&quot;I will miss his tantrums&quot; is what Congress president Sonia Gandhi said while bidding farewell to Pranab Mukherjee from the Congress Working Committee at a meeting which formally approved his name as the UPA&#39;s presidential nominee in June 2012.

&quot;After briefing the meeting on the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi bid me an emotional farewell...Thereafter, with a mischievous smile, she looked at me and said &#39;Along with that, of course, I will miss some of his tantrums&#39;,&quot; Mukherjee writes in his just-launched book, &#39;The Coalition Years&#39;.

The former president&#39;s third political memoir gives several accounts of how the UPA chairperson remained reluctant to approve his name for the country&#39;s top constitutional post despite often acknowledging that he was the &quot;most suited&quot; for the office.

Recalling the events in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007 and 2012, Mukherjee said the Congress chief told him that he could not be spared by the party on account of the &quot;crucial role&quot; he played for it in the UPA government and Parliament.

Narrating the sequence of the Congress Working Committee meeting on June 25, 2012, at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the prime minister, Mukherjee noted Gandhi, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party office-bearers and chief ministers present at the meeting finally gave him the green signal to run for the presidential office.

Mukherjee earlier said that on May 29, 2012, the Congress president&#39;s political secretary Ahmed Patel had informed him that Gandhi had perhaps finalised his name as the party&#39;s presidential nominee but was also exploring the possibility of adequate support for then Vice President Hamid Ansari.

&quot;The bone of contention about my nomination remained the same as that in 2007,&quot; the former president said in the book referring to Gandhi&#39;s refrain over sparing him from the government.

Mukherjee said that on June 2, 2012, he met Sonia Gandhi. &quot;She told me frankly, &#39;Pranabji you are the most eminently suited for the office, but you should not forget the crucial role you are playing in the functioning of the government. Could you suggest an alternative?&quot; Mukherjee records in the book, adding that he told Gandhi he would abide by whatever decision she took.

&quot;The meeting ended and I returned with a vague impression that she might wish to consider Manmohan Singh as the UPA presidential nominee. I thought that if she selected Singh for the presidential office, she may choose me as the prime minister. I had heard a rumour that she had given this formulation serious thought while on a holiday in the Kaushambhi hills,&quot; Mukherjee says in the book.

He said there was no doubt that Gandhi considered him as an organisation man as she once chose him to reply in Parliament on a crucial topic when there was commotion by the then opposition BJP members.

&quot;The matter (in Parliament) was thus sorted out, but not before Sonia Gandhi commented, &#39;This is why you (Mukherjee) can&#39;t be the President&#39;,&quot; he wrote.

Disclosing dramatic events ahead of his name being cleared for the top post, Mukherjee documents that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee met Gandhi on June 13, 2012, and later Gandhi told him that the TMC chief had suggested two probables, Mukherjee himself and Ansari, and also told her that she was in discussion with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and would inform her of the decision accordingly.

&quot;I am not aware of the discussion at Mulayam Singh Yadav&#39;s residence. But at a press conference jointly held that evening, they declared that their presidential nominees were APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, in that order.

&quot;Mamata Banerjee also mentioned her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and insisted that Sonia Gandhi had suggested two names, Hamid Ansari and Pranab Mukherjee,&nbsp;both of which were unacceptable to them. I heard of this development but chose not to comment. A certain disappointment spread amongst my family and friends...,&quot; Mukherjee says.

He later writes that the same night he received a call from Sonia Gandhi requesting for a meeting the next morning.

&quot;On June 14, I went to Sonia Gandhi at 11 am and had a long discussion with her. I found her to be in a decisive mood. She told me about her meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She was dismayed that Mamata Banerjee had not informed us about her decision after the meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav and, instead, had disclosed information to the media,&quot; he said.

Mukherjee said later Gandhi told him that the matter be discussed further at the Core Group meeting the same evening.

After a slew of meetings, Manmohan Singh informed Mukherjee of a joint decision to nominate him as the presidential election nominee of the UPA.

&quot;Both of them were seized of the fact that we could not afford to lose the presidential election,&quot; he said.

Chronicling the incidents leading to the 2007 presidential election, Mukherjee said, &quot;When Manmohan Singh was holding discussions with the coalition partners on the presidential nominee I was told my name was proposed by the Left parties first and then seconded by others.&quot;

The former president said the final decision was left to the Congress party.

&quot;Sonia Gandhi called me and said, your name is being suggested by some political parties as the presidential candidate, but it would be difficult for me to spare you as you are a strong pillar of the party in the government and in Parliament&#39;,&quot; he said in the book.

Later, Mukherjee said CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat told him that during the latter&#39;s meeting with Gandhi, she ruled out his name citing a number of reasons, including the fact that she did not have a substitute for him as the Leader of the Lok Sabha.

Mukherjee also narrated the incident when Gandhi was to appoint a Prime Minister after she declined to take up the position in 2004.

&quot;There was intense speculation in the party and the media about her choice. Within the Congress party, the consensus was that the incumbent must be a political leader with experience in party affairs and administration. Finally, she named Dr Manmohan Singh as her choice and he accepted.

&quot;The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for Prime Minister after Sonia Gandhi declined. This expectation was possibly based on the fact that I had extensive experience in government, while Singh&#39;s vast experience was as a civil servant with five years as a reformist finance minister,&quot; he wrote in the book.

&nbsp;

Pranab Mukherjee recalls the events in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007 and 2012 in his book 'The Coalition Years'

"I will miss his tantrums" is what Congress president Sonia Gandhi said while bidding farewell to Pranab Mukherjee from the Congress Working Committee at a meeting which formally approved his name as the UPA's presidential nominee in June 2012. "After briefing the meeting on the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi bid me an emotional farewell...Thereafter, with a mischievous smile, she looked at me and said 'Along with that, of course, I will miss some of his tantrums'," Mukherjee writes in his just-launched book, 'The Coalition Years'. The former president's third political memoir gives several accounts of how the UPA chairperson remained reluctant to approve his name for the country's top constitutional post despite often acknowledging that he was the "most suited" for the office. Recalling the events in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007 and 2012, Mukherjee said the Congress chief told him that he could not be spared by the party on account of the "crucial role" he played for it in the UPA government and Parliament. Narrating the sequence of the Congress Working Committee meeting on June 25, 2012, at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the prime minister, Mukherjee noted Gandhi, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party office-bearers and chief ministers present at the meeting finally gave him the green signal to run for the presidential office. Mukherjee earlier said that on May 29, 2012, the Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel had informed him that Gandhi had perhaps finalised his name as the party's presidential nominee but was also exploring the possibility of adequate support for then Vice President Hamid Ansari. "The bone of contention about my nomination remained the same as that in 2007," the former president said in the book referring to Gandhi's refrain over sparing him from the government. Mukherjee said that on June 2, 2012, he met Sonia Gandhi. "She told me frankly, 'Pranabji you are the most eminently suited for the office, but you should not forget the crucial role you are playing in the functioning of the government. Could you suggest an alternative?" Mukherjee records in the book, adding that he told Gandhi he would abide by whatever decision she took. "The meeting ended and I returned with a vague impression that she might wish to consider Manmohan Singh as the UPA presidential nominee. I thought that if she selected Singh for the presidential office, she may choose me as the prime minister. I had heard a rumour that she had given this formulation serious thought while on a holiday in the Kaushambhi hills," Mukherjee says in the book. He said there was no doubt that Gandhi considered him as an organisation man as she once chose him to reply in Parliament on a crucial topic when there was commotion by the then opposition BJP members. "The matter (in Parliament) was thus sorted out, but not before Sonia Gandhi commented, 'This is why you (Mukherjee) can't be the President'," he wrote. Disclosing dramatic events ahead of his name being cleared for the top post, Mukherjee documents that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee met Gandhi on June 13, 2012, and later Gandhi told him that the TMC chief had suggested two probables, Mukherjee himself and Ansari, and also told her that she was in discussion with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and would inform her of the decision accordingly. "I am not aware of the discussion at Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence. But at a press conference jointly held that evening, they declared that their presidential nominees were APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, in that order. "Mamata Banerjee also mentioned her meeting with Sonia Gandhi and insisted that Sonia Gandhi had suggested two names, Hamid Ansari and Pranab Mukherjee, both of which were unacceptable to them. I heard of this development but chose not to comment. A certain disappointment spread amongst my family and friends...," Mukherjee says. He later writes that the same night he received a call from Sonia Gandhi requesting for a meeting the next morning. "On June 14, I went to Sonia Gandhi at 11 am and had a long discussion with her. I found her to be in a decisive mood. She told me about her meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She was dismayed that Mamata Banerjee had not informed us about her decision after the meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav and, instead, had disclosed information to the media," he said. Mukherjee said later Gandhi told him that the matter be discussed further at the Core Group meeting the same evening. After a slew of meetings, Manmohan Singh informed Mukherjee of a joint decision to nominate him as the presidential election nominee of the UPA. "Both of them were seized of the fact that we could not afford to lose the presidential election," he said. Chronicling the incidents leading to the 2007 presidential election, Mukherjee said, "When Manmohan Singh was holding discussions with the coalition partners on the presidential nominee I was told my name was proposed by the Left parties first and then seconded by others." The former president said the final decision was left to the Congress party. "Sonia Gandhi called me and said, your name is being suggested by some political parties as the presidential candidate, but it would be difficult for me to spare you as you are a strong pillar of the party in the government and in Parliament'," he said in the book. Later, Mukherjee said CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat told him that during the latter's meeting with Gandhi, she ruled out his name citing a number of reasons, including the fact that she did not have a substitute for him as the Leader of the Lok Sabha. Mukherjee also narrated the incident when Gandhi was to appoint a Prime Minister after she declined to take up the position in 2004. "There was intense speculation in the party and the media about her choice. Within the Congress party, the consensus was that the incumbent must be a political leader with experience in party affairs and administration. Finally, she named Dr Manmohan Singh as her choice and he accepted. "The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for Prime Minister after Sonia Gandhi declined. This expectation was possibly based on the fact that I had extensive experience in government, while Singh's vast experience was as a civil servant with five years as a reformist finance minister," he wrote in the book.

Pranab Mukherjee recalls 'emotional farewell' by Sonia Gandhi

Spain&#39;s government will take control of Catalonia and rule it directly if Catalan&nbsp;leader<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/independence-decision-day-looms-for-catalan-leader-22482">&nbsp;Carles Puigdemont</a> does not&nbsp;drop&nbsp;a bid to split the region from&nbsp;Spain&nbsp;by Thursday at 1000 a.m. (0800 GMT),&nbsp;deputy&nbsp;Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said.

&quot;Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he&nbsp;must&nbsp;answer &#39;yes&#39; or &#39;no&#39; to the declaration (of&nbsp;independence),&quot; Saenz de Santamaria said.

Madrid had given Puigdemont until Monday 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) to clarify his position on independence&nbsp;with a &quot;Yes&quot; or &quot;No&quot;, but the&nbsp;Catalan&nbsp;leader&nbsp;did not directly answer the question.

Saenz de Santamaria said, "Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he?must?answer 'yes' or 'no' to the declaration (of?independence)"

Spain's government will take control of Catalonia and rule it directly if Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont does not drop a bid to split the region from Spain by Thursday at 1000 a.m. (0800 GMT), deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said. "Mr Puigdemont still has the opportunity to start resolving this situation, he must answer 'yes' or 'no' to the declaration (of independence)," Saenz de Santamaria said. Madrid had given Puigdemont until Monday 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) to clarify his position on independence with a "Yes" or "No", but the Catalan leader did not directly answer the question.

Catalan leader must drop independence by Thursday: Spain Deputy PM

The White House has launched an internal probe of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kushner-used-personal-email-for-wh-business-20613"> use of private email for official business</a> by senior aides to President Donald Trump, news outlet Politico reported Thursday.

The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe.

Politico said at least five current and former White House officials used private email to conduct government business: Trump&#39;s son in law and adviser Jared&nbsp;Kushner, daughter Ivanka, economic adviser Gary Cohn, former strategic adviser Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Politico said the probe began this week after it reported private email use by&nbsp;Kushner.

The internal probe could take weeks or even months, it said.

Trump&#39;s White House legal staff is reviewing the accounts to see if any of the messages sent relate to the Russia probes being carried out by two congressional panels and special counsel Robert Mueller, Politico quoted one of its sources as saying.

As a candidate, Trump routinely attacked his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, telling supporters &quot;she has to go to jail&quot; over the affair.

Politico reported Monday that&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;used a personal account to send messages to senior White House officials and outside advisers about media coverage, planning events, and other issues.

There is no suggestion the emails contained highly sensitive information or were classified, it added, but they could fall foul of the Presidential Records Act, which requires all documents related to the president&#39;s personal and political activities to be archived.

Kushner&#39;s numerous responsibilities within the Trump administration include trying to broker peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In addition to the email controversy,&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;is facing scrutiny over the Trump campaign&#39;s alleged collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 US election, which is the subject of the probes in Congress and by Mueller.

The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe

The White House has launched an internal probe of the use of private email for official business by senior aides to President Donald Trump, news outlet Politico reported Thursday. The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe. Politico said at least five current and former White House officials used private email to conduct government business: Trump's son in law and adviser Jared Kushner, daughter Ivanka, economic adviser Gary Cohn, former strategic adviser Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Reince Priebus. Politico said the probe began this week after it reported private email use by Kushner. The internal probe could take weeks or even months, it said. Trump's White House legal staff is reviewing the accounts to see if any of the messages sent relate to the Russia probes being carried out by two congressional panels and special counsel Robert Mueller, Politico quoted one of its sources as saying. As a candidate, Trump routinely attacked his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, telling supporters "she has to go to jail" over the affair. Politico reported Monday that Kushner used a personal account to send messages to senior White House officials and outside advisers about media coverage, planning events, and other issues. There is no suggestion the emails contained highly sensitive information or were classified, it added, but they could fall foul of the Presidential Records Act, which requires all documents related to the president's personal and political activities to be archived. Kushner's numerous responsibilities within the Trump administration include trying to broker peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to the email controversy, Kushner is facing scrutiny over the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 US election, which is the subject of the probes in Congress and by Mueller.

White House probing use of private email

Donald&nbsp;Trump&#39;s son-in-law and top&nbsp;aide, Jared&nbsp;Kushner, has been&nbsp;registered&nbsp;to&nbsp;vote&nbsp;as a&nbsp;woman&nbsp;for eight years, US media reported.

Voter information records held by New York show the presidential adviser&nbsp;whose portfolio includes everything from seeking peace in the Middle East to reining in the opioid crisis in the United States was&nbsp;registered&nbsp;as &quot;female.&quot;

The screenshot, published by Wired, is not the first time the young statesman has fallen foul of bureaucracy.&nbsp;(Also Read: <a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/world/jared-kushner-sought-secret-communications-line-with-russia-report-16095">Jared Kushner sought secret communications line with Russia: Report</a>)

Kushner, who is married to&nbsp;Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, also filled out paperwork for his White House security clearance wrongly and had to refile it repeatedly, CBS reported.

Prior to 2009,&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s New Jersey voter registration noted his gender as &quot;unknown,&quot; according to The Hill&nbsp;news site.

Kushner, the scion of a wealthy property-owning family, is one of a number of&nbsp;Trump&#39;s inner circle previously found to have been&nbsp;registered&nbsp;to&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in more than one state during last year&#39;s&nbsp;election, the Washington Post has reported.

Others include ex-White House press secretary Sean Spicer and ex-lead strategist Stephen Bannon.

Multiple registrations were pointed to by the president as a sign of purported widespread voter fraud in the 2016&nbsp;election.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said millions of people illegally cast votes for Hillary Clinton but has never substantiated his claim.

Kushner&nbsp;-- a person of interest in the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the US&nbsp;election&nbsp;-- has also recently been accused of using private email accounts to conduct government business.

Trump&#39;s insurgent presidential campaign was galvanized by supporters&#39; demands that Clinton be jailed for her use of private email servers while Secretary of State.

Voter information records held by New York show the presidential adviser whose portfolio includes everything from seeking peace in the Middle East to reining in the opioid crisis in the United States was?registered?as "female."

Donald Trump's son-in-law and top aide, Jared Kushner, has been registered to vote as a woman for eight years, US media reported. Voter information records held by New York show the presidential adviser whose portfolio includes everything from seeking peace in the Middle East to reining in the opioid crisis in the United States was registered as "female." The screenshot, published by Wired, is not the first time the young statesman has fallen foul of bureaucracy. (Also Read: Jared Kushner sought secret communications line with Russia: Report) Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, also filled out paperwork for his White House security clearance wrongly and had to refile it repeatedly, CBS reported. Prior to 2009, Kushner's New Jersey voter registration noted his gender as "unknown," according to The Hill news site. Kushner, the scion of a wealthy property-owning family, is one of a number of Trump's inner circle previously found to have been registered to vote in more than one state during last year's election, the Washington Post has reported. Others include ex-White House press secretary Sean Spicer and ex-lead strategist Stephen Bannon. Multiple registrations were pointed to by the president as a sign of purported widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election. Trump said millions of people illegally cast votes for Hillary Clinton but has never substantiated his claim. Kushner -- a person of interest in the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the US election -- has also recently been accused of using private email accounts to conduct government business. Trump's insurgent presidential campaign was galvanized by supporters' demands that Clinton be jailed for her use of private email servers while Secretary of State.

Trump aide and son-in-law Kushner registered to vote as a woman: Reports

China warned Tuesday that any conflict on the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;peninsula&nbsp;would have &quot;no winners&quot; after North Korea accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on it.

Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang&#39;s sixth nuclear test early this month.

China hopes Washington and Pyongyang realise that &quot;blindly flaunting one&#39;s superiority with words to show off and mutual provocation will only increase the risk of confrontation and reduce the room for policy manoeuvres&quot;, said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

&quot;A war on the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;peninsula&nbsp;will have no winners and would be even worse for the region and regional countries,&quot; Lu told&nbsp;a regular news briefing.

Trump tweeted at the weekend that North Korea&#39;s leadership &quot;won&#39;t be around much longer&quot; if it keeps up its threats.

North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused Trump of declaring war and warned that his country would be ready to shoot down US bombers.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday, saying Washington wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis.&nbsp;

Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test early this month.

China warned Tuesday that any conflict on the Korean peninsula would have "no winners" after North Korea accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on it. Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test early this month. China hopes Washington and Pyongyang realise that "blindly flaunting one's superiority with words to show off and mutual provocation will only increase the risk of confrontation and reduce the room for policy manoeuvres", said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang. "A war on the Korean peninsula will have no winners and would be even worse for the region and regional countries," Lu told a regular news briefing. Trump tweeted at the weekend that North Korea's leadership "won't be around much longer" if it keeps up its threats. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused Trump of declaring war and warned that his country would be ready to shoot down US bombers. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday, saying Washington wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

China says war on Korean peninsula would have 'no winners'

The&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;issue&nbsp;should&nbsp;be resolved&nbsp;peacefully&nbsp;through talks, Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping told British Prime Minister&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

Chinese President?Xi?Jinping told British Prime Minister?Theresa?May

The North Korean issue should be resolved peacefully through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping told British Prime Minister Theresa May in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

North Korea issue should be peacefully resolved: Xi to Theresa May

The leaders of&nbsp;Britain, France and Italy will push social media companies on Wednesday to remove &quot;terrorist content&quot; from the internet within one to two hours of it appearing because they say that is the period when most material is spread.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google said they will attend the meeting.

Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies&#39; commitment to combating online extremism.

Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor.

The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web.

The British UN&nbsp;mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go &quot;further and faster&quot; to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles.

&quot;Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead,&quot; May plans to tell the event.

&quot;Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place,&quot; she will say.

Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts.

Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the &quot;promotion of terrorism&quot;, a 20 percent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet.

May said ahead of Wednesday&#39;s event: &quot;We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response &ndash; both from industry and governments &ndash; if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists&#39; use of the internet.&quot;

Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google said they will attend the meeting.

Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies&#39; commitment to combating online extremism.

Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor.

The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web.

The British UN&nbsp;mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go &quot;further and faster&quot; to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles.

&quot;Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead,&quot; May plans to tell the event.

&quot;Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place,&quot; she will say.

Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts.

Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the &quot;promotion of terrorism&quot;, a 20 per cent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet.

May said ahead of Wednesday&#39;s event: &quot;We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response &ndash; both from industry and governments &ndash; if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists&#39; use of the internet.&quot;

British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

The leaders of Britain, France and Italy will push social media companies on Wednesday to remove "terrorist content" from the internet within one to two hours of it appearing because they say that is the period when most material is spread. British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc's Google said they will attend the meeting. Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies' commitment to combating online extremism. Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor. The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web. The British UN mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go "further and faster" to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles. "Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead," May plans to tell the event. "Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place," she will say. Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts. Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the "promotion of terrorism", a 20 percent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet. May said ahead of Wednesday's event: "We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response – both from industry and governments – if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists' use of the internet." Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc's Google said they will attend the meeting. Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies' commitment to combating online extremism. Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor. The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web. The British UN mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go "further and faster" to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles. "Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead," May plans to tell the event. "Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place," she will say. Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts. Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the "promotion of terrorism", a 20 per cent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet. May said ahead of Wednesday's event: "We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response – both from industry and governments – if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists' use of the internet."

At UN, Britain to push internet firms to remove extremist content quicker

Bangladesh&nbsp;Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country&nbsp;fromMyanmar, but she&nbsp;expects&nbsp;no&nbsp;help&nbsp;from&nbsp;him as he has made clear how he feels about&nbsp;refugees.

As&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

&quot;He just asked how is&nbsp;Bangladesh? I said &#39;it&#39;s doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;,&quot; Hasina told Reuters in an interview. &quot;But he didn&#39;t make any comment about&nbsp;refugees.&quot;

A&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country&#39;s Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;to neighboring&nbsp;Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government&nbsp;says&nbsp;about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.

Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said&nbsp;Trump&#39;s stance on&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;was clear, so it was not worth asking him for&nbsp;help&nbsp;with the Rohingya Muslim&nbsp;refugees.

&quot;Already America declared that they will not allow any&nbsp;refugees,&quot; she said. &quot;What I can expectfrom&nbsp;them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?&quot;

&quot;Bangladesh&nbsp;is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it.&quot;

A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was deeply interested in the subject and that &quot;he would definitely engage if it were brought up.&quot;

Shortly after taking office in January,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people&nbsp;from&nbsp;six predominantly Muslim countries.

&quot;The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said on Twitter on Friday.

Trump&nbsp;says&nbsp;the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban.

About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants&nbsp;from&nbsp;Bangladesh.

Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;to allow the Rohingya to return.

&quot;(Myanmar&nbsp;leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;is their country. They should take them back,&quot; she said. &quot;These people are suffering.&quot;

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar&nbsp;national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was &quot;a process we have to discuss.&quot;

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes.

&quot;People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;across the border to&nbsp;Bangladesh,&quot; Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday.

A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;this week.

As?Trump?left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country fromMyanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees. As Trump left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes. "He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees." A Myanmar military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country's Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting. Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said Trump's stance on refugees was clear, so it was not worth asking him for help with the Rohingya Muslim refugees. "Already America declared that they will not allow any refugees," she said. "What I can expectfrom them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?" "Bangladesh is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it." A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said Trump was deeply interested in the subject and that "he would definitely engage if it were brought up." Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian refugees indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people from six predominantly Muslim countries. "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Trump said on Twitter on Friday. Trump says the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban. About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on Myanmar to allow the Rohingya to return. "(Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that Myanmar is their country. They should take them back," she said. "These people are suffering." Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that Myanmar would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was "a process we have to discuss." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the Myanmar government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes. "People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday. A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in Myanmar this week.

Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

US President Donald Trump makes his debut at the United Nations on Monday, with an address on UN reform as a week of intense diplomacy kicks off, dominated by worries about North Korea, Iran and Myanmar.

Trump, who once disparaged the world body as a &quot;club&quot; for &quot;people to get together, talk and have a good time,&quot; will lay out his views on how to improve the United Nations a day before he makes his first address to the General Assembly.

About 130 world leaders are attending this year&#39;s global gathering, but all eyes will be on Trump, whose &quot;America First&quot; agenda has alarmed both allies and foes.

The UN&#39;s number one financial backer, the United States has threatened deep cuts to UN funding that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said would create an &quot;unsolvable problem&quot; for the world body.

Guterres, who is pushing for an overhaul of the UN bureaucracy, will also address the event at which leaders will sign a pledge of support for reform.

France and Russia have reacted coolly to the US initiative, amid concerns that the US administration is focused more on cost-cutting than improving the UN&#39;s performance.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley was a driving force behind a $600-million-dollar cut to the UN peacekeeping budget this year.

Haley on Friday pointed to the more than 120 countries that back the US-drafted political declaration on UN reform as a &quot;miraculous number,&quot; showing there is support for a &quot;massive reform package&quot; led by Guterres.

Differences over Iran, North Korea&nbsp;

On Monday, Trump will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also be making his maiden address at the General Assembly on Tuesday, and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Both Macron and Netanyahu are expected to raise the future of the Iran nuclear agreement, with the French leader making a strong case for keeping it alive and the Israeli prime minister pushing for its demise.

Trump will also have a working dinner with Latin American leaders that will touch on the crisis in Venezuela.

North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile tests will be in the spotlight with foreign ministers set to discuss enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang during a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, Trump will be holding talks with Japanese and South Korean leaders who have backed the US drive to ratchet up sanctions on North Korea.

The council last week imposed a new raft of measures such as a ban on export textiles and a cap on oil shipments to pile pressure on Pyongyang to come to the table and negotiate an end to its nuclear and missile programs.

Russia and China, however, are calling for diplomatic talks with North Korea while warning that a military option as suggested by the United States would have catastrophic consequences.

Myanmar&nbsp;

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will host a meeting on the military campaign in Myanmar which the United Nations has described as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; after more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee.

The closed-door meeting will be attended by a representative from Myanmar and by foreign ministers from &quot;a range of countries with a strong interest in seeing an end to the violence there,&quot; a British diplomat said.

Ahead of the opening of the General Assembly, UN member-states will discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Irma that devastated parts of the United States and the Caribbean.&nbsp;

The hurricane disaster offers a reminder of the destructive force of nature as leaders set their sights on implementing the Paris agreement on climate change despite the US withdrawal from the deal.

Trump, who once disparaged the world body as a "club" for "people to get together, talk and have a good time," will lay out his views on how to improve the United Nations a day before he makes his first address to the General Assembly.

US President Donald Trump makes his debut at the United Nations on Monday, with an address on UN reform as a week of intense diplomacy kicks off, dominated by worries about North Korea, Iran and Myanmar. Trump, who once disparaged the world body as a "club" for "people to get together, talk and have a good time," will lay out his views on how to improve the United Nations a day before he makes his first address to the General Assembly. About 130 world leaders are attending this year's global gathering, but all eyes will be on Trump, whose "America First" agenda has alarmed both allies and foes. The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has threatened deep cuts to UN funding that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said would create an "unsolvable problem" for the world body. Guterres, who is pushing for an overhaul of the UN bureaucracy, will also address the event at which leaders will sign a pledge of support for reform. France and Russia have reacted coolly to the US initiative, amid concerns that the US administration is focused more on cost-cutting than improving the UN's performance. US Ambassador Nikki Haley was a driving force behind a $600-million-dollar cut to the UN peacekeeping budget this year. Haley on Friday pointed to the more than 120 countries that back the US-drafted political declaration on UN reform as a "miraculous number," showing there is support for a "massive reform package" led by Guterres. Differences over Iran, North Korea On Monday, Trump will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also be making his maiden address at the General Assembly on Tuesday, and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both Macron and Netanyahu are expected to raise the future of the Iran nuclear agreement, with the French leader making a strong case for keeping it alive and the Israeli prime minister pushing for its demise. Trump will also have a working dinner with Latin American leaders that will touch on the crisis in Venezuela. North Korea's nuclear and missile tests will be in the spotlight with foreign ministers set to discuss enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang during a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation on Thursday. Also on Thursday, Trump will be holding talks with Japanese and South Korean leaders who have backed the US drive to ratchet up sanctions on North Korea. The council last week imposed a new raft of measures such as a ban on export textiles and a cap on oil shipments to pile pressure on Pyongyang to come to the table and negotiate an end to its nuclear and missile programs. Russia and China, however, are calling for diplomatic talks with North Korea while warning that a military option as suggested by the United States would have catastrophic consequences. Myanmar British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will host a meeting on the military campaign in Myanmar which the United Nations has described as "ethnic cleansing" after more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee. The closed-door meeting will be attended by a representative from Myanmar and by foreign ministers from "a range of countries with a strong interest in seeing an end to the violence there," a British diplomat said. Ahead of the opening of the General Assembly, UN member-states will discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Irma that devastated parts of the United States and the Caribbean. The hurricane disaster offers a reminder of the destructive force of nature as leaders set their sights on implementing the Paris agreement on climate change despite the US withdrawal from the deal.

Trump pushes UN reform as world leaders gather for crisis talks

BJP&#39;s Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as India&#39;s 14th president on Tuesday,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-is-ram-nath-kovind-indias-new-president-18263"> just the second Dalit leader to be elected head of state</a> after KR Narayanan.

In his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/read-full-text-of-ram-nath-kovinds-first-speech-as-president-18269"> address to Parliament</a> after his swearing-in, the new president said he felt privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr &nbsp;Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee.

&quot;I will stand by and represent all 125 crore fellow Indians. I understand the massive responsibility that this is. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr.Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab da. I hope to live up to that greatness,&quot; he said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/read-full-text-of-ram-nath-kovinds-first-speech-as-president-18269">In his speech</a>, President Kovind emphasised the importance of upholding India&#39;s diversity.&nbsp;

&quot;Coming here to central hall has brought back so many memories. I have been to this central hall and have often had discussions with many of you. We often agreed and disagreed.&nbsp;But we learnt to respect each other and that is the beauty of democracy.&quot;

We are different but we are one and united. These are the traditional values and there is no contradiction or alternative opinion about it.&quot;

The 71-year-old president, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, said he had been brought up in a mud-built house in a small village in the state.

&quot;I am thankful to you all for giving me the responsibility to be the President of India... I come from a humble background. The journey has been long.

I grew up in a mud house, in a small village. My journey has been a long one, and yet this journey is hardly mine alone. It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution &ndash; of ensuring Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra,&quot;&nbsp; Mr Kovind said in his address.

He said that while the 21st century would be an Indian century, there was a need to build India as a &quot;moral exemplar&quot; and of combining tradition and technology.

&quot;We would be completing 70 years of our Independence soon. We are also well into the second decade of the 21st century, a century that so many of us intuitively believe will be an Indian century, guided and shaped by India and its accomplishments. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. For us, those two touchstones can never be separate. They are and must forever be linked,&quot; Ram Nath Kovind said.

&quot;The India of the 21st century will be one that is in conformity with our ancient values as well as compliant with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There is no dichotomy there, no question of choice. We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India,&quot; President Kovind said.

Citing the examples of Mahatma Gandhi and Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay, President Kovind stressed on the need for building an egalitarian society.

&quot;We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji. These are integral to our sense of humanism. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities. This will be the India of the 21st century,&quot; he said.

After his address in Parliament, President Kovind was given a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was then given a tour of the&nbsp;Raisina Hill residence by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee.

The new President subsequently left for 10, Rajaji Marg, the new residence of Pranab Mukherjee and the received former President there.

Accompanied by his wife, President Kovind paid his respects at Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s memorial Rajghat in the Indian capital before proceeding to Parliament&#39;s Central Hall for his swearing-in ceremony.

He was driven&nbsp;to Parliament in a ceremonial horse-drawn chariot.

A former lawyer and governor of Bihar, Kovind won the presidency after defeating Opposition&#39;s Meira Kumar, garnering more than 65 per cent of the vote of lawmakers of Parliament and state assemblies.

A politician with a previously low profile, he is also a member of the Hindu nationalist organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

His appointment is being viewed as a move to consolidate the Dalit vote for the BJP ahead of the 2019&nbsp;general elections.

Ram Nath Kovind is just the second Dalit leader to be elected head of state after KR Narayanan.

BJP's Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as India's 14th president on Tuesday, just the second Dalit leader to be elected head of state after KR Narayanan. In his address to Parliament after his swearing-in, the new president said he felt privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab Mukherjee. "I will stand by and represent all 125 crore fellow Indians. I understand the massive responsibility that this is. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr.Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab da. I hope to live up to that greatness," he said. In his speech, President Kovind emphasised the importance of upholding India's diversity. "Coming here to central hall has brought back so many memories. I have been to this central hall and have often had discussions with many of you. We often agreed and disagreed. But we learnt to respect each other and that is the beauty of democracy." We are different but we are one and united. These are the traditional values and there is no contradiction or alternative opinion about it." The 71-year-old president, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, said he had been brought up in a mud-built house in a small village in the state. "I am thankful to you all for giving me the responsibility to be the President of India... I come from a humble background. The journey has been long. I grew up in a mud house, in a small village. My journey has been a long one, and yet this journey is hardly mine alone. It is so telling of our nation and our society also. For all its problems, it follows that basic mantra given to us in the Preamble to the Constitution – of ensuring Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and I will always continue to follow this basic mantra," Mr Kovind said in his address. He said that while the 21st century would be an Indian century, there was a need to build India as a "moral exemplar" and of combining tradition and technology. "We would be completing 70 years of our Independence soon. We are also well into the second decade of the 21st century, a century that so many of us intuitively believe will be an Indian century, guided and shaped by India and its accomplishments. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. For us, those two touchstones can never be separate. They are and must forever be linked," Ram Nath Kovind said. "The India of the 21st century will be one that is in conformity with our ancient values as well as compliant with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There is no dichotomy there, no question of choice. We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India," President Kovind said. Citing the examples of Mahatma Gandhi and Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay, President Kovind stressed on the need for building an egalitarian society. "We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji. These are integral to our sense of humanism. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities. This will be the India of the 21st century," he said. After his address in Parliament, President Kovind was given a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was then given a tour of the Raisina Hill residence by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. The new President subsequently left for 10, Rajaji Marg, the new residence of Pranab Mukherjee and the received former President there. Accompanied by his wife, President Kovind paid his respects at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat in the Indian capital before proceeding to Parliament's Central Hall for his swearing-in ceremony. He was driven to Parliament in a ceremonial horse-drawn chariot. A former lawyer and governor of Bihar, Kovind won the presidency after defeating Opposition's Meira Kumar, garnering more than 65 per cent of the vote of lawmakers of Parliament and state assemblies. A politician with a previously low profile, he is also a member of the Hindu nationalist organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). His appointment is being viewed as a move to consolidate the Dalit vote for the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Ram Nath Kovind sworn in as India's 14th president, says every Indian is a nation builder

A Bengaluru traffic cop has won hearts and minds after he stopped the President&#39;s convoy to let an ambulance pass.

The traffic cop, ML&nbsp;Nijalingappa, stopped the President&#39;s convoy to let an ambulance through at Bengaluru&#39;s Trinity Circle on Saturday.

President Pranab Mukherjee was in the city to inaugrate the Green Line metro and was at the time heading back to Raj Bhavan.&nbsp;

Traffic was heavy at the time but sub-inspector Nijalingappa quickly passed on directions that way be made for the ambulance.

Benagluru&nbsp;Police later announced a reward for Nijalingappa.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Act of Shri Nijlingappa is truly admirable and deserves Kudos. Serves as example for many. <a href="https://twitter.com/BlrCityPolice">@BlrCityPolice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CPBlr">@cpblr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blrcitytraffic">@blrcitytraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/fLxOKpdNaj">https://t.co/fLxOKpdNaj</a>
&mdash; IPS Association (@IPS_Association) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPS_Association/status/877003317053841409">June 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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PSI Sh Nijlingappa is rewarded for deftly allowing the ambulance before the 1st citizen of India. <a href="https://twitter.com/blrcitytraffic">@blrcitytraffic</a> gives way to ??, do you? <a href="https://t.co/KoI2nap14N">pic.twitter.com/KoI2nap14N</a>
&mdash; DCP Traffic East (@DCPTrEastBCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCPTrEastBCP/status/876330897443704833">June 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Abhei Goyal, deputy commissioner of police, Traffic, East Division, Bengaluru City, later took to Twitter to praise the officer&#39;s presence of mind.&nbsp;

&quot;P SI Sh Nijilingappa is rewarded for deftly allowing the ambulance before the 1st citizen of India,&quot; he wrote.&nbsp;

The incident occurred in Bengaluru, where President Pranab Mukherjee had gone to inaugurate the Green Line metro

A Bengaluru traffic cop has won hearts and minds after he stopped the President's convoy to let an ambulance pass. The traffic cop, ML Nijalingappa, stopped the President's convoy to let an ambulance through at Bengaluru's Trinity Circle on Saturday. President Pranab Mukherjee was in the city to inaugrate the Green Line metro and was at the time heading back to Raj Bhavan. Traffic was heavy at the time but sub-inspector Nijalingappa quickly passed on directions that way be made for the ambulance. Benagluru Police later announced a reward for Nijalingappa. Act of Shri Nijlingappa is truly admirable and deserves Kudos. Serves as example for many. @BlrCityPolice @cpblr @blrcitytraffic https://t.co/fLxOKpdNaj — IPS Association (@IPS_Association) June 20, 2017 × PSI Sh Nijlingappa is rewarded for deftly allowing the ambulance before the 1st citizen of India. @blrcitytraffic gives way to ??, do you? pic.twitter.com/KoI2nap14N — DCP Traffic East (@DCPTrEastBCP) June 18, 2017 × Abhei Goyal, deputy commissioner of police, Traffic, East Division, Bengaluru City, later took to Twitter to praise the officer's presence of mind. "P SI Sh Nijilingappa is rewarded for deftly allowing the ambulance before the 1st citizen of India," he wrote.

Traffic cop stops President's convoy to let ambulance pass, wins hearts & minds

Sonia Gandhi is likely to step down as Congress president paving the way for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the Congress president when the party holds its internal elections by October 15.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party&#39;s highest decision-making body, today approved the schedule for internal elections under which the party has to complete the exercise by October 15.&nbsp;

In her speech at the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi exhorted party members to strengthen the organisation and complete the organisational polls with &quot;speed and sincerity&quot;.

&quot;We must strengthen our organisation. The ongoing organisational elections must be completed with the utmost speed and sincerity,&quot; she said at the meeting, ahead of the CWC approving the poll schedule.&nbsp;

Asked whether the issue of elevation of Rahul Gandhi was discussed at the meeting, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad replied in the negative.&nbsp;

&quot;The schedule for organisational elections has been cleared by the CWC,&quot; Azad said, adding that Rahul&#39;s elevation was not specifically discussed.

The CWC members had in the last meeting in November unanimously expressed &quot;strong sentiment&quot; for Rahul&#39;s elevation for the first time and may take it further.&nbsp;

At the November 7 meeting, all members, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leader A K Antony, had made a strong pitch for Rahul to take over the reins of the party.&nbsp;

The Congress president has created a record by being at the helm of the 130-year-old organisation for nearly two decades since late Sitaram Kesri&#39;s ouster by the CWC in early 1998.

Rahul was appointed party vice president in January 2013 at Congress&#39;s brainstorming session in Jaipur.

(PTI)

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, today approved the schedule for internal elections under which the party has to complete the exercise by October 15

Sonia Gandhi is likely to step down as Congress president paving the way for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the Congress president when the party holds its internal elections by October 15. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, today approved the schedule for internal elections under which the party has to complete the exercise by October 15. In her speech at the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi exhorted party members to strengthen the organisation and complete the organisational polls with "speed and sincerity". "We must strengthen our organisation. The ongoing organisational elections must be completed with the utmost speed and sincerity," she said at the meeting, ahead of the CWC approving the poll schedule. Asked whether the issue of elevation of Rahul Gandhi was discussed at the meeting, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad replied in the negative. "The schedule for organisational elections has been cleared by the CWC," Azad said, adding that Rahul's elevation was not specifically discussed. The CWC members had in the last meeting in November unanimously expressed "strong sentiment" for Rahul's elevation for the first time and may take it further. At the November 7 meeting, all members, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leader A K Antony, had made a strong pitch for Rahul to take over the reins of the party. The Congress president has created a record by being at the helm of the 130-year-old organisation for nearly two decades since late Sitaram Kesri's ouster by the CWC in early 1998. Rahul was appointed party vice president in January 2013 at Congress's brainstorming session in Jaipur. (PTI)

Rahul Gandhi likely to replace Sonia Gandhi as Congress president in October

South Korean prosecutors investigating a massive corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-Hye attempted to raid the presidential Blue House on Friday, sparking a stand-off with security guards.&nbsp;

It was the first time investigators had sought to search the top security complex for evidence since Park was impeached by parliament in December over the influence-peddling and power abuse scandal.&nbsp;

A platoon of prosecutors wielding a court search warrant and their assistants were immediately stopped by security guards as they tried to enter the premises.

They have no legal means to enforce the search at the Blue House unless allowed in by the president, as the complex is considered a top military security zone, South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said.

A presidential spokesman said the Blue House was profoundly opposed to the search but was willing to present documents and other materials prosecutors wanted to look over.

Negotiations were continuing hours after the prosecution team arrived.

Park is accused of colluding with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Sil, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms to dubious foundations controlled by Choi.

The president is also accused of using her influence to ensure the merger of two Samsung units in 2015 to help facilitate a father-to-son power succession of Samsung`s founding family, allegedly in return for bribes given to Choi.

The prosecutors&#39;&nbsp;action comes as prosecutors plan to interrogate Park face-to-face next week.

The Constitutional Court has until June to decide whether to approve the impeachment, in which case new elections must be held within 60 days, or reinstate her.

(AFP)

Not even a court order permitted the raid. The president, who is under investigation, needs to give permission because it's a military zone

South Korean prosecutors investigating a massive corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-Hye attempted to raid the presidential Blue House on Friday, sparking a stand-off with security guards. It was the first time investigators had sought to search the top security complex for evidence since Park was impeached by parliament in December over the influence-peddling and power abuse scandal. A platoon of prosecutors wielding a court search warrant and their assistants were immediately stopped by security guards as they tried to enter the premises. They have no legal means to enforce the search at the Blue House unless allowed in by the president, as the complex is considered a top military security zone, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said. A presidential spokesman said the Blue House was profoundly opposed to the search but was willing to present documents and other materials prosecutors wanted to look over. Negotiations were continuing hours after the prosecution team arrived. Park is accused of colluding with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Sil, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms to dubious foundations controlled by Choi. The president is also accused of using her influence to ensure the merger of two Samsung units in 2015 to help facilitate a father-to-son power succession of Samsung`s founding family, allegedly in return for bribes given to Choi. The prosecutors' action comes as prosecutors plan to interrogate Park face-to-face next week. The Constitutional Court has until June to decide whether to approve the impeachment, in which case new elections must be held within 60 days, or reinstate her. (AFP)

Prosecutors stopped from raiding South Korea's presidential house

US President-elect Donald Trump stirred a simmering dispute with Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with &quot;inflammatory&quot; remarks, before appearing to row back.

Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favour of a united public front that would smooth the transfer of power on January 20.

But the Republican president-in-waiting unceremoniously cast any cordiality aside in a morning Twitter tirade from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

In a declaration that is unprecedented in its personal condemnation of a soon-to-be predecessor, the 70-year-old tweeted: &quot;Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!&quot;

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Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/814110460761018368">December 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
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But Trump later appeared to shift focus from his previous comments, stating the process was going &quot;very, very smoothly.&quot;

Trump said he had spoken to Obama in what he described as &quot;a very nice conversation... appreciated that he called.&quot;

&quot;I actually thought we covered a lot of territory,&quot; Trump said.

&quot;Our staffs have been getting along very well and I&#39;m getting along very well with him other than a couple of statements that I responded to.

&quot;We talked about it and smiled about it and nobody is ever going to know because we are never going to be going against each other.&quot;

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the call &quot;was positive and focused on continuing a smooth and effective transition,&quot; adding the pair planned to keep in touch over the coming weeks.

Tensions between Trump and the current White House have been growing for weeks as Obama has become more outspoken about a vitriol-filled election that saw Democrat Hillary Clinton suffer a shock defeat.

Obama -- who is still the most popular politician in the country -- recently suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so.

That seems to have irked the notoriously thin-skinned president-elect.

Competing claims

At the same time, the pair has competed to take credit for solid economic indicators.

After months of talking down the world&#39;s largest economy, Trump has tried to take credit for a number of economic developments that are roughly on trend.

Trump claimed Sprint was creating 5,000 US jobs &quot;because of me.&quot;

&quot;The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index for December surged nearly four points to 113.7, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! Thanks Donald,&quot; he tweeted late Tuesday, referring to himself in the third person.

And Trump announced he would hold in early January a press conference previously set to take place earlier this month to discuss his vast business holdings.

The 70-year-old, who is the wealthiest man to become US president, has been beset by accusations of conflict of interest ever since beating Clinton to the presidency.

White House response

While the White House has seethed behind the scenes, there has been&nbsp;little public response to Trump&#39;s forays into US foreign and domestic policy before he takes office in less than a month.

But tensions reached something of a breaking point after the United States tacitly backed condemnation of Israeli settlement activity at the United Nations.&nbsp;

With Washington withholding its veto, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building in the Palestinian territories.&nbsp;

Trump followed up Wednesday&#39;s early tweet with another two taking aim at Obama&#39;s policy toward Israel.

&quot;We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US, but.......&quot; he wrote.

&quot;Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!&quot;

Throughout the long election campaign, Obama made no secret of his disdain for Trump, describing him as ill-informed and unfit for office.

But since a landmark meeting in the Oval Office a few days after the election, Obama has tried flattery in a bid to bind Trump to the norms of office.

He has praised Trump on a historic victory and made plain that millions of Republican voters would also be hurt if Trump overturns his landmark health care law.&nbsp;

Obama has repeatedly vowed to make the transition as smooth as possible.

At lower levels, the transition has spluttered along after a slow start that saw many key departments wait for substantive meetings with Trump staff.

That is said to have improved in recent weeks, as &quot;landing teams&quot; have begun to work with government agencies and briefing materials have been distributed.

The real estate mogul-turned-commander-in-chief is gradually putting together a team that is made up of Republican establishment figures, billionaires, generals and far-right activists.

At Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, he met potential secretaries of agriculture and discussed measures to repeal so-called Obamacare and reform veterans&#39; health care with notable doctors.

(AFP)

They have tried to bury their political differences but the President-elect cast any cordiality aside in another Twitter tirade

US President-elect Donald Trump stirred a simmering dispute with Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with "inflammatory" remarks, before appearing to row back. Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favour of a united public front that would smooth the transfer of power on January 20. But the Republican president-in-waiting unceremoniously cast any cordiality aside in a morning Twitter tirade from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. In a declaration that is unprecedented in its personal condemnation of a soon-to-be predecessor, the 70-year-old tweeted: "Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks." "Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!" Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 × But Trump later appeared to shift focus from his previous comments, stating the process was going "very, very smoothly." Trump said he had spoken to Obama in what he described as "a very nice conversation... appreciated that he called." "I actually thought we covered a lot of territory," Trump said. "Our staffs have been getting along very well and I'm getting along very well with him other than a couple of statements that I responded to. "We talked about it and smiled about it and nobody is ever going to know because we are never going to be going against each other." White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the call "was positive and focused on continuing a smooth and effective transition," adding the pair planned to keep in touch over the coming weeks. Tensions between Trump and the current White House have been growing for weeks as Obama has become more outspoken about a vitriol-filled election that saw Democrat Hillary Clinton suffer a shock defeat. Obama -- who is still the most popular politician in the country -- recently suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so. That seems to have irked the notoriously thin-skinned president-elect. Competing claims At the same time, the pair has competed to take credit for solid economic indicators. After months of talking down the world's largest economy, Trump has tried to take credit for a number of economic developments that are roughly on trend. Trump claimed Sprint was creating 5,000 US jobs "because of me." "The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index for December surged nearly four points to 113.7, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! Thanks Donald," he tweeted late Tuesday, referring to himself in the third person. And Trump announced he would hold in early January a press conference previously set to take place earlier this month to discuss his vast business holdings. The 70-year-old, who is the wealthiest man to become US president, has been beset by accusations of conflict of interest ever since beating Clinton to the presidency. White House response While the White House has seethed behind the scenes, there has been little public response to Trump's forays into US foreign and domestic policy before he takes office in less than a month. But tensions reached something of a breaking point after the United States tacitly backed condemnation of Israeli settlement activity at the United Nations. With Washington withholding its veto, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building in the Palestinian territories. Trump followed up Wednesday's early tweet with another two taking aim at Obama's policy toward Israel. "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US, but......." he wrote. "Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Throughout the long election campaign, Obama made no secret of his disdain for Trump, describing him as ill-informed and unfit for office. But since a landmark meeting in the Oval Office a few days after the election, Obama has tried flattery in a bid to bind Trump to the norms of office. He has praised Trump on a historic victory and made plain that millions of Republican voters would also be hurt if Trump overturns his landmark health care law. Obama has repeatedly vowed to make the transition as smooth as possible. At lower levels, the transition has spluttered along after a slow start that saw many key departments wait for substantive meetings with Trump staff. That is said to have improved in recent weeks, as "landing teams" have begun to work with government agencies and briefing materials have been distributed. The real estate mogul-turned-commander-in-chief is gradually putting together a team that is made up of Republican establishment figures, billionaires, generals and far-right activists. At Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, he met potential secretaries of agriculture and discussed measures to repeal so-called Obamacare and reform veterans' health care with notable doctors. (AFP)

Trump, Obama disputes spill into the open

When a school opened three years ago in Turkey&#39;s biggest Kurdish-majority city, it was a symbol of Ankara&#39;s changing -- and more liberal -- attitudes toward Kurdish-language education.

The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir was one of five primary schools since 2013 that offered a fully Kurdish-language education.

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<h5>Turkish officials feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines</h5>
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From 2014 onwards, it was also the first school in Turkey to give parents their children&#39;s report cards in the Kurdish language.

But that has now come to an end after it became the first Kurdish school to be closed down in October by the governor.

All five such schools in the southeast have now been shut.

Some 238 students aged between five and 11 have been left without a school place in the new academic year.

The move comes after a fragile ceasefire collapsed last year with Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey and a crackdown since the July 15 failed coup on those suspected of links to rebels.

&#39;Unauthorised activities&#39;

Parents and teachers only discovered the school had been shut down when a seal was placed on the door by police saying it was closed due to violations of Turkish laws.

But the school&#39;s defenders say it was always acting outside of the law against offering a fully Kurdish language education but with the state&#39;s knowledge and tacit approval.

Kurdish language education had been forbidden under the Turkish constitution, which states: &quot;No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institution of education.&quot;

Some Turkish officials also feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines.

But in June 2012, then-prime minister now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish could be taught in public schools as optional courses if there were sufficient number of students.&nbsp;

It was part of a number of government reforms under Erdogan to ease restrictions on the Kurdish language and Kurdish broadcasts under pressure from the European Union as part of Ankara&#39;s membership bid.

Sources in the governor&#39;s office told AFP that the school was closed because of &quot;unauthorised activities&quot;, while the latest report by the schools management board on it was critical.

The school was named after Ferzad Kemangar, an Iranian Kurdish primary school teacher executed by Tehran in 2010 on charges of membership in the outlawed Kurdish militant group PEJAK, which his supporters have always vehemently rejected.

Two days before closing on October 9, the inspectors visited the school and their report said the education provided was &quot;contrary to national education regulations and legislation&quot;.

Despite reforms, the status of such schools was never made officially legal.

&#39;Waiting for my school&#39;

Adil Ercan, a teacher at Ferzad, said inspectors did not have anything &quot;unfavourable or unsuitable&quot; to say about the school.

He added, they were told on October 7 the school would be closed and would have 15 days to challenge the decision.

But two days later, parents called teachers in the evening asking what had happened after the school was sealed with only a piece of cardboard with a red seal.

&quot;We arrived in the morning and it was sealed. They did not give us any reason. We will seek our legal rights,&quot; Ercan said.

Disappointed students and parents told AFP that they would wait at home until it opened again, including seven-year-old Sarya Alici.

&quot;I am waiting for my school. Whenever it opens, I will go. What will I do if it doesn&#39;t open? I will wait at home.&quot;

Cihan Koyun said her family would not send children to another school. &quot;We are waiting for our school to open. Whatever happens, our school must open.&quot;

Since the attempted putsch, pro-Kurdish media outlets have been shut down, mayors in majority Kurdish cities have been arrested and lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP) have also been jailed under the state of emergency, imposed late July.&nbsp;

They are accused of acting as propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), a proscribed terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

The Kurdish militants are not linked to the attempted coup and critics say that the government is using the state of emergency to intimidate all its critics.

The government insists it is not attacking the Kurdish community, an estimated 20 percent of the population -- but dealing with PKK &quot;terrorists&quot; fighting against Turkey since 1984.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir offered a fully Kurdish-language education, not allowed under Turkish law

When a school opened three years ago in Turkey's biggest Kurdish-majority city, it was a symbol of Ankara's changing -- and more liberal -- attitudes toward Kurdish-language education. The school in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir was one of five primary schools since 2013 that offered a fully Kurdish-language education. Turkish officials feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines × From 2014 onwards, it was also the first school in Turkey to give parents their children's report cards in the Kurdish language. But that has now come to an end after it became the first Kurdish school to be closed down in October by the governor. All five such schools in the southeast have now been shut. Some 238 students aged between five and 11 have been left without a school place in the new academic year. The move comes after a fragile ceasefire collapsed last year with Kurdish militants waging an insurgency inside Turkey and a crackdown since the July 15 failed coup on those suspected of links to rebels. 'Unauthorised activities' Parents and teachers only discovered the school had been shut down when a seal was placed on the door by police saying it was closed due to violations of Turkish laws. But the school's defenders say it was always acting outside of the law against offering a fully Kurdish language education but with the state's knowledge and tacit approval. Kurdish language education had been forbidden under the Turkish constitution, which states: "No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institution of education." Some Turkish officials also feared the use of the Kurdish language would divide the country along ethnic lines. But in June 2012, then-prime minister now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish could be taught in public schools as optional courses if there were sufficient number of students. It was part of a number of government reforms under Erdogan to ease restrictions on the Kurdish language and Kurdish broadcasts under pressure from the European Union as part of Ankara's membership bid. Sources in the governor's office told AFP that the school was closed because of "unauthorised activities", while the latest report by the schools management board on it was critical. The school was named after Ferzad Kemangar, an Iranian Kurdish primary school teacher executed by Tehran in 2010 on charges of membership in the outlawed Kurdish militant group PEJAK, which his supporters have always vehemently rejected. Two days before closing on October 9, the inspectors visited the school and their report said the education provided was "contrary to national education regulations and legislation". Despite reforms, the status of such schools was never made officially legal. 'Waiting for my school' Adil Ercan, a teacher at Ferzad, said inspectors did not have anything "unfavourable or unsuitable" to say about the school. He added, they were told on October 7 the school would be closed and would have 15 days to challenge the decision. But two days later, parents called teachers in the evening asking what had happened after the school was sealed with only a piece of cardboard with a red seal. "We arrived in the morning and it was sealed. They did not give us any reason. We will seek our legal rights," Ercan said. Disappointed students and parents told AFP that they would wait at home until it opened again, including seven-year-old Sarya Alici. "I am waiting for my school. Whenever it opens, I will go. What will I do if it doesn't open? I will wait at home." Cihan Koyun said her family would not send children to another school. "We are waiting for our school to open. Whatever happens, our school must open." Since the attempted putsch, pro-Kurdish media outlets have been shut down, mayors in majority Kurdish cities have been arrested and lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have also been jailed under the state of emergency, imposed late July. They are accused of acting as propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terror group by Turkey and its Western allies. The Kurdish militants are not linked to the attempted coup and critics say that the government is using the state of emergency to intimidate all its critics. The government insists it is not attacking the Kurdish community, an estimated 20 percent of the population -- but dealing with PKK "terrorists" fighting against Turkey since 1984. (AFP)

Once a beacon of hope in Turkey, Kurdish school shut down

China has returned to US an unmanned underwater drone that was seized by the Chinese Navy last week in international waters, the Pentagon press reports.&nbsp;

China&#39;s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, the drone was handed back after &quot;friendly consultations&quot;.

The seizure of the drone triggered speculations as well as a diplomatic protest about whether this will strengthen US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s hand as he seeks a tougher line with Beijing.

The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters. Officials say a noncombat ship was recovering two drones when a Chinese ship approached, launched a small boat and picked up one of them, according to the ABC news.

This has added to the concerns of US regarding China&#39;s growing military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed South China Sea, including its militarization of maritime outposts.

The US Navy has about 130 such underwater drones, made by Teledyne Webb, each weighing about 60 kg (130 pounds) and able to stay underwater for up to five months. They are used to collect unclassified data about oceans, including temperature and depth. They are used around the world, but it is unclear how many are used in the South China Sea, reports Reuters.

China is now deeply suspicious of any US military activities in the South China Sea.

While the state media and experts say that the use of the drone was likely part of US surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway.

(WION)

The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters.

China has returned to US an unmanned underwater drone that was seized by the Chinese Navy last week in international waters, the Pentagon press reports. China's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, the drone was handed back after "friendly consultations". The seizure of the drone triggered speculations as well as a diplomatic protest about whether this will strengthen US President-elect Donald Trump's hand as he seeks a tougher line with Beijing. The US says the drone was being operated by civilian contractors collecting unclassified scientific data in international waters. Officials say a noncombat ship was recovering two drones when a Chinese ship approached, launched a small boat and picked up one of them, according to the ABC news. This has added to the concerns of US regarding China's growing military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed South China Sea, including its militarization of maritime outposts. The US Navy has about 130 such underwater drones, made by Teledyne Webb, each weighing about 60 kg (130 pounds) and able to stay underwater for up to five months. They are used to collect unclassified data about oceans, including temperature and depth. They are used around the world, but it is unclear how many are used in the South China Sea, reports Reuters. China is now deeply suspicious of any US military activities in the South China Sea. While the state media and experts say that the use of the drone was likely part of US surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway. (WION)

China has returned a US unmanned underwater drone

Gunfire could be heard in several districts of Kinshasa early on Tuesday as demonstrators demanded that President Joseph Kabila step down after his mandate expired at midnight, and measures to curb dissent fanned fears of more violence.

Reuters witnesses in various parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo&#39;s capital city heard repeated gunshots, and one saw youths burning tires in the street. Protesters also set off fireworks and cheered, a Reuters witness said.

Demonstrators in the districts of Kalamu, Matete and Lingwala as well as at Kinshasa University blew whistles to signal to Kabila that it was time to leave. Students at the university also burned tires, multiple witnesses said.

Kabila faces potentially one of his biggest challenges since he took power after his father was assassinated in 2001. Critics accuse him of clinging to power by letting his term run out with no election to name his successor expected until 2018.&nbsp;

Kabila has rarely spoken about the issue in public, but his allies say the election was delayed because of logistical and financial problems. The constitutional court has ruled that Kabila can stay on until the election takes place.

Some opposition leaders agreed Kabila can remain in office. But opponents, especially in Kinshasa, a city of 12 million, are not buying it. Diplomats have urged Kabila to step down to avoid triggering a massive crisis and possibly another civil war.

In what appeared to be an attempt at soothing opposition grievances, Kabila&#39;s administration announced on state TV an expansion of the government by 17 ministerial posts to 65, many of them reserved for opposition members.

The main opposition coalition, which refused to accept the deal enabling Kabila to stay on, is unlikely to be appeased.

Scores of protesters have been arrested in the past 24 hours, mostly in the eastern city of Goma, according to human rights groups.

Authorities have blocked most social media and outlawed protests in Kinshasa. Those measures have raised fears of more violence in a nation that has suffered near constant war and instability in the two decades since the fall of kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko.

Western powers are nervous of a repeat of the conflicts between 1996 to 2003 that killed millions, drew in half a dozen neighbouring armies and saw rebel fighters rape women en masse.

(Reuters)

Gunfire could be heard in several districts while in some places people blew whistles to signal to Kabila that it was time to leave

Gunfire could be heard in several districts of Kinshasa early on Tuesday as demonstrators demanded that President Joseph Kabila step down after his mandate expired at midnight, and measures to curb dissent fanned fears of more violence. Reuters witnesses in various parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital city heard repeated gunshots, and one saw youths burning tires in the street. Protesters also set off fireworks and cheered, a Reuters witness said. Demonstrators in the districts of Kalamu, Matete and Lingwala as well as at Kinshasa University blew whistles to signal to Kabila that it was time to leave. Students at the university also burned tires, multiple witnesses said. Kabila faces potentially one of his biggest challenges since he took power after his father was assassinated in 2001. Critics accuse him of clinging to power by letting his term run out with no election to name his successor expected until 2018. Kabila has rarely spoken about the issue in public, but his allies say the election was delayed because of logistical and financial problems. The constitutional court has ruled that Kabila can stay on until the election takes place. Some opposition leaders agreed Kabila can remain in office. But opponents, especially in Kinshasa, a city of 12 million, are not buying it. Diplomats have urged Kabila to step down to avoid triggering a massive crisis and possibly another civil war. In what appeared to be an attempt at soothing opposition grievances, Kabila's administration announced on state TV an expansion of the government by 17 ministerial posts to 65, many of them reserved for opposition members. The main opposition coalition, which refused to accept the deal enabling Kabila to stay on, is unlikely to be appeased. Scores of protesters have been arrested in the past 24 hours, mostly in the eastern city of Goma, according to human rights groups. Authorities have blocked most social media and outlawed protests in Kinshasa. Those measures have raised fears of more violence in a nation that has suffered near constant war and instability in the two decades since the fall of kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko. Western powers are nervous of a repeat of the conflicts between 1996 to 2003 that killed millions, drew in half a dozen neighbouring armies and saw rebel fighters rape women en masse. (Reuters)

Protests erupt in Congo as President Kabila's mandate expires

Throughout the 2016 US&nbsp;election, Donald Trump has fawned over Vladimir Putin, but has repeatedly denied knowing him personally. But in 2013, Trump was filmed admitting that he does &quot;have&nbsp;a relationship&quot; with Vladimir Putin&nbsp;

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Trump caught in a HUGE lie on his relationship with Putin. 
 
Watch &amp; share this before the Electoral College votes tomorrow (Monday). <a href="https://t.co/GVBnvSMVdO">pic.twitter.com/GVBnvSMVdO</a>
&mdash; Shaun King (@ShaunKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/810521154809106432">December 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Donald Trump has brazenly&nbsp;refused to&nbsp;release his tax returns, falsely saying that an&nbsp;audit he was under&nbsp;prevented him from doing so. Then his son Donald Trump Jr, an official Trump Team member, gave the real reason--that releasing his tax returns would subject <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/9/15/12928146/donald-trump-jr-tax-returns">them to public scrutiny. </a>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump&nbsp;is the first&nbsp;presidential candidate in about 40 years to refuse this basic step&nbsp;towards transparency. Trump has also refused to divest himself from his private businesses before taking on the role of President, saying the business will be kept in the family--that is, it will be&nbsp;run by his&nbsp;children, who have already sat in on official meetings with <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/11/16/donald-trump-denies-seeking-security-clearance-for-children/9RuJmL53gRnTgvWwn92WFK/story.html">national</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/ivanka-trump-shinzo-abe.html">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/11/16/donald-trump-denies-seeking-security-clearance-for-children/9RuJmL53gRnTgvWwn92WFK/story.html">leaders&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.geektime.com/2016/12/14/guess-who-decided-to-join-trumps-tech-meeting-his-children/">global tech giants</a>.

The prospect of Trump&nbsp;being hopelessly enmeshed in a series of&nbsp;conflict of interests, and even the fear that his presidency will be unconstitutional from his first day in office, are all too real fears. But because of Trump&#39;s secrecy and because this is all so unprecedented, it&#39;s hard to sort it out precisely.

But the fears grow each time&nbsp;more public revelations link&nbsp;Trump, and the people in his administration,&nbsp;to Russia.

&nbsp;

A small sampling of Trump&#39;s Russian connections:

Today it was<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-state-secretary-pick-directed-us-russian-oil-company-leak-reveals-10303"> reported that</a> Trump&#39;s selection for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was once the director of a US-Russian oil company, and personally received rewards from Vladimir Putin. The Guardian reports that Tillerson is &quot;close&quot;&nbsp;to Igor Sechin, a hardliner ex-KGB member who heads Russia&#39;s state oil company, Rosneft. Tillerson also has no political experience whatsoever.

Two major US intelligence agencies and the White House have stated&nbsp;explicitly that they believe&nbsp;Russian hackers intervened in the US election in order to&nbsp;favour Trump, and that this was personally approved by Vladmir Putin.

Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager, quit&nbsp;during the election after evidence emerged that&nbsp;he lobbied for pro-Russian Ukrainian leader&nbsp;Viktor Yanukovych. Manafort initially denied the charge, which he called&nbsp;political propaganda.&nbsp;<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/291680-report-manafort-helped-ukraine-party-pay-us-lobbyists">Other reports</a> claim Manafort funnelled money so pro-Russian interests could secret lobby Washington without making their influence known.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-making-inquiry-ex-trump-campaign-manager-s-foreign-ties-n675881">NBC reported</a> in August that Manafort was a key player in multi-million dollar business deals between Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, one of them for a close Putin ally with alleged ties to organised crime.

Donald Trump&#39;s son Donald&nbsp;Jr--&nbsp;who has no experience in politics but was reportedly seeking White House security clearance--told a real estate conference in 2008, &quot;Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets...We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia&quot;. The Washington Post published this quote, attributing it to an account of the conference published on the website of&nbsp;a trade publication,&nbsp;eTurboNews.

While the FBI and CIA are investigating&nbsp;the links between Donald Trump and Russia, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/electoral-college-voters-wont-receive-intel-briefings-about-russian-election-interference-before-vote-10256">Electoral College will not be briefed </a>by these American intelligence agencies before voting on whether or not to make Trump the president Monday.

There will be information connecting&nbsp;Trump to&nbsp;Russia that they, and we, do not know.

(WION)
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A day before the Electoral College votes for US president, critics fear Trump's deep, numerous and secret connections to Russia

Throughout the 2016 US election, Donald Trump has fawned over Vladimir Putin, but has repeatedly denied knowing him personally. But in 2013, Trump was filmed admitting that he does "have a relationship" with Vladimir Putin Trump caught in a HUGE lie on his relationship with Putin. Watch & share this before the Electoral College votes tomorrow (Monday). pic.twitter.com/GVBnvSMVdO — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) December 18, 2016 × Donald Trump has brazenly refused to release his tax returns, falsely saying that an audit he was under prevented him from doing so. Then his son Donald Trump Jr, an official Trump Team member, gave the real reason--that releasing his tax returns would subject them to public scrutiny. Trump is the first presidential candidate in about 40 years to refuse this basic step towards transparency. Trump has also refused to divest himself from his private businesses before taking on the role of President, saying the business will be kept in the family--that is, it will be run by his children, who have already sat in on official meetings with national leaders and global tech giants. The prospect of Trump being hopelessly enmeshed in a series of conflict of interests, and even the fear that his presidency will be unconstitutional from his first day in office, are all too real fears. But because of Trump's secrecy and because this is all so unprecedented, it's hard to sort it out precisely. But the fears grow each time more public revelations link Trump, and the people in his administration, to Russia. A small sampling of Trump's Russian connections: Today it was reported that Trump's selection for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was once the director of a US-Russian oil company, and personally received rewards from Vladimir Putin. The Guardian reports that Tillerson is "close" to Igor Sechin, a hardliner ex-KGB member who heads Russia's state oil company, Rosneft. Tillerson also has no political experience whatsoever. Two major US intelligence agencies and the White House have stated explicitly that they believe Russian hackers intervened in the US election in order to favour Trump, and that this was personally approved by Vladmir Putin. Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager, quit during the election after evidence emerged that he lobbied for pro-Russian Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. Manafort initially denied the charge, which he called political propaganda. Other reports claim Manafort funnelled money so pro-Russian interests could secret lobby Washington without making their influence known. NBC reported in August that Manafort was a key player in multi-million dollar business deals between Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs, one of them for a close Putin ally with alleged ties to organised crime. Donald Trump's son Donald Jr-- who has no experience in politics but was reportedly seeking White House security clearance--told a real estate conference in 2008, "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets...We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia". The Washington Post published this quote, attributing it to an account of the conference published on the website of a trade publication, eTurboNews. While the FBI and CIA are investigating the links between Donald Trump and Russia, the Electoral College will not be briefed by these American intelligence agencies before voting on whether or not to make Trump the president Monday. There will be information connecting Trump to Russia that they, and we, do not know. (WION)

Watch: Video shows Trump lying, admits he has a 'relationship' with Vladimir Putin

Brazil&#39;s Federal Police asked prosecutors to charge former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for more crimes in the country&#39;s widest-ever corruption probe, Globo&#39;s G1 news site reported on Monday.

Lula, president from 2003 to 2010 and a possible candidate in the 2018 election, is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation into large-scale corruption at state-controlled oil company Petrobras.

According to the Federal Police, he should also be charged for corruption in the acquisition of land for his foundation and the rental of an apartment in the same building where he lives. The Federal Police alleges these expenses were paid by Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA, G1 said.

The former president&#39;s spokesmen told G1 that Lula had been paying rent on the apartment for years and that his foundation does not own the land on which its headquarters were built. Odebrecht said it is collaborating with Justice and declined to comment further.

Neither the Federal Police nor Lula&#39;s spokesmen were immediately available to comment on the report.

The Odebrecht family and top executives have signed plea bargains with Brazilian prosecutors in which as many as 77 of the engineering group&#39;s executives are testifying about widespread political graft. The family has apologized for its involvement in Brazil&#39;s massive corruption scandal.

(Reuters)

Former President Lula is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation

Brazil's Federal Police asked prosecutors to charge former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for more crimes in the country's widest-ever corruption probe, Globo's G1 news site reported on Monday. Lula, president from 2003 to 2010 and a possible candidate in the 2018 election, is already a defendant in three criminal probes linked to the so-called Car Wash investigation into large-scale corruption at state-controlled oil company Petrobras. According to the Federal Police, he should also be charged for corruption in the acquisition of land for his foundation and the rental of an apartment in the same building where he lives. The Federal Police alleges these expenses were paid by Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA, G1 said. The former president's spokesmen told G1 that Lula had been paying rent on the apartment for years and that his foundation does not own the land on which its headquarters were built. Odebrecht said it is collaborating with Justice and declined to comment further. Neither the Federal Police nor Lula's spokesmen were immediately available to comment on the report. The Odebrecht family and top executives have signed plea bargains with Brazilian prosecutors in which as many as 77 of the engineering group's executives are testifying about widespread political graft. The family has apologized for its involvement in Brazil's massive corruption scandal. (Reuters)

Brazil Federal Police ask prosecutors to charge Lula for more crimes: Media

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos will stand down before next year&rsquo;s general election, after being in power for 37 years,state radio said on Friday.

The 74-year-old became president in 1979. He is Africa&rsquo;s second-longest serving leader after Equatorial Guinea&rsquo;s Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

&nbsp;

Dos Santos&rsquo; rule has seen the end of civil war and an investment boom, but has also been criticised as secretive and corrupt with Angola&rsquo;s citizens suffering in poverty while his family became hugely wealthy.

National Radio of Angola said that defence minister Joao Lourenco would take over as the ruling MPLA&rsquo;s leader, in news confirmed to AFP by Joao Pinto, a senior member of the party.

&nbsp;

&quot;The president will not be a candidate and he already has a successor,&quot; Pinto told AFP.

&nbsp;

&quot;It will be Joao Lourenco, who will be presented to members of the party&nbsp;on December 10&nbsp;when we celebrate the party`s anniversary.&quot;

&nbsp;

At a meeting of the MPLA (People&rsquo;s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) on Friday in Luanda, Dos Santos launched his party&rsquo;s campaign for the election, but did not address whether he would seek a new term.

&quot;Our goal is to win the election,&quot; he told delegates. &quot;The key to success will be the discipline and the unity of all our candidates.&quot;

&nbsp;

Dos Santos made a surprise announcement in March that he would step down in 2018, but has since given no further details about any resignation plan.

&nbsp;

Following the constitutional changes in 2010, Angola does not directly elect a president,instead the leader of the winning party automatically becomes head of state.

&nbsp;

Dos Santos was re-elected in August as the head of MPLA, extending his mandate by up to five years if the party wins the election.

&nbsp;

The MPLA on Thursday issued a statement denying reports that Dos Santos was seriously ill.

&nbsp;

&quot;Dos Santos has personally directed the work of the MPLA and the state,&quot; it said.

&nbsp;

&quot;The MPLA party, which supports the Angolan government, warns all citizens to be aware of the circulation of false information against Angola on social media.&quot;

Angolan rapper and political activist Luaty Beirao, who was jailed for several months under Dos Santos&#39; regime, told Portugese news agency&nbsp;Lusa&nbsp;that he was &quot;very satisfied&quot; at the prospect of his leaving office.

&quot;Angola is the hostage of his decisions and whims and, fortunately, he has decided on his own that this was enough,&quot; he said, calling for &quot;new faces and new blood in Angola&quot;.

Beirao and 16 others were arrested last year for &quot;acts of rebellion&quot; for attending a book club meet where one of the works discussed was about non-violent resistance to repressive regimes.

&nbsp;

The case attracted international to rights issues in Angola and tall 17 were granted amnesty in October.

The end of Dos Santos&rsquo; regime will shake&nbsp;Angola, where he has been a looming presence in daily life longer than most people can remember, exercising almost a total authority over government, politics, media and business.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Dos Santos will step down before next year's general elections

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos will stand down before next year’s general election, after being in power for 37 years,state radio said on Friday. The 74-year-old became president in 1979. He is Africa’s second-longest serving leader after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Dos Santos’ rule has seen the end of civil war and an investment boom, but has also been criticised as secretive and corrupt with Angola’s citizens suffering in poverty while his family became hugely wealthy. National Radio of Angola said that defence minister Joao Lourenco would take over as the ruling MPLA’s leader, in news confirmed to AFP by Joao Pinto, a senior member of the party. "The president will not be a candidate and he already has a successor," Pinto told AFP. "It will be Joao Lourenco, who will be presented to members of the party on December 10 when we celebrate the party`s anniversary." At a meeting of the MPLA (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) on Friday in Luanda, Dos Santos launched his party’s campaign for the election, but did not address whether he would seek a new term. "Our goal is to win the election," he told delegates. "The key to success will be the discipline and the unity of all our candidates." Dos Santos made a surprise announcement in March that he would step down in 2018, but has since given no further details about any resignation plan. Following the constitutional changes in 2010, Angola does not directly elect a president,instead the leader of the winning party automatically becomes head of state. Dos Santos was re-elected in August as the head of MPLA, extending his mandate by up to five years if the party wins the election. The MPLA on Thursday issued a statement denying reports that Dos Santos was seriously ill. "Dos Santos has personally directed the work of the MPLA and the state," it said. "The MPLA party, which supports the Angolan government, warns all citizens to be aware of the circulation of false information against Angola on social media." Angolan rapper and political activist Luaty Beirao, who was jailed for several months under Dos Santos' regime, told Portugese news agency Lusa that he was "very satisfied" at the prospect of his leaving office. "Angola is the hostage of his decisions and whims and, fortunately, he has decided on his own that this was enough," he said, calling for "new faces and new blood in Angola". Beirao and 16 others were arrested last year for "acts of rebellion" for attending a book club meet where one of the works discussed was about non-violent resistance to repressive regimes. The case attracted international to rights issues in Angola and tall 17 were granted amnesty in October. The end of Dos Santos’ regime will shake Angola, where he has been a looming presence in daily life longer than most people can remember, exercising almost a total authority over government, politics, media and business. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Angolan President Dos Santos to stand down in 2017 after 37 years of rule

In the wake of Republican nominee Donald Trump winning the US presidential elections, a number of Americans are gathering&nbsp;in the streets to express either shock or jubiliation.

Live from Manhattan, this is a compilation of some tweets that show the deep divisions that exist in America today:

Some folks on Twitter resorted to&nbsp;humour:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Is it too soon to tell my Mexican boyfriend I&#39;m just not ready to be in a long distance relationship??? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionNight?src=hash">#ElectionNight</a>
&mdash; Bree Essrig (@BreeEssrig) <a href="https://twitter.com/BreeEssrig/status/796260999045136384">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While there is chaos at many places:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
BREAKING: Chaos outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan saying &quot;America united, we will never be divided&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionNight?src=hash">#ElectionNight</a> <a href="https://t.co/yoTyXuptAC">pic.twitter.com/yoTyXuptAC</a>
&mdash; Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArchithNEWS/status/796244588889600000">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
NYC Trump Protesters ?? 
 
This Has Soros Written All Over It 
 
Civil Unrest Is The Lefts Goal 
 
Stay Vigilant<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpProtest?src=hash">#TrumpProtest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpPresident?src=hash">#TrumpPresident</a> <a href="https://t.co/B7g7Tvtych">pic.twitter.com/B7g7Tvtych</a>
&mdash; #MAGA ?? Colleen (@col_nj) <a href="https://twitter.com/col_nj/status/796566998780100608">November 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Student walkout at Central Academy in Des Moines -- with &quot;Dump Trump&quot; signs up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpPresident?src=hash">#TrumpPresident</a> <a href="https://t.co/tg3xfPFdYc">pic.twitter.com/tg3xfPFdYc</a>
&mdash; ANTONIO ARELLANO (@AntonioArellano) <a href="https://twitter.com/AntonioArellano/status/796415982277427201">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

People also started suggesting that the elections are rigged:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
People are protesting outside the Hilton hotel Midtown saying &quot;one person one vote&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://t.co/3tt0bNoMok">pic.twitter.com/3tt0bNoMok</a>
&mdash; Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArchithNEWS/status/796243099433533441">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On the other hand, there&#39;s red everywhere:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A man is selling &quot;Make America Great Again&quot; caps outside of the Hilton hotel in Midtown <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZO7a91Et3l">pic.twitter.com/ZO7a91Et3l</a>
&mdash; Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArchithNEWS/status/796248791976476672">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Amidst the celebrations and protests on the streets, many are even contemplating leaving for greener pastures:&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Emigrate?src=hash">#Emigrate</a> crashes Canada&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/immigration?src=hash">#immigration</a> website<a href="https://t.co/LxS575qLSo">https://t.co/LxS575qLSo</a>
&mdash; Puneet Pandeya (@puneetpandeya) <a href="https://twitter.com/puneetpandeya/status/796261321561935872">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(Contributed By: Zeba Khan)

Currently, there are reports of massive protests and chaos in several states

In the wake of Republican nominee Donald Trump winning the US presidential elections, a number of Americans are gathering in the streets to express either shock or jubiliation. Live from Manhattan, this is a compilation of some tweets that show the deep divisions that exist in America today: Some folks on Twitter resorted to humour: Is it too soon to tell my Mexican boyfriend I'm just not ready to be in a long distance relationship??? #ElectionNight — Bree Essrig (@BreeEssrig) November 9, 2016 While there is chaos at many places: BREAKING: Chaos outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan saying "America united, we will never be divided" @WIONews #ElectionNight pic.twitter.com/yoTyXuptAC — Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) November 9, 2016 NYC Trump Protesters ?? This Has Soros Written All Over It Civil Unrest Is The Lefts Goal Stay Vigilant#TrumpProtest #TrumpPresident pic.twitter.com/B7g7Tvtych — #MAGA ?? Colleen (@col_nj) November 10, 2016 Student walkout at Central Academy in Des Moines -- with "Dump Trump" signs up. #TrumpPresident pic.twitter.com/tg3xfPFdYc — ANTONIO ARELLANO (@AntonioArellano) November 9, 2016 People also started suggesting that the elections are rigged: People are protesting outside the Hilton hotel Midtown saying "one person one vote" @WIONews pic.twitter.com/3tt0bNoMok — Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) November 9, 2016 On the other hand, there's red everywhere: A man is selling "Make America Great Again" caps outside of the Hilton hotel in Midtown @WIONews pic.twitter.com/ZO7a91Et3l — Archith Seshadri (@ArchithNEWS) November 9, 2016 Amidst the celebrations and protests on the streets, many are even contemplating leaving for greener pastures: #Emigrate crashes Canada's #immigration websitehttps://t.co/LxS575qLSo — Puneet Pandeya (@puneetpandeya) November 9, 2016 (Contributed By: Zeba Khan)

Americans can't decide how to react to Donald Trump's win

Thousands of people across America took to the streets to riot in a show of protest against the thought of a Donald Trump presidency.&nbsp;

In California, at Berkeley High School, thousands of students left school to openly denounce the new president-elect.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
NOW: Thousands of students at Berkeley High School in CA walked out of class with their teachers, to say that he is not their president. <a href="https://t.co/vcKGKDPdE9">pic.twitter.com/vcKGKDPdE9</a>
&mdash; KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) <a href="https://twitter.com/KING5Seattle/status/796405036532174848">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The LA Times reports that shortly after Trump gave his victory speech in New York, at about 3 am NY time, about 2,000 people rallied at UCLA, when two separate protests joined together, UCLA Seargeant Miguel Banuelos told the LA Times.

The UCLA protest peaked at 1 am local time, when a Trump pinata was set on fire in a trash can, the LA Times reports. There were five businesses who reported broken windows, and one incident of vandalism.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hundreds of students march from freshman dorms to I.V. chanting &quot;Fuck Donald Trump&quot; and &quot;Not my president.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8wx7dU01GA">pic.twitter.com/8wx7dU01GA</a>
&mdash; Daily Nexus (@dailynexus) <a href="https://twitter.com/dailynexus/status/796270980456857600">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Daily Nexus, the student paper at UC Santa Barbara,&nbsp;reports that students there&nbsp;waved Mexican flags and denouced&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;with profane language.

<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-10/us-protests-against-trumps-election/8011454">ABC </a>reports that about 100 protesters took to the Capital Hill neighbourhood of Seatle to block roads and set garbage bins on fire.&nbsp;ABC also reports that hundreds at the University of Pittsburgh marched through the streets, mostly&nbsp;calling for unity.&nbsp;

In Pennsylvania, hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students marched through the streets, with some in the crowd calling for unity,&nbsp;according to the student-run campus newspaper, the Pitt News.

The Pitt News&#39; Twitter account posted videos of peaceful protests that took place the morning after the election results were announced.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
New Protest going down Forbes sidewalk protesting &quot;hate.&quot; Sign in front says &quot;love trumps hate&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenJ_Caruso">@StephenJ_Caruso</a> <a href="https://t.co/1511Sayu2u">pic.twitter.com/1511Sayu2u</a>
&mdash; Stephen Caruso (@StephenJ_Caruso) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenJ_Caruso/status/796412950965784576">November 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

At least two protests are planned for Trump&#39;s hometown New York, one in Union Square and the other in Columbus Circle. Facebook events for demonstrations in Union Square and Columbus Circle were created on Wednesday morning, with more than <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/177936919332882/">10,000&nbsp;Facebook</a> users responding that they would be present at the protests, <a href="http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Donald-Trump-New-York-City-Reaction-Protests-Union-Square-Columbus-Circle-NYC-400546271.html">NBC New York</a> reports.

The Union Square protest is hosted by a group called the Socialist Alternative, and they plan to march for over 40 blocks to picket outside the Trump Tower, NBC New York reports.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2138893776334981/">The Columbus Circle</a> demonstration is hosted by the anti-racism group&nbsp;Answer Coalition, and so far about 1,000 people have indicated they plan to attend.

Some in New York didn&#39;t even wait for Trump to be declated winner, booing the Republican presidential candidate as he was on his way to cast his ballot.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dwn2fxuzLww" width="560"></iframe>

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/story/crisis-text-line-call-volume-doubled-since-trumps-win">Teen Vogue </a>reports that calls have doubled for a teen suicide hotline, many from the LGBTQ community, with &quot;election&quot; and &quot;Trump&quot; the two words cited most by testers.&nbsp;

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the anti-Trump protests, or negative consequences,&nbsp;since the announcement was made&nbsp;that he will be the next American president.&nbsp;No doubt there will be more protests to come --&nbsp;it has not even been a full 24 hours.

But Trump pledged to be a president for &quot;all Americans&quot;, and&nbsp;many&nbsp;don&#39;t seem to believe that will come&nbsp;true.

While Trump led in the all-important&nbsp;electoral votes, defeating Clinton&nbsp;by a high margin of 279 to 228, Clinton led the popular vote&nbsp;with about&nbsp;200,000 more votes overall.

(WION)

'Not my president!' was a common refrain in protests and in hashtags, as Americans everywhere denounced the man who will be their president

Thousands of people across America took to the streets to riot in a show of protest against the thought of a Donald Trump presidency. In California, at Berkeley High School, thousands of students left school to openly denounce the new president-elect. NOW: Thousands of students at Berkeley High School in CA walked out of class with their teachers, to say that he is not their president. pic.twitter.com/vcKGKDPdE9 — KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) November 9, 2016 × The LA Times reports that shortly after Trump gave his victory speech in New York, at about 3 am NY time, about 2,000 people rallied at UCLA, when two separate protests joined together, UCLA Seargeant Miguel Banuelos told the LA Times. The UCLA protest peaked at 1 am local time, when a Trump pinata was set on fire in a trash can, the LA Times reports. There were five businesses who reported broken windows, and one incident of vandalism. Hundreds of students march from freshman dorms to I.V. chanting "Fuck Donald Trump" and "Not my president." pic.twitter.com/8wx7dU01GA — Daily Nexus (@dailynexus) November 9, 2016 × The Daily Nexus, the student paper at UC Santa Barbara, reports that students there waved Mexican flags and denouced Trump with profane language. ABC reports that about 100 protesters took to the Capital Hill neighbourhood of Seatle to block roads and set garbage bins on fire. ABC also reports that hundreds at the University of Pittsburgh marched through the streets, mostly calling for unity. In Pennsylvania, hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students marched through the streets, with some in the crowd calling for unity, according to the student-run campus newspaper, the Pitt News. The Pitt News' Twitter account posted videos of peaceful protests that took place the morning after the election results were announced. New Protest going down Forbes sidewalk protesting "hate." Sign in front says "love trumps hate" @StephenJ_Caruso pic.twitter.com/1511Sayu2u — Stephen Caruso (@StephenJ_Caruso) November 9, 2016 × At least two protests are planned for Trump's hometown New York, one in Union Square and the other in Columbus Circle. Facebook events for demonstrations in Union Square and Columbus Circle were created on Wednesday morning, with more than 10,000 Facebook users responding that they would be present at the protests, NBC New York reports. The Union Square protest is hosted by a group called the Socialist Alternative, and they plan to march for over 40 blocks to picket outside the Trump Tower, NBC New York reports. The Columbus Circle demonstration is hosted by the anti-racism group Answer Coalition, and so far about 1,000 people have indicated they plan to attend. Some in New York didn't even wait for Trump to be declated winner, booing the Republican presidential candidate as he was on his way to cast his ballot. Meanwhile, Teen Vogue reports that calls have doubled for a teen suicide hotline, many from the LGBTQ community, with "election" and "Trump" the two words cited most by testers. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the anti-Trump protests, or negative consequences, since the announcement was made that he will be the next American president. No doubt there will be more protests to come -- it has not even been a full 24 hours. But Trump pledged to be a president for "all Americans", and many don't seem to believe that will come true. While Trump led in the all-important electoral votes, defeating Clinton by a high margin of 279 to 228, Clinton led the popular vote with about 200,000 more votes overall. (WION)

US Election: Trump presidency sparks riots across United States

South Korea&#39;s embattled president Park Geun-Hye replaced her prime minister and two other top cabinet members on Wednesday, in her latest bid to contain a damaging political scandal.

The move was part of a planned reshuffle of senior civil servants and ministers aimed at setting up a cross-party &quot;neutral&quot; cabinet and assuaging public anger with the president and her administration.

Park has been engulfed in a political storm over allegations that she allowed a long-time friend, who holds no political position, to meddle in affairs of state, including cabinet appointments.

The friend, Choi Soon-Sil, is currently being questioned under emergency detention by prosecutors over her links to Park and other allegations of influence-peddling and fraud.

A presidential spokesman said Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn had been replaced &quot;in connection with the current situation&quot; and added that the finance and public safety ministers were also being changed.

The new premier was named as Kim Byong-Joon, a former top aide to the late liberal president Roh Moo-Hyun.

The prime minister is a largely symbolic post in South Korea, where power is firmly concentrated in the presidency.

Suggestions that Choi Soon-Sil vetted presidential speeches and was given access to classified documents have exposed Park to public anger and ridicule and, with just over a year left in office, seen her approval ratings plunge into the single digits.

According to official sources cited by the Yonhap news agency, prosecutors were set to seek a formal arrest warrant against Choi later Wednesday.

Damage control

In an effort to deflect some of the criticism, Park had been urged to create a neutral cabinet by bringing in members from outside her ruling conservative Saenuri Party.

But opposition parties have said they need to be consulted on any appointments and also insist that any reshuffle should be preceded by a full investigation of Park&#39;s relationship with Choi.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday&#39;s changes were purely cosmetic.

&quot;People demanded that the president get rid of the Choi Soon-Sil-controlled cabinet, but this is just a second Choi Soon-Sil cabinet,&quot; a spokesman for the Democratic Party said.

The media has portrayed the 60-year-old Choi as a Rasputin-like figure, who wielded an unhealthy influence over Park that continued after her presidential election victory in December 2012.

Choi is the daughter of late religious leader Choi Tae-Min, who was married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own cult-like group known as the Church of Eternal Life.

He befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother -- whom he said had appeared to him in a dream. Park treated him as a mentor and subsequently formed a close bond with his daughter.

Earlier Wednesday, Choi Soon-Sil was seen entering the Seoul prosecutors office for a third day of questioning.

The YTN news channel showed footage of Choi, her face covered with a surgical mask and a dark coat covering her prison outfit, disembarking from a bus that brought her from the prison where she had spent a second night in custody.

(AFP)

Park Geun-Hye also replaced two top cabinet ministers

South Korea's embattled president Park Geun-Hye replaced her prime minister and two other top cabinet members on Wednesday, in her latest bid to contain a damaging political scandal. The move was part of a planned reshuffle of senior civil servants and ministers aimed at setting up a cross-party "neutral" cabinet and assuaging public anger with the president and her administration. Park has been engulfed in a political storm over allegations that she allowed a long-time friend, who holds no political position, to meddle in affairs of state, including cabinet appointments. The friend, Choi Soon-Sil, is currently being questioned under emergency detention by prosecutors over her links to Park and other allegations of influence-peddling and fraud. A presidential spokesman said Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn had been replaced "in connection with the current situation" and added that the finance and public safety ministers were also being changed. The new premier was named as Kim Byong-Joon, a former top aide to the late liberal president Roh Moo-Hyun. The prime minister is a largely symbolic post in South Korea, where power is firmly concentrated in the presidency. Suggestions that Choi Soon-Sil vetted presidential speeches and was given access to classified documents have exposed Park to public anger and ridicule and, with just over a year left in office, seen her approval ratings plunge into the single digits. According to official sources cited by the Yonhap news agency, prosecutors were set to seek a formal arrest warrant against Choi later Wednesday. Damage control In an effort to deflect some of the criticism, Park had been urged to create a neutral cabinet by bringing in members from outside her ruling conservative Saenuri Party. But opposition parties have said they need to be consulted on any appointments and also insist that any reshuffle should be preceded by a full investigation of Park's relationship with Choi. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday's changes were purely cosmetic. "People demanded that the president get rid of the Choi Soon-Sil-controlled cabinet, but this is just a second Choi Soon-Sil cabinet," a spokesman for the Democratic Party said. The media has portrayed the 60-year-old Choi as a Rasputin-like figure, who wielded an unhealthy influence over Park that continued after her presidential election victory in December 2012. Choi is the daughter of late religious leader Choi Tae-Min, who was married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own cult-like group known as the Church of Eternal Life. He befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother -- whom he said had appeared to him in a dream. Park treated him as a mentor and subsequently formed a close bond with his daughter. Earlier Wednesday, Choi Soon-Sil was seen entering the Seoul prosecutors office for a third day of questioning. The YTN news channel showed footage of Choi, her face covered with a surgical mask and a dark coat covering her prison outfit, disembarking from a bus that brought her from the prison where she had spent a second night in custody. (AFP)

South Korea scandal: Embattled president replaces prime minister

Donald Trump abruptly postponed his planned announcement today of his vice presidential running mate because of a deadly truck attack in France, but Republican sources said his choice was expected to be Indiana Governor Mike Pence. 
 
Viewed as a safe pair of hands, Pence, 57, has diverging views with Trump on his proposed Muslim ban and trade, and is more socially conservative, but he could help unify a divided party behind Trump&#39;s White House bid. 
 
Trump was due to make his official announcement on his choice today at 11am (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. But he tweeted on Thursday night that the attack in Nice, where a truck slammed into a crowd, killing dozens of people, prompted him to delay. 
 
&quot;In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow&#39;s news conference concerning my vice presidential announcement,&quot; said Trump. He said in a Fox News interview: &quot;We will announce tomorrow when it will be.&quot; 
 
Trump, who has proposed banning Muslims from &quot;terror states&quot; from entering the United States, said in another Fox News interview that the attack in France showed the United States and the rest of the world needed to get tougher in the fight against Islamist militants. 
 
&quot;This has to be dealt with very harshly,&quot; Trump said. 
 
He told Fox News he had not made a &quot;final, final decision&quot; on a running mate. He heaped praise on Pence and his other two finalists, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve got three people that are fantastic,&quot; he said. 
 
Trump&#39;s advisers told national party officials that he had settled on Pence, according to two Republican sources familiar with the campaign&#39;s operations. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m told he&#39;s been asked to do this and he&#39;s flying to New York,&quot; one source said. Pence was seen by TV networks arriving at a New York-area airport. 
 
Straight Man 
 
Trump&#39;s choice of running mate is seen as especially critical because his defeat of 16 rivals in the Republican primary race left the party divided. Some party leaders are still uneasy about some of his campaign positions and free-wheeling statements, such as his comments on Muslims and immigrants. 
 
&quot;Pence is Donald Trump&#39;s straight man,&quot; said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. &quot;He&#39;ll be able to defend him as well as be a cheerleader but do it in a calm, cool, collected manner that will preserve his credibility.&quot; 
 
Gingrich, who met Trump on Wednesday, said on a Facebook Live session that he had yet to hear from Trump. He said he had told Trump that he needed to decide whether he wanted &quot;two pirates&quot; on the same ticket. Both men have been political mavericks. 
 
Christie, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, told MSNBC earlier he would be disappointed if not picked. &ldquo;I&#39;m not going to say it won&#39;t bother me if I&#39;m not selected. Of course it bothers you a little bit.&quot; 
 
Pence, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Trump. The businessman has never held elected office. 
 
&quot;He&rsquo;s a good, safe, solid conservative,&quot; said Republican strategist Scott Reed. 
 
Pence also could give a boost to Trump&#39;s campaign fundraising efforts as he challenges the well-organized effort of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Pence has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. 
 
Differences between the two 
 
But Pence is to the right of Trump on social issues, having signed restrictive abortion legislation and pushed to defund the Planned Parenthood women&#39;s healthcare organization, whose services include providing abortions. Trump has said he opposes abortion, but his views have been inconsistent, and he has said Planned Parenthood provides some valuable services. 
 
Pence has also criticized Trump&rsquo;s proposal to ban Muslims temporarily from entering the country. In 2006, he introduced immigration legislation that would let illegal immigrants apply for U.S. work visas if they left the country for a period, a plan that was criticised by some conservatives. That contrasts with Trump&#39;s strong stance on immigration, marked by his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico. 
 
Pence has also voiced support for free trade deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership. Trump supports free trade but says he wants to renegotiate trade deals to make them more favorable to the United States. 
 
Pence had backed a Trump rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, in April before the Indiana primary, but he praised Trump and said he would work on behalf of the eventual Republican nominee. Trump won Indiana anyway, prompting Cruz to drop out of the race to be the party&#39;s nominee. 
 
Pence had considered running for president himself in 2016 before deciding to run for re-election as governor. Conservatives had urged him to seek the White House, but missteps last year related to an Indiana law seen as anti-gay hurt his national profile. 
 
This year, he was the target of a mocking social media campaign by women outraged at a law he signed creating new restrictions on abortions. Feeling that the law invaded their privacy, women responded by calling Pence&#39;s office to describe their menstrual periods or tweeting similar messages. 
 
Pence ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice before he won election to the House of Representatives in 2000, where he was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives. 
 
(Reuters)

Probable candidate Governor Mike Pence has divergent views with Trump on his proposed Muslim ban but he could help unify a divided party

Donald Trump abruptly postponed his planned announcement today of his vice presidential running mate because of a deadly truck attack in France, but Republican sources said his choice was expected to be Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Viewed as a safe pair of hands, Pence, 57, has diverging views with Trump on his proposed Muslim ban and trade, and is more socially conservative, but he could help unify a divided party behind Trump's White House bid. Trump was due to make his official announcement on his choice today at 11am (1500 GMT) in Manhattan. But he tweeted on Thursday night that the attack in Nice, where a truck slammed into a crowd, killing dozens of people, prompted him to delay. "In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow's news conference concerning my vice presidential announcement," said Trump. He said in a Fox News interview: "We will announce tomorrow when it will be." Trump, who has proposed banning Muslims from "terror states" from entering the United States, said in another Fox News interview that the attack in France showed the United States and the rest of the world needed to get tougher in the fight against Islamist militants. "This has to be dealt with very harshly," Trump said. He told Fox News he had not made a "final, final decision" on a running mate. He heaped praise on Pence and his other two finalists, former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. "I've got three people that are fantastic," he said. Trump's advisers told national party officials that he had settled on Pence, according to two Republican sources familiar with the campaign's operations. "I'm told he's been asked to do this and he's flying to New York," one source said. Pence was seen by TV networks arriving at a New York-area airport. Straight Man Trump's choice of running mate is seen as especially critical because his defeat of 16 rivals in the Republican primary race left the party divided. Some party leaders are still uneasy about some of his campaign positions and free-wheeling statements, such as his comments on Muslims and immigrants. "Pence is Donald Trump's straight man," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "He'll be able to defend him as well as be a cheerleader but do it in a calm, cool, collected manner that will preserve his credibility." Gingrich, who met Trump on Wednesday, said on a Facebook Live session that he had yet to hear from Trump. He said he had told Trump that he needed to decide whether he wanted "two pirates" on the same ticket. Both men have been political mavericks. Christie, a former rival to Trump in the presidential race, told MSNBC earlier he would be disappointed if not picked. “I'm not going to say it won't bother me if I'm not selected. Of course it bothers you a little bit." Pence, a former congressman, is seen as a safe choice, not too flashy but popular among conservatives, with Midwestern appeal and the ability to rally more party faithful behind Trump. The businessman has never held elected office. "He’s a good, safe, solid conservative," said Republican strategist Scott Reed. Pence also could give a boost to Trump's campaign fundraising efforts as he challenges the well-organized effort of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Pence has strong ties to billionaire donors Charles and David Koch, including current and former staff members who have worked for them. Differences between the two But Pence is to the right of Trump on social issues, having signed restrictive abortion legislation and pushed to defund the Planned Parenthood women's healthcare organization, whose services include providing abortions. Trump has said he opposes abortion, but his views have been inconsistent, and he has said Planned Parenthood provides some valuable services. Pence has also criticized Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims temporarily from entering the country. In 2006, he introduced immigration legislation that would let illegal immigrants apply for U.S. work visas if they left the country for a period, a plan that was criticised by some conservatives. That contrasts with Trump's strong stance on immigration, marked by his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Pence has also voiced support for free trade deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership. Trump supports free trade but says he wants to renegotiate trade deals to make them more favorable to the United States. Pence had backed a Trump rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, in April before the Indiana primary, but he praised Trump and said he would work on behalf of the eventual Republican nominee. Trump won Indiana anyway, prompting Cruz to drop out of the race to be the party's nominee. Pence had considered running for president himself in 2016 before deciding to run for re-election as governor. Conservatives had urged him to seek the White House, but missteps last year related to an Indiana law seen as anti-gay hurt his national profile. This year, he was the target of a mocking social media campaign by women outraged at a law he signed creating new restrictions on abortions. Feeling that the law invaded their privacy, women responded by calling Pence's office to describe their menstrual periods or tweeting similar messages. Pence ran unsuccessfully for Congress twice before he won election to the House of Representatives in 2000, where he was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives. (Reuters)

Trump postpones vice presidential running mate pick after Nice terror attack

Zimbabwe police used riot-control measures to&nbsp;clamp&nbsp;down on supporters of electoral reforms in Harare on Friday, with the country&#39;s&nbsp;President Robert Mugabe saying that an Arab Spring-styled uprising would not happen in the country.&nbsp; 
 
The march for electoral reforms turned violent when police deployed&nbsp;tear gas and water cannons to&nbsp;disperse the protesters. The protesters retaliated by&nbsp;pelting stones at policemen and setting tyres ablaze. Some of the protesters also pulled down a sign of road named after Mugabe. 
 
Police broke the protest despite the court&#39;s order not to do so. Around 67 people have been arrested by Zimbabwean authorities. 
 
Ninety two-year-old Mugabe has been under increasing pressure to bring electoral reforms in the 2018 polls. It is expected that Mugabe, who has ruled the South African nation since 1987, will seek reelection that year.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are burning tyres in the streets in order to get into power. They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country, but we tell them that is not going to happen here,&quot; the nonagenarian said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;What politics is that when you burn tyres? We want peace in the country,&quot; he further said. 
 
Eighteen opposition parties have joined hands to demand changes in the electoral process. Opposition parties include&nbsp;the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the&nbsp;Zimbabwe&nbsp;People First formed this year by former vice president Joice Mujuru. 
 
The opposition leaders unanimously denounced the suppression of the march, and said it only emboldenend them to stage more such protests.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If that was meant to cow us from demonstrating, I want to say we are going to do the same next week Friday,&quot; former Mugabe ally and ex-cabinet minister Didymus Mutasa said, adding that protests will continue &quot;until the day we vote&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We have had enough of ZANU-PF misrule,&quot; he said, referring to the&nbsp;Zimbabwe African National Union &ndash; Patriotic Front, the country&#39;s ruling party led by Mugabe. &nbsp;

Tsvangirai was equally scathing.&nbsp;&quot;The people&#39;s anger is very deep. The people&#39;s desperation is very deep,&quot; he said. 
 
Saying that the Mugabe regime was in its &quot;sunset hour&quot;, he said the &quot;brutal suppression&quot; on citizens would backfire on them. 
 
&quot;The government is nearing a tipping point in its ability to control a population long used to violence and hardship, and who now have little to lose in putting themselves at risk in forcing political concessions,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Mugabe&#39;s opponents have for long criticised the way elections are held in the country. Tsvangirai has, in the past, questioned the neutrality of the electoral commission, lamented absence of voters&#39; roll&nbsp;and possibility of bogus voting. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Police deployed?tear gas and water cannons to?disperse protesters who retaliated by?pelting stones and setting tyres ablaze

Zimbabwe police used riot-control measures to clamp down on supporters of electoral reforms in Harare on Friday, with the country's President Robert Mugabe saying that an Arab Spring-styled uprising would not happen in the country. The march for electoral reforms turned violent when police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters. The protesters retaliated by pelting stones at policemen and setting tyres ablaze. Some of the protesters also pulled down a sign of road named after Mugabe. Police broke the protest despite the court's order not to do so. Around 67 people have been arrested by Zimbabwean authorities. Ninety two-year-old Mugabe has been under increasing pressure to bring electoral reforms in the 2018 polls. It is expected that Mugabe, who has ruled the South African nation since 1987, will seek reelection that year. "They are burning tyres in the streets in order to get into power. They are thinking that what happened in the Arab Spring is going to happen in this country, but we tell them that is not going to happen here," the nonagenarian said. "What politics is that when you burn tyres? We want peace in the country," he further said. Eighteen opposition parties have joined hands to demand changes in the electoral process. Opposition parties include the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the Zimbabwe People First formed this year by former vice president Joice Mujuru. The opposition leaders unanimously denounced the suppression of the march, and said it only emboldenend them to stage more such protests. "If that was meant to cow us from demonstrating, I want to say we are going to do the same next week Friday," former Mugabe ally and ex-cabinet minister Didymus Mutasa said, adding that protests will continue "until the day we vote". "We have had enough of ZANU-PF misrule," he said, referring to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front, the country's ruling party led by Mugabe. Tsvangirai was equally scathing. "The people's anger is very deep. The people's desperation is very deep," he said. Saying that the Mugabe regime was in its "sunset hour", he said the "brutal suppression" on citizens would backfire on them. "The government is nearing a tipping point in its ability to control a population long used to violence and hardship, and who now have little to lose in putting themselves at risk in forcing political concessions," he said. Mugabe's opponents have for long criticised the way elections are held in the country. Tsvangirai has, in the past, questioned the neutrality of the electoral commission, lamented absence of voters' roll and possibility of bogus voting. (WION with inputs from agencies)

As protest turns violent, Mugabe says there'll be no Arab Spring-style uprising

The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics, far higher than previously believed, according to police figures. 
 
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee on Monday that 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations since July 1.&nbsp; 
 
Police were also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings, Dela Rosa said, without giving details. On Sunday, Duterte railed against the United Nations for criticising the wave of deaths. 
 
The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said it was &quot;deeply concerned&quot; by the reports, and US State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Duterte&#39;s government to ensure that law-enforcement authorities abided by human rights norms. 
 
The drug trafficking crackdown and some strongly worded criticisms Duterte has made of the United States since coming to power present a dilemma for Washington, which has been seeking to forge unity among allies and partners in Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China, especially in the strategic South China Sea. 
 
Toner made the dilemma clear in responses to questions at a regular State Department briefing in Washington, in which he referred to Duterte as &quot;a plain-speaking politician.&quot; 
 
&quot;We continue to make clear to the Philippines government ... our concern about human rights, extrajudicial killings, but we are also committed to our bilateral relationship and strengthening that bilateral relationship,&quot; he said. 
 
Toner said there was no question of the United States turning a blind eye to rights abuses and that the relationship with Manila, while good, was &quot;frank and candid&quot;. 
 
As recently as Sunday, the number of suspected drug traffickers killed in Duterte&#39;s war on drugs had been put at about 900 by Philippine officials. But this number included people who died since Duterte won the May 9 presidential election. 
 
Duterte said in a strongly worded late-night news conference on Sunday the Philippines might leave the United Nations and invite China and others to form a new global forum, accusing it of failing to fulfil its mandate. 
 
His foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said on Monday the Philippines would remain a UN member and described the president&#39;s comments as expressions of &quot;profound disappointment and frustration&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations and disappointments with the international agency,&quot; Yasay told a news conference. US officials declined comment on Duterte&#39;s UN remarks. 
 
Last week, two UN human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings. 
 
Yasay said Duterte has promised to uphold human rights in the fight against drugs and has ordered the police to investigate and prosecute offenders. He criticised the UN rapporteurs for &quot;jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have violated human rights of people&quot;. 
 
&quot;It is highly irresponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation,&quot; he said of the United Nations. 
 
Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of the president, started a two-day congressional inquiry into the killings on Monday, questioning top police and anti-narcotics officials to explain the &quot;unprecedented&quot; rise in killings. 
 
&quot;I am disturbed that we have killings left and right as breakfast every morning,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;My concern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the police. What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity,&quot; De Lima said. 
 
(Reuters)

The numbers are much higher than previously believed and have prompted close ally US to express deep concern

The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics, far higher than previously believed, according to police figures. Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee on Monday that 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations since July 1. Police were also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings, Dela Rosa said, without giving details. On Sunday, Duterte railed against the United Nations for criticising the wave of deaths. The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said it was "deeply concerned" by the reports, and US State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Duterte's government to ensure that law-enforcement authorities abided by human rights norms. The drug trafficking crackdown and some strongly worded criticisms Duterte has made of the United States since coming to power present a dilemma for Washington, which has been seeking to forge unity among allies and partners in Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China, especially in the strategic South China Sea. Toner made the dilemma clear in responses to questions at a regular State Department briefing in Washington, in which he referred to Duterte as "a plain-speaking politician." "We continue to make clear to the Philippines government ... our concern about human rights, extrajudicial killings, but we are also committed to our bilateral relationship and strengthening that bilateral relationship," he said. Toner said there was no question of the United States turning a blind eye to rights abuses and that the relationship with Manila, while good, was "frank and candid". As recently as Sunday, the number of suspected drug traffickers killed in Duterte's war on drugs had been put at about 900 by Philippine officials. But this number included people who died since Duterte won the May 9 presidential election. Duterte said in a strongly worded late-night news conference on Sunday the Philippines might leave the United Nations and invite China and others to form a new global forum, accusing it of failing to fulfil its mandate. His foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said on Monday the Philippines would remain a UN member and described the president's comments as expressions of "profound disappointment and frustration". "We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations and disappointments with the international agency," Yasay told a news conference. US officials declined comment on Duterte's UN remarks. Last week, two UN human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings. Yasay said Duterte has promised to uphold human rights in the fight against drugs and has ordered the police to investigate and prosecute offenders. He criticised the UN rapporteurs for "jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have violated human rights of people". "It is highly irresponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation," he said of the United Nations. Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of the president, started a two-day congressional inquiry into the killings on Monday, questioning top police and anti-narcotics officials to explain the "unprecedented" rise in killings. "I am disturbed that we have killings left and right as breakfast every morning," she said. "My concern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the police. What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity," De Lima said. (Reuters)

Philippines' bloody war on drugs claims 1,800 lives in 7 weeks

The sprawling President&#39;s Estate has been found to be breeding mosquitoes at many accumulated pools of stagnant water -- with 52 notices slapped on Rashtrapati Bhavan by the New Delhi Municipal Council. 
 
The notices were issued to Rashtrapati Bhavan since January by NDMC after mosquito larvae were found at many places dotting the 320-acre estate. 
 
With the capital reporting many dengue cases, the NDMC has decided to control the mosquito menace, including on the President&#39;s Estate. 
 
&quot;We have issued 52 notices to various complexes and residential quarters in the Presidential Estate. We had formed teams to inspect the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises, which then spotted mosquitogenic conditions,&quot; a senior NDMC official said. 
 
The teams included members from the sanitation and horticulture units at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the civil engineering unit under the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and personnel of the malaria unit of the NDMC health department. 
 
Last year, NDMC had issued over 125 notices to the President&#39;s Estate after &quot;heavy&quot; mosquito-breeding was found at various places on its sprawling campus. Advisories have been issued to more than 50 embassies that fall in the NDMC area to be active in controlling breeding of mosquitoes. 
 
The NDMC official said the civic body does not have the authority to issue challan or serve notice to embassies, and would extend all support to embassies in controlling mosquito breeding. 
 
Regarding government offices and residential colonies, the official said if after inspection, the premises are found to be positive for mosquito breeding, then notices are served. 
 
Safdarjung hospital, prestigious Delhi Golf Club, Shivaji Stadium and Akashwani Bhawan are among the 146 buildings charged by the civic body over dengue breeding this season. 
 
The civic body has so far issued a total of 3,337 notices this season 
 
&nbsp;Among the buildings which have been issued notices by NDMC are prominent hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge Medical College and LHMC hospital. 
 
Prestigious hotels such as Ashoka and Taj Man Singh have also been issued notices after the inspection team detected mosquitogenic conditions in their premises. 
 
&quot;We have issued 3,337 notices and 146 challans this season over dengue breeding. During the inspection, if the premises are tested positive for mosquito breeding, they are issued notices,&quot; the official said. &quot;But if no improvement is found in the hygiene conditions during the next inspection, the defaulters are issued challan,&quot; he added. 
 
According to municipal reports, at least 171 cases of dengue have been reported this season in Delhi with 52 of these being recorded in the first week of August. The vector-borne disease has claimed two lives so far during this season. 
 
(PTI)

The notices were issued after mosquito larvae were found at a number of sites on the 320-acre estate

The sprawling President's Estate has been found to be breeding mosquitoes at many accumulated pools of stagnant water -- with 52 notices slapped on Rashtrapati Bhavan by the New Delhi Municipal Council. The notices were issued to Rashtrapati Bhavan since January by NDMC after mosquito larvae were found at many places dotting the 320-acre estate. With the capital reporting many dengue cases, the NDMC has decided to control the mosquito menace, including on the President's Estate. "We have issued 52 notices to various complexes and residential quarters in the Presidential Estate. We had formed teams to inspect the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises, which then spotted mosquitogenic conditions," a senior NDMC official said. The teams included members from the sanitation and horticulture units at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the civil engineering unit under the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and personnel of the malaria unit of the NDMC health department. Last year, NDMC had issued over 125 notices to the President's Estate after "heavy" mosquito-breeding was found at various places on its sprawling campus. Advisories have been issued to more than 50 embassies that fall in the NDMC area to be active in controlling breeding of mosquitoes. The NDMC official said the civic body does not have the authority to issue challan or serve notice to embassies, and would extend all support to embassies in controlling mosquito breeding. Regarding government offices and residential colonies, the official said if after inspection, the premises are found to be positive for mosquito breeding, then notices are served. Safdarjung hospital, prestigious Delhi Golf Club, Shivaji Stadium and Akashwani Bhawan are among the 146 buildings charged by the civic body over dengue breeding this season. The civic body has so far issued a total of 3,337 notices this season Among the buildings which have been issued notices by NDMC are prominent hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge Medical College and LHMC hospital. Prestigious hotels such as Ashoka and Taj Man Singh have also been issued notices after the inspection team detected mosquitogenic conditions in their premises. "We have issued 3,337 notices and 146 challans this season over dengue breeding. During the inspection, if the premises are tested positive for mosquito breeding, they are issued notices," the official said. "But if no improvement is found in the hygiene conditions during the next inspection, the defaulters are issued challan," he added. According to municipal reports, at least 171 cases of dengue have been reported this season in Delhi with 52 of these being recorded in the first week of August. The vector-borne disease has claimed two lives so far during this season. (PTI)

India: President's Estate issued 52 notices over mosquito breeding

Japan, on Saturday, marked 71 years since the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a US atomic bomb, as its mayor urged the world to unite in abolishing nuclear weapons. 
 
The annual ceremony came just months after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the city, paying moving tribute to victims of the first atomic bomb. 
 
American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload, dubbed &quot;Little Boy&quot;, on the western Japanese city at 8:15 am local time on August 6, 1945.&nbsp;Much of the city was incinerated by a wall of heat up to 4,000 degrees Celsius (7,232 Fahrenheit), hot enough to melt steel, killing tens of thousands. 
 
Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui recalled the visit by Obama in his peace declaration during the solemn ceremony.&nbsp;&quot;(His visit) was the proof that Hiroshima&#39;s strong wish not to tolerate the &#39;absolute evil&#39; was shared by President Obama,&quot; he said. &quot;It is the time for us to make actions towards the abolition of the &#39;absolute evil&#39;, the ultimate form of inhumanity, united and with passion.&quot; 
 
The bombing claimed the lives of 140,000 people. Some died immediately while others succumbed to injuries or radiation-related illnesses weeks, months and years later. 
 
A second bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki three days later. Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15. 
 
Many in Japan feel the attacks amount to war crimes and atrocities because they targeted civilians and due to the unprecedented destructive nature of the weapons.&nbsp;But many Americans believe they hastened the end of a bloody conflict, and ultimately saved lives, thus justifying the bombings. 
 
Obama, in May, embraced survivors as he made his historic visit to the city and its Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. 
 
&quot;71 years ago, death fell from the sky and the world was changed,&quot; he said of the bomb, adding it &quot;demonstrated that mankind possessed the means to destroy itself&quot;. 
 
Obama offered no apology for the bombings, having insisted he would not revisit decisions made by then president Harry Truman.&nbsp;But his moving tribute and brief conversations with elderly atom bomb survivors, which included an unexpected embrace with one of them, profoundly impressed most Japanese. 
 
Since Obama went to Hiroshima the park and accompanying memorial museum have witnessed an increase in visitors. 
 
But an association of atomic bomb survivors has criticised his speech, saying he failed to explicitly mention US responsibility for the bombing.&nbsp;Abe, who also attended the service, faced harsh criticism last year, especially from A-bomb survivors, for his policy of expanding the role of Japan&#39;s military and opening the door to possibly sending troops into combat for the first time since the war. 
 
(AFP)

Much of the city was incinerated by a wall of heat up to 4,000 degrees Celsius. 140,000 died, some immediately, some weeks and years later

Japan, on Saturday, marked 71 years since the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a US atomic bomb, as its mayor urged the world to unite in abolishing nuclear weapons. The annual ceremony came just months after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the city, paying moving tribute to victims of the first atomic bomb. American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload, dubbed "Little Boy", on the western Japanese city at 8:15 am local time on August 6, 1945. Much of the city was incinerated by a wall of heat up to 4,000 degrees Celsius (7,232 Fahrenheit), hot enough to melt steel, killing tens of thousands. Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui recalled the visit by Obama in his peace declaration during the solemn ceremony. "(His visit) was the proof that Hiroshima's strong wish not to tolerate the 'absolute evil' was shared by President Obama," he said. "It is the time for us to make actions towards the abolition of the 'absolute evil', the ultimate form of inhumanity, united and with passion." The bombing claimed the lives of 140,000 people. Some died immediately while others succumbed to injuries or radiation-related illnesses weeks, months and years later. A second bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki three days later. Japan announced its surrender in World War II on August 15. Many in Japan feel the attacks amount to war crimes and atrocities because they targeted civilians and due to the unprecedented destructive nature of the weapons. But many Americans believe they hastened the end of a bloody conflict, and ultimately saved lives, thus justifying the bombings. Obama, in May, embraced survivors as he made his historic visit to the city and its Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. "71 years ago, death fell from the sky and the world was changed," he said of the bomb, adding it "demonstrated that mankind possessed the means to destroy itself". Obama offered no apology for the bombings, having insisted he would not revisit decisions made by then president Harry Truman. But his moving tribute and brief conversations with elderly atom bomb survivors, which included an unexpected embrace with one of them, profoundly impressed most Japanese. Since Obama went to Hiroshima the park and accompanying memorial museum have witnessed an increase in visitors. But an association of atomic bomb survivors has criticised his speech, saying he failed to explicitly mention US responsibility for the bombing. Abe, who also attended the service, faced harsh criticism last year, especially from A-bomb survivors, for his policy of expanding the role of Japan's military and opening the door to possibly sending troops into combat for the first time since the war. (AFP)

Japan observes 71st anniversary of Hiroshima nuclear bombing

Tunisia&#39;s President Beji Caid Essebsi today named Youssef Chahed as the new prime minister after parliament ousted Habib Essid in a vote of no-confidence because of his handling of economic reforms and security. 
 
A junior minister in Essid&#39;s government, Chahed, 41, is an agricultural sciences specialist and academic who has taught in France and Tunisia.&nbsp;He is also part of the Nidaa Tounes secular party and has ties to Essebsi&#39;s family, which has led to some criticism from opposition leaders. 
 
Nidaa Tounes and the Islamist Ennahda party, both part of the ruling coalition, control a majority of the seats in parliament, which means Chahed&#39;s nomination is likely to be accepted by lawmakers when they vote on his approval. 
 
(Reuters)

Opposition leaders have criticised the nomination of the 41-year-old junior minister, as he is a relative of President Beji Essebsi

Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi today named Youssef Chahed as the new prime minister after parliament ousted Habib Essid in a vote of no-confidence because of his handling of economic reforms and security. A junior minister in Essid's government, Chahed, 41, is an agricultural sciences specialist and academic who has taught in France and Tunisia. He is also part of the Nidaa Tounes secular party and has ties to Essebsi's family, which has led to some criticism from opposition leaders. Nidaa Tounes and the Islamist Ennahda party, both part of the ruling coalition, control a majority of the seats in parliament, which means Chahed's nomination is likely to be accepted by lawmakers when they vote on his approval. (Reuters)

Tunisian president nominates Youssef Chahed new prime minister

Over 300 anti-narcotics and human rights groups from around the world on Tuesday called for the United Nations to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s war on drugs that has already killed hundreds of people. 
 
The appeal, directed to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), came as an influential Philippine senator called for an investigation into the killings of suspected drug pushers that Duterte has endorsed. 
 
Senator Leila de Lima and the foreign organisations cited reports of police killing hundreds of people since Duterte won May elections largely on a platform to wage a bloody war on drugs. 
 
&quot;Instead of ensuring the protection and rights of people who use drugs... President Duterte has called for them to be killed,&quot; said the statement from groups such as the Australian Drug Foundation and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. 
 
&quot;Instead of ensuring the rights of people suspected of committing drug-related crimes... the President has called for them to be executed on the spot.&quot; 
 
The statement called on the INCB and the UNODC to condemn the killings and &quot;demand an end to the atrocities&quot;. 
 
De Lima, in a speech before Senate, also lashed out at the killings. &quot;We cannot wage the war against drugs with blood. We will only be trading drug addiction with another more malevolent kind of addiction.&nbsp;This is the compulsion for more killing,&quot; said the senator, a former justice minister who also headed the nation&#39;s human rights body. De Lima said police were summarily killing even innocent people, using the anti-drug campaign as an excuse. 
 
Since assuming the presidency on June 30, Duterte has promised to protect police and soldiers from sanctions for killing criminals and even urged ordinary citizens and communist rebels to join in the bloodshed. 
 
While his campaign has been widely popular in the impoverished Philippines, more groups have begun criticising Duterte, with De Lima calling for a congressional probe into the killings. 
 
But the president has dismissed human rights concerns while police have insisted that they only acted in self-defence. In June, even UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon condemned Duterte&#39;s apparent support of extra-judicial killings. 
 
Police figures showed that as of Tuesday, 402 drug suspects had been killed a month into Duterte&#39;s presidency. 
 
The figure does not include those slain by suspected vigilantes. The country&#39;s top broadcaster, ABS-CBN, reported that 603 people had been killed since Duterte was elected, with 211 murdered by unidentified gunmen. 
 
(AFP)

While his campaign has been popular in the impoverished Philippines, more international groups have begun criticising President Duterte

Over 300 anti-narcotics and human rights groups from around the world on Tuesday called for the United Nations to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs that has already killed hundreds of people. The appeal, directed to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), came as an influential Philippine senator called for an investigation into the killings of suspected drug pushers that Duterte has endorsed. Senator Leila de Lima and the foreign organisations cited reports of police killing hundreds of people since Duterte won May elections largely on a platform to wage a bloody war on drugs. "Instead of ensuring the protection and rights of people who use drugs... President Duterte has called for them to be killed," said the statement from groups such as the Australian Drug Foundation and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. "Instead of ensuring the rights of people suspected of committing drug-related crimes... the President has called for them to be executed on the spot." The statement called on the INCB and the UNODC to condemn the killings and "demand an end to the atrocities". De Lima, in a speech before Senate, also lashed out at the killings. "We cannot wage the war against drugs with blood. We will only be trading drug addiction with another more malevolent kind of addiction. This is the compulsion for more killing," said the senator, a former justice minister who also headed the nation's human rights body. De Lima said police were summarily killing even innocent people, using the anti-drug campaign as an excuse. Since assuming the presidency on June 30, Duterte has promised to protect police and soldiers from sanctions for killing criminals and even urged ordinary citizens and communist rebels to join in the bloodshed. While his campaign has been widely popular in the impoverished Philippines, more groups have begun criticising Duterte, with De Lima calling for a congressional probe into the killings. But the president has dismissed human rights concerns while police have insisted that they only acted in self-defence. In June, even UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon condemned Duterte's apparent support of extra-judicial killings. Police figures showed that as of Tuesday, 402 drug suspects had been killed a month into Duterte's presidency. The figure does not include those slain by suspected vigilantes. The country's top broadcaster, ABS-CBN, reported that 603 people had been killed since Duterte was elected, with 211 murdered by unidentified gunmen. (AFP)

UN must condemn Philippine drug killings: Rights groups

A blanket ban on Russia at the Rio de Janeiro Games would have had devastating consequences, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday. 
 
The IOC opted not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics after revelations of a wide state-backed doping programme across many sports. Instead, it chose a set of criteria for athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events, that so far has allowed more than 250 out of the original 387 Russian athletes to be cleared for Rio. 
 
Bach, speaking at the IOC session in the Brazilian city, said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as &quot;collateral damage&quot; would have been wrong. &quot;This blanket ban of the Russian Olympic Committee has been called by some the &#39;nuclear option&#39; and the innocent athletes would have to be considered as collateral damage,&quot; Bach said. 
 
&quot;Leaving aside that such a comparison is completely out of any proportion when it comes to the rules of sport. Let us just for a moment consider the consequences of a &#39;nuclear option&#39;. The result is death and devastation.&nbsp;The cynical &#39;collateral damage approach&#39; is not what the Olympic Movement stands for.&quot; 
 
Several anti-doping bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as those from the United States, Canada and Germany, among others, had called on the IOC to implement a blanket ban on all Russian athletes. They expressed disappointment following the IOC&#39;s decision to allow some Russians to compete and accused the Games&#39; ruling body of lacking the leadership and courage to punish Russia. 
 
&quot;What is not acceptable is the insinuation of some proponents of the blanket ban that those who do not share their opinions are not fighting against doping,&quot; Bach said. &quot;On behalf of all these supporters, I reject this insinuation in the strongest terms.&nbsp;We may disagree how we get there but we all work toward the same goal of protecting clean athletes. Despite these discrepancies, we agree we must not allow such a situation to happen again,&quot; he added. Bach said the doping system needed completely restructuring. 
 
&quot;Engagement and not isolation is the key to build a more robust anti-doping system,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Thomas Bach said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as 'collateral damage' would have been wrong

A blanket ban on Russia at the Rio de Janeiro Games would have had devastating consequences, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday. The IOC opted not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics after revelations of a wide state-backed doping programme across many sports. Instead, it chose a set of criteria for athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events, that so far has allowed more than 250 out of the original 387 Russian athletes to be cleared for Rio. Bach, speaking at the IOC session in the Brazilian city, said preventing clean athletes from competing and treating them as "collateral damage" would have been wrong. "This blanket ban of the Russian Olympic Committee has been called by some the 'nuclear option' and the innocent athletes would have to be considered as collateral damage," Bach said. "Leaving aside that such a comparison is completely out of any proportion when it comes to the rules of sport. Let us just for a moment consider the consequences of a 'nuclear option'. The result is death and devastation. The cynical 'collateral damage approach' is not what the Olympic Movement stands for." Several anti-doping bodies, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as those from the United States, Canada and Germany, among others, had called on the IOC to implement a blanket ban on all Russian athletes. They expressed disappointment following the IOC's decision to allow some Russians to compete and accused the Games' ruling body of lacking the leadership and courage to punish Russia. "What is not acceptable is the insinuation of some proponents of the blanket ban that those who do not share their opinions are not fighting against doping," Bach said. "On behalf of all these supporters, I reject this insinuation in the strongest terms. We may disagree how we get there but we all work toward the same goal of protecting clean athletes. Despite these discrepancies, we agree we must not allow such a situation to happen again," he added. Bach said the doping system needed completely restructuring. "Engagement and not isolation is the key to build a more robust anti-doping system," he said. (Reuters)

IOC president says blanket Rio ban on Russia would have been disastrous

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