Evening NEWS
DIGEST
PM MODI’s
ISRAELI VISIT
Israel now India’s 31st ‘Strategic Partner’: India –Israel sign 7 pacts; set up $40 million research fund
New Delhi: India and Israel have upgraded their ties to a “strategic
partnership”, with both sides emphasising strong action against terror and
cooperation in water, agriculture and technology. Though the Ministry of
External Affairs does not maintain a formal list, a rough count by The Wire
indicates this would make Israel India’s 31st ‘strategic partner’.2nd
day of the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Israel saw the signing of 7 agreements. The
joint statement issued after the formal talks
said that visit had “raised the bilateral relationship to that of a
strategic partnership”.With a substantive stress on security cooperation, Modi
said that both leaders had “agreed to do much more together to protect our
strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and
terrorism, including in cyber space”.He made common cause with Israel as a
victim of terrorism, like India. “India and Israel live in complex geographies.
We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has
suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel,”
he said. Joint statement noted that there could be no “justification for acts
of terror on any grounds whatsoever”. “Leaders asserted that strong measures
should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and
all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to
terrorists and terror groups. They also underscored the need to ensure that
terrorist organisations do not get access to any WMD or technologies,” it
said.The statement also committed the two sides to work towards early adoption
of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), a document
the Indian Govt has been pushing at the
United Nations for nearly 2 decades now.There was no reference to “cross border
terrorism”, as in the India-US joint statement, or listing of names of terror
organisations. There was also another missing element. A report in Haaretz paper
had pointed out that the Israeli foreign ministry “made every attempt to take
the Iranian issue off the public and media agenda”. In 2013, Israel had claimed
that Iran was behind an attack on the vehicle of the defence attache, which
left his spouse injured.In a briefing ahead of the visit, Israeli ambassador to
India, Daniel Carmon had said that India was “not covering up the investigation
of the attack”. India, of course, retains close relations with the Iran,
especially in energy and connectivity.On the defence front, there was not much
action, beyond the joint statement affirming focus on joint development and
‘Make in India’ initiative. This despite the defence relationship being the
most developed aspect in bilateral relations.In his oral remarks, Modi did not
mention Palestine directly. “We also discussed the situation in West Asia and
wider region. It is India’s hope that peace, dialogue, and restraint will
prevail,” he said.But the joint statement had a more explicit reference. “2 PMs
discussed the developments pertaining to Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
They underlined the need for the establishment of a just and durable peace in
the region. They reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution
between the sides based on mutual recognition and security arrangements,” it
said.Modi began his day with a call on Israeli president Reuven Revlin, who
also was a recipient of Indian PM ’s trademark embrace. Thereafter, Modi went
to join Netanyahu for formal talks at the King David hotel. Before they began
restricted discussions, the Israeli PM took Modi to the window to guide him to the
main sights of old Jerusalem. Pointing to Temple Mount, which is also known as
al-Quds al-Sharif, Netanyahu described that as “the cradle of our
history”.Indian sources had said that a visit to the Temple Mount was never
planned as part of Modi’s Israeli itinerary. Though Modi travelled to Jerusalem
– half of which is under forcible Israeli occupation in contravention of
international law – India has not changed its stance that the future of the
holy city has to be decided by the Palestinians and Israelis.Continuing with
his high praise, Netanyahu said that India and Israel are changing our world, “because
this is a cooperation, it’s a marriage really made in heaven but we’re
implementing it here on Earth”. In March, the Israeli PM used the same conjugal analogy during his
visit to China.Bitten by Modi’s obsession with acronyms, Netanyahu has
apparently coined a mathematical ‘formula’ – IT into IT equal to I squared into
I squared. This expands to “Indian talent into Israeli technology equals India
Israel ties for tomorrow“,Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar told reporters
later.As on the first day, Netanyahu accompanied Modi to nearly all his
appointments on Thursday. He also went with Modi to the Israel Museum, where
they viewed three India-related exhibits. Later, both of them went to Tel Aviv
to address Indian-origin Israeli citizens. Modi announced that there would be a
Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv flight soon. He also opened OCI cards for Indian origin
Israelis who had completed their military service.On Thursday, he will travel
to Haifa to pay respect to Indian soldiers of 3 Indian princely states who
fought and died in 1918 to wrest control of the then Palestinian city from the
Ottoman empire on behalf of the British empire. In New Delhi, a central road,
Teen Murti Marg is proposed to be renamed as Haifa Marg. With technology being
the buzzword, both sides have established a $40 million fund for research in
industrial development.TheWire
India, Israel to set up $40 mn research fund
PM visits Haifa to pay homage to Indian World War heroes
India, Israel ‘strategic partners’, send strong message on terror
Israel, India look past defence to broaden commercial ties
PM Modi announces Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv flight service
Modi in Israel: Absence of Palestine statement noted by Israeli press
Pakistani newspapers castigate Modi’s trip to Israel
India and Israel must be conspiring against Pakistan: Modi's Israel trip
surprises Islamabad
PM Narendra Modi's visit to
Israel has rung alarm bells in Pakistan for many top Govt officials, defence analysts and politicians
fear that both Modi and Netanyahu are now conspiring against Islamabad.'Israel
and India has long been involved in causing unrest in Pakistan. Modi's visit to
Israel and signing of defence deals is something Pakistan must be worry about,'
said a senior official in Pakistan's foreign office.'They (India and Israel)
must be conspiring against Pakistan,' Asif Kirmani, special advisor to Pakistan
PM Nawaz Sharif told reporters on Tuesday.DailyMail
PM Modi announces Indian cultural centre in Israel soon
‘Moshe, young survivor of
Mumbai's Chabad House attack, doesn’t
know how his parents died’
India Must Not Betray People of Palestine: Civil Leaders
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi's
decision not to visit Palestine during his trip to Israel - first by any Indian
PM to the Jewish nation since its
creation in 1940s - is not being appreciated by the civil leaders in the
country who term his move as betrayal to Palestinians."We had hoped that
if Modi would not take up the issue (of Palestine) with Benjamin Netanyahu, at
least he would also talk to the Govt and
the people of Palestine so that there was a sense of equilibrium, equity and
equality that India is not just with the regime of Israel but also with the Govt
of the Palestinian people and the
Palestinian people themselves who have suffered so much since 1948," said
civil rights activist Dr. John Dayal. He went ahead to say "India must not
betray the people of Palestine."Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli
Gazette, said that visiting Israel and not visiting Palestine by an Indian
leader is a digression from the country's long stand on Palestine."Until
now, Indian leaders used to go to Israel and also visit Palestine. But he
(Narendra Modi) is the first man who is not going to Palestine. This shows his
inclination and his thinking which is wrong. I think he is digressing from a
very long policy which our founding fathers and later leaders like Jawaharlal
Nehru, Indira Gandhi and all of them followed," said Dr. Khan.Supreme
Court lawyer Adv. Mehmood Pracha is not much hopeful about any big outcome of
PM Modi's visit to Israel which, he said, has little to offer to a country as
big as India."Israel as a country does not have anything to offer to India
- to a country which is as largely developed as India. So,crucial question is:
What are we going to gain from this visit," asked Adv.
Pracha.IndiaTomorrow
India-Israel strategic partnership virtual abandonment of Palestinian
cause: CPI
New Delhi: CPI(M) has said the announcement of a strategic partnership
with Israel amounts to India's "virtual abandonment" of the
Palestinian cause.In a statement, CPI(M) Polit Bureau said the visit PM Narendra Modi to Israel marked a "rupture
in the long-held position" of India, which has viewed Israel as an
"occupying power" of Palestinian territories."The announcement
of a strategic partnership with Israel in the joint statement, which is a
strategic alliance, amounts to a virtual abandonment of the Palestinian cause.
This was reinforced by Modi not visiting Ramallah and the Palestinian
Authority. Throughout the visit, the Indian PM did not say a word about India's stand on the
issue of a Palestinian State," it said."The strategic alliance with
Israel is part of the rightwing foreign policy shift under the Modi Govt .
CPI(M) demanded that all security and military cooperation with Israel be ended
forthwith," the statement said. deccanherald
Kerala CM calls Israel a terrorist state, declares solidarity with
Palestine
New Delhi:After what seemed like an amply cheerful 3-day visit, PM Narendra Modi is all set to go to Germany. As
the way Israel and its PM Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed PM Modi continues to make
headlines and memes, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has slammed Modi. In a Facebook
post, Kerala CM Vijayan said making an anti-terrorism alliance with a country
that kills innocents is an illogical move. Vijayan said, India's heart is
against the brutality of Israel in Palestine. Referring to Israel as a country
that kills innocent people accusing them of terrorism, Vijayan said that India
is against how Israel sabotage Palestine people's fight and defence to live
freely in their own soil. India Today
Andhra Dalit group claiming to be from a lost Jewish tribe pins hopes on
Modi’s Israel visit
Guntur: The visit of PM Narendra
Modi to Israel has rekindled hopes of a small Dalit community which claims that
it is one of the lost Jewish tribes, Ephraim clan.Head of the Bene Yacob
Synagogue at Kothareddypalem near Chebrolu, 17 km from Guntur, Shadok Yacobi
told The Hindu that he had sent an email to the PM to pursue a long-pending request to Israel to
absorb them in their country.Over the last 30 years, about 30 families who
worked as farm labourers, have been celebrating Jewish festivals in the fervent
hope that they will be absorbed back in the Promised Land some day.The
community has attracted the attention of several scholars from across the
world. Their hopes soared after Shadok’s brother, Shemuel Yakobi, whose son has
been living in Israel for the last 25 years, was granted citizenship. “We will
continue to practise our faith here even if the Israeli Govt does not recognise us and we have also
appealed to the Andhra Pradesh Govt to
give us minority status,’’ said Shadok Yacobi.The Hindu
INDIA-china STAND OFF
Chinese state media warns India: 'Back off border dispute or Beijing
will support Sikkim's independence'
New Delhi: Chinese state media warned a "bullying" New Delhi
that if it doesn't back down in the latest border dispute, Beijing may well
begin supporting "pro-independence appeals in Sikkim". Supporting
Sikkim's "independence" will "be a powerful card to deal with
New Delhi", said an editorial in the hardline Global Times, which is run
by the Communist Party of China's People's Daily newspaper.In fact, the editorial
strongly advocated that "Beijing should reconsider its stance over the
Sikkim issue". That's because it believed India "has to pay for its
provocations" and because China needs to end "New Delhi's regional
hegemony" which "is swelling to a tipping point". The editorial
spoke of people in Sikkim being "sensitive" to how the world views
them.TOI
China plans to launch rail freight service to Pak via PoK
Beijing: China is planning to launch a road and rail freight service to
Pakistan through the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a
move which could raise concerns in India.The new line will start from Lanzhou,
capital of northwestern China's Gansu Province, travelling through Kashgar in
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the Gwadar Port of Pakistan,Xu Chunhua,
director of Lanzhou International Trade and Logistic Park, was quoted as saying
by state-run Xinhua news agency.However, it has not been specified when the
service will be launched.In May last year, a rail and road cargo service opened
between Lanzhou and Kathmandu.Xu said the cargo service has been welcomed by
south Asian countries.In 2016, bilateral trade between China and Nepal was over
3 billion yuan (about $440 million), and the volume is forecast to hit 10
billion yuan this year. Last November, China launched the first trade convoy
carrying Chinese goods for export through the western route of $50 billion CPEC
being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and shipped it through Gwadar
port.CPEC plan included a train service connecting both the countries in
addition to the road connectivity.The goods were brought by train till Xinjiang
and then taken by trucks through the Karakoram mountains. Goods will be
exported to countries in Middle East and Africa.PTI
Border standoff: Chinese state media takes aim at Bhutan, says they are
not a happy lot
New Delhi: Chinese state media has now taken aim at Bhutan, saying that
even though the Himalayan kingdom ranks high in the 'Happiness Index', its
people are not a happy lot.Amid the continuing India-China border stand-off, which
also involves Bhutan, Chinese state media has thus far refrained from slamming
the small Himalayan country, painting it as a nation under India's thumb and
therefore forced to acquiesce to New Delhi's diktats.Not any more. It's gloves
are off.TOI
Atmosphere not right for Xi-Modi meeting at Hamburg G20 Summit, says
China
Beijing:China today said the “atmosphere” was “not right” for a
bilateral meeting between PM Narendra
Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg,
amidst a standoff between the Armies of the two countries in Sikkim section. The
“atmosphere is not right” for a bilateral meeting between Xi and Modi, Chinese Foreign Ministry officials said
ahead of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg from tomorrow. There were
reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of G20 Summit to resolve the
standoff. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang expressed hope that
“India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the
boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border
areas”.“I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between
the two sides,” he said here when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi
on the sidelines of the G20 summit.PTI
India asks China to retreat from Bhutanese territory
New Delhi: Making it clear that it will not buckle under heated rhetoric
from China, India said a diplomatic resolution resulting in a Chinese pullback
from Bhutanese territory would resolve the current border stand-off near the
Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction."This issue or tension should be resolved
at the diplomatic level...It can be resolved diplomatically, which is what we
want," said minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre, speaking to
journalists here on Wednesday.TOI
China's envoy says Indian troops should 'unconditionally pull back from'
trijunction area as 'precondition' for peace
China has warned that the withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed
territory was a precondition for peace as tensions continue to rise over a
border row between the two Asian powers.Indian and Chinese troops are
reportedly facing off on a section of land high in the Himalayas near what is
known as the trijunction, where Tibet, India and Bhutan meet.China's ambassador
to New Delhi, Luo Zhaohui, said Indian troops should 'unconditionally pull back
to the Indian side'.DailyMail
OTHERS
Bihar Muslim lawyer, sons convert to Hinduism, blaming his family forced
to follow Sharia law by Muslim hardliners
A Muslim lawyer in Bihar's Begusarai district has reportedly converted
to Hinduism along with his two sons.According to reports, Mohammed Anwar, 46,
alleged that his family was being forced to follow the Sharia law by Muslim
hardliners and so he, along with his sons, Mohammed Amir, 11, and Mohammed
Shabir, 9, decided to embrace Hinduism on Tuesday."I am a liberal. I used
to visit temples and mosques both, but hardliners in my community objected to
it," Anwar told News18. "I was threatened for participating in events
organised by Hindus."Anwar claimed that he then contacted members of the
Bajrang Dal who told him about Hinduism."I was convinced that Hinduism was
not a religion but a way of life. So, I decided to follow their advice,"
he said.Rejecting reports of any pressure, Begusarai Superintendent of Police
Ranjeet Mishra said that Anwar had taken the step of his own accord."I
have given an affidavit making it clear that I have taken my decision out of my
will,'' Anwar clarified.Shubham Bhardwaj, district coordinator of Bajrang Dal,
told News 18 that that he had been contacted by Anwar himself and that after
listening to his ordeal, he helped the Muslim family convert to
Hinduism."He was continuously harassed by the local Imam and their
supporters. They were forcing them to offer Namaz 5 times in a day, and he was
threatened for visiting temples. Recently, his house was attacked by
hardliners, forcing him to seek our help. Our volunteers saved him and his
family," Bhardwaj said.Anwar has been renamed Anand Bharti, and his sons
Aman Bharti and Suman Bharti.HuffPost India
Bihar Muslim lawyer, sons convert to Hinduism
Kerala Muslim man challenges HC decision to nullify marriage with Hindu
woman after converting to Islam, over suspected ISIS link
New Delhi:A Muslim youth from Kerala on Wednesday moved the Supreme
Court, challenging a high court order that quashed his marriage with a Hindu
woman- who converted to Islam- on a petition filed by her father.The moot
question 27-year-old Shafin Jahan, who worked in the Gulf, raised is whether
any court can cancel the marriage between two educated adults who are mentally
fit.Since the BJP Govt came to power at
the Centre in 2014, hardline groups linked to the party in particular have
stepped up a campaign against "love jihad" - a term for what they
consider to be an Islamist strategy to convert Hindu women through seduction,
marriage and money. However, there is another dimension in this specific case.
Kerala High Court surprisingly observed that 24-year-old medical student
Akhila, who adopted the name Hadiya after conversion, could have taken the most
important decision of her life only with her parents' involvement.But it also
found merit in her father KM Ashokan's statement that his daughter had been
recruited by Islamic State's mission in Syria and Shafin Jahan was "only a
stooge who had been assigned to play the role of going through a marriage
ceremony".Most importantly, the high court bench of Justice K Surendra
Mohan and Justice Abraham Mathew, noting that "national interest is at
stake", on May 25 ordered Kerala's DGP to conduct "comprehensive"
investigation into cases of "love jihad" and have incidents of forced
conversion probed thoroughly.The judges emphasised "the existence of an
organisational setup functioning behind the scenes in such cases of 'love
jihad' and conversions". "Are there any radical organisations
involved, are questions that plague an inquisitive mind. But sadly, there are
no answers available in this case," said the court. Previous police
investigations have found no evidence of an organised "love jihad".Denying
the arguments of forcible conversion, the woman had told the HC that she came
under the influence of Muslim religion, having heard about the teachings of the
faith from her hostel roommates while she was studying homeopathy in Tamil
Nadu. She had, therefore, attended a course at Satyasarani and had become
Muslim by conversion. Shafin Jahan's petition in SC filed through his lawyer
Haris Beeran says the high court erred in equating the marriage to a case of
"love jihad"."The woman had converted on her own will to the
faith of Islam, not for marrying the petitioner. It was after she had met with
Shafin Jahan online and then they both decided to marry," it says. india
today
Muslim man moves SC against Love Jihad ruling of HC
W.Bengal communal riots: Mamata accuses BJP of spreading rumours through
social media
Kolkata: Accusing the BJP of misusing social media to spread rumour
leading to communal riots, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said her Govt has decided to raise a peace-keeping force to
maintain sectarian harmony in the state."Social media is being misused.
They (BJP) are spreading rumours through social media. This is a trend of BJP
... a modern design of the party ... That is why we are trying to caution
common people," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat."Govt
has decided to raise a peace-keeping force involving local people mandated to
maintain peace with assistance from the state administration and police,"she
said.PTI
Centre Asks Mamata For Report On Communal Tension
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked West Bengal for a
report on communal clashes in towns near Kolkata over a Facebook post. Singh
spoke to CM Mamata Banerjee. Governor
Keshari Nath Tripathi discussed the situation last night with Home Minister
Rajnath Singh after speaking on the phone to CM . NDTV
In W. Bengal's village, Hindus, Muslims joined hands to protect a
120-yr-old mosque
North 24 Parganas:Saumen Roy Chaudhury did not sleep the whole night
yesterday. Nor did Fayaj Khan, Imran Khan or Aritro Banerjee. The men, all
residents of Khanpara village of Basirhat, of North 24 Parganas district, which
had been ravaged by a communal riot for the last 2 days, kept a night vigil
yesterday to guard the 120-year old mosque of the village.What made the boys of
the village, mostly inhabited by Muslims--there were only 2-3 families of
Hindus among a cluster of about 50 Muslim families--was a threat by miscreants
to attack the mosque, a pride of the villagers.``The mosque had to be protected
at any cost. We were ready to shed our last drop of blood to save it from
vandalism,'' Roy Chaudhury told this reporter who is also from the same
village. Echoed Imran Khan, a friend of Saumen: ``We formed a vigilante group
to protect this mosque. It was a combined defence,'' Imran told this
reporter.In fact Fayaj Khan and his friends and relatives from the village
threatened a Muslim cleric of the village with dire consequences when the man
started a hate campaign against other communities and began instigating youth
of the village to disrupt life in the area. ``We told him if he did not stop
the hate campaign we will just kick him out of the village. He had no business
destroying communal harmony that we are so proud of,'' Feroze Khan, another
resident, told Echo of India.Even today, when some miscreants tried to create
trouble in the village, the group showed utmost restraint and made fervent
appeals to the administration to maintain peace in the area.Amid the mistrust,
suspicion and fear in this town that followed sporadic violent incidents at
Basirhat and adjacent villages, Khanpara remained an epitome of communal
bonhomie and camaraderie. Echo of India
VHP, RSS plan stir over ‘plight of Hindus’ in W.Bengal
Kolkata:VHP and RSS are planning to highlight the “plight of Hindus” in
West Bengal nationally, following the communal flare-up along the
Indo-Bangladesh border in Bashirhat area. After Assam, the saffron brigade has
now set its sights on West Bengal, highlighting the “critical” condition of law
and order in the state. “It is unfortunate that even mediapersons are not
allowed in the villages of North-24 Parganas, where jehadis are having a free
run. Atrocities are being committed against Hindus. We will not allow West
Bengal to become waste Bengal,” said Surendra Kumar Jain, international joint
general secretary of VHP from New Delhi. indian express
Protest held in Latur against mob lynching and inaction of Govt bodies
Protesting against series of barbaric lynching events, around 150 people
were gathered on Wednesday in Latur district of Maharashtra demanding the Govt to ensure the safety of Muslims and other
targeted marginalised communities of the Indian society.The protest which was
held under the banner of ‘Swabhimani Muslim Vikas Parishad’ also had a unique
way to address the inactivity of Govt over such events. The protest site had four
beds marked Minority Commissions, State Govt s, Central Govt and Opposition at states and the centre.
People lying in beds represented the inactivity and non-cooperation of these
bodies when it comes to lynching and killing.The event saw the public speaking
by the activists Madhukar Munde, Govind Salsad, Murtaza Khan, RZ Hashmi and
Mohsin Khan demanding Govt s and their bodies to provide enough security and
peace to marginalised sections of the society.TCN
Vigilante Killings Will Damage India's Economy: Yashwant
New Delhi: In strong disapproval of the recent spate of lynchings in the
name of cow protection, veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has said the such
incidents create a bad image for the country abroad and serve as disincentive
for foreign investments."My view is that all such incidents, and certainly
a clutch of such incidents, create a bad image of the country. Not only within
country but also abroad," Sinha said."I am relating it to economic
activities and I am saying that it has an adverse impact on the economic
activities. As far as lynching per se is concerned, you know unfortunately in
our society, such lynching has been going on. It is not always communal,"
he said.He recalled the Dec.2012 gang rape of a young woman in Delhi and said
while he was giving a talk on the Indian economy in Germany, first question he
was asked was about the horrible rape and murder."Similiarly, if people
feel that it is mob justice, Govt s are not in control, it will be a
disincentive for not only foreign investments but all investments of any kind
in the country," the former BJP minister said.IANS
Lawyers' Body Formed to Protect Rights of Religious Minorities, Dalits
and Tribals
New Delhi: In the wake of the growing culture of mob lynching and
atrocities against religious minorities, Dalits and Tribals in the country, a
group of lawyers on Tuesday launched a body to provide these communities with
legal aid in order to get speedy justice.The body named as "South Asian
Minorities Lawyers' Association" (SAMLA) will be working as a guard to
protect the weaker and oppressed sections from discrimination and atrocities.
As the first step, SAMLA will launch a nationwide movement "Dalit,
Minority, Tribal Lives Matter".Supreme Court lawyer Mehmood Pracha, who is
president of SAMLA, said that the hallmark of launching the movement
"Dalit, Minority, Tribal Lives Matter" was inspired from the African
Americans' movement "Black Lives Matter" to assert the rights of the
oppressed communities in India.
"Although many minority people have been chosen for the highest
position such President of the country but the plight of minorities that include
Dalits, religious minorities and Tribals has continued unabated. One of the
biggest problems being faced by these communities is that they are not only
victimized but a campaign is being run against them to label them as wrong
doers. Right from 1950s all these communities have been deprived of their rights
and have faced direct or indirect discrimination from state itself," said
Adv. Pracha on the sidelines of SAMLA's launch at the Indian Law Institute here
in Delhi. Other eminent speakers included eminent civil rights activist Dr John
Dayal, Kartar Singh Kochhar, general secretary, Panthak Seva Dal, academician
Abdul Samad Ibrahim, Advocate Shams Khwaja, minority rights activist Anita
Benjamin and Journalist Alim Naqvi. Eminent Muslim scholar and Editor of The
Milli Gazette Dr Zafarul Islam Khan also featured the event. Besides social
activists and community leaders, many young lawyers also participated in the
program.IndiaTomorrow
NationalDastak barred from sharing content on its FBpage
In what seems like a case of an attack on Dalit-Bahujan spaces in social
media, Facebook has barred National Dastak from sharing any links from their
website on their Facebook page. On Wednesday morning, the admins of National
Dastak found out that while they could share photos and write on their Facebook
page, they were barred from sharing any link until. The National Dastak team
has written to Facebook and is waiting for an official reason.National Dastak since
its inception has found an extensive readership for its tough stance on caste
issues, Brahminical setups in various institutions and Hindutva politics
prevailing in India these days.National Dastak has provided a lot of space to
writers and journalists from the Dalit-Bahujan community to present news and
views which show their side of the daily reports and without a Savarna
perspective. Dilip C Mandal, Former Editor of India Today magazine, is
mentoring the National Dastak team.TwoCircles
Lalu appeals to non-BJP parties to unite for 2019 Polls, cautions there
is an "undeclared Emergency
Patna: RJD leader Lalu Prasad once again appealed to all non-BJP parties
or like-minded parties to come together to defeat the BJP in the next general
elections. Addressing hundreds of party leaders and workers at a function to mark
the 21st foundation day of his RJD, Lalu said there is an attempt to spread
hate in the country by some "vested interests". Lalu cautioned party
leaders that there is an "undeclared Emergency-like situation" in the
country."BJP had promised lies to the people during the 2014 Lok Sabha
polls. The central Govt has cheated and
betrayed people by not fulfilling any promises made to them in the last 3
years," he said."Where is the two crore jobs for the youth annually,
where is the MSP for farmers, where is the black money from foreign banks,
where is industrialization in backward regions, where is achche din (good
days)? BJP led by PM Narendra Modi has
come to power because we are divided," he said, recounting the promises
made by the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 polls.Lalu said there is an attempt
to spread hate in the country by some quarters. "In the name of protecting
the cow, people have been killed. Farmers have been committing suicide. There
is a dangerous situation in the country."Lalu appealed to all non-BJP
parties or like-minded parties to come together to defeat the BJP in the 2009
elections."If 2 ex CMs of UP Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav join hands, BJP
will be finished," he declared. Lalu said BJP-led central Govt is targeting AAP leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BSP chief Mayawati, TMC
supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata
Banerjee, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi, and
also his own family "because if all of them join hands the BJP will be
nowhere".IANS
Kovind not a Dalit, but OBC, says Lalu:IANS
Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday questioned Dalit identity of
BJP-led NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind and claimed that Kovind is not
a Dalit but an OBC. “Kovind Dalit nahi hai, OBC hai,” Lalu said, addressing
hundreds of party leaders and workers at a function to mark 21st foundation day
of his RJD party.Lalu said Kovind has been made a candidate by the BJP due to
the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls.“Kovind belongs to Koli caste, which is OBC
in Gujarat and constitutes 18% of vote there,” Lalu said.
‘Only Rs 7,850 was spent on liquor over 7 yrs. Is it a crime,’ Teesta
Setvalad asks SC
In the latest development in the alleged corruption case against Teesta
Setvalad, the social activist on Wednesday told the Supreme Court, “Only Rs
7,850 was spent on liquor over 7 years and the expenditure was approved by Ford
Foundation which donated money. Is it a crime?” Her response was recorded after
the Gujarat Govt informed the apex court
that she had allegedly spent the NGO’s money meant for education for personal
use, including buying liquor.The social activist and her husband Javed Anand
are accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds that were allocated for
rehabilitation of Gujarat riot victims. Indian express
SC reserves order on Teesta
Setalvad’s plea
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today reserved its order on pleas by
activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband in a case lodged against them for
alleged misappropriation of funds received by her NGOs for Gujarat riots
victims of 2002. During arguments, Gujarat Govt and Setalvad traded charges against each other
with the state accusing her of “siphoning” the money collected in the name of
victims for “personal use” like wining and dining and the activist claiming
that the action against her was “completely malafide”. Senior advocate Kapil
Sibal, representing Setalvad and others, countered the charges and said the money
which she had spent does not belong to Govt and there was no complainant who had said he
or she has been cheated. He said the donation was given by Ford Foundation and
others and when they had not come forward with any complaint, why did the police
freeze the accounts of Setalvad, her husband and their NGOs, Sabrang Trust and
Citizens for Justice and Peace.PTI
Students of over 50 Hyderabad schools, colleges found taking drugs
Hyderabad: Authorities here have asked as many as 27 colleges and 26
schools to take steps to check use of drugs by their students after a probe
found that over 1,000 students, some of them as young as 13 are using ‘high-end’
drugs like LSD and MDMA, an official said on Wednesday. Advisories were sent to
the educational institutions including prestigious international schools and
engineering colleges following sensational finding by the Prohibition and
Excise Dept. Announcing the arrest of 8th accused in the drug racket, ED Akun
Sabharwal said that letters were sent to the heads of educational institutions,
having sizeable number of users.IANS
Can't equate Taher Merchant to Tiger Memon: Defence lawyer of 1993
Mumbai blasts accused
MUMBAI: The defence on Wednesday opened the first of the arguments
against death sentence sought by the CBI for three found guilty of being main
conspirators in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. Sudeep Pasbola, counsel
for Taher Merchant, said the accused cannot be equated to the main brain and
absconding accused Tiger Memon, as all he did was his bidding."It is not
even the prosecution case that Taher knew the ultimate object of the conspiracy
from beginning to end,'' said Pasbola, saying that Taher played a
"peripheral role''. The court had found that Taher was one of the
masterminds of the blast. Pasbola repeatedly pointed out the lack of evidence
in prosecution's list of aggravating circumstances against Taher. TOI
Abu Salem moves court against Delhi police for slapping "false and
frivolous case'' against him
Mumbai: Abu Salem, held guilty in March 12, 1993 Mumbai blasts case,
moved the special TADA court on Wednesday saying that the Delhi police had
slapped a "false and frivolous case'' on him and sought to detain him in
"gross violation of the 2003 extradition order".Special judge Sanap
issued a notice to the Delhi police and posted the matter for further hearing
on July 12.His lawyers Sudeep Pasbola and Farhana Shah, submitting the 3 page
application, sought orders from special judge GA Sanap to the Delhi police
chief. Salem was extradited from Portugal to face specific cases one of which
was the 1993 blasts.TOI
Death: 200 Amreli Dalits threaten to convert to Buddhism
Rajkot:As many as 200 Dalits in Amreli district have threatened to
convert to Buddhism alleging police inaction in conducting a fair probe into
the death of a Dalit youth in judicial custody 2 weeks ago. This after police
on Tuesday arrested undertrial prisoners on the charges of killing Sondarva
during a brawl inside Amreli sub-jail on June 14. 4 — Shivraj Varu, Jamsinh
Solanki, Kanu Satya and Laxman Vavadiya — had allegedly beat up Sondarva and
smashed his head against the barrack wall after an argument. Sondarva, a
resident of Dungarpur village who was arrested by Rajula police on June 12 for
allegedly consuming liquor and was sent to jail after he failed to deposit bail
money, died in a hospital on June 15.indianexpress
Stones from Rajasthan arrive for Ram temple in Ayodhya
Lucknow:A fresh consignment of 18 blocks of sandstones for carving out
structures of the proposed Ram temple reached Ayodhya in 3 trucks on Wednesday.
Four blocks of stones in two trucks had arrived in the temple city a week ago.
All these sandstone blocks have been kept at Ramsevakpuram of Ram Janmabhoomi
Nyas. Ramsevakpuram is barely 500-metre from the VHP workshop, where carving of
stones for the temple is going on since 1990.VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma
said that ‘Ram bhakts’ have sent 2,000 cubic feet stones from Bharatpur in
Rajasthan because Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas in June 2015 had appealed to them to
donate stones instead of cash. indian express
It's one India, one tax as J&K accepts GST
Srinagar: J&K legislative assembly adopted on Wednesday a resolution
to implement the goods and services tax in the state, paving the way towards a
truly "one In dia, one tax system". J&K was the only exception
when other states implemented GST on July 1. The resolution was moved by state
finance minister Haseeb Drabu and passed by voice vote despite resistance from
the opposition.The legislative council, too, adopted the resolution by voice
vote. The resolution moved by finance minister Drabu also called for a
presidential order to safeguard J&K's special status and its power to set
its own taxes."Section 5 (J&K Constitution) and Article 370 of the
Constitution (of India) will remain unchanged," Drabu assured those opposing
the resolution during the special session. Section 5 of the J&K statute
gives the state exclusive powers of taxation.The opposition National
Conference, CP M and Congress,
however, demanded safeguards for the state's special status under Article 370
and said the assurances of the ruling PDP-JP
were vague.TOI
Extension of 101st constitutional amendment to J&K: Final nail in
coffin of special status, says Ex-minister Rather
New Delhi: Former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather has called PDP-BJP
Govt ’s concurrence to extend the 101st constitutional amendment to the state
“the final nail in the coffin of J&K’s special status’’. “The resolution
that they passed today in the Assembly is vague and a ploy to hoodwink the
public, which will not accept this substantial breach in our special status,’’
said Rather, the former chairman of the Empowerment Committee of State Finance
Ministers on GST. “The resolution recommends consent to GST with a vague caveat
saying that it must be done in a modified manner to safeguard the existing
special constitutional position of J&K and legislative powers under the
J&K Constitution. They did not agree to tell us what modifications are they
seeking that would enable the safeguarding of our special status because they
do not have anything.’’He said that once the cabinet gives its consent to
extend the law to the state, it is an irreversible process. “The last bit of
the powers that the state had left with it under Article 370 will also go,” he
said. “This is why we have been consistently asking the state Govt , especially
finance minister Haseeb Drabu, to tell us the nature of the safeguards they are
securing for J&K’s special status, while giving consent for this new tax
law.’’ Indian express
Soldier with AK-47 rifle goes missing, suspected to have joined Hizb
A soldier with the 173 Territorial Army went missing today from north
Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said. According to reports, police suspect
that Zahoor Ahmad Thakur may have joined hands with Hizbul Mujahideen.Thakur
was reportedly missing from his camp in Gantmulla area along with an AK-47
rifle. "Thakur belongs to Pulwama district. A search operation has been
launched," police sources said.Thakur's suspected joining of Hizb becomes
more relevant as the terror outfit is planning to recruit more 40 local
militants. J&K administration is already on the edge following reports that
a large number of Kashmiris are planning to commemorate Wani's death
anniversary with protests across the Valley. india today
Jawan with AK-47 rifle goes missing from Kashmir
J&K forces get tough with locals supporting terror
Srinagar: The security forces combating a nearly 3-decade-old militancy
in J&K have been asked to take an aggressive stand to prevent people from
joining militant groups. Also, a tough campaign has been launched against
alleged overground workers of militant outfits and locals who often turn up in
large numbers near encounter sites during cordon-and-search operations and make
conscious attempts to help militants break the security forces’ dragnet and
escape. Officials admit scores of Kashmiri youth have joined Hizb-ul-Mujahedin
and LeT groups after the killing of Burhan Wani by security forces a year
ago.The killing and resulting turbulence proved a huge catalyst for the Hizb to
attract local youths. Over the past one year, the outfit is recruiting heavily
in the Valley.This set off alarm bells in the corridors of power in Srinagar
and New Delhi. However, about 2 dozen militants were killed in stepped up
military campaign during the past two months. Also, security forces have come
down heavily on locals accused of supporting or shielding militants. Acknowledging
the ‘trend’, a senior Army commander said recently “Everyone is worried, be it
the central Govt , the state Govt , the security forces or Army”. He added,
“There are no easy answers that we will do this or that which will stop it.” ASIAN
AGE
UK council withdraws permission to Burhan Wani rally
London: Birmingham city council today withdrew its permission for a
planned rally to mark "Burhan Wani Day" on Saturday after India
lodged a protest with UK Govt against "glorification
of terrorists".The rally was being planned by UK-based Kashmiri groups to
mark the first death anniversary of the commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen
militant outfit killed in a gun battle with Indian armed forces in the Kashmir
Valley on July 8 last year.India on Monday protested to the UK over the planned
rally.PTI
In view of Burhan Wani’s death anniversary, J-K Police orders blocking
of social media sites
Pakistan alleges use of 'chemical ammunition' in Kashmir
New Delhi: Pakistan on Thursday alleged that Indian security forces are
using "ammunition containing chemical agents" in J&K, reported
Pakistani media.He cited "charred bodies" found in houses in Bahmnoo
and Kakpora in the Pulwama district suggested that chemical agents were
used.."Charred bodies of Kashmiri youth were found in the debris of five
houses destroyed by Indian forces at Bahmnoo and Kakpora in Pulwama,"Zakaria
said, adding that the bodies were extensively burnt and beyond visual
recognition.Zakaria added that the international community should investigate,
ARY news reported."If use of chemicals in the ammunition is confirmed,
then it would constitute a serious violation of international norms and India's
international obligations under Chemical Weapons Convention," Zakaria
said.TOI
Pakistan condemns NIA questioning Hurriyat leader's aide
Raghunath temple attack: Arrest, bail, rearrest… 15-yr ordeal for 6
Muslim men ends with discharge
Jammu/new Delhi: Follolwing a fidayeen attack on Jammu’s Raghunath
temple on March 30, 2002, killing 12 people and leaving 20 injured, J&K
police had arrested 6 villagers claiming their involvement — including a
schoolteacher, a retired revenue official and a Special Police official — from
Poonch district. 15 years later, J&K High Court has not only exonerated
them but questioned the entire police investigation. J&K Police “didn’t
even array as accused” Virinder Sharma, against whom they had “sufficient
evidence” including “recovery of huge quantity of arms and ammunition at his
instance”.These observations came in a judgment on March 15, 2017, when the
court dismissed a revision petition by the state against the discharge of the 6
accused by principal sessions judge, Jammu, Subhash Chandra Gupta on Oct.30,
2006. “There was sufficient material showing involvement of one Virinder Sharma
who has not been arrayed as accused,”HC Justice Mohammad Yakub Mir said. The
court asked the trial court to proceed against Sharma and the investigating
officer of the case. The attack was among incidents that had heightened
communal tension in J&K at the time.The police are yet to act on the order.
IGP (Jammu) SD Singh Jamwal said he isn’t aware about the matter and asked
Indian Express to contact the prosecution wing (of police). Public prosecutor
Rakesh Badyal said the court has issued a notice to inspector Ajay Jamwal as he
had presented a challan in the court. Jamwal, now SHO in Surankote, said he was
not the investigating officer and only presented the challan. The case, he
said, was investigated by Razak Khan, Ashok Sharma and Pritam Singh who have
all retired — Khan as SP, Sharma and Singh as DSPs. “Only they can tell the
court who this Virinder Sharma is and why he was not arrayed as accused,” Jamwal
said.Terming the trial court’s discharge order “well reasoned”, the high
court’s Justice Mir observed that “while referring to the entire record, [the
trial court] has drawn a conclusion that there is not an iota of incriminating
evidence against the accused persons…” “An attempt has been made to show that [accused]
are involved by referring a letter issued by Inspector, Toll Post Manda,
Akhnoor, wherein it has been shown that a truck No 4167-JKS has passed…’’judgment
said. “But in the letter it is specifically stated that truck was empty and
nowhere is it said that any person was carrying any arms or ammunition in truck…”Those
discharged are schoolteacher Kabir Din, his father-in-law Munir Hussain (a
retired revenue official), Maroof Khan, Shabir Ahmed (a special police
officer), Sarfaraz Khan and Mehmood Ahmed, all residents of Surankote, Poonch.
The services of Kabir Dar and Shabir were later terminated by Govt because of alleged involvement in terror
activities. Indian express
Delhi HC raps Waqf Board for educational activity inside monument
New Delhi: Waqf Board was today pulled up by the Delhi High Court for
"causing mischief" by allowing educational and religious activity
inside a protected monument in the national capital. Holding the Board
responsible, a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and SP Garg directed the
authority to cooperate with the ASI in removing encroachments from the tomb of
Khan Shahid, the son of the ninth sultan of Mamluk dynasty of Delhi Ghiyas ud
din Balban."Something which was not there you (Waqf) are allowing to
happen. You have caused the mischief. You cannot allow change of its (monument)
use. "Where did the mosque, Imam and the madrassa go when conservation and
restoration of the monument was going on? If you allow people to live there
(monument) it will be defiled," it said. The court also refused to accept
the Board's claim that it was in the dark regarding the encroachments or fresh
construction inside the monument and that an Imam was appointed in 2014 to
offer prayers. "Don't try to pull wool over our eyes," the court
said. PTI
WORLD
UNESCO Adopts Resolution Reaffirming Israel’s Lack of Sovereignty over
Jerusalem
World Heritage Committee UNESCO has adopted, a resolution which confirms
Israel’s lack of sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem. It condemned, in a meeting
in Krakov, southern Poland, the excavations carried out by the Israeli
Antiquities Department, in Jerusalem.According to Al Ray Palestinian Media
Agency, Arab Group of Arab States submitted the wording of the resolution and,
according to Israeli claims, Arabs and Palestinians softened the tone of the
resolution with a view to be adopted unanimously, but Israeli pressures
thwarted the attempt .According to the body, 10 countries voted in favor of Palestinian
resolution: Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait,
Turkey, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Cuba. 8 countries abstained: Angola, Croatia,
Finland, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Korea and Tanzania. 3 countries opposed the
resolution: the Philippines, Jamaica and Burkina Faso. IMEMC
World Heritage Committee Calls on Israel to Stop Illegal Practices in
East Jerusalem
Arab League welcomes UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem
Israel decries new UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem
Hamas praises UNESCO's resolution which denies Israeli sovereignty over
Jerusalem
Israel to approve 800 east Jerusalem homes after Trump called on
Netanyahu to curb settlement construction
Jerusalem:Jerusalem municipality said Wednesday it plans to approve 800
new homes in Jewish-populated areas of east Jerusalem in the coming month, a
move that could complicate President Donald Trump's attempt to restart peace
talks.The housing would be the first approved in east Jerusalem since Trump
called on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
to curb settlement construction in Feb.Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared
Kushner arrived in Israel last month and sat down with Israeli and Palestinian
leaders in an effort to help kick-start long-dormant negotiations. Kushner
discussed potential actions to make progress toward "a genuine and lasting
peace" between Israelis and Palestinians during his meeting with
Netanyahu. But amid deep disagreements between the sides, he has not yet said
how he plans to proceed.AP
Hamas chief warns of ‘regional peace deal’ with Israel
Hamas’s newly elected political chief Ismail Haniyeh warned against
plans to establish a “regional or economic peace” with Israel. Haniyeh issued
the warning at his first press conference since being elected to succeed Khaled
Meshaal as the Gaza-based group’s political leader. He went on to assert that
the US administration was hoping to forge a landmark “regional” peace deal,
which, he warned, “would ultimately serve to extinguish the Palestinian
cause”.“Since Donald Trump’s assumption of the US presidency, moves have
accelerated — under Israeli pressure — to extort the Arab and Muslim states
with the ultimate aim of destroying the Palestinian cause,” he added.
Hamas says Egypt ready to help Gaza
Gaza: Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said today recent talks in Egypt could
lead to improving the humanitarian suffering in the impoverished Gaza Strip.The
head of Palestinian Islamist movement said it found Egyptian officials "ready
to work to address crises in Gaza" during a recent trip in which Hamas
leaders, led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar, met with Egyptian officials in
cairo."Egyptian authorities issued a package of measures and policies and
fuel began to enter to the power plant, and work continues at the Rafah
crossing to reopen it in the near future.""The result will have the
effect of alleviating the burden of the siege against our people in the Gaza
Strip," Haniya said.He did not give further specific details. out look
Improving ties between Egypt and Hamas unsettle Palestinian
politics:Reuters
Israel to open airport in Eilat despite Jordan’s objections
Israeli authorities plan to open Ramon International Airport near the
border with Jordan despite the objections of the Govt in Amman, Anadolu has reported. The airport is
being built in the Timna Valley 20k outside Eilat, which is adjacent to the
Jordanian city of Aqaba, where King Hussein International Airport is located.Jordan
said that it objected to the construction of the Israeli airport, which was
given the go ahead in 2013, because it could affect radio communications at the
airport in Aqaba. middleeastmonitor
US envoy Haley leads anti-Palestinian 'crusade': PLO
A senior Palestinian official has blasted US
President Donald Trump's UN envoy, accusing her of carrying out a
"crusade" against the Palestinian people. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior
member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said that Nikki Haley
was leading a "one-woman crusade ... against Palestine and the Palestinian
people individually and collectively". "Through an obsessive and
targeted campaign of intimidation and threats, Miss Haley's crusade does not
miss an opportunity to put pressure on anyone that seeks to challenge Israeli
impunity," she added. Ashrawi said Haley was echoing remarks by Israeli PM
Netanyahu. Aljazeera
HRW tells Bangladesh Govt to end disappearances, extrajudicial killings of
oppositions- BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami’s supporters
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/disappearances-extrajudicial-killings-hrw-170705191258625.html
Security forces in Bangladesh have been accused of extrajudicial
killings, enforced disappearances and secret detentions, including of members
of the political opposition, according to a report released by Human Rights
Watch. "People are almost always worried that they are going to disappear,
they are going to be killed, and no one will know what exactly happened to
them," Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director of HRW said."Therefore,
an environment of fear particularly among the people in political opposition
and known Govt critics has become
intense." Govt really needs to look
into this instead of denying that things happened," she said. New York
based rights body urged the Bangladesh Govt to launch an independent probe into these
allegations and "prosecute security forces responsible for such egregious
rights violations".At least 90 people have been victims of enforced disappearance
last year alone, according to 82-page report: "We Don't Have Him': Secret
Detentions and Enforced Disappearances in Bangladesh".At least 21
detainees were later reportedly killed, report documented. "Disappearances
are well-documented and reported, yet the Govt persists in this abhorrent practice with no
regard for the rule of law," said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW. Since
current Awami League Govt came to power in 2009, human rights organisations
have identified over 1,300 alleged extrajudicial killings and 325 enforced
disappearances.Leading up to 2014 general polls hundreds of people, including
opposition activists, were illegally detained and held in secret detention
centres, the report said."Since 2013 we saw a new trend: supporters of
opposition political parties have been targeted, basically members of BNP and
Jamaat-e-Islami have been targeted," said HRW's Ganguly."Some Jamaat
members were picked up and shot in the knees."19 members of the opposition
BNP detained by the security forces weeks before the 2014 general elections
continue to remain disappeared, the report says.Moin Khan, ex-minister and a
senior BNP leader said that "there was a gross violation of human rights
in Bangladesh".Al Jazeera
Bangla opposition activists held in secret detention: HRW
HRW raises concern over CAR 'war crimes'
At least 566 civilians have been killed in war crimes committed by armed
groups since 2014 in the violence-ridden Central African Republic (CAR), Human
Rights Watch said.In a report published on Wednesday, the international rights
body provided a detailed account of the widespread abuses committed against
civilians by mainly Muslim Seleka and Christian anti-Balaka forces in the
central regions of CAR.The rebel groups have also destroyed 4,207 homes between
late 2014 and April 2017, the report said. aljazeera
Saudi-led block: Qatar not serious about demands
4 Arab nations that have imposed a blockade on Qatar for its alleged
support for "terrorism" have issued a statement saying that Doha's
response to their demands to end the crisis was "not serious".
Wednesday's statement came after foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE
and Bahrain —Arab states involved in the dispute with Qatar — met in Egypt's
capital after receiving Doha's response to their list of demands.Egyptian
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters at a joint news conference in
Cairo that Qatar's response was "generally negative" and failed to
"lay foundation for Qatar's reversal of the policies it pursues". Aljazeera
Qatar Airways removed from US laptop ban list
Qatar Airways has joined two other major long-haul carriers in the Gulf
in getting off a US laptop ban list. Airline on Thursday said that with
"immediate effect, all personal electronic devices can be carried on board
all departures from Hamad International Airport to destinations in the US".
Aljazeera
At least 500 civilians evacuated from western Mosul
At least 500 civilians have been evacuated from western Mosul in the
last 24 hours, an Iraqi army officer said on Thursday. Many of the civilians
were injured while fleeing the Old City district where there are clashes
between Daesh and the Iraqi army, Col. Ahmad Hashim said. The Iraqi army on Wednesday recaptured 2 more neighborhoods in western
Mosul from the Daesh terrorist group, according to an Iraqi army commander. But
Daesh still controls a number of neighborhoods where tens of thousands of
civilians are stuck in residences. Anadolu
9 Iraqi security staff, 18 Daesh fighters killed in Mosul
Turkey, Russia, Iran to form working group on Syria
Turkey, Russia and Iran will establish a joint working group on
de-escalation zones in Syria, Kazakhstan’s foreign minister said.Kairat
Abdrakhmanov’s remarks came during a news conference following the final day of
5th round of Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana.Reading
a joint statement from the 3 guarantor countries, Abdrakhmanov said the trio
expressed their satisfaction with the progress in the delineation of the
de-escalation areas in war-stricken country, which was agreed at the previous
round of Astana talks on 4 May.
US would consider no-fly zone in Syria if Russia agrees
US is prepared to discuss with Russia joint efforts to stabilise
war-torn Syria, including no-fly zones, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
said.He added the US wanted to discuss with Russia the use of on-the-ground
ceasefire observers and the coordinated delivery of humanitarian aid to
Syrians. "If our two countries work together to establish stability on the
ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's
political future," Tillerson said in a statement on Wednesday before this
week's Group of 20 summit in Germany. aljazeera
Calls for Egypt to revoke Morsi family’s citizenship
A lawsuit which calls for the citizenship of ousted President Mohamed
Morsi’s children to be revoked has been referred for a legal opinion by an
Egyptian court.The case, filed by lawyer Tariq Mahmood, claims that Osama and
Shaimaa Mohamed Morsi obtained the American citizenship without prior
permission from the Egyptian Govt , in violation of Article 10 of Nationality
Law No. 26 of 1975.Mahmoud added that the first article of the US Constitution
stipulates that naturalised citizens should pledge allegiance to the US and
waiver their allegiance to any other state. Middleeastmonitor
Trump: Russia ‘may have’ interfered with 2016 Presidential election
5 months into his presidency, Donald Trump for the first time accepted
that Russia “could have” interfered with the 2016 US elections. He, however,
used the occasion to attack former president Barack Obama for failing to stop
Russia from meddling with the elections despite prior knowledge of it.Fielding
questions from the media, Trump, who is Poland, said: “Well I think it could
very well have been Russia, could have been other countries, I won’t be
specific. I think a lot of people interfere. It has been happening for a long
time, it has been happening for many many years.”Blaming Obama for failing to
act despite CIA briefing him months on the issue before the presidential vote,
Trump said: “Now, the thing I have to mention is: Obama was president when he
find out about this in August. The election was in November. That was a lot
time. He did nothing about it. They say he choked. Well, I don’t think he
chocked, when he though Hillary would have won the election, he said let’s not
do anything about it. Had it been the other way he would have done something
about. He was told in early August that Russia was trying to get involved or
meddling pretty strongly with the election. The reason was he thought Hillary
was going to win…” indianexpress
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
Israel is everything the RSS wants India to be, Modi is making it
happen:Anilesh S Mahajan
PM Modi Should Launch Jewish Studies Against Islamic Studies to Fight
Anti-semitism: Navras Jaat Aafreedi, Ass.Professor at Presidency University,
Kolkata
Rules Against The Law: Why the Centre’s notification against cattle
slaughter is controversial: P D T Achary
The polygamy myth: SY Quraishi,
Ex CEC
GST is no mean achievement but concerns over basic structure must be
addressed in the here and now:Bibek Debroy
Hush-hush marriages to become impossible after Law Commission asks for
compulsory registration within 30 days with no exemption to Muslims
PM Modi's Israel visit a hidden message of BJP about Muslim vote
bank?India Samvad
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:48 PM)
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