News Brief

Thousands of demonstrators gathered across the street from the United Nations to protest Iran’s president.

At the Jewish-sponsored rally, timed to coincide with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel said Ahmadinejad should be tried at a U.N. tribunal for inciting crimes against humanity, not honored with a speaking opportunity at the General Assembly.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday.

“The message to him is please go home,” Wiesel said. “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, go home and stay there. We don’t want you here.”

Other speakers at Monday’s rally included Irwin Cotler, a former Canadian minister of justice and former Israeli politician Natan Sharansky.

Tzipi Livni has been chosen to form Israel’s new government.

On Monday evening, Israeli President Shimon Peres formally appointed Livni, who won the ruling Kadima party primary last week, to form a new coalition government.

Ehud Olmert, who submitted his official resignation on Sunday, will stay on as interim prime minister until a new government is formed.

After Olmert’s official resignation Sunday evening, Peres met with party leaders to hear their recommendations on whom he should charge with forming the coalition. Though Livni was widely expected to be the pick, legally Peres has the prerogative to appoint the party most likely to succeed in leading a coalition.

Livni has told party leaders that she wants to establish a national unity government. But, she said, “If it soon becomes clear that a coalition cannot be formed, we will go to elections and we will win.”