13 Mar 2019; AFP: Governor Gavin Newsom will Wednesday impose a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in California, granting temporary reprieve to the 737 inmates on death row -- the largest such group in the United States.

Newsom is a Democrat who took office in January and a long-standing opponent of the death penalty, which was last carried out in California in 2006.

GENEVA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said that it is appealing to the international community for 207 million U.S. dollars to continue its lifesaving assistance to Syrians.

IOM said that these funds are necessary to continue assistance in Syria and neighboring countries in 2019.

New Delhi/Lucknow, Mar 12 (PTI) In a setback to the prospects of an opposition grand alliance to take on the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha election, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) made it clear on Tuesday that it would not have any electoral tie-up with the Congress in any state for the polls beginning April 11.

In a statement, BSP supremo Mayawati said, "It is being made clear again that the Bahujan Samaj Party will not have any electoral alliance with the Congress in any state."

New Delhi, March 12; PTI/GANASHAKTI: The West Bengal governor recently wrote a report to the Prime Minister and Home Minister, which was then sent to the President warning of “potential violence” in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, said sources. 

This report, the sources said, was key in the Election Commission’s decision to spread polls in the state over seven phases.

Lucknow, Mar 12 (PTI) The Bhaujan Samaj Party is sticking to old-fashioned electioneering, shunning fancy raths and holograms, and keeping public relations companies that offer such high-tech options at bay, a party leader said.

Instead, the party will bank on public meetings by supremo Mayawati and booth-level campaigning by its workers.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Expelled TMC MP Anupam Hazra joined the BJP here on Tuesday.

Hazra had won the 2014 election from Bolpur in West Bengal.

He joined the BJP at the party's headquarters here in the presence of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

The TMC leadership had expelled the Bolpur MP for anti-party activities on January 9.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Congress-affiliated NSUI on Tuesday marched to police stations in various state capitals and filed a complaint against the PMO, accusing it of "corruption" in the Rafale fighter jet deal, the student organisation said.

In Delhi, National Students' Union Of India members marched to Parliament Street police station and submitted a complaint to police.

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that the AAP will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on its own, ruling out any alliance with the Congress.

Addressing the media here, he stated that the party plans to go full throttle on the issue of full statehood for Delhi.

Patna, Mar 12 (PTI) Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has fired a fresh salvo at Narendra Modi, highlighting the inconvenience caused to commuters whenever the prime minister's convoy passes through notwithstanding his avowed dislike for 'VIP culture'.

Amid speculations that his exit from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be imminent, the Patna Sahib MP made the stinging attack on his official twitter handle on Monday.

KANPUR: A six-member delegation from Nigeria Sugar Institute has sought technical consultancy from National Sugar Institute, Kanpur to begin a short-duration training programme for its technicians to set up sugar academy in Nigeria. The team is on a visit to this city.

Panchkula, Mar 11 (PTI) A special NIA court Monday put off the pronouncement of verdict in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case and posted the matter for March 14 after a Pakistani woman filed a petition claiming she had some evidence relevant to the case.

The petition was filed by an advocate on behalf of Rahila L Vakeel, National Investigation Agency (NIA) counsel Rajan Malhotra said.

Special NIA court judge Jagdeep Singh posted the matter for March 14 after the application was filed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump proposed a record $4.7 trillion budget, pushing the federal deficit past $1 trillion but counting on optimistic growth, accounting shuffles and steep domestic cuts to bring future spending into balance in 15 years.