NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
13 Dec. 2018:05 Rabiul-II 1440:
Vol: 11, No:75
INDIA
Election Result : Sonia Gandhi reaches Rahul's
residence; CMs announcement soon?
“The process of electing the Chief Ministers
of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan is presently ongoing.
Congress party believes in the democratic process of knowing the view point of
each elected legislator,” Randeep Surjewala, the Congress spokesperson told
ANI.He added that the CM candidate will be chosen “after consulting everybody”
and that the process of loan waiver and “creating new employment opportunities”
will start “in accordance with people’s will.” Sachin Pilot has arrived at
Rahul Gandhi's residence for the crucial meeting.According to a report by India
Today, Sachin Pilot was offered two formulas — holding the chief minister’s
post on rotational basis or becoming the deputy chief minister. Both formulas were
reportedly rejected by Pilot. The formulas were proposed by observer KC
Venugopal. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.Ashok Gehlot
is likely to be named the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, NDTV has reported.
Official announcement will be made soon. Meanwhile, TRS chief K Chandrashekar
Rao has been sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second consecutive
time.moneycontrol
Rahul Gandhi, asked to pick 3 CMs, wants to go
by MLAs’ choice: Congress
State Assembly results rejection of communal
polarisation: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
New Delhi: Prominent Muslim body
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has said that the results of latest state Assembly
elections, in which BJP has been dethroned in three states, show that people
have rejected communal politics. It said the ruling party should "pay heed
to the people's mandate" and desist from seeking electoral benefits
"by demonising minorities and suppressing the marginalised sections"
of society. "The results are a setback to the communal politics. The
ruling party tried its level best to polarise the electorate using communal
issues but they were flatly rejected by the people of this country who are more
concerned about their day-to-day issues of poverty, unemployment, education and
health," JIH Secretary General Muhammad Salim Engineer said. He added that
the people must continue to "reject those who peddle hate" and vote
astutely in the parliamentary elections next year. However, MIM head Naved
Hamid viewed the results differently."I don't think the BJP's communal
politics has lost traction.Though issues like agrarian crisis, unemployment and
demonetisation played the major role in BJP's defeat, the party is not likely
to abandon its Hindutva agenda," Hamid said. "Neither do I believe
that these results would have any bearing on 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he
added, also giving credit to the Congress party's election strategy.IANS
Assembly Election Results Flat Rejection of
Communal Politics: Jamaat
Telangana Jamaat-e-Islami Hind hails TRS
victory
Charminar: Welcoming the results of Assembly
elections in the State, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) asserted that the
organisation had clearly sensed the under-currents way ahead of anyone and took
a decision to back the TRS.Its state president Hamid Mohammed Khan welcomed the
verdict of the State’s Assembly elections and affirmed that the decision to
back TRS was taken after a series of deliberations within the organisation for
several days over the ground situation. “A political study committee was set-up
and an exercise on considering the opinions and views of Jamaat’s local
leadership at unit and district level was initiated. After which a series of
meetings were held, and regular inputs were received from them. A survey was
also undertaken up by the youth wing of the organisation in this endeavour. We
were far ahead in sensing the undercurrent and remained steady over the
decision despite pressure from different sections of the community. We also
explained the reasons behind taking such a decision and important factors were
also revealed for backing the regional party. The decision was taken after
deliberations and hence people also supported our decision, which is reflected
in the elections of the Telangana,” said Khan.The Hans India
BJP leader trolls RBI chief on history degree,
questions qualification
New Delhi: A Gujarat BJP leader has raised
questions about new RBI governor Shaktikanta Das in a series of baffling
tweets. Jay Narayan Vyas, who was minister in Narendra Modi's cabinet in
Gujarat, has posted a tweet that is bound to embarrass the ruling
party.Shaktikanta Das took charge as RBI chief today, three days after his
predecessor Urjit Patel abruptly resigned in the middle of a row with the
government over the central bank's autonomy and a range of other subjects.Jay
Narayan Vyas questioned the credentials of Das, an IAS officer, to head the
central bank, referring to his history background.As his tweet caused a flutter
and left many wondering whether he was still in the BJP, Mr Vyas did not back
down. Vyas said that he was simply congratulating the new Governor. He also clarified
that he is still with the BJP."To manage RBI you have to have a fair
knowledge of domestic and international economy. I respect IAS, the issue is
that they're exposed to a little of many things but the acceptance among
international community which earlier Governors commanded (is not there),"
he was quoted as telling ANI.ndtv
New RBI Governor: ‘Govt runs country, economy…
need to have free, fair discussions with it’
The new Governor of RBI, former bureaucrat
Shaktikanta Das said here on Wednesday that he would do everything possible to
uphold the autonomy, credibility and integrity of RBI as a “great institution”
and take all stakeholders, including the government, along through a
consultative process.On maintaining RBI’s autonomy, Das said, “I will ensure
that it is intact. RBI is a great institution… has a long and rich legacy.” He
was speaking to reporters after taking over as the 25th Governor.“I wouldn’t go
into the issues between RBI and govt but every institution has to maintain its
autonomy and also adhere to accountability,” he said. Das indicated that he
would take the government into confidence while formulating policies. “The
government is not just a stakeholder… the government of the day runs the
economy and the country,” he said, adding there is a need for free and fair
discussions with the govt to resolve contentious issues.indianexpress
Only Modi Can Make Sure India Doesn't Become
'Another Islamic Country': High Court Judge
While considering a petition relating to the
refusal of domicile certificate to an army recruit, the Meghalaya high court on
Monday observed that anybody opposing the Indian laws and the constitution
cannot be considered as a citizen of this country.The court also urged the
Centre to bring in a legislation to allow citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains,
Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos who have come from
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, without any question or documents.
Justice S.R. Sen directed Centre’s assistant solicitor general, Meghalaya high
court, A. Paul to hand over a copy of the judgment to the Prime Minister, home
minister and law minister for their perusal and necessary steps to bring in a
law to safeguard the interest of these communities.“This Court expects that
Government of India will take care of this judgment in the historical
background and save this country and its people,” he observed.Further, the
government of Meghalaya was directed to follow the guidelines laid down by the
court in Rabbe Alam v. State of Meghalaya & Ors. for grant of domicile
certificates. The court reiterated that a person residing in the state of
Meghalaya permanently or at least for the last five years has every right to
receive a domicile certificate. As for issuance of a permanent resident
certificate (PRC), it clarified that it should be granted to any person
residing permanently in the state of Meghalaya for the last 12 years, without
any further questions.“However, if any doubt arises, the Deputy Commissioner
may ask for a Police verification to determine how long he has been staying in
this State and PRC cannot be issued only for education purpose but it should be
applicable for all purposes. I make it further clear that domicile certificate
or PRC is not meant only for joining the Army or Paramilitary Force or
Education purposes,it is to be granted for all purposes,” it added.Justice Sen
began his judgement by tracing India’s partition and asserting that since the
division was on the basis of religion, India should have been declared a Hindu
country too. thewire
NRC defective, doomsday if India becomes
Islamic: Meghalaya HC
Give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants:
Meghalaya HC to govt
Guwahati:Meghalaya High Court has asked the
Centre to bring in a law to let people of religious and ethnic minority
communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to be given citizenship
without any cut-off year or any questions asked.Exuding confidence in the Union
government's policies, Justice S.R. Sen said: “I am confident that only this
government under Shri Narendra Modiji will understand the gravity, and will do
the needful as requested above.”Modi government had introduced the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2016, in Parliament which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act,
1955, and provide citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian
extraction. Several parties and organisations in the Northeast are protesting
against this Bill.Allowing a writ petition file by Amon Rana, an Army recruit
who was denied domicile certificate by the Meghalaya government, Justice Sen
said that the Centre should have a law allowing Hindus, Sikhs, Jains,
Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos from neighbouring
countries to live in India “with full dignity without making any cut-off year
and be given citizenship without any question or production of any
document”.thehindu
Editors Guild Suspends MJ Akbar, Tarun Tejpal
Over Allegations of Sexual Miscount
New Delhi: Editors Guild of India on Wednesday
suspended the memberships of former Union minister M.J. Akbar and Tarun Tejpal,
former editor-in-chief of Tehelka over allegations of sexual misconduct. While
Akbar has been a dormant member of the guild for years, Tejal is among its past
presidents,According to Scroll.in, the guild said that it had asked its
executive committee (EC) to advise on the action that must be taken against the
two as well as senior journalist and former editor Gautam Adhikari.A majority
of the executive committee members, the guild said in a statement, suggested
suspending Akbar’s membership. “There was also consensus that Tejpal be
suspended too, until the conclusion of his trial and the guild should write to
Adhikari to seek his response.”The move comes weeks after the guild released an
updated list of its members, which included the names of Akbar, Tejpal and
Adhikari – all of whom have allegations of sexual harassment levelled against
them – evoking calls from within the media body for their removal.thewire
Nirbhaya case: SC dismisses plea seeking
immediate execution of death row convicts
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has dismissed a
petition seeking directions for the immediate execution of the four men
convicted in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case of 2012.“What kind of prayer
you are making?” a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. “You
are making the court a joke,” it added.23-year-old paramedic student was
gangraped on the intervening night of Dec.16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in
South Delhi by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on
the road. She died on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in
Singapore.On July 9, the SC dismissed the pleas of three convicts — Mukesh
(31), Pawan Gupta (24) and Vinay Sharma (25) — seeking review of the SC verdict
which upheld the judgements of the Delhi High Court and the lower court in the
case.thehindu
Cow protection needed to bring change in
country: Union Minister Athawale at launch of 'Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh'
New Delhi: Cow protection needs to be adopted
for bringing about a change in the country, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said
at the launch of 'Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh' here on Wednesday.The social justice
and empowerment minister termed formation of the outfit as a "revolutionary
step" that will bring Hindus and Muslims closer."If you want a change
in the country, cow protection needs to be adopted. Awareness against cow
slaughter needs to be created as it is banned by the law," he said.Athawale
also lauded the founders of Muslim Gau Raksha Sangh, saying it was a
significant step that people from the minority community themselves have come
forward to create awareness against cow slaughter.He also said that incidents
of lynching in the name of cow have also happened in the past when the BJP was
not in power. "It's not that incidents of lynching in the name of cow are
occurring in BJP rule. Such things happened in the past also when BJP was not
in power. It cannot be accepted as there are other ways like seeking police
help to stop cow slaughter," he said.Founder president of the Muslim Gau
Raksha Sangh, Irfan Sheikh, said the idea to form the organisation was seeded
by Athawale himself who had viewed that Muslims should also come forward to
protect the cow, revered by the Hindus. PTI
Twist in the tale: Sohrabuddin case witness
seeks stay on verdict
Mumbai: In a fresh twist a prosecution witness
has moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the verdict in the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. The special CBI court is set to pronounce
the verdict on Dec 21. The witness, Rizwana Khan has said that the trial has
ben closed post haste, without the testimony of several witnesses not being
recorded as yet. This weakens the case, she said and also added that the case
as it is amounts to a mistrial. She said that the petition has been filed on
behalf of her husband, Azam Khan also a prosecution witness in the case. She
said that her family had been threatened and pressured to influence their
deposition in court. Khan had on Nov.3 deposed in court that he was a member of
the same gang as Sheikh. He had claimed that Tulsiram Prajapati, also killed in
another encounter had killed the then home minister of Gujarat, Haren Pandya in
2003 on Sheikh's orders. Rizwana said that her husband had shared more
information, which was not presented during the trial. When Sohrabuddin went
against the wishes of Abhay Chudasama, DG Vanzara and other officers involved
in this enterprise, he was killed in a conspiracy which had the involvement of
politicians and police officers from Gujarat and Rajasthan, her plea states.
oneindia.com
Bihar toilet scam: How govt officials, NGOs,
bankers stole Rs 15 cr meant for Swachh Bharat
It's raising quite a stink. A probe ordered by
Patna district magistrate Sanjay Agarwal has unearthed a scam involving
officials of the state public health engineering department(PHED) who allegedly
misappropriated Rs 15 crore meant for construction of toilets in poor homes
under the Centre's Swachh Bharat Mission. Carried out between May 1 and June
16, 2016, the reported swindle may have gone undetected but for an internal
audit this September, which found procedural irregularities in the withdrawal
of funds-Rs 15 crore had been transferred in a month in violation of norms.
Alerted, Agarwal ordered a physical verification of the toilets and individual
beneficiaries.State government officers, NGOs and bankers were allegedly in
cahoots. The main accused, executive engineer Vinay Kumar Sinha, and PHED
accountant Biteshwar Prasad roped in four NGOs-Adi Shakti Sewa Sansthan, Maa
Sarveshwari Seva Sansthan, Satyam Shivam Kala Kendra (Patna) and Shiv Seva
Sansthan (Maner)-to siphon off the money. Prasad reportedly issued over 200
cheques and Shiv Kumar Jha, a deputy manager of the State Bank of India,
facilitated the transfer of money to the NGOs.And in a routine that is all too
familiar now in Bihar, fake beneficiaries were listed to show how the funds
were spent. NGOs, after deducting their share, actually transferred the
remainder back to Sinha and Prasad's bank accounts. Preliminary inquiries
reveal that Sinha took Rs 4.65 crore while Prasad received Rs 20 lakh. On the
run since early November, Sinha was finally arrested from a hotel in Deoria
(Uttar Pradesh) on November 28. He has reportedly confessed and given
investigators details of properties worth more than Rs 100 crore, including 40
flats in Patna and elsewhere. Patna SSP Manu Maharaj says given the huge wealth
he has amassed, police are now looking into the possibility of Sinha's involvement
in other scams also.indiatoday
Pune: Housing Society ‘blocks’ sale of house
to a Muslim
Clover Village Chantilly Terrace Co-operative
Society at Wanowrie has refused to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to
one of its members for selling a row house he owns on the property, ‘on the
grounds that the buyer is Muslim’. Alleging this, the beleaguered homeowner —
who has had many run-ins with the society in the past — informed that this is
the latest in repeated trouble he has faced since he bought the property. He
says he has struggled to sell it for 13 months now due to the harassment.IT
engineer and Baner resident Arunkumar Daswani bought a unit at Chantilly
Terrace, which comprises 30 row-houses, in 2006. According to him, though he
completed all formalities in keeping with the by-laws, the society chairman and
secretary were not willing to issue a share certificate in his name. This,
despite paying the entire fee and fulfilling all conditions, he said. A decade
later, in May 2016, Daswani spied his name on a share certificate, but alleged
that chairman Deepak Chhabria refused to hand it over. In Sept.2017, he again
sought and got his membership sanctioned by the society, but the share
certificate remained elusive. Frustrated, he filed a complaint with the
sub-registrar at the department for co-operative societies, who in turn issued
an order in April this year for issuance of the share certificate. Only, the
society chairman and secretary did not heed this, pointed out Daswani. It was
only after he knocked on the doors of the sub-registrar yet again that he was
finally issued the share certificate in July 2018. Meanwhile, Daswani decided
to sell the property, but had to let go of the first sale deal in the absence
of the said certificate. PUNE MIRROR
Hashimpura case: SC admits convicts' appeals
but rejects thier bail pleas
New Delhi:The Supreme Court has admitted the
appeals of 4 convicts in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case, but rejected their
bail applications.A Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Navin Sinha passed the
order after hearing the appeals and bail applications of Samiullah, Niranjan
Lal, Mahesh Prasad and Jai Pal on Tuesday. The Delhi High Court on Oct.31
sentenced 16 former policemen to life imprisonment for killing 42 people of a
minority community in the Hashimpura area in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.The 4
convicts have already surrendered. In Oct., the High Court reversed the trial
court’s verdict of acquittal and found the 16 former personnel of PAC guilty of
murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence under IPC.
It termed the massacre “targeted killing” of unarmed and defenceless persons by
the police.thehindu
Fadnavis Gets Top Court Notice For Not
Declaring Criminal Cases
New Delhi: Supreme Court today issued a notice
to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on a petition seeking his disqualification
as a legislator for his alleged non-disclosure of two criminal cases pending
against him.In his petition, lawyer Satish Ukey, alleged that Fadnavis had
cases of cheating and defamation pending against him which he did not disclose
in his 2014 election affidavit.Fadanavis, a legislator from Nagpur South West
constituency, is the second youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra after Sharad
Pawar.A bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and K M Joseph
sought response of the Chief Minister on an appeal filed against a Bombay High
Court order.Bombay High Court had earlier dismissed the petition seeking
annulment of Mr Fadanavis's election to the Maharashtra Assembly on the ground
of alleged "non-disclosure of all pending criminal cases against him"
in the affidavit. Appearing for the petitioner, Kapil Sibal argued said that
Fadnavis didn't "disclose details of the" pending cases and "as
per law he had to disclose cases taken cognisance by a court." ndtv
Terror incidents in J&K nearly doubled
this year,govt says it’s linked to infiltration, actions against them
Despite a muscular strategy adopted by
security forces in the border state of J&K, the number of terror incidents
have nearly doubled this year, highlighting the increased attempts by the
terrorists and their backers across the border to foil any attempt by the
Indian govt to politically stabilise the state.As per the latest official data,
587 terror incidents were reported in J&K till 2 Dec. 2018 in comparison
with just 329 terror incidents during the same period last year. In fact, the
state reported around the same number of terror incidents in 2016 as well.In
2016 and 2017, 322 and 342 terror incidents were reported from J&K when it
was ruled by the coalition of BJP and PDP under CM Mehbooba Mufti.In response
to a question in Rajya Sabha, the govt said the increase in the terror
incidents is linked to support provided to them from across the border.financialexpress
India’s negative attitude unhelpful in
improving ties, says Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua
Accusing India of perpetuating “dynamic
rivalry”, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has said New Delhi’s
negative attitude was not only unhelpful for improving bilateral ties, but was
also stopping South Asia from making progress and attaining peace. Speaking at
a conference on ‘Conflict and Cooperation in South Asia:Role of Major Powers’
hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Janjua said that
India, by refusing to attend SAARC summit in Islamabad, was holding regional
body’s summit process hostage.Referring to India’s approach on ties with
Pakistan, Janjua said India was “spinning hatred” and perpetuating “dynamic
rivalry”, according to Dawn. This,she maintained, “was not only unhelpful for
improving Pak-India ties, but was also stopping South Asia from making progress
and attaining peace”.PTI
Calling her sexual harassment plea false, JNU
wants student barred
New Delhi :She should be barred from the JNU
campus, her degree should be withdrawn and she should never be employed at the
university. These are among the recommendations of Internal Complaints
Committee (ICC) of JNU against the complainant in a case of sexual harassment
against her PhD guide.After the student filed a complaint against her guide on
April 12 this year, alleging she was “molested, sexually harassed and
threatened” by her professor, the ICC last month called her complaint
“frivolous” and recommended a series of punitive measures against her. JNU
Vice-Chancellor is yet to take a final call on ICC report.The recommendations,
dated Nov.5 and signed by ICC Presiding Officer Vibha Tandon, said, “The
complainant should be completely debarred from entering in the JNU campus. She
shall not be allowed to take up any course or employment in the JNU in future.
She should not be allowed to enter in JNU campus to attend any academic or non
academic proceedings. She should not be allowed to enter in the JNU campus for
her personal reasons what so ever.”ICC further recommended that the complainant
apologises to the university and the defendant. “JNU administration…shall not
issue any character certificate and no objection certificate to the complainant
in future…” ICC said.indianexpress
Kerala: NIA to close probe in North Paravoor
conversion case
Kochi: NIA is likely to close the
investigation into the the case of alleged forcible conversion of a
Pathanamthitta woman, as it has not been able to prove the charges, including
the involvement of any extremist organisation. Agency, after completing the
investigation, has found that the case is more related to marital dispute, and
has decided not to proceed any further.NIA has not been able to gather evidence
to file charge sheet under UAPA, said sources. “NIA team conducted the probe,
including the involvement of certain individuals in Bengaluru, where the
alleged conversion took place. The probe, based on the statements given by the
witnesses in the case, could not be proceeded further. The investigation will
be closed after obtaining sanction from the NIA headquarters,” sources said.
There are 11 accused in the case. Of this, 4 including Muhammed Riaz, who was
accused by the woman of forcible conversion, were arrested and released on
bail. NIA had checked the locations in Bengaluru, where, according to the
woman, the alleged religious classes for conversion took place. “We could not
find the involvement of any extremist organisation behind it. The complainant
had alleged that there were attempts to sell her as a sex slave to Islamic
State (IS). But we could not get any evidence in this regard. The case is more
related to marital dispute,” sources said.The complainant alleged that the
accused Muhammed Riyas had lured her, threatened her to become disciple of
Zakir Naik, forcibly converted her to Islam, married her through deceit by forging
documents, created fake passport, illegally confined and threatened her in
Kerala before taking her to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2017 August, for joining
IS.
India to develop 4 km stretch of Kartarpur
Sahib Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak
India will develop 4 km stretch of Kartarpur
Sahib Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to
International Border with Pakistan, Parliament was informed today. The
much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur – the
final resting place of first Sikh guru Guru Nanak Dev – with Dera Baba Nanak
shrine in India.“Government of India has decided to develop the corridor from
Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district up to International Border (with
Pakistan),” Minister of State for Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya said in a
written reply to Lok Sabha.He was replying to a question whether National
Highways Authority of India has developed or plans to develop any project on
the corridor. indianexpress
WORLD
West Bank shootings kill 3 Palestinians, 2
Israelis
At least two Israelis have been killed and two
injured in a shooting in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli forces killed
three Palestinians in separate operations overnight on Wednesday.Israel's army
said on Twitter that "a Palestinian opened fire at a bus stop killing 2
Israelis, severely injuring 1 & injuring others".Eli Bin, the head of
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services, confirmed to Israeli Army Radio
that two people were killed in the shooting. Their identities were not
immediately known.The shooting took place near the illegal settlement of Ofra,
in the central West Bank. Israeli media reported that a passing car opened fire
outside the settlement.On Wednesday night, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians
in separate operations over the span of 6 hours. They were suspects in alleged
attacks on Israelis.Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man after he injured
two Israeli police officers in an alleged stabbing attack before dawn in the
Old City of East Jerusalem. One of the officers was moderately injured, the
other lightly.Israeli police say security forces also shot dead a Palestinian
accused of killing two settlers in the occupied West Bank, following a
two-month manhunt.Israeli forces killed Ashraf Naalweh, 23, during the arrest
raid early on Thursday in Askar refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of
Nablus, according to Palestinian security sources.aljazeera
US Senate rebukes Saudi over Yemen war,
Khashoggi murder
Washington:As the US Senate moved to vote on
Thursday on a resolution condemning Saudi Arabia for its conduct of the war in
Yemen and the assassination of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a
bipartisan group of senators vowed to impose concrete sanctions on the kingdom
in legislation next year.Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican,
and Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said on Wednesday that the
group plans to advance legislation imposing financial penalties and prohibiting
arms sales when the new Congress begins in January.In some of their strongest
comments to date, senators signalled they would like to see Saudi Arabia remove
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from power."To our friends in Saudi
Arabia, you are never going to have a relationship with the United States
Senate unless things change. And it's up to you to figure out what that change
needs to be," Graham, a congressional ally of President Donald Trump, told
reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference."From my point of view, the
current construct is not working. There is a relationship between countries and
individuals. The individual, the crown prince, is so toxic, so tainted, so
flawed that I can't ever see myself doing business in the future with Saudi
Arabia unless there is a change there," Graham said.aljazeera
Saudi seeks new political bloc in strategic
Red Sea region
Saudi Arabia is seeking an alliance with six
countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a strategic area vital to
global shipping and increasingly an arena of contention with regional rivals
like Iran, Turkey and Qatar. Representatives from Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia,
Sudan, Yemen and Jordan gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the
initiative without reaching a final agreement. A team of experts is expected to
meet "soon" in Cairo for technical talks.Eritrea, with Red Sea
islands and a mainland coastline of 1,150 km (715 miles), was not present. Nor
was Ethiopia, which has no access to the sea but the largest population in the
Horn of Africa."This is part of the kingdom's efforts to protect its
interests and those of its neighbours and ... to stabilise the region that we
live in and to try to create synergies between the various countries..."
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters after a day of closed-door
meetings."The more cooperation and coordination that you have among the
countries of this region, the less negative outside influence will be on this
region," he said.aljazeera
Rohingya facing 'lost generation' of children
out of school
Rohingya are facing a "lost
generation" as children both in Myanmar and in the refugee camps of
Bangladesh struggle to get an education, a new report has warned. Rohingya
youth who remain in Myanmar's Rakhine State have faced serious restrictions on
access to schooling since the outbreak of violence there in 2012, with children
often kept in separate facilities and unable to attend mainstream schools, the
Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said. Older students are unable to
attend university.In Bangladesh, where more than 700,000 Rohingya now live in
sprawling refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army crackdown last
year, authorities have banned formal education and even the construction of any
structure that might seem like a permanent school building.aljazeera
Egypt restricts sale of yellow vests amid fear
of protests
An Egyptian prosecutor ordered the arrest of a
lawyer after the publication of a picture of him wearing a yellow vest similar
to those worn by protesters in France, a local rights activist said. The arrest
came in the northern city of Alexandria as traders said Egyptian authorities
were blocking the sale of the vests to ward off any copycat protests ahead of
the anniversary of Egypt's 2011 revolution on Jan.25.The yellow safety vests
have become the trademark of French demonstrators whose violent weekend protests
since mid-November have forced President Emmanuel Macron to cancel planned fuel
tax increases and increase the minimum wage. Rights lawyer Mohamed Ramadan was
ordered to be held for 15 days, according to Mahienour El Masry, an activist in
Alexandria.Authorities considered the photo an incitement to hold similar
protests, she said, adding that Ramadan was also accused of "spreading
false news" and "spreading the ideology of a terrorist group".2
security sources told Reuters that eight yellow vests had been found in Ramadan's
possession,but the Alexandria prosecutor's office did not immediately respond
to requests for comment.In central Cairo, traders said they had been stopped
from selling the vests to walk-in customers."They madeus sign statements
that we won't sell yellow vests,"said one trader who did not want to give
his name."Anyone who sells a single vest will put himself in big
trouble." aljazeera
Muslim scholar Yousef al-Qaradawi removed from
Interpol's wanted list
Doha:Interpol has removed Yousef al-Qaradawi,
head of the Doha-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, from its
“wanted” list.A source from al-Qaradawi's office confirmed receiving an
official notification from the Interpol of lifting the scholar's name from the
list, describing the motion as a "positive step".Interpol removed
"red notice" for al-Qaradawi on Nov. 30 and dropped arrest warrants
issued by the Iraqi and Egyptian authorities.The Egyptian authorities had
accused al-Qaradawi of having perpetrated a range of crimes -- including murder
and theft -- after Egypt’s 2013 military coup, prompting Interpol to issue a
warrant for his arrest.Al-Qaradawi is known for being a vocal critic of
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who -- as defense minister -- led the
2013 coup, which ousted Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi. Since
the coup, during which hundreds were killed, Interpol has issued arrest
warrants for several leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood -- of which Morsi was a
leading member -- at Cairo’s request.Anadolu Agency
May survives confidence vote over Brexit deal
London:British PM Theresa May has survived a
confidence vote by her own MPs but lost the support of one third of her
colleagues, signalling the battle she still faces to get her Brexit deal
through parliament. May won the backing of 200 Conservative lawmakers, but 117
voted to oust her -- and only after she conceded she would step down before the
2022 election."I'm pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues
in tonight's ballot," she said outside her Downing Street office after the
result was announced. "A significant number of colleagues did cast votes
against me and I've listened to what they've said."She said she wanted to
"get on with the job of delivering Brexit", and to see
"politicians on all sides coming together".The result, announced
after a secret ballot, was met with huge cheers from May's supporters gathered
in parliament, while the pound rose on the news.But leading Brexit rebel Jacob
Rees-Mogg, one of at least 48 Tory MPs who triggered the vote by writing a
letter of no confidence in May, said it was a "terrible
result"."She ought to go and see the queen and resign urgently,"
he told the BBC.Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage tweeted that May "limps on
to her next failure, the deal won't pass and the real crisis is close".AFP
Pak rejects US charge over religious freedom
Islamabad: Pakistan has rejected the United
States' pronouncement about religious freedom in Pakistan as ‘politically
motivated.’ In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal
categorically stated Pakistan does ‘not need counsel by any individual country
how to protect the rights of its minorities.’He said besides the clear biases
reflected from these designations, there are serious questions on the
credentials and impartiality of the self-proclaimed jury involved in this
unwarranted exercise.The spokesperson said Pakistan was a multi-religious and
pluralistic society where people of diverse faiths and denominations live
together. Around 4 percent of our total population comprises citizens belonging
to Christian, Hindu, Buddhists and Sikh faiths.He said ensuring equal treatment
of minorities and their enjoyment of human rights without any discrimination is
the cardinal principle of the constitution of Pakistan.ASIAN AGE
FLASH: VIEWS &
NEWS
When mobs turn against the cops:Jyoti Punwani
Tunisia is under threat from a Gulf-backed
coup. Will the world let it happen?David Hearst
Assembly Polls: 19 Muslims Win, 8 Each in
Rajasthan, Telangana
Had Congress allied with BSP, it would’ve won
40 more seats across heartland states:Moushumi Das Gupta
Next, A Presidential Contest Between Modi and
Rahul: Amulya Ganguli
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 5:23 PM)
Posts
NASA seeks US partners to develop reusable systems for Moon mission
ReplyDeletewhatsapp status in hindi Wishes