A group of 14 Canadian lawmakers want to cut Canada's ties with British royals. They recently refused to pledge allegiance to King Charles III during a ceremony. Molly Gambhir tells you how the debate on the relevance of the British Monarchy in Canada is gaining traction.

Gravitas: Canadian lawmakers call for split with British Monarchy

Chinese lawmakers have triggered a controversy in the East Asian country. The proposal aims to reduce the amount of time spent studying English by students.

Chinese lawmakers' proposal triggers row, proposal aims to promote Chinese culture

Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture.

The proposal was made last month by members of the National People’s Congress to further reduce the amount of time spent studying English.

The draft is part of a decade-long call to minimise Western influence by reducing the amount of time spent on studying foreign languages.

The proposal was in response to the suggestions sought by the ministry of education about “increasing cultural confidence” and “reducing the proportion of English teaching”.

As per a South China Morning Post report, one of the suggestions made by lawmakers said, “Studying English is necessary, but it should take less time.”

While another asserted, “Reform English teaching methods and switch to grading-based teaching to emphasise oral communication and real-life applications.”

Even though the ministry has rejected these suggestions, it has also vowed to work toward promoting traditional Chinese culture.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-approves-domestically-made-jet-to-compete-with-boeing-airbus-521703" hreflang="en">China certifies domestically-manufactured jet, to compete with Boeing, Airbus</a>

The government reasoned that English only takes up eight per cent of the whole curriculum, which is less than one-third of the time spent studying Chinese languages.

The move by the ministry came in response to a wave of concerns raised on social media platforms where netizens expressed apprehension that English language teaching might be further marginalised and that this could hurt future career prospects of students.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-cultural-genocide-how-regime-is-trying-to-relabel-tibet-as-xizang-521612">China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’</a>

“It is very important to let students learn English from an early age, most of the prominent academic journals in the world are in English, can you simply rely on a translation tool to read them?” one post on Weibo read.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture.

Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture. The proposal was made last month by members of the National People’s Congress to further reduce the amount of time spent studying English. The draft is part of a decade-long call to minimise Western influence by reducing the amount of time spent on studying foreign languages. The proposal was in response to the suggestions sought by the ministry of education about “increasing cultural confidence” and “reducing the proportion of English teaching”. As per a South China Morning Post report, one of the suggestions made by lawmakers said, “Studying English is necessary, but it should take less time.” While another asserted, “Reform English teaching methods and switch to grading-based teaching to emphasise oral communication and real-life applications.” Even though the ministry has rejected these suggestions, it has also vowed to work toward promoting traditional Chinese culture. Also read | China certifies domestically-manufactured jet, to compete with Boeing, Airbus The government reasoned that English only takes up eight per cent of the whole curriculum, which is less than one-third of the time spent studying Chinese languages. The move by the ministry came in response to a wave of concerns raised on social media platforms where netizens expressed apprehension that English language teaching might be further marginalised and that this could hurt future career prospects of students. Also read | China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’ “It is very important to let students learn English from an early age, most of the prominent academic journals in the world are in English, can you simply rely on a translation tool to read them?” one post on Weibo read. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chinese lawmakers’ proposal for learning local culture instead of English in schools leads to outcry

The US is extremely worried about the American data falling into the hands of the Chinese govt. Reportedly, Chinese individuals could access TikTok's US user data. Now, the social media company's chief has testified before the US Senate.

US lawmakers grill TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat executives about ties with China

Lawmakers passed the first reading of a bill to dissolve Israel’s 24th Knesset on Tuesday. The final readings of the bill to dissolve parliament will be held by Wednesday.

Lawmakers pass first reading of Israeli Knesset dispersal bill

European Parliament and lawmakers voted to support an effective EU ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Carmakers will invest heavily in electrification.

Lawmakers back ban on new fossil-fuel cars

Is Imran Khan's tenure as Pak PM coming to an end? 24 PTI lawmakers have abandoned the party. They are going to vote against their leader in a no-confidence vote on March 21. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: 24 lawmakers abandon Imran Khan's party

In a bid to end the political stalemate, and ensure stability, lawmakers in Italy has re-elected Sergio Mattarella as President.

Italy re-elects Mattarella as President as lawmakers vote for political stability

A proposal from ultraconservative lawmakers to ban pets seems to be on the minds of several citizens in Iran. &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the proposed law, the practice of humans living under one-roof with pets is a "destructive social problem". &nbsp;&nbsp;

It looks to ban "importing, raising, assisting in the breeding of, breeding, buying or selling, transporting, driving or walking, and keeping in the home wild, exotic, harmful and dangerous animals". &nbsp;

The bill has been introduced last month. The proposed law has not gone down well with animal lovers in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/quetzalcoatlus-largest-known-flying-animal-to-have-ever-lived-on-earth-says-study-436207" hreflang="en">Quetzalcoatlus largest known flying animal to have ever lived on Earth, says study</a> 
 
The animals, which the law proposes to ban, are "crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, cats, mice, rabbits, dogs and other unclean animals as well as monkeys". &nbsp;

Around 75 MPs or a quarter of parliamentarians have recently signed a text entitled "Support for the rights of the population in relation to harmful and dangerous animals", said media reports. &nbsp;

The authors of the proposed law say that the phenomenon could "gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life" by "replacing human and family relationships with feelings and emotional relationships towards animals". &nbsp;

"No, my cat is not dangerous," said Iranian animal lover Mostafa, who runs a pet supplies shop on busy Eskandari Street in downtown Tehran. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-thought-i-was-going-to-die-man-claims-he-was-attacked-by-otters-in-singapore-435939" hreflang="en">‘I thought I was going to die’: Man claims he was attacked by otters in Singapore</a>

"Crocodiles can be called dangerous, but how can rabbits, dogs and cats be dangerous?" Mostafa asked. &nbsp;

Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, head, parliament's judicial commission, who signed the text, told AFP, "I agree with the project in general, but I certainly disagree with some of its clauses. It is just a bill, but whether it succeeds is another matter." &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

A proposal from ultraconservative lawmakers to ban pets seems to be on the minds of several citizens in Iran. According to the proposed law, the practice of humans living under one-roof with pets is a "destructive social problem".

A proposal from ultraconservative lawmakers to ban pets seems to be on the minds of several citizens in Iran. According to the proposed law, the practice of humans living under one-roof with pets is a "destructive social problem". It looks to ban "importing, raising, assisting in the breeding of, breeding, buying or selling, transporting, driving or walking, and keeping in the home wild, exotic, harmful and dangerous animals". The bill has been introduced last month. The proposed law has not gone down well with animal lovers in the country. Also Read: Quetzalcoatlus largest known flying animal to have ever lived on Earth, says study The animals, which the law proposes to ban, are "crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, cats, mice, rabbits, dogs and other unclean animals as well as monkeys". Around 75 MPs or a quarter of parliamentarians have recently signed a text entitled "Support for the rights of the population in relation to harmful and dangerous animals", said media reports. The authors of the proposed law say that the phenomenon could "gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life" by "replacing human and family relationships with feelings and emotional relationships towards animals". "No, my cat is not dangerous," said Iranian animal lover Mostafa, who runs a pet supplies shop on busy Eskandari Street in downtown Tehran. Also Read: ‘I thought I was going to die’: Man claims he was attacked by otters in Singapore "Crocodiles can be called dangerous, but how can rabbits, dogs and cats be dangerous?" Mostafa asked. Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, head, parliament's judicial commission, who signed the text, told AFP, "I agree with the project in general, but I certainly disagree with some of its clauses. It is just a bill, but whether it succeeds is another matter." (With inputs from agencies)

Ultra-conservative lawmakers’ proposal to ban pets triggers outrage in Iran

The New York City Council has passed a legislation granting voting rights to hundreds of thousands of lawful non-citizens, allowing a previously disenfranchised sector of the city's taxpayers to participate in the democratic process.

With the assistance of a number of advocacy groups, the motion was easily adopted by the City Council, who argued that New York's lawful permanent residents have the right to vote on who runs the city and how their tax dollars are spent.

If the law is passed and survives court challenges, New York City would become the largest jurisdiction in the United States to allow noncitizen voting.

Noncitizens would still be denied the right to vote in state and federal elections.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Number of homeless people rise to record levels in New York City

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/number-of-homeless-people-rise-to-record-levels-in-new-york-city-392690/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The city of New York has a large immigrant population.

Approximately 900,000 of the city's 7 million adult population are voting-age, lawful permanent residents.

As a result of the legislation, hundreds of thousands of those residents would be able to vote in municipal elections, including the nationally significant mayoral contest.

Noncitizen residents who have lived in the city for at least 30 days, including green card holders, DACA recipients, and those who are lawfully authorised to work in the country, are covered by the voting rights statute.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The New York City Council has passed a legislation granting voting rights to hundreds of thousands of lawful non-citizens, allowing a previously disenfranchised sector of the city's taxpayers to participate in the democratic process.

The New York City Council has passed a legislation granting voting rights to hundreds of thousands of lawful non-citizens, allowing a previously disenfranchised sector of the city's taxpayers to participate in the democratic process. With the assistance of a number of advocacy groups, the motion was easily adopted by the City Council, who argued that New York's lawful permanent residents have the right to vote on who runs the city and how their tax dollars are spent. If the law is passed and survives court challenges, New York City would become the largest jurisdiction in the United States to allow noncitizen voting. Noncitizens would still be denied the right to vote in state and federal elections. Watch | Number of homeless people rise to record levels in New York City The city of New York has a large immigrant population. Approximately 900,000 of the city's 7 million adult population are voting-age, lawful permanent residents. As a result of the legislation, hundreds of thousands of those residents would be able to vote in municipal elections, including the nationally significant mayoral contest. Noncitizen residents who have lived in the city for at least 30 days, including green card holders, DACA recipients, and those who are lawfully authorised to work in the country, are covered by the voting rights statute. (With inputs from agencies)

Now, non-citizens to vote in local elections in New York City, lawmakers pass bill

Several British politicians are demanding a change in parliamentary rules after a lawmaker was told she couldn't bring her 3-month-old baby to parliament.

United Kingdom: British lawmakers reject ban on babies in parliament

Dr Anthony Fauci, who is US President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, is facing a surge in demand from lawmakers to share information regarding the alleged use of an experimental drug on puppies.&nbsp;The demand has come from both the parties of the country. &nbsp;

On Friday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Biden and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with a request to share details regarding the alleged infection of 44 beagle puppies with parasites in order to test an experimental drug on them, the Hill reported. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-popularity-drops-more-than-that-of-any-other-us-leader-since-end-of-wwii-poll-423840" hreflang="en">Biden’s popularity drops more than that of any other US prez since WWII: Poll</a>

"We write with grave concerns about reports of costly, cruel, and unnecessary tax-payer funded experiments on dogs commissioned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases," said the letter, which was signed by Republican South Carolina Rep Nancy Mace and 23 other lawmakers. &nbsp;

The letter goes on to state that according to invoices obtained through a Freedom of Information Act filing, cordectomies were performed on six- to eight-month-old dogs. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-russians-will-have-to-visit-warsaw-to-get-immigrant-visas-for-us-423730" hreflang="en">Now, Russians will have to visit Warsaw to get immigrant visas for US</a>

"As you are likely aware, a cordectomy, also known as 'devocalisation,' involves splitting a dog's vocal cords in order to prevent them from barking, howling, or crying," the letter points out, explaining that this type of procedure is opposed by organisations, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;

Dr Anthony Fauci, who is US President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, is facing a surge in demand from lawmakers to share information regarding the alleged use of an experimental drug on puppies.

Dr Anthony Fauci, who is US President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, is facing a surge in demand from lawmakers to share information regarding the alleged use of an experimental drug on puppies. The demand has come from both the parties of the country. On Friday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Biden and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with a request to share details regarding the alleged infection of 44 beagle puppies with parasites in order to test an experimental drug on them, the Hill reported. Also Read | Biden’s popularity drops more than that of any other US prez since WWII: Poll "We write with grave concerns about reports of costly, cruel, and unnecessary tax-payer funded experiments on dogs commissioned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases," said the letter, which was signed by Republican South Carolina Rep Nancy Mace and 23 other lawmakers. The letter goes on to state that according to invoices obtained through a Freedom of Information Act filing, cordectomies were performed on six- to eight-month-old dogs. Also Read: Now, Russians will have to visit Warsaw to get immigrant visas for US "As you are likely aware, a cordectomy, also known as 'devocalisation,' involves splitting a dog's vocal cords in order to prevent them from barking, howling, or crying," the letter points out, explaining that this type of procedure is opposed by organisations, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. (With inputs from agencies)

US lawmakers seek info from Fauci over alleged experiments on puppies

The House Committee on Ethics on Thursday released four reports into separate violations of ethics rules by four congressmen, portraying what investigators suggested was a sweeping array of improper financial conduct.

The allegations against three Republicans and one Democrat center on stock trades and the improper use of campaign funds, according to the Office of Congressional Ethics, which investigated the cases.

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., is under scrutiny over stock purchases by his wife that investigators say were affected by his actions as a member of Congress. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., is facing allegations that he failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock trades. Rep. Alex X. Mooney, R-W.Va., is accused of improperly using campaign funds for personal expenses, and Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., of improperly awarding contracts to companies owned by his aides’ relatives.

All four cases will continue to be reviewed by the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers charged with enforcing the chamber’s internal rules.

In a particularly scathing report about Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, investigators concluded that there was “substantial reason to believe” that she had bought stock in a steel company with a plant in her husband’s district “based upon confidential information” that he had “learned from his official job duties.”

Kelly’s case involves a frantic effort to aid the steel plant that employs 1,400 people in his district after it was acquired last year by Cleveland-Cliffs. The CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs publicly testified that unless the federal government was able to provide his company with additional trade protections, it would shutter that plant, as well as one in Ohio.

Investigators found that Mike Kelly became personally involved in Cleveland-Cliffs’ efforts to lobby the White House, pressing officials at the Commerce Department, as well as Mark Meadows, then President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, to enact additional protections.

On April 28, 2020, investigators wrote, the Commerce Department informed the chief of Cleveland-Cliffs that it intended to open an investigation that could benefit the company. Relieved, Cleveland-Cliffs executives canceled planned layoffs. The news traveled to Mike Kelly’s office, investigators wrote, citing witness interviews and emails.

The next day, Victoria Kelly bought $15,000 to $50,000 of stock in Cleveland-Cliffs, according to the congressman’s financial disclosures. Investigators deemed that purchase “atypical” because she had not held or purchased individual stocks for nearly a year before then.

When she sold the stock in January, she earned a profit: While she had bought the shares at $4.70, she sold them for approximately $18, investigators said.

Neither Mike Kelly nor his wife cooperated with the investigation, though members of his staff and officials at Cleveland-Cliffs did. Mike Kelly has since maintained that neither he nor his wife committed any wrongdoing, and a lawyer for Mike Kelly called the investigation “fatally flawed.”

A spokesperson for Mike Kelly told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in September 2020 that Victoria Kelly had made “a small investment to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year-old bedrock of their hometown.” He did not explain why Victoria Kelly did not publicly disclose the purchase at the time, if her intent was to show solidarity with the company.

In the report on Hagedorn, investigators found that there was substantial reason to believe that his office had steered nearly $500,000 in government funds to contract services from companies owned or controlled by his aides’ relatives, and that it used private office space at a cost far below market rate and tried to mislead the public about it.

Investigators concluded that Hagedorn’s office spent an unusually large sum of government money on official mail to his constituents and that much of it went to two separate printing companies owned by relatives of two of his aides, who charged Hagedorn “significantly more” than the fair market price for such services. While the average congressional office spent less than 1% of its budget on such mail, Hagedorn’s office spent nearly 20%.

Investigators were unable to verify whether one of the companies, owned by the brother of Hagedorn’s former chief of staff, had any clients other than the congressman’s office.

Because Hagedorn did not cooperate with the inquiry, investigators wrote, they were unable to definitively determine whether he was aware of the practices. But they said they had uncovered evidence showing he “knew or should have known” of the irregularities in his mail operation.

Hagedorn hired outside counsel last year to look into the matter and came to many of the same conclusions as the Office of Congressional Ethics investigators. However, that internal review concluded that he was unaware that the contracts were benefiting his aides’ relatives.

In their inquiry of Mooney, investigators faulted him for using campaign funds for what they said were most likely personal purposes. The report found that there was substantial reason to believe that Mooney used campaign contributions during frequent visits to fast-food restaurants such as Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, Taco Bell and a variety of pizza vendors near his house, when there was no clear campaign purpose to the spending.

Mooney also twice used campaign dollars to pay for trips in West Virginia that he called “site visits” but investigators said were “primarily personal in nature.” He used $2,445 in campaign funds at the Canaan Valley Resort and spent $302 on a private guided fishing tour at the Smoke Hole resort, investigators said.

“While Rep. Mooney’s cooperation greatly facilitated this investigation, and he attempted to remedy violations as they became apparent to him and his counsel during this review, the nature and overall pattern of the violations raised concerns,” the report said.

The investigation into Malinowski’s stock trades found that he did not file required reports for transactions in 2019 and 2020, and he admitted to failing to do so in an interview with investigators. The report is likely to cast a cloud over Malinowski as he faces a difficult reelection race next year.

In the interview, Malinowski blamed “carelessness on my part” for the lack of disclosure and said he regretted and took full responsibility for it.

“This is not a justification or excuse,” he said.

“I have an overwhelmingly busy job, and this was one of the things I knew I needed to do,” he added. “But I did not put enough pressure on myself to do it every 45 days, and that was simply careless.”

The House Committee on Ethics on Thursday released four reports into separate violations of ethics rules by four congressmen, portraying what investigators suggested was a sweeping array of improper financial conduct.

The House Committee on Ethics on Thursday released four reports into separate violations of ethics rules by four congressmen, portraying what investigators suggested was a sweeping array of improper financial conduct. The allegations against three Republicans and one Democrat center on stock trades and the improper use of campaign funds, according to the Office of Congressional Ethics, which investigated the cases. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., is under scrutiny over stock purchases by his wife that investigators say were affected by his actions as a member of Congress. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., is facing allegations that he failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock trades. Rep. Alex X. Mooney, R-W.Va., is accused of improperly using campaign funds for personal expenses, and Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., of improperly awarding contracts to companies owned by his aides’ relatives. All four cases will continue to be reviewed by the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers charged with enforcing the chamber’s internal rules. In a particularly scathing report about Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, investigators concluded that there was “substantial reason to believe” that she had bought stock in a steel company with a plant in her husband’s district “based upon confidential information” that he had “learned from his official job duties.” Kelly’s case involves a frantic effort to aid the steel plant that employs 1,400 people in his district after it was acquired last year by Cleveland-Cliffs. The CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs publicly testified that unless the federal government was able to provide his company with additional trade protections, it would shutter that plant, as well as one in Ohio. Investigators found that Mike Kelly became personally involved in Cleveland-Cliffs’ efforts to lobby the White House, pressing officials at the Commerce Department, as well as Mark Meadows, then President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, to enact additional protections. On April 28, 2020, investigators wrote, the Commerce Department informed the chief of Cleveland-Cliffs that it intended to open an investigation that could benefit the company. Relieved, Cleveland-Cliffs executives canceled planned layoffs. The news traveled to Mike Kelly’s office, investigators wrote, citing witness interviews and emails. The next day, Victoria Kelly bought $15,000 to $50,000 of stock in Cleveland-Cliffs, according to the congressman’s financial disclosures. Investigators deemed that purchase “atypical” because she had not held or purchased individual stocks for nearly a year before then. When she sold the stock in January, she earned a profit: While she had bought the shares at $4.70, she sold them for approximately $18, investigators said. Neither Mike Kelly nor his wife cooperated with the investigation, though members of his staff and officials at Cleveland-Cliffs did. Mike Kelly has since maintained that neither he nor his wife committed any wrongdoing, and a lawyer for Mike Kelly called the investigation “fatally flawed.” A spokesperson for Mike Kelly told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in September 2020 that Victoria Kelly had made “a small investment to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year-old bedrock of their hometown.” He did not explain why Victoria Kelly did not publicly disclose the purchase at the time, if her intent was to show solidarity with the company. In the report on Hagedorn, investigators found that there was substantial reason to believe that his office had steered nearly $500,000 in government funds to contract services from companies owned or controlled by his aides’ relatives, and that it used private office space at a cost far below market rate and tried to mislead the public about it. Investigators concluded that Hagedorn’s office spent an unusually large sum of government money on official mail to his constituents and that much of it went to two separate printing companies owned by relatives of two of his aides, who charged Hagedorn “significantly more” than the fair market price for such services. While the average congressional office spent less than 1% of its budget on such mail, Hagedorn’s office spent nearly 20%. Investigators were unable to verify whether one of the companies, owned by the brother of Hagedorn’s former chief of staff, had any clients other than the congressman’s office. Because Hagedorn did not cooperate with the inquiry, investigators wrote, they were unable to definitively determine whether he was aware of the practices. But they said they had uncovered evidence showing he “knew or should have known” of the irregularities in his mail operation. Hagedorn hired outside counsel last year to look into the matter and came to many of the same conclusions as the Office of Congressional Ethics investigators. However, that internal review concluded that he was unaware that the contracts were benefiting his aides’ relatives. In their inquiry of Mooney, investigators faulted him for using campaign funds for what they said were most likely personal purposes. The report found that there was substantial reason to believe that Mooney used campaign contributions during frequent visits to fast-food restaurants such as Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, Taco Bell and a variety of pizza vendors near his house, when there was no clear campaign purpose to the spending. Mooney also twice used campaign dollars to pay for trips in West Virginia that he called “site visits” but investigators said were “primarily personal in nature.” He used $2,445 in campaign funds at the Canaan Valley Resort and spent $302 on a private guided fishing tour at the Smoke Hole resort, investigators said. “While Rep. Mooney’s cooperation greatly facilitated this investigation, and he attempted to remedy violations as they became apparent to him and his counsel during this review, the nature and overall pattern of the violations raised concerns,” the report said. The investigation into Malinowski’s stock trades found that he did not file required reports for transactions in 2019 and 2020, and he admitted to failing to do so in an interview with investigators. The report is likely to cast a cloud over Malinowski as he faces a difficult reelection race next year. In the interview, Malinowski blamed “carelessness on my part” for the lack of disclosure and said he regretted and took full responsibility for it. “This is not a justification or excuse,” he said. “I have an overwhelmingly busy job, and this was one of the things I knew I needed to do,” he added. “But I did not put enough pressure on myself to do it every 45 days, and that was simply careless.”

House ethics committee details accusations against 4 lawmakers

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children.&nbsp; 
However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people. Its global head of safety, Antigone Davis, testified to the US Senate, about child protection.

This comes after a leak exposed how Instagram's research had found the platform could harm children’s well-being. Earlier, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the app's effects on teenagers' mental health were "quite small".

The committee started by reiterating Facebook's own research which said that Instagram could have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem.

Teenagers "blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression", it said. 
Davis was quoted by The BBC as saying, "We conduct this research, to make our platform better, to minimise the bad and maximise the good and to proactively identify where we can improve."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/smart-glasses-made-google-look-dumb-now-facebook-is-giving-them-a-try-413629">Also read |&nbsp;Smart glasses made google look dumb. Now Facebook is giving them a try.</a>

"We want our platforms to be a place for meaningful interactions with friends and family and we cannot achieve that goal if people do not feel safe."

Richard Blumenthal chairs the Senate commerce, science, and transportation subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, and data security, highlighted how Facebook had earlier denied it was aware of any research that showed a negative correlation.

He said, "We know it chooses the growth of its products over the well-being of our children".&nbsp;

He further added, "And we now know that it is indefensibly delinquent in acting to protect them." 
"It is failing to hold itself accountable and the question that haunts me is how can we or parents or anyone trust Facebook."

Davis repeatedly failed to answer the committee's questions and said she would have to check with the relevant Facebook teams.

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children. However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people.

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children. However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people. Its global head of safety, Antigone Davis, testified to the US Senate, about child protection. This comes after a leak exposed how Instagram's research had found the platform could harm children’s well-being. Earlier, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the app's effects on teenagers' mental health were "quite small". The committee started by reiterating Facebook's own research which said that Instagram could have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem. Teenagers "blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression", it said. Davis was quoted by The BBC as saying, "We conduct this research, to make our platform better, to minimise the bad and maximise the good and to proactively identify where we can improve." Also read | Smart glasses made google look dumb. Now Facebook is giving them a try. "We want our platforms to be a place for meaningful interactions with friends and family and we cannot achieve that goal if people do not feel safe." Richard Blumenthal chairs the Senate commerce, science, and transportation subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, and data security, highlighted how Facebook had earlier denied it was aware of any research that showed a negative correlation. He said, "We know it chooses the growth of its products over the well-being of our children". He further added, "And we now know that it is indefensibly delinquent in acting to protect them." "It is failing to hold itself accountable and the question that haunts me is how can we or parents or anyone trust Facebook." Davis repeatedly failed to answer the committee's questions and said she would have to check with the relevant Facebook teams.

US lawmakers grill Facebook over teen mental health

Members of the US&nbsp;Congress, including many of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats, said on Tuesday they were increasingly frustrated with events in Afghanistan, vowing to investigate what went wrong. 
 
"The events of recent days have been the culmination of a series of mistakes made by Republican and Democratic administrations over the past 20 years," Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. 
 
"We are now witnessing the horrifying result of many years of policy and intelligence failures," Menendez said. 
 
Menendez said his committee would hold a hearing on US&nbsp;policy towards Afghanistan, including negotiations between former Republican President Donald Trump's administration and the Taliban and the Biden's administration's execution of the withdrawal. 
 
Committee Republicans said they wanted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to testify, "to understand why the State Department was so ill prepared for the contingencies unfolding before us," according to a letter sent to Menendez. 
 
"Updates from the State Department have been inconsistent, lacked important detail, and not be responsive to Members and the American people," the Republicans wrote. 
 
The date of the hearing was not immediately announced. 
 
Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic Intelligence Committee chairman, had said on Monday he intended to work with other committees "to ask tough but necessary questions" about why the United States was not better prepared for the collapse of the Afghan government. 
 
Republicans continued their harsh criticism of Biden's policies. 
 
"The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning," Republicans on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee wrote in a letter to the White House on Tuesday.

Members of the US Congress, including many of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats, said on Tuesday they were increasingly frustrated with events in Afghanistan, vowing to investigate what went wrong.

Members of the US Congress, including many of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats, said on Tuesday they were increasingly frustrated with events in Afghanistan, vowing to investigate what went wrong. "The events of recent days have been the culmination of a series of mistakes made by Republican and Democratic administrations over the past 20 years," Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. "We are now witnessing the horrifying result of many years of policy and intelligence failures," Menendez said. Menendez said his committee would hold a hearing on US policy towards Afghanistan, including negotiations between former Republican President Donald Trump's administration and the Taliban and the Biden's administration's execution of the withdrawal. Committee Republicans said they wanted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to testify, "to understand why the State Department was so ill prepared for the contingencies unfolding before us," according to a letter sent to Menendez. "Updates from the State Department have been inconsistent, lacked important detail, and not be responsive to Members and the American people," the Republicans wrote. The date of the hearing was not immediately announced. Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic Intelligence Committee chairman, had said on Monday he intended to work with other committees "to ask tough but necessary questions" about why the United States was not better prepared for the collapse of the Afghan government. Republicans continued their harsh criticism of Biden's policies. "The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning," Republicans on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee wrote in a letter to the White House on Tuesday.

US lawmakers to probe Biden administration over Afghanistan

In Pakistan’s National Assembly, around all women lawmakers, comprising both of treasury and opposition benches, unanimously demanded public hanging of rapists on Friday in a bid to keep a check on rising harassment cases and abuse of women and children in the country.&nbsp;

Women members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) made the demand in the National Assembly.&nbsp;

PML-N lawmaker Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, said, “We 69 women MNAs demand quick judgement in rape cases and public hanging of rapists.” &nbsp;

These lawmakers also sought formation of a parliamentary committee for a review of rape cases happening in the country.&nbsp;

On the floor of the house, PTI lawmaker Asma Qadeer, broke into tears while sharing concern over the rising cases of rape of women and children. Qadeer said, “If Pakistan has to be run, then rapists and killers must be hanged in public. We will not let the country be run in the way it is being run.” &nbsp;

She also talked about the recent one in Islamabad where a woman, Noor Muqaddam, was slaughtered by her 'friend' Zahir Jaffer.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In Pakistan’s National Assembly, around all women lawmakers, comprising both of treasury and opposition benches, unanimously demanded public hanging of rapists on Friday in a bid to keep a check on rising harassment cases and abuse of women and children in the country.

In Pakistan’s National Assembly, around all women lawmakers, comprising both of treasury and opposition benches, unanimously demanded public hanging of rapists on Friday in a bid to keep a check on rising harassment cases and abuse of women and children in the country. Women members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) made the demand in the National Assembly. PML-N lawmaker Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, said, “We 69 women MNAs demand quick judgement in rape cases and public hanging of rapists.” These lawmakers also sought formation of a parliamentary committee for a review of rape cases happening in the country. On the floor of the house, PTI lawmaker Asma Qadeer, broke into tears while sharing concern over the rising cases of rape of women and children. Qadeer said, “If Pakistan has to be run, then rapists and killers must be hanged in public. We will not let the country be run in the way it is being run.” She also talked about the recent one in Islamabad where a woman, Noor Muqaddam, was slaughtered by her 'friend' Zahir Jaffer. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistani women lawmakers stand up for rights, demand rapists’ public hanging  

Sierra&nbsp;Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment.&nbsp;

A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber.&nbsp;

Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term for crimes such as murder or mutiny.

No execution has taken place in the country since 1998, and death sentences have often been commuted.

But&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone, which is still recovering after decades of civil war, has frequently come under fire from rights groups for keeping capital punishment on the books.

In May, Deputy Justice Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma announced that the government would move to ban the death penalty to "uphold the fundamental human rights of&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leoneans".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-by-one-african-countries-dismantle-colonial-era-death-penalty-laws-400227">Also read |&nbsp;One by one, African countries dismantle colonial-era death penalty laws</a>

During a lively debate in the 146-legislature on Friday,&nbsp;Mathew Nyumah, the parliamentary leader of the ruling&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;People's Party, urged MPs to vote for abolition.&nbsp;

"Please understand this is something we are sacrificing to meet international best practice," he said.&nbsp;

President Julius Maada Bio must still sign off on the abolition voted by parliament before it becomes law.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The president thanked citizens MPs and rights groups in a statement on social media after the vote, saying they had "steadfastly stood with us to make history".

The vote in&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;comes as the use of capital punishment has been falling across the African continent, and more countries have been outlawing the practice.

Falling executions

Sierra&nbsp;Leone's 1991 constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery, murder, treason and mutiny.

However, the last executions in the country were carried out in 1998, when 24 military officers were put to death after a coup attempt the year before.

The diamond-rich but poor former British colony was ravaged by a 1991-2002 civil war that claimed 120,000 lives.&nbsp;

A truth and reconciliation commission set up in 2005 to investigate the brutal conflict recommended abolishing the death penalty, calling it "an affront to civilised society".

But the authorities in the nation of 7.5 million people resisted immediately abolishing capital punishment, and courts condemned 84 people to death between 2016 and 2020, according to the UN.

With the parliament vote,&nbsp;Sierra&nbsp;Leone&nbsp;is set to become the latest African country to abolish the death penalty.&nbsp;

Malawi banned capital punishment in April, for example, and Chad scrapped the practice last year. &nbsp;

According to Amnesty International, 108 countries had completely abolished the death penalty by the end of 2020, while 144 had abolished it in law or in practice.&nbsp;

Both executions and death penalties also fell across sub-Saharan Africa last year, the rights group said.&nbsp;

Recorded death sentences fell by six percent, from&nbsp;325&nbsp;in 2019 to&nbsp;305 last year, while executions were down 36 percent, falling from 25 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.&nbsp;

Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment. A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber.

Sierra Leonean lawmakers voted to abolish the death penalty Friday, becoming the latest African country to move towards banning capital punishment. A majority of MPs voted in favour of an amendment abolishing the death penalty, according to an AFP journalist who was present in the chamber. Capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment or a minimum 30-year jail term for crimes such as murder or mutiny. No execution has taken place in the country since 1998, and death sentences have often been commuted. But Sierra Leone, which is still recovering after decades of civil war, has frequently come under fire from rights groups for keeping capital punishment on the books. In May, Deputy Justice Minister Umaru Napoleon Koroma announced that the government would move to ban the death penalty to "uphold the fundamental human rights of Sierra Leoneans". Also read | One by one, African countries dismantle colonial-era death penalty laws During a lively debate in the 146-legislature on Friday, Mathew Nyumah, the parliamentary leader of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party, urged MPs to vote for abolition. "Please understand this is something we are sacrificing to meet international best practice," he said. President Julius Maada Bio must still sign off on the abolition voted by parliament before it becomes law. The president thanked citizens MPs and rights groups in a statement on social media after the vote, saying they had "steadfastly stood with us to make history". The vote in Sierra Leone comes as the use of capital punishment has been falling across the African continent, and more countries have been outlawing the practice. Falling executions Sierra Leone's 1991 constitution allows the use of the death penalty for aggravated robbery, murder, treason and mutiny. However, the last executions in the country were carried out in 1998, when 24 military officers were put to death after a coup attempt the year before. The diamond-rich but poor former British colony was ravaged by a 1991-2002 civil war that claimed 120,000 lives. A truth and reconciliation commission set up in 2005 to investigate the brutal conflict recommended abolishing the death penalty, calling it "an affront to civilised society". But the authorities in the nation of 7.5 million people resisted immediately abolishing capital punishment, and courts condemned 84 people to death between 2016 and 2020, according to the UN. With the parliament vote, Sierra Leone is set to become the latest African country to abolish the death penalty. Malawi banned capital punishment in April, for example, and Chad scrapped the practice last year. According to Amnesty International, 108 countries had completely abolished the death penalty by the end of 2020, while 144 had abolished it in law or in practice. Both executions and death penalties also fell across sub-Saharan Africa last year, the rights group said. Recorded death sentences fell by six percent, from 325 in 2019 to 305 last year, while executions were down 36 percent, falling from 25 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.

Sierra Leone lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty

US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that a deal has been reached with a&nbsp;bipartisan&nbsp;group of senators to rebuild the nation's&nbsp;infrastructure, likely unlocking the most funding for roads, bridges, ports and broadband in decades.

The lawmakers have "come together and forged an agreement that will create millions of American jobs, and modernize our American&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;to compete with the rest of the world and own the 21st century," Biden said at the White House.

The president sat down with the senators earlier in the day to cap weeks of tense negotiations on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans have squared off over the size and scope of the funding.

But Biden hailed the breakthrough as a shining example of how Washington can reach consensus on major investments when both parties work together -- essentially a validation of his call for bipartisanship on the most necessary aspects of governing.

He described the deal as "breaking the ice that too often has kept us frozen in place and prevented us from solving the real problem facing the American people."

The deal came together late Wednesday, with the senators agreeing on a $973 billion package over five years, with some $559 billion in new funding.

Biden stressed that the massive&nbsp;plan&nbsp;-- which includes the largest-ever investment in US bridges and public transport -- met his requirement of not raising taxes on anyone making under $400,000 per year.

"We're going to do it all without raising a cent" in new taxes, he said.&nbsp;

Instead, the&nbsp;plan&nbsp;is to boost enforcement of existing tax law to recover underreported taxes from wealthier Americans.&nbsp;

"No one got everything they wanted in this package. We all gave some to get some because what we did was put first the needs of our country," said Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist Democrat from Arizona.

"This does represent a&nbsp;historic investment in our country's&nbsp;infrastructure."

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy agreed, calling the bill "great progress."

"A&nbsp;bridge&nbsp;is coming near you. Not right away, not tomorrow, not next year," he said. "But we've begun the process."

'Tandem' bills&nbsp;

But negotiations on&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;are not over; selling the&nbsp;plan&nbsp;to Congress is just beginning.

Biden has proposed some $2 trillion in&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;spending over eight years, including funding for some of his priorities like climate change mitigation, child care, schools and social services.

Republicans firmly opposed any inclusion of such projects in the deal, saying only traditional&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;like roads, airports or broadband internet should be included.

But Democratic leaders are insisting that the "human&nbsp;infrastructure" projects be funded in a second track known as budget reconciliation, which can pass the 100-member Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes necessary to advance major legislation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-delta-variant-is-infecting-vaccinated-people-says-israel-393811">Also Read |&nbsp;COVID-19: Delta variant is infecting vaccinated people, says Israel</a>

"We will not take up a bill in the House until the Senate passes a&nbsp;bipartisan&nbsp;bill and a reconciliation bill," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned earlier Thursday.

That statement drew applause from progressive Democrats, including congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the first votes on the&nbsp;bipartisan&nbsp;bill should be held in July.

He also said that while he was "encouraged" by the progress of the&nbsp;bipartisan&nbsp;group, he -- like Pelosi -- insists on two bills operating in tandem.

"If the Senate is going to move forward with a&nbsp;bipartisan&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;bill, we must also move forward on a budget resolution as well," he said.

Biden expressed support for that very&nbsp;plan, saying he will work to ensure that "both move through the legislative process promptly, and in tandem," and that if they both do not reach his desk, he will not sign either of them into law.

The president acknowledged he had no guarantee that the plans had enough votes to cross the finish line, but said that his several decades in Washington have given him "a pretty good read" of Congress.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that a deal has been reached with a bipartisan group of senators to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, likely unlocking the most funding for roads, bridges, ports and broadband in decades.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that a deal has been reached with a bipartisan group of senators to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, likely unlocking the most funding for roads, bridges, ports and broadband in decades. The lawmakers have "come together and forged an agreement that will create millions of American jobs, and modernize our American infrastructure to compete with the rest of the world and own the 21st century," Biden said at the White House. The president sat down with the senators earlier in the day to cap weeks of tense negotiations on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans have squared off over the size and scope of the funding. But Biden hailed the breakthrough as a shining example of how Washington can reach consensus on major investments when both parties work together -- essentially a validation of his call for bipartisanship on the most necessary aspects of governing. He described the deal as "breaking the ice that too often has kept us frozen in place and prevented us from solving the real problem facing the American people." The deal came together late Wednesday, with the senators agreeing on a $973 billion package over five years, with some $559 billion in new funding. Biden stressed that the massive plan -- which includes the largest-ever investment in US bridges and public transport -- met his requirement of not raising taxes on anyone making under $400,000 per year. "We're going to do it all without raising a cent" in new taxes, he said. Instead, the plan is to boost enforcement of existing tax law to recover underreported taxes from wealthier Americans. "No one got everything they wanted in this package. We all gave some to get some because what we did was put first the needs of our country," said Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist Democrat from Arizona. "This does represent a historic investment in our country's infrastructure." Republican Senator Bill Cassidy agreed, calling the bill "great progress." "A bridge is coming near you. Not right away, not tomorrow, not next year," he said. "But we've begun the process." 'Tandem' bills But negotiations on infrastructure are not over; selling the plan to Congress is just beginning. Biden has proposed some $2 trillion in infrastructure spending over eight years, including funding for some of his priorities like climate change mitigation, child care, schools and social services. Republicans firmly opposed any inclusion of such projects in the deal, saying only traditional infrastructure like roads, airports or broadband internet should be included. But Democratic leaders are insisting that the "human infrastructure" projects be funded in a second track known as budget reconciliation, which can pass the 100-member Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes necessary to advance major legislation. Also Read | COVID-19: Delta variant is infecting vaccinated people, says Israel "We will not take up a bill in the House until the Senate passes a bipartisan bill and a reconciliation bill," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned earlier Thursday. That statement drew applause from progressive Democrats, including congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the first votes on the bipartisan bill should be held in July. He also said that while he was "encouraged" by the progress of the bipartisan group, he -- like Pelosi -- insists on two bills operating in tandem. "If the Senate is going to move forward with a bipartisan infrastructure bill, we must also move forward on a budget resolution as well," he said. Biden expressed support for that very plan, saying he will work to ensure that "both move through the legislative process promptly, and in tandem," and that if they both do not reach his desk, he will not sign either of them into law. The president acknowledged he had no guarantee that the plans had enough votes to cross the finish line, but said that his several decades in Washington have given him "a pretty good read" of Congress.

White House, lawmakers strike deal on infrastructure

European Union lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests, paving the way for the pass to start in time for summer.

The widely awaited certificate is aimed at saving Europe's travel industry and prime tourist sites from another disastrous vacation season. Key travel destinations like Greece have led the drive to have the certificate, which will have both paper and digital forms, rapidly introduced.

Several EU countries have already begun using the system, including Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Poland.

Right now, travelling in the EU's 27 nations is a trial for tourists and airlines alike. Countries have various COVID-19 traffic-light systems, where those in green are considered safe and those in red to be avoided.

But each nation is applying different rules and standards, making travel confusing for all. The new regulations governing the vaccine certificates were adopted in two votes at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Rules for EU citizens were passed 546 to 93, with 51 abstentions. Those for people from outside the bloc passed 553 to 91, with 46 abstentions. The vote must still be rubber-stamped by EU nations, but that's likely a formality. It means that beginning July 1 for 12 months, all EU countries must recognise the vaccine certificate.

They will be issued free and certify that a person has either been fully vaccinated against the virus, has recently tested negative or has recovered from the disease. The rules will not be heavily enforced for 6 weeks to allow countries to prepare.

The passes will be issued by individual nations, not from a centralised European system. They will contain a QR code with advanced security features. Personal data will not be shared with other countries.

Spanish Socialist lawmaker Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, who chaperoned the votes through parliament, said, "EU states are encouraged to refrain from imposing further restrictions, unless strictly necessary and proportionate."

People coming from outside the EU, the overwhelming majority of whom should be vaccinated to enter, will be able to get a certificate if they can convince authorities in the EU country they enter that they qualify for one.

European Union lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests, paving the way for the pass to start in time for summer.

European Union lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests, paving the way for the pass to start in time for summer. The widely awaited certificate is aimed at saving Europe's travel industry and prime tourist sites from another disastrous vacation season. Key travel destinations like Greece have led the drive to have the certificate, which will have both paper and digital forms, rapidly introduced. Several EU countries have already begun using the system, including Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Poland. Right now, travelling in the EU's 27 nations is a trial for tourists and airlines alike. Countries have various COVID-19 traffic-light systems, where those in green are considered safe and those in red to be avoided. But each nation is applying different rules and standards, making travel confusing for all. The new regulations governing the vaccine certificates were adopted in two votes at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Rules for EU citizens were passed 546 to 93, with 51 abstentions. Those for people from outside the bloc passed 553 to 91, with 46 abstentions. The vote must still be rubber-stamped by EU nations, but that's likely a formality. It means that beginning July 1 for 12 months, all EU countries must recognise the vaccine certificate. They will be issued free and certify that a person has either been fully vaccinated against the virus, has recently tested negative or has recovered from the disease. The rules will not be heavily enforced for 6 weeks to allow countries to prepare. The passes will be issued by individual nations, not from a centralised European system. They will contain a QR code with advanced security features. Personal data will not be shared with other countries. Spanish Socialist lawmaker Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, who chaperoned the votes through parliament, said, "EU states are encouraged to refrain from imposing further restrictions, unless strictly necessary and proportionate." People coming from outside the EU, the overwhelming majority of whom should be vaccinated to enter, will be able to get a certificate if they can convince authorities in the EU country they enter that they qualify for one.

EU lawmakers OK virus pass, boosting summer travel hopes

Will you accept a robot for a President? People in 30 countries - including China, US, and UK want to replace lawmakers with Artificial Intelligence. What does this tell us about our future? Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas | Study: People want to replace lawmakers with A.I.

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups. &nbsp;

The government of national unity was established by elected legislators, who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others. &nbsp;

The junta has previously accused them of treason, and the announcement on state TV on Saturday said they were being branded terrorists because of their participation in a civil disobedience movement, a popular revolt against the military takeover that has seen people taking to the streets daily despite the lethal use of force by authorities. &nbsp;

More than 700 protesters and bystanders have been killed by security forces since the February 1 coup, according to several detailed estimates. The junta has said the death toll is about one-third of that, and that the use of lethal force was justified to end what it called rioting.&nbsp;

Last week, the shadow government announced the formation of 'People's Defense Force’, which would serve as a precursor to a ‘Federal Union Army' of democratic forces including ethnic minorities. &nbsp;

The National Unity Government has the backing of several major ethnic minority groups, who for decades have been seeking greater autonomy and who maintain their own guerrilla forces. The two most important are the Kachin in the north and the Karen in the east, both of which are actively engaged in combat with the government's military forces.&nbsp;

Since the coup and crackdown on opponents, students and factory workers have fled to territory controlled by the ethnic guerrilla forces to take military training. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups.

Myanmar's junta has labeled a shadow government of lawmakers and politicians ousted in a February coup and a people's defence force that is being set up to confront security forces as terrorist groups. The government of national unity was established by elected legislators, who were barred from taking their seats when the military seized power and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others. The junta has previously accused them of treason, and the announcement on state TV on Saturday said they were being branded terrorists because of their participation in a civil disobedience movement, a popular revolt against the military takeover that has seen people taking to the streets daily despite the lethal use of force by authorities. More than 700 protesters and bystanders have been killed by security forces since the February 1 coup, according to several detailed estimates. The junta has said the death toll is about one-third of that, and that the use of lethal force was justified to end what it called rioting. Last week, the shadow government announced the formation of 'People's Defense Force’, which would serve as a precursor to a ‘Federal Union Army' of democratic forces including ethnic minorities. The National Unity Government has the backing of several major ethnic minority groups, who for decades have been seeking greater autonomy and who maintain their own guerrilla forces. The two most important are the Kachin in the north and the Karen in the east, both of which are actively engaged in combat with the government's military forces. Since the coup and crackdown on opponents, students and factory workers have fled to territory controlled by the ethnic guerrilla forces to take military training. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar junta brands ousted lawmakers as 'terrorists' 

Top US Democratic lawmakers have launched #FreeTheVaccine campaign in support of a proposal by India and South Africa before the World Trade Organisation to temporarily waive anti-COVID vaccine patents to boost its supply.&nbsp;

More than 100 Democratic Congressmen, along with a large number of policy activists and rights bodies, launched the campaign on Tuesday, a day before the crucial meeting of the WTO General Council in Geneva.&nbsp;

"The horror in India could play out again and again in other countries if we don't act now. Blocking access to vaccines is anti-humanitarian, anti-diplomatic, and weakens American influence for good on the global stage," Congressman Lloyd Doggett tweeted.&nbsp;

Congresswoman Barbara Lee also echoed similar sentiments.&nbsp;

"India is seeing devastation right now, which could be helped if we would #FreeTheVaccine. The time is now to do what is right," she said.&nbsp;

"India's public health system is collapsing. This is no time to keep vaccines and vaccine technology from the developing world #FreeTheVaccine," Congressman Andy Levin said.&nbsp;

Last week, a group of Democratic lawmakers met Tai and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients over the issue and urged her to support the proposal.&nbsp;

The group of lawmakers included Jan Schakowsky, Lloyd Doggett, Rosa DeLauro, Earl Blumenauer, Jesús García, Barbara Lee, Adriano Espaillat, and Andy Levin.&nbsp;

"Much of the required vaccines should be manufactured abroad near those in greatest need using American technology. We need more urgent action by the administration to remove any objection to the TRIPS waiver and permit sharing of the intellectual property required for vaccine manufacturing to get underway immediately," the lawmakers said in a joint statement.&nbsp;

"To underscore the need for action now, we hope that more taxpayers, public interest advocates, religious and business leaders will join our call on the administration. With an increasing public outcry, the administration must act," they said.&nbsp;

Joining the #FreeTheVaccine campaign, Congressman Mark Pocan said India is being devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

"I joined 110 of my colleagues demanding President Joe Biden to support a TRIPS Waiver, so the world has access to life-saving COVID vaccines," he said.&nbsp;

"We must put people's lives over Big Pharma's profits. #FreeTheVaccine," Pocan said.&nbsp;

Indian American politician from New York Jaslin Kaur also appealed to President Biden to support the proposal by India and South Africa.&nbsp;

"Tomorrow is your chance to support #TRIPSWaiver before the WTO to save millions in India," she said.&nbsp;

"COVID-19 is killing 120 Indians per hour, 3,000 people dying daily, while global superpowers hoard the vaccine + refuse to release the patents. It's apartheid, it's genocide. I'll be standing with dozens of organisations + allies tomorrow to demand a free #PeoplesVaccine for all," tweeted another Indian American politician from Virginia Karishma Mehta.&nbsp;

Dozens of non-profit organisations have scheduled a rally for vaccine access for all at the National Mall on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Prominent among them are People's Action, Justice Is Global, Amnesty International, Public Action, Africans Rising, Oxfam and Association for Concerned Africa Scholars.&nbsp;

"We know governments can do much more to end the global pandemic, including sharing vaccine recipes and helping the world make billions more doses," said the rally organisers. &nbsp;

"The Biden administration has an opportunity to make vaccines available by supporting the TRIPS Waiver at the World Trade Organisation, as proposed by India and South Africa. Furthermore, the US can and should invest money in scaling up global vaccine manufacturing. Join the call to #FreeTheVaccine!" they said.&nbsp;

Top US Democratic lawmakers have launched #FreeTheVaccine campaign in support of a proposal by India and South Africa before the World Trade Organisation to temporarily waive anti-COVID vaccine patents to boost its supply.

Top US Democratic lawmakers have launched #FreeTheVaccine campaign in support of a proposal by India and South Africa before the World Trade Organisation to temporarily waive anti-COVID vaccine patents to boost its supply. More than 100 Democratic Congressmen, along with a large number of policy activists and rights bodies, launched the campaign on Tuesday, a day before the crucial meeting of the WTO General Council in Geneva. "The horror in India could play out again and again in other countries if we don't act now. Blocking access to vaccines is anti-humanitarian, anti-diplomatic, and weakens American influence for good on the global stage," Congressman Lloyd Doggett tweeted. Congresswoman Barbara Lee also echoed similar sentiments. "India is seeing devastation right now, which could be helped if we would #FreeTheVaccine. The time is now to do what is right," she said. "India's public health system is collapsing. This is no time to keep vaccines and vaccine technology from the developing world #FreeTheVaccine," Congressman Andy Levin said. Last week, a group of Democratic lawmakers met Tai and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients over the issue and urged her to support the proposal. The group of lawmakers included Jan Schakowsky, Lloyd Doggett, Rosa DeLauro, Earl Blumenauer, Jesús García, Barbara Lee, Adriano Espaillat, and Andy Levin. "Much of the required vaccines should be manufactured abroad near those in greatest need using American technology. We need more urgent action by the administration to remove any objection to the TRIPS waiver and permit sharing of the intellectual property required for vaccine manufacturing to get underway immediately," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "To underscore the need for action now, we hope that more taxpayers, public interest advocates, religious and business leaders will join our call on the administration. With an increasing public outcry, the administration must act," they said. Joining the #FreeTheVaccine campaign, Congressman Mark Pocan said India is being devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I joined 110 of my colleagues demanding President Joe Biden to support a TRIPS Waiver, so the world has access to life-saving COVID vaccines," he said. "We must put people's lives over Big Pharma's profits. #FreeTheVaccine," Pocan said. Indian American politician from New York Jaslin Kaur also appealed to President Biden to support the proposal by India and South Africa. "Tomorrow is your chance to support #TRIPSWaiver before the WTO to save millions in India," she said. "COVID-19 is killing 120 Indians per hour, 3,000 people dying daily, while global superpowers hoard the vaccine + refuse to release the patents. It's apartheid, it's genocide. I'll be standing with dozens of organisations + allies tomorrow to demand a free #PeoplesVaccine for all," tweeted another Indian American politician from Virginia Karishma Mehta. Dozens of non-profit organisations have scheduled a rally for vaccine access for all at the National Mall on Wednesday. Prominent among them are People's Action, Justice Is Global, Amnesty International, Public Action, Africans Rising, Oxfam and Association for Concerned Africa Scholars. "We know governments can do much more to end the global pandemic, including sharing vaccine recipes and helping the world make billions more doses," said the rally organisers. "The Biden administration has an opportunity to make vaccines available by supporting the TRIPS Waiver at the World Trade Organisation, as proposed by India and South Africa. Furthermore, the US can and should invest money in scaling up global vaccine manufacturing. Join the call to #FreeTheVaccine!" they said.

US lawmakers launch #FreeTheVaccine campaign in support of India, South Africa  

Nine veteran Hong Kong activists face jail after they were convicted on unlawful assembly charges for their role in organising one of the biggest democracy protests to engulf the city in 2019.

9 veteran Hong Kong activists convicted for unauthorized assembly in 2019

More than 60 British lawmakers have written to interior minister Priti Patel calling for protests to be allowed in England during lockdown.&nbsp;

Under England's coronavirus rules, it is unlawful for groups to gather for protests and police warned people on Saturday not to head to central London for planned demonstrations, including by anti-lockdown campaigners.&nbsp;

Police were criticised for using heavy-handed tactics on March 13 to break up an outdoor vigil for 33-year-old Sarah Everard. A police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder.&nbsp;

Further protests followed, fuelled by anger over government plans to tighten the law on demonstrations.&nbsp;

The group of lawmakers, including Conservative Member of Parliament Steve Baker, and Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that protest should not be a criminal offence.&nbsp;

"We call on you to expressly exempt protests from restrictions on gatherings," they said in the letter, which was organised by campaign groups, Liberty and Big Brother Watch.&nbsp;

The interior ministry, known as the Home Office, said in response that the Covid-19 stay at home order remains in place until March 29, and once it ends, protests can resume subject to agreed social-distancing measures.&nbsp;

"While we are still in a pandemic, we continue to urge people to avoid mass gatherings, in line with wider coronavirus restrictions," a spokeswoman said.&nbsp;

Police said that a significant operation will be in place in London to engage with people breaching Covid-19 regulations, adding that any protesters will be encouraged to return home or could face fines or arrest.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

More than 60 British lawmakers have written to interior minister Priti Patel calling for protests to be allowed in England during lockdown. Under England's coronavirus rules, it is unlawful for groups to gather for protests and police warned people on Saturday not to head to central London for planned demonstrations, including by anti-lockdown campaigners.

More than 60 British lawmakers have written to interior minister Priti Patel calling for protests to be allowed in England during lockdown. Under England's coronavirus rules, it is unlawful for groups to gather for protests and police warned people on Saturday not to head to central London for planned demonstrations, including by anti-lockdown campaigners. Police were criticised for using heavy-handed tactics on March 13 to break up an outdoor vigil for 33-year-old Sarah Everard. A police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder. Further protests followed, fuelled by anger over government plans to tighten the law on demonstrations. The group of lawmakers, including Conservative Member of Parliament Steve Baker, and Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that protest should not be a criminal offence. "We call on you to expressly exempt protests from restrictions on gatherings," they said in the letter, which was organised by campaign groups, Liberty and Big Brother Watch. The interior ministry, known as the Home Office, said in response that the Covid-19 stay at home order remains in place until March 29, and once it ends, protests can resume subject to agreed social-distancing measures. "While we are still in a pandemic, we continue to urge people to avoid mass gatherings, in line with wider coronavirus restrictions," a spokeswoman said. Police said that a significant operation will be in place in London to engage with people breaching Covid-19 regulations, adding that any protesters will be encouraged to return home or could face fines or arrest. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 60 lawmakers call for protests to be allowed in England during lockdown 

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.&nbsp;

The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. &nbsp;

The resolution called US government to scrap the 'one-China policy'. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organisations.&nbsp;

According to Focus Taiwan, the US government switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has since maintained only unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan as defined by the Taiwan Relations Act.&nbsp;

According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years.&nbsp;

It also said Beijing has weaponised the 'one China policy' to block Taiwan's membership and full participation in international organisations and events, 'ranging from the United Nations and the World Health Organization to the Olympic Games'.&nbsp;

Taiwan has actually regularly participated in the Olympic Games, but under the name 'Chinese Taipei'. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.&nbsp;

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. &nbsp;

"The President should recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected national government in Taipei, normalise diplomatic relations between our two nations, appoint a US ambassador to Taiwan, and receive a Taiwanese ambassador to the US," the bill said.&nbsp;

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Deeming 'one-China policy' as outdated and counter-productive, two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. The resolution called US government to scrap the 'one-China policy'. The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organisations. According to Focus Taiwan, the US government switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has since maintained only unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan as defined by the Taiwan Relations Act. According to the texts of the bill, the 'one China policy' is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years. It also said Beijing has weaponised the 'one China policy' to block Taiwan's membership and full participation in international organisations and events, 'ranging from the United Nations and the World Health Organization to the Olympic Games'. Taiwan has actually regularly participated in the Olympic Games, but under the name 'Chinese Taipei'. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. "The President should recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected national government in Taipei, normalise diplomatic relations between our two nations, appoint a US ambassador to Taiwan, and receive a Taiwanese ambassador to the US," the bill said.

US lawmakers look to scrap 'one-China policy' through resolution  

The hearing for 47 Hong Kong democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion resume on Tuesday, following a marathon hearing that extended well past midnight before it was adjourned after one of the defendants fainted.

Hong Kong: Hearing for democracy activists resumes after marathon session

In Hong Kong, the crackdown on the Democratic opposition has intensified. On Sunday 47 pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were detained on charges of conspiracy.

Hong Kong: 47 activists & lawmakers arrested on conspiracy charges

France's lower house of parliament approved on Tuesday a law to fight extremism and 'Islamist separatism' that the government bills as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine France's secular traditions. &nbsp;

President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party rallied around the legislation, with 347 National Assembly lawmakers voting in favour, 151 against and 65 abstaining. &nbsp;

With an eye on 2022 elections, President Emmanuel Macron has championed the bill, which seeks to tighten rules on issues ranging from religious teaching, online hate to polygamy.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/macrons-new-anti-religious-bill-sparks-fresh-protests-in-france-363711/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It has been debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.&nbsp;

The law is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear Islamists are creating communities that reject France's secular identity and laws, as well as its values, such as equality between the sexes.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/macrons-new-anti-extremism-bill-sparks-fresh-protests-in-france-363888" hreflang="en">Macron's new anti-extremism bill sparks fresh protests in France</a>

France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community, is still shaken by the succession of massacres committed by Islamist militants from January 2015 that left hundreds dead.&nbsp;

The National Assembly lower house voted on the legislation after a total of 135 hours of debates that saw some 313 amendments adopted. &nbsp;

The upper house Senate will also examine the draft legislation in the coming months and could amend it. If that it is the case, the bill will then go back to the National Assembly for a final reading.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/france-recommends-single-vaccine-dose-for-people-who-have-had-covid-363224" hreflang="en">France recommends single vaccine dose for people who have had Covid</a>

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said after the final debate on Saturday that the bill "provides concrete responses to... the development of radical Islam, an ideology hostile to the principles and values on which the Republic is founded."&nbsp;

Paty's killing prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet that could be used to harm someone.&nbsp;

France's lower house of parliament approved on Tuesday a law to fight extremism and 'Islamist separatism' that the government bills as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine France's secular traditions.

France's lower house of parliament approved on Tuesday a law to fight extremism and 'Islamist separatism' that the government bills as a riposte to religious groups attempting to undermine France's secular traditions. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party rallied around the legislation, with 347 National Assembly lawmakers voting in favour, 151 against and 65 abstaining. With an eye on 2022 elections, President Emmanuel Macron has championed the bill, which seeks to tighten rules on issues ranging from religious teaching, online hate to polygamy. It has been debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The law is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear Islamists are creating communities that reject France's secular identity and laws, as well as its values, such as equality between the sexes. Also read: Macron's new anti-extremism bill sparks fresh protests in France France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community, is still shaken by the succession of massacres committed by Islamist militants from January 2015 that left hundreds dead. The National Assembly lower house voted on the legislation after a total of 135 hours of debates that saw some 313 amendments adopted. The upper house Senate will also examine the draft legislation in the coming months and could amend it. If that it is the case, the bill will then go back to the National Assembly for a final reading. Also read: France recommends single vaccine dose for people who have had Covid Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said after the final debate on Saturday that the bill "provides concrete responses to... the development of radical Islam, an ideology hostile to the principles and values on which the Republic is founded." Paty's killing prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet that could be used to harm someone.

French lawmakers approve bill to battle Islamist extremism

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanese-pm-saad-al-hariri-resigns-as-crisis-turns-violent-258682">Saad al-Hariri&nbsp;</a>is expected to be&nbsp;named&nbsp;Lebanon's&nbsp;prime minister on Monday, but political rifts look set to hinder agreement on a new&nbsp;government&nbsp;badly needed to rescue the country from a dire economic crisis.

Hariri, a Western ally and the leading Sunni Muslim politician, is widely seen by politicians as the only candidate for the post. He quit the job in late October under pressure from protests against the political elite that has overseen decades of corruption and bad governance.

But he is at odds with Iran-backed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanon-protesters-continue-in-defiance-despite-hezbollah-attack-264509">Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah</a> movement and its allies, including President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-general-michel-aoun-elected-president-of-lebanon-8159">Michel Aoun</a>, over the make-up of the next&nbsp;government.

Lebanon needs a new&nbsp;government&nbsp;to pull it out of the worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. Foreign donors will only help after there is a cabinet that can enact reforms.

Hariri&nbsp;wants to lead a cabinet of specialist ministers which he says would be able to tackle the crisis and attract foreign aid, while his opponents want a combination of politicians and experts.

Aoun's&nbsp;formal consultations with lawmakers to designate the premier, postponed from last week, are scheduled to take place on Monday despite the dispute.

"It should be clear to anyone who might nominate&nbsp;Hariri&nbsp;tomorrow that he will only&nbsp;form&nbsp;a&nbsp;government&nbsp;of specialists," a source close to&nbsp;Hariri&nbsp;told Reuters.

Aoun is required to choose the candidate with the greatest support among parliament's 128 lawmakers.

Though it was not immediately clear how many lawmakers would back&nbsp;Hariri, political sources said he would most likely be picked, barring any last-minute surprise in&nbsp;Lebanon's&nbsp;volatile politics.

Attempts to reach compromise deals on other candidates for the job of prime minister reserved for a Sunni in&nbsp;Lebanon's&nbsp;sectarian power-sharing system - have failed.

Hundreds of people protesting against the ruling elite returned to central Beirut on Sunday, despite a fierce crackdown by security forces near parliament the previous night. The security forces had fired tear gas and rubber bullets overnight at demonstrators in clashes that wounded dozens.

Saad al-Hariri is expected to be named Lebanon's prime minister on Monday, but political rifts look set to hinder agreement on a new government badly needed to rescue the country from a dire economic crisis.

Saad al-Hariri is expected to be named Lebanon's prime minister on Monday, but political rifts look set to hinder agreement on a new government badly needed to rescue the country from a dire economic crisis. Hariri, a Western ally and the leading Sunni Muslim politician, is widely seen by politicians as the only candidate for the post. He quit the job in late October under pressure from protests against the political elite that has overseen decades of corruption and bad governance. But he is at odds with Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement and its allies, including President Michel Aoun, over the make-up of the next government. Lebanon needs a new government to pull it out of the worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. Foreign donors will only help after there is a cabinet that can enact reforms. Hariri wants to lead a cabinet of specialist ministers which he says would be able to tackle the crisis and attract foreign aid, while his opponents want a combination of politicians and experts. Aoun's formal consultations with lawmakers to designate the premier, postponed from last week, are scheduled to take place on Monday despite the dispute. "It should be clear to anyone who might nominate Hariri tomorrow that he will only form a government of specialists," a source close to Hariri told Reuters. Aoun is required to choose the candidate with the greatest support among parliament's 128 lawmakers. Though it was not immediately clear how many lawmakers would back Hariri, political sources said he would most likely be picked, barring any last-minute surprise in Lebanon's volatile politics. Attempts to reach compromise deals on other candidates for the job of prime minister reserved for a Sunni in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system - have failed. Hundreds of people protesting against the ruling elite returned to central Beirut on Sunday, despite a fierce crackdown by security forces near parliament the previous night. The security forces had fired tear gas and rubber bullets overnight at demonstrators in clashes that wounded dozens.

Lebanon's Hariri may be named PM but faces struggle to form government

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-opposition-rallies-to-revive-stalled-effort-to-oust-maduro-262603">Venezuela's opposition</a> on Sunday vowed to investigate alleged wrongdoing within its ranks after a media outlet reported that a group of opposition lawmakers had unduly advocated for a businessman linked to the government of President Nicolas Maduro.&nbsp;

Opposition leader and congress chief Juan Guaido said the legislature would probe the incident, which according to website Armando.info involved nine legislators from the First Justice, Popular Will and A New Time parties.&nbsp;

The scandal comes as opposition efforts to oust Maduro lose steam and Guaido, who has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader, struggles to launch a new wave of street protests.

"(It is) unacceptable to use a state institution to attempt to whitewash the reputation of thieves and corrupt individuals who have looted Venezuela," said Guaido, pounding a lectern as he read from notes during a press conference.

According to the Armando.info report, the lawmakers were involved in writing letters of support for a Colombian national, Carlos Lizcano, despite evidence of his ties to Alex Saab, another Colombian man who is under US&nbsp;sanction for corruption associated with Maduro's state-backed food distribution program.

It was not immediately evident if or how the legislators broke the law.&nbsp;

Guaido said he suspected the legislators received illicit payments in exchange for writing the letters, but that this would be investigated.

The letters were addressed to the US&nbsp;Treasury and Colombia's public prosecutor's office, according to the report.

Neither institution responded to requests for comment.&nbsp;

First Justice, Popular Will and A New Time on Sunday issued statements deploring the alleged corruption and promising to remove the lawmakers from the legislative comptroller commission, which focuses on fighting corruption.

"There is a smear campaign against us and some of our fellow legislators in the Venezuelan parliament," Luis Parra, who was placed under investigation by First Justice, wrote on Twitter, insisting he had been a victim of "extortion."

Freddy Superlano of Popular Will, in a letter to Guaido dated Saturday that he posted on Twitter, denied wrongdoing but said that while the investigation proceeded he was stepping down from his role as president of the comptroller commission.

The distribution programme known by the Spanish acronym CLAP has become a crucial source of food for Venezuelans facing hyperinflation, which has left a minimum wage salary so devalued it can barely buy a day's groceries.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-opposition-group-ends-occupation-of-embassy-in-brazil-261967">But the programme</a> has faced widespread accusations by Venezuela's opposition and US&nbsp;authorities of over-pricing food imports as part of a broad corruption racket.

Maduro has defended CLAP as an effort to help the country weather US&nbsp;sanctions that have hobbled the OPEC nation's oil exports and made it increasingly difficult to import basic goods.

Diosdado Cabello, No. 2 of the ruling Socialist Party, delighted at the opposition's infighting.

"Nobody is clean in that corruption dispute in the opposition leadership, accusations come and go between them, they're a society of political merchants," he wrote on Twitter.

Venezuela's opposition on Sunday vowed to investigate alleged wrongdoing within its ranks after a media outlet reported that a group of opposition lawmakers had unduly advocated for a businessman linked to the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's opposition on Sunday vowed to investigate alleged wrongdoing within its ranks after a media outlet reported that a group of opposition lawmakers had unduly advocated for a businessman linked to the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leader and congress chief Juan Guaido said the legislature would probe the incident, which according to website Armando.info involved nine legislators from the First Justice, Popular Will and A New Time parties. The scandal comes as opposition efforts to oust Maduro lose steam and Guaido, who has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader, struggles to launch a new wave of street protests. "(It is) unacceptable to use a state institution to attempt to whitewash the reputation of thieves and corrupt individuals who have looted Venezuela," said Guaido, pounding a lectern as he read from notes during a press conference. According to the Armando.info report, the lawmakers were involved in writing letters of support for a Colombian national, Carlos Lizcano, despite evidence of his ties to Alex Saab, another Colombian man who is under US sanction for corruption associated with Maduro's state-backed food distribution program. It was not immediately evident if or how the legislators broke the law. Guaido said he suspected the legislators received illicit payments in exchange for writing the letters, but that this would be investigated. The letters were addressed to the US Treasury and Colombia's public prosecutor's office, according to the report. Neither institution responded to requests for comment. First Justice, Popular Will and A New Time on Sunday issued statements deploring the alleged corruption and promising to remove the lawmakers from the legislative comptroller commission, which focuses on fighting corruption. "There is a smear campaign against us and some of our fellow legislators in the Venezuelan parliament," Luis Parra, who was placed under investigation by First Justice, wrote on Twitter, insisting he had been a victim of "extortion." Freddy Superlano of Popular Will, in a letter to Guaido dated Saturday that he posted on Twitter, denied wrongdoing but said that while the investigation proceeded he was stepping down from his role as president of the comptroller commission. The distribution programme known by the Spanish acronym CLAP has become a crucial source of food for Venezuelans facing hyperinflation, which has left a minimum wage salary so devalued it can barely buy a day's groceries. But the programme has faced widespread accusations by Venezuela's opposition and US authorities of over-pricing food imports as part of a broad corruption racket. Maduro has defended CLAP as an effort to help the country weather US sanctions that have hobbled the OPEC nation's oil exports and made it increasingly difficult to import basic goods. Diosdado Cabello, No. 2 of the ruling Socialist Party, delighted at the opposition's infighting. "Nobody is clean in that corruption dispute in the opposition leadership, accusations come and go between them, they're a society of political merchants," he wrote on Twitter.

Venezuela: Opposition to investigate reports of wrongdoing by lawmakers

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US&nbsp;lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday.

US&nbsp;Representative Peter DeFazio, who heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will hear from Muilenburg on Wednesday, said in a written statement that the committee's lengthy investigation into the MAX has turned up significant questions about Boeing's decision-making.

"Something went drastically wrong, a total of 346 people died, and we have a duty to fix it," DeFazio will say in his opening statement.

DeFazio said the panel is aware of "at least one case where a Boeing manager implored the then-vice president and general manager of the 737 programme&nbsp;to shut down the 737 MAX production line because of safety concerns." Boeing did not comment Tuesday on the allegation.

Muilenburg told reporters on Wednesday he believes the allegation was in response to concerns about a change in the increase of the production rate. He said Boeing was aware of those concerns and had acknowledged them.

Muilenburg said that he had met with some family members of the victims before Wednesday's hearing. "It was tough to hear," he said, adding the company was making "the fixes we need to make."

The Boeing CEO on Tuesday acknowledged errors in failing to give pilots more information on a key safety system known as MCAS before the crashes, as well as for taking months to disclose that it had made optional an alarm that alerts pilots to a mismatch of flight data on the 737 MAX.

"We've made mistakes and we got some things wrong. We're improving and we're learning," he said.

The hearing, the highest-profile congressional scrutiny of commercial aviation safety in years, heaps pressure on a newly rejigged Boeing senior management team fighting to repair trust with airline customers and passengers shaken by an eight-month safety ban on its 737 MAX following the crashes.

"You have told me half-truths over and over again," Senator Tammy Duckworth told Muilenburg, questioning why the manufacturer did not disclose more details about MCAS's lack of safeguards. On Wednesday, Muilenburg said he would work to ensure she got the information she was seeking.

Taking turns to grill Muilenburg during his first appearance at a hearing on Capitol Hill in the year since the first crash in Indonesia, senators also expressed dismay that 2016 instant messages discussing erratic behaviour of simulator software - a replica of the system aboard the jetliner - did not prompt an immediate reaction from the company.

For months, Boeing had largely failed to acknowledge blame, instead vowing to make a "safe plane safer." Tuesday's hearing represents Boeing's broadest acceptance of responsibility that it made mistakes, but Muilenburg stopped short of what some lawmakers and family members had sought.

Family members were seated just three rows behind Muilenburg during his testimony and were invited at one point to stand and show large photos of their loved ones.

Nadia Milleron, whose daughter was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, said Muilenburg and the board should resign for failing to do more to prevent the crashes.

As Muilenburg departed the hearing, she implored him to look at the victims' families when he apologized. He turned to her and said: "I'm sorry."

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday. US Representative Peter DeFazio, who heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will hear from Muilenburg on Wednesday, said in a written statement that the committee's lengthy investigation into the MAX has turned up significant questions about Boeing's decision-making. "Something went drastically wrong, a total of 346 people died, and we have a duty to fix it," DeFazio will say in his opening statement. DeFazio said the panel is aware of "at least one case where a Boeing manager implored the then-vice president and general manager of the 737 programme to shut down the 737 MAX production line because of safety concerns." Boeing did not comment Tuesday on the allegation. Muilenburg told reporters on Wednesday he believes the allegation was in response to concerns about a change in the increase of the production rate. He said Boeing was aware of those concerns and had acknowledged them. Muilenburg said that he had met with some family members of the victims before Wednesday's hearing. "It was tough to hear," he said, adding the company was making "the fixes we need to make." The Boeing CEO on Tuesday acknowledged errors in failing to give pilots more information on a key safety system known as MCAS before the crashes, as well as for taking months to disclose that it had made optional an alarm that alerts pilots to a mismatch of flight data on the 737 MAX. "We've made mistakes and we got some things wrong. We're improving and we're learning," he said. The hearing, the highest-profile congressional scrutiny of commercial aviation safety in years, heaps pressure on a newly rejigged Boeing senior management team fighting to repair trust with airline customers and passengers shaken by an eight-month safety ban on its 737 MAX following the crashes. "You have told me half-truths over and over again," Senator Tammy Duckworth told Muilenburg, questioning why the manufacturer did not disclose more details about MCAS's lack of safeguards. On Wednesday, Muilenburg said he would work to ensure she got the information she was seeking. Taking turns to grill Muilenburg during his first appearance at a hearing on Capitol Hill in the year since the first crash in Indonesia, senators also expressed dismay that 2016 instant messages discussing erratic behaviour of simulator software - a replica of the system aboard the jetliner - did not prompt an immediate reaction from the company. For months, Boeing had largely failed to acknowledge blame, instead vowing to make a "safe plane safer." Tuesday's hearing represents Boeing's broadest acceptance of responsibility that it made mistakes, but Muilenburg stopped short of what some lawmakers and family members had sought. Family members were seated just three rows behind Muilenburg during his testimony and were invited at one point to stand and show large photos of their loved ones. Nadia Milleron, whose daughter was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, said Muilenburg and the board should resign for failing to do more to prevent the crashes. As Muilenburg departed the hearing, she implored him to look at the victims' families when he apologized. He turned to her and said: "I'm sorry."

United States lawmakers will press Boeing CEO on day two of testimony

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