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Washington, Jan 20 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday said he will issue executive orders that will declare a national emergency along the border and all illegal entry will be immediately halted, adding that he will start the process of sending back people who came to the U.S. illegally.

Trump also said he will be ordering troops to secure the border.

The President announced a slew of measures that he said would end American decline and mark the beginning of a golden age. They include a new body to collect tariffs levied on foreign products, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and starting the process to bring back the Panama Canal under U.S. control.

His office also said in a factsheet that the US will be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, which he had done in the first term as well.

“I will declare a National Emergency at our southern border,” Trump said in his inaugural address of executive orders that will be issued by his administration.

“All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate our Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” he said.

President Trump also said he would be announcing new tariffs as he had promised and indicated on the campaign trail.

“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. We are establishing an external revenue service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues. There will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources, the American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before to restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government,” he said.

The President did not specify what tariffs will be levied and on whom.

On foreign policy broadly, he said that as in his first term “we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success, not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.”

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” he said.

“That's what I want to be, a peacemaker and a unifier. I'm pleased to say that, as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families. America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” he added.

He added that he would issue an order in a short time to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

He said that the US will take back the Panama Canal. “We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama's promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty have also been violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back,” the President said.

--IANS

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Washington, Jan 20 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday said he will declare a national emergency along the border, and all illegal entry be immediately halted and he will start the process of sending back people who came to the US illegally.

Trump also said he will be ordering troops to secure the border.

Trump was administered the oath of office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. J D Vance was administered his oath as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“I will declare a national Emergency at our southern border,” Trump said in his inaugural address of executive orders that will be issued by his administration. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate the ‘remain in Mexico’ policy. I will end the practice of catch and release, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

President Trump also said he will be announcing new tariffs as he had promised and indicated on the campaign trail. “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens. For this purpose, we are establishing an external revenue service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues. There will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources, the American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before to restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government.”

The President did not specify what tariffs will be levied and on whom.

Trump also announced he will issue an order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

Outgoing President Joe Biden and Trump rode together to the US Capitol for the latter’s oath-taking ceremony after a traditional tea ceremony at the White House along with their wives, Kamala Harris and her incoming successor J D Vance and their spouses.

Jill Biden and Melania Trump rode together to the Capitol in a separate car as did Kamala Harris and her successor J D Vance.

They had gathered at the White House for a traditional tea ceremony, at which Biden welcomed the incoming President with two words: “Welcome home”, according to media reports.

Guests for the swearing-in had begun arriving at the Capitol Rotunda where the ceremony took place; indoors instead of the traditional venue outside because of frigid conditions. This will be only the second instance of the swearing-in taking place indoors; the last time was in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan took the oath for his second term.

Trump’s return to the White House is also only the second time for an American President to serve two non-consecutive terms. The first was Grover Cleveland at the end of the 19th century.

The swearing-in was attended by Trump’s nominees to the cabinet such as Marco Rubio, for secretary of state, who is expected to be the first to be confirmed, as early as Monday; Robert Kennedy Jr, Doug Burgum, Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth and others.

Among the first people high-ranking officials to arrive at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday was Gen. CQ Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sat on the platform where Trump took his oath. Current and former House and Senate leaders also arrived, including former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife former Trump Cabinet member Elaine Chao. Former House speakers Kevin McCarthy, John Boehner and Newt Gingrich also took their seats.

According to pool reports, supporters were filling Emancipation Hall at the Capitol, the overflow viewing room in the Capitol Visitor Center, where Trump is expected to speak after the inauguration ceremony. Notable attendees include AI billionaires Sam Altman and Alexandr Wang, YouTube influencers and brothers Logan and Jake Paul, indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams, mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor, comedian and podcaster Theo Von and former race car driver Danica Patrick. House and Senate spouses have also been seated in the overflow space.

Trump started Monday’s inauguration proceedings by attending a private service at St John’s Church with the incoming first lady Melania Trump, Vice-President-elect JD Vance and wife Usha Vance and some members of the cabinet.

No TV cameras were allowed inside but the Trump inauguration team released pictures from inside that showed other attendees including Trump’s sons Barron Trump, Don Trump Jr, Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

Also among Trump’s guests were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Tesla and Space X’s Elon Musk, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. They would go on to also attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, former President George W Bush and his wife Laura Bush, and former President Barack Obama minus his wife Michelle Obama attended the oath-taking ceremony as is the tradition, which was broken by President Trump who skipped Biden’s inauguration in 2021.

--IANS

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New York, Jan 20 (IANS) Vivek Ramaswamy, who was appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump as the co-head of a body to improve government efficiency, is planning to run for governor of Ohio, according to media reports.

USA Today reported on Sunday that according to a source close to him, Ramaswamy will announce his run for governor "shortly".

If elected, he would become the third Indian-American elected governor, after Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Nikki Haley in South Carolina, all Republicans.

The three made unsuccessful bids for the party's presidential nomination.

An avowed anti-Left crusader, Ramaswamy, 39, ran against Trump for the Republican Party's presidential nomination but dropped out to become one of his most vociferous supporters.

Trump appointed him to be the co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Elon Musk after having hinted during the campaign that he may even be considered for Secretary of State.

"He's really smart, and I hope he's going to be involved in our administration," Trump said.

"We can put him in charge of one of these big monsters (in government) and he'll do a better job than anybody you can think of."

At the DOGE, only an advisory body outside the government, Ramaswamy, who has a strong personality and is a multi-millionaire, was overshadowed by Elon, who has a stronger personality, is a multi-billionaire and closer to Trump.

While DOGE's role has to be firmed up, Ramaswamy's position is even vaguer, and a run for governor gives him an out.

Last week there were reports that Trump recommended that Ramaswamy take the Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance if it was offered to him.

But Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who appoints an interim Senator, chose Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted who was considered his possible successor.

That opened the gubernatorial run for Ramaswamy, who will have to first win the Republican nomination for the election in November next year, along with Midterm polls for Congress.

Ohio's Attorney General Dave Yost and Treasurer Robert Sprague were reported to be preparing to run for the nomination.

The state is overwhelmingly Republican, giving whoever is the party's candidate a smooth path to the governorship.

Trump won it with a lead of over 11 per cent, and Republicans have a commanding majority in both Chambers of the legislature.

Ramaswamy, whose net worth Forbes puts at $960 million, has a financial advantage in the race as he can himself finance the campaign, unlike his rivals.

He made his fortune first as a biotech entrepreneur and now runs a hedge fund that he co-founded.

In August, Ramaswamy had shown interest in running for both Senator and governor.

In an interview with the Outback website, Ramaswamy said, "Governor is something that people are pushing me for a lot in Ohio. And how could I not consider it?"

"But also, there's JD Vance, a Senate seat that's now open in my home state in Ohio, and I think that's something that a lot of people have really pushed me to consider," he added.

--IANS

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Khartoum, Jan 20 (IANS) At least 18 civilians were killed and five others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in North Darfur State in western Sudan, a government official said.

"On Saturday, the RSF militia committed a massacre in Jebel Hilla village east of Um Kadada district in North Darfur," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of the state's health department, told Xinhua, on Sunday denouncing the "organised targeting of civilians by the RSF" as a violation of international law and norms.

He urged the United Nations and other international organisations to intervene to hold the perpetrators accountable, Xinhua news agency reported.

The RSF has not commented on the incident.

Meanwhile, the Command of the Sixth Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement that its warplanes launched three airstrikes on Saturday targeting RSF gatherings and movements in the northeastern and southern parts of El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur, killing more than 40 RSF fighters and injuring many others.

Since May 10, 2024, fierce clashes between the SAF and the RSF have been raging in El Fasher.

The El Fasher Coordination of Resistance Committees, a group involved in war victim relief efforts, said the RSF "deliberately shelled the Zamzam camp on January 12".

It appealed to international organisations for assistance in evacuating the injured and providing intravenous solutions, blood bags, and medical supplies.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) announced in a statement on January 13 (Sunday) that between 1,000 and 3,000 families have been displaced from the city of Umm Ruwaba in North Kordofan state due to ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF for a fifth consecutive day.

El Fasher has been the site of fierce clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF since May 10 last year. The city serves as a humanitarian operation centre for the Darfur region, utilised by the UN and international aid agencies.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the two sides since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced more than 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organisations.

--IANS

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Jerusalem/Gaza, Jan 20 (IANS) Three Israeli women, released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, arrived in Israel, the first day that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect, according to Israeli officials.

The three -- Emily Damari, 28, a British-Israeli; Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse; and Romi Gonen, 23, abducted from the Nova music festival -- were finally released on Sunday after 471 days in captivity, Xinhua news agency reported.

They are the first of 33 Israeli hostages expected to be released.

Under the three-phase pact, Sunday marked the beginning of six weeks of calm, ending more than 15 months of intensive Israeli strikes that left Gaza in ruins and killed more than 46,900 Palestinians, according to an update from Gaza's health authorities.

In a gradual release, Hamas will free every week about three to four hostages. In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails. The first 90, mostly women and children from the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, were released later on Sunday.

Hamas handed over the three female hostages to Israeli forces through the Red Cross in Gaza, the Israeli military said, adding that "a short while ago, accompanied by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet forces, the released hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory".

The three were taken to a reception point in southern Israel near the Gaza border, where they underwent an initial medical assessment and met their mothers, according to the military.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement that the three "went through hell".

"This is a great moment, an exciting moment," he added.

In an address to reporters, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said, "Today, we salute and embrace them (three hostages) and their families as they reunite after so long."

He added that Israeli forces have redeployed to the outskirts of Gaza and are "prepared for defence and offence" if Hamas violates the agreement.

Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said on Sunday that Al-Qassam and other Palestinian factions are committed to the ceasefire deal.

"We, along with other resistance factions, declare our full commitment to the ceasefire agreement, but this remains contingent on the enemy's adherence," Ubaida emphasised in a television statement.

He said the October 7 "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel, was a "turning point" in the history of conflicts with Israel, explaining that the resistance inflicted significant losses on the Israeli army, including the destruction of around 2,000 military vehicles and heavy casualties among soldiers.

"We have shattered the Israeli deterrence theory and forced the occupation to open multiple fronts," he added.

Describing Gaza residents as "the pride of the nation and the symbol of its dignity," Ubaida urged continued support for the resistance and steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

The ceasefire deal was implemented to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas that was triggered by Hamas' cross-border assault on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of 1,200 people in Israel and the kidnapping of about 250 others.

--IANS

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Washington, Jan 19 (IANS) Donald J Trump will take the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States of America on a cold Monday morning when the temperature outside is likely to fall to -6 Degrees Celsius. However, he and the attendees will be inside the Capitol Rotunda for a rare inauguration ceremony taking place indoors.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to start at 10 am US Eastern time, which will be 8:30 pm IST. The oath-taking ceremony returns to the Capitol Rotunda after 40 years. The last time was in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term in the Rotunda because of a bitter cold. That was also the first time the ceremony took place in the Rotunda.

Regular attendees will include President Joe Biden and Jill Biden, former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, former President George W Bush and Laura Bush, and former President Barack Obama but not Michelle Obama. Also not attending, according to reports, will be Vice-President Kamala Harris; other reports suggested she will be there.

In a break from tradition, several foreign leaders are expected to attend — Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck.

China’s President Xi Jinping was invited but he will be represented by Vice President Han Zheng and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Also among the guests will be tech industry titans Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Tim Cook of Apple and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, which went dark Sunday after a law banning it was upheld by the Supreme Court earlier in the week.

After the ceremony, Trump returned to the White House in a ceremonial parade. Presidents tend to walk the final stretch, accompanied by their spouses and family.

A flurry of executive orders is expected to announce the implementation of poll promises Trump has made. They are expected to be immigration and trade and could include a range of issues.

Trump is also expected to issue presidential pardons to some of those convicted in connection with the attack on the Capitol in 2021 January to prevent a joint sitting of Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump is expected to attend two official inaugural balls in the evening — the Liberty Ball and the Commander in Chief Ball.

--IANS

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Doha, Jan 19 (IANS) Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met here on Sunday with a delegation from Palestinian factions to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

According to a statement from Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions focused on the progress and key dimensions of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, including the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the return of displaced individuals to their areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

Al Thani emphasised the importance of ensuring the full implementation of the agreement to achieve sustainable peace and stability in the region.

He also reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to supporting the people of Gaza by continuing the airlift of humanitarian aid as outlined in the agreement.

In addition, the prime minister reiterated Qatar's steadfast position on the justice of the Palestinian cause, the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Meanwhile, a tense ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday, initiating six weeks of calm and raising hopes for an end to 15 months of Israeli assaults on Gaza that devastated the enclave and for the release of dozens of hostages held there.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the ceasefire by nearly three hours after Hamas missed an 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) deadline to submit the names of the first three hostages to be released later in the day. Hamas cited technical reasons for the delay but later provided the list, Xinhua news agency reported.

At 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT), the Israeli military ordered its units in Gaza to cease fire, marking the start of the truce brokered after about a year of mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

An Israeli official confirmed the names of the hostages: Emily Damari, 28, a British-Israeli; Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse; and Romi Gonen, 23, abducted from the Nova music festival.

They will be transferred to the Red Cross and then to a military compound near the Gaza border before being transported to Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, where they will reunite with their families. The hospital said isolated areas were prepared for them where they could begin recovering in privacy.

In exchange, Israel is expected to release on Sunday about 90 Palestinian detainees from the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, primarily women and minors.

Israeli tanks and warplanes bombarded Gaza until the final moments before the ceasefire. The Israeli military claimed its strikes targeted militants, while Gaza's health authorities reported at least 14 deaths and 25 injuries in the last day of fighting. Black plumes of smoke rose over northern Gaza as airstrikes continued.

Broadcasts from Gaza showed Palestinians walking freely in the streets for the first time after a previous truce collapsed in late 2023, waving flags and celebrating. Aid trucks were seen entering the enclave, providing much-needed flour and other products to the population.

In northern Gaza's Jabalia and Rafah, displaced residents returned to scenes of widespread devastation, with razed buildings and infrastructure reduced to rubble. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents were displaced multiple times during the conflict.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported a death toll of 46,913, with 110,750 injured in the Israeli strikes since October 2023.

In Tel Aviv, crowds gathered in Hostage Square to show solidarity with the families of those still held in Gaza and to urge the Israeli government to adhere to the ceasefire agreement. A large digital clock displayed the duration of the hostages' captivity since their abduction in Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 others. So far, almost 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israel estimating that half are still alive.

--IANS

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Los Angeles, Jan 19 (IANS) The popular video-sharing app TikTok went dark late Saturday in the U.S.

TikTok users in the country were greeted with a message that read: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now", Xinhua news agency reported.

"A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now," read the message, adding: "We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!"

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said earlier on Saturday that he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day extension on Inauguration Day, which is Monday.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he hadn't made a final decision on TikTok but was considering a 90-day extension of the Sunday deadline.

"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump said in the phone interview. "We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation."

TikTok, headquartered in Los Angeles, warned Friday that it would be forced to shut down its services for the 170 million users in the United States on Sunday unless U.S. President Joe Biden provides a "definitive" assurance.

Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law forcing TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to an American company or face a nationwide ban starting on Sunday, just one day before Trump's inauguration.

In the wake of the decision, millions of users flocked to TikTok's site to express their support for the platform.

The White House responded shortly after the Supreme Court's ruling, shifting responsibility to TikTok and Trump.

In April 2024, Biden signed the bill requiring ByteDance to sell the app within 270 days, citing unfounded national security concerns.

If the company fails to comply, the law mandates that app store operators like Apple and Google remove TikTok from their platforms starting Jan. 19, 2025.

Business insiders warned that unless the Biden administration provides clarity that TikTok's service providers will not be penalized for violating the ban, these companies will be forced to comply with the law.

Other Bytedance apps including Lemon8, CapCut, Hypic, Gauth and MARVEL SNAP also became unavailable to users in the United States Saturday night.

Apple released a statement on its website "about the availability of TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. apps in the United States."

"TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. apps are no longer available in the United States, and visitors to the United States might have limited access to features," it read.

"Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," Apple said, adding that "Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries -- including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others -- will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025."

"If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can't be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible," Apple noted.

ByteDance's apps remain available for download in all other countries and regions where they are available, according to the statement.

--IANS

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London, Jan 19 (IANS) A British Member of Parliament (MP) has tabled a parliamentary motion to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the "genocide of Kashmiri Pandit Hindus from Jammu and Kashmir in India".

Conservative MP Bob Blackman reposted on his social media platform X: "January 19 marks the tragic day of the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus, when thousands of us were forced to flee our homeland. One must never forget the pain and loss of our community. The achievements of Kashmiri Pandits across all walks of life despite the immense adversities is a demonstration of our tremendous resilience."

Blackman, in the House of Commons, on Thursday tabled the Early Day Motion (EDM) on the issue, which dates back to January 1990.

An EDM is a method used by British MPs to draw Parliament's attention to a particular issue.

"That this House commemorates with deep sadness and disappointment the 35th anniversary of the coordinated attacks in January 1990 by cross-border Islamic terrorists and their supporters on the minority Hindu population of Kashmir valley," said the EDM.

The motion goes on to express its condolences to its British Hindu citizens, whose "friends and family were killed, raped, injured and who were displaced by force in this planned massacre; condemns the desecration of holy sites in Jammu and Kashmir; vows to protect the rights of Hindus in the UK, including the right to demand justice".

"(The House) is concerned that Kashmiri Hindu minority that fled persecution have still not seen justice or recognition of the atrocities committed against them in 35 years; deplores those sponsoring such cross-border terrorist attacks," the motion added.

It says the House is "concerned that organisations supporting terror are thriving in the UK; notes the international principle of responsibility to protect obliges individual States and the international community to take effective measures to prevent the commission of genocide and crimes against humanity as suffered by Kashmiri Hindus; urges the Government of India to fulfill its long-standing international commitment to recognise and acknowledge the genocide of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir".

It further notes that "properties belonging to the minority Hindu community in Kashmir continue to be occupied; calls on the Government of India to enact the proposed Panun Kashmir Genocide Crime Punishment and Atrocities Prevention Bill in the Indian Parliament, and further urges the UK government to commemorate January 19 as Kashmiri Pandit Exodus Day".

The EDM has no supporting signatures, with the first six MPs supporting the motion becoming its sponsors.

--IANS

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Tehran, Jan 19 (IANS) Two senior judges were killed in a shooting attack at the Supreme Court of Iran in central Tehran, media reported.

The "assassination" was carried out by an armed person, who killed himself after opening fire early on Saturday, according to a statement by the media centre of the judiciary.

The Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary report said on Saturday that the two judges were Ali Razini, head of Branch 39, and Mohammad Moghiseh, head of Branch 53, of the Supreme Court, and that the assailant committed suicide soon after the attack, Xinhua news agency reported.

The victims were identified as Muslim scholars Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, both holding the rank of hujjat al-Islam and each presiding over a different branch of the court.

"(They) were actively involved in combating crimes against national security, espionage, and terrorism," the statement added, describing the slain judges as "courageous and experienced".

Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told Iranian state television that "a person armed with a handgun entered the room" of the two judges and shot them.

The identity of the attacker and his motive were not immediately clear.

Calling the attack a "premeditated act of terror" carried out by an "armed infiltrator," Mizan said investigations were underway to identify and arrest those behind the "terrorist" action.

Meanwhile, the semi-official Fars news agency, citing an informed source at Tehran's police, reported that the attacker was among the service personnel of the Supreme Court.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that the perpetrator had no prior cases in the Supreme Court nor was he one of its visitors," the statement by the media centre of the judiciary said.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to the state-owned Tehran Times, a bodyguard of one of the judges was also injured in the attack on Saturday, the first working day of the week in the Iranian calendar.

State-affiliated media reported that several people working at the court building, where the attack took place, were detained. The media centre of the judiciary warned against speculation. The judiciary has not confirmed any arrests.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the "terrorist and cowardly" act must be followed up quickly by security forces and law enforcement.

Razini, 71, was also the subject of an attempted assassination attack in 1998 while he was serving as head of Tehran's judiciary. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was President at the time, visited him in hospital.

Moghiseh, 68, was sanctioned in 2019 by the US for having "overseen countless unfair trials, during which charges went unsubstantiated and evidence was disregarded", according to the US Department of the Treasury.

Iranian judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said in a statement that the judges were killed due to their "decisive" sentences against "terrorists whose hands were soaked with the pure blood of the Iranian people".

"They were always the subject of hatred and malice from the enemies," he added.

Though attacks against judges are rare, Iran has seen several shootings of high-profile figures over the past years.

--IANS

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