17 June 2019:
10 Shawal 1440:Vol: 11, No:223
INDIA
China, India, Pakistan increasing size of
nuclear arsenals: Report
Stockholm:The overall number of nuclear
warheads in the world has declined in the past year but nations are modernising
their arsenals, a report published Monday said. At the start of 2019, US,
Russia, Britain, France, China, India,Pakistan, Israel and North Korea had a
total of some 13865 nuclear weapons, according to estimates in a new report by Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI).That represents a decrease of 600
nuclear weapons compared to the start of 2018.But at the same time all nuclear
weapon-possessing countries are modernising these arms - and China, India and
Pakistan are also increasing the size of their arsenals. "The world is
seeing fewer but newer weapons," Shannon Kile, director of SIPRI Nuclear
Arms Control Programme and one of the report's authors, told AFP.The drop in
recent years can mainly be attributed to the US and Russia, whose combined arsenals
still make up more than 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.This is in part due
to the countries fulfilling their obligations under New START treaty - which
puts a cap on the number of deployed warheads and was signed by the US and
Russia in 2010 - as well as getting rid of obsolete warheads from the Cold War
era.START treaty is however due to expire in 2021, which Kile said was worrying
since there are currently "no serious discussions underway about extending
it".Next year the treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) --
considered the cornerstone of world's nuclear order -- turns 50.The number of
nuclear arms has been drastically reduced since a peak in the mid-1980s when
there were some 70,000 nuclear warheads in the world. While Kile said progress
should not be underestimated, he also noted a number of worrying trends, such
as the build-up of nuclear arms on both sides of the border between India and
Pakistan, and the danger of a conventional conflict escalating to a nuclear
one.AFP
China must maintain status quo on Doklam:
Bhutan PM
6 months after he was sworn in as PM of
Bhutan, Dr.Lotay Tshering is still treating his patients and had a surgery scheduled
just hours before travelling to Brussels for talks with EU leaders. In his interview,
Dr. Tshering speaks about major themes in Indo-Bhutan relations, SAARC region
as well as PM Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit, widely expected in July.Dr. Lotay
Tshering said that if India and Pakistan don’t work together for the region,
nothing can move ahead. He said, "We must open our hearts and march
together without countering each other. If India and Pakistan don’t work
together for this region, nothing can move ahead. So my prayers and wishes from
our deeply spiritual country are for the leaders in the region to go ahead
together."On Doklam issue, Bhutan PM said, "Anybody in my position
will always worry about that, as these are issues that could hamper bilateral
relations between any two countries in the world. We are aware of the
situation, and whenever we discuss border issues (with China), we stick to our
stand that the status quo must be maintained. No side should do anything without
informing the other side at the border. The problem comes when you work
unilaterally and have a unilateral agenda. So long as the status quo is
maintained, there will be peace and tranquillity in the region."thehindu
Multi-disciplinary group to monitor all major
terror-related cases in J&K
New Delhi:A multi-disciplinary group to
monitor terror will now track the progress of all the terror related cases in J&K.
Led by J&K Police, multi-disciplinary group was initially set up to assess
the evidence when Jammat-e-Islami J&K and JKLF were declared banned outfits.
Multi-disciplinary group will also include representatives from the IB, CBI,
NIA and income tax (IT) department. A senior official from the home ministry
told Hindustan Times that the multi-disciplinary group will monitor the major
terror-related cases and the primary objective of such a group would be to make
sure the major cases do not fall behind due to lack of evidence.The group might
also track the terror financing cases in Jammu and Kashmir. NIA was recently
told that Pakistan regularly sends funds to organise unrest in the state.india
today
Doctors’ strike: After meeting with Mamata,
doctors set to withdraw protest; SC to hear plea tomorrow
Doctors across West Bengal on Monday agreed to
withdraw the ongoing protest after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
agreed to their demands during a meeting at Nabanna. 31 representatives,
however, decided to make a formal announcement at NRS Medical College and
Hospital in Kolkata, where the death of a patient followed by an attack on two
junior attacks triggered the week-long strike.Indian Medical Association (IMA),
on the other hand, is observing a nationwide strike, with the withdrawal of
non-essential medical services, including OPD services, for 24 hours starting 6
am today. Emergency, casualty and ICU services, will remain unaffected. Doctors
at AIIMS in the national capital, who had earlier decided to stay away, joined
the protests after a junior doctor was assaulted at its trauma centre earlier
today.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today said it will hear tomorrow a plea
seeking safety and security of doctors in govt hospitals across the country.
The plea was filed on Friday in the wake of protests by doctors in Bengal
against the assault on their colleagues by the family of a patient, who died on
Monday night. The petition has also sought directions to Union ministries of
home affairs and health and West Bengal to depute government-appointed security
personnel at all state-run hospitals across the country to ensure safety and
security of doctors. indianexpress
SC to hear plea for safety, security of
doctors at govt hospitals tomorrow
Bihar: Encephalitis death toll rises to 100 in
Muzaffarpur; Union health minister faces protest
New Delhi:The death toll due to Acute
Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has risen to 100 in Bihar on Monday, reported
ANI.The development was confirmed to the agency by Sunil Kumar Shahi,
Superintendent at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in
Muzaffarpur. Since Jan.1, 358 children with AES have been admitted to SKMCH and
Kejriwal Matrisadan.An official release from the CMO said Nitish Kumar
expressed grief over the children’s death in the state and has announced an
ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for each of the children killed in the outbreak. He has
also directed officials of health department, the district administration and
doctors to take all possible measures to tackle the situation.Union Health
Minister Harsh Vardhan Sunday visited SKMCH and assured that a 100-bed children
ward would be set up at SKMCH. During his visit, the minister was met with
protests from families of patients. Supporters of Jan Adhikar Party also waved
black flags at Vardhan. Patients’ relatives complained to the Union Health
Minister about the lack of facilities and ill-response from doctors and
nurses.indianexpress
Union Minister named in Bihar children deaths
case
Patna:Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey face charges of negligence leading to the
deaths of children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in the past
fortnight as a case has been filed against them in a court in Muzaffarpur on
Monday.The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has reportedly
reached 97 in Muzaffarpur and the adjoining districts in Bihar. Most of the
casualties are between the age group of 1-10.Social activist Tamanna Hashmi
filed the case in the Muzaffarpur Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court on
Monday, IANS reports.The petition said that Harsh Vardhan and Mangal Pandey
failed to fulfill their duties to control the outbreak of AES, while both had
done nothing to create awareness and sensitise people in the affected areas
despite the fact that AES had been killing children for years.The court has
fixed June 24 for hearing the case.Caravan News
Parliament session: Ruckus in Lok Sabha as BJP
MP Pragya Singh Thakur takes oath
Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Monday.
The first Parliament session of 17th Lok Sabha will end on July 26. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, as well as other Union ministers and newly elected
representatives took oath as MPs in the Lok Sabha.“The role of an Opposition
and an active Opposition is important in a Parliamentary democracy,”Modi said
ahead of the session. “Opposition need not bother about their numbers. Every
word the Opposition speaks is of value to us.”BJP MP Virendra Kumar took oath
as the pro-tem speaker of the Lok Sabha. He will oversee the oath-taking
ceremonies of new Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs.The government will attempt to
pass The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 during the
session.The bill has caused much controversy, and Congress and BJP ally JDU have
stated their intention to oppose it.scroll.in/
Have left country for medical treatment, not
fled; says Mehul Choksi in court affidavit
New Delhi: Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, accused
in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank scam, submitted an affidavit in the
High Court of Judicature at Bombay stating that he has not fled the country but
left for medical treatment.As per a report in ANI, Choksi has submitted the
affidavit with details of his diseases in the court.Citing health reasons
Choksi said that he is unable to travel due medical issues and vowed to travel
to India as soon he is medically fit. He also stated that the investigative
agencies --ED and CBI -- can question him in Antigua, where he is currently
residing.'I am currently residing in Antigua and willing to co-operate in the
investigation. If court may deem it fit, it may direct the investigating
officer to travel to Antigua,' he stated in the affidavit.In several pleas to
the court earlier, Choksi had claimed he was unable to return to India due to
persistent health problems.Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted by ED
and CBI for allegedly defrauding PNB to the tune of Rs 13,400 crore, in
collusion with a few of its employees.zeenews
For PM Modi’s madrassa education plan, Mumbai
has a few textbook cases
Mumbai:Mohammed Maaz, 15, would have been
assisting his father at a tailoring shop in Bhiwandi but for his stint at
Madrassa Jamia Tajwidul Quran in Malwani slum in Malad.The madrassa made him a
hafiz, one who has memorised the whole Quran. The tailor’s son now aspires to
crack UPSC exams and become an IAS officer one day. Maaz’s confidence to take
such a leap of faith — from the life of a modest hafiz to a career in the elite
civil services — comes because he has recently cleared the SSC or Class 10
state board exams. He is among 13 hafizs educated parallelly at the madrassa
and a school, both run by Noor Meher Charitable Trust under one roof. As the
Modi government prepares to modernise and mainstream madrassa education by
training its teachers in subjects such as English, science, maths and
computers, this Malad madrassa, with a few other Islamic seminaries in the
city, represent models that show secular education can go hand-in-hand with the
sacred.Such experiments in running parallel courses — described by the ulema or
religious scholars as ‘taleem’(education) for deen (religion) and duniya
(world) — do not meddle with the traditional curriculum but help students get
into colleges, gain employment and a set of skills and assist the government in
ensuring greater integration. Once a part of the frontline education system,
the madrassa students can aspire to become professionals and earn handsome
salaries instead of simply living – as most madrassa products have done – the
life of maulvis at moribund madrassas or as poorly-paid imams and preachers at
mosques. Union minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in the
week just ended that the government’s madrassa programme would be launched in
July. TOI
After ordinance, there has been a drop in
number of women reporting triple talaq:Muslim Mahila Andolan
Mumbai:As Union Cabinet prepares to introduce
a fresh Bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq, Noorjehan Safia Niaz,
co-founder of Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, one of the petitioners in the
triple talaq case, speaks to about efficacy of Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 and organisation’s fight to bring in a
comprehensive law on Muslim marriage. Niaz said, "After the ordinance was
brought in by the government there has been a drop in the number of women
reporting triple talaq. Another important change that we have seen is men
coming to our centres saying that they have issues with their wives and they
would like to sort out their differences. Somewhere there is an understanding
creeping in that “Yeh ab nahi chalega”. We have also been seeing Qazis
increasingly sending couples for arbitration rather than sending divorce
notices as in past.In 2016, BMMA’s Mumbai chapter had received 31 complaints
from women who said they had been given oral triple talaq.In 2017,when it was
made illegal the number came down to 6.In 2018, number was 2 and till June 2019
it was one."indian express
J&K: Army Major killed, 3 soldiers injured
in Anantnag encounter
Srinagar:An Army Major was killed while
another officer and two troopers were injured in an encounter with militants in
south Kashmir Monday, officials said. They said the encounter took place in the
Achabal area in Anantnag district of J&K.A Major-rank officer has been
killed while another officer of the same rank and two soldiers have been
injured, they said. The injured have been rushed to the 92 base hospital of Army
in Srinagar, they added.Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation
in the area this morning. The search operation led to a gunfight after the
militants fired on the forces, who retaliated, they added.PTI
J&K: BJP seeks fresh delimitation,
de-freezing of Assembly seats
Jammu:BJP in J&K has sought fresh
delimitation of Assembly constituencies and de-freezing of at least eight of
the 24 seats in the Assembly reserved for areas in Pakistan occupied Kashmir
(PoK).A resolution was adopted by party’s working committee, which expressed
concern over “gross injustice done to Ladakh and Jammu regions by previous NC
govts through inequitable delimitation of Assembly constituencies favouring
Kashmir region”.“It has reinforced the party’s demand for fresh delimitation of
Assembly constituencies in the state, besides the demand for de-freezing of
one-third of 24 seats kept reserved for areas of PoJK(Pakistan occupied
J&K),”resolution said, adding that “these Assembly seats shall be allotted
to Jammu region where people displaced from PoJK have been living since 1947-48”.The
party’s working committee also sought political reservation for Scheduled
Tribes in the state, and abolition of practice of Kashmiri Pandit migrants
having to fill up ‘M Form’ for voting in the Valley.Muslim Gujjars and
Bakarwals comprise a large group among the communities declared STs in the
state, and they predominantly inhabit areas in Pir Panjal and Chenab valley,
besides Kashmir. Pandits, too, account for a good number in some places in the
Valley.indianexpress
No threat to Amarnath pilgrims: separatists
Srinagar:The joint separatist leadership has
said there is no threat to Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir, and accused television
channels of running a “smear campaign” against the people of the Valley.The
separatists asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to not pay heed to “false
propaganda” and focus on their Kashmir visit “without any fear or
intimidation”.“The warm hospitality of the people of Kashmir is a globally
acknowledged fact. The Kashmiri people will continue to retain and nourish this
tradition of brotherhood and communal amity,” the joint separatist leadership,
comprising two factions of Hurriyat and JKLF, said in a release.“Some
electronic channels are hell bent to spread hate and falsehoods on Kashmir.
There is no threat to Amarnath Yatris from Kashmiris as reported by some
mischievous media outlets from their cozy studios in New Delhi. These pilgrims
are very much safe in the Valley.”indianexpress
‘IS module’ in tn: He never had crime record,
never faced social media trouble, says arrested man’s kin
Coimbatore :Days after searches by NIA at
Ukkadam, a Muslim-dominated area on the outskirts of Coimbatore town in Tamil
Nadu,lane leading to the house of Mohammed Azarudeen (32) wore a deserted look
Friday. 2 elderly men sat on the portico of his double-storeyed house as his
four-year-old son played with other children.Azarudeen, who has been arrested
by NIA, is facing probe for a Facebook page he ran — “KhilafahGFX” — to
allegedly propagate IS ideology. An NIA statement had alleged that he was the
Facebook friend of Zahran Hashim and other members of the module behind the
Easter Sunday attack.Besides Azarudeen, NIA has arrested one of his associates
and is questioning five others. NIA is also examining items seized during searches,including
cellphones, pendrives, laptops, hard disks, a dagger, air gun pellets and
pamphlets.Investigators are yet to ascertain if Azarudeen was only a follower
of Hashim or they were in touch. According to them, such information would
emerge during examination of the seized devices.The elderly man at Azarudeen’s
home is his father, a neighbour said. The man refused to identify himself and
spoke from the other side of the gate, locked from inside. Stating that he is
clueless about the case, he said, “He is married. He has a child. He never had
a criminal record. He never faced any trouble for his behaviour in social media
too. We do not know, let us not talk about the case.”A woman who lives in house
next to Azharudeen’s said, “He is so silent. I never heard his voice.” Another
elderly woman said Azardueen “rarely speaks to anyone” unless there was
something to convey. “I cannot believe that he can do anything problematic,”
she added.“Every second Saturday, half-a-dozen children used to come to his
home to learn to recite Quran. He (Azwarudeen)recites Quran beautifully,”said a
neighbour. A kilometre from Azarudeen’s home is the office of Qibla Tours and
Travels, where he worked. Meanwhile, 3 youths picked up by Tamil Nadu police on
Thursday for their alleged activities on social media have been placed under
arrest and cases registered against them. 3 had allegedly celebrated the Easter
Sunday attack, but police said they were watching them from before that.None of
the 3 has any criminal record. One of youths, A Shajahan, lives at Anbu Nagar
in Ukkadam. His mother Tajunniza said that about 6 months ago, Shajahan was
summoned by police to Chennai. “They said he had shared a friend’s Facebook
post. He was in Chennai for two days. We were told that it was a
deradicalisation project and police explained to him, with the help of an Imam,
to not engage in such social media posts. His phone was confiscated then,” she
said.His sisters said that after returning from Chennai, he was scared to use
social media or cellphone. “He rarely touched his phone. His laptop was mostly
used by us to watch movies. Police team had brought his old phone on Thursday
and were checking it with his new phone. After about 5 hours of search, the
police team left with him,” said one of his sisters.indianexpress
NIA search operation in Madurai in IS case
Despite Adityanath govt’s big promises;
unemployment situation worsens in Uttar Pradesh
Despite Yogi-led BJP govt promised Ram Rajya
in UP, unemployment situation is worsening which is directly proportional to
education. Thus meaning, more educated a youth is, bigger is the chances of him
not getting a job.The recent report of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
shows that the rural unemployment has increased from 0.9% in 2011-12 to 5.4% in
2017-18.Similarly, in cities, the unemployment rate jumped from 4.1% to 9.5% in
that corresponding period. While at the all India level the increase was 3.4%
to 7.7%.The figures were released by National Statistical Office.An unemployed
person is one who is seeking employment but is not getting the same.The
unemployment rate shows the percentage of persons unemployed among the
workforce which also includes employed persons.“This figure shows that
unemployment figure in UP is much higher than the national figure.This high
rate of unemployment is reflected on the social matrix of the state. There has
been a flight of talent who are going out of UP to other states in search of
jobs. Thus, the investment made by the government on these youth in form of
education is going waste,” Dr Ajit Kumar Singh, ex Director, Giri Institute of
Development Studies, Lucknow said.nationalheraldindia
4 of Indian-origin family from Andhra found
shot dead in US
Hyderabad: 4 members of a family from Andhra
Pradesh were found dead with gunshot injuries inside their house in West Des
Moines of US’ Iowa state on Saturday, police have said.According to the West
Des Moines Police department, the victims have been identified as Chandrasekhar
Sunkara, 44, Lavanya, 41 and two boys aged 15 and 10.Preliminary inquiries
revealed that Sunkara hailed from Tsunduru of AP’s Guntur district. He had gone
to US for higher studies and settled there along with his family. His parents
are said to be living in Hyderabad. Further details are awaited. Iowa Division
of Criminal Investigation’s assistant director Mitch Mortvedt said Sunkara
worked in the Iowa department of public safety’s technology services
bureau.Police said there were other family members, including two adults and
two children, were living in the house as guests along with Sunkara, when the
incident took place.HT
Retired cop found living with daughter’s
corpse in UP’s Mirzapur
Mirzapur:A retired Inspector and his wife were
found to be living with their daughters month-old decomposed body in Mirzapur
in Uttar Pradesh.The neighbours informed the police about a stench coming from
Dilawar Siddiqui’s house in Hayat Nagar area. The police forced their way into
the house and found the corpse.The body was sent for post mortem.Superitendent
of Police Prakash Swarup Pandey said that the neighbours had made similar
complaint about a fortnight ago but Siddiqui turned the police away saying all
was well in his family.“The couple, it appears, is mentally disturbed and he
kept telling us that his daughter was alive and sleeping,” Pandey said.The post
mortem report will reveal the cause of death of the deceased and further action
would be taken thereafter, he added.The neighbours said that the couple never
interacted with them and always remained aloof.IANS
WORLD
Israel names illegal Golan settlement after
Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
inaugurated a new illegal settlement in the occupied Golan Heights named after
US President Donald Trump in a gesture of appreciation for the US leader's
recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory. Netanyahu on Sunday
called Trump a "great friend" of Israel and described the Golan
Heights, which overlooks northern Israel, as an important strategic
asset."The Golan Heights was and will always be an inseparable part of our
country and homeland,"he said.The settlement will be called "Ramat
Trump", Hebrew for "Trump Heights" and is not exactly new.
Currently known as Bruchim, it is over 30 years old and has a population of 10
people."Thank you PM @netanyahu and the State of Israel for this great
honor!" Trump tweeted later on Sunday.Israel is hoping the rebranded
settlement will encourage a wave of residents to vastly expand it."It's
absolutely beautiful," said US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who
attended Sunday's ceremony. Noting that Trump celebrated his birthday on
Friday, he said: "I can't think of a more appropriate and a more beautiful
birthday present." Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the
1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981. Most of the international
community considers the move illegal under international law.But during a visit
to Washington by Netanyahu in March, just weeks before the Israeli elections,
Trump changed decades of US policy by signing an executive order, officially
recognising the strategic mountainous plateau as Israeli territory.The
decision, the latest in a series of US diplomatic moves benefitting Israel, was
widely applauded there."Few things are more important to the security of
the state of Israel than permanent sovereignty over Golan Heights,"
Friedman said."It is simply obvious, it is indisputable and beyond any
reasonable debate." After a cabinet meeting at the site on Sunday,
Netanyahu and Friedman unveiled a sign trimmed in gold with the name
"Trump Heights", adorned with US and Israeli flags.Reporting from
Jerusalem, Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett said opposition parties have been
pointing out that Netanyahu's transitional government, ahead of September's
election, doesn't have the authority to enact a new settlement in the occupied
Golan Heights."But that hasn't stopped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. He's taken his cabinet up there for what he called a 'festive
cabinet meeting' which was attended unusually by US ambassador David
Friedman," Fawcett said. Following Sunday's decision to inaugurate the
community, developing the settlement still requires overcoming several
additional bureaucratic obstacles. With Netanyahu running for re-election in
the second national election this year, it remains unclear whether he will be
able to complete the task.Zvi Hauser, an opposition legislator who formerly
served as Netanyahu's cabinet secretary, called Sunday's ceremony a cheap PR
stunt."There's no funding, no planning, no location, and there's no real
binding decision," he said.According to Israeli figures, almost 50,000
people live in the occupied Golan Heights, including about 22,000 Jewish
Israelis and nearly 25,000 Arab Druze residents.aljazeera
Top Trump envoy backs Friedman on West Bank
annexation
US envoy hints Israeli-Palestinian peace plan
could be delayed
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy
has hinted at a further delay until early Nov to the unveiling of a White House
peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."I think the logic would
still dictate that if we wanted to wait until a new (Israeli) govt is formed,
we really do have to wait until potentially as late as November 6," Jason
Greenblatt said in a Jerusalem Post interview on Sunday. Trump administration
had already delayed its presentation of the plan until after Israel's April 9
polls, which failed to yield a government and a new election is scheduled for
Sept.17.A new government will potentially come into the office in early
November, following the election of a potential prime minister and negotiations
to form a coalition."It's no secret that the Israeli elections have certainly
put a new thought into our head," Greenblatt said, in a video of the New
York Times interview published online."Had the elections not been called
again, perhaps we would have released" details of the deal during the
summer, he said.aljazeera
Tunisia demands probe as Israelis tour area
where Fatah founder assassinated
Members of Tunisia’s parliament have called
for officials to be held accountable after Israeli media reported that a group
of Zionists toured the capital Tunis, passing the street where the co-founder
of the Fatah movement Khalil Al-Wizar was gunned down in 1988.MP Ziad Lakhdar
called last week on the People’s Assembly to take responsibility and summon the
Tourism Minister René Trabelsi.Lakhdar said Tunisia has been increasingly
exposed to Zionist domination. He continued:“Tunisia’s sovereignty has been
taken too lightly and today we are facing a growing Zionist domination over our
country and the Arab nation.”“We have to assume our responsibility as we hold
others accountable too. It is absolutely unacceptable to allow spies in, under
the pretext of the Jewish pilgrimage to El Ghriba Synagogue.” Lakhdar added
that the visit to the site where Al-Wizar was assassinated as “disgraceful” and
parliament must intervene.middleeastmonitor
Scepticism as Sudan moves to put Omar
al-Bashir on trial
Sudan's former President Omar al-Bashir has
appeared in public for the first time since his overthrow by the military
following months of mass protests against his 30-year-long autocratic rule.
Dressed in a white robe and turban, the toppled leader was seen on Sunday as he
was escorted under heavy guard from a maximum security prison in Sudan's
capital Khartoum to the prosecutor's office.There, prosecutors informed him he
faced charges of "possessing foreign currency and acquiring suspicious and
illicit wealth", according to the official SUNA news agency. He was given
one week to raise objections, questioned on additional unspecified corruption
charges, and taken back to Kobar prison.
If al-Bashir does not appeal, he could appear in court as early as next
week, Sudan's acting Chief Prosecutor Alwaleed Sayed Ahmed said on Saturday.
aljazeera
Iran to surpass uranium stockpile limits
within days: AEOI
Iran has said the country plans to quadruple
production of low-level enriched uranium and will reach the limit of the
stockpile allowed under the nuclear deal within days.The spokesperson for
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Monday
Iran would reach the allowed 300kg level of enriched uranium at levels mandated
by 2015 deal on June 27."We will go further from that ceiling, not only
that but we will also increase production drastically. After we pass the limit
of 300kg the pace and the speed of enriched uranium production at the lower
rate will also increase," Kamalvandi said on Monday, speaking on
television from Iran's Arak nuclear plant.aljazeera
China says reached 'broad consensus' with UN
after Xinjiang visit
China and UN have reached a "broad
consensus" about counter-terror work,China's Foreign Ministry said on
Sunday after a controversial visit by a senior UN official to the restive far
western Chinese region of Xinjiang this week.US and other western countries
objected to a visit by UN counterterrorism chief to Xinjiang, where UN experts
say someone million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are held in detention
centres.Diplomats said that along with with US several other countries,
including Britain, complained about the trip of Vladimir Voronkov, a veteran
Russian diplomat who heads UN Counterterrorism Office.US Deputy Secretary of
State John Sullivan spoke with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday
"to convey deep concerns" about Voronkov's trip because "Beijing
continues to paint its repressive campaign against Uighurs and other Muslims as
legitimate counterterrorism efforts when it is not".In a brief statement,
China's Foreign Ministry said that Voronkov had visited Beijing and Xinjiang
from June 13-15, meeting senior diplomats including Vice Foreign Minister Le
Yucheng.2 sides "had a deep exchange of views on the international
counter-terrorism situation and counter-terrorism cooperation between China and
UN, and reached a broad consensus",ministry said, without giving
details.Reuters
Iran Parliament Speaker hints US could have
planned oil tanker attacks
US could have planned the attack on the two
oil tankers in Gulf of Oman, IRNA reported Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ali
Larijani, insinuating.“The suspicious actions against the tankers…seem to
complement the economic sanctions against Iran considering that [US] has not
achieved any results from them,” Larijani said.He added that it was “funny”
that US has urged Iran to use diplomacy while the Americans targeted their own
ships near Japan during World War II “to create an excuse for hostility”.MEMO
‘I use my pocket as a toilet,’ daughter of
senior Brotherhood leader tells court
The detained daughter of deputy leader of the
Muslim Brotherhood Khairat Al-Shater told an Egyptian court on Saturday that
she is using her pocket as a toilet and has demanded authorities give her full
access to amenities within the prison.Aisha Al-Shater was arrested along with
her husband, the former spokesperson for the ECFR, in November 2018 after
security forces raided her apartment late at night. She was disappeared for 28 days
before reappearing in Qanateer women’s prison, just north of Cairo.That night a
total of 19 human rights activists were arrested including 60-year-old human
rights activist and lawyer Hoda Abdelmonem. Widely circulated photos of the
raid depicted overturned cupboards and her personal items strewn across the
floor.Since then, Aisha and her husband have been accused of belonging to a
terrorist organisation and funding terror groups. Since the Muslim Brotherhood
was designated a terror organisation in Egypt in 2013, thousands of its members
have been detained. At the end of March Aisha’s detention was renewed for 45
days pending investigation.middleeastmonitor
Turkey FM: Iran, Russia must stop Syria regime
attacking outposts
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has
called on Russia and Iran to pressure the Syrian regime to stop attacking
Turkish military observation points in north-western Syria.During his visit to
the southern Turkish province of Hatay, Cavusoglu stated that “Turkey won’t
tolerate Syrian regime harassment of its soldiers,” just hours after the attack
occurred. He stressed that Ankara “will teach them their place,” but that
essentially it is the responsibility of Russia and Iran to halt the attacks.The
artillery attack, which Syrian regime forces launched from Tall Bazan in Idlib
province to the town of Murak where the Turkish observation post is situation,
caused damage to outpost but did not result in any casualties. Shortly after
the assault, Turkish forces retaliated against the regime with heavy weapons.MEMO
Lt General Faiz Hamid, the new ISI chief
In a reshuffle in Pakistan Army on Sunday
night, Lt General Faiz Hamid was appointed as the new director general of ISI.
He is appointed by PM in consultation with the Army chief and is answerable
only to the Army chief. He is the de facto number 2 in Pakistan Army, and
arguably in the country after Army chief.Lt Gen Hamid replaces Lt Gen Asim
Muneer, who was appointed to head ISI only eight months ago and must have had
among the shortest stints in that office. Faiz Hamid was promoted to three
stars from the rank of Major-General along with 4 others in April 2019. His
appointment, announced by ISPR on Sunday night with a host of others in Army,
comes five months before General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s 3-year term ends in
Nov.2019.Like Bajwa, Hamid is also from Baloch Regiment. He will be among a
small group of generals favourably placed for Army’s top job in 2022.indianexpress
Nigeria attack: Triple blasts kill at least 30
in Borno
30 people were killed late on Sunday in a
triple suicide attack in northeast Nigeria, emergency services reported,
marking the biggest mass killing this year by suicide bombers.Three bombers
detonated their explosives outside a hall in Konduga, 25 kilometres from the
Borno state capital Maiduguri, where football fans were watching a match on
TV."The death toll from the attack has so far increased to 30. We have
over 40 people injured," Usman Kachalla, head of operations at SEMA, said
on Monday.aljazeera
Qatar attends Arab meeting in UAE amid Gulf
crisis
Qatar participated on Monday in an Arab
coordination meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, amid preparations to
hold a new session of dialogue between Arab states and China, according to
Qatar News Agency. The Qatari delegation
to the meeting was headed by Qatar's permanent representative to the Arab
League, Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Sahlawi. An Arab Coordination Meeting is
slated for Tuesday as part of preparations for the "fifth session of the
Arab-China Political Dialogue and the 16th session of the Senior Officials
Meeting of the Arab-China Cooperation Forum," QNA said. Monday's meeting
took place as the Gulf crisis has just entered its third year. Anadlu agency
Flash:
views & NEWS
Mediation over Ayodhya dispute seems doomed to
fail:A G Noorani
Owaisi's Mainstream Political Ambitions Can't
Be Bound By Labels Like 'Muslim Leader': Nikhila Henry
Locals Insist Aligarh Girl's Brutal Murder Had
Nothing to Do With Religion: Poonam Kaushal
US's Legacy of Using Trade Act to Steer Course
of International Relations:Arun Mohan Sukumar
Violence incubates in our society.
Insensitivity to it makes the doctor vulnerable: Shah Alam Khan
Court said poetic justice needs to be done in
Kathua case, rejected defence pleas on defective probe
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