Rodrigo Duterte Wins Philippine Presidential Election: Poll Monitor

Anti-establishment firebrand Rodrigo Duterte secured a huge win in the Philippine presidential elections, according to a poll monitor, after an incendiary campaign dominated by his profanity-laced vows to kill criminals.

Duterte, the long-time mayor of the southern city of Davao, hypnotised millions with his vows of brutal but quick solutions to the nation's twin plagues of crime and poverty, which many believed had worsened despite strong economic growth in recent years.

And after a record turnout of voters in Monday's elections, Duterte scored a commanding victory, according to data released by the PPCRV, a Catholic Church-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally the votes.

With 88 per cent of the vote counted early today morning, Duterte had an insurmountable lead of 5.84 million votes over his nearest rival, administration candidate Mar Roxas, according to the data.

Donald Trump Names New Jersey Governor As head Of His Transition Team

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential presumptive nominee, has named the New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as the head of his transition team. The role of a transition team would come into play only after Mr Trump wins the November general elections and entails preparing for a potential transfer of power and selection of White House administration staff.

The real estate mogul became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee about a week ago when he won the Indiana primary and two of his rivals - Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropped out of the race.

"Christie is an extremely knowledgeable and loyal person with the tools and resources to put together an unparalleled Transition Team, one that will be prepared to take over the White House when we win in November," Mr Trump said in a statement.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia Becomes New Oil Minister In Government Shake-Up

King Salman

Saudi King Salman replaced his long-serving oil minister as part of a major government overhaul which comes as the kingdom grapples with a slump in energy revenues. The shakeup follows last month's announcement of an ambitious plan to transform Saudi Arabia's economy to reduce its dependence on oil.

Ali al-Naimi, who held the post of oil minister for more than two decades, was one of the most powerful figures within the OPEC oil cartel. But recently his influence appeared to have been curbed by the growing power of Salman's son Prince Mohammed who has taken charge of economic policy.

Kim Jong Un Crowned As Party Leader At North Korean Congress

Kim Jong Un

North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un was named chairman of the ruling Workers' Party at a once in a generation congress seen as a coronation for the young leader.

Thousands of delegates, many in uniform, clapped and cheered enthusiastically as the country's official head of state, Kim Yong-Nam, announced the post at the first top-level meeting of the party for 36 years.

The speech was the first time foreign journalists allowed into the reclusive country to cover the congress have got a glimpse of the delegate hall, festooned in red and gold banners carrying the party's logo.

Dog Chases Off ISIS Fighters In Iraq, Saves Lives Of British Troops

 A military dog has been hailed a hero after saving a team of British Special Forces from a group of 50 ISIS fighters who ambushed them in northern Iraq. The SAS soldiers were returning from a 10-day training programme for Peshmerga fighters.

The Alsatian, thought to have been trained by the US Army, was travelling with the group of British soldiers in a convoy of four vehicles. The unsuspecting troops were caught unawares when they were trapped by a group of terrorists last month on the Kurdish border.

The convoy was hit by a homemade bomb as around 50 ISIS fighters attacked. When the British forces attempted to move out, terrorists attacked them from behind. A US soldier travelling with the convoy let the heroic dog off the leash. The angry dog ran snarling towards the ISIS fighters. The first terrorist was bitten on the neck and face. The dog then slashed at the second fighter's arm and leg. The two ISIS fighters ran away in terror after being savaged by the Alsatian.

North Korean Ex-Army Head Is Alive-Seoul

Ri Yong Gil

A former North Korean military chief who Seoul had said was executed is actually alive and in possession of several new senior-level posts, the North's state media said Tuesday.

Ri, who was considered one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's most trusted aides, missed two key national meetings in February. Seoul intelligence officials later said that Kim had him executed for corruption and other charges.

The news on Ri Yong Gil marks yet another blunder for South Korean intelligence officials, who have often gotten information wrong in tracking developments with their rival. It also points to the difficulties that even professional spies have in figuring out what's going on in one of the world's most closed governments.

Britain-Trained Navy Officer Joins ISIS, Experts Fear Shipping Attacks

Kuwaiti-born Ali Alosaimi trained on a Merchant Navy course in Britain before allegedly fleeing to join ISIS, leading to concerns his knowledge could be used to attack shipping.

Defence experts, according to the RT online, claimed the 28-year-old's knowledge and training could make him a threat to Britain.

Alosaimi joined ISIS after being radicalized by videos of Syrian troops bombing civilians. His details came to light in a cache of document leaked to the Mail, revealing he had previously worked for a Kuwaiti shipping company.