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Afshain Afzal
28 January 2020: Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that Israeli passport holders were not permitted to enter the Kingdom.
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the policy was unchanged despite Israel saying on Sunday that its citizens could now travel to Saudi Arabia.
“Our policy is fixed,” Prince Faisal told CNN. “We do not have relations with the state of Israel, and Israeli passport holders cannot visit the Kingdom at the current time.
“When a peace agreement is reached between the Palestinians and the Israelis, I believe the issue of Israel’s involvement in the region will be on the table.”
Analysts said the statements by both countries were significant as US President Donald Trump prepared to unveil his Middle East peace plan in Washington.
“Israel wanted to fool the Arabs, and to put Saudi Arabia in a difficult position, saying they had resolved the issue with the Kingdom and were ready for peace,” the Saudi political analyst Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri told Arab News.
“But the Kingdom is saying, ‘No, you cannot visit until there is a solution,’ and we will find out tomorrow if the Trump peace plan is that solution.”
The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, calling for normal Arab relations with Israel in return for its withdrawal from occupied land, was the benchmark, Al-Shehri said.
“If they are going to override the Arab Peace Initiative without a workable alternative, then of course the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations.”
27 January 2020 (Courtesy of AFP): A United States military spokesman confirmed the loss of the E-11A communications plane in Ghazni province and said there was no indication the jet had been shot down.
Afghan officials had early reported the loss of a plane in the Taliban-held province, but had mistakenly reported the aircraft was a civilian passenger jet belonging to the national carrier, Ariana.
Pictures share by Taliban-linked social media accounts instead showed wreckage from a Bombardier E11 BACN emblazoned with US Air Force insignia. The aircraft is known to operate from nearby Kandahar air field in southern Afghanistan and helps boost communications among troops on the ground.
A statement from US forces in Afghanistan said: "A US Bombardier E-11A crashed in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While the cause of the crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire."
There was no official indication of casualties, but Taliban reports said two badly burned bodies had been found in the wreckage and had been handed over to local villagers.
Afghan officials had at first reported the crashed plane belonged to the national carrier, Ariana.
"At around 1:10 pm (0840 GMT) a plane crashed in Deh Yak district of Ghazni province. The plane is on fire and the villagers are trying to put it out. We still don't know if it is a military or commercial plane," Aref Noori, Ghazni's governor's spokesman, told AFP.
27 January 2020, TON. In a diplomatic row New Delhi has censured European Union for stepping on the internal affairs of India. Calling the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),
an internal matter, India censured the European Union and asked to get engage with the government to have an accurate assessment of the “facts with respect to the legislation before proceeding voting the Resolution.
A powerful group of European Parliament lawmakers including the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D), Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (PPE), Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Verts/ALE), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), Renew Europe Group (Renew) and European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) Group will hold a debate and vote on a resolution against the CAA.Six groups have moved resolutions on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the clampdown on Jammu and Kashmir.
Holding India flag and placards and chanting anti-India slogans they marched to India House through London’s iconic Trafalgar Square. As the march reached India House, the contained anger of the protesters expressed itself in more vigorous chants of anti-India and anti-BJP slogans. The marchers started with reading preamble of the Indian constitution and ended the protest with chanting anti-India slogans. Those who addressed the gathering included Labour MP from Ilford South, Sam Tarry who expressed deep concern at the growing fascism in India under Narendra Modi and said that this situation must be causing lot of hurt to the souls of founding fathers of modern India.
The demonstration was organized by Kashmir Solidarity Movement, South Asian Students Against Fascism, Newham Muslim Alliance, Ghadar International, human rights body South Asia Solidarity Group (SASG) and supported by Coordinating Committee of Malayali Muslims, SOAS India Society, Tamil People in the UK, Indian Workers Association (GB), Indian Muslim Federation (UK), Federation of Redbridge Muslim Organizations.
A letter was also issued in which reads, the events of the last six months have been particularly disturbing. First the revoking of Article 370, the further militarization of Kashmir, highly militarized zone in the world, the imprisonment of leaders, continual curfews, torture, including torture of minors, and banning internet service and buying of land in the Kashmir valley by Indian agents.
27 January 2020, TON: Muslims peaceful protesters were charged of hurling stones to justify baton charging and lobbing of tear gas shells by police personnel in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
As per the details, the incident occurred near Anand Nagar bus stop when anti- Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters were challenged by Indian authorities’ organized a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 'Tiranga March.
While authorities were trying to prevent anti-CAA rallyists not to not move ahead to Raddi Chowk, when some unidentified persons hurled stones at the Police and security officials present there, leading to suspicion..
Police resorted to Lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to restore order. CCTV footage of the incident was not made public to protect the identies of pro-CAA marchers.
The situation was tense and additional security personnel have been deployed at the site of incident to maintain law and order.
27 January 2020, TON: The Assam government claimed to have signed an accord with outlawed insurgent groups of Assam - the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The Government claimed that All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), which was leading a movement for a Bodoland state was also signatory to the accord.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal claimed that the tripartite agreement was signed by Government with leadership of factions of the NDFB, ABSU.
However, the NDFB and ABSU leadership in Assam refuted the Assam Chief Minister’s claim and said, “Only four of the expelled factions have signed the deal with Assam Government”.
“It is a historical accord,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said and asserted that the pact will bring comprehensive solution to the Bodo issue.
Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Bodo Peace Accord signed in New Delhi on Monday will lead to a “full and final” solution to the decades-old Bodo issue.
In a tweet, Sarma said the Bodo Peace Accord has full support of the Assam government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Sri Hagrama Mohilary, “making it a full and final solution to the over decades old Bodo issue”.
27 January 2020, TON: The West Bengal on Monday became the fourth state to pass a resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee tabled the resolution in the state Assembly, appealing the Union government to repeal the amended citizenship law and also to revoke plans to implement NRC and update NPR.
Three states - Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab have already passed resolutions against the amended citizenship law.
The law has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the state, in which despite strong opposition by parties, BJP is adamant for its implementation.
26 January 2020, TON: The Pakistanis across the border have greeted the Indians, especially the Muslims and minorities on Republican Day today
. Speaking on the occasion, the Indian-Pakistani Muslims Front’s President Zaheer Khokhar and Vice President Dilbar Singh congratulated the fellow Indian Muslims and other minorities on becoming a Republic on the map of world on 26th January. They stressed on the point that Muslim and other minorities are part of Indian sub-continent and have rightly launched campaign across India for non-acceptance of violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian constitution. They added, “Pakistan and India have made an agreement and Pakistan is responsible for the Muslim and other minorities, especially the Schedule Castes in India, who are the victim of Indian harassment since last 72 years.”
26 January 2020, TON: On the occasion of Indian Republican Day, the India police detained hundreds of students of the University of Hyderabad on Sunday
when they tried to take out a march to”Protect the Constitution of India” to mark the Republic Day. In the unprecedented use of forces dozens of students were injured.
Police tried to stop the students at the main gate as they wanted to march to Ambedkar statue at Masjid Banda near the University of Hyderabad. The march was called by the students” union of the University with the slogan “Uphold Constitution, Defeat Manu” and “Save the Constitution”, “Telangana police go back”, “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Manuvad ho Barbad” and ”Long live students’ unity”. They also chanted slogans against the highhandedness of the Indian security forces.
26 January 2020, TON: The 154 members European Union lawmakers proposed a resolution that terms controversial law contradictory unconstitutional “discriminatory” and “dangerously divisive”
and may lead to the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering”. In a scathing denouncement of the Citizen Amendment Act, a powerful group of 154 European Union lawmakers proposed a resolution that terms contentious law “discriminatory” and “dangerously divisive” and may lead to the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering”.
The lawmakers belong to the Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament from 26 countries submitted the drafted resolution which is slated to be debated on 29th January and a voting is likely on 30th January.
The drafted resolution states that CAA not only contradicts Article 14 of the Indian Constitution but also India’s international obligations.
It has been noted that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act “sets a dangerous precedent and represents an intensification of the Government’s Hindu nationalist agenda”. The resolution highlights that “the indivisibility of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, is one of the main objectives of the European Union in its relations with India.”
The resolution also notes that the CAA is “explicitly discriminatory in nature as it specifically excludes Muslims from access to the same provisions as other religious groups.”
The European lawmakers also condemned the use of “Excessive Force in the crackdown” on the protests against the amended citizenship law instead of addressing the concerns, and have also called on Indian authorities to stop the “criminalization of protests.”
