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Rosberg wins Monaco GP
5/25/2014 10:34:11 AM
- Mercedes' Nico Rosberg wins Monaco GP
- Held off teammate Lewis Hamilton in second place
- The two had clashed during qualifying
- Rosberg replaces Hamilton in drivers championship
(CNN) -- Nico Rosberg overcame accusations of gamesmanship to beat his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and win a tense and at times dramatic Monaco Grand Prix.
The German driver led from the start with early championship pace setter Hamilton, nursing an eye injury later in the race, having to make do with second place.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finished third.
Lewis Hamilton
But the race, much like the build up, was dominated by tensions between the two Mercedes drivers. With Rosberg and Hamilton -- who were separated by just three championship points going in to the race -- vying for pole position on the final lap of qualifying Saturday, Rosberg left the track after his front wheel locked.
The stewards brought out caution flags, preventing Hamilton from completing his final qualifying lap and handing pole to Rosberg.
Rosberg claimed it was a simple error and a steward's inquiry agreed, concluding that there was "no evidence of any offense."
But Hamilton was less convinced.
"I found the time at the end and wasn't able to execute it so it wasn't a true showing of my true pace," the British driver told the BBC after qualifying.
"But I should have known that was going to happen and done it the lap before," he added.
Despite Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda voicing fears that the two drivers may collide at the first corner, the front row got away without incident and Rosberg built a strong lead on a course renowned for its difficulty in overtaking.
A stalemate followed until lap 28 when Sauber's Adrian Sutil crashed out, causing the safety car to come and provoking a flurry of tactical pit stops.
Thereafter Hamilton caught up with Rosberg, and looked set to challenge for the lead, until he suddenly dropped back, complaining to his team that he couldn't see out of his left eye.
In the end Hamilton was lucky to clinch second after Ricciardo pulled close in the final laps. But Hamilton held on.
The result saw Rosberg take the lead in the drivers championship, with Hamilton dropping back to second. But with many making comparisons between the famously bitter team rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the battle, and the mind games, are likely to continue until the last race of the season.
Ukrainians vote -- but burned papers in east
5/25/2014 12:15:15 PM
- NEW: Billionaire Petro Poroshenko leads in exit polls, declares himself the winner
- Fewer than a quarter of polling stations were open in Donetsk region, officials say
- Pro-Russia separatists rally in city of Donetsk, are joined by militants firing guns in the air
- Italian Foreign Ministry confirms an Italian journalist was killed near Slovyansk
Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN) -- Voters went to the polls across much of Ukraine on Sunday, despite a recent wave of deadly violence in the East and threats by pro-Russia separatists to prevent citizens from casting their ballots.
In preliminary exit polls, billionaire Petro Poroshenko was leading with 56% of the vote, the national news agency Ukrinform said Sunday. In a televised address, Poroshenko declared himself the winner. His closest challenger, Yulia Tymoshenko, was at 13%. Tymoshenko is a former prime minister and leader of the Batkivshchyna party.
The recent unrest has centered in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where separatists have claimed independence following a disputed referendum earlier this month -- and many there did not get to cast ballots.
As of 3 p.m. (8 a.m. ET), some 528 polling sites out of 2,430 were open in the Donetsk region, the regional administration said. Local officials said there was 11.8% turnout at these polling stations.
Outside the county's restive East, voting was progressing more normally.
The Central Election Commission put voter turnout at nearly 38% as of 3 p.m. local time, not including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's official Ukrinform news agency reported.
In the city of Donetsk, the regional capital where pro-Russia militias are concentrated, there are no open polling stations, local officials said earlier.
A CNN team driving through the city Sunday morning was not able to see a single polling station in operation. However, there were signs some voters were trying to go to polling stations in areas west and south of the city.
A large separatist rally was held in a central Donetsk city square around lunchtime. The protesters, who chanted pro-Russia slogans as they were addressed by separatist leaders, were joined by a substantial number of militants on trucks, some firing guns into the air.
On the back of some of the trucks were armed men who appeared to be Chechen. Two told a CNN team they were from the Chechen capital, Grozny, and one indicated that he was formerly a policemen in Chechnya and was in Donetsk to serve the Russian Federation.
The men, who as Chechens are Russian citizens, said they were there as "volunteers." But if their accounts were true, their presence in Donetsk would appear to indicate some kind of acquiescence by the Russian government at the least.
Increasing violence in the East has led the authorities in Kiev to accuse Russia, which they say is backing the armed separatists, of seeking to disrupt the vote. Russia denies having direct influence over the militants, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will respect the Ukrainians' choice.
Amid heightened tensions, instances of intimidation in eastern Ukraine appear widespread.
Residents of Ukraine's southeastern city of Mariupol saw new billboards on the streets Sunday urging them not to cast their ballots. The billboards were not at those locations the night before, residents said.
Also in Mariupol, people talked on social media about being asked by local Russia supporters to boycott the election. The city is one of several where deadly clashes have erupted in recent weeks.
The self-declared mayor of rebel stronghold Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, has said that anyone who tries to vote there will be arrested.
An Italian journalist was killed Saturday near the flashpoint town, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced Sunday. The man, named as Andrea Rocchelli, was killed along with a Russian citizen, the ministry said. Reports suggested there had been mortar fire in the Slovyansk area.
Candy tycoon favored to win
Voters are choosing a successor to ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in a country torn apart by Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and bloody conflict with pro-Russia factions.
The man considered the front-runner for the job is candy tycoon Petro Poroshenko, known as the "Chocolate King." A billionaire businessman, he is also a seasoned politician.
Opinion polls indicate his closest rival in a field of around 20 is Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister and leader of the Batkivshchyna party.
It's possible Poroshenko will win outright in the first round by getting more than 50% of the vote. If he fails to cross that hurdle, he'll face the runner-up in a runoff election.
Besides the presidential race, candidates are also running in municipal elections in some cities.
Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said he would cast his ballot in the capital, Kiev, on Sunday morning.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has deployed 900 observers for the election -- the largest such mission in its history.
Amid the escalating tensions, claim and counterclaim have swirled.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov's spokeswoman, Natalia Stativko, told CNN that a claim on Avakov's website -- that the Electoral Commission's electronic vote counting system had been destroyed -- was fake. She said the website had been hacked.
The Prosecutor General's Office said Saturday it was investigating 83 cases of alleged interference in the election process in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
On Sunday, an adviser to the official Donetsk governor, Sergey Taruta, said a group of 40 armed men encircled and entered the Hotel Victoria, where the governor's office is temporary located. The men were dressed alike and had automatic weapons, said the adviser, Vasyl Azbuzov.
They were looking for the governor, who was voting in Mariupol at that time, but left after taking a list of the hotel's guests.
Ukraine's 'Chocolate King' aims for top job
Yatsenyuk: You can't intimidate us
Whoever wins the presidency will face the challenge of reuniting a country that is deeply divided and in dire economic straits.
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Saturday urged all Ukrainians to go to the polls, saying they would "prove to the whole world, and first of all to ourselves, that it is not possible to intimidate us, that we are going to decide ourselves how to rebuild our home and how to work in it."
Voters will be choosing a president to lead a country "for whose freedom, prosperity, European future, the Ukrainians are paying the highest price -- the price of their own lives," he said.
Despite the troubles in eastern Ukraine, he said, the vote would represent the "free and unobstructed choice" of the whole nation.
"And I would like to assure those our compatriots in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, who will be prevented from coming to the polling stations by the war waged against Ukraine: The criminals don't have much time left to terrorize your land," he added.
According to protesters speaking Saturday outside the headquarters of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic," as well as the body's Twitter account, Donetsk and Luhansk have united to form a new separatist republic called "Novorossiya."
The government in Kiev, which launched an "anti-terrorist operation" against the separatists, has so far been unable to dislodge them from the towns and cities they hold.
Russian recognition
Putin on Friday told an economic forum in St. Petersburg that he would respect the will of Ukraine's voters in Sunday's election.
But he reiterated Russia's assertion that according to Ukraine's Constitution, Yanukovych -- who was ousted in February following months of street protests -- remains the nation's legitimate president.
Putin also questioned whether the election should be held now, given the violence in eastern Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkov said Friday that Russia would decide whether or not to recognize the Ukraine vote only after it takes place, according to state media.
U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that disruption of the Ukraine vote by Russia would bring further sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy.
Opinion: Free elections good for Ukraine, but could be bad for Putin
Putin's 48 hours in St. Petersburg
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported from Donetsk and Radina Gigova from Atlanta, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London. Journalists Lena Kashkarova and Victoria Butenko, as well as CNN's Hada Messia, contributed to this report.
South Africa's Zuma sworn in
5/24/2014 9:21:20 PM
- South African President Jacob Zuma vows his government will perform better this time
- Zuma's party, the African National Congress, won 62% of vote -- lower than before
- ANC still enjoys widespread support after governing 20 years
(CNN) -- South African President Jacob Zuma was sworn in Saturday for a second term, pledging to focus on the economy in a country battling growing inequality.
"Today marks the beginning of the second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society," Zuma said during his inauguration at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
"This second phase will involve the implementation of radical socioeconomic transformation policies and programs over the next five years."
His party, the African National Congress, won the general election this month, holding on to power despite economic woes, deadly mining protests and corruption allegations.
It got 62% of the vote -- lower than the last time -- with its popularity and that of Zuma's taking a hit due to various issues, including a scandal centered in his private homestead in Nkandla. The state watchdog has alleged more than $20 million of public money was misused in improvements to the sprawling complex. Zuma has denied any wrongdoing.
After a turbulent first term, Zuma said his government will perform better this time around and take responsibility for any shortcomings.
"We will ... ensure much tighter accountability, with firm consequences where there is a failure to deliver services to our people," he said.
He said South Africa has made progress since the days of apartheid two decades ago.
"While the lives of millions of people have improved, poverty, inequality and unemployment still persist," he said.
"Economic transformation will take center stage during this new term of government as we put the economy on an inclusive growth path."
The ANC, which has governed for 20 years, still enjoys widespread support after the defeat of the apartheid system and the beginning of democracy in South Africa.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Robert Mugabe, were among the heads of state attending Saturday's ceremony.
Judge lifts Gitmo force feeding ban
5/23/2014 9:33:28 PM
- A federal judge says she has no choice in allowing forced feeding to resume
- 'The court simply cannot let (the detainee) die,' the judge writes
- Mohammed Abu Wa'el Dhiab, 42, a Syrian, has been detained since 2002 arrest
- Dhiab is 'swiftly deteriorating' because he refuse to eat or drink
(CNN) -- A federal judge has lifted a temporary ban on painful forced feedings of a Guantanamo Bay detainee, saying she had no choice and "the court simply cannot let (him) die."
In the meantime, the court will advance a "speedy exchange" of information about terrorism detainee Mohammed Abu Wa'el Dhiab's request to stop what he describes as abusive forced feedings, U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled late Thursday.
Dhiab, 42, a Syrian, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and has been detained in the U.S. military's facility for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo for more than 10 years, according to the London-based human rights group Reprieve.
Dhiab has stopped eating, and his case is example of the forced feedings at Guantanamo, which the U.S. government has been administering typically to detainees who go on hunger strikes. Dhiab was cleared for release by the Obama administration in 2009 and has never been charged, Reprieve's website said.
Kessler said the court "is now faced with an anguishing Hobson's choice: reissue another temporary restraining order despite the very real probability that Mr. Dhiab will die, because he has indicated a continuing desire to refuse to eat and/or drink liquids, or refuse to issue the TRO and allow the medical personnel on the scene to take the medical actions to keep Mr. Dhiab alive, but at the possible cost of great pain and suffering."
"The Court is in no position to make the complex medical decisions necessary to keep Mr. Dhiab alive," the judge said. "Thanks to the intransigence of the Department of Defense, Mr. Dhiab may well suffer unnecessary pain from certain enteral feeding practices and forcible cell extractions. However, the Court simply cannot let Mr. Dhiab die."
The judge noted that Mr. Dhiab's physical condition has been "swiftly deteriorating, in large part because he was refusing food and/or water."
China faces its own 'war on terror'
5/25/2014 1:08:15 PM
- Terror attacks in China intensify as war in Afghanistan winds down
- Most originate from Xinjiang, a region bordering Afghanistan
- Chinese terrorists believed to be influenced by foreign groups
- Chinese demand government clamps down on terrorism
Editor's note: Victor Zhikai Gao is director of China National Association of International Studies. He was a former employee of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as English interpreter for Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- For many decades, unlike their counterparts in many Western countries, Chinese police did not carry guns. Even the armed police in China, charged mainly with guarding foreign embassies, government buildings and important facilities, would normally only carry unloaded guns, keeping the bullets separate.
A police officer firing a gun was a rarity, because China was a safe country.
Recently, however, a major shift is occurring that is significantly changing the landscape, as China faces its own "war on terror."
With the war in Afghanistan winding down, there has been an intensification of terrorist attacks in China. Most bear the same tell-tale fingerprints. They originate from China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, which borders Afghanistan, and are perpetuated by extremists from China's Uyghur minority, a mainly Turkic-speaking Muslim population.
They aim to indiscriminately kill innocent, unarmed people in public places, demonstrating a complete disregard for human life.
The deadly terror attack Thursday on Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, was the just the latest in a spate of such attacks to strike China since a jeep plowed into a crowd in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in October, killing five.
This week's attack also involved vehicles -- in this case SUVs that drove into crowds at an open market as its occupants tossed out explosives, leaving at least 39 dead and 90 injured, according to Chinese state media.
Other attacks have been carried out by knife-wielding mobs, such as the attack on Kunming train station in March that left 29 dead, according to state media.
An attack the following month on an Urumqi train station also involved a knife-wielding mob that swarmed the station after an explosion was detonated. Three people were killed, included two suspected attackers, and 79 injured, according to state media.
Days later, men with knives attacked travelers at a train station in Guangzhou, injuring six people, according to Chinese police.
There have also been foiled attempts at hijacking airplanes.
Faced with an intensification of such attacks, right-thinking people in China are united in unreservedly condemning these crimes against humanity. The Chinese people want peace and stability at home, and many are demanding that the government take resolute measures to combat these terrorist attacks.
In response, the Chinese government has authorized the arming of police, and instructed them to shoot -- to kill, if necessary -- in combating such attacks.
The government has also significantly beefed up the police presence in many cities, particularly at bus and train stations, airports, public squares, schools and other public places which tend to be the targets of such attacks.
READ MORE: Q&A -- tensions in China's restive far west
The Chinese government believes the Uyghur terror groups have been strongly influenced by foreign terror groups.
Chinese Uyghur Islamic extremists have previously found their way to Afghanistan, with some winding up in Guantanamo.
China's concern is that such infiltration will see terrorist attacks in China intensify in coming years, in light of a likely resurgence of violence in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American and NATO forces from the country.
Faced with the potential threat of intensified terror attacks, China will need to significantly beef up law-enforcement capacities further and raise public awareness about potential attacks.
China will also need to significantly increase international and regional cooperation to effectively deal with any resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan in the coming years.
In this context, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and other multilateral frameworks will have significant roles to play in rallying countries in this part of the world to unite in their common struggle against terrorism.
Effectively combating terrorism will require an international united front.
The international community will not be well served if we start to label terrorist attacks against one country as terrorism, but terrorist attacks against another country by another name.
Put simply, an attack that aims to terrorize people by killing and injuring innocents indiscriminately is a terrorist attack -- and should be universally condemned and dealt with as such.
Double standards and hypocrisy will only further embolden terrorists, and will leave more innocent people as victims of such crimes.
No decent person -- and no religion -- should condone or justify terrorism.
If the international community is united, terrorism in China or anywhere else in the world will never win. Let us unite in our common fight against terrorism and extremism in the world, and prevail.
Turkish film wins top prize at Cannes
5/25/2014 12:12:58 AM
- Cannnes Film Festival's top prize goes to Turkish film "Winter Sleep"
- Julianne Moore wins best actress for her part in "Maps to the Stars"
- Timothy Spall takes best actor for his performance in "Mr. Turner"
(CNN) -- The Cannes Film Festival culminated Saturday night with the glittering award show for the festival's top honors.
Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan accepted the coveted Palme d'Or for his film "Winter Sleep" at the international event on the French Riveria.
American actress Julianne Moore won the best actress award for her portrayal of an aging film star in David Cronenberg's dark Hollywood parody, "Maps to the Stars."
British actor Timothy Spall won the best actor honor for his turn in "Mr. Turner.
The Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the prestigious movie competition, went to director Alice Rohrwacher for the Italian drama "Le Meraviglie" or "The Wonders."
Director Bennett Miller nabbed the best director award for the movie "Foxcatcher."
Thai general warns anti-coup protesters of crackdown
5/26/2014 1:37:23 AM
- NEW: Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha urges people to stop protesting or risk crackdown
- He says he has the King's approval to head the ruling military council
- He outlines plans, including the setting up of a reform committee
- The military took power last week after months of political turmoil
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The general who seized control of Thailand in a coup last week said Monday that he has received royal endorsement to run the politically unstable country and warned of a potential crackdown on people protesting military rule.
Dressed in a white uniform and flanked by more than a dozen other military officials, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha addressed reporters in Bangkok, saying he had received a royal command from the country's deeply revered King to head the ruling military council.
Prayuth outlined the steps he said his junta plans to adopt, including setting up a committee to introduce reforms. But he also issued a warning to the groups of protesters who have gathered in Bangkok in recent days to voice their opposition to the coup and call for democratic elections.
The demonstrators have scuffled with soldiers in the streets. But so far, the military has allowed the relatively small protests to take place, even though it has issued an order forbidding gatherings of more than five people.
With more protests expected Monday, Prayuth suggested the military wouldn't tolerate public displays of dissent indefinitely, saying the situation was reaching a "boiling point."
He urged people to stop protesting, warning that they risk a stricter enforcement of martial law and prosecution in military courts.
The Thai military carried out the coup Thursday following months of unrest that had destabilized the elected government and caused outbursts of deadly violence in Bangkok.
But the sudden intervention by the armed forces -- the latest in a series of coups that have punctuated modern Thai history -- has been criticized by human rights activists and foreign governments, including the United States.
Since taking power, military authorities have summoned -- and in some cases detained -- scores of leading political officials and other prominent figures.
Receiving endorsement from King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand's ailing but widely admired monarch, adds legitimacy to Prayuth's credentials.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
CNN's Paula Hancocks reported from Bangkok, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.
Coup gets royal approval
5/26/2014 12:51:50 AM
The general who seized control of Thailand in a coup has announced that he received royal endorsement to run the country.
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What Modi means for rest of world
5/25/2014 11:59:38 PM
- India's new prime minister has promised citizens growth and prosperity
- What's less clear is how Narendra Modi will approach foreign policy
- Modi has wasted no time connecting with other foreign leaders
- In the past India's foreign policy has been more about continuity than change
Editor's note: Ravi Agrawal is CNN's New Delhi Bureau chief and was formerly senior producer of the network's "Fareed Zakaria GPS." Follow him on Twitter: @RaviAgrawalCNN. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
New Delhi (CNN) -- Indians want their version of the American Dream. Even the Chinese Dream will do. And so they have voted for a man who promises more for less: more development and growth, with less government and red tape.
For India's 1.27 billion dreamers, their new Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a known commodity. His simple mandate is to do for India what he has done for the north western state of Gujarat in the last 12 years: conjure up Chinese-levels of growth and prosperity.
But for Modi's counterparts in Washington, Beijing, and Islamabad, India's new leader is considered a wildcard. Will he be aggressive, or a dove? What is his foreign policy? Does he have a vision for India's place in the world?
There's very little to go on. Modi has never addressed foreign policy at length; Indian campaigns rarely involve debates on world affairs. Few in New Delhi seem to have a clear sense of his plans. When I spoke with Arun Shourie, a former Indian minister now being touted as a top candidate to head the finance ministry, I got a telling response: "Anyone who says they know Modi's plans, doesn't really know anything. The ones who know won't talk."
So let's start with the few signals we've received from the man himself.
Reaching out to neighbors
Modi has certainly begun with a flourish, scoring a coup in getting his Pakistani counterpart to attend his swearing-in Monday. Nawaz Sharif will become the first Pakistani Prime Minister in history to attend an Indian prime minister's inauguration. Modi will also receive leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Despite his lack of experience in foreign policy, Modi has wasted no time in connecting with his new counterparts. Take a look at his Twitter account, where he has announced to his 4.38 million followers congratulatory messages from U.S. President Barack Obama, Israel's PM Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, France's Hollande, Russia's Putin, as well as leaders from New Zealand, Fiji, Qatar, Afghanistan, and more.
In our conversation, @BarackObama & I talked about further strengthening India-USA strategic partnership that will help both nations.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2014 Japan got an especially lavish mention: "Personally, I have a wonderful experience of working with Japan as [Chief Minister of Gujarat.]," Modi tweeted. "I am sure we will take India-Japan ties to newer heights." Japan's PM Shinzo Abe follows only three people on Twitter -- Modi, of course, is one of them.
Personally, I have a wonderful experience of working with Japan as CM. I am sure we will take India-Japan ties to newer heights.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2014 Twitter diplomacy is not just about rhetoric -- there have been some early results, too. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse tweeted Sunday: "As a goodwill measure on the occasion of @narendramodi's swearing-in, President instructs officials to release Indian fishermen in custody."
None of the above sheds light on what kind of vision Modi has, but it is indeed a refreshing marker of proactive engagement -- the opposite of India's foreign policy in years gone by. In an excellent essay in Foreign Affairs last month, Manjari Chatterjee Miller described how Indian foreign policy in the last 50 years has been characterized "more by continuity than by change" -- irrespective of the party in power.
'Non-alignment'
Arun Shourie, former Indian minister
India's relations with major powers have stayed stable. Broadly, there are two reasons behind this trend. One is India's historic pledge of "non-alignment": the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru founded the global Non-Aligned Movement, a group of states agreeing to not align with major powers. The other reason is India's neglect of foreign policy planning from the very top: civil servants get little-to-no instruction from the prime minister's office, and so have great levels of autonomy and wield significant power. The result is no clear vision from New Delhi, and a general stasis in India's relations with the world. It has often been pointed out that India has fewer diplomats than Singapore, a country with a population 1/250th the size of India's. India has consistently punched below its weight despite aspiring to be a global player.
Will Modi change these trends? Again, it is difficult to read his mind. But turn again to what Modi has actually said. The writer Dhruva Jaishanker points out that Modi has repeatedly stated that foreign policy begins at home. This is not to suggest that Modi will be insular. Instead, his relations with other countries will be driven by business needs and a sense of realism -- perhaps similar, in theory, to China's relations with South Asian and African states.
Many writers and commentators have expressed fears about Modi's foreign policy on two main fronts. First, that he will channel his brand of pro-Hindu nationalism into friction with Pakistan. Second, that he will use his prior history with Washington -- Modi's U.S. visa was revoked in 2005 over a never-before-used religious freedoms act -- as a reason to snub the world's biggest economy. On both fronts, we have no way of confirming those fears just yet. But with each passing day, we are witnessing an evolving Modi, a realist whose goal is to grow India Inc. and do business with anyone -- at home or abroad -- who can help achieve that goal.
Modi's real test will be whether he can bring a longer-term vision to India's foreign policy planning. Will he keep New Delhi non-aligned? Will he pivot further East? Will he help fulfil Obama's prediction that India and the U.S. will form the 21st century's defining partnership?
Only Modi knows the answers. But if Indian foreign policy has so far not been driven by the prime minister's Office, I think we can now expect that strange quirk to change. For better or worse, Prime Minister Modi will take charge.
Thai general warns anti-coup protesters of crackdown
5/26/2014 3:22:11 AM
- Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha urges people to stop protesting or risk crackdown
- He says there is "no set time period" for when new election might take place
- The general says he has the King's approval to head the ruling military council
- The military took power last week after months of political turmoil
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The general who seized control of Thailand in a coup last week said Monday that he has received royal endorsement to run the politically unstable country and warned of a potential crackdown on people protesting military rule.
Dressed in a white uniform and flanked by more than a dozen other military officials, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha addressed reporters in Bangkok, saying he had received a royal command from the country's deeply revered King to head the ruling military council.
Saying there was "no set time period" for when new elections might be held, Prayuth outlined the steps he said his junta plans to take, including setting up a committee to introduce reforms.
But he also issued a warning to the groups of protesters who have gathered in Bangkok in recent days to voice their opposition to the coup and call for democratic elections.
The demonstrators, who numbered in the hundreds on Sunday, have scuffled with soldiers in the streets. So far, the military has allowed the small-but-growing protests to take place, even though martial law forbids gatherings of more than five people.
With more protests expected Monday, Prayuth suggested the military wouldn't tolerate public displays of dissent indefinitely, saying the situation was reaching a "boiling point."
He urged people to stop demonstrating, warning that they risk a stricter enforcement of martial law and prosecution in military courts, and told journalists and social media users not to transmit provocative messages.
Coup criticized
The Thai military carried out the coup Thursday -- tearing up the constitution and imposing a curfew -- after months of unrest that had destabilized the elected government and caused outbursts of deadly violence in Bangkok.
But the sudden intervention by the armed forces -- the latest in a series of coups that have punctuated modern Thai history -- has been criticized by human rights activists and foreign governments, including the United States.
Receiving endorsement from King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand's ailing but widely admired monarch, adds legitimacy to Prayuth's credentials.
But it appears unlikely to change the opinions of many of the protesters who have been taking to the streets to demonstrate against the coup. Other Thais have expressed hope that the military will succeed in bringing an end to the crisis that has plagued the country for months..
Politicians, academics summoned
Since taking power, military authorities have summoned -- and in some cases detained -- scores of leading political officials and other prominent figures, such as academics and business leaders.
Among the most high-profile figures who've turned themselves in is former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was in office when the current phase of political turmoil began in November.
Yingluck, who was removed from office by the courts earlier this month, was released from a military facility over the weekend after she followed a summons to report to military authorities on Friday.
A military source said Yingluck was asked to "help us maintain peace and order and not to get involved with protesters or any political movement" and now has freedom of movement and communication.
But a close aide to Yingluck disagreed with the assertion that she was free to move and communicate. She is yet to make any public statement since the coup.
Thaksin's influence
The recent unrest was driven by months of protests against Yingluck's government.
The protest leaders said they wanted to rid Thailand of the influence of Yingluck and her wealthy brother, the exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in the country's last military coup in 2006.
The Shinawatras' powerful political movement, which has dominated elections for more than a decade, draws its support from Thailand's populous rural regions in the north and northeast.
But it is unpopular among the Bangkok elites, who accuse it of buying votes through ill-judged, populist policies.
The protesters who campaigned against Yingluck's government claimed Thailand needed reforms to be imposed by an unelected council before any further elections could take place.
With the military's intervention, they appear to have got their wish, although some of the protest leaders were taken into custody after the coup.
It remains unclear how the pro-Thaksin red shirt movement, which held mass rallies in central Bangkok 2010, will respond to military rule. Some of the top red shirt leaders are also among those who were detained by military authorities.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
CNN's Paula Hancocks reported from Bangkok, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Kocha Olarn and journalist Kiki Dhitavat contributed to this report.
'Big soft' center will rule
5/25/2014 7:50:07 AM
- The European elections begins Thursday, and 400 million voters are eligible to vote across 28 EU member states
- The protest parties have been rising in popularity, but they are unlikely to have influence, as Jim Boulden writes
- They are more likely to push the middle parties together -- creating a more moderate centrist bloc
Editor's note: Jim Boulden is a correspondent for CNN's international programming based in London, where he covers a wide range of business and news stories. Follow him on Twitter.
(CNN) -- You might have been forgiven for not knowing there is an election around Europe, starting on Thursday, to elect 751 members of the European Parliament, known as MEPs.
You are not forgiven.
There are 751 seats from 28 countries up for grabs. Nearly 400 million Europeans are eligible to vote. Extreme parties on the left, and more noticeable, on the right, are expected to poll very well. It seems the angry are most likely to make the effort to vote, from Dublin to Athens.
The European Parliament gained more power in the Lisbon Treaty. It certainly does not have the legislative power of a national parliament, but it has the power to pressure Brussels.
In theory it even has the power to "elect" the next European Commission president (though heads of state/government can also ignore who parliament chooses. Isn't Europe fun?).
During the last vote, in 2009, the United Kingdom Independence Party came in second to the now ruling Conservative Party -- both parties are full of euroskeptics -- and UKIP became a force in British politics.
Jim Boulden
If you believe polls, UKIP could come in first in Thursday's vote.
The difference this time around is that the party has been under heavy scrutiny about his anti-immigration stance, about its controversial leader Nigel Farage and about its desire for the UK to actually pull out of the EU -- which of course would put its MEPs out of work. That's because UKIP does not have one single seat in Westminster, the UK's national parliament.
But UKIP is tapping into a feeling that is also benefiting parties on the extreme left -- that Brussels has lost its way.
While rightist parties want to cut EU budgets, cut its influence, or simply cut it all up and throw it away, those on the left have been pushing hard to end the austerity drive driven by Brussels. They want to see spending to cut Europe's biggest disease: unemployment.
Both extremes are benefiting from drag on Europe following the economic crisis which was followed by the Great Recession. Europeans are sick of it all and have every right to express their displeasure through the ballot box.
So, will it make a difference? Yes, but maybe not in obvious ways.
The bigger the vote for the extremes, the more likely the middle parties will have to work together to form a voting bloc. Giles Moec of Deutsche Bank calls it the "big soft" center.
The second influence by the fringe parties will be how far they push national governments to the left or the right, depending. Some ruling parties have already embraced their left party's call to end austerity and spend their way back to health. Other ruling parties have talked about cracking down on immigrants and other bogeymen, real or imagined.
Jim Boulden
So, the rise of the fringe can influence Europe for the next five years simply by being who they are and making their voice at every turn, even if they can't really vote as a bloc.
You see, if there is one thing the fringe have in common in Europe, they are far from united. Every time one of them sticks their foot into it, the others have to at least pretend to be aghast and to pull away.
The more seats the rightest parties gain from next week, the more likely the battle between Marine Le Pen of the France's National Front and Farage of UKIP for dominance will split the base. No unity from the right is expected.
Now, if I am wrong and the right can form a useable bloc to block Brussels at every turn, then the European elections will prove to have been more important than most people could ever imagine.
READ MORE: Protest parties shake up election
READ MORE: How the European election works
READ MORE: Europe needs a new vision
I'm a gun owner; I want gun control
5/25/2014 8:32:24 PM
- Mark O'Mara: Fatal shooting rampage in Santa Barbara latest to reflect U.S. violence problem
- He says U.S. has vast number of shootings, and the tough part is what to do about it
- Responsible gun owners don't want to gut 2nd Amendment, he says, but can't ignore problem
- O'Mara: If gun owners don't allow reasonable flexibility, they may soon face over-restriction
Editor's note: Mark O'Mara is a CNN legal analyst. He is a criminal defense attorney who frequently writes and speaks about issues related to race, guns and self-defense in the context of the American criminal justice system. A version of this commentary appeared earlier this month. The opinions expressed in it are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Another week in America, another mass shooting.
This time the mayhem was at the hands of a drive-by shooter Friday night, firing at people in Santa Barbara, California. Six dead, 13 others injured, gunman suicide, police say. Officials called the man "severely mentally disturbed."
The rampage comes only weeks after police headed off a Minnesota teen's plans to shoot up his school. According to news reports, John David LaDue allegedly possessed an arsenal (which included homemade bombs) that he allegedly planned to use to slaughter as many students as he could at his high school in rural Minnesota.
Thanks to a civilian tip and good police work, we narrowly escaped a mass shooting then.
On Friday, we were not as lucky.
A friend of mine predicted that the United States would suffer probably 10 such shootings in 2014. I didn't want to believe him, but I knew it would be true.
It turns out we will suffer far more than 10. We've seen a shooting where an assailant targets multiple people somewhere in this country every week this year, according to the website Shootingtracker.com. Only a small number -- such as the recent FedEx shooting in Georgia, or those at Fort Hood, Texas, or Jewish facilities in Kansas -- will gain national attention.
We have a problem with gun violence in this country. I think this much is not in dispute. The real debate is this: What do we do about it? Unfortunately, most answers to this question involve greater governmental regulation and intrusion into our lives.
Americans are fiercely independent, sometimes to a fault, and we bristle at any effort seen as trampling our inalienable rights. But the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution have never been unfettered. Each amendment in the Bill of Rights has spawned a legacy of case law that interprets, defines, refines and restricts our basic freedoms based on the values and needs of the people at the time.
Here are some examples:
The First Amendment -- our freedom of speech, of expression, of assembly -- is our most fundamental right, but even it is not unrestricted. No matter how strongly we feel, our words cannot be used to incite violence. They cannot be used to further terrorism. We cannot incite panic (shouting "fire" in a crowded theater). We are allowed our freedom of religion, yet we cannot force those religious beliefs on others.
The Fourth Amendment says we are secure in our home, and that the government cannot search and seize our effects and paper without probable cause. While we're free from improper government intrusion, the interpretation of probable cause has loosened over time.
We're free from government intrusion as long as we are not doing something illegal or something that would negatively affect our community. (I can live at peace in my home; I cannot do so with a meth lab.)
And of course we have amendments that ended slavery and granted universal suffrage.
The Constitution is not written in stone. It evolves as our society evolves. The Second Amendment is more complicated, however, because it deals with issues larger than freedom and oppression; it deals with life and death.
Buried in the Second Amendment is the right to self-defense, the very mechanism that allowed our Founding Fathers to win freedom from tyranny. Some argue it is the right that guarantees all other rights. Our forefathers wanted us to be able to protect ourselves against outside threats, and even from internal tyranny. They may have even intended us to be able to protect ourselves from each other.
It is a stretch to argue they intended guns to be so available, in such strength, that children, high-school populations and co-workers and law enforcement could be so easily slaughtered.
A gun in the hands of a law-abiding citizen is the perfect, unassailable instrument for self-defense and for the protection of one's family. To tell someone who is acting reasonably and rationally that they have to give up that right is unfathomable to the responsible gun owner. That's why gun rights advocates have such a negative response to any perceived restrictions on gun ownership: They know, without question, that they will only use their weapon properly.
But all too often guns are used improperly, without justification, with tragic results. While we have laws preventing convicted felons from legally owning guns, we live in a reality where even properly maintained guns wind up in the wrong hands, where the overly free commerce of firearms virtually assures that some of them will be used by people with criminal intentions.
Gun rights advocates often see a comment like that as an argument for further restriction on their use of weapons, but that's not the way I intend it. I myself am a responsible gun owner. I believe in the right to justified self-defense. I also believe that reasonable restrictions to assure that only law-abiding citizens can purchase firearms better prevents over-restriction of our Second Amendment.
Our Constitution is a resilient force, and our Bill of Rights has survived countless modifications and restrictions without the erosion of fundamental freedoms. Our Second Amendment right is no different: It can survive modification and restriction without the fear that it will vanish altogether.
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently pledged $50 million to address gun issues. In the face of such a concerted effort, the failure of gun rights advocates to allow any reasonable flexibility to our right to bear arms could mean that it will eventually buckle under the weight of thoughtful opposition propelled to action by the next series of tragic and, unfortunately, inevitable mass shootings.
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Uncertainty in Bangkok under coup
5/25/2014 9:20:07 PM
- Source close to Yingluck Shinawatra confirms she was released from military camp
- An aide to Yingluck contradicts junta source's assertion that she has freedom of movement
- Bangkok is largely calm but more organized protests are expected Monday
- Thailand's armed forces seized power in a coup Thursday
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is no longer in military custody, according to a highly placed source in the junta that took over Thailand in a coup d'etat last week.
A source close to Yingluck also confirmed to CNN that she was released from a military camp.
The former prime minister was ordered to report to the military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, on Friday. More than 100 others, including politicians and activists, have also been summoned.
The armed forces seized power in a coup Thursday after months of turmoil that paralyzed much of the government and caused deadly clashes in Bangkok.
Yingluck was freed after she reported to the Thai military, the junta source told CNN, adding that the former prime minister was asked to "help us maintain peace and order and not to get involved with protesters or any political movement."
The military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, insisted that Yingluck has freedom of movement and communications.
A close aide to the former prime minister could not confirm when Yingluck was released, and contradicted the military's assertion that she was free to move around.
"I don't think she has freedom of mobility and communication," the source said.
Altogether, around 150 people will be required to appear before the National Council for Peace and Order, a military spokesman said Saturday.
Those summoned include academics and one of Yingluck's chief opponents, "Yellow Shirt" movement leader Sondhi Limthongkul. The politician suffered a gunshot wound to the head during unrest in 2009 but later recovered.
"We want to give them some time to relax and have time to think over the problem," the spokesman said.
The council wants to "adjust their perception and make them think about the country, think about the Thai people as a whole, not just one particular group."
Street protests
Bangkok was for the most part peaceful Sunday, although there was some jostling between protesters voicing their opposition to the coup and security forces.
More organized protests are expected in the capital on Monday.
The junta has imposed martial law, which includes a curfew, and shut out independent media reporting. CNN International's broadcasting has been blacked out in Thailand.
It also dissolved the Senate, according to a statement from the military chief read on the country's broadcast outlets.
On Saturday, a number of major TV stations were back on air, including MCOT, TPBS and NBT.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
Thai military: Think before you tweet
CNN's Kocka Olarn and Paula Hancocks reported from Bangkok and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
5/25/2014 7:55:48 PM
- On Thursday, Thailand's military announced it had taken control of the government in a coup
- Military imposed an overnight curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in Bangkok
- Air passengers with arrival and departure flights scheduled during the curfew are permitted to travel
CNN TV has been taken off air in Thailand. The people of Thailand deserve to know what is happening in their own country, and CNN is committed to telling them. Follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter, and share your updates from Thailand via CNN iReport.
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's military announced Thursday that it has taken control of the government.
Here's what that means for travelers visiting one of Asia's most popular tourist destinations.
The biggest implication of the coup -- declared after rival factions were unable to come up with a suitable agreement to govern -- is the nationwide curfew, in effect from 10 p.m.-5 a.m. until further notice.
However, the military said air passengers with arrival and departure flights scheduled during the curfew are permitted to travel to and from the airports at any time, and are advised to carry a printout of their flight itinerary.
All airports in Thailand remain open and flights are still operating as scheduled.
MORE: Thai military takes over in coup -- again
On the ground in Bangkok and beyond
On the ground in Bangkok on Friday morning, streets are calm and most residents are carrying on with their lives as normal, though military checkpoints have been set up at various locations throughout the country.
Since the coup announcement was made, protest groups on both sides have dismantled their camps in line with the army's ban on gatherings of five people or more.
The military announced a nationwide closure of schools until Sunday, though some international schools remained open.
All foreigners, regardless of whether they are tourists or residents, are advised to carry their passports with them at all times.
Tourist attractions, government offices, embassies, shops, restaurants and malls are still open, though some have adjusted their hours in line with the curfew.
All Bangkok expressways currently remain open.
The city's BTS Skytrain, MRT subway, Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link, public ferries and trains continue to operate, though hours have been adjusted in line with the curfew.
Taxis were reportedly available at both airports for passengers arriving after the curfew, though travelers posting on social media reported experiencing longer lines than usual.
All popular tourist destinations outside of Bangkok, including Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi, are all operating as normal and there is a limited military presence on the streets, according to reports, though popular night spots closed early on Thursday night due to the curfew.
MORE: Soldiers, selfies and a military coup: The unusual state of tourism in Thailand
Television and social media
All state-run, satellite and cable TV providers have been ordered to carry only the signal of the army's television channel.
CNN is among those networks that have been taken off the air.
In an announcement on their Facebook page, the military government announced that Thai citizens should not believe rumors that they will shut down the internet, social media or Youtube.
Though there are reports the military is monitoring social media and will block any content perceived as a threat to national security, as of Friday morning all websites and apps were working normally.
With TV stations now off the air, Twitter is one of the best ways to get real-time information on the situation in Bangkok.
Richard Barrow, a full-time travel blogger based in Bangkok, is a top source for those seeking news about the protests as well as travel advice. He can be followed at Twitter.com/richardbarrow.
Local English-language media on Twitter include the Bangkok Post: Twitter.com/BPbreakingnews; The Nation: Twitter.com/nationnews; and MCOT: Twitter.com/MCOT_Eng.
MORE: Thailand coup: A cheat sheet to get you up to speed
Government warnings
Tourists are advised to check with their governments before traveling to Thailand, as warnings vary and can impact the validity of their travel insurance.
In a statement following the coup announcement, the United States Embassy in Bangkok issued an emergency message.
"U.S. citizens are advised to stay alert, exercise caution, and monitor media coverage," it said.
"You are advised to avoid areas where there are protest events, large gatherings, or security operations and follow the instructions of Thai authorities. "
In response to the coup, the Hong Kong government raised its Outbound Travel Alert for Thailand to red, indicating it feels residents face a significant threat by visiting.
"Residents intending to visit Thailand should adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel, including leisure travel," says the statement.
"Those already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people."
Tourist hotlines
The Tourism Authority of Thailand issued a statement advising tourists seeking assistance to call the following hotlines.
TAT Call Centre: 1672
Tourist Police Call Centre: 1155
BTS Hotline: +66 (0) 2617 6000
MRT Customer Relations Center: +66 (0) 2624 5200
SRT (train service) Call Center: 1690
Transport Co., Ltd., (inter-provincial bus service) Call Center: 1490
AOT (Suvarnabhumi Airport) Call Centre: 1722
Suvarnabhumi Airport Operation Center: +66 (0) 2132 9950 or 2
Don Mueang Airport Call Center: +66 (0) 2535 3861, (0) 2535 3863
Thai Airways International Call Center: +66 (0) 2356 1111
Bangkok Airways Call Center: 1771
Nok Air Call Center: 1318
Thai AirAsia Call Center: +66 (0) 2515 9999
Pope offers Mideast peace summit
5/25/2014 11:56:43 AM
- NEW: Pope Francis arrives in Tel Aviv, speaks to Israeli leaders
- Pope invites Palestinian and Israeli leaders to the Vatican to pray for peace
- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will go to Vatican, official says
- Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomes the invitation, his office says
Bethlehem, West Bank (CNN) -- Pope Francis extended an invitation Sunday to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to travel to the Vatican for a "peace initiative," after earlier calling for a two-state solution to the intractable conflict.
The pontiff's remarks came at the end of an outdoor Mass in Bethlehem's Manger Square on the second day of his three-day trip to the Middle East.
"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with Israeli President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace," Francis said.
"I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."
He added, "Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant torment. The men and women of these lands, and of the entire world, all of them, ask us to bring before God their fervent hopes for peace."
The Palestinian side has accepted the invitation and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will go to the Vatican, a Palestinian Legislative Council member, Hanan Ashrawi, told CNN.
The Israeli President's office said that he welcomed the invitation. "President Peres has always supported, and will continue to support, any attempts to progress the cause of peace," his office said.
Pope Francis then traveled on to Tel Aviv, where in remarks on the airport tarmac to Peres and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he again issued an invitation to pray for peace at the Vatican. He also reiterated the Vatican's support for Israel's right to exist in peace and security.
The next stop on his historic trip was Jerusalem.
Two states
Earlier, speaking alongside Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Francis called for the recognition of a Palestinian state -- but he made the same demand on behalf of the state of Israel.
He urged "the acknowledgment by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders."
The Pope called on all sides to pursue a path to peace together and not take unilateral actions to disrupt it.
"I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity," he said.
Middle East peace talks recently stalled despite high-profile efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to push them forward.
The government of Israel has objected to unilateral initiatives by Palestinians to seek international recognition as a state, and Palestinians have objected to Israeli initiatives to expand settlements on the West Bank.
Protecting Christians
In his remarks in Bethlehem, Francis called on Abbas to protect the religious rights of Palestinian Catholics.
The Vatican has expressed concern over the emigration of Palestinian Christians.
The pontiff also took a stand for the poor, suffering under tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and sufferings of every sort," he said.
After meeting with Abbas, Francis cruised in the Popemobile through a crowd of hundreds of Catholic faithful and onlookers gathered in Manger Square as they awaited the papal Mass.
Priests and the faithful swayed to religious music, while many waved red, green, black and white Palestinian flags and others yellow and white Vatican flags.
The Pope hopped off the Popemobile to shake hands with people in the crowd.
In a symbolically charged moment, he also stopped the vehicle to cross over to the separation barrier erected by Israel, its surface daubed with graffiti including the words "Free Palestine!" There, arm outstretched, he touched the concrete wall, his head apparently bowed in prayer.
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestine National Initiative, told CNN, "The Pope did not only put his hand on a concrete wall. He put his hand on occupation. He put his hand on (an) apartheid system, on a system of separation, and discrimination, and oppression."
Refugee children make appeal
Francis also met with a group of Palestinian refugee children while in the West Bank.
As they entered, the children held up signs about the occupation of Palestinian territories, typed in Arabic, Italian and English.
"Muslims and Christians live under the occupation," read one. Another said, "I have never been to the sea!" in an apparent reference to the restrictions on movement under which Palestinians live.
After the children sang and presented him with gifts, the Pope responded in his native tongue, Spanish, to say he had heard their message.
"Never let the past determine your lives," he said. "Violence is not overcome by violence. Violence is overcome by peace."
While in Jerusalem, Francis will meet with Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
His visit to the region commemorates the 50th anniversary of the landmark meeting between Pope Paul VI and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians at the time, Patriarch Athenagoras, in Jerusalem.
The pope will also meet the city's grand mufti and chief rabbis, visit the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, a memorial to the Holocaust, and lay a wreath on the grave of the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl.
The Holy Land visit is the first for Francis as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and just the fourth for any pontiff in the modern era.
'Urgent' solution needed to Syrian crisis
On the first day of his trip, Francis also gave a message of unity as he celebrated Mass at a stadium in Amman, Jordan -- a majority Muslim nation with a significant Christian community.
In his homily, Francis spoke of the need for tolerance and diversity and urged everyone to put aside grievances and divisions.
"The mission of the Holy Spirit is to beget harmony ... and to create peace in different situations and between different people," he said.
"Let us ask the Spirit to prepare our hearts to encounter our brothers and sisters so that we may overcome our differences rooted in political thinking, language, culture and religion."
Christian refugees from Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian territories were among those present, and 1,400 children received their First Communion at the Mass.
The Pope's trip to the Holy Land has been billed as a "pilgrimage for prayer," with its roots in faith, not politics.
But in a region where religion and politics are so closely intertwined, his every remark takes on an added significance.
The pontiff is traveling with two friends -- a rabbi, Abraham Skorka, and a Muslim, Sheikh Omar Abboud, who leads Argentina's Muslim community. The Vatican has said their presence is symbolic of his call for unity.
The Pope's first stop was at al-Husseini Royal Palace in Amman, where he met with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
In televised remarks after that meeting, Francis paid tribute to Jordan's efforts to promote interfaith tolerance and to the welcome that the small nation has given to Palestinian refugees and, more recently, those fleeing war-torn Syria.
Francis said it was "necessary and urgent" that a peaceful solution is found to the crisis in Syria.
While in Jordan, Francis met some of the 600,000 Syrians who have fled since the start of the civil war in 2011, as well as refugees from Iraq. He also visited the River Jordan, where many Christians believe Jesus was baptized.
Everything to know about Pope Francis
Pope Francis in the Holy Land: 5 things to know
CNN's Ivan Watson reported from Bethlehem and Delia Gallagher from Jerusalem, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London. CNN's Michael Schwartz and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.
Thai general who led coup receives royal endorsement
5/25/2014 11:59:11 PM
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The general who seized control of Thailand in a coup last week received royal endorsement on Monday to run the politically unstable country.
Dressed in a white uniform and flanked by more than a dozen other military officials, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha addressed reporters in Bangkok after receiving the endorsement, telling them his junta would set up a committee to introduce reforms.
The Thai military carried out the coup Thursday following months of unrest that destabilized the elected government and caused outbursts of deadly violence in Bangkok. But the sudden move has been criticized by human rights activists and foreign governments, including the United States.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
CNN's Paula Hancocks reported from Bangkok, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong.
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