Human Rights

New Delhi, Aug 9; GANASHAKTI - Students and professionals hailing from Jammu and Kashmir staged a demonstration in the city on Friday to protest against the scrapping of Article 370 and asked the Centre to lift the restrictions in the state.

The protesters, residing in various cities of Delhi-NCR, covered their mouths with black ribbons and carried placards during the protest at Jantar Mantar Road.

Dozens of students from Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, JNU and other educational institutions in Delhi as well professionals took part in the protest.

Washington, Aug 9; GANASHAKTI - The US has said that there is no change in its policy on Kashmir as it called on India and Pakistan to maintain restraint and hold direct dialogue to resolve their differences.

"No", replied State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus when asked by reporters on Thursday if there has been any change in America's policy on Kashmir.

The US policy has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and it is up to the two countries to decide on the pace and scope of the talks on the issue.

Beijing, Aug 9 (PTI) China on Friday told Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who air-dashed here to seek its support on Kashmir, that it regards both India and Pakistan as "friendly neighbours" and wants them to resolve the issue through UN resolutions and the Shimla agreement.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiralled after New Delhi revoked Article 370 to withdraw the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh.

Srinagar/Jammu, Aug 9 (PTI) After being confined to their homes for days, people in Kashmir offered Friday prayers in their local mosques as restrictions were eased for the purpose, officials said, adding the Valley was largely peaceful barring minor incidents of stone pelting in the apple-town of Sopore in north Kashmir.

Srinagar, Aug 9 (PTI) As the authorities eased restrictions in Kashmir on Friday, some cattle traders appeared on the roads here to sell their sheep and goat for Eid, but there were few takers.

Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance that the government is making all sincere efforts to ensure that the people in the region have no difficulties in celebrating Eid-ul-Azha, which is on Monday, sale of sacrificial animals is unimpressive in view of heavy security deployment.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The man accused of carrying out last weekend’s deadly mass shooting at a Walmart in the Texas border city of El Paso confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later explained that he had been targeting Mexicans, authorities say.

Patrick Crusius, 21, emerged with his hands up from a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection shortly after last Saturday’s attack and told officers, “I’m the shooter,” Detective Adrian Garcia said in an arrest warrant affidavit.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday framed charges against expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar for allegedly raping a minor in Unnao in 2017. 

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma also framed charges against Sengar's accomplice Shashi Singh for allegedly kidnapping the minor girl, who is presently admitted in AIIMS, Delhi.

9 Aug 2019; MEMO: A European association of mental health researchers may reverse a decision to cancel a planned conference in Israel, reported Haaretz, following an organised campaign by boycott opponents.

9 Aug 2019; MEMO: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said no one is authorized to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States, and he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending “mixed signals” to Tehran over possible talks, Reuters reports.

“I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself,” Trump said in a series of tweets.

9 Aug 2019; MEMO: UN human rights experts in Geneva stated yesterday that the international community should be taking serious practical steps to prevent Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.