NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
07 May 2018:20 Shaban 1439: Vol:10, No:15
INDIA
CJI impeachment notice: Congress MPs challenge
Naidu’s decision in SC
New Delhi: 2 weeks after Rajya Sabha chairman
Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, 2
Congress parliamentarians on Monday challenged the decision in the Supreme
Court and urged Justice Chelameswar for urgent listing of the petition.Congress
MPs in the Rajya Sabha – Pratap Singh Bajwa from Punjab and Amee Harshadray
Yajnik from Gujarat – in their joint petition said that once an impeachment
motion was signed by the requisite number of MPs, RS chairman had no option but
to constitute an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations against CJI.
Petitioners also doubted the way Naidu handled the whole situation, saying the
notice by the opposition MPs was given on April 20 and it was rejected on April
24.Justice Chelameswar, however, said since there was a Constitution bench’s
decision on CJI being the master of the roster, the matter should be mentioned
before Dipak Misra. To this, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who has promised not
to practice before Misra’s court till CJI’s retirement, contended that since
the impeachment notice was against CJI, senior-most judge of the SC could
direct for listing of the petition. The SC bench, also consisting of Justice SK
Kaul, however, did not pass any order and asked Congress leaders to return on
Tuesday.Meanwhile,the SC also adjourned the hearing on a separate PIL that
sought to restrain media from reporting and MPs from making any public
statement with respect to impeachment motion against CJI. indianexpress
No precedent of govt returning collegium’s
recommendation: SC judge Kurian Joseph
Referring to the Centre’s move to withhold the
Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to elevate Uttarakhand Chief Justice
KM Joseph, senior SC judge Kurian Joseph on Sunday said “what happened should
not have happened”. After releasing the autobiography of ex-MP Thampan Thomas
in Kochi, said, “Unprecedented things are happening now.That is why more
detailed discussion is needed on the issue.’’ He said things have never
happened in this manner so far. It was the first time that the list of names
recommended by the collegium has been shortened and sent back. “There is a
general feeling that such a thing should not have happened. It is expected that
there would be discussions on why it happened and to see such things don’t
happen in future,’’ he said. Indianexpress
Haryana Waqf Board demands govt to remove
encroachment from 19 mosques, its properties for Namaz
Gurugram:Haryana Waqf Board has submitted a
list of 19 mosques/properties in Gurugram that are lying unused either due to
alleged opposition by locals or encroachments. The step comes in the wake of
continued protests by right-wing organisations against offering of namaz in
open spaces in the city. The board said that the sites could be used for Friday
prayers. Submitting the list, Estate Officer of Gurugram Waqf Board Jamaluddin
demanded that local administration remove any encroachment at these sites and
provide police protection to those offering prayers at these places. Jamaluddin
said that the Waqf Board was ready to renovate or build mosques at these
properties and deploy Imams at its own expenses.“If the administration can
remove encroachments from these 19 sites, most of the people who are forced to
offer prayers in open spaces can be accommodated and the matter can be resolved
amicably,” he said.In his letter, Jamaluddin also referred to an over 2-acre
plot acquired by HUDA in Chauma village in Palam Vihar. He said that the Punjab
and Haryana High Court had already directed the HUDA to provide alternate land
to the board in return for the plot.As per the list, 7 mosques have been
allegedly encroached upon in Wazirabad, Daulatpur-Nasriabad, Dhankot,
Naurganpur, Jharsa, Badshahpur and Farrukhnagar villages. Similarly, 6 mosques are
not being used for offering prayers at Bhondsi, Khurampur, Dhankot, Meoka and
Garhi Harsaru villages due to alleged opposition by the locals.“Our attempts to
build a mosque on Waqf Board plots in Jharsa,Jharsa-Fazilpur, Naurangpur and
Meoka have been thwarted by the locals,” said
Jamaluddin.thehindu
Namaz row: Don’t we perform yoga in parks or
jagran on roads, asks Congress leader
Gurugram: Remarks attributed to Haryana CM
Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday that namaz should be read in “mosques or idgahs”
or in “private spaces” evoked sharp reactions from Opposition parties in the
state that drew parallels with yoga and jagran sessions being organised in
parks or on streets. Both Congress and INLD accused ruling BJP of deliberately
playing the communal card to attract Hindu voters ahead of the 2019 general
election. Prodded by saffron outfits to make his stand clear, Khattar had
purportedly said “namaz should be read in a masjid or an idgah, and if short of
space, they (Muslims) should read it in their private spaces.” CM issued a
clarification later in the day, saying he had never stopped anyone from
offering namaz.“Muslims have been offering namaz in the open for over a decade
in Gurugram and everything was smooth until now. With 2019 polls approaching,
they want to divide the society on religious lines. This is purely a political
game to get the attention of Hindu voters,” said Captain Ajay Yadav, who was
the power minister in Congress govt.“Instead of making such statements, CM
should allot places large enough for offering namaz. They (Muslims) congregate
on the streets because they do not have a place big enough. And why blame them
alone? Don’t we do yoga in parks and at times have jagran on the roads?” he
asked. Echoing the Congress, INLD, too,
accused BJP of trying to polarise the voters. “BJP is trying to divide the
electorate on communal grounds, keeping in mind the approaching elections at
the national and state level. It is the govt’s responsibility to ensure the
Muslims feel safe and secure. Govt should also find alternative land where
namaz can be offered,” said INLD leader Gopi Chand Gehlot.Gurugram
administration has said it is in the process of identifying temporary sites
where Muslims can offer prayers.Independent MLA and Haryana Waqf board chairman
Raees Khan, known for his BJP leanings, claimed he was unaware of the issue
until Friday.
Offering namaz with motive of land grab cannot
be allowed: Haryana minister Vij
New Delhi:A day after Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP minister Anil Vij too
weighed in on the matter saying “offering prayers at a place with the intention
of grabbing land is wrong and will not be allowed”.“Occasionally if people want
to read namaz, they have the freedom to practice their religion. However,
offering namaz at a place with the intention of grabbing land is not right. No
permission can be granted for this,” he said. indianexpress
‘Pray
in mosques’: Why Gurgaon’s Muslims might not be able to follow Haryana CM’s
advice
Khattar does u-turn on Namaz, assures action
against those who disrupt
A day after saying that people should not
offer Namaz at public places, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday took a u-turn on
the issue. BJP leader has now said that action will be taken against those who
disrupt offering of Namaz.zeenews
2 right-wing Hindu activists held for violence
on AMU campus, exams postponed
New Delhi: 2 persons were on Sunday arrested
in connection with the violence on AMU campus over Pakistan founder Muhammad
Ali Jinnah’s portrait on May 2. Aligarh SSP Ajay Kumar Sahni identified the 2
people arrested on Sunday as Amit Goswami and Yogesh Vashney. Javed Khan, SHO,
Civil Lines, said that Vashney belonged to the Hindu Jagran Manch. Goswami
identifies himself as a right-wing Hindu leader.The students of AMU had alleged
in their FIR that around 25 youths, who belonged to the Hindu Yuva Vahini,
tried to enter the campus on May 2. AMU students have been protesting outside
the campus for the last 5 days demanding the arrest of people who had allegedly
stormed into the campus and assaulted students. The students had also alleged
that policemen injured more than 12 students in lathicharge on the same day.
Meanwhile, a university spokesperson said the examinations for the 2017-18
session will start from May 12. Exams were earlier scheduled to begin from May
7. indianexpress
AMU: Ex-city chief of Yuva Vahini among 2
arrested youth
Muslims who want Jinnah portrait insulting
forefathers: Union minister VK Singh
New Delhi: Union minister VK Singh has warned
Muslims, who supported the presence of Pakistan founder’s portrait in AMU, and
said they were “insulting” their forefathers who had rejected his ideology. “If
you are a Muslim and want Jinnah’s portrait on your walls, then this is a huge
insult of your forefathers who had rejected his ideology. You are an Indian
today because of them,” Singh said in a social media post. “If you are not a
Muslim, but support the portrait’s presence because you think that protests
against it curbs your freedom, then you should think if you would like on the
walls of your house a picture of somebody whose hands are stained with the
blood of your own people,” he said in another post.indianexpress
Azadi slogans in ‘AMU video’ against right
wing groups, not India: Official
Aligarh:Even as the indefinite protest and
boycott of academic activities by students in AMU continued, a video of
protesting students shouting slogans of “Azadi”, apparently against right-wing
groups, went viral on social media.AMU PRO, professor Shafey Kidwai, said,
“Students were on an indefinite protest at Bab-e-Syed gate of the university,
and were raising the slogan - Bhagwa Rang aur Aatank se Azadi. These are not
anti-India slogans, and do not relate to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of
India.”He added, “The students are protesting, so that the police and
administration act against the so-called Hindu organisations, which had given
provocative speeches and raised highly objectionable slogans. A case was also
registered in this context.”PTI
Kashmir University professor among 5 militants
killed in Shopian encounter, 5 civilians die in protests
Srinagar: 5 Hizbul Mujahideen militants,
including an assistant professor at Kashmir University, were killed on Sunday
in an encounter in Shopian district. As protesters clashed with the forces near
the encounter site and later across south Kashmir, five civilians were killed
and over a hundred were injured. Many of them had pellet injuries in their
eyes, said doctors who attended to them in Shopian and Srinagar.J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti termed the deaths of civilians
“depressing” and called for “political intervention”.Encounter and the
subsequent killing of the militant commanders triggered massive protests across
south Kashmir. 5 civilians were killed and over a hundred were injured when
they clashed with police, army and paramilitary forces in several parts of
south Kashmir. Shopian CMO Dr Rashid Ahmad SAID that at least 85 people had
been brought in with injuries to the district hospital. “We received 73
patients who had been hit by pellets and 12 who had been hit by bullets,” he
said. “We referred 25 seriously injured patients to hospitals in
Srinagar.”Doctors at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar said they had received around 40
injured people at the hospital today.A doctor in the ophthalmology ward of the
hospital said 16 boys had been hit by pellets in their eyes.Separatist
organisations have called for a shutdown on Monday across Kashmir Valley and
asked people to organise a sit-in outside Srinagar’s Civil Secretariat when it
reopens on Monday after govt’s Durbar move from Jammu to Srinagar.On Sunday evening,
as the militants were buried in Shopian and Kulgam, thousands of people
attended their funerals and militants turned up to offer gun
salutes.indianexpress
Shopian encounter: Till 2 days ago, professor
taught at Kashmir University
Chunduna (ganderbal):Till 2 days ago,
professor taught at Kashmir University On Sunday morning, Rafi, along with his
4 associates, all top militant commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed
in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Rafi had been a militant for only
36 hours.On Sunday morning, Abdul Raheem Bhat got a call from his son Mohammad
Rafi Bhat. “I am trapped,” he told his father. “Please forgive me for my
mistakes. I am going to meet Allah”.An assistant professor of sociology at
University of Kashmir in Srinagar, where he taught for the last 2 years, Rafi
had been missing since Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning, Rafi, along with
his 4 associates, all top militant commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was
killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian. Rafi had been a militant for
only 36 hours.On Friday morning, Rafi left his home in Ganderbal for the
university, where he gave his lectures. When he didn’t return home that day,
the following morning, his family filed a missing person report. As news spread,
his students at the University took to the streets to protest his
disappearance. A worried Kashmir University wrote to DGP SP Vaid requesting
help to trace Rafi.But on Sunday morning, the father finally heard from Rafi –
he was on the phone, saying he was trapped in Shopian.Rafi had recently been
shortlisted for the post of assistant professor at the University of Hyderabad,
his name topping the list of those who had made the cut. “On Friday, he told us
he was leaving for Hyderabad,” said one of his students, among the mourners at
Rafi’s Chunduna village in Ganderbal. “He was a brilliant teacher. Before
leaving, he advised us to study hard.”32-year-old Rafi, who completed his
doctorate in sociology last Nov.from Kashmir University, had qualified NET twice
and was a Junior Research Fellow.“He was a brilliant student and a teacher as
well,” said one of his teachers. “He qualified most of the competitive
examinations in his subject and had 29 publications to his credit.” HoD of
sociology at Kashmir University, Peerzada Amin, said, “Rafi was very competent.
His death has came as a very big shock for all of us.”Villagers of Chunduna in
Ganderbal remember him as a “pious and down-to-earth” man. indianexpress
Last of Burhan Wani’s boys killed, marking end
of the 11 who posed in photo that went viral
Prof’s killing in encounter shows just jobs
and development not answer to Kashmir’s issues: Omar
Srinagar:Just providing jobs and ensuring development
is not the solution that will end “violence and alienation” in Kashmir, Omar
Abdullah said on Sunday referring to the killing in an encounter of an
assistant professor who allegedly had joined Hizbul Mujahideen. “Sadly this is
also an answer to those who claim jobs & development are the solution to
the violence & alienation in Kashmir. This is another tragic development in
a steady stream of tragedies in Kashmir,” Abdullah tweeted.PTI
Kathua rape-murder case: Don’t need CBI probe,
if not police, who to trust, says Mehbooba Mufti
J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has said there is “absolutely
no need for a CBI probe” into the rape and murder of an 8-year-old Bakerwal
girl in Kathua and “if you don’t trust J&K Police, there is no one left to
be trusted in the state”.Mufti said that “to question the officers of Crime
Branch team based on their religion or which region they belong to is shameful
and dangerous”. “Each time there is a crime, we can’t organise a referendum to
choose the team of investigators,” she said, adding, “Those who question Crime
Branch probe have a vested interest and their aim is to protect the
perpetrators of this heinous crime”.On Monday, the Supreme Court is hearing a
petition filed by the biological father of the victim who has sought transfer
of the trial to Chandigarh. J&K Govt is against transferring the trial
outside the state. A Public Interest Litigation seeking the case to be handed
over to CBI has also been filed but the SC is yet to admit it. In its report to
the SC, Bar Council of India had claimed that “the demand for a CBI inquiry.
appears to be justifiable”. Several leaders associated with BJP and the Sangh have
been part of the Hindu Ekta Manch, a group formed in Kathua to support the
accused and demand a CBI probe into the case.indianexpress
Have devoted my life to ensure justice for my
daughter: Kathua rape victim’s father
Jammu: Father of an 8-year-old girl, who was
gang-raped and killed in Kathua in J&K , said on Sunday that he has full
faith in the judiciary and has devoted his life to ensure justice is done for
his daughter.“I am satisfied with police investigation and will not rest till
justice is done in the case. I want the accused to be given exemplary
punishment for their brutality,” father of the victim told PTI on phone from
Ramban district where he along with his family has been camping for the last
few days.PTI
18-yrs old Rehaan’s family alleges police
picked up, killed UP ‘gangster’
Muzaffarnagar: The only eyewitnesses to the
shootout between two alleged criminals and the UP Police on Muzaffarnagar-Thana
Bhawan Road late on Thursday are police themselves. 2 individuals who might
have been present along the stretch lined with mango orchards and sugarcane and
wheat fields, weren’t there — 35-year-old tubewell operator Waseem, and
60-year-old Mukesh, who was tilling land next to the dirt lane in which the
encounter happened, had both gone home early. 18-year-old Rehaan was shot dead
by a police SWAT team comprising a sub-inspector and 5 constables. According to
police, Rehaan was a member of the Mukeem Kala gang, who was wanted for crimes
including murder, and carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.This was the
50th encounter killing of an alleged criminal in UP since Yogi Govt took over
in March 2017.Rehaan’s family lives in Shoron village in Muzaffarnagar
district’s Shahpur area. On Saturday, a lock hung on the door, and neighbours
said the family had moved out of the village to Shahpur town less than a month
ago. In the Islamabad neighbourhood of Shahpur town, Rehaan’s brother Afsal
said the family had lost touched with Rehaan a few months ago. “We had not
spoken to him for about four-five months, and did not know where he was. He had
been accused in a couple of cases, and on April 11, the police had come to our
Shoron house and taken away a lot of our belongings, including all
documents.”Rehaan’s family claimed he was “around 17-18 years of age”. While
the official statement on the encounter incident from Muzaffarnagar SSP’s
office said the family had been informed about Rehaan’s death, Afsal claimed:
“We saw it last night on the news. We haven’t received any call from the
police. My brother wasn’t killed in a chase, he had been picked up by the
police a couple of days ago. We will prove it. We haven’t been given any
documents, FIR or post mortem report.”indianexpress
Kerala woman ‘confined’ by mother for 2 yrs
for affair with Muslim rescued
The Police have rescued a 24-year-old Hindu
woman, a native of Kerala, who was allegedly confined by her mother in a rented
house in Mangaluru for the past two years with the help of some BJP men for
having an affair with a Muslim youth. Anjali Prakash was recused on May 1 after
the Mangaluru police in Karnataka received a tip off from their counterpart in
Kerala that she had been confined in rented house by her mother Vineetha. The
woman is a native of Guruvayur in Thrissur.Mangaluru DCP Uma Prasanth said:
“Woman was rescued from the custody of her mother. She (Anjali) was produced
before a court, which sent her to a rescue home after she refused to go with
her mother. We have arrested her mother in the case and are looking for the
involvement of others, if any.”In recently released video, Anjali had claimed
that she was detained in Mangaluru with the support of BJP. “Such things could
not be confirmed now. We are investigating into the allegation she has raised,”
DCP said. The incident had come to light Saturday after Anjali sent out a video
seeking help.In the clip, Anjali was heard saying that could be her last video.
“I have no means to escape. If anything happens to me tomorrow, my mother would
be responsible for it. I have suffered enough in the last 2 years for having
loved a Muslim. I have been admitted to Amrita hospital for mental treatment
for 2 months. After that, for another 2 months, I have been at an orphanage run
by RSS. I have been here in Manguluru for last several months. There is full
support from BJP…I have suffered enough. I am not allowed to go out. I am
languishing in this situation as none has intervened to save me,” Anjali is
heard as saying in the video.indianexpress
Adult Couple Can Live Together Without
Marriage: SC
The Supreme Court today said that an adult
couple has the right to live together without marriage.The top court held that
live-in relationships were now even recognized by the Legislature and they had
found a place under the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act, 2005.Observations came while the apex court was hearing a plea
filed by one Nandakumar against a Kerala HCorder annulling his marriage with
Thushara on the ground that he had not attained the legal age of
marriage.Prohibition of Child Marriage Act states that a girl can't marry
before the age of 18, and a boy before 21. Nandakumar, who had approached the
top court, will turn 21 on May 30 this year.The HC had also granted the custody
of Thushara to her father after noting that she was not Nandakumar's
"lawfully wedded" wife.A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan
said their marriage could not said to be "null and void" merely
because Nandakumar was less than 21 years of age at the time of
marriage."Appellant no 1 as well as Thushara are Hindus. Such a marriage
is not a void marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and as per the
provisions of section 12, which can be attracted in such a case, at the most, marriage
would be a voidable marriage...PTI
7 Indian engineers abducted by Taliban in
Afghanistan “by mistake”
7 Indians, reportedly working in a power
company in Afghanistan, were on Sunday abducted by unidentified armed men in
northern Baghlan province with external affairs ministry saying they are in
touch with Afghan authorities to ascertain details of the incident.The armed
men abducted the employees at Indian company KEC in Bagh-e-Shamal village of
the provincial capital Pul-e-Khomre, TOLOnews reported, citing local
officials.They were abducted while travelling to the area, where the company
owns an electricity sub-station contract, the report said.TOLOnews quoted
Bagland governor Abdulhai Nemati confirming that Taliban carried out the
abductions, and the insurgent group had moved the Indians to Dand-e-Shahabuddin
area of Pul-e-Khumri city.Nemati said that the provincial Govt was in touch with the Taliban via local
people. The report claims that Taliban mistook the Indians for Afghan Govt employees.
Tribal elders in the province are reportedly mediating with the Taliban for the
release of Indian employees.KEC is one of the largest Indian companies in
Afghanistan that is responsible for electricity supply in the country, the
report said.nationalheraldindia
Afghan officials working with tribal elders to
rescue abducted 7 Indian engineers
From Infrastructure to edu, India’s $2-billion
role in Afghan
New Delhi:Abduction of 7 Indians has brought
attention to India’s projects in Afghanistan, which have crossed $2 billion in
the last 16 years.Last Sept., 2 countries agreed to initiate an ambitious and
forward-looking ‘New Development Partnership’, according to which India agreed
to take up 116 high-impact community development projects to be implemented in
31 provinces of Afghanistan, including in the fields of education, health,
agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, renewable energy, flood control,
micro-hydropower, sports infrastructure and administrative infrastructure. indianexpress
Saudi reforms wind yet to impress Indian
clerics
While the winds of “reform” are blowing across
Saudi desert making headlines every day, Islamic clerics, scholars and
academicians in India are unimpressed yet observant of the undergoing changes
in the historically conservative society of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
In the recent past, KSA’s crown prince Mohammad-bin-Salman has gained steady
admirers for his “progressive” initiatives for Saudi women and culture, his
action-oriented approach to curb corruption and initiatives to rein in
extremism. Nonetheless, Muslim thinkers in India are not impressed and do not see
these changes as “reforms”, let alone consider it as a beginning for “Islamic
reformation” to counter religious extremism that has gripped Islam worldwide.Dr
Tahir Mahmood, ex-chairman of National Minorities Commission said, “These are
not reforms and this is no reformation of Islam. This is restoration of Islam
to the religion it was meant to be which until now was distorted by the Saudis.
Salim Engineer, General Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, said: “Reforms are
required in laws made by humans; ‘deen’ does not require reforms. What deen
requires is ‘Ijtehad’. It means implementation of the scripture addressing the
needs of the prevailing circumstances. So as far as the question of reforms in
KSA stands, it looks to me that whatever is happening there is a consequence of
their internal matters. It has nothing to do with reformation of Islam.”Most of
the clergymen that this paper spoke to did not want to indulge in the subject,
saying that this does not concern them. Clerics in India do not see KSA’s
social changes as a reformation of Islam, rather as an indicator of a Prince
who is taking a lot of heat from US and Israel, suggesting that if the
geo-political realities of KSA would not have come under duress, then the
kingdom would not have gone about “reforming” its mannerisms. A cleric
affiliated with a popular Jamaat based in New Delhi, who did not want to be
identified, said, “These so-called reforms are not being seen as a sign of a
strong ruler. The media in the West has been applauding the Prince for being
progressive and bold enough to be willing to bring change, but we understand
that KSA’s reality today is different. Also, allowing women to drive, attend
soccer matches have nothing to do with Islam. These were restrictions imposed
by their own society; religion had no role to play in it. Islam never said that
women cannot drive.”Sunday Guardian
UPSC exam: Muslim aspirants to get free
coaching at Haj Houses from nxt year
New
Delhi: Buoyed by 51 Muslim candidates clearing the civil services examination
this year, the Haj Committee of India has decided to provide free coaching
across states and union territories from next year.UPSC civil services
aspirants are being provided free coaching at the committee's Mumbai-based
headquarters for the last seven years. 2 of the students who studied there were
selected for the prestigious service this year.Haj Committee of India had
recently sent a proposal to the Minority Affairs Ministry about providing
coaching for the civil services in Haj Houses in all states and union
territories. The ministry has accepted the proposal.outlookindia
WORLD
'US Embassy' road signs appear in Jerusalem
'US Embassy' road signs went up in Jerusalem
on Monday ahead of next week's opening of the mission in the city.The signs, in
English, Hebrew and Arabic, were installed by workmen close to the south
Jerusalem location of a US consulate building that will be repurposed as the
embassy when it is officially relocated on May 14 from Tel Aviv, Reuters news
agency reported.In Dec., US President Donald Trump called Jerusalem the capital
of Israel and launched the process to transfer his country's embassy to the
city.The move prompted international condemnation and triggered a wave protest
in the occupied Palestinian territories.aljazeera
Israel attacks Gaza after flaming kites set
farmland alight
Israel has carried out an air raid in northern
Gaza Strip, saying it was retaliating for Palestinians setting fire to Israeli
land.In recent days, Palestinian protesters have used flaming objects attached
to kites to set fire to agricultural land just over the Gaza border.The target
of the Israeli strike was a location from where the kites were being launched,
according to army spokesperson Avichay Adraee.No casualties were reported on
the Palestinian side as a result of the attack. aljazeera
Lebanon: Hezbollah-Amal Movement in lead after
elections
The political coalition of Hezbollah and the
Amal Movement is leading in preliminary results from Sunday’s Lebanese general
elections.The coalition is ahead of President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic
Movement and PM Saad Hariri’s Future Movement, according to preliminary results
Anadolu Agency gathered on Monday from sources at various parties. Current
results indicate the Hezbollah-Amal coalition will seize more than 34 seats out
of 128. Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement is expected to come in second place with
at least 26 seats. This suggests a potential coalition Govt formed by Hezbollah-Amal coalition and Free
Patriotic Movement.Meanwhile, Hariri’s Future Movement is expected to claim at
least 18 seats.The results also indicated more gains for the Lebanese Forces
party lead by Samir Geagea with 15 seats.In an unprecedented move, civil
society broke with the traditional political mainstream as seven independent
candidates, including 5 women, won seats in parliament.Sunday saw Lebanon’s
first parliamentary elections in 9 years with a low turnout of 49.20 % .The
polls witnessed a total of 917 candidates from several political parties vying
for 128 seats — 64 for Muslims and 64 for Christians — in the national
assembly.MEMO
Tunisia's Ennahdha tops landmark local vote:
state TV
Tunisia's Ennahdha Movement has scooped the
largest share of the vote in the country's first free municipal elections since
the removal of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his Govt in 2011, according to reports on state-run
TV.Ennahdha party reportedly won an estimated 27.5% of votes in Sunday's
ballot, ahead of the Nidaa Tounes party, which came second with an estimated
22.5 percent.In total, more than 57,000 candidates - half of them women and
young people - ran for office in Tunisia's 350 municipalities. Official results
are expected to be announced by May 9.Analysts predict that Ennahdha and Nidaa
Tounes, Tunisia's 2 political heavyweights, will come out on top in nearly
every district. While Tunisia has voted in parliamentary and presidential
elections since 2011, municipal polls have been delayed 4 times due to
logistic, administrative and political hurdles. Sunday's vote will be followed
by legislative and presidential elections in 2019.aljazeera
Ennahda claims victory in landmark local
elections
Saudi has been holding thousands in detention
without trial for 6 months: HRW
Saudi Arabia has detained thousands of people
for at least six months without trial, international non-Govt al organisation
Human Rights Watch said on Sunday. As many as 2,305 people have been detained
in this way, one of them for over a decade, NGO said. Human Rights Watch
analysed data from files belonging to the kingdom’s interior ministry. “If
Saudi authorities can hold a detainee for months on end with no charges, it’s
clear that Saudi criminal justice system remains broken and unjust, and it only
seems to be getting worse,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East &North Africa
director of HRW said.“It seems that Mohammad bin Salman’s ‘Vision2030’ plan
better describes the length of detentions without charge than an aspirational
time horizon for reforms.” NGO said that the number of people in detention
without trial had increased drastically since 2014, when only 293 individuals
were held for over 6 months. HRW demanded that Saudi authorities stop holding
people “arbitrarily”.It said it had written to Sheikh Saud Al-Mojeb, Saudi
attorney general in Feb.about the detentions, but received no response. NGO
said the detentions violate Saudi’s own Code of Criminal Procedure, which
provides that a person may be detained without charge for a maximum of five
days, renewable up to 6 months by an order of Bureau of Public Prosecution. “Mohammad
bin Salman’s promises to modernise and strengthen the rule of law mean very
little when the authorities can lock away thousands of people for years and
throw away key,” Whitson said.scroll.in
HRW asks UAE for whereabouts of Dubai princess
HRW has called on UAE authorities to reveal
the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai’s ruler, following reports
that she had been forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state.The
rights group identified the daughter as Sheikha Latifa bin Mohammad al-Maktoum,
32, and said in a statement issued over the weekend that failure to disclose
her status could “qualify as an enforced disappearance, given the evidence
suggesting that she was last seen as UAE authorities were detaining her”.UAE
officials did not immediately respond to Reuters request for
comment.middleeastmonitor
Outcry as UAE, Bahrain send cycling teams in
Israel
Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) has
blasted Bahrain and UAE for sending 2 cycling teams to participate in the 101st
Giro d'Italia cycling competition, which kicked off on Friday in Jerusalem.For
the first time in its history, a competitive leg of the world-famous race was
held this year outside of Europe.After starting in Jerusalem, 21-day race
continued over the weekend from Haifa to Tel Aviv and from Be'er Sheva to Eilat
in the south. The event, which features 176 cyclists from 22 teams, is now set
to continue in Italy where it will conclude in the capital, Rome.However, decision
to kick off the event in Jerusalem was met with widespread condemnation from
Palestinian officials and activists who accused organisers of
"whitewashing Israel's ongoing crimes".aljazeera
OIC to assume 'stronger role' over Rohingya
crisis
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/oic-assume-stronger-role-rohingya-crisis-180506171514197.html
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) has
expressed regret for not "responding immediately" to the Rohingya
crisis, while vowing to assume a "strong" role in dealing with the
ongoing situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Yousef bin Ahmad al-Othaimeen, OIC
secretary-general, urged on Sunday the organisation's member states to defend
the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled to neighbouring
Bangladesh as a result of what the UN has described as a "textbook example
of ethnic cleansing" by Myanmar's security forces."We affirm the commitment
of OIC to continue to act at all international and regional levels in support
of the cause of the Rohingya people," said al-Othaimeen, speaking at the
45th Session of the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers n the Bangladeshi
capital, Dhaka.Prior to the two-day OIC summit, a delegation from the 57-member
organisation visited Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh.aljazeera
Egypt’s minister: Public debt increased
fivefold in last 5 yr
Egypt’s Minister of Finance Amr Al-Garhi has
confirmed that his country’s public debt has risen fivefold in the last 5 years
and is expected to continue to rise in the foreseeable future. The minister
said the Govt is working on a medium-term plan to reduce public debt levels
from 107% of GDP in the previous fiscal
year 2016 -2017 to 80% by 2020.MEMO
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