Evening NEWS
DIGEST
22 Oct.2017: 1 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:26
UP govt plans to merge Shia, Sunni Waqf boards
to prevent ‘wastage of money’
Lucknowl: UP govt is planning to form a “UP
Muslim Waqf board” by merging the separate Sunni and Shia Waqf boards to
prevent “wastage of money”, minister of state for Waqf Mohsin Raza said.He
alleged that both Sunni and Shia Waqf boards are being charged with corruption,
and the government will dissolve them soon.Though things are still to be
finalised, the minister said the UP Muslif Waqf board when constituted will
have members of both Sunni and Shia communities and its chairman will be
selected from among them.“The government has got a number of letter and
suggestions from various quarters regarding the merger of Sunni and Shia Waqf
boards. After which, the government has sought a proposal in this regard from
the department concerned. “After Law department’s review of the proposal, the
government will consider it and form the UP Muslim Waqf board,” Raza said.He
also claimed that all states of the country except UP and Bihar have only one
Waqf board. According to Raza, having separate Waqf boards in the state is not
“legal”.The minister further said that as per the Central Waqf council, there
are only 3,000 units of Shia Waqf Board, and that there was no point in keeping
a separate Shia Board.“Separate chairman, CEO and other staff incure heavy
expenses. It is a wastage of money,” Mohsin Raza said.Reacting to the
development, Shia Waqf board chairman Waseem Rizvi said there is no provision
to separate Sunni and Shia boards which were constituted in 2015 for the tenure
of five years.“There is no provision to dissolve the board. After the tenure
ends, the government can inquire about number of Waqf units and their income to
proceed further,” Rizvi said.Rizvi also alleged that the share of income of
Shia Waqf board is over 15 per cent of the total income.However, Chairman of UP
Sunni Waqf Board Zufar Farooqui said they welcome the initiative of merging
both the boards into one.But with that said, he wondered why the state
government is changing a decision also taken under the BJP rule in 1999 by then
CM Kalyan Singh.“In 1999, when BJP was in power and Kalyan Singh was the Chief
Minister he constituted separate Shia and Sunni Waqf boards. Question arises
whether the present government does not endorse the previous BJP government’s
decision,” Farooqui asked.PTI
Yogi Govt Mulling Merger of Shia and Sunni
Waqf Boards to 'Prevent Wastage of Money'
Britain’s Labour Party calls for global human
rights monitors in Kashmir
London: Britain’s opposition Labour Party
wants India to allow international human rights monitors to visit Jammu and
Kashmir to verify reports of violations since the current situation in the
state “needs to be sorted out”.Emily Thornberry, shadow foreign secretary, told
members of the Indian Journalists Association here on Friday that if India has
nothing to fear, it should allow human rights monitors into the state. Impressing
by its performance in the June general election, the party’s views on key
issues such as Brexit, its relationship with India and the Indian community has
been under more focus. Thornberry, 57, who under Britain’s shadow government
system would be the foreign secretary if Labour won the election, spoke on a
range of issues, including party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s criticism PM Narendra
Modi in relation to the 2002 Gujarat riots.She highlighted the fact that it was
a Labour government in office when India became independent in 1947, and that
she was elected from the Islington South and Finsbury seat, once held by
Dadabhai Naoroji —first Indian elected to the House of Commons.“Our current
position on Kashmir comes from a concern for human rights. We hear a kaleidoscope
of stories, from the extremes to the less extreme. The human rights of
Kashmiris continue to bubble up. I have spoken to the (Indian) high
commissioner about this.“Kashmiris want to live in peace. That should be our
starting point. I know there are people in India who say these stories are
exaggerated or indeed downright lies. And if that’s right, it does seem to me
that India has nothing to fear from allowing human rights monitors into Kashmir
in order to be able to support that it isn’t true,” she said.Refraining from
going beyond the official position — that the issue needs to be settled by
India and Pakistan, and that Britain had no role — Thornberry said: “It is our
place to keep saying that it needs to be resolved in a peaceful way. This is
not radical, this is common sense.”HT
India urges Myanmar must take back Rohingya
refugees residing in Bangladesh
India on Sunday said Rohingya refugees who
have poured into Bangladesh must be taken back by Myanmar from where they have
been displaced.“Normalcy will only be restored with the return of the displaced
persons to Rakhine state,” Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said
at a media meet also attended by her Bangladeshi counterpart Abula Hassan
Mahmood Ali.This followed the fourth India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative
Committee meeting on Sunday.Sushma Swaraj did not use the word Rohingya to
refer to the thousands who have taken shelter in Bangladesh and instead
referred to them as displaced persons from Rakhine state, bdnews24.com
reported.She said India was “deeply concerned at the spate of violence in
Rakhine state of Myanmar”.According to latest figures from the UN office in
Bangladesh, over 600,000 refugees have entered the country since August 25
after the Myanmar Army cracked down on the Rohingyas after a series of attacks
on security personnel in Rakhine.Bangladesh Minister Ali said India was urged
to contribute towards exerting sustained pressure on Myanmar to find a peaceful
solution to crisis, including return of Rohingyas to their homeland.IANS
Egypt President desires to take ties with
India to higher level: MJ Akbar
Cairo:President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has a
sincere desire to take the Egypt-India ties to a higher level, Minister of
State for External Affairs MJ Akbar has said. Akbar, who called on President
Sisi here yesterday, described his meeting with the Egyptian leader as
“excellent”.“President Sisi’s great desire for taking our relationship, which
is already very good, to much higher level is very sincere and is a very
powerful pillar of our bilateral relations and it gives us hope for great
revival,” he told PTI after the meeting. During the meeting at Al Alamein, the
two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral ties as well as
other regional and international issues.Akbar said both countries always find
new avenues for partnership and cooperation “not simply on govt-to-govt level
but how to improve partnership on a people-to-people level”. He handed over
President Sisi a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter was to
thank Egypt for its support to the Indian candidate at the International Court
of Justice, the minister said.“This is a message of renewal relations and it
also elaborate how we can work together both in multilateral and bilateral
issues,” he said, noting that India had supported the Egyptian candidate for
the Secretary-General of UNESCO. Minister also mentioned that President Sisi
and PM Modi have met four times and they have developed a “very good warm
friendship”. Sisi had visited India in Sept.2016.PTI
As IS collapses, MEA collects DNA from
families of 39 missing Indians
Ministry of External Affairs is gathering DNA
samples of the families of the 39 missing Indians who were believed to have
been captured by Islamic State (IS) militants from Mosul more than three years
ago. These samples, ministry sources said, would be sent to Iraq and Syria to
be matched with people captured from fallen IS bastions such as Raqqa, as well
as with bodies recovered during combing operations.This comes three months
after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said it was a “sin” to presume
the 39 men were dead, unless there was proof. “We are very clear: we want
conclusive proof about them. We are in touch with the local authorities who
have access to the area. Once we have the DNA samples from the families, we can
match with those in custody as well as bodies, suspected to be of Indians,” a
source said. The Indian missions in Damascus, Baghdad and Erbil have been asked
to be in constant communication with the local authorities for the identification
process.The MEA’s push to locate the missing men comes at a time when US-backed
militias in Syria have declared victory over the IS in Raqqa.“In June-July this
year, we were told that Raqqa is the last bastion and the 39 missing Indians
could be there… so we kept a close watch on the battle there. Now that it’s
almost over, we will be restarting our search in Raqqa. Collection of DNA
samples is the first step towards that objective,” the source said.MEA has been
in touch with local missions in Syria and Iraq, besides seeking help from
American authorities for coordination on the ground, ministry sources said. MEA’s
States department has been asked to coordinate with the Punjab government to
collect the DNA samples of the families — 25 of the 39 missing Indians are from
Punjab. indianexpress
Zakir Naik to be chargesheeted by NIA this
week
Zakir Naik will be chargesheeted by NIA this
week for his alleged role in terror funding and money laundering cases in the
country, officials said. Formalities to file the chargesheet against Naik, who
left the country in July last year, have been completed and it will be
submitted before a special court this week, they said.51-year-old
televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed under terror and
money-laundering charges by NIA.Naik is said to have acquired citizenship of
Saudi Arabia but this has not been confirmed yet. PTI
‘It’s a
poll gimmick’: Gujarat farmers, Patidars rubbish BJP’s offer to withdraw cases
against them: scroll
Gujarat government has said it would withdraw
all criminal cases filed against 22 agitating farmers in Sanand taluka of rural
Ahmedabad – one in a series of sops it has announced in the run-up to Assembly
elections, which are expected to be conducted in Dec. The farmers were charged
with attempt to murder after their protest in demand of irrigation water on
Feb.14 turned violent and the district SP was injured.The announcement came
barely a week after BJP govt promised to withdraw all “non-serious cases” filed
against members of the Patidar community after their protest rally in Aug.2015
had led to rioting and violence across the state. Land-owning Patidar or Patel community,
which accounts for 14% of sate’s population, is fighting for reservation in
jobs and education under OBC category. However, neither Sanand farmers nor Patidar
leaders are moved by BJP’s attempts to placate them. Dismissing the
announcements as pre-poll bait, they claimed the govt had yet to address their
main problems and demands. Shailesh Thakkar, one of 22 farmers from Upardal
village in Sanand, doubts the govt will keep its word. “We have been seeing in
the media that the govt has claimed it will withdraw the cases against us,” he
said. “But will they actually withdraw the cases? I doubt it.” Thakkar spent 16
days in jail before he was released on bail in March. Upardal is one of 32
villages in Sanand, Viramgam and Bavla talukas of Ahmedabad where farmers have
been demanding Narmada river water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam project to
irrigate their fields for close to 2 decades. Despite assurances from
politicians at the district and state level, the canals they were promised have
not yet been made. However, the villagers claim that towns and industrial zones
adjacent to their farms have been receiving Narmada water through canals. Both
Kolipatil and Thakkar say the state govt is out of touch with the people and
their real needs. scroll
Hardik Patel meets Muslim community in Godhra,
says BJP’s policy is divide and rule
Godhra:A day after two formidable leaders of Patidar
Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) Reshma Patel and Varun Patel joined the BJP,
Patidar movement leader Hardik Patel addressing farmers in Madheli village in
Vadodara’s Waghodia taluka on Sunday said he is not joining any political party
but will work for the community. “I am fighting for the rights of the
community. We will stick to our three main demands ‘Reservation’, ‘Employment
to youth’ and ‘Loan waiver to the farmers of Gujarat, whichever party will agree
to this we will support them,” Patel said.In response to the PAAS members Varun
Patel and Reshma Patel joining BJP on Saturday, Patel said, “People are with
the issues which we are fighting for the community not with the persons
associated with it, people may come and go but fight will continue.”Earlier in
the day, Patel addressed farmers of the Madheli village in Waghodia where he
slammed BJP government for not addressing the issues of farmers.Patel also
appealed to farmers not to vote blindly for any party. Attacking PM Modi, Patel
said, “I keep reminding my father to check my bank account whether Rs 15 lakh
have been deposited in it or not…the money has got deposited, not in our
account but in the account of Jay Shah (BJP chief Amit Shah’s son)?”Patel also
met members of the Muslim community in Godhra. Addressing them, he said we have
to fight together for better government in this country. Attacking BJP he said,
“BJP’s policy is divide and rule, they are even trying to divide Muslim
community, in coming days we all have to fight for our rights united.” Anwar
Kalandar, a scrap vendor who came to felicitate Patel, said,” I have come here
to support Hardik whatever he is doing for his community is necessary.” In an
apparent reference to Congress MLA C K Raulji of Godhra who recently joined BJP,
Patel assured the gathering and said: “I am here to fight for your issues and
rights, it is time we have to teach a lesson to those who have betrayed us.”indianexpress
Congress gets a boost ahead of Gujarat polls
as OBC leader Alpesh Thakor to join party, eyes Hardik’s support
Vijayan flays Katiyar over Taj Mahal remark,
says 'intolerant' BJP triggering communal tension
Left
parties on Saturday said the vilification of Taj Mahal by BJP leaders exposed
their "intolerance" towards matters they could not associate
themselves with. Inaugurating a 'Jana Jagaran Jatha' organised by the ruling
CPM led LDF, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan flayed the statement of BJP
leader Vinay Katiyar that the Taj Mahal was previously a Shiva temple."It
all started when UP CM Yogi Adityanath omitted Taj Mahal from the list of
important places to visit in that state."It showed that...they cannot
tolerate the name Shah jahan, who built the historic and heritage
structure," he said, adding, "We have to seriously think as regards
which direction our country is headed to."PTI
Taj Mahal part of India’s heritage, we’re
proud of it: Tourism minister Alphons
New Delhi:Taj Mahal is a part of India’s
heritage and people are proud of it, Union tourism minister KJ Alphons said on
Saturday, quoting PM Narendra Modi’s remarks earlier this week that a country
cannot progress if it is not proud of its heritage.The minister’s remarks came
amid a political slugfest triggered by Sangeet Som, the controversial BJP MLA
from UP, after he described the monument as a “blot” on India’s culture because
it was ordered built by emperor Shah Jahan who imprisoned his father.That
statement, denounced by opposition parties and public intellectuals, was also
incorrect because it was Shah Jahan who was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. A
day later, senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar waded into the controversy, saying
the Taj was originally a temple to Lord Shiva called the ‘Tejo Mahal’.HT
After Taj, now Lucknow missing in UP tourism
list
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/221017/after-taj-now-lucknow-missing-in-up-tourism-list.html
Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath government may have
tried to make amends by including the Taj Mahal in the annual calendar of UP
Tourism for 2018 but it has now stirred another controversy by excluding
Lucknow from the same list.The 12-page calendar that was released two and a
half months earlier as a damage control exercise after a section of BJP leaders
denounced the Taj Mahal includes several tourist destinations but there is no
mention of any destination from Lucknow. Reacting sharply to the omission,
Nawab Jafar Mir Abdullah, a Nawab of Oudh, said, “This is blasphemous because
Lucknow remains a symbol of Ganga-Jamuni culture of the state. How can the government ignore Lucknow while
promoting tourism?” The calendar released by the UP Tourism department begins
the year with a picture of the Magh Mela at the Sangam in Allahabad while the
February page is devoted to Ram ki Pairi in Ayodhya.Asian Age
No enmity between Hindus & Muslims in
Ayodhya: Chief priest of Ram Mandir
Ayodhya:Politics over the Babri dispute,
including the hate campaign by VHP, has only complicated a possible amicable
solution, contends Mahant Satyendra Das of the makeshift Ram Mandir at the
disputed site here, saying there was no enmity here between the two communities
over the issue. He said the apex court’s verdict was likely to be in favour of
constructing the Ram Mandir at the disputed site — where once stood the 16th
century Babri Masjid that was demolished by Hindu fundamentalists in 1992 — as
evidence “clearly showed” the existence of a temple at the spot in the past. Satyendra
Das said the court’s decision was expected soon, thus facilitating the
construction of the “long-cherished” grand mandir at the birthplace of Lord Ram
in a year’s time. “The court’s decision is expected soon. All things are in
place and all evidence has been presented by the Hindu side to prove that the
Ram Mandir existed before it was demolished to build the Babri Masjid,” Das
told IANS .“On other hand, Muslims could not produce any evidence. They have
sought time from the court till Dec. for translation of some documents into
English. So, the decision is expected early next year,” he said.Citing good
relations among people from both communities, he said they would sit together
and try to find a solution in case the court’s decision was not acceptable to
both sides. “We will find a solution through mutual understanding and talks,
but no political party will be allowed to interfere as they have their
political motives,” he said.Satyendra Das slammed the VHP for spreading hatred
by using foul language against Muslims when it started its agitation for the
temple. “VHP used the language that made Muslims sad, angry and distressed.
Slogans were like ‘Hindi Hindu Hindustan, Mullah Bhago Pakistan (Hindi Hindu
India, Muslims go to Pakistan) or ‘Jo kahega Babri, usko samjho akhri (Whoever
says Babri will meet his end). It only worsened the matter,” he said.PTI
GST rates need to be overhauled to reduce
burden on small firms: Revenue Secretary Adhia
GST rates need to be overhauled to reduce the
burden on small businesses, given that the new system is now firmly
implemented, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia told PTI. He said this will help
small businessmen comply with the new rules and accept the GST regime
better.Adhia also said that the GST system will take a year to stabilise. “If
you see the experience of VAT [introduction of value-added tax in 2005], there
was opposition for one year,” he said. “People were on the streets because
nobody knew what VAT is...It was more opposition that time than this.” GST
Council will consider revising the tax slabs for items as early as at its next
meeting in Guwahati on November 10, Adhia told PTI. The revenue secretary said
a fitment committee will need to make calculations for an overhaul in the tax
slabs and also decide which items would need such rationalisation of rates. scroll
Rajasthan ordinance is against free speech:legal
experts
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajasthan-ordinance-is-against-free-speech-say-legal-experts/
New Delhi:Legal experts have questioned Rajasthan
ordinance that prohibits investigation without prior sanction against judicial
officers and public servants, and said the restrictions it imposed on the media
impinged on free speech.The ordinance, promulgated last month, 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”. Under the new law, the media too
cannot report on the accusation against such a person until the prosecution
gets the go-ahead from the sanctioning authority, which may take up to six
months. The Indian Express had on Saturday reported that the Vasundhara Raje
government in Rajasthan was ready with a Bill to replace the ordinance.Constitutional
expert Shanti Bhushan said, “It is highly improper and should be quashed. What
it means is politicians want to do corruption and do not want to be
investigated.” Jurist and former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee said the
“constitutionality” of the ordinance was “very doubtful”. Law Commission
Chairman Justice (retired) A P Shah wondered how the legislature could make any
law for judges when the procedure for action against them have been clearly
laid down by the Supreme Court. indianexpress
ICAR to study if ‘cow urine’ can be used in
organic farming
New Delhi:India’s premier farm research
organisation Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been asked to
study if ‘cow urine’ can be used to promote organic farming and submit its
report in two months. According to a senior Niti Aayog official, the ICAR has
been asked to look into the possibility of converting cow urine into amino acid
for use as natural fertiliser to increase farm productivity.The decision to
request the ICAR to conduct this study was taken after a high-level meeting at
the Niti Aayog, during which Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises Giriraj Singh talked about organic farming and also how cow urine,
bio-waste and cow dung can be used in organic farming.PTI
UP: Police clash with minority members: 3 cops
sent to police lines
Bijnor: 3 days after the scuffle between local
police and members of minority community in Noorpur region of Bijnor, three
cops, including a sub inspector were summoned to police line by the police
authorities for their alleged cack-handed approach in sorting out the issue on
the spot.According to reports, the sub inspector and two constables had
prevented a few Muslims from filling some mud in their bullock carts from an
agricultural farm for the construction of a mosque.On October 18, the
construction work of a mosque was going on in Noorpur town. People of minority
community were bringing sand in three bullock-carts. In the meanwhile, two
police constables checked the bullock carts and they asked them to bring the
bullock carts to police station as sand mining is illegal here in the state.
The sand cannot be brought without the permission. This led to an altercation
between cops and people that led to scuffle, which resulted in the sub
inspector firing in the air in self defense. Later, enraged mob locked him in a
shop. After which a heavy police force reached the spot and lathi charged the
mob to disperse them. A case was lodged against over 250 unidentified people
while six men were also arrested from the spot.Sensing the gravity of the
incident, superintendent of police Prabhakar Chaudhary removed three police
men, including a sub inspector from their post and summoned them to police
line. Apart from this, an inquiry has been also initiated in this connection. timesofindia
Himayatbagh ‘encounter’: 2 sentenced to 10-yr
prison term
Mumbai; Over 5 years after a cop was shot at
during an alleged encounter at Himayatbagh in Aurangabad, a sessions court
recently convicted two men and sentenced them to 10 years each in prison on the
charges of attempt to murder. The two, who were named by the Maharashtra
Anti-Terrorism Squad as alleged members of the banned organisation, SIMI, were
acquitted of terror charges. Two others arrested in the case were acquitted of
all charges. Aurangabad unit of the ATS had claimed that on March 26, 2012,
they received information that Mohammed Abrar, named in the Ahmedabad bomb
blast, was coming to Himayatbagh along with his associates to meet an aide. The
prosecution claimed that the ATS team spotted the men moving in the area and an
officer asked Abrar to stop, but one of the men drew a pistol and fired at
them. ATS said that a bullet hit constable SK Aref on the shoulder and in the
exchange of fire that followed, accused Shakir Hussein sustained an injury on
the leg and another accused, Azhar Qureshi, was shot at and succumbed to
injuries later.Abrar and Hussein claimed in their defence that the ATS officers
had already arrested them before the incident was “stage-managed” to conceal
the killing of Qureshi. They claimed that Himayatbagh, where the alleged
encounter took place, being heavily crowded, it was “highly impossible” that
ATS officers would fire at the accused in such an area. They further claimed
that Qureshi was shot at from close range and that he had never attempted to
fire at the ATS team.The court observed, “Nothing has been brought on record by
the defence side to show that the ATS officers had any axe to grind (against)
the accused persons (to frame them) in a false crime. Nothing has been placed
on record to show that ATS officers wanted to kill the third accused in a fake
encounter.”The court further said that since no offence was registered in the
state against Abrar and the other accused had no criminal antecedents, there
was “no reason” for the ATS to unlawfully detain them for a period of one week
and then attempt to kill them. The court also said that it is “not obliged” to
decide the cause of death of Qureshi but the post-mortem report “establishes”
that he died due to bullet injuries on his face.The court found Abrar and
Shakir guilty under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 353 (assault or
criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC
and relevant sections of the Arms Act.Further, special Judge VV Patil observed,
“… only because ATS officers say that the accused no. 1 and 2 are involved in
unlawful activities and that they are member of SIMI…in absence of any cogent
and convincing evidence, they also can not be held guilty for commission of any
of the offence punishable under UAPA.”Hafiz Nadeem Siddiqui, president of
Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, which represented the accused, said they will
appeal against the conviction. indianexpress
WORLD
Israeli official confirms: Sauidi crown price Bin
Salman visited Tel Aviv last month
An Israeli official has told AFP that Saudi Crown Prince Emir Mohammed
bin Salman secretly visited Tel Aviv in Sept. The official, who requested that
his identity remains anonymous, refused to reveal the nature of bin Salman’s
meetings in Tel Aviv, the people he met, as well as the results of his
discussions with the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli official’s
statement confirmed the accuracy of what the official Hebrew radio broadcast
earlier, when it revealed that “an emir from the Saudi royal court visited the
country secretly on 7 Sept. and discussed with senior Israeli officials the
idea of pushing forward regional peace.”During that time, journalist Ariel
Kahana, who works for the nationalist and right-wing weekly Makor Rishon,
tweeted: “Bin Salman visited Israel with an official delegation and met with
officials.”A few days later, the famous Saudi blogger “Mujtahid” wrote:
“Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky, a specialist in Israeli affairs who possesses
international credibility, has confirmed bin Salman’s visit to
Israel.”Immediately after, hashtag #Bin_Salman_Visited_Israel topped the most
circulated Twitter hashtags in a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia
and Qatar.Israeli analysts and officials confirm the existence of coordination
and progress in the relations between Israel and Arab countries, especially the
Gulf States.They are expecting that some of them will be announced in the near
future, based on the fact that Saudi Arabia and Israel share a common hostility
towards Iran.On 6 September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
announced that there was cooperation at various levels with Arab states with
which Israel had no peace agreements. He explained that these contacts were
taking place in a discrete manner and are the most extensive ones that ever
took place in any previous era in the history of Israel. middleeastmonitor
Tillerson renews Gulf crisis talks in Saudi
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in
Saudi Arabia for the start of his Middle East tour as part of a new push to end
the Gulf crisis.The top US diplomat landed in Riyadh on Saturday and met with
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.On Sunday, Tillerson participated in the
inaugural meeting of the Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Committee, along with
Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The committee aims
to improve ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia that have long been regional
rivals. The secretary of state was also scheduled to meet with Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Qatar, now
in its fourth month, according to the US state department. While in the
kingdom, the inaugural Coordination Council meeting between the governments of
Saudi Arabia and Iraq will also be on Tillerson's agenda. After Riyadh, the
secretary of state is due to travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, on Sunday, where
he will meet Qatari Emir and Foreign Minister. aljazeera
Trump’s peace envoy conditions Palestinian
reconciliation on disarming Hamas
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East Peace
Envoy Jason Greenblatt released a statement on Thursday, echoing statements by
the Israeli government on the recent Palestinian reconciliation deal signed
earlier this month by the rival Hamas and Fatah movements.Greenblatt, who has
visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory a number of times since
Trump took office in Jan, began his statement by saying that “all parties agree
that it is essential that the Palestinian Authority be able to assume full,
genuine, and unhindered civil and security responsibilities in Gaza and that we
work together to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians living
there.”“ US reiterates the importance of adherence to the Quartet principles:any
Palestinian govt must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence,
recognise the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations
between the parties – including to disarm terrorists – and commit to peaceful
negotiations,” Greenblatt said.middleeastmonitor
Hamas delegation arrives in Tehran on official
visit
A Senior Hamas delegation headed by Deputy
Chief, Saleh al-Arouri, arrived in Tehran on Friday to meet with Iranian
officials, Quds Press reported.The delegation included Izzat al-Reshiq, Zaher
Jabarin, Osama Hamdan, Sami Abu-Zuhri and Khalid al-Qadoumi – Hamas
representative in Tehran. Hamas delegation will discuss the latest developments
in Palestine with Iranian officials.They would also discuss the recent
reconciliation agreement with Fatah, as well as bi-lateral relations with
Iran.In August, a senior Hamas delegation visited Tehran to attend the
swearing-in ceremony of President Hassan Rouhani. middleeastmonitor
Russia accuses US-led coalition of ‘barbaric’
bombing of Syria’s Raqqa
Russia accused the US-led coalition in Syria
on Sunday of wiping the city of Raqqa “off the face of the earth” with carpet
bombing in the same way the United States and Britain had bombed Germany’s
Dresden in 1945.Russian Defence Ministry, which has itself repeatedly been
forced to deny accusations from activists and Western politicians of bombing
Syrian civilians, said it looked like the West was now rushing to provide
financial aid to Raqqa to cover up evidence of its own crimes.Major-General
Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said in a statement
that around 200,000 people had lived in Raqqa before the conflict in Syria, but
that not more than 45,000 people remained.US-backed militias in Syria declared
victory over Daesh in Raqqa, the group’s capital, last week, raising flags over
the last militant footholds after a four-month battle.“Raqqa has inherited the
fate of Dresden in 1945, wiped off the face of the earth by Anglo-American
bombardments,” said Konashenkov.Most of the German city was destroyed in Allied
bombing raids just before the end of World War Two. middleeastmonitor
Thousands of Syrians flee to de-escalation
zones for safety
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are leaving
their war-damaged towns and cities for the relative safety of de-escalation
zones.The zones were recently agreed on by Turkey which supports the rebels,
and Iran and Russia, which back the government. Aljazeera
Egypt sentences 11 to death over attacks on
police:AP
An Egyptian criminal court has confirmed death
sentences for 11 men and handed down life sentences to 14 others over charges
including attempted murder of policemen.The court ruling Sunday by Judge
Mohammed Nagy Shehata — known for his severity — can be appealed. 5 of those
sentenced to death were tried in absentia. The suspects were referred to court
in 2015, more than a year after the military ouster of Islamist President
Mohammed Morsi. Authorities later banned Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and
thousands of its members were referred to courts over numerous charges.
Rohingya crisis: Refugees returning to Myanmar
cannot reclaim land as it has been sold to govt
Rohingya Muslims who return to Myanmar after
fleeing to Bangladesh are unlikely to be able to reclaim their land, and may
find their crops have been harvested and sold by the government, according to
officials and plans seen by Reuters.Nearly 600,000 Rohingya have crossed the
border since Aug. 25, when coordinated Rohingya insurgent attacks on security
posts sparked a ferocious counteroffensive by the Myanmar army.The United
Nations says killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine
Buddhist mobs since late August amount to a campaign of ethnic cleansing
against the Rohingya.Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has no control over
the military, has pledged that anyone sheltering in Bangladesh who can prove
they were Myanmar residents can return.Reuters has interviewed six Myanmar
officials involved with repatriation and resettlement plans. While the plans
are not yet finalised, their comments reflect the government's thinking on how
Suu Kyi's repatriation pledge will be implemented.Jamil Ahmed, who spoke to
Reuters at a refugee camp in Bangladesh, is one of many Rohingya who hope to go
back.Describing how he fled his home in northern Rakhine state in late August,
Ahmed said one of the few things he grabbed was a stack of papers - land
contracts and receipts - that might prove ownership of the fields and crops he
was leaving behind."I didn't carry any ornaments or jewels," said the
35-year-old. "I've only got these documents. In Myanmar, you need to
present documents to prove everything."Reuters
PM Shinzo Abe Sweeps To Big Win In Japan Vote
Tokyo:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a comfortable victory in a
snap election Sunday, handing him a mandate to harden his already hawkish
stance on North Korea and re-energise the world's number-three economy.Abe's
conservative coalition was on track to win 311 seats in the 465-seat
parliament, according to a projection published by private broadcaster TBS,
putting the nationalist blue blood on course to become Japan's longest-serving
leader.AFP
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
BJP shot itself in foot by demonetisation
decision, GST rollout,gave Opposition much-needed ammunition:IANS
Why Did Hyderabad Die?MIRZA YAWAR BAIG
All Those Who Try to Change History Will
Become History:Lt Col Noel Ellis
A Recent Study Reveals A New Threat To Ozone
Layer, With India And China Playing A Big Role:ASTHA SHARMA
For Rohingya, it was all a blinding flash and
a smear of ash: The Hindu
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:23 PM)
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