Evening NEWS
DIGEST
INDIA: Mob
LYNCHING, HATE CRIMES
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind to
provide legal assistance to lynching victims' kin
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind is planning to provide legal assistance to families of lynching victims,
the Islamic body said. Mob lynching incidents can be best tackled through
building public opinion and put "pressure" on the Govt through it to
curb such incidents, a JIH statement said quoting its president Maulana Syed
Jalaluddin Umri. "We support public
initiatives against communalism and for putting an end to mob lynching. No Govt
can ignore popular and widespread public opinion," Umri said at a monthly
press conference at the organisation's HQRS here. JIH secretary general
Muhammad Salim Engineer said the organisation has identified certain states
where mob lynching incidents have taken place and a plan is being prepared to
tackle the issue. "We will be
meeting the heads of different religions in these states along with social
organisations to promote communal harmony," he said. Formation of a
'Sadbhavna Manch' and activation of the legal cell of JIH for aiding victims of
mob lynchings and their families will be part of the initiative, Engineer
added. Incidents of lynching and attacks on members of the minority community
by cow vigilantes, resulting in some deaths, have been reported from different
states of the country in recent months. Umri said although PM has condemned mob lynchings but the ground
reality has not changed much. He demanded the Centre and states take stern
measures to check such incidents.PTI /ET
Islamic body
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind to provide legal assistance to kin of lynching victims: firstpost
JIH to give legal help to
lynching victims' kin: greater kashmir
JIH to provide legal
assistance to lynching victims’ kin: okhlatimes
JIH chalks out plan to
counter mob-lynching:risingkashmir
Pune gau rakshaks attacked
by Ahmednagar mob after intercepting tempo suspected of transporting cattle
7 gau rakshaks were injured
when a mob of around 50 persons attacked them in Ahmednagar district on
Saturday evening, according to media reports.The incident occurred when a tempo
suspected of transporting cows for slaughter was reportedly intercepted near
Shrigonda police station by the cow vigilantes.The gau rakshaks belong to the
Pune-based group Akhil Bhartiya Krushi Gau Seva Sangh, according to Scroll. One
of the members, identified as Shivshankar Rajendra Swami, said a team of 12 had
come to Shrigonda taluka to lookout for vehicles illegally transporting cows to
an animal market that is held in Kashti village on Saturdays, according to the
report.Mid-day reported that Police Inspector Bajirao Powar said the gau
rakshaks chased a tempo carrying cows from Pune, and when the tempo was parked
within the Shreegonda police's jurisdiction, the men went to the police
station."In the evening, when the gau rakshaks stepped out, a crowd of
20-25, including those running the tempo and local butchers surrounded the
workers and attacked them," the report quoted Powar as saying.A DNA report
said that the owner of the tempo, Wahid Shaikh, and driver Raju Fatrubhai
Shaikh have been arrested under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation
Act.Ahmednagar police said a case of attempt to murder has been registered at
the Shrigonda police station, Indian Express reported.Ahmednagar DSP Sudarshan
Munde said, "We have booked about 30 persons under Sections 307 (attempt
to murder), 395 (dacoity) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. Seven
persons were injured in the incident. Investigation has been initiated to
confirm the sequence of events and arrest the assailants," Indian Express
reported. firstpost
In Pune, tempo held, mob
attacks gau rakshaks in Ahmednagar, 7 injured
Mob allegedly attacks gau
rakshaks in Maharashtra, 20 detained
MP moves bill to deal with
lynching, vigilantism
New Delhi: Rejecting Govt argument
that existing laws are enough to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism, a
Rajya Sabha MP has now sought amendments to the penal code to provide stricter
punishments for such crimes. Congress MP from Maharashtra Husain Dalwai has
moved a private member's bill -- The Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2017 --
last week saying there can be "no culture of state indifference or
impunity" in cases where a particular community becomes the target.Dalwai said
there is a need to define hate crimes and vigilantism due to the “alarming
rise” in attacks which are motivated by bias or prejudice due to religion,
caste, choice of attire or eating. The bill envisages an imprisonment of up to
five years for those involved in such crimes and life imprisonment in case
there is death.“Such attacks are either driven by an ideology in which case it
takes the shape of a hate crime or it is driven by an urge to take the law into
their own hands and punish the victims on mere suspicion of an offence have
been committed,” the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill said. deccanherald
BJP, Bajrang Dal in Bihar
beef attack: ‘Our govt now’
Shahpur:The blocking of a
truck and the alleged beating of at least one of the three men inside on
suspicion of transporting beef in Bihar’s Bhojpur district was a well-planned
move by BJP and Bajrang Dal workers who said they wanted to “produce proof” for
police to take action against “illegal” meat traders. Bhuwar Ojha, BJP state
executive committee member, said, “We had been telling police for some time
about an illegal slaughterhouse in the Ranisagar area of Shahpur but they would
not listen to us. Now that BJP is part of the state Govt, our morale has been
boosted.”Ojha described Ranisagar and Bagahi, the only Muslim-dominated areas
in the Shahpur assembly segment, as “the problem areas”. But, he said, the
BJP’s top leaders in Bihar have asked him to ensure that “no untoward incident
takes place”.“We are not staging any protests today because we hope for some
action from police. We should not be protesting against our own Govt now,” said Ojha, who had been kept in the loop
by those who blocked the truck. Indian Express
Now cows are home: They are
on roads, in fields, Farmers worried, as
are MLAs, 13-yrs after its anti-cow slaughter Act, MP struggles with stray cows
Nestled along a rocky
hillock in Tikamgarh, this small village of about a thousand residents follows
a fixed ritual at twilight. Before retiring for the day, men of Dumbar herd
cows wandering in the village’s lanes into a makeshift enclosure, praying they
won’t venture out at night. The cows don’t belong to them. The villagers don’t
know who owns them either. The animals started appearing a few months ago,
climbing over the hillock and destroying their fields. “Owners abandon them in
the dark and they amble towards the village during the day,” rues Lakhan Pal,
who tills five acres along with three brothers, and owns three cows of his own.
Lamenting the damage caused to his fields where he grows black gram, he says, “Gai
ki koi value nahin hai (cow has no value).”Dumbar is better off than
neighbouring Chandooli and Pratappura, part of the same panchayat, which have
no enclosures to hold the stray cows. “We simply chase them from one field to
another,” says sarpanch Udham Yadav. The abandoned cows have become a source of
friction in villages, 40-year-old adds. Recently, a farmer belonging to the
dominant Brahmin caste in Dumbar village killed a cow after it entered his
field.Mohan Tiwari, who is in his 20s, has been arrested under the anti-cow
slaughter Act. Villagers say Tiwari went twice for a dip in the Ganga and held
a puja, to “wash away his sins”. His father Bhumani Maharaj pleads to be left
alone.Shankar Ahirwar, a Dalit whose cow was killed by Tiwari, says he had let
it loose “because everyone does so during the day”. He also wonders, “I don’t
know what would have happened had I killed a cow belonging to a Brahmin.”
Though Ahirwar’s 9-acre fields sown with black gram are neatly fenced, cows
keep making their way in.The growing problem of abandoned cows in the state was
discussed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on July 21, with MLAs seeking
immediate intervention. MLAs of the ruling BJP led the debate, regretting that
cows were now being abandoned for good unlike earlier when owners would let
loose their cattle post-harvest and later get them back in a practice often
called “era pratha”. During the debate, BJP MLA from Susner, Murlidhar Patidar,
suggested that BPL families be asked to rear a cow each as they benefit from
govt schemes. Slamming gau bhakts, BJP MLA from Chandla RD Prajapati said,“They
keep shouting ‘cow is our mother’. When I ask them have you ever reared one…
(they say) ‘not cow, but buffalo is our mother’!” Prajapati also told the House
there were 20,000 stray cattle in his constituency. “Let there be no
development in my constituency, but please manage (the problem of) stray cows,”
he said. Bharatiya Kisan Sangh leader Shivkant Dixit says 35 to 40 of Madhya
Pradesh’s 51 districts are affected by the problem of stray cows. One solution,
he adds, is ensuring demand for cow milk, as well as its urine and dung.The
state’s ‘Kanji’ houses, where impounded cattle are kept till reclaimed by
owners, have also collapsed under the weight of unwanted animals. MPhas had a
cow slaughter prohibition law (MP Gauvansh Pratishedh Adhiniyam) since 2004,
when BJP was voted into power. An amendment cleared in 2012 by President puts
the onus on the accused in a cow slaughter case, while raising the punishment
for killing a cow from three years to seven.Cow vigilante groups like the
Bajrang Sena admit an increase in the number of cows on the streets, and take
pride in it being a result of “our campaign”. indianexpress
Avoid killing of cattle,
Hyderabad Muslims told: Deccan Chronicle report
Hyderabad: Muslim scholars
in the city have urged the community to avoid killing of cattle. The advice
comes in wake of skirmishes over cow slaughter across the country. “When
someone gets hurt by any act, it is better to avoid it. There are other ways
and they can be practised,” noted a religious scholar at a meeting.Mohammed
Khan, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana and Odhisa, said that certain
groups are using the issue of cow slaughter to rake up communal violence. “In
such situation, the community should desist from killing the cattle for a year
or two,” Khan said. The meeting was
attended by heads of various organisations and Muslim groups. A delegate, Sadiq
Mohiuddin, said that there is unrest in the country over cow slaughter. “It is
up to the community to do it or not. It is voluntary,” he said. However, Muslim United Forum, an umbrella of
several religious organisations and eminent religious personalities, has asked
the Govt to provide security during the
festivals. “Every year, during Bakri Eid,
vehicles carrying cattle are stopped and the people are attacked. We urge the Govt
to provide security to prevent any
communal flare-up," said Moulana Mohammed Raheemuddin Ansari, president of
the MUF.
Umer Ilyasi demands nationwide ban on cow slaughter
Demanding a nationwide ban
on cow slaughter, chief imam of the All India Imam Organisation (AIIO) Umer
Ahmed Ilyasi today said that cow should be declared as a "national
animal". He also said that religious sentiments of a group towards cow should
be respected."Beef is openly consumed in Kerala, Goa and northeastern
states, whereas there is a ban on it in some states. We want that there should
be a uniform law in the country that will ban the slaughter of cows. Besides
that, cow should be declared as a national animal," Ilyasi told reporters
here."Cow is a matter of faith for a religious group and all other
communities should respect it," he added.Talking about Bihar Minority
Welfare Minister Khurshid alias Feroz Ahmad chanting 'Jai Sri Ram' in the state
assembly premises recently, Ilyasi said, "Chanting or not chanting 'Jai
Sri Ram' is a matter of personal faith. But I believe that 'Bharat mata ki jai'
or 'Jai Sri Ram' chants are acclamation of their victories," Ilaysi
said."I don't find anything wrong in someone's glorification.We should
come out of such petty mindset," he added.PTI
Bihar has only 2 legal
abattoirs, all others to shut
Patna: After UP , Bihar has
now decided to clamp down on all illegal slaughterhouses in the state. The
state's animal and fisheries resources minister Pashupati Kumar Paras made this
announcement on Saturday, which will mean closure of virtually all 140-odd
abattoirs in Bihar.Only 2 slaughterhouses in the state are legal. "I have
asked the department secretary to furnish a report on all slaughterhouses in
the state — licensed as well as illegal — within a week.Based on the report and
the norms governing the same, we would close down all illegal slaughterhouses,"
Paras, who is from LJP said. TOI.
Hate speeches made by Hindu
groups, crosses desecrated: Goa on fanaticism alert
It was a Saturday morning
in July. Agnelo Fernandes, a retired seaman and resident of Goa’s Curchorem
village was dressed to go out, but decided to call a staff member of the local
church before doing so, to check with him the schedule for a Mass to celebrate
the local MLA’s birthday. The committee member told him about desecrations at
the church cemetery. Fernandes rushed to the cemetery – one of his daughters is
buried there. “When I reached, I found bones lying near the entrance. Some
crosses had been broken and niches damaged. I made my way to my daughter’s
grave and the niche we had made in her memory. The granite stone covering the
niche was broken. Still it didn’t strike me. Then I saw the satin bag on which
I had written her name, her date of birth and the date of her death, before
putting her bones in it to preserve her memory, lying on the ground. It was
then that I realised that the bones lying near the entrance were my
daughter’s,” he says, with barely concealed pain. Last month Goa was jolted by
a spate of desecration of crosses, causing grief and alarm to Catholics inthe
state. There were also reports of a temple being vandalised. “The method of
destruction was the same everywhere – the base of the cross was broken by
hitting it with some heavy implement. More than 40 structures were damaged,”
says Father Savio Fernandes, executive secretary of the Council for Social
Justice and Peace, which has been engaged in fact-finding studies into the
desecrations. In some places the headstones on the graves and niches – where
families preserve the mortal remains of a departed member – were broken. Goa
Police has arrested Francis Pereira, a resident of Curchorem for the
desecrations and claimed that he has confessed to the crime. But more
desecrations were reported after Pereira’s arrest.hindustantimes
J&K,
INDIA-CHINA
& PAK
BJP to alter Article 35A on
permanent residents in J&K?
New Delhi: Away from the
attention that Article 370 usually invites, a section of BJP sympathisers are
steadily pushing the party's less-noticed promise of altering Article 35A of
the Constitution, which empowers the J&K Govt to define "permanent residents" of
the state.The article enables the state to provide special rights and
privileges that permanent residents can enjoy but has been criticised by BJP as
a provision that encourages alienation, deepens the concept of a separate
identity and creates a political gap between J&K and the rest of
India.Under the Article, state laws have barred non-residents from purchasing
land in the state and the issue is in focus with a Kashmiri woman, Charu Wali
Khan, recently filing a petition seeking changes in the constitutional
provision as she wanted succession rights though she is settled outside the
state.Responding to her plea, the Supreme Court sent notices to the Centre and state
last month. Woman has argued that the state's laws, flowing from Article 35A,
have disenfranchised her. Advocate General K Venugopal told the bench of Chief
Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud that the petition against Article
35A raised "very sensitive" questions that required a "larger
debate".The court referred the matter to a three-judge bench and has set a
six-week deadline for final disposal. The bench is likely to deliver its
verdict in Sept.first week. Union minister Jitendra Singh said that since the
matter was sub judice, one should wait for the court's verdict. He said the
court verdict would be binding on all. State BJP leaders are vocal about their
views as they strongly feel that Article 35A should be repealed. timesofindia
BJP mulling changes in
Article 35A on ‘permanent residents’ in J&K ?
In J&K, an advocate
held in police lockup “without charges” since two weeks
Jammu: Family of a
Doda-based lawyer and social activist Babur-ul-Islam Nehru has alleged illegal
detaining of Nehru by J&K police
since July 22. Family members claimed that Nehru was picked by J&K police
in Jammu district as he was coming out of the mosque in Christian Colony after
offering morning prayers.“He was picked outside the mosque and was first taken
to Gandhi Nagar police station. Later, he was shifted to another police station
and now he is presently lodged in Akhnoor police station,” Babur’s brother
Abdul Mateen Nehru said. Family has claimed that in last 2 weeks, Babar has
been shifted to three different police stations.“When I went to meet him at the
police station, he told me that a senior police officer had visited him and
told him that he is a threat to peace and can become militant commander of some
militant organisation in Chenab Valley in the next two years. I don’t know how
he is a threat when he was doing his regular job and social work,” Mateen
informed.The family is presently camping in Jammu to seek the release of their
son and has alleged police of fabricating false case and putting him in jail on
one pretext or the other. Importantly, Babur had resigned from the post of
Legal Assistant in J&K Govt on June
29, earlier this year and had resumed his regular practice at Doda court.When
TCN contacted Akhnoor Police Station, officer on the line confirmed his
presence in their lockup and said, “Yes, he is in our police station.” When
asked about the charges he has been put in jail, he said that it is confidential
and can’t tell it over the phone.TCN
Shabir Shah’s aid Aslam
Wani arrested from Srinagar
Enforcement Directorate on
Sunday arrested Mohammad Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, in connection
with its about a decade-old money laundering case against Kashmiri separatist
Shabir Shah.A senior official in central probe agency said Wani was arrested
from J&K's summer capital Srinagar by the ED with the help of the state
police. Official said Wani (36) is being flown in from Srinagar and will be
produced by evening before a special judge in Delhi for his further custody.ED
had recently got a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him from a Delhi
court. ED had issued multiple summonses for his appearance in the case, but he
never appeared. The warrant has been executed and Wani will now be confronted
with Shah and others in order to take the probe forward. Shah, now in ED
custody, was similarly arrested by the agency from Srinagar on 26 July. The
Quint
Army On Terror Hunt:
Schools Shut, Clashes, 3 civilians injured in north Kashmir
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/NewsDetail/index/3/11403/Army-On-Terror-Hunt-Schools-Shut-Clashes
Srinagar: Authorities today
shut educational institutions in north Kashmir after the killing of 3
Lashkar-e-Toiba militants sparked spontaneous protests in parts of the Valley
during which at least 3 civilians were injured in Army firing.Officials said
following specific information about the presence of militants in Jamia
Mohalla, Amargarh locality of Tarzoo in Sopore, a joint team of police, 52 RR
and 92, 177, 179 BN CRPF cordoned off the area and launched the operation which
ended with the killing of militants”.They said two locals militants and a
suspected Pakistani national affiliated with the Lashkar were killed in an
encounter. They were identified as Javed Ahmad Dar of Khanpora, Baramulla and
Abid Hamid Mir of Hajin Bandipora while the identity of the third suspect is
being ascertained, police said."A cache of arms and ammunition have also
been recovered from the militants," a senior police officer said. The
killing sparked spontaneous protests in the native villages of the slain local
militants where a complete shutdown is being observed, forcing the authorities
to shut down all the educational institutions in north Kashmir. “Educational
institutions have also been shut in Sopore, Hajin and Sumbal areas of north
Kashmir. A police constable was injured during the encounter and he was shifted
to a hospital where his condition is stable,” the officer said. Meanwhile, at
least 3 youth were injured after army opened fire in Saderkoot Bala area of
district Bandipora today, allegedly after being attacked with stones.Earlier,
protests broke out in the area against the killing of the militant Abid Hamid
Mir in the encounter at Amargah. thecitizen
Abu Dujana helped set up al
Qaeda in India: Zakir Musa in purported statement
Srinagar:Slain militant
commander Abu Dujana was the “first martyr” in the war for an Islamic Kashmir
and helped set up an al Qaeda cell in India, the global terror outfit’s valley
chief Zakir Musa has allegedly claimed.Musa, a hardline militant, said in a
purported statement on Friday that Dujana and Arif Lelhari, both of whom were
killed by security forces on Aug.1, had left the Lashkar-e-Taiba to join the al
Qaeda, once led by Pakistan-based terrorist leader Osama bin-Laden.HT could not
verify the authenticity of the video message but officials said the voice
matched earlier audio clips released by Musa, who left the Hizbul Mujahideen
this year. hindustantimes
China daily warns of PLA
might, ‘small-scale operation in 2 weeks’
Beijing/new Delhi: China is
planning a “small-scale military operation” to “expel” Indian troops from the
Doklam area “within 2 weeks”, an article in the State-run Global Times said
here Saturday. “China will not allow the military standoff between China and
India in Doklam to last for too long, and there may be a small-scale military
operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks, Chinese experts said after
six ministries and institutions made remarks on the incident within the past 24
hours,” the article in the daily run by the Communist Party of China
said.Quoting Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International
Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the article said, “Series
of remarks from the Chinese side within a 24-hour period sends a signal to
India that there is no way China will tolerate the Indian troops’ incursion
into Chinese territory for too long.”“Chinese side will inform the Indian
Foreign Ministry before its operation,” he told Global Times. Hu also said
India would have to “bear all the consequences”, and that ties between the 2
countries were “severely damaged”. While there was no official response from
the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Govt sources downplayed the threat and said they
did not wish to add anything beyond what was said by ministry spokesperson
Gopal Baglay on Friday and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday.
“We have already said that war is not an option, and diplomatic channels are
being used to defuse the situation. I think we will stick to that position, and
not respond to such provocative articles in the Chinese media,” a top Indian diplomat
said.An Indian source well-networked into Chinese think-tank circuit told
Sunday Express that Hu is “a known India-baiter”, but “does not speak for the
Chinese military establishment”. “I have met him at several conferences in
China, he is quite condescending towards India, and negative in his views. But
he is not a surrogate for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA),” he said, adding
that Hu belongs to a provincial think-tank and not a Central think-tank. indian
express
Sikkim standoff: China
prepared for military confrontation, will ‘annihilate’ all Indian troops, says
Chinese media
Way out of Doklam is to let
Bhutan handle it with China: Karat
New Delhi:“India must
seriously consider ways to diffuse the situation with China And the key lies in
our accepting that this issue is between Bhutan and China and leave it to the
Bhutanese to handle it,” said former general secretary CPI(M) Prakash Karat.In
an interview on the India-China face off in Doklam, Karat said that New Dehi
does not seem to be understanding the seriousness of the Chinese intentions. He
said that China had spelt this out clearly in its official document and made it
clear that India has no jurisdiction in its view at all. Beijing has repeatedly
urged New Delhi to withdraw its troops from Doklam, and made it clear that any
negotiations can only follow, and not precede this. Karat said that the Govt
was downplaying the issue, and it does seem as if some troops have been
withdrawn. But clearly this is not enough for Beijing to climb down and the
best way out of this impasse would be for India to move out and allow Bhutan to
step in and negotiate directly with the Chinese about the construction of the
road and related issues.THE CITIZEN
OTHERS
Supreme Court to hear
Ayodhya matter from Aug. 11; also deliver verdict on triple talaq case
New Delhi: Agreeing to
early hearing on a bunch of petitions relating to the dispute over ownership of
2.7 acres of Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land,Supreme Court has posted the
case to Aug.11.Appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict on the
disputed land will be heard by a 3-judge bench. The matter was mentioned before
Chief Justice J S Khehar on July 21 by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who sought
early adjudication of the decades-old dispute.CJI had assured Swamy of early
listing and the case has now been posted for next week. "We are going to
list the main matter soon. We will take a decision on it, "CJI had
said.Apart from starting hearing on the vexed issue, the SC is also slated to
deliver its verdict on the constitutional validity of triple talaq. timesofindia
Modi, Yogi Thanked with
Rakhis for Raising Triple Issue
A group of women in UP decided to send Rakhis to Narendra Modi and
Yogi Adityanath ahead of Rakshabandhan. Women want to show their gratitude
towards the 2 leaders for expressing concern for Muslim women in India who face
a deplorable life due to Triple Talaq. Women praised Modi and Yogi for raising
their voices against the practice.These women expressed their grief for all
those women who have been married for 10-11 years with children, but are driven
out of their home by their husband because of Triple Talaq. thequint
‘MLAs will be flown to
Gujarat, will not meet Sonia in Delhi’
Bengaluru: Gujarat Congress
MLAs, kept at a private resort near here, would be flown back to their home
state directly and not to Delhi as has been reported by a section of the media,
party sources said here on Sunday.Gujarat Congress had sent 44 of its MLAs here
on July 29 to fend off the “poaching” attempts by the BJP, ahead of the August
8 Rajya Sabha poll in that state, in which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary
to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is contesting.Denying the reports that the MLAs
would first be flown to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi, Congress spokesperson
Shaktisinh Gohil said they would be returning to Gujarat “directly”.However, he
declined to disclose when would the MLAs return to Gujarat. “One thing that has
been decided is that all of us (the 44 MLAs) will fly to Gujarat, not Delhi,”
he said.PTI
Decoding Naidu's easy win
in vice-presidential election: Will 2019 Lok Sabha polls be a boring affair?IndiaToday
New Delhi: BJP candidate
for vice-presidential election M Venkaiah Naidu polled 516 votes and raced to
an easy win against Opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi.Of the total votes
polled in the vice-presidential election, Gopalkrishna Gandhi secured 244 with
reports suggesting that several MPs from the Opposition camp cross-voted in
favour of Venkaiah Naidu.As Vice-President of India, Naidu will be the Chairman
of Rajya Sabha, where BJP recently overtook the Congress as the largest
political party with 58 MPs.Sonia Gandhi-led Congress currently has 57 members
in the Upper House. However, with the Rajya Sabha elections for the 9 seats
from Gujarat (3 seats) and West Bengal (6 seats) scheduled to take place on
August 8, the BJP's tally in the House is set to go up. With Nitish-led JDU
back with the NDA, BJP has got a big boost in the Rajya Sabha.In the Lok Sabha,
BJP alone has 282 members out of the total House strength of 543.Of the 29
states, BJP itself or in alliance with another political party under the NDA
has CM s or deputy CM s in 18 states, Bihar being the latest entrant in the
list. Politically, things have never
looked better for the BJP, be it in Parliament or in Legislative
Assemblies.Just a look at the numbers and the recent instances of leaders from
the Opposition camp joining the BJP shows which way the wind is blowing.Many
political analysts are of the view that 2019 Lok Sabha elections are going to
be the most boring elections in recent times with the BJP consolidating its
vote share in crucial states.With a BJP Govt in place, party has better chances of reaching
out to more people ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.With a Govt in alliance in Bihar,BJP's prospects in state
in 2019 look brighter.
Naidu becomes VP-elect, 20
opposition MPs vote in his favour
Tolerance has to become an
essential national virtue:Ansari
Bengaluru: Tolerance has to
become an essential national virtue to promote harmony transcending sectional
diversities, Vice-President M Hamid Ansari on Sunday said. Tolerance is a
pragmatic formula for the functioning of society without conflict between
different religions and political ideologies, among others, he said speaking at
the 25th annual convocation of the National Law School of India University
here.Yet, he said, tolerance alone is not a strong enough foundation for
building an inclusive and pluralistic society and it must be coupled with
“understanding and acceptance”. In this regard, he recalled Swami Vivekananda’s
words, “We must, not only tolerate other religions, but positively embrace
them, as truth is the basis of all religions.” The challenge also is to
emphasise that equality has to be substantive, that freedom of religion be
re-infused with its collectivist dimensions, he added. “Also toleration should
be reflective of the realities of Indian society and lead to acceptance,” he
said. Further, he said “version of nationalism” that places cultural commitments
at its core promotes intolerance and arrogant patriotism.“Version of
nationalism that places cultural commitments at its core is usually perceived
as the most conservative and illiberal form of nationalism. It promotes
intolerance and arrogant patriotism,” he said. PTI
Over 70 EVMs stolen in 3
states between 2003-2013: RTI
New Delhi: At least 70 EVMs
were stolen in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh between
2003 and 2013, an RTI activist has found in response to his query.The reply
received by Congress member and activist Tehseen Poonawalla on Friday stated
that during the 2003, 2008, and 2013 assembly elections in MP, a total of 15
EVMs were stolen, while Chhattisgarh reported "loss/ destruction" of
56 EVMs during looting by Maoists rebels during the 2003 and 2008 elections.
One EVM was reported missing by Gujarat in 2007. The loss of that EVM led to an
enquiry by the state commission and lie-detector tests were performed on the
persons responsible for the safety of the machine, the reply read. All the
information was provided by the respective state offices of the Election
Commission. Poonawalla said that RTI reply undoes the ECI's argument which
says, he continued, that EVMs cannot be tampered with because they are put
under heavy security. "Today with these RTIs, I have proved EVMs are
regularly being stolen and with reverse engineering, the source code can be
obtained and results obtained," Poonawalla told IANS. He said that the
Election Commission of India is regularly "shifting goal posts" on
the question of fragile mechanism of the EVMs. He also said that EC should
place an EVM before Parliament and allow technical experts to check whether it
can tampered with. IANS
Nitish's U-turn most vivid
example of crass opportunism: Jamaat
New Delhi:Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind strongly criticized Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for his overnight switchover to
the saffron camp even though he had got the political mandate for a secular coalition.
"The political U-turn adopted by the Bihar Chief Minister in tying the
coalition-knot with the BJP will go down in history as one of the most vivid
examples of crass opportunism and complete contempt and disregard to democratic
norms and the political mandate under which the Bihar electorate brought the
JDU-RJD-Congress coalition to power," said top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind at their monthly press briefing on Saturday.Jamaat termed Nitish's move as
"political corruption"."This murky affair is not only political
betrayal at its worst but also a kind of "political corruption" that
will devour the vital entrails of our democracy," said Maulana Syed
Jalaluddin Umari, president of Jamaat.Jamaat leaders said that his act will
weaken people's faith in democracy."This episode is bound to damage the
people's "faith in democracy" and will make the electorate even more
sceptical of their decisive power in shaping the contours of the govt that
comes to power," they said.Jamaat also condemned the political development
in Gujarat from where Congress party had to move its MLAs fearing their
poaching by the ruling BJP.indiatomorrow
Nitish to provide funds for
infrastructure development in 2,200 madrassas in Bihar
Patna: Bihar CM Nitish
Kumar has decided to provide financial assistance for development of
infrastructure in around 2,200 madrassas across the state."Funds, to be
provided by the state's minority welfare department, will be used on
construction of additional classrooms, toilets and providing drinking water
facilities in all those madrassas which are in very poor condition,"
state's chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said here on Saturday.This is for
the first time that the state govt is going to provide funds for
infrastructural developments in the privately-run madrassa. Expenses on
madrassas' infrastructural development is usually met from the contributions
and donations collected from the community. So far, the Bihar govt had been
providing only grant-in-aids to around 1,000 Govt approved madrassa, that too only for payment
of salary of their teachers and other employees.The decision to provide govt
funds for infrastructural developments in madrassas was taken during a review
meeting of the minority welfare department here on Friday. CM Kumar chaired the
review meeting.Informing about the decisions taken at the review meeting, the
chief secretary said, a majority of madrassas in Bihar are in very poor
condition. Some of them are running in huts or thatched houses. Many of them
don't have proper drinking water facilities. "Govt has now decided to
provide funds for their infrastructural development. The funds will be provided
to only those madrassas which are affiliated to the state Govt ," the
chief secretary said.Sitting beside chief secretary, minority welfare
department's principal secretary Amir Subhani said the department was preparing
budget for providing funds to madrasas.On being asked as to how much fund has
been earmarked for the purpose, chief secretary said, "There would be no
shortage of fund for the purpose. Govt would provide as much fund the madrassas
will require for their infrastructural development."Singh said the state Govt
has also decided to enhance the amount
of financial assistance to a minority abandoned women to Rs 25,000 from the
existing Rs 10,000. This assistance is provided once in a life to a minority
abandoned women under the Mukhyamantri Alpasankhyak Mahila Sahayata Yojna.Govt
also decided to extend the assistance of Rs 10,000 to those madrassa students
who pass matriculation and intermediate examination with first division.Earlier
this assistance was provided only to the students of govt-run schools. Timesofindia
Chandigarh police
shockingly drop serious charges against BJP chief’s son, releases him in
stalking case
In a shockingly
development, the police in Chandigarh has dropped serious criminal charges
against the son of the state BJP chief, Subhash Barala, in the stalking case
involving an IAS officer’s daughter.The BJP chief’s son, Vikas Barala, and his
friend were arrested on Saturday for stalking and attempting to kidnap an IAS
officer’s daughter. 3 charges that have been dropped against the two are IPC
sections, 341, 365 and 511, reported India Today. IPC Section 341 deals with
wrongful restraint while Section 365 is related to “kidnapping or abducting
with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person.” Section 511 of the IPC relates to “punishment
for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or
other imprisonment.”Legal experts feel that these charges were dropped to
facilitate the alleged stalkers’ quick release from police custody. Senior
lawyer Ranjan Lakhanpal told India Today, “Under these sections, the police did
not have power to grant bail and release the accused. The charges were serious
and the Sections added were non-bailable.”He said that cops had ‘bypassed the
judiciary’ adding that ‘it seems attempts were being made to weaken the case as
the accused are from influential families.’The incident had gained huge media
attention after the father of the victim, senior IAS officer in Haryana Govt ,
wrote a heartfelt Facebook post explaining why he had decided to pursue the
matter. He wrote that he ‘will be failing in his duty as a father to my
daughter if I did not stand with her completely in this matter.’Janta Ka
Reporter
Swiss banks to share info
with India on suspected black money hoarders
New Delhi/Berne:
Switzerland found India’s data security and confidentiality laws “adequate” for
entering into an automatic exchange of information pact, which will open a
continuous access to details about alleged black money hoarders in
once-all-secret Swiss banks.In a detailed notification and fact sheet published
in its official gazette for introduction of “automatic exchange of information
relating to financial accounts with India”, the Swiss government has also cited
decisions by other financial centres like Liechtenstein and Bahamas to enter
into similar pacts.Besides, Switzerland also took note of the US tax authority,
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), recognising India among the countries that
provide an “adequate degree” of data protection for mutual exchange of tax
information.PTI
ATS arrests
Bangladesh-linked terror suspect from Muzaffarnagar
Meerut: UP ATS arrested a terror suspect,
Abdullah-Al-Mamon, from Kutesara village in Muzaffarnagar district on Sunday.According
to ATS, "Abdullah is originally a resident of Momin Shahi district of
Bangladesh and was linked to banned terror organisation - 'Ansarullah Bangla
Team' (ABT). He was staying in this region since 2011 and frequently travelled
to Saharanpur and Deoband in particular. During questioning, he revealed that
his main task was to settle the members of ABT in India by providing them with
fake Aadhaar IDs and other documents." Currently, police of 3 districts -
Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli -- are conducting massive search
operations under DIG, Saharanpur Range, to nab more sleeping modules active in
the region and who are in touch with Abdullah.Cops also seized fake stamps of
village pradhans, district election officer and other administrative authorites
to create fake IDs from the arrested suspect.TOI
Coimbatore: NIA grills trio
for suspected links with IS
Kochi: Sleuths of NIA
apparently stumbled upon fresh evidence relating to latent IS-related activity
in the South when they took into custody 3 persons, including an Alappuzha
native, on Friday following searches at their residences. Trio — a native of
Kidangamparambu in Alappuzha and residents of Ukkadam and Karumbukadai in
Coimbatore — came under the NIA scanner after the agency received ‘reliable
information’ on them being in touch with IS handlers who are part of the
Kanakamala (Kannur) terror module on social media platforms. Alappuzha native
was working at a computer shop in Vyttila, Ernakulam. All 3 were grilled by the
agency in separate locations, but their arrests had yet to be recorded, it was
learnt. “One of 3 persons whose premises have been searched has admitted that
he had been in regular contact with Abdul Rashid Abdullah, accused in the other
IS-related cases of NIA (sic),” the agency said.Sources said the three suspects
had been part of a group formed by Shajeer Mangalassery, aka Abu Ayisha, an
absconder in the Kanakamala case who was reportedly killed in Afghanistan.the
hindu
Conclusive proof that
Mohammad Iqbal alias Travel Haq was IS member: Rajasthan ATS
Jaipur: Rajasthan ATS on
Saturday said they have “conclusive evidence” that Mohammad Iqbal alias Travel
Haq (32), who was arrested this February, sent money to the Islamic State (IS)
and was its member.ATS filed a challan against Haq at the Jaipur district and
sessions court on Saturday under various Sections of UAPA, Rajasthan ATS chief
Umesh Mishra said.Haq, a resident of Chennai, was intercepted in Feb.while he
was allegedly smuggling gold from Myanmar and entered the Northeast by road. Indianexpress
NIA arrests one over 2010
attack on Kerala prof for ‘blasphemous question paper’
New Delhi: NIA have
arrested and booked a 47-year-old Kerala resident under terrorism charges for
his alleged involvement in chopping off the hand of a college Professor back in
2010. The accused, identified as Mansoor Aliyar, hails from Ernakulam district
and is believed to be a member of the PFI or SDPI.Nearly 31 people were accused
of chopping off the hand of Professor TJ Joseph, who had allegedly ridiculed
Prophet Mohammed in the Malayalam question paper prepared for the internal
examination of B. Com students at Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki district. hindustantimes
Post note ban, Govt focuses on expansion of currency presses,
paper mills
New Delhi: With the sudden
demonetisation decision exposing its chinks, the country's currency printing
system is undergoing a complete overhaul, officials say.The system's
capabilities were put to the severest test during last year's demonetisation,
with millions of people standing in queues for long to get their quota of
currency because the supply of new notes was slow in coming. Govt is now
focussing on the expansion, indigenisation and upgradation of currency presses
and paper mills, a top official told IANS. Burdened by the outdated technology
of the printing presses and limited paper mill capabilities, the currency note
printing system lagged way behind the demand long after the demonetisation
process, announced last November, had concluded. IANS
11 Lakh PANs Deactivated By
Govt . Is Your PAN Active? How To Find Out
Are you aware that more
than 11 lakh PANs or Permanent Account Numbers have been either deleted or
deactivated? As per rules, it is illegal for an individual to keep multiple
PANs. Also, August 31, 2017 is the last date for linking Aadhaar with PAN.
Explaining the rationale behind this the Govt said: "The uniqueness of PAN is achieved
by conducting a de-duplication check on all already existing allotted PAN
against the data furnished by new applicant. Under the existing system of PAN,
only demographic data is captured," it said from its Digital India account
on microblogging site Twitter.It is paramount to check your PAN status and link
the same with the biometrics-based identity number Aadhaar before the deadline
set by Govt , say financial planners.Go to the Income Tax Dept's e-filing
website - incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. ndtv
PIL accuses JNU assistant
professor of plagiarism: Delhi High Court seeks Centre stand
New Delhi: Delhi High Court
has sought the response of the govt and JNU on a PIL accusing one of its
assistant professors of plagiarism. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal
and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the assistant professor, who
teaches Turkish language at the varsity, and sought his stand regarding the
charges against him in the plea, which has also sought quashing of his
appointment.The matter has been listed for hearing on Sept.21. During arguments,
the bench asked the varsity how the assistant professor was appointed when he
had scored only 33 out of 100 in the viva-voce (oral exam) conducted by Jamia
Millia Islamia University where he had pursued a Diploma in Turkish Language.
“He scored only 33 out of 100 in the viva and he is a professor. How,” the
court asked.JNU said that he had scored over 70 marks out of 100 in his written
exams.However, the petitioners, a Turkish language student of Jamia and a law
student, contended that he had failed the course as he had scored only 33 out
of 100 in the an oral exam conducted by Jamia. The petitioners have also
alleged that the assistant professor had “plagiarised a literature work in
Turkish language and published the same in 2012 with a title as ‘A new approach
to Turkish language learning'”. indianexpress
2 Muslim youths who missing
during Baduria-Basirhat riots in Bengal yet to be traced, families fear worst
Communal tensions in
Baduria and Basirhat may have ebbed since July, but the effects are still being
felt by the people in the region especially 2 Muslim families. During the
riots, Alamgir Mondal, 26, and Arafat Gharami, 21, went missing and although it
has been a month, the police are yet to even start an investigation in this
regard. The lack of effort on the part of the Police also busts the right-wing
narrative of the riots which sought to blame Muslims for all the damage and
tried to show only Hindus as the victims.Alamgir Mondal worked as a labourer
and belonged to the Akipur village of Basirhat block in Bengal’s North 24
Parganas. On July 4, when Baduria was simmering with communal tension after the
controversial Facebook post, he stepped out for work to the nearby village of
Tapatchar, which is under Harishpur police station. After that day, he never
came back home. TCN
WORLD
Israel seeks to close Al
Jazeera, ban its journalists
Israel's communication
minister has announced that he has made a request to revoke credentials of Al
Jazeera journalists and close the network's offices in Jerusalem.Ayoub Kara
made the announcement on Sunday during a press conference, where Al Jazeera was
barred from attending. Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler, reporting from Jerusalem on
Sunday, said that the request to revoke the credentials cover all the networks
journalists in both the Arabic and English channels. It was unclear when the
request would take effect. Our correspondent reported that Israel is also
seeking to shut down Al Jazeera's cable and satellite transmissions in the
country.During the press conference, Kara also said that the interior ministry
will also be involved in shutting down Al Jazeera's office in Jerusalem. Israeli
PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening to shut Al Jazeera's operations in
the country, accusing the network of inciting violence against Israel.That
includes Al Jazeera's reporting of the recent protests over the al-Aqsa Mosque
compound. Rami Khouri of American University in Beirut, denounced the plan
saying it is "very typical of regimes" in the region. "Regimes
that want to control power will almost always go after two targets - the media
and the foreigners. Everybody goes after the media." In recent months,
Saudi Arabia and Jordan both shut down Al Jazeera bureaus as part of a
coordinated diplomatic and economic campaign against Qatar, base of Al
Jazeera's hearquarters. Al Jazeera's signal has also been blocked in UAE.
Egypt, which is also part of the blocking group, banned Al Jazeera several
years ago. Al Jazeera
Gulf blockade boosts local
Qatar industries: aljazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/news/2017/08/qatar-siege-boosts-local-industries-170805134753362.html
While the blockade on Qatar
by 4 Arab states has affected businesses, it has also created opportunities for
the country. Qatar's industries relied heavily on imports, most of which used
to come from its blockading neighbours, but since the crisis began two months
ago, Doha has investigated how it can become more self-reliant and sustainable.
At Don Construction Products, for instance, the workload has doubled in the
last few weeks as the company tries to step up its manufacturing of construction
chemicals.The blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt has speed
things up instead of slowing them down, Khashif Aijaz of Don Construction
Products said."Our orders have increased and there is an
above-proportional growth in the orders we are getting every day," Aijaz said."But
at the same time, we are struggling with availability of raw materials, since
we are importing raw materials from Europe, from China and from US.
UN slams 'disregard' for
civilians after Yemen strike
A top UN official in Yemen
has said reported Saudi-led air strikes, in which at least 12 civilians
including children were killed, were an example of the "disregard"
for civilians' safety shown by all sides in Yemen's civil war.At least 10
others were also wounded in Saada province after attacks on Friday on a house
and a private vehicle, UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick
said, citing reports from fellow aid groups.3 women and 6 children from the
same family were killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on their
home in the area, a local health official told the Reuters. aljazeera
Iraqi PM Abadi rejects Muqtada al-Sadr call to dissolve
Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi
Haidar al-Abadi, Iraqi PM ,
has rejected a call by Muqtada al-Sadr, the powerful Iraqi Shia leader, to
dissolve a controversial militia involved in battling the ISIL group.Hashd
al-Shaabi, a Shia unit alternatively called the Badr militia, was established
in 2014 with the avowed purpose of fighting ISIL, after it captured vast
expanses of territory in northern and western Iraq."Hashd al-Shaabi … is
for Iraq and will not be dissolved," Abadi said in the capital Baghdad on
Saturday."The next phase after liberating the land from Daesh is the
battle of the unity of word." Hashd al-Shaabi has faced accusations of
abuses against civilians in Sunni-majority areas.Speaking to supporters on
Friday, Sadr called for dissolving Hashd al-Shaabi and absorbing its fighters
in the Iraqi army.Sadr issued the statement after his visit to Saudi Arabia,
where he held talks with the kingdom's leadership.He met Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and discussed issues of
common interest, Reuters news agency reported on July 30.Sadr, an anti-American
figure, commands a large following among the urban poor of Baghdad and the
southern cities, including Saraya al-Salam, or Peace Brigades militia.He is now
seen as a nationalist who has repeatedly called for protests against corruption
in the Iraqi govt, and his supporters have staged huge protests in Baghdad
calling for electoral reform. Aljazeera
Senior Hamas delegation
arrives in Tehran
A 4-member senior
delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Movement (Hamas) arrived in the Iranian
capital, Tehran, on Friday to take part in the swearing in ceremony of newly
elected President Hassan Rouhani.Palestinian media sources reported a statement
by Hamas confirming that the delegation was headed by Izzat al-Reshiq and
included Saleh al-Arouri, Zaher Jabarin and Osama Hamdan.The statement said the
visit was in response to an invitation from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the
head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and the leadership of the
movement to attend the swearing in ceremony.Hamas said that it has sent a
senior delegation to take part in the ceremony to honour Iran’s support for the
Palestinian resistance and national rights.“Our participation confirms our
movement’s resolve to strengthen our relationship with the Islamic Republic of
Iran for the benefit of the Palestinian people and their just cause,” it said.middleeastmonitor
Myanmar: Buddhist
nationalists attack Muslims, raise new fears among minority Rohingyas: Reuters
Yangon:Religious tensions are on the rise
again in Myanmar, after masked assailants attacked young Muslims and
nationalists led by Buddhist monks set up protest camps in major cities this
week.While the Muslim minority is buffeted by outbreaks of mob violence and
places of worship have been shuttered, a small but vocal group of nationalists
say the fledgling Govt of Aung San Suu
Kyi is failing to stand up for the Buddhist majority. In the early hours of
Thursday, a group of about 30 people armed with sticks and swords entered the
Muslim-majority Sakya Nwe Sin neighbourhood in the former royal capital,Mandalay,
according to a resident.A local administrator said two young Muslim men were
injured, but authorities insisted the incident was not sectarian.“That was just
a fight between youngsters,” said Police Major Maung Htay.“But they were
swearing in the quarter so it sounded like insulting the quarter’s
residents.”However, Mandalay residents told Reuters the incident had stirred
fears of a repeat of deadly communal violence that hit the same neighbourhood
in 2014.
Myanmar Govt panel dismisses claims of abuse against Rohingya
Muslims
A Govt -appointed
commission has cleared Myanmar security forces of systematic rape, murder and
arson against Rohingya Muslims, dismissing UN allegations of widespread abuses
during a recent crackdown. The commission examined the deadly violence which
began in northwestern Rakhine state in October last year after suspected
Rohingya fighters killed nine policemen in coordinated attacks on border guard
posts near Bangladesh.In the ensuing military operation, security forces
allegedly shot villagers at random, raped Rohingya women and burned down more
than 1,000 houses. Hundreds were killed.The commission's findings were released
as the Govt is refusing to allow a 3-member
UN mission to conduct its own probe into whether the security response amounted
to "ethnic cleansing" of the stateless Rohingya minority. aljazeera
US: Mosque bombed during
morning prayers
A mosque in the US state of
Minnesota was bombed early on Saturday, while worshippers gathered inside for
morning prayers. No one was injured in the attack at the Dar Al Farooq Islamic
Center in Bloomington, but police say the imam's office had been damaged. FBI
has launched an investigation into the attack, which took place at around 5am
local time. Richard Thorton, the special agent in charge of the FBI's
Minneapolis Division, said that the investigation will determine whether the
incident was a hate crime and who may have been behind it. Thorton added that explosion
was caused by an "improvised explosive device", and that
investigators had recovered components of the device to figure out how it was
put together. Worshippers managed to extinguish the blaze before firefighters
arrived, according to a statement from the Muslim American Society of
Minnesota. Group's director, Asad Zaman, told reporters that "a witness
saw something being thrown at the imam's office window from a van or truck
before the blast". Mohamed Omar, the mosque's executive director, added
that the vehicle immediately sped away. Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center serves as
a religious space and community organising platform for Muslim activists and
leaders in the area, according to the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged Islamic centres and mosques
across the country to step up security. aljazeera
Trump ‘appreciates’ China,
Russia backing on N. Korea sanctions
WASHINGTON: US President
Donald Trump on Saturday commended China and Russia for their support on a
US-drafted resolution ramping up sanctions on North Korea, saying he
"appreciates" their votes.“President appreciates China's and Russia's
cooperation in securing passage of this resolution,” read a White House
statement released after the UN Security Council's unanimous passage of the
sweeping measures.“He will continue working with allies and partners to
increase diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to end its threatening
and destabilising behaviour.”Earlier, Trump touted new sanctions the U.N.
Security Council approved for North Korea, saying they will have a “very big
financial impact.” The Security Council unanimously approved the sanctions on
North Korea, including banning coal and other exports worth over $1 billion.
The U.S-drafted measure, negotiated with North Korea’s neighbor and ally China,
is aimed at increasing economic pressure on Pyongyang to return to negotiations
on its nuclear and missile programmes. thehindu
No coordination between
Lebanon and Syrian armies against IS: Lebanese military source
Beirut : Lebanese army will
not coordinate with the Syrian army to fight against Islamic State in the
Lebanese-Syrian border zone, a military source told Reuters on Saturday,
rejecting a local media report of direct military cooperation between the two.
The source said the Lebanese army had the military capability to confront and
defeat the group without any regional or international support.The presence of
Islamic State and Nusra Front militants in pockets on Lebanon’s border is the
biggest military spillover into the country from Syria’s civil war. An
offensive launched last month by Lebanon’s Hezbollah – a key ally of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad – forced Nusra Front militants to leave for a
rebel-held area in northwest Syria under an evacuation deal. Lebanese army did
not take part in that offensive, but has been widely expected to lead an attack
against the Islamic State pocket.On Friday Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah said an assault on Islamic State militants in the border zone would
begin in a few days. He said the Lebanese army would attack Islamic State from
the Lebanese side of the border while Hezbollah and the Syrian army would
simultaneously attack from the Syrian side.Reuters
US-led strikes against IS
claim another 21 civilian lives, toll reaches 624
Washington: US-led
coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria on Friday
acknowledged another 21 civilian deaths in past air strikes, bringing the toll
up to 624.In its monthly findings, coalition said it had completed
investigations into 132 allegations of civilian casualties.“To date, based on
information available, (the coalition) assesses that, it is more likely than
not, at least 624 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition
strikes” since the anti-IS campaign began in late 2014, the coalition said
Friday.Aside from probing civilian death reports that come in from coalition
pilots and through social media and other channels, military investigators also
continued wading through a huge backlog of hundreds of allegations reported by
the website Airwars.org. London-based collective of journalists and researchers
has always had civilian death tolls that are wildly divergent from those
acknowledged by the coalition.According to most recent Airwars tally, 4,734
civilians have been killed in coalition strikes.AFP
In Afghan Review, Trump's
Frustration Carries Echoes of Obama Years:Reuters
WASHINGTON:Since taking
office, US President Donald Trump has shown an affinity, and perhaps even a
deference, to the generals he has surrounded himself with in his Cabinet and at
the White House, save one exception: the war in Afghanistan.More than a dozen
interviews with current and former US officials familiar with the discussions
reveal a president deeply frustrated with the lack of options to win the
16-year-old war, described internally as "an eroding stalemate."The
debate carries echoes of the same dilemma Barack Obama faced in 2009. Then, as
now, odds are that Trump will ultimately send more troops, current and former
officials say."It's the least worst option," one former US official
familiar with the discussions said, speaking on condition of anonymity, while
acknowledging that with Trump, a pullout cannot be completely ruled out.Trump's
defense secretary, retired Marine Corps General Jim Mattis, has had the
authority for nearly two months to add thousands more troops to the roughly
8,400 there now (down from a peak of more than 100,000 in 2011). Army General
John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, requested the troops
back in February.But officials say Mattis won't use his authority until he has
buy-in from Trump for a strategic vision for America's longest war. Beyond more
troops for Afghanistan, the strategy would aim to address militant safe havens
across the border in Pakistan.
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
Bhutan Stands By India, But
Modi Is Weakening It: Mani Shankar Aiyar
Where is the opposition in
India? Tabish Khair
If you are corrupt and with
BJP, you have nothing to fear :N R MOHANTY
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/if-you-are-corrupt-and-with-bjp-you-have-nothing-to-fear
In Kerala, media lies are
helping RSS spread propaganda:Every murder of RSS/BJP worker gets amplified in
news while CPM casualties are conveniently played down or plainly ignored:
Anand Kochukudy
Are we now looking at a
fully evolved ‘Fascist’ India?Ruzbeh Hodiwala
All true patriots will
welcome the Army tank in JNU:G. Sampath
Sharif Vs Imran Khan Slug
Fest: Women Hurling Allegations Paraded by Both on TV:MOHAMMED RIZWAN
The Butterfly Effect Or Is
It, Indeed, The Wrath of God!HUMAYUN GAUHAR, Pak based writer
Food Corporation lost Rs
35,701 crore during 2011-2016 because Govt delayed payments, says CAG
Beyond minorities-
Rethinking secular politics:Mukul Kesavan
Break Your Silence: 101
Christian Intellectuals to the Church in India
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:33 PM)
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