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Evening NEWS DIGEST
28 Dec.2016: 28 Rabiul Awwal 1438: Vol:8, No:74
INDIA
Enemy property ordinance undemocratic: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/enemy-property-ordinance-undemocratic-says-muslim-body-116122800862_1.html
New Delhi: Prominent Muslim organisation Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has termed the govt's latest move to bring an ordinance to amend the 50-year-old Enemy Property Act as "undemocratic and infringing the fundamental rights of citizens". JIH General Secretary Muhammad Salim Engineer said: "Legislation via ordinance should be adopted only under special circumstances and the government's anxiety to push for amendment to the enemy property law in such a hurried manner raises serious doubts over its real intentions. Moreover, the President of India has expressed his reservations over its repeated re-promulgation."The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, was referred to a Select Committee after encountering opposition in the Rajya Sabha. "The bill violates basic principles of natural justice, human rights and settled principles of law, and many MPs too have said as much. It adversely affects and results in punishing Indian citizens and will have no effect on any enemy nation," Salim said.He said the ordinance is meant to harass minorities and should be condemned."The law of succession and inheritance will also be impacted, and hence the fundamental rights of citizens will be infringed. It will also affect their personal laws, and is therefore unacceptable," he said. Salim said the proposed law can be "subverted in a subtle way to create enmity against the Muslim community by terming their legally inherited property as enemy property"."The government should pass such amendments in a democratic manner through Parliament and which do not cause any injustice to anyone," he demanded.IANS
Enemy property ordinance undemocratic, says Jamaat-e-Islami Hind: India TV
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-enemy-property-ordinance-undemocratic-says-jamaat-e-islami-hind-362810
Enemy property ordinance undemocratic, says Muslim body: India live today
http://www.indialivetoday.com/enemy-property-ordinance-undemocratic-says-muslim-body/86654.html
Govt's decision to exclude Urdu from NEET slammed; SIO petitions union Govt to demand inclusion of Urdu
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/govts-decision-to-exclude-urdu-from-neet-invites-criticism/17864190
Mumbai: Union health ministry’s decision to make NEET available in 8 regional languages has received much appreciation, but the exclusion of Urdu has not gone down well with the community. The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) has sent a memorandum to the Ministry of Health and HRD, demanding the inclusion of Urdu in the list of languages in which students would be able to appear for the examination. It has also threatened to move court if their demand was not met.The memorandum mentions that even though there are hundreds of Urdu-medium science junior colleges across the country, NEET 2017 will be conducted only in English, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil and Telugu. Maharashtra alone has 168 such junior colleges and over 11,000 candidates appear for the Class XII examination every year.It also says that this number would definitely be higher compared to other states like Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal.State Secretary of SIO, Mohammad Ali said, “This is exactly opposite of the present govt’s marketing strategy of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’. Shockingly, govt had made the same mistake while language options were being made available for NEET 2013. It was only after a student had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court that the examination was made available in Urdu. The letter has been sent to the Union health ministry, HRD ministry and the ministry of minority affairs as well.”He further said, “We are sending demand letters to all just to remind them of their mistake so that corrective measures are taken. Else we will have to move court.”mid day
SIO launches online petition, submits memorandum seeking inclusion of Urdu for NEET examinations
http://twocircles.net/2016dec28/1482916840.html#.WGO_fvB97IU
Mumbai: Muslims launch drive to reclaim Waqf properties across Maharashtra
http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-muslims-launch-drive-to-reclaim-waqf-properties-across-maharashtra/993662
Mumbai: Muslim community has risen to reclaim its properties and lands which belong to Waqf by launching a ‘Tehreek e Awqaf’ movement on Tuesday. The president of All India Muslim OBC Organisation Shabbir Ahmed Ansari launched this movement with an aim to restore all properties in Maharashtra that belong to the Muslim community as per the Waqf Act of 1995.Members of this movement will conduct a survey to identify places like kabristans (burial grounds), mosques and durgahs that are part of Waqf properties.The members alleged that CIDCO office at Aurangabad is constructed on the land that belongs to Waqf board. Also, Ismail Yusuf College at Jogeshwari east is another such property which is managed by the state govt without any notification given to Waqf board. An ad hoc Committee of 11 members has been formed to investigate such matters; district committees will be formed soon. Mujtaba Farooq, a senior member of this movement, said, “Market value of Maharashtra’s Waqf properties is around Rs. 4.5 lakh crore. If put to efficient and marketable use then they can generate a minimum return of 10 per cent, which is about Rs.45,000 crore per annum.Thus, there is an immediate need to identify and claim such properties.” fress press
Derecognise church courts, Christian body pleads SC
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/derecognise-church-courts-christian-body-pleads-sc.html
New Delhi: A Christian body has approached the Supreme Court with a demand to derecognise ‘church courts’, terming that any privilege that allows a particular religion to have its own legal system is “divisive” for a secular India.Raising its voice against the existence and prevalence of Ecclesiastical Courts, the validity of which is under challenge before the apex court, the body called “Joint Christian Council” (JCC) was of the view that such religious courts that adjudicate personal laws of a particular religion are “anachronistic” in a modern democratic state.A Bench, headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, issued notice to Centre on the application drafted by advocate Santosh Paul and allowed the body to intervene in a pending petition by a lawyer, Clarence Pais. Seeking recognition of all decisions taken by Ecclesiastical Courts, Pais contended that several Catholic men had remarried after their first marriage was annulled by these courts. dailypioneer
Influential Barelvi clerical family used triple talaq to escape law, claims divorced Muslim woman: TOI report
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/barelvi-clerical-family-used-triple-talaq-to-escape-the-law-says-divorced-muslim-woman/articleshow/56206392.cms
Bareilly: While the influential Dargah Aala Hazrat here has been at the forefront of protests against the Centre's stand on triple talaq, a woman who was till recently married into the family of the seminary head has alleged that they used the divorce custom to escape serious criminal charges under the law. Nida Khan, 22, was divorced by Sheeran Raza Khan, 25, the nephew of seminary head Subhan Raza Khan and himself studying to be a maulana. Nida moved court in June this year demanding an FIR against her husband and in-laws for assaulting her and causing a miscarriage. Police in its final report gave a clean chit to the accused, after the couple was divorced. However, Nida claimed on Tuesday that she was not given a divorce in her presence and the family used triple talaq to dodge the criminal case. "My husband and his family wanted an SUV which my parents could not give them. They sacked all the maids and made me do all the chores to build pressure on my family. Sheeran once even tried to push me from the terrace of the house. When I went to appear in my M Com first year exam on March 25 last year, Sheeran and others forcefully took me away. In July last year, I learnt about my pregnancy but the harassment continued. When I informed my in-laws that my parents could not give me an SUV, they all physically assaulted me and threw me out of the house on July 16 last year. When I went to the doctor, I learnt about my miscarriage due to assault," she alleged.Though Nida has been staying at her parents' house since July 16 last year, she said she expected her husband to take her back home. Usman Raza Khan, father of Sheeran, said that Nida's motive was to defame the family by making false allegations. Qaiser Ali, counsel for Sheeran said, "The matter is sub judice and our clients have already got clean chit from police. If the court summons them, they will submit their testimonies. According to Islamic law, consent of the wife is not required for divorce. Nida and her family were present at the time of divorce but she left without signing the divorce papers."
Daughter in law of Millat Council supremo moves to court against harassment, dowry demands
http://twocircles.net/2016dec27/1482828649.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29#.WGOsAPB97IU
Don't tamper with personal laws: Muslim bodies
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/dont-tamper-with-personal-laws-muslim-bodies/articleshow/56216425.cms
Jaipur: Prominent Muslim bodies have warned the central govt against tampering with the Muslim personal laws, including triple talaq. The views came during the national conference on 'Shariat Bachao' held in Kota on Tuesday. The clerics from the different schools of Islam - jurisprudence, Sufi orders and schools of theology - came together to attend the conference. The clerics agreed that pronouncing triple talaq is a sin in Quran but is valid when possibility of amicably resolution of this matter becomes impossible. Mohammad Shafi, general secretary of SDPI, quoted Census 2011 report that Muslims have the lowest rate of separated couples to justify the religious provision of triple talaq."In the Census report, the number of separated couples in other communities is much higher than in Muslims. It shows that couples in other religions are forced to live as 'separated couples' for years before the divorce becomes legal.Sometimes, it takes 10 years before a divorced male or female could remarry," said Shafi.Over 40,000 Muslims from Rajasthan, UP, MP and Delhi attended the rally.The clerics directed the crowd to spread the message that Muslim couples should first consult the matter with their families and maulanas before taking the extreme step of pronouncing talaq thrice. Saying that the condition of Muslim women in India is far better than in other countries, Yasmeen Faraqui, head of Women India Movement, stated that the sex ratio is one of the main parameters which reflect the social condition of women.TOI
VHP meet to focus on common code, temple
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/VHP-meet-to-focus-on-common-code-temple/articleshow/56209268.cms
Nagpur: VHP's 3-day joint conference of its central managing committee and board of trustees to be held here from December 29 will deliberate, among other issues, on common civil code and Ram temple at Ayodhya. Over 250 VHP representatives form across the country and 10 from oversees will attend the meet.Announcing this on Tuesday, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said that the organization is concerned about indecision by the government and failure to keep the election promise to build the temple.TOI
DEMONETISATION
Cabinet clears Ordinance, heavy fine for holders of old notes
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/cabinet-clears-ordinance-heavy-fine-for-holders-of-old-notes-116122800570_1.html
New Delhi: 2 days before the deadline for depositing old 500- and 1,000-rupee notes expires, the Cabinet today approved promulgation of an Ordinance to make possession of a large number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence that will attract monetary fine. Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance makes holding of old 1,000- and 500-rupee notes after March 31 beyond a threshold amount a criminal offence that will attract a monetary fine of Rs 10,000 or five times the cash held, whichever is higher.Furnishing wrong information while depositing the old currency between Jan.1 and March 31 will attract a fine of Rs 5,000 or five times the amount.Official sources said Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi approved the Ordinance, but did not say if the penal provisions will apply to holding the junked currency after 50-day window to deposit them at banks ends on Dec. 30 or after March 31, till which time deposit of old currency notes at specified branches of the Reserve Bank after submitting a declaration form is open. Ordinance also provides for amending RBI Act to provide legislative support for extinguishing the demonetised banknotes that are not returned. Sources said the proposal put to the Cabinet was for a 4-year jail term for anyone possessing a number of demonetised currency after March 31, 2017, but it was not immediately clear if it was approved.The Ordinance will have to sent to the President and after his assent will come into force.The Ordinance, which will have to be converted into a proper legislation by passing of a law by Parliament within 6 months, makes possession, transfer or receiving an amount of over Rs 10,000 in the now-demonetised 500 and 1,000-rupee notes a punishable offence.A maximum of 10 banned notes may be allowed to be held by any person.Sources said while the deadline for the deposit of old currency in bank or post office accounts expires on Friday, time till March 31 is available for doing so with RBI with stiff conditions by people who were abroad, armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who can give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks.PTI/ business-standard
Ordinance cleared, those holding scrapped notes may face fine, 4-year jail term
http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/cabinet-clears-ordinance-to-penalise-those-holding-demonetised-notes-after-dec-30-4448460/
New Rule: Soon, Punishment For Holding More Than 10 Old Notes, Centre Clears Ordinance
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/new-rule-punishment-for-more-than-10-old-notes-after-march-31-1642639
Demonetisation ordinance: Beyond technicality, it means little for public and govt: firstpost
http://www.firstpost.com/india/demonetisation-ordinance-beyond-technicality-it-means-little-for-public-and-govt-3177670.html
Demonetised notes as evidence:Courts clueless what todo
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/demonetisation-notes-courts-evidence-notification-4448799/
New Delhi:With the 5-judge Constitutional Bench formed by the Supreme Court yet to take a call on the constitutionality of Nov. 8 demonetisation notification issued by the RBI, lower courts, meanwhile, are clueless when it comes to dealing with cases in which the scrapped Rs500 notes and Rs 1000 notes form a clinching part of the evidence. With no ground rules set by the apex court or the Law Ministry, the courts have no guidelines to lean on when it comes to scrutinising “marked bills”. indianexpress
Note ban: how Chandni Chowk's jewellery & bullion trade is suffering
http://www.catchnews.com/india-news/note-ban-how-chandni-chowk-s-jewellery-bullion-trade-lost-its-lustre-1482856116.html
OTHERS
India 2nd largest arms purchaser in the world after Saudi
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-second-largest-arms-purchaser-in-the-world-after-saudi-arabia-report/story-zMlMrWzdP1kTqiIAZk6JkN.html
Washington: As India embarks on a massive modernisation plan for its defence forces, it has emerged as the second largest purchaser of arms among developing nations after Saudi Arabia, a latest Congressional report has said.Between 2008 and 2015, India purchased defence equipments worth USD 34 billion, which is a distant second after Saudi Arabia’s USD 93.5 billion, said the report ‘Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 2008-2015’ released by Congressional Research Service (CRS).PTI
Zee News booked for Dhulagarh riot coverage, claims editor Sudhir Chaudhary
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2016/dec/27/zee-news-booked-for-dhulagarh-riot-coverage-claims-editor-sudhir-chaudhary-1553567--1.html
kolkata:Non-bailable charges under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on basis of religion, caste, creed, language or place of birth) have been pressed by the West Bengal government against Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary, West Bengal correspondent Pooja Mehta and cameraperson Tanmay Mukherjee for their coverage of Dhulagarh riots in Howrah district of West Bengal. West Bengal government and the media houses in the state strictly believe that reporting on the recurring communal clashes in the state would aggravate the tensions and lead to further clashes. Zee News editor has taken to the twitter and facebook to protest against the charges brought against the media house for their coverage. news indian express
Before new army chief takes over, superseded Lt Gen Bakshi goes on leave: Sources
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/days-before-new-chief-takes-over-superseded-lt-general-bakshi-goes-on-leave/story-YWl5YO15N70UReUdGLJbGP.html
New Delhi:Eastern army commander Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi, who was overlooked for the position of army chief, proceeded on leave on Tuesday, sources said.The duration of his leave wasn’t immediately known but the sources said he could have gone on “long leave”. Army officials in Delhi said Bakshi could have gone on pre-scheduled leave but timing has raised a few eyebrows as the next army chief-designate Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat will take over on Dec.31.HT
Can file FIR against Teesta Setalvad, HRD Ministry told
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/can-file-fir-against-teesta-setalvad-hrd-told-4447837/
New Delhi:Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar has concurred with the findings of an inquiry that held activist Teesta Setalvad of Sabrang Trust culpable for “hatred-filled, disharmony-spreading, ill-will generating, enmity-creating explosive writings”, and said the HRD Ministry can file an FIR against her under Sections 153A and 153B of IPC. According to sources, HRD Ministry under Smriti Irani had approached SG directly for legal opinion on the recommendations of the panel headed by V-C of Gujarat Central University Syed A Bari. Her successor, Prakash Javadekar, now has to take a final call on the matter. indianexpress
Gujarat High Court reserves order on Modi’s degree case
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-high-court-reserves-order-on-pm-modis-degree-case-4447798/
Ahmedabad;Lawyers representing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday told the Gujarat High Court that they want to contest the petition moved by Gujarat University (GU) against the order of information commissioner, New Delhi asking the varsity to furnish information on PM Narendra Modi’s degree on merit. The response came after the varsity lawyers said that it has already published the degree of the Prime Minister on its website. indianexpress
Gujarat: Dalit man, pregnant wife thrashed for resisting cattle grazing at farm
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gujarat-dalit-man-pregnant-wife-thrashed-for-resisting-cattle-grazing-at-farm/story-k4DFQBJeUoFwOmX1HBNQyO.html
Ahmedabad:A Dalit man and his pregnant wife were allegedly beaten up by members of another community at Ugala village in Gir Somnath district for preventing them from grazing their cattle in a farm where the couple had been working as labourers, police said on Tuesday. Babubhai Sankhat (35) and his 6-month pregnant wife Rekhaben (30) were allegedly attacked on Dec.25. “Babubhai and Rekhaben were hired by the farm owner to work in the cotton field at Ugala village. On Dec.25, they had an altercation with some members of a community who wanted to take their cattle in the field for grazing,” DSP, SC/ST Cell, PS Valvi said. He said the couple was beaten up with sticks after they objected to cattle grazing, saying it would damage standing crop in the farm.PTI
Anil Baijal to be Delhi L-G after Mukherjee accepts Najeeb Jung's resignation
http://www.firstpost.com/india/anil-baijal-to-be-delhi-l-g-after-pranab-mukherjee-accepts-najeeb-jungs-resignation-3177796.html
Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of Najeeb Jung as Delhi Lieutenant Governor. Ex-Home Secretary, Anil Baijal is slated to replace him as the new administrator of NCR, according to India Today TV.He retired from the service in Oct.2006 as Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Govt of India. While in that ministry, he was instrumental in the designing and roll-out of JNNURM with federal grant equivalent of about Rs 60,000 crore, for improvement of infrastructure and provision of basic services in urban areas of India, according to his profile on IDFC group website, of which he is a non-executive chairman and an independent director.He has been the union home secretary in NDA govt led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The former bureaucrat has also been the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority and had headed key public sector companies like Prasar Bharti and Indian Airlines. Baijal was also on the executive council of the think-tank Vivekananda International Foundation, several of whose former members have been appointed to senior positions by the Modi government including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.firstpost/ indian express
UP polls 2017: Mulayam rejects grand alliance, announces candidates for 325 seats
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/up-assembly-election-2017-samajwadi-party-to-go-solo-mulayam-announces-candidates-for-325-seats-3177812.html
Rejecting any possibility of a grand alliance between non-BJP parties, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today announced that the ruling party would be going solo in the upcoming UP Assembly election. Mulayam also announced the candidates for 325 seats. He said that the remaining 78 candidates will be announced later. In the first list released by SP, 176 candidates are also sitting MLAs.While Shivpal Yadav will contest from Jaswant Nagar, ex-UPA minister Beni Prasad Verma's son Rakesh will contest from Barabanki. firstpost
SP chief Mulayam contradicts son Akhilesh as he firmly rules out any alliance for UP 2017
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/samajwadi-party-chief-mulayam-singh-yadav-contradicts-son-akhilesh-as-he-firmly-rules-out-any-alliance-for-up-2017/articleshow/56219965.cms?
Top Muslim leaders back SP-Congress alliance in UP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Top-Muslim-leaders-backSP-Cong-alliance-in-UP/articleshow/56210100.cms
Lucknow: Amid talks of a possible alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress ahead of 2017 assembly elections, top Muslim leaders and clercis from leading seminaries are looking forward for a Bihar-like 'gathbandhan' in UP to stall the BJP from coming to power.Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind's national president Maulana Arshad Madani said that Muslims in the state would support an alliance of secular parties in the state. "A Bihar-like 'gathbandhan' will help to keep the BJP away from power in UP," said Madani in Aligarh. "Alliance between Nitish and Lalu has already proved that such pacts can work to keep communal forces at bay," JUH chief said.JUH happens to be one of the top Muslim organisations in the country which has significant influence onver the community in UP because of its initiatives in the field of Islamic education through a chain of madarssas and special programmes for the economically weaker sections of the society in general and the community in particular.Top clerics in Deoband, including some who are closely associated with the leading Darul Uloom, also aired similar views. TOI
AMU students demand CBI probe into Najeeb case
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/amu-students-demand-cbi-probe-into-najeeb-ahmads-disappearance/articleshow/56207080.cms
Agra: Students of AMU have demanded a CBI investigation into the disappearance of JNU student, Najeeb Ahmad, and also threatened to launch agitation in Delhi against police's failure to trace the youth.In a memorandum to the President of India, sent through the Aligarh local administration on Tuesday, the AMU student union has urged Pranab Mukherjee to direct the Delhi police to trace Najeeb, who has been missing since Oct.15. Memorandum further states that even the suspects involved in assaulting Najeeb had not been arrested even after 70 days of his mysterious disappearance.Without naming any particular organization, the memorandum states that these outfits have been creating nuisance throughout the country. "Organization was also involved in the killing of of Rohit Vemula of Hyderabad Central University and a professor in Ujjain, MP. timesofindia
JNU: Dalit, Adivasi, minority students suspended for speaking out against fees hike, other issues
http://twocircles.net/2016dec27/1482857785.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29#.WGOrbvB97IU
New Delhi: 8 Dalit, Adivasi and minority students of JNU were suspended with immediate effect and their hostel facilities withdrawn for disrupting an Academic Council meeting held on Monday.Along with Rahl, the other students’ names are: Dawa Sherpa, Mulayam Singh, Shakeel, Bhupali Kusum Vitthal, Dileep Yadav, Mritunjaya Kumar Yadav and Prashant Kumar. Students belonging to BAPSA, DSU, SFS and United OBC Forum protested on at the meeting venue, and demanded that the academic council re-schedule its meeting which passed the UGC gazette notification of May 2016 making interviews the sole criterion of admission.Students like Rahul Sonpimple, who had also contested for the JNUSU elections, have strongly protested against such a notification, alleging that this will only increase the bias against students from the marginalised communities.TCN
BJP loses 5 of 8 urban civic bodies to Congress in MP
http://scroll.in/a/801059
BJP lost 5 out of 8 urban civic bodies to the Congress in the elections held in Madhya Pradesh on Dec.22, TOI reported. After the results of the polls were announced on Saturday, state Congress spokesman KK Mishra said, “It’s an indication that people are tired of the false promises of the BJP.”While the BJP retained the urban civic bodies of Mandsaur, Sehore and Shahganj, it lost its hold on the municipal corporation of Shajapur and the city councils of Dhamnod, Orchha and Majhauli, according to The Telegraph. Scroll
'As per Islam, women should be fully covered': Female Muslim cleric criticises Mohammed Shami's wife's dress
http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-as-per-islam-women-should-be-fully-covered-female-muslim-cleric-slams-mohammed-shami-s-wife-s-dress-2286988
Condemning Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami for his wife’s dress, a Muslim cleric on Monday said that the former should understand that women should be fully covered as per Islam. ‘I don’t think it is a controversial matter, but yes it is condemnable. Taking Islam into context, this is not correct. Being a Muslim he should have remembered that women should be fully covered as per Islam,’ said Muslim cleric Hina Zaheer.Another Muslim cleric Umer Ilyas said that changing the dress code is not a problem, but the best costume is the one which fully covers one’s body.Earlier, former cricketers have come to defense of ace Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami, who came under sharp criticism of Muslim fanatics for posting his wife Hasin Jahan's pictures on social media. DNA
Aurangabad: 8 booked for rioting, unlawful assembly
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/aurangabad/eight-booked-for-rioting-unlawful-assembly-and-robbery/articleshow/56197796.cms
Aurangabad: 8 people including a woman have been booked by the Begumpura police on the charges of rioting and unlawful assembly in Dimbar Gully of Begumpura between 9pm and 10pm on Friday. The case was registered on Sunday.Police said that some of the suspects named in the complaint have been identified as Veerendra Raghunath Kusale (28), Dinesh Kundalikar (29) and Nitin Lahare, all residents of Begumpura area. Police said that based on the complaint lodged by a crime branch sleuth, the case has been registered.TOI
Nizamabad district sees decline in crime rate
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/Nizamabad-district-sees-decline-in-crime-rate/article16950769.ece
The persecution of Zakir Naik’s lawyer is both illegal and unjust: SAURAV DATTA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/column-the-persecution-of-zakir-naik-s-lawyer-is-both-illegal-and-unjust-2287265?google_editors_picks=true
Another train accident, another probe ordered: How can Indian Railways resurrect itself? indiatoday
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-railways-kanpur-train-accident-sealdah-ajmer-express/1/844680.html
WORLD
Obama and allies seek to isolate Netanyahu before Trump takes office
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/27/obama-and-allies-seek-to-isolate-netanyahu-before-trump-takes-office
John Kerry is due to lay out a US framework for a Palestinian-Israeli agreement as the Obama administration and its international allies scramble to protect what is left of the peace process before Donald Trump takes office.US secretary of state will outline the proposals on Wednesday, at a time when US-Israeli relations have reached their lowest point in decades. The government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused Washington of conspiring against it when a UN security council vote on Friday demanded an end to settlement building in the West Bank. The Kerry speech at the State Department at 4pm GMT is expected to restate the Obama administration’s continued faith in a two-state solution to the chronic impasse. It is a parting shot after eight years in office, during which there has been a dearth of diplomatic progress. It is not expected to lead to any new initiative but rather lay down a marker on a longstanding US and international approach to the region before the US president-elect, whose commitment to such a solution is in doubt, assumes office.“What secretary Kerry will be doing is he will give a speech in which he lays out a comprehensive vision for how we see the conflict being resolved – where we see things in 2016 as we unfortunately conclude our term in office without there being significant progress toward peace,” the deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, told Israel’s Channel 2 television.The parameters outlined by Kerry are expected to draw international endorsement at a meeting of foreign ministers on 15 January, just five days before Trump moves into the White House. The meeting is supposed to reinforce a strategy of isolating Netanyahu in the hope it will push him towards reviving stalled negotiations with the Palestinians. Netanyahu has said his govt will not attend.In expectation of a more supportive administration in Washington next month, Netanyahu has reacted to the diplomatic manoeuvring in the last week’s of Obama’s term with defiance. theguardian
Israel delays new settlement permits ahead of John Kerry’s speech
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/israel-delays-new-settlement-permits-ahead-of-john-kerrys-speech-4448910/
Israel PM warned New Zealand support for UN vote would be ‘declaration of war’
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/netanyahu-warned-nz-support-for-un-vote-would-be-declaration-of-war/story-YJ1uJAwb2y62HPVAWsDXaL.html
Environment: Scientists predict how much Donald Trump is going to destroy the planet
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/donald-trump-scientists-climate-change-global-warming-a7498376.html
Dozens of Jewish settlers storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/182343/dozens-of-jewish-settlers-storm-jerusalems-al-aqsa
Dozens of Jewish settlers on Wednesday forced their way into East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound where they tried to perform Talmudic rituals, a Palestinian official said. "Some 176 settlers, backed by Israeli special forces, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound since this morning," Al-Aqsa Mosque Director Sheikh Omar al-Qiswani told Anadolu Agency. The Jewish settlers tried to perform Talmudic rituals near the Al-Qibali mosque and the Dome of the Rock but they were prevented from doing so by Muslim worshipers and the mosque guards,” he said. World Bulletin
Turkey and Russia 'agree' on nationwide Syria ceasefire
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/turkey-russia-agree-nationwide-syria-ceasefire-161228114738990.html
Turkey and Russia have agreed on a country-wide ceasefire plan for Syria, except for areas where government forces are battling armed groups declared terrorist organisations by the UN. Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday that a ceasefire plan had been submitted to Syria's warring parties and could come into force as soon as midnight 22:00 GMT. Citing a source who requested anonymity, Anadolu said "terrorist organisations" would be excluded from the deal.This would most certainly exclude the ISIL group and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the group formerly known as al-Nusra Front. The source also said that if the ceasefire succeeded, political negotiations would start in the Kazakh capital, Astana, under Turkey and Russia's guidance. Aljazeera
Syria: Air strikes kill 10 children in ISIL-held Deir Az Zor
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/air-strikes-children-syria-deir-az-zor-161228095241271.html
Air strikes have killed at least 22 people, including 10 children, in an ISIL-held village in eastern Syria, a monitor has said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Wednesday that the raids hit the village of Hajna in Deir Az Zor province, killing 12 people from one family and 10 from another. It said at least 10 children were among the dead.Local activists quoted online said the air strikes happened on Tuesday.Located in the northern countryside of Deir Az Zor, Hajna is held by the ISIL group. UK-based Observatory had no immediate word on who carried out the strikes but it was likely to have been either the Syrian government or its ally Russia. aljazeera
Air strikes kill 22 civilians in eastern Syria: Monitor
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/air-strikes-kill-22-civilians-in-eastern-syria-monitor/articleshow/56216632.cms
Turkish military ‘neutralises’ 44 IS militants in northern Syria: Reuters
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/turkish-military-neutralises-44-islamic-state-militants-in-northern-syria/story-Qzsa3EeS25jCIIlSwqpMhO.html
Ankara: Turkish military said on Wednesday it had “neutralised” 44 Islamic State militants and wounded 117 as part of its operation in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab.In a statement, the military also said seven rebels had been wounded in clashes over the past day, while 154 Islamic State targets had been struck by artillery and other weaponry.
Senior IS commander in Syria may have been killed: Reuters
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-senior-islamic-state-commander-in-syria-may-have-been-killed-2286892
Beirut: One of Islamic State's top commanders in Syria was probably killed in combat as the jihadists sought to stave off an advance by US-backed Syrian forces towards a strategic dam in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.The commander known as Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti was killed as Islamic State fighters tried to drive the Syrian Democratic Forces from the village of Jabar captured from the jihadists on Monday, Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said. dnaindia
US-backed Syrian force hopes to get anti-aircraft missiles to fight IS
http://in.reuters.com/article/mideast-crisis-syria-arms-idINKBN14G12W
US, Russian military talks on fights against Islamic State quietly proving useful, officials: AP
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/56201596.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Iraqi PM says 3 months needed to remove IS from the country: Reuters
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iraqi-pm-says-three-months-needed-to-remove-islamic-state-from-the-country/story-It7qv4VGmTzBj0jl5kslNM.html
Activists begin march from Berlin to Aleppo
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161226-activists-begin-march-from-berlin-to-aleppo/
More than 300 activists have begun Monday their long march from Berlin to the war-battered Syrian city of Aleppo, to draw international support for the civilians trapped in besieged areas in Syria.Activists from various European countries gathered near Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport, before beginning their nearly 3,500-km walk, with the hope of forcing politicians to take action.“Thank you for coming, I can’t believe that the idea which I expressed three weeks ago happened,” Polish blogger and journalist Anna Alboth, who initiated the idea told participants. middleeastmonitor
Iraq female journalist abducted by Shia militias in Baghdad
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161228-iraq-female-journalist-abducted-by-shia-militias-in-baghdad/
An Iraqi journalist was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen wearing security services’ uniforms from her home in Baghdad yesterday, police and relatives said, prompting Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to order an investigation.Afrah Al-Qaisi is an outspoken critic of government institutions in satirical columns she writes for several local newspapers and media outlets. Al-Qaisi used to work for the pan-Arab, Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.The gunmen took Al-Qaisi from the predominantly Sunni southern Saydiya district of the capital where she lived with her family, according to Ziyad Al-Ajili, head of the Iraqi Journalistic Freedoms Observatory.“They separated the children from their mother after forcefully entering the house and took money, jewellery, laptops and her car as they left,” Al-Ajili said, explaining how the journalist was not only kidnapped but her home was pillaged by the militiamen.Iraq is ranked second after Somalia in the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2016 Index of Impunity, which calculates the number of unsolved murders of journalists over a 10-year period as a percentage of each country’s population.Over the past decade, 71 journalists have been killed with impunity in Iraq, according to the CPJ. middleeastmonitor
Arab Gulf ‘frustrated’ with Egypt’s Sisi
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161228-arab-gulf-frustrated-with-egypts-sisi/
Abdulkhaliq Abdullah, adviser to Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed, said that the energy rich states of the Arabian Gulf hold “frustrated” and “resentful” feelings towards Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Anadolu reported yesterday.“[Al-Sisi] represents a political and financial burden,” Abdullah said. However, he emphasised that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are not currently thinking of abandoning the Arab world’s largest country “due to its importance.”In an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu, Abdullah said: “The size of Gulf aid to Egypt since July 2013 has exceeded $20 billion, but this did not have a positive effect on the life of the Egyptians.” middleeastmonitor
For first time in 3 years, Brotherhood leader sees his mother
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161228-for-first-time-in-3-years-brotherhood-leader-sees-his-mother/
Mohamed Al-Beltagi, a jailed senior leader in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, saw his mother yesterday for the first time since he was arrested in the wake of the military coup which ousted the first democratically elected Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.His lawyer, Ahmed Sa’ed, said that the judge who presided over Al-Beltagi’s hearing allowed for him to exit the dock for only ten minutes so that he could hold his mother’s hand, an elderly woman who is confined to a wheelchair. middleeastmonitor
Bangladesh garment factories sack hundreds after pay protests
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/27/bangladesh-garment-factories-sack-hundreds-after-pay-protests
At least 1,500 workers have been sacked from Bangladesh garment factories after protests forced a week-long shutdown at dozens of sites supplying top European and American brands.Tens of thousands of workers walked out of factories this month in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia which make clothes for top western brands such as Gap, Zara and H&M, prompting concerns over supply during the holiday season.The protests were sparked by the sacking of 121 workers, but soon evolved into a demand for the trebling of workers’ pay from the current monthly minimum of 5,300 taka (£54). theguardian
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:08 PM)
