IGIHE

Author: IGIHE

  • Rwandan Peacekeepers in Malakal decorated with UN medals

    The UN Mission in South Sudan has decorated Rwandan Peacekeepers (Rwanbatt2) based in Malakal with UN service medals on Friday.

    Mr Paul Egunsola, the Mission Chief of Staff who presided over the medal parade ceremony last Friday hailed the Government of Rwanda and Rwandan Peacekeepers in Malakal in particular.

    “On behalf of the Special Representative of the Secretary General Mr David Shearer, I express my gratitude to the Government of Rwanda for its important contribution and sustained commitment to UN peacekeeping operations in different parts of the world since 2004. Rwanda has risen to become one of the top contributors in peacekeeping with now over 6,100 Rwandan Peacekeepers deployed in UN missions worldwide”, he said.

    The Guest of Honour further commended Rwandan battalion troops in Malakal (Rwanbatt2) for their quick response in different crises.

    “In Bunj in December 2016, after having just arrived in the mission, your troops displayed courage and initiative to rescue humanitarian staff when fighting broke out between refugees and Mabanese forces in that area. As recently as this month, Rwanbatt2 troops deployed at short notice in Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile – in support of our humanitarian partners efforts to provide aid to over 20,000 displaced people. Your battalion has been commended for swift deployment to Aburoc which immediately saw a return of humanitarian staff in the area”, Mr Engunsola pointed out.

    In his remarks the Rwanbatt2 Commanding Officer, Lt Col Joseph Mwesigye thanked Rwanbatt2 officers and other ranks for the good job they are doing in the mission area and reminded them to uphold the key RDF values “that have defined who we are”.

    Lt Col Mwesigye appreciated also UNMISS leadership support. “I extend my appreciation to UNMISS leadership, the Force HQ and in particular Sector North Leadership, for their tireless involvement and support that make a success our day to day operations, as well as our stay in Malakal , Bunj and Aburoc”, Col Mwesigye noted.

    The medal parade ceremony was attended by other officials including the Head of Field office Upper Nile State, Madam Hazel Dewet; the UNMISS Force Chief of Staff Brig Gen Robert LOWTH; the Sector North Comd, Brig Gen Xie Zhijun and the Governor of Central Upper Nile State, HE James TOR MUNYBUNY, representing the government of South Sudan, among others.

    Source:Minadef

  • Akon Lighting Africa project stalls in Rwanda

    {Rwandans will have to wait longer to see the solar powered systems by Akon Lighting Africa, a project of the Senegalese-American singer Alioune Badara Thiam, also known as Akon. The project seeks to use solar power to bring electricity to 600 million people in Africa. }

    Akon left some Rwandans hopeful for electricity and a good number of jobs during his visit to the country in July 2015 as he promised to fast-track his project in six months but it is now turning two years since then yet no single sign appears on ground for the implementation. The singer’s team has not made any official communication to the government since they took their flight from Kigali, a government official reveals to IGIHE.

    Alexis Karani, Advisor to Minister of State in charge of Energy and Water at the Ministry of Infrastructure, said; “We had talks with Akon and his team during their visit to Rwanda and agreed they would submit a technical and financial proposal of the project but nothing they have got to us until now. Once they bring the proposal, we shall examine it and discuss with them on the responsibilities of each party in the project. Let’s wait and see!”

    Owned by Akon, his fellow Senegalese-American Thione Niang and Malian entrepreneur Samba Bathily, Akon Lighting Africa (ALA) is operational in 14 countries and expected to expand into additional 30 countries soon, according to the project’s website. The project has a budget of $1 billion and only $240 million has been used.

    Our efforts to get ALA’s comment were fruitless by press time.

    While ALA keeps delaying, Karani said Rwanda has signed contracts with 24 companies dealing in solar energy systems in order to fast-track the country’s electricity rollout. He noted that the country is committed to realize the targets of providing electricity access to 70% of households (48% on-grid and 22% off-grid) by 2018.

    Statistics from Rwanda Energy Group (REG) show that 31% households had access to electricity including 28% connected on grid and 3% using off-grid solutions in January, 2017.

    Akon's project to bring off-grid solutions to Rwandans has stalled.Net Photo

    By Jean d’Amour Mugabo

  • Being overweight in childhood may heighten lifetime risk of depression

    {New research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity suggests that being overweight, especially from a young age, may substantially increase the lifetime risk of major depression.}

    The study by Deborah Gibson-Smith from VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands and colleagues found that being overweight at age 8 or 13 was associated with more than triple the risk of developing major depression at some point in their lives, whilst carrying excess weight over a lifetime (both as a child and as an adult) quadrupled the chance of developing depression compared to only being overweight as an adult.

    More than one in three children in the USA are overweight and nearly one in five children aged between 2 and 19 years are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A similar picture emerges in England where one in three 10- and 11-year-olds in their last primary school year are now overweight or obese, according to the National Child Measurement Programme.

    Previous studies have shown that people who are obese are more likely to become depressed, but few have looked at the influence of early-life obesity over the long term, or the age-related effect of obesity on depression risk.

    In this new study, the researchers investigated the relationship between overweight during childhood and lifetime depression in 889 participants from the population-based AGES (Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility)-Reykjavik study (2002-06) — a follow-up study of a longitudinal study examining people born between 1907-35 and living in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1967. They also examined whether the detrimental effect of obesity on mental health is due to life-long obesity or the result of being overweight in adulthood.

    Between 2002 and 2006 a random sample of surviving participants from the Reykjavik study were invited to join the AGES study. Participants, whose average age was 75 years, were assessed to see whether they had current depressive symptoms or had ever had a major depressive disorder in the past. Information about height and weight at ages 8 to 13 were obtained retospectively from school records, and from mid-life (age around 50 years) was from the data collection previously done as part of the Reykjavik study (started in 1967).

    A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 was considered overweight. During the study, 39 participants were diagnosed as ever having had major depression. The data were adjusted for sex and the age at which the BMI measurements were taken.

    The analysis revealed that carrying excess weight in childhood is a stronger predictor of subsequent depression than being overweight in mid-life. The researchers estimate that being overweight or obese at age 8 or 13 years is associated with a more than 4-times increased risk of lifetime major depressive disorder compared with children who were normal weight as a child but went on to become overweight as adults (a statistically significant result).

    This is an observational study so no conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. But the findings confirm earlier studies which report an increased risk of depression in young people who are obese.

    The authors conclude: “Our findings suggest that some of the underlying mechanisms linking overweight or obesity to depression stem from childhood. A shared genetic risk or low self-esteem, which is frequently associated with those who do not conform to the ideal body type, could be responsible. Given the rise in adolescents’ obesity and greater influence of social media on body image, understanding the associations between childhood obesity and depression is critical.”

    New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity suggests that being overweight, especially from a young age, may substantially increase the lifetime risk of major depression.}

    Source:Science Daily

  • Traffic-related air pollution linked to DNA damage in children

    {Children and teens exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution have evidence of a specific type of DNA damage called telomere shortening, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.}

    Young people with asthma also have evidence of telomere shortening, according to the preliminary research by John R. Balmes, MD, of University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues. They write, “Our results suggest that telomere length may have potential for use as a biomarker of DNA damage due to environmental exposures and/or chronic inflammation.”

    The study included 14 children and adolescents living in Fresno, Calif. — the second-most polluted city in the United States. The researchers assessed the relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a “ubiquitous” air pollutant caused by motor vehicle exhaust; and shortening of telomeres, a type of DNA damage typically associated with aging.

    As the exposure to PAHs increased, telomere length decreased in linear fashion. Children and teens with asthma were exposed to higher PAH levels than those without asthma. The relationship between PAH level and telomere shortening remained significant after adjustment for asthma and other factors (age, sex, and race/ethnicity) related to telomere length.

    The study adds to previous evidence that air pollution causes oxidative stress, which can damage lipids, proteins, and DNA. Research has suggested that children may have different telomere shortening regulation than adults, which might make them more vulnerable to the damaging effects of air pollution.

    “Greater knowledge of the impact of air pollution at the molecular level is necessary to design effective interventions and policies,” Dr. Balmes and coauthors conclude. With further research, telomeres could provide a new biomarker to reflect the cellular-level effects of exposure to air pollution. Telomeres might also provide new insights into the understanding how pollution exposure leads to adverse health outcomes.

    Source:Science Daily

  • Handball League: Police beats Nyakabanda

    {The National Handball League resumed over the weekend as Police beat third-placed Nyakabanda 40-23 to remain in contention of winning their fourth straight league cup.}

    In a match played Sunday at Kimisagara Youth Centre in Nyarugenge District, Police maintained its unbeaten record for the third successive league season.

    Zacharie Tuyishime was the match high scorer netting seven times for the reigning champions while both Mutuyimana Gilbert and Alain Nkengurutse scored six goals each.

    With eleven matches so far, the five-time champions increased their tally to 33 maximum points, one point behind APR albeit having played one game less.

    The handball league has been in recess for about two weeks.

    Police head coach Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Antoine Ntabanganyimana said that their target is to win each of the remaining seven games to retain the trophy.

    The next game on Day 12 will be against Groupe Scolaire St. Aloys of Rwamagana on May 27 before facing off ADEGI-GITUZA of Gatsibo the following day on May 28.

    Source:Police

  • Geopoll to boost customer-service provider relationship in Rwanda

    {The media market is growing at high pace, yet media performance in various parts of is often under-researched, forcing brands and broadcasters to make decisions based on outdated information which may have adverse effects for companies that use media in advertisements and countries’ economy generally.}

    Geopoll has emerged to fight these problems through conducting strategic surveys.

    Geopoll is among world’s largest mobile survey platform, which uses system of contacting interviewees on their mobile phones by sending SMSs or using their mobile webs and phone Apps where they conduct surveys for different companies in order to understand their customer’s preferences.

    Nowadays, they are collecting audience writings for TV and Radio stations in Rwanda as well as in other 10 countries, though they are working with 33 countries in Africa generally.

    Particularly “the platform is going to help Rwandan media to understand what the audience need on particular basis, using data collected from public, where they will be able to know which time a particular group of Audience is following the station, which will help them in their planning” Matt Angus-Hammond, The Business Development Lead, said.

    There are a lot of expectations from media house where they believe to have clear picture of what clients really need so as to know which program needed and when.

    “Due to demography differences, one station can be known for attracting certain group of Audiences than others and this will help us to know the area that needs improvement for it has been a challenge to know what audience prefers because we did not have clear audience-measuring tool.” Vuningoma Jean de Dieu, the Director of marketing and business development in RBA said.

    He also said it will help those who advertise their activities to know where to find targeted audience.

    Geopoll is also looking for talking to government in order to start conducting surveys which will help government to get more connected to its citizens so as to deliver better services.

    So far this company has a network of 200 million people in Africa and Asia and it works with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit and governments to provide insights on everything from food security to brand preference.

    Geopoll in a meeting with stakeholders on Friday

    By Ishimwe Daniel

  • Rwanda proposes major clean-up of company law

    {Rwanda is proposing changes to its company law, that if endorsed, will give minority shareholders additional security.}

    The Rwanda Development Board, which is responsible for company and investment registration, tabled the proposed changes in Parliament this week.

    “The draft law matches the current corporate dynamics, whereby there are proper rights of minority investors stipulated to the expected standard as per the best practice,” RDB chief executive Claire Akamanzi told Parliament.

    The proposed amendments make it obligatory for companies to disclose all major transactions to shareholders immediately upon receiving a proposal, while an independent external professional financial adviser must review the terms of any major transaction before it takes place.

    “This will guarantee the minority shareholders that a given transaction is in the best interests of the company and not in the interests of the majority shareholders,” said Dr Didas Kayihura, a researcher on corporate governance and acting principal of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Rwanda.

    {{Conflict of interest}}

    The Bill also requires company directors to disclose any personal interests in any transaction of the company or if they are “parent, child, or spouse of another party who will or may derive financial benefit from the transaction.”

    “I am glad the notion of conflict of interest is being expanded because loopholes in the current law were giving room for abuse, where a director would escape liability related to conflict of interest in a transaction that has benefited their spouses or children,” said John Rukurwabyuma, a Member of Parliament who supported the Bill.

    As an extra layer of protection for minority shareholders in public companies, the Bill proposes that an individual shall not concurrently exercise the functions of board chairperson of chief executive officer. It also proposes penalties, including disqualification or fines against directors responsible for mismanagement of the company.

    “Having one individual acting as a CEO and chairperson of the board was inadequate, and created imbalance when the executive was not checked, because the CEO had influence on the board that is supposed to approve any proposal,” said Lamuel Rugambwa, a company secretary with a local company.

    The changes are expected to be approved before the end of this year, since the Bill was labelled urgent and is therefore due to be considered before any other item on the Parliament’s agenda.

    Another significant change effected by the new law is the abolition of the historical concept of par value shares and nominal capital that currently applies under the 2009 Companies Law.

    The switch to a no-par value regime is in line with international practice and has been extensively adopted in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. However, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania still have a par value shares and nominal capital regime.

    The company registration office at Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

    Source:The East African

  • A common higher education to open EAC’s universities to all students

    {The East African Heads of State Summit is expected to declare the transformation of the EAC into a Common Higher Education Area this Saturday in Dar es Salaam.}

    This means that the partner states will recognise academic certificates from universities and higher learning institutions in the region, and students will be able to transfer credits across universities in the region.

    This will provide an opportunity for the region’s university students to be more exposed to and better prepared for integration, and will potentially impact many aspects of their lives both economically and socially.

    Alexandre Lyambabaje, the executive secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), said the move will provide students in the region with an opportunity to join universities of their choice among the more than 110 in the partner states, either as undergraduates or at the postgraduate level.

    It will also provide them with opportunities for training, research and or community engagement in any of the region’s universities, research organisations or communities after being enrolled in a university in any of the EAC partner states.

    “Under this arrangement, universities in the region will recognise qualifications attained at universities in any of the EAC partner states because of the mutual recognition of credits and qualifications, easing employability and in line with the free movement of personnel as enshrined in the EAC Common Market Protocol,” said Prof Lyambabaje, adding that this will also provide an enhanced interest among non-traditional higher education sponsors from within the EAC region because of evident benefits.

    {{East African Qualifications Framework}}

    The higher education system will also benefit from the regional development potential in higher education teaching, research and community engagement.

    A Common Higher Education Area presents scope for efficiency in exploiting resources.

    Under the arrangement, the IUCEA, in consultation with regulators of national higher education has developed an East African Qualifications Framework for Higher Education that provides guidelines on the different levels of education, volume of learning and recognition of prior learning. It will also guide the credit system of universities and colleges, as well as credit accumulation and transfer and programme benchmarks.

    Each partner state will retain its national framework which must be based on the regional framework.

    Universities in the region will also have a harmonised system of assessing and awarding credits and naming degrees.

    Students’ academic certificates will have to bear an EAC qualification seal and the names of holders must be be registered in the regional qualification register for them to qualify for recognition in all partner states.

    The region already has in place a quality assurance system on education being implemented by the partner states, although higher education institutions are not forced to comply with it. However, they will now risk being punished if the institution’s accreditation is not based on the EAC quality assurance system.

    Source:The East African

  • Hassan Rouhani wins Iran’s presidential election

    {Final results show incumbent president emphatingly beating rival Ebrahim Raisi to extend his time in office.}

    Iran’s reformist President Hassan Rouhani has decisively won the country’s presidential election, according to official results, fending off a challenge by principlist rival, Ebrahim Raisi.

    With all of votes in Friday’s poll counted, Rouhani was re-elected with 57 percent, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmanifazli said on Saturday.

    “Of some 41.2 million total votes cast, Rouhani got 23.5 … and won the election,” Rahmanifazli said in remarks carried live by state TV.

    Raisi, Rouhani’s closest rival, got 15.8 million votes, he added.

    A big turnout on Friday led to the vote being extended by several hours to deal with long queues.

    {{Campaign pledges}}

    The election was seen by many as a verdict on Rouhani’s policy of opening up Iran to the world and his efforts to rebuild its stagnant economy.

    Rouhani swept into office four years ago on a promise to reduce Iran’s international isolation.

    Friday poll was the first since he negotiated a historic deal with world powers in 2015 to curb the country’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

    In the campaign trail, Rouhani sought to frame the vote as a choice between greater civil liberties and “extremism”, criticising the continued arrest of reformist leaders and activists.

    Raisi, for his part, accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and positioned himself as a defender of the poor and calling for a much tougher line with the West.

    Political commentator Mostafa Khoshcheshm said that in contrast to the 2013 election campaign, when Rouhani spoke about the removal of sanctions and the improvement of the economy, this time his message was different.

    “He resorted to other campaign slogans, like [calling for] social and political freedom, and he pushed the boundaries in order to gather public support, especially in large cities,” Khoshcheshm told Al Jazeera.

    “If he has secured this result, it’s because of the large cities and the middle class society living there – they have voted for him and made him a president and they expect him to do his promises.”

    {{Obstacles ahead}}

    Rouhani’s re-election is likely to safeguard the 2015 agreement, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.

    Rouhani has vowed to work towards removing the remaining non-nuclear sanctions, but critics argue that will be hard with Donald Trump as US president – Trump has repeatedly described it as “one of the worst deals ever signed”, although his administration re-authorised waivers from sanctions this week.

    Rouhani is also expected to face the same restrictions that prevented him from delivering substantial social change in his first term.

    Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has veto power over all policies and ultimate control of the security forces. while Rouhani has been unable to secure the release of reformist leaders from house arrest.

    Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from Iran’s capital, Tehran, said that Rouhani, during an “increasingly acrimonious election campaign, alienated a lot of Iran’s significant state institutions who may be in no mood to cooperate with him going forward”.

    {{Slow pace of change}}

    While the nuclear deal was at the forefront of the election, the campaign was dominated by the issues of poverty and unemployment.

    Rouhani has brought inflation down from around 40 percent when he took over in 2013, but prices are still rising by over seven percent a year.

    Oil sales have rebounded since the nuclear deal took effect in January 2016, but growth in the rest of the economy has been limited, leaving unemployment at 12.5 percent overall – close to 30 percent for the young – and many more are under-employed or struggling to get by.

    “Rouhani now gets his second term, and will be able to continue the work that he started in his first four-year term trying to reform Iran,” Hull said.

    “And moving on, crucially, from the nuclear deal to try and bring much more economic progress to satisfy the people who have found themselves extremely disappointed with the very slow pace of change since that agreement was signed.”

    Source:Al Jazeera

  • Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia in first foreign trip

    {US president receives warm welcome by King Salman as he seeks to repair ties with Washington’s closest Arab ally.}

    US President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his first foreign trip since taking office, in a crucial test abroad as political scandals mount at home.

    In a red-carpet airport welcome, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud greeted Trump, his wife Melania and his entourage shortly after they landed in the capital, Riyadh, around 06:50 GMT on Saturday.

    Trump will hold a series of meetings with the king and other Arab and Muslim leaders on Saturday and Sunday, before jetting off to Israel, the occupied Palestinian Territories, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy in a nine-day tour across the Middle East and Europe.

    During the two-day visit to the kingdom, Trump is expected to sign a major weapons deal, give a speech on Islam and discuss the battle against “terrorism” with more than 50 leaders.

    It is the first time a US president has chosen Saudi Arabia as the first stop on a maiden trip.

    Trump’s visit is seen as highly symbolic, as he looks to repair Washington’s ties with its closest Arab ally.

    During the final years of Barack Obama’s US presidency, “relations had undergone a period of difference of opinion”, according to Saudi officials. These differences were largely centred around the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the Obama administration’s cautions to the kingdom about the civilian toll of the war in Yemen.

    Al Jazeera’s Washington editor James Bays, reporting from Riyadh, said the Saudis were very “proud and excited” that the US president chose the Gulf country as his first stop.

    “They want a reset of the relationship with the US. They were not happy with Obama, and they were not happy with the US policy in Yemen and in Syria,” Bays said.

    Ahmed Alibrahim, a Saudi political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the Saudis see this as a “great day” for relations with the US.

    “We think President Trump’s cabinet does understand the Saudi challenges and does understand the challenges the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] faces.”

    He added that the kingdom would like to see more “decisive statements, actions and sanctions on the Iranian regime”.

    Prior to the trip, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, said the visit will “bolster the strategic partnership between the two countries”.

    He added, that “several agreements will be signed, including political agreements … and big economic agreements”.

    Marwan Kabalan, an analyst at the Doha Institute’s Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera the US and Saudi Arabia will discuss a strategic plan aimed at countering “extremism” as an ideological battle.

    “I think both sides have high expectations of this summit, as they are expected to discuss the most pressing issues for both of them like the conflict in Yemen, the war in Syria and the war on ISIL,” Kabalan said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group, also known as ISIS.

    “Trump is expected to address the entire Islamic world while trying to establish this sort of a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, particularly concerning groups like ISIL.”

    {{Arms deal}}

    On Saturday, Trump is expected to announce an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth more than $100bn, in what could be the biggest such agreement in history.

    Speaking on condition of anonymity, US officials familiar with the package told The Associated Press news agency that the deal would include Abrams tanks, combat ships, missile defence systems, radar and communications and cyber security technology.

    Much of the package builds on commitments made before Trump took office, although some elements are new, including weapons designed to help Saudi Arabia in an air campaign it has led in war-torn Yemen, officials said.

    The Trump administration separately informed Congress on Friday that it will sell some $500m in precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia. These include laser-guided Paveway II bombs and JDAM kits for converting unguided bombs into “smart bombs”.

    {{‘Historic summit’}}

    Also on the agenda in Riyadh is a summit of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, including those from the six nations that form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to discuss the fight against “extremism”.

    Announcing the meeting, the Saudi foreign ministry said the “historic summit” should be the start to “building a partnership between the Arab and Muslim worlds and the United States at various levels”.

    Trump is expected to give a speech on Islam, calling for unity in the fight against “radicalism” and characterising the effort as a “battle between good and evil”, the AP reported, citing a draft of his speech.

    The US president will avoid tough anti-Muslim rhetoric from his presidential campaign, as well as mentions of democracy and human rights, according to the draft of the speech, which remains subject to revision, AP said.

    According Al Jazeera’s James Bays, the meeting will also include talks on Trump’s promise to restart peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

    “Everyone agrees that a fresh approach could be helpful in solving this long-running conflict and President Trump certainly brings that – but Arab leaders will want to hear more than optimism, they’ll want to know the US president’s plan to move forward,” Bays said.

    After the visit in Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories where he will meet his “friend” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

    There are no plans for Trump to bring the two leaders together, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency, saying the administration does not believe it is the “right time just yet”.

    Trump will then fly to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, who has said he will give the US president an open-minded hearing, despite differences in belief on everything from climate change to policies towards refugees.

    Trump will later meet members of NATO in Brussels and attend a G7 summit in Italy.

    The foreign trip comes as Trump faces growing criticism at home.

    As the US president jetted off to Saudi Arabia, reports by US media emerged that a senior adviser to Trump was a “person of interest” in a probe of possible collusion with Russia during last year’s election campaign and that the US president had boasted to Russian officials after firing former FBI Director James Comey earlier this month.

    On Thursday, Trump also denounced the announcement of special counsel to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged Russia meddling in the election and possible collusion with Trump’s team.

    Trump will meet with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday to discuss the battle against "terrorism"

    Source:Al Jazeera