Evening NEWS
DIGEST
09
Nov.2017: 19 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:43
Legal process for Zakir Naik’s extradition
from Malaysia almost done: Govt
New Delhi: India’s legal process for
approaching Malaysia for the extradition of Zakir Naik, charged by NIA for
radicalising youths, is “nearing completion” and soon an official request will
be sent, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday.Ministry of external
affairs (MEA) spokesman Raveesh Kumar also said that the ministry’s internal
process was underway in the case.“Formal request for assistance of a foreign
govt in such cases requires a legal process. We are nearing the completion of
this exercise. Soon an official request will be made to the Malaysian govt.
Internal process we have to complete is also underway,” he said. According to
media reports, Naik was in Malaysia after obtaining permanent residency 5 years
ago.PTI
Indian commandos in Israel for 2-week long
Blue Flag military drills, working closely with select special forces
Jerusalem:India is looking to boost its
special forces capabilities,including cross-border counter- terrorist
operations, during a two-week military drill with the air forces of Israel and
8 other nations in what is the largest such exercise in Israeli
history.45-member Indian contingent, including 16 Garud commandos, led by Group
Captain Maluk Singh, is also closely working with Israel’s select special
forces during the Blue Flag aerial training exercise with focus on learning
what makes them excel at special operations.“We would look to learn and share
with them procedures followed in mutual interoperability, counter- terrorist
operations, method of inducting and training people and try and compare to see
if a course correction is required at our end,” an Indian officer leading the
Garud commandos told PTI.“Israelis are more battle-hardened as they have more
experience in cross border operations and we can learn from their experiences,”
the officer said.In a rare move, while contingents of other participating
nations in the massive “war drill” feature fighter aircraft, Indian Air Force
(IAF) decided to send C-130J Super Hercules aircraft along with Garud commandos
who will be training for a week each with Israeli Air Force’s elite units -
Unit 5101 (more commonly referred to as Shaldag Commando unit) and Unit 669
(Airborne Rescue And Evacuation Unit). Garud commandos started training with
Unit 669 earlier this week on Sunday and would be moving to the Palmachim Air
Force base next week to train with the Shaldag Unit.Unit 669 was initially
mandated to extract and provide medical treatment to downed (and possibly
injured) pilots beyond enemy lines. However, in later years the unit also
participated in extraction of soldiers of other arms of the Israel Defence
Forces (IDF), especially Sayeret (Special Forces) fighters in operations beyond
enemy lines and seamen in distress. Shaldag’s declared mission is to deploy
undetected into combat and hostile environments to conduct special
reconnaissance, establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously
conducting air traffic control and commando actions.Its operators undergo the
longest training phase of any unit in IDF, lasting 22 months, and training has
a heavy emphasis on navigation. Mandated role of Garud Commando Force, whose
motto - ‘Defence by Offence’ - matches closely with the task assigned to these
two special units of the Israeli Air Force.“They are very strong as far as
special forces are concerned. This is one area we are definitely looking to
learn from their experience”, Maluk Singh told PTI.Blue Flag drill is a
biannual exercise designed to strengthen Israel’s military cooperation internationally.
This is the first time India is participating in the drill, along with the US,
France, Germany, Italy, Greece and Poland. Hindustantimes
France says it’s ready to back India on
UN resolution against Masood Azhar
New Delhi: Paris was ready to step up
cooperation with New Delhi in order to get UN sanctions on terrorists and their
outfits, French ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler said.“Counter-terrorism
is an area of major cooperation between the two countries. We were the
co-sponsor of the resolution (to bring Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in
UN sanctions list). We are ready to engage with India on counter-terrorism and
issues related to designation (of terrorists),” the envoy told HT.India has
continued to expand its diplomatic efforts in an attempt to get a global
terrorist designation for Azhar and other Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN.
However, many have questioned the efficacy of the move considering China, which
has repeatedly blocked the bid to tag Azhar as a terrorist, is a veto-wielding
member of the UNEC.Ziegler added that India and France were keen on getting
more countries to ratify the framework pact of International Solar Alliance, a
grouping of countries who want to scale up the use of solar energy. So far, 15
nations have ratified the treaty of PM Narendra Modi’s pet project.“We have
been getting request from more countries requesting additional time to complete
the internal process to ratify the treaty and be a part of the alliance. We
expect many more countries to become a part of the alliance when the (French)
President (Emmanuel Macron) comes here for discussions with PM Modi,” he said. Hindustantimes
Delhi Police suspends senior cop Bhagwan Singh
after arrest in J&K terror funding case
New Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday suspended
Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhagwan Singh who was held along with 6 people after
NIA seized demonetised currency worth Rs 36 crore from them in an alleged case
of terror funding.The agency booked the 6, along with 3 others, in its case
against Hurriyat leaders. A special court sent all the 9 accused to NIA custody
till Nov.21. “Bhagwan Singh is the key accused in the case and has a prominent
role in movement of money,” an NIA officer said.According NIA, during
questioning of the accused, the agency learnt that some people associated with
top separatists were hoarding demonetised currency. “Surveillance was mounted
on such persons/ entities. This led to unearthing of a conspiracy wherein a
gang of such persons/ entities were making an attempt to convert this
demonetised money into valid currency,”NIA spokesperson said.NIA said on
Monday, an NIA team intercepted the gang members at Jai Singh Road near
Connaught Place and found them carrying 28 cartons filled with demonetised Rs
500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Over 2 days of counting, agency has arrived at the
figure of Rs 36,34,78,500 in demonetised currency. Initially, the agency
apprehended seven people with the demonetised currency, but one was let off after
questioning. 3 others were arrested Tuesday evening. Those arrested have been
identified as Delhi residents Pradeep Chauhan, Bhagwan Singh and Vinod
Shreedhar Shetty, Deepak Toprani of Mumbai, Ejajul Hassan of Amroha, Jaswinder
Singh of Nagpur, and J&K residents Umar Mushtaq Dar (Pulwama), Shahnawaz
Mir (Srinagar) and Majid Yousuf Sofi (Anantnag). Indian express
Allahabad HC directs UP Sunni Waqf board to
remove mosque from its land
Allahabad High Court today directed UP Sunni
Central Waqf Board to remove a mosque constructed on its land and hand over the
possession of the plot in 3 months.A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice
Dilip B Bhosale and Justice M K Gupta said if the board failed to do so, the
registrar general of the High Court would have to take possession of the same
with the help of police.The land in dispute was situated near the main building
and adjacent to the newly constructed 9-storeyed building of the high court.The
order was passed allowing a PIL filed by one Abhishek Shukla of Allahabad. The
petitioner had moved the court alleging that mosque had been constructed after
encroaching on the high court land.The court, while passing the order, observed
that the high court was itself facing acute shortage of land due to which even
judges were asked to sit jointly in a single chamber.It said some judges held
court in their chambers because of the shortage and even the fire officials had
not issued no-objection certificates to the nine-storeyed building.It directed
the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board to remove the unauthorised construction and
handover the possession of the encroached land in three months.However, the court
said it was open to the board moving an application to the district
administration for allotting a piece of plot for offering prayers.It also
directed the registrar general to not allow individuals belonging to any
religion to perform religious activities, including offering prayers.PTI
No religious activity to be permitted in Court
premises; Allahabad HC asks wakf to vacate ‘Masjid High Court’
Centre wants details on US funds for NGOs
promoting religious freedom in India
New Delhi:The Govt has said it has sought details about US
announcement to provide nearly USD 500,000 to NGOs to promote religious freedom
in India, and asserted that any such activity in the country by anybody has to
follow the rules of the land.“We have seen reports on this issue. We have
sought more details,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar
said.He was responding to questions on the issue during a weekly media briefing.“In
any case, any such activity in India in this area by anybody has to follow the
rules of the land,” Kumar said, adding he will be able to comment further after
getting details on the issue.US on Thursday said it wants to “increase societal
tolerance” and reduce “religiously-motivated violence” and discrimination in
India with the nearly $500,000 grant to NGOs in the country.PTI
Himachal assembly polls: 74% voter turnout,
highest ever for state
Voting began in Himachal Pradesh in 68
constituencies where 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray.A total
of 50.25 lakh electorate, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders, will
decide the fate of 338 candidates including 19 women.Among the contestants, CM Virbhadra Singh is pushing hard to get to the helm for a
seventh time. From BJP’s side, Prem Kumar Dhumal is making a strong bid to
ensure the party’s win with a record margin. Officials said everything was in
place for a smooth conduct of the polling in 7,525 booths.HT
How UP-based Muslim party may ‘help’ BJP in
Gujarat? The Hindu
Gandhinagar:Gujarat’s ruling BJP, which is
battling anti-incumbency and a resurgent Congress, may get help from a rather
unexpected quarter: Uttar Pradesh-based Rashtriya Ulama Council (RUC).The party
has declared that it would field its candidates in the State if the BJP and
Congress fail to meet its demand of allotting at least 18 Assembly tickets to
the Muslim community. RUC’s slogan of Ekta ka raj chalega/ Muslim-Hindu saath
chalega (Unity alone will triumph/Muslims, Hindus will walk together) gels well
with PM Narendra Modi’s Sabka saath,
sabka vikas (Development with all, of all).RUC, founded in 2008, had fielded
around 50 candidates in the UP Assembly elections earlier this year. An
‘assisted’ vote-split led to the rout of the ruling SP, its partner, the
Congress, and BSP, and to BJP returned to power after years, with Yogi
Adityanath as its CM .On Wednesday, when he was asked which party would benefit
from the RUC putting up candidates, its National President, the Azamgarh-based
Maulana Aamir Rashadi Madni failed to respond. Would it split the Congress’
potential Muslim vote, and help BJP, or would it not, he did not say.Muslims
account for nearly 10% of Gujarat’s
voters and their vote is seen as influential in many Assembly
constituencies.Madni complained that the Gujarat election revolves around three
young leaders — Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani — and no party
was even talking about the Muslims, who, therefore, felt neglected.“We will go
with BJP if it accedes to our demand of 18 tickets, out of a total of 182, [which
is] in proportion to our population.” Or else, he said, RUC would field its own
candidates.Meanwhile, sources said the BJP is also trying to woo the Muslims
via the Rashtriya Muslim Manch, an arm of the RSS, and an assortment of nearly
50 Muslim clergy is expected to arrive in Gujarat from various BJP-ruled States
in the run-up to the polls. thehindubusinessline
Raghuram Rajan declines AAP's Rajya Sabha seat
offer, says no plans to leave academia
AAP has approached former Reserve Bank
governor Raghuram Rajan offering him a Rajya Sabha seat and might not nominate
its own leaders to the Upper House.An AAP leader, who did not wish to be
identified, said the party will not field any of its leaders for 3 Rajya Sabha
seats from Delhi that will fall vacant early next year.With its brute majority
of 66 in Delhi Legislative Assembly, a victory looks certain. Firstpost
Junaid lynching: Haryana reiterates father
demanded Rs 2 crore
A day after the Punjab and Haryana high court
asked the Haryana Govt to clear its
stand on the controversy surrounding the state’s claims that family of
Faridabad Muslim youth Junaid Khan, who was lynched in June, demanded money for
settlement, govt on Wednesday reiterated its stand (end).An affidavit was filed
by DSP railways Mohinder Singh on Wednesday stating that submissions of the
petitioner (Junaid’s father) that he had not demanded money and had not
attended a village meeting on the issue were “false”.“..the deponent was
informed by the secret informer about the participation of the petitioner in
the Panchayat proceedings where the petitioner raised demand of Rs 2 crore and
3 acre of land from the accused party for the settlement of the murder,” his
affidavit says.DSP claimed that when he “exposed” the conduct of the
petitioner, Jalaludin, he filed the plea alleging defamation and false
accusations. The govt had made the claim orally on Thursday in HC during the
hearing of petition filed seeking CBI probe into Junaid’s murder.In the formal
reply submitted on Tuesday the state had not reiterated the claims of DSP.
However, upon notice from high court on father’s statement that accusations
were made to malign his image, DSP filed an affidavit on Wednesday.The matter
has now been adjourned till November 17 as court was informed that proceedings
in the trial court has been adjourned till Nov.27. hindustantimes
J&K interlocutor Sharma meets Omar,
Congress, CPM leaders: Hopeful of solution
The dialogue initiated by Dineshwar Sharma,
Centre’s special representative in Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday picked up
pace as he met leaders of the National Conference, CPI(M) and Congress.Sharma
called on National Conference leader and former CM Omar Abdullah in the morning, followed by a
meeting with CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami and state Congress chief G A Mir.After
his meeting with Sharma, Abdullah said: “Sharma came and met me today. He told
about the task attributed to him and asked for my opinion on how he could make
his mission successful. What I told him is between us but I have given him some
suggestions on how to expand the scope of his dialogue and I hope that he will
implement those. Because by sitting inside a guest house and waiting for people
to come, this will not work.” indianexpress
Centre’s interlocutor meets state BJP leaders
in Jammu
‘Genuine Indians Being Harassed in the Name of
Tackling Illegals in Assam’
New Delhi:The soft-spoken young lawyer Aman
Wadud has emerged as a saviour for thousands of Assamese Muslims who have been
facing an uncertain future with the Damocles’ sword of the so-called
citizenship check hanging over their heads.Wadud practices at the Guwahati High
Court but has had a stint at the Supreme Court of India too. He has played a
vital role in highlighting a number of cases in which Assamese Muslims,
including many retired members of the Indian armed forces, have been declared
“illegal immigrants” by the state police and asked to appear before the
Foreigners Tribunal to prove their citizenship. In an interview with Caravan
Daily, the lawyer Wadud blames the “majority appeasement” of various political
parties for the victimisation of Assam’s Muslims, who have been increasingly
facing a concerted campaign by Hindutva groups and BJP Govt in the state. Wadud, said,"elite Muslims
are not being targeted intentionally. Election Commission and Border Police
accuse genuine Indian citizens of being illegal immigrants without conducting
any proper investigation. And that is the problem. Improper investigation often
leads to the targeting of genuine citizens."Caravan Daily
Complaint filed against RSS’s publishing house
at Sharjah Book Fair
A complaint has been filed against RSS’s
publishing house, Kurukshetra Prakasan, at one of the world's largest book
fairs, the Sharjah International Book Fair.The complaint has been filed by
Satyadhara Publications with the Sharjah Book Fair management. In the
complaint, it has been claimed that the book published by Kurukshetra Prakasan
is based on provocative propaganda against Muslims and it hurts those who have
faith in Islam.The controversial book reportedly focuses on Savarkar's ideas,
asking provocative questions to Muslims and berating Islam.This kind of
complaint has been filed for the first time at the Sharjah Book Fair. According
to sources, UAE’s Ministry of Religion and Ministry of Culture have started
probing matter.GM of Kurukshetra Prakasan, Rajesh Chandran, said that his
publication house has been setting up a book stall at Sharjah Book Fair for past
2 years. “This is being done to promote the ideology and politics of RSS,”he
said at the book fair. “We are getting an overwhelming response. Our stall is
emerging as a major centre for Hindus living in UAE as no other publishing
house here brings out such religious and nationalistic literature.” nationalheraldindia
Telangana Waqf Board office at Haj House
sealed
Hyderabad: Confusion prevailed at the Haj
House a day after revenue and police officials sealed Telangana State Waqf
Board (TSWB) on the orders CM K.
Chandrashekhar Rao. Employees of other agencies affiliated to the Minorities
Welfare Department, such as Telangana State Urdu Academy, which also operates
from the Haj House, were forced to wait outside the building as well. Several
had to prove their credentials before they could be allowed inside. Employees
of the TSWB were allowed inside later, but access to files was restricted.
Revenue officials seized files and sealed the records section among others, on
Tuesday.A string of reactions was seen throughout the day. Congress workers
staged dharna and accused the TRS Govt of failing to reclaim encroached Waqf lands
while claiming that many encroachers had ties to MIM.They demanded that the Govt
order a probe into misappropriation of
Waqf assets by a sitting High Court judge. Soon after MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi
spoke about the issue in the assembly, Congress and Majlis Bachao Tehreek
accused the MIM of opportunism and sycophancy. thehindu
Telangana Waqf Board : Richest Muslim
endowment body in turmoil
Delhi pollution: From odd-even to fines, Delhi
struggles to curb smog
For the third straight day, Delhi and NCR
clocked "severe" level of pollution, forcing the State Govt to shut schools for the rest of the week, stop
the entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods and ban construction
activities.Keeping political differences aside, the Union, Harayna, Punjab and
Delhi Govt s should come together to find a permanent solution to stubble
burning, which leads to high pollution every year, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said at an event on
Thursday.Banning entry of trucks, construction activities and introducing
odd—even was not the solution to the high pollution level, he said, adding,
"Punjab and Haryana should evolve a technology and give financial
assistance to stop stubble burning. If health cost is much on illness, then we
may make some contributions because it is the responsibility of all."Odd-even
car rationing scheme would be reintroduced in Delhi for 5 days from Novr 13,
Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said. Delhi Transport Corporation was
hiring 500 more buses through private contractors and the Delhi Metro would add
100 small buses for last mile connectivity, he said.Increasing the parking fees
by four times is among the many measures listed under the graded response
action plan to tackle the severe air pollution problem.NGT banned all
construction activities till Nov 14 in Delhi and NCR. Thehindu
Delhi battles smog: Odd-even returns, schools
shut; AAP asks Congress, BJP to keep politics aside
NHRC issues notice to Centre, Delhi, Punjab
and Haryana on pollution
Doctors in India see patients for just 2
minutes: study
London:Doctors in India see patients for
barely 2 minutes on average, according to a global study which found that
primary care consultations last less than five minutes for half the world’s
population, ranging from 48 seconds in Bangladesh to 22.5 minutes in
Sweden.While India’s primary care consultation time was two minutes in 2015,
the mean duration was just 1.79 minutes in 2016 in neighbouring Pakistan,
largest international study on consulting time, published in the British
medical journal BMJ Open, found.“Shorter consultation times have been linked to
poorer health outcomes for patients and a heightened risk of burnout for
doctors,” researchers wrote in the journal. Indian express
Children out of school, people out of work: A
year after demonetisation, Varanasi weavers still on their knees
As one enters the famous and dense colonies of
Varanasi where weavers or ‘Bunkars’ of the city live and work, the familiar
sound of handlooms and power looms seems absent; at least a lot less than what
it was before Nov.8, 2016. But the decision – which was taken on a pretext to
curb the black money hidden outside the banks – did little to end the menace of
black money, but did sound the death knell for the weavers of Varanasi.Varanasi
is the centre of weaving industry and known across the world for the finest
Benarasi sarees. But the beauty of the saree compares in stark contrast to the
condition of the weavers, a number of whom have started moving on to other
jobs. Their children, once in school, are also now turning to weaving to ensure
that the industry remains afloat.Take the example of Wakeel Akhtar, a
50-year-old weaver who had grown his business of weaving enough to progress to
power looms from handlooms. But for the past one year, only one of his eight
power looms are running. Rest remain idle and gather dust.All thanks to
demonetisation, which was followed by GST.Akhtar said, “During demonetisation,
we started taking loans from several people. And that loan kept us running for
several weeks. Otherwise, we were spending too much of our time standing in
bank queues, rather than working on our looms.”Soon after demonetisation,
Varanasi’s weavers lost their daily earning. As a sector which survives on
daily payment basis, the weaving community of Banaras was able to reach some
sort of settlement only four months after the currency ban.“For the bigger
businessmen and firms, we were the tools to return the old currency in the
banks,” said Akhtar, referring to the fact that small-scale workers, craftsmen
and weavers were getting paid in older currencies, and they had to stand
outside banks to exchange them.TwoCircles
Civil society, academics urge banks to
introduce Islamic banking in Kashmir
Srinagar:The need for introducing Islamic
banking in Kashmir was today reverberate again, as civil society members and
academics during a book launch function at Kashmir University said that
financial institution, including J&K Bank, should kick start the
alternative banking in the state. Speaking at the launch of ‘Islamic Banking
& Finance’, a compilation of essays on the alternative forms of banking
including Islamic banking, finance, skuk, takafuletc, and its relevance in
present day Kashmir and world, by author Mehboob Makhdoomi, speakers stressed
on the need for such form of banking. The book launch was organised by a
Srinagar-based civil society group, Kashmir Centre for Social and Development
Studies (KCSD). These speakers also stressed on the introduction of academic
courses on Islamic banking. Makhdoomi while introducing his book said the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have designated Islamic Banking
as priority areas. “Such is the growth that in countries such as Malaysia bulk
of investors and investments in Islamic banking are those of non-Muslims,”
Makhdoomi said. V-C, CUK, Mehraj-ud-din Mir said while it is important that the
universities in Kashmir make a headway in including more aspects of Islamic
banking in the curriculum but added that role of banks to launch Islamic
banking in Kashmir is more crucial.Chairperson, KCSDS, Hameeda Nayeem said the
civil society group has previously advocated the need for having a course in Islamic
Banking at the business school in KU and has also urged J&K Bank to
introduce concept of Islamic Banking.V-C Kashmir University, Khurshid Iqbal
Andrabi said various finance related academic courses in KU already include
Islamic banking and said there is great scope for extending this
curriculum.greater kashmir
Kerala Govt, Sangh Parivar on the same page in
Hadiya case:WPI
Kozhikode:Welfare Party of India has alleged
that the stand of the LDF Govt and its
agencies in the Hadiya case is often helping the agenda of Sangh Parivar.
Hameed Vaniyambalam, State president of the party, told media here on Wednesday
that neither Kerala State Human Rights Commission nor the Kerala State
Commission for Women had bothered to visit Hadiya even after complaints fearing
a threat to her life were registered and videos were produced to prove the
point.Local MLA, who belongs to LDF, too had not visited Hadiya. “Even after
doubts were raised about Hadiya’s health condition, the Govt did not depute a
medical team to inquire into it. While sending her to the custody of her
father, the SC had clarified that her security was the responsibility of the
govt.”In this context, the visit of the chairperson of the National Commission
for Women was suspicious, Vaniyambalam said. “The fact that she had first met
the representatives of the controversial yoga centre in Thripunithura betrayed
her intentions. She made a statement that there are forcible conversions in the
State after the meeting,” he alleged. Vaniyambalam demanded that Govt depute a
special medical team to examine Hadiya’s medical condition and make their
report public.the hindu
Woman gets stay on triple talaq: timesofindia
Vadodara: A family court here stayed the
divorce granted to a Muslim woman by her husband as per the practice of triple
talaq.The woman Habiba Qureshi had approached the court in May this year
claiming that her husband Haroon Rashid had misused the practice divorce under
Islamic Sharia law. When her application came up for hearing on Tuesday, the
principal family court granted stay and restrained Haroon and his relatives to
identify her as a 'talaqshuda' Muslim woman.In her plea, Habiba had alleged
that on March 27, her in-laws and fought and abused her brother and sister when
they came visited her house. Later, the fight escalated and Haroon uttered
talaq thrice. Habiba claimed before the court that unilateral instant triple
talaq is not the method prescribed for divorce under Sharia laws. Habiba had
also filed an application under the Domestic Violence Act. Her lawyer Neeraj
Jain claimed this might be the first stay on triple talaq in Gujarat after the
Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional earlier this year.
WORLD
UK minister Priti Patel resigns over secret
Israel trip
UK's international development secretary,
Priti Patel, has resigned after it was revealed she held secret meetings with
Israeli officials during what she said was a family holiday to Israel.Patel
returned to the UK on Wednesday, abandoning a trip to Uganda, after it was uncovered
she went on a visit to Israel with a lobbyist in August, during which she held
12 undisclosed meetings, including one with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.Patel admitted that after
the 13-day visit, she had wanted to give British aid money to the Israeli army
in the Golan Heights.It also emerged that Patel met Israeli public security
minister Gilad Erdan in the British Parliament on September 7, and foreign
ministry official Yuval Rotem in New York on Sept.18.In her resignation letter,
Patel apologised for failing to inform UK PM Theresa May or Foreign Secretary
Boris Johnson about the meetings."My actions fell below the standard of
transparency and openness I had promoted and advocated," she said.However,
earlier this week,Jewish Chronicle reported that two different sources
confirmed to the newspaper that Patel had disclosed the meetings but was told
not to declare them as they would embarrass the Foreign Office. In addition,paper
reported that although Patel's meeting with Netanyahu was not authorised in
advance, the UK Govt was made aware of
it within hours.Commenting after the firing, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo
Swinson said i:"This was an appalling error of judgement and is nothing
short of a major failure by the British govt."Number 10 must answer
questions about their complicity in this scandal. Someone has been deceived,
either the British people or the PMO. Whichever it is someone must be held to
account."Al Jazeera
UK minister Priti Patel secretly urged aid for
al-Qaida via Israel:Asa Winstanley, electronicintifada
Israel approves 240 new settlement homes in E.
Jerusalem
Israeli authorities have approved building
permits for 240 new homes in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, reported
AFP.A city planning committee approved 90 units in Gilo and another 150 in
Ramat Shlomo, as well as 44 units for Palestinians in Beit Hanina.Israeli NGO
Ir Amim condemned the move.“Jerusalem residents deserve to live in a safe and
thriving city, which will only happen once there’s a fair agreement that
recognises Israeli and Palestinian ownership of the city,” said its
spokesperson Aviv Tatarsky. “Instead of advancing such an agreement, Israeli
authorities continue with the same familiar unilateral moves that only distance
it.” MEMO
Hamas delegation meets Lebanon President Aoun
A number of Hamas officials led by Izzat
Al-Rishq have arrived in Lebanon to meet Lebanese President Michel Aoun and a
number of officials, Quds Press reported.Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, Ali
Baraka, said the delegation would discuss the latest developments in the
Palestinian arena and the internal reconciliation with Lebanese officials.
Baraka said the delegation is presenting a message to Lebanese leadership that
Hamas cares about Lebanon’s security and civil peace and rejects the use of
Palestinian refugee camps in the internal Lebanese conflicts.“We are not a
party of any internal Lebanese crisis and our eyes will continue looking only
towards Jerusalem,” Baraka stressed. middleeastmonitor
Beirut on edge as political deadlock fuels
uncertainty
Beirut, Lebanon - A large banner hangs in
between 2 buildings on a main road close to the centre of the Lebanese
capital."People of Tariq el-Jdideh are loyal, and our loyalty is only to
Saad al-Hariri," it reads, delivering a strong message of support for
Lebanon's ex-PM who on Saturday
announced his sudden resignation in a televised speech from Saudi Arabia's
capital, Riyadh.5 days on, such political posters keep springing up across the
neighbourhood of Tariq el-Jdideh, a Beirut stronghold of the Sunni Muslim
leader.Hariri, who has not returned to Lebanon since his announcement, stepped
down after only 11 months in office, implicitly blaming Iran and its main ally
in the country, Hezbollah, for his decision. The move has raised the risk of an
open-ended political conflict, stoking fears of an escalation in the struggle
for regional dominance between rivals Saudi and Iran. Previous attempts to
weaken Hezbollah has led to violence.In Beirut's microcosm of regional
politics, residents of Tariq el-Jdideh and of Hezbollah's stronghold Dahieh
attempted to make sense of the latest political developments. "Can you
believe that a PM is being held outside
his country?" Jamal Chaqqif, a retired 60-year-old, told Al Jazeera while
sitting at a cafe on one of Tariq el-Jdideh's main traffic arteries. Aljazeera
Lebanon crisis: Iran-Saudi power struggle over
Hariri:
Kurds: Iraq court's anti-secession ruling
'revengeful'
An Iraqi court's decision ruling against
secession following a Kurdish bid for independence was "highly
politicised" and part of a wider set of "revengeful" policies
imposed by Baghdad, officials in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region said.Iraq's
Supreme Federal Court said on Monday that the constitution did not allow for
the secession of any part of the country, stressing the preservation of unity
and territorial integrity."We have not committed any illegal steps,"
Mohammed Ali, spokesman for the Kurdistan KDP, said. "We believe that this
has been politicised."Court is responsible for settling all disputes
between Baghdad's central Govt and regional provinces. Its rulings cannot be
contested."In fact, all reactions in the post-referendum period have been
highly politicised, and it is very unfortunate to see an entity such as constitutional
court is taking sides," said Ali. aljazeera
UN: Yemen facing massive famine if blockade
not lifted
Millions of people will die in Yemen, in what
will be the world's worst famine crisis in decades, unless a Saudi-led military
coalition ends a devastating blockade and allows aid into the country, the UN
has warned.Saudi-led alliance fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen tightened its
air, land and sea blockade of the country after a ballistic missile was fired
on Saturday towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.Since then, country's already
inflated food and fuel prices have skyrocketed, while flights delivering
much-needed humanitarian aid have been prevented from landing.After briefing UNSC,
Mark Lowcock, UN's humanitarian chief,said move will worsen a
"catastrophic" humanitarian crisis that has pushed millions to the
brink of famine and has caused a mass cholera epidemic. aljazeera
US Muslim father forgives, hugs man involved
in son's killing
The father of a slain Muslim pizza delivery
driver forgave and embraced the man who was sentenced to prison for playing a
part in his son's death.During the sentencing on Tuesday, Abdul-Munim Sombat
Jitmoud hugged the defendant, Trey Alexander Relford, who cried as it happened.
The father said he did it in the spirit of Islam."Islam teaches that God
will not be able to forgive" someone until the person who was wronged
forgives that person, Jitmoud told CNN affiliate WKYT. "Door of
opportunity for God to forgive him is open. ...So, reach out to Him. You have a
new chapter of good life coming," he told Relford in court.In April 2015,
Salahuddin Jitmoud was making one of his last deliveries for the night as a
Pizza Hut delivery driver when he was stabbed to death and robbed in Lexington,
Kentucky, according to WKYT. His body was found lying in the breezeway of the
complex. 3 people were arrested in the
crime, but a grand jury chose only to indict Relford, WKYT reported. Officials
say Relford planned robbery, but he denied killing Jitmoud.Relford was
sentenced to 31 years in prison after pleading guilty to complicity to murder,
complicity to robbery, and attempted evidence tampering in the stabbing death
of Jitmoud.Jitmoud's father told Relford he forgives him "on behalf of
Salahuddin and his mother," who died 2 years before her son."It's
been two years and seven months of suffering along with many nightmares,"
Jitmoud told CNN. "Whatever happens to you is from Allah. Let the believer
put their trust in Him.""I'm angry at the devil, who's misguiding you
and misleading you to do such a horrible crime," Jitmoud told Relford in
court Tuesday. "I don't blame you. I'm not angry at you. I forgive
you."He said he read the Quran more often to find peace.51st verse of the
ninth chapter of the Quran is one verse that comforted him the most."Say,
'Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our
protector.' And upon Allah [God] let the believers rely."CNN
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
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treat world’s most persecuted ethnic minority: Prashant Bhushan
The voodoo economists of the Modi regime have
scripted the collapse of demand, slide in growth:T M Thomas Isaac
Role of multinationals working behind the
scenes in forcing digital transactions in India:Prithviraj Chavan
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& Reactions: Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:49 PM)
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