Human Rights

India: UP BJP MLA defends Ballia murderer

Ballia (UP), Oct 16 (PTI) An Uttar Pradesh MLA has come out in support of the main accused in Thursday's firing incident in Reoti area of the district that left a 46-year-old man dead.

Jaiprakash alias Gama was killed when Dhirendra Pratap Singh opened fire after a meeting called at Panchayat Bhawan for selection of ration shops was cancelled by the sub-divisional magistrate due to a dispute between members of self-help groups who had gathered there.

USA: Court hearing resumes in plot to kidnap Michigan governor

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Five of the men accused in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will return to federal court Friday as a hearing on whether there is enough evidence to charge them continues.

A federal judge also plans to consider whether two of the men, including the Michigan man described by federal authorities as the ringleader of the effort, should remain in jail before trial.

UAE airline flies above Israel for first time

15 Oct 2020; MEMO: A United Arab Emirates (UAE) Etihad Airways plane flew above Israeli skies for the first time Wednesday, according to Israeli Defense Ministry, Anadolu reports.

“Historical event in the skies of Israel: The flight from Italy’s Milan to Abu Dhabi takes place for the first time in these minutes in coordination with the aviation authority of the Ministry of Transport,” Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev said on Twitter.

India: 18-year-old Dalit woman found dead in UP's Barabanki, rape suspected

Barabanki (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) An 18-year-old Dalit woman was found dead in an agricultural field in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, police said on Thursday.

Police said the incident took place at a village under the Satrikh police station area and it seemed the victim was strangled.

There will be 500 Israeli companies in UAE by the end of 2020

14 Oct 2020; MEMO: There are up to 250 Israeli companies in the UAE and the number will double by the end of 2020, an Israeli official told Emarat Al Youm earlier this week.

Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and Chairman of the Emirati-Israeli Business Council, Fleur Hassan Nahum, told the Emirati newspaper that Israeli investors are looking to build strategic partnerships with their counterparts from the UAE in several economic sectors.

US builds army base in Syria’s oil rich Deir Ez-Zor

14 Oct 2020; MEMO: The United States has started construction of a new military base in Syrian oil rich Deir Ez-Zor governorate near the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Local sources said the new base will face sites controlled by Syrian regime forces on the western bank of the Euphrates River.

The sources explained that the American army has started setting up a helipad to provide logistical supplies for the base.

Hamas, Egypt discuss opening Rafah crossing permanently

14 Oct 2020; MEMO: Gaza’s interior ministry said on Monday it was in contact with the Egyptian government to discuss opening the Rafah crossing “permanently”.

“The Rafah crossing has been partially operational since March, which represents hurdles for traveling citizens,” the spokesperson of the Gaza interior ministry, Iyad Al-Bazm, told the official Hamas-run Al-Aqsa.

China, Russia and Cuba win seats on UN rights council, Saudis lose

United Nations, Oct 14 (AP/PTI) China, Russia and Cuba won seats on the UN's premiere human rights body Tuesday despite opposition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records, but another target, Saudi Arabia, lost.

Russia and Cuba were running unopposed, but China and Saudi Arabia were in a five-way race in the only contested race for seats on the Human Rights Council.

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