Palestinians slam Trump's decision to shut PLO consulate
Jerusalem, Sep 10: Palestinian officials on Monday vowed not to bend to what they called the Trump administrations "bullying tactics" after being informed that their office in Washington would be shut down.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said the move -- which leaves them with no formal diplomatic presence in the US -- was a further blow to all Palestinians, as it comes shortly after the Trump administration cut hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Erekat said he was officially notified of the decision, expected to be announced by US National Security Adviser John Bolton later in the day. He decried the move as a continuation of a policy of "collective punishment" by the US administration, the Washington Post reported.
"These people have decided to stand on the wrong side of history by protecting war criminals and destroying the two state solution," he said. "I told them if you are worried about courts, you should stop aiding and abetting crimes."
"We will take the necessary measures to protect the rights of our citizens living in the US to access their consular services," he said
Palestine's de-facto embassy in Washington is affiliated with the PLO, the political organization that controls the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, but not the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip.
The move appeared to be the latest in a series of pressure tactics by the US against the Palestinian leadership as the Trump administration drafts its long awaited peace deal.
In a series of blows to the Palestinians, the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moved its embassy there, cut funding to the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, and then last week said it would withdraw $25 million in support from hospitals in East Jerusalem.
The US last year threatened to close the PLO office in Washington after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute Israel for war crimes. US officials said the decision may be reconsidered if the Palestinians entered into direct negotiations with Israel.
In a speech on Monday, Bolton will threaten to impose sanctions against the ICC if it proceeds with investigations against the US or Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an advance copy of his speech.
Washington would ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the country, sanction their funds in the US financial system and prosecute them in the courts, the report said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
