Evening NEWS DIGEST
22 Sept. 2016: 19 Zil Hajj 37: Vol:7, No:163
Has India already avenged
Uri by killing 20 'Pak terrorists' in PoK? many ridicule the report: India Today
Has the Indian Army already
killed 20 terrorists by flying across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan
in a covert operation to avenge the martyrdom of 18 of its soldiers killed in
Uri last week? A report in TheQuint.com published today claims that two units
of the army's elite 2 Paras conducted the operation in the Uri sector and
attacked three terror camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).he report, which
has not been confirmed by any defence authority or the government so far,
further claims that the total casualties in the operation could have been
nearly 200.The operation by about 18-20 soldiers of 2 Paras who flew into PoK
in choppers was reportedly conducted during the night of September 20-21, two
days after the Uri army camp attack.Citing sources in the army, The Quint said
it "stood by its story" even as many on social media questioned the
veracity of the report. The army, however, has officially denied carrying the
operation."In light of the reactions to this article, The Quint decided to
reconfirm the information from its sources. We stand by our story," said
the disclaimer on top of the story.Both the armed forces and the government
have denied this. When IndiaToday reporters contacted highly-placed individuals
in the government, they called the story a 'figment of a fertile imagination'.
But they didn't want to come on record. To further substantiate its story, The
Quint has pieced together Pakistan's declaration of a no-fly zone over the PoK
on the night of Sept.20 - as reported by India Today TV - as well as the
cancellation of various flights to northern Pakistani cities.PM Nawaz Sharif's
call to his Army chief General Raheel Sharif from New York is also being cited
as another evidence of the rumblings within the Pakistani establishment over PoK
operation.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had on Wednesday said the Uri
attack may need a "knee-jerk" reaction. "We won't go into
details of what India can do, but sometimes knee-jerk reaction is
required," he said.Did Parrikar mean the PoK operation as the knee-jerk
reaction that the Indian government had approved after PM Narendra Modi's tweet
that Uri attackers "would not go unpunished".Has India really avenged
the killing of 18 of its soldiers, even as New Delhi corners Pakistan on the
global stage by calling it a state sponsor of terror?If it is so, why is the
govt not confirming the operation, despite a massive clamour within the country
calling for a befitting reply to the Uri massacre? Also, why hasn't Pakistan
raised a hue and cry yet if its airspace was violated by the Indian soldiers to
carry out the killing of 20 terrorists in the PoK? Meanwhile, on social media,
while many were elated to believe this to be true, many others ridiculed the
report. India Today
Uri Avenged as Spl Forces
Cross LoC, Kill 20 Terrorists: The Quint Exclusive report claims
Indian Forces Cross LoC To
Teach Pakistan A Lesson, Kill 20 Terrorists To Avenge Uri: Jagran.com
Uri avenged: First time in
70-years Indian Special Forces ‘cross’ LoC, kill 20 terrorists: cobrapost.com
Pak warplanes take part in
military drill amid tension with India
New Delhi: Pakistani
warplanes landed on a highway linking Peshawar and Rawalpindi on Thursday as
part of an exercise for which airspace was closed off in the country’s north,
sparking speculation that the armed forces were preparing for possible
hostilities with India. Hindustantimes
Navy on highest alert after
schoolchildren spot men carrying guns in Uran near Mumbai: NDTV report
Mumbai: The Navy is on the highest level of alert
after 2 schoolchildren in Uran near Mumbai reported that they had seen men
dressed in black carrying guns this morning.One of the children talked about
one man but the other reported having seen five men around 7 am, their faces
covered and "speaking a different language", near an ammunition
storage facility of the naval base in Uran. "ONGC" and
"school" were two words that the children overheard the men saying,
sources say. The men were in "Pathan suits" and carried backpacks,
the children reportedly said. The school
informed the police. The Navy, sources say, is treating the information very
seriously and has launched efforts to secure all bases. "We cannot
overlook anything at this point," a senior officer said. All air force
units in Mumbai are also on high alert.The police, Maharashtra's anti-terror
squad or ATS and the navy are all involved in a massive search operation.NDTV
Peace can’t be achieved
without K-resolution, Burhan Wani ‘symbol of latest Kashmiri intifada’: Sharif
at UNGA
New York:Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif has said that peace between India
and Pakistan was not possible without the resolution of Kashmir dispute, even
as he sought an impartial probe into ‘rights violations by Indian forces’ in
Kashmir during the ongoing anti-India uprising triggered by the killing of
Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. In his speech at the 71st session
of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Sharif, speaking in the backdrop of Indo-Pak
relations, said:“Pakistan wants peace with India. We have gone an extra mile to
achieve this, repeatedly offering dialogue to address all outstanding issues,
but India has posed unacceptable pre-conditions to engage in a dialogue. Let’s
be clear. Talks are no favour to Pakistan. Talks are in the interest of both
countries, and essential to resolve our differences especially the J&K
dispute and to avert the danger of any escalations.”He said: “Peace and
normalization between India and Pakistan cannot be achieved without the
resolution of Kashmir dispute. This is an objective evaluation, not a partisan
position. Our predictions have now been confirmed by the events. A new
generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India’s illegal
occupation, demanding freedom from occupation. Burhan Wani, the young leader
murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as a symbol of the latest Kashmiri
intifada of popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and
old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their
cause and a hunger of freedom in their hearts.”“This indigenous uprising of the
Kashmiris has been met as usual with brutal repression by India’s occupational
force of half a million soldiers. Over 100 Kashmiris have been killed, hundreds
including children blinded by shotgun pellets and over 6000 unarmed civilians
injured over the past two months. These Indian brutalities are well documented.
I would like to inform the General Assembly that Pakistan will share with the
UN Secretary General a detailed document containing information, an evidence of
gross and systematic violations of human rights committed by Indian forces in
occupied J&K. These brutalities will not suppress the spirit of Kashmiris,
it will only intensify their anger and fortify their determination to see India
end its occupation of Kashmir. From Srinagar to Sopore, men, women and children
come out each day, defying curfew to demand freedom.” Greater kashmir
Nawaz Sharif seeks probe
into Kashmir ‘killings’
Sharif rakes up Kashmir at
UN, says Burhan Wani symbol of 'Kashmiri intifada':TOI
India calls Pak terrorist state
in furious response at UN:TOI
Washington: Bluntly calling
Pakistan a terrorist state and a global epicenter of terrorism, India on
Wednesday told UN that Islamabad's use of terrorism as instrument of state
policy is a war crime. "Worst violation of human rights is terrorism. When
practiced as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime," a junior
Indian diplomat tasked with exercising India's right of reply to PM Nawaz Sharif's speech, in which he had raised
the human rights situation in J&K, said.First Secretary Eenam Gambhir's
response to what she described as Pakistan's "long tirade" about the
situation in J&K, expressed earlier in a speech by the country's PM Nawaz
Sharif, was short, furious, and unprecedented in its intensity and
descriptions. It also indicated a new Indian resolve to have Pakistan formally
designated a nuclear proliferating terrorist state based on its record and
evidence of its nurturing of terror groups.
Pakistan, India need to
address Kashmir dispute: Ban Ki-moon to Nawaz Sharif
UN:Rejecting Pakistan’s
repeated pleas to the UN to resolve the Kashmir dispute, UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon has told PM Nawaz Sharif that Pakistan and India should address
their outstanding issues, including Kashmir, through “dialogue”. Ban’s remarks
came as Sharif handed over to him a dossier containing evidence of alleged
human rights violations by Indian forces in Kashmir.PTI
Turkey to send fact-finding
mission to Kashmir: report
Srinagar:Turkey would send
a fact-finding mission to Kashmir in its capacity as the chair of human rights
commission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group,
media report said.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said this during a
meeting with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly
session underway in New York."Premier Sharif met Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan where he also raised the issue of ongoing human rights abuses by
Indian troops in IOK," reported Dawn News.The adviser to the PM on Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, Turkey’s foreign minister
and other officials also attended the meeting, it said. greaterkashmir
India seeks Chinese support
to mount pressure on Pak
New Delhi: India is
reaching out to China in the wake of the Uri attack in an attempt to get it to
mount pressure on Pakistan to desist from sponsoring terrorism or allowing its
territory to be used for cross-border terrorism. Modi govt reached out to China
both at the multilateral forum and bilaterally after the Uri attacks, sources
said. "India's approach is not to hit out at Beijing for its pro-Pakistan
leanings but rather to engage it to push India's case," said one of the
persons, who did not wish to be identified. timesofindia
China with ‘iron brother’
Pak on Kashmir issue: Li Keqiang tells Sharif at UNGA
New York: “We support
Pakistan and will speak for Pakistan at every forum,” said the Chinese Premier
when he met Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly
meeting in New York on Wednesday.Attaching great importance to Islamabad’s
position on Kashmir, Li Keqiang on Wednesday hoped that there will be a better
understanding of Pakistan’s position on Kashmir by the international community,
Geo News reported.Stating that Pakistan was a victim of terrorism, the Chinese
premier hoped the situation between India and Pakistan would not escalate. “We
are ready to play constructive role in improvement of relations between
Pakistan and India,” the Chinese Premier added.Li said China will stand with
Pakistan; we support Pakistan and we will speak for Pakistan at every forum.“We
are thankful to PM Nawaz Sharif for
investing huge resources for the safety and security of Chinese personnel in
Pakistan,” Li Keqiang said, according to Geo.He thanked China for expressing
concern regarding Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir.He said that Pakistan
and China were “iron brothers”.IANS
Our friendship with
Pakistan is unbreakable: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
Iran keen to become part of
China-Pak Economic Corridor
New York: Iran on Thursday
expressed desire to become part of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC), that links western China with Gwadar deep-sea port in
Balochistan and runs through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.This was conveyed by
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with PM Nawaz Sharif in their
meeting here on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly
session."President Rouhani lauded the vision of the PM for translating CPEC into reality and
expressed his desire to be part of the CPEC," a statement by Sharif's
office said.It said that connectivity projects were recognized by both Pakistan
and Iran as vital to the progress of the region."In particular, 2 leaders
reiterated the complementarity between Gwadar and Chabahar sea ports that could
boost regional trade exponentially in the decades ahead," it said.India
has concerns over US$ 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being
laid through PoK. He apprised President Rouhani of alleged Indian brutalities
in Kashmir, particularly in the past two months. Sharif shared the latest
situation in Kashmir, which continues to remain tense in the wake of the
uprising that has surfaced in response to Indian barbaric acts in the
Valley."People of J&K have been victims of heinous acts of
state-sponsored terrorism at the hands of Indian occupation forces," statement
said. Rouhani said Iran can install a power plant on border with Pakistan to
supply electricity. Rouhani said Pakistan's security is security of Iran and
that there is a need for defence cooperation between Iran and Pakistan as there
is a history of defence cooperation between the 2 countries."Iran is a
brotherly country. Our interests are same; we need to further consolidate our
economic cooperation," he was quoted as saying.PTI
Can’t ban pellet guns,
rules J&K High Court
Srinagar: J&K High
Court has declined to ban pellet guns and observed that use of force by
security agencies is “inevitable” while dealing with protesters who take to
violence.Division bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Ali
Mohammad Magrey also declined the plea in a PIL to issue directions to
prosecute officers involved in use of pellet guns. It said the issue cannot be
considered in the present writ petition since no findings of use of excessive
force or violation of standard operating procedure (SOP) have been recorded by
any fact-finding authority.“It is manifest that so long as there is violence by
unruly mobs, use of force is inevitable,’’ the court observed. It also said,
“What kind of force has to be used at the relevant point of time, or in a given
situation/place, has to be decided by persons in charge of the place (of
attack).”Court said given the situation in the Valley,and the fact that the
Home Ministry has already constituted an experts’ committee to explore
alternative to pellet guns, it is not inclined to prohibit use of pellet guns
in rare and extreme situations before the committee files its report “and a
decision (is) taken at the govt level”. Indianexpress
Kashmir: High Court
Declines Ban on Pellet Guns; Injuries Continue
Home Ministry receives
Brahamdagh Baloch leader's request for Indian ID
A senior govt official on
Thursday confirmed that the Home Ministry has received Baloch leader's
Brahamdagh Bugti's request for an Indian ID card and travel papers.The request
was forwarded by Ministry of External Affairs to the Home Ministry on
Wednesday.The official said the request would be processed at the earliest. thehindu
Indian Express writes back:
NIA has not denied any of Indian Express’s statements of fact about Uri attack
OTHERS
Govt to argue triple talaq
can be regulated: ET
New Delhi: Asked by the
Supreme Court to give its opinion on the so-called triple talaq issue, the govt,
after a series of deliberations by senior ministers, is taking the view that
this is a matter of fair/unfair religious practice and therefore can be
regulated, and not a matter of faith, which is protected under the
Constitution. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Women&Child
Development Minister Maneka Gandhi have held meetings on this issue. As law
minister, Prasad will work out the common response that represents positions of
various stakeholders. "Right to profess one's faith is protected under the
Constitution. But practice needs to be segregated from faith. Practices that
are not fair can be regulated under secular law," a senior govt functionary
familiar with the high-level deliberations told ET. Those who spoke to ET for
this report did so on the condition they not be identified. Another person
privy to discussions on the talaq issue said Centre's position has nothing to
do with matters such as uniform civil code.The person, who is privy to the
discussions, said the govt is aware BJP's political opponents will allege other
motives but its view that triple talaq should be regulated is purely driven by
the apex court's directions. "Govt has been asked by the court to furnish
its view on such matters and consequently the govt has to apprise it,"
this person said. A senior minister said marriage and divorce in many Islamic
countries are subject to detailed laws."Many countries in our
neighbourhood and Middle East, which are self-declared Islamic states,have legislations
to govern marriages. economictimes
Ulema to lead movement
against Uniform Civil Code
Hyderabad: Islamic scholars
and Muslim leaders based in Hyderabad will be launching a nationwide mass
movement against the Uniform Civil Code proposed by the Centre.Hyderabad-based
Seerat-un-Nabi Academy, which has impleaded itself as party to the petitions
pending before the Supreme Court with regard to UCC and triple talaq, is
leading the initiative to build a mass movement to exert pressure on the Centre
to stop it from intervening into the Muslim Personal Law.Maintaining that UCC
was nothing but direct intervention into the Muslim Personal Law, Moulana
Ghulam Samdani Ali Quadri, popularly known as Ali Pasha, said that they have
decided to organise four public meetings under the banner of
‘Tahaffuz-e-Shariyat Conference’ to create awareness among the people in
general and Muslims in particular about the Shariah as well as the impact of
the UCC on the community across the country. deccanchronicle
Sunil Jaglan to launch
campaign against 'triple talaq'
Kairana migration caused by
worsening law & order situation, not communal issue: Human rights body
People were migrating from
UP's Kairana town as a result of the worsening law and order situation in the
region and spike in criminal activities, an investigation by the National Human
Rights Commission has found. Human rights body questioned victims, witnesses,
police officers as well as the sub-divisional magistrate based on the complaint
that there was an exodus of people of a particular religion from Kairana, PTI
reported. NHRC team obtained a list of 346 displaced families or people, from
which they chose 6 alleged victims/families each at random from three
residential neighbourhoods, for its investigation. "The team also had
telephonic verification from at least four displaced families mentioned in the
list who had migrated to distant places such as Dehradun and Surat from Kairana
town in Shamli district,"commission said in a statement on Wednesday.
Moreover, the NHRC report also found that the resettlement of around
25,000-30,000 members of the Muslim community in Kairana from Muzaffarnagar,
following 2013 riots, changed the demography of the region as the population of
Muslims there increased. "Most of the witnesses examined feel that the
rehabilitation in 2013 permanently changed the social situation in Kairana town
and has led to further deterioration of law and order situation," the
report added. Commission has sought an action taken report from the state's
chief secretary and director general of police within 8 weeks. scroll.in
Riot refugees changed
profile, made law and order worse: NHRC
Bijnor: Jats allege
victimisation in riots probe
Bijnor: Members of the
Akhil Bharatiya Jat Maha Sangh burnt the effigy of ruling SP MLA Ruchi Veera at
Shakti Chowk here on Wednesday, alleging Jats were being victimized by the
administration probing the communal clash at Peda village.Jats gathered at Raj
Milan Banquet Hall and marched to Shakti Chowk, where they burnt the effigy of
the MLA. Addressing the gathering, district president of the organisation, MP
Singh, said, "Police are working under pressure from the Samajwadi MLA and
innocent people are being framed in connection with the clash at Peda." timesofindia
Condemn vigilante groups:
National Commission for Minorities chief to govt
New Delhi:Taking serious
note of “increasing violence” by vigilante groups, the National Commission for
Minorities (NCM) has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, calling for a
“very strong statement from the highest levels of the govt ”.In the letter sent
to Singh on Sept.19,NCW Chairman Naseem Ahmad points to the recent attack in
west Delhi and cites it as yet another incident that reinforces the feeling of insecurity
amongst the Muslims.Commission had earlier sought a report from the Delhi
Police Commissioner in this regard.“All of this is vitiating the social fabric
of the country and is bound to disturb over-all climate of co-existence among
communities. In particular it is creating an atmosphere of extreme insecurity
and suspicions among the Muslims across the country and deteriorating communal
amity amongst communities that have traditionally lived together in peace and
harmony,” Ahmad said in the letter.Calling for a very strong statement from the
highest levels of the govt, NCM chairman said such a statement should be
stating that “such outlandish behaviour will neither be tolerated nor can it go
unpunished and that the secular credentials of India will be protected by the
State at all costs.” Meanwhile, 2-member delegation of NCM,comprising chairman
and member Praveen Davar, is visiting Mewat, Haryana, today to get first-hand
information on the murder of a couple and rape of 2 Muslim girls allegedly by
cow vigilantes. Indianexpress
Minorities panel voices
concern over attack on Muslims
3 held for ‘assaulting’ man
for transporting calves in Ahmedabad: Indian express
Ahmedabad:Ahmedabad
Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) Wednesday arrested one Irfan Rashidbhai Sheikh,
a resident of Relief Road, under the Animal Preservation Act and Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Act for “escorting” the car, allegedly carrying 2 calves,
which Mohammed Ayyub, 29, was driving. Ayyub, a resident of Vatva, was attacked
by gau rakshaks and admitted to VS hospital where he died on Sept.16. Ayyub’s
car was being chased by gau rakshaks on Sept.12, on the eve of Bakr-Eid, and
crashed near Prahladnagar. Meanwhile, DCB officials also arrested three persons
for allegedly assaulting Ayyub for transporting calves. 4 other accused
identified by the DCB are still at large. Police said that the accused were
“self-proclaimed gau rakshaks”.
Maratha Kranti silent
morchas: All you need to know about the protests which shook Maharashtra
Maratha community, a
dominant force in Maharashtra politics, has been taking out silent marches in
various towns in the state over the last one month, following the rape and
murder of a girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district two months ago.On Wednesday,
members of the Maratha community took out another such morcha in Navi Mumbai.
In a show of strength, thousands marched from Kharghar to the office of the
Konkan Divisional Commissioner.A similar protest was planned for Thursday in
Amravati. Nearly 5 lakh community members were expected to take part in that
protest.The protests may be 'silent' morchas but they have still caused a kind
of tension in Maharashtra which, according to many journalists, has not been
seen in the state since it was formed in 1960.On 13 July, a 15-year-old Maratha
girl was allegedly gang raped and murdered by 4 Dalit youths who inflicted
injuries all over her body and broke her limbs before throttling her at Kopardi
village in Ahmednagar.The incident had sparked public outrage as well as a
political slugfest, with the Congress demanding CM Devendra Fadnavis' resignation on "moral
grounds".After the gangrape, Maratha Kranti silent morchas were held in
Akola, Nanded, Beed, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Jalgaon and Jalna districts over
the last one month. They had received huge response, forcing all political
parties to take note of the community's grievances.3 lakh people had taken part
in the morchas in Beed and Osmanabad, according to The Asian Age.On Wednesday's
march in Navi Mumbai, the 'Muk Morcha', which began from the Central Park at
Kharghar in Raigadh district, wended its way through the highway before culminating
at the Konkan Bhavan at Belapur. firstpost
Israel, Haryana explore
possibilities of mutual cooperation
Chandigarh:Israel and
Haryana on Wednesday explored possibilities of mutual cooperation in the areas
of treatment of effluents, security, cyber security and start-ups and
development of smart cities. Talks in this regard were held during the first
meeting of the Israel-Haryana Joint Working Group, presided over by Haryana
Chief Secretary DS Dhesi. The delegation from Israel was led by Deputy Chief of
Mission, Embassy of Israel, Dana Kursh, an official release said. Chief
Secretary reviewed the functioning of the ‘Centres of Excellence’ established
at Sirsa and Gharaunda, besides other projects related to horticulture and
animal husbandry launched by the Joint Working Group, it said.PTI
Plea in SC for nationwide
ban on liquor
New Delhi: A petition has
been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a nationwide prohibition of liquor as a
“reasonable restriction” to uplift nutritional level and standard of living
envisaged under Article 47 of the Constitution.Petition filed by advocate
Ashwini Upadhyay contended that the right to health is an integral part of the
fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 and it is duty of the State
to ban liquors, intoxicating drinks and drugs.“Consumption of liquor,
intoxicating drinks and drugs is the root cause of most of the road accidents,
road rage, crime against women, domestic violence, rape and murder and many
other social evils,” the petition said. thehindu
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan
granted bail in sexual harassment case
New Delhi: A court here on
Thursday granted bail to AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan, who was arrested for
alleged sexual harassment of a relative.Khan, who represents Okhla constituency
in south Delhi, was arrested on Wednesday morning after being called for
questioning. He was later produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh
Rawat who sent him to one-day judicial custody.IANS
World
Afghan govt inks landmark
peace deal with warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami
Kabul: Afghan govt has
signed a landmark peace deal with former rebel leader Gulbudin Hekmatyar’s
Hezb-e-Islami party on Thursday. After years of political wrangling,
uncertainty and doubts on both sides, the Afghan govt finally managed to
convince the influential militant group to give up its armed activities and
join Afghan politics.Hezb-e-Islami has until now maintained its identity as an
independent armed group during a decades-long insurgency that has been mainly
led by the Taliban, but at midday Thursday signed the peace agreement with the
High Peace Council (HPC), which will be endorsed by Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani and the group's leader Hekmatyar. The peace council's head Pir Syed Ahmad
Gilani said at the event that efforts are also underway to bring all other
anti-govt groups to peace talks.Without naming any specific group and thanking
Gulbudin for accepting the peace offer, Gilani asked armed rebels to join peace
process.Ghani's National Security Advisor Mohammad Haneef Atmar noted the govt will
play its part in lifting sanctions against the Hezb-e-Islami leaders and
facilitating the return of Hekmatyar to Kabul after years in hiding.The party's
representative Karim Amin acknowledged they would respect the Afghan
constitution and have no demands in terms of sharing power with the present govt.Hekmatyar
has been in exile for nearly two decades now and many of his loyalists who
stayed behind now enjoy power and perks of political life after leaving his
party. According to the copy of the peace agreement shared with the press,
Hezb-e-Islami will dismantle its armed wing and cut ties with other armed
groups while the Afghan govt will commit to recruit its commanders and fighters
for the country's security forces. Anadolu agency
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group
signs Afghan peace deal
Syria truce: UN aid
delivery to Aleppo to resume
UN says it is ready to
resume the delivery of life-saving aid to Syria, days after an attack on a
humanitarian convoy killed 20 people and triggered the suspension of
much-needed relief operations."The preparation for these convoys has now
resumed and we are ready to deliver aid to besieged and hard-to-reach areas as
soon as possible," UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) said in a statement on Wednesday."The United Nations continues to
call for safe, unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all Syrians in
need, wherever they are," it said.Jens Laerke, the spokesman for OCHA,
said that "several" convoys were expected as early as Thursday, but
did not specify where. He said the convoys would not go to the besieged city of
Aleppo in northern Syria. aljazeera
Syrian regime aircraft bomb
Aleppo, kill at least 4 people in Aleppo
Aleppo: At least 4 people
were killed and several others injured on Wednesday when Assad regime
helicopters struck targets in Syria’s northwestern city of Aleppo, according to
local sources. "A military helicopter dropped several barrel bombs on
Aleppo’s Al-Sukkari neighborhood, killing four people and injuring 11
others," the sources added. One civil defense official based in Aleppo
told Anadolu Agency that a building in the neighborhood had been
"completely destroyed" while a civil defense team was still working
to rescue the injured.Anadolu
Syria: 13 killed, 21
injured in regime airstrikes in Idlib
Idlib:At least 13 civilians
were killed and 21 injured Wednesday in Syrian regime airstrikes in Idlib, in
the country’s northwest, a local civil defense official said. "Many women
and children were among the dead and injured," said Omer Olwan. "Injured
were taken to field hospitals in the city," he added. Anadolu
PYD raises American flag in
Syrian city
Syrian Kurdish Democratic
Union Party (PYD), the military wing of the terrorist group the PKK, has raised
the American flag on top of a building under its control in the town of Tell
Abyad, Syria, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.3 American flags were seen to
be raised in the area on 18 September, two were removed while the third
remained in place for a little longer but was later brought down.Local sources
said the PYD use the flags to protect themselves from Turkish attacks. US
provides the group with aid and consultations while Turkey deems it a terrorist
organisation which has carried out deadly attacks in the country. middleeastmonitor
IS launches a suspected
chemical shell at US troops in Iraq: Washington Post
Islamic State militants are
suspected of firing a shell loaded with a chemical agent during an attack on US
and Iraqi troops in northern Iraq Tuesday, a Pentagon spokesman said.If
confirmed, it would be the first recorded chemical attack on US troops since
the Islamic State overran parts of northern and western Iraq in 2014.According
to Navy Capt.Jeff Davis, only one of the shells lobbed at Qayyarah Airfield
West, where US troops are based, tested positive for a mustard agent. There
were no US casualties, Davis said, and the shell, "likely a rocket or
mortar, was imprecise and crude."No service members showed any signs of
mustard agent exposure, Davis added. Concentrations of mustard gas can cause
agonizing burns and blisters, blindness and permanent disfigurement. US troops
often deploy with protection against chemical weapons, including gas masks."This
attack has not impacted our mission in any way, nor have we changed our
security posture in the area around Qayyarah," Davis said.Washington Post
Owner who posted ‘Muslims
get out’ sign invited to US mosque
Washington: A restaurant
owner in the US, who had put up a “Muslims get out” sign outside his eatery as
he was upset over the recent stabbing in Minnesota, has been invited to a
mosque to learn more about Islam and the Muslim community. Dan Ruedinger, the
owner of Treats Family Restaurant, has said that he had put up the
controversial sign because he was upset over the stabbings at a St. Cloud mall
in Minnesota.PTI
Spain: Muslim women battle
headscarf discrimination
Madrid: During the same
week as headscarves and Muslim fashion made a stunning debut on the catwalks of
New York Fashion Week, women in Spain choosing to don headscarves saw a small
victory of their own.Takwa Rejeb, 22, a vibrant tourism student, made headlines
across the country when she denounced a school in Valencia, on Spain’s eastern
coast, for prohibiting her from wearing a headscarf.“I couldn’t find my class
so I went to the principal of the school, who was there, and he told me my
classes were in the afternoon. Then he said, ‘Just so you know, you won’t be
able to study with that,’ and I asked, ‘With what?’ and he said, ‘With that
headscarf,’” Rejeb told the media last Friday.Anadolu Agency
Israeli soldiers
photographed beating Palestinian in West Bank: independent UK
Israeli soldiers have been
photographed beating a Palestinian man in Hebron in the West Bank. The pictures
show at least five soldiers from the Nehal brigade struggling with a barefoot
man in the street.In one photograph, a soldier is shown holding the man’s head
down while another kicks him. A different picture shows a uniformed man pinning
him to the ground with his knee on his head. A soldier is also captured
grabbing the Palestinian by the throat.The military claimed the man was
resisting arrest, but has said an investigation will be opened into the
incident. Independent
Hundreds of Jewish settlers
storm West Bank shrine
Ramallah: Hundreds of extremist
Jewish settlers -- backed by Israeli army troops -- forced their way into a
religious shrine in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, triggering
clashes with local Palestinians."At least 14 buses carrying about 700
Jewish settlers forced their way into the site, where they performed Talmudic
rituals," Ahmed Shamekh, an official at the nearby Balata refugee camp,
said.The settlers, he said, were supported by scores of Israeli soldiers and
military vehicles. According to Shamekh, dozens of Palestinian youths had
gathered at the site to protest the settlers’ arrival, but were dispersed by
Israeli soldiers firing teargas, rubber bullets and heavy ammunition.Anadolu
Agency
Far-right Jewish group
attacking Palestinians in Jerusalem with impunity
A radical, far-right Jewish
organisation is conducting weekly anti-Arab marches through Jerusalem,
harassing and attacking Palestinian passers-by with impunity. According to a
report on Ynetnews, members of “anti-assimilation” group Lehava congregate in
Zion Square every Thursday night, distributing their racist literature. Later,
“they roam the city in gangs, dressed in the organisation’s black shirts,” and
call out slogans such as “Muhammad is dead” and “Kahane was right” (Meir Kahane
was a notoriously ultra-nationalist and anti-Palestinian rabbi who was killed
in 1990). middleeastmonitor
Egypt’s MP & Al-Azhar
professor supports ban of niqab, describing it as ‘Jewish practice’
Egyptian MP and Al-Azhar
professor of Islamic philosophy Amina Nasir has said she would support a ban on
the face veil as it is a Jewish tradition adopted by Arab tribes before Islam,
Al-Watan reported.Nasir expressed similar sentiments earlier this year when she
said the full face veil is not a requirement in Islam and that the Qur’an calls
for modesty and to cover the hair but not the face. middleeastmonitor
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 4:05 PM)
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