Sabtu, 20 Mei 2017
Brazil president seeks suspension of corruption investigation
Brazil's President Michel Temer says he will ask the Supreme Court to suspend an investigation against him, because vital evidence has been "manipulated".
In a defiant speech, Mr Temer said a secret audio recording, in which he allegedly discusses the payment of hush money to a jailed politician, needed to be validated.
Mr Temer is suspected of corruption and obstruction of justice which he denies.
Despite growing calls for him to go, Mr Temer repeated that he would not quit.
In the audio recording, made at a meeting with Joesley Batista, president of giant meat-packing firm JBS, Mr Temer appears to be discussing bribes to the former speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a prison sentence for corruption.
The money would be in exchange for Cunha's silence over Mr Temer's alleged implication in Brazil's wide-ranging corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash.
The probe, launched in March 2014, centres on companies that were offered deals with state oil giant Petrobras in exchange for bribes, which were funnelled into politicians' pockets and political party slush funds.
The scandal has engulfed Brazilian politics, with a third of Mr Temer's cabinet under investigation for alleged corruption. Former president Lula is already facing five charges.
The man Mr Temer allegedly condoned the bribery to - Eduardo Cunha - is in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
Both men played a key role in the downfall of Ms Rousseff, who was removed from office accused of illegally manipulating government accounts. She denies all the charges.
"I have never bought anyone's silence, haven't obstructed justice and haven't done anything against the judiciary," Mr Temer said in the televised address at the presidential palace on Saturday.
Mr Temer is already deeply unpopular in Brazil but his centre-right party has been able to govern as part of a coalition. He took office a year ago, after President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment.
Opposition parties have demanded his resignation and snap elections.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39988223
In a defiant speech, Mr Temer said a secret audio recording, in which he allegedly discusses the payment of hush money to a jailed politician, needed to be validated.
Mr Temer is suspected of corruption and obstruction of justice which he denies.
Despite growing calls for him to go, Mr Temer repeated that he would not quit.
In the audio recording, made at a meeting with Joesley Batista, president of giant meat-packing firm JBS, Mr Temer appears to be discussing bribes to the former speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a prison sentence for corruption.
The money would be in exchange for Cunha's silence over Mr Temer's alleged implication in Brazil's wide-ranging corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash.
The probe, launched in March 2014, centres on companies that were offered deals with state oil giant Petrobras in exchange for bribes, which were funnelled into politicians' pockets and political party slush funds.
The scandal has engulfed Brazilian politics, with a third of Mr Temer's cabinet under investigation for alleged corruption. Former president Lula is already facing five charges.
The man Mr Temer allegedly condoned the bribery to - Eduardo Cunha - is in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
Both men played a key role in the downfall of Ms Rousseff, who was removed from office accused of illegally manipulating government accounts. She denies all the charges.
"I have never bought anyone's silence, haven't obstructed justice and haven't done anything against the judiciary," Mr Temer said in the televised address at the presidential palace on Saturday.
Mr Temer is already deeply unpopular in Brazil but his centre-right party has been able to govern as part of a coalition. He took office a year ago, after President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment.
Opposition parties have demanded his resignation and snap elections.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39988223
Label: crime, politic, religion
Iran election: Hassan Rouhani says voters rejected extremism
Moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his re-election shows voters reject extremism and want more links with the outside world.
After avoiding a run-off with a 57% outright victory over his main rival, Mr Rouhani said he respected the opponents' right to criticise him.
Mr Rouhani, 68, supports the landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme.
The decisive victory gives him a strong mandate to seek reforms and revive the country's ailing economy, analysts say.
"The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence," Mr Rouhani said in first speech after the victory, broadcast on state television.
"The election is now over. I am the president of the nation and need assistance from every single Iranian, even those who oppose me and my policies."
Mr Rouhani also thanked former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, apparently defying a media ban on citing the ex-leader's name.
What were the results?
Turnout in the election was unexpectedly high, at around 70%.
And this is thought to have helped Mr Rouhani, who received close to 23 million votes out of the 40 million that were cast.
His main challenger, former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi received 38.5%, or 15.7 million votes, not enough to take the election to a second round.
On Twitter, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the election showed the "increasing progress" of the "Iranian nation".
Mr Khamenei said Iran would demonstrate "national dignity" and "wisdom" in relations with other countries.
There were celebrations in the capital, Tehran, with young people singing and dancing the central Vali Asr Square, despite efforts by police to move them, AFP news agency reported.
What are the challenges?
The economy seems to be the number one issue.
Average Iranians say they do not feel the economic benefits after international sanctions were lifted as a result of a nuclear deal signed between Iran, the US and other countries in 2015.
While oil exports have rebounded and inflation is back at single-digits, unemployment remains high, especially among the young people.
Mr Rouhani also promised a moderate vision and an outward-looking Iran and, at rallies, openly attacked the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services.
But Mr Rouhani's own powers are limited by those of Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the last say on many crucial and strategic issues.
Another challenge, experts say, comes from abroad, and the relations with the new US government under President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump opposes the nuclear deal which eased sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, and has called it "worst deal ever".
But, despite the objections, his White House renewed the agreement earlier this week.
'Revenge against hardliners': By Kasra Naji, BBC Persian
Iran's hardliners had pulled all the stops and mobilised all their resources to bring out as many people as possible to grab the last centre of power in Iran that was not under their control, namely the executive branch.
Sensing an effort by the hardliners, supporters of President Rouhani who back his promises to steer the country toward moderation came out in big numbers too. Turnout has been unprecedented. In Tehran, five million people turned out to vote - twice as many as in 2013.
This was a revenge of the people against the hardliners who intimidated them, jailed them, executed them, drove them to exile, pushed them out of their jobs, and discriminated against women.
President Rouhani will now have a bigger mandate to push through his reforms, to put an end to extremism, to build bridges with the outside world, to put the economy back on track.
Iranians have said a resounding Yes to President Rouhani who, in recent years and particularly during the last several weeks of campaigning, promised to expand individual and political freedoms and make all those centres of power, like the Revolutionary Guard, accountable.
What has been the reaction?
The results were announced as Mr Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, Iran's biggest regional rival, for his first foreign trip as president.
In Riyadh, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said he hoped Mr Rouhani would use his new term to "dismantle a network of terrorism and end ballistic missile programme".
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, described the election as a "domestic matter", and said Iran was meddling in Arab countries and providing support for the extremist group Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr Rouhani for the "strong mandate received" and that Europe was ready to work for better "engagement" and "regional peace".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39987338
After avoiding a run-off with a 57% outright victory over his main rival, Mr Rouhani said he respected the opponents' right to criticise him.
Mr Rouhani, 68, supports the landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme.
The decisive victory gives him a strong mandate to seek reforms and revive the country's ailing economy, analysts say.
"The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence," Mr Rouhani said in first speech after the victory, broadcast on state television.
"The election is now over. I am the president of the nation and need assistance from every single Iranian, even those who oppose me and my policies."
Mr Rouhani also thanked former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, apparently defying a media ban on citing the ex-leader's name.
What were the results?
Turnout in the election was unexpectedly high, at around 70%.
And this is thought to have helped Mr Rouhani, who received close to 23 million votes out of the 40 million that were cast.
His main challenger, former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi received 38.5%, or 15.7 million votes, not enough to take the election to a second round.
On Twitter, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the election showed the "increasing progress" of the "Iranian nation".
Mr Khamenei said Iran would demonstrate "national dignity" and "wisdom" in relations with other countries.
There were celebrations in the capital, Tehran, with young people singing and dancing the central Vali Asr Square, despite efforts by police to move them, AFP news agency reported.
What are the challenges?
The economy seems to be the number one issue.
Average Iranians say they do not feel the economic benefits after international sanctions were lifted as a result of a nuclear deal signed between Iran, the US and other countries in 2015.
While oil exports have rebounded and inflation is back at single-digits, unemployment remains high, especially among the young people.
Mr Rouhani also promised a moderate vision and an outward-looking Iran and, at rallies, openly attacked the conservative-dominated judiciary and security services.
But Mr Rouhani's own powers are limited by those of Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the last say on many crucial and strategic issues.
Another challenge, experts say, comes from abroad, and the relations with the new US government under President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump opposes the nuclear deal which eased sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, and has called it "worst deal ever".
But, despite the objections, his White House renewed the agreement earlier this week.
'Revenge against hardliners': By Kasra Naji, BBC Persian
Iran's hardliners had pulled all the stops and mobilised all their resources to bring out as many people as possible to grab the last centre of power in Iran that was not under their control, namely the executive branch.
Sensing an effort by the hardliners, supporters of President Rouhani who back his promises to steer the country toward moderation came out in big numbers too. Turnout has been unprecedented. In Tehran, five million people turned out to vote - twice as many as in 2013.
This was a revenge of the people against the hardliners who intimidated them, jailed them, executed them, drove them to exile, pushed them out of their jobs, and discriminated against women.
President Rouhani will now have a bigger mandate to push through his reforms, to put an end to extremism, to build bridges with the outside world, to put the economy back on track.
Iranians have said a resounding Yes to President Rouhani who, in recent years and particularly during the last several weeks of campaigning, promised to expand individual and political freedoms and make all those centres of power, like the Revolutionary Guard, accountable.
What has been the reaction?
The results were announced as Mr Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, Iran's biggest regional rival, for his first foreign trip as president.
In Riyadh, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said he hoped Mr Rouhani would use his new term to "dismantle a network of terrorism and end ballistic missile programme".
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, described the election as a "domestic matter", and said Iran was meddling in Arab countries and providing support for the extremist group Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr Rouhani for the "strong mandate received" and that Europe was ready to work for better "engagement" and "regional peace".
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39987338
Label: actor, family, news, politic, religion
Jumat, 19 Mei 2017
Iran election: Polls closed after five-hour extension
Polling has ended in Iran's presidential elections after being extended three times and by five hours.
Long queues had formed outside polling stations throughout the country after an unexpectedly high turnout.
Counting begins shortly and results may come as early as Saturday afternoon.
Supporters of President Hassan Rouhani came out in big numbers after signs that the hard line backers of his main challenger, Ebrahim Raissi, had mobilised all their forces to vote.
Election officials said the extensions to voting hours were due to "requests" and the "enthusiastic participation of people".
Ballot papers also ran out for Iranians voting in Istanbul in neighbouring Turkey, and attempts were made to fly in more from Tehran.
This election is seen as a key choice between the existing leadership and a hard line challenger.
President Hassan Rouhani is seeking a second term, standing against three other candidates.
Mr Rouhani is a moderate cleric who negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2015. His main rival is seen as Ebrahim Raisi, 56, a hard line cleric and former prosecutor who is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
If no-one wins more than 50% of votes cast, a run-off will be held next week.
Every incumbent president has been re-elected in Iran since 1985, when Ayatollah Khamenei himself won a second term.
He cast his ballot just minutes after polls opened at 8:00 local time.
"Everyone should vote in this important election," he said, urging citizens to get the polls early.
Mr Rouhani voted about an hour later.
More than 54 million people are eligible to vote in the presidential election.
Six candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, an influential clerical body controlled by conservatives, but two of them dropped out earlier this week.
The first was Tehran's hard-line mayor, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, who pledged his support for Mr Raisi on Monday.
He was followed on Tuesday by Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist, who pulled out to smooth the path for Mr Rouhani.
The two other candidates still in the race are Mostafa Hashemitaba, a reformist, and Mostafa Mirsalim, an ultra-conservative figure.
On the final day of campaigning on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei called for a massive turnout to demonstrate the popularity of the Islamic regime.
"American, European officials and those of the Zionist regime are watching our elections to see the level of participation," he said.
"The Iranian nation has enemies. Faced with the enemy, the people should show its determination and calm," he added.
The supreme leader also warned that "any attempt to undermine the security of the country will be met with immediate reaction".
In 2009, the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triggered the biggest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Millions of people claimed their votes had been stolen and demanded a re-run, but Ayatollah Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39936577
Long queues had formed outside polling stations throughout the country after an unexpectedly high turnout.
Counting begins shortly and results may come as early as Saturday afternoon.
Supporters of President Hassan Rouhani came out in big numbers after signs that the hard line backers of his main challenger, Ebrahim Raissi, had mobilised all their forces to vote.
Election officials said the extensions to voting hours were due to "requests" and the "enthusiastic participation of people".
Ballot papers also ran out for Iranians voting in Istanbul in neighbouring Turkey, and attempts were made to fly in more from Tehran.
This election is seen as a key choice between the existing leadership and a hard line challenger.
President Hassan Rouhani is seeking a second term, standing against three other candidates.
Mr Rouhani is a moderate cleric who negotiated a landmark nuclear deal with world powers in 2015. His main rival is seen as Ebrahim Raisi, 56, a hard line cleric and former prosecutor who is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
If no-one wins more than 50% of votes cast, a run-off will be held next week.
Every incumbent president has been re-elected in Iran since 1985, when Ayatollah Khamenei himself won a second term.
He cast his ballot just minutes after polls opened at 8:00 local time.
"Everyone should vote in this important election," he said, urging citizens to get the polls early.
Mr Rouhani voted about an hour later.
More than 54 million people are eligible to vote in the presidential election.
Six candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, an influential clerical body controlled by conservatives, but two of them dropped out earlier this week.
The first was Tehran's hard-line mayor, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, who pledged his support for Mr Raisi on Monday.
He was followed on Tuesday by Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist, who pulled out to smooth the path for Mr Rouhani.
The two other candidates still in the race are Mostafa Hashemitaba, a reformist, and Mostafa Mirsalim, an ultra-conservative figure.
On the final day of campaigning on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei called for a massive turnout to demonstrate the popularity of the Islamic regime.
"American, European officials and those of the Zionist regime are watching our elections to see the level of participation," he said.
"The Iranian nation has enemies. Faced with the enemy, the people should show its determination and calm," he added.
The supreme leader also warned that "any attempt to undermine the security of the country will be met with immediate reaction".
In 2009, the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triggered the biggest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Millions of people claimed their votes had been stolen and demanded a re-run, but Ayatollah Khamenei insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39936577
Label: family, news, politic, religion
Kamis, 18 Mei 2017
Turkey says 'pro-Kurd' US envoy Brett McGurk should leave
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused a senior US diplomat of backing Kurdish militants and said he should be sent home.
He said Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against so-called Islamic State, was "definitely" supporting the YPG in Syria and the separatist PKK.
The minister was in Washington with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met US President Donald Trump.
Tensions were high after Mr Trump said he would arm the Syrian Kurds.
Turkey sees the YPG (Popular Protection Units) as a terrorist group linked to the PKK, which has been fighting inside Turkey since the 1980s. But last week the Pentagon said it was directly arming YPG fighters as they moved towards IS's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
On his return to Ankara, the foreign minister said Turkey had been assured that after the operation in Raqqa, territory seized from the jihadists would be handed back to the local Arab population. But he said Mr McGurk was openly supporting the Kurds and "it would be beneficial" if the US special envoy left.
President Erdogan told Turkish media in Washington that he had told Mr Trump that Turkey would hit back "without asking anyone" if it came under attack from the Syrian Kurds.
His visit was overshadowed by violence outside the Turkish ambassador's home.
Police in Washington said the clash "appeared to be a brutal attack on peaceful protesters" and video footage showed men in suits charging past police to kick and punch a group of demonstrators.
The US state department said Turkish security guards had been involved in the clash but Turkey blamed the protesters for the disturbance.
Mr Cavusoglu also took aim at Germany, after it said it would start considering alternatives to using the Incirlik airbase, which is being used by the international coalition as a launchpad for anti-IS air raids.
Turkey earlier this week refused to allow a group of German MPs to visit 250 members of the German armed forces at Incirlik.
The Turkish foreign minister said Germany was free to move its troops if it wanted to. "We are not going to beg," he said. "They were the ones who wanted to come and we helped them."
The Turkish refusal was ostensibly in response to Germany's decision to grant asylum to Turkish military officers accused of backing last year's failed coup against President Erdogan.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39960381
He said Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against so-called Islamic State, was "definitely" supporting the YPG in Syria and the separatist PKK.
The minister was in Washington with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met US President Donald Trump.
Tensions were high after Mr Trump said he would arm the Syrian Kurds.
Turkey sees the YPG (Popular Protection Units) as a terrorist group linked to the PKK, which has been fighting inside Turkey since the 1980s. But last week the Pentagon said it was directly arming YPG fighters as they moved towards IS's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.
On his return to Ankara, the foreign minister said Turkey had been assured that after the operation in Raqqa, territory seized from the jihadists would be handed back to the local Arab population. But he said Mr McGurk was openly supporting the Kurds and "it would be beneficial" if the US special envoy left.
President Erdogan told Turkish media in Washington that he had told Mr Trump that Turkey would hit back "without asking anyone" if it came under attack from the Syrian Kurds.
His visit was overshadowed by violence outside the Turkish ambassador's home.
Police in Washington said the clash "appeared to be a brutal attack on peaceful protesters" and video footage showed men in suits charging past police to kick and punch a group of demonstrators.
The US state department said Turkish security guards had been involved in the clash but Turkey blamed the protesters for the disturbance.
Mr Cavusoglu also took aim at Germany, after it said it would start considering alternatives to using the Incirlik airbase, which is being used by the international coalition as a launchpad for anti-IS air raids.
Turkey earlier this week refused to allow a group of German MPs to visit 250 members of the German armed forces at Incirlik.
The Turkish foreign minister said Germany was free to move its troops if it wanted to. "We are not going to beg," he said. "They were the ones who wanted to come and we helped them."
The Turkish refusal was ostensibly in response to Germany's decision to grant asylum to Turkish military officers accused of backing last year's failed coup against President Erdogan.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39960381
Label: news, politic, religion
Minggu, 14 Mei 2017
Pope Francis canonises two children at Portugal's Fatima shrine
Pope Francis was greeted by crowds of hundreds of thousands as he made saints of two shepherd children at the Fatima shrine complex in Portugal.
"We declare the blissful Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto saints," the pontiff said to loud applause.
It is 100 years since the two - and a third child - reported seeing the Virgin Mary while tending sheep. The third is also on the way to sainthood.
Portugal boosted security and re-imposed border controls temporarily.
Some 500,000 worshippers gathered in the town of Fatima, north of Lisbon, for the ceremony on Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement.
Roman Catholic pilgrims converged on the Fatima Sanctuary from countries as far away as China, Venezuela and East Timor.
The town's local bishop first read out the request for the two "little shepherds" to be canonised before the Pope declared them both saints of the Catholic Church.
Earlier on Saturday, the official Twitter account of the Pope posted a message with reference to the Virgin Mary.
"Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness," it said.
The pontiff also met Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa for a private meeting ahead of the ceremony.
Plea for harmony
On Friday, Pope Francis flew into Fatima in a helicopter and travelled through the town in his "Popemobile".
At a candle-lit vigil he called for harmony between all people at the Chapel of the Apparitions and spoke of wars "tearing our world apart".
The chapel is built on the very spot where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared.
Two of the children - Jacinta and Francisco Marto - have been canonised for the miracles attributed to them. They died in the 1918-1919 European influenza pandemic.
The so-called three secrets of Fatima were written down by their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, who died in 2005 aged 97. The beatification process for her began in 2008.
The Church attaches great value to their visions, as Mary is believed to have revealed truths to help mankind. The Church says the first vision came on 13 May 1917.
In a video message to the people of Portugal, the Pope said he was going to present himself to Mary "and I need to feel you close, physically and spiritually, so that we are one heart and one mind".
What are the three secrets?
They are prophecies written down by Lucia, years after the apparitions that the three said they had witnessed. She spent her adult life as a nun at a convent in Coimbra.
The first two secrets in Lucia's account were revealed in 1942.
The first described a terrifying vision of hell, with a "great sea of fire", demons and human souls
The second is interpreted as Mary's prediction that World War One would end and that World War Two would start during the papacy of Pius XI
Mary also called for the "consecration" of Russia, saying: "If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church"
Lucia sealed the third secret in an envelope, which was handed to the Vatican in 1957 and only revealed in 2000
It described an angel demanding "penance!", then the Pope and other clergy climbing a mountain, only to be killed by soldiers firing bullets and arrows.
What does the Vatican say about them?
According to Pope Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI, the visions described in the three secrets are "meant to mobilise the forces of change in the right direction".
They are not like the Bible - a text he describes as a "public revelation".
The Fatima visions are "private revelations", he writes. Their purpose is "to help live more fully" in accordance with Christ's teaching.
The late Pope John Paul II was shot by a Turkish gunman on 13 May 1981.
He believed that his survival was due to Mary's divine intervention, and that the third secret had predicted the attack on him.
John Paul donated the bullet to Fatima, and it was inserted into the crown adorning a statue of Mary there.
What about Pope Francis's visit?
He follows John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who also made pilgrimages to the Fatima Sanctuary.
Security was high at the site, with Portugal deploying 6,000 police and emergency workers. Concrete blocks were placed on approach roads, to stop any terrorist "ramming" attack with a vehicle.
Only nine border crossings remained open, with systematic checks, as Portugal temporarily suspended the Schengen open borders pact.
Local accommodation over the weekend was far more expensive than usual, as hotels and residents cashed in on the papal visit.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39904846
"We declare the blissful Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto saints," the pontiff said to loud applause.
It is 100 years since the two - and a third child - reported seeing the Virgin Mary while tending sheep. The third is also on the way to sainthood.
Portugal boosted security and re-imposed border controls temporarily.
Some 500,000 worshippers gathered in the town of Fatima, north of Lisbon, for the ceremony on Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement.
Roman Catholic pilgrims converged on the Fatima Sanctuary from countries as far away as China, Venezuela and East Timor.
The town's local bishop first read out the request for the two "little shepherds" to be canonised before the Pope declared them both saints of the Catholic Church.
Earlier on Saturday, the official Twitter account of the Pope posted a message with reference to the Virgin Mary.
"Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness," it said.
The pontiff also met Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa for a private meeting ahead of the ceremony.
Plea for harmony
On Friday, Pope Francis flew into Fatima in a helicopter and travelled through the town in his "Popemobile".
At a candle-lit vigil he called for harmony between all people at the Chapel of the Apparitions and spoke of wars "tearing our world apart".
The chapel is built on the very spot where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared.
Two of the children - Jacinta and Francisco Marto - have been canonised for the miracles attributed to them. They died in the 1918-1919 European influenza pandemic.
The so-called three secrets of Fatima were written down by their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, who died in 2005 aged 97. The beatification process for her began in 2008.
The Church attaches great value to their visions, as Mary is believed to have revealed truths to help mankind. The Church says the first vision came on 13 May 1917.
In a video message to the people of Portugal, the Pope said he was going to present himself to Mary "and I need to feel you close, physically and spiritually, so that we are one heart and one mind".
What are the three secrets?
They are prophecies written down by Lucia, years after the apparitions that the three said they had witnessed. She spent her adult life as a nun at a convent in Coimbra.
The first two secrets in Lucia's account were revealed in 1942.
The first described a terrifying vision of hell, with a "great sea of fire", demons and human souls
The second is interpreted as Mary's prediction that World War One would end and that World War Two would start during the papacy of Pius XI
Mary also called for the "consecration" of Russia, saying: "If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church"
Lucia sealed the third secret in an envelope, which was handed to the Vatican in 1957 and only revealed in 2000
It described an angel demanding "penance!", then the Pope and other clergy climbing a mountain, only to be killed by soldiers firing bullets and arrows.
What does the Vatican say about them?
According to Pope Francis's predecessor, Benedict XVI, the visions described in the three secrets are "meant to mobilise the forces of change in the right direction".
They are not like the Bible - a text he describes as a "public revelation".
The Fatima visions are "private revelations", he writes. Their purpose is "to help live more fully" in accordance with Christ's teaching.
The late Pope John Paul II was shot by a Turkish gunman on 13 May 1981.
He believed that his survival was due to Mary's divine intervention, and that the third secret had predicted the attack on him.
John Paul donated the bullet to Fatima, and it was inserted into the crown adorning a statue of Mary there.
What about Pope Francis's visit?
He follows John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who also made pilgrimages to the Fatima Sanctuary.
Security was high at the site, with Portugal deploying 6,000 police and emergency workers. Concrete blocks were placed on approach roads, to stop any terrorist "ramming" attack with a vehicle.
Only nine border crossings remained open, with systematic checks, as Portugal temporarily suspended the Schengen open borders pact.
Local accommodation over the weekend was far more expensive than usual, as hotels and residents cashed in on the papal visit.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39904846
Label: actor, family, freedom, health, religion
