Daily News Roundup

THURSDAY MAY 9

Harry and Meghan’s new son is named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The announcement was made on Instagram accompanied by a photo of the newest member of the Royal family meeting with the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland.

“This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle,” the post reads.

“The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess’ mother were also present for this special occasion.”

The announcement came the same day Meghan and baby Archie made their first public appearance since his birth with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle, saying she had “the two best guys in the world”.

Cradling their son, wrapped in a white blanket and wearing a hat, Harry and Meghan appeared before a small group of media at St George’s Hall where they held their wedding reception just under a year ago.

“It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing,” the Duchess of Sussex said.

“I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy.”

Archie, formerly referred to as Baby Sussex, was born at 5.26am local time (2.26pm AEST) on Monday, weighing in at seven pounds, three ounces (3.26kg).

The Duke and Duchess said the newborn had been sleeping well.

“He has the sweetest temperament, he’s calm, and he’s just a dream,” the beaming 37-year-old Meghan said.

Prince Harry said parenting “is amazing”.

“It’s been, what, two-and-a-half days and we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy and be able to spend as much precious time with him before he starts to grow up,” he said.

The Duchess said it had “been a special couple of days” and thanked well-wishers for the outpouring of support they had received.

It is understood the Duke and Duchess elected to give Archie no formal or courtesy title and he will simply be known as Master Archie for the time being.

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The battle between President Trump and the House Democrats has reached new heights with he White House invoking the legal principle of executive privilege to block the release of the unredacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller on the Russia probe.

The decision was announced just as the House Judiciary Committee recommended that Attorney-General William Barr be held in contempt of Congress over failure to release the full report.

The contempt resolution against Mr Barr now moves to the full House.

If it is approved, it would trigger a criminal referral to the US attorney for the District of Columbia, which would decide whether to prosecute.

“This was a very grave and momentous step that we were forced to take today to move a contempt citation against the Attorney-General of the United States. We did not relish doing this. But we had no choice,” Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said.

The redacted Mueller report, released on April 18 by Mr Barr, left some questions about the probe unanswered.

Democrats have subpoenaed the unredacted report and the evidence Mr Mueller relied on, but Mr Barr, a Trump appointee, has refused to comply with the subpoena.

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A Christian woman who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy has left for Canada where her daughters now live.

Asia Bibi was convicted in 2010 of making derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim.

Her acquittal last year sparked rioting by hardline Islamists, who rejected the Supreme Court’s verdict

“I have inquired within available channels, and according to them she has left for Canada,” Ms Bibi’s lawyer, Saif Ul Malook has been quoted by news agencies as saying.

A close friend of Ms Bibi also confirmed that she had left the country, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

She spent eight years on death row until the Supreme Court last year overturned her conviction— a finding that was upheld earlier this year — and she has since been in protective custody.

In November last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was in talks with Pakistan about helping her.