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Palestinian journalist dies after being shot by Israeli forces

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Yaser Murtaja, 30, was shot in the stomach in Khuza’a in the southern Gaza Strip on April 6 [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

A Palestinian journalist shot by Israeli forces during a mass demonstration along the Gaza border has died of his wounds.

Yaser Murtaja, a photographer with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency, was shot in the stomach in Khuza’a in the south of the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Murtaja, 30, was hit despite wearing a blue flak jacket marked with the word “press”, indicating he was a journalist.

Hosam Salem, a photographer at the scene of the incident told Al Jazeera on Friday that he witnessed Murtaja drop to the ground after he was shot by Israeli forces.

“Yaser was filming with his camera next to me when we heard the sound of gunfire,” Salem said. “He just fell on the ground and said, ‘I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot.'”

The Palestinian journalist syndicate said seven other reporters were injured in Friday’s protest, in what they described as “deliberate crimes committed by the Israeli army”.

The syndicate posted photos of journalist Khalil Abu Athira, who was shot during his coverage of Gaza’s protest on Friday.

The journalism union called for a mass participation in the funeral of Murtaja, and for a protest to be held at 12pm (09:00GMT) at the Manara Square in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

They also called for the United Nations to protect journalists and to implement UN Resolution 2222 into concrete steps.

March of Return rallies
In addition to Murtaja’s death, the health ministry announced on Saturday the killing of another man, 20-year-old Hamza Abdel Aal, bringing the number of those killed during Friday’s protests to nine.

A total of 31 Palestinians have now been shot dead since the start of the protests on March 30, when tens of thousands took to the border area with Israel, demanding the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullet and tear gas fired at the rallies by Israeli soldiers, wounded at least 1,400 thus far.

The Palestinian health ministry reported that on Friday 491 people were injured by live ammunition after Israeli forces fired on protesters who had gathered near the Israeli border in the besieged Gaza Strip.

At least 33 of the injured have been described by the ministry as “critical cases”.

Friday’s demonstration was the second in as many weeks of a planned, weeks-long sit-in dubbed the Great March of Return.

Its main message is to call for the right of return for Palestinian refugees who were driven from their homes in the territories taken over by Israel during the 1948 war, known to Arabs as the Nakba

Around 70 percent of Gaza’s two million population were forced from their homes and now live in a territory of about 360sq km, which has been described as “the world’s largest open-air prison”.

Israel has drawn sharp criticism for its open-fire orders along the border, including its warnings that those approaching or trying to damage the fence would be targeted.

On March 31, a day after the first protest took place, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israel’s troops for “guarding the country’s borders”.

“Well done to our soldiers,” he wrote in a statement.

On April 1, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman rejected any independent investigation into the killings. “There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry,” he told Israeli public radio.

Lieberman warned on April 3 that protesters who approach the border between Gaza and Israel will put “their life in danger”.

Opposition to IPL in Chennai grows, farmers warn of disrupting matches IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said that TNM that IPL has once again become a punching bag in a political fight.

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Over the past week, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing massive protests over the Centre’s alleged failure to form the Cauvery Management Board. On Thursday, thousands of workers from opposition parties stormed Kamaraj Salai, which faces Chennai’s Marina Beach to make their displeasure with the AIADMK and the BJP clear.

But just minutes away from the agitation, at the MA Chidambaram stadium preparations have been underway in full swing for the first match of the Chennai Super Kings on home ground. With even practice sessions of the team witnessing a full house, the ticket prices have been notched up to a minimum of Rs 1300 for the upcoming games. While the suspended team will return to the IPL with its first match against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, CSK’s first home game will be against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10.

But just days ahead of this highly anticipated event, opposition parties and farmer groups in Tamil Nadu have united to demand that all IPL matches in Chennai be cancelled.

The clarion call against the league had so far emerged from smaller political parties such as Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), Viduthalai Thamizh Puligal Katchi, Thamizhar Vidiyal Katchi and Social Democratic Party of India.

But on Friday, DMK working President MK Stalin and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran endorsed the idea of boycotting the IPL as well.

Talking to the media, after the all-party meeting, Stalin diplomatically said, “As far as we are concerned, we are not saying it shouldn’t happen. Those who are conducting it should realise the feelings of the people.”

TTV Dhinakaran, meanwhile, did not mince words. In a tweet addressing the people of Tamil Nadu, he said, “Till the voice of farmers in the formation of the Cauvery Management Board gets stronger, I ask fans to boycott IPL matches.”

TVK too had offered a similar narrative. Its leader Panruti T Velmurugan said, “In order to condemn the Centre which shows no regard for the livelihood and the identity of the Tamils, we request that IPL should not take place here – at a time when Tamilians are bursting with anger. If the BCCI conducts the IPL here, and the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu police support it, then all those who eat the food produced by farmers will buy tickets and go inside the stadium and protest in a democratic way. Tamil Nadu government, BCCI and the IPL management should not push us to that level. If all our notifications on this matter are ignored, we are ready to come to the streets (to protest).”

Organisers, however, claim that cricket has once again become a punching bag in a political fight.

“What does IPL have to do with the Cauvery issue?” asks IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla. “We also want the Cauvery dispute to be sorted out but why harm IPL for that? This is not a government event, it is conducted by the BCCI. It can’t become a punching bag every time a problem arises,” he adds.

When TNM contacted farmer association over this proposed boycott, they expressed their support and questioned the need for celebration when the ‘state is in mourning’.

“This boycott is being called for in order to make it clear to the Centre that Tamil Nadu is in mourning,” says PK Deivasigamani, TN Farmers Association.

But how is the Centre in anyway connected to the Indian Premier League which is conducted by the BCCI?

“We agree that it is not connected but this is more of a symbolic gesture to show that Tamil Nadu is focussed on the Cauvery issue and has no time for entertainment,” says the farmer leader. “When farmers are suffering without water, how can people want to go watch these matches?” he asks.

And what if the matches, which have already been scheduled are conducted?

“We will go there and create problems. What will they do if 500 people run into the ground? There will definitely be commotion,” he warns.

Political analyst RK Radhakrishnan says it is only natural for political parties to demand that the state not allow the tournament to be conducted.

“In 2009, the IPL was shifted out of India due to security concerns as it clashed with the general election. The same argument holds now, as protests are erupting everyday over the Cauvery issue. Deployment of police will be a matter of concern,” says the analyst. “While it may seem like parties are attempting to politicise the matter, the reality is that the state is not in the mood for this kind of celebration when farmers are going to suffer this summer,” he adds.

But can the matches be stopped now?

“No, the planning is done and not much can be done now. That is unless, there is some incidence of violence,” he explains.

Political tensions in India often spill on to its cricket pitches. This was witnessed when matches between Sri Lanka and India or Pakistan and India were cancelled. Radhakrishnan, however, denies that this demand falls under the same bracket.

An example that does fall within the same arena is from Maharashtra in 2016. Following a water crisis in Latur, protests from the residents of the state led to some matches being shifted out from Maharashtra.

CWG: Sarita enters 60kg boxing quarters

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Veteran Indian woman boxer L. Sarita Devi stormed into the quarter-finals of the 60kg category with a 5-0 unanimous verdict over Barbados’ Kimberly Gittens at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.

Sarita, 36, brought her experience to the fore against the 26-year-old Kimberly. The Indian got identical 30-25 verdicts from each of the five judges.

Sarita, the silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow CWG, played her trademark counter-attacking game, waiting for the opponent to open up in launching an attack. Kimberly also lacked compactness and composure while defending. Sarita stood in distance, waiting for Kimberly to come to her and initiate attack.

Sarita was quick enough to make the most of the opportunities in landing combination of jabs and hooks. Kimberly’s positioning at the moment of defending was also called into question.

After the first round, Sarita had dealt a psychological blow on the opponent, forcing Kimberly to come out with a different strategy. Kimberly opened up less in the second round but Sarita still managed to dominate. The pattern was a left hook followed up by straight punches.

The blows from Sarita were so accurate and stinging that the ring judge even gave a three count to Kimberly to end the contest. But the Barbadian pugilist refused to surrender.

In the final round, Sarita slightly dropped her game but her know-how and tactical acumen were enough to come out convincing winner.

Sarita will take on Anja Stridsman of Australia in the quarter-final.

Protests Against fuel price hike in Odisha : BJD

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The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday staged demonstrations at various petrol pumps across Odisha protesting against the hike in prices of petrol and diesel.
Hundreds of activists of Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), the youth and student wings of the ruling party, staged a peaceful demonstration at various petrol pumps.

In a bid to create awareness among the people on the frequent hike in the price of petroleum products, the party activists distributed leaflets to the public.

They alleged that the central government has failed to take steps to reduce the price of the petroleum products.

“The BYJD and BCJD have been staging protests against the oil price hike since long. But as they fail to have any impact on the people, we have decided now to make the people aware of all the hidden agenda of the Union government,” said BCJD president Rana Pratap Patra.

Reacting to the protest, state wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the naveen Patnaik government should press for inclusion of the petroleum products under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“While the central government slashed tax on the fuel, the state government did not do so for the benefit of the public and it is protesting against the fuel price hike.

“It should request the GST council to include the petroleum products under GST ambit,” said BJP state general secretary Bhrugu Buxipatra.

Jodhpur Court grants bail to Salman Khan in blackbuck poaching case

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After spending two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail, actor Salman Khan was granted bail by Jodhpur Court in 1998 blackbuck poaching case.
The court granted bail to the actor on two bonds of Rs 50,000 each.

Salman Khan is likely to be out of Jodhpur Central Jail by 7.30 pm.

“The bail order must reach the jail authorities only after that will Salman Khan be released today. The bail bond takes about 20 minutes to fill out. The verification process takes about an hour after which he can be released. He could be released at about 7.30 pm,” said senior lawyer Bharat Bhusan Sharma.

10 Palestinians killed in border clashes

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The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces during protests in the Gaza Strip has climbed to 10 while over 1,000 others were wounded by bullets, Palestinian officials said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday when the Israeli Army opened fire on protesters near the border with Israel, Efe news reported. Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al Qedra confirmed that 10 people had died during the clashes. He added that 1,354 people were wounded, including 491 by ammunition and explosives.

The so-called “March of Return” campaign convened by Palestinian factions in Gaza started on March 30 with demonstrations, marches and sit-ins near the border with Israel. Since then, 32 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip.

The six-week protest campaign to mark Land Day, is an annual commemoration of a 1976 protest against Israeli confiscation of Arab-owned land.

Israel deployed snipers along the border fence and warned it would not allow anyone to cross or approach, or put the security of its citizens in danger.

On Friday, about 20,000 Palestinians participated in protests dubbed the “Friday of Tires” at the border, according to the Israeli Army. It accused the protesters of “terrorist acts” such as launching explosives and incendiary objects and damaging a security fence.

Meanwhile, the UN human rights office deplored the reported use of “excessive force” by Israeli soldiers during the March 30 protests in Gaza, where at least 16 people were killed and more than 1,000 others injured.

Friday’s protest, however, was smaller in scale than that of last week, which was estimated to bring together about 30,000 Palestinians.

CM Siddaramaiah ensures of contesting from Chamundeshwari

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that he has never involved himself in caste politics and misused the opportunities given by the people.

Addressing to the leaders of the Vokkaliga community at a meeting here, Siddaramaiah said that he has confronted a few good and bad times in his 40-year political vocation.

Siddaramaiah said “I have never played caste politics. My political vocation resembles an open book. I have never affronted the public, who wished me great”. Safeguarding himself, he said a couple of political leaders have been leveling affirmations that Siddaramaiah is casteist.

“I have never indulged in caste politics throughout my life and the allegations are politically inspired,” he said.

Denying the bits of gossip that he won’t challenge from Chamundeshwari constituency, Siddaramaiah advised the party not to trust it. “I will challenge from the Chamundeshwari constituency in the forthcoming elections. Despite the fact that i have a pressure to challenge from north Karnataka, I have chosen to challenge from here,” Siddaramaiah said.

Dr Yathindra, son of Siddaramaiah, Congress leaders Sathyanarayana, Krishnamadegowda and others were also present at the event.

CM is misusing power : Kumarswamy

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JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for misusing power to win elections and included that he would stage a protest with the Election Commission for damaging the model code of conduct.

“The state Intelligence division has given its report saying about the sheltered constituencies for the Chief Minister. He has acquired the Intelligence report even after the election schedule was declared. This is abundant proof of abuse of power,” he said.

“The Intelligence report, which is circulating in social media, has listed Siddaramaiah against challenging from Chamundeshwari consituency. It says that the JD(S) leaders, including the sitting MLA from the party G T Devegowda, are assembling Vokkaliga votes and that challenging from Chamundeshwari isn’t a suitable alternative for CM,” Kumaraswamy said

Bomb Naga attempts suicide during press conference

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Alleging mental torture by KPCC working president Dinesh Gundurao, Minister for Bengaluru Development K.J. George and several police officers, former BBMP corporator and rowdy V. Nagaraj alias Bomb Naga tried to consume poison, while addressing the media here on Friday.

Nagaraj was rushed to St. Martha’s Hospital, where he is now said to be out of danger.
On Friday afternoon, Nagaraj had come prepared to the Press Club, and as he started addressing the media, he placed the bottle on the table.

Nagaraj alleged that Dinesh Gundurao, George and others were making life difficult for him and were trying different tricks to stop him from contesting the election from the Gandhinagar constituency.

He claimed that he is a winning candidate and Gundurao, George and others are stopping him by foisting false cases against him. He alleged that they are also threatening him that they would use the police against him.

After he finished his list of charges, he sipped a few drops of poison, and his followers and journalists who were at the press meet rushed to stop him.

In his ‘death note’, Nagaraj alleged that Dinesh Gundurao, scared of losing the Gandhinagar seat, has filed nine false cases against him and through the police opened rowdy sheets against his two sons, Gandhi and Shastri, who are students.

He said, “There is a gang of 80 people, including 50 policemen, who are troubling me and my family. I was planning to hold a press conference soon after my release on bail in September last year, but the police and politicians threatened me. Since the day I was released, they are mentally torturing me and my family members. They are speaking to me over phone every day and threatening me to leave Karnakaka and settle down in Tamil Nadu. They are also pressuring me to sell my property at 20 per cent of the market value. They have also threatened me that they will book me and my sons under KCOCA and Goonda Act, if I reveal to anyone about false cases foisted against me and my sons,” he alleged.

In his list of 80 people who were targeting him, he has named Gundurao, his wife Tabu, K.J. George, IGP Hemant Nimbalkar, his wife Anjali Nimbalkar, DCP (West) Ajay Hilori, around 45 policemen, including ACPs and police inspectors, and others. The police raided Nagaraj’s house in April 2017 and seized Rs 14.80 crore in demonetised currency. Nagaraj who was evading arrest had released a video, levelling serious allegations against the police department. He had claimed that the money found at his house belonged to IPS officers and the chief minister’s special PA.

I am a Hindu Vaishnav, not Jain: Amit Shah

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Amit Shah today said he is a “Hindu Vaishnav”, refuting Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that the BJP chief is a Jain.

Shah, while speaking to reporters after a rally to mark the BJP’s 38th foundation day here, also said, “I maintain that the Karnataka government’s move to give Lingayats a separate religion status is a move to divide the Hindus.”

“The UPA government had rejected the recommendation (to give Lingayats the status of a minority group) in 2013. The present decision has only been taken to stop Yeddyurappa from becoming the CM. This is an election gimmick,” Shah said.

When asked about the Karnataka chief minister’s comment last month that Shah is a Jain, the BJP chief said, “I am not a Jain, but a Hindu Vaishnav.”

Responding to Shah’s barb that Siddaramaiah is not an ‘AHINDA’ (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) leader but ‘AHINDU’ (non-Hindu) leader, the Karnataka chief minister had said last month in Mysuru that Shah should first clarify whether he himself is “AHINDU or not”.

“Amit Shah is a Jain. He needs to clarify first whether he is AHINDU. Jain is a separate religion. How can he talk about me like that,” Siddaramaiah had said.

Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Congress government in Karnataka on March 19 decided to recommend to the Centre that Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats should get the status of religious minority.

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