Evening NEWS
DIGEST
16
Oct.2017: 25 Muharram 1439:Vol:9, No:21
Complete lack of interest by CBI in finding
JNU student Najeeb: Delhi high court
New Delhi: Delhi high court on Monday pulled
up CBI over the manner of its probe into the disappearance of JNU student
Najeeb Ahmad, who went missing in Oct. last year, saying “there was complete lack of
interest” on part of the agency in pursuing the case.A bench of justice GS
Sistani and justice Chander Shekhar observed that there was “no result either
way. No result even on paper”.The strong remarks came as the bench found
contradictions in CBI’s submission in the court and its status report on the
issue of analysis of the calls and messages of the suspected students in the
case.The agency’s counsel said the call details records (CDR) of the accused in
the case was analysed but the court noted that “it is not mentioned in the
status report”.It made the remarks while hearing the plea of the missing
student’s mother, Fatima Nafees, seeking directions from the court to trace her
son, who disappeared from JNU’s Mahi-Mandvi hostel on Oct.16 last year.The
student went missing after an altercation with some students belonging to ABVP.
Later, students of RSS-affiliated ABVP denied any involvement in his
disappearance. Delhi Police registered a kidnapping case and a SIT was formed
to trace him. The probe was later handed to the Crime Branch. The reward for
information about Najeeb’s whereabouts was increased by the police from Rs 1
lakh to Rs 10 lakh but no one has come forward with any information.The court
handed over the probe to the federal probe agency 5 months ago but there has
been no information about 28-year-old whose disappearance remains the most
talked-about issue on JNU campus.It said that the agency should reveal what it
has found in its investigation so far. Irked by the lack of details in the
status report, the court said the DIG was not supervising the investigation
properly.“If this is the supervision of the DIG, what will happen when there is
no supervision?...We direct the concerned DIG to ensure that the status report
is filed under his signature or at least he should read them,” the court observed.The
court said it will ask DIG to be present on next date of hearing but later
dropped its order after CBI counsel assured it that they will submit a better
status report next time. Advocate Kamini Jaiswal, who was representing Najeeb’s
mother, told the court that agency has overlooked two aspects in its probe - CDR
of 9 accused along with their location on that day and the examination of
WhatsApp records of those people. The court also said it was “surprised” at the
local court’s listing of the hearing date on the agency’s plea for recording
consent of the accused to a polygraph test. hindustantimes
Najeeb's mother forcefully evicted outside Delhi
HC
Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student
Najeeb, was forcefully evicted along with 30 others, mostly students, on Monday
by the Delhi Police. They were protesting outside the high court. Earlier in
the day, CBI faced flak from the judges for "complete lack of
interest" in tracing him. Nafees and JNU students were detained when they
tried to enter its premises, police sources said."Nearly 35 people
including Najeeb's mother have been detained," DCP (New Delhi) B K Singh
said. He said the detainees, mostly students, were taken to the Police Station.
JNU students also alleged that the police "manhandled" Nafees in the
name of detaining her and others. "Delhi Police officers told Nafees that
this was not the only case they were handling and brutally manhandled her while
detaining," Ex-JNUSU head Mohit Kumar Pandey alleged. Nafees had yesterday
called for a protest outside the court if the probe agency did not submit a
concrete status report. During a protest before the CBI HQRS two days ago,
Nafees had warned of launching a larger agitation if the CBI failed to submit a
concrete report in today's hearing.Outlook
One Year: Najeeb's Mother Dragged and Pulled
by Cops
Najeeb's mother, students detained while
protesting outside Delhi High Court
Taj Mahal Built by Traitors, Not Our History:
BJP MLA Som
Soon after the UP Govt courted controversy by leaving the Taj
Mahal out of a state tourism booklet, BJP MLA Sangeet Som stirred a fresh
debate by saying the Mughal-era mausoleum was built by ‘traitors’, and should
find no place in Indian history. During a visit to Meerut district, the
legislator from Sardhana said Taj Mahal was built by an emperor who had
imprisoned his own father and had targeted many Hindus in his kingdom. Whereas
in fact, Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal in memory of his wife and was imprisoned
till the end of his days by his son Aurangzeb.The lives and achievement of the
"real great men" of the country like Maharana Pratap and Shivaji
would be taught in schools and colleges, Som said.Som also said no one can now
stop the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Krishna Mandir in Mathura.In
another debate on News18, Som clarified to journalist Bhupen Chaubey that his
remarks were not on Taj Mahal but on the creators of the monument. He told the
channel that there is not enough discussion on the sweat of the labourers who
built Taj Mahal, and people usually just obsess over its beauty. He further
clarified to the channel that history should be retold correctly with fact and
Taj Mahal should not become a part of our history.TheQuint
Mughal ‘blot’ in our history is being changed:
BJP’s Sangeet Som on Taj Mahal not in UP govt tourism booklet
‘Members
can hold any view’: BJP distances itself from Som’s Taj Mahal remarks
Lucknow:BJP-led UP Govt distanced itself on Monday from
controversial comments by MLA Sangeet Som, who questioned the Taj Mahal’s place
in history and said the iconic monument was built by “traitors” who targeted
Hindus. The party also appeared to disown the Sardhana legislator’s remarks and
called his comments on the 17th century structure his “individual view”.“ CM has
made it clear that the Taj is part of our heritage. My Govt has already
sanctioned Rs 155 crore for the development of parks and various facilities in
and around Taj,” said state tourism minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi.When asked
what she made of the BJP lawmaker’s claims, she said, “Well, every individual
is free to make an opinion but as far as the Govt is concerned Taj is very much
on our priority list.” Hindustantimes
Will Modi stop hoisting flag at Red Fort, asks
Owaisi
Hyderabad:Flaying BJP leader Sangeet Som’s
remark that Taj Mahal was built by traitors, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on
Monday wondered if PM Narendra Modi would stop hoisting the national flag on
Red Fort.Hyderabad MP said it was very unfortunate and shameful that a
legislator who had taken oath on the constitution was speaking out of arrogance
and ignorance. “If what he says is true then why is Modi going to Red Fort and
hoisting national flag because Red Fort was also built by traitors,”Owaisi said.He
also challenged the Govt to ask UNESCO to remove Taj from the list of world
heritage sites and ask tourists coming to India to stop visiting the monument. Owaisi
said Modi should also stop hosting foreign dignitaries at Hyderabad House as
this too was built by “traitors”.He said BJP leaders were raking up such issues
to divert people’s attention as their Govt at the Centre had failed in
providing jobs, tackling terrorism, failed in dealing with China and was also
facing flak from common man because of demonetisation and GST.Voicing concern
over the continuing attacks by “gaurakshaks” or cow vigilantes, he reiterated
that Modi’s statement that attacks should stop was a mere lip service.IANS
Will govt now tell tourists not to visit Taj
Mahal: Owaisi on Sangeet Som’s remarks
BJP should also demolish Red fort, Parliament
as they were built by 'traitors': Harish Rawat
Ex-CM of
Uttarakhand Harish Rawat on Monday slammed BJP MLA Sangeet Som, who said Taj
Mahal was built by "traitors", saying that the BJP should also
demolish Red Fort as it was too built by Mughals."The Red Fort in Delhi
was also built by traitors; we called them the ruler of India who made Taj
Mahal. You have demolished Babri Masjid, so all BJP members should demolish Taj
Mahal and Red fort also. Few other traitors have also made Rashtrapati Bhavan
and Indian Parliament, they should also be demolished," said Rawat.ANI
Taj Mahal missing from tourist map will cause
25% drop in tourists, caution experts
Taj Mahal has been India’s perennial cash cow
for tourism. Almost 70% of visitors to India and domestic tourists have the
monument on their must-see list. In fact, say tour operators, visitors choosing
the most popular Golden Triangle, Delhi-Agra-Jaipur route, often skip Jaipur
but rarely has there been any one who wanted to skip Agra and consequently Taj.“We have had foreign tourists who have
booked the Golden Triangle and then skipped Jaipur and its palaces and forts
and extended their time at Agra to see the Taj Mahal,” said Dipak Deva, MD of TCI
SITA, Thomas Cook India Group.What is the tourist inflow to Agra and
consequently the Taj like? Here are the figures. There was a 4% drop in
visitors to the Taj Mahal in 2016, owing to renovation to the famed monument –
its dome and minarets. In 2016, number of tourists visiting Agra and the Taj
Mahal dropped to 62.42 lakh from 65.14 lakh in 2015.Take away the Taj Mahal
from India's tourism map and tourist inflow and revenues will drop by 25% says
Deva of Thomas Cook India.Subhash Goyal, president, confederation of Indian
Tour Professionals says that they are expecting a 15 to 20% rise in tours to Taj
Mahal in the current year. firstpost
Tipu Sultan a greater freedom fighter than
Gandhi: Jnanaprakash Swamiji
Bengaluru: Remarks by Jnanaprakash Swamiji of
Urilingapeddi Mutt, Mysuru, hailing the ruler of erstwhile Mysore Tipu Sultan
and placing him above Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Jawaharlal Nehru in the freedom
fighter’s list, has raised many eyebrows and stoked a new controversy.While
addressing a massive gathering during PFI’s grand conference ‘We Also Have
Something to Say’ at Palace Ground on Saturday, he said that considering the
sacrifices made by Tipu Sultan for the country, his statue should have been
installed at Red Fort.“Tipu Sultan fought the British and even pledged his two
sons during the freedom struggle. Gandhi and Nehru did not do it. We should
have Tipu’s statue installed atop Red Fort,” he said, adding, “We have statues
of Rani Channamma, Madakari Nayaka and Sangolli Rayanna, why not of freedom
fighter Tipu,” he questioned. Lashing out at BJP, Jnanaprakash Swamiji said,
“India has become a kingdom of lies and a country of murderers since the BJP has
come to power. Those who were attempting to tell the truth are being silenced
through bullets.”Calling for unity among Muslims, Dalits and Christians, the
pontiff said that there was a need to change India for better. “India is not
Danagala Bharatha, this is Janagala Bharatha (India is not a country of cows,
it’s a country of people). We will build a country of people and you Modi build
a country of cows,” he lamented.The pontiff further said that those who were
killing cows were being jailed and those who were killing people were ruling
the country. “In India, there is respect for cows, but not human being. Instead
of changing India to a better India, the Modi is calling for Congress-free
country. Tomorrow he will call for Muslim-free country and then Buddhist and
Jains. They have systematically planned everything,” Swamiji said.Taking a dig
at BJP’s slogan ‘Achche Din’, he said it has come only to party president Amith
Shah’s son and Ambani. Deccan Chronicle.
Yashwant Sinha targets Modi govt, wants ‘lokshakti’
to check ‘rajshakti’
Mumbai:Former Union finance minister Yashwant
Sinha once again trained his guns on the economic policies of the Modi-led Govt
and called for ‘lokshakti’ (people’s power) to check ‘rajshakti’ (govt).Speaking
at an event organised by farmers’ NGO Shetkari Jagar Manch at Akola in Vidarbha
region on Sunday, he also attacked the central Govt over demonetisation and
implementation of GST.Referring to socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, Sinha
appealed for a ‘lok shakti’ movement which will keep a check on ‘raj-satta’
(govt).“Let us start this lokshakti initiative from Akola,” he said, adding:
“As it is, we are already facing recession. And what are numbers. Numbers can
prove one thing and with the same numbers, the other side can also be proven.”HT
Scholars divided on women attempting Haj
without 'mehram': dnaindia
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-scholars-divided-on-women-attempting-haj-without-mehram-2553190
The recommendation of the Central Haj
Committee to the Ministry of Minority Affairs to allow women in groups of four
above the age of 45 years of age to travel for Haj without a mehram (a close
male relative), has led to several Muslim scholars to oppose it, saying Islam
does not permit.Uzma Naheed, part of Markazi Majlis-e-Amla (Central Working
Committee) of Muslim Majlis Mushawarat, feels that the move might prove to be
problematic for women."Travel to Haj is not easy. It requires a lot of
physical exertion, and is one of the main reasons why women prefer having a
male companion," said Naheed. Maulana Wali Rehman of AIMPLB said that the
controversy is unnecessary. "Some schools of thought allow women to travel
without a mehram while others do not. The report of the Central Haj Committee
does not compel anyone," said Rehman.Kamal Farooqui of the AIMPLB, who was
part of the Central Haj Committee, says that there is no compulsion.
"Saudi Arabia allows women to travel alone, and there has been no
compulsion on anyone in India," said Farooqui.
Delhi tops global survey of worst megacities
for sexual violence against women: Reuters
New Delhi/Sao Paulo: Five years after the
fatal gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi, the Indian capital was on
Monday paired with Brazil’s Sao Paulo as the world’s worst megacities for
sexual violence against women in a poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.The
December 2012 attack of a 23-year-old woman was a watershed in the fight for
women’s rights in India, the world’s largest democracy, prompting thousands to
take to the streets demanding action against rising sex attacks.The public
outcry not only forced authorities to strengthen gender laws, establish speedy
courts for rape and set up a fund for rape victims, but also opened up the
conversation on sexual violence in the largely conservative, patriarchal
nation.However Delhi – a metropolis of more than 26 million people – remains
known as India’s “rape capital”.And alongside Sao Paulo, it came joint bottom
in the survey when experts on women’s issues were polled about the risk women
run of encountering sexual violence in 19 different megacities. “I’m not surprised
by the results as they’re based on perceptions. India and Brazil have seen a
lot of media attention on sexual violence in recent years,” said Rebecca
Reichmann Tavares, head of UN Women in India who also worked in Brazil.“Sexual
violence in both these cities is, of course, a reality, but there isn’t any
definitive data to suggest that rates are higher in Delhi and Sao Paulo than
any other city.”Survey asked 380 experts in cities with populations of more
than 10 million to assess the risk of sexual violence and harmful cultural
practices to women, as well as rank women’s access to health care and economic
opportunities.Public awareness on sex attacks in Delhi has surged since the
Delhi bus attack and thrown a global spotlight on gender violence in the
world’s second most populous nation.Indian newspapers offer a daily array of
sex crimes. Girls molested in school, professional women raped by taxi drivers
while commuting home, village teens duped, trafficked and sold to brothels in red-light
districts of cities.Brazilians are fed a similar diet, with multiple reports of
assaults on women and girls in Sao Paulo – Brazil’s most populous city with 21
million people, according to UN figures.
Denied food because she did not have
Aadhaar-linked ration card, Jharkhand girl dies of starvation
An 11-year-old girl in Jharkhand’s Simdega district
has died of starvation last fortnight, months after her family’s ration card
was cancelled because it was not linked to their Aadhaar number, say Right to
Food Campaign activists. With no school mid-day meals available during her
Durga Puja holidays, Santoshi Kumari had gone with barely any food for nearly
eight days before she died, they said.Santoshi Kumari, who came from an
impoverished family in Simdega’s Karimati village, died on Sept.28. With no
land, jobs or steady income, the family is eligible for subsidised rations
under National Food Security Act. However, according to local news reports and
an independent fact-finding report by members of the non-profit Right to Food
Campaign and NREGA Watch, the local ration dealer had refused to give
Santoshi’s family their rations for the past six months on the grounds that
their ration card had not been linked – or “seeded”, as its known in official
language – to their Aadhaar number.His move followed a Central Govt order in
Feb.making Aadhaar compulsory for accessing subsidised food grain through the
Public Distribution System. Even before that, as Scroll.in has extensively
reported in its Identity Project series, several ration shops in Jharkhand,
Rajasthan and other states have been denying rations to eligible citizens by
insisting on biometric authentication linked to Aadhaar instead of accepting
people’s ration cards. scroll
Gujarat riots derailed BJP in 2004 polls:
Pranab Mukherjee
2002 riots in Gujarat was "possibly the
biggest blot" on the Vajpayee Govt and that could have cost BJP 2004 Lok
Sabha elections, says former President Pranab Mukherjee. In the third volume of
his autobiography titled "Coalition Years 1996-2012", he also feels ruling
NDA's "India Shining" campaign spawned the opposite outcome and the
Vajpayee Govt was routed in an election against most predictions that predicted
a majority to BJP-led coalition. "Throughout this period (of Vajpayee govt)
demand for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya had been building up. The
heightened communal tension had a distressing fallout in Gujarat which
witnessed a communal carnage in 2002."This provoked widespread riots in
many cities of Gujarat. Possibly the biggest blot on Vajpayee's govt, it may
have been Godhra that cost BJP next polls," says Mukherjee in a chapter on
"First Full Term Non-Congress Govt". IANS
Why delay in Gujarat poll dates, Election
Commission must explain: JD(U)’s Pavan Varma
New Delhi: JDU national general secretary
Pavan Varma Monday morning questioned Election Commission’s decision not to
announce dates for elections to Gujarat Assembly along with that of Himachal
Pradesh, saying ‘credible answers were needed’.Varma, an official spokesperson
for the party, tweeted: “EC must not only be impartial but seen to be so. Why
have the dates for Gujarat elections not been announced? We need credible
answers.”JD(U), member of ruling NDA, is currently governing Gujarat in
alliance with the BJP. indianexpress
Rajnath’s remark is ‘admission’ that Kashmir
not part of India: Hurriyat
Srinagar:Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat
Conference said Sunday that Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s remark suggesting
Vallabhbhai Patel was not allowed to act freely to solve the Kashmir issue, was
an “admission” that Kashmir was not a part of India. Singh said had Patel,
India’s first deputy PM , been allowed to act freely by then PM Jawaharlal
Nehru, India would not have been facing the Kashmir issue on Sunday. Hurriyat
Conference spokesman said Singh’s remark was an “admission that Kashmir is not
part of India”. He said Kashmir “continues to be a dispute” and India itself
took it to the UN.PTI
China, India can help solve Rohingya crisis:
Chinese daily
India and China can jointly lead efforts to
solve Rohingya crisis by offering humanitarian aid to Myanmar's conflict-ridden
Rakhine state, an article in state-run media has said. "Given the
interests Beijing and New Delhi share with Myanmar, 2 could cooperate in offering
humanitarian aid to Rakhine state, assist Bangladesh in resettlement of
refugees, enhance economic cooperation with Myanmar," according to the
article in Global Times."...China and India can also promote greater
integration of trade and investment in the area, including Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar
Economic Corridor." IANS
Ram temple in Ayodhya by next Diwali:Subramanian
S.
Patna:Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on
Sunday said construction of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya will commence
soon and it will be ready to receive devotees by next Diwali. Hurdles in the
way of the proposed Ram temple are being removed, Swami said without
elaborating. “Construction of the temple is likely to begin sooner than later.
This week we will be celebrating Diwali and by next Diwali the Ram temple is
likely to be ready to receive devotees,” he said addressing a seminar here
organised by the Bihar unit of Virat Hindustan Sangam (VHS), which he has
floated. MP said for electoral success “it is essential that the ideology of
Hindutva is never lost sight of”.Swami said VHS would make efforts for the
construction of a grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram’s consort Sita at
Sitamarhi in north Bihar, believed to be her birthplace. “It is impossible to
think of Maryada Purushottam Sri Rama without his companion Jagat Janani
Janaki”.PTI
‘Assaulted Dalit girl’s father does not want
action’
Lucknow:A Dalit man in Muzaffarnagar’s,
Pachenda Kala village, whose 19-year-old daughter was allegedly assaulted by 4
Jat women, has said he did not want action against the accused, said police. Police,
however, said women had been booked under SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act
on a complaint lodged by the victim’s father Ajay and probe is on. Police said 5
involved in the alleged incident are classmates in college. Circle Officer Rajiv
Kumar Gautam said,“ Complainant alleged that one of the accused made casteist
remarks on his daughter Pragati. They had an argument Friday and Pragati was
allegedly assaulted by four women. She suffered a minor head injury.” The
incident had triggered tension in the village, prompting police to tighten
security. indianexpress
‘Ahmednagar constable suspended for
criticising PM’
Ahmednagar:A police constable was suspended
for allegedly criticising PM Narendra
Modi in a WhatsApp post, police said. Ramesh Shinde is posted as a bodyguard of
Congress MLA and ex-minister Balasaheb Thorat, they said.Shinde, allegedly
criticised Modi in a WhatsApp post recently, police said. PTI
Journalists’ Unions Condemn Defamation Case
Filed By Jay Shah Against The Wire
In a resolution passed on Oct. 15, Delhi Union
of Journalists and National Alliance of Journalists have condemned the criminal
defamation case filed by Jay Shah against The Wire. BJP president’s son filed
the case after The Wire published an investigative report detailing the sudden
increase in turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah after the Modi Govt came to
power.This case, the journalists’ groups said, is part of a larger pattern of
defamation cases being filed to “target journalists and news agencies” and
“terrorise or browbeat them”. thewire
Assamese Muslims seek NRC entry as original
inhabitants
Guwahati:Leaders
of indigenous Assamese Muslim population today demanded that members of the
community must be included as ‘original inhabitants’ in National Register of
Citizens.They alleged that a section of vested interest circles is trying to
mislead the NRC update process which has made the local indigenous population
apprehensive about non-inclusion of their names in NRC. Nekibur Zaman said that
the Assamese Muslim population has a history of 800 years in India and they
must be given a fair deal like any another Indian citizen.“If necessary, a
special committee should be formed to streamline the process so that names of
no Indian citizen are left out,” Zaman said.“We are the sons of the soil and
the State Govt should take necessary and immediate action against those trying
to conspire against indigenous Muslim population in the State,” said representatives
from Goria Moria Desi Jatiya Parishad. Assamtribune
Alwar Muslim family to get back its 51 bovines
'snatched' 10 days ago
Jaipur: A Muslim family in Alwar district is
set to get back its 51 bovines, which were shifted to a cow shelter more than
10 days back, as the district administration has verified it as their rightful
owner, officials said. Police had shifted the cows and calves to Shri Krishna
Gaushala Samiti in Bambora area on Oct.3 on a complaint by villagers that a
road was blocked due to the unattended animals.The cow shelter is owned by
Kishan Gupta who is associated with the BJP. Gupta said the police had gone to
the cow shelter with villagers and left the animals there.The owner of the
bovines, Subba Khan, was not present there at that time and when he came to
know about the shifting of the animals, he approached the SDM to get them
back.PTI
WORLD
Kirkuk offensive: Thousands flee as Iraqi army
advances
Thousands of people are leaving the Iraqi city
of Kirkuk as the Iraqi army advances on Kurdish military positions around the
city.Federal forces, backed by Shia militia, have launched a major offensive
over two fronts on Monday, aimed at retaking the Kurdish-held city.Al Jazeera's
Charles Stratford, reporting from the outskirts of Kirkuk, said an increasing
number of Kirkuk residents were trying to flee."Thousands of cars are
filling the roads leading out of Kirkuk and the numbers are increasing. There
is a lot of fear in the city [due to] the Iraqi army's advance."Iraqi army
said it has seized control of the city's airport, in addition to an oil field,
the strategic K1 military base and the Taza Khormatu district southeast of
Kirkuk. Hundreds of armed Kurdish residents were taking up positions inside the
city, anticipating an attack.KRSC said in their statement that "Peshmerga
will continue to defend Kurdistan, its people and interests.""This
was an unprovoked attack following days of Iraqi military deployments to
Kurdistan's borders."Hemin Hawrami, senior assistant to Kurdish Regional Govt
(KRG) President Masoud Barzani, also said on Twitter that Peshmerga forces had
been ordered "not to initiate any war, but if any advancing militia starts
shooting", then they had the "green light to use every power" to
respond. aljazeera
Baghdad: Iraqi forces in full control of
Kirkuk
Iraqi army says it has taken full control of
Kirkuk following a major advance on Kurdish-held territories.The federal Govt in
Baghdad and sources inside the city said on Monday that Iraqi security forces
had captured the governorate building in the centre of Kirkuk. According to
security forces,troops moved inside building with no opposition from Kurdish
forces. There was no immediate comment from Kurdish authorities.Aljazeera
Mosul struggles to get back on its feet after
IS, nearly 7 lakh still displaced:AFP
Baghdad:Nearly 700000 Iraqis from former
jihadist stronghold of Mosul and nearby areas are still displaced despite the city's
recapture in July, Norwegian Refugee Council said Sunday. "One year since
the start of the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, some
6,73,000 Iraqis from the city and its surroundings remain displaced and unable
to go back to their destroyed neighbourhoods," it said. "More than
half of them may have lost their official civil documents - from birth
certificates to property deeds - which will make rebuilding their lives even
harder," added humanitarian group.
Israel approves settler housing in the heart
of Hebron
For the first time in 15 years, Israel's civil
administration has approved the construction of settlement housing units in the
Palestinian city of Hebron.Israel is planning to build 31 housing units in the
settlement of Beit Romano in Hebron's Old City, on a site that used to be a bus
station on Shuhada Street. Next to it, an Israeli military base operates from
what used to be a Palestinian school.Shuhada Street, Old City's main commercial
artery, has been shut down by the Israeli army since 1994, forcing many shops
to close. Palestinians have been banned from accessing the street, costing many
their livelihoods and their homes." Decision [to build new settler
housing] challenges the international community and violates international laws
and agreements," Issa Amro, spokesperson for the Youth Against Settlements
activist group in Hebron, said. aljazeera
Following Blair’s comments, Hamas calls for
cancelling condition to recognise Israel
After ex-British PM Tony Blair said the international community
was wrong to do as Israel wanted to isolate Hamas, the movement has called for
the condition that it recognise Israel before being included in negotiations to
be retracted, the Safa news agency reported.On Twitter, member of Hamas’
Political Bureau, Mousa Abu-Marzouk also called on the international community
to alleviate the inhumane suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a
result of Israel’s oppressive siege.In an interview with the British newspaper,
the Guardian, Blair said that he, along with world leaders, had committed a
mistake when they came under Israeli pressure and did not recognise Hamas’
victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections.“In retrospect, I think we should
have, right at the very beginning, tried to pull [Hamas] into a dialogue and
shifted their positions,” the Guardian newspaper reported Blair saying. middleeastmonitor
Egypt backtracks on opening Rafah border with Gaza
Egyptian authorities announced that they had
decided to postpone the opening of the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip after 6
soldiers were killed in the Sinai province, according to PIC. Despite planning
to open the crossing for four days from today, Hesham Udwan, head of the
Commission of Crossings and Borders, notified Gazan authorities of the change
after clashes between militants and the Egyptian army in the region. Egypt had
announced that the crossing was to be opened to allow urgent medical aid
through to the besieged coastal enclave, particularly in light of the
reconciliation of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas. Middleeastmonitor
PA official in Gaza to take over running of
crossings
Nazmi Muhanna, general director of the
Palestinian Crossing and Borders Authority, arrived in the Gaza Strip this
morning in accordance with reconciliation agreement in order to assume his
duties of managing Gaza’s crossings.Muhanna stated that the delegation has
arrived in Gaza in order to implement the agreed upon terms regarding crossings
in the Gaza Strip.He also stated that he has come to Gaza on orders by Mahmoud
Abbas in order to discuss the first article of the agreement, in the hope of
positive results.Muhanna met with DG of Gaza Internal Security Force, Tawfiq
Abu Naeem, in order to discuss mechanisms of handing over Gaza’s crossings, in
accordance with the reconciliation agreement’s terms, signed in Cairo.MEM
UK academics condemn university’s ‘deference’
to Israeli embassy
43 academics from the University of Manchester
(UoM) have signed an open letter condemning senior figures at the university
for suppressing free speech in “deference” to Israeli Ambassador, Mark Regev.In
the letter addressed to the President of University,Professor Nancy Rothwell, academics
protested against senior staff at the UoM who held a meeting with the Israeli
embassy prior to an event organised by the university’s student Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign earlier this year.Recounting the
incident from this year’s Israeli Apartheid Week, the letter states that “while
the event went ahead, speech of a Jewish Holocaust survivor was arrogantly
censored and labelled ‘anti-semitic’.”The academics confirmed details of the
university’s unwarranted restrictions on free speech saying “the right to
superintend the meeting by university academic staff was usurped by
institutional appointees, restrictions were placed on advertising the event,
and the whole thing was filmed in what amounted to an implicit threat of
further action should the institution’s definition of what constitutes
reasonable arguments be breached”.middleeastmonitor
Egypt:6 troops, 24 attackers killed in Sinai
attacks
At least 6 Egyptian soldiers and 24 attackers
have been killed in a series of assaults on security posts in northern Sinai,
according to security and hospital officials.Dozens of fighters on Sunday used
heavy machine guns and mortars to carry out a series of near-simultaneous
attacks at and around the town of Sheikh Zweid. Army said 24 attackers were
killed and 1 was wounded, while 2 of fighters' SUVs were destroyed. aljazeera
Thousands of new Rohingya refugees flee
violence, hunger in Myanmar to Bangladesh
Hungry, destitute and scared, thousands of new
Rohingya refugees crossed the border into Bangladesh from Myanmar early on
Monday, Reuters witnesses said, fleeing attacks by Buddhist mobs and hunger
that UN has called ethnic cleansing.Wading through waste-deep water with
children strapped to their sides, Rohingya said how they had walked through
bushes and forded monsoon-swollen streams for days from Myanmar’s Buthidaung
region before reaching the border. A seemingly never-ending line entered Bangladesh
near the village of Palongkhali. Many were injured, with the elderly on
makeshift stretchers, and women balanced family belongings - pots, rice sacks,
clothing - on their heads.“We couldn’t step out of the house for the last month
because military were looting people. They started firing on the village. So we
escaped into another village,” said Mohammad Shoaib. They walked to join some
536,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar since Aug.25.Refugees who
arrived in Bangladesh today said they were driven out by hunger because food
markets in Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been shut down and aid deliveries
restricted. They also reported attacks by the military and Rakhine Buddhist
mobs. Reuters
Myanmar journalists 'harassed' for reporting
on Rohingya crisis: aljazeera
Sitting in a Yangon cafe, Min Min scrolls
through old photos of a bombing attack on his house in Myanmar's northern
Rakhine state. Journalist told Al Jazeera that he was targeted last year due to
his reporting of the Rohingya crisis.It is a risky business, he said."If I
keep trying to investigate the truth about issues in Rakhine state, my life
could be in danger," Min, the editor of the Rakhine Investigative Agency,
said.The young journalist revealed that his monthly political magazine had to
reduce its coverage of the mainly-Muslim minority group during the recent incidents
in the western town of Maungdaw."We had to be silent, we almost don't
cover it because we have to be very careful," Min said.Al Jazeera's Yaara
Bou Melhem, reporting from Yangon, said the pro-Govt narrative is evident in
the daily newspaper headlines.One was about authorities saying they will
continue to fight what they call "Islamic terrorism" in Rakhine
state, she reported. aljazeera
Catalan leader refuses to clarify independence
stance
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has failed to
clarify whether or not Catalonia plans to break away from Spain, and has
instead called for talks.Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy had given Puigdemont until
Monday to make his position clear and until Thursday to change his mind if he
called to secede. Rajoy has threatened that Madrid would suspend Catalonia's
autonomy if Puigdemont chooses secession.In his letter to Rajoy on Monday
before the deadline, Puigdemont did not directly answer yes or no to whether he
is declaring independence, and said the 2 sides should meet "in spite of
everything that has happened".Spanish Vice President Saenz Santamaria gave
Puigdemont 3 day extension to clarify his stand.aljazeera
500
casualties in Somalia’s worst bombing: the guardian
The death toll in the bombing that hit the
centre of Mogadishu on Saturday continues to rise, with more than 300 people
now believed to have been killed and hundreds more seriously injured. The scale
of the loss makes the attack, which involved a truck packed with several
hundred kilograms of military-grade and homemade explosives, one of the most
lethal terrorist acts anywhere in the world for many years.On Monday, Somalia’s
information minister announced that 276 people had died in the attack with at
least 300 people injured. Within hours, however, Abdikadir,director of Amin
ambulances, said his service had confirmed that 300 people died in the blast. The
Guardian
FLASH:
VIEWS & NEWS
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Court:bbc
SC should not deliver its judgement on Ayodhya
before the 2019 election:Ajaz Ashraf
Was Modi’s War on Cronyism Just Another
‘Jumla’?Swati Chaturvedi
NDA govt promised to transform India in 60
months. 40 months later, future looks bleak and bluffing: Kapil Sibal
Vengara bypoll: Resurgent SDPI pushes BJP back
to fourth slot: Sanjay Mohan
LIGO and Telescopes Spot Spectacular Neutron
Star Cataclysm in Record-Breaking Discovery
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