LIVE WORLD NEWS

30 January 2017

Evening NEWS DIGEST
30 Jan.2017:1 Jamadiul Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:102
RBI ends limits on withdrawals from ATMs, current account;Rs 24000 weekly cap on savings a/c to stay
RBI has lifted the per day cash withdrawal limits from current accounts, cash credit accounts and overdraft accounts with immediate effect. After the demonetisation of high denomination currency notes in Nov. RBI had set a cash withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 from current accounts which was later increased to Rs 100,000 per day. Though the withdrawal limits for saving bank accounts remain at Rs 24,000 per day and may soon be lifted according to the RBI.In a release issued on Monday, RBI said, "Limits placed vide the circulars cited above on cash withdrawals from Current accounts/Cash credit accounts/Overdraft accounts stand withdrawn with immediate effect." RBI also stated that "the limits on savings bank accounts will continue for the present and are under consideration for withdrawal in the near future".In the same order, the RBI has said that from Feb.1, the restrictions from ATM withdrawals that were Rs 10,000 per day before the release of the order would be lifted.This means that while saving accounts holders would be able to withdraw Rs 24,000 at one go using ATMs on a single day. But the weekly withdrawal limit from savings accounts remains Rs 24,000.NDTV
No withdrawal limits on current accounts, Rs 24,000 weekly cap on savings accounts to stay
RBI removes withdrawal limits on current accounts, cap on savings accounts to continue
AMU executive council draws new panel for next V-C
New Delhi: A special meeting of the Executive Council of the Aligarh Muslim University was held under the chairmanship of AMU V-C, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah to recommend a panel of 5 persons to the University Court for the next V-C of the University. The panel of 5 persons unanimously drawn by the Executive Council includes Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Executive Director and Chief Scholar, US-India Policy Institute, Washington; Prof.Javaid Akhter, Registrar and ex-Controller of Examinations and ex-Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, AMU; Prof.Mazahir Kidwai, V-C of IIMT University, Meerut and ex-VC, Jivaji University, Gwalior; Dr. Shahid Jameel, CEO, Welcome Trust and DBT India Alliance and recipient of Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award and Prof. Tariq Mansoor, Principal and CMS, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, said a press release from the University. According to the release, the meeting of AMU Court will be held on Feb.4, 2017 at 11 am at the NRSC Club, AMU to recommend a panel of at least 3 persons out of which one person shall be appointed as the V-C by the President of India in his capacity as the Visitor of the University. Recently, Supreme Court was critical of AMU's selection process in appointing Lt Gen (Retd) Shah as the V-C while hearing a case and the matter is still in the court.NDTV
Be sincere in your probe: Missing JNU student’s mother to police after raid
New Delhi: The mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed on Sunday requested Delhi Police to adopt fair and impartial means of finding her son and criticised the raid conducted the previous day at her relatives’s houses.“On 28 Jan, around 4 a.m., four jeeps of Delhi Police, accompanied by the local police from Badaun in UP, stormed into the house of Ashraf Qadri, Najeeb’s maternal uncle.“Around 50 policemen forcefully barged into the house without even knocking on the door, let alone showing a search warrent,” Fatima Nafees, Ahmed’s mother, wrote in her letter to Investigation Officer S.K. Guliya of Delhi Police.She said that there were young girls aged 6 and 11 in the house, including other women, and Ahmed’s 80-year-old maternal grandfather, who have not been able to get over the shock of such overbearing manner in which police conducted the raid. The women of the house were also abused by the policemen, she alleged.“Policemen threatened the family members to produce Najeeb if they had hidden him somewhere, held his uncle by his fist and manhandled him during the search operation,” she wrote.They also ordered both — Qadri and Shujat — to appear before Delhi Police on Jan.31.IANS
JNU admin asks students to call off hunger strike
New Delhi:  JNU on Monday urged students to call off their hunger strike against the change in admission procedure for M.Phil and Ph.D aspirants.The administration told the students they will discuss "all their concerns, including marks for written test and viva-voce, deprivation points and intake of students within the UGC guidelines" of May last year. The administration said it was "in constant dialogue with all stake-holders and is always open to discussion on any outstanding issues to resolve them amicably", reported IANS. JNU Students Union (JNUSU) on Friday urged the UGC to revoke changes it brought about last year on admissions to M.Phil and Ph.D courses in central universities. ndtv
Maharashtra: Police trying to supress my voice, says Muslims, Maratha, Dalits OBC rally organiser
Aurangabad: Shaikh Subhan Ali, chief of Shaheed Tipu Sultan Brigade, against whom Basmat police registered a non-cognisable case for dishonouring terms and conditions during a rally held in Basmat recently, claimed on Saturday that the police are trying to suppress those who are fighting against communal forces.Ali denied the allegations and said that the communal forces active in the state were furious to see Muslims, Maratha, Dalits and OBC coming on one platform giving tough times to those who do wish to keep these communities apart.Ali said he had obtained proper permission from the police authorities well in advance. "We have told them that about 1.50 lakh person would participate in the rally but there wasn't enough police force available on the occasion," Ali said.Nafees Fatima, mother of JNU's missing student Najeeb Ahmed, on Thursday led the national integration rally -'Riot Free Maharashtra Campaign against Communal Forces' organised in Basmat of Hingoli district. The rally was organised by the Shaheed Tipu Sultan Brigade and citizens of Basmat to promote communal harmony. timesofindia
states polls & politics
Don't vote for SP-Congress alliance: Shia cleric Kable Jawwad to Muslims
Lucknow: Shia cleric Maulana Kable Jawwad, who is known for his bitter relations with Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, today appealed to Muslims not to vote for Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance in the upcoming assembly polls."Congress always worked against the Muslims, while the ruling SP government did nothing for the community except betraying them. Now these parties are contesting polls in an alliance. I appeal to everyone, especially Muslims, not to vote for them in the election", he told a press conference organised by Sunni Ekta Front. When asked about the party he would support, Jawwad,who had recently met BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui said, "Talks are on. I will decide about it in next three days." Coming down heavily on Akhilesh govt, he alleged the present dispensation has "only given riots and by appealing in Supreme Court against Muslim youths, who were set free by the lower court, he (Akhilesh) has proved that he is "anti-Muslim".PTI
Congress-SP form alliance, Kalbe Jawwad led clerics join hands in opposition
UP elections: BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain shocks with ‘Muslim’ comment
Allahabad:On being asked why BJP’s candidate list from Uttar Pradesh does not feature any Muslim names, BJP spokesperson, Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said if there were even 20 BJP workers who were capable of winning the elections they would have given them tickets. “It doesn’t matter if we had given them (Muslims) tickets or not, if we thought of 20 Muslim names on a fair platform we would have considered,” said Hussain. He said that its not that BJP has been unfair on religious grounds. But many Muslim BJP workers seemed unhappy when none of their names featured in BJP’s third list, to which Hussain exclaimed that “if some workers are upset we know how to appease them.” He added, “We are from BJP cadre, everybody has a right to put their opinion forward. The Congress does not even have enough members for 75% of the seats, so who will get angry?” financialexpress
3 years on, wounds of riots still raw in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar: Raisa Bano, 48, sits under a shed with only a tarpaulin to save her five children from icy winds. Hasan, her husband, works as a daily wage labourer in a farmhouse and the owner has allowed the family to live in the shed.“We lived in Kutba village, but during the riots, our house was burnt down and my father-in-law and brother-in-law were hacked to death. We took refuge here and have been staying here ever since,” she said. Her children — three daughters and two sons — do not go to school, and she does not know what life holds for her family in the coming days.Ask her about elections and her patience gives way. “BJP people slaughtered my family and the govt did nothing to save us. We were denied compensation because we did not have money to bribe local officials. For us, all of them are thieves,” she said.She says that when people from here community sought help from the local leaders, they all turned them away.“Now they are coming to ask for votes but none of us will vote for them. In any case, all our identity documents were destroyed when our house was ste on fire so we cannot vote,” she said. asian age
BJP MLA Suresh Rana booked for 'promoting enmity between classes'
Meerut: A day after BJP MLA from Thana Bhawan, Suresh Rana, who is the party's candidate from the seat in the upcoming elections, said curfew will be imposed in Kairana, Deoband and Moradabad if he wins the polls, Shamli police booked Rana for allegedly promoting enmity between classes and circulating rumour to cause fear to public.Rana, who is also the BJP vice-president in Uttar Pradesh - is named in cases related to the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013. Rana says"If I lose in the polls, there will be celebration in Deoband, but if I win, the curfew will be imposed in Kairana, Deoband and Moradabad. That is why I am urging you all to raise slogans of Bharat mata ki jai in the procession from Shamli to Thana Bhawan on March 11." timesofindia
BJP will form an anti-Romeo squad to protect girls in UP: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah said on Sunday that his party would establish an “anti-Romeo squad” to protect girls in Uttar Pradesh if it is voted to power in the upcoming state elections. “We have promised that BJP will form an anti-Romeo squad to save these girls,” Shah told Network 18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi. “This is not communal. It is the right of every girl to study in her own city or village. That is why it would not be correct to paint everything as communal.”Shah’s statement harks back to the rumours of “love jihad” that his party had fanned through its campaign for the 2014 national election. It suggested that young Muslim men were being trained to court Hindu women in order to convert them to Islam. scroll
Amit Shah's leaning on Hindutva tropes suggests BJP's lack of confidence in vikaas
Subramanian Swamy promises to table anti-cow slaughter bill and build Ram Temple
Mangaluru: Subramanian Swamy, Rajya Sabha MP, assured thousands of gau worshipers and lovers that he will take the initiative to table anti-cow slaughter bill in the next Parliament session and stressed on building Ram Temple in Ayodhya.Swamy was addressing the concluding ceremony of Mahamangala Gou Yatra here on Sunday. It was attended by thousands of cow lovers and hundreds seers from across country. Timesofindia
Pawar hits out at Modi, scotches rumours of cosying up to BJP
Panaji: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his attack on the Congress, saying in a parliamentary set up one should not try to completely rule out any force though there may be differences of opinion even as he dismissed talk of an alliance with BJP."We have heard his (Modi) speeches. His main target is to finish Congress. In a parliamentary set up one should not expect to totally finish others,although there may be differences of opinion and views," he said at a press meet.PTI

OTHERS
67 Students Have Been Skipping Meals Prepared by Dalit Woman in MP School
Tikamgarh (MP): As many as 67 students, including 16 kids belonging to scheduled caste category, of a government primary school are reportedly not having lunch prepared by a Dalit woman for the mid-day meal since July. The development came to light after the school headmaster Ramgopal Gupta shot off a letter to Jatara Janpad CEO PK Mishra.Gupta said that in the past also he has written two to 3 letters to the seniors about the discrimination but to no avail.The primary school (Class I to V) situated at Madkheda area 19 km off the district headquarters, has 89 students including 22 kids of SC category (Vanshkar) to which Dalit woman also belongs. These 22 children of Vanshkar community were taking their meal but 16 other Dalit students of Ahirwar community aren't joining them revealing that a caste divide was prevalent in the SC category too, claims the letter written by the head master.A student who is not taking meal said that his parents have asked him not to eat the food prepared by the Dalit woman. The others too echo the same reason, says the letter. "67 students, including 16 students of SC category - Ahirwar, are not eating meal. They aren't taking the food as it is cooked by a Dalit woman," Gupta told PTI.PTI
Kashmir: Resistance camp holds protest against ‘Israeli-type settlements’
Srinagar:The joint resistance leaders on Monday staged a demonstration in Srinagar to protest against what they said confining of Kashmiri Pandits to “Israeli-type settlements”.“Kashmiri Pandits are part and parcel of our nation and they should return to their land without any hesitation but confining them to Israeli type settlements is not acceptable to any Kashmiri,” said a statement. They also condemned the incarceration of thousands of young and old in jails “in the name of democracy”.“The participants of the rally chanting slogans in favor of freedom, martyrs’ and unity and against conspiracies to “change demography of J&K and ill treatment of Kashmiri inmates in jails and police stations” started marching towards Lal Chowk from Abiguzar but as they reached near press enclave police and forces in large numbers laid barricades before them and halted their march,” said the statement. Greaterkashmir
5 soldiers rescued from avalanche 2 days ago, 'succumb to injuries' on the way to Army hospital in Srinagar
NEW DELHI: Five Indian Army soldiers, rescued from under the snow+ after being trapped by an avalanche in north Kashmir's Machil sector, died while being evacuated to Srinagar hospital on Monday, Army officials said."The five Army soldiers who had been trapped under snow after the caving in of track in Machil sector on January 28 and subsequently rescued after a grueling daylong mission, were being today (Monday) evacuated to Srinagar, despite persistent poor weather conditions, for specialist medical care, " Army spokesman said adding that all the five have succumbed to their injuries. timesofindia
With 7 lakh ‘foot-soldiers’, Rajput Karni Sena aims to fight distortion of history
Jaipur: Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS), which is spearheading protests against director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, claims to have 7.64 lakh registered members across Rajasthan and identifies “opposing distortion of history” as one of its 11 aims as an outfit committed to the welfare of Rajputs. Formed in 2006, the outfit is named after Karni Mata, a goddess revered across Rajasthan, with her seat being the famous “rat” temple in Deshnoke near Bikaner. In 2008, SRKS was in the middle of a similar controversy when it protested against Ashutosh Gowariker’s film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ over “inaccurate portrayal of history”. While there are other Rajput organisations such as Shri Rajput Sabha, founded in 1939, which work for Rajputs, SRKS members identify themselves as the foot-soldiers of the community. Interestingly, all its members are below the age of 40. The members who cross the age of 40 are made members of SRKS’s advisory committee.  The organisation’s founder patron is Lokendra Singh Kalvi, the son of late Kalyan Singh Kalvi, who was a minister in former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s Cabinet. At the time of its formation, SRKS decided 11 aims for itself. These included opposing any political or social malice against Rajputs, opposing distortion of history, promoting Rajput unity and social harmony with 36 communities, and supporting any Rajput affiliated with any political party. It further vowed to motivate Rajput women towards education and self-reliance, to motivate the community for social work, and make Rajputs heard on on the issue of reservation. Indian express
Bohras: Rival factions are counting their flock
Mumbai: Last week, when Taher Fakhruddin, the son of Khuzaima Qutbuddin, the claimant to spiritual leadership of the Dawoodi Bohras, was ‘crowned’ the 54th Dai, or head, of the sect, in Thane, his supporters published data from their online forum to argue that the breakaway group was collecting followers. The group said 11 million people had visited the website in one year and more than 500,000 were unique visitors. The numbers, they said, suggested that there were tens of thousands of Bohras who were their discreet supporters. The numbers, they claimed, were substantial as Dawoodi Bohras, mercantile community, has around 1 million members worldwide. The claim has been dismissed by representatives of Mufaddal Saiffudin who succeeded his father, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, who died in Jan.2014, as 53rd head of the larger faction. Qutbuddin, Burhanuddin’s half-brother, had filed a suit in Bombay HC challenging his nephew’s appointment to the seat. When Qutbuddin died in March 2016, the court dispute had reached the trial stage. He had appeared in court and answered more than 600questions on the dispute.HT
Court acquits youth who had married with minor, says he did not know her age
Mumbai: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court acquitted a 24-year-old businessman accused of raping and kidnapping a 17-year-old on the grounds that he was unaware of the age of the girl he married. The court refuted the prosecution's argument that under the special Act even if there was consent, since the girl was below the age of 18, it came under the purview of the offence of rape. Referring to the girl's statement that the accused was unaware of her age, the court said, "She was between 17 and 18 years of age and a college-going student. She was aware about the acts done by her and the acts which were done with her. So, her consent for any act, if done by the accused, will not come under the purview of rape."The court also denied the submissions of the prosecution that since the girl was under the age of 18, her marriage to the accused was illegal. "Both the accused and victim are governed by the provisions of Muslim Personal Law and as per its provisions for the performance of marriage, there is no age restriction. Girl from the Muslim community can perform marriage after she attains the age of puberty," the special court said.The court also pointed out that the victim's mother had accepted the marriage despite having registered the FIR for kidnapping and rape when she went missing.TOI
WORLD
Quebec City mosque attack: 6 dead, 8 injured; Canadian PM terms it as 'a terrorist attack on Muslims'
At least 6 people were killed in a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City during evening prayers, police said. Gunmen fired on about 50 people inside the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre on Sunday at 8pm local time."6 people are confirmed dead - they range in age from 35 to about 70," Quebec provincial police spokeswoman Christine Coulombe told reporters, adding that eight people were wounded and 39 were unharmed.Police said two suspects had been arrested, but gave no details about them or what prompted the attack.The mosque's president, Mohamed Yangui, was not inside the mosque at the time of the shooting. He received frantic calls from worshippers.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the shooting as a "terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge"."Muslim Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country," he said in a statement. The shooting came on the weekend that Trudeau said Canada would welcome refugees, after US President Donald Trump suspended US refugee programme and temporarily barred citizens from 7 Muslim-majority countries from entering. aljzeera
At least 6 dead, 8 wounded in Quebec City mosque shooting
Americans raise $600,000 to rebuild burned Texas mosque
A Texas community has rallied behind its Muslim residents after their mosque burned to the ground shortly after President Donald Trump signed into effect a "Muslim ban" on refugees and others from seven Muslim-majority countries.Following the news that their house of worship in southeast Texas was completely destroyed early on Saturday, the Islamic Centre of Victoria set up an online donation drive via GoFundMe to rebuild. It has raised more than $600,000 of its $850,000 goal in 24 hours. aljazeera
Trump administration debates designating Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group: Reuters
Washington: A debate is under way in Trump administration about whether the US should declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and subject it to US sanctions, according to US officials and people close to President Donald Trump's transition team.A faction led by Michael Flynn, Trump's NSA, wants to add the Brotherhood to the State Department and US Treasury lists of foreign terrorist organizations, the sources said."I know it has been discussed. I'm in favor of it," said a Trump transition advisor, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.Other Trump advisors, as well as many veteran national security, diplomatic, law enforcement and intelligence officials argue the Brotherhood has evolved peacefully in some countries, according to officials and people close to Trump's entourage.
Saudi King agrees with trump to support Syria, Yemen safe zones
Washington:US President Donald Trump held telephonic conversations with the King of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to seek their support for the creation of safe zones in Syria and Yemen, a White House statement said.The calls on Sunday made no mention of Trump's ban on the entry of citizens and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, the Politico news reported.In his call to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the President "requested, and the king agreed to support, safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts,"the White House said.It was not immediately clear what Trump meant by "requested" safe zones in those two war-struck countries or what the Saudis are willing to do. US President and King Salman also "agreed on the importance of rigorously enforcing the (nuclear) deal with Iran and of addressing Tehran's destabilising regional activities."King also invited Trump to "lead a Middle East effort to defeat terrorism." IANS
Trump, key arab allies agree to boost anti-terror efforts
US President Donald Trump, facing growing criticism over his move to block immigration from 7 predominantly Muslim countries, held talks with two prominent Arab leaders on Sunday to bolster ties and discuss anti-terrorism efforts in the Middle East.Trump spoke by phone with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Bloomberg
US protests grow against Donald Trump's immigration ban
Yemeni civilians killed in first US raid under Trump
At least 10 Yemeni women and children have been killed in the first US military operation in the country authorised by President Trump, medics and local media have said. US military said it killed 14 members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Sunday's dawn raid in the southern province of al-Bayda that involved missiles and helicopter machine guns.In a statement, Pentagon did not refer to any civilian casualties, although a US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they could not be ruled out.Aljazeera
Israel's Knesset to vote on bill that green lights settler homes
Israel's parliament is to vote on a controversial bill that seeks to retroactively legalise 4,000 settler homes built on privately owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, a measure the attorney general has said is unconstitutional.The bill has already passed the first reading in the Knesset, and will be heard two more times on Monday.Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from West Jerusalem, said the bill is "incredibly controversial".Unlike territory occupied by Israel under military rule, the "regulation bill" concerns land where Palestinians themselves own title deeds."It's their land. They can prove that it's their land," said Khan. Aljazeera
Israel proposes anti-polygamy plan against Palestinians
In a cabinet’s weekly meeting on Sunday, Israeli ministers backed a long-term plan which calls for polygamy elimination among Israeli Arabs, Times of Israel reported. The plan aims to incorporate anti-bigamy education in the Israeli schooling system and create outreach programmes.Speaking at Sunday’s meeting, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked described the proposal as an “important step” in a bid to raise awareness of the phenomenon, noting that the polygamous lifestyle has a negative influence on family life, including in financial terms, and serves as a platform for further violations.After the ministers have voted in favour of the plan, cabinet ordered the creation a task force of local authorities, government officials, activists and other professionals to hammer out a plan within six months, and a ministerial committee that would implement programme. The ministerial committee, headed by Shaked, would compose of the education, interior, welfare, health, social equality and agriculture ministers, according to Israel’s Channel 2.Middleeastmonitor
Armed opposition faction withdraws from Syria ceasefire
An armed group fighting under the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) banner in northwest Syria has withdrawn from a shaky nationwide ceasefire, blaming the Bashar Al-Assad regime and its allies for violations.“Due to Russia’s lack of commitment as a guarantor…we announce that, as of today, we are not bound by this agreement,” Jaish Al-Ezza, a signatory to the deal brokered by Russia and Turkey, said in a statement yesterday. The group said its decision was in response to what it described as heavy Russian bombardment of its positions and surrounding areas in Hama province. Fighting and airstrikes have plagued the ceasefire between the Assad regime and opposition groups since it took effect in late December, with the combatants accusing each other of violations. Middleeastmonitor
Tunisia: Senior Ennahda leader defends Ghannoushi’s recent moves on Libya, says they are consistent with state policies
A senior member of Tunisia’s Ennahda movement said on Sunday that the moves recently taken by the movement’s leader Rachid Ghannouchi regarding the Libya issue are fully in line with the official policy adopted by the national unity government, headed by Youssef Chahed of the secularist Nidaa Tounes Party. Harouni, who heads Ennahda’s Shura Council, added in a press conference held on the sidelines of the council’s eighth round, that communication with all Libyan sides is very important for finding a political settlement and uniting Libyans. Last week, Ghannouchi denied allegations that his external moves regarding the Libyan crisis constitute a “parallel diplomacy” outside the framework of the Tunisian state’s official diplomacy.
Middleeastmonitor

 Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:09 PM)

29 January 2017

Evening NEWS DIGEST
29 Jan.2017: 30 Rabius Sani 1438: Vol:8, No:101
Trump's immigration ban derailed: Federal court grants emergency stay temporarily HALTING deportation of visa holders detained at US airports after nationwide protests
A federal court has granted an emergency stay blocking the deportation of migrants detained at airports around the US due to Donald Trump's immigration ban.The federal court for the Eastern District of New York issued the stay Saturday evening after only two of 12 refugees held at JFK airport were released, after 14 and 24 hours respectively. ACLU had filed a petition on their behalf, but the stay is effective nationwide. Under the stay, none of the travelers held at airports across the nation can be sent back. However, the measure doesn't mean they have to be allowed into the country - leaving them in a grey area.Earlier on Saturday, Trump defended his new immigration measures, which prompted outrage as migrants were barred from entering the US, including families of refugees and Ivy League students.Trump's comments came as migrants around the country were detained in airports because they arrived just after the executive order was signed. The stay issued Saturday evening blocks the situation pending a permanent ruling. ACLU lawyers who handled the case have also filed a motion for class certification, which means other people affected by the order will be able to benefit from the stay as part of a class action.Judge Donnelly also ordered the govt to give a list of people detained due to Trump's order. The measure means detained travelers cannot be deported back to their home countries, but it does not force authorities to allow them into the US. Judge Ann Donnelly ruled that sending them back would expose them to irreparable harm.Trump's ban affects citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The temporary stay also protects refugees with an approved case.It is unclear what will happen to those detained. A later court date has been set for Feb.Daily Mail
Judge halts deportations as refugee ban causes worldwide furor
Trump refugee ban: UN condemns President's bar on asylum and entry from Muslim-majority countries
Trump Order Will Block 500,000 Legal U.S. Residents from Returning to America From Trips Abroad
Trump’s Muslim ban prevents Iraqi-born British MP from visiting his children
World a horrible mess: Trump defends ban on immigrants from Muslim countries
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his decision to issue executive orders temporarily barring refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US, by describing the world as being in 'a horrible mess.'TOI
Showdown begins: Hundreds gather spontaneously outside New York's airport to protest Trump's Muslim ban
NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people gathered spontaneously at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York and other airports around the country late on Saturday to protest US President Donald Trump's ban on Muslim refugees and immigrants, international media is reporting.TOI
Indian Muslims react on Trump's immigration ban order
New Delhi: Joining the global chorus condemning US President Donald Trump's executive order to ban people from seven Muslim-majority countries, Muslim leaders in India say the order is not just against the international law but also the Idea of America. It is a disturbing indication from a head of state like America, they say. "This hate policy is basically against the Idea of America. We should not forget that what America is today is because of immigration. The identity of America is the identity of immigration," said Navaid Hamid, national president of Indian Muslims' umbrella organization All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat.Order is shocking, disturbing, will damage image of America, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, India's largest socio-religious Muslim organization, said the immigration ban order is surprising and shocking from a country like America and it is very disturbing."It is very surprising and shocking that a country like America which claims to be a larger democratic country. Such kind of orders clearly mentioning Muslim communities is highly undesirable and highly condemnable in a democratic society and the world which is becoming smaller and people are opening to everyone," said Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary General of Jamaat. "This kind of statement from head of the state like America is highly disturbing. It is not a good indication - not only for American society but also for the world because this mentality which has been shown to the Muslim community will extend to other areas and faces of life. It is very disturbing and very alarming indication from the president of United States of America," said Jamaat leader and added that it will damage the image of America.Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, national general secretary of Milli Council says Trump's executive order violates international law and Constitution of America.Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, said the US President should see how his order will affect his own country and the globe. indiatomorrow
World leaders condemn Donald Trump's 'Muslim ban'
European leaders, the United Nations and international groups have condemned US President Donald Trump's measures against refugees and travellers from several Muslim-majority countries. The chorus of criticism came as passport holders from Arab countries were blocked on Saturday from passing through customs at US airports and others were prevented from boarding US-bound planes.
US: Mosque burned to the ground hours after Trump signs immigration order
A mosque in Texas has been completely destroyed just hours after Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting migration. The fire was noticed by a worker at a shop across the street who reported seeing smoke and flames billowing from the Islamic Center of Victoria at around 2am and called the fire department.The mosque, which had been targeted by burglars previously, was burned to the ground.‘It’s sad to stand there and watch it collapse down, and the fire was so huge,’ Shahid Hashmi, the Islamic center’s president, said. ‘It looks completely destroyed.’Victoria Fire Marshal Tom Legler asked for help from the Texas Fire Marshal’s Office and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine what caused the blaze. Hashmi said authorities have told him it was too early to speculate.A fundraiser has been set up for the mosque.‘None whatsoever right now,’ the center director said. ‘We don’t have any lead or information as to what started the fire and what happened. So I’m sure it’s going to be a few days, they told us, before they can come up with any answers for us.’The congregation’s pastor, known as an imam, was awake in the early morning hours and checked online surveillance of the mosque and found no alarm active and the doors unlocked, Hashmi said. On Jan.21, someone broke in and stole some electronics, including laptops.‘He was worried about it and drove over there,’ Hashmi said. ‘By that time, fire engines were already there pouring water on the fire.’ Hashmi, who’s lived in Victoria 32 years, said the congregation of about 140 has had few other problems and has enjoyed support from the city of about 115 miles southwest of Houston. He already has received offers of temporary quarters for the congregation to worship.‘Because of growing anti-bigotry in our nation, and because of the recent spike in hate incidents targeting Islamic institutions and individuals, we urge investigators to keep the possibility of a bias motive for this fire in mind,’ CAIR-Houston Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll said.Metro.co.uk
Texas mosque goes up in flames hours after Trump’s Muslim ban: AP
INDIA
Missing JNU student Najeeb's family accuse cops of intimidation
Anger broke out at the home of the maternal uncle of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, as the Delhi Crime branch, along with Uttar Pradesh police, carried out a search at his residence on Saturday. Alleging high-handedness by the police, Najeeb’s family said that the police had misbehaved with him.“At 4:30am, around 40 police personnel, of both Delhi police and UP police, stormed my uncle Ashraf Qadri's resident in Badaun and treated him like a criminal. They misbehaved with him and asked him inappropriate questions regarding Najeeb's disappearance,” said Najeeb's brother Mujeeb Ahmed.The family claimed that it was not just Najeeb’s uncle’s house that was searched.According to them, police also searched the house of his uncle's friend Tarruf Shujat.“They (police) had checked my brother's cellphone from which the last call was made to his friend Tarruf Shujat, who lives near my brother’s place," said Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees. “They stormed into his house. They have checked their phones (Najeeb’s uncle and his uncle’s friend) and taken their SIM cards along with them," she alleged.Police officials, however, refuted the claims of the family members and said that they only went to interact with them to know more about the case. Calling it an attempt to scare the family so that they give up and return to their native place, Badaun, Nafees said, "Instead of searching the houses of Najeeb’s assaulters they are harassing us. They want me to leave Delhi and give up my fight to search my son. But they should know, I won't give up and I won't go back without my son.” dnaindia
Najeeb's Family Claims Harassment by Delhi Police
CIA assessed Rajiv assassination 5 years before he was killed, says report
New Delhi:Five years before Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991, the US CIA had prepared a very detailed and thorough “brief” on what would happen if he is assassinated or makes an “abrupt departure” from the Indian political scene.A 23-page report, titled India After Rajiv ... was put out as early as March, 1986 for comments from other senior CIA officials. The “sanitised” report was declassified recently by the CIA.The report, whose complete title is not entirely available as it is part deleted, was prepared on the basis of inputs available to the CIA till Jan, 1986.Very first sentence of the report’s available (undeleted) page reads: “Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces at least an even chance of assassination before his tenure in office ends in 1989.” It, however, later clearly said that “assassination is the major near-term threat” to him.PTI
Some Indian clerics spreading distorted versions of Islam on Internet, claim Security agencies: Sunday Standard
A section of Indian maulanas (Muslim clerics) are now using this platform to radicalise gullible people overseas by imparting takreer (religious sermons) on distorted versions of Islam, claimed Security agencies.According to security agencies, the clerics are targeting youths in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Philippines to spread hatred. Intel reports say over 100 such preachers have so far been identified.Maulanas have not only found ways to evade the police in India, but they have also  exploited loopholes of the law of countries being targeted by them. After being in the dark for many years, central probe agencies have now created a database of such radicals. The agencies are keeping tabs on the masterminds and their funding.“Videos of radical speeches are made abroad and contents are either uploaded online or CDs distributed among people in other countries. Even when they come under the scrutiny of agencies in India, they seek immunity on grounds of not having violated the country’s law,” an Intelligence official said.Many maulanas in the probe agencies’ database are from Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. These rich clerics go abroad to spread hate sermons thus making it impossible for the Intel agencies to take action.Agencies are now identifying those who act behind the scenes, sources said. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani admitted that social networking sites were being misused. “There’s a need to inform people about the positives and negatives of social media,” he said. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind is the largest body of Muslim clerics. While the Deobandi stream of madrassas teaches students about the correct interpretation of Islam, a section has distorted it to serve their interests besides maligning the Muslims. “Islam does not permit violence. It stresses peaceful existence. But some are misusing the religion for evil activities,” Madani added.Maulana Rahimuddin Qasmi of the All India Majlis Ulema said, “Any action which has the potential to create trouble is against Islam. Without verification, religious sermons available online should not be followed. When Islam is even against wasteful expenditure of water, how can it permit violence? Loving the country is part of the faith, and anyone acting against the nation cannot be accepted.” Arshad Farooqui, Mufti of the Darool Uloom Zakaria, Deoband, told The Sunday Standard: “Lack of education leads to radicalisation. Successive governments have failed to provide education to all. Deprivation also leads to a sense of alienation and some youths are tilted towards violence. Both the government and the Muslim community should take steps to check radicalisation among the youths.”Sunday Standard
Gujarat bakery blast accused dies in Arthur Road Jail
Mumbai: An under trial Ramesh Jayanti Gohil died of an alleged heart attack in his cell at Arthur Road Jail on Saturday. Gohil had been arrested by the NIA for his involvement in the Best Bakery blast of 2002 in Gujarat. He was also allegedly involved in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case.He was one of the four people, including his father Jayanti Gohil, brother Mahesh Gohil and Harshad Solanki who were convicted with life terms. They had earlier been acquitted by a local Vadodara court but went absconding after the Supreme Court ordered a retrial. All four were later caught by the NIA. Asian age
NIA files formal charge sheet against suspected IS woman
NIA has formally charged a woman, Yasmeen Mohammed Zahid, who was caught trying to leave India for Afghanistan to join the Islamic State (IS) .She was the second woman in India to be arrested for alleged links with the IS.She was intercepted at the New Delhi International Airport on July 30 last year while she was trying to board a flight for Kabul along with her minor child.NIA said she was going to Kabul to join a co-accused Abdul Rashid who was in the territory under the control of IS in Afghanistan.The charge sheet against Yasmeen and Rashid was filed in Kerala for criminal conspiracy and waging war against an Asiatic power in alliance with India.Rashid is from Kasaragod district of Kerala and Yasmeen, originally a resident of Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, was living in Delhi’s Batla House area at the time of her arrest.HT
Fatwa against BJP leader Muddin for remarks on triple talaq
Jaipur: City-based Darul Uloom Ahle Sunnat (DUAS) has issued a fatwa against BJP leader S K Muddin ostracising him from the community over his triple talaq remarks with the the latter today hitting back saying he is going to file a defamation suit against the decree.Sunnis’ Barelvi sect Islamic Study Centre’s DUAS Mufti (cleric) Mohammad Asrar Ahmed Ashrafi issued the fatwa against Muddin, who is the MP Backward Classes and Minority Finance and Development Corporation vice president, on Jan.23 to ex-communicate him over his remark on triple talaq which he described as anti-Islamic.A week ago, Muddin, along with two others — Naseem Bain and Shakir Quereshi while addressing a press conference had said that triple talaq was against Shariat laws.The fatwa says that if the trio apologises for their remark, they will be pardoned and allowed back into the community’s fold. PTI
Uniform Civil Code will definitely come:S Swamy
Udupi: Subramanian Swamy, MP and BJP leader, said on Saturday that the Uniform Civil Code will definitely come. He was delivering a lecture on the topic of Uniform Civil Code at a programme by the district unit of BJP Legal Cell, here.Dr. Swamy questioned if triple talaq was not a violation of human rights. Half the Muslim population was with the government on this issue, he claimed.Most political parties had banked on unity of minority communities and disunity in majority community for political gains in the country. But in 2014, the reverse had happened. If the Hindus united fully, the BJP could get a two-thirds majority in the next parliamentary elections. The Union government would have to bring a Bill for the Uniform Civil Code and get it passed. If it did not enjoy a majority in Rajya Sabha, it would have to be passed in a joint session of the Parliament, he said. the hindu
No job on compassionate grounds for ‘second wife’
New Delhi: Under the Hindu law, marriage is a sacrament and not a contract, which can be entered into by execution of a marriage deed, the Delhi High Court observed while rejecting the plea of a woman that she be declared the legally wedded wife of a government servant, now deceased, so that she can get a job on compassionate grounds and avail of the other benefits.The court noted that when the woman got married to the government servant, Hari Ram, he already had a wife and had not applied for divorce. The second marriage, as claimed by the petitioner, was by way of a marriage deed.The petitioner, Champa Devi, had initiated the litigation mainly to get an appointment on compassionate grounds as well as the financial benefits payable to legal heirs of Hari Ram on his death. Hari Ram was a sweeper at GTB Hospital. thehindu
Marriage under hindu law is 'sacrament', not contract: HC
Vijay Bhatkar, Head of RSS-Affiliated Science Body, Named Nalanda University Chancellor
New Delhi: Nalanda University’s third chancellor will be Vijay Bhatkar, a well-known computer scientist who is president of RSS-affiliated outfit Vijnana Bharati, which promotes ‘swadeshi’ science, and was formerly chair of IIT Delhi’s board of governors.The university’s newly-constituted governing board recommended Bhatkar’s name to the Visitor, President Pranab Mukherjee, who then approved the appointment on Friday, January 27. There were no other choices, according to sources.Bhatkar’s appointment was confirmed two months after George Yeo, former Singapore foreign minister, resigned from the post in protest, claiming that the Indian government had not consulted him before making a series of decisions, including deciding not to extend the term of the Nalanda Mentors Group-Governing Board, ending interim vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal’s extended term and determining the constitution of the new governing board.The Wire
Hyderabad: Yoga teacher booked in Old City for sharing blasphemous post on FB
Charminar: A Yoga teacher from Delhi was booked  for allegedly uploading an ‘objectionable’ video on social media website which is described as “blasphemous”.Abdul Quyyam, a resident of  Falaknuma  noticed the post which was posted by Ashu Parihar aka Ginni the yoga teacher. He said the image hurt religious sentiments and it’s an insult of a religious section of Islam.Quyyam also claimed that  the blasphemous video has gone viral and requested to remove it from the social media network.A senior officials of south zone police ordered Falaknuma police station to register a case under section 295 A  and 153 A  of IPC). Siasat
states polls & politics
Election Commission asks RBI to reconsider decision to not ease cash withdrawal limits for polls
New Delhi: Election Commission (EC) has repeated its demand that the RBI  increase cash withdrawal limits for candidates contesting the Assembly polls, after the central bank declined to do so on Friday."It is re-iterated that that it is the constitutional mandate of the ECI (Election Commission of India) to conduct free and fair elections and to provide (a) level playing field to all candidates. In order to facilitate proper conduct of elections, it is imperative that directions issued by the commission are complied with," Dilip Sharma, Director General (Election Expenditure) wrote in a letter to RBI Governor Urijit Patel. Sharma said "it appears the Reserve Bank of India has not realized the gravity of the matter," and urged it to reconsider the EC's proposal.TOI
Can’t increase weekly cash withdrawal limits for poll candidates, says RBI
Election Commission unhappy after RBI refuses to raise cash withdrawal limit for candidates
Lucknow roads witness Samajwadi -Congress ‘unity’ show
Lucknow: Days after announcing electoral alliance for the crucial up Assembly Elections 2017, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday took out a joint road show under the theme ‘UP ko ye saath pasand hai’ (UP relishes this alliance), hours after they held a joint press conference. This is their maiden road show together after the two leaders entered a seat sharing agreement for the polls, which starts from Feb.11.During their road show, the duo were showered by their ardent supporters. One of the highlights of show was that only Akhilesh’ face and the party’s symbol was visible throughout the procession.ANI
Warm handshakes, hugs, bonhomie mark Rahul-Akhilesh outing
Election Commission bans exit polls between Feb.4 and March 8
Election Commission on Sunday banned exit polls between February 4 and March 8 in view of the Assembly polls in five States and the Amritsar Lok Sabha bypoll.PTI
UP election: Politics over Muzaffarnagar riot victims leaves Kairana polarised
Abdul Sattar was just 12 years old when India was partitioned in 1947, yet it was the macabre of 2013 riots in western Uttar Pradesh that has shaken him to the core.“In 1947, the violence lingered on for over two months, but it was never so bad that we would have to leave our homes,” the octogenarian said.Sattar was among the thousands of people who shifted from the villages of Muzaffarnagar to neighbouring Kairana after the Jat-Muslim riot broke out in August 2013.“Houses around ours were set on fire and we were forced to leave our village Ranagana,” he said. Nearly 5,000 families had moved out from the violence- stricken western UP district never to return. An estimated 3,000 victims landed in makeshift tents in the Malakkpur refugee camp on the outskirts of Kairana.Now, two years later, the camp has been disbanded and its residents moved to two colonies that have come up with the help of the local MLA, Samajwadi Party’s Nahid Hassan. The one that Sattar lives in has been named Manawwar Hassan colony after the MLA’s father and has 128 brick houses and around 230 huts.“He (Hassan) has promised to give us pucca houses after the elections,” says Mohammed Haroon, 35, who moved from Kirthal village. Two kilometres away, the Sapa colony — named after the Samajwadi Party — houses around 1,200 people.Most people in the two settlement colonies have also been enrolled as voters.
‘BJP would even brand Shivaji, Tilak as anti-national for politics’: Shiv Sena regrets 25 yrs of alliance
Mumbai: After deciding to go it alone in civic polls in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena on Saturday attacked BJP, saying it feels it wasted a quarter century in an alliance with the saffron party for the sake of “Hindutva” and the interests of Maharashtra. Sena also accused the BJP of going out of the way to flaunt its “secular credentials” and said it would not even hesitate to dub Chhatrapati Shivaji and Lokmanya Tilak as “anti-nationals” to serve its purpose.“We have been experiencing this for the last 25 years for the sake of Hindutva and for the welfare of the state. But these 25 years have been wasted and rusted. What should have happened 25 years back has happened today,” an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana said.“The state will breathe fresh for the first time in 25 years because the rope tied around the neck of Hindutva has finally been unknotted,” it said.“The alliance with BJP was over during the (2014) assembly polls itself...what remained was a mere relation for Hindutva and Maharashtra, but BJP finished that as well owing to their ill intentions of winning everything with money and power.“These people are worse than those who were in power under the Congress regime. These people could dub icons like Shivaji Maharaj and Lokmanya Tilak as anti-nationals to prove their secular credentials,” the Sena said. hindustantimes

OTHERS
Representation of minorities very low in Delhi govt. departments: Minority panel's annual report
New Delhi: In Delhi Tourism & Transportation department of the Delhi government, there are 741 employees against the sanctioned posts of 1004. Presently, there are only 32 employees from minority communities, reveals the annual report 2015-16 of the Delhi Minorities Commission. In the Delhi Metro, there are currently 80683 staffers – only 282 of them are from minority communities. Chapter 10 of the report is titled “Representation of Minorities in Govt. Services”.IndiaTomorrow
Padmavati row: Noted historian claims Rani Padmavati never existed in real
Mumbai: Activists of the Rajput Karni Sena wrecked havoc on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Padmavati’ on Friday by attacking the filmmaker and vandalising the crew’s equipment. The group claims that the director is showcasing wrong facts about Rajput queen Padmavati in the film and is keen to protect the lineage of their ancestors from any misrepresentation.However, noted historian S Irfan Habib disputes the argument put forward by the activists.It is said that the story of Rani Padmavati, also known as Padmini, and Alauddin Khilji’s siege of King Rawal Ratan Singh’s Chittor took place in 1303.  However, Habib claims that Rani Padmavati was not a historical figure as there is record of her before 1540. According to him, the queen was a fictional figure created in the poem, ‘Padmavat’ written by Malik Mohd Jayasi in 1540.The poem had famously traced the story of Padmini, Alauddin Khilji and Rawal Ratan Singh, to be played by Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor respectively in the film.Habib took to Twitter to express his views, also finding similarities with the character Anarkali, shown in films like ‘Mughal-E-Azam’, who he also claims was not a historical character but a fictional one.Deccan Chronicle.
Delhi couple arrested for abandoning 4-month-old who ‘cried too much’
New Delhi:A couple have been arrested for allegedly abandoning their four-month-old baby on the Mehrauli-Badarpur road in southeast Delhi, said police. Eighteen-year-old Mobina Khatoon allegedly abandoned her daughter around 6 pm on Friday in the jungle behind the Hanuman temple on MB Road, said a senior police officer who probed the case. A police team patrolling the area found the child and decided to look after her till they could find her parents.The police team also spread information about the child, whom they named Dakshina, using social media as well as electronic media. Based on a tip-off, police eventually managed to track down Mobina and her husband Irshad Ali (33).During questioning, Mobina told police that the child, Nagma, was from her first marriage. After her husband left her, she married Ali. “Ali was irritated with the baby as she used to cry a lot. He even threatened to kill the child and pressured Mobina to abandon her,” a police officer said.
Delhi-Ghaziabad border Shaheed Nagar murder: Family denies communal angle to incident
The family members of 65-year-old Singhasan Yadav who murdered, allegedly by 4 neighbours, have ruled out any communal angle to the incident. Members of a Hindu outfit had come to the area on the day of the murder and tried to give it a communal colour, ahead of UP elections which are scheduled in Ghaziabad for Feb.11.The man, who hails from Gorakhpur, was murdered in his residence at Shaheed Nagar, a Muslim-dominated locality near Delhi-Ghaziabad border in Sahibabad. “We don’t view it as a communal outburst against my father. It is a case of murder that was done in retaliation after an altercation. We have been living here for several decades now. The young men have been our neighbours and attacked after they had an altercation with my father, who objected to their foul language,” Madan Yadav, son of the victim, said.The family resides in a flat in C-block of Shaheed Nagar. The victim operated a milk dairy and had been a worker of the Samajwadi Party for the last 30 years. The altercation between the victim and his neighbours took place around 9pm on Jan.25.HT
Yoga isn’t an all-Hindu tradition – it has Buddhist, even Sufi, influences: Malini Nair
WORLD
Barrow removes 'Islamic' from Gambia's official name
Adama Barrow, The Gambia's new president, has vowed to reform the country's notorious intelligence agency and promised to ensure media freedom in the country.Speaking at his first news conference since returning to take office on Thursday, Barrow announced plans to rename the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a dreaded secret police accused by rights groups of forced disappearances and torture under the control of former leader Yahya Jammeh.Barrow told reporters on Saturday the NIA was "an institution that has to continue", but with a different name.Barrow also said the country's official name will no longer contain the word "Islamic",  which had been added by Jammeh in 2015. Aljazeera
Israel PM: All embassies should move to Jerusalem
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he expects all foreign embassies to eventually move to Jerusalem, following claims he may have delayed U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial plan to relocate the U.S. embassy. "Our position has always been, and will always be, that the U.S. embassy needs to be here, in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said at his weekly cabinet meeting.He said that Jerusalem is the "capital of the state of Israel". “It is proper that not only should the American embassy be here, but all embassies should come here, and I believe that over time most of them will indeed come here, to Jerusalem," he said. AA
Israeli forces kill Palestinian youth in West Bank
A Palestinian youth was shot dead by Israeli forces during an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.A source at the Jenin Government Hospital told Anadolu the youth had already died when he arrived at the hospital. middleeastmonitor
Israel’s global death squads
Israel’s Mossad spy agency has long had a reputation for brutality. Its agents have a history of travelling the world using stolen and fake passports of supposedly allied states, and kidnapping, torturing and murdering Israel’s enemies.In 1972, for example, the Mossad murdered the Palestinian Marxist and poet Ghassan Kanafani. A famed intellectual and author in the Arab world, Kanafani was also an activist with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). An Israeli car bomb in Beirut blew him up along with his 17-year-old niece.While most of its victims are Palestinians and other Arabs, in 1986 the Mossad drugged, kidnapped and interned the Israeli dissident and whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. A former nuclear technician, Vanunu exposed to the world Israel’s cache of nuclear weapons. He gave the evidence to the Sunday Times in London, which eventually printed the story. Unfortunately, he also passed the story to the Mirror, whose then owner, Robert Maxwell, had close ties to Israeli intelligence; the Israeli embassy in London was tipped-off about the story about to be published. Vanunu was enticed by a female Mossad agent “honey trap” to Rome, where he was kidnapped and whisked off to Israel. middleeastmonitor
Syrian army captures Wadi Barada
Syrian government forces have recaptured all towns and villages in the Wadi Barada valley near Damascus, the Syrian military said in a statement on Sunday."Units of our armed forces, together with ... allied forces have achieved their mission in returning security and stability" to the area, said the statement, read out by a military spokesman on Syrian state TV.The Syrian army and its allies took over a Wadi Barada village containing a major spring and pumping station that supplies most of Damascus's water on Saturday.Heavy clashes between government troops and rebel forces were sporadic in Wadi Barada since the December 30 ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey. Fighting continued even after a negotiated a deal to restore water to Damascus earlier this month. Aljazeera
6 armed groups form new umbrella grouping in Syria
IDLIB, Syria: Six armed opposition groups on Saturday joined ranks to form a new grouping in Syria.The umbrella group brings together Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), Nour al-Din al-Zenki movement, Liwa al-Haq, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Jaysh al-Sunna, and Mujahido Ashiddaa, according to a statement released by the six groups.The move came a few days after JFS, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, launched a military campaign against opposition factions that took part in last week's peace talks with the Syrian regime in Astana.
Trump and Putin vow to cooperate in ISIL fight
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart have made a "significant start" in fixing their countries' relationship, while agreeing to cooperate in fighting the ISIL group, the White House said following an hour-long phone call.2 leaders' first conversation since Trump's inauguration covered topics ranging from cooperation in defeating ISIL "to efforts in working together to achieve more peace throughout the world including Syria," statement said. Aljazeera
US raid kills 40 in southern Yemen
At least 40 people were reportedly killed in a US raid that targeted suspected Al-Qaeda leaders in southern Yemen on Sunday, according to local sources.Helicopter-born commandos attacked the house of senior Al-Qaeda leader Abdulraoof al-Dhahab in Qayfa district in al-Bayda province, a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media, said.The dawn raid, in which drones and helicopters were used, has triggered deadly clashes, which left at least 40 people dead, the source said. 2 other Al-Qaeda leaders, including al-Dhahab’s brother, were killed in the raid, according to the same source.middleeastmonitor
'US air raids' kill civilians, al-Qaeda chiefs in Bayda
Prominent Muslim lawyer gunned down in Myanmar
Yangon:A prominent Muslim lawyer and member of Myanmar's ruling party was shot dead along with a taxi driver outside Yangon's international airport today, officials said.Ko Ni, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, was gunned down as he got into a taxi outside arrivals around 5pm (local time) by an assassin who also killed the driver.Zaw Htay, a spokesman at the president's office, said Ko Ni had just returned from a govt delegation trip to Indonesia.AFP
 Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:32 PM)