NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
19 July 2018:05 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:69
'Jewish nation-state'
LAW
Israel passes controversial 'Jewish
nation-state' law
Israel's parliament today adopted a law
defining the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people, provoking fears
it will lead to blatant discrimination against its Palestinian citizens. The
legislation, adopted by 62 votes to 55, makes Hebrew the country's national
language and defines the establishment of Jewish communities as being in the
national interest.The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official
language, downgrading it to a "special status" that enables its
continued use within Israeli institutions.It stipulates that "Israel is
the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to
national self-determination in it". It also states that an undivided
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel."This is a defining moment in the
annals of Zionism and the history of the state of Israel," PM Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset after the
vote.Palestinian members of the Knesset have condemned the bill."It has
passed a law of Jewish supremacy and told us that we will always be second-class
citizens,” Ayman Odeh,head of the Arab Joint List - an alliance of four
predominantly Arab parties - said in a statement following law’s passage. Ahmed
Tibi, one of the lawmakers, said: "I announce with shock and sorrow the
death of democracy."Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in
Israel, called the law a bid to advance "ethnic superiority by promoting
racist policies"."Jewish nation-state law features key elements of
apartheid, which is not only immoral but also absolutely prohibited under
international law," said Hassan Jabareen, general director of
Adalah."By defining sovereignty and democratic self-rule as belonging
solely to the Jewish people - wherever they live around the world - Israel has
made discrimination a constitutional value and has professed its commitment to
favouring Jewish supremacy as the bedrock of institutions."According to
Adalah,there are currently over 65 Israeli laws that discriminate against
Palestinian citizens in Israel and Palestinian residents of the Occupied
Palestinian Territory on the basis of their national belonging.aljazeera
Hamas: Nation-State bill officially defines
Israel as apartheid entity
Gaza(PIC):Hamas strongly denounced today the
adoption by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, of the new Nation-State Basic
Law, charging Israel of officially adopting an apartheid system of rule.Hamas
spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said “such a racist law” has seen the day thanks to the
US unconditional support for Israeli occupation and its apartheid regime.“Such
a law will not change the defacto situation. Palestinians are and will forever
remain the real sovereigns in Palestine”, said Barhoum.He called on the
Palestinians to opt for a unified national strategy so as to defend
Palestinians’ rights and land against such schemes. Hamas urged the
international community to work on reining in the unabated flow of Israel’s
apartheid policies and prosecute the Israeli occupation for its flagrant
breaches of international resolutions.
‘Extremist’ Israeli legislation draws storm of
outrage
Turkey slams Israel's 'Jewish nation-state'
law
Ankara:Turkey slammed a new Jewish
nation-state law passed by Israel's Knesset, saying it "disregards"
norms of universal law. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “The Jewish
nation-state law passed by the Israeli parliament today disregards norms of
universal law and ignores the rights of Palestinians.” The statement came after
Israel's Knesset on Thursday passed a law which declares the country to be “the
nation-state of the Jewish people”.Anadolu
INDIA
Rajnath Singh condemns mob lynchings, says
onus on states; Congress walks out of Lok Sabha
New Delhi:Condemning instances of lynching and
mob violence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the onus lies
on state Govt s to ensure they are not repeated in future. Singh also blamed
the spread of fake news through social media for the lynchings.“The lynching
incidents happened in the past well. I condemn all the incidents on behalf of
my Govt . Unverified reports, fake news spread through social media is a
trigger. It is the state Govt ’s responsibility to ensure that no such
incidents take place in the future. Law and order is a state subject. This is
why we have requested the social media operators to keep a tab in order to
avoid the spread of fake information,” he said in Lok Sabha. He noted that the
Centre had already issued two advisories in connection with the lynchings in
the past. The Congress, however, walked
out in protest after Singh’s statement.
The party had moved an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over the issue of
mob lynching.“Home Minister’s statement in Lok Sabha on mob lynching was not
satisfactory at all, that is why we staged a walkout from the house. This is
not a game of ping-pong that states and Centre keep shifting responsibilities,”
Congress MP Sashi Tharoor told ANI.
Lynchings caused by rumours spread through
social media, says Govt
Changes will make RTI Act useless: Rahul
Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi today attacked
BJP Govt over proposed changes to RTI
Act, saying they will render the law useless.The proposed amendments,
circulated among Members of Parliament, seek to do away with the parity given
to information commissions with the Election Commission in terms of salary,
allowances and conditions of service, RTI activists have said.Every Indian
deserves to know the truth and the BJP wants to hide the truth. BJP believes
the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in
power. Changes proposed to RTI will make it a useless Act, Gandhi said on
Twitter.He added that the changes being suggested must be opposed by every Indian.Gandhi
tagged a letter by the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information,
which has challenged the amendments on grounds that thy undermine the
independence of information commissions.Centre on July 18 said it is
considering a proposal to amend RTI Act, 2005, to frame rules on salaries and
services of CIC and Information Commissioners.PTI
Lok Sabha passes bill that allows assets
seizure of economic offenders
Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 has
been passed in the Lok Sabha Thursday, which will empower authorities to attach
and confiscate properties and assets of economic offenders. The bill will
replace an ordinance promulgated by the Govt in April this year.Speaking in the lower
house, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the ordinance is the need of the
hour. “Cases where the total value involved in such offences is Rs 100 crore or
more, will come under its purview. Till 2014 nothing was done on this front,”
he said.indianexpress
Decision on minority status for Hindus won’t
be revealed before 2019 polls
New Delhi: Fearing political backlash from
Hindu groups, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has decided to go
slow on its report meant to examine whether Hindus can be granted minority
status in seven states. It will only submit its report after the 2019
elections.“The demand to grant minority status to Hindus is untenable… This
way, every state would have its own minorities,” an official in the commission
said on the condition of anonymity.“But BJP govt can’t send out the message
that it is not in favour of granting minority status to Hindus, so we have
decided to submit the report after the 2019 elections. Govt has made up its mind to postpone the issue
till after the elections.”A 3-member sub-committee was set up by the commission
in January, based on BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay’s plea in the Supreme Court
for granting minority status to Hindus in states where they account for less
than 50 % of the population — J&K,
Punjab, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, plus Union
Territory of Lakshadweep.The SC rejected Upadhyay’s plea in Novr, and asked him
to approach NCM instead.NCM has been reluctant to grant minority status to
Hindus from the very beginning. According to reports in the media, in its
interim report, the commission had already concluded that it is not possible to
grant Hindus minority status at national level due to “constitutional
boundaries”. Moreover, scores of communities will rise up to demand minority
status across the country if it is granted to Hindus in these states.theprint
Kathua case: Parties call for review of
appointment of defence counsel as AAG
Srinagar:The appointment of a defence counsel
for the Kathua rape-murder accused as additional advocate general has drawn
criticism from political parties.“Ironic that a day after celebrating World Day
for International Justice, the defence counsel in the horrific rape &
murder Kathua case has been appointed as Additional Advocate General,” said ex
J-K CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. “Rewarding those who defend alleged
murderers & rapists is abhorrent & a shocking violation of the spirit of
justice. Such a move will only serve to encourage the rape culture rampant in
our society. Expect the @jandkgovernor to intervene.”Sawhney was also appointed
as additional advocate general by J&K administration.Mufti’s party urged
Governor NN Vohra to “review” the decision.indianexpress
AAP issues whip in favour of tomorrow's
no-confidence motion against Modi Govt in Parliament
New Delhi: A whip has been issued by the AAP
for its Lok Sabha MPs to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion against
Modi Govt to be taken up in the Lower
House tomorrow.The chief whip, Bhagwant Mann, issued the directive that will be
binding on the four MPs of the party in the Lok Sabha, said a senior AAP
leader.Among them is the party's suspended MP from Patiala Dharamvir Gandhi.PTI
Shiv Sena to back govt. in no-confidence vote
tomorrow
Mumbai :Shiv Sena will vote in favour of the
BJP-led Govt during the Opposition
sponsored no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday, according to a
source close to party chief Uddhav Thackeray.“We will support the BJP. A formal
announcement will be made,” source told PTI in Mumbai on Thursday.The no-trust
vote will be the first one since NDA Govt was formed four years ago. Speaker Sumitra
Mahajan’s decision to accept the motion, moved by former BJP ally TDP and
others came on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on
Wednesday.PTI
Minority rights not diluted:Rajnath Singh
New Delhi: Amid concerns raised by some Rajya
Sabha members over recent Supreme Court order on the Scheduled Caste (SC) and
Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Union home minister
Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asserted that there is no dilution of the Act and no
institution or individual can take away rights of the marginalised. Singh said
that the govt has already taken steps by amending the relevant law. He added
that Modi Govt felt that special courts
were insufficient, and hence 194 special exclusive courts have been established
to improve the conviction rate.Minister of state for home affairs Hansraj
Gangaram Ahir said special exclusive courts have been set up in 24 states, and
special courts in 30 states.ASIAN AGE
Minorities Directorate to be set up in Maha in
a month: minister
Nagpur: Maharashtra minister Dilip Kamble
today told the state Legislative Council that Minorities Directorate would be
set up in the state within a month.He informed the House that the structure of
the directorate has been finalised and it would be set up soon after the
cabinet gives its nod.The Minister of State for Minority Affairs also said that
the state is soon likely to receive from the Centre the funds saved after the
scrapping of Haj subsidy, which would be used for the education of the minority
children.He was replying to the issues concerning minorities raised by MLCs
Khwaja Baig, Anand Thakur, Husnabanu Khalife, Jogendra Kawade, Girish Vyas and
Haribhau Rathod and Neelam Gorhe.outlookindia
Modi govt rejects judge’s name as Delhi HC
chief justice, cites lack of experience
New Delhi: Modi Govt has rejected yet again a name suggested by the
Supreme Court collegium. This time the recommendation was to appoint Aniruddha
Bose, a Calcutta High Court judge, as the chief justice of Delhi High Court. Reason?
The Govt has said that Bose — who has
been a judge since 2004 — doesn’t have any experience as a chief justice to
handle such a prominent high court.Sources in the Supreme Court told ThePrint
that the file was sent back a few days ago.Now the Govt wants the collegium to recommend another name
in place of the 59-year-old Justice Bose for Delhi High Court, which has been
without a full-time chief justice for more than a year.In declaring Bose’s lack
of experience as the reason to reject his nomination, the Centre seems to have
conveniently forgotten that in the past there have been several chief justices
of Delhi High Court who began their tenures as apex judges in this very court.
They include Justice G. Rohini, who was a puisne judge of Andhra Pradesh High
Court before she was appointed as the first woman chief justice of Delhi High
Court, and Justice N.V. Ramanna, currently in the Supreme Court, who was a
judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court, before he was appointed as chief
justice of the high court in the national capital.Also, several of the bigger
high courts than the one in Delhi, including Punjab and Haryana, Bombay,
Calcutta and MP, have had chief justices who were puisne judges in their parent
high courts.The development comes days after ThePrint reported that the Modi Govt
had returned the names of two advocates
recommended by the Supreme Court collegium for elevation as high court judges.
Even in that instance, the Centre’s decision was unprecedented in that it cited
nothing adverse against the two candidates — Harnaresh Singh Gill and Mohammed
Nizamuddin.theprint
Rajasthan: 5 arrested for allegedly assaulting
men transporting cows
Jaipur:Police in Rajasthan’s Kota district
have arrested five people for allegedly being part of a mob that assaulted two
men who were transporting bovines to MP on Tuesday night. Praveen Tiwari (30),
the owner of the bovines and Ahmad Ali (40), driver of the truck in which they
were travelling, sustained injuries in the attack and received treatment in a
hospital in Kota, said officials.“My family is engaged in the business of dairy
farming near Dewas in MP. I had come to Jaipur to purchase bovines. After
spending Rs. 2.25 lakh, I purchased 7 milch cows near Chomu in Jaipur before we
started for MP on Tuesday,” Tiwari said.“The staff of the toll plaza along with
several other people started assaulting us as soon as they saw we were
transporting cows. Over 40 people assembled in the area and everybody was
beating us. Some claimed to be members of Hindu outfits. They were forcibly
trying to make us confess that we were taking the animals for slaughter,” said
Tiwari.Ali, a resident of Tonk district in Rajasthan said that he has been
driving inter-state vehicles since the past 22 years but had never faced such
an incident. “The men were abusing and beating us. That’s when somebody who was
passing by informed the police. If the cops hadn’t come, they would have killed
us. I often go on long tours to states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
but such an instance has never happened,” said Ali.“We have arrested 4 people -Arjun,
Yogesh, Ajay, Naresh and Arjun- in the matter and preliminary investigation
suggests that they worked at the toll plaza. During questioning the accused
have revealed that they felt animals were being illegally transported,” said
Rajendra Kumar Meena, station house officer, RK Puram police station.Indian
Express
Jharkhand CM pre-planned the mob attack:
Agnivesh
Social activist Swami Agnivesh has accused
Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das of "pre-planning" the mob attack on him,
saying that he had written a letter to Das 15 days prior to his rally in Pakur
district where he was attacked by activists from BJP's youth wing."I had
written a letter to Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das informing him that I would be
taking up the issue of Adivasis. I had also requested an appointment with him
so I could discuss these issues in person," Agnivesh told National Herald
in an exclusive interaction after being discharged from AIIMS Trauma Centre on
Thursday."This was 15 days prior to the rally where I was attacked. On
July 16, I waited at CM's office in Ranchi for hours but wasn't given time with
him, following which I took the night train and proceeded to Pakur," he
said.Agnivesh said that around a lakh adivasis had gathered for the rally,
which was organised to discuss the plight of the primitive tribes under the BJP
state Govt ." Jharkhand Govt has signed 210 MoUs with corporates, as part
of which 3.5 lakh acre of tribal land will be given away to these big
businesses without the consent of the adivasi community. It is a classic instance
of crony capitalism that is at play in Jharkhand," he said."I was due
to address the rally, which had the presence of around a lakh locals, to
highlight the injustice being meted out to adivasis. They had invited me from
Delhi just for the rally.They had made all the arrangements," said the
former academic at St Xavier’s College, Kolkata, who left his job to take up
the cause of adivasi community.nationalheraldindia
Muslim organizations condemn mob attack on Agnivesh
New Delhi:Top Muslim organizations have
strongly condemned the assault of 78-year-old peace activist and eminent social
worker Swami Agnivesh allegedly by a Hindutva mob in Jharkhand.Navaid Hamid,
president, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, said Mushawarat “strongly
condemns brutal attack on Swami Agnivesh by Sangh Terrorists in Jharkhand and
demands immediate arrest of culprits.”Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, India’s one of the
largest organizations, has also condemned the “heinous and cowardly attack” on
Agnivesh. “We strongly condemn the heinous and cowardly attack in Jharkhand on
renowned social activist and Arya Samaj leader Swami Agniveshji. He has always
been in the forefront for social justice and communal harmony. Till now most of
the mob-lynchings took place against those from the Muslim community but now a
renowned religious head from the majority community has been attacked and it
shows the severity of the situation,’’ said Jamaat chief Maulana Syed
Jalaluddin Umari in a statement.Jamaat chief further said: “He has been
attacked by those who want to polarize society in the name of religion and
cannot tolerate anybody who exposes their divisive policies. It seems the
attackers were confident that they can break the law and no action would be
taken against them. We demand stern action against the guilty and the officers
who were in charge of maintaining law and order but failed to protect
Swamiji.’’Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, while condemning the incident, said the attack
on Swami Agnivesh shows that communal forces are considering themselves above
law.“It is unfortunate that Swami Agnivesh was assaulted by a mob the day the
Supreme Court of India said that mob violence cannot have any place in
democracy,” said Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani.caravandaily
Jamaat-e-Islami condemns attack on Swami
Agnivesh
ABVP activists beat up Missionary College
staff in Yogi’s Gorakhpur
In CM Yogi Adityanath’s home town Gorakhpur, a group
of unruly activists of ABVP beat up staff and teachers of a Missionary college,
alleging corruption in the institute run by Catholic Diocese of India.Nearly 40
activists of ABVP reportedly barged into the office of Saint Andrew's College
and allegedly assaulted the Proctorial board staff and teachers when they were
not allowed to meet the principal of the college.Principal of the college, JK
Lal, has lodged a written complaint against general secretary of ABVP's
Gorakhpur unit, Saurabh Kumar Gaur and 40 others unnamed ABVP workers. “They
(ABVP activists) were alleging corruption in the institute. Around 40 of them
barged into the office and wanted to meet me. The staff told them that a
delegation of only 5-6 people can be allowed to meet the principal. This
infuriated them and they started assaulting members of the proctorial board.
They even beat up non-teaching staff,” Lal said.The whole incident has been
recorded on the CCTV. The College administration has submitted the footage to
the police as the proof of how ABVP activists thrashed the staff and vandalised
the office.St Andrews College is around 100-year-old minority college run by
Catholic Diocese of India and is credited as an institution that has produced
the who’s who in Gorakhpur.Even today, wards of the top political leaders,
including those belonging to the Saffron party, are studying
here.nationalheraldindia
Declared an Indian in ’17, Assam cop again
listed as doubtful voter
Guwahati:An Assam police officer’s
10-year-long struggle to prove his nationality continues even after he was
declared an Indian citizen by a Foreigners Tribunal last year.Assistant
sub-inspector Shah Alam Bhuyan has again been marked as a ‘D voter’ or doubtful
voter in the state’s voter list even though he was declared an Indian citizen
by the tribunal in 2017. ‘D voter’ tag means Bhuyan will again have to wait
till his case comes up in the Foreigners Tribunal where he will have to prove
that he is an Indian citizen and not an illegal immigrant. The ‘D voter’ tag
may spell trouble not just for Bhuyan but for his family too. In a recent
order, the Supreme Court had said the inclusion of ‘D voters’ and their
descendants in NRC will be kept on hold. The deadline to release the final
draft of the NRC is July 30.There are 100 Foreigners Tribunals in Assam that
adjudicate on cases of individuals whose citizenship is suspected by the border
branch of the Assam police.HT
Households without toilets used to identify
backward minority concentration areas:TOI
New Delhi: An assessment of households lacking
a toilet has been for the first time a deciding factor for identification of
backward minority concentration areas under the flagship infrastructure
development programme for these communities which was expanded from 196
districts to 308 in May by the Centre. The programme is seen as an attempt to
reduce the gap between the national average and the minority communities on
backwardness parameters.Govt’s Multi Sectoral Development Programme(MsDP)revamped
as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)was rolled out by the ministry of
minority affairs after Cabinet approval in May. Earlier “basic need” parameters
for identification of backward areas included pucca house, access to
electricity and potable water. Under the revised scheme “latrine in house” was
added.
Modi Govt misusing Ram Mandir issue to create communal
divide: Raj Thackeray
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj
Thackeray, during a press conference, has said that BJP Govt is misusing the Ram Mandir issue to create
divide among communities. "Ram Mandir should be constructed but it should
not be used for political mileage. Now four years have passed and again this
ruling Govt is misusing Ram Mandir issue to create divide among
communities."He also claimed that India has borrowed so much loan because
of PM Narendra Modi's adamant nature. Talking about Govt's inability to stop
train accidents, he said, "Just for the adamant nature of PM Modi, India
has borrowed so much for Bullet Train. At present Govt is not able to stop or control train
accidents."indiatoday
Raj Thackeray: BJP won because of EVMs, won’t
return to power in 2019
SDPI is RSS among Muslims: Kerala CPIM chief
Kerala's CPI(M) chief alleges that SDPI is the
Indian version of Islamic State (IS). Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's sharp remarks
comes days after a SFI activist was killed inside a college campus in Kochi.It
was alleged that SFI activist was killed by people having associations with
SDPI or PFI.Balakrishnan said, "SDPI is a version of IS in India. IS
attacks the Muslims also, similarly SDPI's attack is also against Muslims. SDPI
is the enemy if Muslims in India."Balakrishnan said that RSS and SDPI are
two sides of the same coin. He also said that SDPI is the RSS among
Muslims.SDPI, PFI, Campus Front and NDF have been facing a lot of heat after
the murder of SFI activist and student Abhimanyu. Police carried out extensive
searches in many offices of SDPI and PFI. Over 600 activists belonging to these
bodies have been charged with various sections.indiatoday
Aircel-Maxis case: P Chidambaram listed as an
accused by CBI in fresh charge-sheet
CBI today listed ex Finance Minister P
Chidambaram as an accused in the supplementary charge-sheet filed in
Aircel-Maxis case in Delhi’s Patiala House Court. His son Karti Chidambaram and
16 others have already been accused in the ongoing case. CBI has also named two
Govt officials in the new charge-sheet
and has charged them with ‘Abuse of Power’. Patiala House Court will take
cognizance of the matter on July 31, Tuesday.In its new charge-sheet, CBI has
stated that two sets of money trails were discovered regarding Foreign
Investment Promotion Board clearance during the investigation of the case.
Among the total 18 accused, there are some public office holders, both working
and retired, who have been named in the charge-sheet.NewsX
Bhopal Municipal Corporation workers raze
historic 18th century Zeenat Manzil
Bhopal:Unmindful of importance of heritage
protection, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) initially indicated only a tower
of Zeenat Manzil, the wall of which touches the mosque, would be demolished.
There were calls on social media to protect Shams-ul-Masajid, popularly called
Heera Masajid, much before the civic body began demolition early Wednesday
morning. The rare mosque is made of marble, considered one of the first
experiments of Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum, before she undertook the task of
building Taj-ul-Masajid, one of the largest mosques in the world. “Pillar of
Zeenat Manzil is tilting towards the mosque and might cause more damage,”
explained BMC corporator Mohammed Saud. However, when demolition task force
began using a hydraulic crane, they targeted a pillar on the opposite side,
which did not directly threaten the mosque. “There are cracks on that wall,
too,” said BMC officials. Till evening, BMC had first demolished portions of
the palace, which are not threatening the mosque. But many of those who care
about heritage structures say the whole exercise raises doubts. There is a need
to know who will gain from the loss of priceless heritage, they say. TOI
Bomb Explodes At Under-Construction Temple In
Allahabad, Live Bombs Also Recovered
Allahabad: A child was injured when a bomb
exploded at an under-construction temple in Rasoolabad area under the Shiv Kuti
police station in Allahabad on Wednesday. Four live bombs were also recovered
from the site.13-year-old Manish, who was playing near the debris of the
under-construction temple, was injured in the explosion. He was rushed to the
local hospital where his condition is said to be out of danger.4 crude bombs
were also recovered from the site and have been sent for forensic checking, a
police official told IANS. “They have since been diffused and we are
questioning the people around to ascertain how the crude bombs reached the
garbage dump near a temple,” the official told IANS.caravandaily
Hindu population in Bangladesh increasing:
Sushma
New Delhi:Countering perception that the
population of Hindus in Bangladesh was declining, the Govt today quoted official records of that country to
state that it has instead risen by 2% in
2017. Responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj also said the Govt has
from time to time raised the issue of the plight of minorities in Pakistan,
Bangladesh and other countries at the bilateral level and made efforts to take
them to a logical conclusion.She urged members to pass the Citizenship Act
amendment bill, pending in Upper House, to help resolve issues pertaining to
atrocities and attacks on minorities, including those in Pakistan. “About the
demographic changes in Bangladesh, as per statistics of the Bangladesh Bureau,
in 2011 there were 8.4 % Hindus in the country, which has risen to 10.7 % in 2017.PTI
India could lose trade dispute with U.S. at
WTO: Commerce Secretary
Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia on July 19
said there was a “real” possibility that India could lose the trade dispute
that the U.S. had filed in the WTO on export subsidies. This, she said, was
because income levels in India had crossed the threshold for exports to be
subsidised.“There is a real possibility that India will lose the trade dispute
with the U.S. at WTO over subsidising exports,” she said at an ICC interaction
in Kolkata. However, India has been responding “very strongly” to the U.S.
allegations, Ms Teaotia said.She said while direct subsidy to exports cannot be
given, Govt can legitimately support regulatory compliances required in other
countries. “Benefits to services exports will remain untouched, and GST refunds
to exporters will continue as well,” she said.PTI
Top News: India’s fake research paper shops,
Jio’s projected Rs 100 crore revenue in first year
New Delhi :An investigation by Indian Express
revealed that fake research paper shops publish papers for a listed “charge” or
“fee”. These publications exist online, and claim to have a list of experts as
editors, and employ minimal or no editorial checks before publication.In
another news, Jio Institute has projected Rs 100 crore revenue from students in
first year. Here’s the top news of the day.The investigation has discovered
over 300 publishers in the country who manage what are called “predatory
journals” that claim to be international and publish papers for a listed
“charge” or “fee” that ranges from $30-$1,800 per piece. Shyamlal Yadav finds
that several of these publications exist online, claim to have a list of
experts as editors, and employ minimal or no editorial checks before
publication. Read more here.Indian Express
Mumbai-based taxi driver graduates with son,
says ‘there is no age to study’
Beaming with joy Farook Shaikh said that there
is no age to study. Shaikh, is a Mumbai based taxi driver who recently
completed his graduation along with his son. He seemed to be at the the top of
the world as he graduated in the same year as that of his son. He was not
financially well off. Owing to his deteriorating financial condition, Shaikh
took up the job of taxi driver and decided to pursue graduation to earn better.
TOI
We don't tip terrorist, writes customer
because waiter had a Muslim name
Last
weekend, a young man named Khalil Cavil was waiting tables at Saltgrass Steak
House in Odessa, Texas, like any other Saturday. At one point, he noticed one
of his customers leave their table after paying the bill.As usually, Khalil
headed over to the now-empty table to collect the bill and his tip money. But
instead of a tip, he found a message that would leave him, and later many on
social media, much shaken."We don't tip terrorist," the customer had
written on the bill, circling Khalil's name in black ink. On that note, the
customer, whom Khalil respectfully leaves unnamed, left zero tip on a $108
bill."At the moment I didn't know what to think nor what to say, I was
sick to my stomach," Khalil wrote on Facebook as he shared a photo of the
bill.Speaking to local Texas channel KMID Big 2 News, Khalil said that the
customer probably assumed he was Middle Eastern because of his first name,
which means "friend" in Arabic.In reality, Khalil was named so in
memory of his dad's best friend.IndiaToday
Arshad Qasmi, Farah Faiz slap each other
during live debate; cleric remanded to 14-day judicial custody
New Delhi: Outrage was caused during a live
debate on a news channel when the member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board
Ejaz Arshad Qasmi had a heated argument with the women present in the panel
which resulted in the physical scuffle.Farah Faiz who filed petition in Supreme
Court in connection with triple talaq slapped Qasmi who in turn slapped the
woman twice.The incident created outrage and the channel called police. Qasmi
was taken into custody.It was clear in the clipping that woman first slapped Qasmi.Farah
is associated with RSS and is head of Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh. Qasmi
has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody. siasat
Muslim scholars appealed to boycott TV debates
New Delhi: For several years news channels are
conducting debates regarding Muslims and Islam. All this is planned and doesn’t
aim at solving the issue but to make fun of a particular community and to give
other community a chance to attack that particular community. Muslim scholars
have appealed Maulvis who are invited by TV channels to boycott debates.
Convener of Delhi Islah-e-mashera committee of All India Muslim Personal Law
Board said that Ulama for the sake of fame and wealth participate in the
debates even though they know that this will tarnish the image of the
religion.General Secretary Jamiat Ulama Delhi, Maulana Abdur Razzaq said that it has
become a business for the so-called moulvis to participate in TV debates with
no or little knowledge of shariah. saisat
UP minority commission team rushes to Bareilly
over fatwa against Nida Khan
Bareilly: A 2-member UP Minority Commission
rushed here today to investigate into the fatwa and other issues anti triple
talaq activist Nida Khan.The team, after meeting the DM and SSP, directed to provide 24 hour security Khan.UNI
WORLD
Turkey's emergency ends as bill seeks to keep
some of its powers
A state of emergency imposed in Turkey after a
coup attempt two years ago comes to an end today, as the Govt seeks to pass new legislation to keep in place
some of the measure's powers. Emergency rule was imposed five days after the
coup attempt on July 20, 2016, to enable authorities "to take swift and
effective action against those responsible" for it.Govt then extended it seven times, facing criticism
from the opposition and Turkey's Western allies.More than 250 people, excluding
the plotters, were killed during the coup attempt, which Ankara blames on the
movement of Fethullah Gulen, a religious leader living in self-imposed exile in
US. Gulen has denied any involvement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan made
ending the state of emergency a key promise during his campaign ahead of last
month's presidential and parliamentary elections. After winning the June 24
poll, Erdogan became Turkey's first executive president with significantly
increased powers.The Govt recently said
it would not seek an extension of the state of emergency, under which tens of
thousands of people were either sacked from public institutions or arrested.US
and many members of EU, as well as international rights groups, repeatedly
condemned the detentions and purges in the country. Andrew Gardner, Amnesty
International's Turkey researcher, said the state of emergency was used by Govt
to counter legitimate opposition in the
country, rather than to target threats to national security.Erdogan's AK Party
on Monday submitted a new bill seeking to keep some measures allowed under the
state of emergency for another 3 years. Proposed legislation is expected to be
taken to parliament next week,following discussions at Justice Commission. aljazeera
Govt air raids pound rebel holdout in southwest
Syria
Syrian Govt forces have unleashed an intense bombing
campaign on the densely-populated southwestern town of Nawa, killing at least
14 people and wounding more than 100, according to activists and rescuers.The
air raids, which were launched on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday, hit the
rebel-held city's only hospital, rendering it non-operational and causing
dozens of reported casualties.The bombardment is part of the Govt 's military
offensive - which it began on June 19 - on the remaining opposition pockets in
the southwestern region, which includes the Deraa and Quneitra provinces which
straddle the border with Jordan and the frontier with the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights.Nawa, home to at least 100,000 people, is the largest urban
centre still controlled by rebels in Deraa province.aljazeera
Syria rebels agree to surrender zone bordering
Golan
Syrian rebels have agreed to surrender a
sensitive area bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an activist group
and opposition source said on Thursday, the latest in a series of deals
expanding Govt control over key territory.The agreement follows another deal
that saw thousands of residents evacuated on Thursday morning from two pro-Govt
towns in northern Syria long besieged by
hardline rebels. Both deals, negotiated by Govt ally Russia, will be seen as victories for
President Bashar al-Assad over the seven-year uprising that once threatened his
rule.With a mix of military force and negotiated surrenders, his forces this
month captured more than 90 % of Daraa, the southern province where protests
against him first erupted in 2011.They then began intensely bombing rebels in
Quneitra, a crescent-shaped province wedged between Daraa and the buffer zone
with the Israel-occupied Golan to the west. Under pressure, rebels have agreed
to hand over Quneitra and the buffer to Govt forces, an opposition negotiator and an
activist group told AFP today.
Israel, Russia discuss return to 1974 Syria
border area
Israel and Russia are reportedly holding talks
on the withdrawal of Syrian regime forces from the Golan Heights area and a
return to the 1974 demarcation lines, according Israeli television broadcaster
Kan.Working groups in both countries have been studying issues including
no-man’s land, demilitarized zones and the deployment of Israeli and Syrian
forces on both sides of the border, the report said, citing a Russian
diplomatic source.Israel and Syria are believed to have agreed to return to 1974
Agreement on Disengagement drawn up in the wake of the 1973 October War, with
Syria stating it will withdraw from the region after it has defeated the
remaining opposition forces near the border.MEMO
Israel hits Gaza Strip, martyring Palestinian,
injuring 3
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-hits-gaza-strip-martyring-palestinian-injuring-3/1208676
Gaza:One Palestinian was martyred today -- and
3 others injured -- in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip,
according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.“Martyr Abdel-Karim Radwan, 22, succumbed
to injuries sustained as a result of the strike,” ministry spokesman Ashraf
al-Qidra said.“3 injured individuals, meanwhile, have since been taken to
Gaza’s European Hospital for treatment,” he added.In its own statement, Israeli
army confirmed the strike, saying: “An Israeli warplane targeted an activist
cell that had been launching incendiary balloons near a Hamas position in the
southern Gaza Strip.”Anadolu Agency
Hamas reveals details of Egyptian
reconciliation proposal
Senior Hamas leader Musa Abu-Marzouq revealed the
details of Egyptian proposal for Palestinian reconciliation, Safa reported. He
said:“New proposal includes mechanisms to carry out reconciliation in stages in
a limited timeframe,” stressing that Hamas had accepted this proposal and “will
not carry out any more reconciliation discussions”. Cairo said that it was
waiting for Fatah’s reply. “We hope that Egypt receives a positive response
from Fatah in order to put an end to this era,” Abu-Marzouq said.The proposal
starts with lifting all the punitive measures imposed on the Gaza Strip,
according to Abu-Marzouq. He noted that the proposal is limited because of the
strict timeframe based on the Cairo Agreement reached between Fatah and Hamas
in 2011.MEMO
Israel sends threatening letter to Hamas
leaders, Israeli media claims
Israeli authorities have sent a threatening
letter to Hamas leaders through Egypt’s intelligence agency, Quds Press
reported yesterday.According to the Israeli TV Channel 10, Israel said in the
letter that it is ready to carry out a military offensive against Gaza if the
incendiary balloons are not stopped. Hamas replied with a letter from Cairo,
saying that it would stop the kites and balloons after Friday in return for
reopening the crossings, mainly Rafah, and with the improvement of economic and
humanitarian conditions in Gaza.Palestinian youths used the incendiary kites
and balloons to face Israeli aggression against the protesters taking part in
the Great March of Return and to put pressure on Israel to lift its 12-year
siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.middleeastmonitor
Hamas defiant after Israeli threats over
burning kites
Hamas says protesters sending burning kites
into Israel have a right to continue, despite Israeli threats to stop them.Israel,
which has intensified its blockade of Gaza, say millions of dollars worth of
crops have been destroyed on their side and further attacks will not be
tolerated.aljazeera
Israel okays construction of more settler
homes on Palestinian land
Israeli occupation authorities green-lighted
the constructions of dozens of houses for Israeli settlers on the outskirts of
Itamar illegal settlement, built on Palestinian lands southeast of Nablus.The
Hebrew-speaking Channel 7 said the occupation authorities approved a bid to
build 62 settlement units near Itamar, in the northern occupied West Bank.PTI
Palestinian officials denied entry to US to
attend UN meet
Washington, (PIC) Palestinian ambassador to UN
Riyad Mansour said that US authorities refused to provide a Palestinian
delegation of six experts travel visas to attend an important meeting that was
held at the UN headquarters in New York.Mansour told journalists that Israel
also “complicated the matter” by refusing to allow several members of the
delegation to travel from Ramallah to Jerusalem, where the US Consulate is
located, to check on their visas.He said such measure violated UN agreement
with the United States as host country of the world organization, which requires
the US to facilitate UN work and allow delegates to attend UN meetings.
Hungary follows US in pulling out of UN
migration pact
Hungary's right-wing Govt is withdrawing from a UN pact on migration,
saying the global deal encourages movements of people which are "dangerous
for the world".After 18 months of negotiations, the draft for the Global
Compact for Migration was approved on Friday by 191 UN member nations, but not US,
which withdrew in December saying it was "inconsistent" with its
"immigration and refugee policies". Hungary, whose PM Viktor Orban won a third consecutive term in
April on a fiercely anti-migration platform, decided not to sign the final
document at a ceremony in Morocco in December.aljazeera
Rohingya report more violence, persecution in
Myanmar: UN investigators
Geneva: Muslim Rohingya refugees reaching
Bangladesh say violence, including torture, persists against them in Myanmar
and the overall environment remains “menacing” for ethnic and religious
minorities, UN human rights investigators said today. Members of the
Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar ended a 5-day visit to
the refugee camp of Kutupalong in Cox’s Bazar where they interviewed new
arrivals among the more than 700,000 Rohingya who have fled Rakhine state since
an army crackdown last August.“They referred to the overt threats they faced of
violence and persecution, being cut off from their sources of livelihood, and
the overall menacing environment that finally compelled them to leave for
Bangladesh,” investigators said, adding that the arrival of new refugees
reflects the “the continuing gravity of the human rights violations in
Myanmar.”Reuters
FLASH:
VIEWS & NEWS
A law for lynching isn’t enough. It recurs due
to climate of impunity, political encouragement:Harsh Mander
View From Right: Organiser editorial questions
objectives and timing of AIMPLB raising
issue of Dar-ul-Qaza
Just One Month After Hapur Lynching, Qasim's
Wife Says 'It's Like He Never Existed'
In BJP's Reaction to Attack on Swami Agnivesh,
a Message For Lynch Mobs:Apoorvanand
“Completely False”, Write Former Civil
Servants to BBC In Response to Minister Prasad’s Allegations In Interview
Putin made PM Modi wait for an hour ahead of
their first meeting in 2014!
Child asks mother why Muslim man was wearing
skull cap & her answer is what we all need to hear: Shewali Tiwari
Why Narendra Modi did not want a no-confidence
motion in March (but is okay with it now):Anita Katyal
Online petition roasting NRC goes
viral:Counter-move clarifies update bid doesn't target religion
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