NEWS DIGEST, Afternoon
10 April 2019: 04 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:172
INDIA
SC rejects preliminary objections by govt, to examine Rafale review pleas on merits on the basis of published documents
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-rejects-preliminary-objections-by-govt-to-examine-rafale-review-using-published-documents/article26789601.ece
In an unanimous judgment,the Supreme Court today decided to hear the review petitions on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal on merits on the basis of the documents published in the media, including The Hindu, on the disparity in pricing details of the 36 jets, objections raised by the Indian negotiating team to parallel negotiations conducted by the Prime Minister's Office, among others. The Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the Union government claiming privilege over Rafale documents and projecting the publication of the documents as part of a conspiracy following the leak of these defence purchase records from the Ministry of Defence.Attorney General KK Venugopal submitted that review petitions were based on “stolen” Rafale documents, which are not admissible in evidence.“We deem it proper to dismiss the preliminary objections to hold and affirm that the review petitions will be adjudicated on their merits on the basis of the relevance of the three documents whose admissibility was questioned by the respondents [govt]),” CJI Gogoi read out the operative portion of the judgment that he and Justice S.K. Kaul wrote.CJI Gogoi added that Justice K.M. Joseph had concurred with them in a separate judgment.“He has also reached the same conclusion but in a different manner,”CJI said. The dates of hearing the review petitions would be fixed later.The case was reserved on March 14. The review petitions were filed against a Dec.14, 2018 judgement of the SC upholding the 36 Rafale jets deal.The govt wanted the court to refrain from examining the documents. It claimed that the documents were unauthorised photocopies of the originals kept in the Ministry of Defence and sneaked into the public domain.thehindu
SC Rejects Centre's Objection That Rafale Deal Documents Are 'Privileged'
https://thewire.in/government/rafale-deal-case-supreme-court-documents
SC decision on Rafale review pleas: Defence Ministry says incomplete presentation of facts
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rafale-verdict-review-petitioners-presenting-selective-and-incomplete-picture-says-defence-ministry/article26792324.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:In response to the Supreme Court decision on Rafale deal case review petitions, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said the petitioners were using documents with the intention of presenting a “selective and incomplete picture” of internal secret deliberations on a matter relating to national security and defence.thehindu
‘A victory for India’: Opposition parties welcome SC’s decision to hear review pleas in Rafale deal
https://scroll.in/latest/919559/a-victory-for-india-opposition-parties-welcome-scs-decision-to-hear-review-pleas-in-rafale-deal
Opposition parties today hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Rafale deal case. The SC agreed to hear review pleas challenging an earlier judgement dismissing a CBI inquiry into the deal, and dismissed the Centre’s objections to the petitions.Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the Supreme Court had accepted that there is some form of corruption in the Rafale deal and that the “chowkidaar” had got “chori”, or theft, done, ANI reported.Congress asserted that the judgement was a victory for India.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the judgement today showed that Modi has committed theft in the Rafale deal. Kejriwal alleged that Modi betrayed the Indian Army and tried to fool the SC to hide his crime.BSP chief Mayawati tweeted that the Modi government’s attempt to hide corruption in the Rafale deal had failed. She demanded that the prime minister apologise to the country and that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman resign.CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury claimed that BJP has compromised national security. “Modi and his government have compromised national security for corruption & cronyism in an important defence deal,” he tweeted.scroll.in
Order Stopping PM Biopic Applies To NaMo TV Too: Poll Commission Sources
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/order-stopping-screening-of-pm-modis-biopic-till-end-of-elections-applies-to-namo-tv-say-election-co-2021001
New Delhi: NaMo TV, 24-hour channel promoting PM Narendra Modi and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that begin tomorrow, may also face the restrictions that the Election Commission applied to a glorifying biopic of the Prime Minister earlier in the day, stopping its release, sources told NDTV. The channel had mysteriously showed up on satellite TV networks late last month, drawing protests from the opposition. Stopping the release of "PM Narendra Modi" till national elections are over, the Election Commission said that any film "which has the potential to disturb the level playing field during the elections should not be displayed in electronic media", effectively banning the screening of the film, just a day before its release, coinciding with the start of elections. "That any poster or publicity material concerning any such certified content, which either depicts a candidate (including prospective) for furtherance(or purported to further) of electoral prospect, directly or indirectly, shall not be put to display in electronic media in the area where MCC (Model Code of Conduct) is in operation,"Election Commission's order had said.Sources in the poll body told NDTV that the directive also applied to any channel like NaMo TV.ndtv
Election watch: EC bans release of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ biopic till end of polling
https://scroll.in/latest/919530/election-watch-rahul-gandhi-to-file-nomination-from-amethi-today
Pakistan PM Imran Khan sees better chance of peace talks with India if BJP wins election
https://in.reuters.com/article/pakistan-politics-khan/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-sees-better-chance-of-peace-talks-with-india-if-bjp-wins-election-idINKCN1RL265
Pakistani PM Imran Khan said he thinks there may be a better chance of peace talks with India if PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP wins the general election due to begin there on Thursday.Khan said that if the next Indian government were led by the opposition Congress party, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over disputed Indian-controlled Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right. “Perhaps if the BJP - a right-wing party - wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” Khan told a small group of foreign journalists in an interview.This was despite the massive alienation that Muslims in Kashmir and Muslims in general were facing in Modi’s India, said Khan.“I never thought I would see what is happening in India right now,” said he.Khan said Indian Muslims he knew who many years ago had been happy about their situation in India were now very worried by extreme Hindu nationalism.He said Modi, like Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, was electioneering based on “fear and nationalist feeling”.BJP’s pledge this week to propose stripping decades-old special rights from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which prevent outsiders from buying property in the state, was a major concern, though it could also be electioneering, Khan said. Khan did appear to offer India an olive branch, saying that Islamabad was determined to dismantle all Pakistan-based militias in the country, and that the govt had full support from Pakistan’s army for the programme. Those to be dismantled include groups involved in Kashmir.Khan said Kashmir was a political struggle and there was no military solution, adding that Kashmiris suffered if armed militants from Pakistan came across the border, leading to Indian army crackdowns .Khan said there was still the possibility if the polls turn against Modi in the next few weeks that India could take some further military action against Pakistan.Reuters
Opposition questions PM Modi: Why is Imran Khan batting for you?
https://indianexpress.com/elections/pakistan-imran-khan-pm-modi-opposition-congress-reaction-lok-sabha-polls-5668908/
New Delhi :Opposition on Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over comments made by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan that if the BJP is voted back to power, then there are better chances of India-Pakistan peace talks and settling Kashmir issue with India. Seizing on Khan’s remarks, the opposition parties, including the Congress and CPI (M), said a vote for PM Modi is a vote for Pakistan. Congress also said Pakistani premier Khan’s remarks reflect that Pakistan has “officially allied” with Modi, reports PTI.Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala launched a blistering attack on Modi over Khan’s comments. “Pak has officially allied with Modi! A vote for Modi is a vote for Pakistan!” Surjewala tweeted.“Modi ji, first there was love for Nawaz Sharif and now Imran Khan is your dear friend,” he added in a tweet in Hindi. The truth is out in the open, Surjewala claimed.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also lashed out at Prime Minister Modi over Khan’s remarks, saying now it was known who Pakistan wants as PM.“Pakistan has been the only issue of Modi’s election campaign, where he has scurrilously tried to link it to opposition. Now we know who Pakistan actually wants as PM, the only Indian PM to have invited ISI to a military base, and the only one who went to Pakistan uninvited,” he said.indianexpress
‘Don’t vote for BJP’: Uttarakhand farmer writes in his suicide note before consuming poison
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/dont-vote-for-bjp-uttarakhand-farmer-writes-in-his-suicide-note-before-consuming-poison
A 65-year-old farmer in Uttarakhand allegedly committed suicide owing to heavy debt burden on Monday, just days before the first round of voting on April 11 for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.A resident of the Haridwar district, Ishwar Chand Sharma reportedly held the government responsible for his death.“BJP government has destroyed farmers in five years. Don't vote for them otherwise, they will make everyone sell tea,” the deceased farmer wrote in his suicide note, as per TOI.Haridwar goes to poll in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 11.nationalheraldindia
LS: First phase voting in 91 seats across 20 states tomorrow; Gadkari, Owaisi among key candidates
https://www.newsx.com/national/lok-sabha-election-2019-first-phase-voting-in-91-seats-across-20-states-tomorrow-nitin-gadkari-asaduddin-owaisi-among-key-candidates
The country will witness the first phase of polling for a total of 91 Lok Sabha seats spread over 20 states and Union Territories on April 11. There are total 543 parliamentary constituencies across the country and the Lok Sabha polls will be held over 7 phases, through May 19, followed by the counting of votes on May 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be looking for a second term while the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress will try to unseat him. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP was part of the NDA then.Congress was reduced to just 44.The poll predictions of prominent agencies have predicted that BJP-led NDA will manage re-election and the Congress individually will again fail to cross the 100-mark. Even aspirations of non-BJP, non-Congress parties to have a Third Front govt at Centre will go in vain. They are expected to win around 130 Lok Sabha seats.NewsX
Want Ram temple at the spot where Babri mosque stood:Ex-Himachal CM, Cong leader Virbhadra Singh
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/apr/09/want-ram-temple-at-the-spot-where-babri-mosque-stood-says-congress-leader-virbhadra-singh-1962275.html
Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh Tuesday said he favours the construction of a Ram temple at the same spot where the Babri mosque stood in Ayodhya and accused BJP of lacking the willpower to build it.The veteran Congress leader's view is at variance with his party which has said it would abide by the judicial verdict on the issue. The Congress leader also said, "Islam came to India later. The mosque was built after demolishing the temple in Ayodhya."PTI
Gujarat MLA Alpesh Thakor quits Congress
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/gujarat-congress-mla-alpesh-thakor-resigns-from-party-5669214/
New Delhi:In a further jolt to the Congress in Gujarat, Radhanpur MLA Alpesh Thakor resigned from the party on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, an outfit floated by him, decided to sever its ties with the Congress.Thakor, who had joined the Congress in the run-up to the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, had hinted that he might quit the party last month amid rumours that BJP had offered him a ministerial post. Reports had said that though Thakor was keen to contest from Patan Lok Sabha seat, the Congress fielded former MP Jagdish Thakor.The development comes after two Congress MLAs — Jawahar Chavda and Parsotam Sabariya — resigned from the party in March. Chavda was inducted as a Cabinet minister in the Vijay Rupani government after he joined the BJP.indianexpress
Rajasthan has sent only one Muslim candidate to Lok Sabha since 1952
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/rajasthan/news/rajasthan-has-sent-only-one-muslim-candidate-to-lok-sabha-since-1952/articleshow/68796118.cms
JAIPUR: Only one Muslim candidate from Rajasthan has made it to Lower House of Parliament twice since the general election to the first Lok Sabha in 1952.While 13 Muslim candidates from the state have contested on Congress ticket, only one Muslim has been a BJP candidate in the last 16 Lok Sabha elections.Ayub Khan holds the distinction of being the only Muslim candidate who has been elected twice to the Lok Sabha from the state from the Jhunjhunu parliamentary seat in 1984 and 1991 on the Congress ticket.Khan, who contested elections four times from the same constituency, served as the minister of state for agriculture in Narasimha Rao govt. Before entering into politics, Khan had been a 'Risaldar',a mid-level rank in cavalry and armoured units of the Indian Army. He was hounoured with the gallantry award for his valour in the 1965 war with Pakistan.As per 2011 Census, Rajasthan has nearly 10% Muslim population.This time Rafiq Mandelia is Congress' candidate from Churu. Commentator Sikandar Niyazi said the Muslim candidates face many problems like lack of resources to take on the other candidates. The seats of the candidates from the minority community are repeatedly changed and it is also a reason that they are not able to galvanise support for themselves, he said.PTI
Another Gujarat riot survivor to contest election
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/gujarat/news/another-riot-survivor-to-contest-election/articleshow/68802428.cms
Another survivor of 2002 Gujarat communal riots will contest in the general election. Imtiyaz khan Pathan, 42, is a key witness in the Gulbarg Society massacre case as well in the case stemming from the complaint filed by Zakia Jafri, alleging a larger conspiracy. Jafri is the wife of Ehsan Jafri, a former Congress MP, who was killed in the massacre.Pathan has filed his nomination on an Apna Desh party ticket to fight for the Kheda Lok Sabha seat. "It has been 17 years since the Gulbarg massacre occurred, yet justice has not been delivered," Pathan said. "Such horrors should not happen to any community. Fighting cases in courts is not the same as representing our agony in the Parliament." Pathan lost 10 members of his family in the Gulbarg Society killings on Feb.28, 2002.Incidentally,Pathan’s elder brother, Firozkhan Pathan, is also contesting in 2019 general election. He is fighting as an independent candidate for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.TOI
Supreme Court rejects Lalu’s bail plea in fodder scam cases
https://scroll.in/latest/919550/supreme-court-rejects-lalu-yadavs-bail-plea-in-fodder-scam-cases
The Supreme Court today dismissed the bail petition of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in three fodder scam cases, reported Bar and Bench.On Tuesday, CBI had opposed the bail plea, claiming that Yadav may get involved in political activities during the Lok Sabha elections if he is granted bail. CBI said Yadav has been admitted to a hospital for the last 8 months, but has been carrying out political activities from there.scroll.in
NIA questions Hurriyat's Mirwaiz for 3rd day
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/nia-questions-hurriyat-s-mirwaiz-for-3rd-day-119041000463_1.html
New Delhi:NIA questioned Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for a third consecutive day today in connection with a terror funding case, an official said. As the investigators were not satisfied with the answers given by Farooq during his earlier questioning, he was again called on Wednesday to clarify on matters related to funding to his Awami Action Committee as well as Hurriyat Conference, officials said. He appeared before agency at around 11a.m. Sources said this is the last day of Farooq's questioning and he will leave Delhi for Jammu and Kashmir in an afternoon flight.According to informed sources, NIA team has asked him about details of his bank accounts, movable and immovable properties and his relatives residing in India and abroad and their businesses. Farooq was accompanied by other separatist leaders, including Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari.NIA yesterday had also summoned Naseem Geelani, son of separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, in connection with the case.So far, the agency has arrested Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate,Nayeem Khan,Altaf Ahmad Shah,Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah. Altaf Ahmad Shah is the son-in-law of Syed Ali Geelani.IANS
Delhi court sends Yasin Malik to NIA custody till April 22
https://scroll.in/latest/919570/delhi-court-sends-kashmiri-separatist-yasin-malik-to-nia-custody-till-april-22
A Delhi court today sent JKLF chief Yasin Malik to the custody of NIA till April 22. NIA had sought Malik’s custody to probe in connection with a case related to funding of separatists and militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir.Malik had been shifted from Kot Balwal Jail in Jammu to Tihar Jail in Delhi on Tuesday.scroll.in/PTI
J&K: JRL calls for valley wide shutdown tomorrow, on polling days in respective areas
https://kashmirreader.com/2019/04/10/jrl-calls-for-valleywide-shutdown-tomorrow-on-polling-days-in-respective-areas/
Srinagar:Joint Resistance leadership (JRL) has called for a complete shutdown on April 11 against the “so-called” parliamentary elections and against NIA aggression which includes the shifting of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik to Tihar jail Delhi under the pretext of questioning by NIA, rigorous questioning of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at NIA HQRS in Delhi.kashmirreader
J&K High Court gives state, Centre 10 days to respond to plea against highway restrictions
https://scroll.in/latest/919543/j-k-high-court-gives-state-centre-10-days-to-respond-to-plea-against-highway-restrictions
Jammu and Kashmir High Court has asked the state administration and the Centre for a response within 10 days to petitions filed against the restrictions on civilian vehicular movement on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, PTI reported.Petitions have been filed against the government order by bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal, and leaders from NC and the PDP. A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan refused to grant an interim stay and scheduled the next hearing for April 19.scroll.in
NIA arrests Kerala IS suspect on arrival from Qatar
https://www.oneindia.com/india/nia-arrests-kerala-based-islamic-state-operative-on-arrival-from-qatar-2876257.html
New Delhi: NIA has arrested a resident of Kerala in connection with an Islamic State related case. The accused person, Shaibu Nihar a resident of Kozhikode was arrested upon his arrival at the Calicut Airport from Doha, Qatar. Nihar was arrested on the basis of the disclosures made by another accused in the case, Hamsa UK.He had told NIA that Nihar along with other accused persons were working in Bahrain and attending classes at Al Ansar Salafi Centre. oneindia
Muslim Youth Denied Job at Noida Company Citing Religious Identity
http://caravandaily.com/muslim-youth-denied-job-at-noida-company-citing-religious-identity/
New Delhi:26-year-old Saeed Ansari has to go back to his village and work as an apprentice with his father’s carpenter’s workshop. Saeed was in Delhi seeking better work opportunity, but after being denied a job with Oppo Mobile Company in Greater Noida’s Kasna area, on the basis of his religious identity, he has no other option but to go back.Saeed hails from Beesalpur village which falls in MP Varun Gandi’s constituency – Pilbhit, Uttar Pradesh. According to him, he and Azad Ansari were part of a group that went through a series of interviews and HR process for the position of a machine operator at the mobile company. All of the candidates from the group barring him and Azad got the job.Saeed had worked before with the company for a period of 5 months. According to him, they had earlier been hired on a contractual basis and following which they got a break of two months, with a promise of being hired again.“On February 9, the contractor had called us with the news of rejoining the company. Following which, we all were interviewed. They also gave us a card and said that we will receive a call within 2 to 4 working days. We waited for the call for 20 days. When we did not get the call then we contacted the contractor and met him on. He told us that company no longer hires Muslims,” said Saeed. Saeed, a post-graduate in Urdu also has a degree in polytechnic. He, however, added that he was not directly denied the job by citing his religion. He remembered that when he went to ask about his joining, he was first asked his name and then asked to step aside, stating that his case is different.caravandaily
BJP MLA, 4 security men killed in Maoist attack in Dantewada
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/five-killed-after-mla-s-car-attacked-by-maoists-in-dantewada/story-OhdBgPeRiLFoYngHtXI0cO.html
Raipur: A BJP MLA, Bhima Mandavi, and 4 other accompanying him in a convoy of vehicles were killed when Maoist rebels triggered an IED in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar on Tuesday, two days before the region votes in the first phase of the general election.IED was detonated when the convoy was passing through Shyamagiri hills in south Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district at about 4.30 pm, the police said. The Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, where Left-wing insurgents are active, votes with 90 other parliamentary wards on April 11 in the first phase of the general election staggered over seven phases. Mandavi’s convoy was heading towards Kuwakonda in Dantewada district from the Bacheli area, about 450 km from state capital Raipur. Along with Mandavi, the MLA from Dantewada, a driver indentified as Danteshwar Maurya and three security personnel, district force troopers Chhagan Kuldeep, Somdu Kawasi and Ramlal Oyami, were killed in the blast, police said.HT
10 Women Workers Die Under Mound of Mud in Telangana
https://thewire.in/labour/women-workers-die-mound-of-mud-telangana
Hyderabad: 10 women working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme were buried alive and another injured when a mound of mud caved in on them at a village in Narayanpet district of Telangana on Wednesday, police said.The incident occurred at Tileru village around 11:15 am when 12 women labourers were sitting at the work site to have lunch, they said, adding rescue efforts were on.Under the MNREGA scheme, the women were engaged for digging earth as part of trench work, a senior district official told PTI.According to eye-witnesses, a mound of earth fell on them and they were buried under six to eight feet of mud.PTI
Gujarat: Minority prof passed over for HOD post at VNSGU
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/minority-prof-passed-over-for-hod-post-at-vnsgu/articleshow/68802482.cms
Surat: Veer Narmad South Gujarat University recently appointed a reader to the post of head of the department (HoD), but in the process sidelining a senior professor, a decision that is now creating turmoil in the region’s academic circles. Senior academicians who have raised eyebrows at the varsity’s decision, has termed it as bias towards the minority community.M G Timol, professor in Mathematics and the senior-most teacher in the department was not given the post of HOD. In his place, reader Dilip Joshi, was made HOD recently. However, Timol was promoted to professorship under career advancement scheme (CAS), while Joshi had been appointed in the department as a direct recruitment. Senior academician Suryakant Shah said,“Current rulers have taken religious hatred up to a worrisome level, even in academics. In case of mathematics department, varsity authorities seem to have sidelined the senior professor only because he is from the minorities.” Shah has been fighting for teachers’ rights for years.TOI
Suleman bakery case: Search for tape-recorder to examine witnesses: Indian express
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/suleman-bakery-case-search-for-tape-recorder-to-examine-witnesses-5667836/
Mumbai:Along with the search for witnesses to an incident that took place over 26 years ago, the trial of seven policemen accused of killing 9 Muslim men at Suleman Usman Bakery during the 1993 communal riots faces an additional challenge — finding a tape-recorder, that Pydhonie police claims it has been unable to find.On Tuesday, the recording of evidence of two witnesses, both policemen who in 2001 had heard audio cassettes containing wireless messages from the control room on Jan.9, 1993, the day of the incident, and transcribed them, had to be deferred for want of a tape-recorder.The sessions court judge asked the police why the tape-recorder had not been arranged despite the prosecution knowing that the witnesses pertained to the tapes, and these would have to be heard in court. An officer from Pydhonie police claimed that a cassette tape-recorder was not found easily these days. He also told the court that cassettes were not in “running condition”. The court, however, directed the police to arrange for a tape-recorder and summon the two witnesses only after that.
‘Deeply regret’ Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Theresa May tells British Parliament
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/deeply-regret-jallianwala-bagh-massacre-theresa-may-tells-british-parliament/article26795407.ece?homepage=true
British PM Theresa May today expressed regret for 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre by British troops in Amritsar but stopped short of a full apology.“We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused,” Ms. May told te British parliament, as India prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the killings. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, called for “a full, clear and unequivocal apology”.April 13, 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in which British troops opened fire on thousands of unarmed protesters, remains an enduring scar from British colonial rule in India.Colonial-era records show about 400 people died in the northern city of Amritsar when soldiers opened fire on men, women and children in an enclosed area, but Indian figures put the toll at closer to 1,000.AFP
Indian couple charged with spying on Germany’s Sikh community, Kashmir movement
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-couple-accused-of-spying-on-germany-s-sikh-community-kashmir-movement/story-Uus2w9simvWscs6atD6f6M.html
An Indian married couple accused of spying on Germany’s Sikh community and ‘Kashmir movement’ have been charged with espionage, German prosecutors announced on Tuesday.They named the suspects only as 50-year-old Manmohan S. and his wife Kanwal Jit K., 51, in keeping with German privacy rules for defendants. “Manmohan S. agreed by Jan.2015 at the latest to provide information about Germany’s Sikh community and Kashmir movement and their relatives to an employee of the Indian foreign intelligence service Research & Analysis Wing,” they said in a statement.His wife joined him in monthly meetings with the Indian intelligence officer between July and Dec.2017, and in total couple were paid 7,200 euros for their work.PTI
WORLD
Israel elections: Netanyahu set for record fifth term as PM
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/israel-elections-netanyahu-set-record-term-pm-190410130916974.html
Israel's incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on course for a record fifth term, election results show.Netanyahu has an advantage as nearly all right-wing parties have declared their support to the Israeli leader, Israeli media reported.The Likud party with the help of other right-wing parties are likely to muster enough support to get a majority in the 120-seat parliament, known as Knesset."It is a night of colossal victory," Netanyahu, 69, told supporters at Likud headquarters. ikud party and the centrist Blue and White party led by Netanyahu's main rival Benny Gantz tied at 97 percent of votes counted. The two main parties won 35 seats apiece.Likud, which gained five more seats compared with the 2015 elections, needs 61 seats to form the government.Netanyahu and his main challenger Gantz were quick to claim victory in the elections."The skies may look overcast ... but they cannot conceal the sun of hope that we have brought to the Israeli people and society," Gantz, 59, wrote in an open letter.United Torah Judaism, Shas, Yisrael Beitenu, Right-wing Union and Kulanu are parties from the right-wing bloc that have passed the 3.25 percent threshold to enter Knesset, obtaining 30 seats combined.This places the right-wing bloc in a 10-seat lead over the left.In the centre-left bloc Labor, Meretz and the Arab parties of Hadash-Ta'al and Balad-Ra'am obtained 20 seats.However, their total of 10 Knesset seats is lower than in the 2015 elections, when the Arab joint list won 13, making them the third-largest faction in the 20th Knesset.aljazeera
Airbnb to allow listings from illegal Israeli settlements
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/airbnb-listings-illegal-israeli-settlements-190410002223703.html
Home-sharing platform Airbnb has announced it will back off a plan to remove Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank from its rental listings to end lawsuits brought by the hosts.Israeli lawyers filed a class action suit against Airbnb in November immediately after it said it planned to remove from its rental listings Jewish settler homes in the West Bank "that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians".On Tuesday, the company said the agreement settled all legal actions brought by hosts and potential hosts who went to court."Airbnb will not move forward with implementing the removal of listings in the West Bank from the platform," the San Francisco-based company said in a news release."We will continue to allow listings throughout all of the West Bank, but Airbnb will take no profits from this activity in the region."aljazeera
Muslim Brotherhood backs Jordan king’s stance on Jerusalem
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190410-muslim-brotherhood-backs-jordan-kings-stance-on-jerusalem/
The Muslim Brotherhood group said it was “fully” supporting Jordan King Abdullah II’s recent statements which slammed the “Israeli escalations in occupied Jerusalem”.In an official letter, the group explained that it rejected the US’ new peace plan which has been dubbed the “deal of the century” and what it described as “the continued illegally Israeli annexing of Palestinian lands.” “The group [Brotherhood] is aware of the dangers Jordan faces, which require the strengthening of the internal national front,” the letter read.“With the Jordanian people’s integrity, faith and loyalty, the group is certain that Jordan will be able to overcome the current crises firmly and triumphantly,” it added.On 22 March, King Abdullah reaffirmed his country’s stance regarding Jerusalem, saying that the holy city was a “red line” for him and for the Jordanian people.MEMO
German police raid aid organisations for alleged links to Hamas
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190410-german-police-raid-aid-organisations-for-alleged-links-to-hamas/
German police raided charities alleged to provide support to the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. Around 90 properties in ten states were searched in raids carried out across Germany today, targeting charities suspected of providing “financial and propaganda” for the Islamist group.The interior ministry said that the main targets of the raids were WorldWide Resistance-Help and Ansaar International. They are accused of collecting funds for Hamas, which the EU has proscribed as a terrorist organisation.“Whoever supports Hamas under the guise of humanitarian aid disregards fundamental values of our constitution and discredits the commitment of many aid organisations,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said. MEMO
'Out with system': Algeria protesters reject interim president
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/system-algeria-protesters-reject-interim-president-190409133244973.html
Police in Algeria's capital have fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of students protesting against the appointment of a new interim president who is a part of the ruling order they have been seeking to remove. The demonstration in central Algiers on Tuesday took place as parliament officially confirmed upper house Speaker Abdelkader Bensalah as acting head of state for the next 90 days to replace Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned last week under pressure from the weeks-long, youth-led protests.Footage showed security forces moving in on the demonstrators shouting "out with the system", dousing them with pepper spray, shooting from a water cannon and using batons to break up the crowd. Bensalah's appointment is in accordance with Algeria's constitution but the protesters who drove Bouteflika out after 20 years in office are unsatisfied with the move because he is a key ally of the former president and a seasoned establishment insider.Naming a new interim president allows the country to organise elections. Bensalah, who cannot run in the polls, does not have the support of the opposition parties, which abstained from Tuesday's session in parliament. Bensalah is one of the three figures appointed by Bouteflika to key posts that protesters are demanding leave, dubbing them the "3 Bs". The others are Noureddine Bedoui, appointed last month as the head of government, and the chief of the Constitutional Council, Tayeb Belaiz, who would replace Bensalah in the case he resigned.aljazeera
Civilian casualties rise in Syria's Idlib
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/civilian-casualties-rise-fighting-intensifies-syrias-idlib-190410110153046.html
UN says there has been an alarming rise in civilian casualties in Syria's last opposition-controlled province.It says 90 civilians, half of them children, were killed in March. The bombardment of Idlib by Syrian govt has intensified, despite a ceasefire.The opposition blames the government and says it has been targeting residential neighbourhoods and markets.aljazeera
Khashoggi family denies financial settlement with govt
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/khashoggi-family-denies-financial-settlement-with-gov-t/1448197
Riyadh:The family of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has denied any financial settlement with Saudi authorities. “Currently, the trial is taking place and no settlement discussion had been or is discussed,” the family said in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday. “The people who committed and were involved in this crime will all be brought to justice and face punishment,” it added. Last week,Washington Post said that Saudi had paid compensations to the family of the renowned journalist, citing that each of his children had been given houses in Jeddah worth as much as $4 million as part of a preliminary financial settlement. Anadolu
Bosnia: Historical mosque comes under racist attack
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/bosnia-historical-mosque-comes-under-racist-attack/1448187
Serbia:A historical mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina was vandalized with with spray-painted symbols of Nazis and extreme Serb nationalists late Tuesday.The Arnaudija Mosque was come under racist attack when the assailants spray-painted Nazis' swastika, and "4S” symbol of extreme Serbian nationalist, meaning "Only the unity saves Serbs".Located in the Banja Luka city of Republika Srpska (RS) entity in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Arnaudija Mosque was completely demolished by Serb forces during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995.Anadolu Agency
New Zealand passes gun law reform in wake of Christchurch attack
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/zealand-passes-gun-law-reform-wake-christchurch-attack-190410093022879.html
New Zealand's parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of legislation to ban semi-automatic and military-style weapons.The changes were first proposed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern just days after a gunman carried out an indiscriminate shooting spree in two Christchurch mosques, killing 50 Muslims.aljazeera
Libya: UN evacuates refugees, postpones peace talks amid violence
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/libya-evacuates-refugees-postpones-peace-talks-violence-190409103500581.html
United Nations has evacuated 150 refugees from a detention centre in Tripoli, as fierce clashes for control of the Libyan capital led to the postponement of a peace conference planned for next week. n recent days, forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar have advanced on the city, the base of the country's internationally-backed government.At least 47 people, including nine civilians, have been killed in the fighting since the launch of offensive on Thursday, WHO said.aljazeera
Trump praises Sisi as critics reiterate concern for human rights
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/trump-praises-sisi-critics-reiterate-concern-human-rights-190409174235453.html
US President Donald Trump, welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to White House on Tuesday, saying a lot of progress had been made with Egypt in terms of "terrorism".Trump, with Sisi at his side, also told reporters that the two had important things to discuss military issues and trade."I think he is doing a great job," Trump said as he sat down for talks with Sisi in White House."We have never had a better relationship between Egypt and US than we do right now."aljazeera
Bangladesh SC sets June 18 for Azhar, Qaiser’s appeal hearings
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/2019/04/10/war-crimes-sc-sets-june-18-for-azhar-qaiser-s-appeal-hearings
In Bangladesh, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set June 18 for the appeal hearings of convicted in a war crime case, Bangladesh Jamaat Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, and former Jatiya Party state minister, Syed Md Qaiser. The appeals were filed challenging a tribunal verdict that sentenced both Azhar and Qaiser to death. They also prayed to the Appellate Division to acquit them of the charges claiming that they are innocent.dhakatribune/thedailystar
Brexit: Theresa to make plea for 30 June delay at EU summit
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47875923
EU leaders will meet at 17:00 BST for an emergency summit in Brussels to decide whether to offer UK another delay to Brexit.Theresa May wants to postpone the UK's exit beyond this Friday, until 30 June.But EU is expected to offer a longer delay, after European Council President Donald Tusk urged the other 27 leaders to back a flexible extension of up to a year - with conditions.Tusk added that "neither side should be allowed to feel humiliated".Leaders will begin arriving at the summit from 16:00.Mrs May is travelling to Brussels following her weekly clash with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions in House of Commons.That head-to-head followed five days of talks between the government and Labour officials aimed at breaking the Brexit impasse.bbc
Flash: views & NEWS
Delhi-NCR: Most Muslims read Hindi papers despite "anti-Muslim bias, hostile editorial policy, lack of coverage
http://www.uniindia.com/delhi-ncr-most-muslims-read-hindi-newspapers/india/news/1557570.html
Lotus has grown a thousand brand extensions while EC is busy looking for old-school posters, cutouts, leaflets and hoardings: Ali Khan Mahmudabad
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/election-commission-bjp-poll-campaign-namo-tv-chowkidar-campaign-narendra-modi-lok-sabha-polls-5667553/
In Western UP, Mahagathbandhan Will Use 'Kairana Model' to Try and Oust BJP:Banojyotsna Lahiri
https://thewire.in/politics/mahagathbandhan-uttar-pradesh-elections
What the Rohith Vemula stir taught Dalit students:Dhrubo Jyoti
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-the-rohith-vemula-stir-taught-dalit-students/story-AIqESw44GhPVo5CJF8k9iL.html
In Shaukat Ali's Humiliation, Identity Is Reduced to a Single Denominator:Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee
https://thewire.in/communalism/assam-mob-attack-shaukat-ali
Moradabad: As Imran Pratapgarhi, Dr Hasan Wrestle for Muslim Votes, BJP’s Singh Stands to Benefit
http://caravandaily.com/moradabad-as-imran-pratapgarhi-dr-hasan-wrestle-for-muslim-votes-bjps-singh-stands-to-benefit/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:46 PM)
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