01 AUG. 2019:
28 Dhul Qadah 1440:Vol: 11, No:260
INDIA
SC gets Babri Masjid mediation panel report, may
rule on next step tomorrow
The mediation panel set up by the Supreme Court
to attempt a negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya land title dispute today
submitted its report in a sealed cover to the top court. 3-member panel led by
retired Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla was initially told to work within an
Aug.15 deadline.The top court, however, asked the mediation panel to submit an
earlier status report after the successor of one of the original litigants,
told the top court that the panel was not getting anywhere with mediation.In
March this year, 5 judges of the top court decided to explore mediation in an
attempt to “heal relationships” between communities. The SC is hearing
petitions challenging a 2010 Allahabad High Court order that trifurcated the
2.77-acre-site between Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Central Waqf Board, and Ram Lalla.At
Friday’s hearing, 5 judges led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi would decide on its next
step. Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer are the
other members of the Bench.The judges had earlier indicated that if the
mediation effort had run into a wall, it would resume hearings on the appeals
filed before the constitution bench that could also be conducted on a
day-to-day basis.The panel, which began negotiations with both the Hindu and
Muslims litigants in Ayodhya on March 13, held final round of back-to-back
discussions spread over 3 days in New Delhi from July 29.HT
Unnao rape: SC transfers all cases to Delhi,
orders CBI to complete probe in a week
The Supreme Court today ordered the transfer of
all 5 cases related to Unnao rape case outside UP to Delhi. The Bench headed by
CJI Ranjan Gogoi also ordered CBI to complete the probe related to the accident
within a week and then file the chargesheet in a fortnight. It also ordered
that the trials in all five cases should be completed in 45 days thereafter on
day to day basis.The bench also said the victim and her counsel, who are
admitted in Lucknow’s KGMU hospital, can be shifted to Delhi if the family
desires. Directing the UP Govt to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to
the victim, the court also ordered CRFP protection to the girl’s family. The
counsel, who is also injured in the accident, has been ordered a compensation
of Rs 20 lakhs.The victim, who is now battling for life after an accident in
Rae Bareli on Sunday, had written to the CJI stating that she faced threats by
accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the rape case. On Tuesday the woman and her
lawyer were critically injured and her two aunts were killed after the car they
were travelling in was hit by a truck on the highway. The SC enquired Solicitor
General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, why the letter sent by the Unnao rape
victim’s family was lying before PIL section from July 17 till July 30. In its
reply, the Solicitor General said the court receives at least 6,000 letters
every month and the letter in question was under screening.This promoted an
angry outburst from CJI Gogoi who said “What is happening in this country and
you want the court to follow the letter of the law?… What is this? We will be
failing in our duty….”Meanwhile, ahead of the top court’s order on the case, BJP
expelled party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is accused of raping a woman in
Unnao. Sengar, and nine others, including the son-in-law of a UP minister, have
been booked by CBI on allegations that they orchestrated the accident that has
left the woman in a critical condition.indian express
SC transfers all Unnao cases out of UP to Delhi;
CJI orders presence of 'responsible CBI' officer
Pak offers consular access to Kulbhushan, India
says reviewing proposal
Pakistan has offered consular access to ex Indian
Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is sentenced to death on espionage charges,
on Friday. The development comes 2 weeks after International Court of Justice
ruled in favour of India on the issue of consular access. Ministry of External
Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India is evaluating the proposal by
Pakistan in the light of ICJ verdict. “We will maintain communication with
Pakistan in this matter through diplomatic channels,” he said. Pakistan foreign
ministry had earlier said that Islamabad will grant consular access to Jadhav
“according to Pakistani laws”.India has argued that Article 36 Paragraph 1(a)
of Vienna Convention says that “consular officers shall be free to communicate
with nationals of the sending State and to have access to them.Nationals of the
sending State shall have the same freedom…to communication with and access to
consular officers of the sending State.” India is the sending State in this case.indianexpress
Maldives ex-VP Ahmed Adeeb detained in India
Thoothukudi:Former Vice-President of Maldives
Ahmed Adeeb, who was convicted and later acquitted in a plot to assassinate ex
President Abdulla Yameen, is in the custody of Indian authorities. The boat
having him was intercepted by Coast Guard near coast of Thoothukudi in southern
Tamil Nadu today.Police sources said the Mongolian-flagged tugboat left
Maldives on July 29 and reached near Thoothukudi coast around noon. Coast
Guard's interception of the boat near the old harbour was based on information
from Maldivian authorities.The boat had nine workers — 8 Indonesian nationals
and one Indian — besides Mr. Adeeb.thehindu
President Kovind gives assent to triple talaq
Bill
President Ram Nath Kovind today gave his assent
to the Triple Talaq bill, which makes giving instant oral triple talaq a
criminal offense with provisions of jail term of up to 3 years. The Triple
Talaq law or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights On Marriage) Act, 2019, has
come into effect retrospectively from Sept.19, 2018.Ministry of Law and Justice
on Jan.31 had notified Bill in the official Gazette of India for the law to
come into forge with immediate effect.thehindu
After Triple talaq Bill , BJP MP brings up need
for Uniform Civil Code
New Delhi:A day after Govt managed to pass the
triple talaq Bill in Parliament despite numbers stacked against it in the Rajya
Sabha, a ruling BJP member in Lok Sabha picked up Uniform Civil Code,another
contentious issue, and sought measures to bring it in. Nishikant Dubey, a
third-time MP from BJP, raised the matter during Zero Hour, drawing protests
from the Opposition benches. Dubey said, “Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is
necessary. No one should be allowed to do politics in the name of religion — it
is India, and everyone should be treated equally.”Pointing out that Article 44
of the Constitution lists UCC as one of the directive principles of state
policy, Dubey said the Govt should initiate measures to bring in the Code. He
said UCC will do away with the need to make laws such as the one banning
instant triple talaq. “We have one IPC and once CrPC. If CrPC is the same for
everyone, why can we not have a UCC,” BJP member asked.indianexpress
Dalwai’s forum
demands uniform civil code
Parliament may have cleared a law to ban instant
triple talaq and make it a criminal offence, but progressive Muslim groups have
called for this reform to cover more aspects of Muslim personal law to
proscribe polygamy and halala and eventually move towards a uniform civil code
(UCC)."Practices like triple talaq, polygamy and nikah halala cannot be
seen in isolation. They are unjust and related to each other. If only triple
talaq is banned, men will not grant talaq to their wives, but marry for the
second time. However, we welcome the triple talaq ban," said Shamshuddin
Tamboli, chief, Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, adding that they were demanding
that divorces decided only through courts. Tamboli also sought a UCC to deal
with issues like marriage,divorce and inheritance. Hamid Dalwai, writer, had
campaigned against religious fundamentalism and organised a morcha of Muslim
women at the receiving end of oral, one-sided divorce on state administrative HQ
of Mantralaya on April 18, 1966.He launched Mandal, which is a Muslim reformist
movement,in March 1970."In a democracy, freedom is related to issues like
religion and faith. (Religious considerations) cannot encroach into the realm
of laws.Uniform laws are necessary to ensure exploitation is eradicated,"
said Tamboli. DNA
All India Democratic Women’s Association ask Prez
to not sign TT bill
AIDWA(All India Democratic Women’s Association)
referred Triple Talaq Bill as draconian as it criminalizes the mere
pronouncement of triple talaq and makes it an offence punishable with up to
three years of imprisonment. Condemning the bill AIDWA says that it converts a
civil wrong, which all matters pertaining to Family Law are, into a criminal
offence and is both ill conceived and legally flawed.It is communal in its
intent as it specially seeks to target Muslim men who desert their wives and
punish them. In an atmosphere where Muslims are the objects of various kinds of
hate crimes the bill is another weapon to demean and chastise Muslim men and
show them as criminals.President the General Secretary of AIDWA have also
stated that the bill has been passed with retrograde provisions, one of which
merely stipulate a subsistence allowance from the husband and not a full
maintenance and residence.
Triple talaq law's maintenance provisions
regressive for women: Activists
Triple talaq law has further diluted the
maintenance provision for women and will not give protection to them as being
projected, activists said, calling it a step backward for women empowerment. Kavita
Krishnan, an activist and secretary of All India Progressive Women's
Association, said the bill is weakening the existing "idea" that a woman
should be given maintenance in tune with the life she has already enjoyed.The Govt
should have concentrated on strengthening "extremely weak"
maintenance law for women of all communities instead of criminalising the
practice of triple talaq, she said.She said Muslim women want their husband to
support them and give them maintenance in case of divorce. "If the husband
goes to jail, it would not help them. Triple talaq law has diluted that (maintenance
provision)," she said. Hasina Khan,one of the petitioners in the Supreme
Court who has challenged the validity of triple talaq, said the sustenance
allowance would be decided by the magistrate which would delay the
process."Who will take care of the children when the husband goes to jail.
We don't want to destroy a marriage but triple talaq bill would destroy
weddings,"Khan said.Mariam Dhawale, women's rights activist, asked where
will the woman go when her husband goes to jail.She called bill "a step
backward" for women empowerment.Tahir Mahmood, ex member of Law Commission
of India, said it might act as a deterrent for men who irresponsibly walk out
of marriages due to ordinary wear and tear of married life.
Triple Talaq Bill will have no value if
challenged: advocates
New Delhi: Noted lawyer of Supreme Court Sufiyan
Siddiqui said Triple Talaq is not considered criminal act in the entire world.
Even the other religions of India have no provision for punishment. In Islamic
countries also it is not a crime. He expressed surprise that it is non-bailable
as per the new law, while the accused of other serious crimes get bail. He
further said that the law is against the Supreme Court order as well. The
Supreme Court has considered triple talaq as only one talaq so when the talaq
has not actually happened, then what is the punishment for? He asked.Advocate
Siddiqui said the matter would surely be challenged in the court. Supreme Court
will either dismiss the case on the basis of its earlier order or will issue stay
order.Advocate Mohammed Aslam Khan general secretary AMU Old Boys said It is a
bid to harass Muslims and appease Hindus. Supreme Court lawyer Altaf Husain
also called the bill a violation of Supreme Court order.siasat
Punishment for triple talaq can worsen woman's
plight: Grandson of Shah Bano
Indore:A grandson of Shah Bano,woman who became
the face of the legal battle for married Muslim women's rights, supports the
ban on triple talaq but says punishment for husband can make the wife's life
more miserable.The bill providing for imprisonment of the husband for giving
triple talaq was passed in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.Bano's grandson Jubair Ahmad
Khan (45), a lawyer and tax consultant, said, "In Islamic Sharia there is
no concept of divorce by uttering 'talaq' thrice. It is good that the Govt has
enacted a law to stop this practice.""A good thing was presented in
the wrong way. A criminal part has been added to this bill which can be misused
like IPC section 498-A (which seeks to punish husband or in-laws who mistreat
woman for dowry)," he said."Suppose a man is sent to jail by the
court on the basis of his wife's complaint of triple talaq. In these
circumstances, can the woman's in-laws would like to keep her with them?"
Khan asked."Will the husband be able to accept her back after the release
from jail?" he added."It takes a long legal process for a woman to
get maintenance from the husband. So, how a woman who is the victim of triple
talaq and her children will survive after her husband is jailed?" he
asked.PTI
BJP leader in Odisha Assembly says Muslim women
‘dominate red-light areas of Mumbai, Kolkata’
A BJP leader in the Odisha Assembly on Thursday
said that “Muslim women dominate red-light areas of Mumbai and Kolkata”. BC
Sethi, who is the saffron party’s deputy leader in the Assembly, justified his
statement saying that he was quoting “survey reports”.“What’s wrong in quoting
survey reports in the House?” the leader was quoted as saying.“I have not made
any adverse remarks against any community, but quoted survey reports that say
Muslim women dominate the red-light areas in Mumbai and Kolkata.”Sethi also
said that divorcee Muslim women, who were “triple talaq victims”, were forced
into prostitution in these metros, according to Orissa Post. The leader was
speaking during Zero Hour in favour of the triple talaq bill.Members of BJD and
Congress demanded that the remarks of BJP leader be expunged from the records.
scroll.in/PTI
Govt Considers Panel to Look into Minorities’
Concerns on New Education Policy Draft
New Delhi:Prominent Christian leaders met the
Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Tuesday, to apprise him of
the issues and objections raised by the religious minorities on the draft of New
Education Policy (DNEP), and said the central Govt may constitute a committee
to consider the same. Govt also extended the date for submission of comments on
DNEP by another fortnight till Aug.15 as July 31 was the last date earlier
after one-month extension.At the end of a 2-day National Christian consultation
on Draft National Education Policy,a delegation of senior Christian leaders
called on the minister last night who assured them that the Govt would consider
their demand and a special committee would be set up to consider objections and
suggestions given by various religious minorities. convenor of All India
Catholic Union and United Christian Action, Dr. John Dayal said, the minister
has positively responded to their demands and assured that he would take all
suggestions and objection into account.Caravan News
Assam Govt releases confidential district-wise
numbers of people excluded from draft NRC
Assam Govt today released the district-wise
break-up of the 40.07 lakh people who had failed to make it to the final draft
of the National Register of Citizens. The state Govt submitted these numbers in
the Assembly as part of its response to a query during Zero Hour.NRC state
coordinator Prateek Hajela had submitted the district-wise data in a sealed
cover to the Supreme Court in August 2018. In an order dated Sept. 19, 2018,
the court had stated that the “confidential reports” submitted in “sealed
covers” should not be made available to anyone else because of their “sensitive
nature”.Today, Assam’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary
cited the data in the state Assembly to make a case for fresh verification of
the people included in NRC. Earlier in the month, Union home ministry and the
Assam Govt had approached the Supreme Court for the same – a request that the
court had turned down saying that 27 % people had already been freshly
scrutinised.scroll.in
Re-verification necessary for a correct NRC:Assam
BJP
Assam unit of BJP has said that a re-verification
exercise of NRC should be undertaken to ensure a correct process.“Some people
just want NRC. Centre and state demanded that for a correct NRC there should be
re-verification of 20%entries in border areas and 10% in general areas. NRC has
already taken so much time. What is the harm if it takes six months or 3 more
months,” said Ranjeet Dass, president of Assam BJP, adding that in NRC draft
“there were Assamese people who were excluded.” HT
480 Bangladeshis deported between Jan.2016 and
April 2018: Delhi Police tell Supreme Court
Delhi Police HAS informed the Supreme Court that
489 Bangladeshis have been detained and 480 out of them have been deported from
Jan.1, 2016 to April 30, 2018. However, no Rohingya immigrants were detained or
deported during this period.Delhi Police was responding to a petition filed by
BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay.His petition sought a direction to Centre
and the state Govts to identify, detain and deport all “illegal migrants and
infiltrators”.The matter is likely to come up for hearing next on August
14.scroll.in/ANI/PTI
Abdullahs meet PM Modi, ask him to hold J&K
elections before year end
New Delhi:A National Conference delegation, led
by Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, met PM Narendra Modi today and asked him
to hold Assembly elections in the state before the end of the year.Abdullah
said they had also apprised the PM of the situation in the Valley and requested
him to not take any step that might affect the environment there.“We discussed
two issues with PM. We told him that no step should be taken which will lead to
deterioration of the situation in the Kashmir Valley.We also told him that the
assembly elections should be held before the end of the year,” Omar Abdullah said.The
meeting comes amid the deployment of 100 companies of paramilitary forces in
Kashmir, which has led to speculation regarding the abrogation of Article 35A —
which empowers the J&K Legislature to define permanent residents of the
state.indianexpress/PTI
Article 35A ‘abrogation’: Shah Faesal, Rashid seek
all-party meet
Srinagar :Reiterating its call for an all-party
meet to formulate a joint strategy against the alleged attack on the special
constitutional position of J&K, Peoples’ United Front (PUF) has launched a
signature campaign to “tell the world what the people of J&K want”.The
joint forum, formed by the bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal’s J&K
Peoples Movement and Engineer Rashid’s Awani Ittihad, has said it is ready to
“erase its identity and existence” if all the political parties join hands.“We
appeal to New Delhi, please don’t try to play with fire. Any fiddling that will
change the demography here would be unacceptable,” Rashid said. “By challenging
this issue, you are challenging the wisdom of your forefathers, you are
challenging the wisdom of those who have given you the Constitution.” Indianexpress
Illegal mosques, graveyards on 500 Delhi Govt
lands: BJP MP
New Delhi:Taking a dig at Congress for allowing
illegal construction by a specific community so as to garner their votes, BJP
MP Pravesh Verma has said that over 500 Govt properties in Delhi, where
hospitals and schools are proposed to be built, have been illegally taken over
by constructing mosques and graveyards. Participating in the debate on Public
Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019, in the Lok
Sabha, Verma said this is not only the problem of the national capital but also
an issue for the entire country.He said that the land parcels where these
"illegal mosques and graveyards" have been constructed, belong to
Delhi Development Authority (DDA),Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD),Delhi Jal
Board and many other Govt departments."There are over 500 Govt lands where
illegal mosques and graveyards are built. I object to such constructions on Govt
land even if it is a mosque, temple or a gurdwara. But in the last 5 years I
did not come to know about any such Govt land where an illegal temple or
gurdwara is constructed," he said.Last week, BJP MP also met Delhi Lt.
Governor Anil Baijal and handed him a list of 54 Govt properties in his
parliamentary constituency where illegal mosques and graveyards have been
constructed.IANS
‘Karkare
may be a martyr but his torture of Pragya must be pointed out’: RSS leader
RSS leader Indresh Kumar has said that while one
may respect the sacrifice of police official Hemant Karkare, alleged torture he
inflicted on Malegaon blasts accused Pragya Thakur must also be pointed out,
ANI reported. Karkare was the chief of Maharashtra ATS when he was killed
during the attacks in Mumbai in 2008.Thakur, now a BJP MP, had claimed during
her election campaign in April that Karkare had died because she had cursed
him. Thakur is currently out on bail. Karkare had investigated the charges
against Thakur in connection with Malegaon blasts. Thakur has claimed that she
was tortured by officials when she was in jail for her alleged role in the 2008
Malegaon blasts.“No [investigating] agency has the permission to torture an
accused who has not been proven guilty, that also a woman,” Kumar said.
“Karkare is a martyr because he died of a terrorist’s bullet. But the Congress Govt
got Sadhvi tortured to get its story proven true. Getting this done by the
agency is a crime, and for the agency to do it is undignified. They should have
resisted it. While his sacrifice can be respected, the torture done by him must
be pointed out too.”scroll.in
UAPA Bill most dangerous legislation till
date:CPI-M
UAPA Bill is "a dangerous piece of
legislation" and will be used against the BJP's ideological opponents,
CPI-M has said. UAPA Amendment Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is now
being considered in the Rajya Sabha. An editorial in CPI-M journal
"People's Democracy" said that along with NIA Amendment Bill, which
has already been adopted by Parliament, "these two measures are going to
make laws more draconian in the name of fighting terrorism."This
legislation is an attack on federalism, democratic rights and liberty of
citizens..."IANS
Parliament LIVE: National Medical Commission Bill
passed in Rajya Sabha amid doctors strike
Rajya Sabha Thursday passed National Medical
Commission Bill 2019 which seeks to replace Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
The Bill has already been passed in Lok Sabha. The Bill talks of a uniform NEET
exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate super-specialty medical
education. NMC will have 25 members, all appointed by the Central Govt on
recommendation of a search committee comprising the Cabinet Secretary and 5
experts nominated by the Centre. Opposition protested in Rajya Sabha over the
Speaker not taking on record their opinion during the voice vote on NMC Bill.
Congress leader Anand Sharma said that this is happening every day that the
Speaker is not allowing to record the Opposition's viewpoints and this is not
acceptable in a democratic system. Meanwhile, UAPA Bill, 2019, which was
cleared by the lower house on July 24, will be tabled in Rajya Sabha by Home
Minister Amit Shah. indianexpress
Resident Doctors, Including in Emergency
Department, Strike Against NMC Bill
Villagers lynch thief to death in Jharkhand’s
Dumka
Dhanbad:A 40-year-old thief was beaten to death
by villagers after they caught him fleeing following a burglary in Dumka district
of Jharkhand today, police said. Dumka’s SP YS Ramesh said the incident
occurred around 1.30am today in Chihutiya village.The dead man was identified
as Bhola Rajwar, a resident of nearby Loharia village under Taljhari police
station of the district. Rajwar was one of 3 men who had burgled the house of
Anandlal Marandi and were leaving with the stolen items when villagers caught
them.They beat up Rajwar, who died on spot, and the other two men managed to
flee.15 villagers have been taken into custody. HT
Azam Khan’s MLA son held for ‘obstructing’ police
search at university
Rampur Police yesterday took into custody MLA
Abdullah Khan, son of SP MP Azam Khan, for allegedly creating obstacles during
a search operation at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. Azam Khan is the
chancellor of the university.The police team had been looking for books
allegedly stolen from Madrasa Aaliya.Abdullah was later released on a personal
bond by the court of SDM. In Lucknow, SP workers led by its state president
Naresh Uttam and party MLAs staged a protest, alleging that BJP Govt was
targeting Azam Khan and his son out of vendetta.Zubaid Khan, principal of
Madrasa Aaliya, lodged a complaint regarding the theft of books from the
madrasa on June 16. indianexpress
1992-93 communal riots: Court acquits man
arrested 26 years after violent clash
Mumbai:A man, who was arrested 26 years after 2
groups clashed violently during the communal riots in Mumbai in 1992-93, was
acquitted by a sessions court last week.The trial against Usman Mulla, now 52,
who was arrested in Feb.this year, began in June and saw the deposition of only
one witness —a police officer. However, witness could not establish Mulla’s
presence at the spot where alleged incident took place on Jan.10, 1993.“Prosecution
has even failed to establish that the accused was present at the time of
occurrence of the incident. Merely saying that the accused was arrested on the
day of the incident cannot be and should not be considered as sufficient
evidence against the accused to connect him with the alleged crime when his
presence on the spot is not established,” court said. indian express
ATS’s deradicalisation programme: ‘I realised
Allah didn’t want me to sacrifice my life to make him happy’
Mumbai:On April 11,2017, as dusk was settling
over Aurangabad, policemen from Maharashtra’s ATS knocked on his door and asked
him to go with them for an “urgent” investigation. He guessed why they had
come. He had been in touch with his childhood friend who is believed to have
joined Islamic State in 2014. And through this friend, he had spoken to an IS
recruiter over a chat app on becoming a suicide bomber.On his Facebook page, he
had changed his profile picture to black-and-white IS flag and posted two
messages that declared his affiliation.That evening, his wife and parents
watching, he feared the worst as he was driven away in a car — life behind
bars, even death. But nothing prepared him for what came next.At their office
in Aurangabad, ATS officers pushed a sheaf of papers towards him. It was a list
of 240 questions but not about him and IS. They were questions no one had ever
asked him. Are you impulsive? Do you like going on roller coaster rides? Do you
have an active fantasy life? Do you do things just for the thrill of it? Do you
sometimes flatter people to get your way? For 8 hours, questions kept coming. Unknown
to him, he was facing a psychometric test. And the questionnaire was to assess
the degree to which he had been “radicalised” or how vulnerable he was to
radicalisation. Then came the second surprise. He was sent home — asked to
return every day until further instructions.He was the latest entrant to ATS’s
“deradicalisation programme” under which the police say they are trying to pull
people like him back from edge. According to Maharashtra DCP Dhananjay
Kulkarni, this 3-year-old programme has “reintegrated” at least 114 young men
and 6 women who were being wooed by IS. ATS claims to have counselled 200
others, too. indianexpress
Gujarat
Rains: 4 dead, 5000 evacuated so far
At least 4 people were killed and over 5000 were
evacuated from Vadodara city and surrounding areas as incessant rains battered
the city in central Gujarat, reports PTI. Army and NDRF teams have been called
in for relief and rescue efforts. Vadodara received nearly 500 mm rainfall in
24 hours ending 8 am today. This created a flood-like situation and disrupted
normal life here.Breaking a record, Vadodara received over 20 inches of
rainfall for over 12 hours Wednesday, flooding major parts of the city. All
schools have been declared closed today by the district collector.
indianexpress
WORLD
Iranian Prez slams US over 'childish' FM Javad Zarif
sanctions
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called a
decision by US to sanction Iran's foreign minister "childish" amid
rising tensions between the 2 countries.In its latest move aimed at ratcheting
up its "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, Washington on
Wednesday said it was imposing sanctions on Mohammad Javad Zarif for acting on
behalf of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - who is also subject
to recently-imposed US sanctions.Rouhani said US was "resorting to
childish behaviour ... They were claiming ever day 'We want to talk, with no
preconditions' ... and then they sanction the foreign minister."Rouhani
also accused the US of being "afraid" of Zarif, who recently gave a
series of wide-ranging interviews to foreign media in New York.In one of them,
Zarif hit back at US President Donald Trump's call for new nuclear negotiations
that encompass Iran's ballistic missiles programme and accused Washington of
bringing the Middle East to the brink of "explosion" by selling arms
to allies in the Gulf. "They are afraid of our foreign minister's
interviews," Rouhani said. "It is completely clear that the
foundations of the White House have been shaken by the words and logic of an
informed, devoted and diplomatic individual". In a statement announcing
the sanctions against Zarif, US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin said:
" Zarif implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is
the regime's primary spokesperson around the world". Zarif brushed off the
sanctions on Twitter, saying US move indicated that Washington saw him as a
"threat".aljazeera
Germany refuses to join US-led naval mission in Hormuz
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said his
country will not participate in a US-led naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz,
prompting a frustrated response from Washington's ambassador to
Berlin.aljazeera
Netanyahu ally: Saudi Arabia discussed buying gas
from Israel
Saudi Arabia sought to buy Israeli natural gas, a
former member of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s Govt has revealed. Ayoob Kara,
former communications minister, said in an interview given in Jerusalem that
the 2 countries discussed building a pipeline that would connect Saudi to the
southern Israeli city of Eilat which lies in Gulf of Aqaba.Kara, an Israeli of
Druze descent, who was previously one of Netanyahu’s closest advisers on
relations with the country’s Arab neighbours and was among the few Israeli
cabinet members to have appeared publicly in a Gulf state in the past year,
said that the discussions were “about mutual interest.”The deals that were
discussed stem from vast quantities of natural gas found in Israeli waters
around ten years ago, for which companies developing the reservoir of gas have
already signed contracts worth $25 billion, but still have over 80% of the
resource available to other buyers. The talks between Israel and Saudi were
conducted with the hopes that the Gulf monarchy would fill that gap as it plans
to invest over 6 times that amount in gas throughout the next decade as part of
its plan to meet demands for cheaper electricity.MEMO
Palestinian killed, 3 Israeli soldiers hurt in
Gaza
Israeli army has said that a Palestinian man
crossed from Gaza into Israel overnight and shot at Israeli troops, drawing
return fire in an incident that left the Palestinian dead and three Israeli
soldiers wounded.An Israeli tank also targeted a military outpost belonging to
Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, during the incident, Israel's military
said.It added that an army officer had been moderately wounded and two soldiers
lightly injured by the Palestinian's shooting in the area of the southern Gaza
Strip.The latest shooting comes as US senior adviser and President Donald
Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is on a Middle Eastern tour to promote his
peace plan.aljazeera
Dutch 'Burqa Ban' Comes Into Force
A law that prohibits clothing that “covers the
face” from being worn in a variety of public spaces, such as schools,
hospitals, public buildings and public transport, came into effect in Netherlands
today.Authorities are now required to tell people to show their faces.If
someone refuses, they can be denied access to public areas, and face fines of
up to €150.The ban also applies to full-face helmets or balaclavas.Attempts to
enforce the new law have already been met with disapproval as several cities as
well as hospitals, public transport operators and even police said that they
would not be sticking to it.DW
US believes Osama bin Laden's son is dead: report
Intelligence officials in US have received
information that al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden's son Hamza has died,
according to a US broadcaster.NBC reported that 3 US officials had confirmed
they had information of Hamza bin Laden's death, but gave no details of the
date or place, and did not indicate if they had confirmed information.New York
Times also reported that the US had a role in the operation that led to Hamza's
death, which it said took place in the past 2 years.Al Jazeera could not
independently confirm the report at the time this story was published.President
Donald Trump did not confirm or deny the report.aljazeera
Tunisia:Co-founder of Ennahda may run for Prez
poll
Tunisian Acting Parliament Speaker Abdelfattah
Mourou said that he might run in the upcoming presidential polls, Arabi21
reported.His remarks came during a radio show following the death of the
President Beji Caid Essebsi. “Door is always open. I will not run for the
parliament as the nominations were done and the lists were closed, but the door
for other [polls] is still open and everything is possible.” Mourou’s name
floated to the surface after the Essebsi fell ill and discussions erupted
around his successor in light of the absence of the Constitutional Court and
the deteriorating health condition of the President of the Legislature Mohamed
Ennaceur, who is interim president of the country until elections are
held.middleeastmonitor
Yemen: Dozens killed in Houthi attack on military
parade
A missile attack on a military camp in Aden,seat
of Yemen's internationally recognised Govt, has killed dozens of people,
according to officials, while a separate suicide bombing in the southern city
killed at least 10 others. Houthi, which controls capital, Sanaa, claimed
responsibility for today's attack which targeted a military parade at a camp
belonging to the Yemeni Security Belt forces backed by UAE, a key partner in a
military alliance assembled by Saudi to fight against them. aljazeera
Taliban leader meets Indonesia’s Muslim leaders, VP
during the visit
Jakarta:The leader of Indonesia’s largest Muslim
organization voiced support Wednesday for Afghan peace talks after meeting in
Jakarta with visiting Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.Qatar-based
Baradar, Taliban’s political head, stopped by the HQRS of the 60-million strong
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in Indonesian capital and held talks on Tuesday with its
chairman, Abdul Manan Ghani, after meeting with officials from Indonesia’s Govt.Abdul
said that he told Baradar that the warring factions in Afghanistan should sit
at one table and agree to make peace based on the spirit of Islamic
brotherhood.“We conveyed our views that they should prioritize dialogue among
the factions in Aghanistan and should not let other countries to meddle and
compromise an already fragile situation there,” Abdul said.Baradar’s visit came
as Jakarta is trying to help facilitate negotiations aimed at ending decades of
war in Afghanistan, and more than a year after Indonesia hosted a trilateral
summit with scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the first meeting of its
kind between 3 nations. Baradar’s Jakarta visit took place after Desra Percaya,a
representative of Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, met Afghan Foreign
Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in Kabul last week. During his Indonesian visit,
Baradar and his entourage also met Vice President Jusuf Kalla and officials
from the Govt-backed Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) on Saturday and Tuesday,
respectively. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Baradar and his
colleagues “highlighted the current situation of Afghanistan, policy and
achievements” made by Taliban.Yesterday, chief US negotiator for Taliban talks
tweeted that he was heading to Doha, for what could be the final round of
negotiations that could mean the beginning of the end of US’ 18 years of
involvement in Afghanistan.benarnews
Afghan announces team for talks with Taliban
Afghanistan Govt has said it had formed a team of
15 members for peace talks with Taliban group. However, Ministry for Peace
Affairs didn't disclose the names of the Govt negotiators, only saying that the
panel was formed "after comprehensive consultations and discussions with
various" people."Negotiation team formation has been finalized and
members appointed. But (the) names of the team members will be released in the
next phase of the process. We can assure it will be soon," a spokeswoman
for the Ministry said .IANS
‘Egypt must end rights abuses of political
prisoners’
Amnesty International has called on Egyptian
authorities "to immediately end cruel and inhume conditions" of
political detainees, who have been on hunger strike at a notorious maximum
security prison in Cairo.In a statement, international right group urged
authorities to investigate allegations of torture and other abuses against
prisoners at al-Aqrab prison in Tora, just south of the Egyptian capital. An
estimated 130 detainees have been on hunger strike for more than 6 weeks inside
the prison known as the Scorpion. In total, about 1,000 political detainees have been jailed at al-Aqrab
following sweeping crackdown on dissent in recent years. aljazeera
Special Report: How Sisi's Egypt hands out
justice
Indian Shashi Dhar among UK’s most wanted
Britain’s crime officials issued an appeal to the
public to help apprehend 11 fugitives – including India-born Shashi Dhar Sahnan
– suspected to be involved in murders, sex offences and drug
trafficking.Sahnan, 61, from Leicester, is accused of importing heroin into UK
in 2007 and is reportedly in Spain. He was born in India, wears a hearing aid
in his right ear, approximately 5ft 7in tall and stocky,National Crime Agency
(NCA) said.It added that Sahnan is accused of being involved in the import of a
huge quantity of drugs, which were concealed in packaging of air conditioning
units, which were seized during a joint operation with Leicestershire police in
July 2007. HT
Flash: NEWS, views, Articles
Criminalising triple divorce violates first principles
of criminal jurisprudence:Faizan Mustafa
What is Wrong with RTI (Amendment)?Wajahat
Habibullah
The perils of being a woman and a Muslim in Sri
Lanka:Niyanthini Kadirgamar
Passing of triple talaq bill a distraction; Modi
govt needs to urgently address issues driving India's economic slowdown:Sreemoy
Talukdar
A crusader against ‘illegal migrants’ now finds
himself left out of NRC:Arunabh Saikia
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq,(Released at: 8:01 PM)
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