Iraq's leader-in-waiting Haidar al-Abadi vowed to fight graft and build an inclusive government to counter a spreading Islamist insurgency in his first comments since ending a dispute over who will lead the country.

Boko Haram Islamists kidnapped scores of people from fishing communities in Nigeria's extreme northeast, hauling some of the hostages away on boats across Lake Chad, witnesses said today. Several people were also reportedly killed in the militant raids on a number of villages in the Kukawa Local Government area in Borno state, a Boko Haram stronghold.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here today on a two-day visit during which she will hold talks with the top leadership of Singapore including the Prime Minister to explore ways to further enhance cooperation in a range of areas such as trade and investment, water conservation and infrastructure development.

Pope Francis today warned of a "cancer" of despair in materially obsessed, outwardly affluent societies and urged South Korean Catholics to reject "inhumane economic models" in a stark message to wealthier Asian nations. 

At least 14 people were killed today when a car bomb exploded in front of a mosque in Daraa province of southern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 

Forty-seven doctors at government-run Sion hospital today fell sick after eating sweets during the Independence Day celebration. 

The Ebola epidemic is moving faster than the authorities can handle and could take six months to bring under control, the medical charity MSF said today. 

Al-Qaeda has urged the family of an American kidnapped in Pakistan in 2011 to press their government to negotiate an exchange or face the risk of his "dying a lonely death".

The Indian Navy will host the international fleet review here in February 2016, a senior naval officer said today. Speaking after the Independence Day functions here, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Satish Soni said that the Indian Navy will be hosting the international fleet review in February 2016 at Visakhapatnam.

Britain will "consider favourably" any request for arming Iraqi Kurds in their battle against the Islamic extremists, foreign secretary Philip Hammond said today. Hammond is attending the EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels where the issue is being discussed.

The Gujarat government has reinstated an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who is an accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case and given him a plum posting as Superintendent, DGP Vigilance Squad, according to a Gujarat state home department notification issued yesterday midnight.

CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury today said the Independence day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi lacked vision and took serious exception to the decision to do away with the Planning Commission. 

In the backdrop of ceasefire violations and firings, there was no traditional exchange of sweets and greetings between BSF and Pakistan Rangers along the International Border in Jammu frontier on Independence Day today. 

AAP today slammed the government for its decision to abolish the Planning Commission and replace it with a new institution, saying the move was "dangerous" for the country as it will end a platform meant to review policies and programmes.

Foreign exchange reserves fell by $643.3 million for the week ending August 8 to $319.35 billion, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data released Friday.

A toddler was killed and 13 people were injured in a gas explosion near Taipei today, officials said, two weeks after powerful gas blasts claimed 30 lives in southern Taiwan.

The Kashmir unit of BJP today celebrated Independence Day at its headquarters here, but hoisted the national flag upside down, a "mistake" the party soon regretted. 

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Site Director R.S.Sundar today said Unit-I, which has been shut down for maintenance, has generated 2624 million units so far. "The unit has been on line approximately for six months," he said, participating in the independence day celebrations. 

Just In: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Japan from August 31 to September 3.

PM @ Red Fort: 'I can assure you. If you work 12 hours, I will work 13. Why? Because I am not a Pradhan Mantri, but a Pradhan Sevak.'

'Want to salute the nation's security forces for its valour and sacrifices.' 

PM @ Red Fort: 'The need to the hour is to eliminate poverty. Can't we overcome poverty? Come, let a billion countrymen promise to eradicate poverty.

To SAARC neighbours: 'Let's give up fighting each other and instead work to ensure that we are a force to reckon with.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Planning Commission has done a commendable job in the past. But now times have changed. The federal structure has changed. We are replacing it with a new statute.'

'Many programmes are running in the names of PMs and other leaders. Today, I announce a Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Let each MP adopt a village and take care of its sanitation, education and other needs. Make model villages.'

'I will place the blueprint for this programme before MPs and state government on October 11 of Jai Prakash Narayan's birth anniversary.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Do we want to live in unhygienic conditions? Can't our nation be clean? If billions of Indians pledge to keep the surroundings clean, can't this nation be cleaner? What do we give Mahatma Gandhi on his October 2? People's participation is necessary to ensure that our schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure are clean.

'Can't we arrange public toilets? Why do our womenfolk need to wait till dark to use the toilets?'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'The mantra of our country's youth should be to at least make 1 product that we import. Don't compromise in manufacturing; Stress on Zero defect, Zero effect (impact of environment).'

'India used to be known as land of snake charmers. Today, our IT professionals have left the world spellbound. Technology must be adopted increasingly.'

'We have to head towards a digital India. We today import a huge proportion of electronic items. If we dream of a digital India, we have to aim for good governance via e-governance.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Why are farmers committing suicide? Who will protect the poor? We are rolling out a PM Jan Dhan Yojana will connect the poor with bank accounts. They will be given a debit card. Every account holder will be provided with Rs 1 lakh insurance.'

'We are nation of the young. Have we ever thought of harnessing the power of the youth? We need skilled workers. The youth needs to imparted with skills that earn them fame around the world. We want to develop job creators.'

'The world has changed. India is not alone, cannot operate alone. Economic powers have changed. We have to think differently. The government has taken some measures. We have to improve our manufacturing sector. We invite world nations and the Diaspora, 'Come Make in India'.

'From automobile to pharmaceutical to satellite to satellite to plastic, I am telling the world, 'Come, Make in India'.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'India's sex ratio is 1000 boys for 940 girls. Who creates this disparity? Don't fill your coffers at the altar of the mother's womb. People feel that sons will take care of them when they are old. But I have seen aged parents in old-age homes or single daughter taking care of old parents.'

'Indian athletes made us proud in the Commonwealth Games. 29 of the medals were won by girls. Let's honour them.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Let's abhor violence and walk the path of peace'

'We have had enough of divisiveness and communal wounds inflicted on Mother India. Peace and brotherhood will give strength to take the country forwards. I am sure it can be done.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'It is easy to give expert opinions. I want to ask parents, when daughters turn 11 or 14, they keep a tab on their movements. Have these parents ever asked their sons where they have been, who they have been meeting? Rapists are somebody's sons as well! Parents must take the responsibility to ensure that their sons don't go the wrong direction.' 

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Can someone tell me, whatever we are doing, have we asked ourselves if our work has helped the poor or come to benefit the nation in any way? We should come out of the 'Why should I care' attitude and dedicate ourselves to the nation's progress' 

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'We don't want to go ahead with the strength of numbers; we want to go ahead with unanimity. This could be seen in the just concluded Parliament session. We have taken the Opposition in agreement at every step.'

'I am an outsider in New Delhi. I have been away from the elite in this city. In the 2 months I have been here I now have an insider view. I was astonished. I saw many governments functioning within a government. One department fighting the other. So we are trying to break this wall; we want to have one mission and target: Take the nation forward.' 

'Have been taken back by reports in the media about government officials coming to office on time ever since Modi government came to power. How can that be news? That's their duty.'

PM Modi @ Red Fort: 'Politicians haven't made this nation, parties haven't made this nation, governments haven't made this nation. Instead it is the farmers, scientists and common people who have built this nation."
 

Modi begins his maiden address with: "Mere pyaare deshvaasiyon!"

"I salute all those people who have have sacrificed their lives, spent lives in jail, died for the nation."

"I salute the billions of people of this nation."

Nuri al-Maliki finally bowed to pressure with Iraqand beyond on Thursday and stepped down as prime minister, paving the way for a new coalition that world and regional powers hope can quash a Sunni Islamist insurgency that threatens Baghdad.

Pope Francis arrived in South Korea on Thursday for his first trip to Asia as pontiff, kicking off a five-day visit that will showcase the Vatican's efforts to spread the faith on a continent where just 3% of the population is Catholic.

The pop star Sir Cliff Richard has had his home in Berkshire searched by South Yorkshire Police, in connection with an allegation of sexual assault involving a boy who was under 16 at the time.

Nuri al-Maliki was due to drop his bid to remain Iraq's prime minister in a joint televised appearance with his designated successor, his spokesman said today.

There are still 4,000 to 5,000 Yazidi refugees sheltering on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said today, after President Barack Obama said the siege of the range had been broken. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said US special forces had found that not all of the Yazidis, a religious minority under attack from Islamist extremists, planned to flee.

Two of the most senior rebels battling government troops in eastern Ukraine quit on Thursday, deepening the disarray in a pro-Moscow separatist movement that is being pushed back by an Ukrainian military offensive.

Militants tonight tried to storm the heavily-guarded Samangi airbase and airport in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province, but the attack was thwarted by security forces who killed one attacker. 

Around 10,000 Israelis poured into downtown Tel Aviv today, calling on the government and the army to end Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza once and for all. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to a much-hyped meeting in Crimea amid expectations of more saber-rattling over Ukraine, but he instead struck a conciliatory note and called for peace in a speech today that received surprisingly brief coverage on Russian television. 

Robin Williams was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease and was sober at the time of his apparent suicide, his wife said today. In a statement, Susan Schneider said that Williams, 63, was struggling with depression, anxiety and the Parkinson's diagnosis when he was found dead earlier this week. 

President Barack Obama called for "peace and calm" today in the tense town where authorities fired tear gas at protesters and arrested reporters following the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. 

Dutch forensic experts have identified a total of 127 victims of downed flight MH17, with 20 new names being released to families today, the Dutch national broadcaster said. "Of the 20, some 15 were Dutch. The nationalities of the rest of the victims were not released," the NOS said on its website.

The United States today told the families of its diplomats in Sierra Leone to leave the country to avoid exposure to the deadly Ebola epidemic.

US President Barack Obama today said that the successful American military air strikes and humanitarian mission in the last few days has broken the Islamic State's seize of Iraq's Sinjar mountain where thousands of refugees were trapped. 

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