NEWS
DIGEST, EVENING
23 April 2019: 17 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:183
INDIA
Give Rs 50 lakh compensation to 2002 riots
gangrape victim Bilkis Bano: SC to Gujarat govt
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday directed
the Gujarat government to give Rs 50 lakh compensation to Bilkis Bano, who was
gangraped during the 2002 riots, within two weeks. In addition, the apex court
has asked the state government to provide her government job and government
accommodation.A pregnant Bilkis Bano was gangraped on March 3, 2002, in
Randhikpur village, while fleeing the violence in the aftermath of the Godhra
train burning in Gujarat. Fourteen members of her family were killed.On May 4,
2017, the Bombay High Court had upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of
12 people in the gangrape case, while setting aside the acquittal of seven
people, including policemen and doctors.The trial court, while sentencing 11
people to life imprisonment on Jan.21, 2008, had acquitted 5 police officers
and 2 government doctors, giving them the benefit of doubt. Last month, the SC
asked the state govt to complete disciplinary action against police officials
convicted by the HC.Bano had earlier refused to accept compensation of Rs 5
lakh offered by Gujarat govt.indian express
Supreme Court orders Rs 50 lakh, job, house
for Gujarat gangrape survivor Bilkis Bano
SC Notice To Lawyer Who Claimed Conspiracy To
Frame CJI
New Delhi: A lawyer's affidavit claiming that
the allegations of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi are a conspiracy
to frame him will be taken up by the SC on Wednesday. CJI Gogoi has strongly
denied the allegations of a former SC employee and said the independence of the
judiciary is "under threat" and it "cannot be made a scapegoat".The
SC, in a hearing today, served notice to the lawyer Utsav Bains and asked him
to explain his affidavit tomorrow and clarify his claim that he knew the chain
of events and would submit names of those involved in a sealed cover. A special
bench called an emergency hearing on Saturday after the former employee, in an
affidavit to several Supreme Court judges, alleged she was sexually harassed by
the chief justice."This is unbelievable. I don't think I should stoop low
even to deny these allegations," the CJI said in the hearing and added he
would not pass any orders, that the senior most judge Arun Mishra would dictate
the order.Today, Justices Arun Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta heard Utsav
Bains's affidavit claiming there was a conspiracy to frame the CJI in a "false
case of sexual harassment" that would force him to resign. Utsav Bains
claims he was offered Rs. 1.5 crore to represent the woman and arrange a
presser against CJI Gogoi.All 26 judges of the top court have rallied behind
the CJI, sources say.ndtv
Sexual harassment allegations: Was offered
₹1.5 crore to frame CJI, says SC lawyer
SC issues notice to Centre, J-K govt on plea
challenging highway curbs
New Delhi :The Supreme Court has issued a
notice to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government on a petition challenging
restrictions imposed on civilian movement along the National Highway between
Srinagar and Baramulla.“Issue notice on the writ petition, as also on the
prayer for interim relief, returnable within two weeks,” ordered a bench of CJI
Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, hearing the plea by
Muzzafar Shah, Awami National Conference senior vice president, and social
worker Yasmeen Sonaullah. Terming it an “absurd and draconian decision”, the
petition contended that the restrictions affect the lives of several lakhs of
people and “its indirect economic and social impact is interminable”.“The
impugned order means a virtual lock down of the Valley two days every week,
which will directly affect 10,000 vehicles plying every hour, which includes
vehicles carrying patients, students, tourists, businessmen and government
officials,” it said.indianexpress
Inmate branded with Om: Court pulls up Tihar
Jail
New Delhi :A Delhi court Monday pulled up
Tihar Jail authorities for failing to respond to charges levelled by an
undertrial that an ‘Om’ symbol was branded on his back with hot metal,
allegedly by a jail superintendent. The undertrial, Nabbir, had also alleged
that the superintendent denied him food for two days during Navratri and said
he would convert him to Hinduism. Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar
expressed displeasure over the jail official’s inability to produce documents
proving that he was authorised by the Director General of Tihar Jail to respond
to charges made by the undertrial, Nabbir.Asked if he has received the court’s
notice in the matter, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was present in
court, was unable to produce it and sought two weeks to respond to Nabbir’s
allegations.Irked by the conduct of Tihar Jail authorities, the judge ordered
that an authority letter be filed by the official concerned before filing any
reply to the allegations levelled against the superintendent. Tihar jail
officials have also been asked to respond to Nabbir’s accusations that, during
his custody, the superintendent allegedly denied him food for two days and said
he would convert him to Hinduism.It sought a report in the matter by April 30.
Meanwhile, the officer informed the court that they have shifted Nabbir to another
cell following the court’s previous order. But Nabbir claimed that jail
authorities had not given him any medicine since the court’s April 17 order. indianexpress
Foreign Secy shared all evidence on Masood
Azhar with China: MEA
Beijing : Ministry of External Affairs said
that India has shared with China “all evidence” of terrorist activities by
Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leader Masood Azhar, after Foreign Secretary Vijay
Gokhale met Chinese State Councillor and Foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Asked
if listing Azhar under UN 1267 Committee was raised during Gokhale’s visit to
Beijing, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said,“It is now for 1267 Sanctions
Committee and other authorised bodies of the UN to take a decision on the
listing of Azhar. India will continue to pursue all available avenues to ensure
that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens are
brought to justice.”Responding to a question on whether Azhar’s listing or
India’s participation in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing later this week was
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, “As to the specific
issues, I already said that the two sides have far more common interests than
conflicts. I hope the two sides will step up coordination and cooperation, and
sustain the sound momentum in bilateral relations.China is ready and would like
to work together with India to this end.” indian express
Probe will determine if British national will
be questioned: NIA
Chandigarh :NIA has said in a special NIA
court at Mohali that whether British national Jagtar Singh Jaggi Johal and two
other accused arrested in cases of targeted killings in Punjab were wanted in
RSS Punjab vice president Jagdish Gagneja murder case would be known “sooner
the role of applicants is surfaced” as the “matter is under
investigation”.Gagneja was shot by unknown motorcycle-borne assailants on
Aug.6, 2016. Punjab government had handed over the case to CBI.Jaggi Johal was
arrested in Nov.2017 when he was in Punjab to get married. He was alleged to be
involved in spate of targeted killings in Punjab, the murders of leaders and
activists belonging to right wing organisation, Dera Sacha Sauda and the
Christian community, which as per police showed a pattern to disturb communal
harmony.indianexpress
India says it is prepared to deal with US
decision to end waivers on oil imports from Iran
India on Tuesday said it was prepared to deal
with the impact of the US’ decision not to renew waivers that allowed eight
countries to buy oil from Iran without facing sanctions. Ministry of External
Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Centre will continue to work with
partner countries to secure India’s energy and economic security
interests.scroll.in
Jamia Faculty Gets Swiss Award For 'Smart
Solar Inverter' Model
New Delhi: In-charge of the Advance Power
Electronics Research Laboratory,Dept.of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia
Islamia,Dr. Ahteshamul Haque and his research group has won an award worth Rs.
20 Lakhs from Switzerland based world reputed company Typhoon HIL.The research
group comprising of students from B.Tech, M.Tech and PhD headed by Dr. Haque
has developed a model for Smart Solar Inverters with its control and submitted
it for evaluation in a competition organised by Typhoon HIL. NDTV
ELECTIONS
LIVE: 61.05% voter turnout in phase 3 of Lok
Sabha elections till 5 pm
A total of 117 seats in 13 states and 2 Union
Territories are going to polls in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on
Tuesday.Voting is taking place for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat, all 20
seats in Kerala, 14 each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, 10 in Uttar Pradesh,
seven in Chhattisgarh, 6 in Odisha, five each in Bihar and West Bengal, four in
Assam, two in Goa, one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman
and Diu and Tripura.HT
LIVE : 61.62% voter turnout till 6 pm; Assam
sees 74.05%, polling in Maharashtra at 55.71%
Voters complain about faulty EVMs in Kerala,
UP in third phase of polls
Complaints of electronic voting machine
malfunctioning were reported from some polling booths across Kerala and UP as
117 constituencies went to polls in the third phase on Tuesday, reports said.In
Kerala, faulty electronic voting machines interrupted polling at seven booths
in Alathur, 11 booths in Palakkad, seven booths in Kasaragod and 10 booths in
Pathanamthitta, according to Manorama. Snags in EVMs were also reported from
Cherthala in Alappuzha district and Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram.However,
District Collector K Vasuki dismissed reports of glitches in the machine in
Kovalam, reported PTI. Senior Congress leader and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor is
contesting against BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekaran and LDF’s C Divakaran in this
seat. Tharoor alleged that EVMs were registering only votes polled for BJP,
reported News18. He asked the Election Commission to take note of the
matter.scroll.in
Goa AAP leader Elvis Gomes claims faulty EVMs
registering extra BJP votes
New Delhi: Congress and the AAP on Tuesday
alleged that EVMs in some polling booths in North and South Goa malfunctioned
and that extra votes were recorded for the BJP during a mock drill. Leaders
from the 2 opposition parties, who are facing the BJP in the 2 Lok Sabha seats
in the coastal state, said that EVMs in Cuncolim, Quepem and St Cruz segments
had developed faults.Elvis Gomes, AAP’s South Goa Lok Sabha seat nominee,
claimed that 17 votes went to the BJP after a mock drill at a booth in Cuncolim
in which a total of only 8 votes were cast. Thus the votes registered were more
than those polled.“Total 8 votes were polled during the mock drill, but the
result showed 17 in name of BJP, 8 for AAP and 7 for Congress. How is this
possible? This seems to be trend across India,” he told reporters, adding that
the election officer halted the polling process after he raised the matter. the
statesman
LS polls: Cong, AAP raise concern over faulty
EVMs in Goa
Lok Sabha elections: ‘EVMs voting for BJP’,
alleges Akhilesh
New Delhi:Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh
Yadav on Tuesday alleged that EVMs in many areas were recording votes in favour
the BJP amid reports of glitches from various states during the third phase of
polling.“EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll
officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal
negligence for a polling exercise that costs 50,000 crs,” he tweeted.
Malfunction EVM malfunction was reported from polling booths in Kerala, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Goa.HT
Mamata : Central forces at polling booths
asking people to vote for BJP
New Delhi :With 350 companies of Central Armed
Police Force (CAPF) posted in the state to oversee the election process, West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that Central forces
were asking voters to cast their franchise for BJP. Banerjee said TMC had
apprised the Election Commission of the matter, which has been mainly reported
from Malda Dakshin and Balurghat constituencies.“I have got information that
the central forces are sitting inside booths in Englishbazar in Malda Dakshin
and asking voters to vote for BJP.They do not have the right to do such a
thing. We have informed the Election Commission about our reservations
regarding this,”PTI quoted Mamata as saying.indianexpress
LS election : BJP Lawmaker Udit Raj, Ignored
For Delhi Contest, Says Decided To Quit
New Delhi:BJP leader Udit Raj, who was not
named as the party's candidate for North West Delhi seat, today said he has
decided to leave the party after it fielded singer Hans Raj Hans from the seat.
He has also attacked the party, saying ticket distribution was based "on
some inscrutable internal standards". BJP has announced the candidates for
all the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital."In 2014, I
trusted the leadership of Honorable PM Narendra Modi and merged my 'Indian
Justice Party' with BJP. I now realize many smaller regional parties have
benefited more by remaining independent," Udit Raj said in a statement.
"Is it my fault to be known as a 'Tall' Dalit Leader. Doesn't the grand
party BJP want a leader who has been chosen by Dalits themselves?" he
added.Raj claimed that he was denied the ticket despite topping the party's
internal surveys."All BJP workers know that party had engaged four
agencies to do a performance survey on MPs, I ranked on top in all of
them," he said."In reality the decision making of weather to give
ticket or deny ticket is based on some inscrutable internal standards," he
added.This morning, in a pinned tweet, Raj threatened to say "goodbye to
the party" if he was not picked as a candidate for the national election.
Later, he told NDTV: "Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal had warned
me." The party later announced Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans as the
candidate from North West Delhi seat."BJP didn't give me a ticket. I have
decided to leave the party," Raj told NDTV.
BJP denies ticket to Udit Raj, names singer
Hans Raj Hans as North West Delhi candidate
Over 30 seats out of 117 have large number of
Muslim voters in 3rd phase
New Delhi: Out of the 117 Lok Sabha
seats going to polls in the third phase of elections on April 23, over 30
constituencies spread across Assam, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West
Bengal have substantial Muslim population while Christians have large
population in the 2 seats of Goa and several Kerala constituencies. The highest
concentration of Muslims is in Assam's Dhubri (67.4 per cent) and Malappuram
(68 per cent) in Kerala. From Dhubri, AIDUF chief Badruddin Ajmal is seeking
re-election. Mallapuram is considered a bastion of IUML.Assam's Barpeta has
Muslim population of 52 per cent, Gauhati has 25 per cent and Kokrajhar 21 per
cent -- all these seats will see polling on Tuesday.In Bihar, two out of five
seats going to polls have Muslim population -- Araria (41 per cent) and Supaul
(18 per cent). Supaul is witnessing a contest between Dileshwar Kamat of JDU
and Ranjit Ranjan of the Congress who will be banking on 'MY' (Muslim-Yadav)
factor. In Araria, BJP's Pradip Kumar Singh is taking on RJD Sarfaraz
Alam.Karnataka's Bidar (20 per cent) and Dharwad (19 per cent) also have a
substantial Muslim population. Kerala and Gujarat are the two states where
elections are being held for all the seats in one go in the third phase.IANS
‘Chowkidar chor hai’ remark: SC issues formal
contempt notice against Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI:The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued
a formal criminal contempt notice against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for
attributing the comment “chowkidar chor hai” to the court judgement of April
10, upholding the maintainability of the Rafale fighter aircraft deal case
review petitions.A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi,
also ordered that the review petitions be listed along with the criminal
contempt petition filed by BJP lawmaker Meenakshi Lekhi for Tuesday next (April
30).The issuance of the formal contempt notice seems to be triggered by a brief
exchange among Ms. Lekhi's lawyer, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi; the CJI; and
senior advocate A.M. Singhvi for Mr. Gandhi.
Gujarat: Scarred by 2002 riots, Muslims lament
Congress' indifference
Godhra:If there is one common refrain in
Godhra, Ahmedabad and Mehsana, which saw violence during the Gujarat carnage of
2002, it is that people have moved on and made — read bought — peace in an
essentially mercantile society. Only difference is in the interpretation of
“moved on”’. Though Godhra continues to suffer the economic blowback of the international
uproar over the carnage with big names in business unwilling to set up shop in
the area in Panchmahal district, the right wing within the majority community
justifies the violence as a means to lasting “peace”. A common refrain
is:“There has been no large-scale riots since 2002; the minorities have been
silenced. They go about their businesses and the 2 communities live in peace.”
Needless to say, mostly in separate areas with interdependent businesses.The
minority community does not contest this while silently mourning their
political isolation as the Congress — despite its claim to secular credentials
— distanced itself from the Muslims here till a couple of years ago.“Before
2017 Assembly polls, Congress would tell their candidates to keep ‘daadi-topi
walas’ (bearded men with caps) at a distance during their public meetings,”
Kalim Siddiqui of Dalit Muslim Ekta Manch said.According to him, the Patidar
and post-Una Dalit movement of the past couple of years gave Muslims a chance
to join the mainstream. Another organisation that has come up in recent years
is the Minority Coordination Committee; again to draw the Muslims, in
particular, out of political isolation and make them part of the
conversation.The Telegraph
Ahmedabad: Slips not distributed in Muslim
areas, says Congress
One day before the state votes, Congress
complained to the chief electoral officer that voter slips have not been
distributed in minority-dominated and poor localities of Ahmedabad. The
district collector claimed that these slips had been distributed by Monday
evening. Balubhai Patel, election co-ordination committee chairman of the
Gujarat Congress, in a letter to the chief electoral officer, complained that a
number of voters in Juhapura, Vejalpur, Maktampura and certain societies in
Makarba like Harivas, Rehamani Society, Monal Society, Mere Garib Nawaj Society
and Mehboob Society had not received their voter slips. The letter stated that
although residents of these localities filed complaints with the office of the
district election officer, no action was taken and they had not received their
slips until 2pm on Monday. All 26 LS seats in Gujarat will votetoday. Gujarat
chief electoral officer S Murali Krishna said, "I have asked Ahmedabad DEO
to inquire into the complaint and have instructed that all possible action be
taken." Timesofindia
Polarised politics: how two teenagers will
vote after surviving 2002 Gujarat riots
AHMEDABAD:On the night of February 28, 2002,
two toddlers living in adjacent alleys were dragged out of a slum district in
Ahmedabad in Gujarat that had been set ablaze by a mob in one of India’s worst
ever Hindu-Muslim riots. The attack in
the Naroda Patiya area of the state’s biggest city was among scores of clashes
in which more than 800 Muslims and 255 Hindus were killed in the month-long
violence in the home state of Narendra Modi. He had just become its chief
minister and would rule there until becoming India’s prime minister in 2014.The
toddlers who survived, a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl, were both one-year-olds
at the time of the riots. Now, 17 years later, they are among an estimated 15
million first-time voters in a general election in which Modi and his Hindu
nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are seeking a second term on a
platform that, critics say, marginalises Muslims in favour of the nation’s
majority Hindus.Reuters
Bhopal: Muslim board files complaint against
Sadhvi Pragya
All India Ulama Board on Monday filed a
complaint to lodge an FIR against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi
Pragya Singh Thakur for hurting sentiments of the Muslim community through her
Babri Masjid demolition remark.The complaint has been filed at Aishbagh Police
Station.District Election Officer and Collector Sudam Khade had on Monday
directed the police to file an FIR against Thakur for her remark on the
demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.The Election Officer found her statement
in violation of the Model Code of Conduct which is in force during polling.ANI
FIR Filed Against Pragya Thakur Over 'Babri'
Remarks, MP Poll Body Orders Investigation
Muslims vote remark: Poll panel bars Sidhu
from campaigning for 72 hours
New Delhi :Election Commission has barred
Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu from campaigning for 72
hours, effective from 10 am Tuesday, for appealing to Muslims “to vote
unitedly”. Sidhu made the remark last week at a public meeting in Bihar’s
Katihar district which went to the polls on April 18.indianexpress
SRI lANKA BLASTS
Pompeo vows fight on 'Islamic radical
terrorism' after Sri Lanka attacks
Washington :Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
vowed Monday that the United States will keep fighting "radical Islamic
terror" after devastating attacks in Sri Lanka that targeted churches on
Easter and hotels."Radical Islamic terror remains a threat. We are
continuing to do real work against these evil human beings," Pompeo told
reporters."This is America's fight, too," added Pompeo, who said he
had spoken by telephone with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.AFP
Sri Lanka Attacks a Retribution For New
Zealand Mosque Shooting: Ex Indian Diplomat G Parthsarathy
New Delhi: As 8 powerful blasts ripped across
Sri Lanka on Easter Day, killing 290 people on Sunday, former diplomat G
Parthasarathy said that the attacks were, as per his view, a retribution for
the killing of the devotees at the mosque in New Zealand. “There is no evidence
to suggest that Sri Lankans are going to Syria or Iraq in large numbers to join
the ISIS or are getting involved in their training programme. But since the
primary targets were Christians and the timing was on one of the holiest days
for Christianity, this appears as a retribution for the killing of devotees at
the mosque in New Zealand,” he said.Shedding some light on the Buddhist
organisations becoming more and more anti-Islamic, Parthasarathy added that the
phenomenon also existed in other Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Thailand.
news18
Lashkar has fanned radicalism in Sri
Lanka:Indian agencies
NEW DELHI: India had tipped off Sri Lanka
several times over the possibility of a jihadi attack and Indian agencies also
pointed to National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) having a number of associates and
followers in Pakistan. Indian intelligence has been tracking the influence of
Wahabism, with its hardline Islamic beliefs, in eastern Sri Lanka and warned
that the region could develop into an operational zone for Lashkar-e-Taiba and
like-minded jihadi groups. The Pakistan link to violent groups in Sri Lanka was
underlined by Lashkar's charity front Falah-i-Insaniyat advertising in 2016 its
presence in the island nation apart from its activities in Syria, Afghanistan,
Myanmar and Somalia. NTJ has been seeking to harness a growing radicalisation,
the seeds of which were sown by Lashkar and its 'charity' wing Idara
Khidmat-e-Khalq. The latter was actively engaged in disaster relief activities
in Sri Lanka and Maldives after a tsunami struck in 2004. According to Indian
agencies, NTJ has been associated with Al Qaeda that has been radicalizing and
recruiting young Sri Lankans for global jihad. That Indian intelligence
agencies had warned about an attack by the NTJ has been corroborated by New
York Times which said Indian security agencies had shared "specific
intelligence" about a plot by the jihadi group as early as April 4. But
the daily suggested that the warning may have gone unheeded. TOI
Sri Lanka Serial blasts: To join the dots, NIA
wants to send team to Colombo
New Delhi :NIA is keen on sending a team to
Colombo to study the series of blasts in churches and hotels across Sri Lanka
on Sunday that claimed 290 lives, official sources said. The agency is likely
to request the Union Home Ministry to take a call on the visit since an attack
so close to India’s shores could have implications for the country, sources
said.“We would like to visit Sri Lanka and study this terror attack. An attack
of such scale and proportion has not happened in the sub-continent in recent
memory. After the fall of LTTE, Sri Lanka has hardly seen any big attacks. This
points to the emergence of a new force that may also be inimical to India’s
interests,” an NIA official said. indian express
Sri Lankans Slam Indian Media for
‘Politicising’ Easter Blasts
Sri Lankan Twitter has been quick to call out
Indian media and politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for using
the series of blasts in the island nation as “election fodder.”Pointing to PM
Modi’s election rally later the same day, Sri Lanka’s Twitter users called it
“political opportunism.” Soon after condoling the deaths, PM appealed to people
to vote for BJP’s lotus in order to fight terrorism.Sri Lankan government has
not named a suspect, nor identified any of them by religion as till 22 April
noon. However, a section of Indian media was quick to identify some of the
terror groups,on 21 April itself.Indian journalist Shreya Dhoundial pointed
that Sri Lankan media refraining from speculating did not deter the Indian
media.thequint
Sri Lanka attacks bring together Muslims,
Christians
Muslim parliamentarians and members of a
Muslim group in Sri Lanka have paid a condolence visit to the Archbishop
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, following the terror attacks in the country that
claimed 310 lives. According to a press release issued by Mufti M.I.M Rizwe,
President of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, Ranjith said preserving peace and
religious harmony between the communities is important especially at difficult
times.“Both parties emphasized on further strengthening of the good
relationship that exists among the communities, for the betterment of our
Motherland,” the press release said.“They also pledged to offer the fullest
support in carrying out the necessary actions to be meted out on the
perpetrators and terrorists,” it added. On Easter Sunday, at least 310 people
were killed and 500 others injured when a total of eight explosions targeted
eight different locations in and outside Colombo, the capital of Sri
Lanka.Anadolu Agency
WORLD
Egypt’s Sisi to recruit Arab states in support
of ‘deal of the century’
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is
recruiting Arab leaders to support the peace plan being laid down by the US
administration, dubbed the “deal of the century”.Writing for Ynet News, Smadar
Perry, said that what is clear about the “deal of the century” is “the extent
of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi’s involvement in the agreement.”He
noted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman was initially believed to be
recruiting supporters for the deal, but, according to Perry, Trump’s “excellent
friend” Al-Sisi recently found himself in the driving seat.Perry argued that
the Israeli government believes that Al-Sisi “is a neighbour and a partner who
watches over the Sinai Peninsula – where thousands of Israelis are spending
their Passover holidays – along with Israel.”middleeastmonitor
Outgoing France ambassador to US: Israel
already ‘apartheid state’
The outgoing French ambassador to the US has
said that Israel is an “apartheid state” and that the status quo provides no
incentive for its government to make concessions in peace negotiations.Gerard
Araud – who ended his five year term as France’s ambassador to the US this
weekend – gave an interview to US magazine the Atlantic in which he discussed a
number of topics pertaining to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the so-called
“deal of the century”, the long-awaited peace plan touted by US President
Donald Trump’s administration. Discussing the “deal of the century” and its
chief architect, special advisor to the President and Trump’s son-in-law Jared
Kushner, Araud told the Atlantic: “Everywhere in the history of mankind, when
there is a negotiation between two sides, the more powerful [party] is imposing
terms on the weaker party. That’s the basis of Jared Kushner’s [peace plan] –
it will be a proposal very close to what the Israelis want.”middleeastmonitor
Sudan’s Umma Party refuses to take part in
transitional government
Sudanese National Umma Party (NUP), headed by
Sadiq Al-Mahdi, announced yesterday that it will not participate in the
transitional government, calling on the military council to hand over power to
a civilian government, the Anadolu Agency reported.The party said in a
statement that the Sudanese people will always be the source of all authority,
adding that the party will not give up until the people’s demands are met.The
statement accused the Transitional Military Council (MTC) of trying to replace
one military rule with another.The party explained that partisan and civil
forces have taken steps to form a civil authority whose members will be
announced this week. “Efforts to nominate candidates for the transitional civil
authority have reached an advanced stage and their members will be announced
within the next few days,” it said.Anadolu
Mueller report raises questions on role of Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince
Towards the end of the 448-page Mueller report
to investigate possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election
is a reference to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan.The reference appears to suggest that the UAE might have acted to bring
together the Trump campaign and Russians representing Vladimir Putin.The report
refers to Kirill Dmitriev, "a Russian national who heads Russia's
sovereign wealth fund and is closely connected to Putin". He was appointed
CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) when it was founded in 2011.
Muller report says that he "reported directly to Putin and frequently
referred to Putin as his 'boss.'"Dmitriev regularly interacted with George
Nader, a senior adviser to the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince. The report also refers
to Nader as a business associate of Dmitriev. It says he leaned on Nader to
introduce him to Trump transition officials. "Dmitriev told Nader that
Putin would be very grateful to Nader and that a meeting would make
history," the report said.A meeting was arranged in Seychelles between
Dmitriev and Eric Prince, a Trump campaign supporter and an associate of Steve
Bannon, head of Breitbart news who joined the White House but was later eased
out.The report says the UAE national security adviser also introduced Dmitriev
to Rick Gerson, a hedge fund manager and friend of Trump's son-in-law Jared
Kushner. That meeting took place in late November 2016.Suggestions on the
mysterious role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed come across when the Muller
report says, "Nader considered Dmitriev to be Putin's interlocutor in the
Gulf region, and would relay Dmitriev’s views directly to Crown Prince
Mohammed". It continued: "Nader developed contacts with both U.S.
presidential campaigns during the 2016 election, and kept Dmitriev abreast of
his efforts to do so. According to Nader, Dmitriev said that his and the
government of Russia's preference was for candidate Trump to win, and asked
Nader to assist him in meeting members of the Trump campaign."IANS
Iranian parliament labels entire US military
as terrorist
Tehran :Iranian media say the parliament has
approved a bill that labels all US military forces as terrorist.The legislation
is a step further after Iranian lawmakers last week approved a bill labelling
US troops in the Mideast as terrorist, a day after the US terrorism designation
for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard came into effect.AP
Myanmar’s top court rejects final appeal by
jailed Reuters journalists
NAYPYITAW:Myanmar’s Supreme Court on Tuesday
rejected the final appeal of two Reuters journalists and upheld seven-year
prison sentences for their reporting on the military’s brutal crackdown on
Rohingya Muslims.Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo earlier this month shared with their
colleagues the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, one of journalism’s
highest honors.The court did not given a reason for its decision. Wa Lone and
Kyaw Soe Oo, who are being held in a prison in Yangon, were not present for the
ruling, but their wives were. Kyaw Soe Oo’s wife broke down in tears when the ruling
was read.The reporters were arrested in December 2017 and sentenced last
September after being accused of illegally possessing official documents, a
violation of a colonial-era law.They denied the allegation and contended they
were framed by police. International rights groups, media freedom
organizations, UN experts and several governments have condemned their
conviction as an injustice and an attack on freedom of the press.AP
More than 50 feared dead after landslide at
Myanmar jade mine
More than 50 people are feared dead after a
landslide hit a major jade mining area in Myanmar's northern Kachin state, an
official has said.The accident took place near Maw Wun Kalay village in Hpakant
Township around 11:30pm local time (17:00 GMT) on Monday when a mud-filter
pond, situated in an old mining site, collapsed.A total of 54 staff from two
private companies were buried under a mound of mining waste along with 40
machines and vehicles, Tin Soe, a local politician told the Reuters.aljazeera
Flash:
views & NEWS
Communal Propaganda and Vigilante Violence is
Fracturing the Idea of India:Harsh Mande
Karkare does not need a certificate from
Sadhvi who cursed him: S S Virk
India’s response to China’s BRI is linked to
its territorial concerns: Sana Hashmi
Mahagathbandan hopes to repair strained ties
between Jats and Muslims after 2013 riots: Sudha Pai
The story of India is the story of evolution:
Sohail Hashmi
10 private airlines collapsing in 3 decades
point to poverty of policy & ‘loot’ by promoters:Nantoo Banerjee
‘Unforgivable Crime Against Humanity’: Indian
Muslim Leaders Condemn Sri Lanka Attacks
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:09 PM)
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