Human Rights

8 June 2019; DW: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived Saturday in Iraq, where he is set to hold talks with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and President Barham Salih over the increasing tensions between Iran and the US. Maas's Iraq trip was previously not announced due to security reasons.

"There is a clear danger of miscalculations, misunderstandings, provocations leading to unforeseeable consequences in this highly tense region," Maas said as he arrived in Baghdad.

Ayodhya, Jun 7 (PTI ) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple here, on a visit meant to reiterate support for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site.

"It is everybody's wish that Ram Mandir must be constructed," he said on his first trip to the temple town after the Lok Sabha elections.

Adityanath unveiled a seven-foot Ram statue at a museum in the city and also took part in celebrations to mark the birthday of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

Muzaffarnagar, Jun 8 (PTI) A man was arrested here for allegedly killing his sister's lover, police said on Saturday.

Manish along with his brother Shiv Kumar had shot dead Kuldeep (24) on Friday evening at Balipur village under Miranpur Police Station in the district.

He was arrested after a brief exchange of fire in which he sustained injuries, the police said, adding that the hunt for Shiv Kumar was on.

KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Two police were confirmed dead and six others injured after a group of Taliban insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in Pato district of Afghanistan's central province of Daikundi on Saturday, provincial police chief Ghulam Sakhi Ghafoori said.

A group of the armed insurgents, according to the official, targeted a checkpoint of police in Pato district early morning, triggering a gun battle which killed two policemen and injured six others.

ADEN, Yemen, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen launched an armed attack on a mosque in Yemen's government-controlled southern province of Dhalea on Friday, a security official told Xinhua.

"A group of gunmen believed to be extremists attacked a mosque in Azariq district of Dhalea province, killing at least five worshippers at the scene," the security source said on condition of anonymity.

Local residents told Xinhua that a prominent social figure was among the injured in the attack.

7 June 2019; DW: German criminal statistics for the year 2018 were released on Thursday, and police say they paint a very dark picture.

According to the report, 136 children were violently killed in 2018 — with 80% of victims under the age of 6. Another 98 children were also the victims of attempted killings.

The number of children sexually abused last year rose 6.43% from 2017, to a staggering 14,600 cases — an average of 40 each day.   

Amritsar, June 6; GANASHAKTI: Tension prevailed in this Sikh holy city of Punjab on Thursday as hardliners, brandishing swords, raised pro-Khalistan slogans inside the Golden Temple complex on the culmination of special prayers to mark the 35th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

Thousands of devotees early in the morning thronged the Akal Takht -- the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion -- to attend the 'bhog' ceremony of religious prayers that began on June 4.

Srinagar, June 7: Four Kashmiri have been killed in an alleged ‘encounter’ with Indian security forces on Friday in Pulwama district of Indian administered Kashmir, police said.

The Indian security forces' spokesman alleged that a cordon and search operation in Panjran area of Pulwama, following information about presence of Kashmiris separatists there.

WELLINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A street in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch was blocked off by the police after a gunshot was heard and reported.

Police arrived in the area early Friday morning after receiving a report saying a firearm was discharged on the street by a park in the suburb of Avonside, Senior Sergeant Paul Robertson said in a statement.

There were no reported injuries, Robertson said, adding investigations are underway.

MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/: Mlitants have shelled seven settlements in Syria in the past 24 hours, chief of the Russian Center of reconciliation for the conflicting sides Viktor Kupchishin said on Thursday.

"Over the past 24 hours, militants operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone shelled the settlements of Ruyeset Eskander, Al-Areym, Safsafa, Iqqo, Qinsibba, Nahshebba and Jubb ez-Zarur in the province of Latakia," Kupchishin said.