Xew9ouv8xR

A "Green Book" writer said, "We tried to be as truthful as possible. "'Green Book' wins Best Picture at the 2019 OscarsIt wasn't all cheers when "Green Book" won the Oscar for best picture Sunday night.  Instead, the big win unleashed a wave of criticism. "Green Book," set in the 1960s, is based on the true story of Tony Vallelonga, a white bouncer from New York City, who is begrudgingly assigned to drive successful black musician Dr.  Don Shirley on his concert tour through the South. In a happy ending, Vallelonga sheds some of his racism, and the two men learn from each other and strike up a friendship. But Shirley's family has called the film one-sided and says it doesn't portray the story accurately. Oscars viewers, including journalist Jemele Hill, took to Twitter after the awards, accusing the film of injecting stereotypes, glossing over ugly truths of racism and only showing the perspective of the white character, with the intent to leave a feel-good message of racial tolerance. Tweets from Hill included: "Green Book thinks you’re so articulate"; "Green Book always has been good to you people"; "Green Book thinks if you don’t like how this country is, you should leave. "The best picture win angered best adapted screenplay winner Spike Lee, who almost walked out of the awards show, according to The Associated Press. "The ref made the wrong call," Lee said, according to the AP. "Every time somebody's driving somebody, I lose," Lee said backstage, according to the AP, apparently referencing "Driving Miss Daisy," which won the 1990 best picture Oscar and has drawn parallels to "Green Book. " In "Driving Miss Daisy" a black man becomes a chauffeur for a white woman and they form a friendship. At the 1990 Academy Awards, as "Driving Miss Daisy" won the top prize, Lee was nominated for original screenplay for his film "Do The Right Thing. " He didn't take home the Oscar that night. But "Green Book" did seem to gain the support of Rep.  John Lewis (D-GA), a civil rights icon, who came to Los Angeles to introduce the film at the ceremony. "I can bear witness that the portrait of that time and place in our history is very real.  It is seared in my memory.  Black men and women, our brothers and sisters, treated as second class citizens," Lewis told the crowd.  "Beaten and sometimes killed for the crime of trying to live a life of dignity.  Our nation bears the scars of that time, as do I. "The creators of "Green Book" defended the film in a backstage interview Sunday with ABC News' Lara Spencer. "We set out to make the best movie we possibly could," said Brian Currie, a "Green Book" writer and producer.  "We certainly didn’t want it to be controversial. ""It's a movie about two guys who seemingly have nothing in common and they found a common ground.  They ended up loving each other and that’s a message for the whole world," Currie said.  "What got me involved . . .  was the feeling of hope . . .  and the difference of not only the color between the characters but economically they're different, educationally they're different. ""Green Book" co-writer Nick Vallelonga -- who is a real-life son of Tony Vallelonga -- added to ABC News, "We all put so much love and care into this movie. "Nick Vallelonga admitted there were "gray areas," but said, "We tried to be as truthful as possible. "Vallelonga added to reporters backstage, "I always knew I wanted to tell the story, and I spoke to my father about it.  I taped him.  I spoke to Dr.  Shirley hours and hours and hours getting his blessing. ""Don Shirley himself told me to not speak to anyone.  He told me the story that he wanted to tell," Vallelonga added.  "He told me, 'If you're going to tell the story, you tell it from your father, me.  No one else.  Don't speak to anyone else. '""I wish I could have reached out to Don Shirley's family," he said, "but I personally was not allowed to speak to his family, per Don Shirley's wishes. ""Don Shirley and my father together had an amazing story together and went on the road and changed each other," he said, "and I think that comes out. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Haryana: Five people were killed and two others received injuries in a firing at a wrestling centre in Rohtak on Friday evening, according to the police. https://t.co/E1121h4nZC

A massive crash involving more than 130 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate left at least six people dead and dozens injured Thursday amid a winter storm that dropped freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the U. S. At the scene of the crash on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth, a tangle of semitrailers, cars and trucks had smashed into each other and had turned every which way, with some vehicles on top of others. “There were multiple people that were trapped within the confines of their vehicles and requiring the use of hydraulic rescue equipment to successfully extricate them,” said Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis. At least 65 people sought care at hospitals, with 36 of them taken by ambulance from the crash site, including several with critical injuries, said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar, which provides the ambulance service for the area. The crash happened about 6 a. m. , as many hospital and emergency workers were heading to and from work, so some of those involved were health care workers and emergency responders, including police officers, officials said. Zavadsky said his crews carry a sand and salt mixture in the ambulances, which they began using at the scene.  At one point, he said, one of the ambulances was hit, but it sustained only minor damage and the crew members were fine. “The roadway was so treacherous from the ice that several of the first responders were falling on the scene,” Zavadsky said. The ice storm came as a polar vortex — swirling air that normally sits over the Earth's poles — has moved near the U. S. -Canada border, resulting in colder weather farther south than usual, said Steve Goss, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. “As a result we’re getting unusually or unseasonably cold air that’s spilling south across a good portion of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains,” he said. In Tennessee, police responded to about 30 traffic collisions and some flights were delayed at Memphis International Airport after freezing rain and sleet fell.  In Kentucky, the governor declared a state of emergency to free up funding and help agencies coordinate as they responded to reports of slick roads and downed power lines.  And in southern Indiana, schools and government offices closed. In suburban Austin, more than two dozen vehicles were involved in a pileup on an icy highway, and five people were taken to a hospital, emergency officials said. Goss said that smaller disturbances moving through the polar jet stream will bring “a shot of winter weather” into southern portions of the country. He said some areas that don't normally get snowfall will likely see heavy amounts over the next several days.  He said current estimates show some areas of the southern Plains could get a foot or more.


Thunderstorm likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana today: IMD

https://t.co/jeqYhViFXa https://t.co/KnM0kObaV1

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday that thunderstorm with rain would occur in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Areas in and around Karnal (Haryana), Nazibabad (Uttar Pradesh), Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh), Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Khatauli (Uttar Pradesh), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh) and Chandpur (Uttar Pradesh) are likely to witness thunderstorm. The weather bulletin was issued at 5:28 am.


President Biden's rejection of calls to eliminate up to $50,000 of student loan debt has prompted sharp responses from his Capitol Hill allies, with leading Democrats vowing to push ahead with the plan. https://t.co/HWSzbuAK9Q

The president said he's prepared to write off up to $10,000 in debt. Biden pushes pandemic relief billPresident Joe Biden is facing backlash for rejecting a proposal to cancel $50,000 in student debt and stating point-blank, “I will not make that happen. ”During a CNN town hall on Tuesday, an attendee asked Biden about Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen.  Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student debt per borrower. “It depends on whether or not you go to a public university or a private university,” Biden said. The president said doesn’t want to forgive the debts of people who attended elite schools such as Harvard and Yale who often go on to make high salaries and added that he would instead prioritize childhood education for disadvantaged communities. “I’m prepared to write off $10,000 debt, but not 50, because I don’t think I have the authority to do it by signing” an executive order, Biden said. The president further said that families who make less than $125,000 and whose kids go to a state university should attend for free.  He also expressed support for repaying debt as a portion of one’s salaryHowever, his comments led to intense criticism. New York Rep.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke out against Biden's comments, tweeting, “Who cares what school someone went to? ”She argued generations of working-class kids are “encouraged to go into more debt under the guise of elitism,” adding, “This is wrong. ”She added that early childhood education doesn’t have to come as a trade-off to student loan forgiveness.  “We can have both,” she said. Massachusetts Rep.  Ayanna Pressley also joined the conversation, claiming Biden does have the authority to cancel student debt "with the stroke of a pen. ""He can and must use it.  The people deserve nothing less," she said. Minnesota Rep.  Ilhan Omar similarly called out Biden, saying, "We also need to make college tuition-free so debt is not accumulated moving forward and invest in universal early education.  These are not at odds! "On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that Biden has previously said that any relief above $10,000 should be targeted based on the borrower's income, the kind of debt in question, whether the school is public or private and if it is for undergraduate or graduate education. “If Congress moves forward and sends him a package that, you know, provides $10,000 of student debt relief, he'd be eager to sign that," Psaki said. Schumer and Warren piled on the pressure and issued a joint statement Wednesday, urging Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in debt. “An ocean of student loan debt is holding back 43 million borrowers and disproportionately weighing down Black and Brown Americans,” the statement said. “Presidents Obama and Trump used their executive authority to cancel student loan debt," the statement continued. "The Biden administration has said it is reviewing options for cancelling up to $50,000 in student debt by executive action, and we are confident they will agree with the standards Obama and Trump used as well as leading legal experts who have concluded that the administration has broad authority to immediately deliver much-needed relief to millions of Americans. "24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy meets Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan. https://t.co/7uYDcdsis9

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said the Opposition Leader in the Assembly and senior Congress legislator Abdul Mannan had met him to emphasise the need for free and fair elections. The Governor said Mannan urged him to take up the matter to Election Commission of India (ECI) for timely action as officials removed by the commission have been serving in key posts in Mamata Banerjee-led state government. Dhankhar said, "He (Mannan) expressed concern that earlier action by the Election Commission of India against officials has turned out to be 'medal' for them as such officers were rewarded with plum postings by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ""He (Mannan) questioned the political stance of Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and many others in West Bengal Government," added Dhankhar. The Governor said Mannan had advocated for the removal of retired 'Officer on Special Duty' appointees for allegedly being 'political' and ECI must take pre-emptive steps including 'suspension' to maintain the sanctity of election.  According to Dhankar, the senior Congress leader also suggested keeping away civic volunteers from election duty. West Bengal is due for Assembly polls in mid-2021.