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‘We won’: Al-Aqsa Mosque reopened to all Palestinians

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Worshippers of all ages enter mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem after Israel lifts restriction on men under 50.

(AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

by Al Jazeera

Thousands of Palestinians have re-entered al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, after Israeli authorities lifted an age restriction it had placed earlier on Friday.

The Islamic Waqf religious authority that administers the compound announced that all gates would be opened to Palestinians of all ages.

Earlier in the day, Israeli police prevented access to the holy shrine for men under the age of 50 and closed some of the compound’s gates.

The announcement came just a few hours before Friday prayers began. Thousands of men prayed in the streets and just outside the compound’s gates.

According to religious officials, 10,000 worshippers made their way inside al-Aqsa Mosque compound for noon prayers.

Small protests against these restrictions broke out after prayers in different towns and cities in the occupied West Bank.

Police fired water cannon and tear gas at protesters in Bethlehem, and there was a high police presence near al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it received 225 cases of injuries across the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from outside the Damascus Gate, said the situation there had been “largely peaceful”.

“There’s been a few skirmishes around Lion’s Gate and Wadi Joz, but in general everything has passed relatively peacefully,” she said, referring to a Palestinian neighbourhood north of the Old City.

In Bethlehem, approximately 200 Palestinians held prayers in front of the Separation Wall.

Israelis fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at the crowd, the Red Crescent said.

Later on, a young man was shot to death by Israeli soldiers after an alleged stabbing attempt south of Bethlehem near the Gush Etzion settlement block.

However, local witnesses said that Israeli soldiers fired at 24-year-old Abdullah Taqatqa when he was 20 metres from them.

Protests also broke out along the Gaza Strip’s border, resulting in the killing of 16-year-old Abdelrahman Abu Humeisa by the Israeli army.

Seven other Palestinians were wounded by live fire in east Jabaliya, north of the strip and east of the Bureij area, in the middle.

Checkpoint clashes

In Ramallah, clashes broke out after prayers near the Qalandiya checkpoint, one of the main barriers that separates the West Bank from Jerusalem.

“We saw Israeli security forces use concussion grenades as well as a lot of tear gas,” Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler said, reporting from Qalandiya. He said live rounds had also been used.

Tensions remain high in East Jerusalem, with a fortified Israeli military and security presence.

In an act of civil disobedience, Palestinians have held prayers day and night outside al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the past two weeks in protest at Israel’s increased surveillance measures and obstacles to free movement at the entrances and gates.

On Thursday, Palestinians made their way inside the compound for the first time in 13 days after the Israeli government removed newly installed security cameras and metal detectors.

The scenes of jubilation, with many describing the day as a victory for the Palestinians, quickly soured after Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas inside the compound at the Palestinians, wounding more than 100.

The Israeli measures were installed after an attack carried out by three Palestinian citizens of Israel on July 14, who shot and killed two Israeli policemen.

The Palestinians were then chased inside the compound and shot dead.

Israeli authorities closed the compound for two days, angering Palestinians, who feared that a change in the status quo of the holy site would see it going under the control of Israelis.

In more than 12 days of protests, Israeli forces wounded more than 1,000 Palestinians during clashes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Three Palestinians were killed last Friday during Day of Rage protests across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Later that night, a Palestinian assailant climbed over the fence of Halamish, a Jewish-only settlement in the West Bank, and killed three Israelis in their home.

The compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, has been the site of much contention in recent years.

‘It is our social place’

Palestinians view al-Aqsa Mosque compound as more than just a religious site, Ahmad Buderi, a Jerusalem affairs commentator, said.

“It is a place where we meet, a place where we bury our dead people, a place where we get married,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is our social place. It is where we play football in the afternoons.”

Palestinians knew that they would bear the responsibility of protecting the mosque, Buderi said, adding that the Arab and Islamic world can do nothing.

“The Palestinians joined together and forgot about their political and social differences, and that’s how we won,” he said.

Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of politicising Hajj

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Rights group files complaint to UN special rapporteur over restrictions imposed on Qatari pilgrims amid GCC crisis.

As custodian of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia organises the annual Hajj [File: Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of politicising the Hajj, claiming Riyadh has imposed restrictions on Qatari nationals planning to travel to Mecca for the annual Muslim pilgrimage.

Qatar’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Saturday that Qatari citizens have been told they can only enter Saudi Arabia through two airports, and that they must travel via Doha to be allowed in.

This would be challenging for Qataris who do not live in Doha, such as those studying abroad.

The NHRC said it has filed a complaint with the UN special rapporteur on freedom of belief and religion over the restrictions, which it said were in “stark violation of international laws and agreements that guarantee the right to worship”.

The restrictions are part of a boycott launched on June 5 by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, which saw the group sever diplomatic ties with Qatar and impose a blockade. They accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, allegations Qatar has strongly denied.

The four Arab states cut transport links with Qatar, and Saudi Arabia has closed the peninsula’s only land border.

As the custodian of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia organises the annual Hajj.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every able-bodied Muslim who is able to afford the journey is obliged to undertake at least once in a lifetime.

Hajj is due to begin in early September.

The NHRC said it was “extremely concerned over [Saudi Arabia] politicising religious rituals and using [Hajj] to achieve political gains”.

“The Saudi authorities have allowed the Qatari pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia only through two airports via Qatar only, thus any Qatari citizen located outside Qatar, must first return to Qatar then travel to Saudi Arabia,” it said.

The civil liberties group also said that it will lodge a second complaint against Saudi Arabia with UNESCO for subjecting Qatari nationals to harassment and threats in Saudi territory.

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the group claimed that officials in Saudi Arabia forced Qataris who were visiting religious sites to leave their hotel rooms. Unable to fly on commercial flights, which had been blocked from travelling from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, they were forced to use charter flights.

In June, the Doha-based Al Sharq newspaper reported that Saudi authorities barred Qatar nationals from entering the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The NHRC said that its complaints were part of a wider effort to highlight Saudi Arabia’s violations of religious freedom and the right to worship, and expose them to the international community.

Afraid of poaching by BJP, Congress flies out 44 MLAs from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru Resort

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Bengaluru: After its six MLAs deserted ahead of Rajya Sabha polls, a wary Congress has lodged its 44 Gujarat legislators at a private resort on the outskirts of Bangalore, saying it is “protecting” them from the BJPs “hooliganism”.

Ashok Gehlot, the Congress general secretary in-charge for Gujarat, defended the partys action and repeated the allegations that the BJP was using money, muscle and state power to force party MLAs in Gujarat to quit.

“They (MLAs) were picked up, harassed, threatened and forced to quit. The way the state machinery, the police are being misused (in Gujarat), why cant we then bring them at one place to protect them from the hooliganism and anti-social activities there,” he said.
 
Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, who is overseeing the arrangements, however, said that the leaders from Gujarat “have come to our state for rest and tourist purpose and we are stationed here to facilitate it”.

The MLAs wish to visit some tourist destinations and religious places, he said, adding “they want to seek the Almightys blessing to save Gujarat and democracy.”

Police personnel have been deployed around the resort for security.

The Congress is keen to fend off alleged “poaching” attempts by the BJP ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat.

Though there is no clarity about exact number of MLAs  at the resort, Gujarat Congress General secretary Nishit Vyas, who is with the legislators here, earlier today told PTI that the party has shifted 44 of its MLAs to Bengaluru.

“It was for the safety and security of the MLAs who  are being threatened if they do not agree to switch sides… that is why we decided to bring them to Bengaluru,” he said.

Not wishing to specify the number of Gujarat legislators at the resort, Suresh, in response to a question, said “all our party legislators are there”.

Of the 57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat, from where Sonia Gandhis political secretary Ahmed Patel is contesting for Rajya Sabha, six have resigned from the party in the last two days with three of them joining the BJP yesterday.

The party has apprehensions about Patels election to the Rajya Sabha, if more MLAs defect.

The BJP has denied the Congress allegations and said it cannot be blamed if Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul are unable to hold the crumbling organisation.

The Congress sources said MLAs are likely to travel to some tourist destinations in the state and also to Tirupati.

Suresh said the legislators tour schedule would be finalised later, as they have come early today and are taking rest.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declined to comment on Gujarat MLAs being lodged at a resort outside the city, saying he has no information about it.

(PTI)

First Test: Ashwin, Jadeja spin India to 304-run win against Sri Lanka

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Galle Spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each to help India thrash Sri Lanka by 304 runs in the opening Test and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Galle International Stadium here on Saturday.

Chasing an improbable 550, Sri Lanka, reduced to nine men after skipper Rangana Herath and Asela Gunaratne were ruled out, failed to put up a fight before being bundled out for 245 in their second innings.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne and stumper Niroshan Dickwella provided some resistance by scoring 97 and 67 respectively but Ashwin (3/65) and Jadeja (3/71) dominated with the ball to clinically dismantle the hosts on the penultimate day itself.

Joining forces in the post-lunch session after the quick dismissals of Kusal Mendis (36) and Angelo Mathews (2), Karunaratne and Dickwella steadied the Sri Lankan ship to take them to 192/4 by tea.

Karunaratne’s gritty 208-ball knock proved to be the stumbling block for the Indians as he along with Dickwella added 101 runs for the fifth wicket before Ashwin, playing his career’s 50th Test, ended the stumper’s 94-ball vigil.

Ashwin struck again with the key wicket of the left-handed opener, who dragged a bottom-edge onto his stumps when he was in sight of a sixth Test hundred.

Tailenders Nuwan Pradeep (0) and Lahiru Kumara (0) failed to provide any support to Dilruwan Perera (21 not out) and were dismissed in quick succession by Ashwin and Jadeja respectively.

Earlier, after India declared their second innings at 240/3, the new ball duo of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav dealt two quick blows in the form of Upul Tharanga (10) and Danushka Gunathilaka (2) respectively to reduce the home side to 85/2 at the lunch break.

Having got an attacking 64 in the first innings, Tharanga failed to cash on the advantage when Kohli dropped him at first slip, to be bowled off an inside edge in the next ball from Shami.

Gunathilaka also gifted his wicket by flicking Yadav’s delivery straight to square leg fielder Cheteshwar Pujara before Mendis and Karunaratne joined forces.

Resuming the day at 189/3, India skipper Virat Kohli (103 not out) went on to complete his 17th Test century, as the visitors stretched their second innings lead to 549 runs. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane (23 not out) added a quickfire 51-run fourth wicket stand in 6.3 overs.

The India captain, who went unbeaten on 76 at stumps on the third evening, started tapping for singles and doubles, before latching on a Dilruwan Perera delivery to clobber over midwicket for six to move to 89.

He completed his hundred with a single to midwicket, reaching the landmark in 133 balls and thereby surpassed former India skipper Sourav Ganguly’s tally of 16 Test tons.

The 28-year-old has now equalled Indian stalwarts V.V.S. Laxman and Dilip Vengsarkar’s tally of 17 and is only behind Mohammad Azharuddin (22), Virender Sehwag (23), Sunil Gavaskar (34), Rahul Dravid (36) and Sachin Tendulkar (51).

This was also Kohli’s first century after a gap of seven innings, since his 204 against Bangladesh earlier this year.

In their first innings, India posted a massive total of 600, thanks to centuries from Shikhar Dhawan (190) and Cheteshwar Pujara (153) before skitling the Lankans out for 291.

With the win, India have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and will now head to Colombo for the second Test, starting August 3.

(IANS)

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be interim Pakistan PM after Sharif’s removal

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Islamabad: Former petroleum minister and senior Pakistan Muslim League-(Nawaz) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be appointed as interim prime minister of Pakistan after Nawaz Sarif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in Panamagate case.

Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was also disqualified by the Supreme Court in the case.

Abbasi will run the government as interim prime minister until Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shahbaz is elected as member of parliament.

After a consultative session of the ruling PML-N, Shahbaz has emerged as the most likely candidate to be the next prime minister of Pakistan after an interim premier has served the 45-day period, Geo News reported.

(Agencies)

Malware affects thousands of BSNL broadband modems

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Mangaluru: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. has advised its broadband users to change the default system password after a section of its broadband system was hit by a malware attack earlier this week.

It is reported that more than 60,000 BSNL broadband modems across Karnataka Telecom Circle have became dysfunctional after a malware attack since Wednesday night.

“The situation has been addressed to a great extent. We are advising customers that they should immediately change their passwords, and they should not be worried about using broadband once they have done that,” BSNL Chairman Anupam Shrivastava said.

Shrivastava said that during the attack, malware was changing the passwords of users (those who were using admin as password) and so the affected modems were unable to login.

This attack occurred earlier this week, he said, adding BSNL call centres were proactively reaching out to users to alert them, and advise them about precautionary measures. He said that the malware has not impacted BSNL’s core network, billing or any other system.

R. Mani, chief general manager, BSNL, Karnataka Telecom Circle, said that modems supplied by three particular vendors have been affected by the malware attack that came through the wide area network.

He said instructions have already been issued to all officials on procedure to rectify and reboot the modems. Some BSNL personnel were visiting homes of subscribers to address the problem, he said.

BSNL broadband subscribers can also reset the modem by following these procedures: open modem page (http://192.168.1.1); enter modem user/password; click on access management tab; click on activate acl radio button; save and reboot the modem.

(Agencies)

Lingayats row: Kurubas, Dalits also may seek independent religion tags, says worried Eshwarappa

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Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa has accused the Siddaramaiah government of “raking up” issues such as separate religion for the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community to cover up its “lapses” and “maladministration”.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Friday, Eshwarappa said it was a ploy to divert people’s attention from the failures of the government. “If each caste is given a separate religion status, what will be the fate of society?” he said.

He said if the Veerashaiva-Lingayat dharma is declared a separate religion, then Kurubas and Dalits will also seek independent religion tags. “It is not the job of the government to create new religions. The government should safeguard the interests of the people and that is not happening,” he said.

Eshwarappa said that when corruption at Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara became public, the government raised the issue of granting official status to state flag as a “diversionary tactic”.

(Agencies)

Gujarat floods: 25 found dead in Banaskantha, death toll in state rises to 94

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Representational image.

Ahmedabad: At least 25 persons, including 14 of a family, were found dead on Wednesday in two villages of Banaskantha district due to floods following torrential rains in Gujarat, the police said.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, the death toll due to heavy rains and floods across the state in the current monsoon season stood at 94 till Tuesday.

Of the 25 found dead in Banaskantha, 17 persons, including 14 of a family, drowned in the flood waters in Kharia village under the Kankrej taluka, said an official.

Twenty five bodies were fished out on Wednesday by the police and locals after the flood water receded in the district.

“Seventeen bodies were recovered from Kharia village of Banaskantha and seven more were fished out at the neighbouring Sihori village. Another body was found in the interiors, taking the total number of bodies recovered from the district today to 25,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police Akshayrajsinh Makwana.

AD Parmar, Inspector, Thara Police Station, under which the Kharia village falls, said they feared that more bodies might be found after the water receded at over a dozen villages located along the banks of the Banas river.

Kharia and Sihori, situated along the banks of the Banas, were among the worst-hit villages in the district after water was released from the Dantiwada dam two days back.

Around 1.5 lakh cusecs of water was released from the dam following heavy rains in neighbouring Rajasthan, which resulted in inundation of several villages along the banks of the river in Banaskantha.

“Kharia is one of around 14 villages in the taluka which are badly affected due to the flood. As the water level of the Banas river rose suddenly, those living in these villages did not get a chance to relocate to a safe place in time,” said Parmar.

State Emergency Operation Centre officials said as per the latest figures available with them — excluding the 25 deaths reported on Wednesday — eight people had died in Banaskantha and Patan districts in the last two days due to the floods.

The toll due to heavy rains and floods across the state in the current monsoon season stood at 94 (barring the 25 deaths reported from Banaskantha on Wednesday), they added.

Banaskantha and Patan are among the worst-hit districts due to heavy rains and flooding of the Banas and Sipu rivers.

The huge quantum of water released from the Dantiwada and Sipu dams due to heavy rains in Rajasthan compounded the situation, said officials.

(PTI)

Kohli, Mukund power India to 498-run lead vs Sri Lanka at stumps

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Galle: India rode on half centuries from skipper Virat Kohli and opener Abhinav Mukund to post 189/3 in their second innings and extend their lead to 498 at stumps on the third day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka here on Friday.

Joining forces after the early departure of the first innings centurions Shikhar Dhawan (14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15), Kohli (76 not out) and Mukund (81) put on 133 runs for the third wicket as India found themselves in a commanding position at the Galle International Stadium here.

Earlier, India decided against enforcing a follow-on even after taking a mammoth 309-run first innings lead. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, with figures of 3/67, was the pick of the bowlers, as the home side was bundled out for 291 just after the lunch break.

(IANS)

Nitish wins trust vote, Opposition cries foul

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Patna: Two days after he dramatically embraced the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday proved his majority in the Bihar assembly while the RJD protested in the house during the confidence vote.

Contrary to fears, no cross-voting took place during the show of strength. Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar sailed through with 131 votes in his favour and 108 against.

Soon after the assembly met, Nitish Kumar moved a resolution to seek a trust vote.

Apparently convinced that the JD-U-BJP government had adequate support to win the motion, RJD members protested in and out of the house.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) accused Nitish Kumar of insulting the mandate of 2015 by joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and dumping his election allies the RJD and the Congress which made him the Chief Minister.

Nitish Kumar said the 2015 mandate was for ‘janta ki sewa’ (serving people), not for anything else. “The mandate was for governance,” he said in a short speech in the assembly.

He said no one can lecture him on secularism. “I know and understand secularism.”

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who was the Deputy Chief Minister, said voters had been stabbed in the back.

“People who voted for the Grand Alliance are being betrayed. Nitish Kumar got the mandate against the BJP but joined hands with it to form the government,” he said.

Tejashwi Yadav, son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, said Nitish Kumar had insulted the people of Bihar by joining hands with the BJP.

“We will go to the people to expose Nitish Kumar’s doublespeak and hypocrisy.”

In the 243-member Bihar assembly, the JD-U has 71 legislators and the BJP and its allies 58. The RJD has 80 members and its ally the Congress 27. The CPI-ML has three members. There are also independents.

Earlier, the JD-U and BJP issued whips to their legislators to support Nitish Kumar during the confidence vote. The RJD and Congress also issued similar whips.

Nitish Kumar on Wednesday resigned as Chief Minister and tied up with the BJP and took oath as Chief Minister on Thursday with BJP’s Sushil Modi as his Deputy.

(IANS)

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