NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
16 April 2019: 10 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:177
INDIA
36 like Nirav Modi have fled recently, ED admits
New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate has opposed
the bail plea of Sushen Mohan Gupta, alleged defence agent arrested in AgustaWestland
VVIP choppers scam, saying there was a likelihood of him fleeing the country
like 36 other businessmen who had criminal cases against them.ED told special
judge Arvind Kumar that 36 businessmen, including Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi,
have fled from the country in the recent past.The probe agency's special public
prosecutors DP Singh and NK Matta countered Sushen Mohan's claim that he had
deep roots in the society, saying, "Mallya, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul
Choksi and Sandesara brothers (Sterling Biotech Ltd promoters) had deeper roots
in the society yet they left the country. There are such 36 businessmen who
fled from the country in the last few years."ED's advocate Samvedna Verma
said the probe was at a crucial stage and the agency was trying to find out who
"RG" referred in the diaries of Sushen Mohan was.Samvedna Verma also
accused Sushen Mohan of influencing witnesses in the case and told the court
that he also tried to destroy evidence. The court reserved the order on Sushen
Mohan's bail application to April 20.Sushen Mohan sought relief on the ground
that the agency has already completed the investigation and filed a chargesheet
in the case.In his bail application, he said the ED's contention of flight risk
can be rejected, considering his past activities, where he joined the
investigation as and when summoned.PTI
SC Admits Muslim Couple's Plea to Allow Entry
of Women in Mosques, Cites Sabarimala Example
New Delhi:Citing the Constitution Bench
verdict in Sabarimala temple case,the Supreme Court today agreed to examine the
petition by a Pune-based Muslim couple, seeking a direction to allow women to
enter mosques without any restriction to offer prayers.A bench headed by
Justice SA Bobde observed that since there is a verdict in Sabarimala, the
court will have to examine this fresh petition as well. It questioned the
petitioner's lawyer whether fundamental rights can be asserted against
individuals and non-State subjects as well.“Is a mosque or a temple or a church
State?Can you seek your fundamental right against individuals? When entity
concerned is not a State, can we issue directions? Can we ask police to help
you if you want to enter somebody's house?”questioned the bench.It further
stated that since the SC has entertained such a plea in the Sabarimala case, the
present case will deserve a consideration too. It issued notices to the Centre,
India Muslim Personal Law Board, Central Wakf Council etc and sought their
replies in 4 weeks. Yasmeen and Zuber Ahmad Peerzade, in their joint plea, have
said:"The act of prohibition of females from entering mosque is void and
unconstitutional as such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity
of a woman as an individual but also violate the fundamental rights guaranteed
under Articles 14,15,21 and 25 of the Constitution."At present, women are
allowed to offer prayers at mosques under Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid
denominations, while they are barred from mosques under the predominant Sunni
faction, they contended. The petition argued that such a bar on Muslim women
was “violative of Article 44 of the Constitution, which encourages the State to
secure a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens,by eliminating discrepancies
between various personal laws currently in force in the country”.news18/
Petitioner for Women's Entry in Mosques Wants
Uniform Civil Code Too
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/petitioner-for-womens-entry-in-mosques-wants-uniform-civil-code-too
New Delhi:A petition filed in the Supreme
Court seeking directions to all mosques to allow Muslim women in for prayers. In
the 55-page petition, petitioner who goes by the name of Yasmeen Zuber Ahmad
Peerzade has one more demand: implementation of Uniform Civil Code in the
country. It urged the SC to consider if preventing women from entering mosques
is violation of Article 44 – the section of the Constitution that talks about
Uniform Civil Code. “Whether the act of preventing the females from entering
mosque is violative of Article 44 of the Constitution of India, which
encourages the State to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens, by
eliminating discrepancies between various personal laws currently in force in
the country,” the petitioner asked the court.“It is submitted that the Legislature
has failed to ensure the dignity and equality of women in general and Muslim
women in particular. Despite the observations of this Hon’ble Court for the
past few decades, Uniform Civil Code remains an elusive Constitutional goal
that the Courts have fairly refrained from enforcing through directions and the
Legislature has dispassionately ignored except by way of paying some lip
service,” reads the petition. India Tomorrow
SC takes note of ECI action against
Adityanath, Mayawati for making ‘hate speeches’
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday took
note of how Election Commission of India (ECI) quickly changed tack and passed
a flurry of orders against leading political candidates who delivered
communally laced speeches, hours after facing the wrath of the court for
describing itself as "toothless" and "powerless" in the
face of hate."Seems you have got your powers now," CJI Ranjan Gogoi
told ECI. CJI was referring to action taken by the ECI against Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Bahujan Samaj Party Mayawati, Samajwadi Party
leader Azam Khan and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi.They have been prohibited from
addressing public gathering variously for 48 to 72 hours.thehindu
EC must act against Modi for misrepresenting
his properties in poll affidavits, demands Congress
A day after a petition exposing alleged
irregularities in PM Narendra Modi’s poll affidavit was submitted in the
Supreme Court,Congress has demanded action against PM under Representation of
People Act,1951. Launching a scathing attack on Modi, Congress spokesperson
Pawan Khera raised the issue of alleged irregularities in the property declared
by PM, accusing him of furnishing contradictory information on his assets in Gandhinagar.
nationalheraldindia
Bhushan Asks EC to Act Against Modi, Shah for
Violating Election Codes
New Delhi:After the Election Commission acted
against four politicians for violating model codes of conduct, prominent
Supreme Court lawyer and anti-corruption crusader Prashant Bhushan asked the EC
to act against the ‘biggest violators’ of the election codes PM Narendra Modi
and CJP chief Amit Shah.Caravan Daily
Terrorism, unemployment, corruption: Survey
reveals what worries India most
New Delhi :Indians are more concerned about
terrorism than unemployment and political corruption, a global survey found. In
the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in Kashmir in February this year, almost 45
% of the respondents to the survey said they were most afraid of terrorism in
the country.According to The Ipsos What Worries the World Global Survey, while
almost half the respondents said they feared terrorism in the country, 44 %
also said they were worried about unemployment, and 42 % mentioned political
corruption. A significant number of Indians are also expressed concern over
Crime and Violence (33 %) and Poverty and Social Inequality (29 %).“Pulwama
strike has propelled Terrorism to the fore. It was way down in the pecking
order in the past waves. Terrorism is bothering Indians most. Likewise, lack of
jobs is weighing on the minds of Indians and govt. needs to take the bull by
the horns and actively needs to address job creation and tighten its
stranglehold on terrorism. Similarly, more concrete steps are needed for
tackling corruption. While strategies are being formulated by govt to address
them, our survey shows that Indians are preoccupied with concerns around these
macro issues and will like them to be mitigated,” said Parijat Chakraborty,
Service Line Leader, Ipsos Public Affairs, Customer Experience and Corporate
Reputation. In contrast, terrorism does not even feature in the top five global
concerns, according to the survey. 34 % of the global population worries about
political corruption and social inequality, followed by Unemployment (33%),
Crime & Violence (31%) and Healthcare (24%). Meanwhile, back home,
healthcare does not even feature in the list of issues.India, however, still
remains optimistic about its future as 73 % respondents said they feel the
country is going on the right track as against the global average where a
majority (54%) of the people feel their country is headed in a wrong direction.
Out of 28 countries which participated in the survey, 22 of them weren’t
optimistic about the future.At 94%, China inspires the most confidence about
its national direction, with more than 9 in 10 Chinese citizens believing thier
country is moving in the right direction. Saudi Arabia is in second place
(84%), followed by India (73%) and Malaysia (57%), the survey revealed.indian express
BJP govt's approval ratings drop by 12 points
in a month: CVOTER-IANS
New Delhi:The net approval rating of the
Narendra Modi government has dropped 12 points between March 12 and April 12,
according to CVOTER-IANS tracker.The performance rating of Central govt had
peaked in the days after the Balakot air strike on Feb.26, touching the highest
level of 62.06 on March 7.After remaining in the 50s till March 22, the
approval ratings have come down to 43.25 on April 12, a day after the first
phase of polls held for 91 Lok Sabha seats. Exactly a month ago on March 12, approval
rating of the govt was 55.28.The tracker findings are based on survey of people
who were asked if they are "very satisfied", "satisfied to some
extent", "not satisfied" and "Dont' know/can't say"
about the performance of Central govt led by BJP.IANS
“2 Lakh People Lost Jobs Due to Modi Govt's
Suspension of HPC Paper Mills in Assam”
New Delhi: On April 11, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi was in the Bengali Hindu-dominated Silchar Lok Sabha constituency
of Assam to address an election rally. Silchar, along with Mangaldoi, Nagaon,
Autonomous district (Diphu) and Karimganj will go to polls on April 18. Modi
was speaking on expected lines – reiterating the promise made in his party’s
manifesto that it would bring the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill if it returns to
power in New Delhi.However, about 4 km from the rally venue, a set of
protesters were mouthing slogans against Modi, reminding the prime minister of
an earlier electoral promise – revival of two paper mills run by the
Centre-owned HPCL.Modi reportedly made that promise to the employees of the the
Cachar and Nagaon paper mills – situated in the state’s Barak and Brahmaputra
Valley respectively – in the run-up to 2016 assembly elections. Against the
backdrop of the Silchar railway station, the protesters, comprising employees
affected by the closure of the Cachar unit since 2015, were shouting, “Pradhan
Mantri go back, go back! We shall not allow the killer of so many of our
employees into Silchar!” Speaking to local channels, Manabendra Chakraborty,
chief convener of HPC Paper Mills Revival Committee, termed Modi as “worst liar
and betrayer”.“Work in the Cachar unit was suspended in 2015. Prior to the
state polls, we were promised by BJP that it will be revived. We voted for the
party. However, in 2017, work in the Nagaon unit was suspended. Non-revival of
these mills have affected about two lakh people of Assam who directly or
indirectly found employment through them. So far, 53 of our workers have died
due to financial crisis,” he later told The Wire on phone.thewire
Electoral Officer Writes to Poll Commission
Over Web Series on Modi
New Delhi:Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has
written to the Election Commission drawing its attention to a web series on PM
Narendra Modi, which went online earlier this month and is being aired without
permission from Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC), officials
said.The move comes days after the EC banned the screening of a biopic on the
prime minister during the current poll period, saying any such film that
subserves purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed
in the electronic media. Meanwhile, district election officer (East) K Mahesh
also wrote to Delhi CEO asking whether web series has been approved by MCMC, a
senior official said.“MCMC of East Delhi seat had received a complaint on April
11 through a grievance redressal portal,” the official said.As per the
complaint, the web series was being streamed despite directions from the EC
banning such biopics, he said.PTI
Modi ‘planned’ Pulwama attack, claims
ex-Mizoram governor Aziz Qureshi
Former Governor of Mizoram and Congress leader
Aziz Qureshi has claimed that the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama that claimed
the lives of 40 CRPF personnel was "planned" by PM Narendra
Modi."This was done with planning (Pulwama attack), but people understand
everything. If PM Modi wants to anoint himself by sacrificing the lives of 42
jawans then people will not let that happen," he said.Qureshi further said
that the BJP has failed to name its candidate against Congress leader Digvijaya
Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh as they are afraid
of losing. "BJP leaders are afraid of losing against Singh and now they are
finding it difficult to field a candidate from Bhopal."Accusing BJP MPs
and MLAs of increasing unemployment in the state, Qureshi said: "The
impotent BJP leaders have no right to seek votes from people in MP. They have
shut down the factories, following which unemployment has increased."ANI
BJP continues to hoodwink EC; NaMo TV airs
fake news on houses built under UPA regime
NaMo TV, the controversial news channel being
used as a propaganda arm of the BJP, has been airing at least one documentary
propagating fake information about the number of houses built during UPA
regime.A recorded documentary of NaMo TV, which was being aired in Delhi at
least until Monday evening, showed the anchor as saying that previous UPA govt
had constructed just 25 lakh houses during the final four years of their tenure
till 2013-14, compared to 1.25 crore homes built by the Modi govt in its first
four years starting 2014.The parroted claim, first stated by PM Modi during a
rally in Shirdi in Maharashtra on Oct.19, 2018, has been found out to be
entirely off the mark.Several fact-checking websites had after the PM’s claim
cited data from various govt websites to reach the conclusion that at least
89.65 lakh houses had been built by Congress-led govt in their last four years,
almost 3.5 times higher than the number cited by the PM.However, the debunking
of PM’s claims by independent fact-checkers has failed to dissuade NaMo TV from
airing false figures during the crucial election period. nationalheraldindia
Now, Gujarat MLA says those who don't vote for
BJP won't get work
A BJP MLA from Gujarat reportedly told people that
if they did not vote for the BJP, they would not be provided work. His comments
come close on the heels of Maneka Gandhi’s censure by BJP for making a similar
statement.Ramesh Katara, Fatehpura MLA, told people that there should not be
“any room for error” in voting for the BJP, claiming that “Modi sa’aab” has
installed cameras in voting booths. He was campaigning for BJP’s Lok Sabha
candidate from Dahod, Jaswant Sinh Bhabor.According to ANI, Katara added, “Who
voted for BJP, who for Congress, it can be seen. Aadhaar Card & all cards
have your photo now, if there are less votes from your booth then he will come
to know who did not cast vote & then you will not get work.”the wire
AAP-Cong bickering, BJP waiting: No clarity in
Delhi
New Delhi:Just a week left for filing
nominations, Delhi has thrown up an interesting scenario – voters have no clue
about whom to choose, top leaders are not working phone lines but relying on
Twitter to stitch an alliance and their opponent just endlessly waiting for
what surprise is in store.With time running out, Congress and AAP are still
bickering over an electoral alliance despite both insisting that only their
coming together can rout BJP in seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital.Last date
of filing nomination is April 23, and the polling is on May 12.The opposition
has their candidates in mind – AAP has announced its 7 candidates and Congress
has unofficially given out names of 4 candidates and indicated 3 other possible
nominees,including ex CM and Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit – but uncertainty
has affected their campaign. Uncertainty on the question of the coalition has
also upset the calculations of BJP as it could not get the first-mover
advantage by announcing its candidates. It wants to wait for the candidates of
the coalition if it happens.Also, the internal tussle within Delhi BJP is also
playing out. On Monday evening, the chatter on alliance gained momentum when
Congress president Rahul Gandhi upped the ante accusing AAP chief Arvind
Kejriwal of taking a "u-turn" on the alliance. Gandhi made it clear
that his party was willing to play AAP's junior partner in the capital by
leaving 4 out of 7 seats for Kejriwal but was unwilling to cede an inch in
Haryana or elsewhere. Congress will play out its willingness to settle for just
three seats in Delhi as its eagerness for an alliance while pitting AAP as the
villian in the piece in case alliance would not work.As Gandhi's tweet
immediately invited Kejriwal's retort that coalition is not what Gandhi wishes
but “just a pretence”, it was left to Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, a
strong votary for alliance in Delhi, to "set the record
straight".Patel said in a late-night tweet that the Delhi Congress was
opposed to the idea of an alliance with Congress but it was the Congress
president who convinced the state leadership and asked them to work out a
formula to collaborate with AAP in Delhi. "But they (AAP) insisted for
seats in Haryana. Our proposition still stands, the ball is in their
court," he tweeted.AAP has been insisting that a triangular contest would
benefit BJP only, a theme which is echoed by a section of Congress barring
Dikshit and her supporters. However, AAP had last week said that Congress was
not willing to give it seats in Haryana and the deal in Delhi was off.While
senior leaders like Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Delhi chief Ajay Maken
and AICC in-charge P C Chacko were in support of an alliance, Dikshit-led camp
was not in favour of any tie-up with AAP.deccanherald
Shatrughan's Wife to Take on Rajnath in
Lucknow as SP-BSP Pick, Congress May Also Lend Support
Lucknow: Poonam Sinha, wife of actor-turned
politician Shatrugan Sinha will be contesting against Union Minister Rajnath
Singh from Lucknow parliamentary seat on a Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket with
BSP’s support.SP, which got Lucknow in its kitty under BSP-SP-RLD alliance seat
distribution, had been busy finding a suitable candidate to give a tough fight
to Singh. Earlier, Shatrughan Sinha had met with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to
discuss the candidature of his wife. Patna Sahib BJP MP Sinha had recently
switched camps and is now contesting from there on a Congress ticket.According
to sources, Congress is likely to extend support to Sinha’s candidature, with
the aim to dent BJP’s votes and keep Singh confined to his constituency. The
grand old party’s decision to not field any candidate from the state capital
paves way for a one-on-one face-off between Singh and Poonam Sinha.News18
After Mayawati, Sidhu appeals to Muslims not
to split their votes
New Delhi : After Mayawati, Congress leader
Navjot Sidhu today spoke on similar line and asked the minority community
members to stay united and vote together to defeat PM Narendra Modi.Addressing
a rally in Bihar’s Katihar Lok Sabha constituency, Punjab minister said the BJP
was running a divisive campaign and cautioned Muslim voters against splitting
their votes.indianexpress
BJP uneasy with Jamaat-e-Islami due to its
Islamic ideology: Mehbooba on Jaitley’s comment
Srinagar: Hitting out at Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley for his comment about Jamaat-e-Islami, former chief minister Mehbooba
Mufti said BJP is uncomfortable with JeI, which has done great work in
uplifting poor people, owing to its Islamic ideology.Mehbooba, who is the
president of PDP, said Jaitley would rather extend patronage to rabid right
wing organisations that lynch innocents on flimsy excuses and spearhead a
divisive agenda to persecute minorities.“Jamaat, an organisation that has done
great work in upliftment of poor makes you uncomfortable owing to its Islamic
ideology. You’d rather extend patronage to rabid right wing orgs that lynch
innocents on flimsy excuses & spearhead a divisive agenda to persecute
minorities,” Mehbooba wrote on micro-blogging site twitter. UNI/ agencies
Modi trying to incite communal violence for
votes:Mehbooba Mufti
Maharashtra’s Akola:No change in script,
Muslim-Dalit vote split may again benefit BJP
Akola seat is witnessing a triangular fight
between BJP, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Congress.Voters have got
polarized on caste and community lines, and BJP stands to gain. This was best
explained by Rajesh Khode, a pan kiosk owner at Telhara (Akola), “Hindus are
not satisfied with performance of BJP MP Sanjay Dhotre. However,they will not
vote for a Buddhist (Prakash Ambedkar) or a Muslim (Hidayat Patel).” VBA
candidate Ambedkar feels that it was a straight fight between BJP and him while
Congress was nowhere in the picture.History, favours Dhotre.Since 2004, he has
won every time in triangular fights. Dalit-Muslim vote bank,which is anti-BJP,
gets split between Ambedkar and Congress candidate, leading to BJP victory.TOI
We had heard of such incidents, never thought
it would happen to us: Survivor of Cow Mob Attack
Days
after a deadly attack on four Adivasi Christians in Dumri, Gumla district,
Jharkhand, the three victims lying on hospital beds wonder what went wrong in
their village, which had never before seen this kind of violence - and are also
trying to make sense of a police case registered against them on charges of
cattle slaughter.Speaking to The Citizen, Januish Minz, one of the survivors
curiously asks, “Can you please find out from the police why a case has been
registered against us, when we are the ones in hospital right now undergoing treatment,
and one of us is dead? The ox they claim we slaughtered was already dead. I
can’t make sense of what prompted police to file a case against us. Is it our
religion?”Recalling that there used to be absolute peace in this area of
Jharkand, Minz remarks, “We had only heard about such incidents in the past,
and never thought it would come down to us one day. There is no internet
network in our village and also no WhatsApp. We don’t understand how cow
vigilantes came down to our village, and how they mobilised people to actually
attempt to kill all of us.”Other 2 who remain admitted in Ranchi’s Rajendra
Institute of Medical Sciences, along with Minz, are Peter Phuljans and Belasus
Tirkey. 4th, Prakash Lakra, succumbed to the assault before being brought to
the hospital.Recalling the incident, the survivors stated that around midnight
on April 10 a group of people ran towards them shouting slogans like “Jai Shri
Ram” and instigating others to kill them saying, “Maro gaye khane walon ko”
(Kill the cow eaters).thecitizen
Canada drops reference to Sikh extremism from
terror threat report
New Delhi:The removal of a reference to Sikh
extremism from "2018 Public Report on Terrorism Threat to Canada" by Public
Safety Canada, a Canadian govt department, has attracted sharp criticism from
various quarters including pro-Khailistani groups. The move was seen as an
attempt to woo Canadian Sikhs. Soon after the report was updated Canadian PM
Justin Trudeau visited a Vancouver gurdwara.Pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for
Justice (SFJ) has called upon Canadian PM to step down for practising the
politics of expediency in having his government drop Sikh extremism from a
report on terror the day before he participated in Baisakhi parade. The damage
has been done Prime Minister and you should resign over this, said Gurpatwant
Singh Pannun, SFJ legal adviser.For close to a year you and your government
stood behind a completely unsubstantiated terror report that labelled our
community as Sikh extremists or terrorists. It’s despicable that you drop the
offensive language from your report the day before you come calling for money
and votes in Vancouver. According to Pannun, the human rights advocacy group
will continue its campaign targeting Liberal MPs and candidates wherever they
campaign.Canadian Sikhs cannot just be seen as the cash cow’ to help fund elections,
added Pannun.india today
‘Set Julian Assange free’: N Ram, Arundhati
Roy, Romila Thapar and others decry attack on press
A group of 6 eminent public intellectuals in
India criticised the arrest of WikiLeaks founder and Editor-in-Chief Julian
Assange in London last week, saying that “his arrest, and the attempt to
extradite him to the US are, clearly, attacks on freedom of the press and its
right to publish”. In a statement, they also called for his immediate
release.The statement was signed by N Ram, the former editor-in-chief of The
Hindu Group of Publications, writer Arundhati Roy, former Additional Solicitor
General of India Indira Jaising, former West Bengal Governor and writer
Gopalkrishna Gandhi, journalist and People’s Archive of Rural India founder P
Sainath, and historian and writer Romila Thapar.scroll
After Taking Charge, Jamia VC Najma Meets HRD
Minister Javadekar
New Delhi:4 days after taking charge, Jamia
Millia Islamia’s newly appointed Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar met HRD Minister
Praskash Javadekar on Monday and discussed various issues related to the
university.In his meeting with the minister, Akhtar underlined the pressing
needs, priorities, short and long duration plans with a view to bringing an
all-embracing growth and advancement in JMI.Javadekar congratulated Akhtar on
her appointment as the first woman V-C of Jamia. He said that the wide and warm
welcome accorded to Professor Akhtar by Jamia community and the media was so
heartening for him. Their approval, is the highest accolade to the decision of
the Government of India.He also congratulated her on JMI being ranked at 12th
position in the country by MHRD-National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) in
universities category, expecting that JMI will make a remarkable progress in
various disciplines and areas of research, learning and knowledge under her
competent leadership. He spoke highly of the researches carried in
JMI.caravandaily
WORLD
Fire breaks out at Al-Aqsa mosque around the
same time as Notre Dame Cathedral blaze
A fire broke out at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in
Jerusalem on Monday around the same time as a blaze ravaged the Notre Dame
Cathedral in Paris, France, Newsweek reported. Palestine News Agency, which is
the official outlet of the Palestine National Authority, said the fire broke
out in a guard’s room outside the roof of the Marwani Prayer Room. The fire was
doused by Islamic Waqf’s fire brigade, according to Russia Today.Video clips
posted on social media showed smoke rising from the top of the Marwani Prayer
Room which is also known as Solomon’s Stables. The mosque is located on top of
the Temple Mount and is considered the third holiest site in Islam. It has been
at the centre of the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.The cause of the fire is not
known yet. Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, director general of the Jerusalem Waqf and
Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, suggested that the fire could have been
started by children who were seen playing in the area.Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas warned against targeting the holy site. He called for preserving
the compound’s “great religious and humanitarian value.”A massive fire engulfed
the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, on Monday. The cathedral’s
spire collapsed under the fire, which raged for hours. The blaze also spread to
one of its landmark rectangular towers. The fire was brought under control on
Tuesday morning.scroll.in /newsweek
French rally to collect Notre Dame restoration
funds
Parisians are grappling with the aftermath of
a night of anguish, when a fire tore through Notre Dame Cathedral, gutting its
roof and toppling its iconic spire as thousands watched on in dismay from the
streets.This morning crowds thronged the banks of the Seine to witness the
damage for themselves after hundreds of firefighters battled the inferno
through the early hours of Tuesday. Locals were relieved the damage was not as
extensive as they had feared when flames engulfed the medieval masterpiece on
Monday evening, billowing smoke across the skyline of French capital.Just
before midnight firefighters announced that the bulk of the structure had been
preserved, including its stone face and distinctive bell towers, though the
ribbed oak roof had been reduced to ash.Foundation for French Heritage has
launched a national collection to raise funds for restoration, while 2 of the
country's wealthiest men, billionaires Bernard Arnault and Francois Pinault,
pledged 300 million euros from their fortunes.Churches across the country rang
their bells in mourning and solidarity last night, signalling a profound loss
that transcends France's strict division between religious and secular life. aljazeera
Hamas: Abbas is not committed to ending
divisions
Responding to Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas’ call for ending the division, Hamas said yesterday that his
actions do match his words.In a press release issued by spokesman Abdel-Latif
Al-Qanou, Hamas said: “The continuous sanctions imposed on Gaza by Abbas, as
well as his separatist measures do not meet his calls for ending the
division.”Al-Qanou noted that the formation of the ongoing Fatah government was
the latest proof that Abbas is reinforcing national division.He stressed that
Abbas’ call to end the division “must be accompanied by a united national
stance which could be represented in the formation of a real national unity govt.”middleeastmonitor
Israel’s Lieberman conditions support for
Netanyahu on Haredi draft law
Former Defence Minister and head of the
Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, has conditioned his support for
newly-re-elected PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on the latter’s passing of
the Haredi draft law. Following last week’s general election, representatives
of each political party have met with Israel’s President, Reuven Rivlin, to
recommend their choice of prime minister. These discussions took place
yesterday and today, live streamed from the president’s residence for the first
time in a bid to increase the transparency of Israel’s electoral process.After
two days of discussions, Netanyahu has received the most recommendations from
the 11 parties that will make up the new Knesset. This outcome was widely
expected, given that his Likud party won 36 seats in the election to become the
largest faction, as well as the fact that most right-wing parties had vowed in
advance to support his premiership.MEMO
Israel army covered up settlers’ killing of
wounded Palestinian father
Israeli army covered up the killing of a
Palestinian father by illegal Israeli settlers,Israeli NGO B’Tselem has
claimed.23-year-old Mohammed Abd Al-Fatah was killed near Huwara, a village
located off route 60 south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on 3 April.
Though media reports at the time stated that a “would-be Palestinian attacker
was shot dead during an attempted stabbing near Huwara,” a B’Tselem
investigation has revealed that in fact Abd Al-Fatah was killed at close range
by armed Israeli settlers.B’Tselem’s investigation provides a minute-by-minute
account of the incident, saying that at 08:30 local time Abd Al-Fatah crossed
the road, stopping “by a dumpster across from the village square in the nearby
village of Beita and started throwing stones at cars bearing Israeli license
plates”. One stone hit an Israeli settler’s car, prompting the driver to pull
over. “Then 2 gunshots were heard, apparently fired from inside the vehicle.
The driver then got out of the car.”middleeastmonitor
Sudan protesters warn 'remnants of Bashir
regime' still at work
Sudan's principal protest group has demanded
the immediate formation of a civilian-led government to replace the country's
new ruling military council, warning that the demonstrators'
"revolution" faces threat from "the remnants of the regime"
of deposed leader Omar al-Bashir.Fearing that the core of the old establishment
is far from gone, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) on Monday reiterated
its call for the military council to be dissolved and substituted by a civilian
one that will only include "limited" army representation. The
umbrella organisation, which spearheaded the months of protests that
precipitated al-Bashir's removal, also demanded the sacking of Sudan's
prosecutor general and judiciary head, as well as the disbanding of the former
president's NCP. "The objectives of the revolution cannot be achieved
totally and completely in the face of the backstage manipulations by the
remnants of the regime," SPA member Taha Osman told reporters in Khartoum."The
key demand is the formation of a civil council to guarantee that the revolution
is safeguarded and all the goals are achieved." aljazeera
AU sets deadline for Sudan power transfer
African Union has warned Sudan's military that
the country has 15 days to install a civilian government or risk getting kicked
out of the bloc, as a sit-in demanding the army hand over power entered its
11th day.Sudan must aim to hold "free, fair and transparent
elections" as soon as possible, AU's Peace and Security Council said it in
a statement on Monday."A military-led transition would be completely
contrary to the aspirations of the people of Sudan," it added.aljazeera
UN Libya envoy: Haftar offensive on Tripoli
'sounded like a coup'
UN's top envoy for Libya has said that
renegade General Khalifa Haftar tried to stage a coup when he issued an arrest
warrant for PM Fayez al-Serraj of Tripoli-based Govt of National Accord (GNA).Special
Representative Ghassan Salame said Haftar's decision to issue in the course of
his offensive arrest warrants against al-Serraj and other top Tripoli officials
"sounded more like a coup than counterterrorism". Haftar announced an
attack against Tripoli on April 4 to wrest control of western Libya from armed
groups that back the UN-backed GNA, headed by al-Serraj. 75-year-old, who casts
himself as a foe of "extremism" but is viewed by opponents as a new
authoritarian leader in the mould of former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, has
vowed to continue his offensive until Libya is "cleansed of
terrorism".aljazeera
Haftar forces bomb populated residential areas
Libya capital
Forces loyal to Libyan strongman General
Khalifa Haftar are reported to have bombed densely populated residential areas
in the capital, Tripoli.Video clips circulated on social media showed the
forces randomly shelling residential areas, south of Tripoli.Meanwhile, a
member of the Libyan Presidential Council, Amari Zayed said indiscriminate
shelling of residential neighbourhoods in Tripoli is another war crime
committed by Haftar.middleeastmonitor
Algeria Constitution Council head resigns amid
protests
Algiers :Tayeb Belaiz, head of Algeria’s
Constitutional Council, has announced his resignation amid continued popular
demonstrations demanding the departure of all govt officials affiliated with ex
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.“Belaiz has tendered his resignation to the head
of state, Abdelkader Bensalah,” read a Tuesday statement issued by the
Constitutional Council and carried by Algeria’s state-run news agency.
82-year-old Bouteflika, who had ruled Algeria since 1999, stepped down early this
month following weeks of popular protest against his rule.Parliamentary Speaker
Abdelkader Bensalah is now serving as head of state for a 90-day “transitional
period” to be overseen by army.Anadolu
Ex-aide of UAE prince: Our patience with
Turkey, Hamas has run out
Abdel-Khaliq Abdullah, former aide of UAE
Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Zayid, threatened Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
and Hamas, noting that they would not be dealt with patiently, Al-Mesryoon
reported.On Twitter, Abdullah wrote: “Saudi media does not oppose Turkey, it
has its abilities and appreciation, but it is a national responsibility for
Erdogan’s attack on Saudi Arabia and the exposure of his obvious hostility to
its symbols. We have been patient and Erdogan and his party bear what will come
in the coming days.”Commenting on the situation in Sudan, he wrote: “Syndicate
of the Sudanese Professionals is calling for arresting Al-Bashir and
prosecuting him along with the symbols of his regime.”middleeastmonitor
Bahrain strips over 100 of nationality on
'terror' charges
A Bahraini court has sentenced 138 people to
between 3-year imprisonment and life term and revoked their citizenship for
"terror-related" charges, the public prosecutor said.The defendants
were convicted of establishing a "terror" cell with links to Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ahmad al-Hammadi said in a statement on
Tuesday.A judicial source said all the defendants are members of the Shia
community in the Sunni-ruled Gulf state.aljazeera
Ilhan says death threats increased after Trump
tweet
Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim women
elected to the US Congress, said on Sunday that she has faced increased death
threats since President Donald Trump tweeted an edited video that purports to
show her being dismissive of Sept.11, 2001 attacks. "This is endangering
lives," she said. "It has to stop."Her statement late on Sunday
followed an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she has taken steps
to ensure the safety of the Minnesota Democrat and the speaker's call for Trump
to take down the video.Soon after Pelosi's statement, the video disappeared as
a pinned tweet at the top of Trump's Twitter feed, but it was not
deleted.aljazeera
Taliban team at Afghan peace talks in Qatar to
include women: Reuters
Kabul:Women will be included for the first
time in the Taliban delegation to peace talks in Qatar this month, the
movement’s main spokesman said on Monday, ahead of the latest round of meetings
aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan.April 19-21 meeting in Doha will be
between the Taliban and a delegation comprising prominent Afghans, including
opposition politicians and civil society activists. It follows similar talks
between the two sides in Moscow in Feb.The non-Taliban delegation that was in
Moscow could be expanded next week to include some government officials, but
acting in their private capacities as the insurgents have refused to hold
formal talks with Kabul.“There will be women among Taliban delegation members
in Doha meeting,” Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s main spokesman, said by
phone.He did not name the women, but added, “These women have no family
relationship with the senior members of the Taliban, they are normal Afghans,
from inside and outside the country, who have been supporters and part of the
struggle of Islamic Emirate”. In a tweet, he specified that the women would
only join the discussions with Afghan civil society and political
representatives, not in main negotiations with American officials, led by US special
peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. Khalilzad has not yet set dates for the next
round of talks with the Taliban, a State Department spokesperson said.Reuters
Dramatic drop in Arab world's fertility rate
"Most Arab families want to have two to
three children at most," said Marcia Inhorn,author of a 2018 study from
Yale University that explained unprecedented decline in fertility rates in the
Arab world.The phenomenon, which first started in 1975, has occurred without
substantial family planning programmes conducted by Arab govts. According to
the study, this dramatic decline in fertility rate is due to changing nature of
the household structure, economic growth and available contraception. Declines
in fertility rates are consistent across all Arab countries regardless of
wealth."[This is] primarily because women are getting more educated in the
Arab world and they are seeking a different future and aspirations for
themselves," said Inhorn. Between 1975 and 1980, women in all Arab
countries had a total fertility rate of seven children per woman, which was far
exceeding the world average of 3.85. Today, only three Arab countries, Egypt,
Jordan, and Yemen, have a total fertility rate above 3. aljazeera
Indonesia election: Jokowi, Prabowo vie for Prez
Jakarta:More than 190 million Indonesians go
to the polls on Wednesday to choose their next president after a polarising
election campaign that has focussed on ideologies rather than policies.The
presidential race pits incumbent Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his running
mate, Indonesian Ulama Council Chairman Ma'ruf Amin, against retired general
and longtime rival Prabowo Subianto and multi-millionaire businessman Sandiaga
Uno.Widodo and Amin are trying to project themselves as progressive yet
religious, with a campaign slogan of "Advancing Indonesia".aljazeera
Pak Jamaat's newly-elected central shoora
announced
Lahore: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan election
commission has announced the names of newly-elected members of central Shoora,
the central decision making body, after completion of polls process.JI election
commission chief Asadullah Bhutto announced at a press conference Monday that
JI central Shoora comprises 80 members including 10 women who have been elected
by 40,000 JI ‘arkan’( permanent members) through secret ballot. He said new JI
central Shoora has 22 male members and one female member from Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. 13 male members are from northern Punjab besides one woman member.
15 male members are from central Punjab besides 2 women members. 6 male Shoora
members and one woman member have been elected from South Punjab. 11 male and 4
women members have been elected from Sindh, while 3 male and one female member
were elected from Balochistan.the news
Flash: views & NEWS
Govt Money Meant for Adivasi Development Is
Being Used to Support Mining:Sanjoy Basu, Neeraj Kumar and Shashi Shekhar
Under Modi, India has shed its traditional
defensiveness towards the Middle East: C. Raja Mohan
Owned by Corporates, Run by Babas – Economics
Behind India’s Devotional TV:Jyotindra Dubey
Numbers don't lie: PM Modi's rule has been
unremarkable in economic performance:Sanjay Jha
Indian languages, particularly Urdu has lost
political relevance in elections of 2019:Dr Ather Farouqui
India elections: Modi govt's economic report
card: Paranjoy Guha Thakurta
Adani-Owned Coal Mine a Flashpoint for
Australian Election:Sonali Paul and Melanie Burton
Which Other Mosques In World Allow Women? Can
Art.14 Be Enforced Against Non-State Actors?SC
The meeting with Golwalkar: What Gandhi really
said: Rajmohan Gandhi
Unlike 2014, BJP isn’t setting the agenda this
election. Congress has seized initiative:Harbans Mukhia
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