Month: July 2024

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India News Politics

‘Lotus-shaped trap has snarled India’

New Delhi, Jul 29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi speaks during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo/SansadTV)

Speaking on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition attacked Modi and said that farmers, workers, and youngsters of the nation are terrified…reports Asian Lite News

Drawing parallels from the Mahabharata, the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Union Budget and said that there’s an atmosphere of fear in the country, adding that the country is now trapped in a “Chakravyuh of lotus,” referring to the BJP’s symbol.

Speaking on the Union Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that farmers, workers, and youngsters of the nation are terrified.

“In the last speech, I spoke about some religious concepts. Shivji’s concept and concept of Ahinsa is that the trishool is placed behind the back and is not held in the hand. I spoke about the snake on Shivji’s neck and I also said how all religions in our country proposed the idea of non-violence, which can be capsulated in the phrase Daro mat Darao mat. I also said that there is an idea beyond the personal. The idea of the Abhay Mudra is that transmits this motion of Ahinsa and affection and fearlessness to everybody else. There is an atmosphere of fear, dar ka mahool hai Hindustan main. My friends are smiling but they are also scared. Budget par hi bol raha hu sir. Sir, you see the problem in the BJP: only one man is allowed to dream of being Prime Minister. If the Defence Minister decides he wants to be Prime Minister, there is a big problem–there is fear. So there is fear in the country. The question I was asking myself was: Why is this fear spreading so deeply? Why is it that my friends in the BJP are terrified, the ministers are terrified, the farmers of India are terrified, and workers and youngsters are terrified,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister for prominently displaying the lotus symbol and claimed that a new Chakravyuh had been created in the 21st century.

“Thousands of years ago, in Kurukshetra, six people trapped Abhimanyu in a ‘Chakravyuh’ and killed him. I did a little research and found out that ‘Chakravyuh’ is also known as ‘Padmavuyh’ – which means ‘Lotus formation’. Chakravyuh’ is in the shape of a Lotus. In the 21st century, a new ‘Chakravyuh’ has been formed – that too in the form of a Lotus. The Prime Minister wears its symbol on his chest. What was done with Abhimanyu, is being down with India – the youth, farmers, women, small and medium businesses. Abhimanyu was killed by six people. Today, too there are six people in the centre of ‘Chakravyuh’. Six people control India today too -Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Ajit Doval, Ambani and Adani,” he added.

Intervening in between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said “You are on the Constitutional post. Many of your leaders have given me in the writing that jo maniye sadash is sadan la sadash nhi hai uska naam nhi laina hai. This is wrong. From the Leader of the Opposition, I expect that he will follow all the rules and regulations. I expect. You may not follow but I expect this from you.”

After Speaker Om Birla’s intervention, LoP said, “If you want, I will omit the names of NSA, Ambani and Adani, and take just 3 names. If you want, I will use only three names.”

The LoP said that the budget has stabbed the middle class, which enthusiastically banged thalis when asked to do so by Prime Minister Modi.

“The Chakravyuh that has captured India has three forces behind it: first is the idea of monopoly capital, that two people should be allowed to own the entire Indian wealth. So one element of Chakravyuh is coming from the concentration of financial power. I am explaining the Budget. The second element is the agencies, institutions, CBI, ED, and Income Tax departments of the nation and the third is the political executive. These three together are at the heart of the Chakravyuh and they have devastated this country,” he said.

“My expectation was that this budget would weaken the power of this ‘Chakravyuh’, that this budget would help the farmers of this country, would help the youth of this country, would help the labourers, and the small businesses of this country. But what I have seen is that the sole aim of this Budget is to strengthen this framework – a framework of monopoly business, of a political monopoly that destroys the democratic structure and of the deep state and the agencies. The result of this has been – those who gave employment to India, small and medium businesses, were attacked through demonetisation, GST and tax terrorism,” he added.

The LoP said that the ‘Chakravyuh’ that the central government has built is harming crores of people.

“The ‘Chakravyuh’ that you have built is harming crores of people. We are going to break down this ‘Chakravyuh’. the biggest way of doing this, one that scares you, is the Caste Census. Like I said that INDIA Alliance will pass a guaranteed legal MSP in this House, similarly, we will pass Caste Census in this House, whether you like it or not,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre over the internship announcement in the Budget in which the youths will get the opportunity to do internships in the top 500 companies of the country. (ANI)

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China USA

Taiwan Welcomes Japan-US Statement on China

Taiwan welcomed the regulation and expressed gratitude to the US and Japan for their attention to peace in the Taiwan Strait…reports Asian Lite News

Taiwan on Sunday welcomed the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (SCC) (Japan-US “2+2”) joint statement which pointed out that China is attempting to reshape the international order for its benefit.

“Japan and the US highlighted that the PRC employs political, economic, and military coercion of countries, companies, and civil society, as well as facilitates its military modernization through the diversion of technology to achieve these objectives. Japan and the US shared the understanding that such behaviour is a serious concern to the Alliance and the entire international community and represents the greatest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” read the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The meeting was attended by Kamikawa Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Kihara Minoru, Minister of Defense, from the Japanese side, and Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, and Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense, from the US side. The joint statement reiterated that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to the security and prosperity of the international community, and urged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

“The United States, Japan and the international community are deeply concerned about this and regard it as the biggest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific region,” added the release. Japan and the US reiterated their strong opposition to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intensifying attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea, including through actions that seek to undermine Japan’s longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands, as well as escalatory behaviour around the Southwest Islands.

Japan and the US recognized that their basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged, and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

Taiwan welcomed the regulation and expressed gratitude to the US and Japan for their attention to peace in the Taiwan Strait. “Currently, authoritarian countries continue to expand outward and attempt to challenge the rules-based global order, which has caused instability in the international situation. As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with like-minded partners such as the United States and Japan to jointly defend the common values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and safeguard peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region,” read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan statement. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Taiwan reports surge in Chinese activity around territory

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China

Uyghurs Mark Yarkand Massacre Anniversary in DC

Yarkand massacre occurred on July 28, 2014, when Chinese security forces brutally suppressed peaceful Uyghur protesters in Yarkand County, Xinjiang, China…reports Asian Lite News

The Uyghur community, led by the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and the East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), gathered in Washington, DC to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Yarkand massacre. The event called for urgent US action against China’s ongoing persecution of Uyghurs. Yarkand massacre occurred on July 28, 2014, when Chinese security forces brutally suppressed peaceful Uyghur protesters in Yarkand County, Xinjiang, China.

In a recent post on X, the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) highlighted the significance of the commemoration, stating, “#Uyghurs in DC, led by ETGE and ETNM, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Yarkand Massacre, in which 3,000 to 5,000 Uyghurs were killed by Chinese forces, and called on the US Government to take action to end #China’s ongoing #UyghurGenocide.”

Reports indicate that between 3,000 and 5,000 Uyghurs were killed by Chinese forces during the violence, and is a stark reminder of the ongoing genocide faced by the Uyghur people at the hands of the Chinese government. The Yarkand massacre exposes the multifaceted oppression enforced by the Chinese government against the Uyghurs. Indiscriminate force is routinely abused, they are branded as “gangs” and “separatists.” Moreover, the Chinese government covers up the death count and arrests netizens who aim to expose the truth.

At the commemoration event, Uyghur leaders and activists called on the US to adopt a more robust stance towards China, akin to its approach towards Tibet.
They advocated for the passage of the Senate’s Uyghur Policy Act and the appointment of a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani issues within the State Department. The speakers emphasised the critical need for US support in restoring East Turkistan’s independence, underscoring the importance of international intervention to halt the persecution and ensure justice for the Uyghur people.
The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to human rights and political advocacy. Established in Washington, DC, in June 2017 by Salih Hudayar, a Uyghur American consultant and graduate student, ETNAM has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the plight of Uyghurs.

East Turkistan, a name historically used and favoured by many advocacy groups, refers to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Reports on human rights violations in Xinjiang highlight severe abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups.
Investigations by human rights organisations and international media indicate that over one million Uyghurs have been detained in so-called “re-education camps” or “vocational training centers” described by the Chinese government as measures to combat extremism.
Cultural and religious repression is also evident, with the destruction of Uyghur mosques and cemeteries, and stringent restrictions on religious practices. (ANI)

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India News PAKISTAN

Baloch Sit-In Continues After Gwadar Gathering

Pakistani security forces attacked the sit-in protest in front of the University of Balochistan and abducted 12 women and more than 50 men from the Baloch National Gathering, according to BYC…reports Asian Lite News

After thousands of Baloch people gathered near Gwadar port city on Sunday for the Baloch National Gathering, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch saluted the courage and bravery of the people and said that the sit-in will continue until the release of arrested participants.
In a post on X, she said, which roughly translates to, “My brave, determined and intelligent Balochs, first of all, I wholeheartedly salute your courage, bravery, discipline, courage and consciousness. Today, you people have given a message not only to the state of Pakistan but to the whole world that the state’s guns and power are a pile of dust in front of the people. Today, your bravery and courage have buried the pride of this state.”

Pakistani security forces attacked the sit-in protest in front of the University of Balochistan and abducted 12 women and more than 50 men from the Baloch National Gathering, according to BYC.
The BYC leader further said, “The sit-in will continue until all our convoys reach Gwadar safely and the release of all our arrested participants. For this, we are ready to bear all kinds of pain and make sacrifices. I request all those people, associations, political organizations and parties who are morally supporting Baloch Raji Machi to prove their support in practice now,” Mahrang Baloch said on X.
She further said that the spirit of victory has been seen in people, which is enough to defeat the tyrants and oppressors. She said, “Today we have seen a public sea on the beach of Padzir Gwadar, with excitement and passion in its eyes. They are innocent and peaceful but more powerful than the atomic bomb of this state. And today, we have seen the spirit of victory in the eyes of this people and this spirit is enough to defeat the tyrants, oppressors and murderers.” Remarking on the morale and spirit of the Baloch people, Mahrang Baloch added, “Baloch Raj Machi is currently going on in the form of sit-in in Padzir Gwadar and there are thousands of armed state forces on one side and peaceful Baloch people on the other side. And in front of the gunmen, the morale and spirit of the Baloch people is as high as Mount Batil.”

Urging the people to reach Gwadar, she said, “I have come to give you this short message to reach Gwadar in maximum numbers. National and human rights can be achieved only through a grand struggle of people’s resistance. Gwadar is our land, we have the right to hold a national assembly on every part of our land, no power in the world can take away this right from us.”
The Baloch community has endured profound suffering from severe human rights abuses. Enforced disappearances are a critical issue, where individuals are seized by the state or associated forces without legal charges, leaving families in anguishing uncertainty and often subjecting victims to brutal torture.

Extrajudicial killings worsen the situation, targeting activists and critics without fair legal proceedings, instilling widespread fear and quashing dissent. Torture and mistreatment in detention are widespread, with victims enduring physical and psychological abuse to extract confessions or suppress opposition. Arbitrary detentions are also common, disrupting lives and fostering a pervasive atmosphere of fear. Additionally, there is significant suppression of free speech, including harassment and censorship of journalists and activists, which stifles public debate and accountability. (ANI)

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-Top News Asia News PAKISTAN

35 Dead in Sectarian Violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Residents reported that missiles and rockets were launched towards the towns of Parachinar and Sadda as well. The report said that educational institutions and markets remained closed, and traffic on major roads was halted…reports Asian Lite News

After sectarian violence claimed 35 lives in Pakistan’s northwest district of Kurram in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concerns over the recent deadly tribal conflict and called on to peacefully resolve the conflict through negotiations.

Sharing a post on X, the non-government organisation committed to protecting human rights stated, “HRCP is deeply concerned at the significant loss of life in Parachinar, Kurram, where rival tribes have engaged in a violent land dispute for several days, fueling sectarian conflict. The violence has taken a heavy toll on ordinary citizens, whose freedom of movement and access to food and medical supplies have been curtailed.”

According to the Pakistani media outlet Dawn, the tribal clashes, which began days ago in the Kurram district due to a land dispute, involved heavy weaponry used to target each other’s positions. The five-day conflict has so far claimed at least 35 lives. Violence also spread to other areas such as Peewar, Tangi, Balishkhel, Khaar Kalay, Maqbal, Kunj Alizai, Para Chamkani, and Karman.

The HRCP appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in response to the intensifying conflict in the Kurram district. It said, “HRCP calls on the KP government to ensure that the ceasefire being brokered, holds. All disputes, whether over land or born of sectarian conflict, must be resolved peacefully through negotiations convened by the KP government with all stakeholders represented.”

Residents reported that missiles and rockets were launched towards the towns of Parachinar and Sadda as well. The report said that educational institutions and markets remained closed, and traffic on major roads was halted.

Efforts by a tribal council from Hangu and Orakzai districts were ongoing to broker a ceasefire between the Boshehra and Maleekhel tribes, Dawn reported. Ethnic and tribal disputes in Pakistan are complex and multifaceted, often rooted in historical, social, economic, and political factors. These conflicts typically involve clashes between different ethnic or tribal groups over resources, land, political representation, or cultural identity. Many of these conflicts have deep historical roots, dating back to colonial times when administrative boundaries were drawn without regard to ethnic or tribal affiliations. This led to grievances over land ownership and political representation. The clashes between Orakzai and Khyber tribes had intensified between 2008 and 2010. According to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), these clashes were fueled by disputes over land and resources, exacerbated by militant groups operating in the region. The report highlights the complex interplay of tribal dynamics and militant activities in the area. (ANI)

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News

Guterres Urges Calm Amid Student Protests in Bangladesh

File photo shows Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking during a daily news briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, Aug. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Xie E/IANS)

More than 175 people, including police, have been killed and over a thousand injured in the upheaval that has shaken the nation…reports Arul Louis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “calm and restraint” as students resumed their protests that were suspended last week, according to his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres “remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh”, Dujarric said on Monday at his daily briefing.

“He notes reports of the resumption of student protests today and reiterates his call for calm and restraint,” Dujarric said.

The UN has raised its concern with “relevant authorities, both in the capital, Dhaka, and here in New York, and we count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop-contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping missions”, he added.

The students had been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who wrested independence for Bangladesh from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in which, according to Dhaka officials, 3 million people were killed in the genocide by Pakistani troops and their supporters.

After the Supreme Court slashed the reservations to 5 per cent, student leaders last week put the protests on hold.

But the demonstrations resumed on Monday because the students said that the government ignored their demand to release all their leaders.

More than 175 people, including police, have been killed and over a thousand injured in the upheaval that has shaken the nation.

Guterres is “alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations” and “reiterates his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently, and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account”, Dujarric said.

Last week, the UN said it had “serious concern” about reports that Bangladesh authorities had deployed vehicles with UN insignias during the riots.

Dujarric said on Monday that the UN had taken note of statements from Bangladeshi authorities that UN-marked vehicles are no longer being deployed within the country.

With 5,859 Bangladeshi troops deployed in UN peacekeeping operations, the nation is the third-largest contributor of personnel to current UN missions.

ALSO READ-Internet Services Restored in Bangladesh After Protests

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Sport Sports

Historic Win for Satwik-Chirag in Olympic Men’s Doubles

Satwik-Chirag, the reigning Asian and Commonwealth Games champions, were scheduled to play the German pair on Monday. However, Lamfuss pulled out of the tournament due to a knee injury…reports Asian Lite News

Former World No.1 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made history on Monday as they became the first Indian men’s doubles combine to reach the quarterfinals at the Olympics.

After their Group C match against the German pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel was called off in the morning following their opponent withdrew due to injury, Satwik and Chirag got the good news later in the evening with the French pair of Lucas Corvee-Ronan Labar’s defeat against Muhammad Rian Ardianto-Fajar Alfian of Indonesia.

The Indian combine ranked third in the world, had beaten Lucas Corvee-Ronan Labar in their first match in Paris. With the group reduced to three teams following the withdrawal of the German pair, Satwik and Chirag and the Indonesian combine have won one match and both have made it to the last-eight stage as two teams are to qualify from each group. The Indian and Indonesian pairs will clash in the final match in Group C to decide the group topper.

Satwik-Chirag, the reigning Asian and Commonwealth Games champions, were scheduled to play the German pair on Monday. However, Lamfuss pulled out of the tournament due to a knee injury.

“German men’s doubles player Mark Lamsfuss has withdrawn from the Olympic Games Paris 2024 badminton competition due to a knee injury. Lamsfuss’ and teammate Marvin Seidel‘s remaining Group C matches against India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Court 3, 8.30 am local time, 29 July 2024) and Lucas Corvee/Ronan Labar of France (Court 1, ‘Not Before’ 2.50 pm local time, 30 July 2024) will not be played,” the Badminton World Federation statement read.

Lamfuss-Seidel’s remaining two Group C matches, including Monday’s game, have been cancelled. The German duo’s result against Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, world No. 7 in men’s doubles, has also been deleted as per BWF General Competition Regulations for group stage play.

“Matches on these courts in each respective session have been rescheduled. As per BWF General Competition Regulations for group stage play, the results of all matches played, or yet to be played, involving in Group C are now considered deleted,” it added.

Satwik-Chirag’s next Group C match will be against the Indonesian pair, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto on Tuesday (July 30) at 5:30 pm IST.

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-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

Internet Services Restored in Bangladesh After Protests

Tens of thousands of students hit the streets, demanding reforms in the quota system which reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh restored mobile internet on Sunday, 11 days after severe protests against quota in government jobs, rocked the nation, leading to the imposition of a nationwide blackout, Al Jazeera reported.

4G mobile internet services resumed on Sunday, hours after Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for telecommunications and information communication technology, made the announcement.

“We have decided to restore the 4G network connectivity from 3pm (local time) today,” the state minister said, following a meeting with internet service providers (ISP) and other stakeholders in the capital, Dhaka.

However, social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, continue to remain restricted. Even though broadband internet connectivity was restored on Tuesday, a vast majority of internet users in Bangladesh rely on mobile devices to connect with the world.

Tens of thousands of students hit the streets, demanding reforms in the quota system which reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

Following this, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh government suspended mobile internet services on July 17 and imposed a curfew.

The protests – one of the biggest upheavals of Hasina’s 15-year tenure – remained largely peaceful until the demonstrators were attacked by the police and pro-government student groups last week, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday that at least 147 people were killed during the violence, in the government’s first toll, published a day after the main protester group, Students Against Discrimination, gave its own preliminary count of at least 266 dead.

Speaking to reporters in Dhaka, Khan said the deceased included students, police, activists, and people from various professions, adding that further investigation is under way to determine the total death toll. However, independent estimates put the toll at over 200, according to Al Jazeera.

The Home Minister further said that police operated with restraint and only fired on demonstrators to protect government buildings. He added that the police had only abducted some protesters for their own safety.

“Despite the killing of their fellow officers, they showed extreme levels of patience,” he said. “But when they saw that the properties could not be protected, then police were forced to open fire.”

The students, were opposing the quota system, calling it “discriminatory,” and began protests after a High Court bench in June reinstated the quotas that were abolished in 2018.

With around 18 million young Bangladeshis out of work, according to government figures, the move to restore the quotas deeply upsets graduates facing an acute employment crisis, Al Jazeera reported.

The critics say the quota is used to stack public jobs with loyalists to the ruling Awami League party.

Amid intensifying protests, the Bangladesh Supreme Court cut the 30 per cent quota for veterans’ descendants to 5 per cent, and the quota for ethnic minorities, transgender people and disabled people was limited to 2 per cent. The top court, however, fell short of the protesters’ demands to scrap the quotas entirely.

Despite little relaxation, army patrols and a nationwide curfew remain in place, more than a week after they were imposed. But, schools and other educational institutions remain closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, a police dragnet has scooped up thousands of protesters, including at least half a dozen student leaders.

Members of Students Against Discrimination said they would end their weeklong protest moratorium, but vowed to renew it if their leaders are not freed, Al Jazeera reported.

The group’s chief, Nahid Islam and others “should be freed and the cases against them must be withdrawn,” group member Abdul Hannan Masud told reporters in an online briefing late on Saturday.

“Otherwise, Students Against Discrimination will be forced to launch tough protests” starting Monday, Masud said. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Over 6700 Indian students returned to India from Bangladesh

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-Top News Bangladesh India News

India sends 9 tonnes humanitarian aid to Haiti

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the MEA also shared a post on his X and informed about the humanitarian assistance provided by India to Haiti…reports Asian Lite News

India on Monday sent humanitarian assistance to Haiti, which included medical supplies like blood transfusion essentials.

The Ministry of External Affairs, on its social media handle, informed about the humanitarian assistance. Sharing a post on Facebook, the MEA said, “India sends humanitarian assistance to Haiti! In solidarity with the people of Haiti, India’s humanitarian assistance containing 9 tonnes of medical supplies left New Delhi today, for Port-au-Prince.”

“The consignment includes blood transfusion essentials, reagents for Immunohematology, Rapid tests and ELISA, among others,” the post by MEA added.

Meanwhile, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the MEA also shared a post on his X and informed about the humanitarian assistance provided by India to Haiti.

Notably, a week before, at least 40 people were killed after the boat they were on board caught fire off the coast of Haiti, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had said, citing local authorities, CNN reported.

The vessel carrying more than 80 migrants departed from Haiti on July 17 and was heading to Turks and Caicos, the IOM said on July 19, adding that Haiti’s Coast Guard rescued 41 survivors.

According to CNN, IOM’s chief of mission in Haiti, Gregoire Goodstein, blamed the tragedy on Haiti’s spiralling security crisis and the lack of “safe and legal pathways for migration.” He said, “Haiti’s socio-economic situation is in agony. The extreme violence over the past months has only brought Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more.”

Haiti is dealing with gang violence, a collapsing health system, and a lack of access to essential supplies, resulting in many Haitians taking dangerous journeys to move out of the country.

Earlier this year, the situation in Haiti escalated after gang warfare exploded, forcing the resignation of the then government.

According to the IOM’s data, the number of migration attempts by boat from Haiti has witnessed a rise since then. However, the situation in Haiti has not stopped neighbouring governments from repatriating Haitian migrants by the tens of thousands, CNN reported.

In its statement, the IOM said, “More than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighbouring countries this year. In March, despite a surge in violence and the closure of airports throughout the country, forced returns increased by 46 per cent, reaching 13,000 forced returns in March alone.”

In recent weeks, the appointment of new Prime Minister Garry Conille and the arrival of several hundred foreign forces to bolster Haiti’s National Police have offered new hope for addressing the security situation in the country, according to CNN report.

The United Nations Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by Kenya, will now start operations in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Bangladesh Joins Non-UN Force in Haiti

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-Top News Legal USA

Biden calls for Supreme Court term limits and ethics rules

The president planned to speak about his proposal later Monday during an address at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act….reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden has unveiled a long-awaited proposal for changes at the US Supreme Court, calling on Congress to establish term limits and an enforceable ethics code for the court’s nine justices. He’s also pressing lawmakers to ratify a constitutional amendment limiting presidential immunity.

The White House on Monday detailed the contours of Biden’s court proposal, one that appears to have little chance of being approved by a closely divided Congress with just 99 days to go before Election Day.

Still, Democrats hope it’ll help focus voters as they consider their choices in a tight election. The likely Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, who has sought to frame her race against Republican ex-President Donald Trump as “a choice between freedom and chaos,” said the court’s fairness had been called into question following recent decisions.

The White House is looking to tap into the growing outrage among Democrats about the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, issuing opinions that overturned landmark decisions on abortion rights and federal regulatory powers that stood for decades.

Liberals also have expressed dismay over revelations about what they say are questionable relationships and decisions by some members of the conservative wing of the court that suggest their impartiality is compromised.

“I have great respect for our institutions and separation of powers,” Biden argues in a Washington Post op-ed published Monday. “What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms. We now stand in a breach.”

Harris later issued a statement saying the American people must have confidence in a Supreme Court blighted by ethics scandals and decisions overturning long-standing precedent. She said the reforms being proposed “will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law.”

The president planned to speak about his proposal later Monday during an address at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.

Biden is calling for doing away with lifetime appointments to the court. He says Congress should pass legislation to establish a system in which the sitting president would appoint a justice every two years to spend 18 years in service on the court. He argues term limits would help ensure that court membership changes with some regularity and adds a measure of predictability to the nomination process.

He also wants Congress to pass legislation establishing a court code of ethics that would require justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest.

Biden also is calling on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment reversing the Supreme Court’s recent landmark immunity ruling that determined former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution.

That decision extended the delay in the Washington criminal case against Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ended prospects the former president could be tried before the November election.

Polls indicate Americans support limiting how long justices serve on the nation’s highest court. Last summer, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 67% of Americans, including 82% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans, support a proposal to set a specific number of years that justices serve instead of life terms.

The first three justices who would potentially be affected by term limits are on the right. Justice Clarence Thomas has been on the court for nearly 33 years. Chief Justice John Roberts has served for 19 years, and Justice Samuel Alito has served for 18.

Supreme Court justices served an average of about 17 years from the founding until 1970, said Gabe Roth, executive director of the group Fix the Court. Since 1970, the average has been about 28 years. Both conservative and liberal politicians alike have espoused term limits.

“If justices have this much power, then they should be individuals who reflect America as it currently is, not the America of 30 or 40 years ago, the dead hand of the president who appointed them still influencing policy,” Roth said.

An enforcement mechanism for the high court’s code of ethics, meanwhile, could bring the Supreme Court justices more in line with other federal judges, who are subject to a disciplinary system in which anyone can file a complaint and have it reviewed. An investigation can result in censure and reprimand. Last week, Justice Elena Kagan called publicly for creating a way to enforce the new ethics code, becoming the first justice to do so.

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