Evening NEWS
DIGEST
23
Oct.2017: 2 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:27
When does moral policing stop?: SC suggests
it's open to modifying order on national anthem in cinema halls
The Supreme Court today asked why the Centre
can't amend the law to make it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national
anthem, and why the burden should be "thrown on the judiciary."In Nov,
the top court had passed an order saying cinema halls should play the national
anthem before films.But today, Justice Chandrachud asked, "Why doesn't the
Centre amend the law. Why should the burden be thrown on the judiciary.
Tomorrow you will say ban people from wearing T-shirts and shorts to the cinema
hall because it's an insult to national anthem. Where do you draw a line? Where
does this moral policing stop?""People go to cinema halls for
undiluted entertainment. Why should we make choices for them? Why should we
assume that if someone doesn't stand up for anthem in the cinema hall, he is
not patriotic?" court observed that govt can bring in legislation and
amend the flag code. Centre, represented by Attorney General KK Venugopal, was
clearly of the opinion that the earlier order should not be modified."Ours
is a country with vast diversity of religion, region, race and caste, it
becomes necessary to have a unifying force. By playing national anthem, people
can come out believing we are all Indians," he said.This contention was
strongly rebutted by Justice Chandrachud, who said that patriotism is instilled
by a larger democratic and political process , not by making the national
anthem mandatory in cinema halls.Though the SC has not modified its order
today, it's likely to do so in the next hearing on Jan.9. Centre will also have
to clarify if they are willing to amend the flag code.indiatoday
SC refuses to modify order on National Anthem,
asks Centre to consider amending flag code
'You don't have to stand up at a cinema hall
to be perceived as patriotic': Justice Chandrachud
Bilkis Bano gangrape case: SC asks Gujarat if
departmental action taken against convicted cops
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday allowed
Bilkis Bano, the survivor of gangrape during the Gujarat riots of 2002, to file
a separate plea seeking higher compensation from the Gujarat government instead
of what was awarded to her by the lower courts, PTI has reported. The apex
court also asked the state government if any departmental action has been taken
against the policemen convicted in the gangrape case. It has also demanded a
detailed reply from the Gujarat government within four weeks in this regard.The
rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her family members had taken place during
the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. On March 3, 19-year-old Bilkis Bano
along with her family were on their way, escaping a mob on a truck. Bilkis was
five months pregnant and accompanying her were 17 other people in the truck,
including her 2-year-old daughter.The truck was attacked by an armed mob, who
gangraped her and killed 14 members of her family including her daughter, her
mother Halima and cousin Shamim.indianexpress
In Bilkis Bano Case, Gujarat Government Faces
Questions From Supreme Court
Modi govt takes a step back on Kashmir,
appoints ex-IB chief as interlocutor
Nearly 3 years after it tried to adopt a
hard-line and often controversial stance to find a resolution to the ‘Kashmir
crisis’, including its support to security agencies to use pellet guns and even
human shields, PM Narendra Modi’s government seems to have finally taken a step
back, opting instead for a “sustained dialogue” with all stakeholders.Union
home minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday, announced that the government has
appointed Dineshwar Sharma, a former intelligence bureau chief, as its
interlocutor for J&K. The appointment can be seen as a revival of a UPA-era
move when Dr Manmohan Singh had nominated the late Dilip Padgaonkar, a senior
journalist, academician Radha Kumar and former information commissioner MM
Ansari as Centre’s interlocutors on Kashmir,In a move that reflects the
sentiments of a broad spectrum of people with an interest in Kashmir –
political parties, security agencies, locals and even the separatists – Singh
declared that Dinsehwar Sharma’s brief would be to hold a “sustained dialogue”
with all stakeholders, “including Kashmiri separatists” and that the former IB
chief will have “complete freedom” to carry out this task.“There is no bar on
him to talk to one group and not another… We want to understand aspirations of
people of J&K,” said the home minister, who had last month claimed that the
Centre would resolve the Kashmir issue by 2022. This is the first concrete
attempt by Modi govt in 3 years to reach out to Kashmiris and comes after a
particularly-focussed offensive by security agencies anchored from Delhi to crack
down on foreign funding for separatists. In Srinagar, police and army teams
have taken out dozens of local commanders of terrorist groups active in the
Kashmir Valley. The move also addresses recurring criticism of the central
government’s high-handed approach in tackling the problems of Kashmir from the
prism of security operations without a matching political outreach. Apnlive
Govt will initiate sustained dialogue on
Kashmir, says Rajnath ; appoints ex-IB director as interlocutor
Hope govt admitting muscular approach in J&K
failed: Chidambaram
New Delhi:Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram
on Monday said he hoped the central government, by announcing a peace
initiative in Jammu and Kashmir, was finally admitting that its “muscular
approach” to the Valley’s problems had failed. “With appointment of interlocutor,
I hope government has finally admitted ‘muscular approach’ has failed in
J&K,” Chidambaram tweeted after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said a
sustained dialogue would be initiated by government for a solution to the
Kashmir issue. Chidambaram, who as home minister in UPA government had formed a
three-member committee of interlocutors for a dialogue on Kashmir, said the
movement from “No talks” to “Talks with all stakeholders” was a major victory
for those who had argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir.PTI
Sustained dialogue on Kashmir: Omar Abdullah
says defeat of those who see force as solution
New Delhi:National Conference leader Omar
Abdullah on Monday welcomed Centre’s decision to initiate dialogues with
stakeholders in Kashmir saying he would “keep an open mind” to see its results.
However, the former chief minister asserted that the latest decision is a
“resounding defeat” for the government, which had resorted to using force in
the valley in the past.“Centre announces an interlocutor to engage with stake
holders in J&K. Will keep an open mind & wait to see results of the
dialogue process,” Abdullah tweeted.He, however, added, “The acceptance of the
political nature of the #Kashmir issue is a resounding defeat of those who
could only see use of force as a solution.” indianexpress
Rajasthan Govt Tables Criminal Laws Amendment
Bill, Editors Guild Demands Withdrawal
New Delhi: Riding roughshod over protests, Vasundhara
Raje-led Rajasthan govnt, on the opening day of its state assembly session on
Monday, tabled the controversial Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill. Move
was met with opposition by the Congress party. On Saturday, news reports drew
attention to the Rajasthan government’s decision to bring the Criminal Laws
(Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance 2017, amending CrPC, 1973, and restricting the
media from naming a public servant until the Rajasthan government sanctions the
investigation. Under Section 197 of CrPC, public servants, judges and
magistrates across India currently enjoy immunity from prosecution without
prior government permission. Rajasthan government has now enhanced the levels
of impunity, adding two more layers. According to the new rules, no
investigation can be ordered by the police under Section 156 or a magistrate
under Section 190 into allegations against public servants, judges and
magistrates. Significantly, these rules bar journalists from reporting these
allegations, unless and until the state govt grants sanctions the
prosecution.Not surprisingly, the Rajasthan government’s decision has been met
with protests from various quarters. A PIL has been filed by senior lawyer A.K.
Jain in the Rajasthan high court, challenging the validity of the ordinance. In
his petition, Jain has argued that the ordinance was a “licence to commit
crime” and was “arbitrary and malafide”, according to an Indian Express
report.Editors Guild of India, in a statement released last night, asked the
Rajasthan government to “withdraw the harmful ordinance,” labelling it a
“pernicious instrument” to harass the media.“But in reality it is a pernicious
instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and
drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the constitution of
India,” the Guild has said. thewire
Rajasthan govt tables Criminal Laws Bill amid
Opposition protests
Editors Guild slams Rajasthan’s Criminal Laws
(Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance 2017
Raje minister defends ordinance, says he too
faced ‘media trial’ in Sohrabuddin case
Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria defended
an ordinance brought in by the Rajasthan government, which prohibits
investigation without prior sanction against “a Judge or a Magistrate or a
public servant” for any “act done by them while acting or purporting to act in
the discharge of their official duties”.He said he had to face media trial
after being named by CBI in its probe into Sohrabuddin encounter case. In April
2014, the agency had filed murder and conspiracy charges against Kataria and
three others in the 2005 case. However,in Feb.2015, a special CBI court in
Mumbai discharged Kataria, citing “insufficient” evidence. indianexpress
Was offered Rs 1 crore to join BJP: Gujarati
Patel leader
New Delhi: In an extraordinary claim, Narendra
Patel, a local convenor of Hardik Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, has
alleged that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the BJP. The claim came hours
after Narendra Patel, flanked by prominent BJP leaders, announced Sunday
evening he was joining the BJP. At a late-night press conference in Ahmedabad,
however, Narendra Patel suddenly changed tunes, saying that he was "made
to" say that he was joining the party after being offered a Rs 1-crore
deal to switch loyalties. Mehsana-based Narendra Patel also claimed that he was
advanced Rs 10 lakh on the Rs 1-crore deal on Sunday itself and said he was
promised that the remaining Rs 90 lakh would be paid to him on Monday. Patel
detailed how and when he was made the Rs 1-crore offer and said that Varun
Patel, another Patidar leader, was involved in the efforts to win his support.
He even displayed the Rs 10 lakh cash that he claimed was given to him as an
advance. Varun Patel was a key aide of Hardik Patel, who spearheaded the
Patidar reservation movement. Varun along with Reshma Patel, another former
Hardik Patel aide, joined BJP earlier this weekend.Narendra Patel claimed that
the deal was made by Varun Patel on behalf of the BJP. "I was called to
Ahmedabad... then taken to Gandhinagar," Narendra Patel said at the press
conference. indiatoday
First 'Evidence' of BJP Money Power to Break
Hardik Patel's Team
Only one party has 'unlimited money': Sena's Dig
At BJP
Mumbai:
Shiv Sena today lashed out at ally BJP without directly naming it,
claiming that "one party" possessed "unlimited money" and
had come to power in Goa and Manipur despite being "rejected by the
people".Shiv Sena also alleged that money was being used to "try and
uproot" the Uddhav Thackeray-led party."Even if people face recession
after demonetisation, one party is on an upturn and came to power in Goa and
Manipur despite being rejected by the people," an editorial in Sena
mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.PTI
Bangles thrown at PM Modi in Gujarat’s
Vadodara, woman detained by police
A woman reportedly
belonging to the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) threw bangles at
Prime Minister Narendra Modi just as he was conducting the road show in
Vadodara on Sunday evening. ASHA worker, who threw the bangles on Modi has been
identified as Chandrika Ben. Her action prompted the prime minister to
hurriedly get into his car. Security officials present at the VIP Road, where
the incident took place, immediately detained Chandrika before she could repeat
her act.The video of the woman chanting Narendra Modi murdabad has now gone
viral on internet. Prime Minister Modi was conducting a road show from Navlakhi
Ground in Vadodara to the airport after launching several projects in the
region.Not so long ago, ASHA workers had chased a local Vadodara BJP MLA, who
had controversially said that the women workers should have abused the prime
minister and not him.Surrounded and chased by the ASHA workers, the BJP MLA
from Karjan in Vadodara, Satish Patel was heard saying, “don’t abuse me, abuse Modi.” jantakareporter
No funds to states against vikas, says Modi:
K'taka CM tell him to read Constitution
In yet another incident of friction between
the Union government and Congress-led Karnataka govt, CM Siddaramaiah took a
dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accusing the PM of lacking
understanding of the Constitution.In response to PM Modi’s speech on Sunday
where he had said, “We will not give a
single penny to those opposing development,” the CM tweeted —“This shows a lack
of understanding of Constitution. What Center gives states is not charity. It
is our right.”On Sunday, Modi was addressing a rally in Gujarat’s Vadodara,
where he had said, “We are clear in our working. Each penny of the public money
will be spent towards the wellbeing of every citizen and for development
projects. Our priority is development,” Modi said. thenewsminute
UGC Decision Could Reduce Reservations for SC,
ST and OBC Teachers at Universities
New Delhi: UGC has reportedly yet again made a
controversial decision on faculty reservations that could reduce the number of
SC, ST and OBC teaching positions. This decision is now waiting for
“concurrence” from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Indian
Express reported. Reservations for SC, ST and OBC teachers should be calculated
department-wise and not based on the aggregate posts in a university, the UGC
has decided. Indian Express quoted former secretary to the central government
P.S. Krishnan, an expert on the subject, as saying that this change would
reduce the number of seats reserved for marginalised candidates.UGC’s decision
is based on an Allahabad high court order from this April. In the course of
hearing a case on teachers’ recruitment at Banaras Hindu University, the court
said that each department, rather than the whole university, should be treated
as the “unit” on which reservations are based. The court was unhappy with the
UGC’s policy of implementing reservations in a “blanket manner”. “If the
University is taken as a ‘Unit’ for every level of teaching and applying the
roster, it could result in some departments/subjects having all reserved
candidates and some having only unreserved candidates. Such a proposition again
would be discriminatory and unreasonable. This again would be violative of
Article 14 and 16 of Constitution,”Indian Express quoted the HC order as
saying.According to official data quoted by the paper, there are 17,106
teaching positions at 41 UGC-funded central universities. As of April 1, 5,997
of these were vacant. If the human resource development ministry accepts the
changes the UGC has decided on, the new policy will affect all future
recruitment drives.The Wire
Adityanath’s pilgrimage push shows Hindutva
still BJP’s key election plank
Yogi Adityanath’s push to promote Hindu
pilgrimage sites in recent months has sparked a political controversy with
experts saying the move indicated that Hindutva will remain a key poll plank
for the BJP ahead of crucial elections.The opposition has protested the state
government’s decisions to allocate funds for holy Hindu sites and leave out
others – in temple town of Ayodhya alone, projects worth Rs 483 crore have been
unveiled in 6 months while the Taj Mahal has received a fraction of the funds –
and called it “selective development”. HT
Ballabhgarh Lynching: Junaid's family being
'pressurised' to withdraw cases and reach 'compromise' to ‘maintain harmony’: newsclick
Even as four of the six accused are out on
bail, pressure is allegedly being mounted on Junaid’s family by sympathisers of
the accused including influential locals to withdraw cases and reach a
compromise to “maintain communal harmony”.In an incident that shocked the
country, the 16-year-old Junaid, a resident of Khandawali village in Faridabad
district of Haryana, was stabbed to death by a mob in a Delhi-Mathura local
train in June this year. The lynch mob had reportedly used communal and abusive
language before the physical assault.Two mahapanchayats have recently been held
in Junaid’s village that concluded that the killing was “not intentional”. The
gatherings were attended by many “outsiders” according to locals. Those who
attended the marathon mahapanchayats, while expressing their sympathy with
Junaid’s family, were of the view that the June 22 incident in the EMU train
was “just an accident” which took place following a “fight over a seat”.The
organisers had allegedly invited the sarpanch (village chief) and few other
influential people from Junaid’s village who reportedly met the victim’s father
at different occasions to persuade him to withdraw cases and reach a compromise
to ensure that the brotherhood and communal harmony is maintained.“Few people,
including our sarpanch, after attending mahapanchayats held on October 15 and
17 in our village, recently met my father (Jalaluddin) to convince him to
withdraw all cases and reach a compromise so that bhai chara bana rahe
(brotherhood remains intact),” Shakir one of the elder brothers of Junaid’s,
who had also suffered injuries in the attack, told NewsClick.However, he said
the proposed compromise formula was outrightly rejected by them. “We told them
that whatever the court decides will be acceptable to us. There is no question
of compromise and withdrawing cases. We have lost our young brother and we
demand justice. The culprits must be punished in the larger interest of justice
and to create deterrence against hate crimes and mob violence,” he said.He
alleged they are being offered money as well to do so. “We were also offered
money, which we rejected to accept. Paise se mera bhai to wapas nahin aa jayega
(The money cannot return our brother),” he added.Technically, the victim’s
family cannot withdraw the cases as the state is pursuing the matter against
the accused. But attempts can be made to persuade the prime witness - who is
Junaid's brother Hashim - to turn hostile so that the case can be subverted.
Tipu Sultan descendants mull legal action
against Union minister Hegde
Kolkata:The descendants of Tipu Sultan in
Kolkata are contemplating legal action against Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde
of Karnataka who called the 18th century ruler of Mysore a “mass rapist” and a
“brutal killer” in a tweet on Friday. The descendants said they are deeply
pained by the statement and the controversy.Hegde, Union Minister of State for
Skill Development, made the comment when he asked not to be invited for
celebrations on Tipu Sultan Jayanti.In a letter to the Karnataka Chief
Minister’s Secretariat and Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner, the minister
asked them not to include his name on the list of invitees for the programmes
on Nov. 10. “(I have) conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to
shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic
and mass rapist,” Hegde wrote. indianexpress
Afghan President in Delhi tomorrow, will hold
detailed talks with PM Modi
New Delhi:Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will
hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday on furthering the
shared objective of promoting security and stability in Afghanistan, and
efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. The external affairs ministry said
today that the Afghan president would be here on a one-day working visit at the
invitation of the prime minister. The invitation was extended by National
Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his Kabul trip on Oct.16.During his visit,
President Ghani will meet with his Indian counterpart and have delegation level
talks with the prime minister, who will also host a lunch in his honour, an
official statement said.PTI
Return of ‘displaced persons’ can restore
normalcy in Myanmar: Sushma Swaraj on Rohingya crisis
Dhaka;India is “deeply concerned” at the spate
of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State where normalcy will be restored only
with the return of “displaced persons”, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
today said here amidst the raging Rohingya refugee crisis.Nearly 600,000
minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape
violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown.Myanmar
doesn’t recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are
Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.Bangladesh has sought
India’s “sustained pressures” on Myanmar for its resolution. “India is deeply
concerned at the spate of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State,” Swaraj said
after talks with the Bangladeshi side as part of the fourth Joint Consultative
Commission.PTI
Cow protection squads in Uttarakhand
Dehradun:Following instructions by CM
Trivendra Rawat for forming a special squad to keep in check the “increasing
number of cases of cow smuggling and cow slaughter” in Uttarakhand, 2 “govansh
sangrakshan squads (cow protection squads)” — one each for Kumaon and Garhwal
regions — have been formed.The instructions from Rawat came on Saturday and the
same night, the additional director-general of police (law and order) Ashok
Kumar issued an order for the formation of the squads “for the protection of
cow progeny” and for the “effective execution” of the provisions of the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and Uttarakhand Protection of Cow
Progeny Act, 2007, which prohibits cow slaughter and regulates the transport of
cow progeny. indianexpress
Regulate Arab weddings, don’t ban: Muslim
leaders
Hyderabad: Muslim religious and social leaders
have called upon the Telangana government to take into account the Islamic
jurisprudence and socio-economic background of the minority community before
promulgating legislation on the marriage of local Muslim girls to foreign
nationals, particularly those from Arab countries. The demand comes in the
backdrop of state government proposing an Act to regulate Arab weddings and
making it mandatory for foreign grooms to desposit Rs 10 lakh as security. They
felt that any new legislation governing the marriage and divorce of Muslims in
the state will have a direct bearing on the socio-economic aspects of the
community. About a dozen Muslim religious leaders, legal experts and social
activists gathered here on Sunday to take stock of the recent incidents
involving marriage of city Muslim girls to Arab nationals. Those who participated in the meeting
included Mufti Abdul Mughni Mazarari, president of Jamiat-ul-Ulema, Hyderabad,
Iqbal Ahmed of the Milli Council, Maulana Naseeruddin, organizer of Wehdat
Islami, Telangana, Moulana Syed Tariq Quadri, advocate and former member of
Minorities Commission, Maulana Hussain Shaeed, Mustafa Ali Sarvari, associate
professor, MANUU, Supreme Court advocate Mirza Nisar Ahmed Baig, Ilyas Shamsi,
president, IRF, Azharuddin of Jamaat-e-Islami, and social activists Mohammed
Farooq, Affan Quadri, Abdul Nayeem and Aleem Baig. timesofindia
Fatwa-hit Muslim women group seeks ban on
Darul Uloom
Varanasi: Muslim Mahila
Foundation, which has come under fire from the Darul Uloom Deoband for praising
Ram, has demanded a ban on the seminary and a probe into its funding. Nazneen
Ansari, the founder-president of the Foundation, on Sunday said, "Islam
does not allow them (ulemas) to issue any order or impose their views on anyone
in religious matters. They can give suggestions or advice in true light of
Islam. They have no authority to 'bedakhal' (oust) anyone from Islam. If they
continue to issue fatwa on such matters, we will lodge an FIR for violating a
2014 Supreme Court directive." timesofindia
WORLD
Tillerson: Saudis not ready for talks to end
GCC crisis
Doha, Qatar - US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson says Saudi Arabia is not willing to begin direct talks to resolve the
Gulf diplomatic crisis, as his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani, expressed frustration over the behaviour of the four countries
blockading Qatar. The diplomats made the
comments on Sunday during Tillerson's visit to Qatar, where he arrived
following a stop in Saudi Arabia as part of a new push to end the months-long
dispute.In a joint news conference with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman in Qatar's
capital, Doha, Tillerson said he is not hopeful Saudi Arabia is willing to
enter discussions to resolve the crisis."In my meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him
to please engage in dialogue, [but] there is not a strong indication that
parties are ready to talk yet," said Tillerson, referring to his earlier
discussions in Riyadh."We cannot force talks upon people who are not ready
to talk." aljazeera
Former Saudi and Israeli spymasters share NYC
stage
New York, US - A few years back, the prospect
of an eminent member of the Israeli political establishment sharing a stage
with a Saudi Arabian counterpart in a New York synagogue would have been
difficult for many to stomach.Such events are becoming more common. On Sunday,
Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief appeared relaxed and
chatty beside Efraim Halevy, the director of Mossad from 1998-2002, on a podium
in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Al-Faisal dismissed the idea that Israel and
Saudi Arabia are edging towards detente, but his many references to Iran's
nuclear arms scheme and growing regional clout underscored the perceived common
threat shared by both countries.But the fear of nuke-toting Iranian religious
scholars would not propel Riyadh into clandestine military cooperation with
Israel unless the Jewish state first struck an equitable, two-state peace deal
with Palestinians, al-Faisal insisted."There is no such under-the-table
engagement between Israel and these Arab countries. What is needed is on the
table, not under-the-table," al-Faisal, wearing a pinstripe suit, told the
Middle East Security Forum: New York. aljazeera
Hamas: No rift with Qatar over Fatah
reconciliation
Hamas has denied reports hinting that the
Palestinian group is dissatisfied with the role of Qatar in the effort to reach
reconciliation with Fatah.Local news media reports on the issue surfaced after
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar recently met youth groups in the Gaza Strip.In a
statement, Hamas has said allegations of the rift are "completely not
true" and dismissed talk of any tension."It is worth noting Qatar's
role in supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in general and
our people in the Gaza Strip, especially in the shadow of the unjust
siege," the statement read.Hamas praised Qatar as having a
"pioneering role" in bettering the lives of Palestinians living in
Gaza. aljazeera
Israel maintains robust arms trade with rogue
regimes
Tel Aviv - Human rights activists are stepping
up efforts to expose Israel's long and covert history of supplying weapons and
military training to regimes while they actively commit massacres, ethnic
cleansing and genocide.The issue of Israel's trade with rogue regimes has been
thrust into the spotlight again after revelations that it is sending weapons to
Myanmar, in defiance of a US and European arms embargo.Formerly known as Burma,
Myanmar was condemned last month by the UN for conducting what it called a
"textbook ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are reported to have fled to neighbouring
Bangladesh in recent weeks, after evidence of the torching of entire villages,
massacres and systematic rapes.Israel has not divulged details of its ties to
Myanmar's military government, but public records show that it has sold the military
there armed patrol boats, guns and surveillance equipment. Myanmar's special
forces have also been trained by Israelis.Human rights groups are set to stage
a protest outside Israel's parliament on Oct.30, calling for an immediate halt
to the weapons sales to Myanmar. Israeli firms have also broken with the US and
Europe by supplying weapons and surveillance equipment to militias in South
Sudan, where a civil war has raged since late 2013. Some 300,000 Sudanese are
believed to have been killed in the fighting. aljazeera
‘Israel abetting genocide in Myanmar’
Rights groups blast Egypt's human rights
record
International rights organisations have
gathered in the French capital to highlight Egypt's human rights abuses, as
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is set to arrive for a two-day
visit.Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders and
the France-based International Federation for Human Rights were among the
groups scheduled to speak at a news conference in Paris on Monday.In a
statement, Human Rights Watch called on France to "stop ignoring serious
abuses, including Egyptian security services' widespread and systematic use of
torture".
Syrian regime traps 400,000 civilians in east
Ghouta
At least 400,000 civilians have been blockaded
and trapped by the Syrian regime on eastern Ghouta region near the capital,
Damascus, leaving them struggling with malnutrition.At least two babies have
died due to malnutrition and hundreds remain in a dire situation as all
healthcare facilities were destroyed or are almost non-operational, according
to local medics. A main pro-democracy opposition stronghold on the outskirts of
Damascus, eastern Ghouta has been under siege by regime forces since December
2012.The regime tightened its siege in recent months, preventing residents from
bringing in their daily needs such as food and medicine, which has resulted in
an increase in infant deaths. aljazeera
This is the price of war: A malnourished
Syrian baby, who died of hunger
One-month-old Sahar, her ribs protruding under
translucent skin, breathed her last on Sunday in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta, where
a crushing regime siege has pushed hundreds of children to the brink of
starvation. Only a trickle of humanitarian aid ever reaches this rebel-held
region east of Damascus, under a tight blockade by Assad regime forces since
2013.On Saturday, the parents of Sahar Dofdaa, just 34 days old, took her to a
hospital in the Eastern Ghouta town of Hamouria. Images filmed by a reporter
working with AFP showed a wide-eyed girl with listless eyes and little but skin
on her bones.She tried to cry but lacked the strength to make much of a noise.
Her young mother sobbed nearby.Her skeletal thighs poked out of a nappy way
over her size. Placed on the scales, she weighed less than two kilogrammes
(just over 4 pounds).Like hundreds of children in Ghouta, Sahar was suffering
from acute malnutrition.AFP
Russia accuses US coalition of decimating
Raqqa
Russia has accused the US-led coalition of
bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa "off the face of the Earth," in the
same way the Allied powers bombed Germany's Dresden during World War
II.Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 200,000 people
lived in Raqqa before the conflict, but no more than 45,000
remained."Raqqa has suffered the fate of Dresden in 1945 when the city was
wiped off the face of the Earth by Anglo-American air raids," it said in a
statement.
Iraqi court issues arrest warrant against
former Kurdish army chief
A court in Baghdad has issued an arrest
warrant for the former Iraqi army chief of staff, Babakir Zebari, for alleged
charges of corruption and misusing public funds, the Iraqi Commission of
Integrity said in a statement yesterday.The commission said the case dates back
to when Zebari was still in office and gave seven cars owned by the defence
ministry to civilians, without revealing their identities.The Iraqi Prime
Minister, Haider Abadi, referred Zebari – who is Kurdish – to retirement after
12 years in office. Middleeastmonitor
Kurdish Peshmerga blow up bridge to halt Iraqi
forces
Saudi joins Islamic finance body, could boost
cross-border deals:Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s central bank has joined an
international standard-setting body for Islamic finance, a move that could help
standardise industry practices and ease cross-border transactions in the
Kingdom. Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial
Institutions (AAOIFI) said in a statement late on Sunday it had admitted the
Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) as an institutional member.Islamic
products represent around half of banking system assets in the Kingdom, but the
regulator doesn’t distinguish between Islamic or conventional banks and applies
the same prudential standards to all of them.Islamic finance follows religious
principles such as bans on gambling and outright speculation, with
interest-bearing products deemed off-limits. SAMA confirmed the move in a
separate statement, without specifying whether it planned to make AAOIFI
standards enforceable or if it would adopt all or some of them.Saudi-based
Islamic banks include Al Rajhi Bank and Alinma Bank, while National Commercial
Bank is in the process of converting into a full-fledged Islamic lender. Saudi
lenders remain domestically focused, but adopting AAOIFI standards could help
them venture into other majority-Muslim countries. The Saudi government has
also taken steps to tap into Islamic finance, issuing debut Islamic bonds
earlier this year denominated in both riyals and US. dollars.
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