GUTERRES GETS UN SECURITY COUNCIL BACKING TO BE NEXT UN CHIEF

The UN Security Council on Thursday (Oct 7) unanimously backed former Portuguese premier Antonio Guterres to be the next UN chief as the world body's powerful organ recommended to the General Assembly to appoint him for a five-year term.

The 15-member Council held a formal vote here to elect Guterres, 67, a day after it said the former UN High Commissioner for refugees had emerged as the ‘clear favorite’ to succeed Ban Ki-moon, 72, as the 9th Secretary General.

Guterres's name will now be considered by the 193-member General Assembly for final confirmation. The Assembly's membership historically chooses the candidate that the Council decides upon.

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MAY FACES IMMIGRATION BACKLASH IN TOUGH TALK ON BREXIT

UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May threw down the Brexit gauntlet to Brussels on Wednesday (Oct 5) in a speech calling for ‘maximum freedom’ in Europe's single market despite a backlash against her hard line on immigration.

May's address to the Conservative party conference came as the pound plunged on currency markets and amid growing criticism of proposals to make businesses publish lists of how many foreign workers they employ.

But she insisted her policies would help working-class families whose alienation was reflected in June's shock referendum vote to leave the EU, repeating the 1960s US civil rights slogan: "A change is going to come."

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TRUMP SAYS HE 'BRILLIANTLY' USED LAWS TO PAY LESS TAX

Unfazed by reports that Donald Trump might have dodged paying income tax for up to 18 years, the controversial Republican presidential nominee has defended his actions, saying what he did was the ‘brilliant’ use of US tax laws.

"As a businessman and real estate developer, I have legally used the tax laws to my benefit, and to the benefit of my company and my employees. I have often said on the campaign trail, that I have a fiduciary responsibility to pay no more tax than legally required – or, put another way, to pay as little tax as legally possible," Trump, 70, said at an election rally in Colorado.

At a series of public meetings, Trump appeared to be unperturbed by the latest revelation that he might not have had paid income taxes for as many as 18 years.

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INDIA'S CENTRAL BANK SURPRISES WITH RATE CUT; HOME, AUTO LOANS TO COST LESS

Home, auto and corporate loans may get cheaper as the India's Central Bank chief Governor Urjit Patel-led panel on Tuesday (Oct 4) marked its debut policy review with a surprise 0.25 per cent rate cut -- lowering borrowing cost to 6-year low, which the industry lauded as a pre-Diwali gift.

In independent India's first collective interest rate setting decision, the 6-member Monetary Policy Committee, which has three members nominated by the government and the rest from the Reserve Bank of India, lowered repo rate to 6.25 per cent from 6.50 per cent.

First in six months, today's cut came amidst big clamour for easing rates especially after the departure of former Governor Raghuram Rajan, who was often accused by some sections, including those from the ruling BJP, of stifling growth by keeping rates too high.

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GOOGLE LAUNCHES PIXEL SMARTPHONE IN HARDWARE PUSH

Google on Tuesday (Oct 4) unveiled its new Pixel smartphone with artificial intelligence built in as it directly takes on the iPhone with its own branded, premium-priced handset.

"We are building hardware with the Google Assistant at its core," said Rick Osterloh, head of a new hardware division at the California-based internet giant.

"We believe that the next big innovation is going to take place at the intersection of hardware and software, with AI at the center."

Pixel smartphone will be available with a five-inch display or a 5.5 inch display, starting at $649 for US customers, at similar prices to the latest iPhone models.

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INDIA POLICE DETAIN PIGEON WITH THREATENING MODI NOTE

Indian police said on Monday (Oct 3) that they have taken a pigeon into custody after it was found carrying a warning note to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi near the nation's heavily militarized border with Pakistan.

Border Security Force (BSF) officers found the bird at Pathankot in the northern state of Punjab, where Pakistan-based militants launched a deadly attack on an airforce base in January.

"We took it into custody last evening," Pathankot police inspector Rakesh Kumar said.

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PRESIDENT, PM PAY TRIBUTES TO MAHATMA GANDHI

The nation on Sunday (Oct 2) remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 147th birth anniversary, with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders paying floral tributes to him at his memorial in New Delhi.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior BJP leader L K Advani also paid tributes to the Father of the Nation. "Gandhiji made this world a better place. His ideals, dedication to the poor & struggle against injustice inspire," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

Clad in a white kurta and pyjama, Modi, who arrived at 7:40 AM, paid homage to the Mahatma by offering rose petals at his memorial and performing a 'parikrama' (circumambulation) around it.

Read more: https://goo.gl/kul6Ei