- --Evening NEWS DIGEST
16 Feb.2017: 18 Jamadiul Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:118
Triple talaq, polygamy:
Constitution bench to decide on petitions, says SC; seeks submissions from all
parties by 30 March; Centre submits issues
The Supreme Court has
decided to set up a 5-judge Constitution bench to hear and decide on a batch of
petitions relating to the practices of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and
polygamy among Muslims. A bench headed
by Chief Justice JS Khehar took on record 3 sets of issues framed by parties
with regard to the cases and said the questions for consideration of the
constitution bench would be decided on March 30. The bench, also comprising
Justices NV Ramana and DV Chandrachud, said "the issues are very
important. These issues cannot be scuttled". Referring to the legal issues framed by the
Centre, it said all of them relate to the constitutional issues and needed to
be dealt by a larger bench. The bench asked the parties concerned to file
their respective written submissions, running not beyond 15 pages, by the next
date of hearing (March 30), besides the common paper book of case laws to be
relied upon by them during the hearing to avoid duplicity. When a woman lawyer
referred to the fate of the apex court judgement in the famous Shah Bano case,
the bench said "there are always two sides in a case. We have been
deciding cases for last 40 years. We have to go by the law and we would not go
beyond the law." The bench also made it clear that it is willing to sit on
Saturdays and Sundays to decide on the issue as it was very important. indiatvnews
Centre submits issues in
SC, questions practice of triple talaq, polygamy, Halala
Meanwhile, the Centre
submitted in the Supreme Court a list of issues for adjudication including the
question whether fundamental right to practice and propagate one's religion
protected the practice of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy among
Muslims. Here are the 4 questions submitted by the Centre:1- Whether the
practices of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy are protected under
Article 25(1) of the Constitution. The Article says: "Subject to public
order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all
persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to
profess, practice and propagate religion." 2- Whether the right to
practice and propagate religion is subject to other equally important rights,
that is right to equality (Article 14) and right to life (Article 21) of the
Constitution. 3- Whether the Muslim personal law amenable to the provision of
Article 13 of the Constitution which provides that any law is void if it is not
in conformity of the constitutional scheme and framed the issue. 4- Whether
these practices are compatible with India's obligations under international
treaties and covenants to which nation is a signatory. Indiatvnews
Are triple talaq, polygamy
protected under fundamental rights, Centre wants SC to decide
Triple talaq an important
issue, cannot be scuttled, says CJI; SC seeks written submissions from all
parties
Submit written submissions
to Attorney General by March 30: SC on triple talaq case
Triple Talaq, Polygamy
Protected by Constitution?Centre's Questions in SC
Linking triple talaq ban
& UCC harmful for Muslim women:Women’s activists
New Delhi: Women’s rights
activists who have moved the Supreme Court on the issue of triple talaq say
linking the demand to ban the practice with Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is
“harmful” for Muslim women. “It is harmful for Muslim women that every time we
talk about the need to abolish triple talaq the issue of UCC is imposed on us
and we go on to debating the issue which will apply to the entire country,”
said Noorjehan Safia Niaz from Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. “UCC confuses
the debate (about gender equality among Muslims) and the Muslim ulemas begin to
perpetuate the bogey of fear in the community,” added BMMA’s Zakia Soman.PTI
Woman moves SC to ban porn
sites over husband's addiction says it is destroying matrimonial life of people
New Delhi: At a time when
the Supreme Court is examining the menace of child pornography websites and
exploring ways to block them, a woman has approached the court telling how
addiction of pornography is destroying the matrimonial life of people. In a
petition filed in the Supreme Court, the Mumbai-based lady said that her
matrimonial life had been destroyed as her husband became addicted to online
pornography and pleaded the court to direct the Centre to take immediate steps
to ban such obscene sites.She contended that if her husband developed the
addiction despite being a well educated person and in his advancing years, the
impact of pornography sites would be much more harmful to the youth"My
husband has of late become an addict of porn and spends a lot of his prescious
time watching pornography which is now-a-days is easily accessible through the
internet. As a result my husband has fallen prey to this addiction of watching
pornographic videos and pictures which has made my husband's mind perverted and
ruined my matrimonial life," she said in her petition. The petitioner, a
social worker, told the court that she was happily married for 30 years but
matrimonial problem started in 2015 when her husband got addicted to pornography
websites despite being father of two children."I and my children are
suffering as a result of porn addiction of my husband. I am unfortunately a
victim of matrimonial dispute resulting out of porn addiction of my husband. I
have also during my work as social worker come across people who have been
adversely affected because of free and easy availability of porn contents all
over the internet," she said."Easy access of violent and hardcore
porn websites is causing immense damage to family values in India. People of
all ages are becoming perverted and morally bankrupt due to porn addiction. My
husband is in his advancing years but still he has gone astray due to porn
addiction, imagine what this addiction can do to the innocent minds of youth
and children," she said. timesofindia
Worried about husband’s
porn addiction, woman urges SC to ban porn sites
PMO refuses to answer RTI
query regarding number of employees from minority communities
New Delhi: PMO has denied
providing information regarding the number of employees from minority
communities currently employed with it citing ‘non-availability of
information’. PMO consist of the immediate staff of PM of India, as well as multiple levels of
support staff reporting to the PM .The reply was given by the PMO in an RTI
filed by TwoCircles.net staff reporter seeking information on the community
wise breakup i.e Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikhs, Parsis and Jain along with
their Rank/position. The RTI had also asked for providing list of schedule
caste and schedule tribe employees.PMO in its reply said that there are
currently 399 officials working with it and said that their details such as
name, designation is available on their official website of PMO. But when we
searched for the 399 employees, we found the names of only 41 employees listed
on the site. Out of these 41 people, only one Muslim name: Syed Ekram Rizwi,
Director, RTI, figures in the list. Besides, PMO further replied that
officers/officials working in PMO, falling under the category of minority
community or belonging to SC/ST category is scattered in different files and is
not available in a compiled form. The PMO feels that compilation of data from
several records will disproportionately divert the public resources.“It would
attack provisions of section 7(9) of RTI ACT, 2005,” reply says.TCN
2005 Delhi serial blast:
Court acquits 2 suspects; 10-year jail to Tariq Ahmed Dar
New Delhi: A Delhi court on
Thursday acquitted two accused Mohammed Rafiq Shah and Mohammed Hussain of all
charges in the 2005 Delhi serial blast saying the prosecution has failed to
prove their guilt. The court, however, sentenced another accused Tariq Ahmed
Dar to 10 years of imprisonment. DFarooq Ahmed Batloo and Ghulam Ahmed Khan had
earlier pleaded guilty and were let off by the court for the period already
undergone by them. Terror funding was the allegation against both these
accused.Three separate cases were registered by Delhi Police’s Special Cell
following the blasts. The court had clubbed all the 3 cases for the purpose of
recording of evidence.As per the prosecution, Dar, along with Abu Ozefa, Abu Al
Kama, Rashid, Sazid Ali and Zahid, had allegedly entered into a criminal
conspiracy to wage a war against the country and planned serial blasts. All
these 5 co-accused are still at large and are said to be in PoK.indianexpress
2005 Delhi Serial Blasts:
Setback for cops as court acquits 2 accused, convicts 1
POLLS & POLITICS
Palanisami sworn in as
Tamil Nadu CM, retains most of Panneerselvams's cabinet
New Delhi:Ending all
speculations, VK Sasikala loyalist Edappadi K Palanisami was on Thursday sworn
in as CM of Tamil Nadu. The oath was
administered at Raj Bhawan by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao who invited the
Sasikala faction to form the govt , leaving O Panneerselvam camp
disappointed. The new cabinet will have
31 ministers. All of them took oath at the swearing-in ceremony.All the Cabinet
Ministers under caretaker CM O
Panneerselvam, barring education minister K Pandiarajan who switched loyalties,
have been retained by Palanisami’s. And most of the portfolios under
Panneerselvam have been retained by Palanisami. Senior AIADMK leaders Dindigul
Srinivasan and party presidium chairman Sengottaiyan will be number 2 and 3 in
the soon to be formed govt. “Governor has today appointed Edappadi K
Palaniwami, Party Headquarters Secretary of AIADMK as CM of Tamil Nadu and
invited him to form the ministry at the earliest,” a Raj Bhavan release said. indianexpress
Live TN Assembly meets on
Feb. 18; Palaniswami confident about majority
Tamil Nadu New Cabinet:
Here is Palanisami’s full list of ministers and portfolios
Panneerselvam, Now Ex-CM , Loses Car's Lal
Batti, Vows 'More To Come'
Mayawati happy with phase
II poll trend, says BSP to get majority
Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati
expressed satisfaction over the polling trend in the 2nd phase of
the UP Assembly polls on Wednesday, saying it indicated that her party was
surging towards getting a majority."Just like the first phase, the second
phase of polling in 67 seats which took place on February 15 is a good
indication that BSP is coming to power in UP with full majority," she said
in a statement.Mayawati said there were reports that polling in the remaining
five phases of the crucial state polls will be equally encouraging for her
party.PTI
On polling day in Deoband,
pamphlets claim Jamiat support for BSP but Arshad Madni denies:TIO report
Meerut: As people stepped
out to vote in Deoband on Wednesday, pamphlets claiming that Arshad Madani,
president of the influential group of Islamic scholars, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind,
had endorsed the BSP surfaced in the area. Carrying pictures of the powerful
Muslim leader, the pamphlets exhorted the community not the repeat the
"mistake" of 2014 by electing BJP, and also condemned the Samajwadi
Party for communal violence in the state."Muslim population of the country
is in danger after the mistake of electing the BJP to power at the
Centre," said the pamphlets, adding that "a similar mistake should
not be committed in UP ". The pamphlets also went on to target SP and BJP,
claiming that communal violence in the state occurred at the behest of both
parties and that "all Muslims should come together and vote for the BSP
for the benefit of the entire community".Madani, however, denied any
involvement in this propaganda. He told TOI, "I have not even been in
Deoband for a very long time. I was in Vienna for a conference and just
returned this afternoon, when I heard this news. There is no way that I would endorse
any political party. The policy of our organisation has always been to stay
away from politics and only focus on education and that is why we have survived
for so long."The police in Deoband did not take any chances and did not
allow the pamphlets to spread.
Rampur's 'emperor' whitewashes
Nawab era: DNA story on UP polls
Rampur:Addressing a rally
just outside Rampur fort, Samajwadi Party (SP) strongman Mohammad Azam Khan
bursts into tears while recalling the "tyranny" of the Nawabs, the
former rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Rampur, against the people.The
crumbling fort providing a fitting, indeed symbolic, backdrop for his diatribe,
the legislator from Rampur interestingly mentions neither the BSP or the BJP in
his campaign speech, reserving his ire for the once powerful Nawabs."This
city was ruled by nawabs who had crossed all limits of torturing the public.
Now, they are nowhere," the man, often dubbed as the 'emperor' of Rampur,
says as he promises to remove all "residual" traces of Nawabs from
the Rohilkhand region once he returns to power after the elections.Seemingly
determined to erase the past, as UP's minister for public works, Khan, or Aali
Jinab as he is known, has transformed Rampur into a snazzy city of malls, paved
roads, artificial lakes, jogging and cycle tracks. The Budget of Rampur's local
bodies was raised to Rs 900 crore under the Naya Savera Nagar Vikas Yojana (New
Dawn City Development Scheme). A new state-of-art of Bapu Mall a shopping
arcade is almost ready. There are two compactor machines to dispose waste, two
road sweepers and a sewer jetty machine.But this development has not come
without heavy cost. Several heritage monuments, including the city gates, are
now history – literally. Many relics of the past that stood there for centuries
are now demolished. The tombs of the Nawabs and their vast graveyards have been
broken down to pave the way for Azam's private resort.
AAP links BJP to MP spy
racket, demands SC-monitored probe
New Delhi: AAP has demanded
a Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged infiltration of “ISI agents” into MP
BJP, describing it as a “grave threat” to internal security. With opposition
parties including Congress seeking to corner BJP over the issue, the saffron
party said that the ATS of Madhya Pradesh, where it is in power, is
investigating the matter and has made arrests which must be appreciated. Addressing
a press conference, AAP leaders Ashutosh and Kapil Mishra said that MP CM
Shivraj Singh Chauhan and BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya
must come clean on their “links” with one of accused. “BJP goes around handing
out certificates of patriotism. But arrests have shown that BJP and RSS are biggest
anti-national outfits,” Ashutosh said.“3 of the arrested were active members of
BJP”. PTI
ISI spies and sex rackets:
BJP's MP unit has become a haven for criminals: Rahul Noronha
Who Paid for the Pro-BJP
Exit Poll that Dainik Jagran Published? Siddharth Varadarajan
OTHERS
Army chief’s ‘belligerent’
warning will increase hostility in Kashmir: Separatists
Srinagar: Mainstream
politicians as well as separatists in Kashmir have criticised army chief
General Bipin Rawat’s statement warning local youth against creating hurdles
during anti militancy operations.Both the camps said that such a statement
would fuel a spurt in militancy in the state.Opposition National Conference
expressed disappointment and dismay over what it said were the “belligerent
remarks” of the army chief and said such posturing would compound the situation
and increase the hostility in the Valley.In a statement NC Spokesperson Junaid
Azim Mattu said it was tragic that “New Delhi was still trying to talk to the
youth of Kashmir through the defence establishment when the need of the hour
was to engage them politically.”“Youth rushing towards encounter sites and
incidents of stone-pelting on the forces during encounters are worrying and
alarming signs of the sense of alienation and disenchantment in Kashmir,” Mattu
said. “The need of the hour is to understand and acknowledge the deep sense of
isolation in Kashmir and deal with it with statesmanship and magnanimity.
Threatening and warning youth who are already anguished and irrational to the
sense of caring little for their lives will be of little consequence but would
only push them farther from reconciliation,” the NC statement said.A trend has
emerged lately in Kashmir valley where local youth flock encounter sites during
raging gun fights to help militants flee.Referring to the statement of the army
chief, Syed Ali Geelani said “India’s arrogance and stale thinking is the basic
reason for continuous bloodshed and political uncertainty in state”.“People of
state and particularly the youth are up against this hegemony and suppression,”
said Geelani.Yasin Malik termed the statement of army chief as a case of
“political immaturity”. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that instead of issuing
threats, it would be prudent for the Indian army chief to accept the ground
realities in Kashmir. hindustantimes
General Rawat, hold your
fire. All Kashmiri youth are not aides of jihadis: ANALYSIS BY
Harinder Baweja
J&K: ‘Protests at
encounter sites dangerous, worrying trend’
Srinagar: The swelling
number of civilian protesters at encounter sites during gunfights between
militants and forces has become the latest headache for security agencies in
Valley.While J&K police concede that
the protests are coming in the way of their operations, Army Chief Gen Bipin
Rawat Wednesday said that those who “obstruct our operations during encounters
and are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists”. indianexpress
NIA seeks more time from
court for Malegaon blasts probe
NIA on Thursday asked the
Bombay High Court to give it more time to complete its probe of the Malegaon
blast case. Malegaon 2008 blast case was a first case in which Hindu
extremists, including army Lt. Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit and Sadhvi
Pragya Singh Thakur, were chargesheeted by the Maharashtra ATS in 2009.ANI
Malegaon blasts -
Anti-national activities part of info gathering mission: Lt Col Purohit
Relieved after 6 months,
fear still hovers over Muslim preacher Haneef Moulavi picked for ‘IS
recruitment’
Freedom after arrest and
jail life bound to bring happiness. But, not for Haneef Moulavi, the Salafi
preacher who was arrested in connection with ISIS recruitment case. Fear
dominates his mind even after getting bail.Though he came back to his homeland
after he was granted bail by the Mumbai special court on Friday replacing tears
of the past six months, he has not relieved from the shock yet.His poor family
at Kambalakkad, Wayanad district of Kerala, comprised of his elderly mother
Asya, four brothers and four sisters, and his pregnant wife Haseena thus feels
this is the time they must thank God and pray for the good to come.Haneef was
granted bail by the Mumbai court after NIA failed to submit charge sheet
against him in the case even after 6 months after his arrest.When SouthLive
rang Haneef, it was his younger brother Shahul Hameed, who earns a livelihood
by driving an auto rikshaw, attended call. southlive
In Afghanistan, families
from Kerala try to build IS: Praveen Swami, Shaju Philip story
New Delhi/kochi: Like every
other grandmother, there’s just one thing Afsath Rehman wants to talk about:
the children that her sons, Ejaz Kettiyapuraiyil and Shihaz Kettiyapuraiyil,
have had in past few months.“They promised to send me photographs but they
haven’t so far,” she sighs, echoing the complaints of a million other parents
with children living in the diaspora. “They said they have to travel
one-and-a-half hours to reach a telephone. That’s a very long way”.Last year,
Ejaz Kettiyapuraiyil, his wife Rahaila, then three months pregnant, and their
two-year-old child, along with Shihaz Kettiyapuraiyil, and his wife Ajmala,
disappeared into the mountains of Afghanistan’s remote Nangarhar province along
with eighteen other Kerala residents, all members of an Islamic State-inspired
cult led by preacher Abdul Rashid.From interviews with family members, and
messages they have sent their friends, The Indian Express has pieced together a
portrait of the bizarre life the group has built for itself in the eight months
since they disappeared. The members of the group have set up stores, teach
religion, have married, and had children. None appears to be engaged in
military activity. Indianexpress
NIA arrests Kerala youth in
IS module probe
NIA on Wednesday arrested
Mouinudheen Parakadavath, a Kerala resident, in connection with its probe into
an alleged IS module. Mouinudheen, wanted by NIA, arrived at the IGI Airport
here on Feb.14 from Abu Dhabi, NIA said. 25-year-old, a resident of Kasaragod,
was summoned for questioning at its HQRS on Tuesday,NIA said.PTI
Gujarat Riots: HC Begins
Hearing On Zakia Jafri's Petition
Ahmedabad: Gujarat High
Court on Wednesday began hearing on a petition by former Congress MP Ehsan
Jafri's widow Zakia challenging the clean chit given by a lower court to PM Narendra
Modi and 58 others regarding their alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.Justice
Sonia Gokani will also continue the hearing today.Petitioners' lawyer Mihir
Desai briefed the court about the background of the case and argued that it
pertained to all the cases related to 2002 Gujarat riots.The criminal review
petition filed by Zakia and the NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace, run by
Teesta Setalvad, demanded that Modi, who was then the CM , and 58 others be
made accused for being party to the criminal conspiracy behind the riots.PTI
Canada frees bomber
Inderjit Singh, the lone convict in 1985 Air India Kanishka bombings that
killed 331
New Delhi:After serving two
decades behind bars, Inderjit Singh Reyat is now free. He was the only person
convicted in the 1985 Air India – Kanishka – bombings that killed nearly 331
people, Canada’s parole board said today. Following his release from prison a
year ago, Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house after serving two
decades behind bars. Canada’s parole board spokesperson Patrick Storey told AFP
in an email that the condition has now been revoked and Reyat may return to a
normal life, including “living in a private residence”. A Sikh immigrant from
India, Reyat was convicted of making bombs that were planted inside luggage and
put on on two planes departing from Vancouver, and for lying in court to cover
for his co- accused. indianexpress
Chhattisgarh to study
prospects of banning liquor
Raipur: Raman Singh govt of
Chhattisgarh has decided to constitute a committee on the prospects of banning
liquor in the state. The panel, to be headed by Excise Secretary, will also
study if a system can be evolved for selling liquor through state-owned
outlets. In its meeting held on Wednesday, state Cabinet approved a new ‘Excise
Policy’ whose implementation is aimed at putting a check on the illegal sale of
liquor by middleman and agents. CM Raman Singh chaired the meeting. “Govt will
establish 11-member committee under the chairmanship of Excise Secretary to
study the prospects of bringing the sale of liquor under the supervision of govt
and also about the prospects of banning liquor,” govt PRO said.PTI
India slips to 143 in
economic freedom index: US thinktank
India ranked a dismal 143
in an annual index of economic freedom by a top American thinktank, behind its
several South Asian neighbours including Pakistan, as progress on
market-oriented reforms has been “uneven”. Heritage Foundation in its Index of
Economic Freedom report said despite India sustaining an average annual growth
of about 7% over the past 5 years, growth is not deeply rooted in policies that
preserve economic freedom. Putting India in the category of “mostly unfree”
economies, conservative political thinktank said progress on market-oriented
reforms has been “uneven”.PTI
100 days of demonetisation:
Bank queues, RBI flip-flops – here is how it all unfolded
New Delhi:Hundred days have
passed since PM Narendra Modi-led
Central govt announced its
demonetisation drive. The govt invalidated legal tender of ₹500 and ₹1,000 and
announced restrictions on ATM and bank withdrawals on November 8. Further
announcements included introduction of new currency notes of ₹500 and ₹ 2,000
denomination. Announcing the decision, PM Modi had asked for 50 days to bring
the situation back to normal. At the end of 50 days on Dec. 30, RBI and the
Centre had both come out with a combined 74 notifications, circulars, decisions
and reviews or turnarounds of those decisions. By the end 100-day mark, the
situation has stabilised by some measure, but the shock is still felt and will
take some time to wither away.Indian express
100 days since note ban,
cash is still hard to find in Delhi
Delhi:While announcing the
demonetisation drive on Nov. 8 last year, PM Modi had sought 50 days promising that things
would move towards normalcy during this period. However, it has been 100 days
and things are far from normal. HT
Chidambaram says economy
will take 18 months to recover from demonetisation
Since demitting office as
finance minister in May 2014, P Chidambaram has kept a close watch on NDA govt and has been unsparing in his critical
appraisal of its official policies. In an interview with DK Singh, he questions
the rationale of the govt’s decision to recall high-value notes and says that
it will take at least 18 months for the economy to recover from the
“devastation” of demonetisation. hindustantimes
I-T scanner on suspicious
deposits: 9 lakh accounts put under 'doubtful' category
New Delhi: Nearly half of
18 lakh people under the I-T scanner for suspicious bank deposits post
demonetisation have been put in the 'doubtful' category, but action against
them will follow only after the new tax amnesty scheme ends on March 31. Under
'Operation Clean Money', I-T department had sent SMS and e-mails to 18 lakh
people, who according to its data analysis had made suspicious deposits of over
Rs 5 lakh during the 50-day window provided to get rid of old 500 and 1,000
rupee notes following the demonetisation decision announced on Nov.8. They were
asked to clarify on the deposits and their source by Feb.15.PTI
Demonetisation 100 days:
Did PM Modi miscalculate the idea from the very beginning?Dinesh Unnikrishnan
India today Exclusive: New
controversy in W.Bengal over govt order to celebrate 'Nabi Diwas' in libraries
Kolkata:Amid the ongoing
row over Nabi Diwas celebration at a school in Howrah resulting in a communal
flare-up, the West Bengal govt has made
it mandatory for govt libraries across
the state to celebrate the day.According to a new order by the state
Directorate of Library Services, more than 2000 state libraries across West
Bengal have been instructed to observe "Nabi Diwas" as part of a host
of events to be observed throughout the year.The order dated January 11, 2017
states that of the 51 events mentioned by the govt , Fateha Dwaz Daham (or
Eid-ud-Milad-un-Nabi ) must be observed to mark birth of Prophet Muhammad in
state-run libraries. indiatoday
Man moves court looking for
wife, she says he divorced her
New Delhi:The Delhi High
Court was faced with a strange case where a man claimed his wife had been
missing, but the wife, when traced by the police, said the man had divorced her
by pronouncing triple talaq. The court dismissed the petition when the wife
said she had she converted to Hindusim after divorce and re-married. Amir, a
resident of Nand Nagri, had moved a petition of Habeas Corpus in the court seeking
production of his “missing” wife Shabnam.He claimed that a man called Nishant,
who they know for years, came to his house on Jan.17 and administered some
intoxicating substance to Shabnam. He then took her away and forcibly married
her.Amir said he searched for his wife till Jan.21, but in vain. thehindu
WORLD
Trump drops Washington's
commitment to a 2-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
President Donald Trump has
dropped Washington's commitment to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, backing away from a long-held position of US and
the international community in the Middle East. In a joint press conference with
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he would back a single-state solution
if the two sides agreed to it."Looking at two-state or one-state, I like
the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one both parties like.
I can live with either one," Trump told reporters after meeting Netanyahu
in Washington."US will encourage a peace and really a great peace deal ...
We will be working on it very, very diligently. But it is the parties
themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement," Trump said. Netanyahu
said that he wanted to focus on "substance" and not
"labels," when asked about his support for a two-state
solution."There are two prerequisites for peace. First, the Palestinians
must recognise the Jewish state ... Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must
retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan
River," he said. Trump also said that Washington was working to move the
US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."I would like to see that
happen. We are looking at it very very strongly. We are looking at it with
great care. Let's see what happens.""I'd like to see you pull back on
settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu on the illegal Israeli
settlements in Palestinian territories.Aljazeera
Palestinian rights group:
Trump has ‘abandoned’ Palestine
Netanyahu asks Trump to
recognize Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights
Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to recognize Israeli
sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory Israel seized from Syria in the
1967 Middle East war.Most of the world considers the Golan, a high plateau
between northeastern Israel and southwestern Syria, to be occupied by Israel,
which annexed the territory in 1981 in a move not recognised internationally. During
a briefing with Israeli and foreign media after meeting Trump at the White
House, Netanyahu was asked whether he had raised the Golan issue. “Yes,” he
replied.middleeastmonitor
"Rebuild Syria in
exchange for Golan": Israeli minister
Israel's minister of
construction has reportedly prepared a major strategic plan as part of a
resolution to the crisis in Syria. Yoav Galant's purported plan proposes a
major US-led reconstruction programme for Syria costing billions of dollars -
in return for international recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the
occupied Golan Heights, and a negation of Iranian influence in the country. While
the plan presented by Galant was meant to be far-reaching, it seeks above all
to stymie the Iranian "danger" apparently solidifying on Israel's
north-western border, reports Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli paper.According to
the report, the plan was presented to Israeli PM Netanyahu and was unveiled to
the Israeli cabinet on Sunday. According to the proposed plan, Galant argues
Israel's best interests are served by preventing the consolidation of an
Iran-Syria-Lebanon axis and the establishment of a Shia-dominated Damascus. World
Bulletin
Assad backs Trump ‘Muslim
Ban’, says Syrian refugees ‘terrorists’
Syria’s President Bashar
Al-Assad said US President Donald Trump’s ban on Syrians entering the United
States targeted terrorists, not the Syrian people, appearing to defend the
logic of the measure in an interview broadcast today.Trump last month issued an
executive order, since suspended by a US district judge, that temporarily
barred travellers from seven mostly Muslim countries including Syria, as well
as imposing an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees.“It’s against the
terrorists that would infiltrate some of the immigrants to the West. And that
happened. It happened in Europe, mainly in Germany,” Al-Assad said in the
interview with Europe 1 radio and TF1 TV which was recorded on Tuesday.middleeastmonitor
Iran Warns Trump Against
Disclosing Secret Iran Deal Documents: Washington Free Beacon report
Senior Iranian officials
are warning the Trump administration about disclosing secret deals related to
the nuclear deal that have long been hidden from the public by the Obama
administration, according to recent comments that prompted pushback from senior
sources on Capitol Hill.Iran's warning comes on the heels of a Washington Free
Beacon report disclosing that former national security adviser Michael Flynn
had been pushed out of office partly due to his intention to release these
sensitive documents to the American public. Leading lawmakers in Congress
launched multiple investigations last year into Obama administration's efforts
to keep these documents secret and out of public view. Sources who spoke to the
Free Beacon about the matter said that the Trump White House is working on ways
to publicize this information despite warnings from Iran.Secret side deals
related to the nuclear agreement remain unclassified but have been stashed in a
secure location on Capitol Hill, making it difficult for staffers and lawmakers
to view them. Individuals seeking to view these documents must have security
clearance and are barred from taking notes or speaking about what they see.Multiple
senior congressional sources familiar with the nature of the documents said that
lawmakers and the Trump administration would not be intimidated by Iranian
threats. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, senior Iranian lawmaker and head of country's
foreign policy committee, warned Trump admin. against making these documents
public in recent remarks.
HRW: Iran-backed Shia
militias destroying Sunni homes in Iraq
HRW today accused
Iranian-trained Iraqi Shia jihadists battling Daesh of demolishing hundreds of
Sunni Arab houses near the city of Mosul, leading to accusations that the
paramilitary organisation perpetrated war crimes.New York-based rights group
said the mainly Shia units known as Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) had
destroyed 345 houses in villages to the west of Mosul in northern Iraq after
retaking them from the hardline Daesh militant group.“There was no apparent
military necessity for the demolitions, which may amount to war crimes and
which took place between Nov. 2016 and Feb. 2017,” the HRW said in a report. Middleeastmonitor
Fresh round of Syria talks
begins in Kazakhstan:IANS
Astana: Syrian rebel and
govt representatives met in Kazakhstan today for a fresh round of peace talks
under the auspices of Russia, Iran and Turkey.Astana-2 talks sought the
creation of a multi-party taskforce to monitor and further reinforce the
fragile ceasefire implemented in Syria at the end of Dec.2016, Efe news
reported.9 opposition groups were taking part in the meeting, including the
Free Syrian Army and Jaysh al-Islam, highly influential and powerful rebel
factions.
US-led coalition kills 5
ISIL commanders in E. Mosul
UN supports Astana
initiative on Syria: Special envoy
Iran leader rejects
reconciliation with anti-regime 'minority'
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:46 PM)
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