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Palestine envoy to UN: Al-Aqsa crisis at tipping point

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Riyad Mansour urges Security Council to protect Palestinians and their holy sites from Israel’s ‘destructive agenda’.

Riyad Mansour accused Israel of ‘aggressive behaviour and provocative violation’ [Al Jazeera]

by Al Jazeera

The Palestinian envoy to the UN has told the Security Council that al-Aqsa Mosque compound crisis in East Jerusalem is at a tipping point, urging the council members to help protect Palestinians and their holy sites from Israel’s “reckless and destructive agenda”.

Riyad Mansour warned in his speech to the Council on Tuesday that “the stoking of a religious conflict is rapidly unfolding as Israel persists its illegal actions in occupied East Jerusalem”.

He accused Israel of “aggressive behaviour and provocative violation” of the historic status quo at the Muslim-administered al-Aqsa Mosque compound, referring to a brief closure of the holy site after a deadly shooting there that was followed by installation of CCTV cameras and metal detectors.

“We are clearly at the tipping point,” he said. “We must therefore again warn against the dangers of such provocations and incitement, and fuelling of yet another cycle of violence which will surely have far-reaching consequences.”

Prayer protests

On the ground in East Jerusalem, Muslim leaders urged the faithful on Tuesday to keep up their prayer protests outdoors and avoid entering the compound, even after Israel dismantled metal detectors that initially triggered the tensions.

Sheikh Najeh Bakirat, director of al-Aqsa Mosque, said on Tuesday that the move does not fulfil the demands of the Muslim worshippers as the security cameras remain.

Sheikh Raed Saleh, an al-Aqsa official, said that the Palestinians would “never accept the current status, unless everything that was added after July 14 was removed.

“The picture until this moment is not clear. They are doing it in the middle of the night, in the cover of darkness, like bats. God knows what we are going to wake up to the next morning,” Saleh said.

Dozens of Muslim worshippers continued to perform prayers in the streets outside the compound on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said that as the metal detectors were being removed, hundreds of Palestinians protested against the security cameras that remained in place

Israel said it would replace the metal detectors with new security arrangements based on “advanced technology”, reportedly including sophisticated cameras, but said it could take up to six months to install them.

On Tuesday evening the Israeli security forces used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of Palestinian worshippers outside the compound.

“Just after the evening prayers had finished, the Israeli security forces came out of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and used stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the crowd … We don’t know what sparked this latest round of violence but we do know that the Palestinian protesters were unarmed,” said Khan.

“I have counted at least five protesters injured when the Palestinian Red Crescent brought them in through here.”

Dhawan, Pujara tons take India to 399/3 at stumps vs Sri Lanka

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Centuries from opener Shikhar Dhawan (190) and one-down Cheteshwar Pujara (144 not out) helped India reach 399/3 at stumps on the opening day of the first of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium here on Wednesday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, India rode on a 253-run second wicket effort between Dhawan and Pujara to surpass the highest ever first day’s total of 351 runs in Sri Lanka.

Later, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (39 not out) put on an undefeated 113-run fourth-wicket stand to take the visitors to their second ever highest opening day’s total.

(IANS)

Mangaluru: Aam Aadmi Party to Contest in Next MCC Elections

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Mangaluru: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest from all 60 wards of Mangaluru city in the next local body elections to send its representatives to Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), said Rajendra Kumar, AAP District Volunteer speaking in a press meet held in the city on Wednesday.

Speaking on AAP’s election strategy in the upcoming local elections he said, his party would form ward level committees and find suitable persons to field them as candidates in the next MCC elections.

Rajendra Kumar criticised the Congress party led state government for its failure to prevent recent communal violence in Dakshina Kannada district and its inability to implement various development projects, to run corruption free government. Speaking on MCC, Rajendra Kumar also blamed members of MCC as they failed to serve the city residents in better way.

AAP blamed both BJP and Congress Party for recent series of incidents of violence in Dakshina Kannada and assured the public that AAP would work hard to maintain peace and communal harmony in Karnataka and Dakshina Kannada district in the future. AAP Karnataka state member Jnansagar Rai, Dakshina Kannada District volunteer Kabir Kaatipalla and others were present on the occasion.

(Agencies)

Withdrawal of Indian troops precondition for dialogue: China on Dokalam

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Beijing: China today reiterated that no meaningful dialogue can be held with India until it “unconditionally” withdraws troops from the disputed Dokalam area and said Foreign Minister Wang Yi has authoritatively made Beijing’s position clear on the issue.

Wang, who is the first top Chinese leader to have commented so far on the Dokalam impasse, yesterday claimed that India “admitted” to entering Chinese territory. He said that India should “conscientiously withdraw” its troops from the area.

“The remarks of Foreign Minister Wang Yi are authoritative and has made our position clear. I don’t have anything to explain,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing.

Lu, however, declined to react to reports that both sides have deployed over 3,000 troops each at Dokalam, saying that the question should be referred to the Chinese Defence Ministry.

He once again said China will not hold any meaningful dialogue without Indian troops’ withdrawal.

“I have stressed many times that the crux of this incident is that the Indian border troops illegally trespassed into China’s territory and the solution as Wang put it is for Indian border troops to pull-out unconditionally. This is a precondition basis for any meaningful talks between the two countries,” Lu said.

The Dokalam issue is expected to be discussed during the visit of Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to Beijing for a meeting of the NSAs of BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – on July 27-28.

Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face- off in Dokalam area in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area.

China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory, and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops.

But External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Parliament last Thursday that both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff.

(Agencies)

Lizard found in rice served to passenger travelling in Howrah-Delhi train

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New Delhi: A lizard was found in vegetarian rice served to a passenger on board the Poorva Express Train Number 12303 on Howrah-Delhi route on Tuesday.

One of the fellow passenger complained to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Twitter.

“lizard found fried in biryani train no 12303, HA1, seat no 1, passenger feeling unwell , no medical attention#indianrailways,” the passenger wrote.

Danapur Division DRM Kishor Kuan said, “A check-up was done in Danapur Division and he (passenger) was given medicine. Action will be taken after an investigation.”

However, the passenger who had ordered the rice said he was given the medicine late.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in a report submitted on July 21 said the food sold at railway stations is “unfit for human consumption” and the hygiene standards at railway catering units are below par, has said in a scathing report.

The CAG performance audit found unpurified tap water being used to make beverages, uncovered and unwashed waste bins, food left out in the open, and rats and cockroaches at catering units in trains and stations.

The report was prepared after inspections at 74 stations and 80 trains, covering the period from 2013 to 2016 and issues of earlier years which could not be reported earlier.

The CAG audit report said, “articles unsuitable for human consumption, contaminated foodstuff, recycled foodstuff, shelf life expired packaged and bottled items, unauthorised brands of water bottles, etc., were offered for sale on stations.”

(Agencies)

Right to privacy can’t be elevated as fundamental right, Centre tells SC

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New Delhi: The Union Government on Wednesday maintained before the Supreme Court that right to privacy cannot be elevated to as a fundamental right. It cannot be read into right to life and liberty.

“Right to privacy was omitted from being mentioned in the Constitution, though it was debated in the Constituent Assembly,” Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted before a nine-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice J S Khehar.

Opening the Centre’s arguments, he said even the right to life and liberty guaranteed as a fundamental right is not absolute and can be taken away by the state under the procedure established by law like in case of death penalty and incarceration for life. The procedure has to be “just, fair and reasonable” as enjoined under the Maneka Gandhi case, he said.

At the outset, as many as five states including Karnataka sought to intervene into the matter, supporting a group of Aadhaar challengers. They sought a declaration from the top court that the right to privacy is a fundamental right.

In his arguments, Venugopal submitted nobody can object to if the Supreme Court decided to expand the scope of Article 21 to include right to privacy but it was his duty to place relevant materials which did not support such a demand.

He submitted it can’t be anybody’s plea that he won’t give his biometrics, address, telephone number, identity details etc to the state as right to privacy is elevated as a fundamental right.

In a country with 270 million people living below poverty line, Aadhaar has come as a great tool to prevent diversion of funds, meant for the welfare of poor people.

He said a recent World Bank report stated that Aadhaar is something which every developing country should adopt.

Earlier, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry, submitted that the right to privacy is inalineable natural right which finds its manifestation in different parts of the Constitution. He said in the present age, technology has become all-pervasive as well as all-invasive. It has to be ensured that precincts of my house is not invaded, he said.

Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh also supported Sibal.

(Agencies)

People Living with HIV stage Flash Protest to fight for access to medicines; Arrested, released

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Hyderabad: Twentyfour HIV positive people were arrested at Hotel Novotel in Hitec City and taken to Narsingi police station as they raised slogans and took out a flash protest against the harmful provisions in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Trade Agreement, especially against Access to affordable medicines here on Monday.

Forum against FTAs and RCEP, Farmers organisations and other civil society organisations under the banner `People’s Resistance Forum against RCEP’ condemned the arrests. Earlier in the morning, Peoples forum took out a rally from Peoples Plaza on Necklace road to I-max circle and back with about 500 people from 26 different organisations from across India.

“The HIV positive people were not even given food and many of them were on medication. We don’t know when they will release us,’’ said Shankar, of DNP+, Delhi.

“People’s right to dissent cannot be curbed and these negotiations should be conducted in transparent manner and not in secrecy. It is the responsibility of the Indian government to make healthcare affordable to common people and not to trade away by way of FTAs for big corporate and MNCs to make profits on by hiking medicines,’’ said Shalini Bhutani of Forum against FTAs and RCEP.

Wearing white T-shirts embossed with HIV POSITIVE in bold red, the flash protest by about 25 HIV positive people from different states led by Loon Gangte of Delhi Network of People Living with HIV (DNP+) and Koushalya of Positive Women’s Network (PWN), a network of women living with HIV with its headquarters in Chennai, shocked the negotiators and police equally as the protestors crossed two main gates and arrived at the Hotel entrance at about 12.30 pm in two vans.

They immediately pulled out placards and banners and raised a huge arrow mark towards the hotel which said: “RCEP: Secret Negotiations Happening Here’’. The placards read `don’t trade our lives,’  `Provide access to affordable medicines,’ `don’t increase prices of generic medicines’ etc. They shouted Japan,.. shame, shame; Korea…shame, shame, India: Zindabad, `FTAs kill domestic production of medicines,’ `Remove harmful clauses from aar..cep.’ (RCEP) and started walking from the portico to the car park.

Within five minutes, police and private security guards of the hotel, came in numbers and stopped them from walking further. A police van was brought in and they were forced into the van but not before a woman constable manhandled three of the women and was seen forcing them and pushing them. Then the HIV positive people displayed placards from the police van and shouted slogans in Hindi from the van door before they were taken to Narsingi police station. A couple of TV cameramen were stuck at Madhapur police station when they came to know that they were actually taken elsewhere.

Gangte, added that protecting access to medicines in India and beyond is very crucial. India supplies cheap but quality generic medicines to over 60 countries around the world and is known as the Pharmacy of the world and it is a tragedy that we are all arrested at Hyderabad which the Bowl of bulk generic drugs in India.’’ Gangte spoke from the police station.

“Millions of people around the world are counting on India to protect them against harmful provision in the RCEP Trade Agreement and it is the responsibility of the government of India to provide affordable healthcare to common people and not trade their lives with Multi National companies for profits by getting into these trade agreements,’’ he lamented.

“People living with HIV who survive on generic HIV drugs have seen time and again how access to medicines is undermined when trade agreements include provisions that limit access to medicines. We are asking the countries involved to drop four key provisions in the trade agreement that will increase market monopolies for pharmaceutical corporation and block access to affordable lifesaving generic medicines for HIV, TB, Malaria, Cancer and many other diseases,’’ cautioned Kaushalya, who is living with HIV for more than a decade and is a highly-respected HIV positive leader who has fought with the government that led to free ART in India in 2004. She is arrested with four others from Chennai and TN.

The RCEP negotiations between 700 members from 16 countries started today at Hotel Novotel, near Hitec City here.

Atta Galatta Presents – Bengaluru Poetry Festival, 5th and 6th August 2017

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Bengaluru Poetry Festival (BPF), the city’s first festival dedicated to poetry, is back! This was announced at press meet held on the 24th of July 2017 at Church Street Social.

Over 4000 poetry lovers attended the two-day festival last year, making it the surprise hit of 2016 — and we only plan on winning more of your love this year. We have put together a melodious schedule once more and hope to see each one of you back again. All the usuals will be here, along with some highly unusuals: poets across all languages, word palettes from all over the world and exclusive performances in verse and song. Poets new and old, lyricists, singers, performers, musicians… prepare yourself for all rhyme and reason.

The 2nd edition of Bengaluru Poetry Festival is scheduled to be held on the 5th and 6th of August 2017 at The Leela Palace. The festival has once again attracted a number of internationally recognized poets and artistes who have confirmed their participation and the stage is set for another weekend of incredible poetry performances for literary connoisseurs of Bangalore.

The inaugural edition of the BPF held on the 6th and 7th August 2016 at the Leela Palace saw performances, readings, discussions and debates by Javed Akhtar, Piyush Mishra, Prathibha Nandakumar, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Kutti Revathi, Varun Gandhi, Teejan Bai and many others.

Subodh and Lakshmi, the founders of Atta Galatta – the Bookstore and Events Space, realized that while poetry as a form of self-expression was gaining immense popularity, and Indian poets and poetry were increasingly being recognized the world over, there were limited opportunities available for poets within the existing literary festival platforms.

So they, along with a core team of poets and poetry lovers, conceptualized BPF as a celebration of all things poetry. The festival aims to provide a space for verse to be engaged with — by poets, readers, performers and the audience — across forms, formats and languages. The festival will include poetry performances, talks on poetry and opportunities to learn through workshops and interactive sessions.

Festival Team
Shinie Antony – Festival Director
Shinie Antony has written short story collections The Orphanage for Words, Barefoot and Pregnant and novels When Mira Went Forth and Multiplied and A Kingdom for his Love. She has compiled the anthology Why We Don’t Talk. Co-founder of the Bangalore Literature Festival, she won the Commonwealth Short Story Asia region prize in 2003 for her story A Dog’s Death. Her novel, The Girl Who Couldn’t Love, will be out later this year.

Amruta Dongray:
Armed with a Master’s degree in Sociology from the Bombay University, Amruta Dongray worked in the tourism industry for eight years. She considers herself an ‘accidental poet’. She started writing poetry in 2010. Her first book PASTPRESENT saw its release in 2013. Her second book is due for release this year.

Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury
Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury is a poet and writer with two books to her credit – Where Even the Present is Ancient: Benaras (poetry) and Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen: Bengali Cinema’s First Couple (nonfiction), the latter shortlisted for the Crossword Award, nonfiction category in 2013. She is also the fiction and poetry editor of The Bengaluru Review, a literary magazine from Bengaluru.

Prashant Sankaran
Prashant Sankaran stepped off the hectic corporate treadmill after 25 years on it to mentor small entrepreneurs and serve on the advisory boards of a few not-for-profit and for-profit organisations. He also dabbles in photography, performing arts and filmmaking. He is currently working on his first book. He blogs at: Shoonyata.

Shikha Saklani Malaviya
Shikha Saklani Malaviya is a poet and writer, born in the U.K. and raised in Minnesota and India. The author of Geography of Tongues, she is also the co-founder of The (Great) Indian Poetry Collective, a literary press. She calls both the San Francisco Bay area and Bengaluru home

Sourav Roy
Hindi Poet. Author of three books. Editor of Karnakavita, an anthology of Hindi poets based in Bengaluru, published by Atta Galatta. Translator of American historian Howard Zinn’s plays into Hindi, currently under publication. Researching Asian poetry and translating selected poets to Hindi. Editor at YourStory. Hindi Editor at Indiaree, a Kolkata-based multilingual literary magazine. Political columnist for the London-based NRI magazine, which dedicates itself to the vast majority of Indians living abroad.

Vikram Sridhar
Performance storyteller and theatre practitioner Vikram Sridhar believes in storytelling as a strong medium for conservation, which is highly relevant in the modern context. He combines his work and interest in theatre and conservation in his storytelling. He is the co-founder of Tahatto, a Bengaluru-based theatre entity and Around The Story Tree is his initiative to connect the modern-day listener to the environment around through the power of stories through arts.

Subodh Sankar and Lakshmi Subodh
Subodh and Lakshmi are co-founders of Atta Galatta, a Bengaluru-based bookstore with a focus on Indian, vernacular writing and is a venue for literary, art and cultural events.

Since its inception four years ago, the bookstore has hosted over 1200 events, including book launches, poetry readings, theatre performances, art shows, screenings, storytelling sessions and workshops.

The bookstore has partnered with festivals such as the Bangalore Literature Festival and the Lekhana Writers Festival as the official bookstore.

Atta Galatta has partnered with the Bangalore Literature Festival to present The Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize in three categories – Fiction English, Non-Fiction English and Literary Achievement in Kannada. The annual prize carries a cash component of Rs. 2 lakhs and a specially commissioned trophy.

Venue: The Leela Palace, Old Airport Road, Bangalore
Dates: August 5th and 6th, 2017
For info contact: Palgun: 9632510126
For registrations visit: www.bengalurupoetryfestival.org
Entry is free to the festival

Media Contact: Sridevi Rao 9844167547/9448701953

Qaidi Band’s 1st Song “I Am India” Launched

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Qaidi Band – the motley crew of youth seeking freedom with their music while behind bars, launched their song “I am India” at Gateway of India recently by posing for a special photograph.

Saluting youthful optimism, never say die spirit & freedom as we experience it, this song from the film Qaidi Band is the perfect youth anthem for this season.
A thumping, high – energy track, Habib Faisal has written the lyrics of “I am India”. Arijit Singh & Yashita Sharma has sung the number & above all Amit Trivedi has composed the Qaidi Band film’s music.

Yash Raj Films’ up next movie, Qaidi Band features Aadar Jain & Anya Singh in the lead. Directed by Habib Faisal, the film is a riveting tale of Undertrials who come together to form a band in jail and their music becomes their only hope for freedom.

Dunkirk Triumphs At The Indian Box – Office Turnstiles

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Dunkirk, the much – anticipated new cinematic event from director Christopher Nolan, battled to the top of the Indian Box – Office turnstiles in its opening weekend debut, earning an estimated Rs.15.57 Crore Gross across 417 screens including 10 IMAX screens and still going strong. The announcement was made by Denzil Dias, Managing Director, Warner Bros. Pictures (India). Dunkirk’s opening is the biggest opening ever for a Non – Dubbed MPA film and is also the Biggest IMAX opening for an MPA film.

Written & directed by Christopher Nolan, the epic action thriller, Dunkirk brings the story of Operation Dynamo to the big screen as it unfolds on land, sea & air utilizing a mixture of IMAX® & 65 mm film. The film opens as hundreds of thousands of Allied troops are trapped on the beach. Their backs to the sea, they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.

In making the announcement, Denzil Dias stated, “Christopher Nolan has created a film that brings this extraordinary event to the screen in a thrilling & uniquely real cinematic experience. Critics & audiences alike agree that Dunkirk must be seen on the biggest possible screen, and we anticipate that the incredible response amongst audiences across India will drive continued success well into the coming weeks at the Box – Office turnstiles.”

Directed by Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy) from his own screenplay, Dunkirk features a multigenerational cast, including Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn – Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy & Barry Keoghan, with Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance & Tom Hardy. The film was produced by Emma Thomas & Christopher Nolan, with Jake Myers serving as executive producer.

The behind – the – scenes creative team on Dunkirk included director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson & special effects supervisor Scott Fisher. The music was composed by Hans Zimmer. Dunkirk was filmed on location in France, Holland, UK & Los Angeles utilizing a combination of IMAX® & 65 mm film.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Syncopy Production, a film by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk. Opening in conventional theatres & IMAX, the film was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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