Human Rights

04 Nov 2021; MEMO: Pope Francis affirmed his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Thursday.

The need for peaceful co-existence among various faiths, as well as the goal of a two-state solution in the Holy Land, were discussed during a meeting with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, according to the official Vatican News agency.

05 Nov 2021; MEMO: Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, yesterday warned of the expansion of Israel's settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the absence of a clear path to end the conflict.

This came during a meeting with the United Nations envoy to the peace process, Tor Wennesland, in Cairo.

04 Nov 2021; MEMO: The new US ambassador to Israel has pledged to fight the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, support the Abraham Accords, strengthen bonds with the occupation state and replenish its Iron Dome missile defence system.

Thomas R Nides was confirmed in the role on Wednesday. He served as deputy US secretary of state for management and resources under Hillary Clinton from 2011 to 2013.

04 Nov 2021; MEMO: An Egyptian court has renewed the detention of the head of the Strong Egypt Party, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, for allegedly broadcasting and publishing false news and statements.

Aboul Fotouh, who has also been accused of participating in a terror group, was not present during the trial, according to his lawyer Ahmed Abu Al-Ela Madi.

The court rejected his lawyer's attempts to postpone the court session even though the law stipulates defendants must appear in person at their renewal sessions.

03 Nov 2021; MEMO: The Israeli occupation will pay the price of its crimes against the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem, member of Hamas' Political Bureau, Haron Nasser Al-Din, warned yesterday.

03 Nov 2021; MEMO: Palestinian hunger strike being held in Israeli jails, Kayed Al-Fasfous, is facing imminent death, the PLO's Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Commission warned yesterday.

In a statement, the body said that Al-Fasfous' health "is quickly deteriorating and he could be declared dead at any moment."

Ballia (UP), Nov 3 (PTI) A court here has sentenced three people to life imprisonment in a four-year-old dowry death case.

Additional Sessions Judge Hussain Ahmad Ansari awarded life sentence to Purvanchal Chauhan, his father Keshav Chauhan and mother Rukmani Chauhan.

The court also imposed Rs 11,000 fine on each of them.

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud has termed the delay in communicating bail orders to prison authorities as a very serious deficiency and stressed the need to address it on war footing as it touches the human liberty of every under-trial prisoner.

Justice Chandrachud was speaking at an online event organised by the Allahabad High Court to inaugurate virtual courts and e-Sewa kendras' to facilitate online legal assistance to litigants.

02 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem increased 21 per cent this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said yesterday.

In a report, the UNOCHA said: "In September, the Israeli authorities demolished, forced people to demolish, or seized eight Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

02 Nov 2021; MEMO: At least 200 members of Congress have signed a letter opposing the reopening of the US Consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel's i24 News reported yesterday.

New York Representative Lee Zeldin led the letter, which was signed by all of the House Republican leadership.

The letter said that reopening the consulate goes against the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 "by promoting division of Jerusalem."