At Least 50 Killed as Train Mows Down People Watching Dussehra Festivities in Amritsar

The bursting of the crackers from the Ravana effigy had reportedly drowned out the noise of the approaching train.

At least 50 people were killed in Friday evening when a train mowed into a crowd watching the  Dussehra festivities that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy, officials said. The bursting of the crackers from the effigy had reportedly drowned out the noise of the approaching train.

The accident took place at Joda Phatak in Amritsar.

The train was coming from Jalandhar to Amritsar. At least 300 people were at the spot watching ‘Ravan dahan‘, sources said.

“The administration and the Dussehra committee are at fault, they should have raised an alarm when the train was approaching, they should have made sure that the train halts or slows down,” an eyewitness told news agency ANI.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh tweeted soon after the accident that he was rushing to Amritsar to personally to supervise the relief and rescue efforts and that the state government would give Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those killed.

The Press Trust of India news agency said two trains arrived from the opposite direction on separate tracks at the same time giving little opportunity for people to escape. However, the casualties were caused by one of the trains, it quoted officials as saying.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the accident. “Have asked officials to provide immediate assistance that is required,” Modi said on Twitter.

A witness said the train didn’t even sound its whistle as it sped past the site, where hundreds were watching the burning of an effigy of demon Ravana during the Hindu festival of Dussehra.

“Why did authorities allow the fireworks display so close to the railroad track?,’” he asked. He told the Republic television channel that he lost two brothers.

Another witness said the victims didn’t realize that a train was coming because the fireworks were too loud.

Navjot Kaur Siddhu, a local Congress party politician who was the chief guest at the religious function, said the celebrations take place in the area every year and railroad authorities are alerted to run the trains at slow speeds.

A large number of people live in the area with homes on both sides of the railroad track, she said.

However, junior Railways Minister Manoj Sinha said after visiting the accident site that organizers did not alert railroad authorities about their plan to hold a religious function there.

Shatrughan Das, an injured 35-year-old factory worker, said he was sitting close to the railroad tracks watching the fireworks. “I didn’t see the train coming. I fell unconscious. I saw the police taking me to a hospital as I regained consciousness.”

“I am feeling a strong headache and pain in my back and legs,” Das said from his hospital bed. “But I don’t have serious injuries.”

Following the accident, people rushed to the site and shouted at railway officials for not taking precautions. The site of the accident is nearly 465 kilometers (290 miles) north of New Delhi.

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Trump says Certainly looks like Khashoggi is Dead, Saudi Would Suffer

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters about journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance prior to boarding Air Force One for travel to Montana from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., October 18, 2018. (Reuters Photo)

Certainly it looks like missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, U.S. President Donald Trump said late Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia would suffer "very severe" consequences if found to be responsible for his murder.

"It certainly looks that way to me," Trump told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base when asked if Khashoggi was dead. "It's very sad."

Trump, who has insisted that more facts must be known before making assumptions about Khashoggi, did not say on what he based his statement on the writer's demise two weeks ago.

As the U.S. toughened its response to Khashoggi's disappearance, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin pulled out of a major Saudi investment conference Thursday amid global pressure. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier Thursday that the United States would give ally Saudi Arabia "a few more days" to probe Khashoggi's alleged murder, again delaying a U.S. response to the mounting scandal.

Pompeo, who reported earlier to President Donald Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, told journalists at the White House that the Saudis assured him "they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation."

"I told President Trump this morning we ought to give them a few more days to complete that, so that we too have a complete understanding of the facts," Pompeo said.

Only then, Pompeo said, "we can make decisions how or if the United States should respond."

Trump has come under fire from members of Congress for his repeated delays in forming a response, as evidence mounts that Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist, was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul more than two weeks ago.

Turkish reports say Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered inside the Saudi Consulate by members of an assassination squad with ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudis have dismissed those reports as baseless but have yet to explain what happened to Khashoggi, who was seen on video entering the consulate but has not been seen since.

A former regime insider, Khashoggi had become a critic of powerful the crown prince, the point man in ever-tightening military and commercial relations between the Muslim petro-state and the Trump administration.

Call for UN probe

Four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would finally clear up the affair.

But the United States, the Saudis' most powerful patron, has been in no rush to escalate the scandal.

Repeatedly giving the Saudi royals the benefit of the doubt, Trump and top officials have instead stressed that the U.S.-Saudi relationship is too important to put at risk.

Trump has repeatedly praised massive Saudi arms purchases, while Pompeo used much of his brief remarks on Thursday to recall Washington's "long strategic relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

The Saudis "continue to be an important counter-terrorism partner, they have custody of the two holy sites ... We need to be mindful of that as well," he said.

Market takes a hit

The furor has also blown a hole in next week's Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, which was meant to showcase Prince Mohammed's plans for modernizing the desert kingdom.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said he was pulling out Thursday, joining senior ministers from Britain, France and the Netherlands, as well as a string of corporate leaders.

Mnuchin's announcement on Twitter helped push down stock prices on Wall Street.

Mnuchin's withdrawal "raises worry that the administration is being pushed to take a harder line against Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder and there could be retaliation," said Karl Haeling of LBBW.

Responses from Saudi Arabia could include selling US Treasuries, or punishing US companies seeking business in the kingdom, Haeling said.

Most analysts don't think Saudi Arabia would cut off oil supplies. Oil prices were off modestly at midday.

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Allahabad to be Renamed Prayagraj Very Soon, Says Yogi Adityanath

Ahead of the Kumbh Mela next year, Indian Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that very soon Allahabad district will be renamed Prayagraj.

Addressing the media at Circuit House in Allahabad, the Adityanath said, "In the meeting called to review the preparedness of Kumbh, a proposal was given by Akhada Parishad and others regarding changing the name of Allahabad district. UP Governor Ram Naik has also given his consent to the proposal."

"We also supported the proposal and very soon the name of Allahabad district will be changed to Prayagraj," he added.

Sources in the state government say the cabinet will give it's nod to rename the district in the next meeting.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the preparations ahead of Kumbh Mela and said all pending work and projects in the district will be completed by December.

"This Kumbh Mela will have a global outreach in which delegates of all countries that have embassies in India will participate. People from more than 6,00,000 villages across the country will contribute during the Kumbh Mela. We are being given full assistance from the central government," added the CM.

Yogi Adityanath also said that milk booths, water ATMs, tankers, hand pumps, banks, ATM machines and mobile tower will also be installed at the Kumbh premises for the convenience of people.

Giving information about cleaning of the Ganga, the CM said his government would ensure the river is cleaned by December 15 and that sewage treatment plants were being installed.

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Extremist hindu groups including "shiv sena" Threaten to shut Muslim's Meat shops in India

DELHI: Extremist "shiv sena", a member of the sanyukt hindu sangharsh samiti, has Written to the District Administration that it has formed four teams of 125 members each to visit every meat shop in Gurugram and urge the owner to shut it.

A grouping of 22 Hindu groups has threatened to forcefully shut all meat shops in Gurugram during the festival of Navratri. The Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti (SHSS), Gurugram, said it has decided to close down the shops since the district administration has failed to act on its requests.

Navratri will be celebrated between October 10 and October 18.

Shiv Sena, a member of the Samiti, has written to the district administration that it has formed four teams of 125 members each to visit every meat shop in the city and urge the owner to shut it. “If any shop opens during the festival, we would close it. If anything happens, we will take care of it,” said Gautam Saini, district president of Shiv Sena. Besides the Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Sena are also among the members of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti.

“Since the district administration did not take any decision on closing the meat shops, we held a meeting and decided to close them down ourselves,” Rajeev Mittal, a member of the Samiti, said.

On Tuesday, 14 meat shops in Sadar Bazar operated with blinders and curtains after members of the Hindu groups asked them to do so ahead of the festival. “We have put up curtains and blinders. But now they have threatened to shut our shops during Navratri,” said Tahir Qureshi, 55, the leader of the market.

After Qureshi and others approached the City police station, patrolling has been intensified in the area, but no separate police force had been provided till 6 pm on Tuesday. “We have not deployed extra force at the market (near Sadar Bazar), but we have asked the patrolling teams to be more careful,” said Vinod Kumar, SHO, City Police Station.

Sumit Kuhar, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said, “We won’t let anyone forcefully close down any meat shop during Navratri. If anyone wants to voluntarily close his shop, then it’s up to him.” Kuhar said the Gurugram police have asked all station house officers (SHOs) to keep a close watch on the situation and to make sure that no shops are closed forcefully.

Yashpal Yadav, commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), said there is a provision in the rules to close licensed meat shops for a particular time. “Since the representation was made to the deputy commissioner and not us, I cannot issue any order to close shops. I’ll look into the matter if a representation is made to me,” he said.

Yadav said no direction has been issued to close meat shops for Navratri.

Not the first time

In March 2017, during Chaitra Navratri, around 300 meat shops were forcibly shut by protesters on both sides of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. They were opened following an assurance by the city police.

In September 2017, during Navratri, about 500 meat shops were forced to close by a group claiming to be members of Shiv Sena.

Last Wednesday, the Samiti representatives met the Gurugram deputy commissioner and demanded that all meat shops in the city be closed during Navratri. On Saturday and Sunday, members of SHSS visited meat shops in different parts of the city, asking their owners to keep their shops closed during the Navratri.

Fear among shopkeepers

The two entrances to the meat market near Sadar Bazar have been covered with over 12-foot-high pink blinders, leaving space for only pedestrians to enter. During a visit to the market, HT spotted a banner at the market entrance which read, “From Muslim community, hearty Navratri wishes”. Apart from this, curtains have been put up at the main door of each of the 14 meat shops in the market.

“Meat has been sold here for the past 50 years, but only in the last two years, people have been asking us to shut the shops during Navtrari. They don’t even stay in the nearby areas. So, why do they have a problem with us selling meat?” asked Tahir Qureshi.

“I have six workers in my shop. I will lose about Rs 50,000 if I close my shop for nine days,” said Mohammad Shahi, 34, who runs a shop in the area.

Qureshi pegged the total loss at over Rs 10 lakh if the market remains shut for Navratri.

Meat shop owners in Nayi Basi and Sector 12 told HT that their shops were closed on account of the weekly holiday on Tuesday. They said they will open their shops only after Navratri.

While some said that they close their shops every year during Navratri, others said that they shut down after seeing reports in newspapers. “Last year, the Hindu groups had asked us to close shops. So, this year we decided to close them before they come and ask us to do so,” said Pankaj, 21, who was standing at a chicken shop in Sector 12. “Look, we don’t even have any stock,” he said.

“I have decided to stop selling mutton till Navratri is over. I will stock only chicken and move everything inside the shop. Why ask for trouble when the situation is already tense?” said Saleem Ahmad, 46, owner of a meat shop in Sector 15.

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Washington Post says: US intelligence knew Kashoggi was targeted

AP Photo

U.S. intelligence services were aware of Saudi Arabia's plans to capture Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Citing a person familiar with the case, the report said U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials elaborating on a plan to seize Khashoggi.

It was not clear whether Saudi officers intended to arrest and interrogate the dissident journalist, or planned to kill him, the source said and added that it was also unknown if the U.S. had warned Khashoggi that he was being targeted.

Turkish media published footage on Wednesday of a 15-member "assassination squad" allegedly sent to target journalist Khashoggi, and of a black van later traveling from the Saudi consulate, where he went missing, to the consul's home.

The release of the photographs and video raised pressure on Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi disappeared Oct. 2 during a visit to the consulate. Turkish officials fear that the team killed the writer, who was critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The kingdom has called the allegations "baseless," but has not provided any evidence that Khashoggi left the consulate and did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

TRT aired video purportedly showing the Saudis arriving by private jet and then leaving a hotel. The footage shows Khashoggi entering the consulate. An hour and 54 minutes later, according to the time stamp, a black Mercedes Vito with diplomatic license plates, which resembled a van parked outside of the consulate when the writer walked in, drives some 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the consul's home, where it parks inside a garage.

The footage all seemed to come from surveillance cameras, which would have been posted throughout the district housing the Saudi consulate and other diplomatic missions. No one has produced any such footage of Khashoggi leaving the consulate.

The Sabah newspaper published images of the "assassination squad" apparently taken at passport control. It said they checked into two hotels in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and left later that day.

Khashoggi had written a series of columns for the Washington Post that were critical of Saudi Arabia's assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has led a widely publicized drive to reform the Sunni monarchy but has also presided over the arrests of activists and businessmen.

On Wednesday, the Post published a column by Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz. She acknowledged the writer first visited the consulate on Sept. 28 "despite being somewhat concerned that he could be in danger." He later returned Oct. 2 after being promised needed paperwork so the two could be married.

A surveillance video image surfaced Tuesday showing Khashoggi walking into the consulate in Istanbul's upscale 4th Levent neighborhood. No evidence of him leaving the consulate has been made public, but Turkish officials also have yet to provide evidence he was kidnaped or killed.

Khashoggi had sought to become a U.S. citizen after living in self-imposed exile since last year, fearing repercussions for his criticism of the prince, Cengiz wrote.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said Tuesday that Saudi authorities have notified Ankara that they were "open to cooperation" and would allow the consulate building to be searched. It's unclear when such a search would take place.

Embassies and consulates under the Vienna Convention are technically foreign soil and must be protected by host nations. Saudi Arabia may have agreed to the search in order to reassure its Western allies and the international community.

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Aug 21 grenade attack: Ex Minister Babar & 18 others sentenced to death in Bangladesh

Former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, Photo Credit: Dhaka Tribune

DHAKA: A court on Dhaka capital of Bangladesh has sentenced former state minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and 18 others, to death, in the August 21 grenade attack case. And BNP leader Tarique Rahman and 18 others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Tarique Rahman, and 18 others, have received life imprisonment in the case. Eleven others have been sentenced to various jail terms. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered the verdict around 11:50pm on Wednesday.

A grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka, on August 21, 2004, left 24 people including Ivy Rahman dead and more than 300 others injured.

The prime target of the attack was then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina, narrowly escaped death but suffered hearing loss. According to the charge sheet, the attack was orchestrated by a group of influential BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Working with militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh, they collaborated with some senior officials of: the Home Ministry, police, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, the National Security Intelligence, and the Prime Minister’s Office.

“They [those sentenced to death] shall be hanged by neck until they are dead,” Nuruddin proclaimed as 31 of the 49 accused were present on the dock, BSS reports.

The judge also made 12-point observations on the background, motive, and consequences of the attack.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters that the government would take steps to repatriate the fugitive convicts.

The convicts

Those who have been sentenced to death are: Babar; Abdus Salam Pintu; Mawlana Tajuddin; intelligence officials major general (retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and Brigadier General Abdur Rahim; transport operator Md Hanif; as well as militants Mawlana Sheikh Abdus Salam, Abdul Mazed Bhat, Abdul Malek, Shawkat Osman, Mohibullah, Abu Sayeed, Abul Kalam Azad, Jahangir Alam, Hafez Abu Taher, Hossain Ahammed Tamim, Moin Uddin Sheikh, Rafikul Islam, and Md Uzzal.

They have also been fined Tk1 lakh each, according to BSS.

Apart from Tarique, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s then-political adviser Haris Chowdhury, and former BNP MP Qazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, received life imprisonment.

Others sentenced to life imprisonment are militants: Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Abdur Rouf, Sabbir Ahmed, Arif Hasan, Hafez Yahia, Abu Bokor, Ariful Islam, Mohibul Muttakin, Anisul Mursalin, Mohammad Khalil, Jahangir Alam Badar, Mohammad Iqbal, Liton, Shafikur Rahman, Abdul Hai, and Ratul Ahmed Babu.

They all were fined Tk50 thousand, each, in the case lodged under the Explosive Substances Act.

Source: DhakaTribune

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Turkish police focus on 7 suspects in Khashoggi case: Report

One of the two planes that transported 15 Saudis was searched by Turkish authorities before leaving Turkey for Dubai. It was not immediately clear whether the second plane, pictured here, which left Istanbul for Egypt, was also searched.

Turkey’s criminal investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is focusing on seven suspects who were filmed near the Gulf country’s consulate in Istanbul, according to local media reports.

Turkish police were limited to footage from two street cameras that monitor the street outside the consulate after Saudi officials claimed that security cameras inside the consulate were not working at the time of last week’s incident.

Private broadcaster NTV reported on Oct. 9 that all suspects were seen entering the consulate half an hour before Khashoggi and leaving it after almost three hours.

The suspects reportedly left the area with two cars whose license plates could be read by the police.

Earlier reports said Turkish police were focusing on 15 Saudi citizens who came to Turkey on two airplanes on the day of the incident.

Demirören News Agency reported on Oct. 9 that one of the planes was searched by Turkish authorities before leaving Turkey for Dubai.

It was not immediately clear whether the second plane, which left Istanbul for Egypt, was also searched.

Both planes’ final destination was the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 9 invited Turkish experts and relevant officials to visit its Istanbul consulate.

According to diplomatic sources, a diplomatic note was sent to the Turkish Foreign Ministry inviting Turkish officials to visit the consulate.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conveys its regards to the brotherly Republic of Turkey,” the note said.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invites Turkish experts and relevant officials to visit the Istanbul Consulate in line with the cooperation principle with the government of Republic of Turkey and due to the importance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lays on finding the truth about Saudi Arabian citizen son of Hamza Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi’s incident of disappearance,” it added.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said earlier Oct. 9 that a “search will be conducted in the [consulate] building as part of the investigation.”

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Romanian man detained over slaying of Bulgarian Journalist to be freed, Police say

People attend a vigil as a protest against the rape murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova in Sofia, Bulgaria, October 8, 2018. (EPA Photo)

Bulgarian authorities on Tuesday will release and won't charge a man taken into custody in connection with the slaying of Bulgarian television reporter Viktoria Marinova, whose body was found after she highlighted possible government corruption.

The man, who wasn't identified, would be freed "very shortly," said Teodor Atanassov, chief police officer of the northern town of Ruse. He declined to provide further details on the ongoing investigation.

Police are investigating the rape and slaying of Marinova, 30, who was strangled. Her body was found Saturday near the Danube River. Marinova hosted a show last month featuring two investigative journalists who were detained for their work on suspected fraud involving European Union funds.

The Interior Ministry said late Monday that prosecutors had opened an investigation into GP Group, a large private Bulgarian building company alleged to have misused the EU money, and froze 14 million euros ($16 million) of its assets.

Interior Minister Mladen Marinov and Bulgaria's leading organized crime investigator, Ivaylo Spiridonov, are part of the investigating team.

While Marinova didn't appear to have been closely involved in the fraud investigation, her show touched on a sensitive subject in Bulgaria, where corruption is endemic. The Balkan nation joined the EU in 2007 and was ranked 71st on Transparency International's corruption list last year. Joining the bloc opened an enormous spigot of possible new EU funding for Bulgarian infrastructure projects or other programs designed to bring the nation up to EU standards.

Journalists' groups and European leaders expressed shock at Marinova's murder. Margaritis Schinas, spokesman for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said Monday that the commission expected "a swift and thorough investigation .... that will bring those responsible to justice and clarify whether this attack was linked to her work."

The German government also sharply condemned the slaying, with the Foreign Ministry saying it was imperative "that there's a fast investigation and that this horrible event will be illuminated as comprehensively as possible."

Bulgarian Interior Minister Mladen Marinov insisted Monday there was no evidence to suggest the killing was linked to Marinova's work.

Marinova was a director of TVN, a TV station in Ruse, and a TV presenter for two investigative programs.

Her final show on Sept. 30 was a program about Attila Biro, an investigative journalist with the Rise Project Romania, and Dimitar Stoyanov from the Bulgarian investigative site Bivol.bg. The two men were briefly detained on Sept. 13 south of Sofia as they investigated a tip that documents connected to suspected fraud involving EU funds were being destroyed.

Bivol.bg owner Assen Yordanov said he couldn't directly link Marinova's slaying to her work, but noted her show tackled "our very sensitive investigation into the misuse of EU funds."

"This is a topic on which no other Bulgarian national media dared to report on," he told The Associated Press.

Biro told the AP that he had never met Marinova — he said one of her colleagues had interviewed him and Stoyanov about their work.

"They are on the right path, but let's see how the investigation proceeds," he said.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Trump says still he doesn't know anything about WP's Khashoggi, week after his disappearance

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi (R). (AP & Reuters Photos)

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not know anything about Washington Post columnist Khashoggi's disappearance he had not yet spoken with Saudi officials about the situation, a week after the journalist disappeared.

Less than a day after saying he was "concerned" for Khashoggi, Trump said he would talk with Saudi officials "at some point."

"I am concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "Hopefully that will sort itself out," the president added.

Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that an examination will be carried out in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and that Saudi authorities were open to cooperation.

Dissident journalist and Washington Post contributor Khashoggi, 58, has been missing since last Tuesday after entering the Saudi consulate to gather documents for marriage. His fiancee and friends have said he did not leave the building. The dissident Saudi journalist's Turkish colleagues and several Turkish officials have voiced concerns that he was murdered in the consulate.

Turkish authorities repeatedly said that Khashoggi never left the consulate premises. Footage emerged Tuesday showing Khashoggi entering the building the week before.

Saudi officials and consulate workers denied murder allegations and claimed that Khashoggi left the consulate, but failed to provide any evidence of his exit from the facility.

Turkish police investigating the case said on Saturday that 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and entered the consulate while Khashoggi was inside.

Istanbul prosecutors are investigating the incident, while the consulate said on Twitter that it was working in coordination with Turkish authorities.

Source: Daily Sabah

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South African President Ramaphosa accepts Nene's resignation, Appoints new Finance Minister

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday accepted the resignation of embattled finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, who has been embroiled in a scandal over undisclosed meetings he held between 2010 and 2013 with the controversial Gupta brothers.

Nene was facing calls to resign after he admitted to visiting the Gupta brothers, friends of scandal-plagued former leader Jacob Zuma who have been accused of corruption, and failed to disclose the meetings earlier.

Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing.

As former governor of the Reserve bank and before that as minister of labour Mr Mboweni brings with him vast experience in areas of finance, economic policy as well as governance.

“It’s a measure of his character and commitment to the country that he has decided to resign despite not being implicated in any wrongdoing,” Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.

Opposition groups in South Africa including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had called for Nene’s resignation.

The DA on Tuesday said the state prosecutor would invetigate Nene for possibly breaching the executive code of ethics when he was deputy minister.

“The DA’s complaint against Nene will be investigated,” said Oupa Segalwe, acting spokesman at Public Protector, South Africa’s constitutionally-mandated anti-graft watchdog.

The DA’s complaint centres around allegations over an investment by the state pension fund, the Public Investment Corporation, into a Mozambican refinery project that may have benefited Nene’s son.

New finance minister

The president also announced Nene’s replacement as Tito Mboweni, the former Reserve Bank governor, who was immediately sworn in to commence his duties.

“I am confident that Mr Mboweni will bring the leadership that is needed now,” Ramaphosa said.

Born on 16 March 1959, Mboweni was South Africa’s first black governor of the central bank, when he was appointed to the position in August 1999.

He remained in the position for 10 years, serving under presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.

“As former governor of the Reserve bank and before that as minister of labour Mr Mboweni brings with him vast experience in areas of finance, economic policy as well as governance.”

Source: Africa News

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Saudi Arabia’s US ambassador condemns ‘malicious leaks and grim rumors’ surrounding Khashoggi disappearance

Prince Khaled bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US. (SPA)

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States has condemned the “outrageous” claims about the fate of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a “personal message” reported by Al-Arabiya Prince Khaled bin Salman said he wanted to address the “malicious leaks and grim rumors flying around about Jamal’s whereabouts and fate.”

“I assure you that the reports that suggest that Jamal Khashoggi went missing in the Consulate in Istanbul or that the Kingdom’s authorities have detained him or killed him are absolutely false, and baseless,” Prince Khaled said in the statement released on Monday evening.

“Jamal has many friends in the Kingdom, including myself, and despite our differences, and his choice to go into his so called ‘self-exile,’ we still maintained regular contact when he was in Washington.”

Khashoggi went missing in Istanbul last week.

A security delegation consisting of Saudi investigators arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to take part in the investigations.

Prince Khaled said the aim is to “chase every lead to uncover the truth behind his disappearance.”

“We will not spare any effort to locate him, just as we would if it were any other Saudi citizen.”

The Saudi ambassador’s full statement can be read below:

“I am sure you are following the news stories about Jamal Khashoggi. There are many facts regarding his whereabouts that will hopefully be revealed through the ongoing investigation. Despite that, we have seen over the last few days various malicious leaks and grim rumors flying around about Jamal's whereabouts and fate.

“I would normally prefer not to address such outrageous claims, especially when it concerns the wellbeing of a missing citizen who dedicated a great portion of his life to serve his country. It goes without saying that his family in the Kingdom remain gravely concerned about him, and so are we. Jamal has many friends in the Kingdom, including myself, and despite our differences, and his choice to go into his so called “self-exile,” we still maintained regular contact when he was in Washington.

“I know many in Washington, and the world over share this concern for his wellbeing. I assure you that the reports that suggest that Jamal Khashoggi went missing in the Consulate in Istanbul or that the Kingdom’s authorities have detained him or killed him are absolutely false, and baseless. The first reports out of Turkey were that he exited the Consulate and then disappeared. Shortly after the relevant authorities in the Kingdom became engaged in his case, the accusations changed to him being held inside the Consulate. After Turkish authorities and the media were allowed to inspect the Consulate building in its entirety, the accusations changed to the outrageous claim that he was murdered, in the Consulate, during business hours, and with dozens of staff and visitors in the building. I don't know who is behind these claims, or their intentions, nor do I care frankly.

“What we do care about is Jamal’s wellbeing, and revealing the truth about what occurred. Jamal is a Saudi citizen who went missing after leaving the Consulate. This was not his first visit to the Consulate in Istanbul, as he regularly came to the Consulate (as well as the Embassy in Washington) in the last few months for citizen services. The Saudi Consulate is fully cooperating with the local authorities to uncover what happened after he left.

“In addition, the Kingdom has sent a security team, with the Turkish government's approval, to work with their Turkish counterparts on the investigation. Our aim is to chase every lead to uncover the truth behind his disappearance.

“Though the situation is extraordinary, these measures are not. Jamal is a Saudi citizen whose safety and security is a top priority for the Kingdom, just as is the case with any other citizen. We will not spare any effort to locate him, just as we would if it were any other Saudi citizen.”

Source: Arab News

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Washington Post publishes possibly last image of missing Saudi Reporter

A person close to the investigation shared with The Washington Post a still from a closed circuit television camera he said showed Jamal Khashoggi’s last known seconds, as he stepped inside the consulate door. The Turkish text on the bottom right of the image says "Jamal Khashoggi comes to the consulate."

The Washington Post published a surveillance image on Oct. 9 showing its missing Saudi contributor walking into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul a week ago, just before he disappeared. Turkish officials have said they fear the columnist was killed there.

Saudi Arabia has called the allegations that it killed writer Jamal Khashoggi as "baseless," but has offered no evidence over the past seven days to show that he ever left the building.

The image released by the Post bore a date and date stamp. The Post said "a person close to the investigation" shared the image with them.

Khashoggi, 59, went missing while on a visit to the consulate in Istanbul for paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. The consulate insists the writer left its premises, contradicting Turkish officials.

He had been living since last year in the United States, in a self-imposed exile, in part due to the rise of Prince Mohammed, the son of King Salman.

As a contributor to the Post, Khashoggi has written extensively about Saudi Arabia, including criticizing its war in Yemen, its recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women’s rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving. All those issues have been viewed as being pushed by Prince Mohammed, who similarly has led roundups of activists, businessmen and others in the kingdom.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 8 urged the Saudis to back up their claim that Khashoggi left the consulate.

"Now when this person enters, whose duty is it to prove that he left or not? It is (the duty) of the consulate officials," Erdoğan said during a visit to Hungary. "Don’t you have cameras and other things? Why don’t you prove it, you have to prove it."

Turkey summoned the Saudi ambassador on Oct. 7 to request the kingdom’s "full cooperation" in the investigation, a Foreign Ministry official said.

Ankara reportedly asked for permission for its investigators to search the consulate building.

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Turkish Foreign Ministry says to Saudi consulate, search for Khashoggi's Disappearance

An examination will be carried out in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul regarding Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance, Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, adding that Saudi authorities are open to cooperation.

A statement by the ministry said that the search will be carried out as part of the ongoing investigation by Turkish authorities regarding Khashoggi's fate.

The ministry said that Turkey is carrying out the search in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations as the host country and with the permission of the Saudi diplomatic mission chief.

Developments regarding Khashoggi have been closely monitored by Turkish judicial, security and intelligence units since the day he disappeared, it added.

Dissident journalist and Washington Post contributor Khashoggi, 58, has been missing since last Tuesday after entering the Saudi consulate to gather documents for marriage. His fiancee and friends have said he did not leave the building. The dissident Saudi journalist's Turkish colleagues and several Turkish officials have voiced concerns that he was murdered in the consulate.

Turkish authorities repeatedly said that Khashoggi never left the consulate premises. Footage emerged Tuesday showing Khashoggi entering the building the week before.

Saudi officials and consulate workers denied murder allegations and claimed that Khashoggi left the consulate, but failed to provide any evidence of his exit from the facility.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Spain acquits doctor found guilty in 'Stealing Babies' case

@ Copyright : REUTERS

A Spanish doctor accused of abducting a newborn baby girl in 1969 and giving it to another woman was absolved of all charges by a Madrid court due to the statute of limitations on Monday in the first verdict of the "stolen-babies" case in Spain.

Eduardo Vela, 85, who is the former gynaecologist behind the suspected baby-stealing programme started during the regime of then-dictator Francisco Franco, was found guilty of abducting a baby, faking a birth certificate, and official documents. However, he cannot be punished because of the statutory limitation and because the plaintiff, Ines Madrigal, was no longer recognised as a kidnapped person once she became an adult, in 1987.

Madrigal filed a complaint in 2012.

The statute of limitations sets the maximum time in which courts can complete legal proceedings.

Prosecutors had asked for an 11-year jail sentence for all three crimes.

What has been the reaction from 'stolen babies'?

Jose Maria Garcia Gonzalez, one of the “stolen babies”, told Euronews the verdict left him with a “bittersweet” taste.

“The bitter part is that this man has been absolved,” he said, “and that he’s been absolved due to the statute of limitations.”

Garcia Gonzalez, 35, who was born in Madrid's San Ramon clinic where Vela was director at the time, found out he was adopted six years ago.

But despite the verdict, the fact that it was acknowledged that Vela was found guilty of the crimes remains a small victory for Garcia Gonzalez.

“It’s been acknowledged that he stole babies in Spain even if the statute of limitations prevents any consequences.”

Madrigal, 39, had accused Vela of forging her 1969 birth certificate to show she was given to another woman falsely certified as her biological mother.

Madrigal's lawyer said they would appeal against the decision.

How did the 'stolen-babies' programme start?

Franco came to power in 1939, after defeating the Republican left-wing party in the Spanish civil war. Under his government, Franco tried to purge Spain from Marxist influence, which included the practice of taking babies away from left-wing families once they were born. Many of these newborns were given to couples who were part of the regime, while other babies were given to supporters of Franco's ideology.

In the 1950s, the system was extended to poor families or couples seen as "unfit" to raise a child, as it was at odds with the Catholic and nationalist ideology of the regime.

Ten years later, the business side of the programme gained momentum after those working the system realized how lucrative the scheme had become.

Vela was the first person to ever be prosecuted in the “stolen-babies” scandal.

Source: Euronews

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Illegal Israeli regime raids Palestinian village harshly

Israeli security forces stand at the entrance of Barkan industrial zone in the West Bank. A Palestinian attacker opened fire at joint Israeli-Palestinian industrial zone in the West Bank, killing two Israelis and seriously wounding a third, the military said. Image Credit: AP

Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli illegal regime’s security forces raided the village of a Palestinian suspected of shooting two Israelis dead, the army said on Monday, making arrests while the assailant himself remained at large.

Ashraf Naalwa, 23, from the northern West Bank village of Shuweika, has been named by the Israeli occupation army as the Palestinian behind Sunday’s attack in the occupied West Bank industrial area of Barkan where two Israelis were killed and a third wounded.

Regime soldiers, as well as police and Shin Bet internal security officers “operated in the village of Shuweika, north of Tulkarem,” the military said.

It said security forces “arrested” an unspecified number of people suspected of aiding the attacker while a manhunt for the gunman was still underway.

A spokesman for the Shin Bet said they had arrested Naalwa’s brother, while his sister was “detained, questioned and released”, declining to provide further details.

Naalwa was employed at the same plant in the northern West Bank site as his two victims - Kim Levengrond Yehezkel, 28, and Ziv Hagbi, 34.

The industrial zone is located next to the Israeli colony of Barkan and near the colony of Ariel in the north of the West Bank.

Palestinians work side by side with Israelis in the industrial zone.

A third woman also shot in the attack was hospitalized in stable condition.

Levengrond Yehezkel, who was buried late Sunday, had been bound to a chair by Naalwa with cable ties before being shot, according to her father.

Naalwa used a homemade gun, known locally as a “Carlo”, according to the occupation army, in what security forces believe was a “lone-wolf attack,” meaning he was not part of any organization or acting on its behalf.

A wave of Palestinian protests against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic.

Source: Gulfnews

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About Journalist Jamal’s Trump says he 'concerned' feared killed in Istanbul Consulate

American President Donald J. Trump said on Monday he was concerned about reports of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week and Turkish sources have said that authorities believe he was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

"I am concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Hopefully that will sort itself out. Right now nobody knows anything about it."

House Speaker Paul Ryan called the disappearance of Khashoggi "very disturbing" and said the U.S. needed "clear facts" on the situation.

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted late Monday: Deeply troubled to hear reports about Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If true, this is a tragic day. Violence against journalists across the globe is a threat to freedom of the press & human rights. The free world deserves answers."

Previously, Republican senator Lindsey Graham said that Saudi Arabia would pay a "heavy price" if allegations that the kingdom killed Khashoggi prove true.

"We agree if there was any truth to the allegations of wrongdoing by the Saudi government it would be devastating to the U.S.-Saudi relationship and there will be a heavy price to be paid — economically and otherwise," Graham tweeted.

Meanwhile, The U.N. said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "very concerned" about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and violence against other journalists.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. chief is following the Khashoggi case "closely".

Khashoggi, journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged the Saudi Consulate to prove whether or not Khashoggi exited the building after entering, saying the consulate officials "can't get away with [simply] saying 'he left the building'."

Turkish police investigating the case said in a statement Saturday that 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and entered the consulate while Khashoggi was inside.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Daphne’s sister wants Europe-wide action to stop Journalist Murders

Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova

Europe must act together to stop the murder of journalists investigating corruption, the sister of one of those killed has said.

Viktoria Marinova became the latest investigative reporter to be killed when she was found dead in Bulgaria over the weekend.

Now Corinne Vella, sister of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has told Euronews countries need to work together.

“Viktoria Marinova’s murder is the third in an EU country in less than a year,” she told Euronews.

“When my sister, Daphne, was assassinated on 16 October 2017, the fear was that it could happen again unless European countries acted together.

“Only four months later, Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova were killed. Viktoria, Jan, and Daphne had all investigated corruption.

“You can't fight transnational crime through national mechanisms alone, and journalists cannot be properly protected by the national authorities they investigate.

“We can no longer ask if another journalist will be killed, but when.

“Transnational corruption needs transnational solutions. And that means we need transnational protection for journalists who investigate and expose it.”

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Erdogan asks Riyadh 'Prove' Jamal Khashoggi Walked out of Consulate?

Saudi Arabian officials "must prove" that journalist Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week, had left the Istanbul consulate, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says during a press conference in Hungary.

A group of journalists and NGO members staged a protest outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to denounce the disappearance of Khashoggi. (AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday asked Saudi officials to prove their claim that missing journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

"We have to get an outcome from this investigation as soon as possible. The consulate officials cannot save themselves by simply saying 'he has left'," Erdogan told a news conference in Budapest, Hungary, where he is on a two-day visit.

Khashoggi, journalist and regular columnist for the Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Turkish police investigating the case had said in a statement on Saturday that 15 Saudis, including several officials, had arrived in Istanbul on two planes and had entered the consulate while Khashoggi was inside.

Turkish officials told Reuters news agency over the weekend that they believed Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate, allegations Saudi Arabia rejects.

Mere words no evidence

"If a person walks into premises and if he isn't stepping out, then who has to prove it?" Erdogan asked.

He said there are CCTVs in the Saudi consulate and if Khashoggi had really walked out of the building, the cameras would record it.

"If he left, you have to prove it with footage. Those who ask Turkish authorities where he is should ask them (Saudi officials) what happened."

Saudi officials insist Khashoggi left shortly after he entered but his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting outside, says he never came out.

Camera footage and airport records are being examined as part of Turkey's investigation.

Erdogan said "mere words [of Saudi officials] are not enough evidence."

Turkey wants to search consulate

On Monday, Turkey sought permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul after a prominent journalist from the kingdom went missing last week following a visit to the building, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported.

The request was made after the foreign ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador for a second time over the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, NTV said.

Turkey conveyed its expectation of "full cooperation" from Riyadh in search of Khashoggi, Anadolu Agency reported.

TRT World's Liz Maddock has more.

The news agency, quoting a diplomatic source said, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Ankara Waleed A M Elkhereiji was summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry on Sunday.

"Deputy foreign minister Sedat Onal invited the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the ministry yesterday. Our expectation of full cooperation during the investigation process [on the missing journalist] was conveyed to him," sources told Anadolu Agency.

Reuters Turkey Bureau chief, Dominic Evans was shown around the consulate this weekend as Saudi officials continue to insist that talk of his kidnapping is baseless.

''They took us from the top to the bottom of the building, it is a four-storey building, it was obviously an usual event they said they had never before opened their doors in such a way it clearly was an usual move for them," Evans said.

"It reflected their efforts from their perspective to show that stories or rumours that Jamal Khashoggi had been abducted or was being held inside the consulate were not true.''

'Serious Allegations'

The British government on Monday said the allegations on the disappearance of Khashoggi are "extremely serious."

"These are extremely serious allegations," said a British Foreign Office representative in a statement.

"We are aware of the latest reports and are working urgently to establish the facts, including with the government of Saudi Arabia," the representative said.

Human rights activists and friends of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi protest outside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 8, 2018. (Reuters)

Protests outside Saudi consulate

Meanwhile, a small group of journalists and NGO members staged a protest outside Saudi consulate in Istanbul to denounce the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Khashoggi went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to get documents for his forthcoming marriage.

Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards, but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said this week that the kingdom would allow Turkey to search the consulate for Khashoggi.

On Sunday, Turkish President Erdogan said that it was very saddening that Khashoggi disappeared in Turkey.

"I am following the [issue], and we will inform the world of the outcome" of the official probe, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies…

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