#AssamAssemblyElections2021 | Assam chief minister and BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal casts his vote a polling booth in Dibrugarh

"We will get more than 100 seats," Sonowal says

Track LIVE here: https://t.co/BpactJ4AHE

(pics: ANI) https://t.co/wwJjlbsMgb

Polling for phase 1 of the assembly elections in the states of West Bengal and Assam ended at 7pm on Saturday.  In the first phase, voters in 77 assembly constituencies-30 in West Bengal and 47 in Assam- cast their votes.  The two states have 294 and 126 assembly constituencies, respectively. Click here for all assembly election 2021 updatesThe West Bengal assembly elections are scheduled to take place in eight phases, while Assam will vote in three.  In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) faces a stiff challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, in office since 2011, seeks a third consecutive term as the chief minister of the state.  Meanwhile, in Assam the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is pitted against the Congress-led 'Mahajoth'. Also Read | Battle for the east kicks off in 1st phase of voting todayOther than West Bengal and Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will also go to polls in a single-phase on April 6.  Counting of votes and result declaration for the four states and one Union territory will be held on May 2. Follow all the updates here:Nearly 80% turnout in Bengal, 73% in Assam as polling ends: ECBengal reported 79. 79 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of the 2021 Assembly election while Assam reported 73. 38 per cent turnout. Visuals from a polling booth in Contai, West BengalPoll ends for the first phase of #WestBengalAssemblyElection2021; visuals from a polling booth in Contai pic. twitter. com/H0g3B1SeshPoll ends for the first phase of West Bengal assembly electionsPoll ends for the first phase of #WestBengalAssemblyElection2021; visuals from a polling booth in Purulia pic. twitter. com/w6Caj5QU3hPoll ends for the first phase of Assam assembly electionsPoll ends for the first phase of #AssamAssemblyElections2021; latest visuals from polling booth number 10 in Jorhat.  pic. twitter. com/XYE5J7rj7rOver 79% turnout in Bengal, 72% in Assam till 6pm72. 14% and 79. 79% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. In Photos: Voting underway at a polling booth in Contai in the first phase of polling for West Bengal Assembly electionsVoting underway at a polling booth in Contai in the first phase of polling for West Bengal Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/58NgxCe2rJOver 70% turnout in Bengal, 62% in Assam till 4pm62. 36% and 70. 17% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 62. 36% and 70. 17% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. Over 55% turnout in Bengal, 47% in Assam till 3pm47. 10% and 55. 27% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 47. 10% and 55. 27% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. BJP delegation meets EC following attack on BJP leader Soumendu AdhikariWB: BJP delegation met EC following attack on BJP leader & Suvendu Adhikari's brother, Soumendu Adhikari1st election in 6 years with fewer instances of rigging & violence.  To avoid even 10% of such cases in 2nd phase, we demanded EC round-up anti-social elements: BJP Gen Secy pic. twitter. com/DCnNtukI0oSisir Adhikari, father of TMC-turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his voteSisir Adhikari, father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his vote at a polling booth in Contai, in the first phase of #WestBengalPolls pic. twitter. com/5P1gPLQsUQSisir Adhikari, father of TMC-turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his vote at a polling booth in Contai, in the first phase of West Bengal elections. 54% turnout in Bengal, 45% in Assam till 1:30pm: EC45. 02% and 54. 90% voter turnout recorded till 1:30pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India (ECI)Over 37% turnout in Assam, nearly 41% in Bengal till 1pm: EC45. 24% and 54. 90% voter turnout recorded till 2 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. 37. 06% and 40. 73% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India (ECI)TMC demands local polling agents from phase 2 onwardsThe new system is not acceptable to us.  We demand that from the next phase the polling agent must be local of the concerned polling booth.  CEO has assured us to look into the matter: TMC's Sudip BandyopadhyayTMC delegation meets West Bengal CEO, demands that from phase 2 onwards, the polling agent must be local of the concerned polling booth. Poll rigging was underway at three booths: Soumendu Adhikari, BJPUnder the leadership of TMC block president Ram Govind Das and his wife poll rigging was underway at three polling booths.  My arrival here created problem for them to continue with their mischiefs so they attacked my car and thrashed my driver: Soumendu Adhikari, BJPBengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh casts his voteWest Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh casts his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram in the first phase of state assembly elections.  pic. twitter. com/bAL4RulEMyWest Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh casts his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram in the first phase of state assembly elections. People know CAA-NRC won't affect them, says Assam CM SonowalCongress and other parties are only seen in the media but BJP and its allies are the ones on the ground.  People of Assam now know that CAA-NRC will not affect them.  My aim is to make the BJP government in the State again: Assam CM Sarbananda SonowalTMC knows it's losing, says BJP Bengal chief Dilip GhoshTMC knows that it is losing and that's why it is saying all this.  For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission.  TMC and Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things: BJP West Bengal Pres Dilip Ghosh on TMC alleging rigging of pollsTMC alleges 'discrepancy' in voter turnout appVoter turnout for ACs Kanthi Dakshin (216) and Kanthi Uttar (213) at 9:13am was 18. 47% and18. 95% respectively, 4 mins later at 9:17am voter turnout reduced to 10. 60%and 9:40%.  Such discrepancy raises question on genuineness of data issued by EC: TMC's Derek O'Brien writes to ECCongress leader Gaurav Gogoi casts voteIt's a very emotional moment for me as it's the first time after many yrs that I'm coming to a polling station without my parents.  Confident that people are going to vote out politics of lies & deceit & voting for politics that guarantees that their future is bright: Gaurav Gogoi pic. twitter. com/1ybYHGSEn0Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, son of late former CM Tarun Gogoi, casts his vote at polling both in Jorhat.  "It's a very emotional moment for me as it's the first time after many years that I'm coming to a polling station without my parents," says Gogoi. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts voteAssam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts his vote a polling centre in Dibrugarh"We will get more than 100 seats," CM says pic. twitter. com/nHpEdNpVssAssam CM Sarbananda Sonowal casts vote at polling booth in Dibrugarh, says that the BJP will win "more than 100 seats. "BJP delegation to meet West Bengal CEO at 2pmBJP delegation, led by state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, to meet West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) at 2pm today. 10-member TMC delegation to meet EC at 12pm10-member TMC Parliamentary delegation led by Sudip Bandyopadhyay, leader Lok Sabha and Derek O'Brien, leader Rajya Sabha to meet Election Commission in Kolkata at 12 noon. Bengal's daughter will defeat traitor, says TMC's O'BrienTMC will win Bengal.  Bengal's daughter will defeat Bengal's traitor in his own backyard at Nandigram, members of tourist gang will continue to do what they do best - try and destroy institutions in India.  Women in Bengal will continue to wear sarees any way they want: Derek O'Brien, TMC leader on BJP's Suvendu AdhikariOver 6% and 2% polling in Assam, Bengal in first two hoursAssam records 6. 69% turnout while Bengal sees 2. 44% polling in the first two hours across 47 and 30 assembly constituencies, respectively, in phase 1 of polls. TMC scared, says BJP leader Soumendu AdhikariWe approached EC that there should be free and fair polls.  People will choose whom they want.  TMC is scared.  We've given name of one Alauddin to EC, he creates disturbance there: BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari, brother of party's Nandigram candidate Suvendu AdhikariTMC workers trying to create disturbance, alleges BJP candidateVoting underway smoothly in Midnapore town.  But, at some places in rural areas, TMC workers are trying to create a disturbance.  At booth no.  266 and 267, seven-eight TMC workers entered the booth to influence the voters.  We've complained to EC: Samit Das, BJP candidate from West MidnaporeMamata Banerjee tweets as polling begins in Bengalবাংলার সকল মানুষকে আমি অনুরোধ করব নিজের গণতান্ত্রিক অধিকার প্রয়োগ করুন, সবাই আসুন, ভোট দিন।I call upon the people of Bengal to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting in large numbers. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee appeals to voters to exercise their democratic rights by voting in large numbers. HM Amit Shah requests voters to cast votes in large numbersUnion home minister Amit Shah tweeted in Hindi, Bengali and Assamese, urging voters to cast their votes in large numbers as phase 1 polling began in the two states. Large turnout in Assam's Nagaon#WATCH Voters turn out in large numbers in Rupahi, Nagaon District, for voting in the first phase of Assam Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/5vjn7GgVNnNagaon district in Assam witnesses large voter turnout as first phase of polling gets underway. Scene from a polling booth in Assam's DibrugarhAssam: Voters waiting in a queue at a polling station in JP Nagar, Dibrugarh, as polling gets underway for the first phase of Assembly elections pic. twitter. com/VFHIGvoOJBVoters waiting in a queue at a polling station in JP Nagar, Dibrugarh, as polling gets underway for the first phase of Assembly electionsExercise right to franchise in record numbers: PM ModiToday, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin.  I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today in West Bengal to exercise their franchise in record numbers. PM Modi tweets as polling begins in AssamThe first phase of elections begin in Assam.  Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers.  I particularly call upon my young friends to vote. PM Modi urges voters to vote in "record numbers" as first phase of voting begins in Assam. 509 'vulnerable' booths set up in East Midnapore, says officialWe've 509 vulnerable booths in our district.  We've deployed 169 companies.  We're monitoring booths with CAPF & non-CPF measures.  Over 50% of polling booths have webcasting facility & CCTV, videographer.  We've 800 micro-observers for phase 1: District election officer, East MidnaporeFirst phase of voting to begin at 7amFirst phase of polling in both West Bengal and Assam will begin at 7am, and conclude at 6pm.  Total 77 assembly constituencies-30 in West Bengal and 47 in Assam-will cast their votes. Get our daily newsletter Get free access to newsletters, alerts and recommendations


Pres. Trump says there's "no very great rush" to craft Republican health care alternative as issue drags on in court. https://t.co/r1Cwehif3I https://t.co/8OScaRbDAF

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


Bihar: First phase polling of Bihar Assembly elections underway, following #COVID19 norms.

Visuals of voters queuing up outside booth number 43 in Paliganj and undergoing temperature check. https://t.co/EDMDKDZITp

Polling began on a peaceful note Wednesday morning for the first phase of the Bihar assembly election in 71 constituencies spread over 16 districts, officials said. Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were defused in Aurangabad late Tuesday night, police said.  EVM malfunction was reported from several booths just after polling started in the 71 constituencies.  EVMs were found faulty at booths in Aurangabad, Lakhisarai, Gaya and Arwal constituencies disrupting polling for some time.  EVM malfunction was reported from booth number 163 and 164 at Panchrukhiya village in Masaurhi assembly seat in Patna district.  Polling was disrupted at polling station 72 in Masaurhi for one hour. Police said the IEDs were recovered at one place under Dhibri police station in Aurangabad late Tuesday night from under a bridge, which was defused by the bomb squads.  “We detected the IEDs during our patrolling and defused it immediately.  Area domination in all sensitive identified as extremist hit are being done,” said a senior police officer.  Aurangabad is affected by left wing extremism. Click here for full coverage of Bihar Assembly Election 2020. The first standalone election in Covid times, the response of voters at the booths in the morning has been mixed with turnout at the booths slowly picking up in various districts after 7. 30 am.  The Election Commission ( EC) has made elaborate plans for maintaining social distancing at the voters and screening of the electors before entering the booths in view of Covid-19 pandemic.  Chief Electoral officer H R Srinivas told the media that there were only a few incidents of EVM malfunction at booths in various districts and they were being attended to.  “There are sector magistrates and all faulty EVMs would be immediately reserved.  The polling is going on in a peaceful manner,” he said.  According to the Election Commission, voting percentage in the first hour of polling was 2% in Banka, 2. 5%, in Munger, 2. 3% in Jamui, 3% in Bhojpur, 2. 3% in Buxar, 1. 8% in Sheikhpura, 2. 25% in Kaimur, 2. 85 in Rohtas, 2. 6% in Arwal, 2. 9%, in Gaya, 3% in Lakhisarai, 4% in Patna, 3% in Bhagalpur, 2. 65% in Nawada, 2. 4% in Aurangabad and 2. 7% in Jehanabad. Additional director general of police (headquarter) Jitendra Kumar said the polling has been peaceful so far and no incidents of any security breach in extremist hit areas have been reported from near any booths.  “The IEDSs recovered were not near the booths.  We have a different strategy in place to ensure high security in extremist hit-areas,” he said. Bihar’s chief electoral officer, Srinivasa said the polling percentage this election will be higher than previous elections in the first phase. Meanwhile, villagers of Siddhipur in Paliganj assembly seat in Patna district gave a poll boycott call and have not turned up at the polling station, 233 Maheshpur.  The villagers are angry over roads not being made in the last many years in the area. (With inputs from Avinash Kumar, Mukesh K Mishra)


Here are 9 quotes from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that inspire today's social justice leaders: https://t.co/SwZcyfpWrj https://t.co/Zdjg9eXLcZ

Stevie Wonder, whose advocacy helped make the Rev.  Martin Luther King Jr. ’s birthday a national holiday, is urging the incoming Biden administration to form a national commission on equalityHonoring Martin Luther King Jr. NEW YORK -- Stevie Wonder, whose advocacy helped make the Rev.  Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday a national holiday, is urging the incoming Biden administration to form a national commission on equality. Wonder released a         video message Monday in the form of an open letter to King, who was assassinated in 1968 and whose birthday was made a federal holiday late in 1983.  Wonder met King when he was a teenager and later wrote the tribute song “Happy Birthday," which urged that the government formally establish a Martin Luther King Jr.  Day. King was born Jan.  15, 1929, and his birthday celebrated on the third Monday in January. “For 36 years, we’ve had a national holiday honoring your birthday and principles, and you would not believe the lack of progress.  It makes me physically sick,” Wonder said in his message. “It is time for all to take the only stand.  We can not be afraid to confront a lie and a liar.  Those in leadership who won’t or don’t acknowledge the truth should be held accountable.  Dr.  King, these times require courage, as they did when you lived and paid the ultimate price. ”24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


"That's my boy!" A man in New York was overjoyed when Spike Lee took home the #Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, having grown up watching his movies. #Oscars https://t.co/nFfda5pUYn https://t.co/63wSXZ5IUc

  The 91st Academy Awards was a night marked by historic firsts, inclusiveness and a final twist.

  The following is a list of nominees and the winners.

  “Black Panther”

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody”

  “The Favourite”

  “Green Book” *WINNER

  “Roma”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “Vice”

  Amy Adams, “Vice”

  Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

  Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” *WINNER

  Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

  Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

  Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER

  Adam Driver, “BlackKKlansman”

  Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

  Richard E.  Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me”

  Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

  “Capernaum”

  “Cold War”

  “Never Look Away”

  “Roma” *WINNER

  “Shoplifters”

  “Black Sheep”

  “End Game”

  “Lifeboat”

  “A Night at the Garden”

  “Period.  End of Sentence. ” *WINNER

  “Free Solo” *WINNER

  “Hale County This Morning, This Evening”

  “Minding the Gap”

  “Of Fathers and Sons”

  “RBG”

  “All The Stars” - “Black Panther”

  “I’ll Fight” - “RBG”

  “Shallow” - “A Star Is Born *WINNER

  “The Place Where Lost Things Go”  - “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” - “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “Incredibles 2”

  “Isle of Dogs”

  “Mirai”

  “Ralph Breaks the Internet”

  “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER

  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “BlacKkKlansman” *WINNER

  “Can You Ever Forgive Me? ”

  “If Beale Street Could Talk”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “First Reformed”

  “Green Book” *WINNER

  “Roma”

  “The Favourite”

  “Vice”

  Christian Bale, “Vice”

  Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

  Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

  Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

  Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

  Glenn Close, “The Wife”

  Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

  Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER

  Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me? ”

  Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

  Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

  Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

  Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” *WINNER

  Adam McKay, “Vice”

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “The Favourite”

  “First Man”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Roma”

  “Cold War”

  “The Favourite”

  “Never Look Away”

  “Roma” *WINNER

  “A Star Is Born”

  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “The Favourite”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Mary Queen of Scots”

  “A Quiet Place”

  “Black Panther”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “First Man”

  “Roma”

  “Black Panther”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “First Man”

  “Roma”

  “A Star Is Born”

  “Animal Behaviour”

  “Bao” *WINNER

  “Late Afternoon”

  “One Small Step”

  “Weekends”

  “Detainment”

  “Fauve”

  “Marguerite”

  “Mother”

  “Skin” *WINNER

  “Black Panther” *WINNER

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “If Beale Street Could Talk”

  “Isle of Dogs”

  “Mary Poppins Returns”

  “Avengers: Infinity War”

  “Christopher Robin”

  “First Man” *WINNER

  “Ready Player One”

  “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

  “BlacKkKlansman”

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

  “Green Book”

  “The Favourite”

  “Vice”

  “Border”

  “Mary Queen of Scots”

  “Vice” *WINNER
© 2021 Cable News Network.  A Warner Media Company.  All Rights Reserved.   CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.


A video showing a man being beaten by a group of people is being shared on several social media platforms with users claiming that the incident took place in Haryana's Mewat and the people beating the man belong to the Bajrang Dal.  However, the incident took place in Hamida in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar on 12 August.  Further, Satpal, in-charge of Hamida police station and a local reporter told us that the accused are not from Bajrang Dal and that it was a matter of personal enmity.  Meanwhile, Amir Alvi, uncle of Sahil Alvi (the man seen in viral video), too, denied the link between accused and Bajrang Dal.  CLAIM The claim along with the video reads: "This is the incident of Mewat in Haryana, some boys of Bajrang Dal are beating a Muslim boy, can one become a Hindu by forcefully saying Jai Shri Ram or one can become a Muslim by being forcefully called Allah Hu Akbar, let us stop our country from becoming Hindu rashtra.  (sic)" (NOTE: The visuals can be distressing.  Viewer's discretion is advised) Several social media users shared the video on Facebook and Twitter and the archived version of the posts can be viewed here, here, here and here.  The Quint received a query on the claim being made about the video on its WhatsApp tipline as well.  WHAT WE FOUND OUT We searched on Google with keywords 'Haryana man beaten viral video' and came across a report by Dainik Jagran that was published on 18 August and carried a screengrab in which the man in the viral video, could be seen.  As per the article, the incident took place on 12 August in Hamida in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar when one Sahil Alvi was beaten and a case had been registered by the police.   We found the FIR registered in the case on the website of Haryana police and one Mohamad Akbar Dar is the complainant.  The FIR identified the accused as Vansh Atwal, Lucky Jaat, Aman Randhawa, Kuldeep Chima, Mohit Maihndiratta, Jatin Jaat and Tarun Kashyap.  According to the details provided by the complainant, he, along with Alvi, Waseem, Pradeep and Naveen had gone to a court.  On their way back to Hamida, a group of people allegedly carrying swords, rod, flags came and beat Alvi.  WHAT DO POLICE, LOCAL REPORTER HAVE TO SAY?  We reached out to Satpal, in-charge of Hamida police station, who said that  the accused are not related to Bajrang Dal.  Further, a local reporter, too, confirmed that the accused are not related to Bajrang Dal and that the accused and Alvi knew each other and have had arguments earlier as well.  WHAT IS ALVI'S FAMILY SAYING?  Speaking to The Quint's WebQoof team, Amir Alvi, uncle of Sahil Alvi denied any link between accused and the Bajrang Dal.  He also told us that Sahil Alvi, who has to undergo six-seven operations, is in a serious condition presently.  Evidently, social media users falsely claimed that the people who beat the man seen in the viral video from Haryana, are related to Bajrang Dal.


West Bengal: Visuals from polling booth no.153 in Kolkata Dakshin Lok Sabha Constituency. Voting for the 7th and last phase of #LokSabhaElections2019 will begin at 7 AM today. https://t.co/AUl8WrruzF

Sunday will bring down the curtains on one of the most fiercely fought elections in West Bengal, when the final nine seats of the state’s 42, will go to polls in the last phase of the ongoing general elections.  These seats are in Trinamool Congress’s heartland of Kolkata and its neighbouring districts of North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas.  Of these, eight have been with the TMC since 2009.  In 2014, Joynagar too went to TMC, led by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee.  The past week saw a high-pitched battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the TMC, during and in the immediate aftermath of BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow in Kolkata, which included the vandalising of a bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in an educational institute.  This led to the Election Commission bringing forward the campaign period by 19 hours, a move that received all-round criticism from Opposition leaders. The previous phases also saw several incidents of violence, some of which caused deaths of party workers in both parties. Heavyweights in phase 7 include chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, from Diamond Harbour, who will contest BJP’s Nilanjan Roy, who had switched from the Congress to the BJP last year.  CPI(M)’s Fuad Halim, son of former Bengal Assembly speaker Hashim Abdul Halim, is the Left candidate.  In Kolkata North, TMC’s incumbent Sudip Banerjee is pitted against BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.  Sudip Banerjee had spent 136 days behind the bars after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested him in January 2017, in connection with the Rose Valley ponzi scam. In Dumdum, TMC’s two-time MP Sougata Roy, who was one of the accused in the Narada sting of March 2016, is seeking re-election, while BJP’s state unit spokesperson and former MLA Shamik Bhattacharya will take him on.  The CPI(M) has fielded veteran leader Nepaldeb Bhattacharya. The high-profile Jadavpur constituency, too, is bracing for a triangular fight, with TMC fielding a political greenhorn, Bengali film industry actor Mimi Chakraborty, BJP nominating Anupam Hazra (TMC’s Bolpur MP who switched to BJP in March) and CPI(M) naming former Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.  The Congress has supported Bhattacharya. “Though this is TMC’s heartland, there is a wind of anti-incumbency and this is going to make TMC’s battle a real difficult one,” said political analyst Amal Mukhopadhyay, former principal of Presidency College. To ensure peaceful and fair polling, the Election Commission has decided to deploy 770 companies of central forces.  All the polling stations would be guarded by the central forces. Kolkata South, Joynagar and Mathurapur — where both Modi and Mamata Banerjee held rallies last week — are TMC’s strongholds.    . tablewrap {width:100%; border:0px solid #FFF; color:#000; float:left}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: #fff; text-decoration:none} tr:nth-child(even) {background-color:#efefef; text-decoration:none} th {width:auto; background-color:#dedede; 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}a {color:#242424; text-decoration:none; color:#000}a:visited {color:#242424; text-decoration:none; color:#000}. base {width:100%; color:#242424; text-decoration:none; display:inline-block;}. cont1 {width:49%; float:left}. cont2 {width:49%; float:right}. divider {width:100%;}@media only screen and (max-width:480px) {. cont1 {width:auto; float:left}. cont2 {width:auto; margin:0; float:left}}


All five of the impeachment lawyers who were expected to represent former Pres. Trump have called it quits, sources told @ABC News. https://t.co/4SBfjLpALE

By Gloria Borger, Kaitlan Collins, Jeff Zeleny and Ashley Semler, CNNUpdated 7:34 AM ET, Sun January 31, 2021  (CNN)Former President Donald Trump's five impeachment defense attorneys have left a little more than a week before his trial is set to begin, according to people familiar with the case, amid a disagreement over his legal strategy.  CNN's Kara Scannell and Manu Raju contributed to this report.


BREAKING: Joe Biden will win the state of Virginia, @ABC News projects. https://t.co/kExOKmJh2h #ElectionNight https://t.co/fduLZFnV1K

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Melissa Mahtani and Amanda Wills, CNNOur live coverage has moved.  Go here for the latest results and news from the election. From CNN's Allison GordonResults from Milwaukee have flipped Wisconsin to Joe Biden, who has a lead in the state right now, CNN's Phil Mattingly says. Earlier, the city of Milwaukee's absentee ballot information was delivered with a police escort, CNN's Ryan Young reported. "When they have those three officers walking with them, you understand the importance of the event," Young told CNN's Chris Cuomo. The election is far from over with millions of votes still outstanding in key states, including in battleground Wisconsin. Joe Biden will win Hawaii, CNN projects. There are four electoral votes at stake in Hawaii.  It takes 270 electoral votes to win the 2020 presidential election. Who won in 2016: Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried the state, and President Trump won the general election. From CNN's Josiah Ryan Republican insiders are crediting a $300 million get-out-out the vote effort organized by the Trump campaign and allies for narrowing the gap in many states, CNN's Ryan Nobles reported early this morning.  "Republicans are talking about. . .  the ground game that the Republican National Committee and the Trump Victory Organization put into place shortly after President Trump was inaugurated," said Nobles. Nobles reported on Friday that the campaign had spent more than $300 million on a data and ground operation and less on television and digital advertising in the final leg of the campaign.  "They firmly believe that that ground game was going to be a big part in narrowing the gap, in many of these key states and they're now saying that we're seeing that play out in realtime as these votes come," added Nobles.  From CNN's MJ LeeJoe Biden's campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon issued a strongly worded statement following President Trump's White House speech, calling it "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect. " O’Malley Dillon went on to say that "the counting will not stop. ”From CNN's Maeve Reston and Stephen CollinsonVotes are still being counted in several key states across the US, and no winner has been determined in the presidential election. If you're just reading in, here's what you need to know about the race:From CNN's Leinz ValesBenjamin L.  Ginsberg, a longtime Republican election lawyer who co-chaired the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, said Wednesday that President Trump should “let all the votes be counted,” following his attacks on legitimate vote counting efforts. “If you have objections to either the particular ballots or to the process, then you have remedies after the fact from each state individual contests laws or recount laws if the margins are close enough,” Ginsberg told CNN’s Jake Tapper during CNN’s special election coverage.  Hear Ginsberg explain: From CNN’s Mark MoralesPhiladelphia won’t have an updated number on mail-in ballots until 9 a. m.  on Wednesday, said Lisa Deeley, head of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which is a bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration. Election officials are waiting on in-person voting numbers to be reported by some individual precincts and ingested into their system before they can report the number of mail-in ballots, Deeley said.  “That’s just the configuration of our system,” said Deeley, adding that it was a reporting issue, not mechanical. The delay in in-person results from the field are slowing down the reports, particularly in West Philadelphia, Deeley said “We are counting, we have been counting, we are going to continue counting until it's done,” Deeley said.  “We’re just waiting for the rest of the in-person results to come in from voting machines. ”Another update with mail-in votes will come at 9 a. m. , Deeley said. As of 1:10 a. m.  ET, with 1,598 of 1,703 divisions reporting, former Vice President Joe Biden has received 73. 3% of the city’s votes, and President Trump has received 25. 67% of the city’s vote. From CNN's Allison GordonBased on CNN's current projections, Joe Biden has 220 electoral votes while Donald Trump has 213 electoral votes. Here's the latest look at where things stand:Reminder: Each candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.


This week is Holy Week, when millions of Western Christians mark the death and resurrection of Jesus.

But as fire engulfed the Notre Dame cathedral, Catholics across the world reacted in horror and disbelief. https://t.co/NDVc4GDfdo https://t.co/JdTWMmPoN0

The flames caused a 315-foot spire to topple over.  Fire nearly destroys Notre Dame CathedralA fire has engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, one of the city's most iconic sights. The fire began at 6:50 p. m.  local time Monday, the Paris fire department said, and continued to burn hours later. A French firefighter official told reporters the main structure of the cathedral has been saved and the two iconic main towers are intact and have been saved as well. French Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that authorities were evacuating people from buildings in the area -- including homes close to the cathedral. A spokesperson for the cathedral described the damage to French media as "colossal. ""Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame," the spokesperson said. First responders are currently trying to salvage priceless art stored inside the cathedral, said Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire.  Last week, the statues of the apostles were removed for restoration, The Associated Press reported. Images on social media show smoke and flames shooting from the top of Notre Dame as massive plumes of smoke billow into the sky above. One video shows a spire toppling over as a result of the flames. The fire may be connected to the recent restoration of the church, officials said.  The restoration work costs 120 million euros, the Notre Dame Paris office told ABC News, adding that a fire alarm test conducted last week went well. The roof has completely collapsed, witness John Dickas, an American professor living in Paris, told ABC News. Large crowds have begun to gather around the scene.  Some members of the crowd began to sing hymns as the cathedral burned. The cathedral was built around 1260 AD and towered over the city of Paris for centuries.  Much of the facade and interior are true to their original designs. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed sadness at the sight of the historic building's demise, saying it captures the "emotion of an entire nation. ""Thinking of all the Catholics and all the French people," Macron wrote.  "Like all of our countrymen, I am sad tonight to see part of us burning. "Monday is the start of Holy Week, the busiest and most important period of the liturgical year.  Easter is on Sunday. American Kelly Weymouth, who is currently studying abroad in Paris, said she was taking a sunset cruise on the Seine river with her mother when the fire broke out. At one point, as the traffic on the river was stopped, Weymouth and about 40 fellow passengers from all over the world watched in horror for about 45 minutes as the fire destroyed the cathedral, she said. The Frenchmen who were on the boat began to sob and embrace each other, Weymouth said, describing the moment as "very intense. ""We express our closeness to French Catholics and the Parisians and assure them of our prayers for the firefighters and all those that are doing everything possible to fight this dramatic situation," the statement read. "If it collapses, you can imagine how important the damage will be," Gallet said. Around 500 firefighters were involved in helping to put out the fire, Macron said. "The worst was avoided even if the battle has not been completely won," Macron said, vowing to rebuild the historic structure by utilizing "the best talents. "ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Kirit Radia contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Sensex opens at 33,438 points, down by 167 points. https://t.co/cYesmrCHhR

Equity benchmark Sensex dropped 97 points on Wednesday in a volatile session amid concerns over border tensions with China and the impact of spiking coronavirus on economic recovery.  After gyrating 600. 70 points during the day, the 30-share index closed 97. 30 points, or 0. 29 per cent, lower at 33,507. 92.  It had hit an intra-day high of 33,933. 66 and a low of 33,332. 96.  Similarly, the NSE Nifty settled 32. 85 points, or 0. 33 per cent, down at 9,881. 15.  It touched a high of 10,003. 60 and a low of 9,833. 80 in the session.  Kotak Bank was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, shedding over 2 per cent, followed by ITC, PowerGrid, M&M, HDFC, Asian Paints and NTPC. On the other hand, Maruti rallied over 4 per cent.  Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finance were also among the gainers.  According to traders, border tensions with China, spike in Covid-19 cases and unabated foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment.  As many as 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff between the two countries.  There were around 35 casualties on the Chinese side, sources said, citing US intelligence reports.  Adding to investors’ woes, India witnessed its highest-single day spike of 2,003 Covid-19 deaths, pushing the toll to 11,903, while cases rose to 3,54,065 with 10,974 new infections.  The number of cases around the world linked to the coronavirus has crossed 81. 62 lakh and the death toll has topped 4. 41 lakh.  Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors sold equities worth a net Rs 1,478. 52 crore on Tuesday, provisional exchange data showed.  Globally, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul ended on a positive note, while Tokyo settled in the red.  Stock exchanges in Europe were trading on a positive note in early deals.  International oil benchmark Brent crude futures slipped 0. 83 per cent to USD 40. 62 per barrel.  On the currency front, the rupee settled 4 paise higher at 76. 16 against the US dollar.


2 new #COVID19 positive cases reported in Dharavi area of Mumbai today, taking the total number of cases in Dharavi to 2,531 including 113 active cases: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). #Maharashtra https://t.co/pJQWUSelHI

The number of Covid-19 cases in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat mounted by 151 to 26,969 on Monday, state health department said. Death toll went up to 1,609 with six patients succumbing to the infection in the day, it said. A total of 109 patients were discharged in the day, including 100 in Ahmedabad city and 9 in rural areas, taking the total count to 21,801 in the district. Of 151 new cases, 139 cases were reported from Ahmedabad city while 12 patients were detected in rural areas. All six fatalities were reported from Ahmedabad municipal corporation areas, the department said.


A majority of Americans hold Pres. Trump and congressional Republicans mainly responsible for the government shutdown, new @ABC News/WaPo poll finds. Just 29% blame congressional Democrats. https://t.co/VW4hIbzrHz https://t.co/tui9dOcSmO

  Imagine going to bed every night, having the same nightmare, waking up, hoping you will sleep peacefully the next night and then having the nightmare again.  Over and over again.  For 24 days and counting.

  Welcome to the world of Republicans in Congress!

  Two things came into very clear focus over the past 96 hours:

  1) Republicans are losing the messaging war surrounding this longest government shutdown ever – and losing it badly

  2) With every passing day, President Donald Trump hunkers down deeper into his demand for $5 billion in federal funding to build a border wall with Mexico.

  Those two realities are creating a slow-motion disaster for Republicans, the vast majority of whom – OK, everyone but Donald Trump – are powerless to do absolutely anything about it.

  Let’s break it down – point by point.

  A series of national polls conducted and released over the past week leave no doubt that a majority of the public blames Trump and Republicans for the ongoing shutdown.  In a CNN poll out over the weekend, 55% blamed Trump for the shutdown while 32% said it was congressional Democrats at fault.  (A majority – 56% – opposed the construction of a wall along the entirety of the southern US border with Mexico. ) In a Washington Post-ABC News poll from this weekend, the results were very similar; 53% said the shutdown blame falls primarily on Trump and Republicans while 29% blamed Democrats in Congress.  There’s plenty more recent polling that gets at that same idea: People blame Trump and Republicans for this shutdown and believe the cause of the shutdown – a border wall – won’t solve the problems posed by immigration.

  And yet, in the face of this avalanche of polling data – remember when Trump couldn’t wait to tout the results of the latest poll in the 2016 GOP primary? ?  – Trump seems entirely unable or unwilling to bend.  “He’s not going to budge even 1 inch,” a source familiar with Trump’s thinking told CNN’s Jeremy Diamond on Monday.  (That same source told Diamond that Trump keeps citing increased support for a border wall – 42% support for it in the WaPo-ABC poll  – as evidence he is winning.  Of course, 54% of people in that same poll oppose the wall, so …)

  Trump’s tweets of late seem similarly detached from reality.

  “Nancy and Cryin’ Chuck can end the Shutdown in 15 minutes,” he typed Monday morning.  “At this point it has become their, and the Democrats, fault! ”

  This is all sorts of bad if you are a Republican elected official.

  What we know from modern political history is that the public tends to blame one party for these shutdowns – unless they are of a very short duration.  This one is not that.  We also know that, barring some sort of major news event that upends conventional wisdom, once people make their minds up about who they think is at fault in government, they rarely change their collective minds.

  If you are a congressional Republican, the feeling is somewhere between utter frustration and total futility.  You know that every day this shutdown goes, things get worse for your party, politically speaking, You also know that telling Trump any of this makes him more likely to hunker down even further.  And don’t forget, you are a little – or more than a little – scared of the President’s ire, and what it may mean for your political future.

  What do do?  Well, most Republicans have largely thrown up their hands.  Take Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the man who, during past potential (and realized) shutdowns during the Obama administration, stepped in to cut a deal.  He’s been largely on the sidelines in this shutdown – by his own choosing.

  “Ultimately the solution to this is a deal between the president and Nancy and Chuck, because we need some of Chuck’s votes, and obviously, we need Nancy’s support,” McConnell told Politico recently.

  He’s also made clear that unless and until Trump goes public with a specific legislative proposal, there’s no point in having a series of show votes on the Senate floor for measures the President won’t sign.  (Left unsaid but without question a calculation for McConnell is putting his vulnerable 2020 members on the record with votes that will never go anywhere. )

  The truth here is that congressional Republicans threw their lot in with Trump – totally and completely – shortly after he won the White House.  They did so because they thought doing so would get them what they wanted – tax cuts, conservative Supreme Court justices – even if it meant swallowing their pride and their past views on things like the danger posed by the rapidly growing national debt.

  When they latched themselves to Trump, they did so for good and for bad.  This moment – a flailing President unwilling to see he made a bad bet and who keeps throwing good political money after bad – was completely predictable.  That doesn’t make it any easier for congressional Republicans to endure; the President is lighting their political brand on fire while insisting everything is not only fine but that he is, in fact winning.

  Which, well, he isn’t.
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India’s sprint sensation Hima Das has qualified for Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Last year’s Summer Olympics scheduled to be held in Tokyo was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  While uncertainty over the event still prevails, a post circulating on social media claims that India’s sprint sensation Hima Das has qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The claim in Hindi translates to, “Golden girl Hima Das has qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.  Congratulations to the daughter who makes her country proud”. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be untrue.  The Athletics Federation of India has confirmed that till the evening of January 16, 2021, Hima Das has not qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. The archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here and here. Hima Das from Assam became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in a world championship.  Her getting qualified for the Tokyo Olympics would have definitely made headlines.  However, we could not find any credible news report substantiating the claim. Neither did we find her name in any of the reports carrying the names of athletes who qualified for the postponedTokyo Olympics. We then reached out to Hima’s personal manager Rahul Trehan, who confirmed to us that the viral claim is false.  “The claim that Hima has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics is false.  She is undergoing training, and there is still time for her to get qualified for the Olympics,” Trehan said. AFWA also spoke to Radhakrishnan Nair, chief coach of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Rubbishing the viral claim, Nair said, “An athlete gets qualified for the Olympics based on the World Athletics’ qualifying guidelines.  Hima has not yet qualified for Tokyo Olympics based on these guidelines.  June 29 is the deadline for Olympics qualification and she is likely to get qualified for 200 metres and 4x100 metres relay. ”AFWA also spoke to AFI president Adille Sumariwalla, who confirmed to us that no recent announcement was made on qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics. “All athletes, including Hima, need to undergo multiple national and international competitions to get qualified for the Olympics.  All such qualification events were at stake over the last several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Because of this, we had no announcement of Olympic qualifiers.  We are planning to resume competitions in February.  Four of them are already scheduled,” Sumariwalla said. Hence, it is clear that the claim saying Hima Das has qualified for Tokyo Olympics 2021 is false.  Till the time of filing this copy, she did not qualify for the event. Tokyo OlympicsThe Tokyo Olympics 2020 was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is now expected to be held between July 23 and August 8 this year in the capital of Japan. John Coates, the vice-president of International Olympic Committee, had earlier said the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead in 2021 with or without the Covid-19 pandemic. However, according to recent reports by Reuters and Bloomberg, apprehensions about the games continue in Japan due to resurgence of Covid-19 infections in the country.  Japan has now declared a virus emergency for major metropolitan areas in the country. The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.


Assam: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visits Bordowa Satra - the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev, in Nagaon. https://t.co/oYVRoICwJz

Twelve senior doctors of the state will be the first in Assam to get the initial doses of the Covid-19 vaccine that would begin on Saturday morning as part of the nationwide vaccination drive. “We have invited 12 people to get the first doses of the vaccine.  The first among them is Dr Umesh Chandra Sarma, retired vice-chancellor, Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences,” state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told journalists on Friday. He will be followed by Dr Dhrubajyoti Borah, former president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha--the state’s biggest literary body and former principal of Barpeta Medical College and Hospital.  The third would be Dr Ilias Ali, Padmashri recipient and former head of the department of surgery at Guwahati Medical College Hospital. “The first doses of Covid-19 vaccines would be given to frontline health warriors who have to deal with patients physically and have the highest risk of contracting the disease,” said Sarma. “The next category would be police, paramilitary personnel etc.  This will be followed by people above 50 years of age and then by people with co-morbid conditions,” he added. In Assam, around 9 million or nearly 3% of the total population would be covered in the first phase.  Around 190,000 doctors, nurses, hospital staff, lab technicians and ambulance drivers will get vaccinated in the first stage followed by nearly 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel. A total of 8651 vaccinators have been trained from among auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) staff in the state and they would be supervised by 1300 doctors.  Vaccination would be carried out in 65 different sites in 33 districts across the state from Saturday. On the first day, 100 people would be vaccinated at each of the 65 vaccination sites taking the total to 6500 people.  Vaccines would be administered based on consent and would be voluntary. Three places in Assam, Guwahati Medical College Hospital, Nagaon civil hospital and Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, would have two-way links with the official ceremony in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part. As of now Assam has 221,500 doses of vaccines-201,500 of them Covishield and 20,000 Covaxin-of the total 380,000 doses needed to vaccinate 190,000 health workers in the first stage. Assam has at present 1656 active Covid-19 cases with a recovery rate of 98. 10% and death rate at 0. 49%.  The number of new cases detected daily has remained below 50 on an average since December 31.


Rod Rosenstein offers potential roadmap to the Mueller report in a letter written last June to Sen. Chuck Grassley: Do not expect a harsh condemnation of Pres. Trump or any of his associates if they have not been charged with crimes. https://t.co/TVbTW5qZu3 https://t.co/j2qXFOxNLz

  Special counsel Robert Mueller delivered his completed investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election to Attorney General William Barr, the Justice Department announced Friday.

  Barr sent a letter to House and Senate judiciary leaders, telling them he remains committed “to as much transparency as possible” and would keep them informed “as to the status of my review. ”

  Here’s the letter:

  Dear Chairman Graham, Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Ranking Member Collins:

  I write to notify you pursuant to 28 C. F. R.  § 600. 9(a)(3) that Special Counsel Robert S.  Mueller III has concluded his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters.  In addition to this notification, the Special Counsel regulations require that I provide you with “a description and explanation of instances (if any) in which the Attorney General” or acting Attorney General “concluded that a proposed action by a Special Counsel was so inappropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued. ” 28 C. F. R.  § 600. 9(a)(3).  There were no such instances during the Special Counsel’s investigation.

  The Special Counsel has submitted to me today a “confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions” he has reached, as required by 28 C. F. R.  § 600. 8(c).  I am reviewing the report and anticipate that I may be in a position to advise you of the Special Counsel’s principal conclusions as soon as this weekend.

  Separately, I intend to consult with Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Special Counsel Mueller to determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public consistent with the law, including the Special Counsel regulations, and the Department’s long-standing practices and policies.  I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review.

  Finally, the Special Counsel regulations provide that “the Attorney General may determine that public release of” this notification “would be in the public interest. ” 28 C. F. R.  § 600. 9(c).  I have so determined, and I will disclose this letter to the public after delivering it to you.

  Sincerely,

  William P.  Barr

  Attorney General

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President Trump says he’s been taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus, “despite the fact that there is, so far, no substantive medical evidence to back up the fact that it works,” CNN's @JDiamond1 reports. https://t.co/scBpTVgF66 https://t.co/0H5gQ856O3

The attorney general's comment contrasts with views pressed by the president. ‘Obama and Biden knew about it’: Trump on Russia probeAttorney General William Barr said Monday he does not expect that the review of the origins of the Russia probe, being conducted by U. S.  Attorney John Durham, will lead to a criminal investigation of either former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden. President Donald Trump told reporters later Monday he was "surprised. "“I think Obama and Biden knew about it.  They were participants, but, so I'm a little surprised by that statement,” Trump told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, saying he would need to take a closer look at Barr’s remarks, which he said he just recently learned about. Asked if he will be disappointed if there is no criminal investigation into his political rivals, the president wouldn’t say, but said he has no doubt of their involvement in the origins of the Russia probe. “I don’t know about being disappointed or not,” Trump said.  “But I have no doubt that they were involved in this hoax.  One of the worst things ever to befall this country, in terms of political scandal.  I have absolutely no doubt that Obama and Biden were involved and, as to whether or not it was criminal, I would think it would be very serious.  Very, very serious.  It was a takedown of a president, regardless of me -- It happened to be me.  And in my opinion, it was an illegal takedown. ”Trump called the move a "double standard. "“If it was me, I guarantee that they’d be going after me.  In his case, they’re not so -- I think it's just a continuation of a double standard.  I'm surprised by it,” Trump said. Even as the president leveled serious accusations without evidence that his predecessor was involved in illegal activity to take down his presidency, he said he will stay out of the matter and leave it to his “honorable attorney general. "“I've decided to stay out of it,” Trump said.  “I will say this: we have an honorable attorney general.  He's going to do an honorable job.  He's a very honorable man and he's going to do a very honorable job. ”Barr's comment came at an earlier "virtual news conference" from the Justice Department. “As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mister Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man,” Barr said. Barr said there have been “increasing attempts to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon,” and that what happened to President Trump was “abhorrent” and  “grave injustice” as law enforcement was used to advance what he called a “false and utterly baseless” Russia collusion narrative. “The proper investigative and prosecutorial standards of the Department of Justice were abused, in my view, in order to reach a particular result,” Barr said. But Barr emphasized that abuses of power were not necessarily criminal offense. He pledged that the “criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends. ”Trump has been promoting the idea that Obama and Biden committed crimes. Without presenting any evidence, Trump claimed in a Fox Business News interview, “this was all Obama, this was all Biden.   These people were corrupt, the whole thing was corrupt, and we caught them. ”At a May 11 press conference, Trump was asked about tweets that appeared to accuse President Obama of the “greatest political crime in history. ”  Trump responded by using the term “Obamagate,” saying that it had been going on for a “long time,” but was unable to explain what crime he was alleging had been committed. Last week’s declassification of the list of Obama administration and career government officials that requested the “unmasking” of retired Lt.  Gen.  Michael Flynn stoked Republican claims that former Vice President Biden was involved in an “abuse of power. ”Biden’s name appeared on the list as the last of 48 requests by 16 people was the last of 48 requests for the unmasking that would have revealed Flynn’s name to those officials.  According to a National Security Agency memo accompanying the declassified list, the unmasking was “authorized” and occurred through the “NSA’s standard process, which includes a review of the justification for the request. ”A leak of Flynn’s unmasked name would potentially be illegal and it's unclear  whether the Justice Department has identified or will charge anyone for such a disclosure. As Durham continues his review, Barr said that some aspects of the matter are being investigated as “potential crimes. ”  He was not more specific, but suggested the focus has been on the actions of current and former FBI officials and Barr has been reviewing the involvement of U. S.  intelligence agencies in the origins of the Russia probe. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Delhi: #CoronaVirus screening will be conducted by a team of doctors at Delhi Airport for all the 324 Indians who have arrived in the Air India special flight from Wuhan (China). Later on, if necessary, they will be put under medical observation. https://t.co/nhLnq2GIz8 https://t.co/NgGep1mM6q

The first batch of 324 Indians who arrived in Air India special flight from Wuhan (China) in Delhi Saturday morning are being taken to Indo-Tibetan Border Police Chhawla camp in Delhi and an army camp at Manesar in Haryana for medical observation, ANI reported. Two hundred and eleven of the evacuees are students.  Most of the evacuees are from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and 22 are from Maharashtra. The Air India Boeing 747 had reached Wuhan on Friday evening with a team of doctors to bring back the Indians who had been stranded in a city in Hubei province, which is now completely locked down over the outbreak.  Also Watch | Air India’s jet carrying Indians from coronavirus-hit Wuhan lands in DelhiChinese health officials said on Saturday at least 259 people have died and nearly are 11,800 infected with the novel coronavirus and that the hardest-hit central Chinese province of Hubei reported 45 new fatalities until Friday midnight. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared the outbreak as an international public health emergency. India thanked China for facilitating the special flight to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan. “An Air India flight carrying 324 Indian nationals from the coronavirus hit Hubei Province of China took off from Wuhan in the early hours of Feb 1.  Majority of the passengers were Indian students.  We sincerely thank the Chinese government for facilitating this flight,” the Indian embassy tweeted. Two Indians were prevented from boarding the special Air India flight from Wuhan by the Chinese immigration authorities because both were running high temperatures.  The barred passengers included a man and a woman and they are likely to be quarantined at a facility in Wuhan and checked for coronavirus symptoms. Screening, isolationThe government had set up a joint team of Airport Health Authority (AHO) and Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for screening the evacuees at the airport.  Those suspected of infection will be shifted to an isolation ward at Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment (BHDC). The government has also set up two facilities in Delhi and neighbouring Haryana to quarantine the evacuees. The Indian Army has set up a facility in Manesar near Delhi to screen evacuees from Wuhan.  And, the other is a 600-bed hospital in west Delhi identified by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) as an isolation area. “The Indian Army has acted swiftly and created a facility near Manesar where the students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection,” the force said in a statement. The evacuees will be classified into three groups of “suspect case” showing any signs of fever, cough, or respiratory distress, “close contact and non-contact case” and will be treated accordingly. A close contact person, who is without symptoms but may have visited a seafood, animal market or a health facility or come into contact with a Chinese with symptoms in the last 14 days will be “escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility”. A non-contact case, who is without any symptom or contact or “who does not fit into either (a) or (b) will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility. ”“After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the District/ State surveillance units for further surveillance.  Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC’s isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery,” the army said. “Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV,” it said. The previously unknown virus—which is why it is called the novel coronavirus—is believed to have emerged in December at a seafood market, which also traded in wild animals in the provincial capital of Wuhan, undergoing an unprecedented lockdown to contain the spread. The epidemic has spread all across over 20 countries as the Chinese travelled for the Lunar New Year holiday that started last week.  It has since ballooned into a global health emergency.


Sebring, Florida, is a community in mourning today after 5 people were killed in a shooting at the SunTrust bank. Mayor John Shoop joins CNN's Anderson Cooper tonight on Full Circle to give updates from the scene. Tune in at 6:45p ET on Facebook Watch: https://t.co/8toENB380n https://t.co/9m2RCuA9kd

The 21-year-old suspect, Zephen Xaver, is in custody. Gunman kills 5 people at Florida bankFive people -- all women -- were gunned down inside a Florida bank  in an apparent "random" mass shooting, police said Thursday. Authorities raced to the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon after 21-year-old Zephen Xaver allegedly killed the victims, then called 911, telling dispatchers, “I have shot five people. ”The victims were found lying face-down on the floor of the bank's main lobby, according to court documents. Cynthia Watson, a customer, and Marisol Lopez, 55, a bank employee, were among those killed, police said Thursday, as was employee Ana Piñon-Williams, her family said. A mother of seven, Piñon-Williams, 38, had only been on the job a few weeks, her brother-in-law, Tim Williams, said Thursday. "Her life was truly a light in this world," he said. Watson, 65, had been married to her husband, Tony Watson, for just 23 days, he said. Tony Watson described her as "very hard working.  She never stopped and she took care of everyone. "The families of some victims requested their names not be released, police said. Xaver "knowingly and intentionally took the lives of five of our fellow community members. . . our sisters, our mothers, our daughters and our co-workers," Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund told reporters Thursday, at times overcome with emotion. A sixth person -- an employee -- was in a back break room when the incident began.  Upon hearing shots, the employee ran out a back door and contacted police, the sheriff's office said. Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman said the mass shooting "shocks and angers me more than anything I have encountered in my career. "Police said the motive is not known.  Authorities do not believe anyone was targeted and said there's no known connection between the suspect and victims. The 21-year-old was armed with a 9mm handgun and wore a bulletproof vest, according to the probable cause statement. "While we still don’t know what drove the suspect to commit this heinous act, there is no excuse that can justify the cold-blooded murder of multiple victims," Blackman said in a statement Wednesday. Dressed in a black and white jail jumpsuit, Xaver appeared before a judge Thursday morning and was formally charged with five counts of "homicide murder premeditated. "Besides a “yes sir” when informed of the charges, the alleged shooter said nothing in court. The judge said Xaver had “no income, assets, or dependents. ” He was denied bond. As authorities work to determine a motive, the suspect's background is coming to light. Xaver worked for two months as a correctional officer trainee but resigned in January, the Florida Department of Corrections said.  He had no discipline issues and it was not clear why he resigned, a spokesperson said. The mass shooting, which has left residents of the small city in shock, comes weeks before Florida marks the first anniversary of the Parkland school shooting in which 17 students and staff were killed. The sheriff said, “I pray for the victims, their families and our community.  This tragedy will have a lasting impact on Highlands County and likely this community will never be the same. "Florida Gov.  Ron DeSantis called it "a terrible day for Sebring, Highlands County and for the state of Florida. ""This is an individual that needs to face very swift and exacting justice," the governor said of the suspect. Hoglund said in a statement, "We will continue to investigate and work to see that the victims and their families are taken care of and that they receive the justice they deserve. "ABC News' Brandon Chase, Rachel Katz, Desiree Adib and Rachel Humphries contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Video shows students in the US sang the Indian national anthem to thank India for supplying hydroxychloroquine

A nearly three year old video of individuals from the United States singing the Indian national anthem is being peddled with a false claim that students in the US recorded the clip as a gesture to thank India for the supply of hydroxychloroquine.  The one-minute long clip is a modern rendition of the Indian national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', sung by foreigners.  The video is going viral on WhatsApp and social media with the caption claiming, 'put together by USA students to Thank India for supply of Hydroxichloriquin (sic)'.   Very very moving. Brought tears to my eyes. Confirms my belief, 21st Century belongs to India provided it works towards #ResurgenceOfSanatanDharma https://t. co/Fy6F3SNzm6      Anti-malarial drug hydroxycholoroquine, has become a household name after US President Donald Trump touted it as a 'game changer' in the fight against COVID-19.  Its efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients is hotly debated among the medical community.  India is one of the largest suppliers of HCQ and has been supplying to countries such as the United States, Brazil among others.  In India, it is being given as a prophylactic drug among doctors and in areas which have cluster of cases.  Health experts say that HCQ is supposed to be taken as a prescription drug only and after ruling out pre-existing health conditions.  ALSO READ:  Hydroxychloroquine For COVID-19: All You Need To Know    FACT CHECK A simple keyword search of 'Americans singing Indian national anthem' on YouTube led us to the same video which was uploaded on the platform in in August 2017, well before the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus was reported from Wuhan, China in late 2019.  The video was uploaded by YouTuber Anisha Dixit also known by her screen name - 'Rickshawali', who also features prominently in the clip.      The description and comments below the video show it was made to celebrate India's Independence Day and has no relation to the coronavirus outbreak or hydroxychloroquine.    The same video was also uploaded to Dixit's Facebook page in 2018.      BOOM reached out to Anisha Dixit via her social media profiles but did not receive a response till the time of publishing.  The story will be updated upon receiving a response.


"Just be kind, open your heart and that's what we need in this world."

This viral photo shows a second-grade boy holding hands with a classmate who has autism and was overwhelmed by his first day of school. https://t.co/6WKGezUaD1 https://t.co/3BYBbllVCw

The second-graders' mothers said the two are inseparable. Boy, 8, consoles fellow student on first day of schoolThe first day of school can be overwhelming for any child: parents taking pictures and calming jitters, teachers desperately trying to corral anxious, excited children and then there's just the overall noise of it all. Connor Crites, 8, a rising second grader who has autism, was having a particularly emotional  back-to-school day at Minneha Elementary in Wichita, Kansas, on Aug.  14. Then, fellow rising second grader Christian Moore, 8, entered the picture. "He was kind to me," Connor told ABC's Wichita affiliate KAKE-TV.  "I started crying and then he helped me.  And, I was happy.  … He found me and held my hand and I got happy tears. "Christian's mother, Courtney Moore, described the interaction. "I seen him on the ground with Connor as Connor was crying in the corner and he was consoling him," Moore told the station.  "And, he grabs his hand and walked him to the front door and he waited until the bell rang and he walked him inside the school and the rest was history. "April Crites, Connor's mother, told ABC News on Monday that the simple act had made him so happy. "That's all I can ask for, is someone to be open to him like that," she said.  "I'm so happy that something so positive is coming from all this, that my son got a friend.  And, hopefully a friend for life. "The friendship has also eased some of the worries Crites has had about Connor, who was nonverbal until he was 5. "I fear every day that someone's going to laugh at him because he doesn't speak correctly or laugh at him because he doesn't sit still or because he, you know, jumps up and down and flaps his hands," she said. The boys now have an "inseparable bond," Moore said in the KAKE-TV interview alongside Crites. "It doesn't matter, you know, color.  It doesn't matter, gender.  It doesn't matter, disability," Crites said.  "Just be kind.  Open your heart.  And, that’s what we need in this world. ""One act of kindness, you know, can change someone’s life," Moore said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


Rajya Sabha passes the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020. https://t.co/GBP2lm7Gzy

A demand was made in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for using the term ‘physical distancing’ for fighting COVID-19 on the grounds that the use of the term ‘social distancing’ was promoting social stigma of coronavirus patients and their families.    Agreeing to the suggestion, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said an appropriate term should be used and suggested ‘safe distancing’ .   In a special mention made in the Upper House, Trinamool Congress leader Shantanu Sen said the term ‘social distancing’ is regularly used to avoid the spread of coronavirus.     “Actually, it is physical distancing of nearly six feet between two persons.  On the contrary, the use of the term social distancing has promoted social stigma which has led to nearly an attitude of boycotting of COVID patients socially,” he said.   As a consequence of this, Covid-19 patients and their families are facing several “inhuman situations”, he said. Sen further said, “To stop social discrimination   and social stigma, the term social distancing should not be used any more to fight Covid-19.  Instead the term physical distancing should be used. ” Many members associated with this issue.


BJP4Karnataka Twitter account took a dig at Jyotiraditya Scindia

A tweet purporting to be from the official handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka handle making a derogatory reference to former Congress leader and soon-to-be BJP entrant- Jyotiraditya Scindia, is fake and from a parody account.  The tweet from the handle @BJP4Karnatakaa is going viral after Scindia announced his resignation from the Indian National Congress on March 10, 2020 shortly after he met with Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at his residence.  The parody account quote tweeted Scindia's resignation letter dated March 9, 2020 to Sonia Gandhi and wrote, "on this auspicious occasion of holi, we just bought a new dog. " The tweet had over 2000 retweets and over 5800 Likes.   On this auspicious occasion of holi, we just bought a new dog. #JyotiradityaScindia #MPPoliticalCrisishttps://t. co/sS2ZBHpWj0 Several replies to the tweet suggest that many people believed it to be real before figuring out the account was a parody.   I fell for a parody handle 🤦Fine.  Go.  Make fun of me.  Free for all guys 😥  Screenshots of the tweet are being shared on WhatsApp and is also being shared by members of the Congress' social media cell.    This tweet is by BJP Karnataka Page where they mentioned they bought a dog on holi, Is @JM_Scindia a Dog? Scindia pariwar ka Raja ab kutta hai B. J. P ka? #Har_Scindia_Madhavrao_Nahi_Hota pic. twitter. com/t82DpoMDvF  Dear @JM_Scindia Before you go tho @Bjp they called you as a Dog. See the prove. Shamefull welcome . Perhaps @INCIndia never offense you like this.  pic. twitter. com/y59D7PF7JZ   PARODY ACCOUNT The account @BJP4Karnatakaa is a parody account.  It is unverified and has an extra alphabet 'a' in Karnataka in its display name and profile URL.  The account was set up on April 16, 2019 yet it had only about 62 tweets.  A visit to the profile of the account makes it clear that it is a parody account.      The parody account had a little over 1100 followers and was following the real BJP4Karnataka account, at the time of writing this story.  Meanwhile the actual BJP4Karnataka account is verified and has over 3,68,500 followers on Twitter.    In dramatic turn of events on the festival of Holi, 49-year old Jyotiraditya Scindia who was rumoured to be unhappy with the senior Congress leadership met with the home minister and prime minister.  Soon after he announced his resignation online tweeting a letter dated March 9, 2020.  Meanwhile the Congress hit back by expelling him from the party.  Scindia was passed over for the CM's post after the party won the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh in 2018.  He is expected to join the BJP imminently.


Indian Air Force to induct the 2nd squadron of Rafale fighter aircraft at Hashimara Air Force base in West Bengal in mid-April. The Air Force would be moving fighter aircraft there in May. The training of the fighter pilots in France completing around the same time: IAF officials https://t.co/gdrUkSJmG7

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force is ready to raise its second Rafale squadron at Hasimara in West Bengal next month in line with its original induction plan for the French-origin fighters, people familiar with the developments said on Thursday.  The second squadron will be raised in mid-April after the first one has been fully raised in Ambala, said one of the officials cited above. India ordered 36 warplanes from France (equivalent of two squadrons) in September 2016 for ₹59,000 crore under a government-to-government deal.  IAF’s Ambala-based Golden Arrows Squadron has already inducted 11 Rafale jets so far.  Both Rafale squadrons will have 18 jets each. “Ten more jets are expected to arrive in India from France by April-end.  With this, the first squadron will be fully formed and the raising of the second squadron will begin,” said a second official. All the 36 planes are likely to join the IAF’s fighter fleet by the year-end.  The 11 Rafales inducted so far arrived in three batches from France between July 2020 and January 2021. “Located in the crucial Siliguri corridor, the Hasimara airbase will cover both central and eastern Tibet.  The Rafale will augment and add a bigger punch along with the IAF’s Su-30 MKIs which are already based in the Brahmaputra valley,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. The IAF has operated the fighter jets in the Ladakh theatre where the military is on high alert amid a border standoff with China since early May 2020 and where both sides are negotiating disengagement of troops at friction points along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC). India’s Rafale jets are equipped with modern weapons such as the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, Mica multi-mission air-to-air missiles, Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles and the Hammer smart weapon. Meanwhile, the commanding officer of the Rafale squadron at Ambala, Group Captain Harkirat Singh, is being posted to the eastern sector to oversee the raising and operationalisation of the second squadron, people familiar with development said.


Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen agrees to testify publicly before Congress, the first major move from House Democrats investigating the President https://t.co/RUB32kIRe6 https://t.co/IA5mHFe8Iz

The hearing is set for Feb.  7 before the House Oversight Committee. Trump's former lawyer to testify before CongressMichael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, has accepted an invitation to testify in an open session before Congress next month. “I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired,” Cohen said in a statement to ABC News, adding that he accepted the invitation “in furtherance of my commitment to cooperate and provide the American people with answers. ”The hearing, set for Feb.  7 before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, was announced Thursday afternoon by Rep.  Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, who is the new chairman of the committee. In a press release, Cummings said, “I thank Michael Cohen for agreeing to testify before the Oversight Committee voluntarily.  I want to make clear that we have no interest in inappropriately interfering with any ongoing criminal investigations, and to that end, we are in the process of consulting with Special Counsel Mueller’s office.  The Committee will announce additional information in the coming weeks. ”Cohen was sentenced in December to three years in federal prison for financial crimes, lying to Congress, and for two violations of campaign finance law in connection with hush money payments to two women who have claimed past affairs with Trump.  He is due to report to prison in early March. In an exclusive interview after his sentencing with ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos, Cohen slammed his former boss as incapable of telling the truth and faulted his own “blind loyalty” to the president for his role in the payments to the women. Cohen told Stephanopoulos that Trump directed him to arrange the payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal because then-candidate Trump “was very concerned about how this would affect the election” if their allegations of affairs became public before voters cast their ballots. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have implicated, but not charged, the president in the deals reached in the closing weeks of the 2016 election, alleging in court filings that Cohen acted “in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump. When asked by a reporter about Cohen's upcoming testimony during his visit to the southern border on Thursday, Trump said he isn't concerned. "I'm not worried about it at all," he said. Prosecutors also reached a non-prosecution agreement with American Media Inc. , the publisher of the National Enquirer, in which the tabloid admitted to making a $150,000 payment to McDougal “in concert” with the Trump campaign.  Under federal law, it is illegal for corporations to make expenditures to influence an election in coordination with or at the request of a candidate or campaign. The president has denied the affairs but has deployed shifting explanations about when he learned about the payments to the women.  He has also contended that the deals were private and unrelated to the campaign, insisting that if anything illegal occurred, it was Cohen’s responsibility. Trump lashed out at Cohen after his sentencing last month, tweeting that his former close confidant only agreed to plead guilty “in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence, which he did. ”In the interview with Stephanopoulos, however, Cohen rejected Trump’s claims as “absolutely not true.  I did not do it to embarrass the president,” he said. The president, “knows the truth,” Cohen said.  “I know the truth, others know the truth, and here is the truth: The people of the United States of America, people of the world, don't believe what he is saying.  The man doesn't tell the truth.  And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds. ”Since his indictment in August, Cohen has also sat for multiple interviews, totaling about 70 hours, with investigators from the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller amid his ongoing probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to several people familiar with the discussions. Given Cohen’s prolonged time spent in proximity to Trump, his family and the Trump Organization, some insiders consider his cooperation with authorities to be one of most serious potential legal threats to confront the president. In a plea deal reached with Mueller’s office, Cohen admitted that he made the misstatements about the “Moscow Project” – the Trump Organization’s efforts to “pursue a branded property in Moscow” in an August 2017 letter to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, each of which were conducting inquiries into Russian interference, according to court records. When entering his guilty plea in court, Cohen told the judge he made the false statements “to be consistent with Individual 1’s political messaging and to be loyal to Individual 1. ” Based on the description in the court documents, Individual 1 appears to be President Trump. The special counsel’s questioning of Cohen, one of the president’s closest associates over the past decade, has since focused primarily on all aspects of Trump's dealings with Russia – business and otherwise – sources familiar with the matter told ABC News, as well as whether Trump or any of his associates discussed with Cohen the possibility of a pardon. Special Counsel spokesman Peter Carr declined to comment on Cohen’s upcoming testimony before Congress, but Cummings told reporters outside an unrelated closed briefing on Thursday that his committee's questioning of Cohen will be limited to avoid publicly discussing sensitive portions of the Mueller probe. “There will be limitations," Cummings said.  "We don’t want to do anything to interfere with the Mueller investigation, absolutely nothing, okay?  I want to be clear on that. ”House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who had been seeking to bring Cohen before his committee, issued a statement on Thursday saying he hopes to schedule his own session with Cohen behind closed doors. “Mr.  Cohen has expressed an interest in telling his personal story in open session, and we welcome his testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform," Schiff said.  "It will be necessary, however, for Mr.  Cohen to answer questions pertaining to the Russia investigation, and we hope to schedule a closed session before our committee in the near future. ”ABC News' Jordyn Phelps, Ben Siegel and Jack Date contributed to this report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events


A school teacher Bandhu Prakash Pal, his wife Beauty Pal and their son Angan were hacked to death in their house in Murshidabad, West Bengal on 08 October 2019.  Since then, many Facebook users are posting that the deceased man Bandhu Prakash Pal is a BJP worker and the murder is politically motivated.  Let’s analyze the authenticity of that claim.  Claim: Bandhu Prakash Pal, a deceased in Murshidabad triple murder is affiliated to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the murder of his family is politically motivated. Fact: Bandhu Pal’s mother Maya Pal has denied his son’s association with BJP or RSS.  Bandhu Pal’s neighbour and BJP district committee leader Manoj Sarkar has said that Pal isn’t associated with any political party.  The West Bengal police have said that Prima Facie the case is of personal enmity and it has nothing to do with politics.  So, the claim is FALSE. Last week, a School teacher Bandhu Prakash Pal, his pregnant wife Beauty Pal and their son Angan were found dead in their house in Murshidabad.  Since then, a political row broke out between BJP and the ruling TMC.  BJP is attacking the Bengal government alleging that the deceased Bandhu Pal is their party worker and was killed because of his political links, while Trinamool Congress said that the murder was due to the BJP’s internal feuds.   In an interview with ‘Indian Express’, Bandhu Pal’s mother Maya Pal has said that her son doesn’t have any association with BJP or TMC or RSS.  His relatives have also rubbished the claims regarding Bandhu Pal’s association with any of the political parties.  Bandhu Pal’s neighbour and BJP district committee leader Manoj Sarkar has said that Pal neither spoke anything about politics nor was he associated with any political party. When ‘Indian Express’ also got in touch with Bengal senior RSS functionary Bidyut Roy, he condemned the murders and said that Pal was in touch with them for the past four months and is a novice.  But Roy added that he wouldn’t believe that Pal was murdered because he was in touch with their organization.  As the Murshidabad triple murder incident is being shared in a political context, the West Bengal Police have put out a series of tweets insisting that it had nothing to do with politics.  as agent of some insurance and chain companies and was in a serious financial crisis.  His family members have denied affiliation with any political group.  A diary note found is suggesting serious differences in the family. (2/3)To conclude, the deceased in Murshidabad triple murder case is not politically motivated.  Did you watch our new Episode of the DECODE series?


Kerala: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor files nomination from Thiruvananthapuram Parliamentary Constituency. https://t.co/0DsoGavMpZ

Two days after he warned political parties that invoking the Sabarimala temple during campaigning would be considered as violation of election code of conduct, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala Teeka Ram Meena on Wednesday said the parties can raise Sabarimala temple as a social issue but can’t invoke Lord Ayyappa, presiding deity, for votes. Meena’s clarification at a meeting with political parties came after protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.  Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting there was a heated exchange between the CEO and BJP representatives.  But later BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said discussions were fruitful and Sabarimala issue can be taken up as a political and social issue and party leaders know how not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’. Also read: ‘Don’t use Sabarimala for votes,’ Kerala poll officer warns partiesThe CEO emphasised on three points of the model code of conduct.  First, no one can appeal on the basis of the caste and community, secondly no activity which may aggravate the existing differences and create mutual hatred and finally temples, churches, mosques and gurudwaras should not be used during the campaigning.  “The elections are the biggest secular exercise aimed at strengthening democracy of the country.  All these directives were already there but I just reminded parties about them,” he said adding curbing hate speeches and slogans were his top priority. Earlier, BJP and Congress had criticised his gag order on Sabarimala.  BJP leaders had said there was no logic to his argument that a particular case which made deep impression in the minds of a large section of the people should not be a point of debate.  “The directive not use the Sabarimala issue during poll is baseless.  The issue being raised here is that of freedom of religion,” said former Governor of Mizoram Kummanam Rajasekharan who is set to contest against the two-time sitting Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram.


Nityanand Rai, MoS Home on Jan 5 JNU violence: Bharatiya Janata Party believes in law and order. No worker or leader of BJP can think of such a thing or incite anyone. This is work of communists and congress and Kejriwal. https://t.co/cAylDNz8x0

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to create “falsehoods” about the Centre’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and questioned why his views were being sidestepped by Congress-ruled states. Addressing the media via video conference, Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also accused Gandhi of trying to weaken the country’s resolve to fight this challenge since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.  Prasad said Gandhi’s campaign was based on falsehood, deliberate twisting of facts and misinterpretation. He said anyone with better solutions should offer suggestions, and the government would be willing to look into them. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverageOn Tuesday, Gandhi criticised the government’s decision to continue with the nationwide lockdown and said contrary to expectations, infections had spiked during this period. Prasad said, “Barring China, in the 15 counties which have been hit by the pandemic, the population is 142 crore and India has 137 crore, and so far we have 3. 43 lakh deaths globally and in India 4,345.  The recovery percentage is also high. ” Criticising Gandhi for spreading “negativity, misinformation and fake news”, Prasad questioned why the Congress governments of Punjab and Rajasthan imposed lockdown at the earliest if such a measure isn’t a solution for Covid-19. “Maharashtra (where the Congress is a partner in the ruling alliance) extended it till May 31.  Do your CMs not listen to you? ” Prasad said. Attacking the Congress leader, Prasad said even as Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the credit for the “Bhilwara model” should go to Rahul Gandhi for his early warning, the sarpanch of the area had refuted the claim. “He said his constituency was recognised by the health ministry for tackling the pandemic, whereas it was declared as a hot spot.  He’s asking for the Nyay scheme whereas the Modi government has announced a Rs 20 lakh crore package…he spoke about passing on benefits of the global oil price crash, but there was a VAT hike in Rajasthan and Punjab raised diesel prices,” Prasad added. To a question on Gandhi’s remarks that the government should come clean on the border standoff with China, and that there should be transparency on a border row with Nepal, Prasad said, “Narendra Modi ke Bharat ko koi ankh nahi dikha sakta (No one can browbeat India. )”On the Supreme Court’s observation that concentrated efforts are required to address the issues of migrant workers, he said the court had “issued notice and the government of India or the state government, as the case may be, will respond on what steps have been taken”. He added, “I can only respond in all humility that all governments are doing their best.  These are very challenging times, if anyone has better solutions to offer suggestions, we are willing to look into that.  But in the given situation the best possible efforts are being done and will continue to be done. ”Referring to the spread of the Coronavirus in Gujarat, he said the Centre has already sent the director of AIIMS to guide the state in controlling the pandemic.  “We don’t want to see the political colour of any state government, but the whole country has to work in unison.  We have to overcome this crisis and I am confident that we shall overcome it,” he said.


Spokesperson for President-elect Joe Biden: “The Supreme Court has decisively and speedily rejected the latest of Donald Trump and his allies’ attacks on the democratic process. This is no surprise.” https://t.co/zvGVayaegd https://t.co/2XXWWHZamv

By Ariane de Vogue and Maegan Vazquez, CNNUpdated 4:13 PM ET, Sat December 12, 2020  (CNN)The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid from Texas' attorney general -- supported by President Donald Trump -- to block the ballots of millions of voters in battleground states that went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. CNN's Caroline Kelly contributed to this report.


"I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen."

Pres. Trump defends Kim Jong Un in death of American student Otto Warmbier. https://t.co/zDQMLqAmpo https://t.co/KopapvCXIf

By Nicole Gaouette, Jeremy Diamond and Ted Barrett, CNNUpdated 2332 GMT (0732 HKT) February 28, 2019  (CNN)President Donald Trump on Thursday said he does not hold North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un responsible for Otto Warmbier's death after Kim denied knowledge of the American student's maltreatment. Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime.  Our hearts are with the Warmbier family for their strength and courage.  We will never forget Otto.  ❤🇺🇸Great meeting and dinner with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam tonight.  Looking forward to continuing our discussions tomorrow!  #HanoiSummit pic. twitter. com/J3x6lUGzjSCNN's Kevin Liptak, Devan Cole, Dugald McConnell and David Shortell contributed to this report