NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
11 Nov. 2018: 2 Rabiul-I 1440:
Vol: 11, No:51
INDIA
Amid RBI reluctance to name big loan
defaulters, 4 banks lead the way
Kolkata: In the wake of the Central
Information Commission's notice to RBI and PMO over their reluctance to make
the names of wilful defaulters public, NDTV found at least 4 of the top ten
public sector banks have already made this information available on their
websites.On Nov. 2, CIC sent a notice to RBI and PM Narendra Modi's office,
asking why they should not face action for failing to provide information
related to wilful defaulters to the public. Notice cited a previous Supreme
Court order, and alleged that they were "dishonouring" the
verdict.RBI guidelines ask Credit Information Agencies to make such information
public, rather than individual banks. An
examination of the websites of the 10 biggest public and private sector banks,
found none of the private sector banks had any information on wilful defaulters
on their website. Only four public sector banks had uploaded the lists of
wilful defaulters, with the amounts they owe.4 -- Punjab National Bank, Bank of
Baroda, IDBI and Syndicate bank -- had outstanding loans of approximately Rs.
42,000 crore against 1,815 wilful defaulters.Punjab National Bank had listed
1,124 defaulters as of September 2018, who owe a collective Rs. 23,470 crore.
The list included Mehul Choksi-Nirav Modi companies, which collectively owe
around Rs. 7,500 crore, and Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines, which owes
almost Rs. 600 crore. Jatin Mehta's Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery and Forever
Precious Jewellery and Diamonds owe Rs. 1,648 crore, and a company called Kudos
Chemie Ltd owes the bank Rs. 1,302 crore. IDBI listed 162 defaulters, who owe
Rs. 11,050 crore as of October 2018. Bank Of Baroda also named 309 wilful
defaulters in their March 2018 list. It is owed Rs. 6,261 crore. As of June
2018, Syndicate bank had 220 wilful defaulters, who owe Rs. 1,159 crore.The
names of defaulters listed by these banks included Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher
Airlines, which owed Rs. 426 crore to Bank of Baroda and Rs. 696 crore to IDBI.
Other defaulters at IDBI include Amtek Auto, EPC Constructions India and S
Kumar's Nationwide, which owe Rs. 1,575 crore, Rs. 915 crore, and Rs. 834 crore
respectively. Nitin Sandesara and Chetan Sandesara's Sterling Biotech also
features in IDBI's wilful defaulter's list and is said to owe Rs. 33 crore. Rotomac
Global owes Bank of Baroda Rs. 457 crore, while other wilful defaulters, ABC
Cotspin and REI Agro owe Rs. 362 crore and Rs. 318 crore respectively. Syndicate
bank is owed over Rs. 300 crore by their top defaulter. Forever Precious
Jewellery and Diamonds owes Rs. 308 crore, Zylog systems owes Rs. 149.5 crore,
Nakoda owes Rs. 116.5 and Zoom Developers owes Rs. 80 crore to Syndicate
Bank.Other banks such as State Bank of India, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Union
Bank of India, Central Bank of India, and Oriental Bank of Commerce had no such
information on their websites.NDTV
Chidambaram: Why is govt in ‘tearing hurry’ to
fix RBI’s capital framework with just 4 months left for end of term
New Delhi :Continuing his tirade against Centre
over its tussle with RBI on the transfer of surplus capital, former finance
minister P Chidambaram on Sunday asked why the Modi government was in a rush to
“fix” the capital framework of the central bank since only four months were
left for completion of its term.“NDA government has completed 4 years and 6
months of its term. It has effectively 4 months left. What is the tearing hurry
to “fix” the capital framework of RBI?” Congress leader tweeted. He had last
week reasoned that the government wanted to step up expenditure ahead of 2019
Lok Sabha polls. Chidambaram’s reaction comes two days after Economic Affairs
Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the government was in discussion with RBI
to “fix appropriate economic capital framework” for the central bank. The
capital framework governs RBI’s capital requirements and terms for the transfer
of its surplus to the govt. On Nov.6, the Indian Express reported that a
proposal by the Finance Ministry seeking to transfer a surplus of Rs 3.6 lakh
crore, more than a third of the total Rs 9.59 lakh crore reserves of the
central bank, to the govt was not accepted by the RBI.indianexpress
Modi vs CBI: CVC finds nothing substantial
against chief Alok Verma
In what can be termed as an embarrassing
development for the Modi government, Central Vigilance Commission inquiry team
probing the ₹2 crore bribe allegations against CBI Director Alok Verma has not
found anything “substantial”. According to sources, preliminary inquiry report
in the case pertaining to Verma was completed on Friday and will be submitted
to the Supreme Court on Monday. The report contains a review of the documents
submitted by CBI special director Asthana against the CBI chief in his
complaint dated August 24.Verma was sent on leave on Oct. 23, along with CBI
special director Rakesh Asthana who is also facing corruption charges. Investigation
against Verma was supervised by former Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik. Justice
Patnaik was asked by the Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi to
supervise the government-ordered CVC inquiry against Verma after the infighting
between the two top CBI officers became public knowledge as the two levelled
corruption charges against each other.One of the reasons cited by the
government to justify its leave order for Verma was that there were corruption
allegations against the CBI director.While Asthana had written to the cabinet
secretary against his boss on August 24, the CBI had filed an FIR against
Asthana on October 15. Asthana has alleged that a ₹2 crore bribe was paid to
Verma by Hyderabad-based businessman, Sathish Babu Sana, who is also a
co-accused in several cases under probe against meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Almost
2 months after Asthana's complaint, an FIR was registered against Asthana, CBI
DSP Devender Kumar and Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad. FIR was filed on Oct.15
based on a complaint by Sana, registered on October 4, that the Prasad had
asked him to pay ₹3 crore bribe "in the name of Rakesh Asthana" to
stop his "harassment" in Qureshi cases.nationalheraldindia
SC to hear on Monday version of CVC which
probed CBI director Verma
New Delhi:The Supreme Court is scheduled to
hear on Monday the version of the Central Vigilance Commission, which was
directed to complete within two weeks its preliminary inquiry against CBI
Director Alok Kumar Verma, who has been divested of his duties and sent on
leave by Centre.The hearing assumes significance as Verma, who has a running
feud with Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana, has been appearing before 3-member
CVC headed by KV Chowdary and is understood to have given point-wise refusal to
all the allegations levelled against him by his deputy.Verma’s plea, which had
been heard by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on
previous occasions, is now listed for hearing on November 12 before a 2-judge
bench comprising the CJI and Justice S K Kaul.The decision that a smaller bench
would hear the case has come after the CJI, in his recent informal interaction
with journalists, said that on Mondays and Fridays, when the apex court hears
miscellaneous cases, only two-judge benches would sit. The court had appointed
former apex court judge A K Patnaik to supervise the ongoing inquiry of CVC
against Verma.Besides issuing notices to the Centre and CVC on the plea of
Verma, the apex court, on Oct. 26, had also set a deadline of two weeks for CVC
to complete the preliminary inquiry against CBI director.PTI
Adanis, Ambanis already knew about currency
ban: BJP MLA caught on camera
There has been talk about Adanis and Ambanis
having known about the currency demonetisation in WhatsApp groups. Now it
appears that it’s not just talk among the common men but even among the ruling
party’s own. Video footage has emerged on the internet in which a BJP MLA from
Rajasthan has been taped in an “off-the-record” conversation saying Adanis and
Ambanis, who are seen as being close to the ruling dispensation at the Centre,
knew about the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes before it was
implemented on ninth of this month.Bhawani Singh Rajawat, BJP MLA from
Rajasthan’s Kota in conversation says, “Adani, Ambani and others knew about it
(demonetisation) beforehand. They were given a hint and they had made
arrangements accordingly.You (govt) should have printed the new currency as per
requirement.”He went on to add that the currency ban was an unplanned one and
stated that this step could have been implemented in a step-by-step
process.newindianexpress
Indian officials attend Afghan peace meet in
Russia
New Delhi: Taliban listed 4 conditions for
beginning peace talks at a meeting hosted by the Russian government even as the
opposition criticised India’s perceived shift from a policy of not engaging
directly with the Afghan insurgent group.India participated in the second
meeting under the “Moscow format” on Friday at a “non-official level” – its representatives
were retired ambassadors TCA Raghavan and Amar Sinha – and the Taliban sent a 5-member
delegation, led by Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, from its “political office” in
Qatar. According to a transcript of the speech delivered by the Taliban delegation,
the group raised four conditions to begin peace talks – removal from sanctions,
release of all detained Taliban cadres, formal opening of an office and the
stopping of what it described as “poisonous propaganda” against the group,
including allegations of its involvement in attacks on students and
civilians.The panel said the group does “not allow anyone to use the soil of
Afghanistan against other countries”, including neighbours. It contended that
“establishing an Islamic system in conformity with the faith of its people
can’t be considered terrorism”.India and Afghanistan, working in close
coordination, decided to participate in Friday’s meeting at a “non-official”
level. The external affairs ministry said its participation was “consistent”
with its policy of backing Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process for peace.
“Where did we say there will be talks with the Taliban?..We just said we will
be participating in a meeting on Afghanistan, hosted by Russia,” said external
affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Congress said Centre’s decision
amounted to a reversal of India’s stated policy of not engaging the
Taliban.HT
Karnataka ex-BJP minster Reddy arrested in
bribery case, sent to 14 days judicial custody
New Delhi:Central Crime Branch (CCB) unit of
Bengaluru police on Sunday arrested former Karnataka minister G Janardhana
Reddy and his close aide Ali Khan in connection with a bribery case, ANI
reported. The mining baron spent the night at the crime branch office on
Saturday after being questioned for several hours in the alleged Ambident Group
bribery case.Reddy was produced before a court later today. He was sent to
judicial custody till November 24 after the court rejected the CCB’s plea for
custody. Reddy’s counsel is likely to move for bail tomorrow, according to
reports.Alok Kumar Additional CP, Central Crime Branch, was quoted as saying by
ANI, “We have taken the decision to arrest him on the basis of credible evidence
and witnesses statements. We will produce him before the magistrate. We are
going to recover the money and give it to the investors.”Reddy, who was a
minister in the erstwhile BJP government in Karnataka, is alleged to have
received an amount of Rs 20 crore – in the form of gold – to allegedly help a
private firm, Ambident Pvt Ltd, dodge a money laundering case being pursued by
the ED.Reddy came on CCB’s radar when the agency was probing cheating cases
filed against Ambident for defrauding over 15,000 people to the tune of over Rs
600 crore through Ponzi schemes. According to CCB, Ambident’s founder,Syed Ahmed
Fareed, had approached Reddy for help in dodging investigations launched by ED
in the aftermath of cases registered by Bengaluru police this year. In return,
the former minister had asked for Rs 20 crore in the form of gold from Fareed,
police said.indianexpress
Ram temple issue should be resolved at the
earliest; Muslims want amicable settlement: Naqvi
New Delhi :Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Sunday pitched for a resolution of the contentious Ram temple issue at the
earliest and asserted that a common Muslim does not have an “attitude of
conflict” that may harm social unity.He, however, advocated a “wait and watch”
approach amid demands from many of his BJP colleagues for a law to construct a
Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and said the Narendra Modi
government has not spoken on the matter yet.“Whatever stand the government
takes will be my stand as well. The government has not spoken on the matter so
far,” Naqvi told PTI.The issue should be resolved at the earliest, he said.To a
question on how Muslims view the thorny issue as, the Minority Affairs Minister
said, “A common Muslim wants peace, and an amicable settlement. A common Muslim
does not have an attitude of conflict which may harm social unity.”Asked about
no adverse statement coming from Muslims on the temple issue, he said, “Muslim
community is a very peaceful community. They don’t want to involve themselves
in any destructive agenda.“Some individuals, some political parties for their
own interest can try to incite people. So people feel that there should be a
peaceful solution and it (the matter) should be ended.”PTI
With Cong, regional parties no longer taking Mandir
bait, competitive minority politics gets quiet burial
New Delhi: VHP organised the first meeting of
saints and seers at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan in early 80s to drum up support for
the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Indira Gandhi was the PM in power
and not many paid heed to VHP campaign. Few years later, BJP formally brought
Ram Mandir on its political agenda at the Palampur conclave of the party in
Himachal Pradesh. Both RSS and BJP leaders have since expressed their
commitment to the construction of the temple at the disputed site.Contingent upon
prevailing circumstances, the intensity of the campaign has had its crests and
troughs. RSS and BJP leaders are again anxious about the ‘inordinate delay’ in
the hearing of the title suit by the Supreme Court. The opposition has linked
the upping of the ante to the upcoming elections. It is, however, not sure if
this is a build-up to ongoing Assembly polls or the Lok Sabha polls next year.
In a marked departure from their instant and vociferous reactions to any
developments on Ayodhya, almost all opposition parties have decided not to join
issues with the BJP anymore. At least, not on Ram Temple. Prodded by reporters,
former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupendra Singh Hooda
recently said he would light a lamp if the temple is built.SC leader and its
Muslim face Azam Khan has been at his oratorical best in the last few weeks.
The former minister has pledged support if a statue of ‘maryada pushottam Ram’
built in his hometown Rampur in western UP. A statue that he says should be
taller than Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity.news18
Watch: ‘Will rename a mosque after Lord
Vishnu,’ BJP leader Sambit Patra says during TV debate
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra was in the eye
of a storm after an appearance on a television panel with a member of AIMIM on
Friday. Patra and Syed Asim Waqar, the national spokesperson of the AIMIM, were
part of a panel on Aaj Tak about the renaming of cities in Uttar Pradesh.
During the debate, Patra claimed Hindus had been oppressed by Muslims for
centuries and names of the cities were first changed by invaders as a part of
the exercise. When Waqar asked why the BJP had changed the name of Ekana
International Stadium to Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International
Cricket Stadium in that case, Patra asked him to keep quiet, saying, “warna
kisi masjid ka naam main rakh dunga bhagwaan Vishnu ke naam pe, phir chillate
rahoge” (Or else I will rename a mosque after Lord Vishnu, then you’ll keep
shouting).The comment drew the ire of several people on social media.scroll.in/
Muzaffarnagar Riots Accused Ram Das Found Dead
Muzaffarnagar: An accused in the 2013
Muzaffarnagar riots was found dead in his home in Kutba village, police said on
Saturday. The body of Ram Das alias Kala (30), bearing a bullet injury, was
sent for a post-mortem examination, they said, adding that the matter was being
probed.Police are yet to ascertain whether Das committed suicide or was
murdered.Meanwhile, security was beefed up in and around the communally
sensitive village where eight people had reportedly died and several left
injured during the 2013 riots.Extra police personnel were deployed as a
precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.news18
Opposition parties will meet on Nov. 22 to
discuss alliance: Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu
Naidu on Saturday said Opposition parties looking to defeat the BJP in the Lok
Sabha elections will meet in New Delhi on November 22 to chalk out their future
course of action, PTI reported. The announcement came after the Telugu Desam
Party chief wrapped up a series of meetings with Opposition leaders in
different parts of the country.Naidu was speaking at a joint press conference
after meeting Congress General Secretary Ashok Gehlot in Amaravati. “This is
broadly an anti-BJP platform. This is in the interest of the nation,” said
Naidu. “Save democracy, save the nation and save the institutions... that is
the agenda.”scroll.in
Congress not to allow govt employees to attend
RSS shakhas in MP
Bhopal :Over 12 years after the Shivraj Singh
Chouhan government allowed its employees to take part in activities of RSS,
Congress has promised to revoke the order.In its manifesto released on
Saturday, the Opposition party said it will ban holding of RSS shakhas in
government premises and cancel the order that allowed officers and employees to
participate in shakhas. “RSS is a political organisation. If the Congress party
in MP has said it will put an end to this practice, I see nothing wrong with
that. Governments servants, as long as they are working with the government,
shouldn’t openly associate with a political party,” senior Congress leader P
Chidambaram said.indianexpress
India won’t be superpower until Muslims are
included in Modi’s vision: Akbaruddin Owaisi
Hyderabad: Slamming PM Narendra Modi for
creating “an atmosphere of fear for Muslims in the last four years”, former
Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi said India won’t be the superpower that
PM aspires it to be until Muslims are included in his vision. Addressing a
public meeting at Badabazar in Yakutpura on Friday, Akbaruddin said: “Modi is
dreaming that the country will become a superpower, will have exemplary industrial
growth, will score high in the happiness index. If you want to do that, you
will have to include me (sic) in your vision.” Former Chandrayangutta Assembly MLA
said: “If I want to develop Chandrayangutta, I keep in mind the sentiments of
Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and as well as atheists.”During his speech,
he also highlighted the developmental works that AIMIM had taken up in the last
4 years.Criticising the ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow vigilantes), he said: “Gau rakshaks
are not here to save cows. They are Modi rakshaks. They are here to save Prime
Minister Modi. The lynchings, injustices happen when Modi fails.” Akbaruddin also accused Congress of
“oppressing Muslims for the last 70 years” and at the same time “seeking Muslim
votes”. Newindianexpress
In poll-bound Chhattisgarh, BSF jawan killed
in IED explosions triggered by Naxals
New Delhi :One Naxal was killed and another
detained in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of
Chhattisgarh on Sunday, PTI reported. A search operation is underway. This
comes a day before the state is slated to go to the polls for the first phase
to elect a new Assembly.In a separate incident, one assistant sub-inspector
(SI) belonging to the Border Security Force was injured in an IED blast in
Kanker’s Koyali Beda. IEDs were planted in a series and were set off in one go
between Gome and Gattakal villages. The SI later succumbed to his injuries.
Speaking to ANI, DIG (anti-Naxals operation) P Sundaraj had earlier said, “BSF
personnel Mahinder Singh was injured in the IED blast in Kanker’s Koyali Beda.
He has been airlifted to Raipur. The situation is normal. Security forces are
conducting a search operation in the area.”According to a senior police
official, the Bijapur encounter took place when an exchange of fire broke out
at a forest in Bedre area after a team of STF was out on an anti-Naxal
operation. The body of a Naxal clad in ‘uniform’ and a rifle were recovered
from the spot.indianexpress
NIA to probe 3 Kashmiri students arrested in
Punjab for alleged links with militant outfit
NIA will now probe the 3 Kashmiri students who
were arrested in Punjab last month for alleged links to a militant outfit, PTI
reported on Saturday. The state government decided to hand over the case to the
agency after discussions with the Union Home Ministry and to ensure a quicker
and more effective investigation, said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora.“Given the
inter-state and international ramifications of the case, the central and Punjab
governments have decided to hand over the investigations to NIA,” he said.The
students – Zahid Gulzar, Mohd Idriss Shah and Yusuf Rafiq Bhatt – were arrested
in October from the hostel of CT Institute of Engineering Management and
Technology on the outskirts of Jalandhar.scroll.in
Funds collected outside Pune mosques help
rebuild 74 Dalit homes in Pune
In a heart-warming story of Dalit-Muslim unity
from Maharashtra, an NGO managed to rebuild homes of 74 Dalit families who lost
their homes to a fire with the help of generous contributions from the Muslim
community in and around Pune.On April 24, the slum near Ambedkar Nagar in Pune
caught fire due to a short circuit and gutted around 74 homes in just a few
minutes. Thankfully, due to the help of locals and fire personnel, no lives
were lost but the residents lost all their possessions. Bandhubhau Bhaichara
Foundation (BBF), an organisation set up in 2014, was one of the first to come
to the help of the victims, says Swati, a resident who lost all her belongings
in the fire. “It was a horrible day…we were on roads with kids with nothing to
eat…Members of BBF came to help and provided us with food,” she said.Shabbir
Sheikh, the president of BBF, says that this effort is in line with the
teachings of Islam. “Our religion teaches us humanity, and to help the poor.
After visiting Ambedkar Nagar slums post-fire, we decided to build homes. We
announced our intentions in some of the mosques in Pune City and stood outside
the mosques to collect charity. Alhamdulillah, we received a very good
response. Our community donated cash and cement, sand and other construction
material. Seeing our efforts, many people volunteered as labour also while
others made several anonymous contributions. Within a very short period, we met
our target and it is because of the community’s efforts that we managed to hand
over the keys of all the 74 homes within seven months of the fire,” Sheikh
adds.TwoCircles
Deoband issues fatwa against jewellery with
images, uncles carrying brides:TOI
Meerut: Darul Uloom Deoband, world-renowned
Islamic seminary, has issued fatwa (edict) against what it said “un-Islamic
practices” prevalent in Muslim weddings, which included use of ‘lal khat’, a
decorated invitation card that a girl’s family sends to the groom’s side
inviting them for ‘nikah’ at a pre-decided venue. The seminary also said that
the widespread practice of maternal uncle lifting and carrying bride to the
‘doli’ should not be followed as it “may lead to the birth of lust in either of
the two”. In reply to a man, a bench of high-ranking clerics said that the ‘lal
khat’ was a foreign concept borrowed from “non-Islamic belief”. The bench
further said: “Instead, it should be a normal letter or postcard or intimation
by phone call.This activity must be abandoned completely.”Seminary’s fatwa
department took a strong exception to yet another ceremony in which maternal
uncle lifts and carries newlywed niece to the ‘doli’. “Relations between a
woman and her maternal uncle are very sacred. A man cannot lift his fully-grown
niece, it is certainly not acceptable in the eyes of Muslim law. There is
always a danger of destruction of such relationship if this activity leads to
the birth of lust in either of the 2,”bench said.It recommended, “It is always
better that the young woman walks towards ‘doli’ or her mother escorts her.”
Besides, the department also said that jewellery which has images embossed on
them is un-Islamic. “If the jewellery a bride is wearing does not have any
image embossed on it, it is acceptable,” seminary said. Clerics have welcomed
the fatwa and appealed to all Muslims to follow it religiously.A Deoband-based Mehadi
Hasan Qazmi said:“I don’t think there is anything controversial in the fatwa
issued by the seminary. We fully subscribe to seminary’s point of view in which
it asks Muslims to stay away from wasting money in weddings. Regarding
uncle-niece tradition, this is one practice that must be stopped with immediate
effect.”
Home Ministry cancels licence of Jaising’s NGO
New Delhi:Licence of an NGO run by noted
lawyer Indira Jaising has been permanently cancelled by the government for
alleged violation of FCRA, an action termed by the organisation as
“preposterous” and an attack on “right to free speech” guaranteed under the
Constitution.In its order, the Home Ministry claimed that there were
discrepancies in foreign contributions cited by Lawyers’ Collective in its
returns filed with the govt.Ms. Jaising, who was the Additional Solicitor
General of India under the previous UPA government, had violated Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act norms by receiving foreign funds between 2006-07
and 2013-14 when she was a government servant, the order said.Reacting to the
government’s move, the NGO issued a statement expressing wonder how an order
could be issued on Sunday when all the govt offices are closed. “Lawyers
Collective has received an order dated November 27, 2016 cancelling its registration
to receive foreign contribution... at its registered office at Mumbai.PTI
Upset Faizabad Residents Say Renaming Will
Erase City's Identity
Faizabad: The decision to rename Faizabad
district as Ayodhya has not gone down well with many of its residents, who
believe it is an "unnecessary step" taken for "political"
reasons and will eventually "erase the identity" of the historical
town.Another section, however, welcomed the UP Govt's move, saying it endorses
the legacy of ancient Ayodhya and will enhance its "glory". PK Maurya,
a 74-year-old Ayurvedic doctor, gets visibly upset when asked about the
renaming move."What was the need for it? It was unnecessary and done with
politics in mind. It is the common man who will suffer due to confusion
now," he told PTI. Maurya runs a dispensary in a run-down colonial-era
building near the 19th century 'Ghanta Ghar' (Clock Tower), with an old board
on its facade displaying the address as "Chowk-Faizabad" in Hindi.Many
other shops and commercial establishments in the area carry boards with
district name labelled as 'Zilla Faizabad'.PTI
Centre approves renaming of 25 places in past a
yr
New Delhi:Centre has given consent to the
renaming of at least 25 towns and villages across India in the past one year
and among the pending proposals is one for the State of West Bengal, according
to officials. Allahabad and Faizabad are the latest additions to the growing
list of places that have been renamed.Several proposals, including the renaming
of West Bengal as ‘Bangla’, are pending with the Central government. The
process is a long-drawn one with the involvement of multiple Central Ministries
and departments.Union Home Ministry has given consent to the proposals of name
change in 25 villages and towns in different parts of the country in last one
year, a senior Ministry official told PTI. The proposals to change the names of
Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad to Ayodhya are yet to be received by the
Ministry from UP govt, official said.PTI
Hyderabad:Mosque turns health hub for 1.5 lakh
people
Hyderabad: In a first, a mosque in the city
has opened its doors for health services. Located at NS Kunta, Masjid-e-Ishaq will
facilitate as a community health centre serving about 1.5 lakh people, mostly
the poor.It will provide information and guidance for admission to 30-plus
government hospitals. It will also serve as a referral link for health services
for people across religious lines. Mosque committee collaborated with a
city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) to open a health centre at the
mosque premises earlier this month.“Community health centre at the mosque will
serve as a referral link to about 30 state-run hospitals providing primary to
tertiary health care,”said HHF managing trustee Mujtaba Hasan Askari. He said
with abysmally low attendance at govt hospitals from slums, the mosque will
work towards increasing footfall of economically backward sections in state
hospitals by way of facilitation.“It will assure patients of prompt, ethical
and free treatment with a network of 100 volunteers,”Askari added.TOI
WORLD
Bangladesh general election on Dec. 23 despite
Zia's arrest
Authorities in Bangladesh have said they will
hold a "free and fair" national election on Dec.23 despite bitter
wrangling between the government and the opposition. Bangladesh's Election
Commission announced on Thursday that the election will take place despite the
imprisonment of the leader of the main opposition party and the banning of its
chief partner, Jamaat-e-Islami."A favourable situation prevails in the
country to hold a free and fair election," Chief Election Commissioner
Nurul Huda said in an address aired by state-run TV.Huda said he hoped all
parties will participate in the election, in which PM Sheikh Hasina is seeking
re-election.The opposition has expressed fears that the election will not be
democratic and has threatened protests.Hasina's archrival and opposition leader
Khaleda Zia, who is in jail on corruption charges, is likely to be banned from
contesting. Election Commission announced that the candidates must file
nominations by Nov. 19, leaving Zia virtually no time to appeal.On Wednesday,
the ruling Awami League party rejected an opposition demand for a caretaker
government ahead of the election, saying it was
"unconstitutional".BNP says a caretaker government is essential for
free and fair polls.aljazeera
US-led coalition strikes 'kill 26 including 14
kids, 9 women in east Syria'
US-led coalition air strikes have killed 26
civilians, including 14 children, in a holdout of the Islamic State group in
eastern Syria, a UK-based activist group has said."26 IS family members,
including 14 children and 9 women, were killed in coalition air strikes on
Friday morning on the town of Hajin," the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said.On Thursday, coalition raids killed another seven civilians in the
nearby village of al-Shaafa, Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said.Both Hajin
and al-Shaafa are in a last pocket under IS control in the eastern province of
Deir Ezzor near the border with Iraq.A coalition spokesman did not immediately
reply for a request for comment, the AFP news agency reported.The coalition has
been backing a Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting IS in the area. Middleeasteye
Battle for Hodeidah over 40 Houthis killed in a
day
At least 43 Houthis have been killed in
Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeidah over the past 24 hours as pro-government
forces close in on rebel-held areas in the east of the city.Medics at a
hospital in Hodeidah said on Sunday Houthi fighters had been killed in
overnight ground fighting and air attacks by a Saudi-UAE alliance supporting
Yemeni troops.A source at Hodeidah's military hospital told the AFP that dozens
of wounded rebels were transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Sanaa and
Ibb, further inland.Meanwhile, a source at a hospital in the government-held
town of Mocha, about 170km south of Hodeidah city, said that nine Yemeni
soldiers had been killed in clashes there.Hodeidah, a large city on Yemen's Red
Sea coast, is the latest battleground between the Houthis and the Saudi-UAE
alliance which has been fighting for control over the country for the past
three and a half years.aljazeera
16 killed in Taliban attack on army base in
Baghlan
At least 12 army soldiers were killed in a
Taliban attack on Saturday on a small military base in Afghanistan's northern
Baghlan province, officials said.Taliban left behind explosives that then
killed four tribal elders who had come to help collect the soldiers' bodies,
according to Afghan officials.Safder Mohsini, head of the provincial council in
Baghlan, said the group also abducted 2 soldiers and wounded 3 others in the
attack.He said Taliban fighters burned down the base before planting bombs
around it.Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault and said they seized
ammunition from the base. The group carry out near-daily attacks, mainly
targeting Afghan security forces. Taliban fighters have ramped up attacks on
Afghan security forces and government facilities in recent months, leaving
troops thinly stretched throughout the country.aljazeera
Turkey slams Israeli violation in E. Jerusalem
Turkey slammed Israel over the approval of
building nearly 800 new housing units in the illegal settlements in occupied
East Jerusalem early Sunday."Israeli authorities disregarded international
law once again by approving the construction of 792 new housing units in the
illegal settlements of Ramat Shlomo and Ramot in East Jerusalem,"Turkish
Foreign Ministry said on its website.The ministry added that Turkey is
rejecting these illegal steps of Israel, which irreversibly damage the vision
of a 2-state solution. This week the Israeli authorities approved construction
of hundreds of new Jewish-only housing units in occupied East Jerusalem,
according to Israeli media reports.Roughly.Anadolu
Erdogan,Trump meet in Paris amid Khashoggi
crisis
US President Donald Trump and his Turkish
counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met during a dinner in Paris, as international
pressure grows on Washington to put pressure on Saudi Arabia over the murder of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Erdogan arrived in Paris on Saturday at the
invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Armistice Day
commemorations, along with other world leaders.The dinner, where Trump and
Erdogan met each other, was hosted by Macron in the honour of world leaders and
their spouses who came to Paris to attend the event. aljazeera
'I'm suffocating': Khashoggi's last words,
says Turkish reporter
The head of investigations at the Turkish
Daily Sabah newspaper has said that Jamal Khashoggi's last words were "I'm
suffocating...Take this bag off my head, I'm claustrophobic", according to
an audio recording from inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, suffocated to
death while a plastic bag covered his head, Nazif Karaman said. Karaman said
the murder lasted for about seven minutes, according to the recordings.Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that audio related to Khashoggi's
murder was shared with Saudi Arabia, US, Germany, France and Britain.He said
Saudi knows Khashoggi's killer is among a group of 15 people who flew into
Istanbul hours before Oct.2 incident. According to Karaman, the Saudi entourage
covered the floor with plastic bags before dismembering Khashoggi's body - a
15-minute process that was led by Salah al-Tubaigy, head of Saudi Scientific
Council of Forensics. Karaman's remarks come as Turkish police are ending the
search for the body, but the criminal investigation into Khashoggi's murder
will continue, sources said.Al Jazeera
FLASH: VIEWS &
NEWS
Afghan-Taliban Talks: Diplomatic Victory for
Russia, but Still No Sign of Convergence:Devirupa Mitra
Farmers continue to burn stubble in Punjab,
Haryana because of lower yields and expensive machines: Saurabh Katkurwar/IANS
Muzaffarnagar Named By "Nawab Muzaffar
Ali"? UP Records Say This
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:46 PM)
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