NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
24 Dec. 2018:16 Rabiul-II 1440:
Vol: 11, No:83
INDIA
Centre's move to authorise 10 agencies to
intercept, monitor challenged in SC;court refuses early hearing
New Delhi: The Supreme Court registrar has
refused to give an early hearing to a petition against the home ministry order
that gives sweeping powers to investigating agencies to intercept and monitor data on computers. Advocate
Manohar Lal Sharma filed the petition challenging the government's notification
authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer
system and sought to cancel the Dec.20 notification.The top court registrar
said "there is no urgency in the case".Ten central agencies have been
equipped with powers of "interception, monitoring and decryption of any
information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer".Home
Secretary Rajiv Gauba signed the order last Thursday.The agencies authorised in
the govt order are IB, Narcotics Control Bureau, ED, Central Board of Direct
Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, CBI, NIA, Cabinet Secretariat
(R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in J&K, North-East and
Assam only) and Delhi Police Commissioner. In his petition, Sharma termed the
notification as "illegal, unconstitutional and ultra vires to the
law". He also sought to prohibit the agencies from initiating any criminal
proceedings, enquiry or investigation against anybody under the provisions of
IT Act based on the notification.The petition claimed that the notification was
issued "to find political opponent, thinker and speaker to control entire
country under dictatorship to win coming general election under an undisclosed
emergency as well as slavery which cannot be permitted within the Constitution
of India".It alleged that the home ministry's "blanket surveillance
order must be tested against fundamental right to privacy".
SC refuses early hearing on PIL challenging
govt move to authorise 10 agencies to intercept, monitor
After snooping order : Now Govt moves to
access and trace all ‘unlawful’ content online
New Delhi |:In what raises questions over
freedom of speech online, the government is proposing draft amendments to rules
governing content, Indian Express has learnt.The proposed amendments to rules
under Section 79 of IT Act make it mandatory for online platforms to
“proactively” deploy technology, which would enable a ferreting of content seen
as “unlawful”. They also require end-to-end encryption to be broken so that the
origin of messages can be traced.In the draft of IT [Intermediaries Guidelines
(Amendment) Rules] 2018, Rule 3(9) requires “intermediaries”, or online
platforms, to “deploy technology based automated tools or appropriate
mechanisms, with appropriate controls, for proactively identifying or removing
or disabling access to unlawful information or content”.The insertion of a new
Rule 3(4) activates a pro-active monthly notification across intermediaries to
warn users repeatedly. Rule 3(5), which will introduce a “traceability
requirement”, will in effect require a platform to break end-to-end encryption
and introduce systems for retaining data and information specific to each bit
of data, including WhatsApp messages. 5-page draft rules were discussed Friday
by an official of Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) with others from Cyber
Law Division, and representatives of Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Amazon, Yahoo,
Twitter, ShareChat, SEBI and Internet Service Providers Association of
India.Indian Express has learnt that the “confidential” meeting lasted just
over an hour. There has been no public discussion yet on the key changes
discussed, and online platforms have been given time till Jan.7 to respond to
the draft proposals. These changes, if notified, will push back the regulation
and legal architecture a full circle, from where it had been nudged after the
Supreme Court ruled in the Shreya Singhal case in 2015. The landmark ruling on March
24, 2015, struck down Section 66A of IT Act, which allowed the arrest of those
allegedly posting offensive content online.The proposed changes would mean that
social media platforms with more than “50 lakh users” would be liable to help
the government “within 72 hours” of a query.They would be expected to appoint a
‘Nodal person of Contact.for 24X7 coordination with law enforcement agencies
and officers to ensure compliance”. The draft amendments envisage that online
platforms will keep a record of “unlawful activity” for a period of “180 days”,
double the 90 days in the older version. Sources said the government is keen to
be seen to be acting before the general elections on the proliferation of
social media and its connection to mob violence seen in the recent
past.indianexpress
Centre wants feedback on breaking encryption
to trace "unlawful" content
Alwar lynching victim Rakbar’s wife and
daughter injured, his niece dead in Nuh accident
Jaipur ;An accident between an SUV and a truck
in Haryana’s Nuh left Alwar lynching victim Rakbar Khan’s wife and daughter
injured and his niece dead along with the driver of the vehicle they were
travelling in on Sunday. Sahila (10) and Asmina were admitted to the Medical
College in Nuh but were referred to New Delhi as the nature of their injuries
was serious. Sanjeeda (19) died in the accident along with driver Salim (25). “Rakbar’s
children, four of who study in Aligarh, had come home for the holidays and were
returning to Aligarh on Sunday when the accident took place,” the family’s
lawyer Ishraque Ahmed said. The children study in a madarsa run by Hamid
Ansari’s wife Salma Ansari. Nagina police station SHO Sanjay Kumar said, “The
accident took place due to the fog. The truck was trying to overtake a vehicle
when they collided. There were six persons in the Scorpio, two of whom died and
others sustained injuries. We have seized the truck while the driver is
absconding. We have lodged an FIR under IPC sections 304 A and
279.”indianexpress
Muzaffarnagar Riots Accused Found Dead Under
Mysterious Circumstances, Son Alleges Murder
An accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots was
found dead under mysterious circumstances at Sikheda village here, police said
on Monday.Sodan Singh's body was found Sunday evening hanging from the ceiling
of a room, which housed a tube well, they said. The body was sent for
postmortem and the matter is being investigated, police said.Singh's son has lodged
a complaint at the local police station and alleged that his 60-year-old father
was murdered, they said. Based on the complaint, a case was registered against
Anup, Rajesh, Sunil Kumar and Ramgopal, police said.The communal clashes in
Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in 2013 had claimed more than 60 lives while
over 40,000 people were displaced. Singh was also named as an accused in a
sexual harassment case.PTI
Bulandshahr: How will I live with this
allegation, asks Muslim man wrongly held for cow slaughter
Bulandshahr: On the afternoon of 3 Dec, as a
crowd was gathering near Chingrawathi police chowki in Bulandshahr with “cattle
remains”, 38-year-old trader Sarfuddin sensed trouble.For the last 3 days, Sarfuddin
had been on duty at an ijtema, or a gathering of Muslims, at least 30 km from
Mahav village where the remains had been found.“I came to know later that day
that I had been accused of cow slaughter. I had been busy organising the iztema
for almost the entire week and I was nowhere close to the area where the cattle
remains had been found. Since I knew I was innocent, I felt that the matter
would be resolved,” says Sarfuddin. The issue, however, was far from over.
According to the police, shortly after the cattle remains were found in Mahav
village fields, a large group of people gathered near Chingrawathi police
chowki, carrying the cow parts on a tractor, blocking the road. Protests were
allegedly by local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj, who was also the complainant
in the cow slaughter case in which Sarfuddin and 6 other were named as
accused.theprint
Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima case: Violence a
deep-rooted conspiracy, says HC
Mumbai: Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima
violence, in which several rights activists are being investigated by the Pune
Police, was a "deep-rooted" conspiracy which had "extremely
serious repercussions", the Bombay high court has said.The observation was
made by a division bench of Justices BP Dharmadhikari and SV Kotwal while
dismissing a petition filed by Anand Teltumbde, one of the activists accused in
the case, seeking to quash an FIR against him.Teltumbde had claimed that he was
being falsely implicated in the case.In his plea, the activist denied all the
charges against him even as the police opposed the same and claimed that they
have ample evidence implicating him.The bench had dismissed the activist's plea
on Dec.21, the order for which became available Monday.The bench observed that
there was incriminating material against Teltumbde. "The offence is
serious. The conspiracy is deep-rooted and has extremely serious repercussions.
Considering the nature and magnitude of the conspiracy, the investigating agency
is required to be given sufficient opportunity to unearth the evidence against
the accused," the bench said.Expressing its satisfaction with the probe
agency, the bench said that Pune Police had sufficient material against
Teltumbde and that allegations against him were not "baseless".The HC
further noted that initially the probe by the police was limited to the
violence that had erupted on Jan.1 this year, a day after Elgar Parishad event
was held at historic Shaniwarwada in Pune."However, now the scope of the probe
is not restricted to the Koregaon-Bhima incident, but the activities leading to
the incident and subsequent activities as well are the subject matter of the
investigation," bench said.Therefore, Teltumbde's connection with the banned
outfit,CPI(M), will have to be probed into, it said.In the present case, the
allegations and material against the petitioner (Teltumbde) travel beyond mere
allegations of him being a member of the banned organisation. While opposing
Teltumbde's plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Aruna Kamat-Pai had submitted to
the HC 5 letters allegedly written by the accused to each other in which
Teltumbde's name was mentioned as an active participant.Teltumbde's counsel
Mihir Desai claimed that the letters cannot be relied upon to prove his
complicity, as they name a person 'Anand' or 'Com. Anand' and hence it cannot
be conclusively said that the person referred to in the letters is in fact the
petitioner.However, the bench said it was satisfied that the police has the
material to establish the identity of Teltumbde as 'Anand' or 'Com. Anand', as
referred to in the documents and letters submitted, which also form part of the
chargesheet.Pune Police had last month filed a chargesheet in a local court
against 10 activists and absconding Maoist leaders in the case.TOI
Government lawyers to press hard for
resolution of Ram Mandir dispute in SC
Ayodhya:Govt’s top lawyers representing Uttar
Pradesh government in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit before the
Supreme Court are likely to push for a resolution, arguing that the dispute has
been pending in SC since 2010 while the matter has been languishing since
Independence. The case will come for hearing before the apex court in Jan.The
government is under strong pressure from RSS and VHP who have relentlessly
pushed the Centre to bring an ordinance or law for the construction of Ram
Mandir at the disputed site. The hearing in the case will be the last chance
for BJP government to push for the construction of Ram temple ahead of 2019 Lok
Sabha polls. The lawyers are expected to push for regular hearings in the case
on the premise that not resolving the matter would be bad for communal
harmony. Times Now
"Will Only Vote For Ram Temple":
Rajnath Interrupted During Speech
Lucknow: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday
found himself in an uncomfortable situation after slogans demanding the
construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya were raised in the middle of his speech
in Lucknow. Singh, who is a Lok Sabha lawmaker from Lucknow, was speaking at
the Yuva Kumbh event in the Uttar Pradesh capital when members attending the
function interrupted his speech for around four minutes."Jo Mandir
Banwayega, vote ussi ko jayega (We will vote for the party, which constructs Ram
Temple)," the audience chanted disrupting Singh's speech. Meanwhile, the
organisers requested the audience to maintain calm and listen to Singh.Singh
then told the audience that he would only speak if they maintained silence.ANI
Resolve it either through court judgement or
mutual understanding: Nitish Kumar on Ram temple issue
BJP ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
said the Ram temple issue should be resolved either through a court judgement
or mutual understanding, an indication of his party’s opposition to the demand
by Hindutva groups for a law to build the temple in Ayodhya. To a question on
the issue, the JD(U) president told reporters: “We have maintained for a long
time that this issue should be resolved either through a court judgement or
mutual understanding”. Kumar said every party has its own views but his party’s
stand has been the same over the matter for long. He also took a dig at
opposition parties, who have been
targeting his government over alleged deterioration of law and order, among
other matters, saying their propaganda will have no impact in Bihar.“We are
committed to development with justice… I don’t have the habit of speaking
unnecessarily. Some people have the habit of only talking while I do my work,”
he said. Hindutva groups, including
BJP’s ideological parent RSS, have been pressing the central government to
bring a legislation to pave the way for construction of the temple at the site
where Lord Ram is believed to have been born.PTI
Suicides in Navodaya schools: 49 in 5 years,
half of them Dalit and tribal students
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas(JNVs), central govt’s
pace-setting residential schools for talented rural children, have had close to
50 suicides on campus in just 5 years, an investigation by Indian Express has
revealed. Of the 49 suicides witnessed from 2013 to 2017, half were by Dalit
and tribal students, and a majority of them were boys, records obtained by the
paper under RTI Act show. And all, except seven, were suicides by hanging, and
the bodies were discovered either by classmates or members of the school staff.
Known for producing the best results in board examinations, JNVs, which were
started in 1985-86, have become a passport out of poverty for thousands of
underprivileged children. Since 2012, these schools have consistently recorded
a pass percentage of over 99 per cent in Class 10 and over 95 per cent in Class
12, which is far better than private schools and CBSE’s national average.“Navodaya
Vidyalaya system, which began as a unique experiment, is today unparalleled in
the annals of school education in India and elsewhere,” states the official
website of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), an autonomous organisation under HRD
Ministry tasked with managing all 635 JNVs. indianexpress
Talaq bill is interference in Shariah: Mufti
Mukarram
New Delhi: Shahi Imam of Masjid Fatehpuri,
Delhi Maulana Mufti Mukarram Ahmed said that triple talaq bill is interference
in Shariah. He told this during his Friday sermon yesterday. He added though
the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, tabling the bill in the
parliament by a particular section on the pretext of providing justice to women
is against the intention of the constitution. He said protection of women is a
national issue hence the government should be concerned about all the women and
should not intervene into the religious freedom of a particular community. Mufti
Mukarram strongly condemned the provocation and venom spewing of VHP workers on
Parade Ground in Jammu recently. He said one of the leaders even said ‘every
Hindu should produce 5 children and each child should be given weapon in his
hand’. He further said baseless allegations were made against Kashmiris and
Muslims in the Dharma Sabha which is condemnable and action must be taken
against it.siasat
India to limit pilgrim flow to Kartarpur
New Delhi :India will invite Pakistan to
discuss the blueprint of the Kartarpur corridor finalised by it.Under the plans
drawn up for pilgrims visiting Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, India is
likely to cap the number of visitors per day and fix the number of hours a
pilgrim can spend at the shrine, which is four kilometres from the Gurdaspur
border.A senior official told The Hindu that the safety of the pilgrims is of
utmost importance and India would insist on a sovereign assurance from
Pakistan. The official said while the security would be robust on the Indian
side, conditions on the Pakistan side were a cause for concern.thehindu
SP, BSP ready to forge alliance in Uttar
Pradesh
Lucknow:While an official announcement is yet
to be made, the formula for an alliance of the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan
Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal seems to be ready in Uttar Pradesh, with
the parties showing little interest in accommodating the Congress, sources say.
SP and BSP leaders said the leadership was less inclined to include the
Congress, and at best would leave just the Rae Bareli and Amethi seats for the
grand old party. However, they said the seat-sharing arithmetic was “still
fluid”, and the final call would be taken by Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav.
“Alliance is confirmed. But the final decision will be taken by the national
president,” said a senior SP leader on Sunday on condition of anonymity.The
leader said while the exact formula for the 80 seats would be revealed “any
time”, the two top leaders of the parties had reached an understanding over the
arrangement. The SP would also accommodate its ally, the Nishad Party, while
the RLD is expected to get a few seats.thehindu
Trinamool Plays Down KCR Visit, Points To
Mamata's "Experience"
Kolkata: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao will
meet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee this evening to take forward their
discussion on the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP Federal Front.The two
had met earlier in March, when the Telangana CM came to Kolkata. KCR, as Mr Rao
is known among his supporters, came to Kolkata this morning after meeting Odisha
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.KCR had met Mamata Banerjee in March earlier this
year. Rao, who has stepped up his campaign for a Federal Front following his
landslide victory in Assembly elections, came to Kolkata this morning.He had
spent the last night in Bhubaneshwar after an evening's discussions with Naveen
Patnaik.The Odisha Chief Minister, though, is yet to commit to his
participation in a Federal Front.K Chandrashekar Rao met Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik on SundayA similar line was taken by the Trinamool Congress of
Ms Banerjee, who, sources say, is interested in forming a pan-India alliance of
regional parties to have more leverage in bargaining with the
Congress."Mamata is a 7-time MP, two-term Chief Minister, three-time cabinet
minister. With 40 years of accomplishments, courage, all this is but natural...
Everyone wants to listen to her, share their thoughts with her," said
senior Trinamool lawmaker Derek O'Brien. "Looking at 2019, don't be
surprised," he added.ndtv
"Nobody Listens," Says Bihar JDU MLA,
Submits Resignation
Patna: Bihar's ruling JD-U MLA Shyam Bahadur
Singh, who represents Barharia constituency,on Monday resigned from the party's
primary membership in capital Patna, saying his voice was not being heard by
those in power while the district administration has also turned a deaf
ear."I have resigned from JD-U as neither district administration officers
in Siwan nor the top brass of the government in Patna listen to my genuine
complaints. What pains me is that police has been acting against all those
people opposing auction of the govt land to land mafia," Singh said.IANS
Another PDP leader quits party in J&K
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/another-pdp-leader-quits-party-in-jammu-and-kashmir-5507743/
Banihal :PDP Monday suffered another setback
when its senior leader and ex bureaucrat Bashir Ahmad Runyal announced his
decision to quit the party. Runyal, a former IAS officer who was Ramban
district president and state secretary of PDP, had joined the party prior to 2014
assembly polls after his retirement and had unsuccessfully contested the
elections from Banihal constituency.“I have tendered my resignation from the
basic membership of the party and I am fighting the upcoming assembly elections
as an independent candidate,”he said .Runyal was accompanied by BJP leader
Showkat Javaid Daing who also announced his resignation from the basic
membership of the saffron party.“We have decided to join hands in the larger
interest of the development of our area which was ignored by the previous PDP-BJP
government,” he said. Daing had also unsuccessfully contested last assembly
elections on BJP ticket from Banihal constituency which was won by Congress
candidate Vikar Rasool Wani.PTI
GST Roadmap To Be To Work Towards A Single
Rate Between 12%, 18%: Arun Jaitley
The government is working towards a single national sales tax rate
which could be a mid-point between 12 and 18 per cent, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley said on Monday, in an effort to simplify the tax structure.The
government set the range for the Goods and Service Tax (GST) from 28 per cent
to 5 per cent on most items when the signature reform was introduced last
year."Multiple slabs were fixed transiently in order to ensure the tax of
no commodity goes up radically. This contained the inflation impact," Mr
Jaitley wrote in his blog.Reuters
23 take oath of office as Ministers in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on
Monday expanded his Council of Ministers. 23 MLAs, including one from Congress
ally Rashtriya Lok Dal, were sworn in as Ministers at the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur.
Of the 23, 13 are Cabinet ministers and 10 Ministers of State. Cabinet
Ministers are BD Kalla, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Parsadi Lal Meena, Master
Bhanwar Lal Meghwal, Lal Chand Kataria, Raghu Sharma, Pramod Jain Bhaya,
Vishvendra Singh, Harish Choudhary, Ramesh Chand Meena, Udai Lal Anjna, Pratap
Singh Khachariawas and Saleh Mohammad.The Ministers of State are Govind Singh
Dotasara, Mamta Bhupesh, Arjun Singh Bamnia, Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Sukhram
Vishnoi, Ashok Chandna, Tika Ram Jully, Bhajan Lal Jatav, Rajendra Singh Yadav
and RLD’s Subhash Garg.thehindu
It’s not the Hindu who’s in danger in this
country, it’s the Constitution: Kanhaiya Kumar
Nagpur :Terming the current strife in the
country as Modi versus “We, the people of India”, youth leader Kanhaiyya Kumar
stated on Sunday that the Constitution of the country is in danger not the
Hindu religion.Kumar was speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Jagar’ (Constitution
awareness) rally organised by a front called Bahujan Vichar Manch, a social
organisation comprising followers of various Opposition political parties.
Attended by leaders from Congress, NCP and CPI, the rally attracted sizeable
crowd at the Mankapur indoor stadium.Former Congress Minister and chairman of
the Scheduled Caste front of the party Nitin Raut and Jitendra Awhad of the NCP
also attended the rally.indianexpress
Union Minister Giriraj Singh Shares Fake BBC
Website’s Article Calling Congress Corrupt
An old article by fake news website BBC News
Hub calling the Congress party second most corrupt party in the world has made
a comeback on social media. The article was shared by Union Minister of State
for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shandilya Giriraj Singh on Twitter who
called the party, “You are shame for India”.You can access the archived version
of the tweet here. The fake news website BBC News Hub published the article
titled, “Top 10 List Of Most Corrupt Political Party in the World 2018” on 5th
July, 2018. The article had put Indian National Congress in the 2nd place with
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz PML(N) in the 1st place. The article has other
parties from around the world like the Nazi party, Nationalist Fascist Party
and others on its list. Interestingly, a Facebook page ‘I support Rahul Gandhi’
had also shared another fake post attributed to BBC News Hub that claimed
Narendra Modi to be ‘7th most corrupt PM in the world in 2018.’ BOOM had
debunked the fake post. Click here to read the story in detail. boomlive
‘Muslim girls ahead in education and hygiene’
Hyderabad: Muslim girls are outshining those
from other communities in education and personal hygiene, said Prof Amir Ullah
Khan, a development economist and key member of Sudhir Commission.Speaking at
‘financial assistance to orphans’ event, organised by Hyderabad Zakat and
Charitable Trust, Khan said: “It is a misconception that Muslims are backward
in education in India. They too are competent in education. Out of 80% girls
who acquire education across India, nearly 90% of them are Muslims. These 90%
get at least primary education, which is most important for living. Also, they
are in better health as they wash hands five times a day while performing
ablution.” Khan added that Muslim society holds educated women in high regard,
but most girls do not acquire higher education. TOI
Adviser: Most Muslim girls leave schooling
midway
WORLD
Erdogan will 'eradicate' ISIL in Syria: Trump
US President Donald Trump has said his Turkish
counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan, informed him he will "eradicate whatever is
left of Isis in Syria".In a tweet late on Sunday, Trump said that Erdogan
"is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right 'next door'."Taking to
social media earlier in the day, Trump said he had spoken on the phone with
Erdogan about "a slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal of US troops
from Syria."We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, and the
slow and highly coordinated pullout of US troops from the area," Trump
said in a tweet on Sunday, referring to ISIL group. "After many years they
are coming home."Trump said he and Erdogan also discussed "heavily
expanded" trade between US and Turkey after the 2 NATO allies'
relationship went into a tailspin over the summer as a result of a number of
issues.Erdogan said in a separate tweet: "I had a productive call with (Trump)
today, in which we agreed to strengthen our coordination on a range of issues,
including our trade relations and the developments in Syria."Later on
Sunday, a US military spokesperson told AFP that the order to pull US troops
out of Syria had been signed, without providing further details.Trump's
surprise decision on Wednesday contributed to the abrupt resignation of
Pentagon chief James Mattis on Thursday. Mattis cited significant policy
differences with the president as a reason for quitting. On Sunday, Trump
announced Mattis would be leaving his post on January 1, two months earlier
than expected. aljazeera
Trump, Erdogan discuss 'slow' US military
pull-out from Syria
US President Donald Trump says he has spoken
on the phone with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about "a
slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal of US troops from Syria."We
discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, and the slow and highly
coordinated pullout of US troops from the area," Trump said in a tweet on
Sunday, referring to the ISIL group. "After many years they are coming
home."Trump said he and Erdogan also discussed "heavily
expanded" trade between the US and Turkey after 2 NATO allies'
relationship went into a tailspin over the summer as a result of a number of
issues.Erdogan said in a separate tweet: "I had a productive call with
(Donald Trump) today, in which we agreed to strengthen our coordination on a
range of issues, including our trade relations and the developments in
Syria."Aljazeera
Order For US Military Withdrawal From Syria
Signed: Pentagon
Washington:The order has been signed for the
withdrawal of American troops from Syria, where they have been deployed to
assist in the war against ISIS, a US military spokesperson said on
Sunday."The execute order for Syria has been signed," the
spokesperson told AFP, without providing further details.US President Donald
Trump has declared the terrorist group "largely defeated," and made
the surprise decision to bring US forces home -- a move that many US
politicians and international allies fear is premature and would further destabilize
the already devastated region.The decision -- which was followed by another to
make a significant cut to the number of American troops in Afghanistan -- has
prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and US envoy to the
international anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk.AFP
Turkey Working With Other Nations To Take
Khashoggi Probe To UN: Minister
Istanbul: Turkey is working with other
countries to carry the investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal
Khashoggi to the United Nations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on
Monday.Cavusoglu made the comments during a news conference in Tunis alongside
his Tunisian counterpart. He also called on Saudi Arabia to share its findings
on the case with the international community.Reuters
Nawaz Sharif gets 7 years jail term in
Al-Azizia, acquitted in Flagship case
Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s ousted prime
minister, Monday was sentenced to seven years in jail in Al-Azizia Steel Mills
corruption case, while he was acquitted in the Flagship Investments case. The
accountability court had indicted Sharif for holding assets beyond his known
sources of income in August 2017.3 cases – Avenfield properties case, Flagship
Investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case – were launched by the National
Accountability Bureau on September 8, 2017 following a judgment by the apex
court that disqualified Sharif. While Sharif was sentenced to 11 years jail
earlier this year in connection with the Avenfield properties case, Judge
Muhammad Arshad Malik had reserved the verdict on Dec.19 in the other two
cases.Sharif, who is out on bail, arrived in Islamabad from Lahore on Sunday.
The three-time former prime minister who appeared before the court for at least
78 times has denied any wrongdoing. “I do not have any sort of fear; my
conscience is clear. I have done nothing that would force me to bow my head.
(I) have always served the country and this nation with absolute honesty,” he
said outside the court. The security was beefed up around the judiial complex
of the accountability court. Scores of PML-N workers gathered outside the court
premises to show their support for the party’s supreme leader. Sharif’s daughter
Maryam and son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar were also convicted in
the Avenfield properties case. His two sons – Hassan and Hussain – were also
co-accused in all three cases but they were declared absconders for failing to
appear before the court even for a single time. The court decided to hear their
cases separately once they returned back.indianexpress
Indonesia on alert as death toll from
devastating tsunami rises
Rescue workers are stepping up efforts to
reach many areas devastated by a deadly tsunami that hit an Indonesian strait
almost without warning in the darkness, smashing into houses, hotels and other
buildings.As doctors worked to help survivors and hundreds of people searched
on debris-strewn beaches along the Sunda Strait for more victims, Indonesian
officials said on Monday morning that the death toll had risen to at least 281,
with 1,016 injured.Dozens are missing from the disaster areas along the
coastlines of western Java and southern Sumatra islands. The numbers could
increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas.The waves that swept
terrified people into the sea on Saturday night followed an eruption and
possible landslide on Anak Krakatoa, a volcanic island that emerged from the
sea in the 1920s.aljazeera
Former General Observer of Sudan Muslim
Brotherhood dies aged 78
General Observer of the Muslim Brotherhood in
Sudan Shaikh Ali Mohamed Jawish died yesterday morning at the age of 78.Jawish
was born in the Al-Joul village in the Nile River State.He received his
elementary education in the villages of Al-Bawqa and Berber and then went to
secondary school in Port Sudan. Later, he joined the Faculty of Economics at
Khartoum University from which he graduated in 1965.From 2005 until 2010, he
held a seat in the Sudanese parliament for the Muslim Brotherhood. Later he ran
a commercial office in Khartoum until his election as the group’s General
Supervisor replacing Yusuf Nur Al-Daem.Last Thursday, local media reported a
statement by Jawish stating he supported the current protests in the
country.“On the political side, an honorable group of our country’s sons have
met in the so-called national dialogue,” Jawish said in the statement, adding
that the participants presented a summary of their ideas to take the country
out of its current economic woes.middleeastmonitor
Egyptian court re-sentences Muslim Brotherhood
figure to 10 years in jail
Cairo:Egypt's Cassation court sentenced on
Sunday the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie to 10 years in
jail over anti-government violent acts.The court also sentenced 37 others to
three-year imprisonment in the case publicly known as Beni Suef incidents when
Muslim Brotherhood supporters attacked and set fire to a police station, real
estate notice office and a school in Upper Egypt's province of Beni Suef on Aug
14, 2013, official MENA reported.The Beni Suef Criminal Court previously
sentenced Badei and three others to life imprisonment and another 35 to 15
years in jail in the same case.Muslim Brotherhood-oriented President Mohamed
Morsi was ousted by the army in July 2013.Many Brotherhood members and
loyalists, including Morsi himself, are currently jailed, and have received
appealable death sentences and life imprisonments over charges varying from
inciting violence and murder to espionage. Xinhua/UNI
Bangladesh EC: No grounds to cancel 25 Bangla
Jamaat-affiliated candidatures
Election Commission of Bangladesh said that there is no legal bar
for cancelling the candidature of 25 Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including
3 independent and 22 BNP-backed, to contest in the general polls on Dec.30.The
commission finalized its decision after a meeting headed by the Chief Election
Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the Election Commission building in Agargaon on
Sunday. Regarding the meeting’s decision, Election Commission Secretary Helal
Uddin Ahmed said that the commission did not find any legal bar on the
candidates contesting the polls as Jamaat was not a registered party with the
commission. Helal Uddin also said that the commission would send its
explanation of the matter to the High Court.On December 17, the High Court
asked the Election Commission to dispose of an appeal for cancellation of
candidatures of 25 Jamaat leaders contesting the general elections as independent
candidates, hiding their position as Jamaat leaders.The court also asked the
commission to explain the legality of why Jamaat’s participation in the
elections with BNP electoral symbol or as independent candidates would not be
declared illegal. From the meeting, the Election Commission also dismissed the
application of BNP to allow them to provide fresh candidates or reschedule the
polls at the constituencies where its candidates were disqualified by the High
Court order. Dhakatribune
Israel to hold early election in April
Israel will hold a general election in April,
a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanuyahu said on Twitter, after a
meeting between members of his governing coalition."The leaders of the
coalition decided unanimously to dissolve parliament and go to a new election
in early April," the spokesman said.A coalition crisis over a military
conscription bill affecting exemptions from compulsory service for
ultra-Orthodox Jewish men led to the decision.Netanyahu, now in his fourth term
as prime minister has been governing with a razor-thin majority of 61 seats in
the 120-member parliament. He heads the right-wing Likud party.Under Israeli
law, a national election had to be held by November 2019.aljazeera
Ex-Israel PM: Netanyahu not fit to remain PM
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak said
that Benjamin Netanyahu is not fit to continue to serve in his position as
prime minister, Quds Press reported.“Netanyahu cannot concentrate on anything
and does not remember whether his wife was in Nicaragua or Guatemala,” Barak
said. “Netanyahu is no more trusted.”He added: “Netanyahu’s role is to rule the
country, but he does not carry out his job; therefore, he is required to
conduct a comprehensive discussion about Israel’s goal: to support Mahmoud
Abbas and weaken Hamas or vice versa.”Barak, who has been an outspoken critic
for Netanyahu, added: “Netanyahu’s government failed to carry out its job and
it does not set moral criteria for its work. We see it falling.”“Israel is the
strongest power in the region and Hezbollah and Hamas do not pose existential
danger for us, but they can only bother out daily life.”middleeastmonitor
Hamas MPs meet Iran’s foreign minister
A senior delegation of Hamas MPs, headed by
Mahmoud Al-Zahar, met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
yesterday in the ministry’s head office in Tehran.In a message sent to MEMO,
the members of the delegation, who have undertaken an international tour for a
month, hailed Iran as a supporter of the Palestinian people at all
international bodies.The Palestinian delegation also praised the position of
the Iranian foreign minister for his opposition to the American “Deal of the
Century”, which condemns the Palestinian resistance.According to the message,
the Palestinian parliament stressed that the reception of the Iranian foreign
ministry to its delegation “is considered a form of support which helps it
encounter the conspiracies being plotted against it.” Meanwhile, the Iranian
foreign minister reiterated his country’s support for the Palestinian people,
as well as its solidarity with them against the crimes committed by the “Zionist
occupation”.middleeastmonitor
Next year in Bethlehem: Gaza Christmas
celebrated despite siege
Gaza Strip - For yet another year, Gaza's tiny
Orthodox Christian minority will not be able to celebrate Christmas with a
visit to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.With the ongoing Israeli siege on
the enclave, Palestinians in Gaza are prohibited from uniting with family
members in the West Bank, and are barred from visiting Bethlehem, where the
Nativity Church is located.Before Gaza fell under siege, "the days of
Christmas were livelily celebrated - with the attendance of dignitaries - in
large public squares with music, diverse shows, scout parades, a huge lit-up
tree and tens of people dressed as Santa", Samir Abu Nussira, a resident
of Gaza, told Al Jazeera."The streets were beaming with joy and
excitement, people were genuinely happy," Nussira said."Back then, we
used to celebrate at the Nativity Church, then visit our relatives in other
parts of the West Bank on Christmas Eve," Nussira continued. "This year,
however, my wife and I petitioned [the Israeli authorities] to travel with our
kids to Bethlehem for Christmas, but only my children received a permit to
travel out of Gaza, while my wife and I were rejected."Al Jazeera
Mission To Mars Is "Stupid,
Ridiculous," Says Ex-Astronaut, Blasts NASA
London: Bill Anders, one of the first men to
orbit the Moon has said that it is "stupid" to plan human missions to
Mars.Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Anders, lunar module pilot of Apollo 8, the
first human spaceflight to leave Earth's orbit, said sending crews to Mars was
"almost ridiculous". Anders' comment came as NASA prepares new human
missions to the moon. It also wants to learn the skills and develop the
technology to enable a future human landing on Mars.NASA was approached for a
response to Anders' comments, but has not responded.Anders, 85, said he is a
"big supporter" of the "remarkable" unmanned programmes,
"mainly because they're much cheaper". But he added the public
support simply was not there to fund vastly more expensive human
missions."What's the imperative? What's pushing us to go to Mars?" he
said, adding "I don't think the public is that interested".Robotic
probes have been exploring Mars. In November, the InSight lander, which would
sample the planet's interior, successfully touched down at Elysium Planitia.In
Dec.1968, Anders, along with crewmates Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, lifted off
from Cape Canaveral in Florida atop a Saturn V, before completing 10 orbits
around the Moon.The crew of Apollo 8 spent 20 hours in orbit, before returning
to Earth.IANS
Myanmar’s Buddhists block Rohingya Muslims
from blood supplies, report says
YANGON: One day earlier this month, a
businessman turned social worker was going about a familiar and urgent task: Looking
for blood donors in camps crowded with Rohingya Muslims driven from their
homes.This time, U Nu Maung needed three pints — one of O-positive, two of
B-positive. Among those in need was a woman who had suffered complications
during childbirth.The military-led purges and abuses carried out against
Myanmar’s Muslim minority Rohingya over the past year continue to yield new
hardships. The blood hunt, as described by aid groups and others, offers
another look at the extreme segregation Rohingya Muslims face in their own
country.Rohingya are effectively blocked from accessing the blood bank in the
main medical facility in the western Rakhine state, where most Rohingya live in
Buddhist-majority Myanmar, according to two internal reports by a consortium of
six major international aid groups.Washington Times
Water shortages worsen in Afghanistan as
drought persists
Afghans are facing water shortages due to the
persistent drought that has ravaged the country this year.In many places,
including the capital Kabul, local residents have to carry containers to fill
at water points several times a day.''Water used to be available 24 hours every
day, but now it is only available three to four hours. More than 500 families
gather here to get water during these few hours,'' said Sayed Ali, a local
resident.In the past year, the amount of precipitation dropped by more than 50
percent compared with that of average levels in most parts of Afghanistan.
Sixteen out of 34 provinces are suffering from drought.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Fact Check: Video showing attack on Hindus is
not from Rajasthan, but Bangladesh: Arjun Deodia , Amit Arora
Ram Guha is wrong. Gandhi went from a racist
young man to a racist middle-aged man:Ọbádélé Kambon, theprint
The Rohingya who flee to Saudi Arabia:Areeb
Ullah
Bulandshahr Violence: ‘Milking the Cow’ Won’t
Help UP Or BJP:Prabhat Shunglu
Why a Bhil farmer burned abandoned Muslim
houses in the 2002 riots:Revati Laul
Militant killings in J&K this year rose
70%; a steady network of informers allowed spike: Sameer Yasir
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:19 PM)
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