NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
16 May 2018:28 Shaban 1439: Vol:10, No:22
INDIA
Live | Congress, JD(S)
submit list of 117 MLAs to Governor; 'Governor refuses parade of MLAs'
JDU(S)-Congress
combine and the BJP have submitted the list of MLAs supporting them. JD(S) and BJP
have also completed the process of electing the leaders of their respective
Legislature Parties.The day has also seen the JD(S) accusing the BJP of
indulging in horse-trading, which latter dismissed as imagination. Members of
the Congress and JD(S) met the Governor at around 5 pm.KPCC President G.
Parameshwara, who met the Governor along with JD(S) chief H. D. Kumaraswamy,
said letters with signature of 117 MLAs were submitted to the Governor. .All
eyes are now on the Governor Vajubhai Vala, an old BJP hand. According to
Indian Express, all the 78 MLAs of the Congress and 37 MLAs of JD(S) along with
Kumaraswamy have reached Raj Bhavan. Meeting with Governor Vajubhai Vala ends.
Congress MLAs have given to the governor in writing about their support to
JD(S). However, reports said governor has refused to accept the parading of
MLAs by the two parties. Governor has given us the assurance that he will take
the decision based on the constitution, says Kumaraswamy after meeting with
Vajubhai Vala.JD(S) leader says party MLAs are safe.the hindu/ indian express
JD (S) accuses BJP of horse-trading, says MLAs being offered Rs 100 cr
HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S)'s legislative party
leader in the Karnataka assembly, claims the BJPoffered some of his lawmakers
cabinet posts and Rs 100 crore to defect.BJP has been appoaching
"several" MLAs since Tuesday evening, he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Kumaraswamy asked where the money came from. "I appeal to [PM ] Modi and
even question [the] President of India whether they are promoting horse
trading? Let [BJP chief] Amit Shah also answer," ex CM said earlier at a
press conference.In the interregnum occasioned by Saturday's hung mandate,both JD(S)
(supported by Congress), and PM Narendra Modi's BJP -- which emerged as the
single largest party -- have made competing claims to power.BJP's legislative
party leader, BS Yeddyurappa, said Governor Vajubhai Vala told him he'd take an
"appropriate" decision "as early as possible". Like
Kumaraswamy, Yeddyurappa is an ex Karnataka CM .Kumaraswamy said it was a sign
of BJP's "frustration" that it was "openly" saying it
wouldn't allow his post-poll alliance to come to power."Without the
numbers, how can they [BJP] form Govt?" he asked.Earlier, Union minister
Prakash Javadekar said many MLAs were unhappy with the Congress- JD (S)
alliance.indiatoday
MLAs missing from JD(S)-Congress camp? False
news, says ex minister
As the drama continues to unfold in Karnataka
a day after the electorate delivered a split verdict, reports of MLAs going
missing from JD(S) and Congress camps have been dismissed as rumours by leaders
from both sides. “We are all together. All this is false news. In fact, there
are 6 BJP people who are in touch with us,” ex-Congress minister MB Patil said.With
JD(S) and Congress coming together to deny BJP a shot at forming Govt in
Karnataka, 2 parties are wary of their MLAs being poached.2 JD(S) MLAs are
reported to be missing from the party legislative party meeting which is underway
at a hotel in Bengaluru. MLAs have been identified by ANI as Raja Venkatappa
Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda. There are also unconfirmed reports that
around three Congress MLAs are incommunicado.Efforts by party leadership to
contact the legislators were in vain, according to NDTV report.indianexpress
Karnataka: Congress to move SC if Governor
invites BJP to form govt
Congress has said that it will move court if Karnataka
Governor gives BJP an opportunity to form the govnt in the state.Senior lawyer
and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “We hope Governor will take the
correct decision according to Constitution. If Congress-JD(S) combine is not
called, it will be illegal. We hope politics will not trump legality and
morality. If it does, we have no option but to move court,” he said.financialexpress
Drama after mismatch in vote counts in EVM, VVPAT
in a seat, EC finally declares BJP’s Shettar winner
Election Commission on Tuesday said that there
was a mismatch between actual votes cast and actual votes reflected on the EVMs
in this Hubli-Dharwad Central, forcing the poll body to withdraw the result
temporarily.BJP’s Jagdish Shettar was being shown leading by more than 20,000
votes when he was announced as the winner.However, following the mismatch in
the EVM count and paper trail, EC had temporarily withdrawn the result. It
reportedly showed 207 votes more than the actual number. A statement by EC
said, “If there is difference between EVM count and paper slip count, paper
slip count prevails. Winning margin in Hubli Dharwad seat is more than 20000
and VVPAT slips counted in polling station no 135 A is only 459. Hence, in
accordance with the rule 56 D(b), returning officer has announced the result
after proper and complete verification and counting of the voter slips and
declared Jagadish Shettar as the winner.”The news of the mismatch in EVM count
and the number reflected on VVPAT machine dominated the social media
conversation with many casting doubts on the reliability of EVM.jantakareporter
Congress alleges EVM rigging after Karnataka
verdict, Oppn pushes for return to ballot voting
New Delhi: Congress has decided to escalate
its demand for restoration of ballot paper-based voting in future elections in
the wake of allegations of tampering of EVMs. Congress alleged that in
Karnataka, too, electoral process was rigged.“Every survey showed Siddaramaiah
as Karnataka’s first choice but that did not get reflected in the results. People
voted for one party but the votes went to another. Every political party should
contemplate where the country is headed,” Congress general secretary Mohan
Prakash said. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also challenged the BJP to hold
elections through ballot papers to clear doubts over the use of EVMs. “If you
(BJP) trust yourself, hold elections through ballot papers once,” he said in
Mumbai after the Karnataka results. “When so many people are asking for it, it
will clear apprehensions once and for all.”MNS chief Raj Thackeray agreed with
his cousin. “This is a victory for the EVM,” he tweeted.A Congress strategist,
who refused to be identified, said the party would try to bring all the
opposition parties on board and make the move to return to ballot papers a
national campaign.“We have been raising this issue but will take it forward
vociferously now,” he said.HT
It’s official: For patriotism, MP school
students will now answer roll call with ‘Jai Hind’
Bhopal:BJP Govt in MP has issued a circular
making it compulsory for school children to answer roll call with ‘Jai Hind’.
The move comes more than 5 months after the Govt made this decision, in a bid to instil
patriotism in children. The Govt has
already instructed schools to hoist the Tricolour and sing the national anthem
daily in schools.“Different words are used to mark the attendance. To instil
patriotism among students it has been decided by the Govt that ‘Jai Hind’ should be used while marking
attendance in school,” the circular issued on Tuesday read.School Education
Minister Vijay Shah had first made an announcement to this effect while
addressing NCC cadets from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on the occasion of
NCC Day at Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal.The present practice of saying “yes sir,
yes madam” does not foster patriotism, the minister had said on the occasion
while announcing that the patriotic slogan will be made compulsory in all 1.22
lakh Govt schools and advisory will be
issued to private schools. In September, he had announced that the slogan will
be used on an experimental basis in Govt schools in Satna from Oct.1.indianexpress
Govt declares conditional ceasefire in J&K
during Ramzan
Union govt today declared a conditional
ceasefire in J&K during the holy month of Ramzan.It is important to isolate
the forces that bring a bad name to Islam by resorting to mindless violence and
terror, says Centre.Govt expects everyone to cooperate in this initiative and
help the Muslim brothers and sisters to observe Ramzan peacefully and without
any difficulties, the statement added.Centre has asked the security forces to
not launch operations in the region during the next thirty days.However,
security forces reserve right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to
protect the lives of innocent people, it said. J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has been
informed about the decision, MHA said.Mufti welcomed the Centre's decision and
said that the decision will help in "creating a peaceful and amicable
environment for a sustainable dialogue".Earlier this month, CM had urged
the Centre to consider a unilateral ceasefire in J&K starting from Ramzan
in mid May till the completion of Amarnath yatra in Aug.TOI
Kathua rape-murder: Hindu outfit seeks
donation to engage counsel for accused
Jammu:Hindu Ekta Manch has sought donations
from public to engage counsels on behalf of the accused in seeking CBI inquiry
into the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua district of J&K in Jan.When contacted, Manch president Vijay
Sharma said a decision to make public appeal for donations was taken at a
meeting of the organisation. However, it has not evoked much response so far,
he said, adding that they would have to personally contact their friends and
well wishers to raise funds.“We have to mobilise enough resources so that the
best legal team is mobilised to successfully plead the case before the Supreme
Court. We appeal to everybody to come forward and donate generously so that a
corpus of fund is created to meet the legal expenses,’’ according to a message
posted by the outfit on social media.indianexpress
Sack Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh for
anti-Army remarks: Jammu traders’ body to PM Modi
Jammu:Adding to the woes of J&K Assembly Speaker Dr Nirmal Singh, Jammu
Chamber of Commerce and Industry — a frontal organisation of traders and
industrialists — here on Tuesday asked PM Narendra Modi to “sack him immediately’’ for
his utterances against the Indian Army.Expressing shock and anguish over the
recent statement of Singh accusing Indian Army of harassing people, a written
communiqué sent by Chamber general secretary Manish Gupta to PM said, “irresponsible utterances’’ by a person
“holding second highest constitutional post in the state’’ against the
credentials of the Indian Army was “not in national interest’’.indianexpress
J&K: Little Maryam Lost Her Mother in
Firing, Now Father Arrested for Stone-Pelting
Srinagar: J&K Police has arrested the
father of 7 month old girl, Maryam, whose mother was killed during an encounter
between militants and security forces in North Kashmir last Dec,on charges of
stone-pelting.Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, a resident of Chowgal in Handwara, has been
arrested on stone-pelting charges, officials said, “He has been filmed leading
stone throwers during 2 protests in Handwara. He was called for questioning and
arrested later,” reports said.Wani's wife, Misra Bano, was killed in Unisoo
village on Dec.11 when forces had laid siege of the area following inputs about
the presence of militants there. Wani then said his wife was shot by security
forces after ordering them to come out of their home on the night of
encounter.“His (Maryam's father's) arrest goes against all the norms of
humanity. Only 5 months ago, her mother was snatched from her. Now she has been
separated from her father also. How can an infant live without her parents,”
one of her relatives said.thecitizen
Separatists plan protests against PM Modi’s
J&K visit
Srinagar : Separatists leaders Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, under the banner of Joint
Resistance Leadership (JRL), will march to Lal Chowk in Srinagar to protest
against PM Narendra Modi’s impending
visit to the state on May 19. JRL has also called for a shutdown on May 21.The
decision to call for the protest march was taken after a meeting of the three
top separatist leaders at Geelani’s Hyderpora residence on Tuesday.Separatist leaders
claimed Govt has turned Kashmir Valley, especially the four districts of south
Kashmir including Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag, into a
battlefield.“(But) he (Modi) would try to give an impression to the outside
world, as well as the people of India, that people in Kashmir are living
happily with India… The fact on ground is that Kashmir is like hell,”JRL
said.indianexpress
All sides to Ayodhya dispute must observe
restraint, Hindu side not observing this, Dhavan to SC, also seeks to refer
case to larger bench
New Delhi:All sides must observe restraint in
expressing their views in the sub-judice Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute
and the Hindu side was not observing this, the Supreme Court was told today. A
special bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra, which is seized of a total of 14
appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in 4 civil suits
pertaining to Ayodhya title dispute, was told by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan
that Hindu side has not been observing restraint and also not refraining from
inciting the public on the sensitive issue."It is extremely important that
people should restrain themselves, especially the Hindu side. So far as Hindu
side is concerned, it has not observed restraint," Dhavan, appearing for M
Siddiq who has died but is being represented through his legal heir, said. Some
leaders said they would go to Parliament to ensure construction of a Ram
Temple, which was "contemptous and amounted to pre-judging and
pressurising the court", Dhavan told the bench,which also included
Justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer.He then assailed certain findings of the
1994 verdict in the case of M Ismail Faruqui, holding that a mosque was not
integral to the prayers offered by the followers of Islam, and said these have
been referred to and relied upon by Allahabad HC in its judgement in Ayodhya
title dispute. Referring to a 7-judge bench judgement of 1954 on the integral
and essential practices of a religion, the senior lawyer said the 1994 verdict
was "founded on a confusion regarding the application of the essential
and/or integral test which needs to be resolved as a matter of constitutional
significance.It is submitted that these issues need to go to a larger bench of
5 or 7 Judges. Ex-Attorney General K Parasaran, appearing for Ram Lalla
Virajman, opposed Dhavan's plea and said his client (Siddiq) was a party to the
litigation in the courts below and hence, cannot seek reference of the case to
a larger bench.At the outset, Dhavan said there were issues which were to be
decided by the larger bench."Is a mosque and prayer in it a part of the
essential practice of the Muslim faith," he asked."Is it consistent
with Indian secularism to evaluate the comparative significance of religious practices
of different faiths to the detriment of another," Dhavan said, adding it
was a key question needed to be answered."Once Babri Masjid suit existing
at the time of the Ismail Faruqui judgement stood fully revived, could it be
said that the issues in it stood limited by observations in Ismail Faruqui
case," he asked. Referring to the status quo at the site, he also asked
"could it be said that the issue of Muslim ownership of the graveyard and
other claims was rendered not adjudicatable". He said on one hand, it has
been observed that mosques are not integral to practice of Islam, while on the
other, the present Haryana CM says that Muslims should offer 'namaz' in mosques
and not on roads. India has the third largest Muslim population in the world
and we are telling them that the mosques are not integral to Islam, he
pondered.The court posted the matter for further hearing on May 17 when
Parasaran would advance arguments on the issue whether Ayodhya case be referred
to a larger bench.PTI
Refer Ayodhya case to larger bench: Muslim
bodies to SC
Gurgaon Villagers form 'khap panchayat', call
for boycott of all who oppose namaz in the open
Gurgaon: People from a number of villages in
the district have formed a "Sarva Khap Panchayat" and called for a
"boycott" of those who object to the offering of namaz in the open.
Group was formed in the wake of Hindu outfits disrupting offering of namaz at
public spots in Gurgaon recently.
Members of the khap panchayat have called for "boycott of forces
responsible for communal flare-ups" in the city.They have also called a
"mahapanchayat" in Jharsa village on May 27 to identify those
disturbing peace. "We have called a mahapanchayat to identify those
responsible for communal tension in the district and boycott them," said Mahendera
Singh Thakran, the president of the Sarva Khap Panchayat. Thakran said preventing people of a
particular community from offering prayers cannot be justified. "There are
other ways to register objection after consultation with the administration and
the police," he said. "The way the members of Hindu organisations are
forcibly stopping namaz and shouting slogans is actually disturbing,"
Thakran added. Hindutva outfits that went around shouting slogans like 'Jai
Shri Ram' and 'Banglasdeshi wapas jao' allegedly disrupted namaz congregations
at several places in Gurugram earlier in May.timesnownews
Villagers in Gurgaon form 'khap panchayat' to
boycott those objecting to namaz at public spots
Varanasi: 18 dead and dozens injured as
under-construction flyover collapses
At least 18 persons were killed when a section
of an under-construction flyover collapsed in Varanasi, the parliamentary
constituency of PM Narendra Modi, an official said on Tuesday.2 dozen persons
were injured in the tragedy near the Cantonment railway station here. Flyover was
being constructed by the UP State Bridge
Corporation.Many cars were buried under the collapsed structure, district
officials said, adding that the death toll could go up once the debris was
cleared.Most of the trapped persons are reportedly labourers, who were working
at the site.nationalheraldindia
Delhi's Madanpur Khadar fire: Over 50
families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims from Assam, say lost everything as
blaze guts slum
New Delhi: A fire in a slum in Madanpur Khadar
razed 58 houses to the ground late Monday night. Cause of the blaze, which
started a little before 1 am, has not been ascertained so far. While no
casualties were reported, there has been extensive loss of property and cash.
Rulina Khatoun (40), a resident of the slum, said, “We were asleep at the time…
The moment we realised what was happening, we rushed out and left many
important things behind, like our mobile phones. Within an hour, everything was
destroyed.”Mahmood, the ADO of the Delhi Fire Services, said the fire
department received a call from the Police Control Room at 12.55 am. He said
seven fire tenders were sent, and the situation was brought under control by
around 3 am.Most residents of the burnt settlement are Bengali-speaking Muslims
from Assam who had been living here for the last seven years. The shanties they
had built were made of tin and bamboo.While the men work as waste-pickers in
different parts of the city, the women segregate the collected waste at home.
Most families made sure they saved the wooden carts they use to collect and
carry waste, though four carts were lost in the fire.Another major source of
income that was lost are chickens, which most families rear to sell in the
market. According to Hamida Begum (34), each family owned 100-200 chickens,
almost all of which died in the fire. According to Rakip Sheikh (16), almost
half of the residents were not present at the site when the fire broke out as
they had gone to Assam to sort out issues regarding National Register of
Citizens. With their homes locked, they lost everything they had left
behind.Residents said they are currently living in a tent they have made with bamboo
and cloth, and that no aid has come their way so far.indianexpress
Sohrabuddin ‘fake encounter’: Constable
declared hostile, says didn’t give statement to CBI; so far 58 witnesses turned
hostile
Mumbai:A police constable from Rajasthan on
Tuesday denied that CBI had taken his statement in the alleged fake encounter
cases of Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati. The constable, a prosecution
witness, was declared hostile after over an hour of his deposition.According to
CBI, in 2006, the constable was posted in Surajpole police station in Udaipur,
which had the jurisdiction of Udaipur central jail. CBI claims that on Nov.11,
2006, the constable was told by his senior at the police station that the then
Superintendent of Police, Udaipur, Dinesh MN, had ordered for a police escort
team to be sent to Ahmedabad along with two prisoners.Witness on Tuesday
accepted that his senior, circle inspector Himmat Singh, had told him that he
was to join him as part of an escort team to take 2 prisoners – Mohammed Azam
and Prajapati – to Ahmedabad but denied being told that it was on the direction
of Dinesh MN. Dinesh MN, who was named as an accused in the case, was
discharged in Aug.2017.An appeal against his discharge is pending before Bombay
HC. So far, 85 prosecution witnesses have deposed of which 58 have turned
hostile.indianexpress
Saharanpur Cops: Bheem Army district chief’s
brother killed in accidental firing
Noida: 5 days after the death of Bheem Army’s
Saharanpur district president Kamal Walia’s brother, which sparked tension
between the Dalits and Thakurs in the western UP district, the police on Tuesday said the youth
had died in an “accidental firing” and there was no caste angle to it.Sachin
Walia (24) had been allegedly shot dead on May 9 in Ramhagar area of Saharanpur
– exactly a year after the district witnessed violent clashes between the 2
groups, which resulted in a death and left at least a dozen
injured.indianexpress
National NGO Network Opposes Ex-NIA Chief's
Proposed Appointment as NHRC Member
With media reports suggesting that former
director general of NIA Sharad Kumar may be appointed member of NHRC, All India
Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights
Institutions (AiNNI) has submitted a memorandum to President Ramnath Kovind
expressing “serious concerns” about the move. Memorandum states that
“appointment of Kumar at a juncture when most of the cases handled by the NHRC
are against police and security agencies sends a wrong message to the people of
India.”thewire
Indian Minister in Pyongyang as N. Korea Slams
US Again
New Delhi: In the highest level ministerial
visit from New Delhi in two decades, Indian minister of state for external
affairs V.K. Singh is currently in Pyongyang to hold talks with the North
Korean leadership.Even as Indian minister is in Pyongyang, the much-hyped North
Korea-US summit seems to be in danger, with a senior North Korean official
stating on Wednesday morning that it has no interest in a meeting if it is
based on “one-sided” demands to give up its nuclear weapons programme. Singh’s
trip is the first visit by a minister from Indian Ministry of External Affairs
to visit North Korea in over four decades and first minister since 1998.Sources
confirmed to The Wire that the minister of state travelled from China and
arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday. He will hold talks with North Korean
counterparts today. It is not yet clear if he will call on North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un.thewire
Does V. K. Singh’s visit to North Korea mean
India is okay with its nuclear links with Pakistan?
Ramadan 1st day in Saudi, GCC
states, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia tomorrow; India, Pak, Bangladesh to sight
moon today
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia and UAE Moon
Sighting Committee on Tuesday said the new moon has not been sighted. Hence
Wednesday will be the 30th Shaban and the first day of Ramadan will be on
Thursday. Royal Court of Saudi Arabia made the announcemt after a special
meeting held to judge the moon sighting reports,if any, coming from the Kingdom
today i.e. Tuesday corresponding to 29th Shaban of Islamic Calendar.Various
moon sighting committees in UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Palestine, Muscat
and other Arab states also conducted meetings of moon sighting committees to
decide the commencement of Ramadan and declare Thursday as the first day of
Ramadan.Elsewhere in the world, authorities in Malaysia and Australia announced
that first day of Ramadan in the two countries will be Thursday. In India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries, the new moon of the month
of Ramadan, will be sighted on Wednesday in the region. If the new moon is
sighted then the Holy month of fasting will begin on Thursday. In case the new
moon is not sighted then Ramadan in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South
Asian countries will begin on Friday.ummid.com
WORLD
Protesters march in major cities across the
world to commemorate the Nakba
Demonstrations have taken place in cities
around the world in commemoration of the Nakba, or catastrophe, the day Israel
was formally recognised as a state on May 15, 1948. Tuesday's protests
coincided with the killing of more than 60 Palestinians on Monday by Israel's
security forces as they gathered near the Israel Gaza border.Palestinians in
the enclave had been protesting for several weeks, demanding that Palestinian
refugees be granted the right to return to their ancestral lands.About 70 % of
Gaza's population, estimated at two million, are either refugees or descendants
of refugees. Palestinians in Lebanon - which hosts a sizeable population of
refugees - gathered in the thousands at Shkeef Fortress in the country's south
to mark the 70th anniversary of the event that saw hundreds of thousands of
their ancestors kicked out of their native homeland. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of
Cape Town and Johannesburg on Tuesday to denounce Israel's use of violence
against unarmed protesters in Gaza. Students and activists gathered in a
university campus on Tuesday in New Delhi to commemorate Nakba.The mood was
sombre as a few young men and women spoke in an open courtyard at JNU, with
Free Palestine posters and the Palestinian flag as a backdrop."UN is a
puppet now, it's toothless. These people are struggling for 70 years without
results. US and Israel are playing with bodies like UN. It's a disgrace,"
Rizwan Ahmed said. Maphaz Ahmed Yousef, a Palestinian who lives in New Delhi,said
she is "hopeful". "Palestine will never lose hope in India
because our shared history cannot be damaged by a Govt. The solidarity of
Indians for Palestine means a lot. Govt s will come and go, but our history
cannot be erased,"Yousef said. Solidarity rallies around the world will
pressure Govt s to limit ties with Israel.aljazeera
Guatemala president opens embassy in Jerusalem
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales this
morning inaugurated his country’s embassy in occupied Jerusalem, two days after
the US relocated its mission from Tel Aviv. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
joined Morales to cut a blue and white ribbon at the site of the new embassy.middleeastmonitor
Chief Rabbi of Neturei Karta: ‘If you want to
help Jewish people … withdraw your ambassador’
Anti-Zionist Neturei Karta organization has
delivered a message of support and solidarity to Palestine as well as one of
criticism and condemnation to Israel over its treatment of Palestinian
civilians.In a meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, Elahanan Beck, chief
rabbi of Neturei Karta, said “we have to realize and understand – helping the
state of Israel is not in the favor of Jewish people”. “Zionists say they want
to make a safe haven for Jewish people, they want to help Jews… but this is
untrue. The most dangerous place today for Jewish people – not to speak for
Palestinians, but even for Jews – is in the state of Israel,” Beck said.MEMO
UN Spl Rapporteur: Israel’s actions against
Palestinians amount to ‘war crime’
Professor Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on
the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967,
condemned Israel’s excessive use of force towards largely unarmed demonstrators
at the Gaza fence on Monday, which has left 61 Palestinians dead, and almost
2,800 wounded. He expressed grave fears this figure could rise sharply in
coming days unless Israeli authorities uphold their obligations under
international human rights law and international humanitarian law.“This blatant
excessive use of force by Israel – an eye for an eyelash – must end, and there
must be true accountability for those in military and political command who
have ordered or allowed this force to be once again employed at the Gaza
fence,” he said.middleeastmonitor
Turkey expels Israel’s consul in Istanbul over
Gaza
Turkey asked Israel's consul-general in
Istanbul, Yossi Levi Safri, to leave the country on Tuesday night following
Israel’s Monday massacre against Palestinian marchers on the Gaza border.The
move is a further volley in a round of diplomat expulsions that has seen many
countries kick out Israel’s ambassadors as relations soured over brutal
killings by the Israeli military on the Gaza Strip border.An increasingly
acerbic war of words has flared between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu after dozens of
Palestinians were killed during confrontations with Israeli forces on Gaza
border. Earlier, Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Israel and the US for
consultations on the situation.PIC
Extraordinary summit of OIC on Palestine on
Friday
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will
hold an extraordinary summit in Istanbul on Friday to discuss “the latest
serious developments in the State of Palestine.”The organization, which
comprises 57 member nations, said in a statement that the summit will be held
at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the chairman of
the 13th session of the Islamic Summit Conference.MEMO
Ex-CIA director: Trump, Netanyahu responsible
for Gaza massacre
A former director of CIA held US President
Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu responsible Israels massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, Monday.John
Brennan, who was the head of the CIA between March 2013 and January 2017,
tweeted that “Deaths in Gaza result of utter disregard of Messers Trump &
Netanyahu for Palestinian rights & homeland.”He went on to critique moving
the US embassy to Jerusalem and explain that the president has “Destroyed” the
US’ role as “peacemaker”.middleeastmonitor
8-month-old baby Laila becomes the face of
Gaza carnage
Laila Anwar al-Ghandour, an 8-month-old baby
girl, died of tear-gas inhalation at dawn, Gaza's Ministry of Health says,
highlighting international outrage over the killings by Israeli soldiers of 60
Palestinians who joined in a massive protest against the opening of the US
embassy in Jerusalem.Laila was the youngest fatality of the demonstrations on
Monday, which were held in the run up to 70th anniversary on Tuesday of the
Nakba, or Catastrophe, day the state of Israel was established on May 15, 1948,
forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes.aljazeera
Gaza's Hospital 'on brink of collapse' as
injuries mount
NKorea suspends talks with South, threatens to
cancel US summit
North Korea said it was suspending high-level
talks with South Korea scheduled for Wednesday because of US-South Korean
military exercises, which it said threatened warming ties on the divided
peninsula.North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also cast
doubt on whether next month's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
and US President Donald Trump would go ahead as planned, South Korea's Yonhap
news agency reported."This exercise, targeting us, which is being carried
out across South Korea, is a flagrant challenge to the Panmunjom Declaration
and an intentional military provocation running counter to the positive political
development on the Korean Peninsula," Yonhap quoted KCNA as
saying."US will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the
fate of the planned North Korea-U.S. summit in light of this provocative
military ruckus jointly conducted with the South Korean
authorities."aljazeera
Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim released after getting
full pardon
Malaysia's former Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim has
been released from prison after receiving a full pardon from the king on
Wednesday.Speaking after being freed following the royal pardon, he thanked the
Malaysian people for standing by "the principles of democracy and
freedom"."Now there is a new dawn for Malaysia.I must thank the
people of Malaysia. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Iban; the entire
spectrum of our Malaysians, regardless of race and religion ..."They
demand change and it is our duty now to ensure that this mandate given to
Pakatan Harapan [political alliance] will honour this commitment,"politician
added. Anwar, who was initially scheduled to be released on Tuesday, walked out
of the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital, where he was temporary confined after a
surgery, and later arrived at the residence of the king, Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Sultan Muhammad V. An image published by the Bernama showed Anwar, 70, greeting
newly elected PM Mahathir Mohamad, his ally-turned-foe-turned-ally.Another
image showed the king welcoming Anwar and his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the
deputy PM -designate.Earlier, Mahathir arrived at the royal palace for the
royal pardons board meeting to discuss Anwar's release. "I know how Anwar
feels. It was during my administration that he was sent to [prison]. It is not
easy for him to accept me and shake my hand," The Malaysia Insight quoted
Mahathir as saying."And it's not just Anwar but his family as well who
felt pressure when he was jailed.They suffered for 20 years. "Anwar's
pardon paves way for his political comeback, following his alliance's stunning
election victory.aljazeera
Egypt court puts 135 Brotherhood loyalists on
terror list
Cairo:An Egyptian top court upheld on Tuesday
putting the names of 135 loyalists of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood
group on terrorist lists, official MENA news agency reported.The Court of
Cassation declined the appeal of the defendants against their addition along
with 90 others to terror lists by Cairo Criminal Court over accusations of
forming pro-Brotherhood "Helwan Battalions" militant group to carry
out attacks against police personnel and premises as well as public service farcilites.Xinhua
Bangladesh: Former PM Khaleda Zia granted bail
Bangladesh's Supreme Court has granted bail to
the country's former PM and leader of
the main opposition party, Khaleda Zia, 3 months after she was imprisoned over
a corruption conviction. The top court upheld an earlier High Court decision in
the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, granting bail to Zia, who sentenced to 5
years for fraud.Lawyers from both sides said the ruling does not necessarily
mean Zia, chairperson of BNP, will be released from jail because she has been
arrested in connection with three other cases.aljazeera
Watchdog confirms chemical weapon use in Syria
An international chemical weapons watchdog has
said that a recent report confirmed “chlorine was likely used as a chemical
weapon” in Syria’s Douma region. The suspected chemical attack took place on
April 7, leaving at least 78 civilians dead, according to White Helmets, a
local civil defense agency.“FFM [fact-finding mission] determined that chlorine
was released from cylinders by mechanical impact in Al Talil neighbourhood of
Saraqib,” the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said.“
conclusions are based inter alia on the presence of 2 cylinders, which were
determined as previously containing chlorine; witness testimony; environmental
samples that demonstrated unusual presence of chlorine in the local
environment; and the number of patients at medical facilities shortly after the
incident who showed signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine and
other toxic chemicals,” said the OPCW, which is headed by Turkish diplomat
Ahmet Uzumcu.Anadolu Agency
More than 30,000 evacuated from Syria’s Homs
Idlib:A ninth convoy of evacuees carrying
people from the northern countryside of Homs province in western Syria arrived
on Wednesday in Aleppo’s western countryside and Idlib province, according to
our correspondents on the ground.The convoy of dozens of buses carried 6,800
civilians and armed groups members and their families from northern Homs as the
number of people evacuated has exceeded 30,000 so far.The evacuees will be
sheltered in refugee camps, schools, and mosques in the two provinces.Anadolu
Agency
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