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SC declines PIL on uniform civil code

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Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a public interest petition seeking direction to parliament to enact a uniform civil code to put an end to alleged discrimination being faced by Muslim women.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur said that it is for parliament to take a call on the issue and it was not in the realm of the apex court to issue a direction on this.

Chief Justice Thakur, in a disapproving note, told senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam that if such petitions were filed without regard to the law, the court will come down very heavily.

The court asked why none of those who are being allegedly discriminated against have come forward for redressal.

Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay had filed the PIL.

(Agencies)

Half of Yemen ‘one step away’ from famine: UN

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Food insecurity at “emergency” levels in 10 of Yemen’s 22 governorates, World Food Programme says.

The UN says 14.4 million people of the country's 23 million are food insecure [EPA]

The UN says 14.4 million people of the country’s 23 million are food insecure [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

The United Nations food agency has warned that food supplies in Yemen are deteriorating quickly and the country is at risk of slipping into famine.

Ten out of Yemen’s 22 governorates were now classified as facing food insecurity at “emergency” levels, which is one step below famine, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

“Clearly, Yemen is one of the hardest place in the world today to work – massive security concerns, escalation in the fighting, and the violence across the country,” Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s deputy regional director, said in the capital, Sanaa.

“We are doing well, we are improving our reach and getting to more people every month, but clearly with half of the country now just one step away from famine, we need the international community to really come behind us and support us, particularly over the next few months,” he added.

According to the UN’s 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview in November, 14.4 million people of the country’s 23 million are food insecure, struggling to get enough food to live a healthy life.

That includes 7.6 million people in desperate need of food assistance.

“It’s a country that cannot take any further shock,” Abeer Etefa, the WFP’s spokesperson for the Middle East region, told Al Jazeera.

“It’s a very serious situation. We are doing our best so that we don’t see a deterioration of the situation that’s already extremely compromised.”

‘People have nothing’

Since March, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has conducted air strikes in Yemen in an effort to curb the expansion of the country’s Houthi rebels, who have fought government forces for control of the country.

The conflict has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, and many more are struggling to access the basic necessities, including food, water and fuel.

Battles have been going on for weeks in and around Taiz as forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi – supported by coalition air strikes – clash with Iran-backed Houthi rebels for control of the strategically located city, seen as a gateway between south Yemen and the capital.

The UN says more than 5,700 people have been killed in the country since then, nearly half of them civilians.
“I appeal to all people of good will. Look at these displaced people. They are your brothers from Yemen. You must look at them and consider them. Help them with anything, food, clothes, mattresses,” a displaced Yemeni, Mohamed Ahmed Hassan, told the Reuters news agency.

“People here have nothing. They don’t even have anything to sleep on. They sleep on the ground,” Hassan said.

Three injured in Guwahati blast

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The explosions occurred at 3:18 pm and 3:20 pm. (ANI Twitter account)

The explosions occurred at 3:18 pm and 3:20 pm. (ANI Twitter account)

Guwahati: Three people, including a minor, were injured in a low-intensity explosion at the busy Fancy Bazar area here on Saturday afternoon, police said, adding that witnesses said there were two explosions.

Police suspected the involvement of the anti-talk faction of ULFA militants initially, but it later turned out to be a low-intensity explosion.

“The impact of the explosion does not indicate that it was a grenade or high-powered bomb. Had it been a grenade or bomb, the damage would have been more,” said Guwahati Police Commissioner Mukesh Agarwala.

He said that witnesses said there were two explosions.

“We are investigating the matter and we have called the forensic teams to ascertain the exact nature of the explosives that led to the explosion,” said Agarwala.

(IANS)

Kohli, Rahane take India to 190/4

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Image Credit: BCCI.

Image Credit: BCCI.

New Delhi: Skipper Virat Kohli (83 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (52 not out) took India to 190/4 in their second innings against South Africa at stumps on the third day of the fourth and final cricket Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday.

They forged an unbeaten 133-run stand for the fifth wicket after pacer Morne Morkel had struck early blows to leave India reeling at 57/4.

India now have a strong lead of 403 runs.

(IANS)

Chennai residents suffer drinking water shortage

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Chennai-water

Chennai: An intermittent light drizzle since the morning on Saturday has added to the worries of Chennai residents who are battling the worst floods in a century amid shortage of drinking water and power cuts.

Chennai and its suburbs were battered by record rains for the past one month, leaving at least 325 people dead.

Unlike some areas such as Mylapore, Adyar and Annasalai where the water level has receded and electricity supply has been partially restored, people in many pockets in north Chennai continued to remain cut-off.

“Rumours of surplus water being released are also a cause of serious worry,” Revathi Vasan, a resident of West Mambalam, told IANS.

She said power supply has not been restored in her locality while their is water- logging around her apartment complex and on the roads.

Lakshman, a resident of Adyar, told IANS: “Milk was available at the shop near our apartment. It was sold at the normal price. But water cans have become very costly.”

In several localities, apartment owners pumped out stagnant water through hired pumps.

Southern Railway on Saturday announced operation of a special train from Chennai Beach Station to Bengaluru. The train will leave Chennai Beach at 4.30 p.m on Saturday.

A special train will be operated from Bengaluru to Chennai Beach Station on December 6.

Suburban train services between Chennai Egmore – Tambaram have commenced.

Fish carts and two wheelers were the mode of transport for patients to reach hospitals during the past three days, said an official.

N. Sathyabhama, director of medical services and quality-southern region at Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., said the hospital also received patients from several other hospitals affected by floods and power cuts.

“Some patients came by fish cart. One was brought by her brother on the bike as that was the only means of navigation through the heavily flooded Greams Lane (where the hospital is located),” Sathyabhama told IANS.

She said there was no power supply for 57 hours in one block and 69 hours in another and the situation was managed with generators.

As a safety measure the electricity power was cut for a couple of days in Chennai and its suburbs.

Many household items such as plastic chairs and tables, beds and TVs have been washed out to the shore of the Adyar river and are being collected by rag-pickers.

The government Royapettah Hospital and Sri Ramachandra Hospitals also got patients from the hospitals affected by flood and power cut.

Royapettah Hospital got 23 patients from other hospitals in flood affected areas, a senior official at the hospital told IANS.

(IANS)

PM should get a ‘salary hike’: Arvind Kejriwal

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Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Seeking to deflect criticism over the proposed hike in the salaries of Delhi MLAs, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said Pime Minister Narendra Modi should get a “salary hike” as well.

In a strident defence of the decision of his government, Kejriwal said even after the hike is effected, MLAs won’t earn even “120th fraction” of what editors of media organisations and top TV anchors earn.

“How is Rs 1 lakh per month unreasonable? If the Prime Minister’s salary is less than this, even his salary should be raised. We all demand that his salary should be hiked,” he said while speaking in Delhi Assembly over Janlokpal.

However, in a tongue-in-cheek remark, Kejriwal envisaged an embarassing situation for Modi when he encounters US President Barack Obama. “Kal ko Obama miley toh kya bolenege…(if he meets Obama tomorrow, what will he say. It (PM’s salary) should be at least 8-10 lakh.”

Kejriwal said it was important to give legislators proper salaries and other facilities but “if they still indulge in corruption don’t spare them.”

Delhi Assembly had yesterday cleared a bill providing for hefty hike in salaries of MLAs and ministers. As per its provision, the basic salary of legislators will rise from current Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 and their overall monthly package will be around Rs 2.1 lakh as against Rs 88,000 at present.

(Agencies)

After social media bashing PIB regrets for fake pic of Modi in flood hit area

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modi-photo-pib

New Delhi: Facing flak for posting a doctored photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveying Tamil Nadu floods from a helicopter, PIB today expressed regret saying the incident happened due to an “error of judgment”.

In the picture posted by Press Information Bureau (PIB) on its website and Twitter, houses and water were reportedly seen clearly through the chopper’s window which the critics pointed out could not be possible during an aerial survey.

The photo was soon removed after questions were raised in social media about its authenticity.

In a clarification issued here, the PIB said, “Out of the seven pictures released, one picture used the technique of merging two pictures. This is being referred to as ‘photoshopping’ in sections of media.

“This happened due to an error of judgment and the picture was subsequently deleted. PIB regrets the release of the above-mentioned picture and inconvenience caused is regretted,” it said in the statement.

The Prime Minister had made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Chennai, its suburbs and Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts yesterday.

(Agencies)

Arrested man took snaps of airports, rly stations in 36 cities

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arrested

Belagavi: A man, arrested at Sambra airport here for videographing in the airport area under suspicious circumstances had taken photos at airports, railway stations and malls in 36 cities, a top police official said on Thursday.

Mohammed Hussainali Qureshi, hailing from Kalburgi in north Karnataka, was produced before a court here yesterday and been remanded in seven days judicialcustody. He was arrested on Tuesday.

Qureshi had taken photographs at 36 cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Davangere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Vijayapura and Belagavi, city Police Commissioner S Ravi told reporters here.

He said Qureshi had mainly taken photos of airports, railway stations, railway tracks, bus stand, parking places, malls and mosques on his mobile.

Without divulging any further details, Ravi said Qureshi has been taken to Kalburgi for further investigation.

(Agencies)

How mosques in Bengaluru is helping Chennai during floods

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chennai-rain

Bengaluru: Mosques and Muslim religious groups are jumping in to help flood-affected Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu in Bengaluru, as the flood affected state is going through an unimaginable devastation and tragedy.

Bengaluru-based HSIS and GFM Trust have asked the faithful coming to offer prayers at mosques in Frazer Town and other adjacent areas to donate in cash or kind, which will be utilised to provide relief materials to Chennai.

People in Bengaluru can contact Fahim: 9845108414 or Dada: 9886071963 to aid the people of Chennai.

US mosque threatened as fears of shooting backlash rise

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Advocacy group denounces California shooting while saying it has been a target of anti-Islam hate calls and threats.

Police say they are still investigating the motive of the California shooting that killed 14 people [Reuters]

Police say they are still investigating the motive of the California shooting that killed 14 people [Reuters]

by Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera

The largest Muslim advocacy group in the United States has raised concerns of a backlash following the deadly California shooting with reports of a threat of violence received at one mosque and many hate calls.

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington DC, on Thursday condemned the killing of at least 14 people in San Bernardino, while pleading “to not generalise from the acts of individuals to an entire faith community”.

US authorities said they were still investigating the motive behind the shooting spree, allegedly carried out by the suspects Syed Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 27. Reports said they were heavily armed with guns, bombs and ammunition.

Following the shooting, the New York Post – the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid newspaper – ran a banner headline calling the two dead suspects “MUSLIM KILLERS”. The paper later changed the headline.

“It’s completely outrageous that the New York Post would use that front-page headline,” Hooper told Al Jazeera.

He called the newspaper “irresponsible”, but added he was not surprised because “it is known for its anti-Muslim bigotry”.

“It’s inflammatory and we believe it incites hatred against all Muslims, not just against the people who allegedly carried out the San Bernardino attacks.”

Phone threats

As the names of the suspects were reported on Wednesday, the Manassas Mosque in Virginia received a voice message from an anonymous male caller threatening he would do to worshippers at the mosque what had been done to the victims in San Bernardino.

The mosque’s imam, Abu Nahedian, told Al Jazeera he received the half-minute profanity-laced message, forwarded to his personal phone, shortly before 11pm on Wednesday (0400 GMT Thursday).

Nahedian said he reported the incident to police, who were investigating the call along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Nahedian has been preaching at the mosque for more than 20 years, he said. In 2014, the Manassas Mosque was also vandalised.

He blamed a lack of education and awareness about Islam on the threats, saying educated people “know that we [Muslims] are the also victims” of violence.

Nahedian said worshippers at the mosque had been subjected to verbal abuse and other threats even before the San Bernardino attack had happened.

“This is part of our life anyway,” he said. “But we always teach the congregation to be kind to people, and to let your action be the defender of your faith.”

Spewing hatred

At CAIR’s heaquarters in the US capital, Hooper reported that he and his staff had received “lots and lots of hate messages” on Thursday.

“Most of them are just spewing hatred against Islam and Muslims, which is not illegal,” Hooper said.

In California, where the shooting happened, Ojaala Ahmad, spokesman of the state’s CAIR office, said Muslim Americans were as “heartbroken” about what happened as the rest of the country.

She admitted that she also became worried after hearing the identities of the attackers.

“I think it has become very common now that every time a Muslim person might be the perpetrator, the public and the media are quick to say that this was an act of terror without investigating what the actual motives were,” Ahmad said.

But in California anti-Islam sentiment “is not that blatant” as in other states, said Ahmad, and the Muslim community received “overwhelming support” from inter-faith advocates.

“They are saying that they support us and that they know that Islam is not a bad religion, and for us to stay strong in times of what we might be facing in the coming days with the anti-Muslim climate,” Ahmad said.

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