Evening NEWS DIGEST
11 Dec.2016: 10 Rabiul Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:59
CBI likely to question
Manmohan Singh in AgustaWestland scam: Report
New Delhi:After arresting
former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi in connection with the
AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, the CBI is likely to question former
prime minister Manmohan Singh and former officials in the PMO, according to a
report on News18. The report suggests that along with Manmohan Singh, the
investigating agency may also question the former prime minister’s then
principal secretary TKA Nair and former national security adviser MK Narayanan
beside the former CBI director Ranjit Sinha and former special director Salim
Ali. CBI had on Friday arrested SP Tyagi for allegedly influencing Rs
3,600-crore deal in favour of AgustaWestland. A Delhi-based lawyer, Gautam
Khaitan and SP Tyagi’s cousin Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie Tyagi was also arrested
along with him. The CBI said that all the three people have been arrested for
accepting illegal gratification for exercising influence through corrupt or
illegal means. Indianexpress
Manmohan Singh should
support demonetisation: Union Minister Dattatreya
'Chopper purchase was a
collective decision': Arrested ex IAF chief Tyagi turns gun on Manmohan, UPA
leaders
A Delhi court sent the
former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi and others to custody of the CBI, on
Saturday till December 14 for their alleged involvement in the Rs 3,767- crore
AgustaWestland helicopter deal case.Tyagi blamed former Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's office for tweaking the deal in favour of the Italian firm.
Metropolitan Magistrate Sujit Saurabh allowed the CBI to quiz Tyagi, his cousin
Sanjeev Tyagi alias Julie Tyagi, and Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan.Senior
advocate N Hariharan, who represented the former IAF chief, claimed that the
decision to procure 12 VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland was a collective one
and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was also a part of it.'It was a
collective decision and not his (Tyagi's) individual one. It was a collective
decision of which PMO was also a part,' he told the court. The CBI alleged that
Khaitan was the brain behind how the money given as bribe reached India and how
it was transferred through several companies. dailymail
Media must publish apology
to acquitted innocents in terror cases: Tribunal
NEW DELHI: The report of
the jury that heard the first People’s Tribunal on Acquitted Innocents, held on
October 2, 2016, took strong exception to “news coverage which destroys a
person’s reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt, without any
verdict in the court of law”.The jury, which was chaired by Justice A.P. Shah,
released its report -- Towards a Framework for Compensation and Rehabilitation
for Victims of Wrongful Prosecution/Conviction -- in New Delhi on
Saturday.Holding that sections of the media had devastated lives “through
sensationalism and partisan reporting”, the report urged the media to “strictly
refrain from pronouncing the suspects/arrestees as guilty”, and to serve as
objective institutions instead of becoming “mere handmaidens of investigating
agencies”. It called upon publications and news channels that had put out
defamatory material to “widely publish unconditional apology to the
exonerees”.The People’s Tribunal, which gathered testimonies of several
acquitted innocents, and the report of the jury, had been organised by The
Innocence Network, an all-India collective that works for the rights of the
wrongfully prosecuted or convicted.Drawing on the principles of public law, the
report called upon the government to “grant compensation to the exonerees for
the loss and harm caused to them and for violating their right to life and
liberty” under Article 21 of the Constitution. One of the acquitted innocents,
Mohammad Amir, a Delhi resident, was falsely accused in 19 terror cases, and
had spent 14 years in prison. “The release of this report, coming as it does on
International Human Rights Day, is an encouraging sign,” he said.“It is also
timely and relevant in the light of the alleged encounter killing of eight
undertrials in Bhopal.”Releasing the report, Justice Shah said that when a
person dies in the custody of the State, the burden to prove their innocence
should be on the custodians. “Torture has become a routine and endemic practice
in investigative procedure in India,” he said.“The Prevention of Torture Bill
has been languishing in Parliament for more than four years, and no government
seems interested in passing it despite India being a signatory to the UN Convention
Against Torture,” he added.the hindu
Compensate acquitted
innocents in terror cases: Justice AP Shah
False terror case
damages:tribunal led by Justice AP Shah
People wrongly convicted in
terror charges must be compensated, says Justice Shah-led jury
Kerala CM Vijayan likens killing of SIMI men to
Gujarat encounters
Bhopal : Kerala chief
minister Pinrayi Vijayan, speaking at the national convention of Akhil
Bharatiya Janwadi Mahila Samiti here on Saturday, has compared the incident of
death of 8 SIMI undertrials in Bhopal during a police encounter with encounters
of Gujarat. Vijayan said it is senseless to talk of nationalism by terming any
community as enemy.Earlier, a rally was taken out and a public meeting was held
at Dussehra ground.Radhika Vemula said coordination of ‘Jai Bheem and Lal
Salaam’ can take out way for freedom of people. Janwadi Mahila Samiti national
vice president Subhashini Ali, Jagmati Sangwan, Neena Sharma also spoke on the
occasion. Malini Chatterjee presided over the programme while Sandhya Shaily
conducted it. freepressjournal
Telangana minority shocker:
Panel says only 19.2% Muslims are salaried employees
Hyderabad: The Sudheer
Commission on `Socio-economic and educational conditions of Muslims in
Telangana,' has found out that only 19.2% of Muslims are regular salaried and
16.4% of Muslim workers are self employed in non-agricultural activities.
According to the panel's report, 61 per cent of Hindus are employed
regularly.The panel has recommended 12 per cent or a minimum of nine per cent
reservations for vulnerable sections among Muslims in government jobs and
professional educational institutions.The commission headed by former IAS
officer G Sud heer was appointed on March 3, 2015. It submitted its
recommendations to the state government in August this year. The government on
Saturday made the report public. Incidentally, the ru ling TRS had promised 12
per cent quota for poor sections of the Muslim community during the last
assembly elections in 2014. timesofindia
Prophet Muhammad’s
teachings relevant in present times: Goa Governor
Panaji :Goa Governor
Mridula Sinha said on Sunday that the teachings of Prophet Muhammad have the
greatest relevance and eternal value to the present times, when misguided
elements are trying to create distrust among the people. “The teachings of
Prophet Muhammad have the greatest relevance and eternal value to the present
times, when misguided elements and reactionary forces are trying to create
confusion, distrust and misunderstanding among the people,”She said in her
message to the Goans on the eve of Eid E Milad. Governor Mridula Sinha said the
unity of God and brotherhood among human beings are the two basic tenets of
Islam.“In our country, where all the living faiths of the world are
represented, they have their pride of place. People of India, belonging to
different faiths, have learnt to live in tolerance, mutual understanding and
mutual respect for one another,” Sinha said. “Today, the efforts of the nation
are directed towards national unity and integration, and we must strengthen
these efforts by choosing the basic values taught by all religions as an
essential force to promote goodwill and understanding,” she added.PTI
President Mukherjee and VP
Ansari greet nation on Milad-un-Nabi, spread message of universal
brotherhood:PTI
New Delhi:President Pranab
Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari greeted people on the occasion of
Milad-un-Nabi on Sunday, the birthday of Prophet Mohammad, and appealed to them
to recall his message to work towards universal brotherhood, tolerance and
well-being of all."On the auspicious occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, the
birthday of the Holy Prophet, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes
to all my fellow countrymen, in India and abroad," Mukherjee said in a
message on the eve of Milad-un- Nabi."May the message of the Holy Prophet
inspire us to work towards universal brotherhood, compassion, tolerance and the
well-being of all. Let us on this day recall the life and ideals of Hazrat
Mohammed Saheb and re-dedicate ourselves to the service of humanity," the
President said.Vice President Hamid Ansari, in his message, said the Holy
Prophet showed the humanity the righteous path of compassion and universal
brotherhood. "Convey my warm greetings and best wishes to the people of
our country on the auspicious occasion of Milad-un-Nabi/ Id-E-Milad, celebrated
as the Birthday of Prophet Mohammed," Ansari said in his message. Holy
Prophet showed the humanity the righteous path of compassion and universal
brotherhood, he said. "May His eternal message continue to guide us to
building a peaceful and harmonious society," Ansari said.
Over Rs 13 crore seized
from Delhi law firm, Rs 2.6 crore in new currency notes
New Delhi: Delhi police
have seized nearly Rs 13.5 crore in a raid at a law firm in southeast Delhi's
GK-I area, of which Rs 2.6 crore is in new currency released after
demonetisation, a senior police official said on Sunday.The raid was carried
out by Crime Branch at the office of T&T law firm last night, the officer
said. "The recovered amount is close to Rs 13.5 crore. The amount of Rs
2.62 crore was found in newly introduced Rs 2,000 notes. Besides these, Rs 7.7
crore were in the form of Rs 1,000 notes and Rs 3.06 crore were in the form of
Rs 100 notes along with Rs 11 lakh in Rs 50 denomination. Two note counting
machines were also found there," said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner
of police (crime).According to I-T department sources, the lawyer had recently
declared unaccounted income worth over Rs 125 crore after searches were carried
out against him.The officer said that police had been keeping a watch on the
advocate who owned the law firm for a long time. "A secret information surfaced
that a renowned advocate who had declared Rs 125 crore before the I-T
department officials a few days ago, was hoarding huge amount of cash illegally
and indulging in transaction of the old and new currency notes. A round the
clock watch was kept on his activities by the crime branch, especially at the
premises in GK-I," said the officer.PTI
Gujarat Businessman
Detained With Over Rs. 8 Lakh In Old Notes
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gujarat-businessman-detained-with-over-rs-8-lakh-in-old-notes-1636730
Jamnagar: Police today seized around Rs. 8.80 lakh in
scrapped currency notes from a businessman in Jodiya town of Jamnagar district,
which he was carrying allegedly to exchange those with new banknotes.Acting on
a tip-off, police intercepted the vehicle of Rajnikant Ganatra and the cash in
Rs. 1,000 and old Rs. 500 notes was recovered, an official said.PTI
'Situation will improve
after 50 days': PM Modi predicts tougher days due to note ban
Acknowledging the
difficulties thrown up by the note ban decision, PM Narendra Modi cautioned
that the coming days may be even tougher, but the situation will gradually move
towards normalcy after the 50-day period. He also slammed the Opposition for
disrupting Parliament saying he has been forced to speak out in 'Jan Sabha'
(among people) as he was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha. dailymail
Demonetisation an
ill-conceived, mis-implemented strategy: Shashi Tharoor
Ex-Union Minister Shashi
Tharoor termed demonetisation as an ‘ill-conceived and mis-implemented step’
that has created chaos in the country.’ He made it clear he was not against the
principle of demonetisation, but that PM Narendra Modi’s currency replacement
exercise “is an ill conceived and mis implemented one that has created chaos in
the country.”PTI
Demonetisation Notification
Is Illegal And Violates The Constitution, Here Is How: India Times
Nagpur: Jamat-e-Islami Hind
run-evening classes give slum kids chance to hone education skills, for free
Nagpur: The classrooms of
Arqam Public School in New Gandhi Layout serve dual purpose. After school, they
bustle with children from the neighbourhood, who come at 6pm for an hour of
free tuition.Conducted by the education department of Jamat-e-Islami Hind, the
coaching class sees a mix of Muslim and non-Muslim children."Social,
Social," teaches volunteer Afreen Ansari, a computer engineer, to a group
of little girls. She makes her class practice writing and pronunciation of
English words. In a similar class next door, Kayenat Khan also guides girls on
better English vocabulary. The boys are being taught in a separate classroom, by
male volunteers. Some are practising maths, some English.They come from nearby
Godavari, Mankapur and Awasthi Nagar slums.Students aged between 4 and 24 years
come every day to get guidance in subjects they are weak in. Age is not an
issue in this class; coaching is open to whoever wishes to learn academics. Speaking
of the motive behind running the coaching class, Ayub Khan, an English
professor at Women's College and a member of Jamat-e-Islami Hind, said,
"On every third page of Quran, it is said that you are here to make the
world beautiful; to serve humanity. We ought to motivate people to do good and
keep the bad in check."Started in April last year, the coaching class is
run by a team of about 6 volunteers, including Khan. Khan has also set a syllabus
to guide children weak in subjects step-by-step. "First, we started a
vocational training camp for only two months. But we realized that these kids
are in dire need of continuous tutoring. We want to open many such centres
across the city," said media in-charge Dr MA Rasheed. timesofindia
New Delhi, Jakarta join
hands for moderate Islam: Sunday Standard
New Delhi: Indonesian
President Joko Widodo is scheduled to embark on a 2-day visit to India on
Dec.12. With his visit, Indonesia and India—the first and second largest Muslim
populated countries respectively—are set to mull over and learn from each
others’ experience of pluralism and explore
ways to showcase their moderate Islam to the world.Widodo would meet PM
Narendra Modi during his visit and would be accompanied by a large delegation,
comprising several cabinet ministers, senior officials and a 22-member business
delegates as well.“It is worth noticing that both countries have not seen
radicalisation of their large Muslim population and can learn from each other.
Also, the moderate face of Islam in the country needs to be highlighted,”
senior functionary of External Affairs Ministry told The Sunday Standard.Sunday
Standard
Shah Rukh promised Raj Thackeray he won’t work
with Pakistani actors in future: MNS
Mumbai :Shah Rukh Khan
doesn’t want any trouble in the path of his next year release, Raees. Ever
since Ritesh Sidhwani stated that there is no governmental restriction on
Pakistani actors from coming to India and if need be Mahira Khan would be
brought to India for promotions, a statement to which SRK agreed at the trailer
launch, speculations were rife that it could lead to another massive protest. indianexpress
Muslim leaders appeal
against 'noisy' Eid-e-Milad, urge faithfuls to help needy:TOI
Mumbai: Senior clerics and
community leaders have appealed against "noisy" Eid-e-Milad (Prophet
Muhammad's birthday) celebrations on Dec.12. Many imams also used Friday
sermons to exhort the community members against use of DJs at Eid-e-Milad
processions.Many young enthusiasts mark the day with reckless bike rides and
stunts on trains. Community leaders have strongly condemned such
"un-Islamic" and unlawful activities.Many said the day should be used
as an opportunity to help the poor and needy. "Help orphans, poor patients
and needy widows. The day should not be wasted in useless activities but marked
with prayers and in seeking divine blessings," said imam Maulana Khalilur
Rahman Noorie.All India Milli Council (Maharashtra)'s general secretary M A
Khalid appealed to the youths to conduct themselves decently. "While they
have the rights to celebrate their Prophet's birthday, they must take care that
others are not inconvenienced. The image of the religion gets hit by some overenthusiastic
devotees who play DJs and shout slogans loudly ," said Khalid.Several
processions, including one from the Khalifat House in Byculla, will mark the
celebrations.
NSA slapped on two Bijnore
riot accused
Meerut:3 months after a
communal riot broke out in Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh government has booked the two
of the riot accused under the National Security Act.3 people were killed and
dozens were injured in the communal riots in mid September when a communal
clash led to riots in Peda village in Bijnore. Bijnore ASP MM Beg said the
accused Sansar Singh and Tikam Singh had allegedly fired at the members of
minority community, following which 3 people died. They were arrested on
Sept.20. “NSA has been slapped on them,” Beg said. Police had also arrested a
local BJP leader, Aishwarya Chaudhary, on charges of instigating the rioting
mob. the hindu
After Barkha Dutt, Ravish
Kumar’s Twitter handle hacked by Legion
New Delhi:Senior journalist
Ravish Kumar’s official Twitter handle was hacked by a group called ‘Legion’,
hours after it hacked into the Twitter account of his colleague and consulting
editor of NDTV Barkha Dutt. Defending its actions, the hackers on Sunday said,
“We use twitter as a means to reach the public. We don’t just hack twitter
accounts. Go through the data and find out.” The hacking group also warned that
the next series of online attack will be against former IPL chairman Lalit K
Modi. “Coming up next -@LalitKModi leaks. Stay tuned.”The tweets, however, were
removed from the official handle immediately. This comes days after the same
group hacked Twitter handles of Rahul Gandhi, Indian National Congress and
industrialist Vijay Mallya. indianexpress
First Meo Muslim woman
cracks RAS, eyes IAS
Jaipur:A woman from
Bharatpur district became the first from the Meo Muslims in the Mewat region to
crack the Rajasthan Administrative Service exam, the results of which were
declared on Dece.6.Shaista Hussain, 26, got the 62nd rank in the other backward
classes (OBC) category in her first attempt.“I want to particularly motivate girls
to get education in the Mewat region where parents discourage their daughters
from pursuing studies,” she said. hindustantimes
Muslims will respect SC,
but quashing divorce law will not stop them from following Personal Law: Arshad
Madani
New Delhi: Muslims in India
will respect the Supreme Court verdict on triple talaq but quashing of the
divorce law will not stop the community from adhering to the Muslim Personal
Law, including triple talaq, Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH) leader and senior
Islamic theologian Maulana Arshad Madani has said.“People are free to seek
remedial measures from the court. Similarly, others are equally free to be
guided by the Personal Law within their household and in their personal lives,”
said Madani, reacting to the recent observations of the Allahabad High Court,
which termed the practice as “unconstitutional” and “against the spirit of the
Holy Quran.” The issue is pending in the Supreme Court, where the NDA
government has filed an affidavit opposing the practice.“The Islamic law and
Sharia have to be interpreted not only on the basis of Quranic verses; one also
has to take into account the Hadith (a collection of the traditions based on
the sayings of Prophet Mohammad),” said Madani.Further clarifying his position
on Personal Law, Madani drew an analogy with the offering of Namaz as per
Islamic law. "If the law of a land prohibits me from offering Namaz, I
will still do it in my home. If the law decides to punish me for doing that,
then so be it,” said Madani, reiterating that triple talaq was neither
considered a good practice nor encouraged in Islam.Madani also hit out at
Narendra Modi, alleging that the Prime Minister has remained silent on many
issues concerning the minorities but chose to speak on this particular matter.
"There are certain rights which were given to the minorities at the time
of Independence. And those must be preserved," said Madani.CNN-News18
Badruddin Ajmal slams
triple talaq verdict, says Jamiat will move SC
Triple Talaq is not against women, legislation in
Islam is Divine job : Kamal Faruqui, of
AIMPLB
Kamal Faruqui, member of
Working Committee, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, tells Aditi Phadnis
that triple talaq is not against women and that legislation in religion is the
job of the Divine. Replying to a question on Allahabad High Court judge
observations about triple talaq, he said, "Judge has not made the
observations against AIMPLB; his observations are against personal law. He has
said no personal laws are above the Constitution. The fact is, this very
Constitution has given citizens the right to follow their religion, religious
practices and customs. It is a fundamental right. So how can anybody say this
is not allowed in the Constitution? We are not saying whether we are above or
below the Constitution. We are as per the Constitution.Whether triple talaq and
personal law come under fundamental rights is a different matter. The matter is
before the Supreme Court. But in the past, the Supreme Court has said it is not
empowered to legislate on religion. Legislation of religion is the job of the
Divine. As far as Muslims, who follow Islam are concerned, it is our belief —
and we are not saying others should believe this or not — that our laws are the
Divine’s laws and the source is the Quran and the Hadees (the Prophet’s life)
and the interpretation by wise men in those times. As far as talaq is
concerned, this is the most undesirable thing that is being allowed. It shakes
up the entire universe of two people because a relationship that has been
created in accordance with Allah’s permission gets broken. It is a sad thing.
And I am talking about single talaq, not triple talaq. But as with single talaq
or triple talaq, these are the modes of separation. In extreme circumstances
triple divorce is allowed. But even this has had the Prophet Mohammad express
extreme anger. All this has been recorded and he expressed this to his most
trusted companions — that he does not approve of this. But it was short of not
allowing it. We believe that if it was not to be allowed, the Almighty Allah
could have pronounced that triple talaq is not allowed. But he did not say
that. business-standard
Why Dalits in Phillaur,
Jalandhar have been protesting for the past three weeks
As the Dalit struggle in
village Jalloor continues in Sangrur district over land dispute, another such
case of a similar struggle is emerging from Phillaur, Jallandhar.In Muthada,
various Ambedkarite organisations along with the BSP are protesting outside the
office of DSP, Phillaur, for speedy trial in a number of cases, including one
that dates back to March from the village of Muthada. Despite the fact that the
case was registered under the The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, no arrests have yet been made.Speaking about
the Muthada incident, Kanti Bona, the village sarpanch who belongs to the BSP,
said, “On the night of April 19, 2016, my house was attacked by upper caste
Akali Dal goons. They even fired bullets, but thankfully no one was
injured.”When asked about the reason of the attack, he said “In February this
year, after a long protest, we had finally managed to free 4 acres of Panchayat
land which had under the occupation of Akali dal members. This angered them,
and they attacked my house.” Confirming the attack, the President of Ambedkar
Sena said, “FIR 73/16 has been registered against 24 upper caste Akali dal
members, but there have been no arrests yet.”Avtar Singh Karimpuri, who is the
ex president of BSP and the Phillaur candidate for the upcoming elections,
said, “We have been protesting outside the DSP office Phillaur for the speedy trial
of few cases including the one in Muthada, and the protests have now been going
on for almost three weeks.”TCN
Dalit-Muslim axis in UP a
new challenge for BJP and Modi: Rahul
Pandita
UP polls: Out of Maya
IS didn’t spread in our country,
thanks to Indian Muslims: Rajnath
Kathua (J&K)Union home
minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday accused Pakistan of “conspiring” to divide
India on religious lines but said it will not succeed.“Pakistan is conspiring
to divide India on religious lines but it will not succeed. We were divided in
1947 on religious basis. We have not been able to forget that... All Indians
are brothers, whether they are born from the womb of a Hindu mother or a Muslim
mother,” he said addressing a martyrs’ day function in Kathua district.Singh
said nowhere in the world other than India 72 sects of Islam live together
peacefully.He said that as the home minister of the country, he wanted to make
it clear that India is committed to taking along everybody and moving ahead on
the path of development.He also offered India’s cooperation to Pakistan to
eradicate the menace of terrorism from its soil.“If Pakistan is serious about
eradicating terrorism but is incapable of doing that and wants cooperation, we
are ready to help it eradicate terrorism from there,” the minister said.“We
want to live in peace with Pakistan but it has indulged in sponsoring a proxy
war against India. Every Prime Minister of India wanted to mend relations with
Pakistan but it did not understand the language of peace and attacked India
four times. But our brave soldiers gave them a befitting reply,” Rajnath Singh
added.Singh also credited the Muslims of India for quelling threats from
Islamic State to India.“When the entire world is worried about ISIS, I can say
it as the home minister of the country as I know the reality that ISIS has not
been able to spread its roots in India and the credit for this goes to the
Muslims of the country, the followers of Islam,” he said.PTI
Police officer stops
vehicle of Kashmir University V-C, removes tinted film from windows; video goes
viral
Srinagar:A video of a
police officer removing the tinted film from Kashmir University VC Professor
Khurshid Andrabi’s vehicle has gone viral on social media and generated a
debate over the police action. The video shows Andrabi arguing with the DSP,
Sheikh Aadil after the police stopped the academician’s vehicle on
Srinagar-Jammu national highway and peeled off the tinted film from his
vehicle.“Mr Aadil, you have not gone out of this colonial culture. It is no big
deal but… escort agar saath hota tou he would be different,” Professor Andrabi
is heard telling the officer. “Sir, I am just performing my duty,” DSP Aadil
responds. In the subsequent conversation, Andrabi is heard telling the police officer
that he would not have “dared” to stop his vehicle had the police escort
accompanied it, and accuses the officer of “showing off”. “If I go by law, I
have to detain…I am supposed to detain this vehicle,” police officer is heard
telling Andrabi.indianexpress
J&K: Lecturer held for
‘sedition’ after making ‘anti-India’ remarks
Jammu:A lecturer has been
arrested for sedition after a section of students alleged that he had made
anti-India comments at a college in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bani. Shah Nawaz, the
lecturer from Dogripora in Kashmir’s Awantipura, has been sacked. Kathua’s
Principal Sessions Judge Vinod Chatterji Koul rejected Nawaz’s bail application
on Saturday saying that there were grounds to believe that he had committed the
offence.Sources said that Nawaz had made the comments on November 30 following
the killing of seven soldiers in an attack on an army camp in Nagrota. Nawaz
had allegedly intervened during a discussion among students and commented on
gunfights between militants and armed forces. indianexpress
470 people have died of
shock over Jayalalithaa’s demise, AIADMK says
Ruling AIADMK on Sunday
said a total of 470 people have died of "shock" following the demise
of former Tamil Nadu chief minister and party general secretary Jayalalithaa on
Dec 5.The party, which has been releasing in the past few days the lists of
people who have died of shock over the death Jayalalithaa, on Sunday released
names of 190 people.TOI
WORLD
Turkey mourns after
Istanbul bombings kill 38; Kurdish militant group claims responsibility
Istanbul: Turkey declared a
day of national mourning on Sunday after twin bombings killed 38 people near a
football stadium in Istanbul.Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a militant group, has
claimed responsibility for the attacks, the pro-PKK Firat news agency said,
carrying a statement from the group. Group is seen as a splinter group of better-known
Kurdistan Workers Party(PKK),A car bomb detonated Saturday outside the home
stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match between Besiktas and
Bursaspor, and less than a minute later a suicide attacker blew himself up near
a group of police at a nearby park.Prime Minister Binali Yildirim ordered flags
to fly at half mast while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan postponed a planned
trip to Kazakhstan, the state news agency Anadolu reported."The target was
directly the police," Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus told private CNN
Turk.AFP
Kurdish PKK collects 30
million euros in funds in Europe
Erdogan's AK Party submits
bill to empower presidency
Turkey’s ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) has submitted to parliament a bill granting
extended powers to the presidency and abolishing the prime ministry, among
other major changes.The 21-article constitutional change, if adopted, would
take Turkey away from its current parliamentary system, and introduce an
executive presidency, a move that worry critics of President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.Saturday’s proposed constitutional changes are expected to be discussed
at the relevant parliamentary commission first, before the bill is brought to a
parliamentary hearing and if passed there, put to a referendum. Government
officials have pointed at the spring of 2017 for a possible referendum. aljazeera
22,000 Turkish military
members dismissed for Gulen links
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161211-22000-turkish-military-members-dismissed-for-gulen-links/
A total of 22,085 Turkish
military personnel have been dismissed for links to the Fetullah Terrorist
Organization (FETO), Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Saturday.Of that number,
16,409 were military school students, Isik said during 2017 budget talks at the
parliament.“So far, 5,676 military personnel have been dismissed, 39 of them
were re-instated to their positions,” he said. “When you count the 16,409
students, the number goes up to 22,085.” middleeastmonitor
Turkish, Iraq PMs discuss
cooperation against terrorism
Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi held a telephone conversation
Saturday in which they discussed cooperation against terrorism, sources told
Anadolu. The two leaders agreed on threats posed by Daesh and PKK and, Yildirim
told al-Abadi that Turkey supports Iraq’s efforts against Daesh in southeastern
Mosul, according to prime ministry sources who cannot be named due to
restrictions on speaking to media. middleeastmonitor
ISIL 'recaptures' Palmyra
from Syrian forces: aljazeera
ISIL has recaptured the
Syrian city of Palmyra after thousands of its fighters launched a multi-pronged
assault on the ancient city, according to reports.The Russian Monitoring Centre
in Syria said on Sunday that ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
group, had drawn on "significant forces" from its strongholds in
nearby Raqqa and Deir Az-zor, with more than 4,000 fighters, backed by tanks,
attacking the city.Russia, Syria's ally, had launched a flurry of air strikes
overnight that reportedly killed 300 ISIL fighters and forced the group to
retreat. However, later on Sunday, ISIL, also known as ISIS, claimed to be in
full control of Palmyra via Amaq, a news agency that supports the group, with
government troops forced to retreat to the south of the city. Talal al-Barazi,
the governor of Homs, confirmed to Syrian state TV that ISIL had captured
Palmyra, adding that the army was using all of its means to regain control.ISIL
captured Palmyra, also known as Tadmur, in May last year before losing the city
10 months later to much international fanfare. aljazeera
Syrian activists say IS has
recaptured Palmyra:AP
Over 200 killed in Nigeria
church collapse
Lagos, Nigeria:At
least 200 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds others injured in Saturday
afternoon's collapse of a church in Nigeria’s southern Akwa Ibom state,
according to a top medical official. “Many victims are in private hospitals and
mortuaries scattered all over Uyo; we can’t really tell how many people have
died so far. We have over 200 people in the mortuaries here,” Etete Peters,
chief medical director at the government hospital in Uyo, said late Saturday.
Peters said at least 50 wounded were brought to the hospital.Police has yet to
disclose casualty figures.AA
Bombing at Egypt's main Coptic
Christian cathedral kills25
CAIRO (AP) A bombing at a
chapel adjacent to Egypt's main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 25 people and
wounded another 49 during Sunday Mass, one of the deadliest attacks carried out
against the religious minority in recent memory and a grim reminder of Egypt's
difficult struggle to restore security and stability after nearly six years of
turmoil.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's attack. ap
Afghan Taliban chief
reinforces position with backing of two key members : Reuters
Kabul: Mullah Haibatullah
Akundzada has reinforced his position as the new leader of the Afghan Taliban
by winning the support of two senior members, the insurgent group said on
Saturday.Ex-Taliban interior minister Mullah Abdul Razaq Akhund and Mullah
Abdul Sata Akhund "pledged their full support" to Akundzada during a
meeting of Taliban scholars at an undisclosed location on Friday, the group
said on its website. Akundzada in May replaced ex Taliban leader Mullah
Mohammad Akhtar Mansour who was killed by a US drone strike.Senior members of
the insurgent group hope Akundzada will be able to bring disparate factions
together and repair the splits that emerged last year when Mansour was
appointed.
Cancer also threatens
post-coup Egypt’s prisoners
Amid reports of mass abuses
against anti-regime opponents, cancer is adding to the plight of thousands of
political prisoners languishing in Egyptian jails.“My husband is suffering from
both prison and cancer,” Hala Awad, the wife of prisoner Nadi Fathi Jahin, told
Anadolu Agency on Saturday.Jahin, 50, is serving a 15-year jail term issued by
a military court for allegedly burning a government building following the 2013
coup against elected president Mohamed Morsi.“In prison, he began to suffer
from bleeding, fainting and weakness,” Awad recalled.According to his wife,
Jahin’s health deteriorated at the Borg al-Arab prison in the coastal city of
Alexandria.“He was diagnosed with cancer,” Awad said. She said his disease has
been brought under control as a result of his chemotherapy.“However, the
situation deteriorated again when [authorities] stopped his therapy, which
resulted in the spread of cancer to his lungs,” she said. Anadolu Agency.AA/ middleeastmonitor
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 10:20 PM)
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