NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
01 May 2018:14 Shaban 1439: Vol:10, No:11
INDIA
Kathua rape: New JK Deputy CM calls it a minor
issue, BJP MLA who backed accused made minister
Jammu:The rape of an 8-year-old girl in
Kathua’s Rasana village, which sparked outrage across the country, is a “minor
issue” and giving the case “too much importance” is “not the right thing” to
do, according to J&K’s new Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta.Speaking to
reporters after his swearing-in Monday, Gupta said,“Rasana is a small issue. We
should think about ensuring that such incidents do not recur. Ensuring that the
girl gets justice is among the challenges before the Govt . I feel that by
giving so much importance to Rasana, we are not doing the right thing.”Gupta
was the J&K Speaker before swapping posts with Nirmal Singh in a reshuffle
directed by the party. Singh had backed CM Mehbooba Mufti’s decision to stick to a probe
by the Crime Branch in the Kathua case, though many BJP leaders had backed the
demand for a CBI inquiry.On Monday, among 8 MLAs inducted to the Council were
BJP state president Sat Sharma and Kathua MLA Rajiv Jasrotia.In Feb., Sharma
had sent 2 BJP ministers at the time, Chander Parkash Ganga and Lal Singh, to
address a rally of protesters who had gathered under the Hindu Ektya Manch, a
new outfit, to back the accused in the rape case and demand a CBI probe. The
two later resigned after the visit sparked controversy.Jasrotia was also
present at gathering.Reacting to the new appointments, NC leader Omar Abdullah
posted on Twitter: “2 BJP ministers removed in J&K for attending a
pro-rapist rally & a MLA who is reported to have attended the same rally is
promoted as a minister. Why are BJP/ @MehboobaMufti confused about where they
stand on the #Kathua rape?’’Gupta, who replaced Singh, is a first-time MLA from
Gandhi Nagar but an old BJP and RSS hand. He has served as Jammu mayor for 3
terms, between 2005 and 2010.indianexpress
Kathua victim mocked: 'Pro rape' MLA
'rewarded' by BJP for supporting rapists?
J&K Cabinet Rejig Reeks of Disregard for
Kathua Child Rape, Murder
J&K Cabinet reshuffle: With 2019 in mind,
PDP accommodates legislators from Pulwama and Srinagar
Hindu outfit-led protest in Gurugram demands
ban on Friday Namaz in open
New Delhi: Several outfits, led by the Sanyukt
Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, staged a demonstration in Gurugram on Monday (April
30), demanding that the case registered against six men for disrupting namaz be
withdrawn and a city-wide ban implemented on offering namaz in the open.On
April 27, the 6 men in question had disrupted a namaz in a vacant plot in
Sector 53 in Gurugram.An Indian Express report said the protesters have
submitted a letter addressed to CM Manohar Lal Khattar and deputy commissioner
Vinay Pratap Singh alleging that under the false pretext of prayers, the
worshippers were chanting anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. And that they
intended to occupy the land illegally. “When some patriotic youth stopped them
from doing this, police conducted a one-sided investigation.Does chanting
‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ come in the ambit of offence that the youth
were arrested?” they said in the letter. However, the worshippers, who have
been gathering at the site for the last decade to read namaz every Friday, have
denied the allegations. “We don’t even talk to each other when reading the
namaz; chanting slogans is out of the question. These are just false
allegations,” said Wajid Khan, who heads Nehru Yuva Sangathan Welfare Society
Charitable Trust and was the complainant in the case.6 men who had disrupted
the prayers with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Radhe Radhe’ are rumoured to be
affiliated with pro-Hindu groups.The Hindu quoted Gurugram Shiv Sena chief
Gautam Saini, who was among protesters, as saying:“Crimes against women are on
the rise across the country and it is difficult to establish the identity of
these men offering namaz in large numbers near the village every Friday. It is
not known whether they are Rohingyas, Bangladeshis or Mewatis. It is a potential
threat to the girls and women of the village.”Outfits have stated this in their
letter as well:“Rohingyas and Bangladeshis residing in Gurgaon should also be
identified and marked.Permission should not be given to read namaz in Hindu
colonies, sectors and neighbourhoods. Permission should only be given in those
places where the strength of this population is more than 50%, otherwise there
will continue to be a possibility of peace being obstructed.”thewire
Gurugram: Hindu outfits protest, demanding ban
on Friday ‘namaz’ in open spaces
Gurgaon Hindu outfits demand: Allow namaz only
in areas with over 50% Muslims
Justice KM Joseph elevation to SC: ‘Surprising
that SC judge indicates decision before Collegium meeting’
New Delhi: A day after Justice Kurian Joseph
said that the Supreme Court Collegium is likely to reiterate its recommendation
to elevate Uttarakhand Chief Justice KM Joseph after Govt ’s request for
reconsideration, a top Govt functionary
expressed “surprise” that a “possible decision” has already been taken before Collegium
meeting. Justice Kurian Joseph had said:“Collegium might have to reiterate its
recommendation furnishing facts and figures and citing precedent which have not
been put in perspective by the Govt when
it returned his name.”Collegium is scheduled to meet on Wednesday.“There is a
well-established tradition that honourable judges don’t speak their mind on
sensitive issues like judicial appointments. What’s further surprising is that
if the possible decision has already been taken even before the meeting, then
what is left to be considered? It is surprising that a senior judge and member
of collegium is indicating that the collegium might have to reiterate its
recommendations to elevate justice KM Joseph,”Govt functionary said.“This has
never happened,” said the functionary, “a member of the collegium discussing
whom to appoint and not to appoint…it is distressing.”The functionary denied
that Govt’s request to reconsider the case of Justice KM Joseph is because of
his verdict against President’s rule in Uttarakhand. “This is for two obvious
reasons. One, elections were held and a popular BJP Govt was elected in the
state.And, secondly, verdict of Justice KM Joseph was affirmed by Justice JS
Khehar who also quashed NJAC but was elevated as CJI during BJP govt.”I.E.
Govt would Have 'No Option' If Collegium
Reiterates Justice KM Joseph’s Elevation, say ex- SC Judges
New Delhi: Days after the Centre asked the
Collegium to reconsider the elevation of Justice KM Joseph to the Supreme
Court, all eyes are on CJI-headed body to see if it reiterates its Jan.10
recommendation. While Justice Kurian Joseph has hinted at a possible
reiteration by the Collegium, former Supreme Court judges said that CJI has to
take a call in consultation with other judges in reiterating the name and that
he is not “master of the Collegium” like he is the “master of the
rolls”.According to former SC judge PB Sawant, all judges have an equal say in
the Collegium and “Govt objections need
to be examined before a call is taken”.“CJI is only a member of the Collegium.
The appointment has to be approved by the Collegium and only then is it sent to
Govt . If it is not approved by the Govt and a reaction is to be sent, then the
entire Collegium meets and an opinion is sent,” Justice Sawant said. Another
former SC judge, Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, who has seen the functioning of
the Collegium from close quarters, said that “reiteration of Justice Joseph’s
name must be there as everyone expects so”, especially when the reason given by
Govt was not something which was “discovered after recommendation of the Collegium”.News18
Global tender floated for shipping firms to
revive sea route for Haj: Naqvi
Govt has floated a global tender, seeking
applications from shipping firms as part of its efforts to revive an option of
sending pilgrims for Haj by sea, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi said. Saudi Arabia had earlier given its nod to India’s plan to revive
the option of sea travel to Jeddah, over 2 decades after the practice was
stopped. We have issued a global tender. We have asked for applications from
shipping companies,” Naqvi said. The secretary and joint secretary from the
ministry will soon hold talks in Saudi with officials from its shipping
ministry and others on issues related to travel of Haj pilgrims by sea, he
said.Asked when the sea route would become operational for Haj pilgrims, he
said, “We are trying and our goal is for 2019.It will only be from Mumbai.”
Naqvi credits Modi govt for most minority
candidates cracking UPSC, Muslim forum rubbishes his claims
New Delhi:Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar
Abbas Naqvi has said the Modi govt’s policy of “development with dignity”
without any discrimination has ensured that 131 people from minority
communities, including 51 Muslims, have cracked the civil services examination
this year.Naqvi claimed that this is the first time since Independence that so
many people from minority communities have cleared UPSC exams.Out of 1,099
people selected last year, 126 candidates belonged to minority communities.These
include 52 Muslims(4.5%).“There is immense talent in minority communities,
especially Muslim youths. But previous govts did not put enough effort to
create an environment that would give them confidence,” Naqvi said. “PM Modi’s
govt has given an atmosphere to protect and promote the talent of youths from
minority communities, which has resulted in such a large number of youths from
minority communities being selected for top administrative services.”Of the
successful Muslim candidates, 26 had been coached and helped by Zakat
Foundation. Its president Zafar Mahmood, however, rubbished Naqvi’s claims. He
said, “Minister is showing himself in a poor light by saying this. UPSC does
not follow Govt’s diktat — it is a 100-% transparent organisation.” Mahmood
said,“We have been making concerted efforts for the last 10 years to ensure
that bright students from the community sit for competitive examinations. We
have also been organising orientation programmes giving them confidence.These
results are a fruition of that effort.”indian express
Record 131 candidates from minority
communities selected in civil services: Naqvi
UPSC results: ‘Want to tell society madrasas
in Kerala can contribute civil servants’
Having never had the opportunity to attend a
mainstream school, let alone college, after primary school education, T Shahid,
a former madrasa teacher from Kerala, has proved that tenacity eventually
triumphs. 28-year-old native of Thiruvallur village, in Kozhikode district, has
cracked the UPSC examination in his sixth attempt, ranked 693.Son of madrasa
teacher Abdul Rahman Musaliyar and homemaker Sulekha, Shahid said he was forced
to opt for a Muslim religious educational institution, run by an orphanage at
Kappad in Kozhikode, at age 10 given financial crisis at home.After 12 years of
religious education and leading a secluded life at the Islamic seminary, Shahid
bagged the religious ‘hasni’ degree, a course which equipped him to become a
madrasa teacher. While studying for hasni, he completed Class X and Class XII,
and finally got a degree in English — all through distance courses.“From 2010
to 2012, I worked as a madrassa teacher in Kannur for Rs 6,000,” Shahid
said.indianexpress
Nagaland: AFSPA will continue in the state,
says Rijiju
New Delhi: Minister of State for Home Kiren
Rijiju said AFSPA will continue in Nagaland as it is a “special case” and the
“peace agreement” hasn’t been finalised there yet.Nagaland is the only State in
the northeast, apart from eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh, where
ASFPA continues to be imposed by the Union Home Ministry.Nagaland, Manipur and
Assam are the only three States in the northeast that continue to be under
AFSPA. Last year, Home Ministry gave up its power and asked Assam Govt to take
a decision on continuing AFSPA in the State.Nagaland’s Deputy CM Y. Patton said
the State Govt would reiterate its
request to the Centre to revoke AFSPA.“The discussion on the Naga political
situation is on and we are expecting Govt of India to solve the problem at the
earliest. We have requested to lift AFSPA but we have been asked to wait for
some time. When the solution (Naga deal) comes, automatically AFSPA will go,”
Patton said.thenortheasttoday
AFSPA will continue in Nagaland: Rijiju
Tripura CM trying to create a new political
narrative through his 'controversial' comments: Political scientists
Guwahati:If “class-struggle” was integral to
political narratives in the previous Left-ruled Tripura, political scientists
feel state’s new CM Biplab Kumar Dey is trying to create a new political
narrative through his "controversial" comments with the rightist
shift in state’s politics.Political scientist and and head of political science
department at Gauhati University, Nanigopal Mahanta says that when Left was in
power it centered its political narratives on the “binary of
class-struggle”.“The narratives on the reductionism of class-struggle,
bourgeoisie or imperialism didn’t help the Left to retain power. On the other
hand, new CM is trying to address a particular constituency, maybe RSS through
his comments,”Mahanta observes.He says that in both the instances—when Left was
in power and now BJP at helm--- “people’s narrative” was given a miss.TOI
'Open paan shop' to 'Narada Muni' remarks:
'India didn't sign up for this', Congress slams BJP leaders
PM Narendra Modi had recently told BJP leaders to
avoid making controversial remarks as it diverts attention from the real
development work. But Tripura CM Biplab
Kumar Deb has been in the headlines for controversial reasons and this is
adversely affecting BJP's image which is embroiled in a tough battle against
Congress in Karnataka Assembly elections 2018.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani seems to have joined the bandwagon. Congress
spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury has targetted BJP for making statements which
don't do any good to people rather than cropping up irrelevant issues. In the
backdrop of Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani and Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb making controversial statements,
the Congress party on Tuesday tore into the Centre.Last week, Rupani had
equated Google with mythological character Narada Muni while Biplab Kumar Deb
suggested the youth to open a paan shop rather than running behind a Govt job.dnaindia
Narad was like Google who had all information:
Guj CM
Bhopal: Why doesn’t Govt impart skill development in pakoda making, ask
job aspirants
One of 40 'Naxals' Killed in 'Encounter' Was
Child, Say Villagers, 7 More Missing:thewire
Gattepalli: For 5 days, the residents of
Gattepalli, a tiny hamlet in Gadchiroli Maharashtra, had no idea where many of
their children had disappeared after they had gone to attend a wedding in a
nearby village on April 21. When the tragic news finally came, it was by
accident.“Oh, is that Raasu? But her cheeks look swollen in this picture. Look
at the forehead closely, she had an exceptionally broad forehead and small
eyes,”said Bisru Ataram in Madiya language as he peered – almost by chance –
into the mobile phone of a visitor, advocate Lalsu Soma Nagoti.On the evening
of April 27, Ataram accidentally saw and recognised the photo of one of the
children – it was 16-year-old Raasu Chacko Madavi. In shock, he immediately shared
the news. Photo was part of the list of 16 people who had been killed in an
encounter with the police for being suspected Naxals just a few days ago.For
Raasu’s sisters – Vanji, 20, and Jano, 18 – it was a traumatic moment as the
news sank in. It was equally distressing for other villagers who had been
waiting for some sort of official confirmation from police after they had heard
of the encounter.
Gift sword to sisters to behead love jihadis; Cow
slaughterers must be slaughtered in public: Sadhvi Saraswati in Kerala, case
filed
A case under non-bailable sections has been
registered against Sadhvi Saraswati, a Hindutva hardliner, for making divisive
comments aimed at promoting enmity and hatred between religious communities at
a gathering in Kasaragod district in the state. The case has been filed at the
Badiadka police station in the district, four days after the controversial
preacher made the remarks at a public gathering.An officer at the police
station said that the case under sections 295(a), 153 and 506 of the IPC has
been booked against the sadhvi in response to a complaint by a private
individual. He said that police has begun an investigation and is looking at
gathering evidence of the remarks that were made at a function called ‘Virat
Hindu Samajotsavam’ organised by VHP at Badiadka-Bolgatta ground. Close to
10,000 people were reported to have attended the function.In continuation of
such vitriolic statements, she went on to say that those who indulge in the
slaughter of cows must be similarly slaughtered in public. Her remarks alluded
to the consumption of beef in the state. She also added that no force can stop
the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.indianexpress
Kerala will be Islamic state in 10 yrs claims
Filmmaker Sudipto Sen
New Delhi: Kerala will turn into an Islamic
state in 10 years, said documentary filmmaker Sudipto Sen on Monday whose film
on religious conversion was opposed at JNU by a section of students. Sen's
"In Name of Love" was screened last week amid protests led by the
left-wing students union of JNU. It led to a violence between the union members
and the organisers, many of whom belonged to the right-wing RSS.His entire
movie, Sen said, was based on an interview given by former Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan
in 2010 in which he, as shown in the film, spoke about the issue of conversion.
Asked whether he was open to conversation with left-wing students who opposed
his movie's screening, he said his film was his "language" and that he
was not averse to opposition provided people watched his movie first."I
personally do not believe in 'love jihad'.Our film is based on the issue of
conversion, it is based on the statistics of 33,000 girls who were either
converted to Islam or trafficked to Middle East."IANS
Love jihad will change demography of Kerala
soon: Naveen Kumar
Dalit houses ransacked in Haryana village, 18
arrested
Yamunanagar:“It was just a case involving a
boy and a girl. What was our fault? Why were our houses ransacked?” asked
80-year-old Satpal, a Dalit,while pointing to a shattered window pane in his
house in Yamunanagar district’s Karhera village on Monday.Haryana Police on
Sunday arrested 18 youths out of 30, mostly from the Rajput community, accused
of attacking Dalit households late on Saturday evening over alleged elopement
of a girl from the upper caste community with a Scheduled Caste boy on April
24.DSP Ajay Singh Rana said that the accused were produced before a court on
Monday and sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Keeping in view the tension in
the village, heavy police force has been deployed in the village. Also on
Monday, a panchayat meeting in the village involving both communities failed to
resolve dispute.indianexpress
UP Dalit man allegedly forced to drink urine
for refusing to harvest crops
Lucknow:A Dalit man in UP’s Badaun was
allegedly beaten and forced to drink urine by ‘upper caste’ men after he
refused to harvest their wheat crop late last month and then had to wait for a
almost a week before the police registered a complaint.In his complaint to the
police on Sunday, the victim who is around 50 years old alleged that he was
tied to a tree by four ‘upper caste’ men who manhandled him after he refused to
harvest their wheat crop. He also alleged that the accused forced him to drink
their urine and pulled his moustache.The complaint was lodged at the Hazratpur
police station which had initially refused to register his complaint.On Monday,
SSP of Badaun, Ashok Kumar, ordered the suspension of inspector Hazratpur
Rajesh Kumar for dereliction of duty and ordered a departmental inquiry against
him.HT
In Rajasthan, Valentine’s Day is now
Mother-Father Puja Day
Jaipur:All over the world, Valentine’s Day may
be synonymous with a celebration of romantic love. But not in Rajasthan, and
certainly not from the next year. Education Dept has issued an order declaring
that from 2019, all govt schools will observe Feb.14 every year as Matr-Pitr
Pujan Diwas (Mother-Father Puja Day).The stated objective of the order is to
counter the growing influence of Western culture among teenagers. The event
finds a mention in Education Dept’s yearly calendar, ‘Shivira Panchang.’The
order, issued last week, stated that on this special day, parents would be
invited to the schools where their wards would honour them. They would also get
an opportunity to spend some time on the school campus and interact with
teachers.Education Minister Vasudeo Devnani had recently said in the Assembly
that the decision would promote Indian culture and inculcate a sense of love in
students for their parents. “Students should learn to love and respect their
parents first before anyone else,” he had said.Educationists have expressed
outrage over the move. “This amounts to a forcible imposition of the RSS’s
agenda under the pretext of promoting Indian culture,” said Rajiv Gupta, a
retired professor of Sociology of Rajasthan University. He said the Govt wanted to control the mindset of youngsters by
enforcing a value system opposed to democratic culture and freedom of
choice.M.I. Siddiqui of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said the teenagers studying in
schools should be free to celebrate the day as they wish. “The creation of an
artificial festival and its imposition in the State-run educational
institutions violates all norms of democratic governance,” he said.the hindu
First Muslim IAF Chief Idris Hassan Latif
passes away
Hyderabad: Ex-chief of IAF, Air Chief Marshal
Idris Hassan Latif, died here on Monday. He was 94. He breathed his last at a
private hospital, where he was admitted last week with pneumonia, family
sources said. He was the first Indian Muslim to become the head of the Indian
Air Force. He is survived by three children. His wife Bilkees Latif, a noted
social activist and writer, died in Oct. last year.Latif headed the IAF from
Sept. 1978 to Aug. 1981 and after his retirement, served as the Governor of
Maharashtra and India’s Ambassador to France. He will be buried in the old city
of Hyderabad today. IANS
Restrictions imposed in JK as separatists
protest civilian's death in encounter
Srinagar:Restrictions were imposed in parts of
Srinagar, Pulwama and Kulgam of J&K today in view of a strike call by
separatists to protest the killing of a civilian near the site of an encounter
with security forces.A police official said the curbs have been imposed in
police station areas of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Maisuma,
Kralkhud and Maharajgunj. The restrictions have been imposed as a precautionary
measure to maintain law and order, he said. Two militants, including top Hizbul
Mujahideen ultra Sameer Ahmad alias Tiger, were killed in an encounter with
security forces in Drabgam area of Pulwama District yesterday. Meanwhile, a
civilian was killed in the security forces' action against protestors near the
scene of gun battle.PTI
Congress to get clear majority in Karnataka:
Survey
Bengaluru: Pollsters have predicted a hung
assembly but C fore on Monday foretold an absolute and clear majority for the
ruling Congress, with 118 to 128 seats.As per the C fore survey, BJP will get
63 to 73 seats, with JD(S) coming in third with 29 to 36 seats. The survey data
states that the poll prediction exercise was carried out in 61 of the 224
assembly segments, with 6,247 voters being interviewed. C fore says the survey
is said to have an error margin of 2 percentage points and 95% confidence
level.The survey says Congress will make heavy inroads into Bengaluru, a BJP
bastion, by winning 17 to 19 of the 28 seats, and BJP securing only 8 to 10
seats. BJP currently has an edge, holding 13 of the 28 segments.TOI
AIIMS says he is fit, Lalu alleges conspiracy
RJD chief Lalu Prasad left AIIMS in a
wheelchair on Monday after being discharged against his wishes.AIIMS said
Prasad, who has been at the hospital since March,“has improved significantly”,
and that he is being referred back to Ranchi Medical College for treatment of
his chronic issues.“He is currently stable and is fit to travel,” the hospital
said. Prasad, however,said he was not well enough to be sent back to Ranchi.
“This is unfair; it is a conspiracy to worsen my health. I am being shifted to
a place where there are no facilities. It is a tough time, but I will face it.
My health has not improved,” he said, citing heart, kidney and blood sugar
problems.“My back hurts and I feel dizzy... I have fallen in the bathroom
several times.My blood pressure and sugar keep shooting up,” he said.RJD called
the move a “conspiracy to murder him.”thehindu
Chhattisgarh: Journalist charged with sedition
for sharing cartoon on SC verdict in Loya case
Chhattisgarh Police on Monday charged a
Bastar-based journalist with sedition for sharing a cartoon on Facebook that
allegedly made derogatory references to the judiciary and the Govt , PTI
reported.The cartoon commented on the Supreme Court’s decision to reject
petitions calling for an independent investigation into the mysterious
circumstances in which special CBI judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya.“A case has
been registered against Kamal Shukla under Section 124-A of IPC with Kotwali
police station of Kanker district on the complaint of a Rajasthan-based
person,” Superintendent of Police KL Dhurv told the news agency.scroll.in
Fresh plea in SC against polygamy, halala
through BJP leader
New Delhi: A woman, who along with her three
minor kids were thrown out of the matrimonial home after her husband
re-married, has moved the Supreme Court seeking to declare the practices of
polygamy and 'nikah halala' among Muslims as unconstitutional.Rani alias
Sabnam, in her petition filed through lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar
Upadhyay, she had married one Muzammil on Feb.8, 2010 as per Shariayat rites. Plea,
which may come up for hearing during the week before a bench headed by CJI
Dipak Misra, said that "extra-judicial talaq" amounted to cruelty and
be made an offence under section 498A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty)
of the IPC. "The instant petition raises an important issue of General
Public Interest i.e. prevalent practice of Polygamy including Nikah-Halala
which is unconstitutional and even then the same is prevailing in our country.
The said practices which certainly comes within the domain of personal law
cannot be immune from judicial review under the constitution," it said.Union
ministries of Woman and Child Welfare, Law and Minority Affairs and National
Commission for Woman have been made parties to the litigation. PTI
WORLD
Netanyahu claims: Iran pursued 'secret N
programme'
Israel's PM has accused Iran of having
secretly pursued a nuclear programme amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Unveiling
a cache of files purporting to show that Iran "brazenly lied" when it
said it did not have a nuclear programme, Benjamin Netanyahu gave a theatrical
presentation on Monday claiming to have "conclusive" evidence of the
"secret programme".His speech came against a backdrop of sustained
efforts by the Trump administration and its allies at home and in the Middle
East to cancel, or at least renegotiate, 2015 nuclear pact signed between Iran
and the US, France, Russia, Germany, China, UK and EU."You may well know
that Iran's leaders repeatedly denied ever pursuing nuclear weapons...well
tonight I'm here to tell you one thing - Iran lied, big time," Netanyahu
said.He claimed that Iran, after signing the nuclear deal, intensified its
efforts to hide files pertaining to its nuclear programme."A few weeks
ago, in a great intelligence achievement, Israel obtained half a tonne of the
material inside these vaults,"Netanyahu said before proceeding to show
"55,000 pages" and another "55,000 files on 183 CDs".Later
on Monday Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, denounced Netanyahu's address
as a stunt."The boy who can't stop crying wolf is at it again,"he
said on Twitter, referring to Netanyahu's 2012 UN General Assembly presentation
that used props to allege Iran's nuclear threat.aljazeera
Israel's Iran documents show N-deal was built
on lies:US
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says a
landmark nuclear deal with Iran was "built on lies", after Israel
claimed to have proof of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons programme.He said it
showed that the accord with Iran and 6 world powers in 2015 was based on
deception, and not goodwill.President Trump has long signalled his desire to
abandon the deal and is due to make a decision in the coming weeks.Other
Western powers say Iran has kept to the deal and it should be continued.
"The documents obtained by Israel from inside Iran show beyond any doubt
that the Iranian regime was not telling the truth," Pompeo said."We
assess that documents we have reviewed are authentic," he said, adding:"Iran
hid a vast atomic archive from the world and from IAEA -until
today."Pompeo also warned that US was now "assessing what the
discovery of Iran's secret nuclear files means for the future". Trump, who
has been vocal about his opposition to the Obama-era deal, said he had viewed
part of Netanyahu's presentation and said the situation was "not
acceptable".He said he would make a decision on whether to retain the deal
on or before 12 May.Bbc
Iran FM dismisses Israeli claims on nuclear
program
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has dismissed
claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Tehran’s pursuit of
its nuclear program as “baseless”. "President Trump is jumping on a rehash
of old allegations already dealt with by the IAEA to 'nix' the deal. How
convenient. Coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revelations by the boy
who cries wolf just days before May 12. But Trump’s impetuousness to celebrate
blew the cover," Zarif said on Twitter. worldbulletin
Iran says it can produce higher enriched
uranium if US exits nuclear deal: Reuters
Iran has the technical capability to enrich
uranium to a higher level than it could before a multinational nuclear deal was
reached to curb its nuclear program, state TV quoted the head of Iran’s Atomic
Energy Organization,Ali Akbar Salehi,as saying.He warned Trump against taking
that course.“Iran is not bluffing...Technically,we are fully prepared to enrich
uranium higher than we used to produce before the deal was reached...I hope
Trump comes to his senses and stays in deal.”
Ex-CIA chief says Netanyahu's warning on Iran
deal already published in 2007 report
Michael Hayden was head of CIA in 2007, when
the agency published a report concluding that Iran had once operated a nuclear
weapons program. He says Monday's announcement from Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu mostly echoed that decade-old report. CBSN's
Israel’s parliament authorizes Netanyahu,
Lieberman to declare war alone
Jerusalem, (PIC) The Knesset, Israel’s
parliament, has voted in favor of granting premier Benjamin Netanyahu the power
to declare war solely with the approval of his army minister Avigdor
Lieberman.The vote on Monday amended a law which previously required the whole
cabinet to vote on such a move, transferring that authority to Netanyahu and
Lieberman.The Knesset approved the amendment 62 to 41, allowing the two Israeli
leaders to declare war in "extreme situations.”The change was introduced
by Netanyahu shortly before he gave a speech on Monday in which he claimed to
have proof of Iran having secretly pursued a nuclear program.
US 'fully supports Israel's right to defend
itself': Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has refused
to criticise Israel for the killing of dozens of unarmed Palestinian protesters
during weeks of rallies on the Israel-Gaza border as he concluded his
diplomatic tour in the Middle East.After stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel,
Pompeo headed to Jordan's capital, Amman, where he held talks with Ayman
Safadi, Jordan's minister of foreign affairs, on Monday.At a press conference
after the meeting, Pompeo was asked if the US took a position on the recent
protests at Gaza-Israel border, in which nearly 50 Palestinians were killed by
Israeli fire."We believe the Israelis have the right to defend themselves,
and we're fully supportive of that," Pompeo, who was confirmed as the top
US diplomat last week, replied.While relations between Israel and the US are at
their closest in decades, the Palestinian leadership has boycotted the White
House since President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel in Dec.aljazeera
38 Israel police stations in illegal West Bank
settlements, report finds
There are dozens of Israeli police stations
located in the occupied West Bank in settlements considered illegal by the
international community, including some built on privately-owned Palestinian
land, a new report has found.The report, “Cops and Robbers: Distribution of
Israel Police stations throughout the West Bank”, is the work of Kerem Navot,
an anti-occupation Israeli civil society organisation.Giving some background,
Kerem Navot explain that just one week after Israel’s military occupation had
begun in June 1967, the Israeli army signed an order “allowing Israel Police to
operate in the West Bank, despite the fact that it was not part of the
sovereign territory of the State of Israel.”middleeastmonitor
Ex-Egypt official: Israel did asked for land
swap for peace with Palestinians
Ex-Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit
has for the first time confirmed that Israel has on numerous times requested
land swaps in an effort to resolve Palestine-Israel conflict, Arabi21
reported.Aboul-Gheit, who is currently the secretary of Arab League, revealed
he witnessed the land swap request that was repeated four times. He did not say
who else requested the land swap.“There were some illusions between 2003 and
2006,” he said, while giving a speech for the Egyptian army marking the
liberation of Sinai. “I was a witness to these requests when I was a foreign
minister.They said: Let’s exchange lands with you.”MEMO
Netanyahu spreads fake news to incite against
Palestinian citizens
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused
of spreading “fake news” in order to incite against Palestinian citizens, after
the premier shared a widely-debunked story on Facebook. According to Times of
Israel, Netanyahu posted to his Facebook page a news story from a right-wing
news site, which claimed fans of Bnei Sakhnin “whistled and booed” during a
minute silence held before a league match Saturday in memory of ten teenagers
killed in a hiking accident.“An utter disgrace,” Netanyahu wrote yesterday
along with a link to the article. “I expect that all public leaders, Jews and
non-Jews, to forcefully condemn this embarrassing behaviour.”MEMO
Hamas:PNC meet ‘blatantly violates unity of
our people’
Holding Palestine National Council meeting
“does not convey unity in a practical way”, the head of Hamas’ political
bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said.PNC, he continued, “does not reflect the nation as
a whole, but rather blatantly violates the unity of our people and the
legitimacy of the organisation and questions its ability to represent our
people.”In a speech delivered today, Haniyeh said that “what [Palestinian
Authority President] Abu Mazen is doing confirms the exclusion of the active
forces in the Palestinian arena.” He pointed out that most of the active
Palestinian forces and factions boycotted this council, hence reflecting the
division.“The real aim behind holding the conference reflects the poor plots
which are made and that our people have rejected,” Haniyeh
added.middleeastmonitor
Syria announces Yarmouk camp evacuation
agreement
Syrian Govt has reached an evacuation deal with fighters
from Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to leave Yarmouk refugee camp in southern
Damascus.Official SANA news agency announced on Monday that the fighters and
their families, numbering about 5,000, would be evacuated in two stages, the
first of which would see 1,500 people transported to the rebel-controlled Idlib
province in northwestern Syria.The deal is part of a wider agreement between
HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and President
Bashar al-Assad's govt to surrender heavy and medium military hardware.aljazeera
Syria regime bombards Homs destroying only
hospital
Syrian regime has stepped up its assault on
opposition groups in northern Homs province after negotiations failed on
Saturday. A barrage of missiles are reported to have fallen on the numerous
towns and villages across the countryside over the weekend, including
Al-Zafaraneh, Talbissah and Al-Adawiyya, leaving at least two people dead,
including one child, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.White
Helmets civil rescue unit also reported that more than 200 rockets fell on the
town of Rastan in less than one hour, killing a woman and her child as well as
injuring some 25 others.Videos from the ground show multiple airstrikes on a
village on the outskirts of Talbissah with smoke issuing from the ruins of the
destroyed buildings.MEMO
‘US won’t withdraw from Syria unless peace
achieved’
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday the
US will not withdraw its forces from Syria unless peace is fully achieved
throughout the country.“We do not want to simply pull out before the diplomats
have won the peace, so you win the fight and then you win the peace,” Mattis
told reporters at Pentagon.Asked whether there has been any progress in
assembling some sort of ground force for Syria that would provide stability
after the US withdraws, he noted that he would meet with UN Special Envoy for Syria
Staffan de Mistura and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and said the US is
working with other countries in the region in this regard.Describing the Syrian
crisis as “the most complex security issue” in his four decades of Govt service, Mattis said they are battling Daesh
while attempting to revive the Geneva peace talks to end the civil war.MEMO
Muslim Brotherhood, 1,529 defendants placed on terror list for 5 more yrs:Egypt
Today
CAIRO: The Cairo Criminal Court has reordered
placing the Muslim Brotherhood organization and 1,529 defendants, including
retired footballer Mohamed Aboutrika, on the terror list for another 5 years,
the official state Gazette reported on Monday. The list contained MB leaders,
including former president Mohamed Morsi, his son Osama and his daughter
Shaimaa. The list also included the group’s leader, Mohamed Badie, Khairat
al-Shater and former Parliament Speaker Saad Al-Katatni.Also placed on the list
are former Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Bassem Ouda; businessman
Hassan Malek;MB-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party spokesman Hamza Zawbaa;
former presidential adviser Essam al-Erian; Mohamed Al-Beltagi; and Yusuf
Al-Qaradawi, head of the Doha-based International Union of Muslim Scholars. The
list also included Wasat Party Chairman Abul-Ela Mady and his deputy, Essam
Sultan. egypttoday
Jewish candidate runs for Tunisia's Islamist Ennahdha
party's: 'My family were against it'
A Jewish contender is making history in
Tunisia by running for an Islamist party in the country’s first municipal
elections since the ousting of the former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben
Ali.Simon Slama said that if he were to win for the Ennahdha Party on May 6, he
would swear on the Koran as well as the Jewish holy book, Torah.54-year-old
sewing machine salesman told AFP that his decision to stand for office in
Monastir was opposed by his family."All my family were against my choice.
My brother was angry and my wife went days without speaking to me. But I managed
to convince them," Slama said.The Jewish community in the country numbers
only about 1,200, down from several hundred thousands before it became
independent in 1956. Slama said he hoped his candidacy will help “remove fears
for Jewish Tunisian citizens” in the predominantly Muslim country and chose the
party because it was the most active and most serious on the political scene.
"Ennahdha has changed its strategy. It is no longer a religious party, it
is a civil party," he says. Since then it has modernized its image and
fought and won a campaign not to criminalize normalizing ties with Israel. It
also has women in the party who do not wear the Islamic veil.Rene Trabelsi, who
organizes the Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, on the island of
Djerba told the AFP: "This candidacy brings pride for the Jewish
community. "It has created a positive image of an open Tunisia that we can
all share," he added.newsweek
Trump declines to apologise for Muslim ban
call
US President Donald Trump has declined to
apologise for his campaign-era proposal to ban all Muslims from the America,
saying "there's nothing to apologise for", media reported. "There's
no reason to apologize," Trump said on Monday during a joint news
conference alongside Nigerian President when asked if he would apologise for
his call during 2016 presidential campaign for a "total and complete
shutdown of Muslims entering US."There's nothing to apologize for. We have
to have strong immigration laws to protect our country."
Pakistan-origin Sajid Javid becomes new UK
home secretary after immigration row
London:Sajid Javid, whose parents migrated
from Pakistan to Britain, was on Monday appointed UK home secretary after Amber
Rudd resigned following bruising headlines on immigration and her lack of
awareness of Home Office activities.Javid, 48, is the first member of an ethnic
minority to hold the keyoffice of home secretary.Rudd was the fifth cabinet
minister to resign after PM Theresa May
formed her minority Govt following the
2017 general elections. One of them was Priti Patel, who left following her
unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials while on a holiday.Javid is a
former banker whose father was a bus driver. His rise in politics is often
hailed as an example of Britain’s multiculturalism.HT
Hafiz Saeed’s political outfit holds
convention at Nankana Sahib
AMRITSAR: Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak
Committee (PSGPC) has openly come in support of Milli Muslim League (MML), a
political front of Hafiz Saeed. PSGPC general secretary Gopal Singh Chawla not
only extended support to MML but also held party’s convention at Nankana Sahib,
birthplace of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev, on Saturday.Sources in the
intelligence said Chawla played a key role in organising an MML convention at
Nankana Sahib, which was attended by Hafiz Saeed and MML president Saifullah
Khalid. Sources added that the convention was primarily held to garner support
of Sikhs in Pakistan for the ensuing general elections in the country.“We have
reports that Gopal, Saeed and Saifulla spewed venom against India and tried to stir
up emotions on the name of Kashmir and Khalistan,” said sources.Sources added
that Chawla not only extended warm welcome to the outfit’s leaders but also
assured them support of the Sikh community to their candidates. Chawla’s close
relation with the terror mastermind is not hidden as in the past also he had
posted his pictures with Saeed on his social media account.The convention at
Nankana Sahib happened a couple of days after Abdul Rehman Makki,
brother-in-law of Saeed, reportedly used objectionable language against Guru
Nanak during a rally held at Multan. None of the PSGPC leaders had condemned
Makki’s objectionable uttering against the Sikh guru. timesofindia
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Incomparable data sets, cherry-picking,
dubious statistical analysis are behind claims of robust employment growth:Mahesh
Vyas
May Day: Justice denied as less than 2% of
workers get assured pension :BHARAT DOGRA
SC and Making of ‘Love Jihad’ Case:SATYA
PRASOON & ASHIWINI TALLUR
Kathua rape: BCI’s clean chit to Jammu Bar
worrying; CBI probe could go the same way:Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 2:38 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment