NEWS
DIGEST, EVENING
22 May 2019:
16 Ramazan 1440:Vol: 11, No:208
INDIA
EC rejects Opposition parties demand on
changes to VVPAT counting process
New Delhi:The Election Commission today
rejected a demand by 22 Opposition parties asking that VVPAT slips be counted
before EVMs in polling stations where applicable. 22 Opposition parties led by
the Congress had told the Commission that “if any discrepancy is found anywhere
during the VVPAT verification, 100 per cent counting of paper slips of VVPATs
of all polling stations of that assembly segments should be done”.On Tuesday,it
was senior Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi who argued Opposition’s
case before the Commission.Opposition leaders had said the poll panel assured
them that a meeting of full Commission would look into their demands. The
leaders, however, had said they were not very hopeful since the EC’s “body
language was not very positive”.indian express
22 opposition parties plan stir if EC fails to
act
Home Ministry alerts all states about possible
violence during counting of votes tomorrow
New Delhi:Home Ministry on Wednesday put out a
nation-wide alert to states about possible eruption of violence in different
parts of the country in connection with the counting of votes. Centre’s
advisory comes just a day after former union minister Upendra Kushwaha
threatened of bloodshed in Bihar if any attempt is made to steal “the peoples’
votes”. Ram Vilas Paswan, the union minister and the BJP ally in Bihar, had responded
to Kushwaha’s warning of bloodshed. Paswan, who spoke after the dinner for NDA
allies hosted by BJP chief Amit Shah, declared that “there will be a tit for
tat”.“The Home ministry has asked states and union territories to maintain law
and order, peace and public tranquility and take adequate measures for the
security of strong rooms and venues of counting of votes,”a Home Ministry
statement said.Home Ministry did not spell out the statements that had provoked
the advisory ahead of counting of votes but said the alert had been sounded “in
the wake of calls given and statements made in various quarters” for inciting
violence and causing disruption on the day of counting of votes.HT
Intel note reveals diabolical terror plot tomorrow:
Times Now
Exit polls prediction that Modi will return
for the second term has spooked Pakistan. Intel input accessed by Times Now
unveils Pakistan's diabolical plot to bleed India around May 23 that's when the
results will be declared. This Intel note suggests that terror launch pads near
the line of control are activated and terrorist will be pushed from J&K
& Rajasthan. Watch the video to know more! Times now news
VVPAT verification: ‘Is SC also involved in
rigging?’ asks Congress leader Udit Raj
Congress leader Udit Raj today raised concerns
about how the Supreme Court has dealt with pleas for 100% verification of the
VVPAT slips during the counting from electronic voting machines when votes are
counted on May 23.Raj asked if the top court was involved in rigging the
elections. “Why doesn’t the Supreme Court want to have all VVPAT slips
counted?” he said on Twitter. “Is it also involved in the rigging? If all
government work is stalled due to election process for about three months, then
how does it matter if counting takes two or three extra days?”Raj told ANI that
he was not levelling allegations against the SC, instead he was only raising
concerns. “When 22 parties went to the Supreme Court asking for increase in
number of VVPAT slips being counted, SC rejected it saying it will cause a
delay,” he said.Raj’s remarks come a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a
petition filed by NGO Tech4All, which had sought 100% verification of the VVPAT
slips with the results from electronic voting machines.scroll.in
'Why Is EC Not Clarifying Facts:' Former CEC
SY Qureshi On EVM Tampering Allegations
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
(CEC) S Y Qureshi has questioned the Election Commisison asking why the poll
body wasn't clarifying facts about ongoing controversy over the movement of
EVMs in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar."Why is EC not clarifying
what the facts are? Speed is extremely important," he wrote on
Tweeter.Over the past 24 hours, several videos showing the movement of EVMs surfaced
online, raising suspicion among people that the voting machines could be
tampered with.Qureshi, in another tweet, asked EC spokesperson Sheypali Sharan
to simplify the reports from returning officers she posted on Twitter.
"State in one line what’s the finding," he said.outlookindia
Congress calls EC’s decision to not make
dissenting views public a ‘constitutional travesty’
Congress today said the Election Commission’s
decision to reject commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s demand of including dissent notes
in the final orders by the poll panel was a “constitutional travesty”.Congress
spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “ECI wants to set a new precedent
of ‘dark secrets’ & ‘secluded chambers’ in doing its constitutional duties.
If CEC can’t play fair in its functioning, can it play fair in ensuring a free
& fair election?”Surjewala’s comments came a day after the Election
Commission decided that dissenting views in cases of deliberations on Model
Code of Conduct violations would not be made public. The commission said
dissent notes will only be included in internal files, which has been the
practice.scroll.in
‘Blatant violation of Model Code’: Non-BJP
candidates from Ladakh demand repoll in Zanskar
On May 20, three of the four candidates in the
fray for the Ladakh parliamentary seat wrote a joint letter to Chief Electoral
Officer, J&K, seeking a repoll in Zanskar sub-division.Ladakh had voted in
the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 6.This followed a letter they had
sent to the office of the Election Commission of India on May 9, in which they
alleged “blatant violation of Model Code of Conduct during the polling process
and the malpractices thereof committed with utter disregard to democratic
practice and norms”. 3 complainants – the Congress candidate and two
independents – said that they were compelled to move the office of the Election
Commission once again due to the absence of any “positive response” to previous
representations. The fourth candidate in the fray is from the BJP.scroll.in
Don’t be disheartened by fake exit polls,
Rahul tells party workers
Congress president Rahul Gandhi TODAY asked
them to not be disheartened by fake exit poll results and urged them to stay
alert and vigilant.His appeal to workers came a day after opposition parties
raised concerns over reports of alleged tampering of EVMs and asked the
Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting.Rahul Gandhi asked the
workers to believe in themselves and the Congress."The next 24 hours are
very crucial. Stay alert and vigilant. Don't be scared. You are fighting for
the truth. Don't be disheartened by the propaganda of fake exit polls. Believe
in yourself and the Congress. Your hard work will not go to waste. Jai
Hind," he said in a tweet in Hindi.PTI
UP: Muslims plan to leave this village if BJP
wins polls
Muslims in Nayabans, an unremarkable village
in UP, say they remember a time when their children played with Hindu youths,
and people from either faith chatted when they frequented each other's shops
and went to festivals together.Such interactions no longer happen, many say, because
of how polarized the 2 communities have become in the past 2 years, and some
are frightened and thinking of moving away - if they can afford it.Muslim
residents who spoke to Reuters said they thought tensions would only worsen if PM
Narendra Modi's BJP wins a second term in the current general election, as exit
polls released on Sunday indicate is likely. Votes will be counted Thursday.
"Things were very good earlier. Muslims and Hindus were together in good
and bad times, weddings to deaths. Now we live our separate ways despite living
in the same village," said Gulfam Ali, who runs a small shop selling bread
and tobacco."Modi and Yogi Adityanath have messed it up," said Ali.
"Dividing Hindus and Muslims is their main agenda, only agenda. It was
never like this earlier. We want to leave this place but can't really do
that."He says about a dozen Muslim families have left in the past two
years, including his uncle.The BJP denies its policies have stoked community
divisions.At the end of last year, Nayabans, a village of wheatfields, narrow
cemented streets, bullock carts and loitering cows, became a symbol of India's
deepening divide as some Hindu men from the area complained they had seen a
group of Muslims slaughtering cows, which Hindus regard as sacred.Angry Hindus
accused police of failing to stop an illegal practice, and a Hindu mob blocked
a highway, threw stones and burned vehicles. 2 people were shot and killed -
including a police officer.5 months later many Muslims, who only number about
400 of the village's population of over 4000, say wounds haven't healed. Some
Muslim residents said Hindu hardliners started asserting themselves more in the
village after Yogi took office in March2017. Atmosphere worsened around the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2017- Hindu activists demanded Muslims stop
using a microphone in their madrasa, which also acts as a mosque, to call
people to prayer, arguing it disturbed the whole community.The Muslims
reluctantly agreed to stop using the mike and speaker - even though they say it
had been operating for many years - to keep the peace, but the move created
deep resentment."We can't express our religion in any way here, but they
are free to do whatever they want," said Muslim law student Aisha, 21.She
said that Hindu men from the village often shouted anti-Muslim slogans during
festival processions. At least a dozen Hindus in the village denied that was
the case.Reuters
Exit poll 2019 results have left people
disturbed, Muslims should pray for suitable results: Deoband
New Delhi: With two days to go before the
results of 2019 Lok Sabha elections are announced, Deoband, Islamic seminary in
Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has urged Muslims to offer prayers if they wish
the results of the 2019 polls to be “suitable for all.” Muslims should offer
prayers “collectively “in connection with the matter, the Mufti of the seminary
said. Maulana Masood Hasan Bulandshahri, who is Mufti of Deoband in Saharanpur
said that the exit polls, a majority of which have predicted NDA’s victory in
the elections, have left people “disturbed”. He said, “This is necessary for
the peace of mankind in the country. The exit poll results have left many
people disturbed.”He added, “Prayers are the only answer in this situation and
one never knows when their prayers will be answered.”Notably, other clerics
have reportedly approved the Mufti’s appeal, IANS reported. Backing the Mufti’s
opinion to pray for the poll results, Maulana Ishaq Gora said, "We welcome
the appeal and all Muslims should follow this."Times Now
Upset by exit poll outcome, top Muslim cleric
calls for special namaaz for favourable results
Muslim Auto Driver Lynched in TN’s Trichy for
Defending a Women Being Harassed
Chennai;32-year-old auto driver Abdullah, who
tried to stop his passenger from getting harassed at a restaurant, was
allegedly beaten to death on Sunday, reported The News Minute. But the police
laughed off the case terming it a drunken brawl.The victim’s family said that
not a single person came to his defense as he was beaten mercilessly by four
men. Abdullah was a resident of Muslim street in Trichy city. He had left his
residence around 11 am and was taking a female passenger to Trichy Famous
Biryani restaurant, where he was killed. As the woman had to pick up a parcel,
Abdullah waited for her at the restaurant.“According to what eyewitnesses told us,
an inebriated man, who was at the restaurant, purposely smacked into the woman.
My husband immediately questioned the man and the people with him, and then, a
tussle ensued. They hit each other and then the drunk man left, threatening to
bring more people. But my husband didn’t take it seriously. However, he did
come back with three men and they all hit him till he died. They used a wooden
plank to beat his head” Tashmin Banu, Abdullah’s wife was quoted by The New
Minute as saying.Tashmin, who has two young children that she now has to
support financially, said a complaint was filed on Sunday night with the local
police.When TNM contacted Srirangam ACP K Ramachandran, however, he laughed off
the case terming it a drunken brawl.“Abdullah was also inebriated and he died
because he was pushed to the ground and sustained head injuries. It was not a
big fight,” he said. When asked whether the reason behind the brawl was that a
woman was harassed, he responded, “It was. The man who allegedly harassed this
woman is Nagarajan, who was also drunk,” the officer argued. However, Tashmin
vehemently denied that her husband had been inebriated.caravandaily
Justice Gavai to be second Dalit CJI as govt
clears names of four judges for Supreme Court
New Delhi :The government Wednesday cleared
names of four judges for their elevation to the Supreme Court. The 4 names
cleared by the Centre are Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant, Aniruddha Bose and AS
Bopanna. Once the appointments formally come through, the top court will have
its full sanctioned strength of 31 judges (including chief justice). As of now,
the apex court is functioning with 27 judges.The Centre had earlier returned
names of Justices Bose and Bopanna for reconsideration to the SC collegium
citing seniority and representation of regions as the reasons. With Justice
Gavai’s elevation, the top court will get its second Dalit CJI . Justice KG
Balakrishnan was the first Dalit judge to be appointed as CJI in
2007.indianexpress
Break-in at IAF Rafale team office in France
New Delhi:A theft was reported in Paris office
of Indian Air Force (IAF) Project Management Team (PMT) overseeing the Rafale
fighter deal.“The incident occurred on Sunday and an investigation is underway.
It is Dassault Aviation's responsibility as it has been on their premises,” a
defence source said. PMT consists of four IAF officers headed by a Group
Captain.In Sept.2016, India and France signed a €7.87 billion
Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in Sept.2016 for 36 Rafale multi-rolejets in
fly-away condition and also has a 50% offset clause to be executed by the
French partners. As per terms of the IGA, deliveries will begin 36 months after
the signing of the contract and should be completed in 67 months.The local
police have been informed and a case has been registered, a second source
said.thehindu
Rafale controversy: Ambani to withdraw
defamation suits against Congress leaders, National Herald
Anil Ambani led Reliance Group is all set to
withdraw Rs 5000 crore civil defamation suits which is filed in an Ahmedabad
court against several Congress leaders and National Herald newspaper over their
statements and an article on the contoversial Rafale fighter jet deal. Reliance
Infrastructure and Reliance Aerostructure, which are part of the Reliance Group,
had filed civil defamation suits against several Congress leaders like Sunil
Jakhar, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Oommen Chandy, Ashok Chavan, Abhishek Manu
Singhvi, Sanjay Nirupam and Shaktisinh Gohil, a few journalists and news
organisations like National Herald. The defamation suit against the Congress
leaders was related to press briefings, public agitations and articles in the
media on alleged corruption in the Rafale deal.The decision to withdraw the
defamation suits is seen as a huge judgement ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2019
results. On May 23, the counting will be held and a new government will be in
place after the results.NewsX
Rafale deal case: Centre ‘deliberately misled’
court, say petitioners
New Delhi: Petitioners in the Rafale deal case
accused the government of having “wilfully and deliberately misled” the Supreme
Court by feeding it untruths which amounted to “wholesale fraud”.This is part
of 41-page written submissions filed by the petitioners, including ex-Union
Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan. The
written submissions covered points raised by the petitioners for initiating a
case of perjury against officials responsible for “suppressing the facts” of
Rafale purchase. It also addressed issues raised for reviewing the SC’s Dec.14
judgment which had upheld the purchase.Instead of providing the court with the
original and complete records of the deal for 36 Rafale jets from M/s Dassault
Aviation in France, the government saw the court make do with two notes filed
in sealed covers, the petitioners contended.“It suppressed the truth and
thereby insinuated utter falsehoods: facts and documents of the greatest
significance, which have direct and overarching bearing on the matter that the
court was considering, and which were available with the government were
suppressed from the court,” the submissions said.“It was not just one factor
document that might have been left out accidentally. But a series, and all of
them conformed to a pattern... The court placed its trust in the govt — as a
result, in reaching the conclusions that it did, the court relied almost wholly
on the notes that the government had submitted; and the government abused that
trust,” the petitioners argued.“The falsehoods and suppression of facts were so
extensive that they amount to wholesale fraud: and a judgment [Dec.14] obtained
by fraud is ipso facto void, non est.”thehindu
14 years later, relief for Mulayam, Akhilesh:
CBI tells Supreme Court assets probe shut
New Delhi :CBI has told the Supreme Court that
it has closed a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) initiated against Samajwadi Party
leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and his sons, Akhilesh Yadav and Prateek Yadav, over
allegations of disproportionate assets since the charges could not be
substantiated.“…in furtherance of the directions of the Honourable Court…
further enquiry was conducted in the said PE and it was found that the
allegations against Respondent Nos. 2,3 and 5 for allegedly having acquired
disproportionate assets to their known sources of income could not be
substantiated. Accordingly, the PE was closed by submitting a report to the CVC
on 08.10.2013,” the agency said in an affidavit.indianexpress
Stray cattle count up in Haryana, gaushalas
reel under space shortage, fund crunch
Karnal:Though the number of gaushalas in
Haryana has risen in the past two-and-a-half years, caring for abandoned cattle
is becoming difficult for authorities due their ever-increasing numbers.The are
currently 567 gaushalas in the state (up from 350 in 2017) but most of these,
especially the ones in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and Panipat districts,
are overcrowded and facing a dire shortage of funds. With the population of
stray cattle in the state estimated to be around 4 lakh, the authorities are
struggling to provide even basic necessities such as fodder, water, shelter and
treatment. A visit to any gaushala would reveal the plight of these cattle.
It’s a common sight to see the cattle battling the scorching heat in the
absence of enough shelters. As farmers find it difficult to afford the upkeep
of their livestock once the cattle stop producing milk, they abandon them soon
after. Vikram Singh, a caretaker at Govansh Dham Anusandhan Kendra in Mathana
village of Kurukshetra district, says,“As soon as the cows stop producing milk,
their masters abandon them and they are left to die. It seems the cow is no
more Gaumata”. Moreover, due to the ban on cattle slaughter under the Haryana
Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, and monitoring by cow
vigilantes, the number of stray cattle has been increasing.HT
Journalist, social activists express concern
over ‘fake’ NRC objections
A group of people in Assam on Wednesday
expressed concern over "false" objections raised by persons with
"vested interests" to "harass genuine Indian citizens",
whose names have appeared in the draft NRC. Complaints have been raised by
persons and groups with "vested interests" against
"genuine" citizens who have established lineage dating back to early
19th century, claimed journalist and convenor of rights body, Centre for
Justice and Peace, Zamsher Ali.Objections have been filed against Ali's seven-year
- old daughter and the "entire family, tracing its lineage to the same
legacy data, has to be present at the NRC Seva Kendra to prove her
citizenship", he said. The complainants do not even appear before the
authorities during the time of hearing of their pleas, the journalist
alleged."It is a concerted effort to ensure that names of genuine Indian
citizens are deleted from the final NRC, scheduled to be released on July
31," he said.Objections have also been also filed against the inclusion of
the name of Hara Kumar Goswami, a social activist of Rampur village in Barpeta
district."There is no history of migration in our village but objections
have been filed against five persons, including me, mainly because we highlight
the problems being faced by people struggling to establish their citizenship,
and also those who have been declared as D-voters", Goswami said.Echoing
similar sentiment, researcher and social activist, Syeda Mehjabeen Rahman,
said, "Objections are filed randomly and in my case, it has been filed against
me and my uncle."She also alleged that authorities of the NRC Seva Kendras
were "in league" with the complainants providing them with the
Application Receipt Number (ARN) of the applicants.nationalheraldindia
Seers plan Ayodhya meeting in June over Ram
temple
Lucknow:Saints from across the country will
converge in Ayodhya on June 3 to discuss the construction of the Ram temple at
a meeting convened by the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a body of saints that
spearheads the Ram Mandir movement and VHP, a right wing Hindu organisation.
The proposals finalised at the meet will be put up before the saints at an open
platform on the last day of the nine-day-long birthday celebrations (June 7 to
June 15) of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.CM Yogi
Adityanath will be a part of the inaugural event. “Saints from all across the
country will assemble in Ayodhya on June 3 for a meeting to discuss the Ram
Mandir issue,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, senior member of the Ram
Janmabhoomi Nyas and successor of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.HT
Sushma speaks of Pulwama, Sri Lanka attacks at
SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Kyrgyzstan
New Delhi:External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj today took up terror strikes at Pulwama and Sri Lanka and urged member
nations of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for greater counter-terror
cooperation. Addressing the ministerial meet of SCO at Bishkek, Kyrgyz
Republic, the External Affairs Minister said that India remains committed to
regional connectivity and peace in Afghanistan.“Our heart goes out to our
brothers and sisters of Sri Lanka, who have recently witnessed the ghastly act
of terrorism. Our wounds of Pulwama attack were still raw and the news from the
neighbourhood has made us more determined to fight firmly [and] resolutely
against this menace,” said Ms. Swaraj addressing a gathering which included her
Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.thehindu
Anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka: SDPI leader
meets High Commissioner
New Delhi:SDPI, submitted a memorandum to
Austin Fernando, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, on Friday
expressing grave concern over the ongoing anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka
wherein despite a nationwide curfew imposed the violence has spread to three
districts north of the capital Colombo.A delegation of SDPI led by its national
president M K Faizy called on Mr. Austin Fernando, the Sri Lankan High
Commissioner, in New Delhi and submitted the memorandum. Others who were part
of the delegation included National vice presidents Sharfuddin Ahmad &
Dehlan Baqvi Sheikh Mohammad and national general secretaries Abdul Majeed KH
& Mohammad Shafi.High Commissioner Austin Fernando gave a patient hearing
to SDPI delegation assuring to forward their memorandum to the Sri Lanka Govt highlighting
their concern about Sri Lankan Muslims who are under siege following the break
out of anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka.The delegation pointed out that
reportedly in the presence of Sri Lankan police and Army the rioters are
indulging in brutal acts of violence on Muslims while the peace-enforcing
agencies are looking the other way. The High Commissioner promised to convey
the sentiments and concern of the delegation to the Sri Lankan Govt. about the
Muslims who are at the receiving end.siasat
J&K High Court quashes detention of
Masarat Alam under PSA
Srinagar:J&K High Court has again quashed
the detention of separatist leader Masarat Alam. The court has ordered release
of Alam, who is in jail since April 2015, “if not required” in any other
case.Alam, who was booked under 37th PSA in Nov, last year, was under detention
in Jammu jail.Saying that it should be ensured that the grounds of detention
are not vague, Justice Rashid Ali Dar quashed Alam’s detention. “The order of
detention impugned does not sustain on the above referred grounds alone,
therefore, other grounds projected in the petition are not required to be dealt
with,” Justice Dar said.Alam’s release, however, is unlikely. The separatist
leader, who is part of Syed Ali Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference, has spent most
part of his life in jail since 2008. In the last 25 years, he has been booked
37 times under the Public Safety Act – a law that allows government to detain
any person, without trial, for a period of up to six months.indian express
Construct Masjid in Amberpet before
constructing Temple:Telangana Congress leader
Shabbir
Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and former
Minister, Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded TRS Govt. to explain its stand on
Masjid Ek Khana issue.He further told that the first ten days of Ramadan are over
but according to the assurance given by the Govt., construction work could be
started.He mentioned that on one hand, Home Minister is assuring to reconstruct
the masjid at its place but the Advocate General claimed that there was no
masjid at that place. It is not clear whose statement has to be taken as
genuine.He lamented that despite Wakf records, GHMC officials dismantled the
masjid which is deplorable. It is also regrettable that its compensation has
already been paid to unauthorized occupants. Commenting on the statement made
by CM KCR, Shabbir said that before constructing the temple at Kaleshwaram, he
should reconstruct Masjid Ek Khana at Amberpet.He also told that KCR has Rs 100
crore for Kaleshwaram Temple but he is not releasing the amounts for the
implementation of welfare schemes meant for the Muslims.siasat
Hyderabad: NGOs provide Iftaar for jail
inmates
Hyderabad: In Ramzan, one of the most scorned
sections of society is remembered by two organisations that provide seasonal
fruits and dates for the Iftaar to the inmates of four city jails.Majlis
Dawat-ul-Islam has been quietly arranging Iftaar — food taken when the day’s
fast is broken in the evening — for the inmates of jails for 28 years, while
Jamat-e-Islami is providing fruits for the last seven years, with the
permission of the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services.Some 750
prisoners observe fast during Ramzan In Hyderabad’s jails.NGOs provide fruits
and food during the holy month with the prior permission of the Department of
Prisons.President of Majlis Dawat-ul-Islam Khaja Ali Babar said they had
informed jail authorities that many prisoners are observing the fast, but they
were not getting sufficient fruits in Iftaar.“Earlier, the members of the
organisation were allowed to enter the jail, our volunteers used to arrange
Iftaar inside the jail, but from the last 3 years, our entry has been
restricted and authorities have asked us to hand over the fruits at the jail
gate to the superintendent or deputy superintendent of the jail,”Babar said.Even
more surprising, Babar said that earlier they were allowed to deliver sermons
during Jumma prayers during the holy months, but for the last three years, this
too has been prohibited by the jail officials. The Malakpet unit of the
Jamaat-e-Islami is also providing fruits to Chanchalguda and Cherlapalli
jails.Syed Abdul Quadar Nasir of Jamaat said that last year the organisation
was allowed to lead the Eid prayer in Chanchalguda and “we hope this year also
we will get permission for the same.”State President of Jamat-e-Islami Hamid
Mohammed Khan said one of the affiliated wings of the organisation MPJ has
provided finance for special arrangements for Sehri in jails.Deccan Chronicle
Study shows use of banned synthetic in feeding
bottles
Despite a 2015 ban by the Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) on the use of chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in the manufacture of
infant feeding bottles, a recent study conducted in seven states and Delhi has
shown that the regulation is hardly followed, with laboratory tests showing
concentrates of the banned synthetic compound in plastic bottles.Across
Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and
Manipur, 20 random branded and non-branded samples of feeding bottles and
sippy-cups were tested at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. All the
20 bottles showed leaching of BPA ranging from 0.9 to 10.5 parts per
billion.“BPA is associated with the increased risks of breast and prostate
cancer, brain and thyroid abnormalities, infertility, heart diseases, diabetes,
early puberty, and obesity,” the study observed. While samples from Gujarat had
maximum BPA concentration, at 10.5 ppb, a sample from Kerala had the least BPA
presence at 0.9 ppb. In Maharashtra, the samples had BPA ranging between 1.9 to
4.8 ppb.“We wanted to check compliance level by manufacturers. The Indian
regulatory testing mechanism for BPA is poor. Several countries have a strict
regulation against its use in feeding bottles. India needs a stronger
framework,” said the study’s co-author, Piyush Mohapatra.indianexpress
WORLD
Deadly protests continue in Indonesia after
Jokowi's election win
Jakarta, Indonesia - At least six people have
been killed as protests continue for the second day in Indonesia's capital,
Jakarta, after the results of last month's election confirmed incumbent Joko
"Jokowi" Widodo being officially declared president after getting 55
percent of the votes.The protesters were largely supporters of presidential
candidate and former military general Prabowo Subianto and they claimed
widespread fraud took place before, during and after the election.Major roads
and public transport routes were shut in the city centre on Wednesday, with
over 20,000 police deployed to protect vital installations and stop protests
spreading on the second day.Thousands of protesters thronged near the Elections
Oversight Body on Jakarta's main thoroughfare, Jalan Thamrin, in the morning
and early afternoon, with crowds growing by the hour.Police shut off access to
the office with rolls of barbed wire and heavy cement barricades. aljazeera
Saudi to execute 3 leading scholars after
Ramadan: Report
3 leading Saudi Arabian scholars being held by
Riyadh on multiple charges of "terrorism" will be sentenced to death,
according to a report.Citing two government sources and one of the men's
relatives, Middle East Eye on Tuesday reported the three individuals - Sheikh
Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Omari - will be convicted and
executed after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan concludes next month.There was
no comment from Saudi authorities on the report.Al-Awdah is an internationally
renowned progressive Islamic scholar described by UN experts as a
"reformist", al-Qarni is a preacher, academic and author, and
al-Omari is a popular broadcaster."They will not wait to execute these men
once the death sentence has been passed," one unnamed source told Middle
East Eye.Another Saudi government source said the execution last month of 37 of
the country's nationals was used as a "trial balloon" to gauge the
strength of international condemnation, the outlet reported. Ali al-Ahmad, a
longtime Saudi opposition figure and head of the US-based Institute for Gulf
Affairs, called the reported move to execute the three prominent men a
"crime to terrorise the Saudi citizens into submission"."The
Saudi court system is more or less a kangaroo court system," al-Ahmad told
Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.But Yahya Assiri, founder of ALQST, a Saudi
human rights organisation based in London, called the news report untrue in a
tweet in Arabic. However, he wrote, "Nothing is beyond the authorities who
are oppressive, brutal and ignorant, but also no one has been convicted or
executed … This news is harmful to the victim and the human rights situation
and our work."The trio are currently awaiting trial at the Criminal
Special Court in the capital, Riyadh, according to Middle East Eye, after being
arrested in Sept. 2017, when Saudi authorities detained dozens of prominent
figures in an alleged anti-corruption crackdown headed by Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman. aljazeera
Saudi, UAE to attend US-led workshop in
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia and UAE will attend a U.S.-led
economic workshop in Bahrain next month aimed at encouraging investment in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip.US administration officials are expected to unveil
during the event the economic aspects of the US back-channel Middle East peace
plan known as “deal of the century”. Saudi's official SPA said Economy and
Planning Minister Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri will participate in the workshop. The
participation comes as a "continuation of Saudi's permanent and supportive
stance to Palestinian people and what would help it achieve stability,
development and good living," SPA said. UAE also confirmed participation
in the meeting. Anadolu
Hamas calls on Arabs not to participate in
Bahrain ‘peace’ conference
Hamas has called on Arab states not to take
part in the US economic conference being held in Bahrain, a statement said.“We
warn Arab states against the malicious activities aimed to pave the way for
normalisation with Israeli occupation and involvement in the deal of the
century,” the statement said.Hamas said that deal adopts US President Donald
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vision to achieve what is
called “economic peace”, which contradicts the decision of the Arab League and
the unified Palestinian stance, which rejects Trump’s deal.“Therefore,
participation in the workshop is against the Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic
stances,” the statement said.The movement also reiterated its rejection of any
political, economic or other moves that may pave the way for the US peace plan
dubbed the “deal of the century”.MEMO
Canada court hears lawsuit challenging Israel
settlement wine labels
A Canadian court is hearing a lawsuit against
a decision to allow wines made and manufactured in Israeli settlements in the
occupied West Bank to be labelled “Product of Israel”.According to a report in
Middle East Eye, David Kattenburg, a Jewish-Canadian activist based in
Winnipeg, has applied to the Federal Court of Canada for an order “declaring
unlawful” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) directive.In 2017, the
CFIA “ordered liquor stores across the province of Ontario to de-shelve two
Israeli settlement wines that were being sold with the label ‘Product of
Israel’”, before promptly reversing its stance after “widespread public
pressure from pro-Israel groups in Canada”.“What [the CFIA’s decision] amounts
to is an acknowledgement and endorsement of Israel’s de facto annexation of the
settlements,” Kattenburg told Middle East Eye earlier this month.After
receiving a complaint filed by Kattenburg, the CFIA initially agreed that the
wines should be taken off the shelves, on the basis that they were made in
Psagot and Shiloh settlements. 24 hours later, the body had “changed its mind”.MEMO
Nuclear war risk highest since WWII, UN arms
research chief warns
A top security expert at the United Nations
has warned that the risk that nuclear weapons could be used is at its highest
since World War II, calling it an "urgent" issue that the world
should take more seriously.Speaking to reporters in the Swiss city of Geneva on
Tuesday, Renata Dwan, director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research
(UNIDIR), said the arms-control landscape was changing - partly due to
strategic competition between the United States and China - and noted that all
states with nuclear weapons have nuclear modernisation programmes under way.
Traditional arms-control arrangements were also being eroded by the emergence
of new types of war, with an increasing prevalence of armed groups and private
sector forces and new technologies that blurred the line between offence and
defence, Dwan said.With disarmament talks at a stalemate for the past two
decades, 122 countries have signed a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, partly out
of frustration and partly out of a recognition of the risks, she said. aljazeera
Theresa May under pressure to resign over new
Brexit plan
Theresa May is under pressure to scrap her
much-derided Brexit plan and resign.The British prime minister spoke about the
latest iteration of her European withdrawal deal in the House of Commons on
Wednesday, as voices of dissent within her own party grew increasingly loud.Not
a full day has passed since May offered concessions to opponents, hoping to get
enough support to get her deal agreed by parliament by offering the possibility
of a "confirmatory referendum".But her efforts failed to
impress."It's now clear that the overwhelming majority of the
parliamentary party, the voluntary party and the electorate now agree,"
Conservative politician Andrew Bridgen told Reuters. "She has to
go."Many senior government ministers failed to turn up for parliament's
weekly Prime Minister's Questions, often an opportunity for political figures
to show support for the government on television.
Regime attacks kill 12 in Syria's
de-escalation zones
IDLIB:12 civilians were killed in regime
airstrikes in Syria’s northwestern de-escalation zones, sources with the White
Helmets civil defense agency said on Wednesday. The attacks targeted the towns
of Maarat Al-Numan and Maarat Herma in Idlib province, the sources said. Also,
regime forces and Iran-back terrorist group shelled the town of Khan Sheykhun
and the villages of Al-Kassabiyya, Abdin, Karasaa, Kafr Sajna and Al-Naqeer.
The new deaths brought to more than 455 civilians, who have lost their lives in
Idlib since April 25. Some 1.5 million
people currently reside in Idlib, half are displaced from other parts of the
war-torn country. Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a
de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression would be expressly prohibited. Anadolu
'Targeted killings',wave of arrests in Syria's
Deraa
At least 380 civilians have been arrested in
Syria's Deraa and 11 people killed in apparent "targeted killings"
since government retook the southern province, according to the United
Nations.Marta Hurtado, spokeswoman for the UN high commissioner for human
rights, said the 11 cases included a number of civilians and former fighters
serving in civilian local councils and the security forces.The killings in
Deraa, the birthplace of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule,
took place despite attempts at reconciliation between the government and former
fighters.Deraa surrendered to the Syrian army under a deal brokered by Russia
in July last year. Assad's government offered amnesty to former fighters under
the so-called "reconciliation" agreements. The 11 deaths that took
place from July 26, 2018, to March 13, 2019, included fatal drive-by shootings,
the UN rights office said in a report. Aljazeera
Omani author Jokha Alharthi wins Man Booker
International Prize
Omani author Jokha Alharthi has become first
Arabic-language writer to win the prestigious Man Booker International Prize
for Celestial Bodies, a novel that deals with family connections and history in
the coming-of-age account of three sisters.Alharthi's book beat five other
shortlisted novels from Europe and South America to take the prize, which
celebrates translated fiction from around the world and included a $64,000
award divided equally between author and translator. "I am thrilled that a
window has been opened to the rich Arabic culture," Alharthi told
reporters after the ceremony on Tuesday in Britain's capital, London."Oman
inspired me but I think international readers can relate to the human values in
the book-freedom and love,"40-year-old added.aljazeera
Pak Prepares Scientific Lunar Calendar in View
of Ramzan to End Debate Over Moon-sighting
Islamabad: A panel of experts set up by the
Pakistan government has prepared a scientific lunar calendar to end the
controversy over moon-sighting ahead of Ramzan and according to it, Eid is
expected to fall on June 5, a senior minister said.Since assuming office as Minister
for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has been pushing for using scientific
methods for preparing the Islamic calendar and doing away with the traditional
moon-sighting practices used by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.Chaudhry announced
on Monday that the scientific calendar has been completed and "will be
sent to the Council of Islamic Ideology on Tuesday".The minister said that
according to the scientific lunar calendar prepared by his ministry, Eid is
expected to fall on June 5.Pakistan government formed a scientific committee
this month to end the moon-sighting controversy, angering several Islamic
scholars. According to the minister, calendar has been prepared through
collaboration between Suparco, experts on space and weather experts. He said that
members of the Council of Islamic Ideology as well as the moon sighting
committee have been invited to view the calendar "so that they understand
the extensive working that was done to compile it"."A 10-year
calendar will end the disputes and extra expenses," minister said.Chaudhry
said, "Before issuing the lunar calendar, religious scholars will be
consulted and taken into confidence. After taking opinion from the IIC, the
calendar will be sent to the federal Cabinet for approval."PTI
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