NEWS
DIGEST, MID-DAY
15 OCT. 2018: 05 Safar 1440:
Vol: 11, No:32
INDIA
Haryana village headman: Mosque built with
community funds, denies NIA terror funding charges
Denying the allegation by NIA, Palawal village
headman has asserted that the mosque was built on legally-obtained land and was
funded by people from many villages, “The land has been obtained legally and
people from many villages have funded the construction of this mosque,"
said Ramesh Prajapati, the headman of Uttawar village.Earlier, NIA on Monday,
has stated that Khulafa-e-Rashideen mosque in Palwal, Haryana, was allegedly
built on funds received from Hafiz Saeed-led LeT of Pakistan.This came to the
light during the probe into an alleged terror funding case, said NIA.3 men,
including the Imam of the mosque, Mohammed Salman,were arrested for allegedly
receiving a funding from Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) in Lahore. FIF was
set up by the parent organisation of Lashkar, Hafiz Saeed’s JuD.Coming out in
support of Salman, the villagers said that he was raised in a reputed family
and he is unlikely to commit such a crime.According to residents of the
village, Salman’s father, late Maulvi Dawood, is well-regarded among Muslims in
the Mewat region. He moved to Delhi more than 50 years ago and was an Imam of a
significant mosque in Nizamuddin till his death. For the villagers in Uttawar,
he was an authority on Islam and had the final say in all disputes in the
village.“A mosque in Haryana's Palwal was built with funds from Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Imam of the mosque, Mohd Salman, had received ₹70 Lakh from a Dubai based
Pakistani citizen Kamran. It is believed that Kamran is working for LeT. It
provides fund for terrorist activities in India,” said an NIA official.On
Oct.3, NIA arrested Mohammed Salim and Sajjad Abdul Wani apart from the
mosque's Imam. They further questioned the office holders of
Khulafa-e-Rashideen masjid at Uttawar village in Palwal and probing the matter
while scrutinizing account books, donations received and documents. According
to sources, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation gave the Imam Rs 70 lakh to construct
the mosque. Salman, the Imam, came in contact with LeT people during his trip
to Dubai. The NIA has said that Salman went to Dubai after his Umrah. He met a
Pakistani native in Dubai and started getting funds through hawala, as per the
report."It even gave him money for the marriage of his daughters. We are
now probing from where the mosque has been receiving its donations and how this
money is being used,"NIA officer said.nationalheraldindia
Haryana: Mosque in Palwal built with LeT funds
claims NIA, but villagers rejects allegations
Kashmiri students at AMU say they did not
organise funeral prayer for slain militant; 1,200 Kashmiri threaten to leave university
New Delhi: Students from Kashmir at AMU have
written to the proctor alleging that they are being “vilified” legal sanctions
are being placed on bonafide students after Manan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen
commander and former research scholar at AMU, was killed in an encounter on
Oct.11.In their letter, the students have said that they had gathered
peacefully on the lawns of the university to discuss the situation in the
Valley after the encounter, as there were multiple reports of tensions that had
raised concerns.“No prayers or any relevant activity was observed, and the
directions of AMU – Proctor were duly followed. Meanwhile, some non-Kashmiri
people armed with Lathis attacked the sitting students and caused a massive
disturbance, and noisy scenes. However,the Kashmiri students dispersed
immediately and no protest or law and order violation took place,” the letter
says.“Later, a vilification campaign against the students from J&K was
started by media that Kashmiri students violated the law and disturbed the
peace in the campus. Though nothing of that sort had happened and the same was
later confirmed by PRO AMU to the media,” letter continues. Aligarh police has
filed an FIR charging 2 named Kashmiri AMU students and several unidentified
ones with sedition, allegedly for trying to conduct namaz-e-janaza (funeral
prayers) on the campus. Aligarh Civil Lines SHO Vinod Kumar said, “FIR has been
filed on a complaint of police sub-inspector Israr Ahmed who collected
information about the incident through his source. 2 Kashmiri students, who are
named in the FIR, are Waseem Ayub Malik and Abdul Hafeez Meer. Other unnamed
students are also from Kashmir.”If their demands are not met, the Kashmiri
students have said, they will surrender their degrees on mass “for reasons of
safety and security”.“In case, the suspension/ show cause notices are not
revoked immediately and sedition charges and relevant charges are not
withdrawn, we the students from the state of J&K at AMU will be forced to leave the campus
en-masse on Sir Syed Day (Wednesday). We, 1200 students will surrender our
degrees and leave for our homes for reasons of safety and security. All the
responsibility in that case will fall on University, and local administration.
We are feeling threatened and challenged and our career development is under
stake, under such fearful circumstances,” the students have said.thewire
Over 1,200 Kashmiri Students In AMU threaten
to leave university
Kashmir University students stage silent march
in solidarity with AMU students
Srinagar: Students of the Kashmir University
staged a silent march on Monday to show solidarity with AMU students facing
sedition charges for trying to offer funeral prayers in absentia for a slain
Ph.D scholar-turned-militant commander. Manan Bashir Wani was killed in a
gunfight with the security forces. AMU authorities had suspended 3 Kashmiri
students last week who tried to hold the funeral prayers inside the varsity
campus. TOI
Bengali-speaking students of Bodoland protest
in Delhi to demand justice for slain leader, fair NRC process
New Delhi: All BTC Minority students Union
(ABMSU) Assam, staged a protest at the Jantat Mantar, Delhi on Oct.12 to demand
justice for the murder of Lafiqul Islam and address the irregularities in the
upgradation of the NRC process.Lafiqul Islam, president of All BTC Minority
students union, was gunned down by AK-47 rifle in broad daylight by two unknown
assailants in Titaguri Market in Kokrajhar district of Assam. He was a powerful
young student leader of the Bengali-speaking Muslims living in Bodoland
Territorial Council (BTC) Area and spoke about their rights as citizens of
India after they had migrated to India (Assam) before Independence. Lafiqul’s
killing created a major discord amongst the Bengali-speaking Muslims and even
after a year, murderers have not been brought to book.The other demand made by
the students was for a free and fair National Register of Citizens in Assam.
They pointed out that a large number of people who have been left out of the
NRC and ‘declared foreigners’ or descendants of declared foreigners, do not
have their other family members’ names listed in the same category. These
irregularities need to be addressed and these persons who are actually listed
in the ‘D’ (doubtful) category should be given explanation as to how they are
categorised in ‘D’ list.Others not listed in draft NRC were issued notices to
appear before the authorities with proper documents but there were anomalies in
these notices regarding the dates, place of hearing due to which the persons
could not appear for the final draft of NRC,said student.ABMSU submitted their
memorandum to President of India through an official, asking for his
intervention to set up a fair and speedy enquiry into the murder of Lafiqul
Islam and punish the guilty.TCN
Muslim trio allege 'religious profiling' by Assam’s
Taj hotel for Owaisi video on phone
Guwahati: 3 Muslim men, including a member of
the Army Medical Corps, were allegedly harassed and threatened with jail time
by management of Taj Vivanta hotel here after videos of MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s
speeches were found on their phone.According to reports, Imran Hussain Laskar,
Sahab Uddin and Zahid Islam Barbhuiyan had checked into the four-star hotel
after missing a flight to Delhi. While Laskar is a dental hygienist in the
army, Uddin owns a college near Silchar and Barbhuiyan is a teacher.According
to Barbhuiyan, the trio checked in at 2pm, paid Rs 2,000 for an extra bed in
their room and went out. He added that they returned at 4pm to find the hotel
“full of security men” who were reportedly watching their movements. The trio
said the hotel staff had also not complied with their request for an extra
bed.When questioned, receptionist allegedly misbehaved with them, while the
hotel’s chief executive officer threatened to send them to prison when they
tried speaking to mediapersons who were there for a VIP event at the
hotel.Speaking to News18, Laskar said,“They put us through security check,
luggage check and there were some people constantly following us everywhere.
When we questioned, they said it’s the CEO’s order. Is this right; what they
have done to me? Is this how they treat a soldier?”“They confined us in a room
and cornered us with a volley of questions. There were a number of security
personnel who surrounded us and we were mentally tortured,”said Barbhuiyan.
news18
Don’t mind going back but ensure democracy,
say Rohingyas in Hyderabad
Uncertainty, insecurity and squalor hangs over
slums in Balapur, Hafeez Baba Nagar, Pahadishareef, Mir MominPahadi and
Kishanbagh in the old city of Hyderabad. This has been home to over 4,000-odd
Rohingyas for the last seven years.Living in sub-human conditions, these
Rohingya Muslims have been living under the fear of being deported back to
their country. “We do not know when we get to hear from the authorities asking
us to pack up and return to Myanmar. We have been spending sleepless nights
thinking what would happen to us tomorrow,”says Muhammad Fareed, who is working
as daily-wage labourer.Recent statements by leaders have added to their fear.
Launching the party’s election campaign on Wednesday, the BJP president Amit
Shah, addressing a massive rally in Karimnagar, declared that the Centre will
take steps to identify each and every Rohingya migrant, including those settled
in Hyderabad and parts of Telangana and send them back to their country, as
they posed a major security threat to the nation. BJP MLA from Hyderabad, T
Raja Singh also demanded that if Rohingyas did not leave India respectfully,
they should be gunned down to make the country safe. Rohingyas settled in
Hyderabad are now reconciled to the fact that they might be told to go back
sooner or later. “We don’t mind going back to our country, provided the international
community shall ensure safety and security there. We want restoration of
democracy in Myanmar, so that we can enjoy freedom. We don’t want to go there
just to be massacred and tortured,” says 51-year old Hameedulla Haq, who has
been eking out his livelihood by selling clothes. His wife does the tailoring
at the Balapur settlement.HT
Minister MJ Akbar Sues Journalist For
Defamation Over #MeToo Allegations
Union Minister MJ Akbar, accused of sexual
harassment by a dozen women in India's #MeToo movement, has filed a defamation
case against the first woman who named him, journalist Priya Ramani.MJ Akbar
had said that his lawyers were exploring legal action on the allegations, which
prompted calls for his resignation from the govt.The former editor of papers
like The Telegraph and the Asian Age, was named by Priya Ramani in a tweet on
Oct 8. She said MJ Akbar was the man she had referred to in an incident she had
shared in a magazine article a year ago, when Harvey Weinstein scandal in the
US fuelled an avalanche of #MeToo allegations.ndtv
‘Stand by accusations, will fight’: 5 women
journalists on MJ Akbar’s statement
New Delhi:Hours after Union minister M J Akbar
rejected allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment and suggested they may
have been guided by political motives, 5 of the women journalists who accused
him said they stood by their statements. Two of them said they were
disappointed by Akbar’s reaction, but they were not surprised.Suparna Sharma,
Resident Editor, The Asian Age, told The Indian Express, “I stand by my
testimony of the 2 incidents — one in which he plucked my bra strap, and the
other when he stared at my breasts. I also stand by the fact that he did the
same with other women in the office. I am disappointed with Akbar’s response
but I am not surprised. This is going to be a longish battle, and the next step
in many cases is a legal step.”In his statement, Akbar said his lawyers would
“look into these wild and baseless allegations in order to decide our future
course of legal action”. Sharma said that for her, “it was not over yet”, and
that she was speaking to friends for “legal advice”.indianexpress
No ‘good’ Hindu would want Ram temple at Babri
site, says Shashi Tharoor; clarifies as BJP hits back
New Delhi :Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has clarified
his stance after his recent remarks on the construction of Ram temple at the
disputed site in Ayodhya stirred up a controversy.“I condemn the malicious
distortion of my words by some media in the service of political masters. I
said: “most Hindus would want a temple at what they believe to be Ram’s
birthplace. But no good Hindu would want it to be built by destroying another’s
place of worship,” MP wrote on Twitter.Tharoor insisted that it was his
“personal opinion” and that he was not speaking on behalf of his party. “I was
asked for my personal opinion at a literary festival & gave it as such. I
am not a Spokesperson for my party & did not claim to be speaking for
@incindia,” he added.On Sunday, Congress leader referred to the demolition of
Babri Masjid. According to The Hindu, Tharoor said while a vast majority of
Hindus believes that Ayodhya was the birthplace of Lord Ram, no good Hindu
would want to see a Ram temple built “by demolishing somebody else’s place of
worship.”indianexpress
Yashwant Sinha: Those dividing nation using
‘temple-mosque’ should be voted out
Launching a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi, former Union Minister Yashwant
Sinha said that BJP is working to divide the society using temple, mosque and
caste politics.They are fooling people to come back in power, he emphasised. He
was speaking at the Kisan panchayat held in Tawli, Muzaffarnagar.The meeting
was attended by BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and
MP Sanjay Singh, among others.Elaborating about the corruption in the Rafale
deal, Sinha said, “PM Modi has handed over the contract to Rafael to benefit
Anil Ambani. During the UPA regime, 126 fighter jets were to purchased, that
too with a price of ₹670 crores for one. Despite this, BJP Govt has purchased
the aircraft for ₹1700 crores.” According to a report in Dainik Jagran, BJP MP
Shatrughan Sinha said, “BJP has made a lot of false promises. One has to teach
lesson to people who make such false promises. Farmers need to unite and use
their cumulative power. Demonetisation and GST has weakened the
economy.”nationalheraldindia
Major General among 7 given life sentence by
Army court for fake encounters
Guwahati:A Summary General Court Martial
(SGCM) of the Indian Army has convicted seven personnel, including a Major
General, in a 24-year-old fake encounter case, sentencing them to life in
prison. Sources in an Indian Army unit based in Dibrugarh confirmed this on
Sunday and said that Major General A.K. Lal, Colonel Thomas Mathew, Colonel
R.S. Sibiren, Captain Dilip Singh, Captain Jagdeo Singh, Naik Albindar Singh
and Naik Shivendar Singh have been awarded life imprisonment for their
involvement in a fake encounter case in Assam’s Tinsukia district dating back
to 1994. Former Assam Minister and BJP leader Jagadish Bhuyan said that 9
youths were picked up by the Army from different areas of Tinsukia district on
Feb.18, 1994 on suspicion that they were involved in the killing of a top tea
garden executive.The soldiers killed five of the youths in a fake encounter,
branding them as ULFA militants a few days after the incident, while releasing
the other 4.Bhuyan had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the Gauhati High Court
on Feb.22 the same year, seeking the whereabouts of the youths. The High court
asked the Indian Army to produce the nine AASU (All Assam Students Union)
leaders at the nearest police station. The Army produced five bodies at the
Dholla Police Station.The court martial process began on July 16 this year and
concluded on July 27. The quantum of punishment was pronounced on Saturday,
sources in the Indian Army said on Sunday.IANS
Hyderabad: Mecca Masjid blast case judge joins
Telangana Jana Samithi
Hyderabad:Former judge K Ravinder Reddy, who
delivered the Mecca Masjid blast case verdict and resigned immediately, has
joined the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) led by Prof B Kodandaram. Reddy was
judge of NIA court and had resigned after acquitting all five accused in the
Mecca Masjid blast case on April 16 this year.Another former judge S Srinivas
Reddy also joined the TJS, which has joined the Congress-TDP-CPI alliance in
Telangana for next Assembly polls. According to sources, Ravinder Reddy had
earlier met BJP leaders and expressed his interest in joining the party, but
when there was no communication from the BJP after two rounds of meetings, he
met Kodandaram who welcomed him into TJS.Ravinder Reddy may contest in the
forthcoming elections,TJS sources said. Ravinder Reddy, who was president of
Telangana Judicial Officers Association, had led a protest against judges from AP
origin continuing in the High Court at Hyderabad even after bifurcation of the
state.indianexpress
Academics, politicians oppose plan to rename
Allahabad
Lucknow:Several academics and politicians of
Allahabad have opposed the Yogi Adityanath Govt ’s plan to rename the city and
the district as Prayagraj.Nagendra Singh Patel, Samajwadi Party MP from Phulpur
which covers a large part of Allahabad city, said “the world knows the place as
Allahabad” and changing its name would affect its identity and importance.Patel
alleged that the renaming bid was a tactic to divert people’s attention from
“real issues” such as that of protecting the Ganga — a demand that claimed a
fasting monk’s life last week.“The Ganga in Allahabad is as polluted as ever.
He (Adityanath) is trying to invoke religiosity for voters’ support ahead of
the Lok Sabha elections,” Patel said, alluding to Adityanath’s inclination for
changing “Muslim” place names to “Hindu” ones.Janak Pandey, former
vice-chancellor of Allahabad University, said it might be acceptable if the Govt
renamed only the Sangam area — which
lies at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna and is locally referred to
as Prayag — officially as Prayag. telegraph india
India threatens strategic stability in S.
Asia:Pak Prez
Islamabad :Pakistan President Arif Alvi has
said that the strategic stability in South Asia is being threatened by the
offensive posture and induction of lethal weapons by India. Alvi said that
nobody should doubt Pakistan’s capability to defend its territorial integrity
and sovereignty, Radio Pak reported.“Discriminatory exemptions by certain countries
for the supply of nuclear technology and supply of advanced military hardware
to our neighbour has further complicated the regional security and undermined credibility
of non-proliferation regime,” report said. The comments of President, who is
one of the founding members of ruling PTI party, came while addressing an
international conference on ‘Global Non Proliferation Regime: Challenges and
Response’ by Strategic Studies Institute here.PTI
India has optional volumes from Saudi to make
up for oil shortfall from Iran
Indian oil companies like IOC have optional
volumes built in their annual crude oil purchase contracts with suppliers like
Saudi Arabia and Iraq that will be more than enough to make up for any
shortfall in supplies from sanctions-hit Iran, senior officials said
Monday.India had contracted to import about 25 million tonnes of crude oil from
Iran in the fiscal year 2018-19 (April 2018 to March 2019), up from 22.6
million tonnes imported in 2017-18.“We have optional volumes built in with all
our term suppliers. These optional volumes can be taken at any time of the year
and would be more than sufficient to make up for any shortfall that may arise because
of US sanctions against Iran,” a top official at a state-run refiner
said.India, the world’s third-biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80% of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its
third-largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10% of total
needs.US sanctions against Iran oil sector kick in from November 4 that will
block all payment routes to the Persian Gulf nation. Officials said supplies
from Iran will not be a problem till month end, leaving only five months of
contracted supplies at risk.PTI
Shiv Sena pitches for Marathi Muslims ahead of
its Dussehra Rally
Mumbai:After Muslim-Dalit alliance forged by
Prakash Ambedkar and Asaduddin Owaisi, the Shiv Sena has begun attempts for
organizing Muslims under "Marathi" tag.In a video that went viral on
Sunday, Naseeb Shaikh, a party worker from Beed, is seen appealing Muslims to
attend Dussehra Rally of Shiv Sena in large numbers. He is leading the 'Me
Marathi Musalman' (I am Marathi Muslim) campaign."We have to bring a
change in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in the coming days, for which
the Muslim community needs to stand firm with the Shiv Sena. To express this
solidarity with the Shiv Sena, we must make our presence felt during the
party's Dussehra Rally at Shivaji Park on October 18," Shaikh has appealed
the Muslim brethren in his about 8 min long video clip.Shaikh (33) is resident
of Sirsala village in Parli Taluka of Beed district and is active in politics
for around eight years now. According to him, Sena always respects patriotic
Muslims, while most of the other parties have always misled the community and
used them only as a vote bank."During recent Gram Panchayat elections,
Shiv Sena could gain 3,700 out of 4,500 minority votes. I see this as the sign
of changing mindset of the minority community. That is the reason why we've started
drive 'Me Marathi Musalman'.We are appealing all our community members across
the state to not get fooled by the other parties and bring Shiv Sena to power
again," Shaikh said. Sena had been targeting Muslim votes consciously for
past few years.During BMC polls in 2017, Shiv Sena had fielded Muslim
candidates and even had brought out campaign material in UrduNew Indian Express
BJP MLA quits party over Rafale corruption,
warns Amit Shah of serious consequences in coming polls
Citing huge corruption in Rafale deal and
blaming PM Narendra Modi for
compromising national security, a BJP lawmaker from Maharashtra has quit the
party. Ashish Deshmukh– an MLA from Katol constituency in the Vidarbha region,
also resigned from the Maharashtra state assembly on Wednesday. Accusing Modi
of “criminal misconduct,” Deshmukh shot off a letter to the BJP president Amit
Shah in which he has reportedly expressed his grievances in details. Talking to
National Herlad over phone, Deshmukh said, “I had been raising issues related
to farmers’ distress, unemployment and demonetisation disaster but nobody
listened. BJP president Amit Shah kept mum. Central leadership maintained
studied silence and the state leaders tried to suppress my voice.”“Everyone in
the BJP right from the PM to Defence Minister knew that the Reliance Defense
Limited owner Anil Ambani has no experience of defense manufacturing. Despite
that the deal was signed, why?” asked Deshmukh, adding that not only the
Central Govt but the Maharashtra Govt also is a beneficiary of “Rafale corruption”. nationalheraldindia
India's biggest Zika outbreak in Rajasthan:
total count reaches 60
Jaipur:5 more zika virus cases were reported
from Jaipur city on Sunday, taking the total count to 60, a Rajasthan health
department official said.The figures were issued after a review meeting chaired
by health department additional chief secretary Veenu Gupta. Shastri Nagar area
has reported the most infections, but cases have also been reported from Rajput
Hostel on Station Road and from Vidyadhar Nagar area.With virus – transmitted
through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito -- spreading, Gupta said random surveys were
being done in other parts of the city but no case has been detected so far. She
said 45 of the 60 infected patients had fully recovered while 15 were still
under observation.Fogging and anti-larvae activities have been intensified in
affected areas and extended to other parts of the city too, she added.HT
Gurugram judge's wife murder: Killer guard was
addicted to internet, say cops
Gurugram: 32-year-old guard named Mahipal
Singh accused of shooting an additional sessions judge’s wife and son was
allegedly addicted to the internet, said the police. Singh had reportedly also
been mentally disturbed since past few days and on account of his behaviour
lately, had also apologised to Krishan Kant, the judge.Kant’s 38-year-old wife
Ritu and 18-year-old son Dhruv were shot at a crowded Gurugram market where
more than 40 people reportedly stood and watched, to no avail. Ritu succumbed
to her injuries on Saturday night, Dhruv was declared brain dead on Sunday
night.A head constable, Singh was arrested from Gurugram-Faridabad highway on
the same day, two hours after the incident and was dismissed from Haryana
Police on Sunday.Mirror Now /timesnownews
Hinduism was a colonial construction tocreate
common market for capitalism:Scholar Anjaiah
Kalaburagi:N. Anjaiah, Director of Centre of
Scientific Socialism, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, on
Sunday argued that the very idea of Hinduism as a religious faith was a
colonial construction that the British floated as part of their bid to create
and expand a common market for European capitalists in India. He said that
though the word Hindu was found in many texts such as Kalhana’s Rajatarangini,
it is nowhere referred to as a religion. He was delivering the inaugural
address at the 100th birth anniversary of Marxist philosopher Debiprasad
Chattopadhyaya in the auditorium of Hyderabad Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and
Industry here.“Different religious groups such as Muslims are clearly defined.
But the British defined all those people who were not following any other
religions such as Islam, as Hindus. They began to list such people as Hindus in
all official records, even right from the first Census of India held in 1872.
The effort was clearly intended to project the majority of Indian population as
Hindus, their land as Hindustan and their language Hindi and create and expand
their market. So much so that even the Constitution too continued the colonial
legacy of calling the majority of Indian population having diverse social,
cultural and religious traditions, as Hindus. Now, we have reached a point
where one who refuses to accept this colonial construction is termed as
anti-national,”he said. Referring to a survey report, he added that of 85% of
Indian population that was labelled as Hindus, over 61% follow family deities
and over 31% follow clan deities and they have nothing to do with Brahminical
Hinduism. He also pointed to the recent movement for religion status to
Lingayat, to say that the original independent status of Lingayat that emerged
in its fight against Brahminical Hinduism was obliterated during British
period.thehindu
WORLD
Palestine denounces illegal Israeli settlement
plan in Hebron city
Palestinian Authority has denounced an Israeli
decision to expand an illegal settlement in the heart of Hebron city,
describing the move as a declaration of war against Palestinian people. Govt spokesman Yousef Al Mahmoud said that the move
was a blatant targeting of the existence of the Palestinian people and an
attack on international laws and resolutions, Wafa news agency reported.31
settler homes to be built in the flashpoint city of Hebron, located in the
occupied West Bank will be the first Jewish settlement expansion in Hebron
since 2002.It comes at a cost of $6.1m in Govt funding, according to Israeli daily
Haaretz.Construction permits were agreed in October last year but needed the Govt
's approval, according to the NGO Peace Now, which monitors settlement
construction in occupied territory. Now that the cabinet has approved the funds
for the plan, the settlement project can go ahead."For the first time in over
20 years, Hebron will have a new Jewish neighbourhood where a military camp
once stood," Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday after the
weekly cabinet meeting.He said in a statement that the project will comprise 31
settler homes and two kindergartens."It is an important step in the global
activity which we are carrying out to reinforce settlements in Judea and
Samaria," added Lieberman, referring to the occupied West Bank.Hebron is
holy to both Muslims and Jews, with important religious figures including
Abraham, seen as the forefather of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, believed to
be buried there. It is home to around 200,000 Palestinians and some 800 settlers
living under Israeli army protection in several heavily fortified compounds in
the heart of the city.
Israel: $6m to build new illegal settlement in
Hebron
Report: Israel army under ‘pressure’ from
politicians over Gaza protests
Israeli defence officials are feeling
“pressure” from PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s
ministers over ongoing protests in the occupied Gaza Strip, reported
Haaretz.According to the report, defence officials told the security cabinet
yesterday “that it does not believe a large-scale conflict in Gaza Strip is
necessary”, following aggressive rhetoric and threats by Netanyahu and Defence
Minister Avigdor Lieberman.The unnamed officials referred to “pressure from
politicians to do something” about the Great Return March protests at the Gaza
perimeter fence.Haaretz stated that the army’s Southern Command is preparing
for soldiers to “respond more forcefully” at the fence, and that “the no-entry
area” could be “enlarged”.However, in contrast to the language from ministers,
the military has reportedly “not altered its decision to try to avoid being
dragged into a military confrontation before the end of 2019”, by which time
the new fence and underground barrier are expected to have been completed.MEMO
Sole crossing between Syria and
Israel-occupied Golan reopens
The only crossing point between Syria and
Israeli-occupied territory of Golan Heights has reopened for UN observers, 4
years after closing due to the civil war in Syria.2 white UN jeeps crossed into
the Golan Heights on Monday through the reopened crossing near the Syrian border
town of Quneitra after a deal between Israel, Syria and UN.UN observers and
local notables from the Druze community, the predominant population in the
area, gathered near the crossing.The UN observers had left the Quneitra
crossing in 2014 for the first time since deploying there in 1974 to monitor a
ceasefire and a demilitarised zone. Israel occupied the Golan Heights in
1967.Syrian forces recaptured the Quneitra area in July.Russian military police
deployed in the area, including on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights, setting up checkpoints in the area. Moscow said it planned to work
closely with the UN force."It is a day of victory,"Youssef Jarbou, a
Druze leader, told Syrian Al-Ikhbariya TV from Quneitra. Meanwhile, another
crossing between Syria and Jordan reopened on Monday too, for the first time in
3 years, promising to restore trade and movement between the 2 countries that
had halted because of the war.aljazeera
Palestinian refugees in northern Syria launch
cry for help
DAMASCUS, (PIC) Dozens of displaced
Palestinian families north of Syria continue to rally in Deir Ballout Camp,
protesting their tragic living conditions in the poorly-equipped camp.The
refugees urged UNRWA to live up to its responsibilities as regards dozens of
hopeless families and to provide them with much-needed cash aids, medical
items, and relief services.The refugees also appealed to the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO), the Turkish authorities, and the international
human rights institutions to take urgent action in order to tone down the abject
situation endured by Palestinian families north of Syria.Palestinian refugees
sheltered north of Syria have been enduring a tragic situation. Most of them
have been crammed in underequipped tents and denied their rights to vital
services and much-needed items, including heating kit.Rodents and insects have
swamped the camp as a result of the poor hygiene. An acute dearth in bread has
added bad to worse.The refugees’ stressed their commitment to their right to
return to their motherland—Palestine—and retrieve their inalienable rights.They
further lashed out at the sanctions imposed by the US President Donald Trump on
the Palestinians as part of the notorious “deal of the century”.At least 320
Palestinian have sought shelter in Deir Ballout Camp.
Deadline passes for Syria's Idlib buffer
without fighters leaving
A deadline passed on Monday without fighters
leaving a planned buffer zone around Syria's last major rebel bastion of Idlib
as set out under a Russian-Turkish deal. The armed groups were supposed to
withdraw from the buffer as a final condition to implementing a Russian-Turkish
agreement to stave off a Syrian Govt offensive on the northwestern region of
Idlib.The accord hung in the balance early Monday, seven years into a grinding
civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced
millions.Just hours before the deadline expired, rebels vowed to continue to
fight."We have not abandoned our choice of jihad and fighting towards
implementing our blessed revolution," said Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an
alliance led by al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate."We appreciate the
efforts of all those who strive inside and abroad to protect the liberated
area," it said in an apparent reference to Turkey."But at the same
time, we warn of the deceitfulness of the Russian occupier," it said of
President Bashar al-Assad's ally. Under the deal, heavy weapons were to have
been withdrawn from the horseshoe-shaped buffer by Oct. 10 and fighters to have
left by Monday.Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had not observed any fighters
leaving the outlined demilitarised area by the time midnight struck."The
jihadists not withdrawing gives the regime and Russia an excuse to carry out a
military operation at least within the demilitarised zone," Observatory
head Rami Abdel Rahman said.HTS likely "tried to gain time by neither
explicitly refusing nor accepting the deal" between Russia and Turkey, he
said.aljazeera
Saudi king orders internal probe into
Khashoggi 'murder': Report
Saudi Arabia has opened an internal
investigation into the disappearance and presumed murder of Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, which could hold those responsible to account, a Saudi
official told Bloomberg on Monday.Turkish investigators are poised to enter the
Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which Khashoggi entered on 2 Oct. and apparently
never left, this afternoon.Turkish officials have confirmed to Middle East Eye
that the consulate, the house of the consul-general and diplomatic cars will be
searched by investigators. However, the sources told MEE that Turkish
authorities do not trust the Saudis, and expect them to disrupt and impede the
investigations if they can.A senior Turkish source said on Monday that the
interior of the consulate had been repainted since Khashoggi’s disappearance. Sources
close to the Turkish investigation told MEE that Khashoggi was tortured,
murdered and dismembered after entering the building to obtain divorce papers. According
to Turkish sources, investigators were not given access to the consulate
previously because the Saudis were unwilling to allow a probe into the
consul-general's house. The Saudis were also enraged by leaks of the identities
of the 15 Saudi suspects to Turkish media. Saudi’s internal investigation and its
acceptance of Turkish demands to search the consulate follow top official
Khaled bin Faisal’s trip to Turkey on Friday and a conversation between
President Tayyip Erdogan and King Salman on Sunday.According to a source,
Khaled bin Faisal, governor of Mecca and a trusted lieutenant of King Salman,
attempted on Friday to quash the fallout of Khashoggi’s alleged murder with
Turkish help.“He literally begged the president to save them,” a Turkish source
told MEE.According to source, Turkey demanded total cooperation from the Saudis
in return.Ankara demanded that Saudis let Turkish investigators search the
consulate and the consul-general’s house, and interview the consul-general, the
source said.The Turks insisted that the Saudis tell them where Khashoggi’s body
is buried, the source said.middleeasteye
Jamal Khashoggi case: Turkey to search Saudi
consulate, diplomatic source says
Egypt sentences 3 to death for attacks on
police
A court in Egypt has sentenced 3 people to
death for their involvement in the killing of policemen and belonging to an
armed group.The defendants were found guilty by a Cairo criminal court on
Sunday of being involved in the killing of 10 policemen between Aug. 2013 and May 2014. Charges also
included establishing and running an armed group known as Ansar al-Sharia.Both defence
and prosecution have the right to appeal.Four others were sentenced to life
imprisonment- a 25-year term in Egypt - and 7 defendants to 15 years in prison.
9 of 23 defendants were acquitted.Egyptian courts have issued or confirmed a
large number of death sentences in recent weeks.Aljazeera
Afghanistan terror attacks: Taliban kills at
least 22 security forces ahead of parliamentary elections
Taliban militants killed at least 22 security
forces, including a district police chief, in separate attacks on security
checkpoints in two Afghan provinces, officials said on Sunday, ahead of
parliamentary elections set for this week.Taliban have ramped up attacks in
strategic provinces in their battle to expel foreign forces, topple the
Western-backed Govt. The police chief of Mizan, a district in southern Zabul
province, was killed in armed clashes with Taliban insurgents on Saturday
night, the provincial governor, Rahmatullah Yarmal, said.In the western
province of Farah, Taliban fighters killed 21 troops at two checkpoints in the
district of Posht-e Rud.Taliban captured 11 soldiers and seized their weapons,
added Gul Ahmad Faqiri, a member of the Farah provincial council.The militant
group claimed the attacks."Our fighters have killed the police chief and 25
Afghan soldiers in two provinces on Saturday night,"its spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahidhe, said.Reuters
Rohingya crisis: Controversial monk Wirathu
hits back at UN, international community as ban ends
Yangon:An ultra-nationalist monk -- dubbed "Buddhist
Bin Laden" -- on Sunday condemned the international community for their
calls to bring Myanmar's generals to justice over Rohingya crisis.F irebrand
monk Wirathu, known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement, was
speaking at a pro-military rally that attracted hundreds of supporters, his
first since being barred from giving public sermons last year.The ban, which
ended in March, was issued by a council of senior monks who said Wirathu had
"repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal
strife".The hate speech he espouses -- which includes calling the Rohingya
Muslim minority "Bengali" in an attempt to delegitimize their
identity as being from Myanmar -- has also caused Facebook to ban him from
their platform.AFP
Pak bye-elections: Opposition PML-Nawaz
improves tally
Opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
bagged four seats in the National Assembly, reducing the ruling Pakistan
Tehreef-e-Insaf’s margin, Express Tribune reported on Monday.Bye-elections were
held on Sunday in 11 National Assembly constituencies – 9 in Punjab and one
each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – and in 24 provincial Assembly seats,
including 11 in Punjab, 9 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2 each in Sindh and
Balochistan.Most of the seats where bye-elections were held had been vacated by
those elected on more than one seat in the 25 general polls, including PM Imran Khan who won in all 5 National Assembly
constituencies he had contested, reported Dawn.PTI lost two of the four National
Assembly seats vacated by Khan to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the PML-N. Ex-
PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who lost the
general elections from 2 constituencies, defeated PTI’s Ghulam Mohiuddin Dewan
in NA-124 Lahore.PML-Nawaz and PTI won 4 seats each in the National Assembly
while PML-Quaid won 2 seats and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal one seat, the Election
Commission of Pakistan said.scroll.in
Embattled Bangladesh opposition forges new
alliance
Bangladesh's main opposition party has forged
an alliance with centrist parties, with an 82-year-old former foreign minister
emerging as the main leader ahead of upcoming elections.BNP is hoping the
alliance will help it boost its support and move on after a series of setbacks,
including the jailing of its leader Khaleda Zia for corruption in February and
the sentencing of exiled acting leader, her son, last week.Jatiya Oikya Front
(United National Front) was formally announced in the Bangladeshi capital late
on Saturday after months of negotiations among opposition parties. Kamal
Hossain, a former foreign minister and an eminent lawyer who drafted the
secular constitution just after independence in 1971, has emerged as the main
leader. "There is no alternative to a free and fair election,"
Hossain told a press briefing.The new alliance issued a seven-point list of
demands including the dissolution of parliament and the holding of free and
fair polls organised by an interim Govt . " Launch of the Jatiya Oikya
Front will go down in history as a turning point," senior BNP leader and
former law minister Moudud Ahmed told reporters. Aljazeera
Chinese leader visits region with Muslim
population, draws the line for religion
Beijing:Sinicisation of religion must be
upheld to promote ethnic solidarity, a top Communist Party of China (CPC)
leader said during a visit to the country’s remote northwestern region of
Xinjiang, home to millions of Muslim Uyghurs.Sinicisation could be broadly
defined as increasing the influence of Chinese, or the culture of the majority
Han community, on non-Chinese ideas and entities within China.President Xi
Jinping has talked about sinicising religions in China since taking over the
CPC leadership in 2012.The focus has largely been on Islam and fast-spreading
Christianity within China.The leader You Quan said “…sinicisation on religion
must be upheld to promote ethnic solidarity and religious harmony” during a
visit to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).You is a member of the
CPC central committee secretariat, one of the top decision-making bodies of the
party, and he is head of the party’s powerful United Front Work Department.“The
Party’s leadership over religious work must be upheld,” You was quoted by
official news agency, Xinhua, as saying, and adding that “the infiltration of
religious extremism must be guarded against”.HT
FLASH
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