Romania's&nbsp;centrist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/romania-votes-for-president-with-liberal-incumbent-favoured-261170">President Klaus&nbsp;Iohannis</a>&nbsp;won a&nbsp;presidential&nbsp;election runoff on Sunday as expected, crushing his socialist challenger with a&nbsp;pledge&nbsp;to resume judicial reforms slowed down by successive Social Democrat (PSD) governments.

Two separate exit polls showed&nbsp;Iohannis&nbsp;garnered 64 per cent-67per cent&nbsp;of the vote, with former prime minister Viorica Dancila of the left-leaning PSD taking 33-36 per cent.&nbsp;

"The winner today is modern Romania, European Romania, normal Romania,"&nbsp;Iohannis&nbsp;told reporters in his victory speech.

Under a succession of PSD governments, Romania, a European Union member state, has rolled back anti-corruption measures in recent years. Along with ex-communist peers Poland and Hungary, it has been heavily criticized by Brussels for its actions.

However, 60-year-old&nbsp;Iohannis&nbsp;has been credited by Western allies and the European Union with trying to protect the&nbsp;rule&nbsp;of&nbsp;law, in particular by challenging attempts to limit judges' independence.

The president's powers are mostly limited to nominating a prime minister on the basis of who can command a majority, challenging&nbsp;laws in the Constitutional Court, and appointing some chief prosecutors.

Lohannis&nbsp;is expected to install anti-graft and anti-mafia prosecutors who are serious about tackling endemic corruption with the backing of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/romanias-liberals-present-minority-government-258012"> Prime Minister Ludovic Orban</a>, who became head of a liberal minority government by winning a parliamentary vote of confidence three weeks ago.

Teacher Andreea Mihai, 50, said "things should slowly return to normality. Both Orban and&nbsp;Iohannis&nbsp;will work together in the same direction."

Dancila's PSD had increased the burden of proof in corruption cases, reorganized panels of judges and set up a special unit to investigate magistrates for potential abuses, a move widely seen as an instrument of political coercion.

Romania's&nbsp;judicial reforms have been monitored by Brussels since it joined the EU in 2007; in October, Brussels said the reforms were going backward.

Lohannis, a soft-spoken ethnic German and former mayor of Sibiu, became president in 2014.

He helped to secure popular approval in a referendum last May that called for the government to be banned from altering legislation by emergency decrees and advocated a ban on amnesties and pardons for graft-related crimes.

Data from&nbsp;Romania's&nbsp;election commission, which is expected to announce partial official results on Monday, showed a turnout of about 50 per cent, with a record 920,000 voters from the country's diaspora taking part.

Romania's centrist President Klaus Iohannis won a presidential election runoff on Sunday as expected, crushing his socialist challenger with a pledge to resume judicial reforms slowed down by successive Social Democrat (PSD) governments.

Romania's centrist President Klaus Iohannis won a presidential election runoff on Sunday as expected, crushing his socialist challenger with a pledge to resume judicial reforms slowed down by successive Social Democrat (PSD) governments. Two separate exit polls showed Iohannis garnered 64 per cent-67per cent of the vote, with former prime minister Viorica Dancila of the left-leaning PSD taking 33-36 per cent. "The winner today is modern Romania, European Romania, normal Romania," Iohannis told reporters in his victory speech. Under a succession of PSD governments, Romania, a European Union member state, has rolled back anti-corruption measures in recent years. Along with ex-communist peers Poland and Hungary, it has been heavily criticized by Brussels for its actions. However, 60-year-old Iohannis has been credited by Western allies and the European Union with trying to protect the rule of law, in particular by challenging attempts to limit judges' independence. The president's powers are mostly limited to nominating a prime minister on the basis of who can command a majority, challenging laws in the Constitutional Court, and appointing some chief prosecutors. Lohannis is expected to install anti-graft and anti-mafia prosecutors who are serious about tackling endemic corruption with the backing of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who became head of a liberal minority government by winning a parliamentary vote of confidence three weeks ago. Teacher Andreea Mihai, 50, said "things should slowly return to normality. Both Orban and Iohannis will work together in the same direction." Dancila's PSD had increased the burden of proof in corruption cases, reorganized panels of judges and set up a special unit to investigate magistrates for potential abuses, a move widely seen as an instrument of political coercion. Romania's judicial reforms have been monitored by Brussels since it joined the EU in 2007; in October, Brussels said the reforms were going backward. Lohannis, a soft-spoken ethnic German and former mayor of Sibiu, became president in 2014. He helped to secure popular approval in a referendum last May that called for the government to be banned from altering legislation by emergency decrees and advocated a ban on amnesties and pardons for graft-related crimes. Data from Romania's election commission, which is expected to announce partial official results on Monday, showed a turnout of about 50 per cent, with a record 920,000 voters from the country's diaspora taking part.

Romania's Klaus Iohannis wins second presidential election runoff

An ambitious "phase two" trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;between the United States and&nbsp;China&nbsp;is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Beijing&nbsp;officials, lawmakers and trade experts.

In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-fires-us-navy-chief-richard-spencer-over-seal-case-264270">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> said during a press conference with<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-trade-deal-may-not-be-signed-this-year-263497"> Chinese vice-premier Liu He</a> that he expected to quickly dive into a second phase of talks once "phase one" had been completed. The second phase would focus on a key&nbsp;US&nbsp;complaint that&nbsp;China&nbsp;effectively steals&nbsp;US&nbsp;intellectual property by forcing&nbsp;US&nbsp;companies to transfer their technology to Chinese rivals, he said at the time.

But the November 2020&nbsp;US&nbsp;presidential election, the difficulties in getting the first-stage done, combined with the White House's reluctance to work with other countries to pressure Beijing are dimming hopes for anything more ambitious in the near future, the sources said.

The 16-month trade war with&nbsp;China&nbsp;has thrown&nbsp;US&nbsp;businesses and farmers into turmoil, disrupted global supply chains and been a drag on economies worldwide. Failure to address a key reason it was started is already raising questions about whether the sacrifice has been worth it. Meanwhile, many of Beijing's trade practices that many free-market economies see as unfair remain unaddressed.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the signing of a phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;could slide into next year as the two countries tussle over Beijing's demand for more extensive tariff rollbacks.

Officials&nbsp;in Beijing&nbsp;say&nbsp;they don't anticipate sitting down to discuss&nbsp;a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;before the&nbsp;US&nbsp;election, in part because they want to wait to see if Trump wins a second term.

"It's Trump who wants to sign these&nbsp;deals, not us. We can wait," one Chinese official told Reuters.

Representative Jim Costa, a California Democrat who sits on two key agricultural committees, said in Congress on Wednesday that "pragmatic" Chinese sources had told him the same thing.

Trump's main priority at the moment is to secure a big phase one announcement, locking in big-ticket Chinese purchases of&nbsp;US&nbsp;agricultural goods that he can tout as an important win during his re-election campaign, according to a Trump administration official.

After that,&nbsp;China&nbsp;could recede somewhat on Trump's policy agenda as he turns to domestic issues, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He will probably leave other major contentious issues&nbsp;to senior aides, who are likely to continue pushing Beijing over the theft of&nbsp;US&nbsp;intellectual property, its militarization of the South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea and its human rights record, the official said.

"As soon as we finish phase one we're going to start negotiating phase two," a second administration official said. "As far as timing around when a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;could be completed, that's not something I can speculate on."

The Trump White House initially laid out ambitious plans to restructure the United States' relationship with&nbsp;China, including addressing what a 2018 United States Trade Representative investigation concluded were Beijing's "unfair, unreasonable, and market-distorting practices."

There is broad bipartisan support for Trump's drive to hold&nbsp;China&nbsp;accountable for years of economic espionage, cyber-attacks, forced technology transfer and dumping of low-priced goods made with hefty government subsidies.

But many of these critical concerns will not be addressed in phase one agreement, which focuses on&nbsp;China's&nbsp;agricultural product buys, tariff rollbacks, and includes some intellectual property pledges.

"That's the easy stuff," said Costa. The harder issues&nbsp;are "industrial espionage, copyrights, complying with those issues, privacy and security issues."

Further complicating the issue, Trump's economic advisers are split: some are pushing Trump to agree to a quick phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to appease markets and business executives, others want him to push for a more comprehensive agreement.

Beijing&nbsp;officials, meanwhile, are baulking at pursuing larger structural changes to managing&nbsp;China's economy, anxious not to appear to be kowtowing to&nbsp;US&nbsp;interests.

Both&nbsp;China&nbsp;and the United States have a clear interest in getting a phase one&nbsp;deal&nbsp;completed relatively soon to soothe markets and assuage domestic policy concerns, said Matthew Goodman, a former&nbsp;US&nbsp;government official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

He sees a good chance that the two sides will hammer out some phase one&nbsp;deal, but is far less convinced that a broader&nbsp;deal&nbsp;can be reached before the election. One key problem, he said, was the continued lack of a coherent&nbsp;US&nbsp;strategy for&nbsp;dealing with&nbsp;China.

"I think phase one probably will happen because both presidents want it," Goodman said at a Congressional briefing last week. But he said&nbsp;China&nbsp;was less willing now to make structural changes that might have been possible in the spring. "They're not going to do those things," he said.

Josh Kallmer, a former official with the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Trade Representative's office and now executive vice president of the Information Technology Industry Council, said it was "technically possible, but hard to imagine" that the United States and Beijing could negotiate a phase two&nbsp;deal&nbsp;in the next year.

The United States needs better coordination with its allies to pressure&nbsp;China&nbsp;to make urgently needed structural changes, including ending the forced transfer of technology and better intellectual property protections, trade experts and former&nbsp;officials&nbsp;say.

Europe and other&nbsp;US&nbsp;allies have been reluctant to join Washington's pressure campaign on Beijing, partly due to frustration with the administration's focus on unilateral action and in part due to their reliance on Chinese investment.

"We need an international coalition to successfully attack phase two," said Kellie Meiman Hock, managing partner at McLarty Associates, a trade consulting group in Washington.

An ambitious "phase two" trade deal between the United States and China is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to US and Beijing officials, lawmakers and trade experts.

An ambitious "phase two" trade deal between the United States and China is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary "phase one" agreement, according to US and Beijing officials, lawmakers and trade experts. In October, US President Donald Trump said during a press conference with Chinese vice-premier Liu He that he expected to quickly dive into a second phase of talks once "phase one" had been completed. The second phase would focus on a key US complaint that China effectively steals US intellectual property by forcing US companies to transfer their technology to Chinese rivals, he said at the time. But the November 2020 US presidential election, the difficulties in getting the first-stage done, combined with the White House's reluctance to work with other countries to pressure Beijing are dimming hopes for anything more ambitious in the near future, the sources said. The 16-month trade war with China has thrown US businesses and farmers into turmoil, disrupted global supply chains and been a drag on economies worldwide. Failure to address a key reason it was started is already raising questions about whether the sacrifice has been worth it. Meanwhile, many of Beijing's trade practices that many free-market economies see as unfair remain unaddressed. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the signing of a phase one deal could slide into next year as the two countries tussle over Beijing's demand for more extensive tariff rollbacks. Officials in Beijing say they don't anticipate sitting down to discuss a phase two deal before the US election, in part because they want to wait to see if Trump wins a second term. "It's Trump who wants to sign these deals, not us. We can wait," one Chinese official told Reuters. Representative Jim Costa, a California Democrat who sits on two key agricultural committees, said in Congress on Wednesday that "pragmatic" Chinese sources had told him the same thing. Trump's main priority at the moment is to secure a big phase one announcement, locking in big-ticket Chinese purchases of US agricultural goods that he can tout as an important win during his re-election campaign, according to a Trump administration official. After that, China could recede somewhat on Trump's policy agenda as he turns to domestic issues, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He will probably leave other major contentious issues to senior aides, who are likely to continue pushing Beijing over the theft of US intellectual property, its militarization of the South China Sea and its human rights record, the official said. "As soon as we finish phase one we're going to start negotiating phase two," a second administration official said. "As far as timing around when a phase two deal could be completed, that's not something I can speculate on." The Trump White House initially laid out ambitious plans to restructure the United States' relationship with China, including addressing what a 2018 United States Trade Representative investigation concluded were Beijing's "unfair, unreasonable, and market-distorting practices." There is broad bipartisan support for Trump's drive to hold China accountable for years of economic espionage, cyber-attacks, forced technology transfer and dumping of low-priced goods made with hefty government subsidies. But many of these critical concerns will not be addressed in phase one agreement, which focuses on China's agricultural product buys, tariff rollbacks, and includes some intellectual property pledges. "That's the easy stuff," said Costa. The harder issues are "industrial espionage, copyrights, complying with those issues, privacy and security issues." Further complicating the issue, Trump's economic advisers are split: some are pushing Trump to agree to a quick phase one deal to appease markets and business executives, others want him to push for a more comprehensive agreement. Beijing officials, meanwhile, are baulking at pursuing larger structural changes to managing China's economy, anxious not to appear to be kowtowing to US interests. Both China and the United States have a clear interest in getting a phase one deal completed relatively soon to soothe markets and assuage domestic policy concerns, said Matthew Goodman, a former US government official and trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He sees a good chance that the two sides will hammer out some phase one deal, but is far less convinced that a broader deal can be reached before the election. One key problem, he said, was the continued lack of a coherent US strategy for dealing with China. "I think phase one probably will happen because both presidents want it," Goodman said at a Congressional briefing last week. But he said China was less willing now to make structural changes that might have been possible in the spring. "They're not going to do those things," he said. Josh Kallmer, a former official with the US Trade Representative's office and now executive vice president of the Information Technology Industry Council, said it was "technically possible, but hard to imagine" that the United States and Beijing could negotiate a phase two deal in the next year. The United States needs better coordination with its allies to pressure China to make urgently needed structural changes, including ending the forced transfer of technology and better intellectual property protections, trade experts and former officials say. Europe and other US allies have been reluctant to join Washington's pressure campaign on Beijing, partly due to frustration with the administration's focus on unilateral action and in part due to their reliance on Chinese investment. "We need an international coalition to successfully attack phase two," said Kellie Meiman Hock, managing partner at McLarty Associates, a trade consulting group in Washington.

No 'phase two' US-China deal, officials say

As local election results came in on Monday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-matter-what-happens-hong-kong-is-part-of-china-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-on-local-elections-264287">Hong Kong's chief executive </a>Carrie Lam said the city government will "certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously."

On Sunday, Hong Kong citizens voted in council elections in the backdrop of anti-government protests with reports indicating pro-democracy parties making huge gains.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-democrats-romp-to-local-election-landslide-after-months-of-protests-264272">council seats </a>which were dominated by pro-China candidates have swung decisively in favour of city's pro-democracy parties, reports said.&nbsp;

As results poured in, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi speaking to reporters in Tokyo said, "It is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China."

"Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed," the Chinese foreign minister added.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-election-pro-democracy-parties-ahead-in-12-out-of-18-districts-264282/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Elections were held in 18 district councils with 452 seats in contention.

"The government will certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously," Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement as results were declared in the city.

"The government respects the election results," Lam added, while saying that "citizens are dissatisfied with the current social situation and... deep-seated problems."

Hong Kong has witnessed large scale anti-government protests with activists calling for more accountability and freedom.

"The voters used the most peaceful way to tell the government that we won't accept Hong Kong becoming a police state, and an authoritarian regime," said Wu Chi-wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party,&nbsp;adding, "the government must squarely face... public opinion." 
&nbsp;

As local election results came in on Monday, Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam said the city government will "certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously.

As local election results came in on Monday, Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam said the city government will "certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously." On Sunday, Hong Kong citizens voted in council elections in the backdrop of anti-government protests with reports indicating pro-democracy parties making huge gains. The council seats which were dominated by pro-China candidates have swung decisively in favour of city's pro-democracy parties, reports said. As results poured in, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi speaking to reporters in Tokyo said, "It is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China." "Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed," the Chinese foreign minister added. Watch Video: Elections were held in 18 district councils with 452 seats in contention. "The government will certainly listen humbly to citizens' opinions and reflect on them seriously," Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement as results were declared in the city. "The government respects the election results," Lam added, while saying that "citizens are dissatisfied with the current social situation and... deep-seated problems." Hong Kong has witnessed large scale anti-government protests with activists calling for more accountability and freedom. "The voters used the most peaceful way to tell the government that we won't accept Hong Kong becoming a police state, and an authoritarian regime," said Wu Chi-wai, the chairman of the Democratic Party, adding, "the government must squarely face... public opinion."

Will listen humbly to citizens' opinions: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on local election results

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-bid-to-repair-ties-japan-and-south-korea-agree-to-summit-next-month-264060">South Korea and Japan</a> traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States.

Officials from each side criticised or contradicted comments made by the other and in media about whether Tokyo had apologised over what Seoul said was an inaccurate weekend statement about the agreement.

Under pressure from Washington, South Korea made a last-minute decision on Friday to conditionally <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-salvages-military-pact-with-japan-at-11th-hour-263924">maintain the pact</a>, known as GSOMIA, a dramatic about-face amid a months-long feud over history and trade.

GSOMIA, or the General Security of Military Information Agreement, is a key symbol of security cooperation between the two old foes and a trilateral partnership with the United States.

Tokyo, for its part, said Seoul made a strategic choice and it hoped to hold trade talks, though it would not immediately restore South Korea's fast-track exporter status.

Officials at Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Sunday they had lodged a protest and received an apology over the Japanese trade ministry's announcement that it will continue enhanced screening on the exports of three core materials used in semiconductors, which they said was "completely different" to what was agreed.

On Monday, the Blue House singled out a report of Japan's Yomiuri newspaper quoting a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying it was "not true" that Tokyo has apologised.

"To clarify once again, we have complained and Japan apologised," senior press secretary Yoon Do-han said in a statement. "Japanese and Korean media are creating a truth game, but we know the truth."

Less than two hours later, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga contradicted Yoon's remarks, saying the export curbs were "completely unrelated to GSOMIA".

"It is not productive to comment on every remark by South Korea, but it is not true that the Japanese government apologised," Suga told a press briefing.

The feud is rooted in a disagreement over compensation for South Koreans forced to work at Japanese companies during the 1910-45 occupation. After South Korea's Supreme Court ordered compensation last year, some former labourers are seeking to seize local assets of Japanese firms, and Tokyo imposed export controls.

South Korean and Japanese trade authorities are expected to meet as early as this week to discuss the issue.

The two countries' foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to work to arrange a summit next month between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-prime-minister-abes-approval-rating-sags-due-to-accusations-of-violating-laws-for-political-spending-262813">Shinzo Abe</a> on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting with China.

Moon and Abe have not had formal talks for more than a year, though they had an 11-minute chat at an international conference in Thailand early this month.

A senior Blue House official said on Sunday it was "extremely disappointing" to see a report by Japan's Asahi newspaper, which quoted Abe as saying that Tokyo has "not conceded anything" and South Korea "simply caved to very strong US&nbsp;pressure".

"I cannot help but question whether that was something the leader of the Japanese government would say with conscience," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States.

South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States. Officials from each side criticised or contradicted comments made by the other and in media about whether Tokyo had apologised over what Seoul said was an inaccurate weekend statement about the agreement. Under pressure from Washington, South Korea made a last-minute decision on Friday to conditionally maintain the pact, known as GSOMIA, a dramatic about-face amid a months-long feud over history and trade. GSOMIA, or the General Security of Military Information Agreement, is a key symbol of security cooperation between the two old foes and a trilateral partnership with the United States. Tokyo, for its part, said Seoul made a strategic choice and it hoped to hold trade talks, though it would not immediately restore South Korea's fast-track exporter status. Officials at Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Sunday they had lodged a protest and received an apology over the Japanese trade ministry's announcement that it will continue enhanced screening on the exports of three core materials used in semiconductors, which they said was "completely different" to what was agreed. On Monday, the Blue House singled out a report of Japan's Yomiuri newspaper quoting a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying it was "not true" that Tokyo has apologised. "To clarify once again, we have complained and Japan apologised," senior press secretary Yoon Do-han said in a statement. "Japanese and Korean media are creating a truth game, but we know the truth." Less than two hours later, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga contradicted Yoon's remarks, saying the export curbs were "completely unrelated to GSOMIA". "It is not productive to comment on every remark by South Korea, but it is not true that the Japanese government apologised," Suga told a press briefing. The feud is rooted in a disagreement over compensation for South Koreans forced to work at Japanese companies during the 1910-45 occupation. After South Korea's Supreme Court ordered compensation last year, some former labourers are seeking to seize local assets of Japanese firms, and Tokyo imposed export controls. South Korean and Japanese trade authorities are expected to meet as early as this week to discuss the issue. The two countries' foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to work to arrange a summit next month between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting with China. Moon and Abe have not had formal talks for more than a year, though they had an 11-minute chat at an international conference in Thailand early this month. A senior Blue House official said on Sunday it was "extremely disappointing" to see a report by Japan's Asahi newspaper, which quoted Abe as saying that Tokyo has "not conceded anything" and South Korea "simply caved to very strong US pressure". "I cannot help but question whether that was something the leader of the Japanese government would say with conscience," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

South Korea, Japan in fresh spat over intelligence-sharing pact

Uruguay's conservative opposition was on track to win a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uruguay-faces-second-round-election-with-candidates-neck-and-neck-258452">presidential election run-off</a> against the ruling liberal party late on Sunday, but a slimmer-than-expected lead meant an official result was not expected for some days.

With 99.4 per cent&nbsp;of polling booths counted, National Party candidate Luis Lacalle Pou had 48.74 per cent&nbsp;of the vote ahead of Daniel Martinez's ruling Broad Front party with 47.48 per cent, official data showed, with around 30,000 votes separating the two rivals.

In a region undergoing political upheaval, the likely swing to the right would mark a major shift in the farm-driven South American nation, known for its cattle ranches and liberal policies on legalized marijuana and abortion rights.

Broad Front, the ruling party for 15 years, has overseen a period of stability and growth, but has come under pressure recently from a slowing economy due to global trade woes and the effects of drought and flooding on the key farm sector.

The slim gap meant an official result could be delayed until Thursday or Friday as the last votes are counted, electoral court president José Arocena told reporters.

"We still have to wait to know the final result," Martinez said late on Sunday to supporters waving Uruguayan flags in capital Montevideo.

Lacalle Pou, speaking later, said that he would also wait to claim victory and that the close result meant the two parties would need to work closely together in the period ahead.

"Formally we will know in a few days," he told supporters, adding that he believed the result was "irreversible".

Pre-election polls had made Lacalle Pou, 46, whose father is a former president, favourite to topple the long-standing coalition that has been led by President Tabare Vazquez since 2015.

Some 2.7 million Uruguayan voters were eligible to choose, with a widespread expectation that the South American nation was set for a shift back towards the right.

As pre-election campaigns closed last week Lacalle Pou had struck a confident tone, saying Uruguay was demanding change. Pre-election polls had showed him beating Martinez by a margin of 6-8 points.

"It's the people... saying 'I want to shake up the government's drowsiness and change it,'" said Lacalle Pou, who became the front-runner after striking deals with a string of allies following an October first round.

Martinez, a 62-year-old former Montevideo mayor, has said the five-party coalition against him is simply an attempt to dislodge the liberal government and warned about "fundamentalist" policies taking Uruguay sharply to the right.

While neighbouring counties Bolivia and Chile are suffering unrest and Argentina is in the middle of a political left-turn, Uruguay has generally remained stable. However economic growth slowed to just 0.1 per cent&nbsp;in the second quarter of the year.

Unemployment has also edged up to 9.2 per cent&nbsp;versus a year earlier, while inflation this year so far has been 8.36 per cent.

Uruguay's conservative opposition was on track to win a presidential election run-off against the ruling liberal party late on Sunday, but a slimmer-than-expected lead meant an official result was not expected for some days.

Uruguay's conservative opposition was on track to win a presidential election run-off against the ruling liberal party late on Sunday, but a slimmer-than-expected lead meant an official result was not expected for some days. With 99.4 per cent of polling booths counted, National Party candidate Luis Lacalle Pou had 48.74 per cent of the vote ahead of Daniel Martinez's ruling Broad Front party with 47.48 per cent, official data showed, with around 30,000 votes separating the two rivals. In a region undergoing political upheaval, the likely swing to the right would mark a major shift in the farm-driven South American nation, known for its cattle ranches and liberal policies on legalized marijuana and abortion rights. Broad Front, the ruling party for 15 years, has overseen a period of stability and growth, but has come under pressure recently from a slowing economy due to global trade woes and the effects of drought and flooding on the key farm sector. The slim gap meant an official result could be delayed until Thursday or Friday as the last votes are counted, electoral court president José Arocena told reporters. "We still have to wait to know the final result," Martinez said late on Sunday to supporters waving Uruguayan flags in capital Montevideo. Lacalle Pou, speaking later, said that he would also wait to claim victory and that the close result meant the two parties would need to work closely together in the period ahead. "Formally we will know in a few days," he told supporters, adding that he believed the result was "irreversible". Pre-election polls had made Lacalle Pou, 46, whose father is a former president, favourite to topple the long-standing coalition that has been led by President Tabare Vazquez since 2015. Some 2.7 million Uruguayan voters were eligible to choose, with a widespread expectation that the South American nation was set for a shift back towards the right. As pre-election campaigns closed last week Lacalle Pou had struck a confident tone, saying Uruguay was demanding change. Pre-election polls had showed him beating Martinez by a margin of 6-8 points. "It's the people... saying 'I want to shake up the government's drowsiness and change it,'" said Lacalle Pou, who became the front-runner after striking deals with a string of allies following an October first round. Martinez, a 62-year-old former Montevideo mayor, has said the five-party coalition against him is simply an attempt to dislodge the liberal government and warned about "fundamentalist" policies taking Uruguay sharply to the right. While neighbouring counties Bolivia and Chile are suffering unrest and Argentina is in the middle of a political left-turn, Uruguay has generally remained stable. However economic growth slowed to just 0.1 per cent in the second quarter of the year. Unemployment has also edged up to 9.2 per cent versus a year earlier, while inflation this year so far has been 8.36 per cent.

Uruguay conservative opposition leads in close presidential vote

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-arrives-in-japan-to-preach-anti-nuclear-message-264057">Pope Francis</a> expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan's Catholic bishops to abolish nuclear power outright.

Around 18,000 people died or were classified as missing after the so-called triple disaster when a massive earthquake set off a tsunami - in some places 30 meters high - destroying a wide swath of Japan's northeastern coast and triggering a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant.

Radiation from the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl forced hundreds of thousands to flee the area and thousands will never return.

"Important decisions will have to be made about the use of natural resources, and future energy sources in particular," the Pope said in an address to survivors in downtown Tokyo.

"Until social bonds in local communities are re-established, and people can once more enjoy safe and stable lives, the Fukushima accident will not be fully resolved," Francis said.

"This involves, as my brother bishops in Japan have emphasized, concern about the continuing use of nuclear power; for this reason, they have called for the abolition of nuclear power plants," he said.

In a statement released following the Fukushima disaster, Japan's Catholic Bishops Conference said the cessation of all nuclear power generation in the country was "imperative" given the country was disaster prone.

Resource-poor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-bid-to-repair-ties-japan-and-south-korea-agree-to-summit-next-month-264060">Japan </a>has long pushed nuclear power as a solution despite being one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. All nuclear power plants were shut after 2011 but several have since been re-opened.

Francis listened intently as Toshiko Kato, the head of a Catholic kindergarten in Miyako City, told him: "Along with the rest of the town, my home was swept away by the tsunami."

Several Japanese Catholic officials at the meeting said Francis had repeatedly expressed a desire to go to see the disaster zone first-hand, but scheduling would not permit the trip so they brought some survivors to Tokyo to meet the pontiff.

Teenager Matsuki Kamoshita, who was eight years old at the time of the accident, said radiation was still being emitted and demanded the truth from adults about the long-term effects of radiation.

"It will take many times longer than my lifetime to restore the contaminated land and forests. So, for us who live there, adults have a responsibility to explain without concealing anything about radioactive contamination, exposure, and possible damage in the future. I don’t want them to die before us, having lied or not admitting the truth," he said.

Despite the sombre nature of the meeting, held in a convention centre in downtown Tokyo, a chamber orchestra played a tango in honour of the Argentinian-born pope to greet him as he walked in and he later thanked them for it.

Francis, who is making the first trip by a pontiff to Japan since 1981, used visits over the weekend to the only cities ever hit by atomic bombs - Hiroshima and Nagasaki - to underscore his campaign to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-urges-abolition-of-nuclear-weapons-at-nagasaki-ground-zero-264149">abolish nuclear weapons</a>. He reiterated his belief that their possession is indefensibly perverse and immoral and their use a crime against mankind and nature.

After meeting with the Fukushima survivors, Francis met with Emperor Naruhito. He is also scheduled to talk with Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-prime-minister-abes-approval-rating-sags-due-to-accusations-of-violating-laws-for-political-spending-262813">Shinzo Abe</a> later in the day.

Pope Francis expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan's Catholic bishops to abolish nuclear power outright.

Pope Francis expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan's Catholic bishops to abolish nuclear power outright. Around 18,000 people died or were classified as missing after the so-called triple disaster when a massive earthquake set off a tsunami - in some places 30 meters high - destroying a wide swath of Japan's northeastern coast and triggering a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. Radiation from the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl forced hundreds of thousands to flee the area and thousands will never return. "Important decisions will have to be made about the use of natural resources, and future energy sources in particular," the Pope said in an address to survivors in downtown Tokyo. "Until social bonds in local communities are re-established, and people can once more enjoy safe and stable lives, the Fukushima accident will not be fully resolved," Francis said. "This involves, as my brother bishops in Japan have emphasized, concern about the continuing use of nuclear power; for this reason, they have called for the abolition of nuclear power plants," he said. In a statement released following the Fukushima disaster, Japan's Catholic Bishops Conference said the cessation of all nuclear power generation in the country was "imperative" given the country was disaster prone. Resource-poor Japan has long pushed nuclear power as a solution despite being one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. All nuclear power plants were shut after 2011 but several have since been re-opened. Francis listened intently as Toshiko Kato, the head of a Catholic kindergarten in Miyako City, told him: "Along with the rest of the town, my home was swept away by the tsunami." Several Japanese Catholic officials at the meeting said Francis had repeatedly expressed a desire to go to see the disaster zone first-hand, but scheduling would not permit the trip so they brought some survivors to Tokyo to meet the pontiff. Teenager Matsuki Kamoshita, who was eight years old at the time of the accident, said radiation was still being emitted and demanded the truth from adults about the long-term effects of radiation. "It will take many times longer than my lifetime to restore the contaminated land and forests. So, for us who live there, adults have a responsibility to explain without concealing anything about radioactive contamination, exposure, and possible damage in the future. I don’t want them to die before us, having lied or not admitting the truth," he said. Despite the sombre nature of the meeting, held in a convention centre in downtown Tokyo, a chamber orchestra played a tango in honour of the Argentinian-born pope to greet him as he walked in and he later thanked them for it. Francis, who is making the first trip by a pontiff to Japan since 1981, used visits over the weekend to the only cities ever hit by atomic bombs - Hiroshima and Nagasaki - to underscore his campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. He reiterated his belief that their possession is indefensibly perverse and immoral and their use a crime against mankind and nature. After meeting with the Fukushima survivors, Francis met with Emperor Naruhito. He is also scheduled to talk with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later in the day.

Until social bonds in local communities is re-established, Fukushima accident will not be fully resolved: Pope Francis

As results in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-democrats-romp-to-local-election-landslide-after-months-of-protests-264272">Hong Kong's district elections</a> poured in, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China.

"It's not the final result yet. Let's wait for the final result, OK? However, it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China," Wang told reporters in Tokyo while visiting PM Shinzo Abe.

"Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed," the Chinese foreign minister added.

Hong Kong citizens voted in large numbers on Sunday for district council elections for 452 seats as pro-democracy parties made major gains. According to reports, pro-democracy parties had secured victory in 333 of 452 seats.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-election-pro-democracy-parties-ahead-in-12-out-of-18-districts-264282/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hong Kong has been rocked by months of pro-democracy movements which has increasingly turned violent in recent weeks with students clashing regularly with police.

Last week in a major escalation of violence police surrounded the Polytechnic University as students attacked&nbsp;authorities with a barrage of rocks and petrol bombs and later attempted to slip through sewers.

Police used batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to take control of the university. Several hundred students were reportedly arrested, and others let free after their identity was taken down by police. The campus occupation had begun on November 11 after police shot an anti-government protester during a demonstration.

Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam had said during the large scale protests that she was shocked that campuses had transformed into "weapons factories".

"The Chief Executive has made it clear on various occasions that violence is not a solution to any problem," the Hong Kong chief executive's office said in a statement even as violence shook&nbsp;the city.

As results in Hong Kong's district elections poured in, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China.

As results in Hong Kong's district elections poured in, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China. "It's not the final result yet. Let's wait for the final result, OK? However, it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China," Wang told reporters in Tokyo while visiting PM Shinzo Abe. "Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed," the Chinese foreign minister added. Hong Kong citizens voted in large numbers on Sunday for district council elections for 452 seats as pro-democracy parties made major gains. According to reports, pro-democracy parties had secured victory in 333 of 452 seats. Watch Video: Hong Kong has been rocked by months of pro-democracy movements which has increasingly turned violent in recent weeks with students clashing regularly with police. Last week in a major escalation of violence police surrounded the Polytechnic University as students attacked authorities with a barrage of rocks and petrol bombs and later attempted to slip through sewers. Police used batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to take control of the university. Several hundred students were reportedly arrested, and others let free after their identity was taken down by police. The campus occupation had begun on November 11 after police shot an anti-government protester during a demonstration. Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam had said during the large scale protests that she was shocked that campuses had transformed into "weapons factories". "The Chief Executive has made it clear on various occasions that violence is not a solution to any problem," the Hong Kong chief executive's office said in a statement even as violence shook the city.

No matter what happens, Hong Kong is part of China: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on local elections

At least 29 people were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed after takeoff &nbsp;into a densely populated area of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-jumps-to-23-in-plane-crash-in-dr-congo-city-264233">city of Goma in eastern Democratic</a> Republic of Congo.

A survivor among the 19 people -&nbsp;17 passengers and two crew members -- who were aboard the plane was taken to hospital along with 16 others injured on the ground, the North Kivu regional government said.

"At this stage, 29 bodies have been found in the rubble," the statement said.

The Busy Bee Dornier-228 smashed into two houses near the airport, the deputy transport minister Jacques Yuma Kipuya said earlier.

The first images from the scene showed smoke billowing above the neighbourhood and the aircraft in flames with local people throwing buckets of water on it.

A video seen by AFP showed the cabin of the plane still smouldering embedded in the wall of the house.

The aircraft had been headed for the city of Beni, 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Goma, when it went down after takeoff in the residential area.&nbsp;

Busy Bee airline staff member Heritier Said Mamadou had earlier confirmed that 19 were on board the flight scheduled from Goma around 9:00 am (0700 GMT).

Busy Bee, a recently established company, has three planes serving routes in the North Kivu province.

The pilot "failed in his takeoff," Nord Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita said in a statement.

One of the airline's maintenance workers at the site, quoted by news site actualite.cd, blamed a "technical problem".

Among the victims of the Goma crash was a woman who was the coordinator of an association for the defence of women's rights, Mambo Zawadi, her NGO said.

There were also three civil servants in the housing sector "who were returning to their posts in Butembo and Beni after work sessions that I had organised," their supervisor Molendo Sakombi said in a statement.

The UN mission deployed in DR Congo, MONUSCO, sent two fire engines to support local rescue services.

Aircraft accidents are common in the vast, conflict-wracked central African country.&nbsp;

Last month an Antonov-72 cargo plane that was providing logistical assistance for a trip by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and carrying eight crew and passengers went missing after taking off from Goma.

Goma is the capital of troubled North Kivu province near the border with Rwanda.

The plane's destination, Beni, has been the scene of other tragedies in the province plagued with fighting between rival militias. More than 60 civilians have been massacred since October 30.

The failure of the army and police to stop the killings has prompted protests by civilians, the latest one on Friday.&nbsp;

The Nord Kivu governor went to Beni to calm the citizens and on Sunday offered condolences to the families of the victims of the plane crash.

Beni has also been at the epicentre of an Ebola epidemic which so far has killed around 2,200 people in DR Congo in the last year.

At least 29 people were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed after takeoff into a densely populated area of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

At least 29 people were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed after takeoff into a densely populated area of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A survivor among the 19 people - 17 passengers and two crew members -- who were aboard the plane was taken to hospital along with 16 others injured on the ground, the North Kivu regional government said. "At this stage, 29 bodies have been found in the rubble," the statement said. The Busy Bee Dornier-228 smashed into two houses near the airport, the deputy transport minister Jacques Yuma Kipuya said earlier. The first images from the scene showed smoke billowing above the neighbourhood and the aircraft in flames with local people throwing buckets of water on it. A video seen by AFP showed the cabin of the plane still smouldering embedded in the wall of the house. The aircraft had been headed for the city of Beni, 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Goma, when it went down after takeoff in the residential area. Busy Bee airline staff member Heritier Said Mamadou had earlier confirmed that 19 were on board the flight scheduled from Goma around 9:00 am (0700 GMT). Busy Bee, a recently established company, has three planes serving routes in the North Kivu province. The pilot "failed in his takeoff," Nord Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita said in a statement. One of the airline's maintenance workers at the site, quoted by news site actualite.cd, blamed a "technical problem". Among the victims of the Goma crash was a woman who was the coordinator of an association for the defence of women's rights, Mambo Zawadi, her NGO said. There were also three civil servants in the housing sector "who were returning to their posts in Butembo and Beni after work sessions that I had organised," their supervisor Molendo Sakombi said in a statement. The UN mission deployed in DR Congo, MONUSCO, sent two fire engines to support local rescue services. Aircraft accidents are common in the vast, conflict-wracked central African country. Last month an Antonov-72 cargo plane that was providing logistical assistance for a trip by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and carrying eight crew and passengers went missing after taking off from Goma. Goma is the capital of troubled North Kivu province near the border with Rwanda. The plane's destination, Beni, has been the scene of other tragedies in the province plagued with fighting between rival militias. More than 60 civilians have been massacred since October 30. The failure of the army and police to stop the killings has prompted protests by civilians, the latest one on Friday. The Nord Kivu governor went to Beni to calm the citizens and on Sunday offered condolences to the families of the victims of the plane crash. Beni has also been at the epicentre of an Ebola epidemic which so far has killed around 2,200 people in DR Congo in the last year.

Death toll in Congo plane crash rises to 29

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's&nbsp;handling of the SEAL case.&nbsp;

"I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy," Trump said on Twitter adding, "therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service &amp; commitment."

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I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank. Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746358091530241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honours that he has earned, including his Trident Pin."

Trump named Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite as his nominee for the Navy chief's post, adding that he is&nbsp;"a man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!"

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....contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction. Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service &amp; commitment. Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746376420679680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Navy's clash with the president boiled over after Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who was accused of war crimes was found guilty of a lesser offence, Trump intervened in the case to reverse Gallagher's demotion by the Navy, including a possible stripping of the Trident pin.&nbsp;

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....honors that he has earned, including his Trident Pin. Admiral and now Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite will be nominated by me to be the new Secretary of the Navy. A man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1198746377720909824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Gallagher was accused in the stabbing to death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice, although he was acquitted of the charges but was convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs. There were three other members against whom the Navy had launched investigations.

Meanwhile, US defence&nbsp;secretary Mark Esper said he had asked for Spencer's resignation "after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candour over conversations with the White House," the Department of Defence said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's handling of the SEAL case.

US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that "Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper" over US Navy's handling of the SEAL case. "I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy," Trump said on Twitter adding, "therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment." I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank. Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × "Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honours that he has earned, including his Trident Pin." Trump named Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite as his nominee for the Navy chief's post, adding that he is "a man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!" ....contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction. Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment. Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × Navy's clash with the president boiled over after Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who was accused of war crimes was found guilty of a lesser offence, Trump intervened in the case to reverse Gallagher's demotion by the Navy, including a possible stripping of the Trident pin. ....honors that he has earned, including his Trident Pin. Admiral and now Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite will be nominated by me to be the new Secretary of the Navy. A man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2019 × Gallagher was accused in the stabbing to death of a wounded Islamic State prisoner in Iraq in 2017, attempted murder of other civilians and obstruction of justice, although he was acquitted of the charges but was convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State fighter's body in a group picture with other SEALs. There were three other members against whom the Navy had launched investigations. Meanwhile, US defence secretary Mark Esper said he had asked for Spencer's resignation "after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candour over conversations with the White House," the Department of Defence said in a statement.

Trump fires US navy chief Richard Spencer over SEAL case

Classified <a href="https://www.wionews.com/central-asia/chinese-government-accuses-four-more-regions-of-fake-pollution-compliance-172755">Chinese government</a> documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region.

The publication on Sunday of the documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) follows a New York Times report on November 16 based on a cache of secret papers revealing details of&nbsp;China's&nbsp;clamp-down on ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region.

United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in&nbsp;camps&nbsp;in&nbsp;Xinjiang.

The ICIJ says it obtained a 2017 list of guidelines "that effectively serves as a manual for operating the&nbsp;camps", with instructions on how to prevent escapes, maintain secrecy about the&nbsp;camps' existence, indoctrinate internees and "when to let detainees see relatives or even use the toilet".

Other documents it obtained include "intelligence briefings" showing how police have been "guided by a massive data collection and analysis system that uses artificial intelligence to select entire categories of&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;residents for detention".

Foreign&nbsp;ministry spokesman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tells-united-states-to-stop-interfering-in-its-affairs-after-blacklisting-of-companies-254518">Geng Shuang</a> told a news conference on Monday that&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;affairs were an internal matter of&nbsp;China's, and that a stable and prosperous&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;was the best response to what he said amounted to slander.

The Guardian newspaper, an ICIJ affiliate, reported the Chinese embassy in London as saying "the so-called&nbsp;leaked&nbsp;documents are pure fabrication and fake news".

Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents.

The leaks come amid a rising international outcry over&nbsp;China's&nbsp;broader human rights record in&nbsp;Xinjiang. The United States has led&nbsp;more&nbsp;than 30 countries in condemning what it called a "horrific campaign of repression".

Beijing denies any mistreatment of Uighurs or others in&nbsp;Xinjiang, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism and to teach new skills.

Classified Chinese government documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention camps in Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region.

Classified Chinese government documents made public by an international group of journalists describe the repressive inner workings of detention camps in Xinjiang, in a second rare leak in days of secret files concerning the troubled western region. The publication on Sunday of the documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) follows a New York Times report on November 16 based on a cache of secret papers revealing details of China's clamp-down on ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in the region. United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in camps in Xinjiang. The ICIJ says it obtained a 2017 list of guidelines "that effectively serves as a manual for operating the camps", with instructions on how to prevent escapes, maintain secrecy about the camps' existence, indoctrinate internees and "when to let detainees see relatives or even use the toilet". Other documents it obtained include "intelligence briefings" showing how police have been "guided by a massive data collection and analysis system that uses artificial intelligence to select entire categories of Xinjiang residents for detention". Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news conference on Monday that Xinjiang affairs were an internal matter of China's, and that a stable and prosperous Xinjiang was the best response to what he said amounted to slander. The Guardian newspaper, an ICIJ affiliate, reported the Chinese embassy in London as saying "the so-called leaked documents are pure fabrication and fake news". Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the documents. The leaks come amid a rising international outcry over China's broader human rights record in Xinjiang. The United States has led more than 30 countries in condemning what it called a "horrific campaign of repression". Beijing denies any mistreatment of Uighurs or others in Xinjiang, saying it is providing vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism and to teach new skills.

Leaked documents reveal Uighurs repressed, monitored in detention camps

By Mallika Singh

After India emphatically beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs on the third day of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-bangladesh-umesh-yadav-takes-five-as-winning-run-for-kohli-co-continues-264194">'pink-ball' Test</a> on Sunday in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Australian captain&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tim-paine-takes-a-dig-at-virat-kohli-who-are-slated-to-play-test-series-next-year-264214">Tim Paine took a dig</a> at Virat Kohli&nbsp;saying that Indian captain's "mood" will decide whether the two teams will play the day/night Test&nbsp;in Australia next year.

India has consolidated its position at the top of ICC World Test Championship with 360 points&nbsp;without losing a point in the nine-team Championship. India secured a 2-0 win against West Indies, 3-0 against South Africa and now 2-0 against Bangladesh.

Kohli's team is followed by Australia who are at 116 points after winning their first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/brisbane-test-australia-beat-pakistan-by-an-innings-and-5-runs-264221">Test against Pakistan</a> in the ongoing home series after defeating Pakistan by an innings and 5 runs.

“We'll ask Virat and see if we can get his permission to play here and maybe even a pink-ball Test if he is in a good mood. So we'll wait and see,” Paine said in a post-match press conference to reporters.

India and Australia are set to play a Test series Down Under&nbsp;next year.

India had last year turned down the offer to play a day/night Test against Australia in Adelaide. On India’s decision not to play the match, captain Virat Kohli had said that the team wanted to play with the pink ball in home conditions first.

A total of 12 day-night Tests have been played so far with Australia leading the charts winning all 5 Tests. Australia had won the first-ever day/night against New Zealand at Adelaide by 3 wickets in 2015.

Kohli in the post-match conference on Sunday expressed openness about playing a '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daynight-test-virat-kohli-registers-27th-test-century-264062">pink ball' Test </a>away from home.

“Just because we know our conditions and our bowlers are bowling so well, you do not really feel that challenge. Maybe when we play away from home, we will figure out what could be even more difficult playing with the pink ball," Kohli told reporters.

"But I think a good practice game before that and enough time to prepare, we are open to doing anything. You cannot just play on short notice. If we get enough time to prepare, we are willing to do anything that is required to take up Test cricket in any manner," he added.

By Mallika Singh After India emphatically beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs on the third day of the 'pink-ball' Test on Sunday in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Australian captain Tim Paine took a dig at Virat Kohli saying that Indian captain's "mood" will decide whether the two teams will play the day/night Test in Australia next year.

By Mallika Singh After India emphatically beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs on the third day of the 'pink-ball' Test on Sunday in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Australian captain Tim Paine took a dig at Virat Kohli saying that Indian captain's "mood" will decide whether the two teams will play the day/night Test in Australia next year. India has consolidated its position at the top of ICC World Test Championship with 360 points without losing a point in the nine-team Championship. India secured a 2-0 win against West Indies, 3-0 against South Africa and now 2-0 against Bangladesh. Kohli's team is followed by Australia who are at 116 points after winning their first Test against Pakistan in the ongoing home series after defeating Pakistan by an innings and 5 runs. “We'll ask Virat and see if we can get his permission to play here and maybe even a pink-ball Test if he is in a good mood. So we'll wait and see,” Paine said in a post-match press conference to reporters. India and Australia are set to play a Test series Down Under next year. India had last year turned down the offer to play a day/night Test against Australia in Adelaide. On India’s decision not to play the match, captain Virat Kohli had said that the team wanted to play with the pink ball in home conditions first. A total of 12 day-night Tests have been played so far with Australia leading the charts winning all 5 Tests. Australia had won the first-ever day/night against New Zealand at Adelaide by 3 wickets in 2015. Kohli in the post-match conference on Sunday expressed openness about playing a 'pink ball' Test away from home. “Just because we know our conditions and our bowlers are bowling so well, you do not really feel that challenge. Maybe when we play away from home, we will figure out what could be even more difficult playing with the pink ball," Kohli told reporters. "But I think a good practice game before that and enough time to prepare, we are open to doing anything. You cannot just play on short notice. If we get enough time to prepare, we are willing to do anything that is required to take up Test cricket in any manner," he added.

Will ask Virat if he is in a good mood: Paine on playing 'pink ball' Test against India

By Mallika Singh

India’s teen shuttler <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lakshya-sen-enters-quarterfinals-of-world-junior-championship-177748">Lakshya Sen </a>on Sunday night&nbsp;won his fourth title in three months by bagging the Scottish Open title after beating Brazil's Ygor Coelho in the men's singles clash.

The world no. 41 claimed victory by defeating Coelho 18-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a 56-minute final.

The 18-year-old has won the Scottish Challenge, Saarlorlux Open S100, the Dutch Open S100 and the Belgian International this year.

After losing in the second round of Irish Open, Sen started the Scottish Open with a straight-game win over Austria's Luka Wraber and then reached the quarterfinals by defeating compatriot&nbsp;Kiran George.

Sen then won another straight-game win over Brian Yang before winning the semi-finals against France’s Christo Popov.

“Rising fast in the world rankings, the unstoppable @lakshya_sen is making the right noise for India. #IndiaontheRise #badminton," BAI Media tweeted.

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Lakshya's 4th Title Win in 3 months! 
 
• Scottish Challenge ✅ 
• Saarlorlux Open S100 ✅⁣ 
• Dutch Open S100 ✅⁣ 
• Belgian Challenge ✅ 
 
Rising fast in the world rankings, the unstoppable <a href="https://twitter.com/lakshya_sen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lakshya_sen</a> is making the right noise for 🇮🇳. 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaontheRise?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaontheRise</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/badminton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#badminton</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZOec8EGj9e">pic.twitter.com/ZOec8EGj9e</a>
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) <a href="https://twitter.com/BAI_Media/status/1198839242916429824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Sen expressed his happiness on winning the title and training against Coelho, calling it a "good match"&nbsp;in a tweet.&nbsp;

"Happy to win the Scottish Open title!! A hard-fought match against my friend @co3lho12. It was really nice training with you in Denmark and playing a good match against you today", he tweeted.&nbsp;

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Happy to win the scotish open title!! A hard fought match against my friend @co3lho12. It was really nice training with you in Denmark and playing a good match against you today. <a href="https://t.co/Gu57DMqW9e">pic.twitter.com/Gu57DMqW9e</a>
— Lakshya Sen (@lakshya_sen) <a href="https://twitter.com/lakshya_sen/status/1198788094415163394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Sen has now joined Anand Pawar, Arvind Bhatt and now coach Pullela Gopichand in the elite list of Indians who have won the Scottish Open title.

Sen is now set to play against France’s Thomas Rouxel in Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament 2019 in Lucknow.

By Mallika Singh India’s teen shuttler Lakshya Sen on Sunday night won his fourth title in three months by bagging the Scottish Open title after beating Brazil's Ygor Coelho in the men's singles clash.

By Mallika Singh India’s teen shuttler Lakshya Sen on Sunday night won his fourth title in three months by bagging the Scottish Open title after beating Brazil's Ygor Coelho in the men's singles clash. The world no. 41 claimed victory by defeating Coelho 18-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a 56-minute final. The 18-year-old has won the Scottish Challenge, Saarlorlux Open S100, the Dutch Open S100 and the Belgian International this year. After losing in the second round of Irish Open, Sen started the Scottish Open with a straight-game win over Austria's Luka Wraber and then reached the quarterfinals by defeating compatriot Kiran George. Sen then won another straight-game win over Brian Yang before winning the semi-finals against France’s Christo Popov. “Rising fast in the world rankings, the unstoppable @lakshya_sen is making the right noise for India. #IndiaontheRise #badminton," BAI Media tweeted. Lakshya's 4th Title Win in 3 months! • Scottish Challenge ✅ • Saarlorlux Open S100 ✅⁣ • Dutch Open S100 ✅⁣ • Belgian Challenge ✅ Rising fast in the world rankings, the unstoppable @lakshya_sen is making the right noise for 🇮🇳. 👏#IndiaontheRise#badminton pic.twitter.com/ZOec8EGj9e — BAI Media (@BAI_Media) November 25, 2019 × Sen expressed his happiness on winning the title and training against Coelho, calling it a "good match" in a tweet. "Happy to win the Scottish Open title!! A hard-fought match against my friend @co3lho12. It was really nice training with you in Denmark and playing a good match against you today", he tweeted. Happy to win the scotish open title!! A hard fought match against my friend @co3lho12. It was really nice training with you in Denmark and playing a good match against you today. pic.twitter.com/Gu57DMqW9e — Lakshya Sen (@lakshya_sen) November 25, 2019 × Sen has now joined Anand Pawar, Arvind Bhatt and now coach Pullela Gopichand in the elite list of Indians who have won the Scottish Open title. Sen is now set to play against France’s Thomas Rouxel in Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament 2019 in Lucknow.

India's teen shuttler Lakshya Sen wins Scottish Open

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