23 June 2019:
18 Shawal 1440:Vol: 11, No:228
INDIA
Acute water crisis: 80% reservoirs across
India have below normal storage
New Delhi : With the progress of monsoon still
remaining sluggish, 84 % of the
meteorological subdivisions have recorded deficient rainfall, MeT department
data shows. According to the Central Water Commission data, of the 91 major
reservoirs in the country, 80% have storage below normal. Of these, 11 have
zero% storage, making the water crisis acute.The official rainfall season
starts from June 1 to September 30, but the overall monsoon deficiency until
June 22 still remains around 39 % .Of the 36 meteorological subdivisions, 25%
have recorded “deficient” rainfall, while 6 subdivisions recorded precipitation
classified under “large deficient” category. Odisha and Lakhadweep subdivisions
have recorded “normal” rainfall. While J&K and East Rajasthan recorded
“excess” rainfall, Andaman and Nicobar Islands registered rainfall under the
“large excess” category. Met Dept.has four divisions – east and the north east,
south peninsula, central India and northwest India.The east and northeast India
division comprise northeastern states and eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand,
and West Bengal and all have registered deficient rainfall.Of the 10
subdivisions of central India, Odisha is the only one to receive normal
rainfall. 4 subdivisions, including three from Maharashtra – Vidarbha,
Marathwada and central Maharashtra – have recorded rainfall in the category of
“large deficient”. The east Madhya Pradesh subdivision has also recorded
rainfall in the same category. Vidarbha, Marathwada and central Maharashtra
subdivisions have been facing a drought-like situation, with water levels in
reservoirs reaching extremely low levels. Although the Gujarat and Saurashtra
and the Kutch subdivisions under central India have recorded “deficient”
rainfall, Cyclone Vayu helped bring down some of the shortfall.The deficiency
in these two subdivisions was 100 % until June 9, but it went down to 50 and 26% respectively.Of 10 divisions in the south
peninsula division, eight are deficient. The Andaman and Nicobar Island
subdivision recorded “large excess” rainfall, the only one under this category
in the country, while Lakshadweep recorded “normal” rainfall.With Chennai
reeling under a severe water crisis, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal
subdivision has a deficiency of nearly 38%.Monsoon reached Kerala on June 8, a
week after its normal onset date. Its progress was halted for more than a week
due to Cyclone Vayu in Arabian Sea, causing delay in its advancement in several
parts.PTI
MP: Latest inspections find EVM components
missing from safe rooms in few districts
Bhopal :Latest inspections have found that
Ballot Unit (BU) and Detachable Memory Module (DMM), which act as key
components of an EVM, are missing from safe rooms in a few districts of Madhya
Pradesh, according to RTI documents.However, RTI did not specify whether EVMs
were used in the last elections in the state.These inspection reports were
prepared during April and June this year and provided to RTI applicant Ajay
Dubey who had sought details from the State Election Commission of the latest
reports received from district administrations on security and management of
EVMs.9 DMMs were found missing during the inspection of EVMs store room in
Umaria, the reply said, without mentioning any reason behind it.Detachable
Memory Module is an extra memory of the EVM which can be detached from the
machine and stored separately.According to Master Stock Register (MSR), there
were supposed to be 2,709 DMMs in a strong room at a Govt polytechnic college in Narsinghpur
district.During inspection,2,508 DMMs were not found, according to the reply
given by the district administration.In a note, Narsinghpur district authority
said 687 DMMs, which were not used in elections (without mentioning what polls
they are referring to), were sent to the commission’s office and those used in
elections were sent to ECIL, Hyderabad for disposal. There are 201 DMMs
available in the store room, the administration of Narsinghpur district said,
without mentioning details of other missing EVMs.9 Ballot Units were not found
during the inspection of a strong room in Bhind district, RTI reply said.A
ballot unit is is a small box-like device, on top of which each candidate and
his/her election symbol is listed like a big ballot paper. The voter polls his
vote by pressing the blue button against the name of his desired candidate. Errors
were found in 13 Control Units and 16 Ballot Units, during pre-first level
checks, in May 2018, and they were not rectified by engineers sent by
commission, said a copy of the report dated May 21, 2019 by Bhind district to State
Election Commission.In Mandsaur, 8 BUs were found missing and one DMM was
missing in Shajapur district, according to RTI reply.A total of 26 DMMs were
found missing in a strong room at Old Collector Bhavan, Balaghat district, it
said, adding that 11 and 28 BUs were not found in the store room in Sagar and
Gwalior districts, respectively.“A thorough probe is needed to immediately
trace missing Control Units, Ballot Units or DMMs. It poses a serious security
concern over the safety of EVMs,” said Dubey.PTI
Jharkhand: Muslim man dies 4 days after mob
beats him up, forces him to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’
A 24-year Muslim man was beaten by a mob in
Jharkhand’s Seraikela Kharsawan district on June 18, and he died in the
hospital, allegedly of his injuries, four days later. However, the police said
the cause of the death of Tabrej Ansari, a resident of Kharsawan city, is not
yet known since the autopsy report has not been submitted yet.Ansari was caught
in Dhaktidih village while allegedly attempting to steal a motorcycle. “Two of
his accomplices escaped,” Superintendent of Police Karthik S said. “But he was
ill-treated by the villagers. When the police got the information, they went to
the spot and took him in custody, along with the motorcycle.”Ansari was charged
with attempting to steal, and produced in a court that sent him to judicial
remand. According to the police, he fell ill on Saturday and was taken to a
hospital, where he died.“While it’s being reported that the death happened in
the hospital, Ansari actually died in police custody,” claimed Afzal Anis,
activist and Jharkhand state coordinator of Aman Biradri, an organisation that
works for communal harmony .Videos of the assault soon spread on social media.
Ansari’s family approached the police with the videos after his death, based on
which an FIR was filed. The complainant was Shaista Parveen, Ansari’s wife. On
the basis of the videos, the police arrested a villager identified as Pappu
Mandal and named 100 unidentified people in its first information report. “He
has been arrested under murder and rioting charges,”said police. According to
the FIR, the mob also forced Ansari to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”.
scroll.in
Assam: After video shows Muslims forced to say
‘Jai Shri Ram’, key accused held
Guwahati :Police have arrested the primary
accused in a case pertaining to a group of Muslim youths allegedly being forced
to chant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ in Assam’s Barpeta district earlier this week. Barpeta
SP Robin Kumar said, “Debojit Deka has been arrested. A Guwahati resident, Deka
had posted a video of the assault on the youths with the comment that “Ram
Sainiks of Barpeta district” have taught a lesson to some people “saying
Pakistan Zindabad”, police said. “He had uploaded the video. It is under
investigation whether Deka was present in the mob that attacked the group,”
Kumar said. Police are on the lookout for the other accused.indianexpress
MP to ease cow transport rules, farmers can
buy from each other
Bhopal:Congress Govt in MP has decided to ease rules governing the
transportation of cows to ensure that farmers and traders are not harassed by
cow vigilantes and stopped by police. Govt has also decided to allow trade of
cows between farmers by removing a condition that they could buy bovines only
from bazaars or haats. Animal Husbandry Minister Lakhan Yadav said that the new
rules would allow farmers in Madhya Pradesh seeking to buy cattle from another
state or district to approach SDM in their area and seek a NOC by giving
details of the number of cattle, the prospective buyer and the route they were
likely to take while transporting the animals. NOC will be prominently pasted
on the vehicle transporting the cows. The minister said the NOC would be issued
for up to 25 cattle.As of now, someone who seeks to buy cattle from another
state has to seek an NOC from SDM of the area from where he plans to buy the
cattle. It used to be very difficult for local farmers to get NOC from the SDM
in another state. Currently, no NOC is issued to farmers who buy from another
district within the state. VMinister Yadav said that currently, in the absence
of any written permission, it is easier for cow vigilantes to stop vehicles
carrying cattle and take them to the police. “Organisations like the Bajrang
Dal do it for the sake of publicity but the cows would be left stranded in
police stations. Also, police would illegally charge Rs 100 or Rs 200 before
allowing the vehicles to pass,’’ the Cabinet Minister alleged.indianexpress
False cases hinder conviction under Haryana
cow law; Cattle traders say cops targeting them to extort money
Gurugram: Jubbair, 49, a resident of Ghasera
village in Nuh off Gurugram-Alwar highway, faces around half a dozen cases
under Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, banning the
slaughtering of cows and sale of beef in the State. He, however, claims
innocence.Jubbair said he runs a dairy and owns around 70 animals, including
cows, and also trades in cattle. “ All these cases of transporting cows for
slaughtering have been registered against me since 2015. But I am innocent. I
have full faith in the law of the land,” he said over phone. He alleged that
the police target the cattle traders and dairy owners, in connivance with cow
vigilante groups, to register false cases and extort money.Though around 1,000
cases have been registered under the new law in Nuh over the past four years,
the prosecution has failed to prove charges in over a dozen cases so far,
leading to the acquittal of the accused. Punjab and Haryana High Court also
took cognisance of the matter earlier this year following which the Haryana
police decided to impart training to Nuh police personnel in the new
law.Advocate Tahir Devla, a defence lawyer in 10 such cases, said the police
mostly registered false cases which failed to stand the scrutiny of the law.
“It’s a simple law prohibiting transportation of cows outside the State for
slaughtering, sale of beef and slaughtering of cows in Haryana. In most of the
cases, the police book traders bringing milch cows to Haryana from Rajasthan
saying they were being transported outside the State for slaughtering, but
later fail to prove it in the court,” he said.All-India Mewati Samaj president
Ramzan Chaudhary claimed the police in many cases let off influential people
involved in cow slaughtering and fabricated innocent men in return for money
and the cases later faltered in the court.thehindu
J-K: Hurriyat leaders ready for talks, says
Governor Satya Pal Malik
Srinagar :Appearing to signal that the time
was ripe for dialogue in J&K,Governor Satya Pal Malik made a public
statement on Saturday, in the presence of two ministers from Modi Cabinet, that
the separatist Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks.“Things are much better
than when I came here. Look at Hurriyat, Ram Vilas Paswan stood at their door
and they didn’t open the door. Now they are ready for talks,” Malik said.The
Governor was speaking at a DD event in Srinagar. Union Minister for I&B
Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh were also present
on the occasion.In an interview on Friday, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq had said the Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks with Govt.
Reiterating what he said last month after BJP’s massive election victory, he
said: “With such massive mandate, it is the responsibility of the central Govt to take forward the political process in the
state and initiate all possible measures to put an end to the cycle of violence
in the state”. He could not be contacted on Saturday. Hurriyat leader, in his
interview, also said that “we will never shirk from our responsibility to take
the political process forward, and if Centre shows sincerity (we) will respond
in appropriate manner”. Farooq had said the Hurriyat leaders were ready for
talks with Govt.After BJP’s huge win in Lok Sabha polls, Mirwaiz, in his
address to the congregation assembled at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid for the last
Friday of Ramzan, had said: “People of India overwhelmingly voted for Mr Modi
and his party… this mandate gives PM Modi the opportunity and the power to play
a decisive role in the resolution of the long pending Kashmir conflict”.He had
also said that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved militarily or through
confrontation “but by dialogue and deliberations, and Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s
oft-repeated offer of dialogue on all issues between India and Pakistan,
including on the Kashmir issue, should be seriously considered by the new
dispensation in New Delhi as the way forward.”However, even as Governor seemed
to be welcoming Mirwaiz’s olive branch, Hurriyat leader was placed under house
arrest and prevented from attending a book fair at Kashmir University Saturday.
On Friday, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, most senior Hurriyat leader, was also
prevented by security personnel from leaving his house to visit the book fair.
Governor Malik said “We do not feel good at all about young men dying. We are
interested in bringing them back and Centre is thinking about this”.indianexpress
J&K: 4 suspected militants killed in
gunfight with security forces in Shopian district
4 suspected militants were killed in a
gunfight with security forces in Shopian district in J&K today, state
police said.Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in
Daramdora area of Shopian, following information about the presence of
militants, an unidentified Army official said. Militants were identified as
Rafi Hassan Mir, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Showkat Ahmad Mir and Azad Ahmad Khanday, a
police spokesperson said. While Showkat Ahmad Mir joined militant ranks in
2015, others had recently joined. “Showkat was instrumental in recruiting Azad,
Rafi and Suhail in terrorist ranks,” the official said. “Showkat was initially
associated with Hizbul Mujahideen.”Officer declined to comment on the
affiliation of the militants, but the news agency cited sources as saying that
the militants were affiliated to Ansar Gazwatul Hind. scroll.in
Muslim leaders rubbish NIA charges: Only a
fool can think of establishing caliphate in India
New Delhi:Reacting on the charge sheet filed by
NIA against 10 suspects arrested in a case involving a “terror module” in
Delhi, Hapur and Amroha (UP) in Dec.last, noted community leaders and activists
on Saturday said only a fool can think of establishing caliphate in India. They
dismissed the charges as another “cooked up story by the security agencies” as
they have done earlier.On Friday, NIA filed charges against all the accused in
Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar’s court claiming that “all accused were
planning to establish an ISIS caliphate in the country after planning
large-scale attacks in and around the National Capital Region.” The court
listed the matter for consideration on July 4. Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, umbrella
body of leading Muslim organisations, dismissed the charge sheet as yet another
“fabricated story” to tarnish the image of Muslim community in the eyes of
Hindu brethren. Mushawarat president Navaid Hamid said: “It is another
fictional story meant to soil the image of the community and lives of these
innocent persons.” Commenting on the agency’s charges, he said only a foolish
person can think of founding caliphate in India or anywhere else.“It is a
cooked up story, a fool only can think of establishing caliphate in India. The
past instances showed that there were people in security agencies who
fabricated and framed trumpeted terror charges against innocent young persons
from the community but they were acquitted by the higher courts of the
land.”Expressing his displeasure over the charges framed by the agency against
the accused, he said it is sad that “such cases not only ruin the lives of
innocent persons but also create misgivings about the community in the minds of
our Hindu brethren”. He also lambasted the culture of impunity saying those
officers, who frame innocents in false terror cases just for the sake of
accolades and medals, should be made accountable. Past experience has
repeatedly shown that almost all accused were released by courts finding no
evidence against them, he added. Concurring with his views, noted activist
Nadim Khan, said the agency’s claims against all accused are false and
baseless. He rubbished NIA charges saying that “Caliphate cannot be established
by making Sutli twine bombs and kitchen knives,this is all outlandish. He
argued that in the past all such charges did not stand in the court of law and
however, scores of innocents lives were ruined due to security agencies’ false
flag and irresponsible attitude.“It is a fact that 95% terror cases fabricated
by security agencies have fallen flat in courts and accused got acquittal
honorably but after spending their prime part of life in jails,” he noted. One
of the accused’s relatives said they still had not received the copy of the
charge sheet and even FIR copy. Dismissing all charges, he said that they would
react after seeing the charge sheet.The relative did not want to disclose his
identity expressing the hope that all 10 youths would be acquitted soon as they
are all innocent’.caravandaily
We are soon going to be completely isolated: Assamese
poet Shalim Hussain on migration, NRC
A PhD scholar at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia
university, Shalim Hussain,32, a poet, who writes in Assamese, speaks about the
fear and uncertainty triggered by the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and
the relevance of poetry today.Speaking about the Muslim community, mostly
Bengali-origin Assamese Muslims, Hussain said, "There is always fear about
the ‘outsider’.But while violence against, say, the Biharis, will peak and
subside, the anger towards us is permanent.We are called rapists, child
kidnappers and anything else that one can imagine. Congress party initiated NRC
so there is no point in giving them a clean chit, but with the Citizenship
Amendment Bill, our community will be isolated. Hindus of Bengali origin will
get citizenship but we won’t." He speaks about the impact of NRC, "Anytime
something as major as NRC or the Citizenship Amendment Bill comes up, a fear
akin to the one at the time of the Nellie massacre, sets in. It makes people do
desperate things. Many have taken their own lives — 40 at the latest count —
because they fear they will be put in permanent detention once they are
declared illegal immigrants as India doesn’t have an extradition policy with
Bangladesh. Social mobility is the only way out. Although, it didn’t help
retired army officer Sanaullah, who was sent into detention until the courts
intervened." indianexpress
Human sacrifice in Assam? A headless body
found near Kamakhya temple raises questions
On June 19, the headless body of a woman was
found close to Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. Police officers on the case are
investigating the possibility that it was a human sacrifice.“It looks like a
murder that has stemmed from superstition,” said Deepak Kumar, the city’s
police commissioner. “The crime scene definitely suggests so: everything was in
order; the woman’s body was wrapped in a blanket next to which was a bottle of
water and other puja essentials.” Such speculation has been fuelled by the fact
that the Kamakhya temple is known to be a seat of tantric practices, often
associated, at least in the popular imagination, with human sacrifice.The
timing of the incident seems to have bolstered the theory. It occurred days
before one of the most important events on the temple calendar, Ambubachi Mela,
which has hordes of devotees and ascetics descending on the temple complex.The
mela, an annual affair, marks the goddess Kamakhya’s menstrual period,which is
believed to occur only once a year. The temple remains closed during that
period – according to religious belief, the deity is in a state of impurity.
However, the supposedly impure blood of the goddess is also believed to be a
harbinger of life and vitality. When the temple is opened, usually after 3
days, pieces of red cloth, representing the goddess’s blood, are distributed
among devotees. But the temple establishment insists that human sacrifice has
never been part of the Ambubachi ritual. scroll.in
SIMI leader Nagori convicted of ‘inciting
communal tension’
Bhopal: A district court on Saturday convicted
Safdar Nagori, member of SIMI, and 2 others for “organising training camps for
unlawful activities and fomenting communal tension” in Narsinghgarh area of
MP’s Rajgarh district in 2008.They were sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment and
fined Rs 10,000 each under UAPA, Explosives Substances Act. They have admitted
to visiting the town in 2008, holding a meeting and distributing pamphlets with
“inflammatory writing with the intention of instigating communal trouble”. TOI
Makkah Masjid blast: Court seeks response from
Addl.Solicitor General over acquittal of accused
Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on Friday
conducted the hearing of the writ petition challenging the verdict of Nampally
Criminal Court which acquitted the accused in Makkah Masjid blast case.A bench
of Chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and justice Shameem Akhter ordered
additional solicitor general K Lakshman to respond to the writ petition within
3 weeks.Several worshipers were killed in the blast occurred in the historical
Makkah Masjid on May 18, 2007.NIA had filed a charge sheet against Devendra
Gupta, Aseemanand and others but court acquitted them.Appealing against the
verdict of NIA special court, which acquitted all the 5 accused, including
Swami Aseemanand, Makkah Masjid blast victims’ families had knocked the door of
Telangana High Court. siasat
Foreign govts have no right to question India
on religious freedom: MEA
New Delhi:Foreign Govt s do not have the right
to criticise India’s vibrant democracy and dedication to rule of law, said the
Ministry of External Affairs after US State Department’s annual report on
religious freedom pointed out India’s failure to protect minority communities.“We
see no locus standi for a foreign Govt to pronounce on the state of our citizens’
constitutionally protected rights,” said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of Ministry
of External Affairs (MEA).The report sets the backdrop of the visit of Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo that begins on June 25. Official spokesperson, however,
maintained that India was proud of its “secular credentials”, saying, “it is
widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution
provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and
rule of law further promote and protect the fundamental rights.”MEA did not
answer if report and its observations about India’s failure to uphold and
protect minority rights would feature in talks with Pompeo during his visits
here between 25-27 June.thehindu
"Doing Best To Wipe Out Terrorism":
Pak Army Chief After Watchdog Warning
London: Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar
Javed Bajwa has said that the country is using all available sources to
eliminate terrorism from its soil and is moving towards attaining sustainable
peace and stability. Speaking at an event in London on Friday, General Bajwa
suggested that all nations must cooperate with each other in "wiping out
terrorism" since it is a common enemy for all."We are doing our best,
utilising all available sources to wipe out the enemies of peace and
prosperity. It is a fact that peace and stability in South Asia was dependent
on the resolution of conflicts and disputes in the region", The Nation quoted
Bajwa.ANI
Pakistan accuses India of "politicising"
deliberations at FATF meeting in US
Pakistan has accused India of
"politicising" the deliberations for its "narrow and
partisan" objectives at the FATF meeting in Florida where the global
terror financing watchdog decided to keep Islamabad on its 'grey' list for
failing to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups.Paris-based Financial
Action Task Force (FATF), which concluded its week-long meeting in Florida in
the US, also asked Pakistan to take credible, verifiable, irreversible and
sustainable measures to address global concerns related to terrorism and
terrorist financing emanating from the territory under its control."We
regard the statement issued by India regarding FATF report as preposterous and
unwarranted," Pakistan Foreign Office said."If anything, this is yet
another evidence of India's relentless efforts to politicise the deliberations
of FATF for its narrow, partisan objectives," it said. PTI
China, Malaysia, Turkey bail out Pak at FATF: Pak
may stall till it's Beijing's turn to
head body
Dabholkar murder: Sanatan Sanstha lawyer
Sanjeev Punalekar sent to judicial custody till July 6
A Pune court today sent Sanatan Sanstha lawyer
Sanjeev Punalekar, an accused in the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar,
in judicial custody till July 6.Special judge R.M. Pande on June 20 granted Punalekar’s
custody to CBI till June 23, after the agency said it recovered some “incriminating
documents” from the lawyer’s laptop and that he was required to be questioned
about it.The Central Bureau of Investigation on June 23 told the court it does
not require any further custody of Mr. Punalekar, following which the judge
sent the accused in judicial remand till July 6.PTI
Mayawati’s brother, nephew get plum posts in
BSP, Danish Ali named Lok Sabha leader
New Delhi :Following BSP’s poor showing at the
recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, party supremo Mayawati today appointed her
brother Anand Kumar and nephew Akash Anand as the party’s national
vice-president and national coordinator respectively.The decision was taken at
a meeting in Lucknow that was attended by BSP’s top leaders.Meanwhile, Amroha
MP Danish Ali was made the leader of the party in Lok Sabha and its Nagina MP
Girish Chandra appointed chief whip.Akash, a prominent face in Mayawati’s Lok
Sabha campaign, had first raised brows with his presence at the birthday
celebration of BSP supremo. She later announced Akash would join the party’s
“movement” and learn the ropes of politics.“It is an anti-BSP
conspiracy…dragging in my nephew forces me to think something about it…in a
tit-for-tat response, I will make Akash join BSP movement and give him a chance
to learn,” she had earlier said amid criticism from the BJP. indianexpress
Mani Shankar Aiyar: ‘Non-Gandhi’ can be
Congress chief, but family must remain active in party
New Delhi:3 days after Congress president
Rahul Gandhi made it clear that the party would decide on his successor, senior
leader Mani Shankar Aiyar Sunday said a ‘non-Gandhi’ could be party chief but
the Gandhi family must remain active.“It would be best that Rahul remains party
chief, but at the same time, Rahul’s own wishes must also be respected,” Aiyar
said. Aiyar’s statement comes amid uncertainty over Rahul continuing as
Congress president.“I am sure we can survive if we have to without a
Nehru-Gandhi as the titular head of the party, provided Nehru-Gandhis remain
active in the party and can help resolve a crisis in case serious differences
arise. Rahul has given about a month to the party to find a replacement and
there have been confabulations within the Congress over the issue with the
feeling in the party overwhelmingly in favour of Rahul staying on,” saidAiyar.indianexpress
Death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome
reaches 167 in Bihar, Muzaffarpur remains worst hit
PATNA: The deaths linked to the massive
outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) - a viral infection - has risen to 167 in Bihar till Sunday
morning, plunging the state in a grim crisis. The deadly outbreak of the
disease has gripped the children of the state since the beginning of this
month. Muzaffarpur remains the worst-hit district of Bihar with the viral
disease taking the lives of as many as 129 children. The death toll in the Sri
Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) reached 109 and that in Kejriwal
hospital stands at 20.zee news
14 killed, several injured as shamiana
collapses during religious programme in Rajasthan’s Barmer
Barmer:At least 14 people were killed and
about 50 injured after a shamiana fell on them due to strong winds during a
religious programme in Barmer district of Rajasthan, police said.A ‘Ram Katha’
was organised at Jasol area of the district when the shamiana was uprooted by
strong winds trapping the people sitting under it, ASP, Khinv Singh, said.At
least 14 persons have died in the incident, he added.PTI
Air India suspends regional director for
allegedly shoplifting at Sydney Airport
New Delhi :Air India’s regional director
(Eastern region) has been suspended for allegedly shoplifting at Sydney
Airport, an officer said on Sunday.Rohit Bhasin, who used to oversee Air
India’s operations in the eastern region, was suspended after a complaint was
filed by the Australian Regional Manager against him regarding shoplifting a
wallet from a duty-free shop at Sydney Airport.indianexpress
WORLD
Ethiopia's state chief killed amid coup
attempt
The president of Ethiopia's Amhara region and
his top adviser were killed in an attempted coup in which the country's army
chief was also shot dead, the office of Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed
said.Spokeswoman Billene Seyoum told journalists a "hit squad" led by
Amhara's security chief Asaminew Tsige burst into a meeting in the state
offices of Amhara's capital, Bahir Dar, on Saturday and shot regional Govt President Ambachew Mekonnen and his adviser
Ezez Wassie.The men were "gravely injured in the attack and later died of
their wounds," she said. "Several hours later, in what seems like a
coordinated attack, the chief of the staff of the national security forces
Seare Mekonnen was killed in his home by his bodyguard in Addis
Ababa."Also shot dead was a retired general who had been visiting him,
Billene added.The bodyguard has been apprehended while Asaminew is still on the
loose, sources said.Al Jazeera's Leah Harding, reporting from Addis Ababa, said
Abiy called those responsible "mercenaries"."Army intelligence
general said the coup was meant to create chaos and division in the military.
He said the military now has control over the situation...and he reiterated
that there are no divisions within the military," Harding
reported."This is particularly important because the two generals that
were killed in Addis Ababa are part of the Tigre ethnic group, and the person
who we believe is responsible for the coup plot is part of the Amhara
group."Analysts said the incident showed seriousness of the political
crisis in Ethiopia, where efforts by Abiy to loosen iron-fisted grip of his
predecessors and push through reforms have unleashed a wave of unrest. "These
tragic incidents, unfortunately, demonstrate the depth of Ethiopia's political
crisis," said International Crisis Group analyst William Davison."It
is now critical that actors across the country do not worsen the instability by
reacting violently or trying to exploit this unfolding situation for their own
political ends," the expert said. Residents of Bahir Dar said late on
Saturday there was gunfire in some neighbourhoods and some roads had been
closed off.Early on Sunday, Brigadier General Tefera Mamo, head of special
forces in Amhara, told state television that "most of the people who
attempted the coup have been arrested, although there are a few still at
large."Since coming to power last year, Abiy has tried to spearhead
political reforms to open up the once isolated, security-obsessed Horn of
Africa country. He has released political prisoners, lifted bans on political
parties and prosecuted officials accused of gross human rights abuses, but his Govt
is battling mounting violence.aljazeera
Iran warns war would spread across Gulf,
threaten US troops
Washington :Any conflict in the Gulf region
may spread uncontrollably and threaten the lives of US troops, a senior Iranian
military commander said on Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he would
impose further sanctions on the Islamic Republic.While flagging more sanctions,
Trump had also said on Saturday he wanted to make a deal to bolster Iran’s
economy in an apparent move to defuse tensions following the shooting down of
an unmanned U.S. drone this week by the Islamic Republic.Iran has said it would
respond firmly to any threat against it and warned on Sunday of the risks of a
military confrontation.“If a conflict breaks out in the region, no country
would be able to manage its scope and timing,” Major General Gholamali Rashid
said, according to the semi-official news agency Fars.“American government must
act responsibly to protect the lives of American troops by avoiding misconduct
in the region.”Reuters
US 'launched cyberattacks on Iran weapons'
after drone downing
US military launched cyberattacks against
Iranian missile control systems and a spy network on Thursday after Tehran
downed an American surveillance drone, US officials have said.US President
Donald Trump ordered a retaliatory military attack against Iran after the drone
shootdown but then called it off, saying the response would not be
"proportionate" and instead pledged new sanctions on the country.But after
the drone's downing, Trump secretly authorised US Cyber Command to carry out a
retaliatory cyber attack on Iran, 2 officials said.A third official confirmed
the broad outlines of the attack. All spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorised to speak publicly about the operation. US media
outlets Yahoo News and The Washington Post also reported the cyberattacks. The
cyberattacks - a contingency plan developed over weeks amid escalating tensions
- disabled Iranian computer systems that controlled its rocket and missile
launchers, the officials said.The officials said the US targeted the computers
of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after Washington blamed Iran for
two recent mine attacks on oil tankers.There was no immediate reaction on
Sunday morning in Iran to the US claims. aljazeera
NSA Bolton: US sanctions on Iran are biting
Iran is feeling the effects of existing US
sanctions as President Donald Trump prepares to impose more of them from
Monday, his National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday during a visit
to Israel, reports Reuters.While flagging further sanctions, Trump also said on
Saturday he wanted to make a deal to bolster Iran’s flagging economy, an
apparent move to defuse tensions following the shooting down of an unmanned US
drone by the Islamic Republic. Tensions in the region began to worsen
significantly when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six
powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. The sanctions had been lifted
under the pact in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.Iran’s
continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, its threats to exceed the limits set in
the failed Iran nuclear deal in the coming days … are not signs of a nation
seeking peace,” Bolton told reporters during a visit to
Israel.middleeastmonitor
Egypt suppressed coverage of Morsi’s death: Media
group
Cairo:Egypt suppressed media coverage of the
death of former president Mohammed Morsi in a Cairo courtroom this week, a
media advocacy group said.Morsi collapsed and died Monday during his trial on
espionage charges. His death, however, was barely mentioned in the country’s
media, which mostly limited coverage to reproducing an official statement, said
Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, on Friday.“The vast majority of Egyptian
media outlets just used the same 42-word Govt statement, without offering their own take on
the event and without even mentioning that he was Egypt’s former president,”
RSF said.Most Egyptian daily newspapers only carried brief reports of Morsi’s
death buried in inside pages of Tuesday editions. The exception was Al-Masry
Al-Youm, which had a front-page report.Yahia Kalash, a former head of the journalists’
union, said such coverage was expected and it revealed the extent of Govt control over media in Egypt.“The media
blackout was not a decision by an editor. It revealed the extent of censorship.
The idea of media blackout has become mockery and unfruitful,” he said
Saturday. Authorities have also launched an unprecedented crackdown on
reporters and the media, imprisoning dozens and occasionally expelling foreign
journalists.RSF urged Egypt to “allow freedom to the media...rather than seek
to lock the debate and minimize the spread.”AP
Egypt, Saudi 'Prison Tomb' abuse scrutinized
after Morsi's death
Human rights organisations report widespread
abuses in prisons across the region, including torture, extended solitary
confinement and a lack of medical care, not to mention the use of the death
penalty for minors in Saudi Arabia. The death of former Egyptian President
Mohamed Morsi has intensified the spotlight on the dire conditions faced by
political prisoners in Egypt under the Govt of army chief-turned-president
Abdel Fattah el Sisi, not to mention in neighbouring states such as Saudi
Arabia.Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president and died after
collapsing in a soundproof cage during his trial, where he was left unattended
for at least 20 minutes. Ageing deposed president had developed a history of
health issues during his imprisonment, including diabetes, liver and kidney
disease, and the loss of sight in one eye, without receiving medical treatment.
His medical conditions made no changes to the conditions of his incarceration,
where he was kept in solitary confinement for at least 23 hours a day."Ex-president
Morsi's death followed years of Govt mistreatment, prolonged solitary confinement,
inadequate medical care, and deprivation of family visits and access to
lawyers," says Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa Director
of HRW.But former president Morsi was only one of tens of thousands of
prisoners currently suffering under similar conditions.He was not the first
prisoner to succumb to harsh prison conditions in Egypt.In the first 100 days
of Sisi’s administration alone, HRW reported at least 35 people died in
custody.Of those 35, 15 cases identified a cause of death: 13 were due to overcrowding
or failure to provide medical care, and two involved physical abuse. The
numbers could be much higher, with human rights agencies criticising their lack
of access to observe prisoner conditions. trtworld
Palestinians reject economic part of US peace
plan
US has revealed a proposal to create a $50bn
global investment fund for the Palestinians and neighbouring Arab states,
designed to be the economic engine of the long-awaited US Middle East peace
plan.The plan was posted on the White House website on Saturday, two days before
a US-led workshop in Bahrain where the economic portion of the so-called
"deal of the century" is set to be discussed.Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday rejected the economic plan and the US peace
effort, which is led by President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Myanmar has ordered internet shutdown in two
provinces, including Rakhine:telecom company
International telecommunications company
Telenor group has said Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications has
ordered all mobile phone operators to temporarily shut down internet services
in 9 townships in state of Rakhine and neighbouring Chin.“ Directive, which
makes references to Myanmar’s Telecom Law, does not specify when the shutdown
will end,” read the statement issued on Friday. “As basis for its request, MoTC
has referenced disturbances of peace and use of internet services to coordinate
illegal activities.”The company said that it has asked for more clarification
about the rationale for the shutdown. It also said “freedom of expression
through access to telecoms services should be maintained for humanitarian
purposes, especially during times of conflict”.scroll
Sudan protesters accept Ethiopia plan for
political transition
Protest leaders in Sudan said on Saturday they
have accepted the creation of a civilian-majority governing body for a
political transition in the country, as proposed by an Ethiopian envoy.The
compromise blueprint suggests the creation of a 15-member governing body -
comprising eight civilians and seven members of the military - that would
install a civilian administration, according to AFP."We think that our
acceptance of the proposal is a major leap towards meeting the goals of the
revolution, which are freedom, peace and justice," protest leader Babiker
Faisal told reporters in a statement, AFP reported."It will put the
country on the right track to create the transitional period that would usher
in sustainable democracy."The ruling Transitional Military Council(TMC)
has yet to give its decision on the Ethiopian proposal.According to the
Ethiopian plan, seven of the eight civilians on the governing body will come
from the umbrella protest movement, Alliance for Freedom and Change, another
protest leader, Amjad Farid, had told AFP earlier on Saturday. aljazeera
Turkey: Istanbul votes in 'historic' rerun of
mayoral vote
Istanbul:Residents of Istanbul are back at the
polling stations on Sunday in a rerun of the mayoral election, which was last
held about three months ago.The rerun comes weeks after Ekrem Imamoglu, candidate
of main opposition CHP, won the contest in Turkey's commercial hub by a slim
margin over Binali Yildirim of ruling AK Party. Voting started at 8.00am local
time and will continue through 5:00pm
local time in 31,342 ballot boxes across 39 districts of Istanbul.The result of
the March 31 polls was a big blow to the AK Party, which in the same local
polls also lost control of the country's capital, Ankara, and Izmir, the third
largest city.AK Party, led by Tayyip Erdogan, successfully lobbied for a rerun
of the Istanbul mayoral vote, after Imamoglu secured the seat with a difference
of just 13,729 votes.aljazeera
Trump nominates Mark Esper as Pentagon chief
US President Donald Trump has nominated Mark
Esper to be the Secretary of Defense, the White House has said. Esper replaces
Patrick Shanahan, who led the military in an acting capacity but this week
withdrew his name from consideration for a permanent role after allegations of
domestic violence. It has been six
months without a permanent defence secretary - three times longer than ever
before - even as the country deals with the growing tensions with
Iran.aljazeera
Pakistan key to bringing peace in Afghanistan:
ex-PM Hekmatyar
Afghanistan's ex PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has
praised Pakistan's role in the ongoing peace process for his war-ravaged
country. "Pakistan is a very important country and Islamabad could play a
key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and now they are doing it,"
Hekmatyar told Anadolu Agency in the resort town of Bhurban near the capital
Islamabad. He arrived in Pakistan along with 57 other Afghan leaders to attend
a peace conference on Saturday. "I praised Pakistan's sincere efforts and
I am sure they will continue its help to bring peace in our country," 2-time
PM said.Americans are also praising Pakistan's role in bringing Taliban on the
negotiating table, he said.Hekmatyar arrived in Islamabad for the first time
after his landmark deal with the Kabul Govt in 2016, which ended his
20-year-long self-imposed exile. 71-year-old leader was received on Saturday by
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi." Hekmatyar demanded the
withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and reiterated the need to allow
the Afghan people decide their future.Hekmatyar asked the Afghan political and
religious leaders to brainstorm for a system to ensure free, fair and
transparent elections in the country.Anadolu Agency
Flash: views & NEWS
Buck stops at the table of the head of the
govt — CM or PM: P Chidambaram
Aakar Patel: India must do what it can to
avert a US-Iran conflict
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq
(Released at: 7:28 PM)
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