NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
11 April 2019: 05 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:173
INDIA: ELECTIONS
1st phase voting: Violence,
technical glitches, missing names mar 1st phase of polling
New Delhi:The first phase of Lok Sabha
elections kicked off Thursday as people turned up in huge numbers to elect 91
parliamentarians in over a month-long polling exercise. Voting began in 91 Lok
Sabha constituencies across 20 states and Union Territories today in the first
of the mega seven-phase general elections. In Andhra Pradesh, at least two
people were killed in poll-related violence in Tadipatri after TDP and YSRCP
factions clashed outside a polling booth. According to ANI, Manipur recorded highest
polling percentage at 78.20 per cent (upto 5 pm) for Lok Sabha elections,
followed by Assam at 68 per cent, Lakshadweep at 65.9 per cent, Meghalaya at 62
per cent, Telangana 60.57 per cent followed by others.Hindi heartland states of
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar recorded poll percentage of 59.77 and 50.26 per cent
respectively.Among 8 Parliamentary constituencies of UP that went to poll
today, the highest poll percentage was of Saharanpur at 63.76 per cent,
followed by Muzaffarnagar at 60.80 per cent, Bijnor at 60.60 per cent and then
others. In Bihar, the highest poll percentage was at Jamui (SC) at 53.35 per
cent.The polling percentage in Maharashtra was 55.78 per cent with the highest
being that of Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) seat with 61.33%.AP polling percentage
remained over 54 per cent.In Odisha, residents of Bhejipadar village in
Kalahandi district boycotted the first phase of LS polls today alleging that
they are still awaiting a proper road connectivity to their village despite
complaining to the administration since 2017. CRPF told ANI that troops of 113
Battalion were fired upon while they were returning from booth number 283 in
Tumrikasa Village of Gadchiroli's Dhanora at 4 pm. indianexpress
"Want Right Party To Get My Vote":
EVM Glitches Sour Poll Mood On Day 1
Violence, reports of EVM glitches and missing
names mar round one of Election 2019
Faulty EVMs, violent clashes mar general
elections in AP
Vijayawada:Polling to 175 Assembly and 25 Lok
Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh was marred by violent clashes between
YSRCP and TDP workers leading to death of TDP worker in Anantapur and by non-
functional EVMs in a large number of polling booths across the State.Faulty
EVMs led to delay of commencement of polling in several constituencies. CEO,
Gopal Krishna Dwivedi himself faced this problem in a polling booth at
Tadepalli in Guntur district. He had to wait to cast his vote for some time
till the defective EVM was replaced. Many people returned home without casting
their votes due to the technical snags that hit EVMs across the State.The
defective EVMs created a situation where voters could be seen standing outside
polling booths in long queues but polling percentage hovered around just 10 per
cent in the first 2 hours in many of the constituencies.Unlike in the past,
they rushed to booths in the morning itself to avoid the scorching sun.This
prompted CM N. Chandrababu Naidu to demand re-polling at multiple locations and
extension of voting time by 3 hours. In a memorandum to CEO, Naidu blamed EVMs
for delayed commencement of polling across the State and estimated the number
of such machines at 30%.He insisted that this awkward situation could have been
avoided if the ECI opted for the paper ballot system instead of EVMs and
VVPATs.In Machilipatnam Assembly segment, the polling staff has reportedly
deleted 125 votes that were polled on EVMs by mistake after they learnt that
they did not clear the votes that were cast during the mock poll.the hindu
Large-scale malfunctioning of EVMs reported
across Visakhapatnam
Naidu slams EC, says 30 per cent EVMs not
working
Oppn parties complain of EVMs malfunctioning
in J&K; BSF accused of coercing
voters
Opposition parties in J&K, Congress, NC
and PDP today alleged that security forces were “coercing” people to vote for
BJP and that EVMs in some places malfunctioned.PDP president and ex CM Mehbooba
Mufti tweeted a video showing voters raising anti-BJP slogans after they were
allegedly “roughed up” by BSF personnel for not voting for the saffron party.
“A voter at a polling booth in Jammu was manhandled by BSF because he refused
to cast his vote for BJP. Using armed forces at polling stations to coerce
people to vote for BJP shows their desperation & hunger to usurp power by
hook or crook,” she tweeted.Earlier, NC leader and ex CM Omar Abdullah also
shared link on Twitter: “Congress symbol button not working in Poonch polling
stations". Congress candidate from Jammu Lok Sabha seat, Raman Bhalla
alleged large scale EVM malfunction in Poonch and Mendhar belt of the
constituency. He said that people have protested over the issue.Another
Congress leader and former state minister Shabir Khan said that the defective
EVMs were sent to remote and rural areas of border districts of Rajouri and
Poonch. “People held protests against it, but nothing has been done to repair
the machines,” he alleged. deccanherald
BSF accused of coercing voters in Poonch,
Congress button not working in some EVMs:PDP,NC
BSF 'Forcing' People to Vote for BJP, Congress
Button Not Working in Some EVMs:PDP,NC
EVM controversy in Saharanpur after BSP’s vote
seen going to BJP, DM says nothing wrong
Saharanpur :One Dhara Singh told reporters
that when he reached the polling booth in Saharanpur to cast his vote, he was
stunned to see his vote going in favour of the BJP. He told reporters, “I was
pressing the elephant (BSP’s election symbol), but my vote was going to BJP.
The same happened with five other people. This prompted us to complain to the
election officials present there.”Dhara said that around 138 votes had been
cast when he noticed the malfunctioning. He said that election officials had
refused to act even after he brought the malfunctioning to their attention.The
video of Dhara speaking to reporters was shared by senior journalist Rajdeep
Sardesai on Twitter.jantakareporter
BSP
writes to EC about Dalits being stopped from reaching booths by UP police
BSP has written to the Election Commission saying
BSP voters, especially Dalits, were being stopped form reaching polling booths.
BSP has reportedly said that the Uttar Pradesh police is stopping the voters on
“diktats from higher-ups”. BSP writes to EC: We are receiving info from various
polling stations that BSP voters specially dalits are being stopped from
reaching polling booths by use of force by UP police. All this is apparently
being done on diktat of higher-ups. Immediate intervention is
required.huffingtonpost
LS Voting : EC Rejects BJP's Balyan's Claim Of
'Fake Voting' By Women In Burqas In Muzaffarnagar
Election Commission has refuted BJP leader
Sanjeev Balyan allegation of “fake” voting was taking place in UP’s
Muzaffarnagar because faces of women wearing burqas were not being checked.
“Faces of women in burqa are not being checked and I allege that fake voting is
being done. If not looked into, I will demand a re-poll,” Balyan said. However,
additional CEO BR Tiwari rejected this claim.“If a woman is in a veil, there
are women officials who verify their identity and only then allow them to vote.
No such incident has come to our notice,” he said, ANI quoted.huffingtonpost
About 81% polling in Tripura: CPI(M), Congress
allege massive rigging
Agartala :CPI(M) and Congress alleged massive
rigging in west Tripura Lok Sabha constituency which went to polls on Thursday
in the first phase. They said extent of malpractices with support of security
establishment and administration was unprecedented in the State and criticised
Election Commission for lack of measures to hold free and fair polls.
Approximately 81.23% electors turned out to cast vote, said election department
citing reports available at 5 pm. CPI(M) demanded repolling in 460 of total
1679 polling stations. Congress also accused BJP of rigging, attack and
intimidation across the constituency. Party candidate Subal Bhowmik alleged
that the election officials, observers and central forces were not seen in areas
where booths were ‘captured’.Bhowmik echoed CPI(M) allegation of expulsion of
polling agents from most of booths. CCTV cameras were damaged in several booths
to hide misdeeds, he added.thehindu
Many observers see 2019 election as inflection
point in Indian history: US Congressional report
Many
observers see 2019 election as an inflection point in Indian history, according
to a latest US Congressional report which said that a repeat performance by the
ruling BJP in the polls could herald a new era of single-party dominance.In the
report prepared primarily for US lawmakers, the independent Congressional
Research Service (CRS) on the ongoing elections said that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi "has become the primary, if not sole target of the
opposition", but no individual challenger has emerged. CRS reports warn
that a continuation of BJP-led administration could entail an "unwelcome
continuation of its perceived illiberal policies"."A repeat
performance could thus herald a new era of single-party dominance. Perhaps more
crucially, the election pits an unabashedly Hindu nationalist prime minister
and ruling party against an array of more secular-minded parties, some focused
on the interests of India's large lower-caste and Muslim minorities," said
CRS report.CRS is the bipartisan and independent research wing of US Congress
which prepares reports on various domestic and global issues for the lawmakers
for information purposes only.While Congress president chief Rahul Gandhi,
"the inheritor of a family dynasty that includes 3 past prime
ministers", has the highest profile among potential leaders of an
opposition coalition, CRS report says the opposition's zeal to oust NDA has led
to some unusual alliances "In Jan, the leaders of 2 powerful UP-based
parties agreed to set aside their bitter rivalry to cooperate in defeating BJP.
Other influential regional parties are maneuvering toward a potential
opposition grand alliance," said the report dated March 28.Noting that
secularism has been a more-or-less enshrined value in India, although its
conception in both theory and practice varies widely, the Congressional report
says Indian voters may face a landmark choice between two overarching
identities for their country-- one,a pluralist, secular polity where religious
minorities enjoy full equality; the other, a nation in which roughly 250
million non-Hindu citizens must accept Hindu majoritarianism, with potentially
dire consequences for India's civil liberties.PTI
Pakistan ‘supporting’ Modi in LS polls, wants
riots to spread in India:Kejriwal
Pakistan and its PM Imran Khan are
“supporting” Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls as they want riots to spread
in India, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged Thursday. AAP chief also
alleged that what Pakistan could not do in 70 years, their “friend” Modi did it
in five years — that is damaging India’s brotherhood. His remarks on Twitter
came after BJP tweeted that it will ensure implementation of the National
Register of Citizens (NRC) in the country and will “remove every single
infiltrator”, except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. “Pakistan and (PM) Imran Khan
want riots to spread in India. That is why Pakistan is openly supporting Modi
in the upcoming polls,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. In an interview to a small
group of foreign journalists, Imran Khan had said that he believes there may be
a better chance of peace talks with India and settle the Kashmir issue if Prime
Minister Modi’s party BJP wins the general elections.“Perhaps if BJP….wins,
some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” the Pakistan premier had
said.PTI
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind asks Muslims to support
'secular parties' in UP
Lucknow: A day before the first phase of the
Lok sabha elections, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has asked Muslims to support
"secular parties" when they go out to vote in UP. State president of
JIH, Mohammad Naim told TOI on Wednesday, "JIH has asked all Muslims to
vote for secular parties and with SP-BSP ghatbandhan strong in UP, we will be
supporting their candidates in the state." Naim who said a detailed
presser on the organisation's support to 'secular' parties will be held at its
Lucknow office today, also added that not just SP-BSP coalition, but also
Congress will receive the body's support in this elections. "On certain
seats, where the Congress party is strong, we will extend our support to
Congress party there," he added.
JIH earlier in March, had released a Peoples' Manifesto at the Press
Club of India, Delhi.TOI
Despite EC’s Rebuke, Yogi Rakes Communal
‘Ali-Bajrang Bali’ Remark
UP CM Yogi Adityanath stoked controversy on
Tuesday, dubbing the Muslim League a “green virus” and suggesting that Hindu
and Muslim voters are in an “Ali-Bajrang Bali” contest.Attacking BSP leader
Mayawati for recently appealing to Muslims to vote for the Opposition alliance
in UP, Adityanath said now Hindus have “no option” but to vote for BJP. BJP
leader said Dalit-Muslim unity is impossible, and in Bareilly, he accused
Mayawati of hurting Dalit sentiments with her call to Muslim voters at a rally
in Saharanpur's Deoband.“If the Congress, SP and BSP have faith in Ali, then we
too have faith in Bajrang Bali,” BJP leader said at an election meeting in
Meerut.Ali is a revered figure in Islam and Lord Hanuman is often called
Bajrang Bali.the quint
BJP opposes setting up of Islamic bank by AP
govt
Vijayawada: BJP National Spokesperson and MP
GVL Narasimha Rao said that the party would oppose the Chandrababu Naidu
government’s proposal of setting up of an "Islamic bank" to extend
financial help to the Muslims.He said that the RBI would not permit to set up
such a bank in India. He alleged that Naidu is following the Congress party for
creating a vote bank, ignoring the National interests. “BJP vehemently opposes
the proposal of establishing Islamic bank by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister as
the law of the country will not permit such entity to be existed in the
country”, he added.UNI
RSS Helping Pranab Mukherjee's Son, A Congress
Candidate, Contest LS Polls from Jangipur: Mamata
Kolkata: While criticising the Congress for
coming to a political understanding with BJP and the CPI(M), West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that the RSS is helping former
President Pranab Mukherjee’s son, Abhijit Mukherjee, to contest the Lok Sabha
elections from Jangipur in Murshidabad district.Banerjee said, “Our mission is
to oust BJP from Bengal. I would like to tell you that even the Congress has a
secret political understanding with BJP… both are the same. The RSS is helping
Pranab Mukherjee’s son and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to win this
Lok Sabha election from Jangipur and Baharampur.” Abhijit will contest the
elections from Jangipur Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. News18
Angry Over Govt's 'Step-Motherly Treatment,'
Kashmir's Sikhs to Boycott Polls
Srinagar: Claiming successive state and
Central governments have ignored their demands, Kashmir’s Sikh community has
now vowed to not participate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.After Pandits,
Sikhs are the second minority community in the state. According to official
data, the Sikh population in Jammu and Kashmir is 2.03% – with 0.88% in the
Kashmir division. Expressing indignation, Sikh community leaders said their
grievances have remained unaddressed for long. Among their major demands – for
which the community says they have been fighting for decades – are the
extension of the Minority Community Act to the state and the introduction of
Punjabi language in schools and colleges. The decision to boycott the upcoming
parliamentary elections has been taken by the All Party Sikh Coordination
Committee (APSCC).thewire
BJP will remove all infiltrators from the
country, except Hindus and Buddhists:Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday said his
party will ensure that the National Register of Citizens is implemented across
the entire country if it forms the next government. Addressing a rally in
Darjeeling district in West Bengal, Shah said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
was spreading lies about the NRC.“We have promised in our manifesto that once
Narendra Modi forms government once again, we will implement National Register
of Citizens in the entire country,” Shah said. “We will remove every single
infiltrator from the country. And all the Hindu and Buddhist refugees...we will
find each of them, give them Indian citizenship and make them residents here.” Scroll
BJP Will Scrap Article 370, Introduce NRC
Across the Country: Amit Shah
PM Modi’s Balakot remark prima facie
violation: Poll officer
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal this
week in Latur to all first-time voters to “dedicate” their votes to the “brave
soldiers” who carried out the Balakot air strike and to the “braves martyred”
in the Pulwama terror attack is a violation of the Election Commission’s
instructions prohibiting the use of armed forces for political gains, the
Osmanabad District Election Officer (DEO) is learnt to have said in his report
submitted to the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).According to sources
in the state CEO office, the DEO’s report PM’s Balakot remark prima facie
violation, says poll office along with his comments have been forwarded to the
EC and the final call on the matter rests with the Commission. Indianexpress
It Is Not a Voter's Concern Where Political
Parties' Money Comes From, AG Tells SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today reserved
its order on a PIL challenging the government’s electoral bond scheme for
political funding.A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi said it would pronounce
its order tomorrow on the plea filed by NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms
(ADR).NGO, which has challenged the validity of the scheme, has sought interim
relief including that either the issuance of electoral bonds be stayed or the
names of the donors be made public to ensure transparency in the poll
process.Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, supported
the scheme saying the purpose behind it is to eliminate the use of black money
in elections.thewire
OTHERS
India’s population growth rate outpaced China
in last 9 years: UN report
New Delhi :India’s population grew at an
average of 1.2 per cent annually between 2010 and 2019, more than double the
annual growth rate of China, a report by the United Nations Population Fund
revealed.In the State of World Population 2019 report, the UN sexual and
reproductive health agency said India’s population in 2019, stood at 1.36
billion, growing from 942.2 million in 1994 and 541.5 million in 1969.China’s
population, on the other hand, stood at 1.42 billion in 2019, growing from 1.23
billion in 1994 and 803.6 million in 1969. According to UN report, the
country’s population grew at an average of 0.5 per cent annually between 2010
and 2019.27 per cent of India’s population was in the age bracket of 0-14 years
and 10-24 years, while 67 per cent of the country’s population was in the 15-64
age bracket. 6 per cent of the country’s population was of the age 65 and above.In
India, the report said, the total fertility rate per woman declined from 5.6 in
1969 to 3.7 in 1994 and 2.3 in 2019. The country registered an improvement in
life expectancy at birth. The life expectancy at birth in 1969 was 47 years,
growing to 60 years in 1994 and 69 years in 2019. indian express
Ban pellets, PSA, AFSPA in Kashmir not civil
traffic on highway: Dy Mayor, Srinagar
http://risingkashmir.com/news/ban-pellets-psa-afspa-in-kashmir-not-civil-traffic-on-highway-dy-mayor-
Deputy
Mayor Srinagar, Sheikh Muhammad Imran on Wednesday said instead of banning the
civil traffic on the highway, government should ban pellet guns, PSA, AFSPA and
other black laws in the Kashmir. Imran said instead of banning of these things
they should ban the use of pellet guns, AFSPA, PSA and other such black laws in
the state. “Highways have never been banned for civil traffic, it is Hitler’s
policy and these things should be reviewed again,” he said. He said that BJP
should be renamed as Ban Janta Party because they are banning everything in the
country. They have banned beef, Triple talaq, Jamaat-I-Islami, Peace Tv, Zakir
Naik and other things in the state which is the clear human rights
violation.risingkashmir
There’s a drop in Muslims clearing UPSC exam
this year, but it’s not all bad news
New Delhi: The number of Muslim candidates
clearing the prestigious UPSC exam has fallen to 28 this year from 50 in 2018.
But this is a function of the reduction in the total number of candidates
recruited, which has also fallen to 782 from 980 last year.The decline does not
reflect a reverse trend, said Syed Zafar Mahmood, founder of Delhi-based Zakat Foundation,
which provides subsidised coaching to Muslim civil service aspirants. Eighteen
of the 28 candidates are Zakat products, including Junaid Ahmed, who secured
all-India rank 3.“I think the number is just an aberration. Overall, Muslims
are becoming more interested in UPSC than they have been for many decades,”
Mahmood, a former civil servant, said.the print
Pakistan Military Takes Media, Foreign
Diplomats On Balakot Tour To Disprove India's Strike Claims
Pakistan military on Wednesday took a group of
international media personnel and foreign diplomats on a tour of the seminary
and its surrounding areas in Balakot, where India carried out a counter-terror
operation 43 days ago.According to BBC Urdu, the group was flown from Islamabad
in a helicopter to Jabba in Balakot. The visitors trekked for about
one-and-a-half hour to reach the madrassa on the top of a mountain surrounded
by lush green trees.The group, while going up, also saw a ditch on a hillside
where India jets dropped its payload, according to Pakistan military.About 150
students, aged 12-13, were present inside the seminary building and were being
taught Quran when the group reached inside the madrassa, they said.The visit by
the group lasted for about 20 minutes and the participants were allowed to take
pictures and even some of them spoke to the teachers present there. Army
spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor held formal and informal chat with the
reporters.“This is an old madrassa and has always been like this,” he said,
indicating that Indian claim of hitting it was not true.This was the first
formal visit of foreign media and diplomats to the place about which India
claimed that its strike killed scores of militants.huffingtonpost
Pakistan High Court says Hindu sisters’ case
is not one of forced conversion: Report
A Pakistan High Court on Thursday ruled out
forced conversion in the case of the two Hindu teenage sisters whose families
had alleged that they had been abducted and forcibly adopted Islam, Dawn
reported. The court also permitted the sisters to live with their husbands. The
family has said that the siblings are minors, aged between 13 and 15.The siblings
and their husbands had moved the Islamabad High Court on March 25 seeking
protection from government action after the girls’ family filed a police case
alleging abduction and forced conversion. The siblings in their petition said
that they belong to a Hindu family in Ghotki, Sindh, and converted as they were
“impressed by Islamic teachings”, Dawn had earlier reported.The Islamabad High
Court gave its verdict based on the findings of a five-member commission that
was tasked with looking into the allegations of forced conversion on April 2.
The members are Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, Muslim scholar Mufti Taqi
Usmani, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Mehdi Hasan, National
Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz and human rights
activist IA Rehman.scroll.in
Assam Police Arrests 4 in Shaukat Ali Mob
Attack Case, Hunt on to Nab the Rest
New Delhi: 3 more accused have been arrested
by Assam police in the April 7 mob attack on an elderly man, Shaukat Ali, where
he was also forced to consume pork – which is prohibited by his religion. The
mob had also heckled and abused Kamal Thapa, the manager of the local weekly
market in Bishwanth Chariali area where Ali has been running an eatery for over
three decades.Those arrested on April 10 have been identified as Dipak Koal,
Subhal Koal and Jintu Saikia. According to the state police, in all, 4 persons
have been arrested so far and the hunt is on to nab the rest of the accused
named in the two FIRs filed by Ali’s brother and Thapa. One Dipen Gogoi was the
first to be arrested by police in the case (No 80/2019) on April 9 evening. Thewire
WORLD
Sudan's military seizes power from President
Omar al-Bashir
Sudan's armed forces have overthrown and
arrested President Omar al-Bashir after months of protests against his nearly
30-year rule.In a statement on Thursday, General Awad Ibn Auf said Bashir was
taken to a "safe place" after the "toppling of the regime"
and also announced the formation of a military-led transitional government,
which will rule for two years."The armed forces will take power with
representation of the people to pave the way for Sudanese people to live in
dignity," said Ibn Auf, the country's vice president and defence
minister.He also declared a three-month state of emergency and the suspension
of the 2005 constitution, as well the closure of Sudan's airspace for 24 hours
and of border crossings until further notice.All of Sudan's government's
institutions, including the national assembly and national council of
ministers, have been dissolved, Ibn Auf added, assuring that Sudan would soon prepare
for "free and fair" elections.Ibn Auf's announcement came against the
backdrop of a sixth successive day of anti-government protests outside Sudan's
army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.Demonstrators have staged a mass
sit-in outside the complex to call for the army to support their bid to see
Bashir peacefully removed from power.Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA),
which has been spearheading the protests, rejected Ibn Auf's move as a
"military coup", however, and vowed to hold further demonstrations.Protests
against Bashir, who took power in 1989 and is wanted by the International
Criminal Court, started in December over rising bread prices but quickly
morphed into broader calls for him to step down.Critics accuse the 75-year-old
of mismanaging Sudan's economy, resulting in high food prices, regular fuel
shortages and widespread cash shortages.Representatives of the Girifna
resistance movement, which has helped organise the anti-government protests,
said it would continue to demonstrate against the government until its demands
were met."We want a four-year transition period where technocrats take
over the country to ready it for democracy. We want an army that will protect
us rather than rule over us," Hajouj Kouka, a member of Girifna, told Al
Jazeera from Kenya."We [the demonstrators] are very specific and untied
about this demand."The downfall of Bashir follows the toppling this month
of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, also following mass protests after
three decades in power. aljazeera
Omar al-Bashir: Sudan military coup topples
ruler after protests
Algeria sets presidential election for July 4
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/algeria-hold-elections-july-4-presidency-190410172027171.html
Algeria's newly appointed president has set
July 4 as the date for the country's postponed presidential election, according
to state media.The announcement on Wednesday came a day after Abdelkader
Bensalah was appointed as interim president for 90 days, replacing long-time
leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika who stepped down last week in the face of mass
protests against him. Bensalah, who will not be able to run in the election,
signed a decree on the vote shortly after taking the post on Tuesday, official agency
APS reported.aljazeera
Israel elections: Netanyahu set to win as
rival concedes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is
set to win re-election after his main rival conceded defeat.With more than 99
percent of votes counted, Netanyahu's Likud party was set to lead a right-wing
bloc with 65 of the 120 seats in parliament.His main challenger, Benny Gantz,
accepted the result on Wednesday, acknowledging that he had failed to unseat
the prime minister."We respect the decision of the people," he told
reporters.Although Gantz's Blue and White Party was set to win a similar number
of seats to Likud, there was no obvious path for its leader to find a
parliamentary majority.A number of right-wing parties expressed their support
for Netanyahu and are on course to give him a parliamentary majority.Addressing
a jubilant gathering of supporters early on Wednesday, Netanyahu praised the
crowd for an "almost inconceivable achievement".Final results are
expected to be announced on Thursday.US President Donald Trump phoned to
congratulate Netanyahu on his victory, the Israeli leader said later on
Wednesday. Trump told reporters at the White House that Netanyahu's re-election
improved the chances of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. However,
Diana Buttu, a Palestinian Haifa-based analyst and former legal adviser to
Palestinian peace negotiators, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu's renewed mandate
will allow him to continue his "policies of apartheid, colonisation and
racism".Voter turnout was 67.9 percent, down from 71.8 percent in 2015.
Turnout in the Arab community was significantly lower, standing at 46 percent
an hour before the polls closed.Despite a low voter turnout among Palestinians,
the Arab alliances of Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am-Balad passed the threshold,
gaining 6 and 4 seats respectively.However, their total of 10 Knesset seats is
lower than in the 2015 elections, when the Arab Joint List won 13, making them
the third-largest faction in parliament.aljazeera
Israeli army detains 19 Palestinians in W.
Bank raids
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-detains-19-palestinians-in-west-bank-raids/1449513
Ramallah:Israeli army rounded up 19
Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank,
according to a military statement released Thursday.In a statement, the army
said that the individuals had been detained for “suspected involvement in
popular hostile activities”.It did not elaborate on the nature of these alleged
“activities”.AA
Thousands displaced as Haftar's forces advance
on Libya capital
Thousands of people have been forced to flee
their homes in and around the Libyan capital because of fighting between
eastern-based forces and troops loyal to the country's internationally
recognised government. According to UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), at least 4,500 individuals have been displaced
since the clashes erupted six days ago, when renegade General Khalifa Haftar
ordered his forces to march on Tripoli.Many others remain trapped in their
homes, UNOCHA added, with more than 500,000 children deemed to be at
"immediate threat".At least 56 people have so far been killed, WHO
said.aljazeera
56 killed in weeklong Libya clashes: UN health
agency
Julian Assange arrested at Ecuadorian embassy
in London
London:WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was
arrested by police on Thursday after they were invited into the Ecuadorian
embassy in London where he has been holed up since 2012.Police said, “Julian
Assange, 47, has today, on Thursday April 11, been arrested by officers from
the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador.”Assange was
arrested after being “invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the
Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum.” He had been taken into custody
and would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court “as soon as is possible,”
police said.47-year-old faces allegations that he publicly released secret
documents relating to the United States. Assange had sought asylum at the
embassy after the Swedish authorities wanted to quiz him over allegations of
sexual assault and rape.thehindu
EU leaders agree to Brexit extension until Oct.
31
Leaders of the 27 countries remaining in the
European Union and British Prime Minister Theresa May have agreed to extend
Brexit until October 31.At an emergency meeting in Brussels that went on for
more than six hours on Wednesday, the EU leaders agreed to offer May a
six-month extension that was accepted by the British prime
minister."EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until 31 October. This
means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible
solution," European Council President Donald Tusk's text read.aljazeera
Yemen air raid: Thousands attend children's
funerals in Sanaa
Families have held funerals for the children
killed in a Saudi-Emirati coalition attack on a school in the Yemeni
capital.The latest attack may have killed several girls under the age of nine
in a Sanaa school, but the United Nations says that hundreds of Yemeni children
have been killed and injured since the start of 2019.That is despite the UN's
repeated calls for the bombings to stop.aljazeera
US resumes air raids in Somalia after brief
pause
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) says it has
resumed air raids against the al-Shabab group in Somalia after a brief pause
that followed a critical report condemning the "shroud of secrecy around
civilian deaths" caused by the US military.The latest operation was
carried out on Tuesday near Jilib, a town in Somalia's Middle Juba region,
southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, and killed one fighter, Africom said in a
press release on Wednesday. "Currently, we assess no civilians were
injured or killed as a result of this air strike," it added.aljazeera
Astronomers capture first-ever image of a
black hole
In a major breakthrough, astronomers on
Wednesday unveiled the highly anticipated image, which shows a dark core,
encircled by a fiery orange halo of white-hot gas and plasma."You have
probably seen many, many images of black holes before, but they were all
simulations or animations. And this [image] is so precious to all of us because
this one is finally real," Professor Heino Falcke of the Event Horizon
Telescope (EHT), an international collaboration behind the image said at a news
conference in Brussels.A series of simultaneous press events were held around
the world on Wednesday to share the announcement.The supermassive black hole in
the photo is 50m light-years away in a galaxy known as Messier 87 (M87).
Capturing the image at such a distance is comparable to photographing a pebble
on the surface of the Moon. aljazeera
Flash: views & NEWS
As Lok Sabha Elections Begin, the Seats and
Candidates to Watch out for:The Wire Analysis
Rafale deal: 3 documents that Govt didn’t want
in the public domain
Congress’ Hindutva politics in UP fuels a
sense of defeat among its Muslim leadership: caravanmagazine
The importance of IUML:Shajahan Madampat
Jallianwala Bagh massacre: Lost in pages of
history, protest tremors that shook Punjab now in Pak: Kamaldeep Singh Brar
If BJP Wins, Modi May Face Some Civil Service
Departures from His Office: Sources
In India’s election race Narendra Modi isn’t
the strongman the world assumes:Ruchir Sharma
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:53 PM)
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