Human Rights

Lucknow, Aug 26; GANASHAKTI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday slammed the BJP-led Centre, saying it is trying to give a new definition to democracy by using the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department.

These have become "new institutions" under the BJP, he told reporters at the Samajwadi Party headquarters here.

"One should learn institutional control from the BJP. No government has done it earlier. ED, CBI and fear--this is new democracy.

Jammu, Aug 27 (PTI) Dogra Sadar Sabha president and former minister Gulchain Singh Charak was on Tuesday detained ahead of his scheduled press conference here.

Charak had reached his party headquarters at Dogra Hall in the city to address a press conference and was picked up by police without citing any reason, his son Gambhir Dev Singh Charak said.

Gangtok/Kolkata, Aug 27 (PTI) The Sikkim government has urged the Centre to withdraw its notification which opened up 24 peaks of the state to mountaineers, a top official said.

The Centre has recently allowed mountaineering and trekking in 137 peaks across the country, including 24 peaks in Sikkim, in a bid to boost tourism.

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump has dealt a "final blow" to Pakistan over its attempt to corner India on the Kashmir issue, the BJP said on Monday.

"Pakistan's propaganda was dealt the final blow in the meeting between the PM and President Trump. Pakistan was hoping to get some statement which will give it a last ray of hope. The meeting has categorically confirmed that any issue concerning India and Pakistan has to be discussed bilaterally," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said.

Dehradun, Aug 26 (PTI) The Jammu-Kashmir Students' Association (JKSA) and the Khalsa Aid jointly distributed groceries and money among Kashmiri students in Dehradun.

With restrictions continuing in the Valley since August 5, a number of Kashmiri students here have been out of touch with their families and suffering from a shortage of money, JKSA spokesman Nasir Khuehami said in a statement.

26 Aug 2019; MEMO: Israeli jets late Sunday bombed an area in the northern part of Gaza belonging to Izzeddin al-Kassam, Hamas’s armed wing, according to sources on the ground Anadolu reports.

Medical sources reported that there were no casualties.

While the Israeli army has yet to make a statement on the bombing, the airstrikes followed three rockets being fired from Gaza at surrounding Israeli settlements earlier Sunday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 26 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, slammed the “Israeli attack” over Beirut’s southern suburbs, which constitutes a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Hariri assured that, he is in touch with President Michel Aoun and House Speaker, Nabih Berri, to agree on the next measures that should be taken, following the incident which constitutes a threat to regional stability and an attempt for further escalations.

TRIPOLI, Libya, Aug 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The UN Higher Commission of Refugees (UNHCR), said on Sunday, that, 1,350 refugees have been evacuated from Libya, to third countries in 2019.

On Saturday, “31 refugees left … with hopes to start a new chapter of their lives,” it added.

Because of the insecurity and chaos, Libya is a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants, wanting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, many of whom drown on the way.

RAMALLAH, Palestine, Aug 26 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestine slammed the United States for deleting the name of Palestine from its list of countries and states.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said, in an official press statement that, the decision represents “unprecedented deterioration in the American foreign policy.”

“This step again shows the U.S. government is not only biased towards the Israeli occupation, but is fully aligned with the plans of the extremist Israeli right-wing,” Rudeineh added.

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The Indian Women's Press Corps on Monday condemned the Press Council of India's move to approach the Supreme Court supporting the Centre's decision to impose restrictions on communication in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions, and asserted that it was a "unilateral action".