Biden wins more votes than any other presidential candidate in US history: Report
New York: Democratic nominee Joe Biden has won more votes than any other presidential candidate in the US history, shattering a record set by former President Barack Obama, according to a media report.
As of November 4, Biden had got over 70.7 million votes, more than anyone who has ever run for president, the National Public Radio (NPR) reported.
This count includes 300,000 more votes than what Obama got in 2008, which was the previous record. Biden surpassed the popular vote record of 69,498,516 set by Obama in 2008.
Biden, in a tight electoral vote fight to the White House against incumbent President Donald Trump, is 2.7 million votes ahead of the Republican leader in the popular vote. His lead is growing as counting picks pace in key battleground states.
NPR said millions of votes are still being tabulated across the country, including in California, which has reported 64 per cent of the votes counted.
Trump was also nearing Obama's record with 67.32 million votes as of Wednesday. Given that over 100 million votes were received through early voting and mail-in ballots, NBC News reported that there were at least 23 million votes still to be tallied, giving Biden an opportunity to further increase his vote tally.
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Safety of Kannadigas in Middle East top priority: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the state government was closely monitoring the evolving situation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and was taking all steps to ensure the safety of Kannadigas residing in the region.
Siddaramaiah said he has held consultations with the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi and directed officials to take proactive measures to safeguard the people from the state living in the region.
“In light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, the Government of Karnataka is treating with utmost seriousness the safety and well-being of Kannadigas residing in the Middle East, including Israel, the UAE, Iran, and Qatar,” he said in a post on 'X'.
A joint US-Israel military offensive against Iran has triggered fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Iran has launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Siddaramaiah said those currently in conflict-affected areas and unable to return to India due to the closure of airspace in several countries are advised to relocate to safer zones at the earliest.
“I have instructed officials to operationalise a dedicated helpline from tomorrow to assist affected families,” he said.
“I urge family members not to panic if communication with their loved ones is temporarily disrupted. Please be assured that the safety of every Kannadiga is our foremost priority, and coordinated efforts are already underway in close liaison with the concerned authorities," he added.
According to Ballari Rural MLA and former minister B Nagendra 32 people from Ballari are presently stranded in Dubai, the chief minister said.
"Appropriate steps are being initiated to ensure their security and facilitate necessary assistance. We stand firmly committed to protecting our citizens and will continue to monitor the situation closely, responding with sensitivity, responsibility and resolve,” he added.
The Indian missions in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Palestine and Oman on Saturday issued advisories for its citizens urging them to “exercise utmost caution” and follow advisories issued by local authorities diligently.
Several missions also said it is in touch with Indian citizens stranded at the airport or at other places as the two airports at Dubai, the largest aviation hub, shut down and the UAE and Iraq closed their airspace, hours after the US-Israel joint attack on Iran escalated into a region-wide tension.
The Indian missions have also provided emergency contact details for any assistance.
