NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
26 April 2018:09 Shaban 1439:Vol:10, No:08
INDIA
LIVE: Justice Joseph's elevation to SC stalled
by govt despite clearance by SC collegium, saying his elevation not appropriate
at this stage
Law Ministry Thursday wrote to CJI Dipak Misra
saying it would not be appropriate, at this stage, to elevate Uttarakhand High
Court Chief Justice KM Joseph to the Supreme Court. Sources have said that, in
his letter to the Govt asking that his name
be reconsidered by the collegium, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said
Justice KM Joseph is placed at number 42 in the All India High Court Judges’
Seniority list and there are presently 11 Chief Justices of various High Courts
who are senior to him. The Govt in a
letter to CJI Dipak Misra said the proposed appointment of Justice KM Joseph as
a Judge of the SC at this stage does not appear to be appropriate. Uttarakhand
High HC Justice KM Joseph's name was recommended to the Govt by the Supreme Court Collegium along with
that of Malhotra. Both names were proposed by 5-judge Collegium, headed by CJI
Dipak Misra, at its last meeting on January 10. Justice K M Joseph had struck
down the Centre’s order to impose President’s Rule in Uttarakhand in 2016.Ever
since, Collegium’s recommendation for Justice Joseph’s transfer to Andhra
Pradesh and then his elevation to the Supreme Court has been blocked by the
central Govt . If his name is returned, the Collegium can reiterate his name
which will make it incumbent upon the Govt
to issue a warrant for his appointment to the Supreme Court. Late
Wednesday evening, the Govt cleared the
name of Senior advocate Indu Malhotra, who will become the first woman to be
elevated to the post of a Supreme Court judge directly from the Bar. Malhotra
received the Presidential warrant, or requisite clearance to take oath as a SC
judge. Her swearing-in is scheduled Friday.Congress Thursday took on the
Govt for not clearing Justice KM Joseph’s
elevation to the SC despite the top court recommending his name. Speaking at a
press conference in the national capital, senior party leader Kapil Sibal said
the Govt must immediately reconsider his appointment. “They are unwilling to
accept the collegium’s recommendations but only want judges that are favourable
to them.” Meanwhile, CJI Misra sternly rebuked lawyers seeking a stay on the
warrant of appointment of Sr Advocate Indu Malhotra as judge of SC. CJI Misra
told Adv Indira Jaising, who mentioned it, that their prayer was unimaginable,
unthinkable, inconceivable and never heard of.Jaising said they were for
Malhotra's elevation but were only concerned about the Govt segregating files of Malhotra and Justice KM
Joseph whose names were recommended together by Collegium for elevation on
Jan.10.indianexpress
Justice KM Joseph's elevation to SC: Govt asks
apex court collegium to reconsider recommendation
What is holding Centre from appointing Justice
Joseph as SC judge, asks Chidambaram
New Delhi: P Chidambaram hit out at the
Modi-led Govt for stalling the
appointment of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice KM Joseph as a Supreme
Court judge despite the latter’s name getting cleared by the Collegium.
Chidambaram questioned the intentions of the Centre. “Delighted that Ms Indu
Malhotra will be sworn in as Judge of the Supreme Court tomorrow. Disappointed
that Justice K M Joseph’s appointment is still on hold,” he tweeted.“What is
holding up Justice K M Joseph’s appointment? His State or his religion or his
judgement in the Uttarakhand case?” he asked.indianexpress
‘Unwarranted intrusion’ by Centre in selection
process of SC judge:CPM
CPM has attacked Modi-led Govt for withholding Uttarakhand High Court Chief
Justice K M Joseph’s appointment as a Supreme Court judge, calling it an
“unwarranted intrusion into the selection process of a judge”. The party argued
that the Centre’s decision to stall the appointment of Justice Joseph will
affect the independence of the judiciary and sought the intervention of the
President in the case.indianexpress
Kathua rape case: SC agrees to hear accused's
plea to transfer probe to CBI, holding trial in Jammu
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to
consider a plea of two accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl
in Kathua that the trial in the case is held in Jammu and the probe handed over
to CBI.A bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud
considered the plea of the accused, Sanji Ram and Vishal Jangotra, that they be
impleaded as parties to the petition filed by the victim's father. The
eight-year-old's father had moved the apex court earlier, apprehending a threat
to the family, a friend and their lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat.Expressing
satisfaction with the probe conducted by the J&K police in the case, the father had also
sought transfer of the trial from Kathua court to Chandigarh. However, the
accused are asking for the opposite, seeking a CBI probe and a trial in Kathua
district itself. Meanwhile, the J&K
High Court on Thursday issued notices to the state Govt and the CBI, asking them to file objections
to the plea of a sub-inspector and a special police officer seeking a probe by
the agency into the Kathua rape and murder case.
SC stays shifting Kathua case out of J&K,
but with a warning; calls for fair trial
Govt admits it lied that SC directed
Aadhaar-mobile number linkage
Govt has
virtually accepted that it had lied about the Supreme Court mandating that
Indians' mobile phone numbers be linked to their Aadhaar. A lawyer representing
UIDAI accepted during arguments in the Aadhaar case that there was no SC order
making it compulsory to link Aadhaar with mobile phone numbers. Govt 's
admission in the SC should be seen against the backdrop of the near-daily
messages sent by mobile phone operators asking users to link their numbers with
their Aadhaar.Govt justified the
messages by saying that the SC had previously ordered the linking of Aadhaar
and mobile phone numbers.However, the SC said on Wednesday that this never
happened. "In the Lokniti Foundation case, the SC has not directed linking
of SIM with UID. But Union Govt 's circular says so. There was no direction by
the court..." Justice DY Chandrachud said during the hearing.TOI.
At the very end of SC’s Aadhaar hearings, govt
admits it has been dishonest all along
Mehbooba is a jihadi CM claims Lawyer of
Kathua rape accused also calls for boycott of Muslim tribes
Jammu;The lawyer defending the main accused in
the Kathua Bakerwal child’s rape and
murder calls CM Mehbooba Mufti a
“jihadi CM ,” accuses her of spearheading “an Islamo-fascist communal agenda
for demographic change in Jammu’s Hindu-dominated areas” and called for, in a
speech last month, social and economic boycott of the Gujjars and
BakerwalsAnkur Sharma said: “Mehbooba Mufti is a jihadi…She gives legal
immunity to cow slaughter and bovine smuggling. She refers to them (Gujjars and
Bakerwals) as tribals, who are Muslims, and says Section 188 RPC (‘disobedience
to order’) will not be invoked against them…She is spearheading an
Islamo-fascist communal agenda wherein demographic change is a reality, where
people of one religion are occupying land in Jammu province, which is a
Hindu-dominated area.”Sharma represents Sanji Ram, named by the Crime Branch as
the mastermind of the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl with an aim to
“dislodge” the nomadic Bakerwal community from the area; as well as Sanji Ram’s
son Vishal Jangotra; and police official Deepak Khajuria.A speech of Sharma at
a Hindu Ekta Manch rally in March — called to support the accused — has
surfaced where he is heard asking for a boycott of Gujjars and Bakerwals. “We
shall take a pledge here and it shall be the agenda of the (Hindu Ekta) Manch
also to ensure that we will not sell our land to outsiders,” Sharma can be
heard saying in Dogri.“They are working under a plan. So you need to think, and
the first thing you shall decide is not to sell your land to them. Secondly,
you shall stop all those things which strengthen their community here and
improve their financial condition, whether it is trade with them, or purchasing
milk from them or selling them fodder. You have to stop all these things as
there are conspiracies on against you.”Sharma admitted having made the speech.
In that speech, Sharma also said that state Govt officials, from SSP to deputy commissioner,
“are on the other side”.indianexpress
Pulwama terror attack: Politician Ghulam Patel
killed, parties 'disown' him
New Delhi:A political activist was killed in a
militant attack on Wednesday in Pulwama district in J&K , officials said,
but the ruling PDP and opposition Congress were locked in a row over the party
affiliation of the victim.Ghulam Nabi Patail, a resident of Shadimarg area in
Pulwama, succumbed to injuries while being taken to a hospital after the attack
in Rajpora Chowk area which also left two policemen injured. As political
parties promptly condemned the killing. CM Mehbooba Mufti described Patail as a
senior Congress leader while the Congress said he was a "well-known PDP
activist". National Conference leader Omar Abdullah waded into the row,
saying if neither PDP nor Congress was willing to own Patail as one of their
own, he could be called an NC worker.Congress and the PDP were not keen on
owning the killed leader as their own to avoid conveying to their workers that
they were at risk, Abdullah, a former CM
claimed..business-standard
JK:Another mother dies searching ‘missing’ son
for 28 yrs
Srinagar: A 70-year-old woman, who was at the
forefront of a campaign to seek whereabouts of thousands of people subjected to
enforced disappearance in the last three decades of turmoil in the Valley,
passed away today in central Kashmir's Budgam.Rehti Begum, one of the trustees
of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Kashmir which has been seeking justice for
'missing' persons, passed away today morning due to a massive heart attack at
her residence in Cheke Kawoosa Narbal of Budgam district in J&K.thecitizen
Delhi HC questions trial court order extending
probe period in terror case involving Hizb’s Salahuddin's son
New Delhi: Delhi High Court today questioned a
trial court's order extending the period of investigation in a terror funding
case, allegedly involving Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen founder
Syed Salahuddin.HC said that a special judge has no power to extend the period
of investigation in a case and it only has the power to extend the judicial
custody of the accused."What business a judge has to say that the period
of investigation is 180 days for completion of probe," a bench of justices
S Muralidhar and IS Mehta said. The court's remarks came while hearing the bail
plea of Yousuf whose counsel said he was a Govt
employee and was posted as agricultural assistant in Budgam of central
Kashmir when he was arrested by the NIA on Oct.24 last year.The accused
challenged the trial court's 2 orders of February and March -- rejecting him
bail and extending judicial custody.The counsel said Yousuf's only crime was
that he was son of a person who was also an accused in the case and the
allegations against him are that he was a terrorist.The court listed the matter
for further hearing on May 2.PTI
UP : 13 children killed as train hits school
van at unmanned crossing gate in Kushinagar
Gorakhpur: 13 children were killed and eight
others injured when a train rammed into their school van at an unmanned railway
crossing in UP 's Kushinagar area, around 50 km from Gorakhpur, this morning, a
railway official said.The children, students of Divine Public School, were
killed on the spot when Thawe-Kapatanganj passenger train crashed into the van
at the unmanned crossing gate at Behpurva, said Indian Railways spokesman Ved
Prakash. The train was on way to Gorakhpur from Siwan.There were at least 25
passengers, including children who were below the age of 10, in the van, the
official said."It was an unmanned level crossing gate at Behpurva, with
gate mitra (rail volunteer) deployed there. He tried to stop the van but the
unfortunate incident happened at unmanned gate 45 near Dudhi station in Banaras
division," the spokesperson said in New Delhi.PTI
Kushinagar: Agitating crowd blocks Yogi's way
to accident spot, CM returns without visiting
Yogi govt moves to withdraw hate-speech cases
against Sadhvi Prachi, Sanjeev Balyan
s it initiates the process to withdraw 131
cases, including 13 of murder, linked to 2013 communal violence in
Muzaffarnagar and Shamli in UP , the state Govt
has also started the process of dropping two other cases of hate speech
and criminal charges involving firebrand preacher Sadhvi Prachi, two BJP MPs
and 3 BJP MLAs.2cases are related to mahapanchayats held in the Muzaffarnagar
before violence gripped the region in 2013. Sadhvi Prachi, BJP MPs Kunwar
Bhartendra Singh of Bijnor and Sanjeev Balyan of Muzaffarnagar and BJP MLAs
Umesh Malik, Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana allegedly attended the
mahapanchayats.While Balyan was a union minister until September 2017, Rana is
a minister in UP Govt . Malik is the MLA from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar while
Rana represents Thana Bhawan seat in Shamli and Som is MLA from Sardhana seat
in Meerut.indianexpress
Shamli: Bajrang Dal Activist Force 'Ghar
Wapsi' On Dalit Man Who Had Converted To Islam
In another horrific story of caste and
communal violence, Bajrang Dal activist forcibly converted a Dalit man back to
Hindusim in UP 's Shamli on Tuesday after he had converted to Islam on Monday.A
video of Bajrang Dal activists slapping and beating up Pawan Kumar went viral
on social media on Tuesday.Kumar, a welder by profession, was forced to undergo
"ghar wapsi" after threats from Bajrang Dal activists. While the
police tried to reach out to him, The Telegraph reported that the 25-year-old
Kumar does not want to go to the police because he fear for his life. He told
the newspaper that he converted to Islam because upper caste people don't allow
a decent life for Dalits.Indian Express reported a Bajrang Dal worker that they
had convinced him to do a "ghar wapsi" and even remain Hindu
throughout his life.However, the video of the incident looks more like
harassment than convincing. Kumar is seen being slapped and pushed around
before his bear is shaven and his skull cap is taken off.Another video on
Facebook shows Kumar being corners by a mob, and being asked why he converted.
One man then slaps him and another person takes off his skull
cap.huffingtonpost
‘Ghar wapsi’ for Dalit man after ‘counselling’
from B. Dal
Kairana Bypolls: SP to bank upon
Dalit-Jaat-Muslim combination
Samajwadi Party has started behind the scenes
preparations for Kairana bypolls. UP
state chief of SP, Naresh Uttam Patel visited Kairana and gave a mantra to the
party workers to prepare for the upcoming bypolls. As per Samajwadi Party
sources, the party will be working to consolidate Dalit, Jaat and Muslim votes
in order to ensure victory in the by-elections.Kairana parliamentary seat was
vacated after the death of MP Hukum Singh and is due for bypolls before the
2019 Lok Sabha polls. The orders have been given to the Samajwadi Party workers
to get ready for the Kairana by-elections and meetings are being held in this
regard among the SP cadre. The Samajwadi Party might field Professor Sudhir
Panwar as its candidate. However, the final decision is yet to be made by the
SP leadership in this regard.News18
BJP accounts for nearly 50% of hate speech
cases against MPs, MLAs: Report
A total of 58 current MPs and MLAs have
declared cases related to hate speech, with BJP having the maximum number of
such politicians, a report released by Delhi-based think-tank Association for
Democratic Reforms (ADR) said today. ADR and National Election Watch (NEW)
analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all sitting MPs and MLAs prior to the
last election they contested, and collated cases related to hate speech
declared by MPs and MLAs.BJP has 27 MPs, MLAs with such cases. No other party
comes close. In second place are TRS and AIMIM, with 6 each. Unsurprisingly, a
state-by-state analysis showed UP (15) and Telangana (13) account for 28 out of
the 58 cases. Both TRS and AIMIM are largely Telangana-bases parties. BJP
accounts for 68 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP .On Sunday, PM Narendra Modi had asked BJP leaders to
refrain from making "irresponsible" statements, saying such comments
hurt the party's image.Ten sitting Lok Sabha MPs with such declared cases are
from BJP, and one each from AIUDF, TRS, Pattali Makkall Katchi (PMK), AIMIM and
Shiv Sena (SHS), said the report.There are 43 sitting MLAs who have declared
hate speech cases. Of these, 17 sitting MLAs are from BJP, five each are from
TRS and AIMIM, three from TDP, two each from Congress, Trinamool Congress
(AITC), JDU and SHS, one each from DMK, Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi
Party, report added.nationalheraldindia
W Bengal: Muslim delegation urges election
commission to finish polls before Ramzan
Kolkata:Close on the heels of the Trinamul
Congress calling for the completion of the panchayat elections before Ramzan, a
delegation of Muslim organisations echoed the same demand to the West Bengal
state election commissioner Amarendra Kumar Singh on Wednesday even as the
rural polls’ fate hangs in balance with fresh schedule yet to be decided. One
of the delegates also threatened to move the court if the polls are held during
the Ramzan.In the morning, TMC MLA from Nalhati in Birbhum Moinuddin Shams
visited the state poll panel’s office and submitted a memorandum appealing for
the rural polls before the Ramzan. He later said, “Ramzan is a holy month for
the Muslims. Members of the minority community will face trouble if the polls
are scheduled during this month.” Shams added that West Bengal state election
commission should make it clear that the polls would be held before the
Ramzan.Later, Imam of Nakhoda Mosque Maulana Shafique Qasmi led a delegation of
various Muslim bodies.Asian Age
Karnataka polls: Congress floats 17 Muslim
candidates
Congress has given tickets to 17 Muslim
candidates for 225 members Assembly in Karnataka. Two candidates were added to
the list at the 11th hour.Roshan Beig and Tanvir Sait got the tickets for the
second time. Kaneez Fatima, the widow of late Minister Qamarul Islam got the
ticket from Gulbarga North.The interesting thing is that BJP and AAP have not
given ticket to any Muslim candidate. According to 2011 census, Muslims
constitute 12.9 of the total population of the State.siasat
AMU students union demands Swami’s removal
form RS
AGRA: Taking strong exceptions to Senior BJP
leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy’s statement dubbing AMU as a “hub
of terrorists and extremist ideologies”, the AMU Students Union (AMUSU) has
demanded his removal from the upper house and have also threatened to file a
defamation case against him.Accusing the MP of maligning the university’s image
with his baseless and frivolous remarks, the students’ body said that this
shows Swami’s “divisive mindset”.Swami's remarks came in response to Congress
leader Salman Khurshid's controversial comments that “Congress has blood of
Muslims on its hands”, which he made at a recent interaction in the
University.President of AMUSU, Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani said it’s ironical that
while the President of India Ram Nath Kovind says that people with “Secular”
mind live in AMU, Swami was making such statements. “Swami must now clarify
whether he disputes President of India’s words,” he said. In the memorandum to
President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Usmani said that Swami’s statement has
deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of AMUites who are spread across the
world. His statement has affected the secular image of the nation and hence his
membership of the upper house should be cancelled. “He is not mentally fit to
be a part of it,” he said.TOI
Telangana to offer loans with 80% subsidy to
minorities
Finance minister Etala Rajender has said that
the state Govt will sanction loans with
80 per cent subsidy to SCs, STs and Minorities without bank linkage in May and
June in the state. This is for the first time that the state Govt will give subsidised loans to beneficiaries
without bank linkage through SC, ST, BC and Minority welfare departments
following allegations that bankers are not coming forward to give their consent
though various depts were ready to sanction such loans.D. Chronicle.
Disruption of Friday namaaz in Gurgaon: 6
people arrested
Gurgaon: 6 people have been arrested by the
Gurgaon police for allegedly disrupting namaaz in Sector 53 of the city last
Friday, with shouts of “Jai Sri Ram”,and directing those offering prayers to do
it only in mosques. Accused have been identified as Arun, Manish, Deepak, Monu,
alias Nambardar, Mohit, and Ravinder. All of them are from Wazirabad and Kanhai
villages in the city.The incident happened last Friday when a group of people
were offering namaaz in an open area opposite Saraswati Kunj around 3 pm. Some
men arrived at the spot and allegedly disrupted the proceedings with
sloganeering and shouting.A video of the incident that has been circulating
shows some men shouting “Jai Sri Ram” and “Radhe Radhe” and saying “Masjid kis
liye banaya hai”. The video also shows the men telling those offering prayers
to chant “Jai Sri Ram” . Even as the crowd dispersed, towards the end of the 1
minute, 23 seconds-long video, they were directing those offering prayers to go
to their villages and do the same there (“Apne gaon me jao…namaaz
padho”).indianexpress
CBI books 12 Army officials for allegedly
accepting bribes to hire religious teachers
CBI booked 17 people, including 12 Army
officials, on Wednesday for alleged irregularities in the recruitment of
religious teachers in the force in 2013, PTI reported. The officials allegedly
accepted bribes from candidates to get them hired. According to a FIR, the
suspected mastermind, Subedar MN Tripathi, gave the recruitment panel a list of
20 candidates and asked for them to be given simple questions and more marks
during the hiring process. Tripathi had earlier been a part of the panel, but
was removed after a complaint against him.4 neighbours of Tripathi from Gorakhpur
in UP and one person in Madhya Pradesh’s
Sagar were booked for paying the bribes to influence the recruitment, officials
said. The bribes were paid through bank accountsscroll.in
Why no action against JNU professor Johri in
sexual harassment case: HC
Delhi High Court has sought to know from JNU
and its V-C why have they not taken action against professor Atul Kumar Johri,
accused by eight women students of sexual harassment, despite representation to
the authorities in this regard.“What is happening, you have not been able to do
anything. Is it that V-C of the university has no power to take action against
the professor,” Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the counsel for JNU, who told the
court that the students have not filed any complaint before the varsity’s
Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Varsity’s counsel also submitted that the
alleged victims have approached police. This prompted the judge to ask JNU
counsel: “Are they (JNU) not aware of FIRs lodged in the case?” It also said there
are various alternatives for the alleged victims under the law, besides
approaching the ICC.indianexpress
Student leaders Kanhaiya, Shehla may contest
Lok Sabha polls next year
New Delhi: Two student activists who shot into
prominence during the 2016 agitation in the JNU, Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla
Rashid, have indicated that they may contest the Lok Sabha elections in
2019.Kanhaiya and Shehla, who strongly oppose the NDA Govt ’s policies, say
they are working on forging a larger united front of social and political
groups as well as “liberal, progressive forces” against BJP in the run-up to
2019, and refer to Gujarat Dalit youth leader Jignesh Mewani’s victory in
Gujarat elections last year as a landmark.Kanhaiya said in an interview to HT
he would “never rule it (contesting election) out”.“If there is an alliance of
RJD, Congress and Left in Bihar, and they ask me to become a common candidate
and collect money for my election, I can be a candidate,” Kumar said.“I believe
in organised politics. If I contest any election, it will be through a
mainstream party. This is very clear. I don’t believe in individual charisma or
all that,” he said.HT
Naga accord is nearly final: No change in
state boundary, removal of AFSPA, flag last hurdle
New Delhi:Central Govt and Naga armed groups are said to have
finalised the substantive portions of the peace accord which is likely to be
signed before the monsoon session of Parliament. The final draft of the accord,
which hopes to finally bring India’s oldest insurgency to a close, is now
looking to jump the final hurdle: an agreement over the Naga demand for a
separate flag for the state. The Govt is
also apprehensive about a violent reaction in the Manipur Valley to the signing
of the accord.The accord, official sources said, does not change the boundary
of states; provides autonomous Naga territorial councils for Arunachal and
Manipur; a common cultural body for Nagas across states; specific institutions
for state’s development, integration and rehabilitation of non-state Naga
militia and the removal of AFSPA.When contacted, the Centre’s interlocutor, R N
Ravi, who signed the framework agreement with National Socialist Council of
Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN-IM in August 2015, said: “Yes, we are pretty
close to finalising the (Naga Peace) accord”.indianexpress
Disappointed over US plans to tighten visa
norms: India
Expressing disappointment over US plans to
prohibit spouses of H1-B visa holders to work in America, India hoped that
Trump administration would take “corrective actions” on the issue. H-1B visa is
a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in
speciality occupations which require theoretical or technical expertise. The
technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each
year from countries like India and China.PTI
‘Indians feel that US is no longer
immigrant-friendly’
Indians now feel that the US is no longer
immigrant-friendly country, a top Indian-American Congressman has said, amidst
a series of controversial immigration policies by the Trump administration. President
Donald Trump has been pushing for the merit-based immigration system to reduce
overall immigration to the US and serve the country’s national interest. A
merit-based immigration system, the Trump administration feels would admit the
best and the brightest around the world while making it harder for people to
come to the country illegally.“One issue that certainly came up and is
something that we all have to be mindful of is there’s a sense in India that
America is no longer immigrant- friendly,” Indian-American Congressman Raja
Krishnamoorthi told PTI.PTI
Building peaceful neighbourhood Pak foreign
policy priority: UN envoy
New York:Building a peaceful neighbourhood is
Pakistan’s foreign policy priority which requires normalisation of relations
with India on a durable basis, Islamabad’s envoy to the UN has said.According
to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Ambassador
Maleeha Lodhi told a visiting delegation of the US War College that on the
foreign policy front, Pakistan’s external engagements and strategy emerge from
its key national priorities.PTI
“Muslims shouldn’t shy away from gaining any
beneficial knowledge”: Doha conference
Over 150 delegates met at the Plaza Inn Hotel,
Doha on April 19, to discuss and address
the problems pertaining to the education of minority community in India.“It was
an evening with lots of practical ideas to work for the educational upliftment
of the community,” said the press statement released after the event organised
and conducted by Khalid Saifullah of mazameen.com. Faizan Mustafa, scholar, and
V-C at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, spoke on the subject of future of
minority education giving legal perspective over the same. He also discussed
current court cases regarding minority character of both AMU and Jamia Millia
Islamia and “seemed optimistic for a favourable outcome”.Zaigham Murtaza, a
Delhi-based journalist with Rajya Sabha TV, discussed social and financial
challenges of minority education.Other Doha dignitaries like Hasan Abdul Karim
Choghle and Zamir Abbas also shared the dais on the event. An Android app of
mazameen.com was also launched on this occasion.TCN
WORLD
Hamas Engineer 'Negotiated Arms Deals With
N.Korea, Assassinated by Mossad' in Malaysia, claims NYT report
Fadi al-Batsh, the Hamas engineer gunned down
in Malaysia last week, was reportedly involved in talks with North Korea on
arms intended for Gaza, New York Times reported Thursday. According to the
report, Batsh was killed as part of an alleged operation by Israel's Mossad to
take out Hamas scientists and engineers training abroad to gather
"know-how and weaponry to fight Israel.""That claim has been
confirmed by Middle Eastern intelligence officials," NYT reported,
claiming the "broader operation" was ordered by the Mossad chief,
Yossi Cohen.Regarding North Korea, the joint report, by Israeli journalist
Ronen Bergman and Hannah Beech, the paper's Southeast Asia reporter, claimed
that "Western and Middle Eastern intelligence officials said that Batsh
may have been involved in negotiating North Korean arms deals through
Malaysia."Batsh, who co-wrote a 2013 paper on drone applications, was sent
to Malaysia to research and acquire weapon systems and drones for Hamas, the
intelligence officials told The Times.The report said that Egypt recently
captured a shipment of "communications components used for guided
munitions destined for Gaza" from North Korea. It was also reported that
according to an intelligence official, Batsh was involved in negotiating that
deal.The Times also cited a UN report claiming that Pyongyang had set up a
shell company to circumnavigate sanctions and conduct sales of
"military-grade communication systems" through Kuala Lumpur.The two
men suspected of killing Batsh in Kuala Lumpur were still in the country, Malaysian
police said on Wednesday, as they released a fresh image of one of the men.
Hamas have accused Israel’s Mossad spy agency of assassinating Batsh, who they
say was a member of their group. haaretz
Behind a Roadside Hit in Malaysia,
Israeli-Palestinian Intrigue:NYT
Czech Prez Reiterates Promise to Move Embassy
to Jerusalem, as Honorary Consul Reappointed
Czech President Milos Zeman reiterated his
support for moving his country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, even
though the decision is not his to make. He said that said the move will take
place in three steps.Czech PM Andrej
Babi said last week that his country would not break UN and EU policy and would
not relocate its embassy to Jerusalem.Taking the first step, Zeman announced
the official appointment of an honorary consul, Israeli businessman Dan
Propper, the chairman of Osem Food Industries, as Haaretz reported ealier.
Propper is of Czech extraction.The honorary consulate will be opened in
Jerusalem in May, to be followed by other Czech institutions in the city.Zeman
gave no further timetable beyond the opening of the honorary consulate next
month, but he did reiterate his promise to transfer embassy to Jerusalem from
Tel Aviv.haaretz
Israel soldier gets 9 months for killing teen
Relatives of an unarmed Palestinian teen
killed by an Israeli officer four years ago have slammed a nine-month sentence
handed by an Israeli court to the member of the security forces, saying it
exposes how "unjust" Israel's judicial system is.Israeli border
police officer Ben Deri was filmed shooting dead Nadim Nuwarra in May 2014
during a protest at the Beitunia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, even
though the 17-year-old posed no danger.A second teenage protester, Mohammad Abu
Thaher, 16, was also hit with live rounds and killed. Israel did not make an
arrest in that case, citing lack of evidence as an autopsy was not carried
out.aljazeera
2nd journalist covering Gaza rally killed by
Israeli forces
Ahmad Abu Hussein, a Palestinian journalist
shot by Israeli forces while covering a mass demonstration along the Gaza
border earlier this month, has died of his wounds, according to Palestinian
officials.The 24-year-old, who was shot in the abdomen during a protest near
Jebaliya on April 13, is the second Palestinian journalist to have been killed
by Israeli soldiers since a wave of demonstrations known as the "Great
March of Return" began on March 30.Health officials in Gaza said Hussein
died on Wednesday in Israel's Tel Hashomer hospital, near Tel Aviv.aljazeera
Pompeo's nomination for US secretary of state
opposed for remarks on Indians, Muslims
The
nomination of Mike Pompeo, CIA director, for US secretary of state was opposed
by Democrats as they raked up his remarks on Indians, Muslims and other ethnic
minorities."These concerns are beyond policy disagreements, which alone
are not a basis for rejecting a nominee," Senator Robert Menendez, Ranking
Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on the Senate floor as
Senators debated on the Secretary of State nomination of Pompeo. Senator
Charles Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, said he asked Pompeo if he would
recant what he had said about Muslims and Indian Americans, LGBTQ Americans,
and women's rights, now that he was in line to be the US secretary of state and
had to deal with countries that might be affected by his remarks. Another top
Democrat Senator Robert Menendez also raised the issue.PTI
Turkey: 14 opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper
staff sentenced on 'terror' charges
A Turkish court has handed prison sentences to
14 staff of the Cumhuriyet opposition newspaper on "terrorism"
charges, and acquitted three others, according to state media.The sentences for
those convicted on Wednesday by the Istanbul-based court ranged from
two-and-a-half years to seven-and-a-half years. Among them are renowned
journalists, including investigative reporter Ahmet Sik, who was sentenced to
seven years and six months. Journalist and columnist Kadri Gursel was sentenced
to 30 months.The court handed cartoonist Musa Kart a three-year-and-nine-month
sentence, while Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu was sentenced to seven
years and six months.The convicted staff members will remain free pending
appeal, but they are barred from leaving Turkey. They will also regularly
report to the judicial authorities.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Look, who is talking about diminishing the
authority of judiciary:Kapil Sibal
TalkPoint: By not elevating Justice Joseph is
Modi govt proving the dissenting judges right?
Justice Sachar’s principles stood firm and
were his guiding light till his last days:Seema Chishti
Death Of Judge Loya: A Critical Examination Of
ECG And Post-Mortem Demonstrates Failings Of SC Verdict: Caravan Magazine
SC rebuttal in Loya case:Yogendra Yadav
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 3:48 PM)
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