Human Rights

New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) The seniormost judge of the Supreme Court Justice N V Ramana has said the greatest strength of the judiciary is the faith of people in it and judges must be steadfast in holding on to their principles and fearless in their decisions to withstand all pressures and odds.

Justice Ramana's comments hold importance in the backdrop of a recent unprecedented move by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of making allegations against him in a letter to Chief Justice of India S A Bobde.

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 17 (PTI) Unless there is a strict separation of religion from politics and government, secularism cannot be protected, defended or put into operation in a proper sense,CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday.

Yechury said forces like the RSS want to "take India into the darkness of the past" by changing the country's history, culture, education policy "to give a monolithic Hindu identity to India" instead of its syncretic cultural identity.

17 Oct 2020; MEMO: The first official delegation to Israel from the United Arab Emirates may remain at the airport and fly home the same day, rather than conduct a wider visit, due to coronavirus precautions, an Israeli minister said, Reuters reports.

Israel is under a second coronavirus lockdown, which it plans to begin easing next week, after a surge in cases.

17 Oct 2020; MEMO: Europe’s main powers on Friday condemned the Israeli intention to approve thousands of settlement units in illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, a joint statement announced.

Pune, Oct 17 (PTI) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said a large number of people, including activists Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj and Anand Teltumbde, are under detention for their words, although none of them is accused of hitting anyone or possessing a gun.

He also said that words and ideas may outlast power and authority.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP and author of several books was speaking at the Symbiosis International University Literary Festival via video-conferencing.

Kanpur (UP) Oct 16 (PTI) A 15-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by two men in a village in Sachendi area of Kanpur district, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the girl had gone outside a field to attend nature's call, said Sachendi's police station's officiating in-charge Ashok Kumar.

Two persons identified as Govind Balmiki, 19, and Ajay alias Shiv-Bodhan, 30, raped her in the field, he added.

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government over another case of alleged rape in the state and asked how many more incidents like Hathras will take place.

Attacking the Yogi Adityanath dispensation on Twitter, Gandhi also tagged a media report which said that a Dalit girl in Barabanki was allegedly raped before being killed and the victim's family members accused the police of trying to cover up the case.

16 Oct 2020; MEMO: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged Saudi Arabia to follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to normalise diplomatic ties with Israel.

Meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan in Washington on Wednesday, Pompeo claimed it would be a strategic boost for the Jewish state amid normalisation with two other Gulf Arab kingdoms.

16 Oct 2020; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli parliamentarians on Thursday that the Israeli normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has “no secret annexes or hidden clauses” before the Knesset overwhelmingly approved the deal, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Ballia (UP), Oct 16 (PTI) An Uttar Pradesh MLA has come out in support of the main accused in Thursday's firing incident in Reoti area of the district that left a 46-year-old man dead.

Jaiprakash alias Gama was killed when Dhirendra Pratap Singh opened fire after a meeting called at Panchayat Bhawan for selection of ration shops was cancelled by the sub-divisional magistrate due to a dispute between members of self-help groups who had gathered there.