1992 Ajmer sex scandal case: POCSO court sentences 6 accused to life imprisonment, slaps Rs 5 lakh fine on each
While 18 people were accused in the case, a separate trial was conducted for these six accused.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: CBI cautions about ‘fake letter’ being circulated on social media
The CBI has cautioned the general public about the ‘fake letter’ being disseminated on social media in connection with the ongoing probe into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
‘To be released in…’: Ashwini Vaishnaw on Digital Personal Data Protection Rules
He also informed that the structure of the DPDP Act is Digital by default, it is a completely digitized Act prepared by the Digital India Corporation DIC and National Informatics Centre NIC
A West Texas ranch and resort will limit water to residents amid fears its wells will run dry
Residents at the sprawling Terlingua Ranch near Big Bend National Park will limit residents to 1,000 gallons of nondrinking water per month.
In a North Texas House race, two Asian candidates campaign on their version of the American Dream
A competitive Texas House race in the Dallas suburbs features the first Asian to win Miss Texas and the first Asian woman to serve in the state Legislature.
Bharat Bandh: Nationwide shutdown on August 21? Know what’s open, what’s closed
The Bharat Bandh is in protest against the court’s decision and demanding the reversal of the court order.
Philippines agrees to host Afghans awaiting resettlement in US
US government to support ‘necessary services’ for Afghans undergoing visa processing in Southeast Asian country. The Philippines has agreed to temporarily host a “limited number” of Afghans being considered for resettlement in the United States, US and Philippine officials have announced. The US government will support “necessary services” for Afghans as they undergo visa processing in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical, and transport, the US Department of State said in a statement on Monday. “The United States appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines and thanks the Philippine government for supporting Afghan allies of the United States,” the State Department said. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the agreement was undergoing “final domestic procedures” needed to ensure its effectiveness. Washington and Manila did not specify the number of Afghans that would undergo visa processing in the Philippines. But The Washington Post, quoting unnamed US officials, said about 300 Afghan applicants would be processed in the Southeast Asian country. The deal is the latest sign of deepening ties between Washington and Manila under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose election in 2022 marked a shift away from the China-friendly stance of his populist predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. More than 160,000 Afghans have been resettled in the US since 2021, when the Taliban retook control of the country following Washington’s withdrawal of its forces. Thousands of others are in third countries awaiting visa processing for possible relocation under an initiative dubbed Operation Allies Welcome. Many of those eligible for resettlement worked for the US government before the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan National Security Forces. The news that the US had requested its ally to consider hosting Afghan applicants prompted opposition from some Filipinos on legal and security grounds when it became public last year. Marcos said last June that the proposal raised “many security issues” even as he emphasised the “long tradition” of the Philippines accepting refugees. Adblock test (Why?)
Gaza protesters have a point, says Biden
NewsFeed US President Joe Biden has said pro-Palestine protesters “have a point” after thousands had rallied outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago demanding an end to the war on Gaza. Published On 20 Aug 202420 Aug 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Indonesia and Australia finalise ‘significant’ defence pact
The move comes as Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo Subianto prepares to take office later this year. Australia and Indonesia have finalised a new defence pact, cementing closer ties between the countries as Prabowo Subianto prepares to take office as Indonesia’s next president in October. The details of the defence agreement, which has been in the works since February 2023, have not been announced. It is believed to include provisions for joint military drills, deployments to each country, and greater maritime cooperation in the disputed South China Sea. Prabowo, who is presently defence minister but is set to become leader of the world’s third-largest democracy on October 20, is currently on a two-day official visit to Australia. The deal will officially be signed within days when Australia’s Minister for Defence Richard Marles visits Jakarta. Speaking to reporters at Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra following a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prabowo described the deal as a “very good outcome”, adding that it would be “beneficial to both our countries in the future”. He also expressed a desire for greater cooperation with Australia on issues beyond defence, including the economy, food security, agriculture, and curbing international drug trafficking. “We would like to see more Australian participation in our economy,” he said. “I am determined to continue this good neighbour relationship … Australia plays a very important role for us.” An Australian Department of Defence statement said Albanese and Marles met Prabowo and discussed “Australia’s continued commitment to working in partnership with Indonesia on shared economic, security and net zero transition priorities”. Marles described the defence pact as one of the most significant agreements ever negotiated between the countries, saying the countries were “working closer together than we have before”. “What this agreement will do is provide for much greater interoperability between our defence forces, it will provide for much more exercises between our defence forces, it will see us working together the global commons to support the rules-based order and, importantly, it will allow us to operate from each other’s countries,” he told reporters. “In that sense, this agreement will be the deepest, the most significant agreement that our two countries have ever made.” A stronger interest in foreign affairs is anticipated under Prabowo, an ex-special forces commander in Indonesia’s military, than with outgoing President Joko Widodo, who has never attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York and rarely conducts interviews in languages other than Indonesian. However, concerns remain over Prabowo’s human rights record. The 72-year-old former son-in-law of Soeharto, Indonesia’s long-ruling authoritarian president between 1967-98, was dismissed from the military in 1998 for kidnapping student activists. Prabowo was also indicted for alleged atrocities in East Timor in 1983, then occupied by Indonesia after a UN-sponsored report accused him of leading the massacre of as many as 200 Timorese men. Prabowo has denied the accusations. Daniela Gavshon, Australia director at Human Rights Watch, called on Albanese to press Prabowo about Indonesia’s chequered human rights record, including on religious freedom and LGBTQ rights. “Australian leaders should not let Prabowo’s egregious rights record deter them from forcefully raising current human rights concerns,” she said. “They should emphasise that the new president has an important opportunity to restore Indonesia’s standing on West Papua and other human rights issues.” Adblock test (Why?)
Bharat Bandh: Will schools and colleges be closed on August 21? Check details here
The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has announced a Bharat Bandh tomorrow, on August 21, to protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling on SC/ST reservations.