NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
18 March 2019: 10 Rajab 1440:Vol: 11, No:154
INDIA
Goa Congress MLAs meet governor to stake claim
to form govt
Panaji: Goa Congress leader Chandrakant
Kavlekar on Monday said since his party has staked claim to form government in
the state, the Assembly cannot be kept in suspended animation.Kavlekar, who is
Leader of the Opposition in Goa Assembly, led all his party MLAs to Raj Bhawan
uninvited to meet Governor Mridula Sinha to stake claim to form government
following the death of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar."The governor has
not given us an appointment, hence we are meeting her directly to stake claim
to form government," Mr Kavlekar told reporters before heading to Raj
Bhawan.On the possibility of the Assembly being kept in suspended animation, he
said, "When the Congress is staking the claim, where is the question of
keeping the House in abeyance?"Congress has given two letters to the
Governor since last Friday,staking claim to form govt but the party is yet to
receive a response from her."We are the single largest party. We have the
numbers, so accordingly the governor should have given us an opportunity to
prove it. Since the governor has not given us the appointment, we are directly
going to Raj Bhawan," he said.Congress is currently the single largest
party in the state with 14 MLAs while BJP has 12 in the 40-member Assembly.The
strength of the House has now been reduced to 36 due to demise of BJP MLA
Francis D'Souza earlier this year and Parrikar on Sunday, and resignations of 2
Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte last year.PTI
14 Congress MLAs in Goa march Raj Bhavan to
stake claim to form govt
No consensus with allies as yet on next Goa CM:
Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on March 18
evening said a consensus eluded the BJP and its allies on the next Goa chief
minister following the death of Manohar Parrikar. He said the BJP had zeroed in
on the next CM candidate but its allies in the state were yet to get on board.He,
however, did not reveal who the BJP had chosen.There have been a series of
meetings involving Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's three
MLAs each, an equal number of Independents, and BJP legislators since March 17
to reach a consensus on Parrikar's successor."We are yet to reach a
consensus (with allies) on a candidate for the CM's post. We are in talks with
our alliance partners, Gadkari said.Gadkari added that he was in Goa till 6 pm
on March 18 and hoped a name for the next CM of the coastal state agreeable to
all would be arrived at by then. PTI
UP partners Mayawati and Akhilesh snub
Congress over its 7-seat offer, say don’t create confusion
New Delhi:Uttar Pradesh alliance partners
BSP’s Mayawati and SP’s Akhilesh, in a strong snub for the Congress, said on
Monday that their combine was strong enough to defeat the BJP in politically
important Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.The two leaders’
statement came a day after the Congress said it was leaving seven of the 80 Lok
Sabha seats in UP for the SP-BSP combine, which recently formed an alliance and
had left two seats – Rae Bareli and Amethi – for the Congress. Ajit Singh’s RLD had
also joined the alliance.“Congress is free to put up candidates in all Uttar
Pradesh seats, our alliance is strong enough to defeat BJP. The Congress should
not create confusion about any alliance with us,” Mayawati tweeted.HT
Advani not to contest Lok Sabha elections due
to health reasons: Reports
Former deputy prime minister and senior BJP
leader Lal Krishna Advani has reportedly decided not to contest in the upcoming
2019 Lok Sabha Elections due to health reasons, sources said on Monday. Advani
called up BJP president Amit Shah personally to express his reluctance.
Earlier, BJP had held a meeting to field party veterans L K Advani (91), Murli
Manohar Joshi (84), Shanta Kumar (85), Kalraj Mishra (77) and Bhagat Singh
Koshyari (77) in the election. Currently, 91-year-old Advani is the oldest
member of the Lok Sabha.BJP president Amit Shah had met Advani, Murli Manohar
Joshi and outgoing speaker Sumitra Mahajan to seek their opinion in this regard
as the party faces the ‘age-old’ poll quandary.NewsX
Union minister Giriraj Singh rues after being
denied ticket from Nawada for Lok Sabha polls
Patna:Firebrand BJP leader and union minister
Giriraj Singh was on Monday apparently left sulking after the Nawada Lok Sabha
seat, which he represents, went to NDA ally LJP.“Compulsions of seat-sharing
may be there.But I wish to underscore that no other union minister from Bihar
may have to give up his sitting seat,” the veteran BJP leader told media
persons here.“This is despite the fact that I have worked so much to nurture my
constituency,” Singh added.PTI
Will vote for BJP if Rajnath candidate: Shias
Lucknow: Amid rising incidents of violence in
the name of cow protection, Shia Muslims in Lucknow say while the incidents
outrage them, they might still consider voting for BJP if it again fields Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh from the city seat in 2019 elections.There has been
speculation that Rajnath Singh, who won convincingly from Lucknow in the 2014
polls - BJP's 7th successive victory in the constituency - may be shifted to
Gautama Buddh Nagar seat for these elections. Minister has, however, denied any
change. UP Minister Mohsin Razab claimed that the Sunnis don't go out to vote
while Shias participate actively "We are confident that about 70,000 votes
of Shias will go in favour of BJP," he said, adding that the Muslims
"are now feeling that (Modi) govt has given the opportunity to
grow".Shia Wakf Board chief Waseem Rizvi also backed BJP, saying "we
will vote for Modiji, whoever is the candidate from Lucknow." But, other
Shia community leaders have different views. Prominent cleric Yasoob Abbas
said, "The way in which BJP MPs and MLAs had targeted Muslim community has
broken our heart.""Modi govt had gave a slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka
Vikas'. But BJP leaders raised the issues of temple and mosque and that hurt
us. BJP failed to act against such leaders. Even the silence of PM Narendra
Modi has polarised voters on the name of religion," he said. Describing
incidents of lynching as "very unfortunate", Abbas said that a human
being's life is very precious, "but in the state, the price of an animal
life is more than the life of a human being".Another prominent Shia
cleric, Maulana Saif Abbas, also admitted that they were "unhappy"
with the way senior leaders of the party have been silent" over incidents
of hate speech by the likes of Sakshi Maharaj and Giriraj Singh.Asked if who
they shall vote for, Abbas said, "This time we shall vote very cautiously.
All Muslim votes will be decided in coming days. And the candidates of BSP-SP
and Congress would also be considered."IANS
NCERT drops 3 chapters from Class 9, one on
caste struggles
New Delhi: NCERT has dropped 3 chapters from
its Class 9 history textbook, including one that illustrates caste conflict
through the struggles of the so-called ‘lower caste’ Nadar women of Travancore,
who were forced to keep their upper bodies uncovered. The decision to delete
almost 70 pages from the textbook, titled India and the Contemporary World – I,
is part of the curriculum rationalisation exercise initiated at HRD Minister
Prakash Javadekar’s behest to reduce the burden on students. This is the second
textbook review undertaken under the incumbent govt. The revised textbooks will
hit the shelves this month, before the new academic session begins. In 2017,
NCERT made 1,334 changes, which included additions, correction and data update
in 182 textbooks.Of the three chapters deleted, one (Clothing: A Social
History) is on clothing and how social movements influenced how we dressed. The
second chapter (History and Sport: The Story of Cricket) is on the history of
cricket in India and its connection to the politics of caste, region and
community. The third chapter (Peasants and Farmers) focuses on the growth of
capitalism and how colonialism altered the lives of peasants and
farmers.‘Clothing: A Social History’ is the last chapter of the textbook. It
shows how changes in clothing in England and India were shaped by their social
movements.Section ‘Caste Conflict and Dress Change’, which is on the strict
social codes regarding food and dress in India in the past, made headlines in
2016 when politicians objected to references to the “Upper Cloth Revolt” in
southern India.Shanars, later known as Nadars, were considered a “subordinate
caste”. Its men and women were expected to follow the local custom of not using
umbrellas, not wearing shoes and gold ornaments and not covering their upper
bodies before the dominant castes. However, under the influence of Christian
missionaries, Shanar women converts started wearing tailored blouses.indian
express
NCERT to Drop Chapters on Caste Struggles,
Colonialism From Class 9 History Book
Jharkhand Citizens: People's Rights Under
Attack; Want New Government to Uphold Them
New Delhi:A coalition of over 30 organisations,
activists and intellectuals of Jharkhand have expressed the hope that the govt
formed after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, will be committed to protecting
people’s rights, upholding secular and democratic values, and preserving the
constitution and democratic institutions. The group, Jharkhand Janadhikar
Mahasabha, has also called upon all the political parties contesting the
elections to exhibit explicit commitment towards people’s issues in their
election manifestoes. Mahasabha, which works in different parts of Jharkhand
for the rights of poor, Adivasis, Dalits, women and minorities, said that it
believes that, India in general and the state, in particular, are passing
through a phase of an undeclared emergency. “Peoples’ rights and basic tenets
of democracy are under attack,”it said.The coalition claimed that the attacks
on the rights of the citizens manifested in various forms.A few of these, it
said, included the amendment to Land Acquisition Act, starvation deaths,lynching
incidents, increasing atrocities on Adivasis, Dalits, minorities and women,
state-sponsored communalism, attacks on freedom of expression, harassment of
activists and attacks on the traditional self-governance systems of
Adivasis.thewire
Hunger strike at Una Town enters Day 7 Dalits
on fast for land, govt shows poll code
Rajkot:Even as the hunger strike carried out
by Dalit families of Mota Samadhiyala, including those who were flogged by
self-claimed cow vigilantes three years ago, entered the seventh day on Sunday
in Gir Somnath district’s Una town, local government officials said their hands
were tied to take any decision due to the model code of conduct, which is in
force in the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Dalit families, who have
been on a hunger strike outside office of SDM of Una since March 11, are
demanding agriculture land from the government for their subsistence.On Sunday,
one of the fasting family members of Balu Sarvaiya, who had become the face of
Una flogging incident, had to be admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated.
Around 30 members of the extended families of Balu Sarviya and Ashok Sarviya of
Mota Samadhiyala village, one from Gir Gadhda, 5 each from Harmadiya and Kandhi
villages and one from Ankolali village are on a hunger strike.indian express
‘Don’t take Dalits for granted; give us
respect to get our respect’: Ramdas Athawale
Union Minister for Social Justice Ramdas
Athawale believes RPI(A) has got a raw deal in Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in
Maharashtra for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In an interview, Athawale warns that
the Dalit vote base should not be undermined by Shiv Sena-BJP across 48 Lok
Sabha seats.`He said, "I am just ventilating the anger of my followers not
only in Maharashtra but also other parts of India. RPI(A) has taken the decision
to support NDA. But I would like to warn BJP-Sena not to take Dalits’ support
for granted. Give us respect. Get our respect. This is our stern message."
indianexpress
India-Pak tensions to figure in Qureshi-Wang
talks: China
Beijing: China said on Monday that tensions
between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terrorist attack would figure
in the first strategic dialogue between foreign minister Wang Yi and his
Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday.Qureshi is visiting
China, days after Beijing for the fourth time blocked a bid in UNSC on
Wednesday to designate Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist" by
putting a technical hold on the proposal, a move India termed as
disappointing."As neighbour, China would like to see easing of tensions
between the two. We would like to see the two countries continue to engage in
dialogue for the peace and stability of the region," Chinese foreign
ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here."I believe the
issues causing regional tensions will be discussed," Geng said.To another
question whether the issue of listing of Azhar would figure in the talks
specially in the backdrop of Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui expressing
confidence that it would be resolved, Geng said, "well I can't prejudge
the topics" that are going figure in the talks."But they will discuss
issues of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern,"
he said.PTI
Appointment of Lokpal is an election gimmick:
Kharge
Kalaburagi:M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of
the Congress in the Lok Sabha, termed the appointment of first Lokpal an
election gimmick. He asked why the Centre had kept quiet on the issue for the
last five years and suddenly made the appointment ahead of the Lok Sabha
election. He was speaking to presspersons in Kalaburagi on Sunday.“The
appointment of Lokpal ahead of the election is an attempt to mislead people by
claiming that they [BJP] had done all they had promised. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi should answer why he had not done it in the last four years. We
had demanded a provision in the Lokpal Bill to accommodate the Leader of the
Opposition or the leader of the second largest party in the Parliament as a
member of Lokpal. The ruling party did not allow it. The present appointment of
Lokpal is not done with a commitment to fight corruption. It is just an
election gimmick,” he said.Criticising BJP’s ‘Main bhi chowkidar’ [I am also a
watchman] campaign, Kharge verbally attacked the PM by once again calling him a
thief. “Narendra Modi, who calls himself a chowkidar is, in fact, a ‘chor’. He
is looting the country and distributing the loot among his corporate friends.
Had he been a real watchman of the country, he would have protected our country
and strived for the welfare of its people,” he said.thehindu
Muslim community should exhibit awakening at
this critical moment, says Arshad Madani
Hyderabad: In the wake of General Elections of
2019, Maulana Arshad Madani of Jamiat-ul-Ulema made a fervent appeal to the
Muslim community to exhibit its awakening. He was addressing the meeting of the
Executive Committee of Jamiat in New Delhi. He further told that the country is
passing through a critical situation. Conspiracies are being hatched by a
section of people to transform the country into a Hindu State. If we resort to
negligence, the future historian will never forgive us.He was addressing the
meeting after getting elected President continuously for seven terms. He gave
the details of the representations made to Govt. on the issues pertaining to
Babri Masjid, Citizenship in Assam, release of innocent Muslims and Kashmiri
crisis.siasat
Enact Rohith Act to protect minority students:
SIO
Nagpur: Students Islamic Organization (SIO),
the youth wing of Jamat-e-Islami-Hind, has submitted its election agenda to all
parties in the fray demanding that a Rohith Act should be framed to protect
students belonging to marginalized sections. The name has been derived from
Rohith Vemula, a PhD student from University of Hyderabad, who committed
suicide two years ago alleging discrimination on being a Dalit.Based on the
case, activists have been demanding that government should frame a Rohith Act
on the lines of Nirbhaya Act which deals with gang rape.Nirbhaya law was
enacted following the brutal gang rape case in Delhi that had evoked worldwide
protests.The SIO agenda also seeks a comprehensive law to deal with violence
against religious minorities apart from having schemes to rehabilitate youths
who have been falsely implicated in terror cases. The agenda further says a law
should be enacted for prevention of discrimination against religious minorities
and institutions should be set up for protection of human rights.9-point agenda
also includes demands for setting up of a central university in Maharashtra and
staring a campus of AMU in the state.TOI
Facebook Bans Modi Critic for Hitler Post,
Unbans After Complaint
A leading political Youtube content creator
and a frequent critic of the Narendra Modi government and BJP, Dhruv Rathee,
was briefly banned from posting on Facebook on 18 March.Earlier on Monday,
Rathee had tweeted that the giant social media platform had blocked him from
posting on Facebook for 30 days, which included crucial phases leading up to
the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He wrote, "Today, @Facebook banned my
account for 30 days. What a coincidence that elections are 30 days away also
and what a coincidence that my engagement rates are one of the biggest in
India, competing with BJP’s top propganda pages, including Modi’s official
page." THE QUINT
Assam: Goalpara Congress MLA Rasid Alom denies
encroaching temple land
Congress MLA of Goalpara East constituency in
Lower Assam, AK Rasid Alom, categorically denied on Sunday that he has tried to
encroach on a plot of land in Goalpara town which stands disputed – it belongs
either to a xatra or a temple.MLA stated, “I have not tried to encroach or grab
any land that belongs to any religious institutions. This is fake news that has
been published in a section of the media.”However, he further added that he has
a plot of land at Baidalpara Tiniali on Agia Road in Ward No. IX. “I have a
patta land at Baidalpara Road Tiniali and on Thursday I wanted to do earth
filling work in a part of the land which lies in a very low-lying area.” He
further remarked, “The said land does not belong to any religious institutions
and I have all the documents with me. But, few anti-social elements are making
such false allegations to foment communal tension so that they can derive
maximum mileage out of it.”NortheastNow
Koregaon Bhima riots victim threatened
Koregaon Bhima victim Rama Athawale has
alleged that she was threatened by unknown persons and was asked not to oppose
the accused’s bail in court. She has filed a complaint regarding the issue in
Faraskhana Police station. Cops have filed a non-cognisable offence. Rama
Athawale, a victim from Koregaon Bhima riots is currently residing in Pune in a
house located in PMC colony in Kasba Peth. The family’s home was vandalised in
the riots after which PMC had allocated a home to her family on temporary
basis. punemirror
WORLD
MBS approved 'intervention' against
dissidents: NYT
More than a year before the killing of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, also known as MBS, approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters,
the New York Times has reported.The campaign included surveillance, kidnapping,
detention and torture of Saudis, said the report published on Sunday citing the
US officials who have read classified intelligence reports about the
effort.American officials referred to it as the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group,
the Times said.One of the victims of this group was a university lecturer who
reported on the situation of women and was tortured last year, prompting her to
attempt suicide.Saudi Arabia has a long history of pursuing dissidents,
including those based outside the country, but this practice has seen a major
upsurge following Prince Mohammed's promotion as the crown prince in 2017.At
least some of the clandestine missions were carried out by the members of the
team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi in October at the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul, suggesting his murder was part of a wider campaign against
dissidents, the report said, citing the US officials and associates of some
Saudi victims.These members were involved in at least a dozen operations
beginning in 2017, the officials said, including forcibly repatriating Saudis
from other Arab countries.The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post
contributing columnist, generated global outrage, leading to a call by some US
senators for President Donald Trump to designate and punish those
responsible.Trump did not comply.aljazeera
Algeria: Muslim Brotherhood demands that
Bouteflika step down
Abdul Razzaq Al-Maqri, head of the Society for
Peace Movement in Algeria, called on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the
ruling party to step down after weeks of mass protests in the country.Al-Maqri,
leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political branch in Algeria, stated in an
online statement, late Saturday, that the legitimacy of the popular protests is
greater than that of the constitution, and that the authorities must respond
quickly to the people’s demands.He added:“Gang, i.e. the ruling party, refuses
to respond to the Algerian people so far. They must hear the Algerians’ voices
bursting in the streets and obey their demands as they are the source of power.
Al-Maqri warned the Algerian people of some attempts to appropriate popular
uprising and to speak on behalf of the people in media outlets, saying: “No one
represents the public opinion other than the Algerian people and the will of
citizens.” He explained that “Algerians went out to the streets driven by their
own will to change. No one pushed them to revolt but they were provoked by the
unreasonable imposition of Bouteflika’s candidacy for the fifth term and the
state’s continuous policy based on ignoring and turning the back on the
people’s demands.”MEMO
Turkey prepares to deport 12 Muslim
Brotherhood members to Egypt over violations: sources
CAIRO:Turkish authorities are planning to
deport 12 people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood to Egypt over a number
of charges including violating laws of residency, sources told Saudi-owned
al-Arabiya. Some of the arrested MB members are also accused of joining
jihadist groups and defecting from MB group, according to the sources. All the
individuals arrested are facing severe sentences up to life imprisonment in
Egypt over involvement in terror acts and violence. Egypt Today
China says 13,000 'terrorists' arrested in
Xinjiang since 2014
Authorities in China have arrested almost
13,000 "terrorists" in the restive far western region of Xinjiang
since 2014, govt said on Monday.The announcement was made in a lengthy policy
paper again defending Beijing's controversial "deradicalisation"
measures.China has faced growing international opprobrium for setting up
facilities that UN experts describe as detention centres holding more than one
million Uighurs and other Muslims.Beijing says it needs the measures to stem
the threat of militancy and calls the jails "vocational training
centres".Legal authorities have adopted a policy that "strikes the
right balance between compassion and severity", government said in its
white paper.aljazeera
New Zealand attack: PM Ardern mulls deporting
Tarrant; vows gun law reforms in 10 days
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on
Monday said she was seeking advice on potentially deporting 28-year old
Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, the White nationalist behind March 15
Christchurch mosques shootings that claimed the lives of 50 people.“I don’t
want to go too far down that track while we’re obviously in early stages.
Charges have been laid, we can expect additional charges, he’ll be appearing in
the High Court on the 5th of April, so there’s obviously a process that needs
to be gone through here,” said Arden, when asked by reporters if 28-year-old
was likely to be deported to Australia.“But I can say I am seeking advice on
what will happen thereafter,” she added.Further, New Zealand PM vowed to unveil
reforms to the country's existing gun laws in next 10 days.nationalheraldindia
Christchurch shootings: NZ cabinet backs
tighter gun laws
New Zealand Terror Attack Is Turning Out To Be
One Of Worst For Indians Abroad, 8 Confirmed Dead
A 25-year-old student from Telangana was among
those killed in the terror attack in New Zealand ’s Christchurch, taking the
number of Indians and persons of Indian origin who died in the massacre to
8.Ozair Khadir, 25, who belonged to Hyderabad, is the third person from
Telangana to have been killed in the attack.Indian high commissioner’s office
in New Zealand confirmed his death on Sunday. He was killed in Masjid Al Noor,
one of the two mosques that were attacked by Australian gunman Brenton
Tarrant.Khadir wanted to follow in his brother’s footsteps and was studying
aeronautical engineering in New Zealand. Khadir’s parents have left for the
island country.indiatimes
Death Toll of Pakistanis in New Zealand
Mosques Terror Attack Rises to 9
Islamabad: 9 Pakistani nationals have been
killed in the terror attack on Christchurch mosques in New Zealand, authorities
here said.Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that the number of dead
rose to 9 after three more persons were confirmed dead by the New Zealand
authorities."A total of 9 Pakistanis were killed in New Zealand terror
attack,' he said.PTI
New Zealand rugby's Crusaders to mull name
change after mosque massacre
New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders rugby team
said they would consult with the Muslim community about a potential change of
name after criticism following Friday’s massacre.The name of the reigning Super
Rugby champions has been questioned in the past, but the club said “we
understand the concerns that have been raised” after the mass shooting, which
left 50 people dead.Distinctive writing on the attacker’s weaponry included the
names of historical figures from the Crusades, the religious wars waged by
European Christians against Muslims for control of the Holy Land in the Middle
Ages. “In terms of the Crusaders name, we understand the concerns that have
been raised,” chief executive Colin Mansbridge said in a statement.“In our
view, this is a conversation that we should have and we are taking on board all
of the feedback that we are receiving, however, we also believe that the time
for that is not right now,” he added.“At an appropriate time, we will
thoroughly consider the issues that have been raised and our response to that.
That will include conversations with a range of people, including our Muslim
community.”japantimes
OIC foreign ministers to meet next week in
wake of NZ attacks: Qureshi
Foreign ministers of Muslim nations will meet
in Istanbul on March 22 where an emergency meeting of Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) has been called to discuss ways of addressing anti-Islam
sentiment following the twin mosque massacres in New Zealand, Pakistan Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced Sunday.Qureshi said that Turkey holding
the rotatory OIC presidency decided to summon the Council of Foreign Ministers
meeting after consultations."Idea (behind summoning the meeting) is to
devise a strategy against Islamophobia, while keeping the Christchurch tragedy
in mind, he said, adding that the participants will discuss the root cause of
the issue.Qureshi said that Pakistan will observe a day of mourning on Monday
for victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks and flags would fly at
half-mast.PTI
‘You are my friends’: British man stands guard
outside his local mosque after Christchurch attack
In the aftermath of the deadly terror attack
on two mosques in New Zealand that claimed the lives of at least 50 people
including five Indians, a man standing guard outside the Levenshulme mosque in
Machester has received praise online. A picture of him holding a placard that
read “You are my friends. I will keep watch while you pray” has gone
viral.However, many were curious about the identity of the man which was later
revealed by his daughter, Ruth Kyle. “Dear world. This is my Dad
@AndrewGraystone and I am so proud, in every way, to be his daughter!” she
tweeted in response to many enquiring about him.Graystone shared that he
decided to stand outside the Mosque because he wanted people to know that “we
can respond with friendship”. “As people walked up, you could see in their eyes
that they were looking at somebody standing outside their mosque, thinking, ‘Oh
no, is this some kind of protest or whatever’. And then when they saw the
message saying ‘You are my friend’, their faces broke and they beamed and
smiled,”he told BBC.indianexpress
Eiffel Tower goes dark to pay tribute to the
Christchurch victims
Suspected New Zealand mosque gunman visited
Israel in 2016
The main suspect in New Zealand’s mosque
attacks made a brief visit to Israel in late 2016, Israeli officials said on
Sunday.Brenton Tarrant, an Australian national, entered Israel in October 2016
on a 3-month tourist visa and stayed for nine days, an official with Israel’s
Population and Immigration Authority told Reuters.The official said there were
no further details available on what Tarrant, 28, did during his stay in
Israel. Australian embassy and New Zealand consulate in Israel did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.MEMO
Over 1 million sign petition for Australian
senator removal
Over 1 million people have signed a petition
to remove Australian Senator Fraser Anning from parliament after his remarks
following Friday's attacks at mosques in New Zealand."Remove Fraser Anning
from parliament" petition started on change.org -- world's largest
petition platform--by local neurologist Kate Ahmad.Anadolu
1 killed in shooting in Dutch city of Utrecht:
Police
One person has been killed and several wounded
after a gunman opened fire in a tram in the central Dutch city of
Utrecht.Police, including heavily armed officers, flooded the area after the
shooting happened on Tuesday morning at a busy traffic intersection in a
residential neighbourhood.A witness told local RTV Utrecht that the shooting
took place inside the tram at the 24 Oktoberplein in the city's west.Police
also said a hunt was underway for the gunman in an incident authorities said
appeared to be a terrorist attack.Dutch broadcaster NOS said police surrounded
a building where the suspected gunman was believed to be holed up. There was no
immediate word on who the gunman was or on the precise number or identity of
the victims.aljazeera
1 Israeli soldier killed, 3 injured in West
Bank
An Israeli soldier was killed in a shooting in
the northern West Bank on Sunday, according to Israeli authorities.A military
statement said a Palestinian stabbed and killed an Israeli soldier at the
entrance of illegal Ariel settlement before taking his weapon, which he used to
wound another soldier and an Israeli settler.The incident began at an
intersection near Ariel, a large settlement, where the Palestinian, using the
Israeli soldier’s gun, fired at three vehicles, hitting a civilian, the Israeli
military said.He then took a car, driving it to another nearby junction where
he shot a second soldier before continuing on to a nearby Palestinian
village.It was not immediately clear if more than one assailant was involved.
Israeli settler officials identified the wounded civilian as a local rabbi.
Hospital officials said he was in critical condition.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu's party leads in polls ahead of
Israel ballot
Right-wing Likud party has overtaken Blue and
White, a center political alliance, three weeks before Israel's general
election on April 9, a new survey showed Monday.The survey published by Kan
channel showed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-led Likud party would win
31 seats in Knesset (Israel's parliament) against 30 seats for the Benny
Gantz-led coalition.This is the first time the Likud surpasses Blue and White
alliance since the latter was formed around one month ago. Labor Party came in
the third place with nine seats. Survey was conducted by an Israeli private
company of 583 random Israelis. Israeli govt requires approval of at least 61
Knesset members out of total 120.Anadolu
Israel approves plan to reoccupy Gaza
Israeli occupation army proposed a plan to
reoccupy the besieged Gaza Strip during any future offensive, Al-Khaleej Online
reported.The plan was approved 14 years after Israel’s unilateral disengagement
from the costal enclave.Wallah news website, which is close to the Israeli
intelligence, said the plan were prepared when Gadi Eisenkot was the chief of
staff while his predecessor Aviv Kofach approved it.The news website reported
senior Israeli military officials saying: “Hamas might flareup the region and go
for a major confrontation if the truce understandings failed.”middleeastmonitor
Israel: Top court bans Jewish Power's Michael
Ben-Ari from polls
Israel's Supreme Court has banned the leader
of a far-right ultranationalist party from running in next month's
elections.Reversing the decisions of Israel's elections committee earlier this
month, the court ruled on Sunday to bar Michael Ben-Ari, the leader of the
Jewish Power party, in an 8-1 vote. Ben-Ari has come under fire for comments he
made about Palestinian citizens of Israel, which Attorney General Avichai
Mandelblit previously said amount to "incitement to racism" and
"calling for a violent renunciation of the Arab population's
rights".These include a May 2018 speech in which Ben-Ari called Israeli Arabs
"enemies from within", according to the Haaretz website. aljazeera
US denies report 1,000 troops to remain in
Syria
US's top general denied Sunday a report
suggesting the military plans to keep roughly half of its 2,000 troops
stationed in Syria following a withdrawal President Donald Trump described in
December as immediate and complete.Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford
called the reported new force numbers "factually incorrect,"
insisting there has been no change to the planned 400 troops the White House
announced last month."Further, we continue to conduct detailed military
planning with the Turkish General Staff to address Turkish security concerns
along the Turkey-Syria border," Dunford said in a statement.
"Planning to date has been productive and we have an initial concept that
will be refined in the coming days."The Wall Street Journal reported
earlier in the day that ongoing negotiations between the US, Turkey and
European allies over a potential safe zone in northeastern Syria -- a key
element of Trump's departure plan -- have yet to lead to a conclusive
agreement. Anadolu Agency
Cyclone Idai death toll at 215, Beira city '90%
destroyed'
The death toll has risen to at least 215 after
Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique last week before continuing on to
Zimbabwe and Malawi, bringing flash floods and ferocious winds.At least 126
people were killed in Mozambique and Malawi, according to the Red Cross, and
Zimbabwe's information ministry on Monday put the number of dead at 89 in the
country.aljazeera
Flash: views &
NEWS
Anti-Islam fanaticism a growing global
trend:Sunanda K Datta-Ray
From Vivekananda to Aurobindo, no one’s idea
of Hinduism matched the Hindutva of the RSS:Ashutosh
Why Narendra Modi's #MainBhiChowkidar Campaign
Is Sheer Hypocrisy:Swati Chaturvedi
Modi is usually quick to condemn terror
attacks on Twitter. So why not for New Zealand?Vijayta Lalwani
The Chapters of History the Government Doesn't
Want Students to Read:Tanika Sarkar
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:38 PM)
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