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Evening NEWS DIGEST
19 July 2017: 24 Shawwal 1438: Vol: 8, No:241
INDIA: INDIA-CHINA PAK & J&K
China mobilising thousands of tonnes of military equipment near India border
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/china-mobilising-thousands-tonnes-military-equipment-near-india-border-1631002
China is mobilising thousands of tonnes of military equipment near its border with India as the standoff between the 2 neighbouring countries continues, according to Beijing's state media. All the equipment and military vehicles are believed to have been transported into Tibet via both road and rail. Tensions in the India-China border have escalated in recent weeks with both New Delhi and Beijing refusing to back down from their positions.What started as a cross-border dispute which centred on China's construction of a road project in an area, also contested by Bhutan, has now snowballed into something bigger.In the latest development, it is believed that China has transported heavy military gear into mountainous Tibet region as part of its recent live-fire military exercises in the plateau.According to China's official military mouthpiece, the PLA Daily, the equipment was taken to the south of the Kunlun Mountains in northern Tibet by Beijing's Western Theatre Command, the unit which oversees border issues with India.PLA Daily added that the large cache of equipment was moved in late June – when border tensions with India began to erupt."PLA [People's Liberation Army] wanted to demonstrate it could easily overpower its Indian counterparts," Beijing-based military analyst Zhou Chenming told the South China Morning Post.Amid the volatile atmosphere, the war of words between the two sides has also escalated, with China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang asking Indian forces stationed in the area to leave immediately to avoid any escalation."We have stated many times that we hope the Indian side will get a clear understanding of the situation (and) immediately take measures to withdraw the troops that illegally crossed the border back to the Indian side of the border," Lu told reporters during a routine press briefing. Ibtimes.co.in
China may have quietly moved tonnes of war gear into northern Tibet, claims report
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-may-have-quietly-moved-tonnes-war-gear-in-northern-tibet-claims-report/articleshow/59660926.cms
China moved huge military hardware into Tibet after Sikkim standoff: Report
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/china-moved-huge-military-hardware-into-tibet-after-sikkim-standoff-report/articleshow/59665316.cms
To attack India, China readies N-weapons in Pak: Mulayam
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/china-ready-to-attack-india-with-help-from-pak-says-mulayam-singh-yadav-1726690
New Delhi: Ignoring the govt's advice to address the border dispute with China with restraint, opposition leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said in parliament today that Beijing is ready to attack India in collaboration with its long-time ally, Pakistan."India is today facing a big danger from China. I have been cautioning the central government for years. China has joined hands with Pakistan. It has made full preparation to attack India," said the 77-year-old political leader from UP about the confrontation between the Indian and Chinese armies that has extended beyond a month at the border in the mountainous state of Sikkim.Mulayam Singh Yadav also claimed in the Lok Sabha that China has buried nuclear weapons in Pakistan to target India, though he ceded that Indian intelligence agencies "would know better".NDTV
China has buried nukes in Pakistan...ready to attack India: Mulayam in LS
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-has-buried-n-arms-in-pakistan-ready-to-attack-india-mulayam-in-ls/story-F5I27ps7rsh2AOXyESIt2N.html
China is our enemy, not Pakistan: Mulayam on Doklam standoff
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/china-is-our-enemy-not-pakistan-mulayam-singh-yadav-on-doklam-standoff-4757687/
From Doklam to Taiwan, China shows zero tolerance to ‘sovereignty’ threats
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/from-doklam-to-taiwan-china-shows-zero-tolerance-to-sovereignty-threats/article19308243.ece?homepage=true
Beijing: China’s insistence on the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Doklam plateau as a precondition for negotiations is consistent with its position on Tibet, Taiwan or the South China Sea — areas of hyper-sensitivity, where Beijing perceives that its “territorial sovereignty”is at stake.While India’s alleged incursion into Chinese territory has grabbed headlines, the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the past week has adopted a similar unbending position on Tibet, embodied in the proposed visit of the Dalai Lama to Botswana, as well as the moves by the United States to re-open naval port calls with Taiwan. Predictably, Indonesia’s cartographic dalliance by renaming a portion of the SCS as North Natuna Sea has also drawn Beijing’s ire and China has raised the red flag on Jakarta’s decision to thus issue a new official map. The map apparently intersects a part of the Nine-Dash line, which defines China’s maritime boundary in the SCS, thus rejecting Beijing’s “sovereignty” in the entire area. the hindu
Kashmir issue remains core dispute between India, Pakistan: Sartaj Aziz
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kashmir-issue-remains-core-dispute-between-india-pakistan-sartaj-aziz/story-eUGhxrWopLxiDJqa7QoTwK.html
Islamabad:Kashmir issue remains the core dispute between India and Pakistan, and its resolution is imperative for bringing peace in the region, Pakistan’s top diplomat said on Wednesday. Sartaj Aziz, the Prime Minister’s advisor on foreign affairs, made the remarks during his meeting with a 9-member delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Pakistan Chapter) here, Foreign Office said in a statement. “The adviser noted that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between India and Pakistan, and its resolution is imperative for bringing peace to South Asia,” it said.PTI
OTHER
Mob lynchings: BJP, Sangh Parivaar members involved, claims Opposition; Govt says don’t give religious colour
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/mob-lynchings-parliament-rajya-sabha-congress-sangh-parivaar-bjp-4757822/
New Delhi:Leading the Opposition charge against the Centre on the recent mob lynchings, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that members of the BJP and Sangh Parivaar were involved in the violence in the name of cow protection.“Instances of lynching took place earlier as well. But nowadays, members of the ruling party and Sangh Parivaar are involved in these lynchings” alleged Azad.Claiming that Government is acting in glove with the “miscreants”,Azad alleged that the perpetrator were given a free hand to act as they pleased. “The Opposition thinks the government is hand in gloves with these miscreants. The govt has said that the perpetrators can do whatever they want and the government will give statements. If there is no understanding, how is it that no one gets caught?” he said. “This is just is political harvesting.”On the lynching of Jammu-Kashmir DSP Ayub Pandith, Azad said “it is shameful what is happening in other cities”.“This is against humanity,” he added. Azad then went on to declare that the Opposition is prepared lay down their lives for the unity of India. “This is not a fight of the religion. This is not a fight between Hindus and Muslims or Upper castes and Dalits. This is a fight for the country, for humanity,” Azad said. “The Opposition can lay down their lives for the unity of this country. Please don’t divide this country for votes,” the Opposition leader concludes his speech.”In response to Azad’s speech, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi urged the Opposition to refrain from giving “religious colour to such incidents.” indianexpress
No separate law for mob lynching: Home ministry in RS
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-separate-law-for-mob-lynching-home-ministry-in-rajya-sabha/story-4fhFi2pXDC54dEQ5WpuJWJ.html
New Delhil The government is not mulling a separate law to tackle mob lynching incidents, minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Wednesday.Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, Ahir said that whether a lynching is done by a single person or by several persons, the existing laws can deal with it.“State govts can take action against person or persons involved in such incidents under existing laws. I don’t think there is a need for a separate law,”Ahir said.The minister was responding to a supplementary question by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who asked if the central government was planning to modify CrPC and IPC to deal with mob lynching in the name of cow protection which he said was “emerging as a trend now”.IANS
Gau rakshaks planting thorns in Modi’s way, brace for Muslims’ resistance, Shiv Sena tells BJP
http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/gau-rakshaks-planting-thorns-in-modi-s-way-brace-for-muslims-resistance-shiv-sena-tells-bjp/story-Arf7OpegwULCS2fPQC5cHL.html
Shiv Sena on Wednesday criticised self-declared ‘gau rakshaks,’ saying though the country has a government that runs on Hindu ideology, it is not like the administration of the Taliban or Khomeini’s Iran.In an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, the Shiv Sena said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having to battle criticism due to the actions of these ‘gau rakshaks’ who have started a spate of violence in the country. Modi’s condemnation of the events and subsequent warnings seem to have had little impact on gau rakshaks, the party said.“Gau rakshaks are doing the job of planting thorns in Modi’s way and it now seems as if he has given up on them,” the party said in the editorial. Sena slammed gau rakshaks saying if they think protecting the cow is patriotism and religion, they should have gone to Kashmir after the Amarnath yatra attacks to protect their country, as that too is one’s religious and patriotic duty.HT
Pak wants Hindu-Muslim riots over issues like cow vigilantism: Shiv Sena
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/shiv-sena-slams-centre-blames-pakistan-for-cow-vigilantism-in-india-4757544/
Tharoor and Poonawalla lead Opposition 'team Masuka' against BJP over mob lynching and cow vigilantes
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4708414/Team-Masuka-challenge-BJP-mob-lynching-vigilantes.html#ixzz4nHftBqaJ
The anti-lynching law 'Masuka' or the 'Manav Suraksha Kanoon' proposed by rights activists has become a focal point of Opposition unity against the BJP.Major Opposition formations, including Congress, have come together to target BJP-led NDA govt over the spate of recent instances of alleged lynching. Apart from the Congress, the SP, BSP, JD (U), RJD, AAP and CPI (M) have come together to demand the Centre to make the proposal into a law in the Parliament. Opposition seems to embarrass the Union government over recent killings over the question of cow protection, though the farmers of Masuka maintain the law would also bring succor to the BJP and the RSS.Congress' Shashi Tharoor told Mail Today, 'I am sure that you are disturbed by the recent phenomenon of mob lynching where people have taken law into their own hands and have attacked people because they believed that those people have attacked their religious taboos.Mail Today
File FIRs in cases of attacks in name of cow protection, Centre tells states
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/file-firs-in-cases-of-attacks-in-name-of-cow-protection-centre-tells-states/articleshow/59657641.cms
New Delhi:Centre has asked state governments to mandatorily register FIRs in all "untoward incidents" happening in the name of cow protection, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said the responsibility to maintain law and order, protect life and property and check incidents of attacks on cattle traders, beef eaters, Muslims, Dalits and dairy farmers rested primarily with state govs. An advisory with regard to untoward incidents over cattle, disturbance of law and order by miscreants in the name of cow protection, compulsory registration of an FIR for cognisable offences irrespective of territorial jurisdiction, and making available a copy of the FIR has been issued to states/UTs, Ahir said in reply to a written question. PM Narendra Modi had on Sunday said it was the responsibility of states to check cow vigilantism and asked them to take "stringent action against anti-social elements". PM also sought the support of opposition parties in tackling "communal violence" in the name of cow protection, and slammed attempts at giving a political or communal colour to issue.TOI
Owaisi to move private member’s bill on mob violence
http://twocircles.net/2017jul18/413148.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
New Delhi: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi said on Tuesday he has given notice to introduce in the Lok Sabha a private member’s bill on mob violence.The member of Parliament from Hyderabad tweeted that he has given notice to introduce Mob Violence (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2017. AIMIM chief also posted a letter from the Lok Sabha Secretariat acknowledging the receipt of his notice.IANS
Arrest Sadhvi for hate speech against beef-eaters:BJP MLA
http://twocircles.net/2017jul18/413166.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
Panaji: Religious leaders like Sadhvi Saraswati, who deliver hate speeches in Goa, should be arrested and banned from visiting Goa, Deputy Speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo told the state assembly on Tuesday.“Sadhvi Saraswati had said that beef-eaters should be hanged. Why do they come to Goa and make such statements? Police should act against her, or someone else will come and say something else. Who all would we be able to stop,” Lobo asked during a discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address.“There should be a precedent. An FIR should be filed against anyone who gives hate speeches.They must be summoned to the police headquarters,” Lobo said.IANS
Was a Hindu man tortured by Muslim mob for stopping them from abusing PM Modi? IndiaToday
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/man-tortured-azamgarh-up-electric-shock-modi-abuse-theft-up-police/1/1004695.html
New Delhi:Was a Hindu young man tortured for objecting to Muslim men abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Azamgarh? Well, the man was tortured. Yes, the accused were a bunch of Muslim men. But it had nothing to do with Prime Minister Modi or politics. What It definitely was is a case of mob justice but the victim was accused of mobile theft.A video showing a man, now identified as Shiv Kumar Verma, being tortured by two other men went viral on social media. It is being claimed that the man, a Hindu, was tortured by a bunch of Muslim men for objecting to them abusing Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Hindus.The video is real, their claim is not.The man was brought to 'justice' by the mob for theft.It is no way right to torture someone else in an effort to bring justice when law and order bodies already exist in the country. The video doing rounds on social media is being given a communal angle and this could prove a threat to communally charged state of Uttar Pradesh.UP Police tweeted stating that the accused men have been booked under Section 147, 148 which deal with rioting. The men have also been booked under sections that will persecute anyone present while the man was being abused and sections pertaining to sedition have also been evoked.
Most users can’t detect fake news on social media
http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/most-users-cant-detect-fake-news-on-social-media-4756064/
London:As the spread of fake news on social media gains momentum, researchers now reveal that people can detect a fake image of a real-world scene only 60%of the time. Even then, they can only tell what is wrong with the image only 45 per cent of the time, the researchers added. The high-quality of these fake images were to be blamed for this, said the team from University of Warwick.“This has serious implications,” said Sophie Nightingale, PhD student and lead author, adding “People are exposed to these fakes on a daily basis through social networking sites, Internet and the media.”IANS
Jharkhand: Tension simmers in Giridh after temple desecration; cops detain 6
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-tension-simmers-in-giridh-after-temple-desecration-cops-detain-six/story-tz9frHaVDumHOPaTtpSS9M.html
Ranchi/Giridih:Jharkhand Police which detained 6 men in Giridh on Tuesday – one for allegedly desecrating a temple and five for rioting in retaliation - claimed that the quick action prevented the desecration from snowballing into a possible conflagration.Tension had been simmering in Keswari village in Giridh district, about 180 km from the state capital Ranchi after miscreants vandalized a Durga idol in a temple late Monday night. The desecration was the second such incident in less than a week in Jharkhand.Irate villagers set several poultry shops ablaze in retaliation as the news spread.On Tuesday, police detained 45-year-old Sikandar Ansari for allegedly vandalizing the temple. Biltu Thakur, Birju Rana, Vikash Rana, Gopi Paswan and Ajay Yadav were detained for rioting, SDPO Deepak Sharma told HT.Earlier on July 14, a Shiva temple was vandalized by a Muslim man in Hazaribag.It sparked communal clashes at 4 different locations in the district. Police said the accused who is now in jail, was mentally challenged. However, medical reports are yet to prove his mental disorder. Hazaribag police also made 23 arrests in connection with the case on Monday. HT
Lalu supports Mayawati’s resignation, offers her Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lalu-supports-mayawati-s-resignation-offers-her-rajya-sabha-seat-from-bihar/story-e27HlkqEp2wxu6mNVen25M.html
Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday came out in support of BSP leader Mayawati who resigned from the Rajya Sabha, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar.“Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha,” Lalu said reacting to Mayawati’s resignation.The BSP chief tendered her resignation on Tuesday accusing the BJP and the Chair of not allowing her to raise the issue of anti-Dalit violence in UP.PTI
UP won't ban liquor, says revenue earned used for public welfare
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/uttar-pradesh-wont-ban-liquor-says-revenue-earned-used-for-public-welfare/articleshow/59666471.cms
Lucknow: UP government on Wednesday ruled out banning liquor in the state, saying the revenue from excise was used for public welfare and developmental schemes."The revenue from excise is used in public welfare and developmental schemes of the state. Banning liquor sale will indirectly promote illicit liquor sale and people will start purchasing from illegal sources which will adversely affect their health.PTI
Muslim man arrested not for ‘sending’ but for ‘receiving’ alleged anti-national sms: India Samvad
http://www.indiasamvad.co.in/states-metros/man-arrested-for-receiving-alleged-anti-national-sms-23234
Chennai: Chennai airport police booked a man under charges of sedition charges accusing him of receiving ‘anti-national’ messages on his phone.On Saturday, Andhra resident Tadikala Akbar Saleem had come to the Chennai airport to receive his friend who was coming from the Gulf.On arrival, Saleem’s friend was held at the airport by the air intelligence unit of the Customs department as he was in possession of more than the permissible limit of gold.In the process, the airport intelligence unit also questioned Saleem and checked his phone.The intelligence officers found an audio message in Saleem'sphone in which an appeal was made to the Muslim community to gather at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for a “show of strength”.As reported by the Indian Express, the appeal was made in the name of “Maulana (Syed) Asad Madani saheb” of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, a leading Muslim organisation, and had originated in Malaysia. “It’s (the) first time we are getting a chance to show the power of Muslims.”The intelligence unit found this message ‘anti-national’ in nature even when there were no dates set for the proposed call to assemble, nor was there any call for violence. The intelligence officers took Saleem in their custody and referred the matter to the airport police on Sunday. The police arrested him on sedition charges. However, on Monday, 36-year-old Saleem was released by the magistrate after the recording of his statement.Magistrate didn’t find any material evidence to prove the anti-national activity in that random WhatsApp message found in his phone.
Muslim Man booked for sedition over message received
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/chennai-man-booked-for-sedition-over-message-received-4757129/
Aadhaar debate: Right to privacy not absolute:SC
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/aadhaar-debate-right-to-privacy-not-absolute-says-supreme-court-117071900648_1.html
New Delhi:Revisiting the question of privacy, a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that right to privacy was not absolute. This comes 55 years after the apex court decided that privacy is not a basic right for citizens. The decision of the judges is pivotal to petitions that challenge making the Aadhaar scheme mandatory for millions of Indians.The bench will continue hearing matter tomorrow. Senior counsel Gopal Subramanium told the SC that the right to privacy is a pre-existing natural right which is inherent in the Constitution though not explicitly mentioned. Subramanium is leading the argument on behalf of the petitioners who have challenged the Aadhaar scheme on the grounds of its being violative of the right to privacy. business standard
4 Muslim students from Kerala to address Youth Conference at UN General Assembly
http://twocircles.net/2017jul18/413138.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
In a great honour for India and Kerala, four young Muslim research scholars from the state will address at the UN General Assembly hall in New York on July 21. Two of them, Abdul Gafoor K.T and Mansoor Pulloor, are alumni of Darul Huda Islamic University at Chemmad in Malappuram while Thiruvananthapuram native Muhammed Shareef is a research scholar from JNU and Palakkad native Ashham Saleel is a student at the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam.4 students won UN sponsored international essay competition. ‘Many languages, One world’ conducted by the UN Academic Impact (UNAI) in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, the official languages of the UN.Twocircles
Nagaland governor appoints TR Zeliang new chief minister, floor test on July 22
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nagaland-governor-appoints-tr-zeliang-new-cm-after-liezietsu-fails-to-turn-up-for-floor-test/story-KkpWu9hkkiHrnmMMWkWzBM.html
New Delhi: Nagaland governor PB Acharya on Wednesday dismissed the 5-month-old govt of Shürhozelie Liezietsu after he failed to prove his majority in the assembly, a Raj Bhavan official said. The official told IANS that the governor has invited veteran Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLA TR Zeliang to form a new govt.Zeliang, who will take oath as chief minister at Raj Bhavan, has been told to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before July 22.This is the second time the 65-year-old Zeliang will be the chief minister after he resigned following violent protest by tribal groups opposed to his move to hold civic polls with 33% seats reserved for women. Liezietsu, 80, was made to come out of retirement from electoral politics to take over as Chief Minister following Zeliang’s resignation.Acharya dismissed the govt under Clause(I) of Article 164 of the Constitution after receiving a letter from Assembly Speaker Imtiwapang Aier on Liezietsu’s failure to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly. Liezietsu, a non-elected member to the 60-member House, has the support of 10 NPF MLAs and one Independent member. Zeliang, who had staked claim to form a new govt, was present in the House with his supporters -- 35 NPF MLAs, 4 BJP MLAs and 7 Independent members. HT
Order on chargesheets in terror cases against Bhatkal on Aug 1:IANS
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/order-on-chargesheets-in-terror-cases-against-bhatkal-on-august-1-117071801152_1.html
New Delhi: A court here on Tuesday reserved its order on framing of charges in 4 terror cases against suspected top IM man Yasin Bhatkal and others.Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma said he will on Aug. deliver order on the 2010 Jama Masjid attack and two matters related to 2008 serial blasts.Bhatkal, his aide Asadullah Akhtar, and other IM suspects are facing trial in various terror cases, including 2010 Jama Masjid attack and 2008 serial blasts cases.Till now, police have arrested around 25 persons for the cases. Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal are, however, on the run.The court will also decide on framing of charges in two bomb blast cases -- in Karo Bagh and M-Block Market in Greater Kailash here.
12 to 15 Indians fought alongside IS against Iraqi forces, claims Iraqi envoy, says has no information about 39 Indians captives : thehindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/12-to-15-indians-fought-alongside-is-against-iraqi-forces-envoy/article19307322.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: At least 12 to 15 Indians fought alongside the Islamic State (IS) against Iraqi security forces recently, Iraqi envoy to India Fakhri H.Al Issa told journalists on the occasion of the commemoration of the victory of the Iraqi forces against the IS in the city of Mosul. Al Issa said some of the Indians who fought in Iraq might have returned home. He sought defence cooperation with India to defeat the outfit.“We know that at least 12 to 15 Indians were among the large number of foreign fighters who fought against our security forces during the ongoing operations in Iraq. Foreign fighters came from different parts of the world including China, Japan, North and East Africa to fight in Iraq. We do not know what really happened subsequently to the Indians, but our information is that that (sic) is the total number of Indians in IS,” said Al Issa addressing the media in the embassy of Iraq. He said that foreign fighters were often killed and many also managed to escape.“We feel that some of the Indian fighters might have escaped and returned home in the way many foreign fighters returned home in Europe,”he said, addressing the media at Iraq Embassy.Al Issa also said that India had extended humanitarian and military support during the campaign to free Mosul but the Iraqi govt was taking time to consider the offer. However, he added that Iraq needed military support and urged India to collaborate with Iraq to defeat the Islamic State. “Victory of Iraq in Mosul is victory for India. A stable and strong Iraq will mean stable and strong India,” said the ambassador reiterating Iraqi need for military assistance.India had extended light military equipment, and medical support and also offered to train Iraqi security forces, said the envoy who maintained that the issues were under discussion.“This must have featured in bilateral talks when Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar visited our country recently,” he said.Al-Issa said that despite military victory of Iraqi forces in Mosul, pockets of resistance still remain to be conquered and indicated that Iraq has no concrete idea about what happened to the 39 Indians who were kidnapped by IS in Mosul in 2014.“We really have no information about what really happened to them. The border between Iraq and Syria was open for long and it is possible that the captives might have been transferred to IS controlled areas in Syria,” he said, explaining that India should also consider conducting forensic tests of the mass graves that have been discovered in different parts of Iraq where IS had dumped bodies of their victims.The envoy said that Iraq is looking forward to normalisation following the end of the war, and sought help from India. For that, bilateral discussions will be held when Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari visits Delhi this weekend, he said.
WORLD
Palestinian protests against Al-Aqsa searches grow
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/palestinian-protests-against-al-aqsa-searches-grow/864693
Jerusalem: Between the sounds of prayers, protest chants and stun grenades, rare signs of an organized Palestinians protest movement began to emerge around Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque as ever-growing crowds continued to gather outside the flashpoint holy site. Local Christian clergy joined the imams of Al-Aqsa on Tuesday in leading thousands of worshippers to the mosque's perimeter, where they prayed the sunset and night prayers without entering, in protest against new metal detectors Israel installed at the gates of the holy site. Anadolu
Al-Aqsa preacher defiant as Jerusalem protests continue
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/al-aqsa-preacher-defiant-as-jerusalem-protests-continue/864765
Jerusalem:The preacher of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, was discharged from hospital on Wednesday after he was injured by an Israeli rubber bullet a day earlier. Sabri vowed to pursue protests against new Israeli security measures around the holy site. "We will pray on the streets around Al-Aqsa mosque until Israeli metal detectors are removed," a defiant Sabri said. The imam was among scores of Palestinians injured during clashes with Israeli forces in east Jerusalem late Tuesday. Anadolu Agency
Israel to demolish European-funded homes in Jerusalem
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170718-israel-to-demolish-european-funded-homes-in-occupied-jerusalem/
Israeli occupation authorities have ordered the demolition of 6 Palestinian residential buildings funded by European parties in Jabal Al-Baba bedouin community in the east of the occupied Jerusalem.The spokesman of the Bedouin community, Atallah Muzar’a, told Quds Press today that Israeli civil administration crews, accompanied by military troops, stormed the area yesterday and handed 6 administrative demolition orders to a number of Palestinian families in the neighbourhood.The orders, he added, are part of an Israeli ethnic cleansing scheme – E1 project – that has been carried out in favour of the Ma’aleh Adumim illegal settlement outpost. middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu refused delivery of submarines to Morsi, agreed for Sisi
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170719-netanyahu-refused-delivery-of-submarines-to-morsi-agreed-for-sisi/
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu refused a German-Egyptian submarine deal in 2012 for fear of the weapons being in the hands for ousted President Mohamed Morsi, but has since approved the deal for current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Hebrew website Mida revealed.According to reports, in 2011, then Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Netanyahu agreed to allow Germany to sell submarines to Egypt because Hosni Mubarak was in power. According to Israeli Journalist Arad Nir, speaking on Channel 2, Morsi’s rise to power forced Israel to cancel its approval and object to the deal.Nir referred to the German paper Der Spiegel which claimed that “Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu and other prominent ministers, had put a lot of pressure on Germany to cancel submarine deal.” Middleeastmonitor
Egypt to end visa-free entry for Qataris: Egyptian foreign ministry
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/International/2017-07-18/Egypt-To-End-Visa-Free-Entry-For-Qataris-Egyptian-Foreign-Ministry/313118
Egypt will end visa-free entry for Qatari nationals with some exceptions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, the latest measure taken against Doha which Cairo and three Gulf governments are boycotting.Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar on June 5, cutting diplomatic and transport ties with the tiny Gulf monarchy, after accusing it of financing militant groups and allying with their regional arch-foe Iran. Doha denies the accusations. "It does not make sense to keep making exceptions for Qatar and giving it privileges in light of its current positions," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. Qatari nationals will now have to apply for a visa in order to enter Egypt.Reuters
Qatar considers seeking damages over Gulf blockade
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/qatar-weighs-seeking-damages-gulf-blockade-170718145928093.html
Qatar has announced that it is considering legal action against four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia and UAE, demanding compensation for losses incurred owing to ongoing blockade. Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar's economy minister, met on Tuesday heads of international trade organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the case for compensation. aljazeera
Indonesia bans Hizbut Tahrir group that seeks to establish global caliphate
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/indonesia-bans-hizbut-tahrir-group-that-seeks-to-establish-global-caliphate/story-kRBBbLZhOcw4Wl3WflcW5I.html
Jakarta: Indonesian government on Wednesday banned Hizbut Tahrir, an organization that wants to establish a global caliphate, under a new presidential decree criticized as draconian by rights groups.Hizbut’s legal status had been revoked to protect national unity, said Freddy Haris, a director-general at the ministry of Justice and Human Rights, at a brief news conference.The decree signed last week by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gives the government almost unfettered power to ban organizations deemed against the constitution and the official state ideology Pancasila. Rights group say govts could easily abuse the decree’s power.AP
Rohingya man accused of Myanmar insurgent ties bailed in Bangladesh:Reuters
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-rohingya-man-accused-of-myanmar-insurgent-ties-bailed-in-bangladesh-2506155
Bangladesh's interior minister said a Rohingya Muslim man the country's police arrested late last year, for suspected links with an insurgent group that attacked Myanmar security forces, has been bailed and is living in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.The presence of suspected insurgents in the camps just across their shared border could further strain relations between the 2 countries, already at loggerheads over the issue of repatriating around 430,000 Rohingya living in Bangladesh after fleeing Buddhist-majority Myanmar.Manzurul Islam,38-year-old Islamic preacher, denied any links to the insurgency in northwestern Myanmar when he spoke to Reuters by telephone from a camp in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh.DNA india
'Give up religion or face punishment,' says China's Communist Party to its members
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/give-up-religion-or-face-punishment-says-chinas-communist-party-to-its-members/articleshow/59660225.cms
New Delhi:Members of China's Communist Party+ need to give up religion and "be firm Marxist atheists" or face punishment, the country's religious affairs regulator has said, reported Global Times.The Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist, but China's constitution explicitly allows "freedom of religious belief". "Party members should not have religious beliefs, which is a red line for all members", wrote Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, in the latest issue of the Party's flagship magazine.Wang's comments are line with official Party rules. The Party has by and large exhibited a cautious tolerance towards religion but it prohibits its nearly 90 million Party members from holding religious beliefs, says the Council on Foreign relations, a US think tank. The Party has often demanded the expulsion of members who belong to religious organizations. timesofindia
Plane carrying Afghan Vice President Dostum 'denied landing'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/plane-carrying-abdul-rashid-dostum-denied-landing-170718195018048.html
A private jet that Afghan officials suspected was bringing back Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum from Turkey has been turned away when it tried to land in a northern city, officials say.Afghan officials told news agencies on Tuesday that a private jet flying to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, was ordered to fly to the capital, Kabul, for checks late on Monday following indications that Dostum, 63, was trying to return to the country.The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Dostum's plane diverted to Turkmenistan. Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek leader and former general, flew to Turkey in May after he was accused of ordering the detention and torture of a political rival.A senior official from Dostum's Junbish party, denied that he had tried to enter Afghanistan, saying that a guest of Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of Balkh province, had been due to land in Mazar but had gone to Turkmenistan because of technical issues.aljazeera
Putin, Trump held second undisclosed G20 conversation
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/putin-trump-held-undisclosed-g20-conversation-170719020411203.html
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a previously undisclosed conversation during a dinner for G20 leaders at a summit earlier this month in Germany, a White House official said on Tuesday. 2 leaders held a formal two-hour bilateral meeting on July 7 in which Trump later said Putin denied allegations that he directed efforts to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election.aljazeera
Muslims return to CAR to find their homes are gone
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/07/muslims-return-car-find-homes-170711140733834.html
Bangui, Central African Republic - M Babakir Ali cuts a lonely figure sitting on a plastic chair outside a rundown cafe in the PK5 district of Bangui.Once the owner of five houses and 18,000 square metres of land in the Foulbe district of Pk13, on the outskirts of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, Ali is now reduced to a pair of jeans and a short white sleeved shirt.Thin vertical stripes are faintly visible beyond the creases. He is a refugee in his own city."I left for Chad in January 2014 because of what happened on the streets of Bangui," Ali says.Ali says he watched as bodies of young Muslim men were dragged through the streets of the capital and then piled at a local mosque in what was to signal the changing fortunes for Muslims in the country.In early January, Muslims in the PK5, PK12, PK13 districts of Bangui were hunted down, mutilated, burned alive and left on the streets. Muslims in the towns of Bossangoa, Bozoum, Bouca, Yaloke, Mbaiki, Bossembele and others also fled, as Anti-balaka embarked on a reign of terror across the northwest and southwestern regions. aljazeera
Syrian woman banned from wearing headscarf in courtroom: middleeastmonitor
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170718-syrian-woman-banned-from-wearing-headscarf-in-courtroom/
A German judge has banned a Syrian woman from wearing a headscarf in court during her divorce case proceedings against her husband.The refugee’s lawyer, Najat Abokal, told the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel that the judge in Germany’s eastern city of Luckenwalde sent a letter to her client stressing that “religiously motivated statements such as headscarves are not allowed in the courtroom and during a hearing,”Judge’s letter also warned the Syrian woman of taking legal measures if she did not comply with this instruction during her case hearing. The lawyer also quoted the judge as saying that that her client “would not attend the case hearing.”Abokal considered the procedure to be unconstitutional, adding that she already appealed the judge’s decision.Meanwhile, the director of district court, Roswitha Neumaier, has announced the hearing postponement to 27 July over the objection.
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
What is common for Churches, BJP, ex top cop and High Court in Kerala? 'Love Jihad'?Anusha Ravi
http://www.oneindia.com/india/what-is-common-for-churches-bjp-a-former-top-cop-and-high-court-in-kerala-2498095.html
Govt. must think about tougher challenge in J&K — killing terrorism, not just terrorists:D.S. Hooda
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/in-valley-no-magic-bullet-4756854/
Islam’s reform: Way to go: Javed Anand
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/islams-reform-way-to-go-triple-talaq-quran-4756857/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:56 PM)
