Aide to Aung San Suu Kyi becomes Burma's first elected president

Burma's parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the country's new president in a watershed moment which ushers Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party into government after 54 years of direct or indirect military rule.

The joint session of the two houses of parliament broke into thunderous applause as Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced the result: "I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes."