Posts
Evening NEWS DIGEST
28 Aug. 2017: 05 Zilhajja 1438:Vol:8, No:267
INDIA
Doklam standoff ends: India pull troops, no word on Beijing’s road along border
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/doklam-standoff-india-says-has-agreed-to-disengagement-of-troops-after-talks-with-china/story-xybEpTjdsyFbobAjrf8yEN.html
New Delhi/Beijing:India said on Monday it had agreed with China to pull back troops to end a months-long face-off along a disputed Himalayan region, but there was no word on whether Beijing will stop building a road that triggered the row.The decision put a lid on one of the most serious disputes between the nuclear-armed neighbours who share a 3,500-km mountain frontier that remains unmarked at places. It came days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to China to attend a summit of BRICS — a grouping that also includes Brazil, Russia and South Africa.New Delhi said the two sides had diplomatic exchanges in recent weeks over the situation on Doklam plateau in the eastern Himalayas. “During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests,” India’s foreign ministry said in a short statement, without giving details of the disengagement. “On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is ongoing.”Within the hour, the Chinese foreign ministry responded, saying its forces will continue to patrol Doklam — a disputed stretch between Bhutan and China — to exercise its sovereignty and uphold territorial integrity.China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing that “Chinese personnel on the ground have verified” that Indian forces withdrew to their side of the border on Monday afternoon.“In the light of the changes of the situation on the ground China will make necessary adjustment and deployment,” she said.Neither side spoke on the status of a road whose construction by Chinese troops had triggered the standoff. India says any construction in the region will violate a 2012 trilateral agreement on the border.Later, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the disengagement has since been “almost completed under verification”.“India has always maintained that it is only through diplomatic channels that differences on such matters can be addressed. Our principled position is that agreements and understandings reached on boundary issues must be scrupulously respected,” he said. hindustantimes
Indian, China agree on Doklam troop 'disengagement': MEA says India agreed with China on 'expeditious disengagement' of border troops
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/india-troops-disengaging-china-standoff-170828075130658.html
China claims India has withdrawn troops in Doklam, silent on plans to build road
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/60261118.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Dera Sacha chief Gurmeet sentenced to 20 yrs of imprisonment for rapes: indianexpress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-sentenced-to-20-years-of-imprisonment-dera-sacha-sauda-chief/
New Delhi:A special CBI court Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years of imprisonment. CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two cases that date back to 2002, said defence lawyer SK Garg Narwana. He said both sentences will run consecutively for a total of 20 years in jail for the flamboyant guru who has millions of followers and counts politicians as well as celebrities as his friends.Singh also fined him Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases, of which Rs 14 lakh each would go to the two victims who were part of his sect and were coerced into having sex with him. Defence counsel sought leniency from the court arguing that Ram Rahim was active in social work and had health issues. He said he will appeal against the orders in a high court.“It is 20 years punishment and both the sentences shall not run concurrent. It means, he shall remain inside the jail for 20 years. Court has also imposed a fine of Rs. 30 lakh on Dera chief (Rs. 15 lakh in each of the case of two rapes that he committed). The fine shall be payable Rs. 15 lakh each to both the rape victims),” said HPS Verma, CBI counsel in the case.The sentencing came three days after the CBI court in Panchkula held Singh guilty of rape. Due to risks of rising tensions in parts of Haryana and Punjab over the sentencing, the judge was flown into the special courtroom setup inside the Sunaria jail in Rohtak in a helicopter. A 3-tier security ring was set up around the district jail.During the hearing of arguments in the court before the sentencing, the prosecution asked for maximum punishment for Singh.
It is 20 years in jail for Dera chief, not 10 years
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/it-is-20-years-in-jail-for-dera-chief-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-not-10-years/458655.html
‘Koi mujhe bacha lo’: High drama inside courtroom as convicted rapist Gurmeet pleads for mercy
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-10-years-jail-rape-conviction-rohtak-jail-haryana-high-drama-cbi-court-4817421/
New Delhi: *Soon after the quantum of his sentence was pronounced, Gurmeet Singhbroke into tears and pleaded for mercy with folded hands. Later on, he refused to leave the courtroom. “Thodi ji riyayat (have some mercy),” a weeping Gurmeet Ram told the judge, DNA reports. According to News18, baba was not cooperating with security personnel, who warned him that he would be taken inside the jail forcefully if he doesn’t follow the rules. While being dragged out of the court, Ram Rahim, who describes himself as a “scientist” and “de-addiction specialist”, kept on crying saying ‘koi mujhe bacha lo (somebody save me)’, DNA report adds. Adding more drama, rape convict guru subsequently complained of severe uneasiness as ambulance rushed inside jail premises. “I need urgent medical help and the state will be responsible if anything happens to me,” said guru outside court, according to News18.
Ram Rahim sentencing: Our stand vindicated, says son of murdered journalist
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ram-rahim-sentencing-our-stand-vindicated-says-son-of-murdered-journalist/story-YCK36LOvM6wMcJgyFJMjJO.html
Asaram Bapu case: SC questions Gujarat government over slow pace of trial
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/asaram-bapu-case-supreme-court-questions-gujarat-government-for-slow-trial-4817092/
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Gujarat government for dragging its feet in the trial of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu. SC asked the state counsel why the rape victim has not been examined till date.A bench comprising justices NV Ramanna and Amitava Roy asked the state government to file an affidavit in this regard and posted the matter for further hearing after Diwali.Earlier in April, a bench comprising of the then Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul directed a Gujarat trial to expedite hearing in the case.“The trial court is directed to expedite the examination of witnesses as expeditiously as may be practically possible,”bench had said. Appearing for Gujarat govt,Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said 29 prosecution witnesses have already been examined and the statements of 46 witnesses are yet to be recorded. indianexpress
SC to hear pleas relating to ban on SIMI separately on Oct 13
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sc-to-hear-pleas-relating-to-ban-on-simi-separately-on-oct-13/1/1035750.html
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said it would hear on Oct.13 a batch of petitions, including one of the Centre, relating to the governments decisions to ban SIMI from time to time.A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud decided to segregate the writ petitions challenging provisions of the UAPA from those related to the ban on SIMI and fixed the former for hearing separately on Nov.9.UAPA Tribunal, headed by Delhi HC judge Justice Suresh Kait, in 2014 had confirmed the Centres decision to extend by another five years, that is till 2019, the ban on SIMI.The banned outfit has filed appeals in the SC against every ban order passed by the tribunal from time to time since 2001.The Centre had also filed an appeal in the top court in 2008 against an order passed by Justice Gita Mittal tribunal lifting the ban on SIMI. The tribunal had said that the evidence against the SIMI was not enough to justify the extension of ban under the UAPA. However, a day later, the Supreme Court stayed the order lifting the ban.Today, the court considered the statement of Attorney General K K Venugopal, representing the Centre, that the pending pleas deal with various issues including the challenge to the ban imposed on SIMI and the validity of certain provisions of the UAPA.PTI
AAP Wins Bawana Bypoll, TDP Gets Nandyal, BJP Bags Panaji, Valpoi
http://www.india.com/news/india/aap-wins-bawana-bypoll-tdp-gets-nandyal-bjp-bags-panaji-valpoi-2432309/
New Delhi: BJP on Monday won 2 out of 4 seats where counting was conducted for Assembly byelections. BJP won the 2 seats in Goa, its ally TDP won the Andhra Pradesh seat, while the AAP won Delhi Assembly seat. The seats that went to poll on August 23 were – Bawana in Delhi, Panaji and Valpoi in Goa and Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.The AAP emerged winner in the contest that turned out to be the most interesting on Monday with trends changing every hour. While the Congress was leading in the first 8 rounds of counting, the AAP took the lead from the ninth round while Congress was pushed to second. In the next few rounds, while AAP emerged as a clear winner, BJP pushed the Congress to the third position.AAP’s Ram Chander won the seat after he got 59886 votes while BJP’s Ved Prakash got 35834 votes and Congress’s Surender Kumar received 31919 votes. Bawana seat went vacant after Ved Prakash, who had left the BJP and won the seat in 2015 from the AAP resigned from the seat and went back to the BJP. It was, therefore, being seen as a prestige battle for both AAP and BJP. It also comes as a breather for AAP which suffered losses in MCD elections as well as the Rajouri Garden bypoll.Goa CM Manohar Parrikar won the Panaji byelection by 4,803 votes, defeating Girish Raya Chodankar of the Congress. After the victory, Parrikar said that he will resign from his Rajya Sabha seat next week. Panaji bypoll was necessitated after BJP’s sitting MLA, Siddharth Kuncolienkar, vacated the seat for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has to get elected to the Assembly within 6 months of becoming the CM. Goa Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane won the Valpoi byelection by over 6,000 seats. He defeated Congress’s candidate Roy Naik. india
AAP retains Bawana seat in Delhi by margin of over 24,000 votes
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/bawana-bypoll-aaps-ram-chander-gets-past-congress-candidate/article19575123.ece?homepage=true
Modi Cabinet reshuffle likely this week: Sharad Pawar may get a Cabinet berth
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/modi-cabinet-reshuffle-likely-this-week-sharad-pawar-may-get-a-cabinet-berth/articleshow/60255954.cms
Centre is likely to reshuffle the Cabinet this week to include JD(U) and NCP in NDA gov. According to a Times Now, 5 Minister of States may get promoted, and members from JD(U) and NCP may get Cabinet berths. As per reports, Sharad Pawar may also join the Modi Cabinet. Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) is likely to be rewarded for joining the NDA and Sharad Pawar-led NCP may get a Cabinet berths for its open defiance of the Congress leadership in the recent past. After Railway minister Suresh Prabhu's offer to resign, there could be a change of leadership at the ministry. Economictimes
HC seeks Centre’s reply on plea against acquisition of Waqf properties
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/hc-seeks-centres-reply-on-plea-against-acquisition-of-waqf-properties-4817286/
New Delhi: Delhi High Court today sought response of the Centre on a PIL challenging the acquisition of over 300 Waqf properties in national capital by the Centre.A bench of Acting Chief Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Lieutenant Governor, the AAP government and the Delhi Waqf Board on a plea which sought to restore the possession of Waqf properties which were allegedly taken over by the government without paying any compensation.The bench directed authorities concerned to file status report before the next date of hearing, Dec 11.The petitioner, advocate Shahid Ali, said the intentions of officials concerned of the Centre are malafide, contrary to the principles of natural justice and violative of the fundamental rights of citizens.The plea said that when any land is acquired by the government, an applicable compensation is paid to the owner.In this case, the Waqf land “is vested with God and no compensation can be made to the God” and hence, no acquirement can be made, it claimed.“Allotment of Waqf land by the government to any person or institution or even acquirement of thereof is void under section 51 of Waqf Act 1995 which provided that any lease or any immovable property which is Waqf property, shall be void unless such lease is effective with the prior sanction of board,” the plea said.PTI
Kerala health dept to conduct inquiry into practice of female genital mutilation
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kerala-health-dept-to-conduct-inquiry-into-practice-of-female-genital-mutilation/story-lctV185uiB3COPo41R4EnO.html
Kerala Health department will conduct an inquiry into reports about the alleged prevalence of primitive female genital mutilation practice in the state.Health minister KK Shylaja directed the Health Director to conduct an urgent preliminary inquiry into the matter.The inquiry was ordered in the wake of recent media reports that ‘chela karmam’, the practice of removing the genital skin of girl children, is conducted in some medical clinics in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram districts.According to media reports, such centres facilitate the altering or injuring of female genital organs by ritual cutting or removing the skin for non-medical reasons.“The report was really shocking. The practise is not only primitive and superstitious but also an insult to the womanhood,” Shylaja told PTI.PTI
Exclusive: J&K Governor Vohra likely to resign
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/exclusive-jammu-and-kashmir-governor-nn-vohra-likely-to-resign/
New Delhi : 10 months ahead of his term ending, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra is likely to resign from his post. Sources have told Indian Express that the development could take place as early as this week, even today. Vohra, serving his second term, took over from SK Sinha on June 25,2008.This follows speculation, in July this year, that he was seeking to retire. However, Home Ministry denied reports saying they received no such letter from the Governor’s office. It has been known that the Centre has been scouting for a replacement for several months.IndianExpress
Delhi court extends NIA custody of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-court-extends-nia-custody-of-kashmiri-businessman-zahoor-watali-4817592/
New Delhi:A Delhi court today extended by five more days, the NIA custody of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly collecting money from Pakistan-based terror outfits for Hurriyat leaders. District Judge Poonam A Bamba, in an in-chamber proceeding, passed the order after the agency sought ten days custody of Watali for further interrogation, court sources said.The matter came before the court after the 10-day NIA custody granted to him earlier ended today. The agency had earlier told the court that it had found various suspicious documents from the accused during the searches, including details of bank accounts and cash received by him from various terror outfits.PTI
Policeman shot dead by militants in Anantnag district of J&K: Indian express
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/policeman-asi-shot-dead-by-militants-in-anantnag-south-kashmir-4817527/
New Delhi: An ASI of police was on Monday killed in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, after militants fired at him, according to PTI. A police official said ASI Abdul Rashid, who was on duty without a weapon, at Mehandi Kadal was fired at and injured by the militants this afternoon.Rashid received bullet injury in his abdomen and was rushed to Anantnag district hospital, from where he was referred to Army’s 92 base hospital at Badamibagh cantonment for specialised treatment. However, despite efforts by doctors at the hospital, Rashid succumbed to injuries, the police official added.
Pak says firing by Indian troops along LoC killed three civilians
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pakistan-says-firing-by-indian-troops-along-loc-killed-three-civilians/story-zXLLNBB9ANI4QztPIZkovK.html
Muzaffarabad, Pakistan:Pakistani police say Indian troops have fired across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region, killing three civilians.Police official Ashfaq Hussain said Monday that shelling by Indian troops overnight hit a house in the Fatehpur area in Haveli district in Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, causing the casualties.Hussain says the shelling also wounded two other people who were inside the house. He says Pakistani forces returned the fire.Muhammad Shabbir, a resident in the Chakoti area, says both sides exchanged fire.HT
200 Indian students marooned in Houston as Hurricane Harvey wreaks havoc
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/200-indian-students-marooned-in-houston-as-hurricane-harvey-wreaks-havoc/articleshow/60260226.cms
Hyderabad: As many as 200 Indian students have been marooned and are in neck deep water at the University of Houston with Hurricane Harvey wreaking havoc in Houston, US.External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday evening tweeted that she had been informed by the Consulate General of India in Houston that efforts were being made to deliver food."We made efforts for delivery of food but US Coast Guard did not allow as boats were required for rescue operations," Sushma Swaraj said adding that Anupam Ray, Consul General at Houston was organizing the rescue operations."Indian students Shalini and Nikhil Bhatia are in ICU. We are ensuring that their relatives reach there at the earliest," the minister said.Meanwhile, the Indian community is reaching out to the victims of the hurricane to help them. "They have declared mandatory evacuation to people in new territory by tomorrow evening. We have no clue how to get out of here, with most of the roads blocked, and move to a safer place. Please let us know your suggestions," said M Vasundhara Reddy who posted her appeal in the FB group 'Indians in Houston'.
Tropical storm brings deadly flooding in Houston
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/tropical-storm-harvey-brings-deadly-flooding-houston-170827170333980.html
3 arrested for Jalpaiguri lynchings, police rule out cow vigilantism
http://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/three-arrested-for-jalpaiguri-lynchings-police-rule-out-cow-vigilantism/story-rZoSShTEaXXY3dYAJLW2uO.html
Kolkata:3 villagers were arrested on Monday for allegedly lynching 2 men on suspicion of cattle smuggling a day earlier in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, police said. Killings were not linked to cow vigilantism, police said, who were yet to ascertain if the two victims, both Muslims, were cattle smugglers or traders. Hafizul Sheikh, resident of Dhubri in Assam,and Anwar Hussain,resident of Cooch Behar in Bengal, were travelling in a van with seven cows when they were attacked by a group of villagers in Dadon on Sunday.
Health Ministry sanctions Rs 23-cr projects to AMU
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/health-ministry-sanctions-rs-23-cr-projects-to-amu-4817602/
Aligarh : Health Ministry has sanctioned several projects to AMU, including one to set up a paediatric cardiology department at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, its vice-chancellor Prof. Tariq Mansoor said today.He said the ministry sanctioned the projects, involving a total cost of Rs 23-crore, under the National Health Mission. The varsity has also mooted a proposal to set up a pharmacy institute and a nursing college, he said.PTI
Less regulation, not removal of minority status, will improve Indian universities:Aparna Kalra, IndiaSpend
http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/less-regulation-not-removal-of-minority-status-will-improve-indian-universities/story-1GCpawUwApwEQoD9rsl6VI.html
WORLD
Report: Saudi, UAE weapons end up with armed groups in Syria, Iraq
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/saudi-arabia-uae-implicated-arms-transfers-170827115154085.html
An investigative report by a Bulgarian journalist says Saudi Arabia and UAE have supplied Eastern European-made weapons to armed groups in Syria and Iraq using different intermediaries and diplomatic cover to mask their points of origin and final destinations.The report, authored by Dilyana Gaytandzhiev, claims Saudi Arabia, UAE, the US military and several countries have used Azerbaijani state-owned airlines Silk Way Airlines to transport large quantities of weapons that ended up in the hands of the ISIL group, Kurdish fighters in the Middle East and armed groups in Africa."At least 350 diplomatic Silk Way Airlines flights transported weapons for war conflicts across the world over the last 3 years," says the report, published in Trud, Bulgaria's largest circulated newspaper."The state aircrafts of Azerbaijan carried on-board tens of tons of heavy weapons and ammunition headed to terrorists under the cover of diplomatic flights."According to report,"Saudi has purchased huge quantities of Eastern European weapons and exported them using Silk Way Airline's diplomatic flights."In 2016,2017 there were 23 diplomatic flights carrying weapons from Bulgaria, Serbia and Azerbaijan to Jeddah and Riyadh".Gaytandzhiev says in the report: "Kingdom [of Saudi] does not buy those weapons for itself, as Saudi army uses only Western weapons and those weapons are not compatible with its military standard."Therefore, the weapons transported on diplomatic flights end up in the hands of terrorist militants in Syria and Yemen that Saudi Arabia officially admits supporting."Citing leaked documents that detail flight paths and weapons cargo of the diplomatic flights, the report shows one aircraft loaded with mortars and anti-tank grenades including SPG-9 and GP-25 which were later discovered by the Iraqi army a month ago in an ISIL warehouse in Mosul.Al Jazeera could not independently confirm the claims made in Gaytandzhiev's report. Saudi has publicly expressed its support for Syrian fighters trying to topple the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad.Multiple attempts by Al Jazeera by phone and email to reach Silk Way Airlines in Baku for a reaction to the Trud story proved unsuccessful. Gaytandzhiev said on Thursday in a tweet that she was fired from her job at Trud after she was interrogated by the Bulgarian national security which tried to find out her sources. She said she first got suspicious of the weapons transferred to Syria when she found Bulgarian-made weapons at the hands "terrorists" in Aleppo while reporting on the Syrian war there.She said that she then traced those weapons to its Bulgarian manufacturer only to find out that those weapons were legally exported to Saudi Arabia, which in turn supplied it to "terrorists" in Syria.A joint investigation by Al Jazeera and the New York Times revealed a joint CIA-Saudi operation that supplied weapons to Syrian fighters by shipping through Jordan.Many of the weapons, the investigation revealed, were stolen by Jordanian officers of the General Intelligence Department. Aljazeera
Daesh prepares to evacuate Syria-Lebanon border
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170828-daesh-prepares-to-evacuate-syria-lebanon-border-zone/
Syrian army and Hezbollah prepared on Monday to transport Daesh fighters from their enclave on the border with Lebanon to eastern Syria after a week-long offensive against the jihadist group.It will end any militant presence on the border, an important goal for Lebanon and the Shia Hezbollah group, and is the first time Daesh has publicly agreed to evacuate territory under force.Daesh agreed a ceasefire on Sunday with the Lebanese army on one front and the Syrian army and Hezbollah on the other after losing much of its mountainous enclave straddling the border, paving the way for its evacuation.The militants will move out of their positions to a point on the Syrian side of the border where they will board vehicles along with their families to transport them to Albukamal in east Syria, a Lebanese security source said. Syria’s state-run Ikhbariya news channel reported on Monday that the group was burning its machinery and HQRS.A witness in Syria at the position where buses are gathering to receive the Daesh fighters said black smoke was visible in the hills and that Syrian army and Hezbollah vehicles were present.The deal involved Daesh revealing the fate of 9 Lebanese soldiers it captured when it overran the town of Arsal in Lebanon in 2014. middleeastmonitor
Ceasefire halts Syria-Lebanon border fight against Daesh
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170828-ceasefire-halts-syria-lebanon-border-fight-against-daesh/
Calls for safe passage of civilians trapped in Syria's Raqqa
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/news/2017/08/calls-safe-passage-civilians-trapped-syrias-raqqa-170828092404579.html
Save Children has called on all sides fighting against the ISIL group in the Syrian city of Raqqa to do all they can to allow civilians to leave safely.The charity says between 18,000 and 25,000 people are left in the city, almost half of them children.It is feared they could be used as human shields. aljazeera
Rohingya: 'Even a baby was not spared by the army'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/rohingya-babies-spared-army-170827192311109.html
Myanmar army has been accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings in the restive Rakhine region, with residents and activists accusing soldiers of shooting indiscriminately at unarmed Rohingya men, women and children and carrying out arson attacks.Authorities in Myanmar say close to 100 people have been killed since Friday when armed men, reportedly from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army(ARSA), launched a pre-dawn raid on police outposts in the restive region. Army has declared a war against "terrorism", encircling the townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung, home to around 800,000 people, and imposed a curfew from 6pm to 6am.However, advocates for the Rohingya have given a much higher death toll, telling Al Jazeera that at least 800 of Muslim minority, including dozens of women and children, have been killed in the violence. Aziz Khan, a Maungdaw resident, said the army stormed his village early on Friday and began "firing indiscriminately at people's cars and homes.Ro Nay San Lwin,Rohingya activist and blogger based in Europe, said anywhere between 5,000 - 10,000 people had been driven from their homes by recent offensive.Using a network of activists on the ground to document the conflict, San Lwin said mosques and madrasas had been burned to the ground, with thousands of Muslims stranded without food and shelter. "My own uncles were forced to flee by the government and the military," he said."There has been no help from the government, instead people's homes have been destroyed and their goods looted."Without food, shelter and protection, they don't know when we'll be killed." aljazeera
Group voices concern over Rakhine attacks
http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/rohingya-group-voices-concern-over-rakhine-attacks-/895195
Taliban bomb attack on Afghan forces kills 13
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/taliban-suicide-bomb-attack-afghan-forces-kills-13-170827211841741.html
A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 13 persons and wounded several more in an attack on a convoy of Afghan soldiers in southern Helmand province late Sunday, an official said. It was the latest in a series of deadly blows to Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces and yet again underlined spiralling insecurity in the war-torn nation."A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-filled car as the Afghan National Army convoy passed a small market in Nawa District of Helmand," Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.A source working at a nearby hospital told AFP on condition of anonymity that the bodies of 15 victims had been brought to the hospital. Another 19 injured were also admitted."The majority of the dead belong to Afghan forces and most of the wounded are civilians," the source said.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists. Casualties among Afghan security forces soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed, according to US watchdog SIGAR.Over 2,500 Afghan police and troops were killed from Jan.1 to May 8.Analysts have warned that Trump's commitment to sending thousands more American troops to Afghanistan - reversing earlier pledges to pull out - could heighten the rebellion and lead to more casualties. aljazeera
UN chief arrives for first Israel-Palestine visit
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170828-un-chief-arrives-for-first-israel-palestine-visit/
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday for his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Guterres was greeted by Israeli diplomats at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. He is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah on Tuesday. His 3-day visit is also expected to include a trip to the blockaded Gaza Strip, which has been suffering from an acute electricity crisis caused by political fighting between West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and Gaza-based Hamas movement. middleeastmonitor
Israel asks visiting UN for new page in relations
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-asks-visiting-un-chief-for-new-page-in-relations/895652
Israeli leaders meeting with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cited several complaints about the world body, accusing it of failing to advance peace in the region. “There is no question that we’ve had a troubled relationship with the UN. I think it has an absurd obsession with Israel [and uses] flagrantly discriminatory tactics,” PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding that he believed Guterres wanted to mend the relationship.Anadolu
Israel continues to raze Palestinian land in Salfit
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170828-israel-continues-to-raze-palestinian-land-in-salfit/
Bulldozers operated by Israeli forces have razed swathes of Palestinian land, including farms planted with well-established olive trees, around the city of Salfit in the occupied West Bank, Quds Press reported on Sunday. According to researcher Khalid Maali, the land belonged to Islamic Awqaf authorities. The expert in settlement issues explained that the Israeli bulldozers targeted land in the area known locally as Khellat Al-Jamei. Part of this area has already been developed by Israeli settlers to build a factory in the Ariel Industrial Zone, part of the illegal Ariel settlement bloc.Israel claims that this area is state land. Maali said that the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf had tried several times to restore it, but the Israelis rejected the requests and cracked down on activities on the ground. He pointed out that the Palestinian residents of are being targeted directly by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers, noting that they do not have enough official and popular support to be able to defend their land. middleeastmonitor
Tillerson keeps distance from Trump's race row stance
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/193451/tillerson-keeps-distance-from-trumps-race-row-stance
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended American values on Sunday after a UN panel criticized the official response to racist violence -- but conspicuously declined to speak for President Donald Trump.Trump triggered outrage earlier this month when he suggested both sides were at fault after unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a woman was killed when a white supremacist drove his car into a group of counter-protesters.Trump's response was celebrated in white nationalist circles but drew harsh criticism from around the world and across the US political spectrum, including a particularly sharp rebuke on Sunday from former vice president Joe Biden, who said Trump's "willingness to divide this nation knows no bounds."World Bulletin
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:42 PM)
