Evening NEWS DIGEST
23 Jan.2017: 24 Rabius Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:96
Minority organisations ask
Assam Govt to desist from eviction without planning
Guwahati: 23 organisations
of minority communities of the State have demanded of the State govt not to
carry out any eviction drive without prior arrangement of compensation and
rehabilitation.A public meet organised by a united platform of the
organisations named Sankhyalaghu Sangathan Samuhar Samanwayrakshi Samity today
said a land survey of the State is a must to solve the issue of
encroachment.“Targeting a few particular areas for eviction will never solve
the issue unless a scientific plan is prepared, considering the extent of
encroachment in the entire State. If the govt has no ill-intentions towards a
particular community, eviction should be done on all the encroached land at the
same time after proper survey,” said the chief coordinator of the forum, Azizur
Rahman.Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia said the problems
of minority communities do not just concern them, entire State is affected by
such issues. Speakers included Udayaditya Bharali, Dinesh Baishya, Brajen
Mahanta, Mehtabuddin Ahmed, TR Borbora, Atawar Rahman and others. The
organisations included All Assam Minority Students’ Union; Assam Rajyik Jamiyal
Ulama; Assam Sankhyalaghu Sangram Parishad; All BTC Minorities Students’ Union;
Jamat-e-Islami-Hind, Assam & Assam Miyan Parishad.assamtribune
‘Muslims can do fruitful
banking, investment’
Ahmedabad:Muslims from
across Ahmedabad assembled at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(GCCI) to deliberate on the need to have Shariah-compliant banking to harness
community finances, a demand that is fast growing. Experts from across the
religious spectrum converged at the Conference on Islamic Banking &
Microfinance in India under the aegis of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Islamic banking,
a window within conventional banking system, helps invest in products that
comply with the Islam which prohibits earning of interest. Shariah does not
allow investment in banks as earning of interest or paying interest on loan is
considered un-Islamic. It also does not allow investment in companies that
invest in equities considered haram or into speculation or gambling. “However,
Shariah allows profit sharing and investment in country’s infrastructure,” H
Abdur Raqeeb, general secretary, Central Advisory Council of Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind said. Raqeeb said the visit by the PMto Dubai recently was a big trigger.“PM
sought investment in India at a packed meeting but the business community
conveyed it can invest but India needs to have a Shariah-compliant system. I
know that businessmen in Gulf are eager to invest in India, they are already
investing in China through Hong Kong. The oil industry from where the money
comes from is on the decline at present and there are $3 trillion that they can
invest globally. India has an opportunity to get a huge slice of these funds,” Raqeeb
said. He said the biggest hurdle to Islamic Banking is that it needs
legislative amendment and go through the Parliament.Ahmedabad Mirror
‘Note ban has caused Rs
20,000-50,000 per acre loss to farmers’
New Delhi: India’s
cash-driven agri sector continues to reel under the effects of demonetisation,
with farmers growing fruits and vegetables suffering “huge losses”, say farm
leaders who want the Union budget to “compensate” them for these losses.Amid
reports of farmers dumping or refusing to harvest crops like tomatoes and peas
due to a crash in prices as traders did not have the cash to purchase the
produce, farmer leader Ajay Vir Jakhar said, “Farmers growing perishables like
fruits and vegetables have suffered losses of Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre
on an average.“The loss is huge,” Jakhar, Chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj (Farmers’
Forum, India), said. Explaining the “very bad situation”, farm leader Sudhir
Panwar, President of Kisan Jagriti Manch, told IANS: “When the trader says that
there is no money to purchase the crop, what is way out for the farmer? Either
sell at throwaway prices or dump the crop.”Fresh produce like vegetables and
fruits are sold in cash, he said, adding that the trade remains affected even
2-and-a-half-months after govt scrapped higher-value currency notes on
Nov.8.IANS
Demonetisation rips apart
textiles from farm to loom, leaves 25 million tottered
Dilapidated, dirty and
depressed, a town that was once called Manchester of Asia smells of textile
starch, thinners, garbage and sewage.Since the turn of the century, Bhiwandi,
30 km north of Mumbai, has wilted against competition from Bangladesh and
Vietnam. Bhiwandi holds more than a sixth of India’s 6.5 million power
looms—machines that manufacture fabric from yarn—according to this April 2016
Economic & Political Weekly report. A congested city of about 1.5 million,
it was once a key link in India’s cotton economy, which employs 25 million
workers alone, the second-largest employer after agriculture, according to this
2015 govt report.Bhiwandi has now been further crippled by the aftermath of Nov.8,
2016, scrapping of 86% of bank notes, by value. Indian textile industry is
already challenged by falling exports, low productivity and rising prices,
IndiaSpend reported in July 2016. HT
Tamil Nadu Assembly passes
Jallikattu Bill as protests in Chennai turn violent
New Delhi:Jallikattu Bill
was unanimously passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly during a special session on
Monday as protests over the bull-taming sport took a violent turn. It tabled by
CM O Panneerselvam and was passed within a few minutes. The bill will now
replace the ordinance promulgated by the state govt Earlier in the day, students leading the
Jallikattu protests clashed with police and torched several vehicles after they
were forcibly evicted from the Marina beach, the epicenter of the protests. Pro-Jallikattu
protesters set fire to vehicles parked at the Ice House police station and
attacked police personnel. indianexpress
J-K govt identifies 100
acres for resettling Kashmiri Pandits
New Delhi:J&K govt has identified 100 acres of land at eight
places in the valley for rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits who migrated from
the state in the early 1990s following outbreak of militancy. These pockets,
where Kashmiri Pandits are likely to be rehabilitated, will be spread across
all 10 districts of the valley, officials in the Union Home Ministry said on
Monday.According to the official figures, as many as 62,000 Kashmiri migrant
families were registered with the govt out of which 40,000 were registered in
Jammu, 20,000 in the national capital and remaining 2,000 in the rest of the
country. NDA govt , after assuming office in 2014, had earmarked Rs 500 crore
for rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits who had migrated from the valley
since Jan.19, 1990 following the rise in militancy. Taking up the issue of
their rehabilitation, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had written to then CM Omar
Abdullah to identify land for resettling them. Union Home Minister had
suggested that land may be identified near their native places also keeping in
mind the security aspect.PTI
Kashmiri militant sentenced
to death: Kin say he was hopeful of release till a month ago: indianexpress
Srinagar: A day after
Muzaffar Ahmad Rather (28) was sentenced to death by a Kolkata court for waging
war against the state, his family in Kulgam said that the verdict came as a
bolt out of the blue for them.Recalling a conversation with his brother Muzaffar,
Riyaz Ahmad Rather said that till last month he was hopeful of being released,
and had told him to come to Kolkata so that both could return together.But when
Riyaz, his mother Nafeeza Begum and an uncle reached Kolkata they were sent
back. “He told us that the next hearing would be on Jan.16 and we should come
again then,” said Riyaz, adding that a day before they were scheduled to leave
again Muzaffar “told me not to come here”. The 29-year-old school teacher said:“He
told me that he feels the court wouldn’t let him free”.
In Kashmir, ‘resistance’
calendar counters J-K govt by honouring Burhan Wani
Srinagar: Kashmir has
erupted again. However, the scene of the clash between various forces is not
the streets of the Valley, but 2017 calendars, through which contrasting
narratives are sought to be disseminated. It all began on New Year’s eve when
state finance minister Haseeb Drabu unveiled the J&K Bank calendar for the
new year. The calendar, which used to have photos of picturesque landscape of
the region till now, featured 12 “achievers” from the state in different
fields. Young sporting sensations Tajamul Islam (kickboxing) and Hashim Manzoor
(karate), bureaucrat and civil services exam topper Dr Shah Faesal and artist
Insha Manzoor were among those pictured.The popular calendar, found in most Kashmiri
homes, offices and shops, came at a time the Valley was slowly recovering from
a 5-month-long unrest. It instantly drew flak over its timing, choice of
“achievers” and the supposedly underlying politics. Comments calling for its
boycott flooded social media and many posted photos of torn calendars.HT
US wanted ‘nuclear
emissary’ to reduce India-Pak tensions, CIA papers reveal
New Delhi: US was so
concerned by the growth of the nuclear programmes of India and Pakistan in the
1980s that it toyed with the proposal of appointing a “nuclear emissary” to the
two countries to help tamp down tensions. Proposal is analysed in a top secret
memorandum dated Sept.6, 1985, part of about 13 million declassified documents
from the CIA which have been released online.A year before the memorandum was
drafted by CIA’s Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis, then US
President Ronald Reagan had warned Pak dictator Zia-ul-Haq that India could
take “military action to pre-empt your nuclear programme”, according to state
department documents declassified in 2015. Though Gandhi “probably will avoid
anything approaching agreement to serious US involvement in the problem”, Pakistanis
will “welcome an emissary but will want assurances that the US can deliver
India on any specific measures”, heavily redacted memo states in its summary.HT
CIA files: Despite keeping
tabs, US was unaware of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency plans
new delhi:In the days
leading up to the 1975 Emergency, the US Intelligence had little or no
information of PMIndira Gandhi’s intention to rule by decree, according to
declassified documents posted on the CIA’s online database. These are among
930,000 documents made accessible on CREST, CIA’s records archive. The trove
contains 12 million pages of dispatches, memoranda and records of briefings
documenting the agency’s spycraft dating as far back as the 1940s.Early
intelligence bulletins on South Asia were mostly regurgitated news reports
offering very little new insight. Though ndia’s nuclear programme was closely
monitored, day-to-day briefings were mundane and didn’t cover a lot of
ground.HT
Suspects in missing JNU
student case ignored police notice, HC told
New Delhi:Police today
claimed in the Delhi High Court that they could not carry out lie-detector
tests on nine suspects in connection with the disappearance of JNU student
Najeeb Ahmad, as none of them turned up despite notices served to them on
several occasions. Delhi Police contended before a bench of Justices GS Sistani
and Vinod Goel that the “students should come forward and douse all the
allegations being levelled so far against them in connection with the incident,
otherwise it will raise doubt about their involvement”. “We (Delhi Police’s
Crime Branch) have issued them notice on different occasions, but they refused
to accept it. We are even calling them on their mobile phone and have also sent
WhatsApp messages, but they are not responding.“Najeeb’s roommate, Mohd Qasim
is also not cooperating in the investigation, due to which a needle of
suspicion also goes towards him,” senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra, who was
representing Delhi police, said.He said that everybody should come forward and
cooperate in the probe, so that the boy, who is missing for the last
3-and-a-half months, is recovered. “If lie-detector tests are done on them, we
may get some clue or if not we may investigate in some other direction, so that
the boy is recovered, before its too late,” Mehra said. Senior advocate
Sidharth Luthra, appearing for one of the students, opposed the police
contention, saying his client has been cooperating with the investigation and
was ready to appear before the agency, but the probe should be done in a fair
manner.PTI
Missing JNU student: Month
after HC order, 9 yet to take polygraph test
SC dismisses petition to
postpone Union budget
Supreme Court dismissed a
plea seeking postponement of Union budget presentation ahead of the upcoming
assembly elections in five states, saying there was no illustration that it
would influence voters.A bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar refused to
admit the plea saying “there was not even a single concrete example that the
presentation of Union budget would influence the minds of electorate in state
elections”.PTI
RSS-led Modi govt is a threat
to the Indian constitution: PADS
New Delhi: A concerned
group of citizens under the banner of People’s Alliance for Democracy and
Secularism (PADS) has made passionate appeal to voters particularly UP voters
to defeat the BJP in the coming assembly elections in five states. It said RSS-led
Modi govt is a threat to the Indian constitution. Calling the ensuing elections
as the most crucial, it said this time much more is at stake than usual and the
people of UP have more responsibility than other state as UP is the largest state
in the country and every fifth Indian lives here. So they have an opportunity
in this election to defend India’s democratic rights, which are more important
than sectional interests. Muslim Mirror
'Contact with Napoleon a
death sentence for Tipu Sultan'
Jaipur:Napoleon's life and
career disapproves the Leftist challenge to the "Great Man" theory of
history, for he not only influenced the course of European history but also of
faraway India, where it was his talk of alliance with Tipu Sultan, that ensured
a virtual death sentence for the Mysore ruler from the British colonial rulers,
says a leading British historian.'It was his letters to Tipu Sultan proposing
an alliance that got Tipu into trouble.. were a veritable death sentence for
him," Andrew Roberts said at a session titled "Napoleon the
Great" at the penultimate day of Jaipur Literature Festival 2017 on
Sunday, "This was despite no way that Napoleon, who was then in Egypt,
could have marched on to India. He didn't have the requisite military strength,
there were two major deserts on the way, and the British were too powerful.
Nevertheless, it meant the end of Tipu and he was finally eliminated after the
Battle of Seringapatnam in 1798," said Roberts, who has written an
exhaustive biography of the French Emperor.Noting it is a rare historical
figure whose legacy prevails despite his defeat and banishment from his
homeland and his subsequent vilification by the victors, he said the influence
on Napoleon still survives not only in France but the countries he
conquered.IANS
Nearly half the practicing
lawyers in India are fake: Bar Council chairman tells chief justice
A 2-year-long verification
drive by the Bar Council of India has found that only 55% to 60% of practicing
lawyers in India are genuine, council chairman Manan Kumar Mishra told Chief
Justice JS Khehar, according to TOI. Speaking at a gathering held to felicitate
Khehar, Mishra said that the council had received only 6.5 lakh applications
during its verification drive, while 2012 election statistics state that 14
lakh of the voters were lawyers. The findings of the verification drive will
help to root out those who serve as lawyers illegally, the Bar Council chairman
said. “This will certainly improve the quality of our legal profession,” Mishra
added.Chief Justice Khehar advised that the council launch an inquiry at the
grassroots level, according to TOI report. “It is not only about people with
false degrees, but also about those with no degrees. These people work without
a licence. They go to court and practice without any authority. We need to
start much before, right from the institutions,” Khehar said. scroll
45% of lawyers fake?
Checking is on
Indian media world’s 2nd
most untrusted institution :Report
New Delhi :According to a
survey of 28 countries conducted by Edelman Trust on the behalf of World
Economic Forum there has been a ‘global implosion’ in people’s trust in
institutions like business, govt , media and NGOs.Indian media has attained an
extremely noticeable position in the survey. It comes only second to Australian
media in as far as people’s distrust in it is concerned. While 48% respondents
globally had reported trust in media in Edelman’s last survey only 43% of the
respondents have reported the same this time. In 17 out of 28 polled countries
trust in media has fallen to an all-time low.According to Richard Edelman,
President of Edelman Trust, “People now view media as part of the elite”.
Revelations of the report’s findings have coincided with commencement of the
World Economic Forum in Davos.Muslim Mirror
Inspection of DU records,
including PM Modi’s degree, stayed by Delhi HC
New Delhi: A Central
Information Commission order directing Delhi University to allow the inspection
of records of all students who had passed BA examination in 1978, the year when
PM Narendra Modi had also cleared it, was stayed by the Delhi High Court on
Monday. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, while extending the relief sought by Delhi
University, which had challenged the CIC’s Dec.21, 2016 decision, also issued
notice to RTI activist Neeraj seeking his response.The court has now fixed the
matter for further hearing on April 27, by when the activist has to reply to
the petition filed by DU, claiming the CIC order is “arbitrary” and “untenable
in law” as the information sought to be disclosed is “third party personal
information”. PTI
Taslima Nasreen claims India
needs uniform civil law; Muslim groups says she has got too much freedom
Jaipur: Taslima Nasreen,
who has been living in exile since 1994 after facing the ire of
fundamentalists, said India urgently needed a uniform civil law.During a
surprise session at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2017 in Diggi Palace,
the controversial writer also said criticism of Islam is the only way to
establish secularism in Islamic countries.
Nasreen said Muslim women are "oppressed" and that uniform
civil law is the need of the hour to protect their rights. "If you have a
set of laws for Hindus, if Hindu women can divorce their husbands and have a
say in their property, and we have seen how progressive that has been, then why
are Islamic fundamentalists against a uniform civil law? Is not having a
uniform civil law democratic," the author of 'Lajja' said."A uniform
civil law is urgently needed in India for the protection of women. The
fundamentalists should introspect and ask themselves why are they not ready to
accept criticism," the Bangladeshi author said.Outside JLF venue, Muslim
organisations protested against the participation of Taslima Nasreen at festival.
"Taslima was thrown out of Bangladesh. She was allowed to stay in this
country, but she has got too much freedom," said Qari Moinuddin, convenor,
Rajasthan Muslim Forum."JLF organizers have assured us that they will
never call these two people (Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen) to Jaipur
Literature Festival again without consulting us," said the convenor of Rajasthan
Muslim Forum. indiatoday
Ujjain: NIA interrogates
suspects in city; SP rubbishes claim: freepressjournal
Ujjain: 2 suspects of
Indore-Patna Express accident case from Mehdipur, near here, was interrogated
by NIA, which has been investigating the case as it suspects SIMI hands behind
the deadly accident. Two youths, Shabir and Irfan, residents of Nagouri Mohalla
in Mehidpur were called and interrogated by the team. “Both the suspects were
interrogated for about 200 minutes at Madhav Nagar police station and were
released later,” sources said. Meanwhile, SP Manohar Verma said that they do
not have any such information about the NIA team picking up suspects from the
district.
Give Rs 5 lakh relief to
man acquitted of terror charges, says NHRC to Delhi govt
New Delhi: Observing that
the actions of the state authorities took away “14 prime and precious years” of
a man’s life, NHRC has recommended that the Delhi govt pay Rs 5 lakh as interim relief to Mohammed
Amir Khan — incarcerated since he was 18 — who was acquitted in cases of
terror.In an order dated Nov.8, 2016, the commission noted that DCP, Vigilance,
had forwarded an inquiry report to the commission, stating that Khan was
arrested in cases related to a series of bomb blasts in Delhi and its adjoining
states in 1996-1997. DCP said Khan was convicted in two cases and appeals
against his acquittal in two other cases were pending before the Delhi HC.“The
reply to the showcause notice is not based on merits. The notice was issued on
the point of acquittal of the victim in 18 cases by the courts and long
incarceration of the victim in prison. The commission is not concerned with
appeals pending in 2 cases. The fact is the victim had to spend 14 years in
prison for no reason, violating his rights.It finds no merits in the report of DCP,
Vigilance, and recommends that Rs 5,00,000 as interim relief be paid to him,” NHRC
order said.“Victim has been acquitted in 18 of 20 cases by astonishing
acknowledgement of lack of evidence,” NHRC noted. indianexpress
No amount can bring back my
14 yrs, my father, mother: Amir on Rs 5 lakh compensation order from NHRC
Why Muslims want changes in
Haj subsidy:HT report
Mumbai: Union govt has set up a panel to review the subsidy given
for the annual Haj — the last pilgrimage was 4 months ago — to the Muslim holy
cities in Saudi Arabia. The subsidy, which covers the cost of air tickets, has
been a divisive subject. Though every pilgrim travelling from India does not
use the subsidy, the facility is often held up as an example of Muslim
appeasement by the govt . The concession was introduced about 40 years ago to
help pilgrims who could not afford air fares. Mufti A Rehman Mili, an expert on
the pilgrimage, said till the 1970s most Indian pilgrims sailed from Mumbai to
Jeddah. “Only some pilgrims could afford to travel by air. Hajis from all over
India would gather in Mumbai and the Musafirkhanas – lodges – and Mumbai was
known as ‘Bab-e-Mecca’ (Gateway to Mecca),” said Mili. The pilgrimage’s
association with a sea journey meant that the agency that helped pilgrims was
called the Port Haj Committee till the 1950s. Sea travel started fading away when
two of three ageing ships that ferried pilgrims were withdrawn from services,
forcing more people to travel by air. In 1994, when the shipping services were
discontinued, around 5,000 – a fifth of the pilgrims — took a ship.Air fares
were expensive and, in response to demands for help, the govt introduced the subsidy to cover the cost of
air tickets. “Indira Gandhi govt decided
that pilgrims will continue to pay what would have been the ship fare. Air
India (the national carrier) was paid to fly the pilgrims,”said Mili.Some
Muslims want the subsidy to go. “Govt can discontinue it because the Supreme
Court has said it should be phased out,” said Salim Ansari, a former member of
the Haj Committee of India. “Ordinary Hajis do not get any major benefit from
the subsidy.”“The pilgrimage is compulsory only if a person has the wealth to
spend on the travel,” said Syed Zahid Ahmed, a finance consultant. Maulana
Mustkim Azmi, ex-member of the Haj Committee, is of the opinion that there
should not be a sub-quota for tour operators.
Poet Manzar Bhopali gets
summons for remark on ‘saffron undergarments’
Bhopal: An Urdu poet has
been issued a summon in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed
against him by another poet.Secretary of MP Urdu Academy Dr Nusrat Mehdi
slapped the suit against poet Manzar Bhopali for allegedly accusing her of
“saffronising’’ the govt body and saying
that “like other govt officers and
employees, she too has started wearing saffron undergarments”. A first class
judicial magistrate’s court on Jan.11 issued summons to Bhopali. Bhopali made
the alleged comment at a function in the old city in March 2016. Mehdi claimed
that Bhopali not only defamed her, but also violated her dignity by referring
to the colour of her undergarments in public. Indianexpress
Bahujan Kranti Morcha
organises rally in Mumbai, asks for separate courts for Dalit atrocity cases
Bahujan Kranti Morcha, an
umbrella organisation of various representatives of marginalised groups,
organised a rally in Mumbai to press for a number of demands, including
separate court for Dalit atrocity cases. The rally was organised in Azad Maidan
and was attended by over 3,000 people. It followed meetings in 36 district o
Maharashtra in which people were mobilised under the banner of ‘Mulnivasi.
Nilesh Chavan, one of the organisers of the Morcha, spoke with Twocircles.net.
“We are holding this rally to give a life of dignity to the Nomadic tribes,
Dalits, Muslims and Women.Present govt is more exploitative than what we thought.
This is an attempt to respond to the actions of the govt ”.TCN
Confronting the ‘holy
silence’ against child abuse: TOI
Kerala: Sandeep Adhikari's
debut film 'Thoopu' speaks about child abuse. But for Zane Shah, the film
student from New York who played the lead role in the film, it was not just an
opening to the film industry but an opportunity to expose his harrowing
experience at a Madrassa in Perumbavoor, 2 decades ago. Film was screened at
Aries SL Cinemas on Sunday."This movie speaks at length about the
atrocities and malpractices that occur inside religious institutes. When I was
hardly 6 years old, Usthad at my Madrassa misbehaved with me and I was too
scared to talk about it to my family. I am happy to be a part of this movie and
expose such atrocities. Kids should not hide such incidents from parents and
the film reveals the significance of maintaining a proper channel of
communication between parents and children," said Shah, who is currently
pursuing MFA at the New York Film Academy.
WORLD
Syria's warring sides kick
off talks in Astana
A delegation of Syrian
rebels attending a new round of talks in Kazakhstan's capital will not hold
direct talks with representatives of the govt , according to opposition
sources. The meetings in Astana, organised by Russia and Turkey, are aimed at
strengthening a shaky ceasefire that has largely held despite incidents of
violence across Syria.Opposition spokesman Yahya al-Aridi said the rebels had
backed out of the first session of face-to-face negotiations on Monday,
accusing the govt of Bashar al-Assad of violating the December 30 truce deal
brokered by Russia and Turkey. "If there is seriousness in making these
talks lead to something substantial, formality won't be that important,"
Aridi told Al Jazeera."We haven't seen any signs of commitment to the
ceasefire; there should be clarity and agreement on this first."But Bashar
al-Jaafari, the head of the Syrian govt delegation, also accused rebels of not keeping
their end in the ceasefire deal - particularly in Wadi Barada, a strategic area
in the Damascus suburbs and home to a major water facility.Speaking to
reporters in Astana, Jaafari repeatedly referred to the rebel delegation as
representatives of "terrorist armed groups" and said the agenda for
the talks is "not ready yet".Al Jazeera's Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting
from Astana, described the start of the talks as "rocky", saying the
lack of direct negotiations raised concerns about the effectiveness of the
meeting."It is making diplomatic sources wonder how effective these talks
will be, because these meetings really hinged on the idea that the rebels and govt
representatives will meet
face-to-face," Jamjoom said.Organisers have played down expectations of a
breakthrough, with Numan Kurtulmus, Turkey's deputy prime minister, saying the
prospect of an immediate solution was still distant.
Bashar al-Assad reportedly
suffering under 'psychological pressure'
The pressures of leading a
country engulfed in a complex and chaotic civil war may be taking its toll on
the health of Syria's embattled leader.Amir Taheri, a columnist with the
Saudi-owned London based paper Asharq Al-Awsat, claimed in a piece published in
Saturday’s edition that Bashar al-Assad's mental health is suffering after
almost 6 years of conflict. Citing officials from Syria's ally Russia, he said
Moscow insiders claimed on background the president is “exhausted” due to
“psychological pressures.”“This is why Russian officials, speaking in private,
now drop hints that Assad is ‘exhausted by 5 years of war and tension’ and may
be is even developing a nervous tick in his left eye as a result of
“psychological pressures,” Taheri wrote.The comment was picked up by various
anti-Syrian regime outlets online, where the headline morphed into claims that
Assad - who trained as an doctor - has been hospitalised with a nervous
condition. Independent
After 6 years of war,
‘twitching’ Assad is ‘exhausted’
Syrian army, allies free
east Aleppo village from IS’s grip: Reuters
Beirut: Syrian army and its
allies on Sunday drove Islamic State from the village of Soran, east of Aleppo,
state media and a military media unit run by Hezbollah reported, bringing them
closer to territory held by Turkey-backed rebels. Several overlapping conflicts
are being fought in Syria, dragging in regional and global powers as well as
the govt and local groups, complicating
the battlefield in the north of the country and raising the risk of an
escalation in the war.The main struggle in Syria’s civil war is between
President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran, Russia and Shi’ite militias
including the Lebanese Hezbollah, against rebels that include groups backed by
Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the US.However, both those sides, as well as a
separate group of Kurdish-led militias, are also fighting against Islamic State
and retaking territory which the jihadist group controls in northern Syria.
Syrian regime uses napalm
and barrel bombs on town near Damascus
Syrian regime has attacked
the town of Ain Al-Fijeh in Wadi Barada near Damascus with napalm. Local
sources said that a helicopter belonging to the Syrian Air Force dropped the
chemical munitions along with barrel bombs, Al-Jazeera.Net has
reported.According to the news site, the regime forces renewed their bombardment
of the town on ten occasions during the night as the army and its Lebanese
Hezbollah allies tried to storm it on several fronts. middleeastmonitor
US 'discussing' moving
Israel embassy to Jerusalem
The White House said, on
Sunday, that it is in the early stages of talks to fulfil President Donald Trump's
pledge to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a
move opposed by the Palestinian leadership."We are at the very beginning
stages of even discussing this subject," said White House spokesman Sean
Spicer.Hundreds of Palestinians protested against the plans in cities across
the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to local media
reports. Trump reportedly spoke to hardline, right-wing Israeli PMBenjamin
Netanyahu earlier in the day.Jerusalem mayor, Nir Barkat, welcomed the Trump
administration's announcement. Aljazeera
Donald Trump invites
Israeli PM to White House:PTI
Washington: On Monday,US
President Donald Trump invited Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House
early next month, working quickly to establish close ties with a crucial ally
in the Middle East who was often at odds with his predecessor. As the Trump
administration took steps toward relocating the United States Embassy to
Jerusalem, Trump, on his second full day in office, spoke over phone to
Netanyahu and discussed ways to ensure security and stability in the Middle
East. The President emphasised on the importance the US places on US-Israel
close military, intelligence and security cooperation with Israel, which
reflects the deep and abiding partnership between the two countries, it
said.The two leaders discussed efforts to make peace between the Israelis and
the Palestinians.Trump and Netanyahu agreed to continue to closely consult on a
range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran, the
White House said.
Quran verses were recited
at Trump's inaugural service
US President Donald Trump
listened to a Quran recitation as part of an inaugural service on Saturday.Imam
who recited the verses, Imam Mohamed Magid, executive director of the All
Dulles Area Muslim Society, had been expected to recite the call to prayer,
instead he read out a verse from Surah Al-Hujarat:"O humankind, We have
created you a single male and female (Adam and Eve) and made you into nations
and tribes and communities, that you may know one another. Really, the most
honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you, and God has
all knowledge..."The imam also read a verse from Surah Ar-Rum: "And
among the signs of God is the creation of heaven and earth, and the variation
in your languages and your colors. Verily, in that are signs for those who
know." Imam was among 26 religious leaders from several faiths to
participate in the service, according to CNN. Alarabiya
Muslim family gets
heartwarming note after Donald Trump’s inauguration
Muslim farmers in Sri Lanka's
Amparai district seek return of 2878 acres
COLOMBO: Muslim farmers in
Ampara district in Eastern Sri Lanka are pleading with the govt to return 2878 acres of agricultural land
which ought to have been given back to them when the 30-year war ended in
2009.The non-return of these lands has affected 1406 families, who find that
the end of the war has brought no relief to them in economic terms, according
to K.Nihal Ahamed, Co-ordinator of the Ampara District Alliance for Land Rights
(ADALR).The 'Good Governance' govt of
Maithripala Sirisena is as indifferent to their pleas as the previous govt led by the hawkish Rajapaksa, ADALR
stated.
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:11 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment