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Archives for July 2017

Palestinians set for Day of Rage over al-Aqsa control

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Tensions grow in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel implements new security measures at al-Aqsa compound.

Al-Aqsa Mosque

by Al Jazeera

Tensions continue to mount in occupied East Jerusalem as thousands of Palestinians are expected to take part in a Day of Rage to protest against new security measures introduced by Israel at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The protests follow clashes between Israeli forces and protesters on Tuesday after evening prayers in the occupied city.

The call for the Day of Rage by President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party comes two days after the implementation of metal detectors and turnstiles at the entrance of the al-Aqsa compound following a deadly shoot-out there on Friday.

During that incident, two Israeli security officers were killed in an alleged attack by three Palestinians who were killed by Israeli police following the violence.

According to officials, at least 14 Palestinians and two Israeli police officers were injured in clashes late on Tuesday.

At least 50 Palestinians were injured in overnight clashes on Monday with Israeli police who remained at the sacred site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and al-Haram al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements have also called for protests on Wednesday in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the new security measures.

Sheikh Azzam Khatib Tamimi, head of the Waqf, the Islamic authority in charge of al-Aqsa, said earlier on Wednesday that the authority had instructed “imams in all the mosques in the city of Jerusalem not to hold prayers in their mosques and to come to al-Aqsa”.

The Waqf also said in a statement on Wednesday that “the longer Israel delays the removal of the metal detectors, the worse it is going to get” as more Palestinian worshippers converge outside of Damascus and Lion’s Gates in occupied East Jerusalem for prayers.

Palestinians have already been performing prayers outside the compound in protest since it was reopened on Sunday after a two-day closure.

Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said the protests are not just about the implementation of the new security measures by Israel.

“This isn’t about one isolated installation of a security measure,” Fawcett said.

“For Palestinians this is about the fact that Israeli forces are an occupying force and the potential that Israel is in contravention of the UN articles guaranteeing freedom of worship, guaranteeing that occupying forces do not change any part of the status quo within the city.

“Palestinians see it as all part of the same narrative, and that is why these metal detectors are taking on such much weight.”

Also on Wednesday, Israeli authorities closed the compound to Jewish visitors after what they call a violation by some Jewish individuals who appeared to have prayed at the site, which is forbidden to non-Muslim worshippers.

Under the status quo, Muslims are given religious control over the compound and Jews are allowed to visit but not pray there.

On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that he did not want to alter the status quo, but Palestinians fear Israel is trying to retake control of the site by stealth.

The site houses the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, as well as the ruins of the Biblical Jewish Temple.

Questions about control of the site frequently lead to outbursts of fighting.

After Friday’s alleged attack, Israel closed off the area, preventing Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time in decades.

Additional reporting by Ibrahim Husseini.

TR Zeliang Appointed Nagaland Chief Minister By Governor

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TR Zeliang

Kohima: Naga People’s Front leader and ruling DAN chairman TR Zeliang was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland on Wednesday at Darbar Hall, Raj Bhavan in Kohima. Governor PB Acharya administered oath to Zeliang after Shurhozelie Liezietsu failed to turn up in the special emergent session of the State Assembly to take a floor test. The governor has asked Zeliang, who claimed to enjoy the support of 47 legislators, to prove his majority by July 22. The Cabinet members will be sworn-in only after the floor test.

Zeliang becomes the 19th chief minister of the Northeastern state. He was appointed as the chief minister in the morning by the governor. Speaker Imtiwapang Aier had submitted his report to governor Acharya, stating that former CM Liezietsu was not present in the special emergent session of the House on Wednesday morning “to avail the opportunity granted by the Hon’ble Governor to prove his majority in the House.” The House was then adjourned sine die.

The Guwahati High court had dismissed Liezietsu’s petition for a stay on the governor’s directive to him to seek vote of confidence in the House on or before July 15.

Zeliang, who had stepped down in February this year following large-scale violence after several groups opposed holding civic polls in the state with 33 per cent reservation for women, had for the past three weeks claimed that majority of the DAN legislators were in favour of his return to the chief minister’s post. Zeliang and his supporters – whose numbers had increased to 47 in a House of 59 – had accused chief minister Liezietsu of nepotism, favouritism and failure to govern the state. Liezietsu, who is not a member of the Assembly, incidentally is contesting a by-election on July 29 from the North Angami-I constituency.

(Agencies)

Lalu backs Mayawati, offers her RS seat from Bihar

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lalu prasad yadav

Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad came out in support of BSP leader Mayawati who resigned from the Rajya Sabha, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar.

“Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha,” Lalu said reacting to Mayawati’s resignation.

The BSP chief today tendered her resignation accusing the BJP and the Chair of not allowing her to raise the issue of anti-Dalit violence in Uttar Pradesh.

“If Mayawati wishes, we will send her to Rajya Sabha from Bihar,” the RJD president whose party has 80 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly said.

“We are with her,” Prasad said.

Mayawati’s current term would have ended in April next year and her party, with just 18 MLAs in the UP Assembly, is not in a position to send her to Rajya Sabha.

“Chanakya had said that an assembly (of people) where a person is not allowed to speak through the force of brute majority is no assembly,” he said.

Lalu Prasad’s support to Mayawati is being seen as a part of his efforts to bring her and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav together. He has invited the two leaders to his party’s August 27 rally here.

(PTI)

Jackpot for Tamil Nadu MLAs, salary hiked almost 100 percent

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tamil_nadu_assembly

Chennai: Tamil Nadu has announced almost 100 percent hike in salary of MLAs of the house. The announcement which is like a jackpot for many, was made by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy in the state assembly. MLAs will now get Rs 1.05 lakh per month from Rs 55,000 earlier.

According to reports, the chief minister also announced that MLA Local Area Development Fund would be increased from Rs 2 crore to 2.5 crore.

Ex MLAs also get a raise to Rs 20,000 as opposed to Rs 12,000 earlier.

The new salary retrospectively came into effect from July 1.

After the chief minister’s announcement, most MLAs appeared very enthused. But DMK legislators restrained themselves from celebrating.

“Each and every MLA must be happy inside. But due to party restrictions, they may not be able to express their joy,” remarked Speaker P Dhanapal.

(Agencies)

RCEP conference from 24th to 28th at Hyderabad International Convention Centre

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by David Bodapati

Trading Away Health – The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

rcep

Next week, Hyderabad is set to host the 19th round of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) from July 24 to 28, a regional trade agreement between India, the ten member states of the ASEAN and, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and Republic of Korea. This trade deal threatens to undermine the ability of some of the world’s poorest people to get access to good quality medicines at cheap and affordable prices.

Since 2012, the RCEP trade agreement has been under negotiation between the ten members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six countries that have existing trade agreements with ASEAN: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea. Notably, the RCEP countries are home to nearly 50% of the global population, including some of the world’s most impoverished and marginalised communities.The RCEP trade agreement is being negotiated in secret, without input from public health stakeholders.

“Amongst a handful of developing countries with a huge production capacity to manufacture quality-assured generic medicines, India did not grant patents on medicines till 2005 and thus, its generic companies produce some of the cheapest life-saving drugs in the world,” said Shailly Gupta, Deputy Head, MSF Access Campaign (India).

Death warrant to people living with HIV

Known as the ‘pharmacy of the developing world’, India played a major role in scaling up treatment to 17 million people across the world by lowering the price of anti-retrovirals (HIV medicines) from Rs. 6 lakh ($10,000) per patient per year in 2001 to less than Rs.18,000 ($300). The Indian government presently provides free Anti-retrovirals (ARV) to 9.94 lakh people (out of 24 lakh) living with HIV. Any trade agreement which forces the increase in price of these life-saving medicines will not only hamper the Indian government’s public health programme but is a sure death warrant to thousands of HIV positive people in India.

Similarly, the drug Imatinib can completely cure Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) or Blood Cancer. A month’s treatment using one of the branded varieties of Imatinib drug would cost Rs 1.24 lakh per patient per month while it is just Rs 5,720 per month per patient with the generic variety.

“As a medical treatment provider, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) relies on affordable, quality generic medicines to treat a number of diseases. In fact, 97 per cent of the medicines used by MSF to treat HIV are generics sourced from India,’’ said Gupta.

“As a medical humanitarian organisation working in nearly 70 countries, MSF is concerned that demands for intellectual property provisions in the intellectual property and investment chapters could potentially challenge a government’s capacity to initiate and execute policies to protect public health and ensure affordable access to medicines for all,” she added.

According to the leaked text, Japan and the Republic of Korea are pushing for provisions that go far beyond international trade rules (known as TRIPS-plus rules) to extend drug corporations’ patent terms and introduce the most damaging form of clinical trial data monopolies. Further, the proposed elevated levels of IP enforcement would delay generic competition and translate into higher prices for lengthier periods of time, which would, in turn, prevent the flow of affordable generic medicines from producer to patient. These provisions offer pharmaceutical corporations a blank cheque for abuse. In developing countries, where people rarely have health insurance and must pay for medicines out of pocket, high prices keep life-saving medicines out of reach – and this is often a matter of life and death.

Dangerous trend

RCEP’s damaging provisions are similar to those included in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement between the United States and eleven other Pacific Rim countries signed in February 2016 after years of secretive negotiations. Seven countries are common to both the TPP and the RCEP. The TPP has been repeatedly referred to as “the worst trade deal ever for access to medicines.”
“It is disturbing to note that Japan and the Republic of Korea (who are also part of the TPP) are seeking to include similar damaging IP provisions in a trade agreement that includes many more developing countries,” said Leena Menghaney, Head South Asia, MSF Access Campaign.

“Multinational pharma corporations view robust, affordable generic medicines produced and marketed by Indian suppliers as an enormous threat to their profits.,” she added.

Dr Gopal Dabade, President, Drug Action Forum – Karnataka, feels that India’s patent law and the argument that multinational drug manufacturing companies based in the US and Europe deserve compensation for the large amounts they spend on research is not valid. “Most of the innovation happens at public-funded institutions and universities. The teams here do the basic research and then the drug companies develop it and market it. There are countless studies that show that drug companies really spend more on advertising and promotion. At times they may even spend on research, it’s mainly to gauge how to sell a drug better,” says the renowned doctor and health activist.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited USA to meet president Donald Trump.During their meeting one important agenda was that India should amend its Patent Law so as to suit the American drug manufacturing companies. It is not just USA but also the European Commission which is currently having trade negotiations with India which is called a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It suggested India to make changes so that it will bring more profits to the big drug companies in Europe. But this will also seriously hamper access to medicines across the developing world,” Dr Dabade added.

If the IP provisions proposed in RCEP are accepted, access to affordable life saving medicines will be restricted for people in India and around the world who rely on life-saving affordable generics made in India. Many organisations and activists are gathering in Hyderabad to undertake protests and marches to oppose the trade treaties which can trade away the health of the poor people.

David Bodapati is a journalist turned health activist working with networks of people living with HIV and other marginalised groups to support Access to Medicines.

Arrest Sadhvi Saraswati for hate speech against beef-eaters: BJP MLA

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sadhvi-saraswati

Panaji: Religious leaders like Sadhvi Saraswati, who deliver hate speeches in Goa, should be arrested and banned from visiting Goa, deputy speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo told the state Assembly on Tuesday.

“Sadhvi Saraswati had said that beef-eaters should be hanged. Why do they come to Goa and make such statements? Police should act against her, or someone else will come and say something else. Who all would we be able to stop,” Lobo asked during a discussion on the motion of thanks on the governor’s address.

“There should be a precedent. An FIR should be filed against anyone who gives hate speeches. They must be summoned to the police headquarters,” Lobo said.

Madhya Pradesh-based Sadhvi Saraswati, who was in Goa to attend a four-day All India Hindu Convention, had said that those who eat beef should be hanged.

Lobo said that such “rabble rousers” should be banned from Goa on the lines of Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik.

“Such type of people should be banned from entering Goa, whoever it is… We have to have full control of all these things. We should not allow this. Those who want to disturb Goa, they have no place here,” he said.

More than 30 percent of the state’s 1.5 million population comprises conventionally beef-eating minority communities.

(Agencies)

Dr Zakir Naik’s passport revoked after NIA’s request

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zakir naik

Mumbai: The external affairs ministry has revoked the passport of Zakir Naik, the physician turned Islamic preacher, who is accused by a section of media of promoting terrorism.

“The Mumbai Regional Passport Office has approved the NIA’s request to revoke Zakir Naik’s passport,” a spokesperson for the anti-terror agency said today.

The 51-year-old televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for unproven charges related to terror and money laundering.

Dr Naik had his passport renewed in January last year and it was valid for 10 years.

The NIA had on November 18, 2016, registered a case against Dr Naik at its Mumbai branch under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

His Mumbai-based NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has already been declared an unlawful association by the Modi government.

The preacher has been accused by India’s ruling party and mainstream media of spreading hatred, delivering provocative speeches, funding terrorists and laundering several crores of rupees over the years.

Dr Naik, a medical doctor-turned preacher, during his interactions with the Indian media from his haven abroad has repeatedly denied all charges. He was served a show-cause notice by the passport authorities asking as to why his travel document should not be revoked.

The Interpol was approached against Naik after a year- long probe during which the NIA gathered evidence of his IRF and Peace TV being used to allegedly promote hatred between different religious groups.

Besides banning his NGO, the central government has taken his TV channel off air.

(Agencies)

China moved huge military hardware into Tibet after Sikkim standoff: Report

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China

Beijing: The Chinese Army moved tens of thousands of tonnes of military hardware into the remote mountainous Tibet region after the standoff with Indian troops in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector, the mouthpiece of the PLA said today.

The vast haul was transported to a region south of the Kunlun Mountains in northern Tibet by the Western Theatre Command – which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and handles border issues with India, reported the PLA Daily, the official mouthpiece of Chinese military.

The move took place late last month and involved hardware being moved simultaneously by road and rail from across the entire region, the report said.

China’s state-run media has stepped up its rhetoric against India in recent weeks but there was no way to confirm the veracity of such claims.

Early this week, state-run CCTV had broadcast People’s Liberation Army troops taking part in heavy military exercises using live ammunition on the Tibetan plateau.

The location was not far from the disputed Doklam area where Chinese and Indian troops are locked in a standoff, the Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post reported.

The PLA Daily report, however, did not say whether the movement of the military equipment was to support the exercise or for other reasons.

Wang Dehua, an expert on South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said the scale of the troop and equipment movement showed how much easier it is for China to defend its western borders.

“Military operations are all about logistics,” he said. “Now there is much better logistics support to the Tibet region.”

Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face- off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area.

China claimed that they were constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau.

New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its northeastern states.

India has conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

(Agencies)

Hijab-wearing woman among Apple’s new emojis

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Breastfeeding woman, bearded person and meditating man also among new symbols previewed to mark World Emoji Day.

The hijab emoji was approved in November last year [Courtesy Apple]

The hijab emoji was approved in November last year [Courtesy Apple]

by Al Jazeera

US tech giant Apple has previewed forthcoming emojis, including one that depicts a woman wearing a hijab.

More than 12 animated symbols were unveiled on Monday to celebrate World Emoji Day and will be released on Apple devices later this year, the company said.

“The new Emoji make it easier for users to express themselves with greater diversity, additional animals and creatures, new smiley faces and more,” Apple said in a statement.

The headscarf-wearing character was approved by Unicode, a non-profit international consortium, in November last year after a Saudi teen living in Germany campaigned for its inclusion.

Fifteen-year-old Rayouf Alhumedhi submitted a proposal to Unicode in September 2016, pointing out that there was no image that represented her.

Her online campaign, the Hijab Emoji Project, noted that some Christian and Jewish women also wear headscarves, along with hundreds of millions of Muslims.

The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion.

Apple’s preview of the hijab emoji sparked some negative reaction online, with one Twitter user calling it a sign of “creeping Sharia” law.

Meanwhile, many others were more receptive to the new character.

Other new symbols include a woman breastfeeding and a man meditating in what appears to be the traditional yoga lotus pose.

Apple also revealed less political inclusions such a dinosaur, zebra, elf, zombie, genie, sandwich and coconut emoji.

The standards for all emojis is set by the Unicode, which dictates the characters available for computer programming.

Unicode announced in May its next version would include 69 new emojis.

What Apple unveiled Monday was its interpretation of several characters that will be available for its smartphones, watches and laptops in the coming months.

People in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, UK, Spain, France, Italy and Germany are among the world’s biggest emoji-users on Facebook.

The social media company said that 5 billion emoji are sent worldwide via Facebook Messenger each day.

Protest calls grow as Israel tightens grip on al-Aqsa

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Fatah calls on Palestinians to boycott holy mosque as heightened security measures are feared to be signs of a takeover.

(AFP/File)

(AFP/File)

by Al Jazeera

President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party has called for a “Day of Rage” to protest against new security measures introduced by Israel at a Jerusalem site which is holy to both Muslims and Jews.

The call follows the implementation of metal detectors and turnstiles at the entrance of al-Aqsa compound after a deadly shootout there on Friday.

In that incident, two Israeli security officers died after an alleged attack by three Palestinians – who were themselves killed by Israeli police following the violence.

Tensions have soared since Friday.

The Red Cross said on Tuesday that at least 50 Palestinians were wounded in overnight clashes with Israeli police remaining near the sacred site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.

At least four paramedics were injured, and 15 others were hit by rubber bullets, the charity said.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements have also called for protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the new security measures.

The “Day of Rage” is set to take place on Wednesday.

“For the third day now, the Islamic Waqf authority – which runs the al-Aqsa Mosque compound – is refusing to enter through the Israeli metal detectors,” said Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from Jerusalem.

“[The authority] and the many growing number of worshippers outside the mosque see [the security measures] as an imposition of Israeli sovereignty in a holy place, and more generally as an Israeli encroachment in occupied East Jerusalem.

“The Israelis are saying that this is an important security measure after the deadly attack which took place on Friday.”

Fatah is calling for Friday prayers to be conducted in public squares in Palestinian cities to denounce what they described as “terrorist procedures” by Israel in occupied East Jerusalem.

Palestinians have already been performing prayers outside the compound in protest, since it was reopened on Sunday after a two-day closure.

Jerusalem Grand Mufti Mohammed Ahmed Hussein criticised the new measures as altering the status quo, which gives Muslims religious control over the site and permits Jews to visit but not pray there.

In a statement, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that Israeli forces removed worshippers at Lions’ Gate for allegedly blocking the street while performing prayers.

The Palestinians fear Israel is trying to retake control of the site by stealth. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Friday that he did not want to alter the status quo.

The site houses the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine, Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, but also the ruins of the Biblical Jewish Temple.

Questions about control of the site frequently lead to outbursts of fighting.

After Friday’s alleged attack, Israel closed off the area, preventing Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time in decades.

Mahmoud Abbas, who was quick to condemn the shooting attacks in a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently in Beijing on a three-day visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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