Speculation is rife that Vladimir Putin will not be run&nbsp;for President in an upcoming Presidential election in Russia.

Russia&#39;s President Vladimir Putin is reportedly reluctant to participate as he is tired and does not want to face another election and will likely&nbsp;retire to start spending his supposed &pound;160 billion of fortune.

Since first taking power in 2000, Putin has won three elections with a four-year break when he had to stand aside in 2008.

But in recent years Russia has seen the biggest protests since Soviet times against Putin and his allies.

Political opponents have also been accusing him of failing to tackle corruption and undermining democracy.

This year in June there was massive anti-Putin protests. Thousands of Russians were protesting against corruption.

According to a report by The Independent, that country is looking to the future of Russia without Putin at the helm.

&quot;Whichever way you play it, this campaign is about transitioning to a post-Putin Russia,&quot;&nbsp;Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin advisor and head of the Effective Politics Foundation told The Independent.&nbsp;

Most are expecting a resignation by mid-December but uncertainty remains as still no official announcement has been made yet.

&ldquo;There can be no second Putin. When the man goes, the system goes,&quot;&nbsp;Valery Solovei, a professor of the Moscow State Institute for International Relations told The Independent.

Rumours have that Vladimir Putin will not be running for President in an upcoming Presidential election in Russia

Speculation is rife that Vladimir Putin will not be run for President in an upcoming Presidential election in Russia. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is reportedly reluctant to participate as he is tired and does not want to face another election and will likely retire to start spending his supposed £160 billion of fortune. Since first taking power in 2000, Putin has won three elections with a four-year break when he had to stand aside in 2008. But in recent years Russia has seen the biggest protests since Soviet times against Putin and his allies. Political opponents have also been accusing him of failing to tackle corruption and undermining democracy. This year in June there was massive anti-Putin protests. Thousands of Russians were protesting against corruption. According to a report by The Independent, that country is looking to the future of Russia without Putin at the helm. "Whichever way you play it, this campaign is about transitioning to a post-Putin Russia," Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin advisor and head of the Effective Politics Foundation told The Independent. Most are expecting a resignation by mid-December but uncertainty remains as still no official announcement has been made yet. “There can be no second Putin. When the man goes, the system goes," Valery Solovei, a professor of the Moscow State Institute for International Relations told The Independent.

Russia's Putin may not run in upcoming Presidential election: Reports

The White House on Monday alleged that Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 election, turning the tables on its accusers amid an all-engulfing scandal over Trump&#39;s contacts with Russia.

White House spokesperson Sean Spicer repeated allegations that a Democratic operative had met with Ukrainian embassy officials during the campaign.

Spicer referred to several recent reports by conservative media outlets, alleging the Democratic operative sought dirt on then Trump campaign director Paul Manafort.

The allegations first came to light in a Politico story in January.

&quot;Obviously, there&#39;s been a lot more interest in recent days with respect to what the DNC (Democratic National Convention) did in coordination with the Ukrainian government to try to collude,&quot; Spicer said.

The White House spokesperson&nbsp;alleged that the Democratic National Committee collusion took place to &quot;achieve a goal of having someone removed, which ultimately did happen.&quot;

Manafort left his post in August 2016, as Trump&#39;s general election prospects looked dim and details of his own business dealings with pro-Kremlin leaders in Ukraine emerged.

Spicer was asked by a pro-Trump media representative whether the issue was raised when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited the White House in June.

Spicer said he did not know, but claimed that &quot;the DNC&#39;s collusion with the Ukrainian government has definitely gotten a lot more attention since that meeting.&quot;

Adrienne Watson of the DNC accused the White House of deflecting.

&quot;The White House has been pushing this narrative to distract from the Trump campaign&#39;s willingness to work with a hostile foreign government to interfere in our election. No one is buying it.&quot;

The comments come as the White House reeled from Donald Trump Jr&#39;s confession that he and two other Trump senior aides knowingly met Kremlin-connected operatives to get incriminating information on rival presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

That admission, after months of denials, has prompted some Republicans to openly criticise the White House and venture that Donald Trump Jr may have broken the law.

US intelligence agencies believe that President Vladimir Putin ordered a vast influence operation to tilt the 2016 election in Trump&#39;s favor.

Trump himself has responded by describing his son&#39;s meeting as business as usual.

&quot;Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That&#39;s politics!&quot; he tweeted on Monday.

Spicer seemed to contradict his boss, by saying the meeting was actually about adoption.

In a statement, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington denied allegations it had &quot;colluded&quot; with Democrats against the Trump campaign.

The embassy &quot;neither coordinated with the DNC on opposition research nor taken any actions to undermine campaign efforts,&quot; the statement read.

&quot;While some politicians who are not part of the Ukrainian government might have taken sides or made comments during last year&#39;s election, the Embassy and the government of Ukraine did not.&quot;

&quot;We highly appreciate US administration support to Ukraine and the progress achieved in recent months in our bilateral relations.&quot;

White House spokesperson Sean Spicer repeated allegations that a Democratic operative had met with Ukrainian embassy officials during the 2016 campaign

The White House on Monday alleged that Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 election, turning the tables on its accusers amid an all-engulfing scandal over Trump's contacts with Russia. White House spokesperson Sean Spicer repeated allegations that a Democratic operative had met with Ukrainian embassy officials during the campaign. Spicer referred to several recent reports by conservative media outlets, alleging the Democratic operative sought dirt on then Trump campaign director Paul Manafort. The allegations first came to light in a Politico story in January. "Obviously, there's been a lot more interest in recent days with respect to what the DNC (Democratic National Convention) did in coordination with the Ukrainian government to try to collude," Spicer said. The White House spokesperson alleged that the Democratic National Committee collusion took place to "achieve a goal of having someone removed, which ultimately did happen." Manafort left his post in August 2016, as Trump's general election prospects looked dim and details of his own business dealings with pro-Kremlin leaders in Ukraine emerged. Spicer was asked by a pro-Trump media representative whether the issue was raised when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited the White House in June. Spicer said he did not know, but claimed that "the DNC's collusion with the Ukrainian government has definitely gotten a lot more attention since that meeting." Adrienne Watson of the DNC accused the White House of deflecting. "The White House has been pushing this narrative to distract from the Trump campaign's willingness to work with a hostile foreign government to interfere in our election. No one is buying it." The comments come as the White House reeled from Donald Trump Jr's confession that he and two other Trump senior aides knowingly met Kremlin-connected operatives to get incriminating information on rival presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. That admission, after months of denials, has prompted some Republicans to openly criticise the White House and venture that Donald Trump Jr may have broken the law. US intelligence agencies believe that President Vladimir Putin ordered a vast influence operation to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favor. Trump himself has responded by describing his son's meeting as business as usual. "Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That's politics!" he tweeted on Monday. Spicer seemed to contradict his boss, by saying the meeting was actually about adoption. In a statement, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington denied allegations it had "colluded" with Democrats against the Trump campaign. The embassy "neither coordinated with the DNC on opposition research nor taken any actions to undermine campaign efforts," the statement read. "While some politicians who are not part of the Ukrainian government might have taken sides or made comments during last year's election, the Embassy and the government of Ukraine did not." "We highly appreciate US administration support to Ukraine and the progress achieved in recent months in our bilateral relations."

White House accuses Democrats, Ukraine of 'collusion' during presidential elections

Describing the presidential elections as the opposition&#39;s fight against a &quot;narrow-minded, divisive and communal vision&quot;, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday said the polls election tomorrow demand a &quot;vote of conscience&quot;.

The Congress president was addressing a gathering of opposition parties in the Indian capital New Delhi where its presidential and vice presidential nominees, Meira Kumar and Gopal Krishna Gandhi were formally introduced.

&quot;We know Meira Kumar as the former speaker. But many had not met Gopal Gandhi. It was a sort of formal introduction with them,&quot; said CPI-M&#39;s Sitaram Yechury.

The vice presidential poll will be held on August 5.

&quot;We must have confidence in the values we believe in. This election represents a clash of ideas, a conflict of disparate values. The election demands a vote of conscience to preserve the India that the Mahatma and the illustrious generation of freedom fighters, joined by thousands upon the numbers of ordinary men and women, fought for,&quot; she said.

&quot;We cannot and must not let India be hostage to those who wish to impose upon it a narrow-minded, divisive and communal vision,&quot; Sonia Gandhi said.

The UPA chairperson said the numbers may be stacked against them, but &quot;the battle must be fought and fought hard&quot;.

She said that the presence of representatives from various political parties to support Meira Kumar and Gopal Gandhi&#39;s candidature showed that the fight for &quot;an inclusive, tolerant and pluralistic India is being truly waged&quot;.

&quot;We must stand more aware than ever of who we are, what we fought for in our Independence struggle and what future we want for ourselves.&quot; She said the presence of representatives from different parties to support Kumar and Gopal Gandhi confirms that &quot;the fight for an inclusive, tolerant and pluralistic India is being truly waged,&quot; said the Congress president.

Sonia Gandhi said Meira Kumar and Gopal Gandhi had distinguished themselves throughout their long careers with tremendous dignity and commitment.

&quot;Through their work and their lives they have also advocated those very values and principles that have defined and guided India for the last 70 years,&quot; she told the gathering.

Bihar&#39;s ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has broken ranks with its ally Congress and is supporting the BJP-led NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind, stayed away from the Opposition meeting.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it is correct for our party to attend the meeting. I myself met Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the Opposition&#39;s vice-Presidential candidate and conveyed to him that, in the wake of the current situation it won&#39;t be good for us to attend a meeting called by Opposition. Our relation with Meira Kumar is very old and she will also be there. It won`t look good on our part to go there,&quot; JD(U) leader Sharad Kumar said.

 
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Sonia Gandhi was addressing a gathering of opposition parties in New Delhi

Describing the presidential elections as the opposition's fight against a "narrow-minded, divisive and communal vision", Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday said the polls election tomorrow demand a "vote of conscience". The Congress president was addressing a gathering of opposition parties in the Indian capital New Delhi where its presidential and vice presidential nominees, Meira Kumar and Gopal Krishna Gandhi were formally introduced. "We know Meira Kumar as the former speaker. But many had not met Gopal Gandhi. It was a sort of formal introduction with them," said CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury. The vice presidential poll will be held on August 5. "We must have confidence in the values we believe in. This election represents a clash of ideas, a conflict of disparate values. The election demands a vote of conscience to preserve the India that the Mahatma and the illustrious generation of freedom fighters, joined by thousands upon the numbers of ordinary men and women, fought for," she said. "We cannot and must not let India be hostage to those who wish to impose upon it a narrow-minded, divisive and communal vision," Sonia Gandhi said. The UPA chairperson said the numbers may be stacked against them, but "the battle must be fought and fought hard". She said that the presence of representatives from various political parties to support Meira Kumar and Gopal Gandhi's candidature showed that the fight for "an inclusive, tolerant and pluralistic India is being truly waged". "We must stand more aware than ever of who we are, what we fought for in our Independence struggle and what future we want for ourselves." She said the presence of representatives from different parties to support Kumar and Gopal Gandhi confirms that "the fight for an inclusive, tolerant and pluralistic India is being truly waged," said the Congress president. Sonia Gandhi said Meira Kumar and Gopal Gandhi had distinguished themselves throughout their long careers with tremendous dignity and commitment. "Through their work and their lives they have also advocated those very values and principles that have defined and guided India for the last 70 years," she told the gathering. Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has broken ranks with its ally Congress and is supporting the BJP-led NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind, stayed away from the Opposition meeting. "I don't think it is correct for our party to attend the meeting. I myself met Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the Opposition's vice-Presidential candidate and conveyed to him that, in the wake of the current situation it won't be good for us to attend a meeting called by Opposition. Our relation with Meira Kumar is very old and she will also be there. It won`t look good on our part to go there," JD(U) leader Sharad Kumar said.

Presidential polls fight against narrow minded, communal vision: Sonia Gandhi

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav on Monday dismissed questions about the growing chorus for his resignation as media speculation. 
 
The BJP maintained that he has only two options -&nbsp;resign or get sacked. 
 
Responding to a question on the demand for his resignation,&nbsp;Tejashwi told reporters outside the Assembly,&nbsp;&quot;It (resignation demand) is only in the media.&quot; 
 
Tejashwi had skipped an official function on July 15,&nbsp;where he was to share the dais with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, triggering speculation that the festering acrimony between the JD(U) and the RJD had reached a flash point in the wake of an FIR being registered by the CBI against the deputy chief minister in the land-for-hotels case. 
 
RJD president Lalu Prasad has also ruled out the resignation of his son Tejashwi. 
 
While Tejaswi appeared to have decided to dig in his heels, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, &quot;He has only two options - either tender resignation or get sacked.&quot; 
 
Modi, who is the state BJP Parliamentary Party chief, urged Nitish Kumar to &quot;stand firm on his ground (in seeking Tejashwi&#39;s resignation)... The BJP will be standing with him on his decision on this issue&quot;. 
 
Though none of the JD(U) spokespersons&nbsp;made any statement on the issue today (Monday), party MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh said, &quot;It&#39;s better if the alliance breaks today... We love to work with the BJP.&quot; 
 
Congress MLA Shakil Ahmad Khan and MLC Dilip Chaudhary suggested senior leaders of the three coalition partners&nbsp;talk among themselves to hammer out a solution. 
 
Nitish Kumar heads a three-party coalition government which also includes the Congress. 
 
Amid reports of the BJP going soft on Nitish Kumar after the Tejashwi episode,&nbsp;Modi thanked the chief minister&nbsp;for his support to the NDA&#39;s presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind. 
 
&quot;Nitish Kumar&#39;s support to the NDA nominee holds a lot of significance for which we thank him,&quot; he said, claiming that along with NDA and JD(U) MLAs, four Independents also voted for Kovind. 
 
Tejashwi, who was accompanied by RJD chief whip in the Assembly Lalit Yadav, also claimed 100 per cent voting by the RJD and Congress MLAs in favour of the UPA&nbsp;presidential nominee&nbsp;Meira Kumar. 
 
Three CPI(ML) MLAs have also voted for Meira Kumar.

The BJP maintained that the Bihar deputy chief minister has only two options -?resign or get sacked

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav on Monday dismissed questions about the growing chorus for his resignation as media speculation. The BJP maintained that he has only two options - resign or get sacked. Responding to a question on the demand for his resignation, Tejashwi told reporters outside the Assembly, "It (resignation demand) is only in the media." Tejashwi had skipped an official function on July 15, where he was to share the dais with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, triggering speculation that the festering acrimony between the JD(U) and the RJD had reached a flash point in the wake of an FIR being registered by the CBI against the deputy chief minister in the land-for-hotels case. RJD president Lalu Prasad has also ruled out the resignation of his son Tejashwi. While Tejaswi appeared to have decided to dig in his heels, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "He has only two options - either tender resignation or get sacked." Modi, who is the state BJP Parliamentary Party chief, urged Nitish Kumar to "stand firm on his ground (in seeking Tejashwi's resignation)... The BJP will be standing with him on his decision on this issue". Though none of the JD(U) spokespersons made any statement on the issue today (Monday), party MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh said, "It's better if the alliance breaks today... We love to work with the BJP." Congress MLA Shakil Ahmad Khan and MLC Dilip Chaudhary suggested senior leaders of the three coalition partners talk among themselves to hammer out a solution. Nitish Kumar heads a three-party coalition government which also includes the Congress. Amid reports of the BJP going soft on Nitish Kumar after the Tejashwi episode, Modi thanked the chief minister for his support to the NDA's presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind. "Nitish Kumar's support to the NDA nominee holds a lot of significance for which we thank him," he said, claiming that along with NDA and JD(U) MLAs, four Independents also voted for Kovind. Tejashwi, who was accompanied by RJD chief whip in the Assembly Lalit Yadav, also claimed 100 per cent voting by the RJD and Congress MLAs in favour of the UPA presidential nominee Meira Kumar. Three CPI(ML) MLAs have also voted for Meira Kumar.

Tejashwi Yadav dismisses BJP's calls for resignation

The Shiv Sena, a key constituent of the BJP-led coalition, on Tuesday said it would back the BJP&#39;s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, saying he is a &quot;simple and decent human being.&quot;

&quot;After holding discussions with our party leaders, we have decided to back the NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind. After our support, I do not think it will be difficult for the BJP to get him elected,&quot; Thackeray told reporters at his residence &#39;Matoshree&#39; in suburban Bandra this evening.

When asked what made him agree to back Kovind, the Sena chief said, &quot;We have studied his personality and found him to be a very simple and a decent human being. Thus, we decided to go ahead with his name.&quot;

Questioning the BJP&#39;s motive behind Kovind&#39;s nomination, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had yesterday said his party would not back the former Bihar Governor in case&nbsp;his candidature was aimed at garnering Dalit votes.

Uddhav Thackeray had said that &quot;there are attempts being made to play politics over a Dalit presidential candidate.&nbsp; 
 
If that is so, we are not interested in backing him.&quot;

The Sena&#39;s verbal support for Kovind is a departure from its previous practice of supported UPA nominees in presidential elections after ditching the BJP.

The party had supported the UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee in the 2012 presidential polls against the NDA&#39;s PA Sangma. In 2007, it backed Pratibha Patil instead of NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

BJP president Amit Shah had visited Uddhav Thackeray at his residence on Sunday. The Shiv Sena president revealed that Amit Shah had sought the party&#39;s support for their candidate, though his name was not declared then.

&quot;In turn, I suggested him two names which he said the BJP will consider. After the BJP announced the presidential candidate, Shah once again called me and told me that the names which I had suggested were considered, but that they (BJP) had their reasons for not making them the BJP candidate,&quot; he said.

Sena had earlier proposed the names of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and veteran agriculturist M S Swaminathan.

Asked if the Shiv Sena would support the opposition parties if they fielded a Dalit candidate, Uddhav Thackeray said his stand will not change now.

&quot;It is not necessary that Sena will always oppose the BJP,&quot; he said.

When asked if Sena will back opposition parties if they announced the name of either Bhagwat or Swaminathan, Thackeray said, &quot;I had announced names of Mohan Bhagwat and Swaminathan a week back. Had they wanted my support, they would have declared one of the names till now. But time has passed now and I will not change my decision.&quot;

Uddhav Thackeray had said the Sena had proposed Bhagwat&#39;s name, keeping in mind the concept of &#39;Hindurashtra&#39; (Hindu nation).

Bhagwat, however, didn&#39;t show any interest whereas Swaminathan chose not to react.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP has the support of 122 MLAs and claims to have the support of some more legislators.&nbsp;

The Shiv Sena has 63 MLAs. There are 67 members from Maharashtra in Parliament - 48 in the Lok Sabha and 19 in the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP-led NDA&nbsp;has a total of 52 MPs. The Shiv Sena has 21 MPs - 18 in the Lok Sabha and three&nbsp;in the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP has 23 members in the Lok Sabha and five&nbsp;members in Rajya Sabha from the state, that corresponds to a total value of 19,824 votes.

The Congress-led UPA has 15 MPs from the state in both the houses of Parliament. The total value of MP votes of the UPA is 10,620.

Shiv Sena had yesterday said that the party was ready to face the mid-term polls in Maharashtra.

&quot;Hold mid-term polls if you want, we are ready... Shivsainik is not just a burning ember, but will rise like a forest fire,&quot; he had said.

 
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The Shiv Sena said the former Bihar Governor was a 'simple and decent human being'

The Shiv Sena, a key constituent of the BJP-led coalition, on Tuesday said it would back the BJP's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, saying he is a "simple and decent human being." "After holding discussions with our party leaders, we have decided to back the NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind. After our support, I do not think it will be difficult for the BJP to get him elected," Thackeray told reporters at his residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra this evening. When asked what made him agree to back Kovind, the Sena chief said, "We have studied his personality and found him to be a very simple and a decent human being. Thus, we decided to go ahead with his name." Questioning the BJP's motive behind Kovind's nomination, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had yesterday said his party would not back the former Bihar Governor in case his candidature was aimed at garnering Dalit votes. Uddhav Thackeray had said that "there are attempts being made to play politics over a Dalit presidential candidate. If that is so, we are not interested in backing him." The Sena's verbal support for Kovind is a departure from its previous practice of supported UPA nominees in presidential elections after ditching the BJP. The party had supported the UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee in the 2012 presidential polls against the NDA's PA Sangma. In 2007, it backed Pratibha Patil instead of NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. BJP president Amit Shah had visited Uddhav Thackeray at his residence on Sunday. The Shiv Sena president revealed that Amit Shah had sought the party's support for their candidate, though his name was not declared then. "In turn, I suggested him two names which he said the BJP will consider. After the BJP announced the presidential candidate, Shah once again called me and told me that the names which I had suggested were considered, but that they (BJP) had their reasons for not making them the BJP candidate," he said. Sena had earlier proposed the names of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and veteran agriculturist M S Swaminathan. Asked if the Shiv Sena would support the opposition parties if they fielded a Dalit candidate, Uddhav Thackeray said his stand will not change now. "It is not necessary that Sena will always oppose the BJP," he said. When asked if Sena will back opposition parties if they announced the name of either Bhagwat or Swaminathan, Thackeray said, "I had announced names of Mohan Bhagwat and Swaminathan a week back. Had they wanted my support, they would have declared one of the names till now. But time has passed now and I will not change my decision." Uddhav Thackeray had said the Sena had proposed Bhagwat's name, keeping in mind the concept of 'Hindurashtra' (Hindu nation). Bhagwat, however, didn't show any interest whereas Swaminathan chose not to react. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP has the support of 122 MLAs and claims to have the support of some more legislators. The Shiv Sena has 63 MLAs. There are 67 members from Maharashtra in Parliament - 48 in the Lok Sabha and 19 in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP-led NDA has a total of 52 MPs. The Shiv Sena has 21 MPs - 18 in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has 23 members in the Lok Sabha and five members in Rajya Sabha from the state, that corresponds to a total value of 19,824 votes. The Congress-led UPA has 15 MPs from the state in both the houses of Parliament. The total value of MP votes of the UPA is 10,620. Shiv Sena had yesterday said that the party was ready to face the mid-term polls in Maharashtra. "Hold mid-term polls if you want, we are ready... Shivsainik is not just a burning ember, but will rise like a forest fire," he had said.

Shiv Sena backs Kovind as NDA's presidential pick

India&#39;s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday dismissed reports that she is a contender in the presidential election as &quot;rumours&quot;.

Asked whether she was in the fray, the external affairs minister said that the selection of candidates was an &quot;internal matter.&quot;

&quot;These are rumours. I am an external affairs minister and you are asking me something which is an internal matter,&quot; Sushma Swaraj told PTI.

Neither the government nor the opposition have declared their candidate presidential election to be held on July 17.

Several names, including that of Sushma Swaraj, have been doing the rounds.

While June 28 is the last day for nominations, a candidate can withdraw from the race till July 1.

Counting of votes will be held on July 20. 
 
&nbsp;

Asked whether she was in the fray, the external affairs minister said these are 'rumours'

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday dismissed reports that she is a contender in the presidential election as "rumours". Asked whether she was in the fray, the external affairs minister said that the selection of candidates was an "internal matter." "These are rumours. I am an external affairs minister and you are asking me something which is an internal matter," Sushma Swaraj told PTI. Neither the government nor the opposition have declared their candidate presidential election to be held on July 17. Several names, including that of Sushma Swaraj, have been doing the rounds. While June 28 is the last day for nominations, a candidate can withdraw from the race till July 1. Counting of votes will be held on July 20.

Rumours, internal matter, says Sushma Swaraj on running for presidency

Two senior cabinet ministers of the Narendra Modi-led Indian government, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu, met the Congress party president Sonia Gandhi in a move to generate consensus on the election of country&#39;s next president.

The two ministers are part of a three-member committee which includes defence minister Arun Jaitley also.

The committee has been formed by the BJP president Amit Shah to form a consensus on the election of country&#39;s next president.

Sources in the meeting told WION that BJP leaders instead of suggesting names asked Congress if they have someone in mind.&nbsp;

Sonia Gandhi told the BJP leaders that she expected them to come up with some names, sources added.

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Indian government reached out to the opposition on Friday to build consensus on a presidential candidate ahead of the elections next month (ANI)
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In response to this, BJP leaders told Sonia Gandhi that once they finalise the names, they would seek the support of the Congress party.&nbsp;

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told WION that in case the ruling party does not come up with a name, no proper discussion will take place.

Azad also added that when a consensus was being built for former President Abdul Kalam, then NDA had shared the name with the Congress who had supported BJP&rsquo;s candidate.&nbsp;

The meeting, which lasted over 20 minutes, was also attended by senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

The two ministers also met CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.&nbsp;

The two ministers also drove to the residence of BJP patriarch and member of &quot;Margdarshak&quot; committee Lal Krishna Advani. After that, the duo went and met Murli Manohar Joshi.&nbsp;

Political observers are saying that the meeting with Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi could be a courtesy visit to seek their opinion on the election of the next President.

Throughout the day, there were strong murmurs around Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and external affairs&nbsp;minister Sushma Swaraj&#39;s name being proposed for President but none came on record to speak about the issue.

BJP is expected to declare the name of the candidate before 24th of this month as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be leaving for Washington on June 25.

The two ministers are part of a three-member committee which includes defence minister Arun Jaitley who is in Seoul.

The committee has been formed by the BJP president Amit Shah to form a consensus on the election of country&#39;s next president.

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The two ministers are part of a committee which has been formed by the BJP president Amit Shah to form a consensus on the election of country's next president

Two senior cabinet ministers of the Narendra Modi-led Indian government, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu, met the Congress party president Sonia Gandhi in a move to generate consensus on the election of country's next president. The two ministers are part of a three-member committee which includes defence minister Arun Jaitley also. The committee has been formed by the BJP president Amit Shah to form a consensus on the election of country's next president. Sources in the meeting told WION that BJP leaders instead of suggesting names asked Congress if they have someone in mind. Sonia Gandhi told the BJP leaders that she expected them to come up with some names, sources added. Indian government reached out to the opposition on Friday to build consensus on a presidential candidate ahead of the elections next month (ANI) × In response to this, BJP leaders told Sonia Gandhi that once they finalise the names, they would seek the support of the Congress party. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told WION that in case the ruling party does not come up with a name, no proper discussion will take place. Azad also added that when a consensus was being built for former President Abdul Kalam, then NDA had shared the name with the Congress who had supported BJP’s candidate. The meeting, which lasted over 20 minutes, was also attended by senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. The two ministers also met CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. The two ministers also drove to the residence of BJP patriarch and member of "Margdarshak" committee Lal Krishna Advani. After that, the duo went and met Murli Manohar Joshi. Political observers are saying that the meeting with Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi could be a courtesy visit to seek their opinion on the election of the next President. Throughout the day, there were strong murmurs around Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's name being proposed for President but none came on record to speak about the issue. BJP is expected to declare the name of the candidate before 24th of this month as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be leaving for Washington on June 25. The two ministers are part of a three-member committee which includes defence minister Arun Jaitley who is in Seoul. The committee has been formed by the BJP president Amit Shah to form a consensus on the election of country's next president.

Presidential polls: Rajnath, Venkaiah call on Sonia Gandhi, L K Advani, M M Joshi to build consensus

As President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s term is nearing its completion, one question that everybody is asking - who will make it to the Rashtrapati Bhavan?

WION takes a look at some of the names that could emerge as candidates in the Presidential elections slated for next month.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi

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The former diplomat and Governor of West Bengal could become the consensus candidate for a united opposition. (Image source: Wikipedia) (Others)
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Gopalkrishna Gandhi&#39;s name came up&nbsp;after CPI (M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, confirmed that he had spoken to him. Gopalkrishna Gandhi who is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi has been a diplomat and served as the Governor of West Bengal. He is someone who could provide a strong pivot for an opposition unity. &nbsp;

Meira Kumar

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The former Speaker of the Lok Sabha is one of the many names that are doing the rounds as opposition&#39;s candidate for the presidential elections. (Image source Wikimedia Commons) (Others)
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The name of the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha is also doing the rounds as a possible opposition candidate. Meira Kumar is the daughter of Congress stalwart Jagjivan Ram. The opposition could make her a consensus candidate if Draupadi Murmu, who is the Jharkhand Governor and whose name is also doing the rounds as the ruling NDA&#39;s candidate, emerges as front-runner in the Presidential elections.

Sharad Yadav

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Socialist leader and former president of the JD(U) Sharad Yadav&#39;s name is also in contention for the top job. (Image source: Wikipedia) (Others)
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The socialist leader and former president of the Janta Dal (United) has emerged as one of the leaders the opposition could zero in as a consensus candidate. He is someone who comes with long experience as a parliamentarian. He is someone who has been vocal in his criticism of the BJP government at the Centre. But lack of support from his own party could hamper his chances as Nitish Kumar had proposed the name of the incumbent, Pranab Mukherjee, as opposition&#39;s choice for the President.&nbsp;

Draupadi Murmu

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The Jharkhand Governor comes from a tribal community in Odisha and is seen as a strong contender for the President&#39;s position. (Zee News Network)
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The Jharkhand governor&nbsp;has emerged as a strong candidate in the upcoming presidential election. She comes from the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. She belongs to a tribal community. With the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) keen on winning the Odisha assembly elections, she is being seen as a front-runner at the moment. Moreover, she is someone who would be difficult to oppose for the opposition. She has also&nbsp;served as a legislator in the Odisha Assembly&nbsp;twice.&nbsp;

Lal Krishna Advani

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LK Advani&#39;s name is doing the rounds as the ruling NDA&#39;s presidential candidate. (Image source: Wikimedia) (Others)
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The BJP stalwart and a member of BJP&#39;s &#39;Margdarshak&#39;&nbsp;committee could figure as the NDA candidate for the presidential elections. But the Supreme Court&#39;s directive to the lower court to wrap up the proceedings against Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition in two years is hanging like a sword over his candidature. Moreover, the fact that he has been sidelined within the party as he and other senior BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi have been accommodated in the &#39;Margdarshak&#39;&nbsp;committee, which was constituted to provide guidance to the party, effectively puts an end to his candidature.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

As the date for Presidential elections comes closer, opposition parties are hunting for a candidate that could give a tough fight to the ruling party's candidate

As President Pranab Mukherjee's term is nearing its completion, one question that everybody is asking - who will make it to the Rashtrapati Bhavan? WION takes a look at some of the names that could emerge as candidates in the Presidential elections slated for next month. Gopalkrishna Gandhi The former diplomat and Governor of West Bengal could become the consensus candidate for a united opposition. (Image source: Wikipedia) (Others) × Gopalkrishna Gandhi's name came up after CPI (M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, confirmed that he had spoken to him. Gopalkrishna Gandhi who is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi has been a diplomat and served as the Governor of West Bengal. He is someone who could provide a strong pivot for an opposition unity. Meira Kumar The former Speaker of the Lok Sabha is one of the many names that are doing the rounds as opposition's candidate for the presidential elections. (Image source Wikimedia Commons) (Others) × The name of the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha is also doing the rounds as a possible opposition candidate. Meira Kumar is the daughter of Congress stalwart Jagjivan Ram. The opposition could make her a consensus candidate if Draupadi Murmu, who is the Jharkhand Governor and whose name is also doing the rounds as the ruling NDA's candidate, emerges as front-runner in the Presidential elections. Sharad Yadav Socialist leader and former president of the JD(U) Sharad Yadav's name is also in contention for the top job. (Image source: Wikipedia) (Others) × The socialist leader and former president of the Janta Dal (United) has emerged as one of the leaders the opposition could zero in as a consensus candidate. He is someone who comes with long experience as a parliamentarian. He is someone who has been vocal in his criticism of the BJP government at the Centre. But lack of support from his own party could hamper his chances as Nitish Kumar had proposed the name of the incumbent, Pranab Mukherjee, as opposition's choice for the President. Draupadi Murmu The Jharkhand Governor comes from a tribal community in Odisha and is seen as a strong contender for the President's position. (Zee News Network) × The Jharkhand governor has emerged as a strong candidate in the upcoming presidential election. She comes from the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. She belongs to a tribal community. With the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) keen on winning the Odisha assembly elections, she is being seen as a front-runner at the moment. Moreover, she is someone who would be difficult to oppose for the opposition. She has also served as a legislator in the Odisha Assembly twice. Lal Krishna Advani LK Advani's name is doing the rounds as the ruling NDA's presidential candidate. (Image source: Wikimedia) (Others) × The BJP stalwart and a member of BJP's 'Margdarshak' committee could figure as the NDA candidate for the presidential elections. But the Supreme Court's directive to the lower court to wrap up the proceedings against Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition in two years is hanging like a sword over his candidature. Moreover, the fact that he has been sidelined within the party as he and other senior BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi have been accommodated in the 'Margdarshak' committee, which was constituted to provide guidance to the party, effectively puts an end to his candidature.

Who will be India's next President? Here's a look at the contenders

In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977.

That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its&nbsp;15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it.

While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan.&nbsp;That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still&nbsp;wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably.

Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party.

While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna&nbsp;Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India&#39;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate.

But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP.

The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job.

With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued&nbsp;the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss.

(WION)

The countdown for presidential elections begins today with Election Commission's notification

In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977. That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its 15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it. While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan. That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably. Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party. While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate. But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP. The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job. With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss. (WION)

Next Indian President: Opposition wants to spoil BJP's gameplan

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday formed a three-member committee for consultations with the opposition over candidates for next month&#39;s presidential elections.

The committee comprises of federal ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley.

President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s term comes to an end on July 24. The presidential elections will be held on July 17.

On Sunday, the party postponed its national executive meet which was to take place on July 15-16 at Visakhapatnam in view of the elections.&nbsp;

The last date of nomination is June 28 while the counting of votes will take place on July 20, the election commission said.

The President is elected through an Electoral College which is formed by legislators from the Parliament and state assemblies.&nbsp;

Currently, there are 13 vacancies in the Electoral College.&nbsp;

Twenty one AAP MLAs are also eligible to vote.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

The committee comprises of federal ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday formed a three-member committee for consultations with the opposition over candidates for next month's presidential elections. The committee comprises of federal ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley. President Pranab Mukherjee's term comes to an end on July 24. The presidential elections will be held on July 17. On Sunday, the party postponed its national executive meet which was to take place on July 15-16 at Visakhapatnam in view of the elections. The last date of nomination is June 28 while the counting of votes will take place on July 20, the election commission said. The President is elected through an Electoral College which is formed by legislators from the Parliament and state assemblies. Currently, there are 13 vacancies in the Electoral College. Twenty one AAP MLAs are also eligible to vote. (WION)

Presidential elections: Amit Shah forms committee for talks with Opposition

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. 
 
&quot;I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make,&quot; Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan&#39;s home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a &quot;rising star&quot;. 
 
&quot;We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends,&quot; Trump said. 
 
Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. 
 
Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was &quot;not quite there yet&quot;, using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. 
 
Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump&#39;s vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week&#39;s Republican primary. 
 
Trump&#39;s endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. 
 
In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton&#39;s lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. 
 
Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. 
 
In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. 
 
Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate&#39;s plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,&rdquo; Moore said. 
 
At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the &quot;queen of corruption&quot;. He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. 
 
&quot;All my life I&#39;ve been told, &#39;You have the greatest temperament,&#39;&quot; he said.&nbsp;He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event.&nbsp;&quot;If you don&#39;t like me, that&#39;s okay, vote for Pence, because it&#39;s the same thing,&quot; he said. 
 
Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media&#39;s claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. &quot;I love babies,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Short-circuited&quot; 
 
Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump&#39;s dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. 
 
At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. 
 
She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. 
 
Clinton conceded that she had &ldquo;short-circuited&rdquo; earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the&nbsp;use of the private server. 
 
Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI&rsquo;s probe in July, when he rebuked her for &quot;extremely careless&quot; handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. 
 
Yesterday, Clinton maintained that &ldquo;I never sent or received anything marked classified&rdquo;, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies.&nbsp;Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. 
 
The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. &ldquo;I take it seriously,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.&rdquo; 
 
Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. &ldquo;Maybe just maybe when I&rsquo;m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,&rdquo; she said. 
 
Finance and industry leaders 
 
Trump&#39;s campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. 
 
Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth&#39;s Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. 
 
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn&#39;s general counsel told Reuters yesterday. 
 
Trump&#39;s moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. 
 
The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week&#39;s Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump&#39;s insistent attacks on the parents. 
 
(Reuters)

Paul Ryan, the top US elected Republican who the establishment sees as a possible future presidential candidate, skipped the rally

Republican Donald Trump took steps to steer his White House campaign back into favour with his party establishment yesterday by endorsing US house of representatives speaker Paul Ryan and two Republican senators seeking re-election, after expressing coolness towards them earlier this week. "I need a Republican senate and a house to accomplish all of the changes that we have to make," Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, in northern Wisconsin, Ryan's home state. He also endorsed senators John McCain of Arizona and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, whom he called a "rising star". "We will have disagreements, but we will disagree as friends," Trump said. Ryan, the top US elected Republican, had no plans to attend the event, in a sign of lingering frictions between the pair. His Republican primary challenger, businessman Paul Nehlen, did attend, according to a spokesman. Trump earlier this week refused to endorse Ryan when he told The Washington Post he was "not quite there yet", using the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump before finally endorsing him. He said in the same interview that McCain had not done enough for veterans and criticised Ayotte for distancing herself from him during the campaign. Ryan, who was earlier endorsed by Trump's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, is viewed by establishment Republicans as a possible presidential candidate in the future. He is expected to win a challenge for his House seat in next week's Republican primary. Trump's endorsement emerged as he took other steps to get his campaign back on track after days of controversy and falling poll numbers that have given Democrat Hillary Clinton the advantage in the race to the November 8 election. In the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday, Clinton's lead over Trump narrowed to less than three percentage points, down from nearly eight points on Monday. Trump yesterday announced he was setting up an advisory team to help guide him on economic policy. The group relies heavily on hedge fund managers and investment bankers, a group Trump has railed against in the past, and includes no women. In addition, Trump plans to release his framework for boosting the US economy in a speech in Detroit on Monday, an event that will offer him a chance to avoid theatrics and detail how he would handle economic issues if elected. Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore told Reuters that the candidate's plan would focus on four areas: tax, deregulation, energy policy and trade. “It’s going to be an all-encompassing look at how we reform the economy,” Moore said. At a rally in Des Moines, Trump showed newfound discipline, mostly sticking to his central charge that Clinton is the "queen of corruption". He defended himself against her charge that he is temperamentally unfit for the White House. "All my life I've been told, 'You have the greatest temperament,'" he said. He urged voters to also consider his vice presidential running mate, who appeared with him at the event. "If you don't like me, that's okay, vote for Pence, because it's the same thing," he said. Trump also defended himself against what he called the news media's claim that he kicked a baby out of an event earlier this week in Virginia. "I love babies," he said. "Short-circuited" Clinton sought to take advantage of Trump's dip in the polls at a conference of minority journalists in Washington, where she pledged an all-out fight for comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the November 8 election. At the event, Clinton did what she has rarely done during the presidential campaign: take questions from reporters. She addressed two of the largest issues that continue to dog her campaign: the controversy over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state during the Obama administration, and continuing scepticism among voters about her trustworthiness. Clinton conceded that she had “short-circuited” earlier in the week in interviews when she had asserted that FBI director James Comey had concluded that she had been truthful in her statements about the use of the private server. Clinton had repeatedly said publicly that she never sent emails containing classified material, a finding that Comey contradicted at the conclusion of the FBI’s probe in July, when he rebuked her for "extremely careless" handling of classified information while recommending that no criminal charges be filed. Yesterday, Clinton maintained that “I never sent or received anything marked classified”, while acknowledging that some material she sent may retroactively have been considered classified by other government agencies. Republicans have repeatedly charged that Clinton endangered national security with her handling of classified material. The email controversy has fuelled a perception among a majority of voters that Clinton is untrustworthy. “I take it seriously,” she said. “It doesn’t make me feel good when people say those things. And I recognise that I have work to do.” Still, as she has often done during her career, Clinton attributed much of her low standing on this issue to attacks from Republicans. “Maybe just maybe when I’m actually running for a job, there is a real benefit to those on the other side to try and stir up as much concern as possible,” she said. Finance and industry leaders Trump's campaign said his economic advisory panel included former steel executive Dan DiMicco, Howard Lorber, CEO of tobacco company Vector Group Ltd, and Trump campaign finance chairman and investment manager Steven Mnuchin. Hedge fund managers John Paulson and Steve Feinberg, anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth's Stephen Moore, and David Malpass, who has served under previous Republican administrations in the Treasury and State Departments, were also named. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn turned down an invitation to join the group because he is considering funding a Super PAC focussed on regulatory reform, Icahn's general counsel told Reuters yesterday. Trump's moves came after many Republicans urged the candidate to correct course following a tumultuous week. The real estate mogul and former reality television star was caught up for days in a public spat with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. The parents had spoken out against Trump at last week's Democratic National Convention. Many Republicans, including Ryan, McCain and Ayotte, were critical of Trump's insistent attacks on the parents. (Reuters)

Trump, looking to right campaign ship, endorses house speaker, senators

Austria&#39;s highest court on Friday annulled May&#39;s presidential election result following a legal challgenge from the far-right leader who lost by a narrow margin.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz Christian Strache against the May 22 election has been upheld,&quot; said Gerhard Holzinger, head of Austria&#39;s Constitutional Court.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The challenge was brought by the far-right wing leader who only narrowly lost

Austria's highest court on Friday annulled May's presidential election result following a legal challgenge from the far-right leader who lost by a narrow margin. "The challenge brought by Freedom Party leader Heinz Christian Strache against the May 22 election has been upheld," said Gerhard Holzinger, head of Austria's Constitutional Court. (AFP)

Austria presidential election result anulled by court

Authoritarian firebrand Rodrigo Duterte takes office as Philippine president today, promising a ruthless and deeply controversial war on crime as the chief focus of his six-year term. 
 
His anti-crime programme includes plans to reintroduce the death penalty, issuing shoot-to-kill orders to the security services and offering them bounties for the bodies of drug dealers. He has also told ordinary Filipinos to kill suspected criminals. 
 
A lawyer who cut his teeth as long-time mayor of the major southern city of Davao, Duterte, 71, has said another central element of his law-and-order platform is to curb social freedoms by imposing night curfews for minors and ban alcohol sales after midnight. 
 
Defying convention, Duterte will take his oath at midday before a small and select guest list inside Malacanang palace, instead of in public before a large crowd and journalists like previous Filipino leaders. 
 
The foul-mouthed politician&#39;s style is a sharp departure from that of the laid-back Benigno Aquino, the outgoing leader of the Southeast Asian nation of 102 million people. 
 
Duterte won last month&#39;s presidential elections in a landslide after an inflammatory campaign in which he promised that tens of thousands of criminals would die, their bodies clogging up Manila Bay where he plans to dump them. 
 
His campaign also relentlessly highlighted the alleged failures of Aquino, who delivered the highest rates of economic growth in decades but failed to stem worsening traffic gridlocks, high crime and widespread poverty endured by many Filipinos. 
 
Even before his term began, Duterte picked fights with the envoys of key allies the United States and Australia over his joke about raping an Australian missionary who was sexually assaulted and shot dead in a prison riot. 
 
After being elected, his controversial comments that some of the scores of Filipino journalists murdered over the past 30 years had deserved to die earned a rare rebuke from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 
 
Duterte has been accused of links to vigilante death squads in Davao which rights groups say have killed more than 1,000 people. Such groups are concerned that extrajudicial killings could spread across the Philippines under Duterte. 
 
With Duterte&#39;s encouragement, police have already killed dozens of suspected criminals since the May 9 election. The incoming mayor of Cebu, the Philippines&#39; second-biggest city, has also paid out Duterte-style bounties to police for killing drug suspects. 
 
Behind the fireworks of his rhetoric and the war on crime, Duterte has promised a raft of other far-reaching reforms. 
 
Chief among those is to change the centralised government to a federal system in which newly created states would have a large degree of autonomy. Those states would also be able to keep most of their revenues. 
 
But doing so will require rewriting the constitution. 
 
Duterte has also said he can end decades-old Muslim and communist rebellions, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives. Peace talks with the communists are set to start this month. He expects federalism will appease Muslim rebels, who want autonomy. 
 
(AFP)

As president, Duterte plans to reintroduce death penalty, issue shoot-to-kill orders to security forces and curb social freedoms

Authoritarian firebrand Rodrigo Duterte takes office as Philippine president today, promising a ruthless and deeply controversial war on crime as the chief focus of his six-year term. His anti-crime programme includes plans to reintroduce the death penalty, issuing shoot-to-kill orders to the security services and offering them bounties for the bodies of drug dealers. He has also told ordinary Filipinos to kill suspected criminals. A lawyer who cut his teeth as long-time mayor of the major southern city of Davao, Duterte, 71, has said another central element of his law-and-order platform is to curb social freedoms by imposing night curfews for minors and ban alcohol sales after midnight. Defying convention, Duterte will take his oath at midday before a small and select guest list inside Malacanang palace, instead of in public before a large crowd and journalists like previous Filipino leaders. The foul-mouthed politician's style is a sharp departure from that of the laid-back Benigno Aquino, the outgoing leader of the Southeast Asian nation of 102 million people. Duterte won last month's presidential elections in a landslide after an inflammatory campaign in which he promised that tens of thousands of criminals would die, their bodies clogging up Manila Bay where he plans to dump them. His campaign also relentlessly highlighted the alleged failures of Aquino, who delivered the highest rates of economic growth in decades but failed to stem worsening traffic gridlocks, high crime and widespread poverty endured by many Filipinos. Even before his term began, Duterte picked fights with the envoys of key allies the United States and Australia over his joke about raping an Australian missionary who was sexually assaulted and shot dead in a prison riot. After being elected, his controversial comments that some of the scores of Filipino journalists murdered over the past 30 years had deserved to die earned a rare rebuke from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Duterte has been accused of links to vigilante death squads in Davao which rights groups say have killed more than 1,000 people. Such groups are concerned that extrajudicial killings could spread across the Philippines under Duterte. With Duterte's encouragement, police have already killed dozens of suspected criminals since the May 9 election. The incoming mayor of Cebu, the Philippines' second-biggest city, has also paid out Duterte-style bounties to police for killing drug suspects. Behind the fireworks of his rhetoric and the war on crime, Duterte has promised a raft of other far-reaching reforms. Chief among those is to change the centralised government to a federal system in which newly created states would have a large degree of autonomy. Those states would also be able to keep most of their revenues. But doing so will require rewriting the constitution. Duterte has also said he can end decades-old Muslim and communist rebellions, which have claimed tens of thousands of lives. Peace talks with the communists are set to start this month. He expects federalism will appease Muslim rebels, who want autonomy. (AFP)

Duterte to be sworn in as Philippine president, launch war on crime

Icelanders elected historian Gudni Johannesson on Saturday as their first new president in 20 years, amid distrust of politicians and business leaders after the 2008 global financial crisis and the Panama papers scandal.&nbsp; 
 
The final count showed 39 per cent of Icelanders voted for Johannesson as president, public broadcaster RUV reported. The post is largely ceremonial, but does carry powers to block legislation. 
 
Contenders included a former prime minister and central bank governor.&nbsp; 
 
Johannesson, a lecturer at the University of Iceland who has said he has never been a member of a political party, will take office on August 1. 
 
In his campaign, he advocated a constitutional clause allowing citizen-initiated referendums over parliamentary bills, saying it would help ensure the nation always had the final say in the largest issues affecting it.&nbsp; 
 
Icelander&#39;s faith in authorities was shaken by years of austerity measures and capital controls, which were imposed to restore a shattered economy after the country&#39;s largest banks collapsed in 2008 during the global financial crisis. 
 
Former president Olafur Grimsson, 73, who has served five straight four-year terms, had been ahead in polls until May, when he withdrew his candidacy after leaked documents called the Panama papers showed his wife had links to offshore accounts.&nbsp; 
 
Grimsson had begun his candidacy citing a need for stability after then-prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned in 2015 when the Panama papers showed he also had owned an offshore company in a tax haven together with his wife.&nbsp; 
 
Neither Gunnlaugsson nor Grimsson have been accused of doing anything illegal related to the offshore dealings. But the links still raised ire among many Icelanders, sparking demonstrations in the capital.&nbsp; 
 
Iceland has been gradually recovering from the 2008 financial meltdown in recent years. Economic growth is expected to reach 4 per cent this year and unemployment is at a pre-crisis levels. 
 
But gross national income per capita is still down by a quarter since 2007 and a tenth of the 330,000 Icelanders have fallen into serious loan default, with thousands of homes repossessed. 
 
Candidates in presidential elections in Iceland run as independents. 
 
(Reuters)

The final count showed 39% Icelanders voted for Gudni Johannesson as their first new president in 20 years

Icelanders elected historian Gudni Johannesson on Saturday as their first new president in 20 years, amid distrust of politicians and business leaders after the 2008 global financial crisis and the Panama papers scandal. The final count showed 39 per cent of Icelanders voted for Johannesson as president, public broadcaster RUV reported. The post is largely ceremonial, but does carry powers to block legislation. Contenders included a former prime minister and central bank governor. Johannesson, a lecturer at the University of Iceland who has said he has never been a member of a political party, will take office on August 1. In his campaign, he advocated a constitutional clause allowing citizen-initiated referendums over parliamentary bills, saying it would help ensure the nation always had the final say in the largest issues affecting it. Icelander's faith in authorities was shaken by years of austerity measures and capital controls, which were imposed to restore a shattered economy after the country's largest banks collapsed in 2008 during the global financial crisis. Former president Olafur Grimsson, 73, who has served five straight four-year terms, had been ahead in polls until May, when he withdrew his candidacy after leaked documents called the Panama papers showed his wife had links to offshore accounts. Grimsson had begun his candidacy citing a need for stability after then-prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned in 2015 when the Panama papers showed he also had owned an offshore company in a tax haven together with his wife. Neither Gunnlaugsson nor Grimsson have been accused of doing anything illegal related to the offshore dealings. But the links still raised ire among many Icelanders, sparking demonstrations in the capital. Iceland has been gradually recovering from the 2008 financial meltdown in recent years. Economic growth is expected to reach 4 per cent this year and unemployment is at a pre-crisis levels. But gross national income per capita is still down by a quarter since 2007 and a tenth of the 330,000 Icelanders have fallen into serious loan default, with thousands of homes repossessed. Candidates in presidential elections in Iceland run as independents. (Reuters)

History professor creates history, wins Iceland's presidential election

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