NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
17 Jan. 2019: 10 Jamadiul-I 1440:
Vol:11, No:104
INDIA
IS case:NIA fresh raids in UP, Punjab; 4 detained
Meerut:Several teams of NIA raided at least
six locations in four districts of western UP
and detained four men for interrogation in connection with the recently
uncovered ISIS-inspired module. It also conducted searches in Punjab.NIA has
arrested 12 people since Dec.26 last year in connection with its probe against
ISIS-inspired group.The fresh raids also come days after NIA arrested
24-year-old Muhammad Absar.NIA teams and local police conducted early morning
raids in Athsaini and Badarkha villages of Garhmukteshwar area in Hapur, Kaloli
village in Bulandshahr, Battkheri village of Amroha and Jasora and Ajnera
villages of Meerut. Hapur’s SP Sankalp Sharma said that NIA teams raided the 2
villages in the district after receiving a tip-off from a man called Naeem. He
said Naeem was arrested from Rardhana village of Meerut.3 people have been
taken into custody from Hapur for further probe, Sharma said. He, however, said
no arrests have been made. Another team raided Kaloli village of Bulandshahr
and took a grocery shop owner Habib in custody. Habib returned to his village
after spending many years in Saudi Arabia. Raids were also conducted on the
house of Zubair in Batt Kheri village of Amroha but he slipped out before the
officials could start the search. NIA had earlier arrested 5 persons from
Amroha. Officials also raided Jasora, whose resident Absar was arrested on Jan.12,
and Ajnera village in Meerut. Absar was working as a teacher in Jamia Hasania
Abul Hasan Madarsa in Piplera village of Hapur.TOI
NIA detains madrasa teacher for suspected IS
links
Maharashtra: BJP leader arrested with 170
weapons
Thane:A local BJP leader attached to party’s
Dombivli city unit in Thane has been arrested for allegedly possessing and
selling weapons illegally out of his clothing shop.Dhananjay Kulkarni (49),
vice-president of the Dombivli unit of the BJP, was arrested on Tuesday and 170
weapons seized from his shop, including 10 choppers, an airgun, 62 pistols, 38
button knives, an axe and other sharp weapons worth Rs 2 lakh, said Thane crime
branch. State BJP leaders, however, said he no longer holds any post in the
party. “Kulkarni owned a ground floor store at Arihant buildings in Tilak
Nagar, Dombivali. Shop, Tapasya House of Fashion, was also a shop for illegal
weapons, we had received information,” said a senior officer.Kulkarni had
allegedly bought the weapons from Crawford market in Mumbai and from dealers in
Punjab and Rajasthan, police said. “We sent a decoy customer on Monday night,
who confirmed the presence of illegal weapons in the shop. We raided the shop
on Tuesday and arrested Kulkarni. He claims that he was selling the weapons
because he wanted to make money quickly to pay off loans,” said an officer.
Kulkarni allegedly taken a loan for his garment business and other personal
loans. Meanwhile, politics in Maharashtra heated up following the arms seizure,
with Opposition targeting CM and BJP. indianexpress
BJP Leader Caught With Weapons: Oppositions
suspect pre-election riots
Don't Rely on Gauri Lankesh Case; Probe
Dabholkar, Pansare Killings: HC to Agencies
Bombay high court today told CBI and the
Maharashtra CID not to completely rely on the revelations made in the Gauri
Lankesh case and conduct an independent probe into the killings of rationalist
Narendra Dabholkar and Left leader Govind Pansare.A bench of Justices S. C.
Dharmadhikari and M. S. Karnik asked both the probe agencies to make a “sincere
effort” towards tracing the absconding accused in Pansare and Dabholkar cases.
The directions came after SIT constituted by the state CID submitted its
progress report before the bench. The bench noted that SIT had said, among
other things, that it was questioning those arrested by the authorities in
Karnataka in the murder case of journalist Gauri Lankesh, to help trace the
absconding accused in Pansare case. The bench noted that on the previous
hearings too, both CBI and SIT had submitted that they were questioning the
accused in Lankesh case to get information on the killings of Dabholkar and
Pansare respectively.“You are questioning the accused in another case in
Karnataka…but the report (SIT’s progress report) doesn’t reveal what the actual
measures you are taking to arrest the absconding accused,” bench said.PTI
JNU: ABVP members staged sedition controversy
to divert media attention from Vemula’s death
2 ex office bearers of ABVP - former JNU ABVP
unit vice-president Jatin Goraiya and ex joint-secretary Pradeep Narwal - claim
that the anti-India sloganeering that took place on Feb.9, 2016 in JNU campus
was done by ABVP members in a bid to divert the media attention from the death
of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. Addressing a press conferenc, both claimed that
the students seen raising anti-India slogans such as “Pakistan Zindabad,”
“Bharat tere tukde honge,” in videos belonged to the ABVP.They also claimed
that the controversy was staged by ABVP to divert media’s attention from the
death of Dalit scholar Vemula. A PhD student at the University of Hyderabad and
author of the book Caste is Not a Rumour, Vemula had committed suicide on
Jan.17,2016;blaming University administration for expelling him from the
university at the behest of ABVP.This claim comes in light of the chargesheet
filed against ex president of JNUSU Kanhaiya Kumar and many others on grounds
of Sedition. “At the time, I remember Jatin and I, since we were Dalits, were
told repeatedly to appear for TV interviews and defend ABVP after Vemula’s
suicide, which we refused to do since they kept referring to him as a
terrorist.With the Feb.9 event, they saw an opportunity to divert attention,”
said Narwal at the conference. Both Jatin Goraiya and Pradeep Narwal have left
ABVP, immediately after the controversy broke out in 2016. Goraiya stated that
he left ABVP because he was against ABVP’s stand on Dalits.nationalheraldindia
JNU sedition row orchestrated to distract from
Vemula's suicide: Ex ABVP Members
Opposition seeks scrapping of 1870 sedition
law after JNU students charged
New Delhi: India opposition politicians and
media called for a colonial-era sedition law to be scrapped on Wednesday,
accusing authorities of trying to suppress dissent after it was invoked against
students marking the execution of a Kashmiri militant.Police used the 1870 law
against 10 people, including a student organiser, for the 2016 rally at Delhi’s
JNU where police say anti-India posters were raised.The students denied the
allegations and critics said PM Narendra Modi’s Govt was trying to curb free speech and pander to
his Hindu nationalist base ahead of his re-election bid in a few months.“There
is no need for a sedition law in today’s times, it is a colonial law,” said
Kapil Sibal, a senior leader of the main opposition Congress party.“Many who
merely speak or tweet against Govt have sedition charges imposed against them;
it is being misused by the centre just to keep citizens in check.”“Independent
India should have the confidence to scrap the anachronistic sedition law suited
for the police state that existed before 1947, and let free speech flourish
without fearing its own citizens so much,”Economic Times said.Police in the
Assam state said last week they were also investigating an academic, a
journalist and a peasant leader for possible sedition for publicly opposing a
proposal to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from neighbouring Muslim-majority
countries.“This law now needs to go. A mature, liberal democracy cannot fight
its own citizens,” the Hindustan Times said.Reuters
At least 1,300 Rohingya flee India for
Bangladesh fearing crackdown: Al Jazeera
At least 1,300 Rohingya have crossed into
Bangladesh from India since the start of the year, an official said on
Wednesday, as fears of deportation to Myanmar spark an exodus. New Delhi has
faced sharp criticism for turning Rohingya people over to Myanmar in the past
months, despite the members of the persecuted minority facing threats to their
safety there, with the UN and rights groups accusing India of disregarding
international law.India, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention,
arrested 230 Rohingya in 2018 - the highest number in years- as Hindu
nationalists called for the displaced Rohingya to be deported en masse.
"For the past year, Govt of India
has been making life difficult for the Rohingya refugees in India", Ravi
Nair, of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), said. Nair said
that Rohingya in India are subjected to "regular visits by local
intelligence officials, this includes harassment about their paperwork. A large
number of Rohingya, our own data shows over 200, from Jammu to Tripura, Assam
and West Bengal states have been arrested and imprisoned".The round-ups in
India and fear of deportation to Myanmar have driven even more of the stateless
Rohingya into Bangladesh, where a million already live in sprawling refugee
camps in the country's southeast.Nayana Bose, a spokeswoman for Inter Sector
Coordination Group (ISCG), which includes UN agencies and other foreign
humanitarian bodies, said the pace of new arrivals to Bangladesh had increased
since Jan.3."Some 1,300 individuals from 300 families have arrived from
India to Bangladesh until today,"she said.UNHCR spokesman Firas Al-Khateeb
said UN refugee agency was "aware of the situation".Those crossing
the border in recent weeks have been intercepted by police and sent to Cox's
Bazar, a southern district home to the world's largest refugee camps.Some
40,000 Rohingya are believed to have taken shelter in India over the years.
Bangladesh police said those who arrived at the borders had been living in
India for a long time.Rohingya for decades have faced persecution in Myanmar,
which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them
"Bengali" illegal immigrants. 720,000 Rohingya fled the bloody
crackdown and entered Bangladesh to join some 300,000 already living in camps
there. Amnesty International, among other rights groups, has blasted India for
forcibly repatriating the Rohingya to Myanmar when persecution in Rakhine is
ongoing. Oxford Human Rights Hub has said India and its Supreme Court were in
"breach of several international human rights obligations" when it
decided to deport the Rohingya asylum seekers in Oct.2018. "Amidst the rising
tide of Hindu nationalism, this decision raises cause for concern."Nair of
SAHRDC said India must honour "right to protection" and
"non-refoulement", the practice of not forcing refugees or asylum
seekers to return to a country in which they are liable to be subjected to
persecution, both aspects of international humanitarian law.
Rohingya exodus from India to Bangladesh hits
1,300: Official
As row rages, Justices Khanna and Maheshwari
are appointed SC judges
New Delhi:Amid a row over their elevation,
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, and Justice
Sanjiv Khanna of Delhi High Court were appointed judges of the Supreme Court
Wednesday following Presidential approval.Ministry of Law and Justice notified
the appointment of Justice Maheshwari: “In exercise of the powers conferred by
clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution, President is pleased to appoint
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Chief Justice of Karnataka HC, to be a Judge of the
Supreme Court of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his
office.”An identical notification was issued regarding Justice Khanna’s
appointment. Govt notification came 6 days after the SC Collegium, headed by
CJI Ranjan Gogoi, recommended their elevation. The Collegium’s decision led to
a row because it overturned decisions taken by it in Dec.The change in the Jan.10
resolution stopped the elevation of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, Chief Justice of
Rajasthan HC, and Justice Rajendra Menon, Chief Justice of Delhi HC, who had
been recommended for Supreme Court by the Collegium on Dec.12. That Collegium
changed after Justice Madan Lokur retired on Dec.30 and Justice Arun Mishra was
inducted.Currently, the SC is functioning with 26 judges as against a
sanctioned strength of 31 judges. With the two new appointments, 3 vacancies
remain. As per convention and seniority, Justice Khanna is likely to the be CJI
in Nov.2024. He is the nephew of late Justice HR Khanna who was superseded for
giving a dissenting verdict during the Emergency.indianexpress
‘Whimsical and arbitrary’: Bar Council opposes
SC collegium’s decision to elevate Justice Khanna
New Delhi:Bar Council of India (BCI) protested
the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to elevate Justice Sanjiv Khanna
of the Delhi High Court to the apex court by superseding several other judges
and termed the decision as “whimsical and arbitrary”. BCI, which is an apex
body of lawyers, said the decision of the five-member collegium headed by CJI
Ranjan Gogoi was viewed by the Bar and the common man as “unjust and
improper”.Before the BCI made a statement protesting the decision of the
collegium, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the Supreme Court also wrote a note to
the CJI and other members of the collegium -- Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N
V Ramana and Arun Mishra -- for ignoring the seniority of Chief Justices of the
High Courts of Rajasthan and Delhi, Pradeep Nandrajog and Rajendra Menon,
respectively.PTI
SC asks search panel to recommend names for
Lokpal by Feb end
The Supreme Court today requested the search
committee to complete its task of shortlisting names for Lokpal and its members
by February end and submit the list for consideration to the Selection
Committee. The apex court will hear the matter next on March 7.A bench headed
by CJI Ranjan Gogoi also directed the Centre to provide the search committee,
which is led by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, necessary infrastructure
and manpower to complete its work.indianexpress
Alcohol allowed, no CCTV: SC relaxes norms for
Maharashtra dance bars
New Delhi:In a major reprieve for dance bars
in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court relaxed the conditions set by the Devendra
Fadnavis Govt for obtaining licenses for
operations, saying,“There may be regulations but that should not amount to
total prohibition.” Modifying some of the provisions of the state law – the
Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms
and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016 – a bench headed
by Justice A K Sikri permitted the bars to function from 6 pm to 11:30 pm and
also allowed sale of liquor in the premises.indianexpress
Bribery case: Asthana seeks correction in
court’s judgment ordering probe
New Delhi:CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana
has moved an application in the Delhi High Court urging for a correction in the
court’s recent judgment where it had dismissed his plea seeking quashing of FIR
against him in an alleged bribery case.The court, which dismissed Asthana’s
plea last Friday, had ruled that the investigation into FIR against four,
including Asthana, be completed within 10 weeks time. It also added that the
sanction to prosecute Asthana and Deputy Superintendent Devender Kumar was not
required in the matter, keeping the facts of this case in view.FIR against
Asthana and others was filed after Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu
Sana claimed he had paid bribes to get relief in a case related to
meat-exporter Moin Qureshi and made allegations of corruption and extortion
against Asthana.Devender Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case
involving Qureshi, was arrested in the case on Oct.22, 2018 and was granted
bail a week later. Prasad was arrested on Oct.17, 2018, and he was granted bail
on Dec.18, 2018.indianexpress
Congress points fingers at Doval son, demands
details of FDI from Cayman Islands
New Delhi :Alleging links between National
Security Advisor Ajit Dovals son Vivek opening a hedge fund in the Cayman
Islands soon after 2016 demonetisation and the huge spike in inflow of FDI into
India from the territory, the Congress on Thursday demanded the RBI to make
public the source of funds received from the tax haven.Citing data by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that between
2000 and 2017, India received Rs 8,300 crore FDI from Cayman Islands but post
demonetisation, India received an equivalent amount from there in one year
alone. "Within 13 days of Prime Minister Modi announcing demonetisation,
Vivek Doval on November 21, 2016, opened a hedge fund called 'GNY Asia' in
Cayman Islands, which, according to a report of the BJP's 2011 committee, is a
known tax haven," Ramesh told the media here."This unnatural increase
in FDI inflow and Vivek Doval's hedge fund raise serious suspicion of round
tripping. The RBI must clarify the role of GNY Asia in this. We, therefore,
demand it to publicise all details of the FDI received from Cayman Islands in
the last year," said the former Union Minister.Ramesh raised suspicion of
Vivek Doval's hedge fund being involved in funneling out money and then
bringing them back to India post demonetisation.IANS
Gurmeet Singh sentencing LIVE: Dera chief,
three others sentenced to life imprisonment
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and
three others sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of journalist Ram
Chander Chhatarpati.The court had found them guilty of murder and conspiracy on
January 11 and convicted them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC). The case dates back to 2002 when the journalist was murdered in Sirsa
city in Haryana after he ran a story in his newspaper, ‘Poora Sach’, about the
alleged sexual exploitation of women by the Dera chief.
MP Govt
orders verification of MISA detainees
Bhopal:Madhya Pradesh Govt has ordered verification of those detained
under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in the 1970s to ensure
only genuine people held under the law get the pension.The order was issued on
Wednesday and came days after the Govt stopped the pension on Dec.29 until the
verification process is completed. BJP, which lost power to the Congress last
month in MP, has opposed the move. Most people detained under the MISA in the
state were associated with Bharatiya Jana Sangh, BJP’s precursor. In the order,
the Govt has asked commissioners and collectors to have the verification of
those detained under MISA or spouses of ex detainees, who have passed away,
conducted by visiting them.HT
Quota at top: State-run banks and PSUs fare
much better than Govt
New Delhi:Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled
Tribes (STs) and OBCs are under-represented in the upper rungs of the Govt and its central universities. But there’s a
glimmer when it comes to major public sector banks and undertakings, with banks
based in the south leading the way in ensuring reservation benefits, according
to data obtained by Indian Express under RTI Act. And among PSUs, aluminium major NALCO has
almost double the quota of ST officers —prescribed reservation entitlement is
15 % for SCs, 7.5 % for STs and 27 % for OBCs. SBI, the largest public sector
bank, has fulfilled the quota entitlement for SCs and STs among
officers.However, RBI, the central banking institution, is seen lagging behind
in these quota categories for officers.As the new 10 % quota for the poor among those who are not
beneficiaries of reservation got President’s nod, Indian Express reported
Wednesday that SCs,STs and OBCs are not adequately represented among Group A
and Group B officers in the central Govt.And that among the 40 central
universities, the number of Professors and Associate Professors appointed under
the OBC category was zero —quotas are mandatory only up to the level of
Assistant Professor.RTI data of major banks and PSUs present a better picture
overall — although, in LIC, the leading insurer, officers (Class 1 and Class 2)
under OBC quota form just 9.41% of total
of 55,633 officers.indianexpress
Citizenship bill backlash puts Assam BJP in a
spot
New Delhi: Modi Govt’s Citizenship Amendment
Bill has caused confusion within the BJP in Assam, leaving the party’s rank and
file wondering what lies ahead and how they can defuse a potentially damaging
backlash against the bill.CM Sarbananda Sonowal has called a meeting with
select office-bearers on Thursday to discuss these issues. The bill, which
seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim settlers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and
Afghanistan, has set off an upheaval among native Assamese, who have long
resented waves of migrations from Bangladesh.Asked how the BJP will handle the
conundrum, Tafiqure Rahman, one of the BJP’s eight vice-presidents in the
state, said: “Everybody is confused here. I am telling you the truth.”“Of
course, it (the bill) is a challenge. It will harm the culture of Assam; it
will harm the language of Assam,” he added.HT
Attempts being made to trigger riots in Kerala
by some parties, minorities panel to home minister
New Delhi: In the backdrop of the clashes and
protests over the entry of women in the Sabarimala temple, the national
commission for minorities has written to home minister Rajnath Singh calling
for action in the wake of "deliberate attempts" to trigger communal
riots in Kerala by "some political parties."The letter written on
Tuesday, coincidentally, came on a day when PM Narendra Modi was in Kerala.
Modi attacked CPI-M-led LDF Govt in
Kerala over the handling of Sabarimala issue.NCM vice-chairman George Kurian
has called for extreme caution on the part of the "3 pillars of
democracy" while taking any decision on the prevailing situation in the
state as "even a minor issue can have knock-on consequences on minority
communities."Kurian cites a memorandum received from noted film director
Ali Akbar where the latter has referred to the recent attack on Perambra Town
Juma Masjid during a strike called by Sabarimala Karma Samithi to protest
against the state Govt for facilitating entry of activists in Sabarimala
temple. TOI
I want ‘gharwapsi’ of those who left Hinduism
due to inequality: Dalit Mahamandaleshwar at Kumbh Mela
Prayagraj: 32-year-old Kanhaiya Prabhunand
Giri is the first scheduled caste to be made one of the heads of the Juna
Akhara. Giri, who is a Dalit Mahamandaleshwar, took his first dip at the
Triveni Sangam during the 'Shahi Snan' on Tuesday on the first day of Kumbh
Mela 2019 at Prayagraj. Mahamandaleshwar said that he wanted all those Dalits,
Scheduled Tribes and OBCs who "left the Sanatan dharm due to fear of
exploitation to embrace Buddhism, Christianity and Islam" to return to
Hindu fold. Advocating for what he said was the "ghar wapsi" of the
those who renounced Hinduism, Giri said, "I will wash the feet off the
past lives of all my community members who embraced Islam,Christianity and
Buddhism due to inequality and bring them back to sanatan dharm. I will show
them how the Juna Akhara has been inclusive of me." Giri, who was born as
Kanhaiya Kumar Kashyap in Azamgarh, was appointed as one of Mahamandaleshwars
of Juna Akhara in April last year upon the completion of his 'deeksha'.He said
that his elevation to one of the top posts amongst the sadhus came after nearly
1,000 years after Sant Ravidas became a Jagatguru. Times Now
Indore University suspends 263 students for
skipping ‘Surya Namaskar’
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
(SJMC) of Devi Ahilya University,Indore suspended 263 students for a week for
skipping a Surya Namaskar event. Confirming it, the head of the Journalism
Department, Sonali Nargunde said, "Students had been asked to participate
in the Surya Namaskar programme organised by the department, but they skipped
the event, forcing us to take action against them. All 263 students of the
department have been suspended for indiscipline for a week."Surya Namaskar
Programmes were held at educational institutes and other Govt offices on Jan12,
2019 to mark birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Department of Higher
Education (DHE) had directed the educational institutes to organise Surya
Namaskar and ensure the students presence at the event. Referring to the
directive of the DHE, the journalism department head had asked students to turn
up at 8 am to participate in the event."Not a single student turned up for
the event. Nearly, a dozen students reported after the scheduled time."
Nargunde said.She said, she could not tolerate such indiscipline in the
department and so suspended all the students till Jan.19.
Bhopal: Unity, communal harmony &
brotherhood are our cultural ethos
Bhopal: CM Kamal Nath, addressing the Haj
pilgrims during ‘Kurra Andazi’ programme on campus of Taj-ul-Masjid here on
Tuesday, said efforts will be made to start direct air-flight for Haj
pilgrimage. Nath said he would also urge the central Govt in this matter.CM
said unity, communal harmony and brotherhood were the founding ethos of Indian
culture. He said India was the only country in the world, with such diversity.
Despite of diversity in castes, languages and religions, there is unity. CM
said India, despite the variations that prevail, oneness or universal
brotherhood is the hallmark of Indian society.Minister for minorities welfare,
Arif Aqueel, emphasising on the need of direct flight for Haj from Bhopal, said
all people who wanted to go on Haj pilgrimage must get a chance.
Siraj-ul-Hasan, Mufti Abul Kalam, Kaji Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, Kazi Ishrat Ali
Indore, Nayab Kaji Babar Hasan, Kaji Riyaz Ahmad, Kaji Jasim Dad, Mufti Raees
Ahmed and applicants for Haj pilgrimage attended the progamme.freepressjournal
AIMPLB chief’s younger brother dies in Lucknow
Lucknow:Younger brother of President of All
India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) died here on Wednesday. He was 84.The
deceased, Maulana Wazey Rasheed Nadwi, was the Secretary of International
Islamic University Darul Uloom Nadwa and Editor of the Arabic Magazine Al Raid,
Secretary Rabate Adab-e-Isami and author of number of books in Arabic and Urdu.
He was also associated with a number of educational and social organisations.UNI
15 Indians stranded in Iraq seek Sushma’s help
to return home
Nizamabad:As many as 15 Indians stranded in
Iraq after being duped by an agent on the pretext of employment have requested
external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to help them return to India.In a
video, the men revealed that they were duped by an agent off around Rs 2 lakh
each, who sent them to Iraq on the pretext of getting them a work permit in the
country.“We came to Iraq from India after giving Rs 1.5 lakh each to the agent,
after coming here the agent again asked for more Rs 50,000 for making Iqama and
we paid. Later, we got to know that the agent has cheated us by sending us to
Iraq on a visit visa. The agent in Iraq is not responding to us and we are
facing crisis here without proper food and water. I request external affairs
minister Sushma Swaraj to help us get back to India,” the men said in the
video.HT
Reduction in GST on Haj pilgrimage will ensure
significant decrease in air fare:Naqvi
New Delhi:Union Minority Affairs Minister
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here on Wednesday that GST on Haj pilgrimage has been
reduced from 18 % to 5 % which will ensure that about Rs 113 crore
will be saved by pilgrims during 2019 Haj. 'Reduction in GST on Haj pilgrimage
will ensure significant decrease in air fare from various embarkation points,'
he said. UNI
Kerala HC sets aside election of Karatt Abdul
Razak in 2016 assembly polls
Kochi :Kerala High Court set aside the
election of Karatt Abdul Razak from Koduvally Assembly constituency in
Kozhikode district in 2016, for indulging in electoral malpractice.Justice
Abraham Mathew passed the order on a petition by 2 voters of the constituency,
challenging the election of Razak, who contested as an LDF independent
candidate during the 2016 Assembly polls.
In their petition, K P Mohammed and Moitheen Kunji of the constituency
alleged that Razak and his agents had screened a video programme across the
constituency during the poll campaign, aiming to tarnish the image of MA Razak,
an UDF candidate.TI
BJP chief Amit Shah diagnosed with swine flu,
taken to AIIMS
BJP President Amit Shah is suffering from
swine flu and had to be admitted in AIIMS in Delhi on Wednesday for treatment.An
announcement, made from his Twitter handle, read, “I am suffering from swine
flu and being treated for the same. With the blessings of God and your love and
good wishes, I shall be fit soon.” Jantakareporter
WORLD
US Vice President Pence says IS has been defeated, only hours after
attack kills US forces in Syria
Hours after the Islamic State (IS) group
claimed a bombing that ripped through a restaurant in the Syrian town of
Manbij, killing dozens of people including a handful of American service
members, US Vice President Mike Pence said the militant group had been
defeated. "The caliphate has crumbled and ISIS has been defeated,"
Pence said in a speech at the US State Department on Wednesday, using a
different acronym for IS.Pence did not directly mention the attack in Syria
during his address to nearly 200 chiefs of US diplomatic missions, all of whom
gathered in Washington for a speech that sounded more like a campaign rally
than the strategic overview of US foreign policy it was billed as.US Central
Command tweeted that two US service members, one Department of Defense civilian
and one contractor supporting the DoD were killed and three service members
were wounded in the blast, which was claimed by IS through its Amaq propaganda
arm. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 19
people died in the attack, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
provided a higher death toll, saying 20 people were killed.The attack comes
nearly a month after President Donald Trump's surprise 19 December announcement
that he would withdraw about 2,000 US troops from Syria after concluding that
IS had been defeated there.His decision led to the resignation of Defense
Secretary James Mattis, who cited policy differences with the president for his
leaving.The plan to pull US troops out of Syria has also led to heightened
tensions between Washington and Ankara after critics accused the White House of
abandoning Washington's Kurdish allies, who have been credited with leading the
fight against IS in the war-torn country. Almost 8 years into Syria's civil
war, a Kurdish-led alliance called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) controls a
large swathe of territory in the country's northeast, including Manbij.The
White House expressed its “deepest sympathies” to those who died, press
secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.Some US diplomats,
speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters they were surprised and dismayed
at the speech by Pence, who often paused during his remarks as if to invite
applause that appeared to grow fainter as he spoke."We're not used to
being at campaign rallies," said one US official. Middleeasteye
US senator links Trump troop withdrawal to
deadly ISIL attack
A senior US senator has questioned President
Donald Trump's troop withdrawal announcement from Syria after four Americans
were killed in a suicide attack by the armed group ISIL.Lindsay Graham, a
staunch Trump ally, directly blamed Wednesday's attack in the northern Syrian
city of Manbij on the president's decision to quickly pull US forces out of the
war-torn country.The withdrawal move "set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy
we're fighting", said Graham, referring to ISIL."My concern about the
statements made by President Trump … is we've made people we're trying to help
wonder about us. And as they [ISIL] gets bolder, the people we're trying to
help get more uncertain. I saw this in Iraq and I'm now seeing it in
Syria," the senator said."We're never going to be safe here unless
we're willing to help people over there who will stand up against radical
ideology," Graham added. aljazeera
Indonesia vows to push Palestinian rights on
Security Council
Indonesia will do everything possible to
advance the rights of Palestinians when it assumes its position on the United
Nations Security Council, the foreign ministry said. Ministry official Febrian
Ruddyard said the world's largest Muslim-majority country would make sure
issues facing the Palestinians were not buried, and it would offer unwavering
support for their bid to become a full member of the UN.Palestinians have the
status of non-member observer state at the world body.Full membership would
amount to international recognition of Palestinian statehood."We have
always reiterated that once we are elected we will push the Palestine issue in
any form," Ruddyard said.Indonesia would prioritise the rights of
refugees, woman and children, but influencing the US decision to recognise
Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be hard, he said.AFP
UN says Israeli Govt -backed groups
‘delegitimizing’ human rights NGOs
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190117-un-says-israeli-government-backed-groups-delegitimizing-human-rights-ngos/
A UN agency has stated humanitarian operations
in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) are being “undermined by
delegitimization, access restrictions, and administrative
constraints”.According to UN OCHA, “attempts to delegitimize humanitarian and
human rights organizations operating in the oPt, particularly NGOs, have been
on the rise in recent years”.This has had “a negative impact on the ability of
these organisations to deliver assistance and advocate on behalf of Palestinian
rights”, the agency added.The situation is “further compounded by longstanding
access restrictions imposed on humanitarian staff and operations, restrictive
legislation and attacks on human rights defenders”, UN OCHA said. UN OCHA
believes that “bulk of the delegitimization attempts have been advanced by a
network of Israeli civil society groups and some associated organizations
elsewhere, with the apparent support of the Israeli Govt ”.“Targeted defamation
and smear campaigns allege violations of counter-terrorism legislation and
international law, or political action against Israel”, the statement
continued.middleeastmonitor
US governor to punish Airbnb for removing
Israel settlement listings
The newly-sworn-in Florida governor, Ron
DeSantis, said yesterday that his state will take action against online holiday
rental company Airbnb for removing listings in illegal Israeli settlements in
the occupied West Bank.“We have a moral obligation to oppose the Airbnb
policy,” DeSantis said, adding: “It targets Jews specifically. I think that’s
wrong,” the Jerusalem Post reported.DeSantis continued: “Airbnb claims it is a
company of inclusion, and yet this policy only affects Jews who have homes in
the West Bank. It does not appear to apply to anyone else on the face of the
Earth.” DeSantis’ remarks came in reaction to a decision by Airbnb in November
that it would no longer list rental properties in Israeli settlements, which
international law designates as illegal.Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister,
Gilad Erdan, praised DeSantis’ comments, saying: “This is an important decision
that will strengthen the struggle against antisemitic boycott organisations.”“We
will continue to act in all possible ways to nullify the decision
discriminating against citizens of the State of Israel and harming them
economically because of their place of residence,” he added.middleeastmonitor
Hamas: Fatah trying to drag Gaza into war with
Israel
Senior Hamas leader and Palestinian MP Mahmoud
Al-Zahar said that people linked to Fatah have been trying to drag Gaza into a
war with Israel.Speaking in an interview with Palestine Today TV, Al-Zahar
said: “These people are trying to drag the Gaza Strip into a battle with Israel
by launching rockets against the national consensus,” Al-Watan Voice
reported.Al-Zahar added: “Some of these people are linked to Israel and are
commissioned to drag Gaza into a battle with the Israeli occupation by
launching rockets during this sensitive time.”He continued: “These people are
well-known to us. Fatah stands behind them. We have talked with their field
leaders about their dangerous violation of the national consensus. Sometimes,
they are arrested.” Hamas leader said that the Palestinian resistance in the
besieged Gaza Strip follows Israeli violations of the ceasefire closely,
stressing that it would never wait too long to respond to these
abuses.middleeastmonitor
British PM Theresa May survives no-confidence
vote
Embattled British PM Theresa May survived a
no-confidence vote on Wednesday, a day after members of parliament dealt a
crushing blow to the Brexit plan she negotiated with European Union.Parliament
members voted 325 to 306 against the motion called by Jeremy Corbyn, leader of
the main opposition Labour Party, who had earlier urged May to resign.It was
expected that May would survive the vote after she secured the backing of her
own party's rebels and the small Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP), which props up her minority Govt."I am pleased that this House has
expressed its confidence in this Govt
tonight," May said, welcoming the result and vowing to continue to
"deliver on the result of the [Brexit] referendum"."My Govt will continue its work to increase our
prosperity, guarantee our security and to strengthen our union.""We
have a responsibility to identify a way forward that can secure the backing of
the House," she said.With her leadership secure for the time being, May
has to decide the next step as the March 29 deadline for the United Kingdom's
departure from the EU, or Brexit, looms. PM has ruled out calling a general
election, saying that it would be the "worst thing" Britain could do
now.aljazeera
May searching for Brexit 'plan B' by reaching
out to opposition
Kenya attack: 50 still missing after hotel
raid
50
people remained missing on Thursday as Kenyan security forces searched
for suspects involved in the brazen attack on a Nairobi hotel complex that
killed 21 people.The al-Shabab armed group, said it carried out the attack in
the Kenyan capital in response to US President Donald Trump's decision to
recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Two people accused of
facilitating the attack have been arrested.Kenya's Red Cross said 50 people
remained missing, raising the likelihood of a sharp rise in the death toll. Of
the victims, 16 were Kenyan, one was British, one was American and three were
of African descent but their nationalities were not yet identified, police
said.aljazeera
Malaysia to revise school textbook telling
girls to cover up
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has said it will revise
a national school textbook after a section suggesting girls should cover up to
avoid sexual assault sparked outrage among women’s rights supporters.The book,
aimed at nine-year-olds, includes a chapter called “protecting one’s dignity”
in which a girl’s parents are shown telling her to dress modestly or she would
be ostracised by her friends and bring shame to her family.The image went viral
on social media, causing anger among campaigners and parents who said it
perpetuated the idea that sexual violence could be blamed on how a woman
dresses.The education ministry said in a statement late Tuesday it would cover
up the controversial page with stickers “because the infographic can be
construed as blaming sexual assault victims”. “We welcome the ministry’s
decision,” Mastura Rashid, a spokeswoman from women right’s group Empower, told
the Reuters on Wednesday. Reuters
US: Louisville airport renamed to honor
Muhammad Ali
WASHINGTON:Louisville International Airport in
the U.S. state of Kentucky has been renamed after the city's legendary boxer
Muhammad Ali, where he was born and raised.The Louisville Regional Airport
Authority’s board voted Wednesday to change the name to Louisville Muhammad Ali
International Airport.However, the current three-letter code - SDF - will
remain same.The three-time world heavyweight champion died on June 4, 2016 at the
age of 74 after suffering from a respiratory illness and a years-long fight
with Parkinson’s disease. According to the Courier-Journal newspaper,
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Ali "only had one hometown, and
fortunately, that is our great city of Louisville.
American journalist for Iran's Press TV
'jailed' in US
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/american-journalist-iran-press-tv-jailed-190117085325166.html
A prominent American journalist working for
the Iranian state television is being held in a prison in the United States
without any known charges, her son has said. Marzieh Hashemi, 59, an
anchorwoman for Iran's English-language Press TV, was arrested upon arrival at
St Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday and transferred by the FBI to
a detention facility in Washington, DC, the broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
"We still have no idea what's going on," Hossein Hashemi, her elder
son, told AP in a telephonic interview from Washington. "Everyone we ask
is very vague and the information is still limited."aljazeera
Pak Jamaat to elect new ameer as Siraj term
expires
LAHORE: As sitting Jamaat Islami Pakistan ameer
Senator Sirajul Haq’s five year term will expire in April 2019, the JI has
begun the process of election for next ameer and JI central Shoora (central
decision making body) has nominated three candidates for the slot. The Shoora
which met at Mansoorah this week proposed three names including Senator Sirajul
Haq, Secretary general Liaqat Baloch and JI KPK ameer Prof Muhammad Ibrahim for
the guidance of JI members (Arkan). The ameer is elected by the secret ballot
process by the Arkan, who are permanent members of the party.The ballot papers
will contain these three names but, according to the party constitution, the
Arkan are not bound to vote for any of these and are at liberty to vote for
someone else from amongst the JI Arkan whom they deemed fit for the top slot of
the party. The election of the JI ameer is held after 5 years under the
supervision of an Election Commission which is headed by Asadullah Bhutto and
comprises Bilal Qudrat Butt as Secretary besides Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar,
Muhammad Husain Mehnati and Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi as members.The election
commission will issue ballot papers in February 2019 to all Arkan across the
country whose number is 41,580. They will receive ballots through their local
party office and will send back the sealed ballot papers to the election
commission till March 20, 2019. The election commission will declare the name
of the elected ameer in the first week of April after completing the counting
process. thenews
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:35 PM)
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