Evening NEWS DIGEST
26 Dec.2016: 26 Rabiul
Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:72
IB officer wanted me to go a
Muslim village, act a Moulana, indoctrinate young, recruit them for a
fictitious terror group, reveals Irshad, acquitted after 11ys
New Delhi: When Irshad Ali
is home, he sits on an old broken sofa outside his single-room home in
north-west Delhi’s Inder Enclave, which he shares with his wife and 2 sons.“I
feel claustrophobic inside. Jail makes you appreciate the open space,” he says.
On Dec.22, when Irshad Ali was acquitted by a trial court in Delhi, he had
spent 11 years in jail on terror charges now proved false. “After all these
years, I don’t know how I feel,” says the 41-year-old, calmly. “I was angry for
years. Then I submitted myself to my fate.”He lost his parents as well as an
infant daughter while behind bars. “All because of this case,” says Ali. “My
mother died within a year of my arrest. She kept knocking doors, visiting
police stations, only to get humiliated. My father died earlier this year. He
spent every penny he had earned to get me out of jail. My daughter, Aaifa, was
6 months old when they jailed me. She died in 2013. They said it was diphtheria
but the truth is she died because they broke me, ruined my family.”Ali’s father
Mohammad Yunus moved to Delhi around 50 years ago from Paigambarpur village in
Darbhanga in search of work. Ali was one among his eight children — 2 boys, 6
girls. Yunus found work at a shop and sent Ali to Ahmadiya Salfia madrasa in
Darbhanga to study. But Ali left it and returned to Delhi in 1991 after elder
brother Noushad was arrested for a murder.That incident was to change the
family’s life. Ali says he started working as manual labourer in a factory and
“everything was fine” till Noushad jumped parole. “It was stupid. Once he was
re-arrested, police charged him in a terrorism case. An additional murder case
that hadn’t been solved was also put on him. He was acquitted for that
additional murder but the terror tag didn’t go away.”In 1996, Ali was picked up
along with his father. “ACP Rajbir Singh kept us in Maurice Nagar for 10 days,”
he says. “My father was tortured in front of me. They kept saying my brother
was a terrorist so I must be too.”After their mother went to court, police
released them, but allegedly after warning Ali’s mother to keep quiet. 4 months
later, Ali says, Crime Branch picked him up again.“They tortured me for 8
days.” Meanwhile, the 41-year-old adds, police kept pressuring him to become an
informer. “In 2001, I was picked up by an IB officer, Majid Din, who would use
Khalid as alias. He also picked up my friend Rizwan, who was a tailor. They
kept me for 3 days. They made me write a letter to my brother telling him to do
whatever was told to him, so as to save me.While Noushad agreed to work with
police inside the jail, Ali did so outside. “I was scared,” Ali says. “They
fixed a monthly salary of Rs 5,000, and gave me a phone. While my brother spied
on inmates held on terror charges, I would report to Majid. The inmates would
give letters to post and I would hand them over to Majid.”This, Irshad said,
continued for 3 years. “In between, I helped the Special Cell solve crime cases
as well. I was in touch with two officers.”But, Ali says, his handlers weren’t
happy. “Majid wanted me to do more. He would say, ‘Work doesn’t come, it has to
be created. His modus operandi was simple: Majid wanted me go to a Muslim
village, act like a moulana, live there for a while, indoctrinate young men and
recruit them for a fictitious terror group and then organise a meeting, which
would be raided. While I would escape as the mastermind, the rest would be
nabbed and nobody would question the veracity of the operation.”Around 2004,
Ali says he was introduced to a Kashmiri, Fayaz, who was also working for IB.
“They had put him up in Laxminagar (in east Delhi). The plan was to send me
across the border and infiltrate a militant group… My wife Shabana was scared.
She didn’t want me to go.”Ali was reluctant too and Fayaz and he made an
unsuccessful attempt to cross the border in Jammu. Ali says the IB officer’s
attitude changed after that. “On Dec.12, 2005, Majid called me to the Dhaula
Kuan office. There were Delhi Police Special Cell people present. They put me
in a car and blindfolded me. I was shocked.”He says he was kept somewhere near
the Red Fort. “Later, they brought Nawab (Mourif Qamar) too. He was a friend
and I had got him involved in this work.”Ali’s worried wife and parents kept
calling on Majid’s phone number. “My father went to police and gave them
Majid’s number… Nawab’s brother sent telegrams to everyone, from the PM to the
President.”On Feb. 9, 2006, the day a look-out notice for them came in media,
Ali says, they were taken in a car to the bypass of Karnal, Haryana.“Mohan
Chand Sharma (of Special Cell) was there. Majid too was there. They took our
pictures… They had prepared a story that we were coming from Kashmir and were
arrested as soon as I got off the bus from Jammu. They dubbed us terrorists.”
Ali says there was one thing that kept his hopes alive. “I had scores of calls
from Majid, other IB officials, Special Cell officers, even calls from the Home
Ministry’s landline… Majid had sent me a message on Eid from ACP Sanjeev
Kumar’s phone. All this record was crucial evidence.”Nawab’s brother approached
the Delhi HC, which found Special Cell’s story “suspicious” and ordered a CBI
investigation.CBI eventually confirmed every bit of Ali’s story in its closure
report filed on Nov.11, 2008, saying Special Cell had concealed that Ali and
Nawab were its informers and implicated them in a fictitious case.CBI
recommended their discharge and action against erring officials.“When CBI
proved I was falsely implicated, I thought it would lead to a storm. But this
system doesn’t work that way for people like us…There was a debate whether CBI
or Special Cell was telling the truth. Both belonged to the same govt. But the
govt did nothing.”Indian express
IS sympathisers in India
use al Qaeda software for secrecy: NIA chargesheet
A group of alleged Islamic
State (IS) sympathisers, conspiring to target police stations in Hyderabad,
used a host of encrypted applications, including one developed by al Qaeda’s
propaganda arm, in order to keep their communication secure, the National
Investigation Agency has said.Al-Fajr Media Centre distributes al Qaeda’s
online propaganda material. Its technical branch al-Fajr Technical Committee
was established in 2012. 2 years later, it released an Android version of it is
encryption programme called Amn al-Mujahid for mobile phones. “2 members of (IS
sympathiser) group, Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani and Abdulla Bin Ahmed al-Amoodi
had downloaded Amn al-Mujahid encryption on their mobile phones,” says NIA
chargesheet against 8 men.Even then, they never discussed their plans on these
applications and preferred face-to-face meeting to discuss their targets, the
agency noted. The group also used Tor applications like ‘Orbot’ and ‘Orfox’,
which hide a user’s internet usage by bouncing it through a series of computers
around the world.HT
My son was branded as
Maoist, tied to tree and killed, says Chhattisgarh man
Nagpur: A man from Metapal
village in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh has alleged that his son Somaru
Pottam, 13, was branded a Maoist and killed by the security forces.Kumma Pottam
has claimed that the security forces “tied his son Somaru to a tree, while a
group of four to five jawans interrogated him and tortured him by stabbing him
with bayonets attached to their rifles.”Kumma Pottam, who has moved the
Chhattisgarh High Court (Bilaspur), claimed in his petition that he and his
cousin Sannu Pottam were held by another group of security forces and taken to
a spot near the interrogation site of Somaru.According to father, villagers
were present when Somaru was “interrogated and thrashed.”thehindu
National Herald case:
Relief for Gandhis, court dismisses Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking documents
New Delhi;In a big relief
for Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi,Patiala
House Court dismissed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking documents
related to the National Herald case. The HC set the next date of hearing on Feb
10, when Swamy will submit a list of witnesses. Swamy had earlier sought
documents and ledger books maintained by the Congress party and Associated Journals
Limited.In his petition,Swamy accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to
cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh through which Young
Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed
to Congress. Besides Gandhis, other accused-Motilal Vora,Oscar Fernandes, Suman
Dubey and Sam Pitroda-have denied the allegations levelled against them. Indianexpress
J-K govt asks for reports
on people blinded by pellets during Kashmir unrest
J&K State Human Rights
Commission (SHRC) on Monday directed all deputy commissioners (DCs) to submit
reports about those blinded during the unrest in the Kashmir, which began on
July 8, after the killing of Burhan Wani. "Taking suo-moto cognizance of a
report published in a section of the press, chairperson SHRC, Justice (retd)
Bilal Nazki directed the deputy commissioners of all the 10 districts of
Kashmir to submit a detailed report of all the victims who have sustained eye
injuries during the recent disturbances in the valley," an official
spokesperson said in Srinagar. The govt press release said: "SHRC chairman has
directed the DCs to include details of victims, date and place of injury,
extent of injury, treatment given and compensation paid if any to them. He has
asked for the report containing the requisite information to be submitted to
the commission by or before 3 Feb.2017." hindustantimes
Controversial decision by
J-K govt can touch a nerve
Kashmir, limping back to
normal after five months of violent agitation, is seeing murmurs of protest
following a series of decisions that are being read as an attempt to dilute the
special status granted to J&K .The Kashmir Valley was shut down on Friday.
The separatists had called the strike after a section of media reported that
the govt had begun issuing domicile certificates to west Pakistan refugees. hindustantimes
Valley unrest: Mehbooba
orders review of cases against youths not involved in 'serious crimes'
Srinagar: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday ordered review of the
cases filed against the youths who were not involved in "serious
crimes" during the over five-month-long unrest in the Valley.An official
spokesman said Mehbooba gave directions in this regard at a meeting called to
review the pace of development works in south Kashmir. timesofindia
In Kashmir, it’s austere
Christmas in solidarity with Muslim brethren
Srinagar:Christmas in
Kashmir was on Sunday celebrated with austerity in wake of the civilian
killings during the recent summer uprising in the region.In his Christmas
message Father Roy Mathew, parish priest at Holy Family Catholic Church at MA
Road here, said that the Christian community of Kashmir shares the pain of
Muslim brethren of Kashmir. He led the special prayers on the occasion.“We are
with them (Kashmiri Muslims) in their pain. We will offer prayers but there
will be no celebrations,” Mathews said in his Christmas message delivered this
morning.Sharing the views of the community Catholic catechist Shami Joseph said
that in view of the current situation the community cancelled the carol singing
and parade on this Christmas as a mark of respect and solidarity with Kashmiri
Muslim brethren who suffered a lot in the current uprising.“We did not even
sing Christmas carol; no Santa Claus, but held special prayers only in which we
remembered the pain of our Muslim brethren,” Joseph said. “They (Kashmiri Muslims)
did not celebrate Eid this year; how
could we celebrate Christmas then?”he added.Greater Kashmir
Students march in
Solidarity with Aleppo, appeal for peace
New Delhi: Aiming to
promote peace, over hundred students with human rights activists took out a
march in solidarity with the victims of Aleppo genocide here at Jantar Mantar
on Saturday. Paying homage to the lives lost in Aleppo city and other regions
of Syria during Syrian crises, they urged to the international community to
come forward to aid the civilians and establish peace there. The march was
called by Roshni Gulati, an ex-student of Delhi Public School, RK Puram joined
by many students and civil society members.
"Our hearts have ached for a long time, every time we see an
article in our news feed about the skyrocketing death toll. Today it is Aleppo,
tomorrow it will be Idlib or some other place. No one deserves to be uprooted
and thrown away like worthless flesh. The root of everything is greed and
hatred. As we march today, we wouldn't shout slogans against Assad or against
the rebels or against any terrorist group or organization. They are mere pawns
of a larger problem. We walk in solidarity against hatred, against cruelty and
against destruction. Peace will prevail", Gulati said while addressing on
the occasion. Roshni Gulati said, “We all know that since 2011 genocide is
continue in Syria. In the tussle of political powers, civilians are suffering.
We don’t care who is doing what, we are concerned about the common people
there.”Expressing solidarity with common civilians suffered in Aleppo during
Syrian crises, they raised slogans – “Save Aleppo-Save Syria, Kill hatred not
Human”. Speaking over complex situation in Syria, the chairman of International
Human Rights Organisation (IHRO), Dr. Nem Singh Premi said, “Everyone is aware
of the situation in Syria. Save humanity is not just a slogan. Everyone in the
world is connected to it.”“UN should take step to stop brutalities carrying out
there without favoring to anyone and People should be aided more and more,” he
urged. IndiaTomorrow
United Muslim Forum condemn
atrocities on Syrian and ohingya Muslims
Hyderabad: United Muslim
Forum, a body of religious figures, on Sunday condemned the atrocities
committed by the Syrian regime and by the Burmese govt on Rohingya Muslims. In a statement released
to the media, the UMF said that Syrian president Bashar al Assad, in
collaboration with the Russian and Iranian forces has turned the city of Aleppo
into a graveyard. "In Aleppo, there is a doomsday like situation which is
unimaginable and pathetic. The reports from the media tell us that this is an
act of genocide," an excerpt reads.Touching upon the conditions of the
Rohingya Muslims, some of whom continue to live as refugees in the city, the
UMF said that their persecution is a gross violation of human rights. The panel
requested all to help these refugees and also called upon various countries to
condemn their persecution and put an end to human rights violations.TOI
Muslims remain backward in
education & civil services after 10 years of Sachar Committee report
Rajinder Sachar Committee which was
commissioned in 2005 tabled its findings in Parliament on the social, economic
and educational conditions of Muslims in India. The Sachar Committee was
commissioned by former PM Manmohan Singh. Headed by Chief Justice of Delhi High
Court Rajinder Sachar, it submitted its findings in less than two years.The
report submitted a range of issues faced by the community and also tabled their
recommendations to address them. The report placed Indian Muslims below
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in backwardness. There was also mismatch
between the percentage of Muslims in the population and in key decision making
positions such as the IAS and IPS.And most of the indicators have not seen
significant changes in the years since the report was submitted. In some cases,
things have deteriorated for the community.As per a report of The Indian Express,
Muslims accounted to 7.63% in India’s police forces, while it fell to 6.27% in 2013. Later, the govt stopped releasing
data on police personnel on the basis of religion. Muslims also continued to
have the lowest average monthly per capita expenditure(MPCE) among all
communities. In 2011 the work participation rate for Muslim men increased only
slightly from 47.5% in 2001 to 49.5% in 2011.While the increase of Muslim women
was even smaller, from 14.1% in 2001 to
14.8 % in 2011.india.com
10 yrs after Sachar Report,
no major change in condition of India’s Muslims: ZEESHAN SHAIKH
DEMONETISATION
Demonetisation trouble not
over, to spill over into new year: Bankers
New Delhi:A mere 4 days
before the demonetisation deadline of December 30, by when the pains of
customers are supposed to allay -- as PM Narendra Modi said -- bankers seemed to nurse
no hopes of any comfort and expected long queues to slither into the new year
and into the months that follow.“The rush is still there and there’s no hope of
any respite. How can there be any when the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) is
providing only 20-30 % of total cash required at the banks?” All India Bank
Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told
IANS.IANS
Farmers forced to dump
their produce as note ban turns bumper crop worthless
Farmers across India are
battling a steep fall in wholesale vegetable prices and are forced to discard
their produce as a nationwide cash crunch following the scrapping of high-value
banknotes hurts demand.The crash in wholesale prices comes at a bad time for
farmers, who reaped a bumper crop and were hoping for good returns to make up
for losses induced by two straight drought years. hindustantimes
Congress tries to unite
opposition for meeting tomorrow, doesn't quite succeed
New Delhi:Congress party's
attempt to cobble together a meeting of all opposition parties tomorrow got a
mixed response, with TMC agreeing to attend, the Left and the NCP unwilling,
and other parties undecided,news agencies reported. The Congress has planned a
joint press conference to follow the meeting here in New Delhi to discuss what
it believes are issues it has in common with most opposition parties and
against the Modi govt. Expectedly, demonetisation will figure high on the list
of subjects."Congress is to organise an Opposition party meet tomorrow on
issues of demonetisation, personal corruption of PM," Congress leader
Jairam Ramesh said today, according to PTI.TOI
Congress targets BJP over
'links' to businessman who disclosed Rs 13,860 cr income
PM Modi sacrificed the
lives of farmers to his demonetisation 'yagya': Rahul Gandhi
Budget 2017 may provide tax
gain for common people to soothe note ban pain:TOI
OTHERS
More than hundred students
of AMU's Malappuram centre taken ill because of suspected food poisoning:TOI
Malappuram: More than
hundred students and five faculty members of AMU Malappuram centre at
Perinthalmanna were taken ill following the suspected food poisoning.According
to the centre authorities, those who ate dinner from the canteen's North Indian
mess on the campus on Saturday night, started to show the symptoms of food
poisoning including stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea, after two hours and
they approached a private hospital in Perinthalmanna early morning on Sunday.
Later, more students were brought into hospital.
‘Seer’ Asks Hindus to Have
10 Kids; Fadnavis Shares Stage With Him
Vasudevanand Saraswat, a
Hindu seer at the three-day Dharma Sanstrukti Mahakumbh in Nagpur, said that
Hindu couples should have 10 children each, according to a report by The Times
of India.Saraswat also added that the PM needs to take a more definite and quick
decision on the beef ban in the same manner as demonetisation. Ironically, the
congregation also saw the demand for the national population policy.The Dharma
Sanstrukti Mahakumbh is an assembly of Hindu seers, supported by RSS. 3-day
affair ended on Sunday.Other eminent people present at the congregation
included Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Assam governor Banwarlilal Purohit
and city mayor Pravin Datke.Aditionally, Loksatta, a leading newspaper from The
Indian Express group reports that VHP working president Praveen Togadia brought
up the issue of the proposed Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya in
Uttar Pradesh and said:The Quint
Abducted Kerala priest
appeals Pope, Centre to secure his release
Kochi: An Indian Catholic
priest abducted from Yemen this year appealed to Pope Francis and the Union govt
through a purported video to secure his
release from his captors."If I were a European priest, I would have been
taken more seriously. I am from India. I am perhaps not considered as of much
value," said priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil in a weak voice in the video,
aired by news channels in Kerala."Dear Pope Francis, dear Holy Father, as
a father please take care of my life. I am very much depressed. My health is
deteriorating," he said in the video, a day after Christmas.PTI
Bombay High Court stays
elections to Waqf board
Mumbai: Nagpur bench of the
Bombay high court stayed the elections to the Waqf board that were held in
August, after a member of the Waqf board complained that he was removed from
the board so that he could not contest the elections.The petitioner had prayed
that as his appointment to the board was not co-terminus as his term as the Bar
Council chairman, his removal from the board after his term as chairman came to
an end was done with prejudice. The court upheld the petition and also stayed
the outcome of the elections.A division bench of Justices B.P. Dharmadhikari
and Indira Jain was hearing a petition filed by former Bar Council chairman
advocate Asif Quereshi regarding his ouster from the Waqf board five days
before the elections for the post of the chairman. Quereshi had contended that
not only was his removal from the board illegal, but it was also done at the
behest of vested interests as he was intending to contest the elections as
well.ASIAN AGE
No-splurge trend catches up
with Muslim weddings
Hyderabad: A trend is
slowly but surely gaining momentum within the Muslim community. While several
people express their desire to cut down extravagance and escalating costs of
marriages, the recent shift in marital tradition —that of having both the nikah
and the valima (reception) on the same day — has a social component as well:
solidarity with those who are not as privileged.Take the case of Abdul
Mutayyib, a 21-year who works at a multi-national corporation in Hitec City.
Mutayyib and Fouzia Khan got married on Oct.8, sans any pomp and show. timesofindia
Muslim youths become
‘gau-rakshaks’, save life of critically injured cow: India.com
Bhatinda: At a time when
Muslims are being beaten up by ‘gau-rakshaks’ in many parts of the country, two
Muslim youths turned real ‘gau-rakshaks’ and saved a stray cow bleeding
profusely in the middle of the road.
Shamsuddin Chaudhary and his friend Mubeen came to the rescue of the
critically injured cow. The incident took place on Saturday midnight in
Malerkotla, the only area of Punjab with a sizeable Muslim population. Shamsuddin
Chaudhary, who is a businessman by profession, was returning to his home after
dropping his friend Mubeen at Ajit Nagar area when he spotted a stray cow
bleeding profusely in the middle of the road. India.com
Nagpur: Muslim youths told
to shun kite flying
Nagpur: Little-known
Islamic organization Assaqafatur Razaviya of Satranjipura has initiated an
anti-kite flying campaign to dissuade Muslim youths from the 'vice'. As part of
the campaign, the organization, that draws its ideology from Barelvi movement,
has pasted posters outside several masjids across the city beside spreading the
message through discourses.During winter, especially in December and January,
kite flying becomes rampant across the city. Every year, activists run
campaigns to create awareness about the ill-effects of manja, especially the
Chinese or nylon one, used for kite flying. Earlier this month, the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a nationwide interim ban on the use of
glass-coated manja for kite flying.But, Assaqafatur Razaviya has added
religious dimension to the issue.
Women activists won't be
allowed inside Sabarimala: Kerala govt
Sabarimala: The Kerala govt
on Monday said that the entry of Bhumata
Brigade chief Trupti Desai will not be allowed in the Lord Ayyappa temple here,
even as the activist plans to lead 100 odd women to the famous hill shrine in
Sabarimala.There are restrictions for the entry of women between 10-50 years of
age in the temple."The Sabarimala temple is administered by Travancore
Devaswom Board (TDB) and its traditions and rules are applicable to
everyone," Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran told reporters here.PTI
Rajnath assures protection
of Assamese people, warns rebels indulging in violence
Guwahati: BJP-led govt at the Centre was committed to provide all
Constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to protect the identity
of the Assamese people as laid down in Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, union home
minister Rajnath Singh said here. Singh’s announcement came at a time when
there have been widespread protests against Centre’s move to amend Citizenship
Act and provide citizenship to Hindu and other minorities of Bangladesh. AASU,
Asam Sahitya Sabha and other organisations of Assam see this proposed amendment
as contradictory to the Assam Accord, and a step that would linguistically
threaten the Assamese and other indigenous communities. Indian express
Medical emergency in
Manipur: 57-day blockade cripples health services
Dijen Singh travels 38km
from his home in Manipur’s Thoubal district to Imphal every time his father
Jogeshwar Singh needs to undergo dialysis. But he is worried the routine may
soon grind to a halt.An ongoing economic blockade by United Naga Council (UNC)
in Manipur, which entered its 57th day on Monday, could affect Dijen’s father
and thousands of other patients in need of routine and urgent medical
care.Medical supplies are running alarmingly low since the UNC took to the
streets after the state government proposed the creation of several new
districts for what it said was “administrative convenience”. UNC alleges
non-Nagas stand to benefit at their cost from the redrawing of the district
maps. HT
4,000 paramilitary
personnel rushed to Manipur
SP-BSP in booklet war to
woo Muslim votes in UP
Lucknow:The ruling
Samajwadi Party (SP) and its arch-rival BSP are embroiled in a “booklet war” to
woo the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh where the Assembly elections are
scheduled to be held early next year. deccan herald
Raj Babbar rules out
alliance with any party for UP polls
In 2012 polls, Muslims lost
over 2 dozen seats in UP due to split in votes. Will this trend be repeated in
2017?TCN
Underlining message of
social harmony, Muslims celebrate Christmas at Noida church:TOI
Noida: Muslims from a Shia
mosque in Sector 50 greeted Christians celebrating their big day at the Bethel
Methodist Church just adjacent to the mosque.Perhaps, the only such example in
Noida, the area has two churches, a Hindu temple and a mosque, all located
within 500 metres of distance.A group of around 10 muslims from the India
branch of the 'Who is Hussain' organisation, an international outfit of Shias,
led by Maulana of the mosque Ghulam Ali Naqvi, visited the church and presented
gifts to the priest and other members of Christian community just after the
Christmas prayers.While the building of the Bethel Methodist Church in E block,
Sector 50 was completed in 2003, the mosque is almost 18 years old. The
tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas is continuing for the past 4
yearsColonel SBA Zaidi, president of the Anjuman Nasrane- Ahlebait mosque said
that the gesture aims at spreading the message of social harmony which has been
forgotten these days. Timesofindia
Successful test firing of
India's most potent missile Agni 5, paves way for induction in Strategic Forces
Command
Why the Enemy Property
Ordinance Needed Parliament’s Reconsideration: THE WIRE
WORLD
In defiance of UN, Israel
reportedly set to approve thousands of settler units
Days after the UN Security
Council approved a resolution affirming the illegality of Israeli settlements
in the occupied Palestinian territory and called for their construction to
cease, reports emerged that Israel is set to approve thousands of new settler
units in occupied East Jerusalem.Local Planning and Building Committee of the
Jerusalem municipality is expected to approve some 5,600 housing units in East
Jerusalem for illegal settlements, the Hebrew version of daily newspaper Israel
Hayom reported Sunday morning.According to Israel Hayom, the move came as a
direct response to the UNSC resolution 2334, that passed with unanimous approval
from 14 council members, while US abstained from voting.The reports said that
the committee will approve 2,600 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement
of Gilo, 2,600 others in Givat HaMatos, and 400 units in the Ramat Shlomo
settlement. A spokesperson for Jerusalem municipality could not immediately be
reached to confirm the reports. Middle east monitor
Netanyahu freezes ties with
UN resolution backers
Jerusalem,(PIC) Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu ordered during the cabinet weekly meeting late Sunday to reduce all
diplomatic relations with 12 of the countries that voted in favor of UNSC
settlement resolution.According to Haaretz Hebrew newspaper, Netanyahu
instructed his govt to reduce ties with
countries that backed the UN anti-settlement resolution.Earlier Sunday,
Netanyahu decided not to declare future settlement plans to avoid any new UN
resolutions.
US envoy to Israel summoned
over UN settlement vote
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned US ambassador
to Israel over a resolution condemning settlements on Palestinian
territories.The summon on Sunday came hours after envoys of all other UNSC members
were asked to appear before the foreign ministry following UN vote.
Non-Arab states 'get' the
Palestinian cause:Mohammad Ayesh London based journalist
Israeli forces suppress
Bethlehem’s ‘Santa Claus march’ with tear gas, rubber bullets
Israeli forces suppressed
Bethlehem’s “Santa Claus March,” shooting tear gas and rubber-coated steel
bullets at participants, with many suffering from tear gas inhalation.A number
of demonstrators, including five journalists and foreigners, participated in a
march near the Israeli checkpoint 300 in the north of Bethlehem, which
separates residents from Jerusalem. The march, which includes participants
dressing up as Santa Claus close to the Christian holiday of Christmas, was
launched under the banner “Terrorism and occupation are two sides of the same
coin,” and demanded the opening of Israeli checkpoints for Christian tourists
to celebrate the holiday in the birthplace of Jesus Christ. middleeastmonitor
Israeli forces open fire at
Palestinian farmers in Gaza
Israeli forces opened fire
at Palestinian farmlands east of Khan Yunis in the southern besieged Gaza Strip
Sunday morning as farmers attempted to tend to their land, witnesses told Ma’an
news agency.According to witnesses, Israeli soldiers stationed in watchtowers
near the border fence east of the town of Khuzaa fired gunshots while
Palestinian farmers were trying to reach their lands. No injuries were
reported. middleeastmonitor
Israel to spray pesticides
along Gaza border
Palestinian ministry of
agriculture has warned local people that the Israeli occupation authorities are
going to spray pesticides along the Gaza border between 25 Dec.and 5 Jan. Ministry’s
statement was reported by a number of media outlets.“This is an annual Israeli
activity which takes place at the end of the year to get rid of unneeded grass
in this farming strip along the border,” General Director of the Ministry of
Agriculture in Gaza, Younis Al-Zaytouniyeh, told Quds Press. middleeastmonitor
Civilians killed by barrel
bombs near Damascus: reports
At least 14 civilians have
been killed and several others wounded in a series of barrel-bomb attacks on
rebel-held areas near Damascus, activists have told Al Jazeera.Syrian govt air strikes targeted the town of Wadi Barada,
northwest of the capital on Monday, injuring dozens of people, including
several children, activists said.According to videos posted on social media by
opposition groups, the Syrian regime intensified its assault on the town. White
Helmets, a team rescuing people from bombed-out houses, said a number of people
were trapped under the rubble following the heavy bombardment. Barrel bombs are
typically constructed from large oil drums and filled with explosives, nails
and scrap metal. aljazeera
Syrian regime targets last
medical clinic in Madaya
Assad regime has targeted last
medical clinic in the besieged town of Madaya, Syrian Network for Human Rights
reported on Sunday. Pro-regime forces, including fighters from Lebanon’s
Hezbollah,were involved in assault.It claims that barrel bombs, mortars and
surface-to-surface rockets were fired from military checkpoints surrounding the
town. According to report, the offensive has destroyed a lot of Maday’s
infrastructure and killed at least eight people, including three children and 2
civil defence personnel. In addition, at least 58 people have been wounded,
including 2 civil defence workers;36 of those injured are in a critical
condition. middleeastmonitor
Total of 226 IS militants
'neutralised' in latest al-Bab operations - Erdogan spokesman
A total of 226 Islamic
State militants have been "neutralised" in latest operations around
the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, the spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan said on Monday. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels, supported by the Turkish
military, have been laying siege to the town for weeks. Ibrahim Kalin made the
comment at a news conference in Ankara that was broadcast live on television. reuters
7 Iraqi troops killed in
Mosul clashes
7 Iraqi soldiers were
killed in deadly clashes with Daesh militants in Mosul on Sunday amid a major
offensive to recapture the northern city from the terrorist group.Daesh
militants launched a car-bomb attack and engaged in clashes with Iraqi forces
in Tamim district in eastern Mosul, army officer Mohanad Nour al-Din told
Anadolu Agency. Middleeastmonitor
Erdogan calls Putin over
Syria, Russian plane crash
Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin following the tragic
Russian plane crash that killed 92 people, presidential sources said Sunday. Erdogan
offered his condolences to Putin over Sunday’s deadly Russian plane crash in
the Black Sea.AA
No sleeveless blouses
please, we are Sri Lankans
Colombo: Female staff of
the Sri Lankan parliament are barred from entering the Public Officers’ Box if
they are wearing a sleeveless blouse, according to a report in The Sunday Times
of Dec. 25.“A trilingual notice freshly placed on the door to the Public
Officer’s Box in Parliament stipulated the dress code for female public officers
as being saree and a blouse with long-sleeves. And so, a number of female
public officers who came to discharge their duties during the budget debate
were barred from entering the Box and thus prevented from performing their
official functions on the grounds that they were not properly dressed,” the
paper said. newindianexpress
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:20 PM)
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