NEWS DIGEST, Afternoon
15 April 2019: 09 Shaban 1440:Vol: 11, No:176
INDIA
SC to test ECI claim of 'toothlessness' against hate speech
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-to-test-eci-claim-of-toothlessness-against-hate-speech/article26841877.ece
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday gave Election Commission of India (ECI) exactly 24 hours to explain its lawyer’s submissions in court that the poll body is largely “powerless” and “toothless” to act against religious and hate speeches by candidates during 2019 Lok Sabha election campaigning.During the hearing,CJI Ranjan Gogoi even threatened to have Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the courtroom within the next half hour if the court did not get clear answers to its questions on the poll body’s powers under the law against candidates who spew vitriol.The court found that ECI had issued notices for hate speeches and campaigning for votes on the basis of religion in only three cases so far in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.3 include Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP supremo Mayawati.“So what about Mayawati? She was supposed to reply to you [the ECI] by April 12... Today is April 15. She has not replied. What does the law permit you to do in such cases? Answer us... What will you do now? What are you empowered to do?” CJI Gogoi asked ECI.“So you are basically saying you [ECI] are toothless and powerless against hate speeches. The most you can do is send a notice to the offending candidate. If the candidate replies, send him or her an advisory. Despite this, if there is violation of Model Code of Conduct, you may then file a criminal complaint...That is all? Those are your powers under the law?”CJI Gogoi asked Sharma. Sharma concurred that was “no other power” with ECI.“We [ECI] cannot de-recognise or disqualify the person. This is the only power,” he submitted. Hearing this, the court decided to examine in detail the issue of ECI’s powers to deal with hate and defamatory election speeches, and violations of Model Code of Conduct. It ordered an ECI official to be personally present in the court on April 16.thehindu
ECI restrains Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati from campaigning over the next few days
https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/eci-restrains-yogi-adityanath-and-mayawati-from-campaigning-over-the-next-few-days/article26842315.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:Election Commission of India (ECI) has put a 72-hour prohibition on campaigning by UP CM Yogi Adityanath and 48-hour ban on BSP chief Mayawati for violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).The restriction on the two leaders starts from 6 am on Tuesday. Commission had earlier served a show cause notice on Mr. Adityanath for his “Ali-Bajrang Bali” remark at a political rally, in response to Ms. Mayawati's appeal to Muslims for vote.Adityanath, at a rally on April 9, said that if the Congress, SP and the BSP had faith in “Ali”, “then we also have faith in Bajrang Bali”.thehindu
Rafale verdict: Supreme Court seeks Rahul Gandhi’s explanation on contempt plea
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rafale-verdict-supreme-court-seeks-rahul-gandhis-explanation-on-contempt-plea/article26841637.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday directed Congress president Rahul Gandhi to explain why he chose to incorrectly attribute the phrase 'chowkidar chor hai' to the SCjudgment in the Rafale case.A Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi clarified that the SC had “no occasion to make such observations” in its April 10 judgment, which solely concerned a legal question about the admissibility of certain documents as evidence in the Rafale review petitions.The court ordered Gandhi to reply on or before April 22.the hindu
Plea in Supreme Court to let women offer namaz inside mosques
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/plea-in-supreme-court-to-let-women-offer-namaz-inside-mosques/story-pwqwDaBR578rAqxXOIDnxJ.html
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday pleading that Muslim women be allowed to enter and offer namaz inside mosques.Moving the plea, a Muslim couple asked the apex court to declare the prohibition on entry of women inside mosques in the country as “illegal and unconstitutional” as it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Pointing out that there was no mention of any gender segregation in either Quran or Hadith, the couple’s counsel Ashutosh Dubey said: “....such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual, but also violative of their fundamental rights...” The petition has arraigned the Union govt, Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Central Wakf Council, the Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs and All India Muslim Personal Law Board as parties to the case.The petitioners said that there were no records stating that the Quran and Prophet Muhammad opposed women entering mosques and offering prayers, and in fact men and women have equal constitutional rights to worship, according to their beliefs. At present, women are allowed to offer prayers at mosques under Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid denominations but they are barred from mosques under the predominant Sunni faction, said the petition.The petition also mentioned that in mosques where women are allowed,there are separate entrances and enclosures for worship for the two genders.The petition said that there should not be any gender discrimination at all, and that all Muslim women should be allowed to pray in all mosques, cutting across denominations.IANS
China makes little of India’s concerns over Belt and Road Initiative
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-makes-little-of-india-s-concerns-over-belt-and-road-initiative/story-jrjXBnVmWmFCGPryIKnxfL.html
Beijing:China said on Monday Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) doesn’t “involve territorial disputes” and is transparent, dismissing New Delhi’s concerns that part of the connectivity project violates India’s sovereignty as it passes through PoK. China’s foreign ministry indicated that it was willing for India to join the BRI later.India is likely to be a high-profile absentee at the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which Beijing has touted to be the biggest event of the year for China.India has consistently kept away from the BRI – a massive project launched by President Xi Jinping to connect China with Asia and Europe – because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through PoK.BRI doesn’t respect India’s “core concerns” of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Indian envoy to China Vikram Mistri recently told state media.HT
Pakistan Army claims BJP leader copied its song, dedicated it to Indian forces
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-army-claims-bjp-leader-copied-its-song-dedicated-it-to-indian-forces-5675684/
New Delhi: Pakistani Army on Sunday claimed that Telangana BJP MLA Thakur Raja Singh Lodh had copied its anthem and dedicated it to the Indian armed forces. Lodh, who represents Goshamahal, had tweeted, “My new song which will be released on 14th April at 11:45 am on the occasion of #SriRamNavami is dedicated to our #IndianArmy forces.” As he shared a snippet of the song on social media, Pakistani Army claimed the composition was a copy of a song released by its media wing on March 23 for Pakistan Day. The song was written by Sahir Ali Bagga. “Glad that you copied. But copy to speak the truth as well,” Pakistan army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted. According to local media reports, Lodh copied the song ‘Zindabad Pakistan’ and recorded it by changing it to ‘Zindabad Hindustan’ and dedicated it to Indian armed forces.Lodh first hit the headlines in Dec.2015 when he threatened to do all within his power to disrupt a proposed beef festival at Osmania University.In 2016, in a Facebook post, he had said Dalits who were found skinning dead cows or carrying cow meat deserved to be beaten up. Referring to the Una incident, he wrote: “Whatever happened with Dalits who were beaten up by ‘gau rakshaks’ was a good thing. It is because of a few dirty Dalits, who eat cow meat, that other Dalits get a bad name.’’indianexpress
Parties got 99.8% donations through electoral bonds of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 1 crore: RTI
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/electoral-bonds-donations-political-parties-bjp-congress-5675296/
Indore : A whopping 99.8 per cent of donations received by political parties was through electoral bonds of the highest denominations — Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore — between March 2018 and Jan.24, 2019, revealed data obtained under the RTI Act.Donors purchased bonds worth Rs 1,407.09 crore, of which Rs 1,403.90 crore were in the highest denominations of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore during the period.Social worker Chandrashekhar Goud shared the data received from SBI through an RTI query. The donors bought 1,459 electoral bonds of denomination of Rs 10 lakh and 1,258 bonds of Rs one crore denomination. They purchased 318 bonds of Rs one lakh, 12 bonds of Rs 10,000 and 24 bonds of Rs 1000 denomination, according to the RTI reply.PTI
Assam: Biswanath Muslim trader says ‘beef attack’ was ‘well-planned’
https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam-biswanath-muslim-trader-says-beef-attack-was-well-planned.html
Shaukat Ali, the Muslim man from Assam’s Biswanath district, who was beaten black and blue by a mob for ‘selling beef’, said the whole attack “appears to have been a well-planned attack, timed to stoke communal feelings”.8 persons has since been arrested in this connection. Ali said that he has been running the eatery in the Biswanath local market for the last 40 years and no such incident has ever occurred.45-year-old Muslim trader further stated that his eatery has been serving beef all these years, catering primarily to the people from the Muslim community.There is no ban on cow slaughter in Assam. It is regulated by Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950, which allows slaughter of cattle over 14 years of age, or cattle that are incapable of work or for use in breeding. A certificate from a veterinary officer, stating that the cattle is “fit for slaughter”, is required before slaughtering it.“We have traditionally served beef — not only our shop, there are 3 or 4 other shops that have beef on the menu on the weekly market days — Thursdays and Sundays,” informed the trader.Ali says that the video clip shows only a part of the assault. “It only shows them abusing me and force-feeding me a piece of pork. But before that they hit me mercilessly on the head, face, my back, and below my ears. I cannot swallow even now,” he said.Ali says his entire family’s name is in the final draft NRC published last year.nenow
SC Directs EC to Watch Modi Biopic, Take 'Informed Decision' Regarding Ban
https://thewire.in/law/modi-biopic-election-commission-supreme-court
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to watch the full biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and take an informed decision on banning its pan India release by April 19.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also directed the poll panel to submit its decision to the court in a sealed cover and said it will consider the matter on April 22.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for film producers who challenged the EC’s ban on the release, said that the poll panel banned it just by watching the promo and did not watch the full movie.He suggested they are willing to hold a special screening for the poll panel or its committee so that they can take an informed decision by Friday.PTI
Before EC Rebuke, DD News Gave BJP Twice the Amount of Airtime It Gave Congress
https://thewire.in/politics/doordarshan-election-commission-congress-bjp
New Delhi: A report that Doordarshan News shared with the Election Commission (EC) on April 5 has reportedly shown that BJP got nearly 160 hours of “airtime coverage” on the channel while the Congress party got roughly half of that.According to the Indian Express, this is the report that led to the EC reprimanding DD News and asking I&B ministry to direct the channel to “desist from extending any preferential or disproportionate airtime coverage in favour of any party”. A source quoted by the Indian Express claimed that since BJP held a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha and in several state assemblies, the disproportionate amount of airtime was justified. “But if a comparison is made between BJP and all opposition parties combined, the airtime given is balanced,”source added.However, rejecting these claims, EC on Tuesday,asked Doordarshan to “desist” from extending any preferential or disproportionate airtime coverage in favour of any party. The EC had sought specific details from DD News after a complaint was lodged alleging that channel was being used as a tool to promote and advertise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Main Bhi Chowkidar” event.the wire
Delhi:4 Muslim MLAs up ante against Congress
https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/muslim-politicians-from-congress-not-happy-with-the-party-1501940-2019-04-15
New Delhi:Congress, which is already sailing through tough times, has been hit with one more hardship. Congress's four senior politicians, who are also the face of the Muslim community, are not happy with the party. Aasif Mohammad Khan, Shoab Iqbal, Mateen Ahmed and Hasan Ahmed have expressed their anger towards the party 'openly' at a hotel near Delhi Gate.Amongst them, Shoab and Mateen have been MLA's for five terms, and Hasan and Aasif were elected twice to the Delhi Legislative Assembly.In a letter addressed to the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, they demanded nomination of a Muslim face for any one Lok Sabha seat in Delhi.The letter sent to Rahul states, "Keeping in view a large number of Muslim voters and contribution of these five senior Muslim leaders and There Record of winning the elections, there must be one ticket must be given to any one Muslim candidate either from Chandni Chowk seat or from North East Delhi parliamentary constituency."Muslim leaders are eyeing the two seats that have sizeable number of Muslim voters. According to the leaders, the 'Congress is the only secular party in Delhi'. BJP and AAP are not nominating any Muslim candidate, in such a situation if Congress, too, refrains from doing so, it might hurt Muslim voters.Though they have refused to go against the party, they have expressed their views to mediapersons and not to the party forum, which clearly shows that they are unhappy with party's decisions.indiatoday
Delhi Cong Muslim leaders seek at least one LS ticket for one of them in capital
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/delhi-cong-muslim-leaders-seek-at-least-one-ls-ticket-for-one-of-them-in-capital-119041400435_1.html
Umar Khalid, Swara Bhaskar, Shehla Rashid Unite To Make Kanhaiya Kumar's Lok Sabha Debut
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-umar-khalid-swara-bhaskar-shehla-rashid-unite-to-make-kanhaiya-kumars-lok-sabha-debut-a-success/328726
The comrades who had led the movement for release of Kanhaiya Kumar from Tihar in 2016, following his arrest over sedition charges, are now campaigning to send him to the Lok Sabha from Bihar's Begusarai.Fielded by CPI, Kumar, a debutant, is pitted against BJP veteran Giriraj Singh and RJD's Tanveer Hassan in Begusarai, which goes to polls on April 29.Some of the comrades have been camping in Begusarai to seek votes for the former JNUSU president.Rama Naga, a former JNUSU member who was charged with sedition along with Kanhaiya, has been in Begusarai for the last two weeks.Shehla Rashid, who was a prominent face of the campaign for Kumar's release, is gunning for him yet again.Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, a JNU alumnus, is also in Begusarai.Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattarcharya, who were also jailed in connection with the sedition row, are running a campaign on social media to seek votes for the former JNUSU president.Kumar also received the blessings of Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmad. Kumar, along with others, was part of a campaign to seek justice for Ahmad.PTI
‘Parties think them talking about Muslims will antagonise the majority’: IPS officer Abdur Rehman
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/abdur-rehman-ips-officer-sachar-ranganath-misra-committee-report-muslims-schedule-caste-5675555/
Mumbai:IPS officer Abdur Rehman, currently posted as Inspector General of State Human Rights Commission, speaks to Indian Express about his new book ‘Denial and Deprivation: Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Misra Commission Reports’. These committees had recommended delinking of Scheduled Caste status from religion, extending reservations for Dalits to other religions, including Muslims and Christians. IPS officer said, "There are 18 crore Muslims… more than the population of many countries. If today, they are facing discrimination, lynching, no party is coming forward to talk about them. They think that if they speak about Muslims, they will antagonise the majority community. You have to develop and integrate every caste and community. This thinking is basically dangerous for the country and every party, including BJP, Congress and others… they should talk of every community that is deprived, including Dalits and tribals. Talking about deprived communities should be the goal today."indian express
Why I was expelled from BHU: Gandhian, Magsaysay Awardee Sandeep Pandey's book released
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/why-i-was-expelled-from-banaras-hindu-university-iitian-magsaysay-awardee-sandeep-pandeys-book-released?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emailemail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Indiatomorrownet+%28IndiaTomorrow.net%29
New Delhi:Magsaysay award winner and renowned civil rights activist Dr Sandeep Pandey’s book Why I Was Expelled From Banaras Hindu University was launched in the presence academicians and scholars here on Friday. Dr Pandey, who taught at IIT of Banaras Hindu University from 2013-2016, said that his Gandhian and socialist ideology did not match to that of the people associated with RSS at the university and his contractual job was terminated on false allegations.Ramon Magsaysay awardee Dr. Pandey, who holds PhD degree from the University of California (Berkeley), had earlier taught at IIT-Guwahati.“I taught in Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalaya (BHU) from 2013 to 2016 (for a period of 2 and a half years). My job was on contract basis. But during the third year my contract was terminated and I was expelled from there. It was alleged that I teach anti-national things and I am a supporter of Naxalism. It was also alleged that I decided to screen ‘India’s Daughter’, a film made by BBC on the subject of Nirbhaya gang rape case and which was banned by the Government of India, in my classroom. With such allegations I was expelled from the University,” Dr Pandey said.India Tomorrow
Buddhist texts painted at Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, Army repaints it after protest
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/punjab-buddhist-texts-painted-at-gurdwara-pathar-sahib-army-repaints-it-after-protest-5675672/
Chandigarh:A controversy erupted at historic Gurdwara Pathar Sahib, on the outskirts of Leh, after Buddhist religious murals and slogans were painted on its walls during renovation. Indian Army, which maintains the Gurdwara associated with Guru Nanak Dev, says it has re-painted the walls after receiving objections from Sikhs.The matter came to light earlier this month when renovation and repainting work was being undertaken at the Gurdwara. Visitors, mostly from Sikh community, noticed that Buddhists religious slogans had been painted on the walls of Gurdwara along with certain murals.A video and some photographs found their way to social media. In the video, it was alleged that the Gurdwara’s nature of a Sikh place of worship was being changed despite an Army unit – 18 Guards – being responsible for its upkeep.indianexpress
Odisha: BJP leader shot dead in Khurda town
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/odisha-bjp-leader-shot-dead-in-khurda-town-5676127/
Bhubneshwar:Unidentified miscreants have gunned down a local BJP leader in Odisha’s Khurda town, triggering protest from the saffron party. The deceased has been identified as Manguli Jena,BJP’s Mandal president of Khurda zone-9, the police said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday midnight when Jena was standing near the house of BJPs candidate for Khurda assembly seat, Kalu Charan Khandayat and holding a discussion with workers of saffron party.PTI
WORLD
Palestinian state likely not in US proposed peace plan: Report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/palestinian-state-proposed-peace-plan-report-190415102708404.html
A United States's proposal for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, dubbed "the deal of the century", will likely not include a fully sovereign Palestinian state, the Washington Post reported.According to sources familiar with the main elements of the deal, agreement pledged practical improvements in the lives of Palestinians but stops short of securing a Palestinian state. White House is expected to reveal its long-awaited peace deal, spearheaded by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, later this year.While officials have kept details of the plan secret, comments from Kushner and other US officials suggest that it "does away with statehood as the starting premise of peace efforts", the Washington Post reported.The plan is likely to focus heavily on Israeli security concerns.It revolves around a proposal that foresees major infrastructure and industrial work, particularly in the besieged Gaza Strip.For the plan to succeed or even pass the starting gate, it will need at least initial buy-in from both Israel and the Palestinians as well as from the Gulf Arab states, which officials say will be asked to substantially bankroll the economic portion. Most analysts give Kushner little chance of success where decades of US-backed efforts have failed. Arab officials familiar with Kushner's deal said he has offered no specifics, but suggested that the plan turned on economic opportunities for Palestinians and an enshrining of Israeli control of occupied territory, according to the Washington Post.aljazeera
Pompeo: Imposing Israel sovereignty over West Bank won’t harm ‘deal of the century’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-pompeo-imposing-israel-sovereignty-over-west-bank-wont-harm-deal-of-the-century/
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election pledge to annex the West Bank will not harm the US’ “deal of the century”.Asked if he thought Netanyahu’s pledge to annex the West Bank would harm the “deal of the century”, Pompeo replied “I do not think so”.Pompeo told CNN that the US peace plan will present a different model from the ones that have been used. US official explained that over the past 40 years, there have been many ideas, however none of them have achieved peace between Israelis and Palestinians, adding that the administration of US President Donald Trump wants a better life for both Israelis and Palestinians.MEMO
Israel court approves demolition of scores of Palestinian homes
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-israel-court-approves-demolition-of-scores-of-palestinian-homes/
An Israeli court ordered the demolition of Palestinian homes because they were allegedly built in the “Peace Forest” but has given settlers permission to build there gives permission for settlers to build their homes, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.Palestinian residents of the homes appealed to the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem against the demolition order, but the court turned down their appeal.According to Haaretz, the Israeli court upheld the demolition because, as claimed by the Israeli municipality, the houses are being built in what the municipality calls the “Peace Forest’ in the Abu Tor neighbourhood. It added that they had also been built without the impossible to obtain building permits.MEMO
Israel president, party representatives begin coalition talks
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-israel-president-party-representatives-begin-coalition-talks/
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin today met with representatives of the country’s political parties to begin coalition talks following last week’s general election. Tuesday’s election saw incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party win 36 seats, beating its nearest rival – Benny Gantz’s Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) alliance – to the top spot. Nine other parties passed the 3.25 per cent minimum vote threshold needed to sit in the Knesset, meaning their party representatives are now able to recommend their choice of PM to President Rivlin.Likud representatives were the first to meet Rivlin this morning, since the party won the most seats in election. Likud’s representatives included Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin, Minister of Culture Miri Regev and Knesset Member (MK) David Bitan.MEMO
Sudan military leaders face pressure for transfer to civilian rule
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sudan-leaders-face-pressure-transfer-civilian-rule-190415085115793.html
Sudan's main protest group says an attempt is under way to break up a sit-in outside the defence ministry in the capital, Khartoum, as the country's military rulers face increasing pressure to hand over power to a civilian govt. Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called on people to respond by joining the sit-in to "protect your revolution", according to a statement published on its social media pages.The mass protest outside the ministry entered its 10th day on Monday. Thousands remained camped outside the complex overnight after protest leaders issued demands to the military council set up after veteran president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown.The organisation that spearheaded the four months of protests leading to al-Bashir's fall, SPA, urged the council "to immediately transfer power to a civilian govt".It said the resulting transitional government and the armed forces must bring to justice both al-Bashir and officials from his feared National Intelligence and Security Service(NISS). Sudan's military council on Monday said it was restructuring council and appointed Colonel General Hashem Abdel Muttalib Ahmed Babakr as army chief of staff.Colonel General Mohamed Othman al-Hussein was appointed as deputy chief of staff, the council said in a statement.On Sunday, the council met political leaders and urged them to agree on an "independent figure" to be prime minister, an AFP correspondent at the meeting said."We want to set up a civilian state based on freedom, justice and democracy," a council member, Lieutenant General Yasser al-Ata, told members of several parties.A 10-member delegation representing the protesters delivered a list of demands during talks with the council late on Saturday, according to a statement by the Freedom and Change alliance.But in a press conference later, the council's spokesperson did not respond to the protesters' latest demands, although he did announce the appointment of a new intelligence chief of NISS. Protest leaders have called for the feared intelligence agency, whose chief Salah Ghosh resigned on Saturday, to be restructured and for NISS officials to face prosecution. aljazeera
As Haftar meets Sisi, GNA forces shoot down LNA fighter jet
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/haftar-meets-sisi-gna-forces-shoot-lna-fighter-jet-190414162825555.html
Troops loyal to Libya's internationally recognised govt have shot down a fighter jet belonging to the eastern forces under the command of General Khalifa Haftar, on the same day the renegade military leader held talks with Egypt's president in Cairo.Military sources within UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said the jet operated by the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) was downed on Sunday in Tripoli's southern outskirts, as fighting for control of the capital rages.Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli, said LNA sources confirmed one of the LNA's fighter jets was shot down but added the pilot had "escaped" after using a parachute to eject from the unit.aljazeera
Rockets kill 11 in Syria's northern city of Aleppo: Reports
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/rockets-kill-11-syria-northern-city-aleppo-reports-190415064940091.html
The death toll from rockets fired in the govt-held northern city of Aleppo in Syria has risen to at least 11 people, state-run news agency Sana reported on Monday. According to an unnamed police source quoted by Sana, "terrorist groups", the term used for armed groups in the nearby rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib, launched the attack on Sunday nightSyrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor reported that Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched the attacks, adding that 20 rockets were fired into several neighbourhoods in Aleppo.SOHR said that five members of the security services were among those killed.
Syria refugee, 9, commits suicide after being bullied in Canada
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-syria-refugee-9-commits-suicide-after-being-bullied-in-canada/
A Syrian family who fled to Canada have spoken out about the death of their 9-year-old daughter after she committed suicide last month as a result of being bullied at school.Amal Alshteiwi’s body was found by her mother on 6 March in their home in Calgary; in the weeks leading up to her death she had consistently complained of being physically and verbally abused by fellow classmates. The bullying continued despite changing schools, leaving Amal distraught“2 weeks before she moved from that school to another school, kids came to her and said, ‘Even if you move to another school they are not going to love you. The kids or the teacher. Wherever you go, you better just go and kill yourself,’” Amal’s mother Nasra Abdulrahman said, talking through a translator.“They were bullying her all the time there, telling her, ‘You are ugly, you are not beautiful,’” her father added.The family came to Canada three years ago as government sponsored refugees fleeing the war in Syria three years ago.MEMO
900 on trial in Iraq for links to Daesh
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-900-on-trial-in-iraq-for-links-to-daesh/
The trial of 900 Iraqi citizens caught fleeing Daesh territory in neighbouring Syria has begun in Baghdad, a court official told AFP.The court received “interrogation files for 900 Iraqi Daesh members” from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to reveal information to the media. SDF, backed by the US, has driven Daesh from areas in Eastern Syria, some of which border Iraq.Iraqi authorities will try the suspected extremists in batches, he said.middleeastmonitor
Speaker: Egypt parliament to vote Tuesday on constitutional changes
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190415-speaker-egypt-parliament-to-vote-tuesday-on-constitutional-changes/
Egypt’s parliament will vote on Tuesday on constitutional amendments including an extension to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s current four-year-term, its speaker, Ali Abdelaal, said on Sunday, Reuters reports.Proposed constitutional amendments had previously suggested that Sisi would be allowed to seek two new 6-year terms after his current one expires in 2022.But according to a recent draft, those latest amendments could allow Sisi to stay in power until 2030 by extending his current term by two more years and allowing him to run once again in 2024.State television reported on Sunday that parliament’s legislative committee had approved the amendments and they were ready to go to the full house for a vote, scheduled for Tuesday.middleeastmonitor
Center-left party wins Finland parliamentary election
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/15/europe/finland-election-2019-intl/index.html
Finland's parliamentary election results show th Social Democratic Party (SDP) winning with 17.7% of the votes, according to CNN's local affiliate Italehti.The tight race saw the anti-immigration right-wing Finns Party come in second place with 17.5%, while their coalition partners the National Coalition Party, and Center Party scored 17% and 13.8% respectively, Italehti reported. According to Reuters, this is the first time in a century that no party has won more than 20% in an election, and coalition talks are likely to be protracted.All centre-left and left-wing parties saw an increase in their vote, with the Green League coming in fifth with 11.5% of the vote, followed by the Left. CNN
Flash: views & NEWS
Ab ki baar, Hindu sarkar:VHP conducts rally through Muslim neighbourhoods in Delhi:Shahid Tantray
https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/vhp-rally-muslim-neighbourhoods-delhi
Don’t blame Sharia for Islamic extremism – blame colonialism:MARK FATHI MASSOUD
https://theprint.in/opinion/dont-blame-sharia-for-islamic-extremism-blame-colonialism/220898/
Forensic Probe Into Aadhaar Data Controversy in AP Raises Troubling Questions:Srinivas Kodali
https://thewire.in/government/andhra-pradesh-stolen-aadhaar-data
New Dalit,New India:Aspiration & assertion are at core of emerging politics of community:GuruPrakash
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/new-dalit-new-india-politics-representation-leaders-social-narrative-5675511/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:00 PM)
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