Human Rights

NEW DELHI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has ordered extending the ongoing suspension of Internet services for two days at the borders around the national capital New Delhi amid farmers' protests, officials said Monday.

According to officials, the Internet services have been suspended in areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri, the epicenters where thousands of farmers have been occupying roads for over two months in protest over the federal government's controversial three farm laws.

Kolkata, Jan 31 (PTI) The Citizens Commission on Elections (CCE), a civil society group of retired judges, former civil servants and activists, has called upon the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure foolproof counting of votes.

The CCE released its first report on making proper and effective tamper-proof use of EVMs at the Kolkata Press Club on Saturday.

"With elections in the offing, voters confidence in the electoral process needs to be secured and EVM voting should abide by principles of democracy.

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Media bodies on Sunday condemned the police action against two journalists who were picked up during the farmers' protests at Delhi's Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with police personnel.

They said such crackdowns impinge on the media's right to report freely and interferes with its right to freedom of expression.

Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh (with Online News India) were detained by Delhi Police last evening for allegedly misbehaving with personnel on duty.

31 Jan 2021; MEMO: Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian in an alleged stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to the Israeli army, Anadolu Agency reported.

A military statement said a Palestinian armed with three knives connected to a stick allegedly attempted to stab soldiers at Gush Etzion Junction south of Bethlehem.

The army said the attacker was neutralized. No injuries were reported among Israeli soldiers.

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) The Supreme Court Collegium is understood to have withdrawn its approval to a proposal for the appointment of an additional judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice P V Ganediwala, as a permanent judge of the court following her two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases.

The decision was taken after the judge faced flak for her interpretation of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a source said.

Jerusalem, Jan 31 (AP-PTI) Israeli police sprayed a crowd of protesters with a water cannon Saturday night as they tried to disperse demonstrators calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation over corruption charges.

Temperatures were about 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) on a raw winter evening when the crowd was sprayed. The protesters have been gathering every week near Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem for over seven months, but the use of water cannons is rare.

Gorakhpur (UP), Jan 31 (PTI) Dr Kafeel Khan and 80 others have been included in the list of history-sheeters in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh and they will be on the radar of police, officials said.

The 81 people have been included in the list on the instruction of Senior Superintendent of Police Jogendra Kumar, they said.

The district now has a total of 1,543 history-sheeters, or persons with a criminal record.

Jaipur, Jan 30 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take the initiative to talk to the agitating farmers and it should not be a matter of prestige as decisions are changed many times in a democracy.

Gehlot also sought a judicial inquiry into the January 26 violence in Delhi and said agitations continuing for a long time is not in the interest of the nation.

Srinagar, 30 Jan 2021: 3 Kashmiri separatists were arrested on Saturday by Indian security forces in the Indian Administered part of Jammu & Kashmir region.

According to Indian news outlets, Indian Security forces claimed that separatists were planning ‘attacks’ in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns of J&K.

Ghaziabad, Jan 30 (PTI) Support for the farmers' protest swelled on Saturday, as more villagers poured in at a key protest site on the Delhi- Meerut highway in Ghazipur on the border with Uttar Pradesh.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union-led protest against the Centre's new farm laws here looked like it was going slim on Thursday but more protestors have joined the stir, following a mahapanchayat of farmers on Saturday in Muzaffarnagar, while supporters also joined in from Haryana and Rajasthan districts.