NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
27 June 2018:12 Shawwal 1439: Vol:10, No:53
INDIA
US wants India to stop Iran oil imports by
Nov.4, no waiver on sanctions
Washington:US will insist India and all other
buyers of Iranian crude must cut imports to “zero” by Nov.4 when sanctions go
into effect against Iran, a senior state department official said on Tuesday
and warned there will be no waivers, unlike the previous round.The official
said the message has been delivered already to allies in Europe and Asia and an
interagency team of state and treasury department officials will be visiting
India, China and other countries in the coming weeks. The official, who spoke
to reporters on background, said India and China “will be subject to the same
sanctions that everybody else’s is… and yes, we will certainly be requesting
that their oil imports go to zero, without question.”“I would be hesitant to
say zero waivers ever. I think the predisposition would be no, we’re not
granting waivers,” the officials said to a question about granting
waivers.Importers of Iranian crude face the risk of being hit by “secondary
sanctions” by the US that could take various forms, but the most significant of
which would be being blocked from the American financial system, which no
country, developed or underdeveloped, can afford.India is the second largest
buyer of Iranian crude after China, and Iran is the third largest supplier to
India after Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and New Delhi has watched with familiar
misgivings the Trump administration’s decision to tear up the Iran deal past
May and announcement that sanctions will be back in force in two tranches by
Nov.4.It was not immediately clear what kind of conversation will the US team
have with Indian officials. But external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had
said that “India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral sanctions by any
country” days after President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran deal.More
clarity is likely in New Delhi on the extent of cuts and waivers and all other
related issues after discussions with the US team that the state department
official said could be visiting soon. And these issues may even figure in
discussions at the inaugural 2+2 meeting of the foreign and defence ministers
of the two countries on July 6 in Washington DC.HT
'Go to Zero': US Pushes India, China, Other
Allies to Halt Iran Oil Imports
Saudi, UAE and India agree on huge oil project
despite protests
Saudi Arabia, UAE and India have agreed on a
huge oil project despite ongoing protests from local farmers and fisherman near
the Indian port of Ratnagiri. The deal worth an estimated $44 billion has been
agreed by Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia; ADNOC, the
national oil company of Abu Dhabi; and a consortium of three Indian oil
companies to develop a massive refinery and petrochemicals complex.The project
agreed on Monday is slated to be one of the largest refineries in the world.
Operations are predicted to begin by 2022 with the aim of producing around 1.2
million barrels of oil per day.It’s reported that the required seizure of
15,000 acres of land needed for the project will have a negative impact on as
many as 22,000 farmers and 4,500 fishermen. Despite the effects of the land
seizure on the local population, the Indian Govt has emphasised the project’s benefits,
claiming that it will boost the national economy and create jobs. Saudi Aramco
will supply 50% of the fuel to the refinery. However, the company’s ambitions
don’t just stop at the refining process. It wants to cover everything in the
downstream value chain, say market experts. Riyadh is desperate to tap into the
Indian market; as the third largest consumer of oil after the US and China, and
supplying New Delhi’s oil demands is an opportunity to regain any market share
that it has lost to US shale.Locals in India have been up in arms, protesting
for months over the impact that the refinery will have on their lives.
Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding last year, thousands of
farmers took to the streets for seven days in a row to oppose Govt’s attempts
to carry out a joint measurement survey.MEMO
Freedom of religion as important as freedom of
rights and freedom of people: Nikki Haley on India visit
US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley today said her
purpose of visiting India is to ‘solidify’ the Indo-US relations and develop
stronger ties between two of the oldest democracies in the world, especially in
counter-terrorism and military cooperation. Haley, who is on her first visit to
India after becoming US envoy to UN, told PTI at Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi,
“I am here to once again solidify our love for India, our belief in the
friendship that India and the US have and our willingness to make that relation
even stronger.”Accompanied by US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, Haley
termed her visit as coming back home. “It makes my heart happy to be back in
India, it is as beautiful as I remember it to be. It’s always good to be back
home,”said Haley.Haley, who is scheduled to visit religious places in the city
on Thursday, asserted the importance of religious freedom.“We think freedom of
religion is as important as freedom of rights and freedom of people,” she
said.During her 3-day visit, she will meet PM,senior Indian officials, business
leaders and students, underscoring America’s ‘strong alliance’ with the country.
PTI
BJP Committed to Issues of Cow, Article 370
and Ram Temple: general secretary Anil Jain
Jammu:Days after BJP withdrew its support to PDP-led
Govt in J&K, its national general
secretary and lawmaker Anil Jain said his party is committed to 5 things
including revocation of Article 370 which accords a special status to the
state.Listing “Uniform Civil Code, Ram Mandir, the Ganga and cow,”as other
subject matters of party’s commitment, Mr Jain said these issues can only be
delayed for some time depending on the developing situation in the country.“I
am serious of my words…BJP is committed to issues of cow, Ganga, Uniform Civil
Code, Article 370 and Ram Mandir. Given the emerging situation, one or the
other might take time to get fulfilled,” Mr Jain told reporters here.He said BJP
has not forgotten anything and it is committed to the revocation of the Article
370. BJP and PDP had agreed to an status quo on the issue in their Agenda of
Alliance, chalked out before the formation of the coalition Govt in the
state.On withdrawal of support to the PDP, Mr Jain said it was not sudden and
the “bitter decision” was taken after Mehbooba Mufti paid no heed to its
warnings.PTI
Crucial executive meeting of AIMPLB on
Ayodhya, other issues in Lucknow on July 15
Lucknow:Amid pressure building session started
by the Hindu leaders and saints for construction of grand Ram Temple at
Ayodhya, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), has called for an
executive committee meeting here at Nadwa on July 15 to discuss the relevant
issues, including Ayodhya and women-related matters.Though the meeting is
expected to endorse the old decision to abide by the Supreme Court decision on
the Ayodhya matter, but the meeting could discuss the political and social
atmosphere in view of the coming 2019 Lok Sabha election in the country. AIMPLB
member and one of the vocal executive committee member Maulana Khalid Rahid
Firangi said here on Wednesday that the executive committee meeting of the
Board is scheduled on July 15."It is a regular meeting held from time to
time and several matters would be discussed in the meet, including
Ayodhya," he said.However, there is a speculation that the expulsion of
Maulana Sayeed Salman Nadvi, could be revoked in this meeting but no officials
were ready to confirm it.UNI
Not a single brick can be laid in Ayodhya
without SC’s permission: Zafaryab Jilani
Aligarh: Not a single brick can be laid in
Ayodhya without the permission of Supreme Court, if Ram Vilas Vedanti has
courage let him lay a single brick, said Zafaryab Jilani convener of Babri Masjid
Action Committee (BMAC).He said BJP raises this issue before elections, it aims
at making the voters believe that they are serious over the issue while they
fully know that without Supreme Court’s permission they cannot lay a single
brick. The rhetoric will continue till the 2019 elections. Zafaryab Jilani told
about Ram Vilas Vedanti that he is the same person who had made remark that I
demolished the Babri Masjid and Lal Krishna Advani has nothing to do with it.
When I asked him during a TV debate will you tell this in the Court, he said
yes. But after a month he retracted from his statement and said I am no way
related to it. siasat
Uma Bharti pushes for Ram temple to be built
at Ayodhya ‘at the earliest’
Union minister Uma Bharti has pushed for the
construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, a day after UP CM Adityanath promised
that the temple would be built there. Bharti said the temple should be built
“at the earliest” and that constructing a “magnificent temple” in Ayodhya is “a
matter of national pride”, Indian Express reported.“Yogiji is CM with absolute majority, Modiji is PM with absolute majority,” the report quoted her
as saying.“...So many pracharaks, swayamsewaks, Ram bhakts, and all connected
with the party line are waiting for the moment that we take some courageous
decision and make the national resolve a reality.” Bharti said this was a
“great opportunity” to build the temple.scroll.in
I will quit BJP if Ram temple is not built by
2019: BJP MLA Raja Singh
Hyderabad: “If Ram mandir isn’t constructed
before 2019, I am going to resign from the BJP and start a yudh (war) of my
own,” said BJP MLA Raja Singh in Goshamahal. MLA, who is not a stranger to
controversial statements, said, “If Muslims in Ayodhya have agreed to construct
the temple, what is the problem with the rest of India?”Singh’s statements have
come a day after UP CM Yogi Adityanath, at a gathering to felicitate Sadhus,
assured that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya would be constructed before 2019 general
elections. Singh too had attended the gathering. He also said that the one in
Ayodhya is not the only temple that is going to bebuilt. “After the
construction of the Ram Mandir, we will move on to Kashi and Mathura where
Mughals constructed many mosques by breaking down temples.”Singh said that a
“mosque has been built in the jail where Lord Krishna was born.” He also
criticised AIMIM supremo Assaduddin Owaisi and his brother by calling them,
traitors. “Muslims in Telangana know that the two brothers only care about
money. I urge Muslims from the rest of India to come to Telangana and see how
AIMIM has destroyed the state, “ MLA said, adding that BJP would win the next
state elections. This is Singh’s first statement after a case was registered
against him for his statements on Iftar parties.newindianexpress
BJP is helping the churning within the PDP,
trying to form Govt in J&K: Omar
Abdullah
Following the withdrawal of the BJP from its
alliance with the PDP, and the subsequent imposition of Governor’s Rule in J&K
, there could be more political turmoil in the State, says National Conference
leader Omar Abdullah. Abdullah, ex-J&K CM, says restoring the security
situation to 2014 levels must be the first priority for the Governor.
Abdullahsaid, "We are the third-largest party in the Assembly. If the
voters of J&K had intended for us to be part of the Govt , they would have
given us a healthier number of seats. Having accepted our mandate as an
Opposition party, it would seem power-hungry on our part to try to form a Govt
now. Plus, the BJP and the PDP are highly discredited among their vote banks in
Jammu and the Valley, respectively. So any fresh coalition cobbled out of this
Assembly would only add to the general air of suspicion about political
powers." He continued, "Given the sheer extent of the misgovernance
under PDP-BJP alliance, we felt a stint under Governor NN Vohra, who is known
to be an able administrator and who pulled the State back from the brink in 2008,
would not be a bad thing. The only error of judgment we made, which we would
like to correct, is to not to have asked for the dissolution of the Assembly.
At that time we felt that possibly having the MLAs staying in place could fill
the political vacuum, which is otherwise formed during Governor’s Rule. But
that was formed under the assumption that we could take the BJP at its word
when they said that they were not interested in Govt formation.But that doesn’t
seem to be the case. Our reports and inputs now suggest that contrary to what
the BJP general secretary said publicly, BJP is helping the churning within the
PDP with the possibility of party splitting, and then perhaps trying to form
another Govt ." thehindu
UN Report on Human Rights Abuse in Kashmir
Motivated: Army Chief Bipin Rawat
New Delhi: Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat on
Wednesday strongly denounced report from the UN that called for an
international investigation into the alleged incidents of human rights abuse by
Indian forces in Kashmir, saying such reports are “motivated”.“No need to speak
about this human rights report. The human rights record of Indian Army is above
board. These reports are motivated,” said Rawat.Earlier, a statement from
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the first-ever UN report on human
rights situation was “fallacious.”“It is a selective compilation of largely
unverified information. It is overtly prejudiced and seeks to build a false
narrative. The report violates India’s sovereignty and integrity... it is
disturbing that those behind this report have chosen to describe
internationally designated and UN-proscribed terrorist entities as ‘armed
groups’ and terrorists as ‘leaders.’ This undermines UN-led consensus on zero
tolerance to terrorism,” MEA statement said. The ministry also said that such
“malicious reports” could not undermine the will of the people and the Govt of India to protect the territorial integrity
of the country. The report also slams India for using pellet guns and also
condemns the “arbitrary detentions and arrests”.It also asked India to repeal
AFSPA and to establish impartial and credible investigations to probe all
civilian killings.news18
Amarnath pilgrims our guests, won’t target
them, but they should not interfere in Kashmir issue: Hizbul Mujahideen
https://www.newsx.com/national/hizbul-mujahideen-chief-amarnath-pilgrims-guests-target-kashmir-issue
As 1st batch of pilgrims for the Amarnath
Yatra commenced on Wednesday, from Jammu base camp amidst tight security,
Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) assured that pilgrims are the guests and not their
targets. In a video clip, which went viral on social media, the chief of HM
Riyaz Naikoo said, pilgrims come there for religious rituals and they are
guests. He also added that the organisation has never attack Amarnath
pilgrims.“Our war is against the Indian state and not against the people of
India,” the chief concluded in the video, reported Zeenews.In the video, HM
Operations Chief also said that the pilgrims can also visit the Valley but they
should not intervene in the Kashmir dispute. The 14-minute video was released
on Tuesday.newsx
Hizbul Mujahideen purportedly releases audio
clip assuring Amarnath Yatra pilgrims of safety
Shujaat Bukhari murder: J&K Police
identify killers in major breakthrough
Srinagar :In a major breakthrough, J&K Police have identified the attackers who
killed senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari on June 14. Police sources say that
two of the attackers are from South Kashmir and another is a Pakistani
national.“We have identified the attackers,”a top police officer privy to the
investigation told Indian Express. “2 of them are local militants from south
Kashmir while the third one is from Pakistan”.Police sources say that the
Pakistani militant involved in the attack is Naveed Jatt, who escaped from
police custody from Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital in Feb.this year.Naveed,
a Paki national, is associated with LeT.Police sources say they have also
identified the Pakistan-based blogger who had “started a smear campaign”
against Bukhari. They say the blogger is a militant from Srinagar, who is
settled in Pakistan. indianexpress
MHA orders fresh FIR against Asiya Andrabi for
‘unlawful acts’
New Delhi: Union Home Ministry ordered a fresh
FIR against Dukhtaran-E-Millat (DEM) chief Asiya Andrabi by NIA on Tuesday for
allegedly using “various media platforms to spread insurrectionist imputations
and hateful speeches that endanger the integrity, security and sovereignty of
India.” DEM is a banned outfit under UAPA and its chairperson Andrabi is
alleged to be involved in organising anti-India rallies and stone pelting on
security forces in South Kashmir.Andrabi’s bail was canceled by the J&K High
Court earlier this month as security agencies moved to tighten the noose around
her outfit. Home Ministry official said, “Andrabi along with her associates
namely Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen have been booked under various sections
of IPC and UAPA that includes waging war, sedition, promoting enmity between
different groups based on religion, criminal conspiracy and being a member of
banned outfit.”indianexpress
Security agencies launch covert operations to
dismantle financial support to Maoist terror: Firstpost report
Days after PM Narendra Modi announced its
decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in 8 November, 2016, security
agencies quietly registered case number '185/2016' to launch an operation
against a Maoist leader identified as Rohit. The operation was approved through
memorandum number '3208/Ops', and authorities detected and cut off the transfer
of more than Rs 25 lakh that was allegedly being moved to perpetrate terrorist
attacks.Since first operation on 21 November, 2016, to latest one launched on
12 April, security agencies have carried out hundreds of covert operations to
identify new sources of terror financing and methods of Left-Wing Extremists
(LWE), swiftly moving to choke the funds to disrupt their atrocities and lethal
attacks. Firstpost has accessed the latest dossier on operations to stop the
flow of funds towards India's biggest internal security threat.With the help of
financial intelligence,security establishment analysed the structure of
terrorist groups, activities of most-wanted Naxalite commanders, and their
logistics and networks spread across hinterlands and urban areas.They adopted
measures to combat money laundering by small terrorist cells.Details of at
least 9 covert operations Firstpost reviewed shows that agencies had seized
more than Rs 8 crore in cash that was being moved to Maoist-infested areas.These
operations targeted top-level functionaries considered part of Central Military
Commission of CPI (Maoist), which holds the central responsibility of the
manufacture and supply of arms, politico-military training,recruitment and
control of ultras and preparation of the budget for guerilla operations. "There
are at least 10 cases being worked out with the help of local police against
regional committee members of group,"dossier said.
Jharkhand: 6 Jaguar Force jawans killed in
Maoist landmine blast
Ranchi :6 personnel of the Jharkhand Jaguar
Force, a special unit of the state police department, were killed in a landmine
blast carried out by Maoists on the border of Latehar and Garhwa districts on
Tuesday.DIG of Police Vipul Shukla said the police had information that some
Maoists were present in Chinjo area of Garhwa districtindianexpress
‘There’s
only danger for us’: Latur Dalits fleeing boycott explain why they don’t want
to go home
On the night of 7th June, 12 Dalit
families left a village in Maharashtra’s Latur district, citing caste
atrocities and ostracism by people belonging to the dominant Maratha caste.
Among those who fled was the village sarpanch. They took shelter in the
abandoned hostel building of an engineering college around 18 kilometres from
their village.“Why should we go back?” asked Shalubai Shinde, the sarpanch,
when Scroll.in met her and others on Saturday. “There is only danger for us
there.”On Sunday, district administration persuaded nine of the families to
return to the village. But Shinde and her family have refused to go back.What
led to one of the largest exoduses of Dalits from a village in Maharashtra in
recent years? Scroll.in travelled to Rudrawadi village in Udgir block in Latur
to find a pattern of long-simmering exclusion that finally resulted in their
leaving.“Though I am the sarpanch, I have no rights at all,” said Shalubai
Shinde. “When there are meetings they don’t allow me to sit on a chair. Or they
hold meetings without calling me. I am a sarpanch only by name. How many days
are we supposed to sort out things and let them go?”scroll.in
UP : Man ‘beats 65-yrs-old Dalit woman to
death’ after her goats stray into his field
Lucknow:A 30-year-old man was arrested on
Monday for allegedly beating to death a Dalit woman after her goats strayed his
field at Datauli village in Fatehpur district. The incident took place in
Lalauli police station area on Sunday evening.SHO Rajesh Maurya said Rani Devi
(65) was grazing her two goats when the animals entered the field of the
accused, Shalu Singh. He then allegedly started abusing her. When the woman
raised an objection, an “inebriated” Singh beat her up with a stick.Woman then
rushed home, nearly 500 metres away, and died soon after, SHO said. Rani Devi
is survived by husband Raja Ram and 4 married daughters.indianexpress
Woman lynched over child-lifting rumours in
Gujarat
Ahmedabad :A 40-year-old woman beggar was
lynched by a mob on the suspicion of being a child lifter in Vadaj area of
Ahmedabad on Tuesday afternoon.The victim, identified as Shanta Devi, a
resident of Sumerpur taluka in Rajasthan’s Pali district, was accompanied by
three more women in an auto-rickshaw when a mob of 40 to 50 people chased the
vehicle and attacked them, said police. The 3 other women were also injured in
the attack and have been admitted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.The lynching is
said to have been triggered by a rumour of “child lifters in the area” that has
been doing the rounds on social media for the past couple of days.According to
the complaint filed by the victim’s sister-in-law Ansi, she and the 3 women —
Shanta, Ashu and Leela — had left their relative’s home in Sardarnagar area of
Ahmedabad for seeking alms. “Around 2.25 PM, we took an autorickshaw at
Naranpura crossing and headed towards Juna Wadaj. At that time, we saw some
people chasing our autorickshaw, and at Wadaj circle they stopped us,” the
complainant told the police. According to her, the people, who stopped them,
were shouting “(you are the gang of child-lifters”. They were dragged out of
the autorickshaw and brutally beaten up. The autorickshaw was also damaged by
the violent mob.The autorickshaw driver, who was spared by the mob, said the
mob gathered as they were passing through Juna Vadaj circle. “People attacked
the autorickshaw and started beating up the women, shouting at them to come
out. When the women didn’t come out, they started dragging them out of the
vehicle,” said Ghani Khan, the auto-driver.indianexpress
Prakash Raj on Gauri Lankesh killers
‘planning’ to kill him: They will not get away with hate politics
New Delhi :Reacting to the reports that the
killers of author Gauri Lankesh had planned to kill him as well, actor Prakash
Raj on Wednesday said his voice will grow stronger. Sharing a news report of
the SIT, probing Gauri killings, investigations findings that there were plans
to eliminate him on Twitter, Raj hit out at his haters and expressed concerns
over forces trying to silence his voice. “Bengaluru: Gauri killers planned to
eliminate actor Prakash Rai, reveals SIT probe…….Look at the narrative to
silence voices..my VOICE will grow more STRONGER now .. you cowards …do you
think you will get away with such HATE POLITICS,” tweeted Raj.According to the
SIT findings, as reported by a Kannada news channel, Gauri’s killers had
conspired to kill Raj after he targeted PM Narendra Modi and the BJP on public
platforms.indianexpress
61 children die every day in MP, shows
official data
Bhopal: Contrary to the claims of MP Govt of protecting children from malnutrition and
various diseases, official data shows that every day no less than 61 kids in
the 0-9 age group die for the same reasons.This information was given by
Minister for Woman and Child Development Archana Chitnis in the state Assembly
in response to a question by Congress MLA Ramnivas Rawat. Congress MLA had sought
to know how many children were found under-weight and how many of them died
between Feb.and May 2018.Chitness replied that a total of 1,183,985 children
were found to be under-weight, out of which 103,083 were critically low on
weight.IANS
Doors of grand alliance shut on turncoat
Nitish:Tejashwi
There is no chance of extending an invitation
to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for joining the
Grand Alliance in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections, said RJD
leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Tejashwi Yadav,putting to rest all
speculation about Nitish being a part of the alliance.“Despite being the single
largest party in Bihar assembly, we made him the CM but he changed sides within 17 months. How can
we trust him?” said Tejashwi said.“He has committed four mistakes in four
years. Before elections he formed a coalition with us and said that it was a
mistake to form Govt with BJP. After 18
months he once again said that he committed a mistake (by forming a Govt with RJD). He has been changing sides
constantly since 2010. Who, after all, is being affected by it? The people of
Bihar, the development of Bihar, where four Govt s have been formed in four
years with only one CM who has struck a
deal with every party and betrayed them too,” emphasised Tejashwi.When
reporters had asked him whether allies of RJD—Congress and HAM—had invited
Nitish to join Grand Alliance with certain conditions, Tejashwi, son Lalu
Prasad, categorically said that the doors of the Grand Alliance were closed for
Nitish Kumar. “People also want this as he has proved to be a ‘palturam’ (a
turncoat).”nationalheraldindia
After Housing Controversy, BJP Struggles with
New Complaints of Corruption in West Bengal:thewire
Kolkata: Allegations of corruption are
building up within BJP in West Bengal, with party workers complaining of being
duped by top district and state leaders who promised them distributorships of
LPG in exchange for bribes.Some of the complaints are against state BJP leaders
and officials who are allegedly close to oil minister Dharmendra
Pradhan.Leaders of RSS within the state are also believed to be involved.“These
people who collected money and duped our workers should be first thrashed
publicly for tarnishing the party’s image. Then there should be a CBI inquiry
along with our internal probe,” Biswajit Mondal, newly-elected BJP panchayat
samiti member from the state’s Murshidabad district told The Wire. “We are in the
forefront battling against all odds to expand the party.These leaders who
collected funds violating all procedures should be exposed and both party and
CBI should take action against them,” he said.Mondal, who recorded his phone
conversation with a district BJP leader about LPG scam, added,“The men who had
paid the money are now scared as they have been threatened with dire
consequences after they vent their ire for not getting the distributorships.They
are BJP workers and expected a fair deal. Now the people should know the
truth.”The Wire understands that over the last month, a number of BJP workers
and party activists have approached West Bengal BJP president with complaints.
In recent weeks, audio clippings – like the one Mondal recorded, which allegedly
contain conversations between workers that have been cheated and senior BJP
leaders in the state – have made their way into the public domain.
MP BJP MLA weeps in House, claims harassment
at minister’s behest
Bhopal :BJP MLA Neelam Mishra has alleged that
she and her family members were being harassed by the police at the instance of
“a local minister” who wanted to take revenge as she had raised the issue of
illegal mining, prompting the home minister to assure her of protection on the
floor of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.During zero hour,Semaria MLA suddenly got
up to speak and broke down after a flurry of accusations against the police and
“a local minister”. She mentioned Mining and Industry Minister Rajendra Shukla while
talking to reporters outside.“Under the influence of local minister,police
administration is harassing my husband and family members…Because I had raised
the issue of illegal mining he is taking revenge,”she claimed in Assembly.indianexpress
UGC overhaul in offing: New law, new name, and
no funding role
New Delhi:HRD Ministry is working on a
proposal to restructure the University Grants Commission (UGC) by repealing its
Act of 1956 and replacing it with a new law that downsizes the higher education
regulator’s scope, including stripping the Commission of its funding role. The
draft Act proposes to re-christen UGC as the Higher Education Commission of
India (HECI) and the regulator, in its new avatar, will only focus on setting,
maintaining and improving academic standards in universities.The ministry will
take over UGC’s grant-giving function. Govt made the draft law public on
Wednesday and has sought feedback by July 7. “Just like how the ministry funds
all technical institutes like the IITs, NITs and IISERs and the AICTE focuses
on maintaining standards, the Govt can easily take over funding of central
universities. We want to downsize the regulator’s role. There won’t be any
interference in the management issues of educational institutions,” said a
ministry official, who did not wish to be identified.indianexpress
Kafeel Khan’s brother writes to President, PM;
alleges laxity in probing attack on family member
Gorakhpur :A brother of Dr Kafeel Khan, an
accused in the Gorakhpur medical negligence case, has alleged police laxity in
probing a recent attack on another member of their family.In a letter to the
president and the PM , Adeel Khan said, “My brother (Kashif Khan) was shot at
on June 10 and since then, the police have not been able to get any clue about
the miscreants.”He alleged that the case was related to BJP MP Kamlesh Paswan
and the police were not able to take action against him and his accomplices.At
a press conference in Lucknow on June 17, Dr Kafeel Khan had expressed
suspicion that Paswan was behind the attack on his brother, which was termed
“baseless” by the Bansgaon MP.PTI
Sushma Swaraj hosts Eid celebrations for
envoys, says India won’t allow forces of hatred to disrupt ties
New Delhi:External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj on Tuesday hosted Eid celebrations at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra for officials
from several countries. Addressing Ambassadors and High Commissioners, she said
the festival brings together people of all faiths in India as the concept of
‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ — meaning the world is one family — is ingrained in the
ethos of the country. She added India will never allow the forces of hatred and
violence to disrupt our (the countries’) societies.“India is home to one of the
largest population of Muslims. Our celebrations of Eid are as diverse as our
regions, languages, cuisine and traditions, as vibrant as our clothes and
festivities, and as sweet as our traditional meethi sevaiyan and a host of
savoury dishes,” Swaraj said. “We in India have grown up believing that the
world is indeed one family. The concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is ingrained
in our ethos,” Swaraj added. “We will never allow the forces of hatred and
violence come anywhere near our peoples, and disrupt our societies.”Swaraj also
said Ramzan, apart from abstaining from eating and drinking, was a month of
abstention from worldly temptations. “It is a month to practice self discipline
and self control – a test of our inner strength. It is a month where one’s
behavior and outlook on life are cleansed, free of materialism that surrounds
us. It is a month for sacrifice and charity, bringing out our innate empathy
and selflessness towards those who are less fortunate than ourselves. And above
all, it is a month for prayers and spiritual reflection,” she said.Quoting from
a speech of the King of Jordan, Swaraj said the values of compassion, mercy and
tolerance, shared by billions of Muslims and non-Muslims, require us to act
together for a common future.indianexpress
Shooter Tara Shahdeo granted divorce from
Raqibul alias Ranjit Kohli
Ranchi :A family court on Tuesday granted
divorce to national level rifle shooter Tara Shahdeo from her husband Raqibul
Hassan alias Ranjit Singh Kohli, with whom she got married in 2014. The divorce
petition was filed last year and both sides appeared in person in this
connection.Principal Judge (Family Court) Brajesh Kumar Gautam granted divorce
after hearing both the sides. It had reserved the judgement on June 4, when
Raqibul had presented his arguments. Tara had submitted affidavit running into
several pages seeking divorce primarily on the ground that the marriage was
conducted on the basis of false information and, subsequently, led to domestic
and physical abuse.Raqibul alias Kohli, who was arrested in 2014 following FIRs
registered against him and his mother is currently in jail. He appeared in this
matter in person and had not hired any lawyer.Apart from Raqibul alias Kohli,
there are two other accused in the case – Mushtaq Ahmed, an officer in the High
Court, and Kohli’s mother, Kaushal Rani. Ahmed was accused of helping Raqibul
change his identity to Kohli. While Ahmed’s bail plea has been rejected by the
High Court, his mother is on bail.Tara was married to Raqibul, who had then
allegedly posed as Ranjit Singh Kohli, in June 2014, at a high-end hotel in the
capital. However, subsequently, she walked out alleging that Kohli was actually
one Raqibul, leading to uproar and registration of FIR against him. Initially,
the state police had registered FIRs under sections pertaining to inflicting
cruelty for dowry.indianexpress
11 people from Kerala go missing in Dubai,
families fear IS link:HT
Thiruvananthapuram: 11 people from north
Kerala are said to have gone missing from Dubai, and family members fear they
may have joined the Islamic State like 21 others two years ago.The missing
people belong to two families, sources in the Kerala police said. The first
complaint filed by Abdul Hamid, a resident of Chemnad in Kasaragod district,
stated that six people including his 28-year-old daughter Nazeera have been
missing since June 15. The second complaint mentioned five names – Nazeera’s
husband Mohamad Sabad (35), his second wife Rahanath (28) and their three
children (all below six years of age). Kerala police have filed two cases in
this regard.Relatives in Kerala said Sabad ran a mobile repair and perfume shop
in Dubai, and his family members had left for Dubai last month to meet him.
There has been no contact with them since June 15, they added.“Sabad seemed a
little radicalised, given how he would always talk about the so-called holy
war. We fear he may have slipped into Yemen with 10 others, including his two
wives and eight children,” a relative of Nazeera said.Another relative said he
has received an audio message from Sabad, stating that he has joined a
religious school in Yemen and will be back after completing his course. Police
are yet to verify the claim.HT
WORLD
Top US court backs Trump travel ban on
Muslim-majority countries
US Supreme Court has upheld President Donald
Trump's controversial order blocking entry by people from several
Muslim-majority countries, a decision described as "disappointing"
and "worrying" by advocacy groups.In a 5-4 decision on Tuesday, the
high court found that Trump's action was "squarely within the scope of
presidential authority" under US immigration law and rejected a challenge
that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority.The current
ban, announced in September and widely criticised by human rights and refugee
advocacy groups, prohibits entry into the US by most people from Iran , Libya,
Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim majority countries, blocking
travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan Govt officials and their
families.A sixth majority Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list in
April after improving "its identity-management and information sharing
practices," Trump said in a proclamation.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote
the majority opinion, joined by his four conservative colleagues. He rejected
the challengers' claim of anti-Muslim bias, but was careful not to endorse
either Trump's provocative statements about immigration in general and Muslims
in particular."We express no view on the soundness of the policy,"
Roberts wrote.Human rights activists said court's decision represented "a
dreadful day for our country".Nihad Awad, national executive director of Council
on American-Islamic Relations described the court's decision as
"disappointing"."The Supreme Court decision today has given the
Trump administration a free hand to reinject discrimination against a
particular faith back to our immigration system which was rejected more than 50
years ago.Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth, said in a statement
that association was appalled with court's decision to uphold the ban. Muslim
advocates said they also concerned that the administration will target other
countries as well as American citizens and lawful, permanent US residents of a
Muslim background.Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, first Muslim
elected to Congress said the decision "will someday serve as a marker of
shame", comparing the ban and ruling to the internment of
Japanese-Americans during World War II.Trump hailed decision as "a moment
of profound vindication" following "months of hysterical commentary
from the media and Democratic politicians who refuse to do what it takes to
secure our border and our country".aljazeera
'A real human cost': American Muslims decry
travel ban
Egypt court puts 187 Brotherhood loyalists on
terror list
Cairo:An Egyptian court placed 187 loyalists
of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group on terrorist list for 5
years on Tuesday, official MENA news agency reported.The blacklist was made by
Cairo Criminal Court, including cleric Wagdy Ghoneim, TV hosts Moataz Matar,
and Mohamed Nasser who fled Egypt to Qatar and Turkey following the military
removal of Brotherhood-oriented president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.The court also
ordered to put the Brotherhood and its affiliate "Hasm Vanguards"
militant group on the list of terrorist entities. Egyptian prosecution
explained that the blacklisted figures and entities are involved in plans for
toppling the regime through anti-state campaigns, blasts and assassinations as
well as attacks against policemen, soldiers and vital institutions inside the
country.Xinhua
Prominent Muslim Brotherhood -affiliated media
figures placed on terror list
Dutch MPs pass law banning face veils in
public buildings
Dutch upper house of parliament has passed a
law banning face veils in public buildings, including schools, Govt offices and
hospitals.The lower house passed the law in 2016, after attempts to impose a
more general ban on burqas and other face-covering veils failed.Proponents of
the law say it is meant to make schools, hospitals and public transport safer,
but critics say its only aim is to get rid of veils, such as the burqa and
niqab.The Dutch Govt 's main advising body in 2015 said the choice to wear a
veil is protected by the constitutional right to freedom of religion, and that
it saw no ground to limit that right.Existing legislation in the Netherlands
already limits the wearing of burqas and other total face-coverings on public
transport or in schools.Measures against the wearing of veils or headscarves
have already been taken in Belgium, France, Denmark and Spain, among others.The
ban does not apply to public streets, although police can ask an individual to
remove face-covering clothing for identification."This is actually
virtually a complete ban because the only spaces that are still available for
women (who wear face-covering clothing) are the street and private
sector," said Annelies Moors, professor of Anthropology and Sociology at University
of Amsterdam."And, of course, the private sector can also have their house
rules, they could also possibly legislate against their presence. So this
leaves women very little space.""It is completely disproportionate
and the only effect will be that many of these women will stay at home even
more," said Green Party senator Ruard Ganzevoort."They will not have
an opportunity to go to school. They will not have an opportunity to go to
learn to swim, and all those things."aljazeera
UN:Saudi-led coalition behind most Yemen kid
casualties
A Saudi-led coaltion was responsible for more
than half of child deaths and injuries in war-torn Yemen last year, according
to a new United Nations report exclusively obtained by Al Jazeera.The annual
Children and Armed Conflict report, which shines the spotlight on child victims
around the world, found that a total of 1,316 children were killed and maimed
in the Arab world's poorest country in 2017. Saudi Arabia, together with
several other Arab nations, launched a military campaign in 2015 in support of
Yemen's internationally recognised Govt , aiming to roll back advances made by
Houthi rebels after they overran much of the country in 2014.Most countries
have since withdrawn their forces from the US-backed coalition, with only Saudi
Arabia and UAE conducting attacks in Yemen.aljazeera
Qatar blockade case to appear before
International Criminal Court: aljazeera
Qatar is set to present its case against UAE
in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, over a now
year-long blockade against the Gulf nation. UAE and 3 other countries imposed a
blockade against Qatar in June 2017, which Doha argues violates human rights of
both Qatari and Emirati citizens.On Wednesday, lawyers for Qatar get to present
their cases in front of the ICC, while representatives of UAE will present
their arguments on Thursday. "Qatar is accusing UAE of discrimination
against Qatar and its citizens and for violating the 1965 International
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination of which
the UAE is a signatory,"our reporter said from The Hague.
Myanmar military leaders guilty of 'crimes
against humanity': Amnesty
New York :Myanmar's military chief and other
top brass have been accused by Amnesty International of crimes against humanity
for overseeing a "systematic" attack against Rohingya Muslims,
according to a report by the rights group today calling for prosecution at the
International Criminal Court. A new report from Amnesty said army
commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and 12 other senior military and security
officials oversaw an orchestrated campaign of violence in the restive state
where Rohingya have been historically marginalised."The ethnic cleansing
of the Rohingya population was achieved by a relentless and systematic campaign
in which the Myanmar security forces unlawfully killed thousands of Rohingya,
including young children," said the report.It also accused security forces
of sexual violence, torture, forced displacement and burning markets and
farmland that starved communities and forced them to flee."These crimes
amount to crimes against humanity under international law, as they were
perpetrated as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Rohingya
population," the report said.The report said some senior military figures
and border guard police oversaw units that directly carried out alleged
atrocities, while others knew of subordinates' actions and failed to prevent,
stop or punish the crimes.The 186-page document is the first attempt to name
and implicate senior figures in the widespread violence that sparked the mass
exodus and humanitarian crisis that followed.The report is the most detailed
account of the crisis to date and follows fresh sanctions from the European
Union this week against 7 security officials accused of serious crimes including
sexual violence and killings.AFP
UN rights envoy urges Myanmar to end
discrimination against Rohingya
UN
human rights investigator on Myanmar called on the Govt on Wednesday to “dismantle the system of
discrimination” against the Muslim Rohingya minority and to restore their rights
to citizenship and property.Yanghee Lee, addressing the U.N. Human Rights
Council, said conditions were not ripe for 700,000 Rohingya refugees in
Bangladesh to go home and regretted that a memo of understanding on
repatriation agreed this month between Myanmar and two U.N. aid agencies had
not been made public. Reuters
Myanmar Rejects Citizenship Reforms for
Rohingyas, Suggested by Western Diplomats
Yangon: A senior Myanmar official has told
Western diplomats that a proposal to review a citizenship law that effectively
renders most Rohingya Muslims stateless could not be implemented, five people
present at the meeting in Denmark in early June told Reuters.At a meeting in
Copenhagen on June 8, Myanmar‘s Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told a
group of diplomats, analysts and members of a commission chaired by former
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan that eight of its recommendations –
including one that asks authorities to take steps to amend the 1982 law – were
problematic in the current political climate and could not be immediately
fulfilled, the people present said.“He made it very clear that citizenship
reform was a non-starter,” said one of the people at the meeting. The sources
spoke on condition of anonymity because Myanmar had requested the talks be
confidential.Win Myat Aye and Govt spokesman Zaw Htay did not answer calls
seeking comment.Reuters
Poland: E. Europe remains firm on anti-migrant
stance
Poland's interior minister said on Tuesday
that his country and three others from Eastern Europe were right in their
stance of opposing mass migration into Europe.Interior Minister Joachim
Brudzinski said that "we have to declare unequivocally that in this
debate, the Visegrad Group was right", referring also to Hungary, Slovakia
and the Czech Republic.Speaking after a meeting in Budapest, Brudzinski said
that the four countries were united "against the uncontrolled influx of
migrants". Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, who hosted the
meeting, said Visegrad Group was helping Balkan countries like Serbia,
Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina to oppose migration and tackle human
trafficking.The upcoming EU summit on migration policy will take place on June
28 and 29.Yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was not optimistic about
the prospects of finding consensus among all EU members.aljazeera
Saudi prince Khaled: Only a matter of time
before Bin Salman is toppled
Saudi Crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s
effort to ensure America’s “deal of the century” comes in to affect quickly is
an effort to improve his relations with Israel, a dissident Saudi prince who
has taken refuge in Germany said.Khaled Bin Farhan Al-Saud said Bin Salman has
been working to ensure a concept of absolute obedience in order to facilitate
his arrival to power.In an exclusive interview with Alkhaleej Online Bin Farhan
revealed that “Bin Salman chose one of the sons of Prince Faisal bin Bandar in
Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the current Prince of Riyadh, as the next crown prince in
preparation for his crowning as king as a successor to his father.” He noted:
“The new crown prince’s personality is weak and blind reliance on Bin
Salman.”“There is great anger amongst the ruling family at Bin Salman’s
actions,” said Bin Farhan, adding, “it is only a matter of time before he is
removed from power.”MEMO
Over 200 killed in weekend violence in central
Nigeria: governor
Jos:Over 200 people were killed in violence
against farming communities last weekend in Plateau state, central Nigeria,
according to a speech by the governor published today.Simon Lalong said after a
closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the state capital Jos
last night that the clashes had left "the painful loss of over 200
people".The police, who blame suspected cattle herders, have said 86
people were killed.However, multiple local sources from the communities
affected maintained more than 100 people died.The main association representing
the largely nomadic herders has denied its community had any involvement in the
killings and said its members had been repeatedly targeted for months.The
clashes are rooted in tensions over access to land between pastoral herders and
sedentary farmers but have generated sectarian friction between Muslims and
Christians.AFP
Gaza: 1,000 UNRWA employees to lose their jobs
Deputy Head of UNRWA’s Workers Union, Amal
Batch, warned yesterday that up to 1,000 employees are expected to lose their
jobs due to the financial crisis hitting the international organisation,
Al-Resalah newspaper reported.Batch said that the emergency programme, which
includes food assistance, temporary work opportunities and others, is at stake
due to the financial crisis.UNRWA has no budget for the third and fourth rounds
of its programme, she said, noting that the organisation is suffering from a
$246 million deficit. If funding is not allocated, she warned, the school year
and other programmes would come to an end, this would have “catastrophic”
consequences on the Palestinian cause.middleeastmonitor
45,000 Syrians flee their homes after Assad
strikes Daraa
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180627-45000-syrians-flee-their-homes-after-assad-strikes-daraa/
At least 45,000 Syrians have fled their homes
in Syria’s south-western Daraa province after the resumption of regime strikes
in the area, the United Nations said in a statement.The Syrian regime strikes,
backed by Russian air forces, have recently started again in the Syrian
province a year after the de-escalation agreement between Washington and
Moscow. According to UN report, the Syrian refugees headed towards the Syrian
border with Jordan, but the Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi wrote on
Twitter: “Jordanian border with Syria will remain closed,” calling for the UN
to help the displaced Syrians.middleeastmonitor
Calls to reveal fate of Palestinian victims of
torture in Syria
Action Group for Palestinians of Syria has
called for revealing the whereabouts of all Palestinian refugees detained in
Syria and to facilitate contact with them, Al-Resalah paper reported
yesterday.According to the paper, the organisation placed responsibility for
the suffering of the Palestinians in Syria on all parties to the conflict.The
group’s coordinator Ahmed Hussein told Al-Resalah that the organisation, along
with 54 Syrian rights groups, had addressed the UN regarding the victims of
torture in Syria.“We sent the letter to many rights groups and international
bodies, including the UN and the UN Council for Human Rights,” Hussein
said.middleeastmonitor
Report doubts whether Israel army is ready for
future wars
A new report from the Israeli army Ombudsman
Major General Yitzhak Brick has revealed dangerous findings about how prepared
the Israeli army are for a future war, Quds Press reported yesterday.According
to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the news agency reported Brick
presenting “a disturbing picture of the organisational culture in the army, as
well as its ability to face the current challenges”.Brick noted that a lot of
units, especially the reservists, do not take care over the maintenance of
military equipment and tanks. He also found that a civil cleaning company was
hired to clean military equipment after training at one of the military
bases.He also noted that the reservists, who form the majority of the Israeli
military forces during wars, do not receive the right training. He revealed
that there is a lack of professionals among them, as well as a lack of
equipment.middleeastmonitor
Pak Taliban blames Musharraf for Bhutto's
assassination
Islamabad: Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan(TTP) has
alleged to be part of the cell that assassinated former Pakistani PM Benazir
Bhutto, has denied its involvement in the attack. In a video released by the
group, TTP has instead blamed Pakistan’s ex President Pervez Musharraf for
Bhutto’s assassination. Ikramullah was believed to have been a “back-up suicide
bomber”, and was allegedly tasked to detonate his explosive vest if the first
attacker failed. According to investigators, he walked away after the first
bomber blew himself up, killing Bhutto and at least 20 others at a rally in the
garrison city of Rawalpindi in Dec.2007 at Liaquat Bagh, a venue where
Pakistan’s first PM Liaquat Ali Khan was also murdered on Oct.16, 1951.The
video in which Ikramullah made his first public statement on Bhutto’s
assassination was obtained by BBC. It is believed to have been filmed in
eastern Afghanistan by TTP’s splinter group. Sitting next to Sheharyar, the
group’s commander, Ikramullah repeatedly stated in the video that he was
neither “involved” nor “aware of” plot to kill Bhutto. Sheharyar, however,
claimed that TTP were not involved in the attack, and blamed it on the country’s
then military ruler Pervez Musharraf and intelligence services. “Attempts to
link Ikramullah to the killing of Benazir is the work of the infidel media and
apostates,” Sheharyar said. timesofindia
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Reaction of Indian authorities to UN report on
Kashmir was disappointing but also puzzling:Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein
UP CM's talk of Dalit reservations in Jamia,
AMU, misunderstands nature of minority institutions:Faizan Mustafa
Judicial Report on 'Encounter' of SIMI
Undertrials Reads Like Police Press Note:Rakesh Dixit
Bhopal Jailbreak: Unanswered Questions in
Killing of 8 Simi Men:Kashif Kakvi
Turkish president Erdogan has many
cheerleaders among Muslims in the subcontinent: Ipsita Chakravarty
Fake social media messages fuel latest mob lynchings
in India: Murali Krishnan
Aadhaar challenge: 3 features that put
constitutional rights at risk;Madhav Khosla And Ananth Padmanabhan
Conflicting Views on Minority Status in
Assam:Vivan Eyben
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:20 PM)
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