NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
11 Sept. 2018: 30 Zilhajj 1439: Vol: 10, No:105
INDIA
Ex RBI chief Raghuram Rajan gave PMO list of
'high profile NPA fraud cases' but no action was taken
New Delhi: The former governor of RBI Raghuram
Rajan had red flagged “a list of high profile fraud cases of non-performing
assets to PMO for coordinated investigation” and noted how the over-invoicing
of imports by “unscrupulous promoters” was used to inflate the cost of capital
equipment.Incredibly, the “Rajan list” did not set alarm bells ringing.Though
Rajan does not mention the date he wrote to PMO– setting off speculation in a
section of the media that the prime minister who had been derelict was Manmohan
Singh and not Narendra Modi – the HT had reported in April 2015 that Rajan had
written to Modi PMO wanting action on bank frauds worth Rs 17,500 crore. “The
bank accounts cited by RBI belong to Winsome Diamond and Jewellery, Zoom
Developers, Tiwari Group, Surya Vinayak Industries, Deccan Chronicle Holdings,
First Leasing Company of India, Biolor Industries, Surya Pharmaceuticals, Prime
Impex/ Prime Pulses and a person identified as Shivraj Puri”, HT said, quoting
unnamed sources.Of these, Winsome Diamond was finally booked by the CBI only in
April 2017.Rajan has referred to his attempt to sound the alarm on NPA fraud in
a detailed 17-page reply to the estimates committee of parliament which, under
the chairmanship of Murli Manohar Joshi, had sought his views on the NPA
crisis. Though the committee believes Rajan is referring to the incumbent when
he said “PMO”, it is now considering asking him for the date he wrote to the
PMO. At the same time, a committee member said this was not so relevant as the
responsibility for action in fraud cases is clearly on the incumbent. “We are
looking at the PMO as a continuum.”Rajan said “a larger number of bad loans
were originated in the period 2006-2008 when economic growth was strong, and
previous infrastructure projects such as power plants had been completed on
time and within budget. It is at such times that banks make mistakes.They
extrapolate past growth and performance to the future. So they are willing to
accept higher leverage in projects, and less promoter equity…. This is the
historic phenomenon of irrational exuberance, common across countries at such a
phase in the cycle.”When growth slowed down following the global meltdown of
financial markets in 2008, bank loans quickly came under stress.Compounding the
problem, said Rajan, was official foot-dragging on clearances. “A variety of
governance problems such as the suspect allocation of coal mines coupled with
the fear of investigation slowed down government decision making in Delhi, both
in UPA and subsequent NDA govts… The continuing travails of the stranded power
plants, even though India is short of power, suggests government decision
making has not picked up sufficient pace to date.”The absence of a proper
bankruptcy code in this period made it difficult for banks to write off debt by
penalising the debtor; the end result was the ever-greening of bad loans.
However, malfeasance and fraud were also factors, said Rajan, and the
reluctance of the system to act is a serious problem:thewire
Raghuram predicts sources of next banking
crisis: Mudra scheme, loan waivers – here’s what he says
‘Over-optimistic bankers, slow
decision-making’: Raghuram Rajan decodes bad loans
Aadhaar security breached: Anyone, including
terrorists, from anywhere in the world can generate IDs with this software
patch
Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI) Aadhaar software that enrols new users may have been hacked using a
software patch that disables security features, revealed an investigation by
HuffPost India. The investigation report further said that this patch is
readily available in the market at a one-time charge of as low as Rs 2,500.This
patch, allows unauthorised persons, that too from anywhere in the world, to
generate Aadhar numbers and, as per the report, the patch is already used by
many enrolment operators across the country.HuffPost India has claimed to have
gained access to the patch, that bypasses the critical security features
including GPS, the GPS security feature is used by UIDAI to track the physical
location from where the number is generated.Newsx
Babri Masjid trial has stalled my promotion:
Sessions Judge to Supreme Court
New Delhi :The Supreme Court Monday issued
notice on a plea by Surendra Kumar Yadav, CBI judge hearing the Babri Masjid
demolition case, that his promotion has been stalled after the apex court’s
order directing that the CBI judge should not be transferred till the trial is
completed.On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court had revived conspiracy charges
against top BJP leaders including L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi among
others and transferred the pending case to a Magistrate Court in Rae
Bareli.“There shall be no de novo (fresh) trial. There shall be no transfer of
the judge conducting the trial until the entire trial concludes. The case shall
not be adjourned on any ground except when the sessions court finds it
impossible to carry on the trial for that particular date,” the court had
said.In his plea to the Supreme Court, Yadav requested that he be allowed to
file an application seeking cancellation of the notification that has stalled
his promotion on transfer.Yadav pointed out that on June 1, 2018, the Allahabad
High Court had appointed him District and Sessions Judge, Badaun. The “order
was of transfer on promotion”, he submitted. However, on the same day, another
notification was issued, “cancelling”transfer on promotion until further orders
on the ground that the SC had directed“there shall be no transfer of the judge
conducting trial of Ayodhya matters”, his application said. Yadav submitted
that he had joined the judiciary as Munsif on June 8, 1990, and has an
“unblemished career” of 28 years behind him. “However, despite utmost sincerity
and honesty with which the applicant has worked, the applicant and family are
embarrassed and humiliated in the twilight of his service,” the plea said.indianexpress
Bhima Koregaon riots ‘pre-planned’: Report
A fact-finding report by a nine-member team
has concluded that the Bhima Koregaon violence on Jan. 1 this year was
“preplanned”.Blaming police for inaction, the report also points to a
conspiracy, stating that over a period of 15 years, Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji
Bhide, both leaders of Hindutva outfits, had helped create an atmosphere that
ultimately led to the riots.The report was submitted to the inspector general
of police, Kolhapur range — who appointed the panel led by Pune Deputy Mayor Dr
Siddharth Dhende — on Jan20. Bhima Koregaon Commission has just concluded its
first round of hearings in Mumbai, and will summon a member from fact-finding
team to depose before it in Pune.The report said Ekbote had founded the
Dharmavir Sambhaji Maharaj Smruti Samiti to distort the history of Vadhu Budruk
and Govind Gaikwad – a Mahar hero who had performed the last rites of Sambhaji
Maharaj, son of Shivaji Maharaj.“A board near Sambhaji Maharaj’s samadhi
detailing the work done by Govind Gaikwad was replaced with a new one [omitting
information about him], and [RSS founder] KB Hedgewar’s photo was put up. There
was no need to put up Hedgewar’s photo at the samadhi. It was a deliberate move
that created a rift between the upper and backward castes. If police had taken
action, the untoward incident could have been avoided,” the report
stated.Slamming the police for being mute spectators, the report named a DSP, a
police inspector, and one more police officer, and stated that several phone
calls were made to the cops about the violence, but were not taken seriously:
“The police were witness to the violence and arson, but did not take any steps
to prevent it. The assailants kept saying, ‘Don’t worry, the police are with
us’.Dr Siddharth Dhende, Pune Deputy Mayor said,"We have given proof that
it was pre-planned violence, and had nothing to do with the Elgar Parishad, as
had been alleged. The history of Bhima Koregaon and surrounding areas shows
that Dalits and Marathas did not previously have animosity. But Bhide and Ekbote
twisted the historical narrative to create communal tension.We have mapped a
chronology to establish the involvement of Hindutva forces."mumbaimirror
Pratapgarh lynching of Zafar Hussain: Rajasthan
police clear accused civic officials
Jaipur – Rajasthan Police have given a clean
chit to the officials of a municipality in Pratapgarh district who were accused
of assaulting 53-year-old social activist Zafar Hussain leading to his death in
June last year.The officials on Swacch Bharat patrolling in the morning of 16th
June 2017 had allegedly assaulted Hussain when he objected to them taking
pictures of women defecating in the open. The incident had occurred at Mehtab
Shah Kutchi Basti in Pratapgarh of Rajasthan. However, the local police and the
state BJP government had denied the charge of lynching and said Hussain died of
heart attack.In their final report submitted to a local court, Pratapgarh
police have reportedly stated that they have not framed any charge against the
four civic officials involved in the scuffle against whom an FIR under IPC
Section 302 (murder) had been registered hours after the death of Zafar
Hussain.Hussain’s family members had lodged the case against the then municipal
council commissioner Ashok Jain and employees Kamal Harijan, Ritesh Harijan and
Manish Harijan.“A final report has been submitted to the court in the case and
it has been concluded in the investigation that Hussain died of heart attack,”
Babulal Murariya, station house officer, Pratapgarh, and investigating officer
in the case has been quoted as saying by Indian Express.Police submitted the
final report at the court of CJM, Pratapgarh, on 4th Sept.caravandaily
Probe reveals dirty, cruel secrets of gaushalas
Titled ‘Gau Gaatha’, the report was released
by animal protection organisation Federation of Indian Animal Protection
Organisations (FIAPO) on September 4. The report said the investigation
revealed extremely worrisome conditions at bovine care centres in 13 States and
two Union Territories.“Such dreadful conditions are against the backdrop of the
rhetoric of cow protection from various sections of society, which have gained
popularity over the last several years,” said the report.A key issue that
emerged during the investigation was that of financial sustainability —
something that most gaushalas faced. The report noted that only a handful of
gaushalas received minimal, if any, government support. Others depended on
donations from people or religious institutions, or on sale of milk and milk
products. This, the report said, led to employing cruel practices and making
them no different from dairies milking for profit. FIAPO executive director
Varda Mehrotra said: “Historically, most Indians have held a compassionate view
towards bovines — setting up gaushalas for their care and enacting laws for
their protection. However, it has become clear from our investigation that
rhetoric and reality continue to be divorced, and that most gaushalas provide
care that is little better than dairies, employing similar cruel practices. The
few that do not are crumbling under their own weight without adequate support
from the govt. With no training or support, taking life-long responsibility of
thousands of animals has spelt doom for them. We need to wake up to the harsh
reality of how we are really treating bovines in India.”thehindu
BJP MLC Bukkal Nawab Resigns from UP Shia Waqf
Board, Calls it a 'House of Courruption'
Lucknow: Just days after Waseem Rizvi,
Chairman of the UP Shia Waqf Board , was “excommunicated” for not heeding to a
fatwa issued by Iraq’s top Shia cleric against handing over Waqf properties for
the construction of a temple or a shrine, controversy surrounds him once again
after BJP MLC Mazhar Ali Khan announced his resignation from the Shia Waqf
Board and demanded its immediate dissolution. Terming it as a ‘house of
corruption’, in a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary of the Minorities
Welfare Department, Azhar Ali or ‘Bukkal Nawab’ stated that he voted for Rizvi
as the Chairman only at the behest of the then cabinet minister Azam Khan. Calling the decision the biggest mistake of
his life, Bukkal Nawab wrote, “I have not attended a single meeting of the UP
Shia Waqf Board ever since I became a member. The board is involved in many
scams and voting for Waseem Rizvi was the biggest mistake of my life. I demand
immediate dissolution of the board and also resign from my membership of the
board. ” News18
Modi to meet head of Bohra community in Indore
Mosque
Indore :Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet
the religious head of Dawoodi Bohra community Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin at a
mosque here on Sept.14, officials said on Monday.According to the officials,
Modi will meet Saifuddin at the Saifi Nagar mosque in the city where the head
of the Dawoodi Bohra community will hold a 9-day religious discourse starting
Sept.12.The prime minister is likely to address members of the community
gathered at the mosque after his meeting, they said.However, the district
administration has not received any intimation from PMO on the proposed
address. Modi's visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh is being seen by political
pundits as an attempt to give a fillip to the BJP push to retain power in the
state.PTI
DU poll violence at Zakir Hussain, principal
blames ABVP members
New Delhi :On the last day of campaigning for
the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls, members of ABVP allegedly
vandalised property at Zakir Hussain (Evening) College and assaulted students
and staff.The incident took place on Monday when ABVP’s vice-presidential
candidate, Shakti Singh, had gone to the college for campaigning, which ended
at 8 pm.College principal Masroor Ahmad Baig claimed,”I don’t know how it
started, but I was shocked to hear the commotion. They vandalised college
property, broke chairs and threw flower pots. It was ABVP activists who beat up
students; they even hit girls and staff.” Police were called in and Baig said
the college was filing a complaint. DCP(central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa, said,
“Police personnel were present at the spot when the incident took place and
they controlled the crowd. No complaint has been received from the college
administration.”A student of the college claimed Singh was stopped when he
tried to enter with a large group of supporters. “He was told that he could
take a few supporters for campaigning. They got angry and started breaking
college property, and passed lewd comments,” alleged student, who did not want
to be identified.indianexpress
Agnivesh challenges RSS chief to a debate on
‘Hinduism’
Social activist Swami Agnivesh has made an
“open challenge” to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to openly discuss ‘Hinduism’ in a
debate on Vedas and Upanishads with him. Swami Agnivesh was in Pune to attend a
state level convention on religious terrorism and intolerance. Speaking at World
Hindu Congress in Chicago, RSS chief had said Hindus should unite. “If a lion
is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion,” Bhagwat had said.
Reacting to Bhagwat’s remarks, Agnivesh said,“They (RSS) are deliberately doing
this to polarise Hindu vote. Even they do not know how deep-rooted Hindu
religion is. I challenge him for an open debate on ‘Hinduism’ based on Vedas and
Upanishads,” said Agnivesh, who was recently assaulted when he was on his way
to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Delivering his
speech, Agnivesh slammed the Modi government on the issue of increasing
intolerance in the country. “I was one of the victims of increasing intolerance
and mob lynching in country. Even after 20 days to the assault on me,
government has failed to arrest anyone which clearly indicates that attack was
‘state-sponsored’,”he said.HT
Upper castes should be given 15% reservation:
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan
Union minister for consumer affairs, food and
public distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan is the senior-most Dalit face in the Modi
govt. He spoke over the protests against the govt’s decision to bring in a bill
restoring provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Corruption) Act that were
seemingly watered down by the Supreme Court in March, reservations in
promotion, and upper-caste reservation, among other issues.In an interview, he
said that upper castes should be given 15% reservation.HT
Coimbatore blasts suspect, absconding for 2
decades, arrested
Chennai:Crime Branch-CID special investigation
team arrested N.P. Noohu alias Rasheed alias Mankavu Rasheed (44), of
Panniyankara Village, Kozhikode, Kerala who was wanted in the Coimbatore serial
bomb blast case.In 1998, Coimbatore City B1 Bazaar police station registered
the case against him, among other suspects,for offences including criminal
conspiracy, murder and attempt to murder under IPC and provisions of Explosive
Substances Act 1908 and Arms Act.The accused had been absconding since 1998
Coimbatore serial blasts and was hiding abroad for last 20 years. He was
declared as a proclaimed offender by Court.thehindu
No shorts, step out of hostel rooms only in
formals, AMU freshers told:TOI
Agra: AMU’s hostel provost has sparked a
controversy by issuing a list of “dos and don’ts” for freshers, which bans
wearing “shorts”, “Bermudas”, “slippers” and even “kurta-pyjamas” when they step
out of their hostel rooms even if it is for a meal in the mess. All freshers of
Sir Shah Sulaiman(SHS) hall have been told to dress formally – either black
sherwanis or shirts-trousers and formal shoes – when they step out of their
rooms for any work.The same dress code applies for the reading room or common
room.The order states that these instructions are “mandatory” in order “to
maintain the culture and traditions of the university”. Notably, the order
comes close on the heels of a UGC-backed audit of the institution, which states
the university suffers from “zamindari culture”. The panel had suggested that
it should be ended in order to “widen the mental horizons of the students”. The
university has, however, opposed this suggestion on the grounds that this was
“part of its historic traditions”. When asked, AMU spokesperson Shafey Kidwai
said, “The new rule is basically advisory in nature. Secondly, we provide
sherwanis to all students at a one-time nominal charge.”TOI
Kashmiri Pandit Association Terms Reports of
Threat to Community as 'Diversion from Article 35A'
New Delhi: A prominent Kashmiri Pandit
association has termed reports of threats to the community living in the
Kashmir Valley as an attempt to “increase the trust deficit among the
population living in the Valley”. The president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh
Samiti (KPSS) Sanjay K. Tickoo stated that Jammu and Kashmir is facing
political instability due to the debate around the removal of Articles 35A and
370 of the constitution and reports of threats to the Kashmiri Pandits were an
attempt to “distract people’s attention from the issues”.“KPSS strongly believe
that the religious minuscule minority (Kashmiri Pandit) who so ever is living
in Kashmir Valley is living of his own and the kind of relationship maintained
within their respective neighborhood. It seems that the news item about life
threat to the religious minuscule minority (Kashmiri Pandit) in Kashmir Valley
is a hoax pre-planned conspiracy and is aimed to sacrifice the Kashmiri Pandits
in Kashmir Valley to gain some vested interest political mileage (sic),” KPSS
stated in a statement release on Monday.Tickoo added that “by sacrificing the
religious minuscule minority(Kashmiri Pandit) in Kashmir Valley”, agencies with
vested interests wanted to justify the removal of Articles 35A and 370, which
“give special status to J&K”.Asserting that Kashmiri Pandits have “full
faith in the masses and more particularly on their respective neighborhood”,
KPSS said neighbours had always stood by the Pandits to “not allow past
mistakes to happen again, which can permanently damage the social fabric of
Kashmir Valley”. “We believe in unity against those trying to destroy our
existence in Kashmir Valley,” the statement read.thewire
Scheduled Caste Leader's Head Skin Peeled for
'Wearing Turban' in MP
Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh: The skin of the head
of a scheduled caste leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party was peeled off allegedly
by some villagers in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, police said Tuesday.
Another leader of BSP claimed that the victim, Sardar Singh Jatav, 45, was
targeted for “wearing a turban”.Police registered a case against three persons
Tuesday and are investigating the matter.The trio allegedly called Jatav to the
residence of one of the accused, Surendra Gurjar, in Mahoba village, around 50
kms from here, on September 3 under some pretext and abused him there and then
peeled off the skin of his head using a knife, a police official said.“Jatav
alleged in his statement that Gurjar and two others removed the skin of his
head with a knife,” said Narwar police station in-charge Badam Singh Yadav.No
arrests have been made so far and efforts are on to trace the accused, he
said.PTI
52 pilgrims killed in Telangana bus accident,
police suspect brake failure
Hyderabad: 52 people were killed and several
were injured after a state-owned Road Transport Corporation bus carrying
pilgrims from a temple in the hills of Telangana’s Jagtiyal district plunged
off a road into a 30-foot gorge on Tuesday morning.According to police, the
pilgrims were on their way back from a Hanuman temple atop Kondagattu hill. The
bus was travelling from Sanivarampet village to Jagitial via Kondagattu pilgrim
centre when the accident took place around 11:30am. Police suspect failure of
brakes led to the accident. Authorities
recovered bodies of five children, 32 females and 15 males before calling off
the rescue operation. The injured were shifted to Jagitial government hospital.
The toll could go up as the condition of some of the injured was stated to be
critical.HT
Jalandhar bishop: Nun is lying, rape charge
against me a conspiracy by those against church
New Delhi :Jalandhar diocese Bishop Franco
Mulakkal has refuted the rape accusation charges against him, saying that a
“conspiracy” has been hatched by a group of people who are against the church.
He also accused the nun of lying as he had ordered action against her in the
past. “The nun is lying, made up the case against me because I had ordered
action against her. Police have no evidence against me that’s why they have not
arrested me,” said Mulakkal.Reacting to the support to the complainant by other
nuns, Mulakkal said that the people who are against the church are using the
nuns against him. “I feel there are people who are against the church, they’re
using these sisters. This is a conspiracy and several people are taking
advantage of the situation, they are putting sisters at the forefront,” the
bishop was quoted as saying by ANI.indianexpress
Election Commission serves notice to AAP, asks
why its recognition should not be withdrawn for discrepancies in donations
Election Commission of India has served
showcause notice to AAP asking why its recognition as a political party should
not be withdrawn for discrepancies in donations received.Its
notice read, “Now, therefore, the Election Commission hereby directs you to
show cause as to why action should not be taken against AAP under Para 16A of
the Election Symbol (Reservation & Allotment) order 1968 for failure to
follow the lawful directions and instructions as stated above.“Your representation
should reach the office of Commission within 20 days from the date of receipt
of the notice, failing which the matter will be decided on merits based on
information available on record.”jantakareporter
WORLD
China to regulate online religious activity
amid crackdown on churches, mosques
Beijing:China is rolling out new rules on
religious activity on the internet amid an ongoing crackdown on churches,
mosques and other institutions by the officially atheist Communist Party.Anyone
wishing to provide religious instruction or similar services online must apply
by name and be judged morally fit and politically reliable, according to draft
regulations posted online late Monday by State Administration for Religious
Affairs. Organizations and schools that receive licenses can operate only on
their internal networks that require users to be registered and are barred from
seeking converts or distributing texts or other religious materials, the rules
said.They also impose tight limits on what can be said or posted, including a
ban on criticism of the party’s leadership and official religious policies,
promoting religious participation by minors, and “using religion to ...
overthrow the socialist system.”Livestreaming of religious activities,
including praying, preaching or even burning incense, is also
forbidden.Authorities in recent months have ratcheted up pressure on religious
groups, destroying crosses, burning bibles, shutting churches and ordering
followers to renounce their faith.The campaign is part of a drive to “Sinicize”
religion by demanding loyalty to the officially atheist Communist Party and
leader Xi Jinping. Observers call it the most severe crackdown since religious
freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982.AP
US weighs sanctions against Chinese officials
over Muslim detention camps
The Trump administration is considering
sanctions against Chinese senior officials and companies to punish Beijing’s
detention of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uighurs and other minority Muslims
in large internment camps, according to current and former U.S. officials.The
economic penalties would be one of the first times the Trump administration has
taken action against China because of human rights violations. U.S. officials
are also seeking to limit American sales of surveillance technology that
Chinese security agencies and companies are using to monitor Uighurs throughout
northwest China.Discussions to rebuke China for its treatment of its minority
Muslims have been underway for months among officials at the White House and
the Treasury and State departments. But they gained urgency two weeks ago,
after members of Congress asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions on seven Chinese officials.New
York Times
Xi, Putin meet as Russia kicks off biggest
ever war games
Russia launched its largest war games since
the Cold War on Tuesday with hundreds of thousands of troops, including Chinese
soldiers taking part for the first time, in eastern Siberia.The massive
military manoeuvres come as tensions between the West and Russia have
intensified to the highest level since the days of the Soviet Union. The drills
have been condemned by NATO as a rehearsal for a "large-scale
conflict".Dubbed Vostok-2018, the war games involve more than 300,000
troops, 36,000 tanks, 1,000 aircraft and 80 warships and support vessels,
according to Russia's defence ministry.It broadcast images of military trucks
being transported on trains, columns of tanks, armoured vehicles and naval
vessels on the move, and combat helicopters and fighter aircraft taking off.
aljazeera
UN voices concern over escalating tension in Syria
UN Assistant Secretary
General on Tuesday voiced concern over the growing tension in northwestern
Syria."I am deeply worried over the recent escalation of hostilities in
northwest Syria, resulting in the new displacement during the past few days of
over 30,000 women, children and men and scores of civilian deaths," Panos
Moumtzis said in a statement.Moumtzis, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for
the Syria Crisis, said currently there are some 6.2 million internally
displaced people inside Syria."A further escalation of military operations
in Idlib and surrounding areas will not only endanger civilian lives in this
densely populated area, but will severely impact humanitarian partners’ ability
to deliver life-saving assistance," he said.The UN official also condemned
the "horrific" attacks in civilian-populated areas and called on all
parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians.Anadolu Agency
Khan al-Ahmar demolition: PLO files a war
crime claim to the Hague
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/khan-al-ahmar-demolition-plo-files-war-crime-claim-icc-1283203561
A senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday
that a case has been filed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding
the planned demolition of the West Bank Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar
following an Israeli court ruling.The move comes as US National Security
Adviser John Bolton threatened sanctions against ICC officials over possible
war crimes investigations against the US and Israel. Saed Erekat, the secretary
general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said that the submission
urged the ICC chief prosecutor to meet with the council that represents Khan
al-Ahmar's nearly 200 residents ahead of the court-sanctioned eviction after 12
Sept."We hope that an official judicial investigation can be opened as
soon as possible," Erekat said.This statement is the latest move by the
PLO since the US Department of State closed the organisation's mission in
Washington on Monday. The PA envoy to Washington told Associated Press that his
staffers have been given a month to pack up after the Trump administration
ordered the PLO mission closed.middleeasteye
Bulldozing Palestinian villages: The global
firms aiding Israeli demolitions
Human rights groups have condemned
international construction firms for their role in the destruction of
Palestinian villages including Khan al-Ahmar, which is set to be razed in the
coming days. Photographs, video and social media posts show vehicles and
equipment that have been sold to the Israeli army by Caterpillar, JCB and
LiuGong being used in the demolition of Palestinian homes. All three companies
have declined or failed to respond to MEE's requests for comment. In early Sept,
Israeli High Court of Justice rejected several last-ditch petitions filed by
Khan al-Ahmar's residents and said that authorities could raze the homes from
12 Sept.onwards. Amnesty International described the High Court's decision as
sanctioning a "war crime" while UK-based NGO War on Want condemned
the companies, which it says profit from sales of the equipment to the Israeli
government.middleeasteye
‘End of days’ prophecy announced by Jewish
fundamentalist group linked to Israel govt
An Israeli Jewish fundamentalist group that
received donations from the country’s defence minister has said that an end of
times prophecy ushering Armageddon has been fulfilled following the birth of a
“flawless” red heifer. Temple Institute, which promotes the construction of a
third temple on the ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque, has announced the birth of the
first red calf in Israel for 200 year. They believe that a biblical prophecy
predicting the end of days has come true.Temple institute in Jerusalem
announced the calf’s birth, saying it would undergo extensive examinations to
determine if it is red all over. Jewish fundamentalist group believes that if
the female baby calf is found to be “blemish free” and completely red, the
institute will declare that the calf will bring the promise of reinstating
biblical purity to the world.In some Christian and Jewish reading of the bible,
the red heifer is believed to be central to the prediction about the “end of
times”. After sacrificing the red cow, the prophecy states that, construction
can begin on the third temple in Jerusalem; a goal which the Temple Institute
and a number of other groups worldwide are determined to do. Their goal is to
full fill the prophecy by building the third temple on Mount Moriah also known
as the temple mount.Rabbi Chain Richman, international director of Temple
Institute, has said that the time is ripe to build Third Temple, following the
birth of the red heifer.MEMO
Saudi Court begins the trial of prominent TV
host
Saudi criminal court began the trial of
prominent TV host, Fahd al-Sunaidi one year after his arrest, Saudi media reports.According to Saudi
reports, court accused al-Sunaidi, a program host on the al-Majd TV channel of
several charges including supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and demanding the
release of security detainees.One of the most controversial charges against
al-Sunaidi is attending a conference in Libya after the fall of Muammar
Gaddafi’s regime, without permission from the Saudi authorities.According to
activists, al-Sunaidi is known for his moderation and keeping away from
mainstream media in Saudi Arabia.middleeastmonitor
Uzbekistan: Imam sacked after urging president
to lift ban on hijabs, beards
Tashkent:An Uzbek imam has been sacked after
urging President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to lift a ban on personal religious symbols
such as women’s hijabs and beards for men, in a case showing the limits of
newly-proclaimed tolerance in the mainly Muslim country. Mirziyoyev, who came
to power in 2016, has relaxed restrictions on religious freedoms as part of his
campaign of liberal economic and political reforms in the former Soviet
republic of 32 million. But his government stopped short of lifting a decades-long
ban on religious clothes and attributes, and specifically barred female
students from wearing headscarves known as hijabs in schools by a decree issued
last month. Russian deputy PM Vitaly Mutko visits Russia training session ahead
of their biggest World Cup match since the break-up of the Soviet Union.The
move prompted criticism on social networks led by Fazliddin Parpiyev, then imam
of the Omina mosque in Tashkent. He published a video address to Mirziyoyev on
Facebook last week, an unusual move for an Uzbek cleric. Reuters
Algeria MPs call for halt of mass executions
in Egypt
2 parliamentary groups in Algeria have called
for official national and international action to halt mass executions against
activists, human rights workers and political figures in Egypt.Movement of
Society for Peace; the largest Islamic party in Algeria and Union for
Development, Justice and Building said in a joint statement that lawmakers “are
following with great concern the developments of the human rights situation in
the Arab world; the most recent of which was the issuance of mass death
sentences against political, human rights and community symbols”.The
signatories described the executions as “a flagrant attack on the right to
life”, which is politically motivated “amounting to genocide or mass murder
according to international law”. They called on “the Algerian parliament, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, human rights organisations, political parties,
civil society actors and all the free world to intervene in order to stop these
executions.”MEMO
Pakistan Rejects Report on Belt and Road
Initiative Renegotiation, Says Committed to CPEC
Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday rejected a media
report that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s newly elected government plans to
renegotiate the agreements reached under China’s ambitious Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) and said the country remains committed to the successful
implementation of the CPEC.A Financial Times report quoted Advisor on Commerce
Abdul Razzak Dawood as saying that the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor had put local companies at a disadvantage and that parts of the
flagship project can be renegotiated or even frozen for a year.The CPEC,
launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects
linking China’s resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan’s
strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. It is a part of the BRI.Dawood’s
reported interview came a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded
his 3-day official.During his stay in Pakistan, Wang met country’s top
leadership, including the prime minister.PTI
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:16 PM)
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