Evening NEWS
DIGEST
17 April 2018:29 Rajjab 1439:Vol:9, No:167
INDIA
Cash crunch: ATMs go dry in some states;
opposition attacks PM Modi
New Delhi:ATMs in several states, including AP,
Telangana, and poll-bound Karnataka have run out of cash, creating a panic
among people. While the Centre has argued that the grim situation is a result
of “unusual spurt” in demand for cash, the Opposition is leaving no stone
unturned to attack the Modi government over the current crisis.As many as 6
states–Gujarat, eastern Maharashtra, MP, Bihar,AP and Telangana–have complained
of cash shortage with ATMs going dry. There have been reports of
non-availability of cash in Delhi too–a stark reminder of the
post-demonetisation phase. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the “temporary
shortage” in certain states is being “tackled quickly” and that there is “more
than adequate” currency in circulation. Jaitley said he has reviewed the
currency situation in the country. The government is checking with banks and
the Reserve Bank of India to ensure adequate supply of currency. Economic
Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said that the government will step up
printing of Rs 500 notes by five times in order to meet an “unusual spurt” in
demand for cash. According to the government, the demand for cash has gone up
from the monthly average of Rs 19,000-20,000 crore in the country to about Rs
40,000-45,000 crore per month, in the first 13 days of April itself. This
unusual spurt in demand is seen in states including AP, Telangana, Karnataka,
MP and Bihar, where many of the ATMs are running dry and bank branches short of
cash.According to Economic Affairs Secretary, govt currently has Rs 1.75 lakh
crore of currency in reserves, which is sufficient to take care of the
increased demand. The government says its stock preparation is enough to tackle
any kind of cash crunch arising at any point of time. In the last few days, the
govt has stepped up currency printing. As against Rs 500 crore worth of notes
being printed per day, it is now being increased to Rs 2,500 crore per day.
Though the govt has halted printing of Rs 2,000 notes recently as about Rs 6.7
lakh crore worth of Rs 2,000 notes have already been pumped into the market, it
has no plans immediately to restart production of Rs 2,000 notes.indianexpress
Cash crunch:Govt blames ‘shortage mentality’
for increased demand
Cash crunch: Rahul says terror of
demonetisation is back
Amethi:
With ATMs suddenly running dry in several states, Congress President
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the "terror" of demonetisation has returned
to haunt the country, slamming PM Narendra Modi for what he described as
destroying India's banking system.He took to Twitter to take a poetic dig at
the Prime Minister and also spoke to reporters here, alleging that Modi has
assured "acchhe din" for fugitive jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul
Choksi, leaving the poor of the country high and dry."Understand the
deceit of demonetisation, your money goes into the pocket of Nirav Modi.
Modiji's fascination for (Vijay) Mallya, the terror of note-bandi spreads
again. The ATMs of the country are empty again, what is the condition of
banks," Gandhi asked on the second day of his two-day visit to his
parliamentary constituency.He criticised Modi for his silence on the banking
frauds allegedly committed by the diamond merchants who have fled the country."Modiji
destroyed the banking system. Nirav Modi fled with Rs 30,000 crore and the
Prime Minister didn't utter a word," Gandhi said. "We were forced to
stand in queues as he snatched Rs 500-1,000 notes from our pockets and put them
in Nirav Modi's pocket."He was replying to reporters' questions about the
current cash crunch with ATMs running out of notes across the country.Gandhi dared
Modi to allow him to speak in the Lok Sabha for 15 minutes, saying the Prime
Minister was scared of speaking in Parliament during the second half of the
just concluded Budget Session which was completely washed out in protests."Had
we been allowed to speak in Parliament on Rafael (jets) issue, Nirav Modi
matter, the Prime Minister won't be able to stand," he said.-IANS
Rahul Gandhi attacks PM on currency shortage,
says country in grip of 'note ban' terror again
Parliamentary panel calls RBI Governor to
answer queries on bank scams
New Delhi:A parliamentary committee had called
RBI Governor Urjit Patel on May 17 to answer queries on the banking scams
unearthed in the last few months, sources said. Standing Committee on Finance,
headed by Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily, on Tuesday raised several queries
related to the banking sector with Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar.“We
have invited RBI Governor on May 17. We will be asking him about the scams and
other banking regulations,” said a source.Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
who is member of the committee, attended the meeting.Mr. Patel recently said
the RBI doesn’t have adequate powers to deal with the public sector banks.“We
would like to know what kind of powers the RBI Governor needs,” another source
said, adding that regulation was an important part and that was why the
Governor had been called.When asked if the PNB fraud and ICICI Bank loan issues
figured in the meeting, the source said, issues related to “all commercial
banks, including ICICI Bank” were discussed.Finance Ministry officials gave
part replies to queries of the lawmakers and they have been given three weeks
time to file a complete report on the questions.PTI
Mecca Masjid Blasts: acquittal of Aseemanand &
co travesty of justice, say Muslim leaders
New Delhi:Several Muslim leaders have termed
as “travesty of justice” acquittal of former RSS pracharak Swami Aseemanand and
four others from Hindu-right groups by a special NIA court in Hyderabad in the
2007 Mecca Masjid blasts case. The blasts had rocked the historic mosque during
the Friday prayers, killing nine people and wounding around 50 others.“It’s not
only unfortunate but also travesty of justice and an open politically
influenced decision,” said Navaid Hamid, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat (AIMMM), an umbrella body of eminent Muslim organizations.Commenting
on this turn of event, AIMMM president Navaid Hamid said that the development
is result of political intervention “to save the Hindutva terrorist and wash
away the open secret that Hindutva and hate organisations have nothing to do
with terror activities.”Delhi Minorities Commission chairman Dr. Zafarul Islam
Khan said Aseemanand’s acquittal shows justice is not possible in BJP’s rule.“It
is a dark day in India’s political and legal history. The long line of
acquittals of Hindutvites accused in terror, encounter and riot cases during
these past decade and a half means that justice is not possible under their
rule,” he told Caravan Daily.Dr. Khan further said: “They have already damaged
a lot of civilised India and if they get another term, the India they will
leave behind will not be recognizable.” “Is
the NIA working under pressure from those in power? After Sadhvi Pragya and
Colonel Purohit, another group of right wing terrorists acquitted due to lack
of evidence. Incident like this will weaken our fight against terrorism,” said
AIUDF chief and Lok Sabha MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal.caravandaily
Blast verdict: Judge's resignation casts doubt
over acquittal
Hours after acquitting 5 people being probed
by the NIA in the 2007 Mecca blast case, NIA special court judge K Ravinder
Reddy on Monday tendered his resignation, leading to the speculations that his
resignation might be connected with the acquittal. Reddy, who is also the
President of the Telangana Judges Association, cited "personal
reasons" for his resignation and claimed this decision had nothing to do
with Monday's verdict. Media reports suggested that he had been considering
resignation for quite some time.business-standard
Mecca Masjid: Case got weaker as witnesses
dropped out
The biggest setback for the NIA in the Mecca
Masjid blast probe were the witnesses. A majority of the witnessed turned
hostile as the trial began. Moreover, in the pre-trial stage, several witnesses
were dropped.Out of the 226 witnesses, 66 turned hostile after they had deposed
in court. When the case started out there were 304 witnesses, but as many as 28
of them had been dropped.NIA is yet to examine the judgment and once this is
done it would find out how the case weakened. The biggest problem, however,
appears to be the witnesses turning hostile. These witnesses told the court
that they did not support the prosecution's view.In addition to the witnesses
turning hostile, Swami Aseemanand who had issued a confessional statement
retracted the same before the court. NIA had relied heavily on this statement.
However, with him retracting and the witnesses turning hostile, NIA failed to
secure a conviction in this case.oneindia
Mecca Masjid blasts: Acquittal due to lack of
evidence indicates botched up investigation, nothing more: apnlive
NIA was misused: Former MHA official
Mecca Masjid blast case: Mystery red shirt
found with unexploded IED at site never reached NIA
New Delhi:Lack of evidence was cited as the
main reason for the acquittal of the 5 accused in 2007 blast at the Mecca
Masjid. Yet one article, which was considered part of the evidence, never reached
NIA when the case was transferred to the agency from CBI in 2011.A red shirt,
suspected to have belonged to one of the persons who placed the bombs, was
recovered from the blast site by the local police. But at some point during the
probe, it disappeared, sources said.Former NIA special director NR Wasan, who
supervised the case in its later stages, confirmed the existence of the red
shirt and the fact that it never reached the NIA. He said he did not know what
actually happened to the shirt or who was responsible for its safekeeping.The
accused had left behind two bomb-laden bags at the Mecca Masjid on May 18,
2007. But only one exploded. Police recovered an unexploded IED from the second
bag along with a key and a red shirt.The investigation was handed over to CBI
which filed a chargesheet in the case. In 2010, the case went to NIA which
filed three chargesheets subsequently, and named seven persons —- Swami
Aseemanand, Devendra Gupta, Ramchandra Kalsangra, Sandeep Dange, Rajendra
Chowdary, Bharat Ratishwar and Lokesh Sharma.NIA sources said that though all
evidence and case papers came to the NIA from CBI after the transfer of the
case, the red shirt never arrived. The key found in the bag was suspected to be
part of the IED and perhaps used to trigger it. “However, a forensic
examination of the key and IED revealed that it did not fit the device it was
meant to be part of. That key still remains a mystery,” an NIA officer
said.indianexpress
Mecca verdict has shaken confidence of Muslim
community from judiciary: CLMC
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC),
Hyderabad based organization, has strongly condemned the special NIA court’s
verdict in connection of Mecca Masjid blast case, where all the Hindutva
terrorists have been acquitted by stating that charges are not proved by the
investigating agencies. It said, “It is a matter of fact that it is a very open
case and everyone knows who carried out the blast; even the main accused
Assemanand had admitted carrying out the blast.” It further alleged, “Ths
committee strongly believes that from day one of the Mecca Masjid blast, police
and other investigative agencies are not serious, instead they were trying
maximum to divert and dilute the investigation by blaming and implicating
Muslim youth in Mecca Masjid blast case.”TCN
Mecca Masjid verdict has shaken the confidence
of Muslim community: NGO
Acquitted in two cases, Aseemanand still faces
Samjhauta case trial
Nabakumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand,
acquitted by a NIA court on Monday in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, now
faces trial only in the 2007 Samjhauta Express train blast case since he was
earlier acquitted in the Ajmer Dargah blast case of the same year.Apart from
these cases, Aseemanand's name also cropped up in the Malegaon blast cases of
2006 and 2008.IANS
Kathua rape and murder case: Supreme Court
rules out CBI Inquiry
The Supreme Court today did not favour handing
over the investigation into the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in
Kathua from the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police to CBI as her father
expressed satisfaction over the investigation carried out so far.“In the
absence of any allegation, why should we enter into this as to who should
investigate,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra said, adding that it
was “the primary duty of the state police to investigate a case”.The father
expressed satisfaction with the probe conducted so far by the state police,
while vehemently opposing the plea of senior advocate Bhim Singh and
Delhi-based lawyer Anuja Kapur that the investigation be transferred to CBI.“Be
that as it may, we do not intend to enter into this sphere (transfer of case to
CBI) at this stage,” the bench said, noting the submission of the victim’s
father.freepresskashmir
Unnao Rape Case: ‘MLA’s aides warned villagers
not to give statements against him’
Lucknow:An uncle of the 17-year-old girl, who
has accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape, on Sunday alleged that the
lawmaker’s associates had threatened people in their village — Makhi in Unnao
district — against giving their statements in the case. “I have come to know
through my relatives in the village that associates of the MLA on Saturday
visited the village in two SUVs and threatened people not to give statements
against the MLA,’’ the uncle said. “They also made videos of villagers. One of
the persons among them is jail warder. Locals residents of Makhi village know
him (jail warder) because he used to visit the MLA’s house regularly.’’He said
that he had asked one of his relatives to file a complaint with the Makhi
police station as the girl’s family has been staying at a guest house away from
their village. Makhi SHO Rajendra Singh said no complaint had been filed in
this regard. “There is a police force deployed in the village. So, there is no
chance that such an incident could happen.”indianexpress
Gujarat scans 8,000 missing girls’ data to
identify rape victim
Surat/Gandhinagar: Gujarat Police have scanned
the data of as many as 8,000 missing girls to identify a nine-year-old girl in
Surat whose body was found with 86 injury marks, including on her private
parts, Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja said on Monday.She is believed to have been
kidnapped, tortured and raped before being dumped near a cricket ground in
Bhestan area of Surat on April 6. Her autopsy, which went on for several hours,
revealed that the girl was raped and tortured for at least eight days.Minister
of State for Home Jadeja told reporters in Gandhinagar: “She was strangled to
death and the post mortem indicated that the girl was tortured and raped for at
least eight days.”The girl has not been identified and nobody has come forward
to claim the body.He said the Surat Crime Branch was leaving no stone unturned
to establish her identity. “The police have scanned details of 8,000 missing
girls and it seems she is from outside the state and was dumped here after
committing the crime.”IANS
Raj Thackeray bats again for Shariah like
punishment for rapes
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)
president Raj Thackeray on Sunday said that stringent Sharia-type law should be
imposed to tackle heinous crimes like rape against women and minors as people
have no fear of the law.He also hit out at the members of BJP who stood out in
support of the accused in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua rape case.“[BJP] could not
do anything of worth in the last four years to show voters, and now they only
want to instigate riots to win elections. These BJP leaders created Hindu Ekta
Manch in Jammu which held a rally shouting slogans of Bharat Mata ki jai , waving
the tricolour in favour of rapists. How can you even think of doing so? The
eight-year-old innocent child was not even aware of her religion and had to
undergo such a pain. Here we have a party which is protecting the rapists,”
said Thackeray, reported The Hindu.This is not the first time, the MNS chief
gave bats for Sharia-type law.Earlier in 2016, Thackeray gave the similar
statement when a 14-year old schoolgirl was kidnapped, gangraped and her body
badly mutilated in Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district. siasat
Verdict in rape case against Asaram to be
pronounced on jail premises: Rajasthan HC
Jodhpur:Rajasthan High Court today allowed a
plea by the state police for pronouncement of trial court verdict in a rape
case against self-styled ‘god-man’ Asaram on premises of Jodhpur central jail,
where he is lodged, and directed the authorities to deploy adequate security
personnel to ensure that his followers do no create any law and order problem
in the city. The high court directed the court of special judge SC/ST
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Jodhpur to conduct proceedings for pronouncement
of judgment in the case against Asaram on the jail premises on the fixed date
of April 25.A bench of justices Gopal Krishna Vyas and Ramchandra Singh Jhala
also directed the Superintendent of Jodhpur Central Jail and the police and
district administration to make all arrangements for the proceedings in the
central jail. “It cannot be said that (Asaram’s) followers will not create
hurdle or unhealthy atmosphere which may create not only hardship and
inconvenience to the public at large of Jodhpur city, but also law and order
problem,” the court said in its order.PTI
7-year-old raped and murdered during wedding
ceremony in Etah
AGRA: Even as outrage continues to mount over
the Kathua and Unnao incidents, a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and
murdered in Etah district during a wedding ceremony by a youth who was hired to
set up the tent for the occasion.The incident took place in Sitalpur village,
two km away from Kotwali Nagar police station early Tuesday morning. The
victim’s body was found abandoned at an under-construction home, close to the
wedding venue. Following the incident, the accused identified as Sonu Jatav
fled, but was later apprehended by the police.According to sources, the victim,
a resident of Sitalpur, along with her parents had come to attend the wedding
ceremony of a local journalist’s sister. The girl went missing during the
garland exchange ceremony, even as her parents kept searching for her
whereabouts. “Later at around 1:30 am, the unconscious girl was found in a
semi-naked condition, with strangulation marks on her neck. Her abdomen also
had blood stains,” the source said.Tthe girl was declared brought dead at the
government hospital of Etah.timesofindia
Sexual intercourse in the course of long-term
relationship not ‘rape’, says SC
NEW DELHI: Sexual intercourse in the course of
a long-term relationship cannot be classified as rape, the Supreme Court has
held.A Bench of Justices S.A. Bobde and L. Nageswara Rao said this was
especially true if the complainant-woman herself alleges that she and the
accused had lived as man and wife.The Bench was hearing an appeal against an
order of the Karnataka High Court, which refused to quash a rape case.The woman
alleged that she had lived with the man for a period of eight years.The court
order records how the woman stated that the man had “pretended to have loved
her on the promise of marriage, that he applied the ‘kumkum’ on her forehead,
and tied the ‘arishina’ thread to her neck”.“She further stated that she has
been treating the appellant as her husband for the past eight years, and now he
is trying to escape from her and cheat her,” the apex court order said.The
court said it would not go into whether they were actually married, but, “we
have no doubt that they lived together like a married couple even according to
the complainant (woman)”.Ordering the quashing of criminal proceedings against
the man, the court concluded that it was “difficult to sustain the charges
levelled against the appellant who may have possibly, made a false promise of
marriage to the complainant”. thehindu
Pick Up Courage, Speak Up Before Modi, Shah:
Yashwant Sinha to BJP MPs
New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former
Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has appealed to party MPs, especially LK Advani
and Murli Manohar Joshi to “pick up courage, and speak up” before the party
“bosses” to “save democracy and the country.”Through an article published in
The Indian Express on Tuesday, Sinha told the BJP Members of Parliament that
“the situation demands that you speak up in the national interest.”“I am glad
to note that at least five Scheduled Caste MPs of the party have expressed
their disenchantment with the government for not delivering on the promises
made to the community. I am urging you to also express your opinion frankly
before the bosses on all issues confronting us. If you remain silent now you
will do a great disservice to the country. Future generations are unlikely to
forgive you.”“It is your right to demand accountability from those who are in
government today and are letting down the country. The interest of the country
supersedes that of the party, just as the interest of the party supersedes the
interest of an individual. I am appealing specially to Advaniji and Joshiji to
take a stand in the national interest and ensure that the values they have made
such unparalleled sacrifices to uphold are protected and preserved for future
generations and corrective steps are taken in time,” said Sinha.Sinha
highlighted the failures of the Modi government in the centre on all fronts in
the last four years.“We all worked very hard for the victory of the party in
the 2014 Lok Sabha elections…We were delighted with the results of the 2014
elections and expected that the unprecedented victory would mark the beginning
of a new and glorious chapter in our country’s history. We backed the prime
minister and his team to the hilt, and in full faith. The government has now
completed nearly four years in office, presented five budgets and used up all
the opportunity available to it to show results. At the end of it, however, we
seem to have lost our way and the confidence of the voters.”Caravan News
Dear friend, speak up:Yashwant Sinha
Burning
alive to a Muslim family: No proper evidence, 9 accused in Adilabad's
Vatoli case too walk free
Adilabad: Adilabad district sessions court
judge Aruna Sarika on Monday quashed the sensational Vatoli case, in which six
persons of a Muslim family were burnt alive when they were sleeping in the
house, by holding that there was no proper evidence against the nine accused in
the case. The Vatoli incident took place in the Vatoli village in Bhainsa
mandal on October 12, 2008. There were strong allegations that some individuals
belonging to a particular community had hatched a plan to eliminate the Muslim
family from the village. Communal tension erupted following the incident and
curfew was also imposed in Bhainsa town and its surrounding areas for a few
days. The accused were Kunchel-war Chandrabhanu, Jadhav Vi-nod, Adabagi
Chandrakanth, Jadhav Avadooth, Jadhv Baga-vathrao, Suryavamshi Raman-and, Jadhv
Vinayak, Kuncha-lwar Nagnath and Shinde Diganbar. The court investigated 60
pieces of evidence out of a total 80 produced in the court. The court said
there was no proper technical and scientific evidence produced by the CBCID in
the case. It is learnt that the CBCID will file an appeal in the High court.
Samajwadi Party (SP) President, Mulayam Singh Yadav, MPs actress Jayaprada,
Amar Singh and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi visited Vatoli and Bhainsa town
and interacted with the members of the family in Nov. 2018.One of the family
members, Imran, expressed shock at the judgement. “We waited for 10 years for justice. We had
also demanded for a CBI inquiry into the incident but only the CBCID and state
police conducted an inquiry into the incident. He said they will approach High
Court against the judgement.Deccan Chronicle
AIMPLB vice- president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq
health deteriorates; airlifted to Medanta in Gurgaon
Vice-president AIMPLB Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, who
was undergoing treatment at a city hospital here, was today shifted to Medanta
hospital in Gurgaon.The noted Shia cleric was rushed to the Medanta hospital in
Gurugram by air ambulance after his condition deteriorated, his son Kalbe
Hussain told PTI on phone."He had fallen ill in February but had recovered
... he again fell ill about a week ago", Kalbe Hussain said.He added that
doctors suspect stomach cancer and that tests are being carried out to decide
on the future course of treatment.PTI
For the first time, Muslim doctors of Gujarat
to come together for a seminar on medical practices
Vadodara: Two not for profit organisations are
organising the 1st state-level seminar for all Muslim doctors of Gujarat to
enhance their knowledge and skills for day to day practice in perspective of
Islam and science. The event will see all the Muslims doctors in the state
coming on a single platform for the very first time.The seminar is being
organized by Millath Foundation for Health, Research & Development,
Banglore and Baroda Muslim Doctors Association run by Zain charitable
trust.Seminar on “Medical Practice Our Goals and Responsibilities” is scheduled
for April 22nd at Parul Institute of Medical Science and Research Auditorium in
Waghodia Taluka, Vadodara district. According to the organisers, the event will
take place against the backdrop of hue and cry from all the quarters that the
medical profession is no longer the “the noble profession” it used to be, but
has instead become a business.“Both the disease and cure are in the purview of
the Almighty. This is realized when we are spiritually enlightened and we practice
only to please him,” said the organizers.TCN
VHP Cries 'Land Jihad', says Muslims taking
over homes owned by Hindus in this Ahmedabad locality
Ahmedabad: The redevelopment of a building in
Paldi locality of Ahmedabad has brought to the fore the sharp divide that
exists between communities on religious lines. Vishwa Hindu Parishad has jumped
into the fray, putting up banners in neighbouring societies and terming the
redevelopment of one particular building in the area as "land
jihad".The building in question is Varsha Society in Paldi area of
Ahmedabad, where a Muslim builder is said to have taken up redevelopment on a
four-storeyed building that stood there.VHP alleges that this is an attempt to
make Hindus migrate out of the area. Both Hindus and Muslims have been staying
in societies adjacent to each other in the area for decades now.news18
Won’t stake claim to Taj Mahal: Sunni Wakf
Board tells Supreme Court
New Delhi:The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board
on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it won’t stake claim to the ownership of
the Taj Mahal.Asking senior counsel A.D.N. Rao appearing for the Archeological
Survey of India (ASI) to take instructions, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak
Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that once the
Board pressed its right over the monument then it has to adjudicate the
issue.“Once you have registered the monument as a Wakf property, your statement
that you will not be staking claim will not help,” said the bench. The court
directed the next hearing of the matter on July 27.In its earlier hearing on
April 11, the apex court had asked the Wakf Board to produce an original title
document bearing the signatures of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to prove its
claim.IANS
Appointment of 9 Delhi govt advisers cancelled
on Union home ministry's recommendation
Appointment of nine advisers to ministers in
Delhi government was today cancelled on the recommendation of the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA). The nine posts are not on the list of posts approved for
the ministers and chief ministers of the government of NCT of Delhi, an order
from the General Administration Department of the Government of National
Capital Territory, Delhi said quoting a letter from the MHA.TOI
WORLD
Israel court rules Jews can chant patriotic
slogans in Al-Aqsa Mosque
An Israeli court has ruled that Jewish
visitors storming Al-Aqsa Mosque can chant patriotic slogans as they did not
count as religious prayers, according to the Times of Israel.Under the status
quo, Israelis are not permitted to enter the site to conduct prayers, but a
Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled in favour of right-wing Jewish activist and
lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, who was detained for several hours in 2015 for chanting
“The people of Israel will live” in Hebrew.Ben Gvir was touring the compound
with a number of other Jews and responded with the slogan to a Muslim woman who
told the group “God is great” in Arabic.Ben Gvir sued for wrongful detention by
security forces and the judge ruled in his favour, writing in his decision:
“During the tour [of Al-Aqsa Mosque] and afterward, cries of ‘Allah is the
greatest’ were heard, and there is nothing wrong with saying ‘the people of
Israel live’.”The judge went further and criticised police for taking no action
against the Muslim woman who protested the group’s presence in the Muslim holy
site.The attorney had also attempted to sue the Waqf administration that
regulates the mosque for alleged discrimination against the Jewish group, but
the judge dismissed that aspect of the case.middleeastmonitor
Israel demolishes Negev village of Al-Araqeeb
for 127th time
Israeli bulldozers demolished the Arab village
of Al-Araqeeb in the Negev for the 127th time this morning.The move comes a day
after the postponement of the appeal hearing against the decision to detain
village leader Sheikh Sayah Al-Turi for 10 months. In December last year, the
Magistrate’s Court in Beersheba in the Negev fined Sheikh Sayah Al-Turi $10,300
after finding him guilty in 18 cases filed in November 2013 including
trespassing on state property, in reference to land which belongs to the
village.The appeal has been adjourned indefinitely with no reason being given
as to why.“The Israeli authorities are exerting pressure on Al-Araqeeb in every
way, they demolished Al-Araqeeb for the 127th time today, and the appeals
session in the case of my father, Sheikh Sayah Al-Turi, was cancelled,”
48-year-old Aziz Al-Turi said.middleeastmonitor
Israel hosts 20% of UN ambassadors to show
‘historic’ link to land
Israel is currently hosting a fifth of all
ambassadors to the UN in an effort to change the country’s image among the
international community, according to the Jerusalem Post.Israeli Ambassador to
the UN, Danny Danon, is acting as a guide to 40 of his fellow envoys in the run
up to the country’s Independence Day which is marked on Nakba Day when nearly a
million Palestinians were forced to flee their homes by Jewish militia to make
way for the creation of Israel.Officials from Serbia, Jamaica, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Hungary, Liberia, Ukraine, Uganda, Slovenia, Malta, Mozambique and Ethiopia are
currently on a tour of Israel with Danon, the newspaper reported.“I have
brought groups of ambassadors here before, but never a delegation this large,”
Danon said.middleeastmonitor
Chemical weapons inspectors enter Syria's Douma to probe gas attack
allegation
Chemical weapons inspectors have entered the
Syrian town of Douma to probe an alleged poison gas attack, according to the
state-run SANA news agency.The delegation from the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) entered the town near the capital,
Damascus, alongside the Syrian health minister on Wednesday, a source close to
the government told Germany's DPA news agency.The reported toxic gas attack on
Douma on April 7 sparked joint missile strikes by the United States, France and
Britain on Syrian military installations.The punitive strikes early on Saturday
were launched before a fact-finding team from the OPCW was able to enter Douma
and begin its field work.aljazeera
Diplomatic leaks: UAE dissatisfied with Saudi
policies: aljazeera
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed
(MbZ) is working on breaking up Saudi Arabia, leaked documents obtained by
Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar revealed.Al Akhbar said that the leaked documents
contained secret diplomatic briefings sent by UAE and Jordanian ambassadors in
Beirut to their respective governments.One of the documents, issued on
September 20, 2017, disclosed the outcome of a meeting between Jordan's
ambassador to Lebanon Nabil Masarwa and his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdel-Al
al-Qenaie."The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is
working on breaking up the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the Jordanian envoy
quoted the Kuwait ambassador as saying.A second document, issued on September
28, 2017, reveals meeting minutes between the Jordanian ambassador and his UAE
counterpart Hamad bin Saeed al-Shamsi.The document said the Jordanian
ambassador informed his government that UAE believes that "Saudi policies
are failing both domestically and abroad, especially in Lebanon"."The
UAE is dissatisfied with Saudi policies," the Jordanian envoy
said.aljazeera
Egypt court removes 299 names from terror list
The highest court in Egypt has accepted an
appeal by 299 defendants who had their names placed on the country’s terror
list.The suspects were accused of the 2015 targeting of the Egyptian army’s
Battalion 101 in northern Sinai with mortars and carrying out terrorist attacks
against the army and the police in the Sinai Peninsula.They were subsequently
barred from travel, had their assets frozen and had their names placed on the
terror list for three years.Wilayat Sinai, a Daesh affiliate, claimed
responsibility for the violence.The Court of Cassation yesterday accepted the
defendants’ appeal and ordered a retrial.middleeastmonitor
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Mecca Masjid verdict: NIA incompetence, or
well thought-out strategy? ROHIT PRAKASH
India is Paying the Price For VD Savarkar’s
Advocacy of Rape:ASHUTOSH
Emerging Pattern of Violence in India: Crime
and CoverUp:VAGRAJ BADARAYAN
IIT study claims 900-yr drought killed Indus
Valley Civilisation
A broken family, a massive debt and a
mortgaged house: How Sajahan Ali’s life was destroyed due to false ‘Bangladeshi’
charges
TalkPoint: Mecca Masjid blast – is there a
pattern to ‘Hindu terror’ acquittals or has justice prevailed?theprint
Myth of United Hindu Family:Aijaz Zaka Syed
Mecca masjid acquittals show that the NIA is a
caged, blind and deaf parrot:ASADUDDIN OWAISI
Mecca Masjid Blasts: A Huge Travesty of
Justice:THE CITIZEN
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:20 PM)
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