Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.
Silver Fern – the black, white and blue silver fern design – won New Zealand’s referendum to become a possible new flag, after the final votes were counted, the election commission confirmed.
A second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to adopt the new flag or keep the current one.
The design was named as a preliminary winner on December 11, but this final tally factors in late and overseas votes.
A similar design in red and blue came in a close second.
Both flags were designed by architect Kyle Lockwood. About 1.5 million votes were cast in the referendum, with a voter turnout of 49%, said New Zealand’s election commission.
Photo New Zealand Government
Still in third place is Red Peak, a design that was popular on social media and was added to the ballot following an online lobbying campaign.
The winning design, known officially as Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue), happens to be PM John Key’s pick, and he had earlier expressed delight that it had won in the preliminary tally.
New Zealanders were asked to choose which of five designs they preferred.
The referendum has divided opinion in New Zealand over its cost and timing.
The entire exercise is expected to cost around NZ$27 million ($18 million).
Many also took issue with the final five flags on the ballot, saying they were largely uninspiring.
The decision to choose a new flag has been backed by PM John Key, who has said the current one is too similar to Australia’s and that it is time to remove the Union Jack from the current flag.
A teacher at Paris’ Jean Perrin kindergarten, who said he had been stabbed by a man shouting “Islamic State”, has admitted he made the story up, prosecutors say.
The 45-year-old teacher said he had been attacked while alone in a classroom in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris.
However, prosecutors said he had wounded himself with a box cutter and was now being questioned as to why he lied.
France remains on high alert following the terror attacks in Paris on November 13 that left 130 people dead.
The teacher – who has not been named – has been treated in hospital for superficial wounds to his side and neck.
According to his account, a man had attacked him with a box cutter at about 07:10AM on December 14 and had shouted: “This is for Daesh [Islamic State]. It’s a warning.”
The incident sparked a manhunt in the northern suburb, as police tried to track down the alleged attacker.
The anti-terrorism branch of the Paris prosecutor’s office also opened an investigation for attempted murder in relation to a terrorist act.
After the incident, French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem visited the scene and vowed to increase security at schools.
All classes at the Jean-Perrin preschool were canceled.
Mayor of Aubervilliers Pascal Beaudet said it was not yet known what had motivated the teacher to lie.
He said the teacher had 20 years’ experience and was “appreciated” by parents at the school.
Last month, the ISIS’s French-language magazine Dar-al-Islam recently urged followers to kill teachers in France, describing them as “enemies of Allah” for teaching secularism.
Rachel Schneider, of the French primary school teachers’ union SNUipp, said many teachers had been alarmed by the threat.
“We have received many calls from colleagues, who are very worried,” she said.
“They don’t necessarily think there will be an organized attack, but they fear this message of murderous madness will inspire unstable people to action.”
Aubervilliers is in the Seine-Saint-Denis department of the Ile-de-France region.
A Beijing court has commuted the suspended death sentence of Bo Xilai’s wife, Gu Kailai, to life in prison.
The court said Gu Kailai showed repentance and “did not commit any crimes” in jail.
Gu Kailai was sentenced in 2012 for murdering British businessman Neil Heywood.
Disgraced former Politburo member Bo Xilai was jailed for life in 2013 for corruption and abuse of power. The cases were China’s biggest political scandal in years.
“The aforementioned criminal has recently certainly shown repentance,” the court said, adding that Gu Kailai had practiced “thought, culture and technical study.”
The statement was dated December 11 but released only on December 14.
The document also said that Gu Kailai had “obeyed discipline”, and “completed labor tasks in a timely manner”. As a result she was “eligible for the legal conditions for a commutation”.
Correspondents say with good behavior suspended death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison in China.
Gu Kailai’s case was one among several public notices soliciting public objections to reduced sentences.
The other two were former electronics tycoon Huang Guangyu, who was convicted of bribery; and Liu Zhijun, former railways minister who was previously given a suspended death sentence for taking bribes and was partly blamed for a fatal bullet train crash in 2011.
Public consultation for Huang Guangyu closes on December 15.
The notices for both Gu Kailai and Liu Zhijun were published on the Supreme People’s Court website last month, but were only reported by local media on December 14, several weeks after the end of the consultation period.
The cases were reported shortly after the trial opened of one of China’s leading human rights lawyers, Pu Zhiqiang, in Beijing. That trial attracted considerable international attention, particularly after plainclothes security officials aggressively manhandled journalists, diplomats and protesters gathered outside the court.
Gu Kailai’s case sparked the series of events which brought down her high-flying husband.
Bo Xilai was removed as Communist Party boss of the important metropolis of Chongqing in south-western China, and from the Politburo, which makes key party decisions, in 2012.
During his trial, Bo Xilai claimed that Gu Kailai – who testified against him – had gone insane.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has announced he is replacing newly appointed Finance Minister David van Rooyen with Pravin Gordhan.
On December 9, Jacob Zuma sacked Nhlanhla Nene in a move that sent the rand to record lows and sparked a sell-off in bank shares.
Nhlanhla Nene’s replacement for less than a week, David van Rooyen, is a little known lawmaker.
The latest move sent the rand up almost 5% on December 13.
A more experienced Pravin Gordhan was widely respected when he served as South Africa’s finance minister from 2009 until 2014.
However, Mohammed Nalla, head of research at Nedbank Capital, said having a finance minister serve just two days did not bode well for South Africa’s reputation.
“International investors are probably thinking: why didn’t the president make a much more considered decision in the first place?” he said.
The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, Mmusi Maimane, said: “This is reckless by President Zuma – he is playing Russian roulette with the South African economy.”
A statement from Jacob Zuma’s office said he had “received many representations” to reconsider his decision to appoint David van Rooyen.
“As a democratic government, we emphasize the importance of listening to the people and to respond to their views,” it added.
Credit agency Fitch downgraded South Africa earlier this month, leaving the country just one notch above “junk” status. It said on December 10 that Nhlanhla Nene’s sacking “raised more negative than positive questions”.
Nhlanhla Nene’s reluctance to approve a plan to build several nuclear power stations at a cost of up to $100 billion is thought to have contributed to his removal as finance minister.
David van Rooyen will take over from Pravin Gordhan as minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
Marches to call for Jacob Zuma’s removal as president are being planned for five cities in South Africa on December 16 – a public holiday.
The US Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates on the same day in a move that could put economies in countries like South Africa under further pressure.
Former Health Minister Barbara Hogan on December 11 called on Jacob Zuma to resign. The highest-profile ANC member to oppose Nhlanhla Nene’s removal, she said that the president had crossed a line and needed to be held to account.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right Front National (National Front) has failed to win a single region in the second round of elections, exit polls indicate.
According to early, the FN has been beaten into third place, despite leading in six of 13 regions in the first round of votes a week ago.
The polls predict Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right Republicans will win most seats ahead of the ruling Socialists.
Acknowledging defeat, Marine Le Pen pledged to keep fighting.
She blamed the outcome on the mainstream parties which joined forces to keep the FN from power, telling her supporters they had been “disenfranchised in the most indecent of ways by a campaign of lies and disinformation”.
Photo Reuters
Marine Le Pen stood as a candidate in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie. Her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen was standing in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, in the south.
After both secured more than 40% of the vote in the first round, the trailing Socialist candidates in those regions pulled out so their voters could support the Republican candidate against the FN for the second round.
One poll suggested Marine Le Pen had secured 42.5% in the second round in her region, against the centre-right’s 57.5%.
Xavier Bertrand, who is leading in Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, said the French had given “a lesson of rallying together, courage. Here we stopped the progression of the National Front.”
Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls was less upbeat. He warned the “danger posed by the far right has not gone away, far from it”.
Nicolas Sarkozy said now was the time “for in-depth debates about what worries the French”, noting security concerns, unemployment and frustration with the EU.
These elections were to vote for councils and presidents of the 13 French regions, which have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.
French media are predicting that the Republicans have taken seven regions and the Socialists five, with nationalists winning Corsica. Official results are expected early on December 14.
The first round of voting on December 6 gave the FN the best election results in its history.
It was the first electoral test since last month’s Paris attacks claimed by ISIS, in which 130 people were killed.
In the lead-up to the first round, opinion polls suggested that the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU FN had increased since the deadly attacks.
The FN had been hoping a strong performance would boost Marine Le Pen’s chances for the 2017 presidential election.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi has become the first woman politician elected in Saudi Arabia.
She has won a seat on a municipal council for the first time in the country, after the kingdom lifted its ban on women taking part in elections.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi won a seat in Mecca province in December 12 vote, the electoral commission said.
The election was the first where women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates, and is being viewed as a landmark in the conservative kingdom.
Saudi women still face many curbs in public life, including driving.
A total of 978 women registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men.
Officials said about 130,000 women had registered to vote in yesterday’s poll, compared with 1.35 million men.
The disparity was attributed by female voters to bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of transport, the AFP says.
Female candidates were also not allowed to address male voters directly during campaigning. Turnout was high, state media reported.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi won a seat on the council in Madrakah in Mecca province, the president of the election commission, Osama al-Bar, told the official SPA news agency.
She was running against seven men and two women, Osam al-Bar was quoted as saying.
Elections of any kind are rare in the Saudi kingdom – December 12, 2015 was only the third time in history that Saudis had gone to the polls.
There were no elections in the 40 years between 1965 and 2005.
The decision to allow women to take part was taken by the late King Abdullah and is seen as a key part of his legacy.
In announcing the reforms, King Abdullah said women in Saudi Arabia “have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice”.
Before he died in January, King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the country’s top advisory Shura Council.
There were 2,100 council seats available in December 12 vote. An additional 1,050 seats are appointed with approval from the king.
Marine Le Pen’s National Front (FN) is seeking to consolidate its last week’s gains in France’s second round of regional elections.
The far-right FN is leading in six of 13 regions in mainland France.
However, opinion polls indicate that the centre-right Republican opposition of Nicolas Sarkozy has gained ground since then.
The Republicans pushed the ruling Socialists into third place in the first round.
The Socialists have removed losing candidates from vulnerable seats to avoid splitting the anti-FN vote. However, the Republicans have refused to do the same.
The FN won 27.73% of the vote in the first round, followed by Nicolas Sarkozy’s Republicans on 26.65% and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists with 23.12%.
Photo Getty Images
Marine Le Pen, who stood in the northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who stood in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur in the south, both looked to have won more than 40% of the vote.
She later told her supporters it was a “magnificent result” which proved the FN was “without contest the first party of France”.
French regions have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development.
The far right has been steadily gaining votes over the past few years from both left- and right-wing sympathizers through a mix of nationalist and pro-welfare policies, correspondents say.
In the lead-up to the first round, opinion polls suggested that the popularity of the anti-immigration, anti-EU FN had increased since the deadly attacks in Paris on November 13.
The FN is hoping a strong performance will boost Marine Le Pen’s chances in the 2017 presidential election.
The government’s response to the Paris attacks has boosted President Francois Hollande’s approval ratings – they have soared more than 30 percentage points to 50%.
However, this surge in personal popularity has so far not translated into greater approval for Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party.
President Yahya Jammeh has declared Gambia an Islamic republic, saying the move marks a break with the colonial past.
Yahya Jammeh told state TV the proclamation was in line with Gambia’s “religious identity and values”.
The Gambian president added that no dress code would be imposed and citizens of other faiths would be allowed to practice freely.
Some 90% of Gambians are Muslim. The former British colony’s economy relies heavily on tourism.
However, relations with the West have soured recently.
The EU temporarily withheld aid money to Gambia last year over its poor human rights record.
Yahya Jammeh has been president of Gambia for 21 years.
“As Muslims are the majority in the country, the Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy,” he told state TV, explaining his decision to proclaim an Islamic republic.
Other Islamic republics include Iran, Pakistan and – in Africa, Mauritania.
Yahya Jammeh withdrew Gambia from the Commonwealth in 2013, describing the organization as neo-colonial.
In 2007, Yahya Jammeh claimed to have found herbal cure for AIDS.
Saudi women are allowed to vote for the first time in the kingdom’s municipal elections.
Women are also standing as candidates, another first, despite the conservative kingdom being the only nation where women are not allowed to drive.
A total of 978 women have registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men.
Female candidates have had to speak behind a partition during campaign appearances or be represented by a man.
About 130,000 women have registered to vote, officials say. That figure still falls well short of male voter registration, which stands at 1.35 million.
Elections themselves are a rare thing in the Saudi kingdom – November 12 will be only the third time in history that Saudis have gone to the polls.
There were no elections in the 40 years between 1965 and 2005.
The decision to allow women to take part was taken by the late King Abdullah and is seen as a key part of his legacy.
In announcing the reforms, King Abdullah said women in Saudi Arabia “have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice”.
Before he died in January, King Abdullah appointed 30 women to Saudi Arabia’s top advisory Shura Council.
There are 2,100 council seats available in today’s vote. An additional 1,050 seats are appointed with approval from the king.
The results of the elections are expected to be announced later on Saturday, December 12.
The US and Cuba have agreed to restore a direct mail service, suspended 52 years ago at the height of the Cold War.
A pilot postal service will be launched shortly, but it is not clear when a full service will be implemented.
The move is part of the rapprochement process that was announced by presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro on December 17, 2014.
The United States and Cuba have since restored diplomatic ties and reopened embassies.
The two countries began re-establishing postal links in 2013, before the change of policy was announced.
Mail and parcels between Cuba and the US have been re-routed through a third country, usually Mexico or Canada.
In March, direct phone connections with the US were restored after more than 15 years.
Previously, phone calls also needed to go through a third country.
While delays in the mail services have caused frustration for decades, their use in the 21st Century is becoming limited.
Couriers carry mail and small packages between Miami and Havana on a regular basis.
As Cuba gradually opens up to the internet, new generations of Cubans are writing fewer letters than their parents and grandparents used to.
Despite remarkable improvement in relations in recent years, Cuba says that relations will not be fully normalized until the US pulls out of Guantanamo Bay and lifts an economic embargo imposed on the communist-run island.
The US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a revolution toppling US-backed President Fulgencio Batista.
Cuba established a revolutionary socialist state with close ties to the Soviet Union.
The following year, the US imposed a trade embargo covering nearly all exports to Cuba.
This was expanded by President John F. Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel restrictions.
The embargo is estimated to have cost the Cuban economy more than $1.1 trillion and the US economy $1.2 billion a year.
President Barack Obama has also called for the embargo to be lifted, saying it had “failed to improve the lives of the Cuban people”.
However, the change needs to be approved by the Congress, which is controlled by the Republican opposition.
Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Moutassim Gaddafi aka Hannibal, has been freed after being briefly kidnapped by an armed group in Lebanon, security sources say.
In a video shown on Lebanese TV, Hannibal Gaddafi was seen appealing for more information concerning the 1978 disappearance of the prominent Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr.
The late Libyan leader’s son was freed in the city of Baalbek and dispatched to Beirut, police told AP.
Photo Reuters
Hannibal Gaddafi, a 40-year-old former playboy, was given sanctuary in Oman in 2012.
His father Muammar was overthrown by rebels in a 2011 uprising.
Musa al-Sadr, one of the most prominent Shia clerics of the 20th Century, disappeared along with two others during a trip to Libya in 1978.
Muammar Gaddafi denied any involvement in his disappearance, but many suspect him of having orchestrated it.
The case has long soured relations between the two countries.
It is not known how long Hannibal Gaddafi has been in Lebanon.
Hannibal Gaddafi was under house arrest while in Oman with his sister Ayesha and mother Safiya.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has welcomed the first 163 Syrian refugees to his country.
The first military plane carrying Syrian refugees has landed at Pearson on December 10.
Justin Trudeau said Canada was “showing the world how to open our hearts”.
The newly elected Liberal government has pledged to take in 25,000 refugees by the end of February 2016.
Canada’s stance on the issue differs sharply to that of the US, which has been reluctant to take in refugees.
Another military plane is due in Montreal on December 12.
Immigration Minister John McCallum said all 10 provinces in Canada are in favor of accepting the refugees.
“This is a great moment for Canada,” he said.
“This shows the way we really are. It truly is a non-partisan, national project.”
Photo The Canadian Press
Since early November, hundreds of Syrians have already arrived in Canada via commercial aircraft.
A total of about 300 Syrians will arrive this week.
The Toronto Star, Canada’s largest-circulation daily newspaper, ran a cover story on December 10 welcoming the refugees.
The US administration has said it will take in 10,000 refugees over the next year. Some Republican governors have unsuccessfully tried to keep them from coming to their states after deadly terrorist attacks in France and California.
Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said after the California attacks that all Muslims should be blocked from coming to the US, drawing condemnation across the globe.
About 800 refugees are going through screening tests in Lebanon and Jordan daily, John McCallum said.
Justin Trudeau, who swept the October 19 Canadian elections, has a different stance on refugees from that of his predecessor, the conservative Stephen Harper, who did not wish to resettle more people.
Unaccompanied men will be excluded from the resettlement program, but officials said this had nothing to do with national security concerns.
“We want them to have a roof over their head, and the right support,” said John McCallum.
“It takes a bit of time to put that all in place. We’re happy to take a little more time than originally planned to bring our new friends into the country.”
Those who will be considered refugees include families, women deemed to be at risk, and gay men and women.
Mauricio Macri has been sworn in as Argentina’s president in a Buenos Aires ceremony.
The newly-elected president vowed to unite the nation and revive the economy.
The center-right Mauricio Macri took the oath of office in Congress but his inauguration was boycotted by his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in a row over the venue.
In his inaugural speech, Mauricio Macri vowed to tackle corruption, poverty and drug trafficking.
He also pledged “team work” and an end to confrontation in politics.
Photo Reuters
Mauricio Macri, 56, told Congress: “As president I want to be a citizen who can communicate with all Argentines.
“Politics for me is not a competition to see who’s got the bigger ego. It’s working together for the good of the people.”
“Today a dream is being achieved,” he said.
On December 9, outgoing President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had bid farewell to supporters in an emotional speech, urging people to take to the streets if they felt betrayed by the new centre-right government.
This is the first time since the end of the military dictatorship in 1983 that a president has not attended the inauguration of a successor.
Mauricio Macri triumphed in last month’s election run-off, beating Cristina Fernandez’s chosen successor, Daniel Scioli.
The newly-elected president has promised to move from a largely state-controlled economy under the leftist Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to one that is more free market-orientated, easing trade and currency controls.
Mauricio Macri has also promised to improve relations with the US.
In his speech in Congress he said: “We’ve got to take confrontation out of the centre of politics. With fighting no-one wins, with dialogue, everyone wins.
“A new time is coming, a time of dialogue, a time of teamwork.”
Mauricio Macri said those who had voted for him wanted three goals – zero poverty, an end to drug trafficking and the unity of all Argentines.
To applause, he said he wanted a judiciary cleaned of its political affiliations.
Marta Gabriela Michetti was sworn in as vice-president.
Mauricio Macri then travelled to the presidential palace to receive the sash and baton of office.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had insisted that the handover of the symbols of office should also take place in Congress, where her party holds a majority of seats.
She argued this was a tradition established by her and her late husband and predecessor in office, Nestor Kirchner.
Mauricio Macri argued that according to presidential protocol, the handover should be held in the palace, as it was before 2003.
Local media reported that Mauricio Macri’s decision was probably driven not just by tradition but also by a concern that followers of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner could disrupt the ceremony in Congress.
After Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner declined to attend the ceremonies, Mauricio Macri’s party sought a court injunction affirming that her term ended at midnight on December 9.
Donald Trump has announced he is postponing a planned trip to Israel until “after he is elected”.
The leading Republican presidential candidate tweeted that the trip would take place “at a later date after I become President of the US”.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump proposed a temporary halt on Muslims entering the United States.
Donald Trump’s proposal was met with criticism from around the world, including from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
His proposed Muslim ban made the trip political awkward for the Israeli leader.
“[Benjamin Netanyahu] said we have a meeting and he looks forward to the meeting and all of that. But I didn’t want to put him under pressure,” Donald Trump told Fox News on December 10.
Photo Getty Images
Donald Trump’s remarks were met with swift criticism. Muslim leaders, the UN and foreign leaders criticized the call as dangerous and divisive, while the White House said real estate mogul should be disqualified from serving as president.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin implicitly rebuked the leading Republican candidate saying “we have no war with Islam”.
“We have war against those who are using ideas in order to create extremism and threats toward the whole innocent people of the world,” Reuven Rivlin said.
Earlier this week, reports suggested that Donald Trump would visit Jordan in addition to Israel. He denied these reports on Twitter.
Meanwhile, in the UK a petition calling for Donald Trump to be barred from entering the UK has garnered more than 418,000 names – meaning lawmakers will have to consider it.
In response, Donald Trump took to Twitter on December 10 saying “the United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem,” and “many people in the UK agree with me”.
Muhammad Ali has criticized Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering America.
Without naming Donald Trump, the 73-year-old boxing legend said that Muslims “have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda”.
The three-time world heavyweight champion is a cultural icon and one of the world’s most famous Muslims.
Donald Trump says he will never leave the race, despite widespread criticism.
The White House had said that the Republican presidential hopeful’s comments about Muslims “disqualified” him from running for the presidency.
Muhammad Ali’s statement was directed at “presidential candidates proposing to ban Muslim immigration to the United States”.
“They have alienated many from learning about Islam,” he said.
Muhammad Ali also strongly criticized violence committed by jihadists from ISIS.
Photo Getty Images
“True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion,” he said.
“These misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.”
Meanwhile, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg also expressed solidarity with Muslims.
In a Facebook post on December 9, Mark Zuckerberg wrote: “After the Paris attacks and hate this week, I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others.
“As a Jew, my parents taught me that we must stand up against attacks on all communities. If you’re a Muslim in this community, as the leader of Facebook I want you to know that you are always welcome here and that we will fight to protect your rights.”
In his statement, Muhammad Ali said there was there was “nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world”.
The former boxer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, after quitting the sport. Born by the name of Cassius Clay, he converted to Islam and changed his name in 1964.
Muhammad Ali’s statement comes after President Barack Obama’s TV address to the nation on December 6, in which he called on Americans to turn away from discrimination.
“Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes,” President Barack Obama said.
Donald Trump reacted to Barack Obama’s statement saying: “Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who?”
The New York billionaire has met Muhammad Ali several times, and even received an award named after the former heavyweight champion in 2007.
Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims came after the deadly shootings in San Bernardino, California.
He called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.
A Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalized, killed 14 people at a health centre and left scores injured.
Donald Trump is the current frontrunner among the Republicans running for president, six weeks before the primary contests begin for each party to pick their nominee.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has made an emotional farewell speech to supporters in the capital, Buenos Aires.
The outgoing president urged people to take to the streets if they feel betrayed by the new center-right government.
Conservative Mauricio Macri, who won a run-off election last month, is due to be sworn in as president later.
Mauricio Macri inherits problems including high inflation and a low level of foreign currency reserves.
He has promised a new era of change and reconciliation.
Addressing tens of thousands of cheering supporters outside the La Casa Rosa presidential palace in Buenos Aires, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner defended her record.
“We believe in what we have achieved so we need to have a positive attitude to ensure that these things will not be destroyed,” she said.
“When you feel that those who you trusted and voted for have betrayed you, take up your flags,” she added.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is to skip today’s swearing-in after the two became embroiled in a row over the ceremony’s location.
It will be the first time since the end of Argentina’s military dictatorship in 1983 that a president has not attended the inauguration of a successor.
Mauricio Macri sought a court injunction affirming that Cristina Fernandez’s term ended at midnight on December 9.
During her speech, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchener joked: “I can’t talk much because after midnight I’ll turn into a pumpkin.”
Power will now be transferred to the new president by Senate Speaker Federico Pinedo, who is acting act as temporary head of state for 12 hours.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her late husband, Nestor Kirchner, held power in Argentina for 12 years.
She is revered by some Argentines for expanding welfare benefits, nationalizing some companies and introducing new civil rights such as gay marriage.
However, critics say she created a culture of handouts and clogged Latin America’s third-largest economy with interventionist policies.
Mauricio Macri – the outgoing mayor of Buenos Aires and a former president of football club Boca Juniors – defeated Cristina Fernandez’s preferred candidate Daniel Scioli by 51.4% to 48.6% in a run-off vote last month.
He is the first center-right leader to come to power since Argentina returned to democracy.
Mauricio Macri has not detailed his economic policies, but said that he will need to implement swift and radical changes in order to win back market confidence.
However, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s party still holds the most seats in the legislature and could make it hard for him to implement big changes.
Robert Lewis Dear, who is accused of killing three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, has said in court that he is guilty and a “warrior for the babies”.
“I am guilty. There will be no trial. I am a warrior for the babies,” the man said during a court hearing where prosecutors announced his charges.
Robert Lewis Dear, 57, faces 179 charges for the attack that killed two civilians and a police officer, and wounded nine.
During the hearing, he was formally charged with first-degree murder.
The Planned Parenthood group has drawn anti-abortion protests in the past.
Robert Dear said something about “no more baby parts” during his arrest and had asked for directions to the clinic prior to the attack.
“You’ll never know what I saw in that clinic. Atrocities. The babies. That’s what they want to seal,” he said during the hearing.
Those who were killed in the attack include police officer Garrett Swasey, 44, Iraq War veteran Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, and Jennifer Markovsky, 35, who was taking a friend to the clinic.
Police have not discussed a motive in the shooting despite signs that Robert Dear was concerned about abortion, a service provided by Planned Parenthood, a national family planning clinic.
Donald Trump has said he will never leave the 2016 White House race despite increasing calls for him to step aside.
The Republican presidential hopeful told the Washington Post he would not step aside, no matter what.
The White House had said Donald Trump was “disqualified” from running after he said the US should ban Muslims from entering the country.
Donald Trump’s comments, in the wake of a deadly terror attack in California, drew global condemnation.
The latest world leader to reject his remarks was Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel “respects all religions”, hours after Donald Trump announced he will be visiting the country this month.
Donald Trump is the current frontrunner among the Republicans running for president, six weeks before the primary contests begin for each party to pick their nominee.
He also alluded to running as an independent in a tweet linking to a USA Today poll which found 68% of his supporters would vote for him if he left the Republican Party.
Concerned that Donald Trump could run as an independent, the Republican leaders persuaded the real estate tycoon to pledge to support the eventual nominee.
However, Donald Trump has threatened to leave the Republican Party before if he was not “treated fairly”.
“My whole life is about winning. I don’t lose often. I almost never lose,” he told the Post.
Party officials fear a third-party Trump campaign would split the Republican vote, and give Democrats a winning advantage.
Although Donald Trump has consistently led in national polls for several months, a majority of voters view him unfavorably.
Republican congressman David Jolly has joined a number of commentators who have urged Donald Trump to withdraw from the race.
Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims came after the deadly shootings in San Bernardino, California.
He called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.
Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush called Donald Trump “unhinged”. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said his comments were contrary to American values.
A petition calling for Donald Trump to be barred from entering the UK has gathered more than 250,000 names, so British lawmakers will have to consider debating the issue.
“They don’t know what they’re getting into,” Donald Trump wrote on Twitter about the petition.
The Pentagon has warned that Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric undermines US national security by boosting ISIS.
Donald Trump has said Muslims should be banned from entering the US, in the wake of the deadly San Bernardino attacks.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said such talk “bolsters ISIL’s narrative”, referring to ISIS.
There has been a global outcry since Donald Trump made his remarks.
Secretary of State John Kerry joined the onslaught of condemnation on December 8 when he said they were “not constructive” in the fight against ISIS.
The ISIS militants are the target of a US-led bombing campaign in Syria and Iraq.
Donald Trump announced his plan days after an attack in California raised US fears about homegrown terrorism.
A Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalized, opened fire and killed 14 people at a social center in San Bernardino, California.
One of the two perpetrators, Tashfeen Malik, reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS on the day of the tragedy.
Responding to Donald Trump’s remarks, the Pentagon said a border closed to Muslims would harm American efforts to counter extremist ideology.
Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Peter Cook said: “Anything that bolsters ISIL’s narrative and pits the United States against the Muslim faith is certainly not only contrary to our values but contrary to our national security.”
The Pentagon’s view echoed a tweet from Hillary Clinton that said Donald Trump’s proposed ban is “not only counter to our values – it plays right into the hands of terrorists”.
The outcry was swift as soon as Donald Trump said in a statement on December 7 that Muslims nursed a “hatred” towards America and should be banned “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.
The Republican presidential hopeful and reality TV star later said it would not apply to people living in the US.
Donald Trump defended the idea on December 8, comparing it to policies implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt during World War Two against Japanese, German and Italian people in the US.
Muslim leaders, the UN and foreign leaders have criticized the call as dangerous and divisive, while the White House said Donald Trump should be disqualified from the race.
Attempting to explain his comments, Donald Trump said parts of London were “so radicalized the police are afraid for their lives”.
Responding to the billionaire’s comments, London Mayor Boris Johnson said that was “ridiculous” and added: “The only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.”
UK PM David Cameron said Donald Trump’s comments were “divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong”.
Republican leaders were strong in their condemnation. House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for. And more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for.”
Venezuela’s electoral authority has confirmed that the opposition has won a key two-thirds majority, enabling it to challenge President Nicolas Maduro.
The opposition said it would work to release jailed opposition leaders and address the country’s economic crisis.
Nicolas Maduro has announced a cabinet reshuffle but vowed to veto any amnesty law for jailed politicians.
The election result is the worst for the Socialist movement founded by late leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.
The majority means the Democratic Unity coalition can now make sweeping changes, including calling a possible referendum on Nicolas Maduro’s leadership.
It also wants the release of one of its leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, who was given a 13-year prison sentence for inciting violence – a charge critics say was politically motivated.
However, in a TV address, President Nicolas Maduro said he would block any amnesty law: “The murderers have to be prosecuted and have to pay.”
Nicolas Maduro said his Socialist Party would hold an “extraordinary congress” to find out what went wrong at the election.
The opposition meanwhile warned of looming food shortages for Venezuelans.
“We urge the government to stop crying and start working,” opposition leader Jesus Torrealba said.
“We’re just a few weeks away from a very serious problem in terms of food,” he added.
North Korea has been hit with new US sanctions over its alleged weapons proliferation activities.
The US sanctions target the North Korean army’s Strategic Rocket Force, as well as two banks and three shipping companies allegedly involved in arms trade.
The sanctions bar American citizens or companies from engaging in any transactions with the companies.
North Korea already faces sanctions from several other countries and the UN.
The Strategic Rocket Force is accused of performing several missile tests last year, while the shipping companies – linked to other already-sanctioned firms – are accused of transporting illicit arms.
The US Treasury also blacklisted officials of previously sanctioned North Korean Banks.
The sanctions freeze any US assets the blacklisted companies and individuals have. It is not clear how much, if any, they have in the United States.
Five of the individuals added to the blacklist – two in Syria and two in Vietnam – are representatives of the Tanchon Commercial Bank, which is already on the US sanctions list. It performs financial activities for the Korea Mining and Development Trading Corporation, which is responsible for North Korea arms exports.
North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank also had one representative, based in Russia, added to the sanctions list. The company itself was also already covered by US sanctions.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill tightening visa-free travel to the US following the Paris attacks.
The measures would bar people who traveled to Iraq and Syria after March 2011 from the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
People who have visited Iran and Sudan – which the US accuses of supporting terrorism – would also need a visa.
The White House-backed bill was proposed because the Paris attackers could have traveled to the US without a visa.
Donald Trump has called for far greater restrictions, proposing that all Muslims be barred from entering the US until further notice.
The Republican presidential candidate’s comments – made after a deadly mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, by Islamist sympathizers – have been condemned by politicians from across the political spectrum.
The House voted 407 to 19 in support of the proposed change to visa-free travel.
“In an abundance of caution, we will now require those individuals to apply for a visa and go through the formal visa screening process,” said House Republican Candice Miller, the bill’s main sponsor.
There are 38 nations currently included in the US VWP.
According to US officials, about 5,000 Europeans, including many from VWP nations, have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight with extremist groups such as ISIS and pose a risk to the US.
If the bill passes through the Senate and is signed into law, it would also require all travelers arriving in the US under the VWP to have electronic passports containing biometric data from next April.
The bill also calls for countries participating in the VWP to share more information about suspected terrorists and criminals.
Donald Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the US have provoked condemnation from across the political spectrum.
The Republican presidential hopeful said all Muslims should be banned from entering the US.
Republicans, Democrats, Muslim leaders, the UN and foreign leaders criticized the call as dangerous and divisive.
Donald Trump said many Muslims nursed a “hatred” towards America.
The tycoon said they should be banned “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on”.
Donald Trump’s campaign manager said that would apply to “everybody” – would-be immigrants and tourists.
Photo Getty Images
However, Donald Trump told Fox News it would “not apply to people living in the country”, adding that Muslims serving in the US military would “come home”.
Donald Trump’s statement was delivered as the US comes to terms with its deadliest terror attack since 9/11.
Last week a Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalized, opened fire and killed 14 people at a health centre in San Bernardino.
Donald Trump’s proposed ban prompted a horrified reaction from Republicans and others.
Rival candidate Jeb Bush called Donald Trump “unhinged”, while former Vice-President Dick Cheney said it “goes against everything we stand for and believe in”.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest later challenged the Republican Party to denounce the leading candidate, and said that the proposal “disqualifies him from serving as president”.
Josh Earnest said that the Trump campaign had a “dustbin of history” quality to it, calling the candidate a “carnival barker” with “fake hair”.
UN refugee agency UNHCR said it was concerned that the rhetoric was putting an “incredibly important” resettlement program for vulnerable Syrian refugees at risk.
“Donald Trump sounds more like a leader of a lynch mob than a great nation like ours,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“These are not just words… Trump and Carson’s mainstreaming of Islamophobia in the election is inciting discrimination, hate crimes, violent attacks against Muslims and mosques.”
Donald Trump took part in heated interviews on several TV networks on December 8, defending the proposal and saying it was a temporary measure to prevent “many more World Trade Centers”.
On ABC’s Good Morning America, Donald Trump said “what I’m doing is no different than FDR,” referring to policies implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt during World War Two against Japanese, German and Italian people in the US. Some of those measures saw over 100,000 people detained in government camps.
At one point during a lengthy interview on MSNBC, presenter Joe Scarborough forced the network into a commercial break after the candidate repeatedly talked over journalists, refusing to answer questions.
Donald Trump’s statement to reporters on December 7 said polling by the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think-tank, suggested that 25% of Muslims in the US believed violence against America was justified.
“The hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine.
“Until we [do]… our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad.”
It is not the first time the New York billionaire has come under fire for anti-Muslim remarks.
After the terror attacks in Paris, he suggested they register on a database and he said the US should refuse all Syrian refugees. Then he said thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheered during 9/11, despite no evidence.
Donald Trump’s travel ban pledge sparked loud cheers when he outlined it at a South Carolina rally hours after his initial statement.
A handful of supporters backed Donald Trump online, with controversial conservative commentator Ann Coulter tweeting: “GO TRUMP, GO!”
Another of the Republican frontrunners, Ted Cruz, praised Donald Trump “for standing up and focusing America’s attention on the need to secure our borders”, although he said he disagreed with the policy.
Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who were behind the San Bernardino attack that killed 14 people last week, had target practice days before, the FBI has said.
Tashfeen Malik and husband Syed Farook visited ranges in the Los Angeles area, said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.
David Bowdich said both were radicalized and had been “for some time”.
The US is investigating last week’s attack, which happened at a health care centre, as an act of terrorism.
However, David Bowdich said there is no evidence yet that last week’s tragedy, the most deadly terror attack in the US since 9/11, was plotted from overseas.
The FBI did not have an investigation open on restaurant inspector Syed Farook before he and his wife opened fire on his colleagues at a work event at the Inland Regional Center.
They were both killed hours later in a shoot-out with police.
Investigators said they found 19 pipes that could have been turned into bombs at the couple’s apartment, rather than the 12 previously reported.
A photo obtained by ABC News shows the couple arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from Saudi Arabia in July 2014.
According to US officials, Syed Farook traveled to Saudi Arabia and returned about two weeks later with Tashfeen Malik, who was able to come to the country on a fiancé visa.
Syed Farook’s father told Italian newspaper La Stampa his son sympathized with ISIS and was fixated with Israel.
The family’s lawyer said he had recently told them co-workers had mocked his beard, and that the family knew he had two handguns and two rifles.
But they did not know about the arsenal of weapons the couple had amassed.
Tashfeen Malik reportedly praised ISIS on Facebook on the day of the attacks.
The Department of Justice said on December 7 it is monitoring any anti-Muslim sentiments or attacks that may emerge in the wake of the mass shooting.
Donald Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US, in the wake of the deadly San Bernardino shootings.
In a campaign statement, the Republican presidential hopeful said a “total and complete” shutdown should remain until the US authorities “can figure out” Muslim attitudes to the US.
At a rally in South Carolina hours later, Donald Trump repeated the pledge, to loud cheers.
Criticism from the White House and other Republicans was swift.
The Republican frontrunner’s comments were contrary to US values and its national security interests, a statement from the White House said.
Republican Jeb Bush, also running for president, said Donald Trump was “unhinged”.
Donald Trump’s statement was delivered as the US comes to terms with its deadliest terror attack since 9/11.
Photo Instagram
Last week a Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalized, opened fire and killed 14 people at a health centre in San Bernardino, California.
On December 6, President Barack Obama made a rare Oval Office address in response to the attack and warned against the US falling prey to divisiveness.
Donald Trump’s statement to reporters on December 7 said polling by the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think-tank, indicated that 25% of Muslims in the US believed violence against America was justified.
“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine.
“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”
When asked by The Hill if that included Muslim Americans who may currently be abroad, his spokeswoman said: “Mr. Trump says everyone.”
The director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, said Donald Trump sounded like the leader of a lynch mob rather than a great nation.
Soon after his statement was released, Donald Trump’s Republican rival Ben Carson called on all visitors to the US to “register and be monitored” during their stay.
However, his spokesman added: “We do not and would not advocate being selective on one’s religion.”
Another Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Lindsey Graham, urged all those running to condemn Donald Trump’s remarks, which they did.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Prev