NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024.&nbsp;

In his first interview since becoming NASA's top official this week, former Sen Bill Nelson said on Friday that tracking climate change is a top issue.&nbsp;

He also wants to diversify the space agency's workforce so it reflects America. &nbsp;

As for landing astronauts on the moon, Nelson said the goal remains 2024, a deadline set by the Trump administration. But he cautions space is hard and he needs more time to review the matter, especially with a contract protest over the lunar lander for astronauts.&nbsp;

"We all know that space is hard," he said, noting there are often delays developing new technologies.&nbsp;

"But the goal is 2024.?&nbsp;

His underlying vision for NASA 'to explore the heavens with humans and machines'.&nbsp;

Nelson said he did not seek the NASA administrator job and had recommended three women to lead the space agency.&nbsp;

He said he told the Biden administration he would accept the nomination only if one of the women could serve as his deputy selected for the job: former space shuttle commander Pam Melroy.&nbsp;

Nelson, 78, is NASA's 14th administrator, the third to fly in space and the first to grow up in the shadow of rockets.&nbsp;

He was sworn in on Monday by Vice President Kamala Harris, who will head the National Space Council.&nbsp;

In a show of bipartisan space support, the two previous administrators took part in the ceremony, representing the Obama and Trump administrations.&nbsp;

Nelson steps into NASA's top job after 44 years of public service, 42 of them in an elected public office.&nbsp;

Nelson grew up near Cape Canaveral, graduating from high school a year before Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space 60 years ago this week.&nbsp;

He went on to law school and served in the US Army Reserve during the Vietnam War.&nbsp;

After a few terms in the Florida legislature, Nelson, a Democrat, won election to Congress, first in the House and then the Senate, before a 2018 defeat ended his political career.&nbsp;

It was while Nelson was a congressman that he rocketed into orbit aboard space shuttle Columbia in January 1986, just two weeks before Challenger's astronauts perished during liftoff. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024.

NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024. In his first interview since becoming NASA's top official this week, former Sen Bill Nelson said on Friday that tracking climate change is a top issue. He also wants to diversify the space agency's workforce so it reflects America. As for landing astronauts on the moon, Nelson said the goal remains 2024, a deadline set by the Trump administration. But he cautions space is hard and he needs more time to review the matter, especially with a contract protest over the lunar lander for astronauts. "We all know that space is hard," he said, noting there are often delays developing new technologies. "But the goal is 2024.? His underlying vision for NASA 'to explore the heavens with humans and machines'. Nelson said he did not seek the NASA administrator job and had recommended three women to lead the space agency. He said he told the Biden administration he would accept the nomination only if one of the women could serve as his deputy selected for the job: former space shuttle commander Pam Melroy. Nelson, 78, is NASA's 14th administrator, the third to fly in space and the first to grow up in the shadow of rockets. He was sworn in on Monday by Vice President Kamala Harris, who will head the National Space Council. In a show of bipartisan space support, the two previous administrators took part in the ceremony, representing the Obama and Trump administrations. Nelson steps into NASA's top job after 44 years of public service, 42 of them in an elected public office. Nelson grew up near Cape Canaveral, graduating from high school a year before Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space 60 years ago this week. He went on to law school and served in the US Army Reserve during the Vietnam War. After a few terms in the Florida legislature, Nelson, a Democrat, won election to Congress, first in the House and then the Senate, before a 2018 defeat ended his political career. It was while Nelson was a congressman that he rocketed into orbit aboard space shuttle Columbia in January 1986, just two weeks before Challenger's astronauts perished during liftoff. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's new chief big on climate, hedges on 2024 moon landing 

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up.&nbsp;

Esper, now a fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, said "I think we need to continue to stand up to Russia and try to deter their bad behavior."&nbsp;

Washington should look to reassure European allies and boost the NATO alliance by deploying more forces in Poland, "into the Baltics, if it makes sense, and places like Romania and Bulgaria, if not on a permanent - on a rotational basis," Esper said in an interview on Tuesday.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to reduce tensions stirred by a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border and proposed a summit of the estranged leaders to tackle a raft of disputes.&nbsp;

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people. &nbsp;

When he was running the Pentagon last year, Esper advocated a similar shift as former President Donald Trump announced his intention to cut the US troop contingent in Germany by about a third, saying Berlin had been taking advantage of the United States while not meeting financial obligations to NATO.&nbsp;

The United States announced on Tuesday that it will ramp up its forces in Germany amid the latest tensions with Russia over Ukraine, abandoning Trump's plan to withdraw around 12,000 of the 36,000 US troops there.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up.

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up. Esper, now a fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, said "I think we need to continue to stand up to Russia and try to deter their bad behavior." Washington should look to reassure European allies and boost the NATO alliance by deploying more forces in Poland, "into the Baltics, if it makes sense, and places like Romania and Bulgaria, if not on a permanent - on a rotational basis," Esper said in an interview on Tuesday. President Joe Biden called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to reduce tensions stirred by a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border and proposed a summit of the estranged leaders to tackle a raft of disputes. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people. When he was running the Pentagon last year, Esper advocated a similar shift as former President Donald Trump announced his intention to cut the US troop contingent in Germany by about a third, saying Berlin had been taking advantage of the United States while not meeting financial obligations to NATO. The United States announced on Tuesday that it will ramp up its forces in Germany amid the latest tensions with Russia over Ukraine, abandoning Trump's plan to withdraw around 12,000 of the 36,000 US troops there. (With inputs from agencies)

US should deploy troops along Black Sea, says former Pentagon chief 

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges. &nbsp;

Gen Naravane, who is here on a five-day official tour, delivered a keynote address on ‘Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers' during the "Army Chiefs Conclave" hosted by his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed, the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI) tweeted.&nbsp;

Gen Naravane laid emphasis on enhanced budget for UN peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh defence ministry's Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) directorate quoted him as saying at the conclave. &nbsp;

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen was the chief guest at the event.&nbsp;

The Indian Army chief also called for providing appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the UN blue helmet missions, pointing out their emerging challenges. He said the UN peacekeeping missions should run on a participatory basis.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh Army hosted the conclave coinciding with the celebrations of the birth centenary of the country's ‘Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of its 1971 independence.&nbsp;

Force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in Mali Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporree, force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in the Central African region Lieutenant General Sidki Daniel Traore and Bhutan army's deputy chief of operation Brigadier General Darji Rinchen, among others attended the conclave.&nbsp;

Senior diplomats, security strategists and police officers also attended the seminar.&nbsp;

During the event, the Indian Army chief interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and military observers from the other nations.&nbsp;

Momen told the conclave that the nature of peacekeeping operations in recent periods transformed both in terms of scale and scope for what "peacekeeping missions today are more than truce supervising operation".&nbsp;

The changing situation further expanded the missions' responsibility taking into account "other dimensions of peace, such as establishing rule of law, protection of human rights, protection of women and children, support to political process, managing elections, reintegration and socio-economic development," he said.&nbsp;

The conclave was held as part of a multilateral UN-mandated counter-terrorism exercise, Shantir Ogroshena (Frontrunners of Peace) that commenced on April 4. An Indian Army contingent of 30 personnel are participating along with the Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army in the exercise that will conclude on Monday.&nbsp;

Military observers from the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore are also attending the exercise. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen the procedures and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure robust peacekeeping operations in the region. The armies of all the participating nations shared their valuable experiences and refined their drills and procedures in peacekeeping operations.&nbsp;

The visit of Gen Naravane, who is here at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Gen Aziz Ahmed, comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the neighbouring country and met the top leadership here to strengthen the strategic ties.&nbsp;

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Mujibur Rahman. &nbsp;

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges.

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges. Gen Naravane, who is here on a five-day official tour, delivered a keynote address on ‘Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers' during the "Army Chiefs Conclave" hosted by his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed, the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI) tweeted. Gen Naravane laid emphasis on enhanced budget for UN peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh defence ministry's Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) directorate quoted him as saying at the conclave. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen was the chief guest at the event. The Indian Army chief also called for providing appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the UN blue helmet missions, pointing out their emerging challenges. He said the UN peacekeeping missions should run on a participatory basis. The Bangladesh Army hosted the conclave coinciding with the celebrations of the birth centenary of the country's ‘Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of its 1971 independence. Force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in Mali Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporree, force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in the Central African region Lieutenant General Sidki Daniel Traore and Bhutan army's deputy chief of operation Brigadier General Darji Rinchen, among others attended the conclave. Senior diplomats, security strategists and police officers also attended the seminar. During the event, the Indian Army chief interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and military observers from the other nations. Momen told the conclave that the nature of peacekeeping operations in recent periods transformed both in terms of scale and scope for what "peacekeeping missions today are more than truce supervising operation". The changing situation further expanded the missions' responsibility taking into account "other dimensions of peace, such as establishing rule of law, protection of human rights, protection of women and children, support to political process, managing elections, reintegration and socio-economic development," he said. The conclave was held as part of a multilateral UN-mandated counter-terrorism exercise, Shantir Ogroshena (Frontrunners of Peace) that commenced on April 4. An Indian Army contingent of 30 personnel are participating along with the Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army in the exercise that will conclude on Monday. Military observers from the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore are also attending the exercise. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen the procedures and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure robust peacekeeping operations in the region. The armies of all the participating nations shared their valuable experiences and refined their drills and procedures in peacekeeping operations. The visit of Gen Naravane, who is here at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Gen Aziz Ahmed, comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the neighbouring country and met the top leadership here to strengthen the strategic ties. The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Mujibur Rahman.

Indian Army chief Gen Naravane calls for enhancing budget for UN peacekeepers 

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed General Santino Deng Wol as the new head of the army, Kiir's spokesman said on Sunday, as part of a wider reshuffle within the government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar formed a government of national unity in February last year following a 2018 peace accord that ended a bloody civil war, but the oil-rich nation remains racked by violence.&nbsp;

The director general of the security services and the deputy minister of&nbsp;defence&nbsp;were also replaced in the reshuffle, Kiir's spokesman&nbsp;Ateny&nbsp;Wek said.&nbsp;

"It was a routine reshuffle," Wek said, adding that the president had also fired the minister for presidential affairs and replaced him with a former adviser.&nbsp;

South Sudan erupted into civil war soon after securing independence from Sudan in 2011, leading to an estimated 400,000 deaths and one of the worst refugee&nbsp;crisis&nbsp;on the continent since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.&nbsp;

Despite the formation of a government of national unity in 2020, implementation of the 2018 peace accord has stalled and authorities have blocked humanitarian access to areas where conflict has restarted, a recent UN report said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed General Santino Deng Wol as the new head of the army, Kiir's spokesman said on Sunday, as part of a wider reshuffle within the government.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed General Santino Deng Wol as the new head of the army, Kiir's spokesman said on Sunday, as part of a wider reshuffle within the government. Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar formed a government of national unity in February last year following a 2018 peace accord that ended a bloody civil war, but the oil-rich nation remains racked by violence. The director general of the security services and the deputy minister of defence were also replaced in the reshuffle, Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek said. "It was a routine reshuffle," Wek said, adding that the president had also fired the minister for presidential affairs and replaced him with a former adviser. South Sudan erupted into civil war soon after securing independence from Sudan in 2011, leading to an estimated 400,000 deaths and one of the worst refugee crisis on the continent since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Despite the formation of a government of national unity in 2020, implementation of the 2018 peace accord has stalled and authorities have blocked humanitarian access to areas where conflict has restarted, a recent UN report said. (With inputs from agencies)

South Sudan’s president appoints new army chief 

Inter-Parliamentary Union President&nbsp;Duarte Pacheco&nbsp;on Tuesday addressed Members of Parliament at the Central Hall and thanked India for its support for Portugal's election to the IPU, stating that New Delhi and Lisbon are brothers.&nbsp;

"I came to New Delhi to show that you have a friend, a special friend in IPU. This special relationship is not just personal. We have a special relationship between our two countries. Portugal and India have over 500-year-old relations, so we know each other so better that I may say that we aren't just friends, we are brothers," Pacheco said.&nbsp;

He added, "India is the largest democracy in the world and in all levels, from local to national, is looking to be more inclusive with more women and young people. India respects convictions, political and religious, of each person."&nbsp;

He further expressed Portugal's support for the reform process and the inclusion of India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council stating that India 'is an important player' in all fields 'whose opinions are respected'.&nbsp;

"I think India should achieve the place you should have in all international levels... In the United Nations, Portugal supports reform process (to the Security Council) and inclusion of India as a permanent member of the Security Council," he said. He further told the MPs that he 'feels at home'.&nbsp;

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said that India is the world's largest working democracy and represents 130 crore citizens of the country adding that the Central Hall is a witness to independence.&nbsp;

"In the last 74 years of independence, our democratic system has only strengthened. We are now celebrating 75 years of independence. This Central Hall is a witness to independence," he said.&nbsp;

The Indian economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'amazing', said Duarte Pacheco, President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, on Monday.&nbsp;

The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is in India on a seven-day visit. "It is impossible for us to interfere with the internal matters of a country, but can say that the Indian economy under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is amazing," Pacheco said.&nbsp;

Praising Indian society and its vitality the IPU president added, "I wish we had a society in Europe that has the same vitality that we find here in India. Other continents are thinking in past, in history but here in India towards a better future." &nbsp;

The Inter-Parliamentary Union formed in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest international Parliamentary body consisting of more than 179 members. &nbsp;

Pacheco, a Member of Parliament of Portugal, was recently elected as the President of IPU, an international organization of national parliaments, for a three-year term from 2021 to 2023. He is visiting India at the invitation of the Parliament of India. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Inter-Parliamentary Union President Duarte Pacheco on Tuesday addressed Members of Parliament at the Central Hall and thanked India for its support for Portugal's election to the IPU, stating that New Delhi and Lisbon are brothers.

Inter-Parliamentary Union President Duarte Pacheco on Tuesday addressed Members of Parliament at the Central Hall and thanked India for its support for Portugal's election to the IPU, stating that New Delhi and Lisbon are brothers. "I came to New Delhi to show that you have a friend, a special friend in IPU. This special relationship is not just personal. We have a special relationship between our two countries. Portugal and India have over 500-year-old relations, so we know each other so better that I may say that we aren't just friends, we are brothers," Pacheco said. He added, "India is the largest democracy in the world and in all levels, from local to national, is looking to be more inclusive with more women and young people. India respects convictions, political and religious, of each person." He further expressed Portugal's support for the reform process and the inclusion of India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council stating that India 'is an important player' in all fields 'whose opinions are respected'. "I think India should achieve the place you should have in all international levels... In the United Nations, Portugal supports reform process (to the Security Council) and inclusion of India as a permanent member of the Security Council," he said. He further told the MPs that he 'feels at home'. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said that India is the world's largest working democracy and represents 130 crore citizens of the country adding that the Central Hall is a witness to independence. "In the last 74 years of independence, our democratic system has only strengthened. We are now celebrating 75 years of independence. This Central Hall is a witness to independence," he said. The Indian economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'amazing', said Duarte Pacheco, President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, on Monday. The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is in India on a seven-day visit. "It is impossible for us to interfere with the internal matters of a country, but can say that the Indian economy under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is amazing," Pacheco said. Praising Indian society and its vitality the IPU president added, "I wish we had a society in Europe that has the same vitality that we find here in India. Other continents are thinking in past, in history but here in India towards a better future." The Inter-Parliamentary Union formed in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest international Parliamentary body consisting of more than 179 members. Pacheco, a Member of Parliament of Portugal, was recently elected as the President of IPU, an international organization of national parliaments, for a three-year term from 2021 to 2023. He is visiting India at the invitation of the Parliament of India. (With inputs from agencies)

IPU chief: India, Portugal are brothers; backs UNSC permanent membership for India 

Nepal's Chief of Army Staff, Purna Chandra Thapa on Monday received his first dose of the Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccine.&nbsp;

Nepal last month received the second shipment of one million doses of the coronavirus vaccines. The AstraZeneca vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the name Covishield. &nbsp;

Nepal began its nationwide inoculation drive after receiving the first one million Covishield vaccines following the emergency use approval in January. &nbsp;

An Air India aircraft carrying the consignment of Covid-19 vaccines had landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in the morning, according to sources at the Indian Embassy in Nepal.&nbsp;

The Nepal government has decided to procure a total of two million doses of the vaccine manufactured by the SII. Last month, India gifted one million doses of Covishield vaccine to Nepal.&nbsp;

The Nepal government has already started administering the vaccines on health workers, security personnel and journalists on priority basis.&nbsp;

The second lot of vaccines would be used to inoculate people above 60 years of age, which is 8.73 per cent of Nepal's population, in the vaccination drive that will begin on March 7. &nbsp;

India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.&nbsp;

India, under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, has been providing coronavirus vaccines to its neighbouring countries. &nbsp;

India has sent consignments of domestically produced coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles.&nbsp;

It is also undertaking commercial supplies of the doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.&nbsp;

Nepal's Chief of Army Staff, Purna Chandra Thapa on Monday received his first dose of the Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccine. Nepal last month received the second shipment of one million doses of the coronavirus vaccines.

Nepal's Chief of Army Staff, Purna Chandra Thapa on Monday received his first dose of the Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccine. Nepal last month received the second shipment of one million doses of the coronavirus vaccines. The AstraZeneca vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the name Covishield. Nepal began its nationwide inoculation drive after receiving the first one million Covishield vaccines following the emergency use approval in January. An Air India aircraft carrying the consignment of Covid-19 vaccines had landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in the morning, according to sources at the Indian Embassy in Nepal. The Nepal government has decided to procure a total of two million doses of the vaccine manufactured by the SII. Last month, India gifted one million doses of Covishield vaccine to Nepal. The Nepal government has already started administering the vaccines on health workers, security personnel and journalists on priority basis. The second lot of vaccines would be used to inoculate people above 60 years of age, which is 8.73 per cent of Nepal's population, in the vaccination drive that will begin on March 7. India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines. India, under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, has been providing coronavirus vaccines to its neighbouring countries. India has sent consignments of domestically produced coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles. It is also undertaking commercial supplies of the doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.

Nepal's Army Chief gets Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccine's first dose

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup.&nbsp;

Guterres, speaking to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said, "We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on."&nbsp;

"Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections."&nbsp;

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Meanwhile, Myanmar police began to disperse pro-democracy protesters on Monday as businesses around the country shut in a general strike called to oppose the military coup despite a threat from authorities that confrontation could cost lives.&nbsp;

Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the February 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-protesters-defy-militarys-lethal-warning-to-take-to-streets-again-365417">Myanmar: Protesters defy military's lethal warning to take to streets again</a>

There were protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday, from the northern hills on the border with China to the central plains, the Irrawaddy river delta and the southern tip of the panhandle, images on social media showed.&nbsp;

In the capital, Naypyitaw, where the military is headquartered, a police water cannon truck and numerous other vehicles closed in to break up a procession of chanting protesters who scattered when police on foot chased them, wrestling several to the ground.&nbsp;

"They're chasing and arresting us. We’re just protesting peacefully," one woman said in video clip posted on Facebook.&nbsp;

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup. Guterres, speaking to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said, "We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on." "Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections." × Meanwhile, Myanmar police began to disperse pro-democracy protesters on Monday as businesses around the country shut in a general strike called to oppose the military coup despite a threat from authorities that confrontation could cost lives. Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the February 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Also Read | Myanmar: Protesters defy military's lethal warning to take to streets again There were protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday, from the northern hills on the border with China to the central plains, the Irrawaddy river delta and the southern tip of the panhandle, images on social media showed. In the capital, Naypyitaw, where the military is headquartered, a police water cannon truck and numerous other vehicles closed in to break up a procession of chanting protesters who scattered when police on foot chased them, wrestling several to the ground. "They're chasing and arresting us. We’re just protesting peacefully," one woman said in video clip posted on Facebook.

UN chief Antonio Guterres tells Myanmar military to stop the repression

In an apparent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-media-mogul-rejects-rape-accusations-by-filmmaker-271209">reference to Pakistan</a>, Army Chief General MM Naravane on Tuesday said that the "neighbouring country" uses terrorism as a tool of state policy. 
 
In an exclusive interview to ANI hours after taking the charge as the new Army Chief, General Naravane asserted that terrorism is a worldwide problem. 
"Terrorism is a worldwide problem, India has been at the receiving end of terrorism for a long time. It is only now that the entire world and many countries affected with terrorism are coming to realise what a threat it is," he said. 
 
"As far as our neighbour is concerned they are trying to use terrorism as a tool of state policy, as a way of carrying out a proxy war against us...while maintaining deniability. However, this state can't last long, as they say, you can't fool all the people, all the time," General Naravane added. 
 
The new Army Chief said that post the abrogation of Article 370, there has been a definite improvement in the situation on the ground. 
 
"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/army-better-prepared-to-take-on-challenges-at-pakistan-china-borders-cds-general-rawat-271188">Incidents of violence</a> have seen a marked decline, this augurs very well for the population of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a step forward towards bringing peace and prosperity to the region," he said.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Army Chief General MM Naravane on Tuesday said that the "neighbouring country" uses terrorism as a tool of state policy. In an exclusive interview to ANI hours after taking the charge as the new Army Chief, General Naravane asserted that terrorism is a worldwide problem.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Army Chief General MM Naravane on Tuesday said that the "neighbouring country" uses terrorism as a tool of state policy. In an exclusive interview to ANI hours after taking the charge as the new Army Chief, General Naravane asserted that terrorism is a worldwide problem. "Terrorism is a worldwide problem, India has been at the receiving end of terrorism for a long time. It is only now that the entire world and many countries affected with terrorism are coming to realise what a threat it is," he said. "As far as our neighbour is concerned they are trying to use terrorism as a tool of state policy, as a way of carrying out a proxy war against us...while maintaining deniability. However, this state can't last long, as they say, you can't fool all the people, all the time," General Naravane added. The new Army Chief said that post the abrogation of Article 370, there has been a definite improvement in the situation on the ground. "Incidents of violence have seen a marked decline, this augurs very well for the population of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a step forward towards bringing peace and prosperity to the region," he said.

Pakistan uses terrorism as tool of state policy: Army Chief Naravane

K Sivan, Chief, ISRO speaks on Chandrayaan-2 Mission. To know more watch the video.

K Sivan, Chief, ISRO on Chandrayaan-2 Mission

The wife of fallen former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has expressed fears for his life and her own safety, lashing out at what she called the "cruel" and "dirty" Chinese government that arrested him in mysterious circumstances. 
 
The comments by Grace Meng in a BBC interview represent a rare and extraordinarily blunt level of criticism of China's government by the victims of Beijing's tough crackdown on corruption, in which cases are typically wrapped up in secrecy and with only the official version of events coming to light. 
 
"I think it is political persecution. I'm not sure he's alive," Grace Meng said in the interview conducted in France, where Meng was based at Interpol's headquarters. 
 
Meng Hongwei, also a Chinese vice public security minister, went missing on a trip to China last month. He subsequently resigned as head of the international police organisation on October 7 after Chinese authorities announced he was under investigation. 
 
China has since said he is suspected of accepting bribes. 
 
"I tell (my children) daddy is on a long business trip," the sobbing Grace Meng said, appearing in the interview only in silhouette to hide her appearance. 
 
Complaining that there is "no limit" to China's power to act against opponents, she claimed to have received threatening phone calls suggesting she was being "targeted" in France. 
 
"They are cruel. They are dirty," she said. 
 
"I must stand up and I don't want any other wives and children like me." 
 
The body investigating Meng, the National Supervisory Commission, can hold suspects for as long as six months without providing access to legal counsel. 
 
Xi's anti-graft campaign has punished more than one million officials, and has wide support from citizens fed up with endemic corruption. But some analysts say it also enables the Chinese president to eliminate rivals. 
 
One of the most powerful officials to fall was former security ministry chief Zhou Yongkang, who promoted Meng more than a decade ago and was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. 
 
The relatives of fallen officials are typically silenced, and Grace Meng's outspoken advocacy on behalf of her husband is unprecedented and no doubt seen as an embarrassment by Beijing. 
 
China has pushed to have high-level representation in international bodies. 
 
Meng's Interpol appointment was seen as a major success in that drive, but political experts say his downfall is now likely to set back that effort.&nbsp;

The wife of fallen former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has expressed fears for his life and her own safety, lashing out at what she called the "cruel" and "dirty" Chinese government that arrested him in mysterious circumstances.

The wife of fallen former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has expressed fears for his life and her own safety, lashing out at what she called the "cruel" and "dirty" Chinese government that arrested him in mysterious circumstances. The comments by Grace Meng in a BBC interview represent a rare and extraordinarily blunt level of criticism of China's government by the victims of Beijing's tough crackdown on corruption, in which cases are typically wrapped up in secrecy and with only the official version of events coming to light. "I think it is political persecution. I'm not sure he's alive," Grace Meng said in the interview conducted in France, where Meng was based at Interpol's headquarters. Meng Hongwei, also a Chinese vice public security minister, went missing on a trip to China last month. He subsequently resigned as head of the international police organisation on October 7 after Chinese authorities announced he was under investigation. China has since said he is suspected of accepting bribes. "I tell (my children) daddy is on a long business trip," the sobbing Grace Meng said, appearing in the interview only in silhouette to hide her appearance. Complaining that there is "no limit" to China's power to act against opponents, she claimed to have received threatening phone calls suggesting she was being "targeted" in France. "They are cruel. They are dirty," she said. "I must stand up and I don't want any other wives and children like me." The body investigating Meng, the National Supervisory Commission, can hold suspects for as long as six months without providing access to legal counsel. Xi's anti-graft campaign has punished more than one million officials, and has wide support from citizens fed up with endemic corruption. But some analysts say it also enables the Chinese president to eliminate rivals. One of the most powerful officials to fall was former security ministry chief Zhou Yongkang, who promoted Meng more than a decade ago and was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. The relatives of fallen officials are typically silenced, and Grace Meng's outspoken advocacy on behalf of her husband is unprecedented and no doubt seen as an embarrassment by Beijing. China has pushed to have high-level representation in international bodies. Meng's Interpol appointment was seen as a major success in that drive, but political experts say his downfall is now likely to set back that effort.

Wife of Interpol ex-chief fears for his life and her own safety

The Palestine Football Association chief urged fans on Sunday to burn pictures of Argentina striker Lionel Messi and replicas of his shirt if he plays against Israel in Jerusalem next weekend.

Twice world champions Argentina will play at Jerusalem`s Teddy Kollek Stadium on Saturday night in a World Cup warm-up match that has attracted huge interest among the Israeli fans, mainly because of Messi`s planned participation.

But the Palestinians are not happy that the match will be held in Jerusalem and Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote to Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentinian FA, last week accusing Israel of using the match as a "political tool".

The stadium that will host the match is in west Jerusalem. The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future state that will include the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

However, the status of the city generally is highly sensitive. The match was originally slated to be played in Haifa but Israeli authorities contributed funding for it to be moved to Jerusalem, irking Palestinians further following U.S. President Donald

Trump`s recognition of the city as Israel`s capital. The U.S. embassy was moved there last month.

"The Israeli government has turned a regular sports match into a political tool. As was widely covered in Argentinian media, the match now is being played in order to celebrate the `70th&nbspanniversary of the State of Israel`," part of Rajoub`s letter said.

On Sunday, Rajoub declared a campaign against Argentina and particularly Messi, noting he has millions of fans across the Arab and Islamic world, Asia and Africa.

"He`s a big symbol so we are going to target him personally and we call on all to burn his picture and his shirt and to abandon him. We still hope that Messi will not come," he told reporters after leaving the Argentinian representative office in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

A small group of youths wearing Palestine soccer scarves demonstrated outside the representation office and attempted to set fire to an Argentinian flag.

Rajoub has long tried to get soccer`s world governing body, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee to impose sanctions against Israel. This is mainly because of the Israeli government`s settlements policy in the West Bank and because it has imposed travel restrictions on Palestinian athletes citing security concerns. Those bodies have not heeded his calls.&nbsp

Argentina have made four previous pre-World Cup stopovers in Israel since 1986. The team has been drawn in World Cup Group D and will open its campaign against Iceland in Moscow on June 16.&nbsp

Most countries do not recognise either Israel`s or the Palestinians` sovereignty in Jerusalem and have embassies to Israel in the Tel Aviv area. However, Guatemala and Honduras followed the U.S. lead in moving their embassies last month.

Argentina will play at Jerusalem`s Teddy Kollek Stadium on Saturday night in a World Cup warm-up match

The Palestine Football Association chief urged fans on Sunday to burn pictures of Argentina striker Lionel Messi and replicas of his shirt if he plays against Israel in Jerusalem next weekend. Twice world champions Argentina will play at Jerusalem`s Teddy Kollek Stadium on Saturday night in a World Cup warm-up match that has attracted huge interest among the Israeli fans, mainly because of Messi`s planned participation. But the Palestinians are not happy that the match will be held in Jerusalem and Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote to Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentinian FA, last week accusing Israel of using the match as a "political tool". The stadium that will host the match is in west Jerusalem. The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future state that will include the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. However, the status of the city generally is highly sensitive. The match was originally slated to be played in Haifa but Israeli authorities contributed funding for it to be moved to Jerusalem, irking Palestinians further following U.S. President Donald Trump`s recognition of the city as Israel`s capital. The U.S. embassy was moved there last month. "The Israeli government has turned a regular sports match into a political tool. As was widely covered in Argentinian media, the match now is being played in order to celebrate the `70th&nbspanniversary of the State of Israel`," part of Rajoub`s letter said. On Sunday, Rajoub declared a campaign against Argentina and particularly Messi, noting he has millions of fans across the Arab and Islamic world, Asia and Africa. "He`s a big symbol so we are going to target him personally and we call on all to burn his picture and his shirt and to abandon him. We still hope that Messi will not come," he told reporters after leaving the Argentinian representative office in the West Bank town of Ramallah. A small group of youths wearing Palestine soccer scarves demonstrated outside the representation office and attempted to set fire to an Argentinian flag. Rajoub has long tried to get soccer`s world governing body, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee to impose sanctions against Israel. This is mainly because of the Israeli government`s settlements policy in the West Bank and because it has imposed travel restrictions on Palestinian athletes citing security concerns. Those bodies have not heeded his calls. Argentina have made four previous pre-World Cup stopovers in Israel since 1986. The team has been drawn in World Cup Group D and will open its campaign against Iceland in Moscow on June 16. Most countries do not recognise either Israel`s or the Palestinians` sovereignty in Jerusalem and have embassies to Israel in the Tel Aviv area. However, Guatemala and Honduras followed the U.S. lead in moving their embassies last month.

Burn Messi shirts if he plays in Jerusalem: Palestine Football Association chief

UP Minister OP Rajbhar has said the BJP lost the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls because Yogi Aditynath, and not Keshav Prasad Maurya, was made chief minister.&nbsp

Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the &nbspSuheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.&nbsp

"The BJP contested assembly polls with Keshav Prasad Maurya (an OBC) as its face but later Yogi Adityanath was made chief minister. Backwards supported the BJP in the hope that Maurya will become CM. The result of this anger reflected in the defeat of the BJP in bypolls", PTI quoted Rajbhar as saying.&nbsp

When asked whether Yogi Adityanath was responsible for the BJP's defeat, Rajbhahr said, "Government is responsible. The BJP should introspect about reasons of its defeat. It's up to the BJP whom to make CM. It's up to the party to make Yogi or Keshav as CM."&nbsp

The BJP lost the Kairana and the Noorpur assembly seats in the recent polls.

Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the SP bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin of 5,662 votes.

The winning RLD candidate in Kairana was backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party.&nbsp

In Noorpur, the main opposition parties supported the SP nominee.

Against this united opposition, the BJP's all-out efforts to stop a chain of losses in bypolls in the state since 2014 proved futile even though Chief Minister Adityanath led from the front.&nbsp

(With inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp

OP Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party

UP Minister OP Rajbhar has said the BJP lost the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls because Yogi Aditynath, and not Keshav Prasad Maurya, was made chief minister. Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in Adityanath's government, and chief of the &nbspSuheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. "The BJP contested assembly polls with Keshav Prasad Maurya (an OBC) as its face but later Yogi Adityanath was made chief minister. Backwards supported the BJP in the hope that Maurya will become CM. The result of this anger reflected in the defeat of the BJP in bypolls", PTI quoted Rajbhar as saying. When asked whether Yogi Adityanath was responsible for the BJP's defeat, Rajbhahr said, "Government is responsible. The BJP should introspect about reasons of its defeat. It's up to the BJP whom to make CM. It's up to the party to make Yogi or Keshav as CM." The BJP lost the Kairana and the Noorpur assembly seats in the recent polls. Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the SP bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin of 5,662 votes. The winning RLD candidate in Kairana was backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party. In Noorpur, the main opposition parties supported the SP nominee. Against this united opposition, the BJP's all-out efforts to stop a chain of losses in bypolls in the state since 2014 proved futile even though Chief Minister Adityanath led from the front. (With inputs from PTI)

BJP lost bypolls because Keshav Prasad Maurya was not made CM: UP Minister

Former European football chief Michel Platini has said he has been cleared by Swiss authorities of any criminal wrongdoing over payments he received from FIFA that resulted in a ban for ethics violations and that he now plans to return to the game.

The Frenchman was banned from all soccer-related activities over a two million Swiss francs ($2.02 million) payment FIFA made to him in 2011, with former chief Sepp Blatter`s approval, for work done a decade earlier.

FIFA`s ethics committee said the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, lacked transparency and presented conflicts of interest. Both men denied wrongdoing.

A criminal investigation was opened against Platini, but the former France captain said on Saturday he had been told by the Swiss authorities that had now been closed.&nbsp

"After (three) years of investigation, the Public Ministry of the (Swiss) Confederation has just restored the truth by officially confirming that no charge has been at any time or will be in the future held against me in connection with my activities for FIFA," Platini said in a statement.

"This official information from an authority of justice attests definitely of my innocence."

Platini was initially banned from all soccer-related activities for eight years. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the suspension to four years.

The 62-year-old added he and his family had been living a nightmare for the last three years.

"These years were difficult and painful," Platini said.&nbsp

"My honour and integrity have been tarnished. I was robbed for three years of professional life.

"I will come back: where, when, how? It is too early to tell. But I will come back to football."&nbsp

The Frenchman was banned from all soccer-related activities over a two million Swiss francs payment FIFA made to him in 2011,

Former European football chief Michel Platini has said he has been cleared by Swiss authorities of any criminal wrongdoing over payments he received from FIFA that resulted in a ban for ethics violations and that he now plans to return to the game. The Frenchman was banned from all soccer-related activities over a two million Swiss francs ($2.02 million) payment FIFA made to him in 2011, with former chief Sepp Blatter`s approval, for work done a decade earlier. FIFA`s ethics committee said the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, lacked transparency and presented conflicts of interest. Both men denied wrongdoing. A criminal investigation was opened against Platini, but the former France captain said on Saturday he had been told by the Swiss authorities that had now been closed. "After (three) years of investigation, the Public Ministry of the (Swiss) Confederation has just restored the truth by officially confirming that no charge has been at any time or will be in the future held against me in connection with my activities for FIFA," Platini said in a statement. "This official information from an authority of justice attests definitely of my innocence." Platini was initially banned from all soccer-related activities for eight years. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the suspension to four years. The 62-year-old added he and his family had been living a nightmare for the last three years. "These years were difficult and painful," Platini said. "My honour and integrity have been tarnished. I was robbed for three years of professional life. "I will come back: where, when, how? It is too early to tell. But I will come back to football."

Michel Platini says cleared by Swiss authorities, plans return

The head of the UN's World Food Programme said today it appeared North Korea was "turning a new page in history", following a four-day visit to the country.

David Beasley said he had enjoyed unprecedented access to the secretive state, spending two days in the capital Pyongyang and two in the countryside, accompanied by government minders.

He said there was undoubtedly a hunger problem in North Korea but it was not on the scale of the 1990s famine.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/very-smart-and-gracious-gesture-trump-thanks-north-korea-for-promising-to-destroy-nuclear-test-site-136434">Trump thanks North Korea for promising to destroy nuclear test site</a>

North Korea's economy has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. However, its relations with the rest of the world are rapidly changing, with leader Kim Jong Un on a charm offensive.

Beasley told BBC radio that North Korea's leaders had a "sense of optimism".

Dialogue brokered by Seoul has seen US-North Korea relations go from trading personal insults and threats of war last year to a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump due in Singapore on June 12.

"There is a sense of turning a new page in history," said Bealsey, 61, the former governor of South Carolina.

He described the farming he witnessed outside the capital, in a country where only around a fifth of the land is arable.

"One of the most powerful things that I saw was out in the countryside -- it's spring, they're planting -- there's not mechanisation. You've got oxen pulling ploughs, men and women in the fields," said Beasley.

"It's very structured, very organised, every foot and inch of dirt is being toiled with rakes and hoes and shovels, and they're literally planting crops up to the edge of the road, down embankments, using every available space because it is a land that's mostly mountainous." North Korea has periodically been hit by famine, and hundreds of thousands of people died -- estimates range into the millions -- in the mid-1990s.

Beasley said: "I didn't see starvation like you had in the famine back in the 1990s, that's the good news. But is there a hunger issue, is there under-nutrition? There's no question about it." A United Nations-led report in March said chronic food shortages and malnutrition were widespread.

Around 41 percent -- 10.5 million people -- were undernourished, it said Around 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population including 1.3 million children aged under five, depend on the government-run Public Distribution System for rations of cereal and potatoes.

But most people do not consume a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy development, the report said. (AFP)&nbsp

The comment came from the chief of the UN's World Food Programme after a four-day visit to the country

The head of the UN's World Food Programme said today it appeared North Korea was "turning a new page in history", following a four-day visit to the country. David Beasley said he had enjoyed unprecedented access to the secretive state, spending two days in the capital Pyongyang and two in the countryside, accompanied by government minders. He said there was undoubtedly a hunger problem in North Korea but it was not on the scale of the 1990s famine. Also read: Trump thanks North Korea for promising to destroy nuclear test site North Korea's economy has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. However, its relations with the rest of the world are rapidly changing, with leader Kim Jong Un on a charm offensive. Beasley told BBC radio that North Korea's leaders had a "sense of optimism". Dialogue brokered by Seoul has seen US-North Korea relations go from trading personal insults and threats of war last year to a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump due in Singapore on June 12. "There is a sense of turning a new page in history," said Bealsey, 61, the former governor of South Carolina. He described the farming he witnessed outside the capital, in a country where only around a fifth of the land is arable. "One of the most powerful things that I saw was out in the countryside -- it's spring, they're planting -- there's not mechanisation. You've got oxen pulling ploughs, men and women in the fields," said Beasley. "It's very structured, very organised, every foot and inch of dirt is being toiled with rakes and hoes and shovels, and they're literally planting crops up to the edge of the road, down embankments, using every available space because it is a land that's mostly mountainous." North Korea has periodically been hit by famine, and hundreds of thousands of people died -- estimates range into the millions -- in the mid-1990s. Beasley said: "I didn't see starvation like you had in the famine back in the 1990s, that's the good news. But is there a hunger issue, is there under-nutrition? There's no question about it." A United Nations-led report in March said chronic food shortages and malnutrition were widespread. Around 41 percent -- 10.5 million people -- were undernourished, it said Around 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population including 1.3 million children aged under five, depend on the government-run Public Distribution System for rations of cereal and potatoes. But most people do not consume a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy development, the report said. (AFP)

North Korea 'turning a new page'

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar were produced before the Patiala House Court, on Monday, in connection with a money laundering case worth Rs. 8,000 crore.

At the hearing, the Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar issued a production warrant against another accused, Santosh Jha, and listed the next date of hearing on June 4.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has charged Misa Bharti and her husband with converting black money into white money through the shell company of businessmen, Surendra Jain and Virender Jain.

The accused businessmen were also produced before the court.&nbsp

They were granted bail in January on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each.

The couple was also granted bail by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the aforementioned case, on the condition that they cannot leave the country without the Court's permission.&nbsp

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar were produced before the Patiala House Court, on Monday, in connection with a money laundering case worth Rs. 8,000 crore.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar were produced before the Patiala House Court, on Monday, in connection with a money laundering case worth Rs. 8,000 crore. At the hearing, the Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar issued a production warrant against another accused, Santosh Jha, and listed the next date of hearing on June 4. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has charged Misa Bharti and her husband with converting black money into white money through the shell company of businessmen, Surendra Jain and Virender Jain. The accused businessmen were also produced before the court. They were granted bail in January on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each. The couple was also granted bail by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the aforementioned case, on the condition that they cannot leave the country without the Court's permission.

Money laundering: Misa Bharti produced before Delhi court

After much procrastination, Congress appointed senior Congress MP and former Union Minister Kamal Nath as the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. Congress has been out of power in the state from 2003 onwards. Its biggest problem in the state is a plethora of leaders and dwindling cadre. The seniormost leader today is Kamal Nath who joined politics in the 1970's and was a close aide of Sanjay Gandhi.

Kamal Nath told WION, "The challenge is to build the party. The challenge lies in giving a new dimension to the state and tell a new growth story and for this Congress must form the government.”

When asked as to what he intends to do with the multiple leaders, Kamal Nath said, "I’m friends with everyone. My relationship with most of the leaders is good and I get along with everyone.”

The fact of the matter is that Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindhia was also very keen to become the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh. There is no doubt that he is a popular young leader but within Congress, no one can match Kamal Nath's organisational muscle. Congress also faces a fund crunch and understands that Kamal Nath can help organise the elections better.

Even former chief minister Digvijay Singh was more disposed towards Kamal Nath. There is also the fact that the Congress did not make Kamal Nath leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha, because of caste considerations, despite his seniority.

There is a very popular saying about Kamal Nath in the Congress, told to me by a very senior leader. The senior leader told me, "If Kamal Nath is your friend, then he might save you from God once. But if he is your enemy, then even God may not be able to save you.”

For now Jyotiraditya Scindhia will have to be content with the position of head of the Congress Campaign Committee for Madhya Pradesh. Former union minister Arun Yadav, who was MP PCC chief so far, meanwhile will have to wait to be rehabilitated in Delhi.&nbsp;

Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made Congress campaign chief for the upcoming elections

After much procrastination, Congress appointed senior Congress MP and former Union Minister Kamal Nath as the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. Congress has been out of power in the state from 2003 onwards. Its biggest problem in the state is a plethora of leaders and dwindling cadre. The seniormost leader today is Kamal Nath who joined politics in the 1970's and was a close aide of Sanjay Gandhi. Kamal Nath told WION, "The challenge is to build the party. The challenge lies in giving a new dimension to the state and tell a new growth story and for this Congress must form the government.” When asked as to what he intends to do with the multiple leaders, Kamal Nath said, "I’m friends with everyone. My relationship with most of the leaders is good and I get along with everyone.” The fact of the matter is that Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindhia was also very keen to become the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh. There is no doubt that he is a popular young leader but within Congress, no one can match Kamal Nath's organisational muscle. Congress also faces a fund crunch and understands that Kamal Nath can help organise the elections better. Even former chief minister Digvijay Singh was more disposed towards Kamal Nath. There is also the fact that the Congress did not make Kamal Nath leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha, because of caste considerations, despite his seniority. There is a very popular saying about Kamal Nath in the Congress, told to me by a very senior leader. The senior leader told me, "If Kamal Nath is your friend, then he might save you from God once. But if he is your enemy, then even God may not be able to save you.” For now Jyotiraditya Scindhia will have to be content with the position of head of the Congress Campaign Committee for Madhya Pradesh. Former union minister Arun Yadav, who was MP PCC chief so far, meanwhile will have to wait to be rehabilitated in Delhi.

With MP going to polls this year, Kamal Nath takes over as state Congress chief

After much procrastination, Congress appointed senior Congress MP and former Union Minister Kamal Nath as the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. Congress has been out of power in the state from 2003 onwards. Its biggest problem in the state is a plethora of leaders and dwindling cadre. The seniormost leader today is Kamal Nath who joined politics in the 1970's and was a close aide of Sanjay Gandhi.

Kamal Nath told WION, "The challenge is to build the party. The challenge lies in giving a new dimension to the state and tell a new growth story and for this Congress must form the government.”

When asked as to what he intends to do with the multiple leaders, Kamal Nath said, "I’m friends with everyone. My relationship with most of the leaders is good and I get along with everyone.”

The fact of the matter is that Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindhia was also very keen to become the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh. There is no doubt that he is a popular young leader but within Congress, no one can match Kamal Nath's organisational muscle. Congress also faces a fund crunch and understands that Kamal Nath can help organise the elections better.

Even former chief minister Digvijay Singh was more disposed towards Kamal Nath. There is also the fact that the Congress did not make Kamal Nath leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha, because of caste considerations, despite his seniority.

There is a very popular saying about Kamal Nath in the Congress, told to me by a very senior leader. The senior leader told me, "If Kamal Nath is your friend, then he might save you from God once. But if he is your enemy, then even God may not be able to save you.”

For now Jyotiraditya Scindhia will have to be content with the position of head of the Congress Campaign Committee for Madhya Pradesh. Former union minister Arun Yadav, who was MP PCC chief so far, meanwhile will have to wait to be rehabilitated in Delhi.&nbsp

Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made Congress campaign chief for the upcoming elections. MP goes to the polls in 2018

I'm friends with everyone: Kamal Nath takes over as MP Congress chief

Most of the 39 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/39-indians-missing-in-iraq-dead-sushma-swaraj-36459" target="_blank">Indians killed in Iraq</a> were shot in the head, news reports quoted an Iraqi official as saying on Thursday.&nbsp;

The bodies of the 39 Indians, most of them from Punjab, were recovered from a mound in Badush village near Mosul. India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on Wednesday informed Parliament about the deaths of the 39 Indians.&nbsp;

News reports Thursday said Iraq&#39;s Department of Forensic Medicine, part of the Ministry of Health, had conducted DNA tests on the bodies. The reports quoted a Dr Zaid Ali Abbas, the head of the department, as saying over the phone from Baghdad that &quot;most of the bodies had gunshot wounds on the head&quot;.&nbsp;

Abbas added that the 39 Indians had died over a year ago. And that when the remains arrived, they were only skeleton and bone. &quot;They had no muscle or tissue.&quot;&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/want-to-meet-mamata-for-government-job-mosul-victims-wife-36704" target="_blank">Want to meet Mamata for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/want-to-meet-mamata-for-government-job-mosul-victims-wife-36704" target="_blank">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/want-to-meet-mamata-for-government-job-mosul-victims-wife-36704" target="_blank"> job: Mosul victim&#39;s wife</a>

The 39 Indians were kidnapped in 2014. On Wednesday Swaraj said they had been killed by ISIS.&nbsp;

Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh has flown to Mosul to bring back the bodies.&nbsp;

The government has come under much flak for its handling of the case. The families of the 39 killed have said they heard about the deaths when Swaraj made her speech in Parliament, and that they were <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-information-was-given-to-us-sister-of-indian-killed-in-iraq-36478" target="_blank">not told beforehand</a>.&nbsp;

The opposition meanwhile has said the government knew about the deaths beforehand but had been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/39-indians-killed-in-iraq-as-family-members-opposition-attack-government-vk-singh-says-no-one-was-misled-36480" target="_blank">misleading</a> the public.&nbsp;

The head of Iraq's Department of Forensic Medicine, Dr Zaid Ali Abbas, added that the 39 Indians were killed over a year ago

Most of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq were shot in the head, news reports quoted an Iraqi official as saying on Thursday. The bodies of the 39 Indians, most of them from Punjab, were recovered from a mound in Badush village near Mosul. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on Wednesday informed Parliament about the deaths of the 39 Indians. News reports Thursday said Iraq's Department of Forensic Medicine, part of the Ministry of Health, had conducted DNA tests on the bodies. The reports quoted a Dr Zaid Ali Abbas, the head of the department, as saying over the phone from Baghdad that "most of the bodies had gunshot wounds on the head". Abbas added that the 39 Indians had died over a year ago. And that when the remains arrived, they were only skeleton and bone. "They had no muscle or tissue." Also read: Want to meet Mamata for government job: Mosul victim's wife The 39 Indians were kidnapped in 2014. On Wednesday Swaraj said they had been killed by ISIS. Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh has flown to Mosul to bring back the bodies. The government has come under much flak for its handling of the case. The families of the 39 killed have said they heard about the deaths when Swaraj made her speech in Parliament, and that they were not told beforehand. The opposition meanwhile has said the government knew about the deaths beforehand but had been misleading the public.

39 missing Indians killed in Iraq: Most were shot in the head, says Iraqi official

The Islamic State confirmed the death of its propaganda chief on Monday, who the Pentagon said was killed in a US-led air strike in Syria&rsquo;s Raqqa last month.

The jihadist group posted an online statement paying tribute to Wa&rsquo;il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Furqan.

The statement referred to him by his alias and did not disclose the details of his death, Reuters reported.

The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed al-Fayad.

According to Pentagon, he was minister of information, overseeing IS&rsquo;s propaganda, and a key member of its leadership group. The IS statement referred to al-Fayad as head of its media arm.

al-Fayad was targeted &nbsp;while he was on a motorcycle outside his house, the Pentagon had said, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed Wa'il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad

The Islamic State confirmed the death of its propaganda chief on Monday, who the Pentagon said was killed in a US-led air strike in Syria’s Raqqa last month. The jihadist group posted an online statement paying tribute to Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Furqan. The statement referred to him by his alias and did not disclose the details of his death, Reuters reported. The Pentagon said last month that a US-led air strike on September 7 had killed al-Fayad. According to Pentagon, he was minister of information, overseeing IS’s propaganda, and a key member of its leadership group. The IS statement referred to al-Fayad as head of its media arm. al-Fayad was targeted while he was on a motorcycle outside his house, the Pentagon had said, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

IS confirms death of propaganda chief

Boko Haram&#39;s elusive leader Abubakar Shekau said in an audio message Thursday he is still around despite his reported ouster as head of the Nigeria-based jihadist group by the Islamic State (IS). 
 
&quot;People should know we are still around. We will never cause any discord among the people, we will live by the Koran,&quot; Shekau said in a 10-minute audio message. 
 
&quot;This is our stand and we remain in our capacity as Jama&#39;atu Ahlissunnah Lidda&#39;awati Wal Jihad,&quot; he said using the Islamic name for the hardline jihadist group. 
 
His voice was recognised by an AFP journalist familiar with previous messages he has posted on social media. 
 
It was also confirmed as Shekau&#39;s voice by Berlin-based expert Yan St-Pierre of the Modern Security Consulting Group (Mosecon). 
&quot;The person who posted on the internet is a very reliable source,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Shekau&#39;s audio message was released in response to reports that he had been purportedly replaced by Sheikh Abu Musab al-Barnawi, a former IS spokesman. 
 
In the latest edition of IS&#39;s online weekly magazine Al-Naba, which was published on Tuesday, there was an interview with Barnawi in which he was introduced as Boko Haram&#39;s new leader. 
 
In March 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to IS. 
 
But Shekau dismissed Barnawi as an infidel who condoned living in an un-Islamic society without waging jihad. 
 
The shadowy leader&#39;s absence in recent months has sparked speculation about his fate and whether or not he had been deposed as leader.&nbsp; 
 
He became Boko Haram leader after Nigerian security forces killed the group&#39;s founding chief Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, sparking an insurgency that has left 20,000 people dead and forced 2.6 million people to flee their homes. 
 
Boko Haram has been pegged back by an aggressive fightback from the Nigerian military since January 2014, losing territory and its capacity to mount conventional attacks. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Shekau's audio message was released in response to reports that he had been replaced by IS spokesperson Abu Musab al-Barnawi

Boko Haram's elusive leader Abubakar Shekau said in an audio message Thursday he is still around despite his reported ouster as head of the Nigeria-based jihadist group by the Islamic State (IS). "People should know we are still around. We will never cause any discord among the people, we will live by the Koran," Shekau said in a 10-minute audio message. "This is our stand and we remain in our capacity as Jama'atu Ahlissunnah Lidda'awati Wal Jihad," he said using the Islamic name for the hardline jihadist group. His voice was recognised by an AFP journalist familiar with previous messages he has posted on social media. It was also confirmed as Shekau's voice by Berlin-based expert Yan St-Pierre of the Modern Security Consulting Group (Mosecon). "The person who posted on the internet is a very reliable source," he said. Shekau's audio message was released in response to reports that he had been purportedly replaced by Sheikh Abu Musab al-Barnawi, a former IS spokesman. In the latest edition of IS's online weekly magazine Al-Naba, which was published on Tuesday, there was an interview with Barnawi in which he was introduced as Boko Haram's new leader. In March 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to IS. But Shekau dismissed Barnawi as an infidel who condoned living in an un-Islamic society without waging jihad. The shadowy leader's absence in recent months has sparked speculation about his fate and whether or not he had been deposed as leader. He became Boko Haram leader after Nigerian security forces killed the group's founding chief Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, sparking an insurgency that has left 20,000 people dead and forced 2.6 million people to flee their homes. Boko Haram has been pegged back by an aggressive fightback from the Nigerian military since January 2014, losing territory and its capacity to mount conventional attacks. (AFP)

Boko Haram elusive chief Shekau sends audio message, says 'still around'

With Xinjiang tightening anti-terror law banning instigation of people to cross border to undergo terror training Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif has assured China of cracking down on militant outfits blamed for attacks in the volatile province. 
 
Pakistan will firmly crackdown on terrorist forces like the &quot;East Turkestan Islamic Movement&quot; (ETIM) and protect the security of &quot;China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&quot;, (CEPC) state-run China Military Online quoted him as saying during his meeting with China&#39;s top military official Fang Fenghui in Urumqi, provincial capital of Xinjiang on Tuesday. 
 
Fang is the member of China&#39;s Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC. 
 
Sharif was in Urumqi to attend the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism in Counter Terrorism by Afghanistan-China-Pakistan-Tajikistan Armed Forces. 
 
His assurance of firm crackdown followed China-Pakistan border police recently launching first joint patrols of the disputed Pakistan Controlled Kashmir (POK) border amid reports that 114 Uyghurs Muslims from Xinjiang joined Islamic State in Syria. 
 
Xinjiang, the home for Uyghurs who resented the increasing settlements of Hans from other provinces has witnessed violent attacks in recent years. 
 
China blamed ETIM, a separatist outfit linked to al-Qaeda for the attacks. Under pressure from China, Pakistan army has conducted military operations against ETIM training bases in the tribal areas bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months. 
 
Xinjiang recently adopted new anti-terrorism rules stipulating reassessment of risk levels of prisoners before release and solitary confinement and education for ring leaders. 
 
The new rules stipulated that recruiting, training or transporting terror-related personnel will be regarded as carrying out terror activities, as will as organising or instigating others to illegally cross into another country to participate in terror activities or terror training, state-run Global Times reported. 
 
The Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism formed by China significantly includes Afghanistan which also shares borders with Xinjiang.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Under Chinese pressure, Pakistan army has lately conducted operations against al-Qaeda linked ETIM's training bases

With Xinjiang tightening anti-terror law banning instigation of people to cross border to undergo terror training Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif has assured China of cracking down on militant outfits blamed for attacks in the volatile province. Pakistan will firmly crackdown on terrorist forces like the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement" (ETIM) and protect the security of "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor", (CEPC) state-run China Military Online quoted him as saying during his meeting with China's top military official Fang Fenghui in Urumqi, provincial capital of Xinjiang on Tuesday. Fang is the member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC. Sharif was in Urumqi to attend the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism in Counter Terrorism by Afghanistan-China-Pakistan-Tajikistan Armed Forces. His assurance of firm crackdown followed China-Pakistan border police recently launching first joint patrols of the disputed Pakistan Controlled Kashmir (POK) border amid reports that 114 Uyghurs Muslims from Xinjiang joined Islamic State in Syria. Xinjiang, the home for Uyghurs who resented the increasing settlements of Hans from other provinces has witnessed violent attacks in recent years. China blamed ETIM, a separatist outfit linked to al-Qaeda for the attacks. Under pressure from China, Pakistan army has conducted military operations against ETIM training bases in the tribal areas bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months. Xinjiang recently adopted new anti-terrorism rules stipulating reassessment of risk levels of prisoners before release and solitary confinement and education for ring leaders. The new rules stipulated that recruiting, training or transporting terror-related personnel will be regarded as carrying out terror activities, as will as organising or instigating others to illegally cross into another country to participate in terror activities or terror training, state-run Global Times reported. The Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism formed by China significantly includes Afghanistan which also shares borders with Xinjiang. (PTI)

Pakistan army chief promises China firm crackdown on Uyghur militants

After a week of protests following the public beating of four Dalits (also known as &quot;untouchables) for skinning a dead cow, which Hindus revere as holy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat has resigned. 
 
Anandiben Patel, who took over as CM after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the position, posted her letter of resignation on Facebook.&nbsp;In it, she asked the BJP top brass to relieve her of her post as she was soon going to turn 75. 
 
Patel had come in for critcism for her handling of the fallout from the public beating of the Dalits. And under her leadership, the BJP has for the first time in the post-Narendra Modi era had to put up with a tough challenge from its opponents in the state. 
 
Patel, who will turn 75 on November 21 and who been a minister in the BJP government since 1998 and CM since 2014, said in her post-cum-resignation letter that the BJP needed a fresh face in the state before the elections next year. 
 
&quot;For the last some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retires from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;Two months ago I had requested the party to relieve me from the post and today also through this letter, I request the party to relieve me of the post,&quot; she added. 
 
&quot;I am asking the party to relieve me two months in advance as the new chief minister will require the time to work, when the state is going to face elections in 2017 and an important event like Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held in January,&quot; Patel said.&nbsp;&quot;It (the rule of 75) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up,&quot; she added. 
 
Elections in the state are due in the second half of 2017.&nbsp;The unwritten convention in the party in recent times, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been that people quit their posts when they turn 75. 
 
Patel has had to deal a number of recent upsets. The BJP fared badly in the rural civic bodies poll of December 2015 and the opposition Congress made gains at the cost of the ruling party. 
 
She also had to deal with the fierce Patel community quota agitation, one of the factors which contributed to the BJP losing in the rural local bodies poll. The BJP though retained its hold over the urban areas. 
 
The Dalit uprising after the Una public beating incident also dented the image of the party.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

Anandiben Patel's government had come in for criticism for its handling of the furore caused by the public beating of four low-caste Dalits

After a week of protests following the public beating of four Dalits (also known as "untouchables) for skinning a dead cow, which Hindus revere as holy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat has resigned. Anandiben Patel, who took over as CM after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vacated the position, posted her letter of resignation on Facebook. In it, she asked the BJP top brass to relieve her of her post as she was soon going to turn 75. Patel had come in for critcism for her handling of the fallout from the public beating of the Dalits. And under her leadership, the BJP has for the first time in the post-Narendra Modi era had to put up with a tough challenge from its opponents in the state. Patel, who will turn 75 on November 21 and who been a minister in the BJP government since 1998 and CM since 2014, said in her post-cum-resignation letter that the BJP needed a fresh face in the state before the elections next year. "For the last some time there has been a tradition in the party that those who attain the age of 75, voluntarily retires from the post. I will attain the age of 75 in November," she said. "Two months ago I had requested the party to relieve me from the post and today also through this letter, I request the party to relieve me of the post," she added. "I am asking the party to relieve me two months in advance as the new chief minister will require the time to work, when the state is going to face elections in 2017 and an important event like Vibrant Gujarat Summit to be held in January," Patel said. "It (the rule of 75) is a good thing and it will give a chance to young leaders to come up," she added. Elections in the state are due in the second half of 2017. The unwritten convention in the party in recent times, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been that people quit their posts when they turn 75. Patel has had to deal a number of recent upsets. The BJP fared badly in the rural civic bodies poll of December 2015 and the opposition Congress made gains at the cost of the ruling party. She also had to deal with the fierce Patel community quota agitation, one of the factors which contributed to the BJP losing in the rural local bodies poll. The BJP though retained its hold over the urban areas. The Dalit uprising after the Una public beating incident also dented the image of the party. (WION with inputs from PTI)

After week of protests, Gujarat chief minister posts her resignation on Facebook

The official Twitter account of Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah has been hacked, and a group apparently sympathetic to minority Shiite Hazara protesters has claimed responsibility. 
 
&quot;I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. #enlightenment #enlightenmentmovement,&quot; a group identifying itself as Ghost Squad Hackers tweeted from the account late Saturday. 
 
The hashtags refer to the newly-founded Enlightenment Movement led by Hazaras, who were targeted by suicide bombers loyal to the Islamic State group during a huge protest in Kabul on July 23. 
 
&quot;CEO Abdullah&#39;s verified twitter account @afgexecutive has been hacked and our press and (information technology) teams are trying to restore it,&quot; said Javid Faisal, Abdullah&#39;s spokesman. 
 
Abdullah&#39;s office said it had no information about the whereabouts of Ghost Squad Hackers. 
 
&quot;Afghanistan Gov Hacked by GhostSquadHackers #ChiefExecutiveOfficer Can you hear me now?&quot; the group tweeted from their own account @GhostSquadHack. 
 
The group appears to be sympathetic to the plight of the Hazara community which has been persecuted for decades, with thousands killed in the late 1990s by Al-Qaeda and the mainly Pashtun Taliban. 
 
The July 23 attack, the deadliest in the Afghan capital in 15 years, killed 80 people. 
 
It came as the protesters demanded that a major power line be routed through the central province of Bamiyan, one of the most deprived areas of Afghanistan with a large Hazara population. 
 
Following the attack Hazaras launched a massive social media campaign with the hashtag #enlightenment against what they call discrimination. 
 
(AFP)

A group identifying itself as Ghost Squad Hackers, which is sympathetic to minority Shiite Hazara protesters, has claimed responsibility

The official Twitter account of Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah has been hacked, and a group apparently sympathetic to minority Shiite Hazara protesters has claimed responsibility. "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. #enlightenment #enlightenmentmovement," a group identifying itself as Ghost Squad Hackers tweeted from the account late Saturday. The hashtags refer to the newly-founded Enlightenment Movement led by Hazaras, who were targeted by suicide bombers loyal to the Islamic State group during a huge protest in Kabul on July 23. "CEO Abdullah's verified twitter account @afgexecutive has been hacked and our press and (information technology) teams are trying to restore it," said Javid Faisal, Abdullah's spokesman. Abdullah's office said it had no information about the whereabouts of Ghost Squad Hackers. "Afghanistan Gov Hacked by GhostSquadHackers #ChiefExecutiveOfficer Can you hear me now?" the group tweeted from their own account @GhostSquadHack. The group appears to be sympathetic to the plight of the Hazara community which has been persecuted for decades, with thousands killed in the late 1990s by Al-Qaeda and the mainly Pashtun Taliban. The July 23 attack, the deadliest in the Afghan capital in 15 years, killed 80 people. It came as the protesters demanded that a major power line be routed through the central province of Bamiyan, one of the most deprived areas of Afghanistan with a large Hazara population. Following the attack Hazaras launched a massive social media campaign with the hashtag #enlightenment against what they call discrimination. (AFP)

Afghan chief executive's Twitter account hacked

A police officer died and another was wounded in a shooting at a traffic stop in San Diego, police said on Friday. 
 
A Hispanic man was later taken into custody, San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman told a news conference. 
 
The officers radioed in that they were making a traffic stop late on Thursday, then called for emergency backup soon after, she said. 
 
Officers who arrived found the first two had been shot. One died in the hospital, Zimmerman said. It was too early to say whether the officers had been ambushed, she added.&nbsp;Police launched a manhunt after the incident. 
 
America has been on edge for weeks following shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Those attacks followed anger among the black community over the shooting deaths of African-Americans by white police, several of which bystanders caught on videotape. 
 
(AFP)

A Hispanic man has been taken into custody, the Police chief says

A police officer died and another was wounded in a shooting at a traffic stop in San Diego, police said on Friday. A Hispanic man was later taken into custody, San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman told a news conference. The officers radioed in that they were making a traffic stop late on Thursday, then called for emergency backup soon after, she said. Officers who arrived found the first two had been shot. One died in the hospital, Zimmerman said. It was too early to say whether the officers had been ambushed, she added. Police launched a manhunt after the incident. America has been on edge for weeks following shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Those attacks followed anger among the black community over the shooting deaths of African-Americans by white police, several of which bystanders caught on videotape. (AFP)

One cop killed and one wounded in San Diego shooting

Up to&nbsp;one million people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in coming weeks and months as fighting intensifies to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. 
 
The humanitarian agency said it was seeking a further 17.1 million Swiss Francs for its programme in Iraq, its third largest worldwide, bringing its budget for the country to $137 million Swiss Francs. 
 
&quot;The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There&rsquo;s the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance,&quot; said Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East on return from Iraq.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

'The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst,' said the International Committee of the Red Cross chief

Up to one million people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in coming weeks and months as fighting intensifies to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. The humanitarian agency said it was seeking a further 17.1 million Swiss Francs for its programme in Iraq, its third largest worldwide, bringing its budget for the country to $137 million Swiss Francs. "The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There’s the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance," said Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East on return from Iraq. (Reuters)

About one million may flee Iraq due to IS takeover: Red Cross

Rugby League World Cup chief executive Michael Brown said he has resigned, admitting he &quot;stepped across the line&quot; when he left an angry voicemail for the Penrith Panthers chief. 
 
Brown reportedly left an abusive message for Panthers chief executive Corey Payne after Payne complained his team was snubbed for a World Cup game following Tuesday&#39;s draw for the 2017 tournament. 
 
The recording was reportedly sent to National Rugby League (NRL) executives for review. 
 
&quot;I left a voice message that I&#39;m really disappointed and pissed off and I&#39;m going to go for you and I was going to tell the world about the lies,&quot; Brown told Sydney&#39;s Daily Telegraph newspaper on Friday. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t respond like I should have and I&#39;ve got to take responsibility for my action. It&#39;s not the normal way I behave,&quot; the former AFC Asian Cup chief added. 
 
&quot;I stepped across the line. I&#39;ve loved the game and this has made me cry but I&#39;ve made the right decision.&quot; 
 
Australia&#39;s National Rugby League said on Saturday that Brown was stepping down for family reasons, without providing details. 
 
Brown, who also quit his role as chief commercial officer for the NRL, said he was reluctant to move on, especially with the World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea 15 months away. 
 
&quot;However, the task of taking on two such senior roles, especially away from my hometown of Melbourne, has been particularly stressful,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The World Cup preparations are well advanced and I am very confident the foundations are in place for a successful tournament.&quot; 
 
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and World Cup chairman George Peponis said they understood Brown&#39;s position and had accepted his resignation. 
 
The board of the 2017 World Cup will consider plans to replace Brown, the NRL said. 
 
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off in October 2017. 
 
(AFP)

'I stepped across the line,' Michael Brown said about leaving the abusive voicemail for Panthers chief executive Corey Payne

Rugby League World Cup chief executive Michael Brown said he has resigned, admitting he "stepped across the line" when he left an angry voicemail for the Penrith Panthers chief. Brown reportedly left an abusive message for Panthers chief executive Corey Payne after Payne complained his team was snubbed for a World Cup game following Tuesday's draw for the 2017 tournament. The recording was reportedly sent to National Rugby League (NRL) executives for review. "I left a voice message that I'm really disappointed and pissed off and I'm going to go for you and I was going to tell the world about the lies," Brown told Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper on Friday. "I didn't respond like I should have and I've got to take responsibility for my action. It's not the normal way I behave," the former AFC Asian Cup chief added. "I stepped across the line. I've loved the game and this has made me cry but I've made the right decision." Australia's National Rugby League said on Saturday that Brown was stepping down for family reasons, without providing details. Brown, who also quit his role as chief commercial officer for the NRL, said he was reluctant to move on, especially with the World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea 15 months away. "However, the task of taking on two such senior roles, especially away from my hometown of Melbourne, has been particularly stressful," he said in a statement. "The World Cup preparations are well advanced and I am very confident the foundations are in place for a successful tournament." NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and World Cup chairman George Peponis said they understood Brown's position and had accepted his resignation. The board of the 2017 World Cup will consider plans to replace Brown, the NRL said. The World Cup is scheduled to kick off in October 2017. (AFP)

Rugby League chief resigns after abusive voicemail

US President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to shed despair and rise above racial divides to honour five police officers slain in Dallas in a racially motivated attack, even as he admitted that bias remains a persistent national problem. 
 
Obama&#39;s address to a memorial service for the officers killed last Thursday also followed a series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years, including two last week, that have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice the country has seen since the 1960s civil rights movement. 
 
&quot;I understand how Americans are feeling. But Dallas, I&#39;m here to say we must reject such despair. I&#39;m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we&#39;ve come against impossible odds,&quot; Obama said at the service that was also attended by Vice President Joe Biden and former president George W Bush. 
 
The five Dallas officers were gunned down by military veteran Micah Johnson, who told police he was angered by police killings of black people. Johnson was killed by an explosive-laden robot sent in by police. 
 
Obama noted that the attack in Dallas came during a protest against racial bias in policing that followed the fatal police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St Paul, Minnesota. Obama said no institution was immune from prejudice. 
 
&quot;Perhaps we&#39;ve heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. We know that. And while some suffer far more under racism&#39;s burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination&#39;s stain. Although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune, and that includes our police departments. We know this,&quot; Obama said. 
 
Obama also praised the police in Dallas and around the country.&nbsp;&quot;When anyone, no matter how good their intentions may be, paints all police as biased or bigoted, we undermine those officers we depend on for our safety,&quot; said Obama. 
 
Bush also addressed the packed hall, where five chairs were empty of people, holding folded American flags, in memory of the slain officers. He also sought to strike a note of unity. 
 
&quot;At times it feels like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity,&quot; Bush said. &quot;Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our intentions.&quot; 
 
After a week when Americans saw video images of angry crowds protesting the police killings of black men and heard the screams of 
Thursday&#39;s sniper attack on police in Dallas, the memorial ended with Obama, Bush and Dallas&#39; police chief and mayor joining hands in a gathering that crossed racial and party lines as a choir sung a hymn.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Obama, Bush and Dallas' police chief and mayor crossed racial and party lines to join hands as a choir sang a hymn

US President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to shed despair and rise above racial divides to honour five police officers slain in Dallas in a racially motivated attack, even as he admitted that bias remains a persistent national problem. Obama's address to a memorial service for the officers killed last Thursday also followed a series of high-profile police killings of black men in the past two years, including two last week, that have sparked the most intense debate on race and justice the country has seen since the 1960s civil rights movement. "I understand how Americans are feeling. But Dallas, I'm here to say we must reject such despair. I'm here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we've come against impossible odds," Obama said at the service that was also attended by Vice President Joe Biden and former president George W Bush. The five Dallas officers were gunned down by military veteran Micah Johnson, who told police he was angered by police killings of black people. Johnson was killed by an explosive-laden robot sent in by police. Obama noted that the attack in Dallas came during a protest against racial bias in policing that followed the fatal police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and outside St Paul, Minnesota. Obama said no institution was immune from prejudice. "Perhaps we've heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. We know that. And while some suffer far more under racism's burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination's stain. Although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune, and that includes our police departments. We know this," Obama said. Obama also praised the police in Dallas and around the country. "When anyone, no matter how good their intentions may be, paints all police as biased or bigoted, we undermine those officers we depend on for our safety," said Obama. Bush also addressed the packed hall, where five chairs were empty of people, holding folded American flags, in memory of the slain officers. He also sought to strike a note of unity. "At times it feels like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity," Bush said. "Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our intentions." After a week when Americans saw video images of angry crowds protesting the police killings of black men and heard the screams of Thursday's sniper attack on police in Dallas, the memorial ended with Obama, Bush and Dallas' police chief and mayor joining hands in a gathering that crossed racial and party lines as a choir sung a hymn. (Reuters)

Obama, George W Bush address memorial for slain Dallas policemen

The new head of Sri Lanka&#39;s central bank Indrajit Coomaraswamy pledged on Monday to uphold its credibility after allegations of insider dealing that forced his predecessor to leave. 
 
Sri Lanka&#39;s president bowed to pressure to replace Arjuna Mahendran after he was accused of leaking information to his son-in-law&#39;s firm, which allegedly made millions of dollars in profits from central bank bond auctions. 
 
The scandal came with Sri Lanka&#39;s economy under stress -- last month the country began receiving a $1.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund. 
 
On Monday Coomaraswamy told staff the bank was &quot;one of the great institutions in this country&quot;. 
 
&quot;I am acutely aware that a primary responsibility, arguably the primary responsibility of the governor, is to uphold this reputation and credibility,&quot; said the 66-year-old former director of economic affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, an intergovernmental agency of&nbsp;Commonwealth countries in London. 
 
&quot;I can assure you that I will do my utmost to do so at all times.&quot; 
 
Mahendran, a Singaporean national of Sri Lankan origin, has consistently maintained his innocence and had indicated he wanted to stay on after his term expired on June 30. 
 
But a group of Sri Lankan academics and professionals had gone to court to demand action against him and the government decided not to keep him on. 
 
The new bank chief also promised to work independently following allegations that the office of the governor had become politicised in recent years. 
 
&quot;When I met the president he just told me one thing - &#39;Do your work in a straight way and do not fear anybody in discharging your duties&#39;. My intention is to follow his direction,&quot; Coomaraswamy told his staff. 
 
He said he wanted to ensure strong macro economic fundamentals to win the confidence of people both in and outside the country. 
 
(AFP)

'I can assure you that I will do my utmost to do so at all times,' the chief said

The new head of Sri Lanka's central bank Indrajit Coomaraswamy pledged on Monday to uphold its credibility after allegations of insider dealing that forced his predecessor to leave. Sri Lanka's president bowed to pressure to replace Arjuna Mahendran after he was accused of leaking information to his son-in-law's firm, which allegedly made millions of dollars in profits from central bank bond auctions. The scandal came with Sri Lanka's economy under stress -- last month the country began receiving a $1.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund. On Monday Coomaraswamy told staff the bank was "one of the great institutions in this country". "I am acutely aware that a primary responsibility, arguably the primary responsibility of the governor, is to uphold this reputation and credibility," said the 66-year-old former director of economic affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, an intergovernmental agency of Commonwealth countries in London. "I can assure you that I will do my utmost to do so at all times." Mahendran, a Singaporean national of Sri Lankan origin, has consistently maintained his innocence and had indicated he wanted to stay on after his term expired on June 30. But a group of Sri Lankan academics and professionals had gone to court to demand action against him and the government decided not to keep him on. The new bank chief also promised to work independently following allegations that the office of the governor had become politicised in recent years. "When I met the president he just told me one thing - 'Do your work in a straight way and do not fear anybody in discharging your duties'. My intention is to follow his direction," Coomaraswamy told his staff. He said he wanted to ensure strong macro economic fundamentals to win the confidence of people both in and outside the country. (AFP)

Sri Lanka's new central bank chief to 'uphold credibility'

Seven members of Britain&#39;s opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour&#39;s foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn&#39;s &#39;shadow cabinet&#39;. 
 
Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. 
 
Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn&#39;s ability to lead the party to victory in the country&#39;s next parliamentary election. 
 
A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. 
 
(Reuters)

Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray announced they were withdrawing support and resigning from shadow cabinet

Seven members of Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour's foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn's 'shadow cabinet'. Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn's ability to lead the party to victory in the country's next parliamentary election. A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. (Reuters)

Seven of Labour withdraw support from Corbyn

The President of Mexico&#39;s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, announced his resignation on Monday, two weeks after the party of President Enrique Pena Nieto suffered a humiliating defeat in regional elections. 
 
Manlio Fabio Beltrones, a former governor and veteran federal lawmaker, announced his decision to step down after the PRI won only five of the dozen governors races up for grabs in the June 5 vote. It previously held nine of them. 
 
The results were far worse for the centrist party than most polls had forecast. 
 
The PRI&#39;s losses included two oil-rich strongholds in the Gulf of Mexico, Veracruz and neighboring Tamaulipas, both of which have been plagued by gang violence for years, as well as Quintana Roo, home to Mexico&#39;s top tourist destination Cancun. All three states have been run by the PRI for over eight decades. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s time for a necessary pause,&quot; Beltrones told a news conference at the PRI&#39;s Mexico City headquarters. 
 
&quot;This is a responsible decision that opens space for an internal debate and allows our party to freely decide the best path forward,&quot; he said. 
 
Beltrones, 63, is still seen as a possible presidential contender for the PRI in 2018. Pena Nieto is not allowed by law to seek a second six-year term. 
 
In a poll published Monday by daily newspaper El Financiero, Beltrones was tied for second with 10 per cent among PRI voters, trailing Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, who had 32 per cent support. 
(Reuters)

Manlio Fabio Beltrones announced his decision after the PRI won only five of the dozen governors races up for grabs in the June 5 vote

The President of Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, announced his resignation on Monday, two weeks after the party of President Enrique Pena Nieto suffered a humiliating defeat in regional elections. Manlio Fabio Beltrones, a former governor and veteran federal lawmaker, announced his decision to step down after the PRI won only five of the dozen governors races up for grabs in the June 5 vote. It previously held nine of them. The results were far worse for the centrist party than most polls had forecast. The PRI's losses included two oil-rich strongholds in the Gulf of Mexico, Veracruz and neighboring Tamaulipas, both of which have been plagued by gang violence for years, as well as Quintana Roo, home to Mexico's top tourist destination Cancun. All three states have been run by the PRI for over eight decades. "It's time for a necessary pause," Beltrones told a news conference at the PRI's Mexico City headquarters. "This is a responsible decision that opens space for an internal debate and allows our party to freely decide the best path forward," he said. Beltrones, 63, is still seen as a possible presidential contender for the PRI in 2018. Pena Nieto is not allowed by law to seek a second six-year term. In a poll published Monday by daily newspaper El Financiero, Beltrones was tied for second with 10 per cent among PRI voters, trailing Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, who had 32 per cent support. (Reuters)

Head of Mexico's ruling party resigns after electoral drubbing

Craig Reedie, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, indicated today that he would be prepared to back a complete ban for the entire Russia team from August&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio. 
 
The founding president of WADA, Dick Pound, told Britain&#39;s Sunday Times newspaper that such a ban was &quot;not impossible&quot;. 
 
Friday saw the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) uphold an international ban on Russia&#39;s track and field competitors first imposed in November after a WADA team led by veteran Canadian sports administrator Pound revealed state-sponsored doping and mass corruption in Russian athletics.&nbsp; 
 
The Russia team is now ruled out of all events in athletics in Rio, although Russian athletes training outside the country can apply to compete as neutrals at the August 5-21 event in Brazil. 
 
The IAAF&#39;s decision was endorsed by the International Olympic Committee on Saturday. 
 
But there are fears that the scale of Russia&#39;s breaking of doping rules extend beyond just track and field. 
 
In May, WADA set up a new investigation under Professor Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor and longstanding member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), into allegations of state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. 
 
Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian lab now living in Los Angeles, also gave an interview to the New York Times last month in which he said he switched tainted urine samples for clean ones at the doping lab used for the Sochi Games, with help from people he believed to be officers of the Russian security services. 
 
McLaren, who is due to deliver his full report by July 15, said in a preliminary statement on Friday he had evidence that Russia&#39;s Ministry of Sport was involved in instructing a Moscow laboratory to &quot;not report positive sample results over the period before, during and after&quot; the 2013 World Athletics Championships. 
 
&quot;In the coming weeks, we will learn the outcome of our independent McLaren investigation,&quot; Reedie, speaking at the WADA symposium at London`s Lord&#39;s Cricket Ground, said Monday. 
 
&quot;If his report indicates transgressions of any kind, then there will be a precedent-setting opportunity to demonstrate our collective commitment to cleaning up sport,&quot; added the veteran British sports administrator, who reiterated WADA&#39;s support for the IAAF ban on Russia. 
 
&quot;The world will be watching.&quot; 
 
Reedie said the fact anti-doping laboratories in Beijing, Bloemfontein, Lisbon, Madrid and Moscow had all had their WADA accreditation suspended was proof that the organisation had taken &quot;decisive action&quot; by hearing the &quot;strength of the athlete&#39;s voice&quot; in insisting labs maintain the &quot;highest standards&quot;. 
 
This, said Reedie, was all part of &quot;levelling the playing field for each and every athlete competing in Rio&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile Reedie repeated his calls for increased WADA funding from national governments and also suggested that, for the first time, broadcasters and media rights-holders might want to contribute to the budget. 
 
Reedie said WADA was &quot;punching above its weight&quot; on a budget of less than $30 million a year, which he noted was less than the annual income of Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, recently banned for a doping violation. 
 
Reedie added that 0.5 per cent of the worldwide sports television rights market would produce a WADA budget of $175 million and that it was in the rights-holders&#39; interest to promote clean sport. 
 
Russian President Vladmir Putin&nbsp;has labelled the IAAF&#39;s ban on his country&#39;s athletes as &quot;unjust and unfair&quot;. 
 
But IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who won Olympic 1500 metres gold and 800m silver for Great Britain at the 1980 Moscow Games, wrote in Britain&#39;s Sunday Telegraph: &quot;We have not prevented clean athletes from Russia from competing, rather the Russian system has cataclysmically failed their clean athletes.&quot; 
(AFP)

Russian athletes training outside the country can apply to compete as neutrals at the August event in Brazil

Craig Reedie, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, indicated today that he would be prepared to back a complete ban for the entire Russia team from August's Olympic Games in Rio. The founding president of WADA, Dick Pound, told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that such a ban was "not impossible". Friday saw the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) uphold an international ban on Russia's track and field competitors first imposed in November after a WADA team led by veteran Canadian sports administrator Pound revealed state-sponsored doping and mass corruption in Russian athletics. The Russia team is now ruled out of all events in athletics in Rio, although Russian athletes training outside the country can apply to compete as neutrals at the August 5-21 event in Brazil. The IAAF's decision was endorsed by the International Olympic Committee on Saturday. But there are fears that the scale of Russia's breaking of doping rules extend beyond just track and field. In May, WADA set up a new investigation under Professor Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor and longstanding member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), into allegations of state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian lab now living in Los Angeles, also gave an interview to the New York Times last month in which he said he switched tainted urine samples for clean ones at the doping lab used for the Sochi Games, with help from people he believed to be officers of the Russian security services. McLaren, who is due to deliver his full report by July 15, said in a preliminary statement on Friday he had evidence that Russia's Ministry of Sport was involved in instructing a Moscow laboratory to "not report positive sample results over the period before, during and after" the 2013 World Athletics Championships. "In the coming weeks, we will learn the outcome of our independent McLaren investigation," Reedie, speaking at the WADA symposium at London`s Lord's Cricket Ground, said Monday. "If his report indicates transgressions of any kind, then there will be a precedent-setting opportunity to demonstrate our collective commitment to cleaning up sport," added the veteran British sports administrator, who reiterated WADA's support for the IAAF ban on Russia. "The world will be watching." Reedie said the fact anti-doping laboratories in Beijing, Bloemfontein, Lisbon, Madrid and Moscow had all had their WADA accreditation suspended was proof that the organisation had taken "decisive action" by hearing the "strength of the athlete's voice" in insisting labs maintain the "highest standards". This, said Reedie, was all part of "levelling the playing field for each and every athlete competing in Rio". Meanwhile Reedie repeated his calls for increased WADA funding from national governments and also suggested that, for the first time, broadcasters and media rights-holders might want to contribute to the budget. Reedie said WADA was "punching above its weight" on a budget of less than $30 million a year, which he noted was less than the annual income of Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, recently banned for a doping violation. Reedie added that 0.5 per cent of the worldwide sports television rights market would produce a WADA budget of $175 million and that it was in the rights-holders' interest to promote clean sport. Russian President Vladmir Putin has labelled the IAAF's ban on his country's athletes as "unjust and unfair". But IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who won Olympic 1500 metres gold and 800m silver for Great Britain at the 1980 Moscow Games, wrote in Britain's Sunday Telegraph: "We have not prevented clean athletes from Russia from competing, rather the Russian system has cataclysmically failed their clean athletes." (AFP)

World Anti-Doping Agency prepared to ban entire Russian team from Rio Olympics

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