*SOUTH ASIA- INDO-PAK, J&K*

 

PM CARES Fund received huge donations from Chinese firms just ahead of conflict at LAC: National Herald India

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/pm-cares-fund-received-huge-donations-from-chinese-firms-just-ahead-of-conflict-at-lac

Set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an aim to collect funds for fighting the Coronavirus pandemic, the PM CARES Fund received huge donations from several Chinese companies just ahead of the conflict at LAC between China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian armed forces. According to an analysis of news reports published in sections of the media, these donations range from Rs 1 crore to Rs 30 crore.For example, Tik Tok – a Chinese video-sharing social networking service that has been at receiving end of the call to boycott Chinese goods and services – has donated Rs 30 crore to the PM CARES Fund. Similarly, Xiaomi, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer which commands nearly 29 percent of the Indian mobile market, donated Rs 10 crore to the fund.A list of donations made by various Chinese companies to the PM CARES Fund is given below:Tik Tok : Rs 30 crore, Xiaomi : Rs 10 crore, Huawei : Rs 7 crore, One Plus : Rs 1 crore, Oppo : Rs 1 crore. It is important to note here that as per media reports, PLA began to strengthen its positions along the LAC by digging bunkers and erecting concrete posts in Ladakh in April, around the same time when PM Modi announced the first phase of the lockdown.Interestingly, Chinese tech giants decided to donate to PM CARES Fund around the same time.PM Modi set up PM CARES Fund in March 2020, with him as chairman and Minister of Home Affairs, the Defence Minister and the Finance Minister as ex-officio members of the trust.Notably, with an aim to attract donations, the Modi govt has also announced income tax exemptions to donors under section 80 G of Income-tax Act 1961. Incidentally, there has been total opacity in the functioning and purpose of the PM CARES Fund, with the PMO refusing to divulging information about it under the RTI Act 2005.“PM CARES Fund is not a Public Authority under the ambit of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. However, relevant information in respect of PM CARES Fund may be seen on the Website pmcares.gov.in,” PMO replied tersely said in response to an RTI.A petition has also been filed in Delhi High Court seeking to declare PM CARES Fund as a “public authority”. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for August 28.

China cash that BJP cannot see: Policy organisations reveal working relationship with Chinese institutions: Telegraph India report

https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/india/india-china-clash-china-cash-that-bjp-cannot-see/cid/1784359?fbclid=IwAR3CHp-zdSOmVTHEBmEK9ebJX1cXVc8nvMqsjtJntohvwMBVYu_6W4BrIAs

Time was when accepting donations from Chinese institutions was as proper and acceptable as sharing space on a swing. Yet, BJP, in its haste to divert attention from Galwan blunder, has forgotten the adage that when you point a finger at someone, you are pointing 3 at yourself. Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a foreign policy think tank associated with foreign minister S. Jaishankar’s son, received funding from Chinese consulate, including that in Calcutta, in 2016. ORF is supported by Reliance Industries. Another think tank, Vivekananda International Foundation, has declared on its website that it has working relationships with 9 Chinese institutions on matters of foreign and strategic policy. NSA Ajit Doval is founding director of VIF, which shares close ties with BJP leaders and the RSS.The think thanks themselves put up this information in the public domain long ago.The identity of the donors would not have drawn attention had not BJP made a non-issue into a national security issue by accusing Congress of Chinese links based on money received in 2005-06. It’s common for organisations worldwide to receive foreign funding. Dhruva Jaishankar, son of foreign minister, became director of US Initiative at ORF last year. The foreign minister, also a former ambassador to China, is a regular visitor to ORF where he delivers talks on various foreign policy-related topics. ORF website carries a list of foreign donors and the amounts received from them.It shows the think tank received three grants, together worth over Rs 1.25 crore, from Chinese consulate-general in 2016 and another Rs 50 lakh following year. VIF’s website lists its association with China Institute of International Strategic Studies (Beijing); China Institute of International Studies (Beijing); Centre for South Asian Studies, Peking University (Beijing); Research Institute for Indian Ocean Economies, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming; National Institute of International Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing; Centre for South Asia & West China Cooperation & Development University, Chengdu; Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University, Chengdu; Silk Road Think Tank Network Development Research Council, Beijing; and the Centre for Indian Studies, Shenzhen.Sources in security establishment said members of 2 think tanks had ample access to North Block and South Block, seats of governance.telegraph india

 

PM CARES Fund accepted Chinese donations: Congress spokesperson

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jun/28/pm-cares-fund-accepted-chinese-donations-congress-spokesperson-abhishek-singhvi-2162620.html

NEW DELHI: Hitting back at BJP for raising the issue of funding to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Congress on Sunday alleged that Chinese firms were contributing to the PM Cares Fund and asked why it was accepting such donations when India and China have been engaged in a tense border standoff in Ladakh.Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his "18 meetings" with Chinese President Xi Jinping in last six years and asked why he has not yet called China "an aggressor", hours after Modi in his radio broadcast asserted that India has given a befitting reply to those who cast an evil eye on its territory in Ladakh."I implore the prime minister to say China is an aggressor," Singhvi said."What is most worrying and alarming for national security is the fact of donations received by PM Modi from Chinese companies in his (seemingly personal) PM CARES Fund," Singhvi said a virtual press conference."If Prime Minister of India will compromise his position by accepting donations of hundreds of crores from Chinese companies in the controversial and opaque fund, how will he defend the country against the Chinese aggression? PM Modi needs to answer," he said.

PM Modi has ‘soft spot’ for China, says Congress

 

Impossible to remove me: Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli claims India conspiring to destabilise his govt

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nepal-pm-kp-sharma-oli-claims-india-conspiring-destabilise-govt-1694876-2020-06-28

Amid many in ruling Nepal Communist Party seeking Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation, the Nepalese PM on Sunday said that even though the "game" to oust him from the post has begun, it is impossible to remove him.Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli claimed that meetings were underway to remove him at a hotel in Kathmandu and an "embassy is also active in it". FYI, he is pointing to India.KP Sharma Oli has accused India of trying to destabilise his government and has alleged Indian Embassy in Nepal was conspiring about the same.PM Oli has claimed that conspiracies were being plotted against him since the constitutional amendment showing Indian land in Nepali map.There is an open race to remove me from the post. Nepal's nationality is not weak. No one thought that a prime minister would be removed from office for printing a map," KP Sharma Oli said. On June 13 Nepal's parliament passed the amendment to include the new political map featuring areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in its Constitution.indiatoday

Meetings in India to topple my govt., says Nepal PM  Oli

 India, China to hold weekly talks to resolve border dispute

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-china-to-hold-weekly-talks-to-resolve-border-dispute-1694862-2020-06-28

India and China have agreed to hold weekly talks in the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting to resolve the ongoing dispute in Eastern Ladakh after People's Liberation Army (PLA) amassed over 10,000 troops along LAC there.Top government sources told India Today TV that the two sides have decided hold talks at the WMCC meeting, like the one that was held through video conferencing last week and was headed by an official from Ministry of External Affairs.The talks with the Chinese side will help in further disengagement and de-escalation of the situation along the borders with China, the sources said.

 

China sent martial artists, mountain climbers to India border before face-off: State media

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/china-sent-martial-artists-mountain-climbers-to-india-border-before-face-off-state-media-1694851-2020-06-28

Beijing:China reinforced its troops near the Indian border with mountain climbers and martial arts fighters shortly before a deadly clash this month, Chinese state media reported.Tensions are common between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in the mountainous border terrain, but this month's fighting was the deadliest encounter between India and China in over 50 years.Five new militia divisions including former members of a Mount Everest Olympic torch relay team and fighters from a mixed martial arts club presented themselves for inspection at Lhasa on June 15, official military newspaper China National Defense News reported.State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of hundreds of new troops lining up in Tibetan capital.AFP

 

CTA govt-in-exile seeks spl UNHRC session to examine Tibetans’ right breaches by China

https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/cta-govtinexile-seeks-spl-unhrc-session-to-examine-tibetans-right-breaches-by-china/1879885

Dharamshala:Accusing China of committing “cultural genocide” in Tibet, Central Tibetan Administration on Sunday urged the UNHRC to hold a special session on “human right violations” by China in Tibet and other regions under it. Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration, also known as Tibetan government-in-exile, asked the international community too to “unite and ensure that China fulfils its obligations under international laws including human rights obligations before it is too late”. “We strongly urge the UNHRC and member states to hold a special session to evaluate the human rights violations being carried out by China and to establish a country mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on China to monitor, analyze and report annually on the human rights situation in Tibet and other regions under the People''s Republic of China,” CTA president Lobsang Sangay said in a statement here. “CTA and Tibetans from both inside and outside Tibet strongly support the call of the UN experts on United Nations Human Rights Council to take urgent measures against the Chinese human rights violations,” said Sangay, the premier of the Tibetan government-in-exilePTI

 

Gorkhas, west Pakistan refugees granted domicile certificates in J&K

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/gorkhas-west-pak-refugees-granted-domicile-certificates-in-jk/article31934858.ece

In a first, Jammu & Kashmir administration on Saturday kick-started a special exercise to distribute domicile certificates among west Pakistan refugees, Balmiki Samaj members, and Gorkhas, who were denied the same due to J&K’s special status till last year.A government spokesperson said more than 50 domicile certificates were distributed by the Divisional Commissioner-Jammu Sanjeev Verma in a special camp organised for the purpose on Saturday.“The recipients of the domicile certificates included those sections of society who were residing in J&K for the last more than 70 years but were deprived of their legitimate citizenship rights,” the spokesperson said.Certificates were distributed in R. S. Pura, Bishnah, Bahu, Jammu south, and several other parts of Jammu. Over 25,000 domicile certificates have been distributed in J&K under the new law brought after the abrogation of J&K’s special status last year.Several regional parties, including the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, the People’s Conference, and the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement have objected to the government’s move in this matter.thehindu

 Kashmiri Pandits object to issuance of domicile certificates

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/kashmiri-pandits-object-to-issuance-of-domicile-certificates-105689

Srinagar:A day after Kashmiri Pandit leader and spokesman of Lok Janshakti Party Sanjay Saraf raised objections over the issuance of domicile certificates, a body of displaced Pandits on Sunday demanded stopping the process of issuing these certificates. They said the government should first bring back Pandits that were displaced after the eruption of militancy three decades ago."We demand stopping of the issuance of domicile certificates until Kashmiri Pandits are rehabilitated in the Valley. It seems that the Government of India is busy in pleasing non-residents and other refugees at the cost of Kashmiri Pandits. The present government had said that the migrant and displaced Kashmiri Pandits will be rehabilitated in 10 districts of Valley. But so far there has been no movement in this regard. We demand that Government of India immediately come out with the Kashmiri Pandit Rehabilitation Policy," said Satish Mahaldar, chairman of Reconciliation, Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrant Kashmiri Pandits.Stating that issuing domicile certificates to outsiders before rehabilitating them was a “violation of democratic, constitutional and humanitarian rights.”Mahaldar said: "Our fundamental rights and constitutional rights have been denied for the last 31 years.  And issuing domicile certificates before settling us is a violation of all basic constitutional and human rights."tribuneindia

Rehabilitate us before giving domicile certificates to others in J&K: Migrant Kashmiri Pandits

Union minister Jitendra Singh avails online domicile certificate from home district Doda in Jammu

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/union-min-jitendra-singh-avails-online-domicile-certificate-from-home-district-doda-in-jammu-1694722-2020-06-28

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday availed his domicile certificate online from his home district Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.Singh, minister of state in Prime Minister’s Office and Member Parliament from Udhampur-Doda constituency, applied for the domicile certificate through online mode by following all the rules, regulations and documentary formalities and accordingly tehsildar Doda issued domicile certificate in his favour, the spokesman said.Union minister is a permanent resident of Kalhota village in Malhori tehsil of Doda.PTI

 

Pakistan rejects grant of domicile certificates by India to people not originally from Jammu and Kashmir

https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2020/jun/27/pakistan-rejects-grant-of-domicile-certificates-by-india-to-people-not-originally-from-jammu-and-kas-2162371.html

Pakistan has "rejected" the grant of domicile certificates by India to people not originally from Jammu and Kashmir. Foreign Office "rejected" the grant of domicile certificates by India to the people not originally from Jammu and Kashmir."Certificates issued to non-Kashmiris including, among others, the Indian government officials under Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure), 2020' are illegal, void and in complete violation of relevant UNSC Resolutions, and International law including 4th Geneva Convention," FO said.PTI

 

Anxiety in Kashmir as govt. orders stocking up of LPG for two months, seeks school buildings for security forces

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/anxiety-in-kashmir-as-govt-orders-stocking-up-of-lpg-for-two-months-seeks-school-buildings-for-security-forces/article31937919.ece

2 separate government orders on stocking up of LPG cylinders for two months in the Kashmir valley and on vacating of school buildings for the security forces in Ganderbal, adjoining Kargil, has triggered a fresh wave of anxiety among the locals, in the wake of India-China face-off.Described as a “most urgent matter”, an Adviser to Lt. Governor G.C. Murmu has passed directions in a meeting on June 23, “to ensure sufficient stocks of  LPG in the Valley as the supply gets affected due to closure of National Highway on account of landslips”.According to an order passed by Director of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers, the oil companies should make adequate stocks of LPG that can last up to two months at bottling plants as well as godowns.thehindu

 

Kashmir: Mother Of Slain Militant Booked Under UAPA; Police Say She Arranges Arms For Ultras

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-kashmir-mother-of-slain-militant-booked-under-uapa-police-say-she-arranges-arms-for-ultras/355591

A 55-year-old woman, whose militant son was killed in a gun battle in 2018, has been booked under stringent UAPA by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.The police are also looking for her daughter who has also been named in an FIR.A police statement said that the woman, Naseema Banoo, was booked “in a serious criminal case.” The police cited an old photograph of Banoo with her slain son, where she is brandishing a rifle, as one of the reasons for her arrest. The police alleged that Banoo, a resident of Rampora Qaimoh in south Kashmir,  has recruited at least two youth into militant ranks, “arranging arms ammunition, communication and logistics for militants.”The police statement claimed the woman is in a serious criminal case. The police cite the woman’s picture with her son, when he was militant, as one of the reasons for her arrest. The incident, however, has evoked outrage in Kashmir and people have taken to social media to express their anger. Responding to social media outrage, the police statement said, “Many social media posts have been generated and shared which have twisted the facts of the matter in order to cause disturbance of peace and tranquility. Police have taken cognizance of the matter and anyone trying to instigate others through whatsoever means will be prosecuted against.”outlookindia

 

Mumbai attacks: David Headley cannot be extradited to India, says US attorney

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/2611-mumbai-terror-attacks-mastermind-david-headley-cannot-be-extradited-to-india-says-us-attorney/612768

Washington DC: Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley cannot be extradited to India, a US attorney has told a federal court while opposing his bail plea.A convict in 2008 Mumbai attack, Headley has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by a US court. However, Headley's childhood friend and co-conspirator in Mumbai attacks Tahawwur Rana faces extradition. 59-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman was recently rearrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the attacks.Times Now

 

*INDIA- ISLAMOPHOBIA, HUMAN RIGHTS & OTHERS*

Delhi Riots: Hospital Owner Dr Ehtesham In Letter Alleges Police Threatened Him For Telling Truth

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-delhi-riots-hospital-owner-chargesheeted-in-murder-case-wrote-to-crime-branch-pm-modi-on-police-threats/355577

Dr Muhammad Ehtesham Anwar, who treated victims of Delhi riots in his Al Hind hospital,  has been named by Delhi Police in a chargesheet for alleged involvement in a murder case during the communal violence that erupted on Feb.24 and 25.Dr Anwar had written a letter on May 15, over 2 months after the riots, to senior officials of Special Cell and Crime Branch (Delhi Police) and marked a copy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, among others.  4-page letter written in Hindi has levelled serious allegations against the officials of Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police.Dr Anwar alleged in his letter that Delhi Police was upset with him because he spoke to Justice S Muralidhar, the then Delhi HC judge, late in the night on Feb.25 and apprised him of the ground reality of the riot's impact. As reported on Feb.26, Justice Muralidhar held a midnight hearing on Feb.25 and ordered Delhi Police to make arrangements for ambulances for the safe passage of injured stuck in Dr Anwar’s Al-Hind Hospital.Dr Anwar has been running Al-Hind Hospital in Old Mustafabad area for last two years and during the riots, hospital was flooded with injured persons whom he provided first-aid treatment. He writes, “Police constables who used to come with the ambulance to collect injured persons, threatened me several times that I shouldn’t have told the truth to the judge. They told me that it was because of me that the issue got highlighted; otherwise, nobody would have come to know anything about this.”Dr Anwar also alleged that after riots, he was called several times by the officials of Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police who threatened him and said, “Since you spoke to the judge, the whole plan got failed. You have to compensate by doing some work which we will tell you when the right time comes.”“When I asked what that work would be, the officials told me that it would be either a right or a wrong work, but you have to do it, or else we will book you under UAPA which is more dreadful than TADA. You will have to be in jail minimum for twenty years and your clinic and family everything will be ruined,” Anwar alleges in his letter which carries his signature and thumb impression.outlookindia

 

UN Human Rights Council demand release of CAA protesters

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/un-human-rights-council-demand-release-of-caa-protesters/cid/1784292

Experts from United Nations Human Rights Council have demanded the immediate release of 11 people, including six students, arrested for taking part in protests against the new citizenship matrix.One of those named in the statement, Jamia Millia Islamia M.Phil scholar Safoora Zargar who is five months pregnant, was earlier this week released on bail on humanitarian grounds after more than two months in prison. She had been booked for terrorism for allegedly inciting the Delhi riots in February by taking part in sit-ins and delivering speeches ag-ainst CAA and allied laws.The statement by 13 experts, issued by Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, said: “These defenders, many of them students, appear to have been arrested simply because they exercised their right to denounce and protest against CAA , and their arrest seems clearly designed to send a chilling message to India’s vibrant civil society that criticism of government policies will not be tolerated.“Authorities should immediately release all human rights defenders who are currently being held in pre-trial detention without sufficient evidence, often simply on the basis of speeches they made criticising the discriminatory nature of CAA.”

UN experts urge India to release anti-CAA protesters

 

Delhi HC rejected, police repeated: bail will ‘send adverse message to society’

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-riots-hc-rejected-police-repeated-bail-will-send-adverse-message-to-society/

Delhi High Court, granting bail to an accused on May 29,  in a case linked to February riots, rejected the police argument that giving bail “may send an adverse message (to) society” — and said its remit is “to dispense justice” and “not to send messages to society”. Records show that Delhi Police used this argument in at least 19 riots cases, 15 of them after the HC’s May 29 observations.In its order granting bail to Firoz Khan, an Old Mustafabad resident sent to judicial custody on April 3 in a case lodged in Dayalpur, HC said:“Prison is primarily for punishing convicts; not for detaining undertrials in order to send any ‘message’ to society. The remit of the court is to dispense justice in accordance with law, not to send messages to society.”Subsequently, on June 6, Khan was granted bail by a district court in four other cases on the ground that the facts in those cases were no different from the one decided by the HC.However, despite the HC order, records show that the police have pursued this line of argument, with mixed results.  The HC order has been cited by defense counsel, too, to press for bail in the riot cases, but again with mixed results.

 

Coaching centre owner faces UAPA in Delhi riots case

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/coaching-centre-owner-faces-uapa-in-northeast-delhi-riots-case-6479718/

 Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a 36-year-old owner of a coaching centre in connection with the Northeast Delhi riots in February, under the stringent UAAP. Police claim the accused, Tasleem Ahmad, a resident of South Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, was closely associated with activist Gulfisha, who was earlier arrested on the same charges of criminal conspiracy.“He was first arrested by Jafrabad police station in the last week of April and came out on bail two weeks ago. He was then summoned and subsequently arrested by the New Delhi range of special cell,” an officer said, adding that he was produced before a Delhi court on Saturday and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

 

Students from riots-hit northeast Delhi may be at a disadvantage in DU admission: Professors

https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2020/06/26/des51-dl-du-cbse.html#:~:text=NATIONAL-,Students%20from%20riots%2Dhit%20northeast%20Delhi%20may%20be%20at,disadvantage%20in%20DU%20admission%20Professors&text=One%20of%20the%20professors%20said,do%20not%20take%20internals%20seriously%22.

 New Delhi: Students hailing from northeast Delhi, where a communal violence in February this year forced postponement of board examinations, may be at a disadvantage in the Delhi University admission process, some professors have said and demanded a separate arrangement for them. The professors expressed their apprehensions after the CBSE said that results of the students from the area "will be declared based on performances in the appeared subjects and performance in internal, practical or project assessment".PTI

 

‘CAA-NRC-NPR is an attempt to end existence of Indian Muslims,’ says former IPS Abdur Rahman

http://twocircles.net/2020jun27/437750.html

Former Inspector General of Police Abdur Rahman was one of the first government officials to quit the police force in December in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (now an Act) while it was still being debated in Parliament. He was appointed as the head of the investigation wing of the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission last year and has been in IPC for more than twenty-one years, holding different positions in Maharashtra.While announcing his resignation, Rahman said that CAA is “against the basic features of the Constitution.” He has been vocal on issues concerning the minority Muslim community in India. Recently, Rahman authored a book called, “Denial and Deprivation” that talks about the discrimination faced by Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission report.TwoCircles

 

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Condemns Israeli Plans To Annex Palestinian Land

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/jamaat-e-islami-hind-condemns-israeli-plans-to-annex-palestinian-land

NEW DELHI:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Presdient Syed Sadatullah Hussaini has condemned Israel’s plans to annex large swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank and demanded immediate international intervention.In a statement to the media, the JIH President said: "We condemn the reported plan of Israel to annex large swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank and demand immediate intervention by the international community to prevent Israel from carrying out its nefarious plans.“It is a blatant and treacherous violation of internationally recognized principle of territorial integrity and the rule that territories will not be acquired by war”, said the Jamaat chief.“Jamaat is highly concerned about the feeble response of the international community to this development and demands that UN and international community should immediately take swift action to prevent this flagrant violation of all accepted norms of justice and UN Security Council resolutions on Palestine”, the Jamaat President said.India Tomorrow

 

CBI chargesheets Karni Sena leader, 23 others in Rajasthan's 2017 Nagaur riot case

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cbi-chargesheets-karni-sena-leader-23-others-in-rajasthan-s-2017-nagaur-riot-case-1694668-2020-06-27

CBI has filed a chargesheet against 24 accused, including Rajput Karni Sena's founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi in connection with Nagaur riot case. The chargesheet was filed before the designated court in Jodhpur over riots in Rajasthan's Nagaur district where policemen were assaulted and held captive following a gangster's encounter in July 2017.The CBI had registered a case in this regard on January 5, 2018, on the request of the Rajasthan government to probe the riots where policemen were physically assaulted and damage was caused to public property such as railway tracks.According to reports, riots in Nagaur were triggered over the encounter of gangster Anand Pal Singh by the state police in Churu district on June 24, 2017. Members of Singh's family had alleged that he was gunned down by police despite expressing his wish to surrender.

 

Tamil Nadu custodial torture: Auto driver was assaulted, had multiple injuries, says hospital

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tamil-nadu-custodial-torture-auto-driver-assaulted-multiple-injuries-hospital-1694790-2020-06-28

Tamil Nadu autorickshaw driver, who died after allegedly being beaten up at the Veerakeralampudur Police Station in Tenkasi district, "faced assault" and had multiple injuries on his body, the hospital said. The auto driver, identified as N Kumaresan died on Saturday, allegedly due to police brutality, after being admitted to a hospital for about 15 days.During questioning at the hospital, N Kumaresan had alleged that he was beaten up at the police station. The cops had also threatened to hurt his father if he dared to speak to anyone about the incident, he had alleged before succumbing to his injuries.Now, the hospital documents of the auto driver have revealed that N Kumaresan faced assault, multiple injuries, and respiratory failure. Earlier, the doctors at the Thirunelveli Government hospital had discovered that Kumaresan’s kidney and spleen were badly damaged.Kumaresan's family, too, has alleged police brutality.Days after the death of a father-son duo allegedly in police custody in Tuticorin came to light, another case of alleged police has rocked the state. N Kumaresan, an auto driver, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday allegedly after being beaten up by police.

 

India records daily 5 deaths in custody ; most victims from Muslim, Dalit and marginalised communities : Report

http://muslimmirror.com/eng/india-records-daily-five-deaths-in-custody-most-victims-from-muslim-dalit-and-marginalised-communities-report/

New Delhi:  A total of 1,731 persons died in custody in India during 2019 which comprises  almost five such deaths daily and most of the victims belong to the poor and marginalised communities including  Dalit, tribal and Muslim.  This was revealed in the annual report on torture by the rights group United NGO Campaign Against Torture (UNCAT) which is a platform for action of NGOs committed to stamp out torture worldwide.NCAT  in its “India: Annual Report on Torture 2019” released Friday  on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture stated that a total of 1,731 persons died in custody during 2019 i.e. death of about five persons daily. These included 1,606 deaths in judicial custody and 125 deaths in police custody.  While during 2018, a total of 1,966 custodial deaths were reported including 147 deaths in police custody and 1,819 deaths in judicial custody. These figures do not reflect the extent and actual incidents of custodial death and torture in the country”, warned the report.Paritosh Chakma, Director of the NCAT, stated that “Out of the 125 deaths in police custody, 75 persons or 60% belonged to the poor and marginalised communities. These included 13 victims from Dalit and tribal communities, 15 victims belonged to Muslim minority community, 37 victims were picked up for petty crimes such as theft/ burglary/ cheating/ selling of liquor illegally, gambling, etc which indicate their economic status.Out of the 125 deaths in police custody, Uttar Pradesh topped with 14 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu and Punjab with 11 deaths each; Bihar with 10 deaths; Madhya Pradesh with 9 deaths; Gujarat with 8 deaths; Delhi and Odisha with 7 deaths each; Jharkhand with 6 deaths; Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan with 5 deaths each; Andhra Pradesh and Haryana with 4 deaths each; Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal with 3 deaths each; Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Manipur with 2 deaths each; and Assam, Himachal, Telangana and Tripura with 1 death each. Out of the 125 deaths, 93 persons (74.4%) died during police custody due to alleged torture/foul play while 24 persons (19.2%) died under suspicious circumstances in which police claimed they committed suicide (16 persons), illness (7 persons) and injuries (1) while the reasons for the custodial death of 5 (4%) persons were unknown.muslimmirror

 

FIR after torn pages of Quran found in Ambala

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/fir-after-torn-pages-of-quran-found-in-ambala/articleshow/76667838.cms

Ambala: Ambala police registered a case of sacrilege on Saturday after some torn pages of the Quran were found at a mosque near Ambala’s Mullana town.The incident came to light when a regular visitor to the Jama Masjid in Nohni village reached the mosque in the morning and found the torn pages of the Quran and a missing amplifier. “As the caretaker had gone to visit relatives in another village last month, I was coming to the masjid for prayers in the morning and found the pages of the Quran torn. I also found the almirah open and an amplifier, usually kept on the almirah, missing,” Anwar, the complainant, told the police.Mullana police station SHO Narender Singh said an alcoholic might have trespassed into the mosque at night as the gates were usually open and committed the crime. “We have lodged an FIR,” he said.

 

Muslim body seeks ban on film based on Prophet

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/muslim-body-seeks-ban-on-islamic-film

Claiming that a Muslim will die in honor than witnessing an insult of their holy Prophet Muhammad, the Raza Academy on Saturday urged the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai to stop the digital release of a film based on Muhammad.In a letter written to Parambir Singh, the city's top cop, the Raza Academy has said, "A Muslim will die in honor than to see or hear anything that insults their Prophet Muhammad." According to the academy's general secretary - Saeed Noori, he came across an advertisement in a tabloid, which stated that a film named - Muhammad, the messenger of God would be digitally released in Mumbai on July 21.

 

Tabloid owner Jeetu Soni, who published reports on MP honey trap case, held in Gujarat

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tabloid-owner-jeetu-soni-who-published-reports-on-mp-honey-trap-case-held-in-gujarat/

Controversial businessman and journalist Jeetu Soni, who was absconding for months after a slew of cases were registered against him, has been arrested in Gujarat by the crime branch of Indore Police.The crime branch had arrested his brother, who was also an accused in many cases, from a farm house in Gujarat four days ago. The police then claimed that Jeetu, who was holed up elsewhere in Gujarat, managed to escape.DIG Harinarayanchari Mishra said that Soni was brought to Indore on Sunday morning from Gujarat. He said 45 cases had been registered against Jeetu.His brother Mahendra Soni had been arrested five days ago. He is believed to have provided information about other possible hideouts of Jeetendra alias Jeetu. Many teams of Indore crime branch had been camping in Gujarat.

 

Govt extends deadline to bid for Air India by 2 months till Aug 31

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/government-extends-deadline-to-bid-for-air-india-by-2-months-till-august-31/article31938943.ece?homepage=true

The government has again extended the deadline to bid for Air India by two months till August 31 as COVID-19 fallout has disrupted economic activities globally.This is the third time deadline has been extended.The divestment process for the national carrier was initiated on January 27.Issuing a corrigendum to the Expression of Interest (EoI) for the sale of Air India, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said the deadline has been extended in view of “request received from the IBs (interested bidders) in view of the prevailing situation arising out of COVID-19.”

 

SC refuses to review decriminalisation of adultery

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-refuses-to-review-decriminalisation-of-adultery/article31938636.ece?homepage=true

The Supreme Court has refused to review its 2018 judgment which decriminalised adultery.A five-judge Review Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde upheld a September 2018 Constitution Bench which had struck adultery out of the penal statute book.“We have carefully gone through the review petitions and the connected papers filed therewith. We do not find any ground, whatsoever, to entertain the same. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,” review court said in a short order recently.

 

Flood Situation in Assam Worsens; Two More Die, Over 4.6 Lakh People Affected

https://thewire.in/environment/flood-situation-in-assam-worsens-two-more-die-over-4-6-lakh-people-affected

Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam worsened on Saturday with two more people losing their lives due to the deluge, which has affected over 4.6 lakh people across 21 districts, officials said.The two deaths were reported at Balijana and Matia in Goalpara district due to flood waters, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said in its daily bulletin.The death toll in this year’s floods in the state has gone up to 16.PTI

 

*CORONAVIRUS- LOCKDOWN*

Out of jail, 57 foreign Tablighis await MEA’s nod for return

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/out-of-jail-57-foreign-tablighis-await-meas-nod-for-return-6479801/

After 57 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members were released from jail on June 13, the wait for their return to home countries has got longer as Saharanpur police are yet to receive clearance from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). They have been staying at a private resort in the district for two weeks.The foreign nationals from 10 countries had served one-month jail term in the Saharanpur district jail for not informing the administration about their participation in a congregation at Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz, which was one of the coronavirus hotspots, in March this year.On June 10, a local court asked the jail authorities to release the 57 Tablighi members after their jail term ended. When they finally walked out of the prison three days later, they were finally taken to a resort for lack of other accommodation options.

 

Tablighi Jamaat: Supreme Court To Hear on Monday Cases Of 34 Foreign Tablighis, Including a 7-Month Pregnant Woman

http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/tablighi-jamaat-supreme-court-to-hear-on-monday-cases-of-34-foreign-tablighis-including-a-seven-month-pregnant-woman

NEW DELHI:The Supreme Court will hear the cases of 34 foreign Tablighi Jamaat activists from 33 countries on Monday.Among them includes a seven-month pregnant women from Thailand.The cases are based on 4 petitions filed by advocate-on-record Fuzail Ayyubi, submitting that being one-sided government’s order to blacklist foreign Tablighi Jamaat activists should be withdrawn forthwith, the government should restore visas of Jamaat activists that had been suspended and adequate steps be taken for their safe return to their respective countries.Among the 34 foreign activists is also a woman from Thailand who is seven months pregnant. She has made a special appeal for her safe return to her country. Other countries to which the Jamaat activists belong to include Indonesia, Britain, Egypt, Thailand, South Africa etc.   India Tomorrow

 

Some foreigners acted as carriers of coronavirus: Police in chargesheets filed against Tablighi Jamaat members

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/some-foreigners-acted-as-carriers-of-coronavirus-police-in-chargesheets-filed-against-tablighi-jamaat-members20200627224011/

 Delhi PoliceTablighi Jamaat, said that they have disobeyed the regulation and lockdown, most of them had arrived from countries where COVID-19 infection was already creating havoc, and some acted as carriers of the highly infectious coronavirus.The police said that Jamaat in Indonesia has cancelled its meeting due to virus but Maulana Saad organised it in India.ANI

 

6 who attended congregation at Markaz died in Delhi and Haryana: Police charge sheet

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/six-who-attended-congregation-at-markaz-died-in-delhi-and-haryana-police-charge-sheet/story-uxr99KAHn3tivPjH1TgO2L.html

Six people, including a foreigner, had died due to the coronavirus disease during treatment at hospitals in Delhi, Haryana and at a quarantine facility after being rescued from the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters, known as Markaz, in Nizamuddin during the lockdown in March-end, Delhi Police have told a Delhi court, in a charge sheet filed in May.HT

 

COVID: 52 people arrested for flouting norms by gathering at mosque in UP's Shamli

https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-52-people-arrested-for-flouting-norms-by-gathering-at-mosque-in-ups-shamli/articleshow/76660527.cms

Muzaffarnagar: 52 people were arrested in a town in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh for gathering at a mosque for Friday prayers, violating orders that prevent large assemblies to combat the spread of COVID-19, police said here.They were arrested as assembly of more than five people at religious places in the state is prohibited in view of the outbreak, SHO Yashpal Dhama said on Saturday.The incident took place in Kairana town, he said.A case was registered under various sections of the law, the SHO said, adding that all of them were later released on bail. PTI

 

Covid-19: Jamiat Ahle Hadees asks mosque committees to suspend prayers

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https://telanganatoday.com/covid-19-jamiat-ahle-hadees-asks-mosque-committees-to-suspend-prayers

Hyderabad: Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hyderabad and Secunderabad branch appealed to the managing committees of the mosques to suspend the prayers in view of the rising cases of Covid-19.In a statement, Jamiat general secretary, Dr Syed Asif Omeri said, “Next three weeks are crucial in the fight against Covid-19 and all the people should cooperate. Only ‘azaan’ (prayer call) should be given from the mosque and people should pray at their houses only.”The Jamiat also asked the managing committees to suspend the Friday prayers as well as huge congregations are witnessed during the ‘Juma namaz’.

 

‘Mosques in Goa’s safe zone may open from July 1, but with precautions’

https://newsd.in/mosques-in-goa-s-safe-zone-may-open-from-july-1-but-with-precautions/

Panaji:Mosques located in safe zones in Goa may gradually open from July 1, even as the state’s apex association of Muslim jamaats, relaxed norms for re-opening of the religious houses with proper hygiene and social distancing rules.Only those Mosques with hands-free sanitiser dispensing systems, proper entry and exit facilities, thermal gun screening mechanisms would be allowed to open, said Shaikh Bashir Ahmed, president Association of All Goa Muslim Jamaats, on Saturday.Ahmed further said, hugging and shaking of hands inside the Mosque premises are prohibited along with exchanging of headgears.IANS

 

 

Former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela hospitalised after testing positive for COVID

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/former-gujarat-cm-shankersinh-vaghela-hospitalised-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19-6480115/

After being diagnosed with COVID-19 Saturday, former Chief Minister of Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela has been admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad for the treatment of the infection, on Sunday morning. Vaghela’s media associate Parthesh Patel said, “He (Vaghela) was home quarantined yesterday. Today, the doctor advised hospitalization for better treatment. And accordingly, he has been admitted to hospital today. However, there is nothing to worry about his health otherwise. He has no morbidities like diabetes etc. and is physically fit.”

 

 

Recovered Covid-19 patients exceed active cases by over 1 lakh: Govt

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/recovered-covid-19-patients-exceed-active-cases-by-over-1-lakh-health-ministry-6480494/

The gap between recoveries and active cases of COVID-19 has crossed 1,00,000, the Union health ministry said on Sunday as coronavirus cases in India mounted to 5,28,859 and the death toll rose to 16,095.The recovered cases have exceeded the active cases by 1,06,661 as on Saturday, the ministry said.A total of 3,09,712 patients have been cured of COVID-19 so far with 13,832 patients having recovered in the last 24 hours, it said. “The recovery rate is 58.56 per cent amongst COVID-19 patients,” the ministry said.India on Sunday reported close to 20,000 cases in the last 24 hours, which means 1 lakh cases were added to the growing tally in less than a week. Today marks the 5th consecutive day that infections have risen by more than 15, 000. The country’s tally is now over 5.28 lakh.As testing has been increased across the country, “a cumulative total of 82,27,802 samples have been tested up to June 27 and 2,31,095 samples have been tested on Saturday,” ICMR said.

 

Maharashtra lockdown curbs to continue beyond June 30, says CM Uddhav Thackeray

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-coronavirus-updates-28-june-6480001/

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Sunday said the battle against coronavirus cannot be left halfway and urged the people of the state to follow rules and ensure the lockdown was not re-imposed. However, Thackeray made it clear that the lockdown curbs in the state would continue beyond June 30.In an address to the state, Thackeray said, “Will lockdown be lifted after June 30? The clear answer is no. We can not leave this war halfway in this final phase. The crisis is not over yet. I am sure that you will continue to co-operate with the government to ensure that the lockdown is not re-imposed.”Maharashtra tops the tally with respect to cases as well as deaths, with 7,273 fatalities and 1,59,133 infections.

 

 Manipur extends lockdown till July 15

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-india-news-live-updates-covid-19-tracker-corona-cases-in-india-today-update-lockdown-extension-state-wise-latest-news-tamil-nadu-delhi-6479588/

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced extension of the coronavirus-induced lockdown in his state for another 15 days, that is, from July 1 to July 15. However, Biren Singh said the state has also decided to allow operation of inter-district bus service from July 1 by strictly maintaining SOPs and guidelines issued by the government. No other public transport system will be allowed during this period, he added.CM also said the daily domestic flight service which was limited to only one flight a day would be increased to five from Monday. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state is 1094, 432 cases have been discharged and at present, there are 660 active cases. The recovery rate is 39.56 %.

 

Hyderabad Lockdown Recommended By Medical Experts, Decision In 3-4 Days

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hyderabad-lockdown-recommended-by-medical-experts-chief-minister-to-decide-in-next-3-4-days-2253641?pfrom=home-topscroll

Hyderabad: Hyderabad should be placed under lockdown once again to slow the spread of coronavirus, a team of medical experts has recommended and a decision will be taken in three to four days, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said on Sunday."Medical and health departments made proposals that the re-imposition of lockdown in Hyderabad is good. But re-imposition of lockdown will be a very major decision. Government machinery and people should be made ready for this," an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office quoted Mr Rao as saying.

 

 

 

Gurgaon, Faridabad to open shopping malls from July 1

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/gurgaon-faridabad-to-open-shopping-malls-from-july-1-6480333/

After being closed for over 3 months due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, shopping malls in Gurgaon and Faridabad have been permitted to reopen from July 1, with the Government of Haryana releasing a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) on Sunday that they have to follow. The SOPs state that malls can operate between 9 am and 8 pm, but cinema halls, gaming arcades, and children’s play areas inside them will remain closed for now. The SOPs are laid out for four “stakeholders”, namely owners of the malls, visitors, shopkeepers, and food vendors, and municipalities.

 

"Coronavirus Better Than Hunger," Say UP Migrant Workers Going Back To Work

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-migrant-workers-going-back-to-work-say-coronavirus-better-than-hunger-2253414?pfrom=home-topstories

Lucknow: As India continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and flagging economic growth, some of Uttar Pradesh's 30 lakh-plus migrant workers who returned during the lockdown are going back to work.At the government bus stand in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Deoria, 50 km from the railway junction in Gorakhpur that has trains to Maharashtra, Gujarat and elsewhere, Diwakar Prasad and Khursheed Ansari are both boarding buses for Gorakhpur.Mr Ansari is a factory worker in Mumbai and says his large tailoring unit is still shut and that he returned home just a month ago."If there was employment in UP, I would not return . My company has not started yet but I am returning to find whatever work I can. Corona is better than hunger. It is better for me to die rather than my children to die of coronavirus," Mr Ansari told NDTV before boarding the bus.

 

 

 

Aligarh Muslim University cancels remaining exams of Class 10 and 12 due to COVID-19

https://www.firstpost.com/india/aligarh-muslim-university-cancels-remaining-exams-of-class-10-and-12-due-to-covid-19-8533671.html

AMU has decided to cancel the remaining papers for Class 10 and 12 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The pending papers were scheduled to be held from 6 to 9 July.“The assessment scheme and other details to assess the performance of students in the cancelled examinations will be as decided by the Board of Secondary and Senior Secondary Education, Aligarh Muslim University,” university controller of exams said in a notification. Students are advised to visit the official website of the university at regular intervals for any further update.

 

COVID-19 threat will stay unless everyone immunized: Harvard Scholar

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/covid-19-threat-will-stay-unless-everyone-immunized-harvard-scholar

"SARS-COV-2 has not shown any seasonal pattern so far, although higher incidence and caseloads are seen in areas with temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius and low humidity. Still its impact in India is considerable given our huge population as well as population density," said Mrinalini Darswal, doctor and IAS officer, who is currently pursuing doctoral studies in public health, with a focus on COVID-19 at Harvard University.With over 5 lakh cases, the first wave is still continuing in India, and unless seasons turn a full circle, it is difficult to term SARS-COV-2 periodic, Darswal added.IANS

 

Coronavirus vaccine status check: Oxford vaccine most advanced, says WHO; Sanofi accelerates trials

https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-latest-updates-oxford-astrazeneca-moderna-sanofi-6480235/

Even though there are more than 13 experimental vaccines in clinical trials among the 140 being developed to combat Covid-19, the World Health Organisation has identified the candidates developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc as the front-runners.“Certainly in terms of how advanced they are, the stage at which they are, they are I think probably the leading candidate,” Reuters quoted WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan as saying.“We do know that Moderna’s vaccine is also going to go into phase three clinical trials, probably from the middle of July, and so that vaccine candidate is not far behind. AstraZeneca certainly has a more global scope at the moment in terms of where they are doing and planning their vaccine trials,” Swaminathan said.

 

Four suicides, three suicide bids in 48 hrs shock Maharashtra

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/four-suicides-three-suicide-bids-in-48-hrs-shock-maharashtra

Four alleged suicides and three cases of suicide attempts by different families in Nagpur and Palghar within 48 hours shocked Maharashtra over the weekend, officials said.In the first instance, late on Friday, a woman made her minor son and daughter eat poison and then consumed it herself over a dispute with her husband for buying a TV set.According to police, the incident happened on Friday at Wathoda's New Ganesh Nagar when Ayesha Baig (32) gave poison to her six-year old son and 10-month old daughter after a quarrel with her husband Naseem for not buying a TV set for the family.Ironically, she took the drastic step when her husband, a milkman, had gone to the market to purchase the TV set which was the cause of regular brawls in the family.Neighbours rushed the woman and the kids to the Government Medical College & Hospital where the infant is reported to be critical, while the Wathoda police have registered an office of attempt to murder against Ayesha.

 

*WORLD*

Russia offered bounty to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops, claims report; White House denies knowledge

https://scroll.in/latest/965904/russia-offered-bounty-to-militants-to-kill-us-troops-claims-report-white-house-denies-knowledge

Russian military offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan last year to kill American and coalition troops, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing unidentified intelligence officials.The alleged bounties were offered by a Russian military intelligence unit connected to several assassination attempts in Europe. Unidentified officials told the newspaper that President Donald Trump was briefed about the findings at an emergency meeting in March. They added that intelligence officials suggested a range of measures against Russia, including sanctions, but the White House did not approve them.The White House denied the report on Saturday. “Neither the president nor the vice president were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was quoted as saying by AFP. “This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter.”

Russian intelligence officers offered cash rewards to Taliban fighters to kill US, UK troops, source says: CNN

 

Russia denies report spy unit paid Taliban to attack NATO forces

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/russia-denies-report-spy-unit-paid-taliban-attack-nato-forces-200627151651474.html

Russia and the Taliban have denied a media report saying that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered money to Taliban-linked fighters to kill US troops and other members of the NATO coalition operating in Afghanistan. Russia on Saturday denounced the accusations, with the Russian embassy in Washington, DC calling them "baseless and anonymous".The tweet added the claims had "already led to direct threats to the life of employees of the Russian Embassies in Washington DC and London".US officials have previously linked the Russian intelligence unit in question to assassination attempts and operations in Europe meant to destabilise Western powers, according to the report. However, the most recent allegations, if true, would be the first time the unit has been proven to have orchestrated attacks on Western troops, the report said.

Taliban reject claims Russia aided fighters in attacks on US troops

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/taliban-reject-claims-russia-aided-fighters-in-attacks-on-us-troops/articleshow/76664858.cms

Taliban has rejected a newspaper report claiming their fighters had received rewards from Moscow’s spies to kill US troops in Afghanistan.“19-year jihad of the Islamic Emirate is not indebted to the beneficence of any intelligence organ or foreign country,” the Taliban said in a statement issued in Kabul.The group also denied previous US accusations it was given arms by Russia.“The Islamic Emirate has made use of weapons, facilities and tools … that were already present in Afghanistan or are war spoils frequently seized from the opposition in battles.” Taliban said home-made explosives accounted for most of the casualties among US forces.The group reiterated it was committed to an accord signed with Washington in February that paves the way for withdrawing all foreign forces from Afghanistan by mid next year.AFP

 

Human Rights Groups Criticise 'World's Longest Internet Shutdown' in Myanmar

https://thewire.in/south-asia/myanmar-worlds-longest-internet-shutdown

New Delhi: Roughly five weeks from now, on August 5, the internet lockdown (from complete ban to partial lifting with 2G services) will complete a year in Jammu and Kashmir.Reports are doing the rounds in a section of the media on how the denial of full internet access to a swathe of India’s citizens – caught in a conflict between state and non-state actors – is affecting their lives, access to livelihood in several cases, and even exposure to crucial COVID-19 related information. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Myanmar, what rights groups are calling “the world’s longest internet blackout” has just entered its second year.

 

Iran news agency reports visit of new Quds chief to Syria

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200628-iran-news-agency-reports-visit-of-new-quds-chief-to-syria/

An Iranian news agency on Saturday reported a visit by the chief of the elite Quds Force to eastern Syria, a rare public announcement of a trip to the battlefield by the successor of a commander killed by the United States in January, Reuters reports.Esmail Ghaani is the replacement for Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most powerful military commander, who directed its allied militia in conflicts across the Middle East before he was killed by a U.S. missile strike at Baghdad airport.Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Ghaani had visited Abu Kamal, a Syrian town on the border with Iraq, in the past few days. It later deleted the report without explanation. Other Iranian media made no mention of the visit.Tasnim quoted Ghaani as describing IS fighters as agents of Israel and US, a common accusation by Iran.

 

Former Pak Jamaat chief Munawwar Hasan laid to rest

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/678813-former-ji-chief-munawwar-hasan-laid-to-rest

Thousands of people from all walks of life attended the funeral of former Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan emir Syed Munawwar Hasan in Karachi on Saturday.Hasan had passed away at the age of 78 on Friday at a local hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for the past few weeks.JI chief Sirajul Haq offered the Namaz-e-Janaza at the Eidgah Ground in the Nazimabad area. Hasan was buried in the Sakhi Hasan graveyard near the grave of Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, the JI’s former secretary-general.

 

 

*views, Articles, FEATURES*

With Vague Talk of 'Winning Wars', Modi-Shah Attempt to Regain the Narrative; Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

https://thewire.in/politics/narendra-modi-amit-shah-covid-19-china

If Finance Ministry is so sanguine, why does it not predict positive GDP growth in 2020-21?:P Chidambaram

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-economy-revival-covid-19-p-chidambaram-6479451/

China knows that India will only match its might if it succeeds in building an economy as powerful:Tavleen Singh

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-china-border-faceoff-bjp-congress-army-tavleen-singh-6479462/

Changing LAC Rules of Engagement With China Will Have Serious Consequences for India:Pravin Sawhney

https://thewire.in/security/india-china-rules-of-engagement

As FIRs Against Media Pile Up, Inconsistent SC Response Points to Judicial Incoherence:V. Venkatesan

https://thewire.in/law/supreme-court-stay-fir-journalists

The misunderstood missionary - story of Tablighi Jamaat:SAAD HASAN, trtworld.com

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/the-misunderstood-missionary-the-story-of-the-tablighi-jamaat-37657

A Special Injustice:Special courts will fall short until there is impartial investigation into Delhi violence;SURABHI DHAR AND NITIKA KHAITAN

https://caravanmagazine.in/law/special-courts-delhi-violence-impartial-investigation

In PM’s list of 6: migrants, self-help group members and entrepreneurs

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pm-modi-up-migrants-self-help-group-members-and-entrepreneurs-6478579/

Explainer: Israel's annexation plan for occupied West Bank

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/explainer-israel-annexation-plan-occupied-west-bank-200627085214900.html

 

 
 

 

Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:12 PM)