Human Rights

31 Dec 2019; MEMO: Gaza still needs $280 million to rebuild homes demolished during Israel’s 2014 offensive on the enclave, head of the Popular Committee Against the Israeli Siege on Gaza, MP Jamal Al-Khodari, said yesterday.

In a statement reported by the Safa News Agency, Al-Khodari said that the reconstruction of these homes is a “humanitarian, ethical and legal issue”, noting that women, children and men who used to live in these homes “are currently homeless”.

31 Dec 2019; MEMO: More than 19 Palestinian families have taken refuge in caves in the Al-Mufqara village near Hebron to escape Israeli aggression.

Fifty-year-old Mohammed Hassan said he moved to the cave last year with seven members of his family after Israeli occupation forces demolished their home.

Lucknow, Dec 31 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police has sought a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), days after its complicity was suspected in the recent statewide violent protests against the amended citizenship law.

UP DGP OP Singh said on Tuesday that they had written to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a ban on the PFI after its Uttar Pradesh head, Wasim, and 16 other activists were arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence in the state capital during anti-CAA protests.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government and prison authorities to ensure that rights, especially human rights, of inmates are not violated during surprise searches in jail wards.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar ordered the Delhi government and prison authorities to "strictly follow" the prison rules and standard operating procedures during such searches of jails, including the high security wards.

Lucknow, Dec 30 (PTI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Monday hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying there is no place for violence or "revenge" in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, the Congress general secretary took a dig at Adityanath's earlier warning that rioters damaging public property will have to pay and said the saffron denotes Hinduism, a religion that does not advocate violence or "revenge".

Shimla, Dec 30 (PTI) Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera on Monday said on coming to power his party would change the recent amendments in the citizenship law and include Muslim refugees too from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan among the beneficiaries of law.

While talking to media persons here, Khera said if Congress comes to power, it would remove non-muslims word from the Citizenship Amendment Act from the newly changed law.

Jammu, Dec 30 (PTI) Questioning the Jammu and Kashmir High Court's decision to throw open vacancies in the district courts of the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh to candidates from all over the country, the opposition parties here on Monday demanded reservation of government jobs for locals.

National Conference provincial president Devender Singh Rana demanded reservation of the J&K government jobs for locals, saying unemployment has alarmingly grown during the recent years.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 31 (PTI) The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resoultion demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), becoming the first state in the country to do so.

While Chief Ministers of non-BJP ruled states like Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal have announced that they would not implement CAA, CPI(M)-ruled Kerala was the first to take the legislature route to register its opposition to the law.

WASHINGTON, Dept 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US accused Iraqi authorities of having failed to “protect” American interests, the day after deadly American air strikes against a pro-Iran group sparked anger.

At least 25 fighters were killed in Sunday night’s attacks, which were in retaliation for the death last week of a US civilian contractor.

TEHRAN, Dec 31 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran, on Monday, denied involvement in recent deadly attack on the U.S. forces in Iraq, Press TV reported.

The Iranian government spokesman, Ali Rabiee, said that, “we strongly deny any role in attacks on the U.S. forces” in Iraq.

“This unsubstantiated U.S. claim cannot justify the bombing and killing of people in violation of international regulations,” Rabiee was quoted as saying.