OBAMA CANCELS MEETING WITH PHILIPPINES' DUTERTE AFTER INSULT

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte walks between meetings at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos

US President Barack Obama canceled what would have been his first meeting with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, after Duterte described Obama in vulgar terms, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday (Sept 6).

Duterte, a plain-spoken populist known for his colorful remarks and his campaign against illegal drugs in which thousands of people have died, described Obama as a "son of a bitch" to reporters on Monday (Sept 5), a day ahead of the planned meeting in Laos, where South Asian leaders are meeting for annual summits.

Obama learned about the insult as he emerged from the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China. At a news conference, he said he had told his aides to speak with Philippine officials "to find out is this, in fact, a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations," leaving little doubt that the meeting would not proceed as planned.

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MODI MEETS MAY, SAYS UK'S VISA POLICY MAY NEGATIVELY IMPACT INDIANS

BRITAIN'S new visa policy could have a "negative impact" on business visits by Indian professionals, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his UK counterpart Theresa May on Monday (5) at the G20 summit in China.

In their first meeting this week since she became prime minister in July, May and Modi also discussed bilateral ties after Britain voted to leave the European Union, India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“(The) Prime Minister also touched on UK's visa policy. In particular, he said the new UK regulations could have negative impact on Indian working professionals wishing to visit (the) UK for short term business visits," Swarup added.

A British official said May and Modi also agreed to look at ways to retain strong trading links after Britain leaves the European Union. "The Indians said they wanted to look at how we could continue to have a strong trading relationship and there was agreement that as we prepare to leave the EU, we should be exploring what that looks like," the official said.

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INDIAN-AMERICANS KICK OFF DOOR TO DOOR CAMPAIGN FOR TRUMP

Indian-American supporters of the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have launched the traditional door-to-door campaign, arguing that this mode of campaigning is still an effective tool to win people's heart ahead of the November 8 general elections.

Volunteers of Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 started old-fashioned campaigning to sell Trump and his agenda for American president among perspective voters in New Jersey's Mercer and Monmouth counties, a media release said.

A D Amar, president, Indian-Americans for Trump was joined by political activist Satya Dosapati Narayana, West Windsor Township Republican Committee person Rimma Rosenberg,

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G20 SUMMIT WARNS AGAINST SLIDE INTO PROTECTIONISM

China's President Xi Jinping speaks at a news conference after the closing of G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The world's leading economies spoke out against a return to protectionism and defended the unfashionable concepts of free trade and globalization Monday (Sept 5), warning the listless global economy needs an urgent reboot.

The G20 summit took place in China with rising populist sentiment discouraging leaders from making difficult commitments, and a stumbling push for a Syria ceasefire and Asia's territorial disputes intruding on the agenda.

"We have agreed... to support the multilateral trade system and oppose protectionism," said China's President Xi Jinping after hosting the gathering in the scenic eastern city of Hangzhou.

At the end of the tightly choreographed talks, held in a cavernous complex in a largely deserted city, Xi produced resolutions on combating industrial overcapacity -- particularly in the sclerotic steel sector -- and boosting international cooperation on corporate taxation.

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B'DESH MEDIA TYCOON BURIED AFTER HANGING FOR WAR CRIMES

Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e- Islami leader and media tycoon Mir Quasem Ali was buried in the wee hours on Sunday (Sept 4) in his ancestral village in Manikganj after a funeral prayer following his execution on Satruday (Sept 3).

Mir Quasem, 63, widely considered as the top financier of the Jamaat, was hanged at the high-security Kashimpur Central Jail on the outskirts of the capital at 10:30 pm on Saturday (Sept 3). Three ambulances, one of which carried his body left Kashimpur prison after 12:30 am. A Fire Service car, six vehicles of RAB and police and three other cars were escorting them when they left the jail premises, Bdnews24 reported.

Mir Quasem's relatives had already reached Manikganj'sChala village to prepare for the burial. Police did not allow outsiders to enter the village.  Mir Quasem was the sixth Islamist to be executed for war crimes committed during the country's 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan. His execution came after he refused to seek presidential clemency.

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KASHMIR UNREST: MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN CLASHES BETWEEN STONE PELTERS AND SECURITY FORCES

More than 200 people were injured in clashes between stone pelters and security forces in Kashmir on Sunday (Sept4), on a day an all-party parliamentary delegation was arriving to assess the ground situation in the valley where normal life remained paralyses for 58th consecutive day.

There was no curfew in the valley except some areas of Srinagar a police spokesman said. 10 incidents of stone pelting were reported from Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Awantipora and Sopore, he said. In Shopian district of south Kashmir, clashes broke out in the morning and continued for most part of the day with protestors setting ablaze the mini-secretariat building which houses the Deputy Commissioner's office, a police official said.

"In Shopian, a mob attacked and set ablaze mini secretariat Shopian. The fire was brought under control. However, the structure suffered partial damage," he said. The clashes erupted after police stopped people in Penjoora village of the district from taking out a rally, the official said, adding over 100 people were injured. He said the security forces used baton charge and tear- gas shelling to disperse the protestors.

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UK PLANS A 100-MEMBER DELEGATION FOR VIBRANT GUJARAT-2017

Having a long time association with the Vibrant Gujarat, and to continue with it this year too, UK has decided to become a partner country for the next edition of the biennial summit scheduled for January 2017. The delegation will focus on the life sciences and chemicals sectors.

‘Gujarat is an important state for the UK and a large business delegation will participate in the next Vibrant summit. The delegation will comprise of 100 members,’ said British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith. Earlier on Wednesday (August 31) he also met Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. This is his maiden visit to Gujarat.

Apart from life sciences and chemicals, other focus areas in Gujarat are pharmaceuticals and energy. ‘The purpose of the visit was not only to meet  political leaders and government officials but also to meet with businesses here,’ he said, adding that Gujarat is a very important state for the UK.

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POPE FRANCIS HAILS MOTHER TERESA: NOW A SAINT, ALWAYS A MOTHER

A tapestry depicting Mother Teresa of Calcutta is seen in the facade of Saint Peter's Basilica during a mass, celebrated by Pope Francis, for her canonization in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican

Pope Francis on Sunday (Sept 4) proclaimed Mother Teresa of Kolkata a saint, hailing her as the personification of maternal love and a powerful advocate for the poor.

"We may have some difficulty in calling her 'Saint' Teresa," the pontiff said. "Her holiness is so near to us, so tender and so fruitful that we continue to spontaneously call her Mother." 

He added: "She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime - the crimes! - of poverty they created." 

The unscripted comments came at a canonisation mass attended by 100,000 pilgrims, including 13 heads of state or government and hundreds of sari-clad nuns from Teresa's order, the Missionaries of Charity.

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