NEWS
DIGEST, EVENING
21 April 2019: 15 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:181
s. lANKA BLASTS
Sri Lanka Easter bombings:Over 180 dead
including foreigners,about 500 wounded in churches,hotels
Sri Lankan capital Colombo has been hit by at
least two new blasts, one of them at a hotel near the national zoo killing at
least two more people, police said.The latest blast hit the suburb of
Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, but there were no further details on
what was targeted, AFP said on Sunday.A total of 8 explosions in a single day
have hit luxury hotels and churches in Sri Lanka, killing over 180 people and
wounding about 500 as worshippers were attending Easter Sunday services. 3 of
the explosions took place in Catholic churches while three other explosions
were reported in luxury hotels - the Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Shangri-La -
located in the heart of Colombo.The first explosion was reported in a church
located in the capital. The other blasts followed within half an hour.One of
the churches targeted was St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo. The other two were St
Sebastian's in Negombo, about 30km from the capital and another in Batticaloa,
250km east of the capital. An official at the Batticaloa hospital told AFP more
than 300 people had been admitted with injuries following the blast there. PM
Ranil Wickremesinghe convenened Sri Lanka's top military officials at an
emergency meeting of the National Security Council following the blasts. He has
also called for an emergency convening of the nation's parliament on Monday. Reports
said at least 35 foreigners are among the dead. There were no immediate claims
of responsibility. Only around 6% of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but
the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both
the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups."Sri Lanka had a terrible
time under Tamil Tiger terrorism for about 25 years and then there was a great
sense of relief, which I am afraid the West has been fighting with us about,
when we got rid of the tiger terrorists," Rajiva Wijesinha, ex MP
said."But the tiger terrorists were never as well organized never and
never quite as brilliant in synchronisation and this is obviously something on
a much larger scale which is frankly quite terrifying and you know the
reactions I've heard suggest people are moving into panic mode again," he
said.Aljazeera/news18
Sri Lanka Blasts LIVE: 8th Explosion Rocks
Island Nation, Over 185 Killed in Decade's Worst Attack
"Keeping Close Watch": Sushma Swaraj
After Sri Lanka Serial Blasts
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj has said India is keeping a close watch on the situation in Sri Lanka
closely after at least 156 people were killed in multiple blasts in and around
Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital."I am in constant touch with Indian High
Commissioner in Colombo. We are keeping a close watch on the situation,"Ms
Swaraj tweeted.PM Narendra Modi, in a tweet, condemned the blasts and said:
"India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka." ndtv
Heinous terror attack in Sri Lanka is same as
one in Christchurch Mosques:Turkey condemns attacks
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan today
condemned multiple bomb attacks in Sri Lanka.In a Twitter post, Erdogan said:"I
condemn in the strongest terms possible the Easter terror attacks in #SriLanka.
This is an assault on all of humanity."“On behalf of the Turkish people, I
offer my condolences to the families of the victims and the people of
#SriLanka, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," he added.“This
barbaric attack in Sri Lanka once again demonstrated the need for a decisive
fight against all kinds of terrorism,” Erdogan said in a separate statement
Sunday.Erdogan also expressed his solidarity with Sri Lanka against terrorism. Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also condemned the attacks "targeting innocent
people in churches and hotels during Easter".“No matter what the motive
is, the heinous terror attack in Sri Lanka is the same as the one in
Christchurch [New Zealand]: cowardly, barbaric and cruel. Terror has no
religion, no nation, no geography," he said.Presidential Spokesperson
Ibrahim Kalin offered his condolences to the wounded and condemned the attacks.
Anadolu Agency
World leaders condemn Easter bombings in S.Lanka
INDIA
Sexual harassment allegation: CJI Gogoi’s
presence on Bench raises eyebrows
New Delhi :The participation of CJI Ranjan
Gogoi on the Supreme Court Bench, which heard the “extraordinary” session on
Saturday into the online publication of sexual harassment allegations levelled
against him by a former apex court employee, raises two pertinent questions. One,
did the CJI become a judge in his own cause by being part of the Bench? After
all, the allegations directly pertain to him. Two, is there a formal procedure
to deal with allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI?Senior advocate
Indira Jaising said the CJI should have “absolutely not” been part of the
Bench.In her response, senior lawyer Vrinda Grover said it was the “cardinal
and basic rule of fair play that a person cannot be judge in his own cause”.“In
the circumstances of this case, where the charge of sexual harassment,
victimisation and intimidation has been made against a person holding the
highest judicial office of the country, it is imperative that for the
credibility of the institution, and confidence of the people in the judiciary
as well as for the right to justice of the woman complainant, no hearing
presided by the CJI ought to have been held,” Ms. Grover said.A Supreme Court
notice announced the Bench would hear a “matter of great public importance
touching upon the independence of the judiciary”. The case was taken up as a
suo motu writ petition. The court order said the Supreme Court had exercised
its “inherent jurisdiction”.thehindu
‘Preserve neutrality, fairness’: Women lawyers
say CJI should not hold office until inquiry is over
Women in Criminal Law Association demanded an
inquiry “at the earliest” into the sexual harassment allegation against CJI
Ranjan Gogoi and said he should not hold office during the process. The group
distanced itself from the statement by Bar Council of India, which had called
the allegation “false and cooked up”.In its statement, the Women in Criminal
Law Association said: “Even before the allegations properly came to light, the
stated purpose of the sitting sought to change the conversation.”Over 700
people have endorsed the statement so far. “We believe that the complaint should
be treated as per procedure and principles of fairness and justice, including
the fundamental right to equality before law,” the statement said.It further
said: “The said procedure must be in accordance with the in-house procedure
applicable to the judges of the Supreme Court and the letter and spirit of the
POSH Act [Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013], the Supreme Court Sexual Harassment Regulations, 2013
and service rules if applicable.”The complainant should have the utmost
opportunity to present her case, as must the respondent to present his defence,
the statement said. “It is our opinion that, due to the immense disparity in
power and position, the Hon’ble CJI cannot continue to hold office during the
inquiry,” it added.The statement also said that “to preserve neutrality and
fairness”, such an inquiry should not involve the judges who were part of the
sitting on Saturday, the court’s Secretary General, and Attorney General and
Solicitor General.scroll.in
Fired for seeking seating change, taking day
off for child: complainant names 9 officials of the court
Jharkhand lynching: Fact-finding team
questions complicity of police
Local police may have been complicit in the
lynching of Prakash Lakda, a 50-year-old Adivasi of Jurmu village in Gumla’s
Dumri block, on April 10, 2019, when he and 3 others were beaten up by a
right-wing mob. He was killed by a mob of men from the Sahu community of the
neighbouring Jairagi village. Three other victims from Jurmu – Peter Kerketta,
Belarius Minj and Janerius Minj – sustained severe injuries.According to a
fact-finding team of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, the four victims, along
with other men and children of their village, were carving a dead ox on the
bank of a river that flows near their village. The adivasis and other
communities (such as Ghasis and Lohras) of this area traditionally eat
beef.Some people from Jurmu were told by the owner of the dead ox to carve it
for meat and its hide. While the Adivasis were doing so, they were attacked by
a mob of about 35-40 persons from Jairagi. “The mob was led by Sandeep Sahu,
Santosh Sahu, Sanjay Sahu and his sons. While others managed to flee, Prakash,
Peter, Belarius and Janerius were caught by the mob and beaten with lathis.
They were beaten all the way to Jairagi chowk, about a kilometre away from the
place where the violence started. The mob chanted slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and
‘Jai Bajrangbali’ and also forced the victims to chant the slogans. They were
beaten for refusing to chant the slogans or not chanting them loud enough,”
states the report. “According to the Adivasis of Jurmu,people of other
communities (including Sahus) routinely ask them to take away dead bovines.
Dispute over consumption of bovine meat never took place amongst the different
communities of the village in the past,” highlights the report. The
fact-finding team has demanded that the government must withdraw the false case
of cow slaughter filed against the Adivasis of Jurmu, arrest all the
perpetrators involved in the killing and file charges against them under SC/ST
(Prevention of Atrocities Act).nationalheraldindia
In 5 years, 75% of industrial investments in
Gujarat flowed to just four districts
Ahmedabad :Of the total Rs 2.44 lakh crore of
industrial investments that have flowed into Gujarat during the last 5 years,
75 per cent have been given to just 4 districts of Ahmedabad, Kutch, Surat, and
Bharuch. Gujarat government figures show during the period between 2013-18,
there are districts like Junagadh that have seen zero investments.Data tabled
by the Gujarat govt in the Gujarat assembly in response to an unstarred
question asked by Bhavesh Katara, a Congress MLA from Jhalod constituency of
Dahod district reveals that a total of Rs 2,44,699 crore of investments flowed
into 29 districts of Gujarat through 1,718 industrial projects between July
2013 and June 2018. During this period, the annual investments in the state
grew at an impressive 123 per cent, from Rs 25,436 crore in July 2013-June 2014
to Rs 56,837 crore in July 2017-June 2018.A phenomenal 75 per cent of the total
investments have made their way into just four districts. Ahmedabad with an
investment of Rs 69,384 crore in 350 projects tops all the 33 districts of the
state, accounting for 28 per cent of the total investments made in these five
years. Kutch follows with Rs 52,759 crore in 133 projects. The districts of
Surat with Rs 33,285 crore in 209 projects, Bharuch Rs 30,073 cr in 211
projects, Panchmahal Rs 10,525 cr in 43 projects, Morbi Rs 10,031 crore in 227
projects and Vadodara Rs 9,347 cr in 127 projects, also received sizeable
investments.indianexpress
24-year-old maulvi from Amroha held in terror case:TOI report
Lucknow:NIA has arrested a 24-year-old
‘maulvi’ in Amroha on charges of planning ‘fidayeen attacks’ in Uttar Pradesh
and Delhi.“Mohammad Gufran was a key conspirator of the group Harkat Ul
Harb-e-Islam that was highly motivated and radicalised by the ideology of ISIS
with its handlers based in Afghanistan and Syria. The other 12 members of this
group, including mastermind Mufti Mohammed Suhail, were arrested on December
26,” said an NIA official. He added it was Gufran’s idea to conduct terror
strikes in India. “Gufran was studying ‘maulviyat’ and got in touch with Suhail
who also hailed from Amroha. The 2, along with others, came to be a part of
Harkat Ul Harb-e-Islam,” said Alok Mittal, IG, NIA. Gufran will be produced in
Patiala House court, in Delhi, on Sunday. Members interacted over Telegram and
Signal apps to avoid being traced, said NIA.
Terror case: NIA conducts raids in Hyderabad,
takes 4 persons in custody
Indian naval ships arrive, Pakistan to miss
Chinese navy’s fleet review
Beijing:2 Indian battle ships, including the
biggest indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Kolkata, have arrived at the
port city of Qingdao to take part in the Chinese Navy’s fleet review while the
Pakistan naval ships will be conspicuous by their absence at the event. China’s
People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is celebrating its 70th founding anniversary
on April 23 with a grand fleet review. 10 countries, including India, Russia,
Thailand and Vietnam, will deploy 20 vessels to join a naval parade.INS
Kolkata, which is the first of a new class of three destroyers built by India,
is accompanied by tanker INS Shakti, a fleet support ship, to take part in the
event.However, PLAN’s naval fleet review will be held without the ships from
its closest ally Pakistan.PTI
ELECTIONS
PM Modi will not contest Lok Sabha polls from
Gujarat, but can he still tilt the balance in his home state?
This is an election of the sort Gujarat hasn’t
seen since Narendra Modi first burst onto the scene in 2001. For the first time
since then, he isn’t a candidate on the ballot paper in the state. While the
BJP, which won all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014, is still
seeking votes in the Prime Minister’s name, for the first time in a long time,
Modi isn’t top of the mind for most of the state electorate either.As The
Sunday Express travels across Gujarat, from areas where the Patidar anger is
now reduced to a footnote and places where the Dalits haven’t forgotten the Una
flogging, to where the farmer woes are now aligned with a common national
narrative, calculations across parties seem based on an old familiar: caste. It
may still be a long way from when the Congress had it sealed with its KHAM
(Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) formula, but having reduced the BJP to
its lowest tally of 99 out of 182 seats since 1995, in the 2017 Assembly
elections, and dealt a public humiliation to the BJP over a Rajya Sabha seat,
the party hopes to make more progress.That is, if it gets its act together. The
Assembly high is already frittered away with the BJP wooing five of its 77 MLAs
so far. In the run-up to the polls, the Congress failed to strike any
alliances, not even with old ally NCP, while talks with the Bharatiya Tribal
Party’s Chhotu Vasava for Bharuch didn’t pan out.Congress president Rahul
Gandhi did all of five rallies in the state, that votes on April 23, mostly
talking about the Rafale deal and accusing the BJP of protecting rich bank
defaulters. Modi has held six so far and is scheduled to do one more in Patan
on Sunday. At his meeting in Amreli on April 18, an emotional PM urged people
to “gift 26 lotuses” to him as he was “their man in Delhi”.indianexpress
‘I climbed atop Babri Masjid to raze it,
extremely proud of it,’ says Pragya Thakur, gets EC notice
Election Commission has issued a notice to
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pragya Singh Thakur for her remark expressing
“extreme pride” at her role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in
1992, ANI reported. This was the second notice to Thakur on Saturday. She was
also served a notice for her claim that Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare
died in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks because she had cursed him.Thakur is the BJP’s
candidate from the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. On Saturday, Thakur told TV9
Bharatvarsh that those who had gone to demolish the mosque had eliminated a
“disgrace to the nation”. “I have extreme pride that God gave me this
opportunity and strength that I was able to do this work,” she told the news
channel. “We will build Ram temple there itself.”Thakur said she had strong
conviction that the temple would be built. Asked when that would be, she said:
“We will tell you, we will build it, after all we had gone to demolish it. I
climbed atop the structure and demolished it.”Thakur later told Aaj Tak that
she does not regret being part of the group that demolished Babri
Masjid.scroll.in
W.Bengal: Clerics to Muslims: Don’t be rash,
think before you vote
Kolkata: Prominent Muslim clerics in the state
have issued a cautiously crafted message exhorting the community to vote
carefully, a move that political analysts feel is an attempt to prevent a
division in Muslim votes and to blunt the strategy of certain political outfits
attempting to marginalise the community, constitutionally and politically.The
appeal neither identifies any candidate the community should put its weight
behind, nor cautions them against any political party. But it urges Muslims to
think carefully before casting the vote because any mistake will mean a wait of
five years before it can be rectified.The message has been signed by All India
Milli Council president Qari Fazlur Rahman, who leads the Eid prayers on Red
Road, and vice-president Qari Mohammad Shafique, also the imam of the
prestigious Nakhoda Mosque.On Saturday, TOI reported Easter messages from the
Christian clergy similarly urging their community to vote out hatred and choose
peace.TOI
Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit faces 'tough'
battle in West Bengal's Jangipur
Jangipur:Ex-President Pranab Mukherjee's son
Abhijit Mukherjee faces a tough battle in West Bengal's Jangipur as he seeks a
hat-trick of wins from the constituency which had sent his father to Parliament
twice.Amid a desperate drive by state's ruling TMC for its maiden victory in
Jangipur and BJP's growing strength across districts, the fight is going to be
harder for Abhijit after the collapse of the seat adjustment talks between Congress
and Left. The seat has been a Congress bastion over the past 15 years, electing
its then veteran leader Pranab Mukherjee in 2004 and 2009.Abhijit made his Lok
Sabha debut in 2012 by winning a by-election to the Jangipur seat after his
father resigned from the house to contest in the presidential polls.Mukherjee
junior, however, won with a slender margin of just 2,536 votes even though the
Trinamool was not in fray.He retained the seat in 2014 defeating CPI-M's
Muzaffar Hossain by a slim margin of 8,161 votes. State's ruling Trinamool
nominee S.K. Nurul Islam stood third. Party supremo Mamata Banerjee has
campaigned heavily in Jangipur for TMC nominee Khalilur Rahaman. Banerjee has
been repeatedly alleging that RSS was helping Abhijit to win the election.BJP
candidate Mafuja Khatun, the party's only Muslim woman candidate in the 2019
polls, and CPI (M) nominee Md. Zulfikar Ali rubbished "Mamata's RSS
theory" calling it an attempt to consolidate minority voters as over half
of the electors in Jangipur is Muslims. But in the same breath they accused the
sitting Congress MP of failing to address the plight of bidi workers and the
Ganges river erosion. Both Khatun and Ali also dismissed Banerjee's allegation
that CPI (M)-BJP-Congress have formed a nexus to defeat TMC.Jangipur goes to
the hustings on April 23 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha
polls.economictimes
Shameful that people from Bangladesh
campaigning for TMC: PM Modi slams Mamata for 'minority appeasement’
PM Narendra Modi amped up the attack on West
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee saying she had only fooled people in the name of
‘maa, mati and manush’.Calling her speedbreaker Didi, he said that West Bengal
CM had lost her sleep after the first two phases of the Lok Sabha Polls in West
Bengal.Speaking about instances of Bangladeshi actors campaigning for TMC, he
said: “It is shameful that people from neighbouring country are campaigning for
the TMC, which was done to appease the minority community.”Attacking her for
questioning the Balakot air strike, Modi said: “Mamata Banerjee should seek
proof against those behind chit fund scams, instead of asking for proof of the
Balakot strike.”Popular Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed, who was expelled by
the Indian govt, has apologised for campaigning for a candidate in West Bengal,
terming it as an "inadvertent mistake" and a step taken out of love
of the people of the state. Indian govt on Tuesday issued a 'Leave India'
notice to Ahmed and cancelled the business visa given to him for allegedly
campaigning for a TMC candidate in the state.The actor has also been
"blacklisted" by the Union Home Ministry, jeopardising the chances of
his future travel to India.DNA
Sambit Patra in trouble after Election
Commission’s flying squad files FIR for poll code violation
BJP’s Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra
has found himself in trouble after a flying squad of the Election Commission
registered an FIR against him for the violation of Model Code of Conduct. The
FIR was filed at Puri’s Sea Beach police station.According to local media
reports, Patra was using Lord Jagannath’s name on his vehicle while on his
campaign trail to seek votes. Patra is also alleged to have held several
election rallies without obtaining required permissions.jantakareporter
Elections: AAP Gives Unconditional Support To
LDF In Kerala
AAP has extended unconditional support to all
candidates of Left Democratic Front in Kerala for Lok Sabha elections, party
leader Somnath Bharti said. CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu thanked AAP for the
support. “Our main aim is to remove NDA and stop communal tension and
polarisation done by them and in this direction, we are campaigning in
different states. We thank AAP for supporting us,” he told reporters in a joint
press conference with Bharti.Meanwhile, AAP suspended its Kerala convener C R
Neelakandan for allegedly announcing the party’s support to Congress in the
southern state without any consultation with the party's political affairs
committee.Bharti said Neelakandan held a press conference in Kerala and said
AAP supports the candidates of the Congress in the state. “That press
conference was unauthorised and conducted without the knowledge or consultation
of AAP. AAP’s political affairs committee has condemned his move and decided to
suspend Neelakandan from the primary membership of the party,” he said.PTI
AIUDF created space for rise of BJP &
saffron brigade in Assam, claim Assam Minority Students' Union, party rejects
Guwahati: In the final phase of the Lok Sabha
election in Assam, more than 31 lakh Muslim voters will play a decisive role in
the four seats of Barpeta, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Gauhati. And they blame AIUDF
for the rise of the saffron brigade in the state.Muslim voters form 40% of the
combined electorate of 74.77 lakh in the four constituencies-the largest
concentration of the religious minority group of the three phases. What they
are looking for is a political party that can save them from the "rule of
Hindutva"."The rule of Hindutva came with BJP coming to power in
Assam. So many incidents of atrocities on Muslims have been reported across the
state. From lynching to forcing a Muslim to eat pork - mobs have been
emboldened to commit such acts in recent times, widening the gap between
Muslims and BJP," Azizur Rahman, president of the influential All Assam
Minority Students' Union (Aamsu), said.But behind the rise of BJP and saffron
fringe groups, he adds, is Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF."Muslim voters believe
the rise of Hindutva in Assam is because of AIUDF. Ajmal formed AIUDF and
polarized voters on religious lines, which BJP took advantage of," Rahman
added. Ajmal himself is seeking a third term from Dhubri, where 80% of the
voter base is Muslim.AIUDF general secretary Haidor Husain Bora rejects the
Aamsu theory."What Aamsu is saying is anti-AIUDF propaganda. Had it been an
accurate assessment, BJP would have come to power in Assam immediately after
AIUDF was formed in 2005. BJP came to power much later, in 2016. In between, it
was just Congress. There was an anti-Congress and pro-BJP wave across the
country and Assam, too, gave in to it." TOI
Zari art inching closer to its end in Rampur,
artisans claim
Rampur:Amidst the battle of nerves between
Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and BJP candidate Jaya Prada in Rampur
parliamentary seat in western UP, Zardozi workers in the town are struggling to
make their ends meet and want the government to extend a helping hand to save
the traditional craft from ending abruptly.Rampur is famous across the world
for one of the oldest forms of hand embroidery, Zardozi. In Persian, Zarin
means 'gold' and Dozi signifies 'embroidery'. An imperial craft, it involves
making appealing designs with precious gems and stones like diamond, pearls,
and emeralds. These gems are sown into the fabric to give a royal look to a
garment.The use of zari embroidery as ornamentation on the attire of Hindu
deities is mentioned in Rig Veda. The craft started seeing a rough phase in
17th century owing to the high cost of raw material as it was not easy for craftsmen
to procure the materials easily. However, zardozi workers somehow survived
after India gained independence and government put efforts to save and promote
the traditional art."I am working in this industry for 30 years. We never
faced any difficulty so far but now our condition is getting pathetic. We are
not able to earn Rs 100 to Rs 200 per day. As workers are not educated they do
not know about GST due to which it is difficult for us to survive. People are
not happy in this work and their interests are shifting towards unskilled
jobs," zardozi worker Umaid Khan said.Hundreds of workers known for their
unmatched skills are driving e-rickshaws as growing technology and machines
have almost killed this art."People are even riding rickshaws to earn
more. We hope a new govt come to power and it works for us.We went to several
government officers to seek help but no one was willing to help us. They all
are selfish and want to fulfil their own interest first.When Jaya Prada was in
SP,she said that she will bring more projects and help us with buying of
materials. Sadly, she also made hollow promises," Umaid said."We have
to vote as it is our right. But our votes cannot bring any change in our lives
as no one listens to us," he asserted.ANI
BJP IT Cell Head Edits Yogendra Yadav Speech,
Claims It’s Communal
https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/bjp-neta-tweets-edited-clip-of-yogendra-yadavs-communal-speech
BJP’s head of IT operations Amit Malviya
tweeted a video purportedly of an old speech by politician and psephologist
Yogendra Yadav on Friday, claiming that Yadav had indulged in communal
politics.Malviya, in his tweet, said that Yadav had bragged about “his Muslim
identity” while delivering a speech in a Muslim-dominated constituency in
Haryana.The caption shared with the video read:“I usually don’t carry TV
debates to social media but making an exception to expose Yogendra Yadav’s
Janus face. Here is a video where he can be seen bragging his Muslim identity to
a largely Muslim audience in Muslim dominated Mewat. If this isn’t cynical
politics, then what is?”The video has clearly been produced, with overlaid text
graphics and background music. It starts with the text: “At a Mahapanchayat in
Muslim dominated Mewat in Haryana, Yogendra Yadav makes it a point to inform
the gathering about his ‘Muslim identity’ and tells them that his name is
Salim.”After showing around a minute of Yadav’s public address, the video
concludes with the text: “When are you withdrawing from public life?”THE QUINT
WORLD
Separate attacks kill nearly 50 Syrian
soldiers
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/separate-attacks-kill-50-syrian-soldiers-190420184829713.html
Syrian government forces came under separate
attacks from ISIL and al-Qaeda-linked rebels in different parts of the country
that killed nearly 50 soldiers and allied fighters.In one attack, ISIL fighters
ambushed Syrian forces in the desert of central Homs province on Thursday
night, setting off two days of clashes that killed 27 soldiers, including four
officers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.A
pro-government militia, known as Liwa al-Quds, confirmed the ambush saying it
had sent its fighters to liberate the two besieged battalions, made up of
nearly 500 soldiers, east of the town of al-Sukhna.In a Facebook post, the
militia said it successfully broke the siege and liberated the surviving
soldiers before pulling the bodies of those killed and damaged vehicles to
safety.aljazeera/AP
Iraq summit brings together rivals Saudi and
Iran
A summit organised by Iraq brought together
regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday as part of a broader effort
by Iraqi leaders to fashion the country's image as a friend among
neighbours.Scarred by more than three decades of war, Iraq is recasting itself
as a mediator among neighbours who are often at odds over weighty issues,
including the civil war in Syria and US sanctions against Iran.The summit,
hosted by Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi, brought together top
legislators of Iraq's six neighbours: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey,
Jordan, and Kuwait."Today, Iraq is building a promising strategic
partnership with all neighbouring countries without any reservations or
favouring any party," said al-Halbousi.The regional meeting follows months
of high-profile diplomacy that has involved Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and
President Barham Salih to engage with the neighbours.aljazeera
Heavy clashes near Libya's Tripoli amid 'new
phase of attack'
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/heavy-clashes-libya-tripoli-phase-attack-190420150424744.html
Heavy clashes broke out in the southern
districts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as forces loyal to the country's
UN-recognised government launched a counterattack to repel fighters allied to
renegade General Khalifa Haftar. Residents of the city said they could hear
sustained rocket and artillery fire in several districts of Tripoli on
Saturday, after several days of stalemate on the ground. Haftar's Libyan
National Army, which is allied to a rival administration in the country's east,
launched an offensive to seize Tripoli more than two weeks ago, but it has been
stopped in the city's southern outskirts by forces allied to the Govt of
National Accord (GNA).The shelling was louder and more frequent on Saturday
than in previous days, residents said, and audible in central districts more
than 10km away from the front line.Both sides claimed progress in southern
Tripoli, but no more details were immediately available.aljazeera
Sudanese authorities arrest members of
Bashir’s party
Sudanese authorities have arrested several
members of the former ruling party of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, an
official of Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) said.Sudan’s attorney
general has also asked the country’s intelligence and national security
agencies to lift the immunity of a number of their officers suspected of
killing a teacher who died in custody after protests in February, state news
agency SUNA said.The moves appear to be part of a widening crackdown on
officials from Bashir’s administration intended to placate protesters who want
the Military Council, which took over after toppling Bashir, to hand power to
civilians.Attorney General Al-Walid Sayed Ahmed also ordered the formation of a
committee to oversee investigations into crimes involving public funds,
corruption and criminal cases related to recent events, SUNA said, citing a
statement from his office.Thirty-nine protesters have been killed since the
protests erupted in December, according to official figures. Some opposition
groups say as many as 60 died.middleeastmonitor
Mali Govt Resigns Amid Growing Insecurity
Following Ogossagou Massacre
Bamako: Mali‘s prime minister and his whole
government resigned , 4 weeks after a massacre of some 160 Fulani herders by an
ethnic vigilante group shocked the nation.“The President accepts the
resignation of the prime minister and that of the members of government,” a
statement from President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s office said.It gave no reason
for the departure of Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, but legislators
had discussed on Wednesday a possible motion of no confidence in the government
because of the massacre and failure to disarm militias or beat back Islamist
militants.The March 23 killings by suspected hunters from the Dogon community
on Ogossagou, a village in central Mali populated by rival Fulani herders, were
bloody even by the recent standards of Mali‘s ever-worsening violence.Reuters
Egyptian voters urged to allow el-Sissi rule
until 2030
Cairo:Egyptian pro-government media are urging
a “Yes” vote on the second day of a nationwide referendum that would allow
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in power until 2030.Polls reopened at 9
am on Sunday. Voting will continue through Monday to allow maximum turnout,
which the government hopes will lend the referendum legitimacy.Election
officials say results are expected within a week.Opposition parties have called
on voters to reject the changes, blasted by critics as a major step back to
authoritarianism.Voting comes amid an unprecedented crackdown on dissent since
the 2013 military ouster of an elected but divisive president.AP
Turkey's AK Party submits new petition to
cancel Istanbul poll
Turkey's ruling party on Saturday appealed to
Turkey’s election authority submitting a new petition including list of
non-eligible voters with a view to cancel and renew last month's Istanbul
poll.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's
deputy chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz said 14,712 voters who were dismissed from
public posts with a presidential decree were found out to have voted in
Istanbul during March 31 local elections.Yavuz said AK Party submitted to Supreme
Election Council the petition with the list of voters as an attachment to their
extraordinary appeal submitted on April 16.Millions of Turkish voters cast
their votes nationwide on March 31, in local elections to choose mayors, city
council members, and other officials for the next five years.Anadolu Agency
Hamas: Fatah’s recent remarks about
reconciliation a media stunt
GAZA, (PIC) Islamic Movement has described
recent remarks made by Fatah officials about the Palestinian reconciliation as
“a mere media stunt,” affirming that the leadership of Fatah refuses to lift
its sanctions on Gaza and rejects political partnership.“What is being
circulated by Fatah leaders about the issue of the reconciliation and
submitting papers in this regard is nothing more than a maneuver and a media
stunt,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a press release on Saturday.“Such
Fatah move is only aimed at covering up the separatist steps taken by its chief
Mahmoud Abbas and the crime of his punitive measures against our people in the
Gaza Strip,” Barhoum added.The spokesman stressed the need for Fatah to remove
its measures against Gaza, respect the principle of partnership and start to
honor previous reconciliation agreements, especially the 2011 Cairo agreement
and the 2017 Beirut understandings. Fatah officials recently claimed through
their media outlets that their leadership had sent a message to Hamas through
Cairo about the national reconciliation.
Flash: views & NEWS
Like January last year, all eyes on what SC
does: will its in-house gender panel act?Kaunain Sheriff M
Sadhvi Pragya: Cherry-picking innocence,
Hindutva style:Vivek Deshpande
Giving Sadhvi Pragya a ticket to enter public
life is puzzling and wrong:Tavleen Singh
Life after lynching: The widows of Nuh:Namita
Bhandare
100 years of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: On
display in Lahore, documents that detail horrors committed by the British in
1919:Divya Goyal
Why meteorological department’s monsoon
forecast is often inaccurate:Jayashree Nandi
Sexual harassment cases relating to Supreme
Court judges in legal grey area: HT
The Election Fix: Muslims are constantly
discussed but seriously underrepresented in Indian politics:Nithya Subramanian
& Shoaib Daniyal
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Anwarulhaq (Released at: 3:52 PM)
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