Evening NEWS DIGEST
10 Jan.2017: 11 Rabius
Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:85
Law was amended after Shah
Bano case, can do it for jallikattu too: Venkaiah Naidu
New Delhi:Union Minister
Venkaiah Naidu today invoked Constitution amendment to nullify the Supreme
Court order in the Shah Bano case as a possible way out to allow jallikattu,
which was banned by the apex court recently.Venkaiah Naidu hinted that in the
view of strong emotional connect of the people of Tamil Nadu with jallikattu,
the Centre is mulling over a way out after the Supreme Court banned it."We
are getting suggestions (to amend the law). After all, we did it in the Shah
Bano case," said Naidu adding, "But, we will have to see. We will
have to discuss. We will have to weigh what court thinks."However, Naidu
was non-committal about bringing an ordinance to deal with the Supreme Court
order on Jallikattu, saying,"I am not dealing with the subject in the govt."
Venkaiah Naidu said, "Personally, I feel that Jallikattu is a traditional
art. It is a traditional sport in Tamil Nadu. Nobody should have problem with
this."IndiaToday
SC to hear various
petitions on polygamy,triple talaq today
New Delhi:The Supreme Court
on Tuesday will hear various petition on the Constitutional legitimacy of
triple talaq and polygamy in the Muslim community. Several women have filed a
petition before the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of the triple talaq
practice. The Central Govt has also told the top court that it is against
gender injustice and for equality between men and women under the
Constitution.However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has defended the
practice, saying it is better to divorce a woman than kill her. Rights bestowed
by religion can’t be questioned in a court of law, it said.ANI
Talaq: Nida asks Aala
Hazrat family to boycott ex hubby
Bareilly: Nida Khan, ex-wife
of Aala Hazrat seminary head's nephew, on Monday claimed that her ex-husband
and his family never followed Shariat. She made this statement a day after
women clerics slammed her for not following the Shariat. Nida alleged that they
had physically assaulted her on many occasions which is totally against
Shariat. She also demanded Aala Hazrat should boycott her former husband. Women
clerics on Sunday at a press conference held at a guest house situated near the
seminary had claimed that Nida has been divorced and she should accept it. The
clerics also claimed that instead of moving court, she should have consulted
city qazi as prescribed in Shariat.Nida was divorced by Sheeran Raza Khan,
nephew of the seminary head Subhan Raza Khan.TOI
National-level boxing
player Imran kicked out for sporting beard in Mumbai
Mumbai: A National-level
taekwondo and kick-boxing player barred from a boxing competition because he
has the beard as part of his Muslim faith.According to Hindustan Times report,
Sayyed Imran Ali, a second-year BCom student at GR Patil College in Mumbra came
to University Sports Pavilion in Marine Lines last Monday to compete for his
match. But the university officials citing the rule by International Amateur
Boxing Association (AIBA) barred him from the ring after he refused to shave
his beard off.Uttam Kendre, director, University of Mumbai (MU) department of
physical education and sports said, “[Indian Boxing] Federation requires boxers
to be clean-shaven before every match.”Imran Ali, who sports a goatee, said he
was not aware of the rule since this was his first competitive boxing.“I have
been participating in kick-boxing, karate and taekwondo competitions at the
state and the national level for the past seven years. My small beard was never
an issue,” said the boxer, who runs a martial arts training centre in Mumbra.HT
/ siasat
Mumbai University bars
bearded Muslim student from boxing event
Babri Masjid case: SC asks
Muslim board to submit documents by Jan 23
New Delhi:Responding to the
plea of Hindutva league, the Supreme Court directed the Sunni Waqf Board to
submit all the related transcripts and documents to the apex court within Jan.23,
2017. While hearing the prolonged debatable case on Jan.4, a bench of Justice
Arun Mishra and Justice Amitava Roy asked the appellants to clarify that since
2010, why they have not submitted their documents to the court.After the apex
court asked the Sunni Waqf Board to be present at the Registrar Court within
this month, the members visited the court on Monday to explain. The order also
mentioned that, “In case learned counsel has not appeared so far. Let them
appear before the concerned Registrar within a period of ten days from on
Monday. Let office to submit its report in this regard.”On September 30, 2010
the Allahabad High Court pronounces its verdict that the land to be divided
into three parts. 1/3 goes to Ram Lalla represented by Hindu Maha Sabha, 1/3 to
Sunni Wakf Board, 1/3 goes to Nirmohi Akhara. millenniumpost
‘We often sleep empty
stomach’: BSF jawan’s video exposes the mess caused by corruption
New Delhi:At a time when
those complaining about standing in bank queues due to demonetisation are being
asked by the ‘so called nationalists’ to compare their pain to that of the
soldiers standing at border, a BSF jawan has shared three videos which describe
how our national heroes are badly treated,while doing their duty, by none other
than the administration. The videos expose the dismal state of affairs in the
Armed forces and the hardships our soldiers face everyday due to the “corrupt
practices” of their own officers. And there is nothing nationalist about it. In
fact, the videos, that have gone viral, may deter young aspirants from joining
the armed force.The video suggests that our jawans are not just exposed to the
security threat from across the border and the elements, but are also subjected
to humiliation and insult when it comes to their daily meals which are both
substandard and insufficient. In fact, they even sleep empty stomach at times,
the video reveals.Army or paramilitary jawans usually don’t speak against
seniors fearing strict punishment. However, Jawan Tej Bahadur of 29 battalion
showed courage, may be because of his desperation, to talk about that
humiliation without caring about the consequences. indianexpress
'Can a BSF jawan work 10
hours on such food?': Soldier posts horrifying videos of substandard food
Demonetisation
RBI says demonetisation was
Modi govt's idea, deepens secrecy around move
New Delhi: Contrary to
popular belief, it was the govt which had "advised" the RBI to junk
Rs 500/1000 notes on Nov.7 and the board of the central bank the very next day
recommended the demonetisation.In a 7-page note to Parliament's
Department-Related Committee of Finance headed by Congress leader M Veerappa
Moily, RBI stated that the Govt had on Nov.7, 2016 "advised the RBI that to mitigate the triple problems of
counterfeiting, terrorist financing and black money, the Central Board of the RBI
may consider withdrawal of the legal tender status of the notes in high denominations
of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000."RBI's Central Board met the very next day to
"consider the Govt's advice," and after "deliberations,"
decided to "recommend to Central Govt that the legal tender status of the
banknotes in the high denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 be
withdrawn."Union Cabinet headed by PM Modi met within hours of that recommendation
on Nov.8 and banned circulation of old 500 and 1000 rupee notes.In the note to
the panel, RBI said it had been in the last few years working on introduction
of new series of banknotes with improved security features to secure them
against counterfeiting.PTI
Cleared Rs 2000 note in
May, no talk then on 500, 1000:RBI
Mumbai: RBI has said that
its Central Board approved the proposal to issue new notes of the denomination
of Rs 2,000 as early as May 2016, a fact it mentions in its note to the Standing
Committee on Finance, but adds that there was no discussion on a possible
withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes at its board meetings in May or July or
August.In its RTI reply to an application filed by The Indian Express, RBI said
the Central Board discussed and approved the proposal to introduce Rs 2,000
notes on May 19 last year.To a specific question on whether there was a
discussion on a possible withdrawal of legal tender of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000
notes at any of the board meetings of RBI last year, the RBI said that this was
not discussed during the May 2016 Board meeting or the subsequent Board
meetings on July 7 and August 11.
OTHERS
Kashmir unrest: Education
sector badly affected, says report
Jammu:The education sector
has been badly hit in Kashmir Valley during the five-month-long unrest, causing
“irreversible loss” to students, the Economic Survey Report has said. “Due to
the closure of schools, the academic session got badly hit to the extent that
it caused irreversible loss of study and tuitions to the students. The exams
conducted by J&K Board of Secondary Education (JKBOSE) for 10th and 12th
standard students covered only 50 % of
the total syllabus.“However, an option has been given to the students to appear
in March (for 100 % syllabus coverage)
also,” according to the Economic Survey Report, 2016, tabled in the Assembly
today.It said 31 school buildings were gutted — 17 fully and 14 partially —
during the five-month-long unrest following the killing of \Burhan Wani in an
encounter, whereas 15 school buildings were saved by employees of education
department and local community from being burnt. PTI
RSS affiliate holds
dialogue with Kashmiri students on nation-building
Over 1,000 Kashmiri
students from 25 universities came together in Delhi for a "Kashmir
Student's Conference" organised by Muslim Rashtra Manch, an affiliate of
the RSS, in Delhi's Constitutional Club.Billed as a 'Dialogue on Students' Role
in nation building', the conference saw officials from a host of ministries
like Home, HRD and Minority Affairs. They spoke on a number of issues --
ranging from special scholarships for students from the state under the All
India Council for Technical Education, to Udaan, a special initiative of the
National Skill Development Corporation which seeks to provide skills and job
opportunities to about 40,000 Kashmiris over 5 years. ndtv
Mufti Sayeed death
anniversary: Top Hurriyat leader pays tribute in special issue of Sheeraza
Srinagar:On the first death
anniversary of former CM and PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has
released a special issue of multilingual magazine Sheeraza. The special issue
traces Sayeed’s life from childhood to death. Several people, including family
members and politicians, have written in it on their association with the
former CM. Also, senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Bhat has penned a piece for
the magazine, in which he has written in detail about his close association
with the former CM. indianexpress
Dalit leader Jignesh
Mevani, activist Sagar Rabari arrested ahead of Vibrant Gujarat Summit: indianexpress
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad
police on Tuesday arrested Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and activist Sagar
Rabari, a day after they had announced to disrupt Vibrant Gujarat Summit being
held in Gandhinagar. PM Narendra Modi is
also attending the event. A police team arrested Mevani at his home in
Meghaninagar and brought him to Gujarat University police station. Police said
that Mevani, convenor of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch and Rabari, general
secretary of Gujarat Khedut Samaj, were arrested for violation of police
commissioner’s notification under section-144 of CrPC .Joint Commissioner of
Police, sector-1, Piyush Patel said that the duo was arrested after an FIR
against them was lodged on Monday at Vadaj police station under section-144 of
CrPC.
Months Before Sahara Was
Granted Immunity, Tax Panel Member Was Abruptly Transferred
New Delhi: 5 months before
the Income Tax Settlement Commission (ITSC) granted Sahara India immunity from
any future prosecution and penalty over the Sahara diaries, a member of the
bench that eventually heard the company’s application was transferred under
less than normal circumstances. According to a report in The Hindu, IRS officer
Baldip Singh Sandhu was appointed in March 2016 as a member of the ITSC in
Delhi and was appointed to the principal bench headed by the chairman of the
tax settlement commission.The bench that Sandhu was appointed to was the same
bench that, on November 10 2016, issued
the immunity order for the Sahara group.However, before that, on July 19,
Sandhu “was transferred out to Chennai” even though his appointment was “location-specific
and non-transferable”. The Hindu reports that on July 19, Sandhu was relieved
of his duties and a finance ministry official came to the commission to serve
him his transfer order.Sandhu’s transfer was then taken to the Delhi High
Court, which in an October 26 order, declared that he could not “now be
transferred to the Additional Bench, Chennai; the appointment is against a
particular vacancy and the appointee is not transferable to another vacancy
that may have arisen, without the consent of the appointee”.THE WIRE
SC pulls up Govt for no
mechanism to monitor NGO funds
New Delhi:The Supreme Court
today pulled up the Centre for not putting in place a regulatory mechanism to
monitor the funds and their utilisation by NGOs, societies and voluntary
organisations. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar directed the Rural Development
Secretary and Director of Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural
Technology (CAPART), which comes under Rural Development Ministry, to be
present before it this afternoon with all relevant records.PTI
Police approach Areeb
Majeed to serve IRF notice
Mumbai; In their bid to
look for office-bearers of the IRF to serve a notice on it to appear before a
judicial tribunal, police personnel from Dongri police station approached Areeb
Majeed on Saturday at Arthur Road jail. Kalyan-based youth, facing trial for
allegedly being a member of Islamic State, has no links with Zakir Naik’s IRF,
as per investigation by the NIA. Earlier last week, police officials had said
they will be scanning prison records to see if any IRF members were previously
jailed. When contacted, senior police officials too appeared surprised by the
local police approaching Majeed to serve a notice pertaining to IRF. The
chargesheet filed by the NIA against Majeed in 2015 makes no mention of his
association with the IRF.After the govt issued a ban on the organisation
founded by televangelist Naik, it is required under the UAPA to present before
a tribunal its case proving sufficient cause for the ban.A tribunal comprising
Delhi High Court Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal will be adjudicating the decision
and a notice is required to be issued to IRF to make its representation against
the ban.While one copy was served to a lawyer representing IRF, police
officials had been attempting to trace office-bearers to serve the notice since
its office in Dongri has been shut since the ban.Advocate Mubin Solkar, who
represents the IRF, said the organisation’s legal team will be present before
the tribunal in Delhi.Meanwhile, NIA has begun arguments to frame charges
against Majeed. indian express
NIA directed to exchange
cash seized from ISIS suspect with new notes: indiatoday
New Delhi: The echoes of
demonetisation rang out in an NIA special court in the capital when it asked
the probe agency to exchange the Rs 2.83 lakh in now-invalid currency seized
from an alleged ISIS recruit and keep the amount ready in legal tender.Syed
Mujahid approached the court through his counsel, MS Khan, seeking the return
of his "hard-earned money and parents' savings" that NIA confiscated
during searches at his Karnataka home in Jan.2016. The agency seized a total of Rs 5.42 lakh in
old banknotes from Mujahid and two others-Nafees Khan and Mudabbir Mushtaq
Shaikh. Mujahid told court that the amount seized included money from his
fruit-selling business as well as the pension of his parents. Mujahid's parents were govt servants- his
father retired as a tehsildar while his mother was a school headmistress.
No dog meat in top
Hyderabad eatery’s biryani:report
Hyderabad:Almost a month
after a top eatery in Hyderabad hit headlines over a WhatsApp message alleging
it was using dog meat in its famous biryani, the Chief Veterinary Officer of
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has stated that the raw meat samples
collected from Shah Ghouse Cafe and Hotel at Gachi Bowli on Dec.13 contained
“sheep meat only”. The samples were tested by National Research Centre on Meat
at Chengicherla on the outskirts of Hyderabad which submitted its result report
to GHMC Monday stating the meat sample given to them “is sheep (Ovis Aries)
meat only”.The samples were collected by GHMC officials after a message went
viral on WhatsApp that dog meat was added by Shah Ghouse Cafe in its famous
biryanis. The WhatsApp message contained photos of a dead dog and a skinned
carcass. indianexpress
Kerala: Samastha leader
Bappu Musaliyar passes away
Malappuram: Senior leader
of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama and Kerala state haj committee chairman
Kottumala Bappu Musaliyar, 65, passed away at a private hospital in Kozhikode
on Tuesday. He was under treatment for age related diseases for last some
weeks.Bappu Musaliyar is general secretary of Samastha Education Board and also
chairman of Suprabhatham daily, the mouth piece of Samastha faction of Sunnis.
He is also Mushwara member of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama. Timesofindia
Lucknow mourns demise of
Shahi Imam Waizi
Lucknow: Shahi Imam of the
historic Teele Wali Masjid, Maulana Fazlur Rahman Waizi breathed his last on
Monday. He was 75 and battling with chronic liver disease for the past few
months. Hundreds from all walks of life and across the state, including CM Akhilesh Yadav reached to mourn the demise and
pay tributes to the priest who was popular among all religious communities and
hailed as a bridge between Shia and Sunni sects in the city. TOI
After Modi,Kolkata imam
threatens Tarek Fatah on TVshow
Kolkata: Two days after issuing a 'fatwa' against PM Narendra Modi, a Kolkata cleric on Monday
threatened to slit the throat of Pakistan-born author and political commentator
Tarek Fatah, with whom he appeared on a television programme."Your throat
will also be slit," Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of
Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Mosque, told Fatah while responding angrily to the
latter's statement that India has come a long way from the medieval practices
when people's throats were slit.Both Barkati and Fatah were part of a
discussion programme on a private news channel where the cleric viciously attacked
PM Narendra Modi, accusing him of
spreading communalism and ruining the life of common people through the
demonetisation move.
W.Bengal: Muslim leaders
strongly condemn Shahi Imam Barkati's fatwa against PM Modi
Kolkata: Muslim leaders in
West Bengal have criticised the fatwa against PM Narendra Modi by Syed Md Nurur
Rahman Barkati, Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid. On Jan.7, the Muslim cleric
had declared a reward of Rs 25 lakh to anyone who cut off the beard of PM Narendra Modi, shaved his head and smeared him
with ink.Different Muslim organisations too came down heavily against Barkati.
Md Nooruddin, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said that the comments were
dangerous and would help those who had indulged in polarisation politics. “An
imam should be balanced in his views. He may have his political suggestions but
he should not be issuing any fatwa like this. This will damage the reputation
of Muslims and BJP will reap political dividend from it,” he told DNA.Similar
was the view of Md Kamruzaman, general secretary of All Bengal Minority Youth
Federation.Some, like Abdul Aziz, president, Milli Ittehad Parishad said that
the state should take steps against such statements.DNA
Nagpur; No band, baaja and
baraat, body tells Muslims
Nagpur: After anti-kite
flying appeal, city's Islamic organization Assaqafatur Razaviya of Satranjipura
has asked Muslims to avoid "splurging on matka party (singing paeans to
groom), playing musical band, video shooting and crackers during marriage
celebrations. On Dec.26, TOI had reported about the organization's anti-kite
flying campaign to dissuade Muslim youths from 'vice'. As part of the campaign,
the body, that draws its ideology from Barelvi movement, had pasted posters
outside several masjids across the city beside spreading the message through
discourses.In the latest move, organization has citied Holy Quran's verse 31 of
Chapter 7 Al-Araf. "Allah fizool karchnewalo ko pasand ni karta (God
doesn't like people who splurge)," reads the poster issued by the
organization. "Quran Shareef and Hadith both forbid splurging on useless
activities. Making images is also a sin. Playing music, bursting crackers,
matka party are all waste of money," president of the organization Maulana
Ateeque-ur-Rehman told TOI.
UP: In a first, electoral
rolls to be printed in Urdu for seats with high Muslim population
Bareilly: The chief
electoral officer (CEO) of UP has
decided, for the first time, to print electoral rolls in Urdu for those
constituencies which have a sizeable population of Muslims. The voters' list is
usually prepared in Hindi and English in the state but this time voters in
select constituencies will find it in Urdu also. In Bareilly, district election
officer (DEO) Pankaj Yadav has selected two constituencies - City and Cantt -
where voters will find the electoral rolls in Urdu at polling booths. "At
every polling booth, a voters' help desk will be set up to provide them
important information regarding the exercise of their franchise. Besides, at
every booth in City and Cantt constituencies, the electoral rolls will be
printed in Urdu along with Hindi and English," Yadav said.According to
sources at Election Commission, around 100 constituencies in the state, where
over 25% of the voters are Muslims, will have electoral rolls printed in Urdu.
Bareilly is one of the districts in UP where Muslim population is over 30%.
However, the 2011 census data of demographics based on first language or mother
tongue is yet to be released by the Registrar General of India.
UP polls: AIMIM releases
first list, says next one will have Dalits too
Lucknow : AIMIM on Monday
released its first list comprising 11 candidates for the upcoming state
Assembly elections, also announcing a series of public meetings of party chief
Asaduddin Owaisi, starting from Kairana in Shamli district on Jan.13. The
declared candidates are contesting from Agra South, Firozabad city, Kairana,
Koil (all of first phase), Behat, Saharanpur, Moradabad City, Moradabad Dehat,
Kundarki, Bareilly city and Amroha city (all in second phase).While all these candidates
are Muslims, party state president Shaukat Ali said that more will be declared
for both phases very soon, and will include Dalits as well. Like BSP, AIMIM too
plans to contest elections banking on Dalit-Muslim votes. indianexpress
Dhule riots: Victims demand
govt report to be made public
Mumbai: 4 years after the
Dhule riots, parents of the six men who were killed in police firing have
demanded that the Judicial Commission report on the riot be made public. “The
report was submitted to the state govt in October last year. It has been over
four years since our children were shot dead when they were trying to flee the
violence. The govt should come out with the report to let people know the truth
of what happened that day,” Raees Patel, whose 17-year-old son Saud Patel was
killed in police firing, said.The parents of the six met local authorities,
including the district collector, to submit their request. The state,
meanwhile, has said it is evaluating the contents of the report and would make
the findings public at an appropriate time.Violence broke out in Dhule on
January 6, 2013 over payment of a hotel bill. The fight turned into a major
riot and six persons were killed when the police opened fire on the mob. The
post-mortem reports of four of the six stated that they had been shot in the
back. One was shot in the neck.
3 yrs after riots hit
Muzaffarnagar, victims still in colonies
Muzaffarnagar : Phugana is
a village some 2 hours from Muzaffarnagar. Locally it’s called a village of
khandahars, ruins. The streets are lined with destroyed houses, shops and
desecrated places of worship. These are the ruins of the communal riots of
August 2013 but from the walls licked black by the flames you’d think it
happened yesterday. Until then, this had been a dusty village of 2500 Muslim
families living peacefully alongside 18,000 Jats. The land-owning Jats are
beneficiaries of the Green Revolution of the 1970s and ‘80s and today wield
great influence over Muzaffarnagar’s administration. newindianexpress
Under SC lens, BJP neta
says he won’t accept NHRC post
New Delhi: Within a month
after the Supreme Court agreed to examine the validity of his proposed
appointment as a member of National Human Rights Commission, BJP vice-president
Avinash Rai Khanna has withdrawn his consent for the post.A panel comprising PM,
Lok Sabha Speaker, deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Union home minister and
leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had recommended his
appointment as a non-judicial member of the NHRC.But immediately after, a PIL
filed in SC questioned how an active politician could be appointed for the
post.TOI
SC seeks NHRC’s reply on
anti-custodial torture law
New Delhi: The
Supreme Court sought a response on Monday from the National Human Rights
Commission, to be submitted within a month, on the need for a stand-alone
anti-custodial torture law and brushed aside the Centre's ploy to dissuade
judicial intervention in the issue by terming it a legislative exercise. PIL by
ex-law minister and Congress member Ashwani Kumar sought a direction to the govt
to enact a stand-alone law to punish police for custodial torture.Solicitor
general Ranjit Kumar said Parliament had already taken note of the issue and
was taking steps in this regard. Timesofindia
China tightens security at PoK,
Afghan borders
From Modi to Bhagwat, how Urdu
is being strategically used
WORLD
European court: Swiss
Muslim girls must swim with boys
The European Court of Human
Rights upheld a decision of a Swiss court backing fines on Muslim parents who
refused to allow their daughters to take part in mixed swimming lessons on the
basis of their religion.The parents, both Turkish-Swiss dual nationals,
appealed to the court over a fine handed down by education authorities after
they declined to send two of their daughters to mixed swimming lessons.They
said that the requirement, imposed by the school up until the age of puberty as
part of its physical education curriculum, violated their right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion enshrined in article 9 of the European
Convention on Human Rights.While the court acknowledged that the requirement
was an interference with the freedom of religion, it ruled that the
interference represented a "legitimate aim" to protect foreign pupils
from social exclusion.DPA /Aljazeera
Morocco bans production and
sale of Burqas citing security reasons
Rabat: Morocco has banned
the production and sale of burqa full-face Muslim veils, apparently for
security reasons, media reports said on Tuesday.While there was no official
announcement by authorities in the North African nation, the reports said the
interior ministry order would take effect this week."We have taken the
step of completely banning the import, manufacture and marketing of this
garment in all the cities and towns of the kingdom," the Le360 news site
quoted a high-ranking interior ministry official as saying.It said the measure
appeared to be motivated by security concerns, "since bandits have
repeatedly used this garment toperpetrate their crimes."Most women in
Morocco, whose King Mohammed VI favours a moderate version of Islam, prefer the
hijab headscarf that does not cover the face.AFP
Turkey vote brings Erdogan
a step closer to increased executive power
Turkish parliament has
voted to advance a bill on constitutional reform that would allow sitting President
Tayyip Erdogan to stay in office until 2029.Under the proposed far-reaching
changes to the executive branch of government, the power to appoint and dismiss
government ministers would become the purview of the president rather than the
prime minister. The reform would also allow Erdogan to become leader of the
ruling party while in office again, and possibly stay in power for another 12
years. independent
Turkey renames street after
assassinated Russian Envoy
Army offensive tightens
noose on rebel-held Douma
Health workers in a
besieged rebel-held suburb of Damascus have said daily attacks by Syrian troops
are stretching them to limit, and many fear the fall of Aleppo has emboldened
the govt of President Bashar al-Assad to step up its offensive.The Douma suburb
is a flashpoint town and is the largest rebel-held area on the Damascus
outskirts, which the govt is trying to retake. In a report published on Monday,
Assad said that his forces are on the road to victory, citing the recapture of
Aleppo as a "tipping point" in his fight against Syrian
rebels."We don't consider it [retaking Aleppo from the rebels] as a
victory. The victory will be when you get rid of all the terrorists,"
Assad told French journalists visiting the Syrian capital on Monday.As fighting
intensifies in Douma, most field clinics have been moved to basements, and
health workers worry that medical supplies are running out. Aljazeera
US troops 'kill dozens of
ISIL fighters' in Syria raid
UN: Civilians increasing
flee IS-held Mosul;135500 now out
UN's humanitarian aid
agency says an average of 1,000 people have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul each
day over the last week amid a stepped-up Iraqi offensive to retake the city
from the Islamic State group.Spokesman Jens Laerke of UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told reporters Tuesday in Geneva that some
135,500 people have fled Mosul since the operation began in mid-October. AP
Iran ready to discuss 2017
hajj with Saudi : official
A senior Tehran official says Iranian
authorities are ready to "participate in bilateral talks" with Saudi
Arabia about the 2017 hajj pilgrimage. IRNA quoted Ali Qaziaskar, a
representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying that
Iran like other Islamic countries received an invitation letter from Riyadh to
discuss next pilgrimage.AP
Citing Russian defence
ministry, Israeli website says Egypt to send troops to Syria next week
Russian defence
ministry has reportedly announced that Egypt would send troops to Syria to
observe the implementation of the truce reached between the Syrian regime’s
forces and the armed opposition, according to the Israeli website Rotter.The
news website added that the Egyptian troops will arrive in Syria early next
week, noting that a number of Egyptian officers had been already in Syria to
pave the way for the troops’ arrival.At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov called on Egypt as a partner to join his country along with
Turkey and Iran in the talks on Syria’s future and the implementation of the
truce, according to Rotter.Putin spoke with the Egyptian president yesterday
and promised to resume flights between Russia and Egypt soon. Middleeastmonitor
Israelis to build another
wall along Gaza border
Israeli Defence Minister
Avigdor Lieberman has approved a budget of NIS3.34 billion ($870 million) to
build a wall along the border with the Gaza Strip, Ynet News reported on
Monday. The project is said to be one of the biggest and most expensive ever
undertaken and is meant to be combined with several other security measures
along the 64 kilometre de facto border. Like the “smart” fence on the Egyptian
border, explained Ynet News, this one will have concrete walls deep underground
and equipment to detect tunnels. The wall will have both offensive and
defensive capabilities. Although the project is still in its initial stages, it
is expected to move forward in the coming months. middleeastmonitor
Daesh members arrested in
West Bank, claims Israeli radio station
'Forgotten' army of 400,000
Muslim soldiers who fought for British freedom in World War I: mirror
America dropped 26,171
bombs in 2016. What a bloody end to Obama's reign: Medea Benjamin, The Guardian
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:02 PM)
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