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Gurgaon boy murder case: School gardener detained

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Gurgaon: The Gurgaon Police has detained the Ryan International School gardener and key witness in the school boy murder case, Harpal Singh and is likely to arrests some more persons in connection with the case, a senior SIT officer said.

The Gurgaon Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) detained the gardener yesterday. “The SIT does not want to leave out a single piece of evidence which can be important and work as a key breakthrough for us to solve this case. With three days left for submission of charge sheet in court, we have got possible positive leads against the accused school bus conductor Ashok Kumar,” a senior SIT officer told PTI.

SIT teams yesterday searched the school here for clues to the crime while a CBSE panel also inspected the premises to examine loopholes in security arrangements. Besides Harpal Singh, the SIT has questioned 17 persons including section inchage-Anju

Dudeja, suspended acting principal-Neerja Batra, former principal Rakhi Verma, bus driver Saurabh Raghav, bus contractor Harkesh Pradhan and eight security guards. The officer said questioning of all suspects who are on the police radar whether it is the suspended school principal, senior management officials, or staff members, is being conducted.

“Some more arrests are likely to be made,” he said. The seven-year-old boy was found with his throat slit in the washroom of the school on Friday last.

(PTI)

Travesty of Justice? Clean chit to all six accused named by Pehlu Khan in dying declaration

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Japiur: An investigation by Rajasthan police found the six persons named by Pehlu Khan before dying as not guilty. Pehlu Khan, 55, and others were allegedly attacked by gau rakshaks in Alwar on April 1 while they were on their way to Haryana after purchasing cattle in Rajasthan. Khan, a dairy farmer, succumbed to his injuries two days later.

In his statement to police, Khan had named Hukum Chand, Navin Sharma, Jagmal Yadav, Om Prakash, Sudheer and Rahul Saini among those who had attacked him.

However, Alwar Superintendent of Police Rahul Prakash on Thursday said that a reward of Rs 5,000 announced on each of the six accused was withdrawn as an investigation found them not guilty.

“We have withdrawn the reward against the six persons after an investigation by CB-CID into their role,” Prakash told The Indian Express. Rajasthan CB-CID has been investigating the case ever since it was transferred to them from Alwar police in July.

The CB-CID recently sent a report to Alwar police recommending the removal of names of six accused from the case as they were found “not guilty” after an investigation, which included statements of policemen and employees of a gaushala. The call detail records of the six men further strengthened their case about their location.

“This is betrayal. We heard the names (of the accused) too. We will seek an inquiry again,” said Pehlu’s son Irshad, who was with him during the assault. Police had arrested seven others, five of whom have been granted bail so far. The case against them will continue.

(Agencies)

HRW: Israeli banks complicit in settlement expansion

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Report dismisses claims by banks that under law they must provide services to illegal Jewish settlements in West Bank.

Over half a million Jewish settlers live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]

by Al Jazeera

A leading rights group says Israeli banks are contributing to the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank by providing loans and mortgages for construction there.

A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) released on Wednesday says no Israeli law requires the banks to provide such services for the settlements. It says the banks have continued to do so regardless of their human rights obligations.

“Israeli banks are financing settlement construction and facilitating settlement expansion as a matter of choice, not because they are somehow required to do so under domestic law,” said Sari Bashi, Israel and Palestine advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

The group is calling on the banks to extricate themselves from the settlements or face the risk of action from shareholders.

Furthermore, HRW said that institutional investors should ensure that their business relationships are free from settlement-related products or investments.

The report mentioned the example of some previous international investors, such as the United Methodist Church pension fund and the Dutch pension fund PGGM, who have divested from Israel’s five largest banks after citing their involvement in settlements as being inconsistent with their human rights policies.

Israel’s banks lend money to home buyers, settlement councils or to companies carrying out construction in the West Bank. Most also have branches in settlements.

Israeli law requires banks to accept settlers as customers, meaning they cannot refuse to open accounts for them. But a legal analysis by Human Rights Watch of Israeli banking laws concluded that banks are not obligated to provide financial backing for construction in the West Bank.

While an anti-discrimination law prohibits refusal of service based on place of residence, the report said banks could cite other reasons for declining to provide loans, such as the construction’s implications for Palestinians’ human rights.

The law also allows companies to decline to serve certain areas so long as they provide advance notice to customers.

Under international law, settlements are considered illegal, and much of the wider international community considers them an obstacle to the two state solution.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, in the 1967 war.

Up to 400,000 people now live in West Bank settlements, and about 200,000 Jewish Israelis live in occupied East Jerusalem.

Pakistan beat World XI by 20 runs

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Lahore: Pakistan beat the World XI by 20 runs in an exciting finish to the first Twenty20 match in Lahore on Tuesday, celebrating the return of international cricket to the country amid tight security. It is only the second time Pakistan has hosted an international match since a 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus, also in Lahore.

Pakistan’s total of 197-5 saw one-drop batsman Babar Azam top-scoring with a 52-ball 86 studded with 10 boundaries and two sixes, adding 122 for the second wicket with Ahmed Shehzad who made 39. The World XI finished with 177 with Darren Sammy and skipper Faf du Plessis scoring 29 each. For Pakistan Sohail Khan, Shadab Khan and Rumman Raees took two wickets apiece.

The second and third matches are also in Lahore on Wednesday and Friday.

(Agencies)

Mayawati wants Centre to take sympathetic view of Rohingyas

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Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati has urged the Centre to adopt a humanitarian approach towards thousands of Rohingya families seeking asylum in India. The government, she said, should also hold talks with governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the problems of Rohingya Muslims.

In a statement issued today, Mayawati said, “In the bordering state of Myanmar, owing to unrest, lakhs of Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh, and in some states of India. Since the approach of the Modi government is not clear, there is a situation of dilemma.”

“The Government of India must adopt a humane view as has been the tradition of India. The government should also hold talks with governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the problems of Rohingya Muslims, so that there exodus from their country is stopped,” the former chief minister said.

Some 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in India, and 16,000 of them have received refugee documentation, the UN estimates. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had on September 5 said that Rohingyas were illegal immigrants and stood to be deported.

(Agencies)

Help Rohingyas ‘regardless of politics’, says UN about India’s policy

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[Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants Rohingya refugees helped “regardless of politics,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday in reply to a question about India’s policy on those fleeing Myanmar.

Dujarric said that the reports about Rohingya’s plight and pictures of them fleeing were heart-rending and these are very vulnerable people and deserved to be helped.

His remarks came after India had taken strong exception to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s criticism of India for wanting to deport Rohingya refugees.

“I deplore current measures in India to deport Rohingyas at a time of such violence against them in their country,” Dujarric said in Geneva on Monday.

“By virtue of customary law, its ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the obligations of due process and the universal principle of non-refoulement, India cannot carry out collective expulsions, or return people to a place where they risk torture or other serious violations,” he said.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Rajiv K. Chander, called the remarks “tendentious” and based on inaccurate reports.

“Like many other nations, India is concerned about illegal migrants, in particular, with the possibility that they could pose security challenges. Enforcing the laws should not be mistaken for lack of compassion,” he said in a statement.

Dujarric said that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that 370,000 Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh since August 25.

In response to Bangladesh’s request for help, he said an aircraft chartered by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and another donated by the United Arab Emirates have landed in Bangladesh with emergency aid for Rohingya refugees.

The supplies brought in by them will help 25,000 refugees, and more flights are planned to aid a total of 120,000 refugees, he added.

The OCHA was concerned about reports of continued violence, fires, and displacement of tens of thousands of people in Rathedaung Township in Rakhine State, Dujarric said.

Aid programmes for the Rohingya by the UN agencies and international NGOs in northern Rakhine have either been suspended or severely interrupted, but some help is being delivered by the government and through the Red Cross, he added.

(IANS)

Apple finally launches iPhone ‘X,’ iPhone8, Apple Watch Series 3

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San Francisco: Living up to the hype it generated on the 10th anniversary of iPhone, Apple on Tuesday unveiled iPhone ‘X’ with facial recognition system, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, new Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K.

The device can be pre-ordered from October 27 will be available from November 3 for Rs 89,000 in India.

Hosting the event for the first time at the opulent Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, the tech giant introduced iPhone ‘X’ – an ultra-premium model.

iPhone ‘X’ sports a unique “FaceID” facial recognition system to unlock the device. Just look at your phone to unlock it. The feature is enabled by a ‘True Depth’ camera system in the A11 neural engine.

Wearing a hat, glasses or new hairstyle will not fool the FaceID system that also works with Apple Pay.

The device with 2046 X 1125 resolution supports HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10 and True Tone and comes in Space Grey and Silver colours with ‘Super Retina’ display.

Users can tap on the screen to wake up iPhone X that has 12MP dual-camera system with deeper pixels and dual optical image stablisation at the rear. iPhone ‘X’ does wireless charging via Qi technology.

The iPhone 8 features a new 6-core A11 Bionic processor which is 70 per cent faster than the previous A10.

Apple also introduced Animoji where users can animate an emoji and share it on social media.

Apple also showcased a charging mat called ‘AirPower’ that charges iPhone, Watch and AirPods. The mat would be available from next year.

The tech giant also introduced iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (in Silver, Space Grey and Rose Gold colours) that house wireless charging technology with an improved retina displays.

iPhone 8 64GB price costs Rs 64,000 while 256GB variant will be available for Rs 77,000.

iPhone 8 Plus starts at Rs 73,000 for 64GB. The 256GB variant will cost Indian users Rs 86,000. People can pre-order the devices from September 15 and the phones will be available from September 29.

The iPhone 8 features a new 6-core A11 Bionic processor which is 70 per cent faster than the previous A10.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus – both still have home button intact — feature new sensors. The lenses feature f1.8 and f2.8 apertures (which is brighter than the 7 Plus telephoto) in the iPhone 8 Plus.

According to Philip W. Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, the iPhone 8 cameras and the A11 Bionic chip have been calibrated for Augmented Reality (AR).

Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, unveiled Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular connectivity built in.

Apple Watch Series 3 will cost Rs 29,900 with cellular connectivity. Series 1 is now priced at 21,900.

“You can keep the same number as your iPhone to make and receive calls. Maps will work on Series 3. Location will switch over to your watch automatically,” Williams told the gathering.

Apple Music will come to Apple Watch, allowing you to stream directly 40 million songs. Ask Siri to find your favourite track.

“With 50 per cent year-on-year growth, Apple Watch is the number one watch brand in the world, eclipsing Rolex, with 97 per cent customer satisfaction,” CEO Tim Cook announced.

Cook also introduced the new Apple TV 4K, designed to deliver a stunning cinematic experience at home.

With support for both 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR), Apple TV 4K features unbelievably sharp, crisp images.

With Apple TV 4K, viewers can enjoy a growing selection of 4K HDR movies on iTunes.

“Bring the magic of the cinema straight to your living room with the new Apple TV 4K,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services.

Netflix and Amazon Prime 4K videos are coming to Apple TV as well.

Apple TV 4K starts Rs 15,900 for 32GB or Rs 17,900 for 64GB, joining Apple TV (4th generation) 32GB at Rs 12,900, available through select Apple Authorised Resellers.

Customers will be able to order both Apple TV 4K models beginning September 15, with availability beginning September 22 in the US and 21 additional countries and regions, and worldwide soon after.

Earlier, dedicating the theatre to Jobs “because we loved him and because he loved days like this,” Cook said: “Jobs’ vision and passion lives here on Apple Park and everywhere around us”.

(IANS)

NSUI makes comeback in DUSU polls, bags president, VP posts

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Photo | NSUI official Twitter handle

New Delhi: Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) today made a comeback in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections, bagging two of the four crucial posts including that of the president’s.

BJP-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which has a stronghold in DUSU, bagged two seats, that of the joint secretary and the general secretary.

NSUI’s Rocky Tusheed won the president’s post by a margin of 1,590 votes, while the party’s Kunal Sehrawat defeated the ABVP candidate by 175 votes.

ABVP’s Mahamedha Nagar defeated NSUI’s Minakshi Meena by 2,624 votes to win the post of secretary while party’s joint secretary candidate Uma Shankar defeated NSUI’s Avinash Yadav 342 votes.

A total of 43 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the DUSU elections held yesterday.

Last year, the ABVP bagged three posts while the NSUI won the post of joint secretary.

(PTI)

UN Security Council to discuss Rohingya situation

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Meeting sought by UK and Sweden as nearly 370,000 Rohingya cross into Bangladesh to flee violence in Rakhine.

The mainly Muslim minority in Rakhine State is not recognised as an ethnic group in Myanmar [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis, following warnings by the organisation’s human rights chief that “ethnic cleansing” is taking place.

Britain and Sweden requested Wednesday’s meeting against the backdrop of a growing humanitarian crisis.

Around 370,000 of Myanmar’s minority Rohingya population have fled the country’s western state of Rakhine into neighbouring Bangladesh in recent weeks, according to the UN, since the violence began on August 25, after Rohingya fighters attacked police posts, prompting a military crackdown.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, accused Myanmar authorities of acting in a “clearly disproportionate” manner, “without regards for basic principles of international law”, on Monday.

“I call on the government to end its current cruel military operation, with accountability for all violations that have occurred, and to reverse the pattern of severe and widespread discrimination against the Rohingya population,” he said.

Bangladesh has stepped up efforts to resolve the crisis, with Sheikh Hasina, the country’s prime minister, calling on Myanmar to “take steps to take their nationals back” on Tuesday.

“Myanmar has created the problem, and they will have to solve it … We want peaceful relations with our neighbours,” she said during a visit to a refugee camp in southwestern Ukhiya province, near the border with Myanmar.

The Bangladeshi parliament approved a motion on Monday urging the international community to increase pressure on Myanmar to resolve the crisis.

Officials in Buddhist-majority Myanmar claim its security forces are fighting Rohingya combatants.

“The government of Myanmar fully shares the concern of the international community regarding the displacement and suffering of all communities affected by the latest escalation of violence ignited by the acts of terrorism,” said a foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday.

A number of nongovernmental organisations have expressed concern at the escalating humanitarian cost of the crisis, with Save the Children claiming the situation is becoming increasingly desperate.

“The humanitarian situation is distressing, and the needs are enormous. The international community needs to recognise this, step up and urgently meet the needs of incredibly vulnerable people, especially children,” said George Graham, the charity’s director of humanitarian policy, on Tuesday.

“Thousands of Rohingya families including children, are sleeping out in the open or by a roadside because they don’t have anywhere else to go. Some don’t have enough food or clean drinking water, and this state of uncertainty increases the risk of children being exploited, abused or even trafficked.”

Bangladeshi officials are due to begin registering the refugees on Tuesday.

HRW: Saudi-led air raids in Yemen are ‘war crimes’

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Rights group says air raids over two months killed dozens, including children, where there were no military targets.

Saada was the scene of deadly coalition air raids on August 4 [File: Naif Rahma/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Human Rights Watch has accused the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen of committing war crimes, saying its air raids killed 39 civilians, including 26 children, in two months.

The rights group says five air raids that hit four family homes and a grocery store were carried out either deliberately or recklessly, causing indiscriminate loss of civilian lives in violation of the laws of war.

“Such attacks carried out deliberately or recklessly are war crimes,” HRW said in a report on Tuesday.

The coalition has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes and says its attacks are directed against its enemy – Yemen’s armed Houthi group – and not civilians.

Yemen has been torn by a civil war in which Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a coalition supported by the United States and Britain, is trying to roll back the Iran-aligned Houthi fighters who control most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

“The Saudi-led coalition’s repeated promises to conduct its air strikes lawfully are not sparing Yemeni children from unlawful attacks,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW, said in a statement.

“This underscores the need for the United Nations to immediately return the coalition to its annual ‘list of shame’ for violations against children in armed conflict.”

On August 4, coalition aircraft struck a home in Saada, killing nine members of one family, including six children, ages three to 12.

On July 3, an air raid killed eight members of the same family in Taiz province, including the wife and eight-year-old daughter, the organisation said.

HRW said it interviewed nine family members and witnesses to five air raids that occurred between June 9 and August 4 and did not detect any potential military targets in the vicinity.

The war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than three million and ruined much of the impoverished country’s infrastructure.

The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to fight the Houthi group and army troops allied with them who have fired missiles into the kingdom.

HRW called on the UN Security Council to launch an international investigation into the abuses at its September session.

On Monday, the UN said it had verified 5,144 civilian deaths in the war in Yemen, mainly from air raids by a Saudi-led coalition, and an international investigation is urgently needed.

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