Islamabad, May 14 (IANS) Alarmed by reports of illegal eviction of Christians and occupation of their land in Kot Addu district, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has issued an urgent appeal to the government of Pakistan and provincial government of Punjab, calling for an immediate action against culprits who are involved in the ongoing injustice and deliberate neglect of the minority community.

The HRCP has highlighted that there is an ongoing illegal eviction of Christian families from Kot Addu in Punjab’s Derekabad district initiated by locals and land mafias. Local Christians of the area say that land grabbers were attempting to deprive the Christian community of land to which the latter had a legitimate claim, terming this as a faith-based discrimination.”The mission has found an alarming rise in land grabbing by local land mafias and a consistent failure by the state to uphold court rulings that protect these vulnerable farmers. These include a 1983 directive from the Punjab Board of Revenue, which recognises the community’s right to the agricultural land they farm,” read a statement issued by the HRCP.“Farmers who spoke to the HRCP mission said they were still awaiting land allotment letters, following judgments in their favour. HRCP is concerned that in the absence of such documentation, these farmers will lose the little land they currently cultivate. This would leave them vulnerable to forced displacement and without a source of income, increasing their risk of falling deeper into poverty”, it added.People from the local Christian community say that they have been facing continuous threats from the land grabbers who have now forcibly evicted them.”Multiple orders from the Lahore High Court to DC Muzaffargarh and DC Kot Addu have gone ignored. Promises of the Board of Revenue Punjab and even the Governor remain unfulfilled. The land grabbers here keep threatening us,” said Father Maqsood, a Christian leader of Derekabad.”We demand legal land rights and immediate protection for the poor Christian farmers, who have been left vulnerable and voiceless. They have all the paperwork done but not the muscle to attain legal rights in a corrupt environment,” he added.HRCP has called on the Punjab government to probe the matter immediately and issue land allotment letters to the eligible farmers in Derekabad.”The government must also take decisive legal action against land mafias and individuals involved in unlawful evictions and provide urgent protection to the affected families to ensure that they can live and work without fear of reprisal. As Christians, this community is doubly vulnerable and deserves recognition, legal protection and restitution for decades of state neglect,” the HRCP urged.–IANSint/hamza/as

Seoul, May 14 (IANS) The South Korean People Power Party (PPP) showed signs of distancing itself from ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, as the conservative party struggles to catch up with Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung with less than three weeks to go before the presidential election.The June 3 presidential vote is being held to pick a successor to Yoon, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid, and the PPP has remained divided about Yoon’s ouster.Asked about Yoon’s possible expulsion from the party, PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo told reporters, “I believe former President Yoon will make his own decision. It is right to respect his judgment.”The remarks by Kim contrasted with his comment Tuesday, when he said he was not considering expelling Yoon from the PPP, Yonhap news agency reported.Some PPP lawmakers also said a voluntary exit by Yoon from the party would help Kim woo centrist voters.”I hope Yoon remains silent at least while undergoing trials, and that he voluntarily leaves the party,” Yang Hyang-ja, a co-chair of the PPP’s election committee, told KBS radio, saying “compulsory measures” could follow if he does not.Han Dong-hoon, a former PPP leader who trailed Kim in the primary, reiterated his calls for the party to expel Yoon to overcome his martial law debacle.In response, Kim Yong-tae, the party’s interim leader nominee, said he will clarify the PPP’s stance on its relationship with Yoon once officially appointed on Thursday.Earlier in the day, South Korean Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung called on the PPP to immediately expel former President Yoon Suk Yeol from the party, criticising him as a “military coup leader.”Lee’s call came a day after the PPP’s candidate Kim Moon-soo said he was not considering expelling Yoon, who was ousted over his short-lived martial law imposition in December and now faces criminal charges of leading an insurrection.”The People Power Party must immediately expel military coup leader Yoon Suk Yeol now,” Lee said during a campaign rally in Busan, about 320 kilometres southeast of Seoul.–IANSint/jk/dan

Hanoi, May 14 (IANS) Vietnam’s Hanoi came to a standstill as a large crowd thronged the capital city from across the country gathered outside the Buddhist temple Quan Su Pagoda on Wednesday to pay their obeisance to the Holy Buddhist Relics sent from India.”The mood of festivity and the excitement in the air is something people of Hanoi have not seen in a long time, as the crowd chanted — ‘the Buddha has arrived’,” said the International Buddhist ConfederationAround 5 lakh people had gathered on the streets to welcome the sacred relics as it entered the Vietnamese capital on Tuesday. People were high on emotions, with many weeping and praying while others chanted aloud.The sacred relics of Lord Buddha from India were enshrined in the Buddhist temple Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi on Tuesday with ceremonial ritual and prayers conducted by monks from India and Vietnam. The relics will be displayed in the Buddhist temple till May 16.”Holy Buddha Relics from Sarnath, India, arrived in Hanoi today and enshrined at Quan Su Pagoda till May 16, 2025, with due ceremonies and prayers by monks from India and Vietnam,” the Embassy of India in Hanoi posted on X.Earlier on Monday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar extended wishes on the Vesak Day, also known as Buddha Purnima, highlighting shared cultural ties with Vietnam, where over one million people prayed at the sacred Buddha relics sent from India.”On this Vesak Day, also deeply moved to see over one million people in Vietnam pay respects to and pray at the Buddhist Holy Relics, which travelled from India. Indeed, a clear reflection of our age-old connect, shared culture and special ties,” said EAM Jaishankar.India’s sending of the holy relics to Vietnam has been appreciated by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong as a gesture that has further strengthened the strong spiritual and cultural ties between both countries.The holy relics were brought from India on May 2 by a Union Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju-led Indian delegation, which also included Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh and senior monks and officials.The holy relics will remain in Vietnam until May 21 as part of the UN Day of Vesak celebrations. The relics were earlier displayed at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, and then in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province and are currently in Hanoi.Recently, the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City attended the enshrining ceremony of the Holy Relic of Lord Buddha held at Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province on May 8.The ceremony was witnessed by most venerable monks from India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and several other countries as well. Provincial leadership of Tay Ninh also graced the occasion.–IANSint/scor/sd/

Quetta, May 14 (IANS) Bodies of at least four labourers, hailing from different parts of Pakistan’s Punjab province were found in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Wednesday, raising alarms over the ongoing targetted killings of Punjab origin citizens in different parts of the province. Officials confirmed the targetted killing of four people, stating that gunmen opened fire on the victims killing them on the spot.

Details revealed that the incident happened in Gulangoor area of Nushki district in Balochistan. The bodies of the victims were shifted to Teaching Hospital in Noshki for medico-legal procedures. Investigation revealed the identities of the victims, confirming that they hailed from different parts of the Punjab province.“Two of the men were from Pakpattan – Moeen, son of Ghulam Mustafa, and Huzaifa, son of Muhammad Latif. The remaining two, identified as Imran Ali and Irfan Ali, both sons of Maqsood Ahmed, were from Rahim Yar Khan”, said an official from the Teaching Hospital Noshki.Police authorities have initiated an investigation into the murder. It is suspected that the victims were targetted on the basis of their ethnicity for being from Punjab. The authorities are working to determine if the victims were targetted to broader violence in the region.Labourers, workers, and government officials from the Punjab province have been targetted by separatist Baloch groups in the recent months in major attacks where identities of the citizens were checked before killing them.Baloch separatists have in the past blocked the main highway, stopped a passenger bus and checked the identity cards of the passengers, separated the ones hailing from Punjab and killed them. During the recent terror attack on Jaffar Express train, passengers from Punjab were separated from the others and were reportedly killed by the separatists belonging to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).The latest incident has raised serious concerns over the worsening security situation in Balochistan, with authorities struggling to ensure security of people from the Punjab province, who come to Balochistan for work.“We strongly condemn the killings, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. We want to assure that the Balochistan provincial government is committed to safeguarding the lives and property of its citizens”, said Shahid Rind, spokesperson of Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti.“Those responsible for this act of terrorism would be brought to justice. The government will not tolerate attacks on innocent labourers and will take firm action against the perpetrators”, he added.–IANSint/hamza/as

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Mogadishu, May 14 (IANS) At least 17 people have been killed and more than 84,000 others displaced by flash floods following torrential rains across Somalia since mid-April, the United Nations relief agency said.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said an assessment conducted by disaster management officials has revealed extensive damage to infrastructure and an urgent need for assistance to affected people.”Partners have stepped up assistance in affected areas, including food, shelter items, hygiene kits, and cash assistance,” OCHA said in its latest flash update released in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.It said heavy rains in the Banadir Region on May 9 caused devastating flash floods that killed nine people, affected at least 24,600 people, damaged key infrastructure in several districts, and swept away shelters in displacement sites.Light to heavy Gu (April to June) seasonal rains have triggered localised flooding in several parts of the country since mid-April. The UN agency said the Somali government has formed a committee that includes federal ministers and regional officials to respond to the flooding crisis.Somalia, a country where nearly two-thirds of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, has experienced extreme climate shocks in the past, including prolonged dry seasons causing drought and heavy rains leading to flooding, Xinhua news agency reported.The floodwaters have damaged key infrastructure and paralysed public transport in some parts of the country, the UN agency said.”On a positive note, the rains have significantly improved water and pasture availability in many areas, supporting ongoing agricultural activities and pastoralism, thereby mitigating the effects of recent prolonged dry conditions,” OCHA added.Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main Aden Abdulle airport.The Horn of Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, and extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense.–IANSint/jk/rad

Montevideo, May 14 (IANS) Former Uruguayan President Jose “Pepe” Mujica, who was an icon and known as the “world’s poorest President” died at the age of 89 in Montevideo, President Yamandu Orsi confirmed.Mujica announced in January that his esophageal cancer, first diagnosed in April 2024, had spread to his liver. He said he would not pursue further treatment.”With deep sorrow we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica – President, activist, leader, and guide. We’ll miss you dearly, old friend. Thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people,” Orsi wrote on social media on Tuesday.In an interview with local weekly Busqueda, Mujica had said, “This is the end of the road for me,” adding, “my cycle is over.” He asked to be left in peace and expressed his wish to be buried at his farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, Xinhua news agency reported.Mujica, widely known as the “world’s poorest President” for donating most of his salary to charitable causes during his 2010–2015 term, had been diagnosed with advanced cancer.In May 2024, doctors discovered cancer of the esophagus, which then spread to his liver. His wife, former senator and Vice President Lucía Topolansky, confirmed this week that he was under palliative care.A symbol of progressive politics in Latin America, Mujica helped transform Uruguay through landmark reforms, including the legalisation of abortion, same-sex marriage, and recreational cannabis. Even after his presidency, he continued to campaign for Leftist causes until his health declined.Mujica’s political journey began in the 1960s when he co-founded the Tupamaros, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group. Initially known for robbing the rich to aid the poor, the movement later escalated to kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations. Mujica lived a life marked by daring exploits, surviving multiple gunshot wounds and participating in a dramatic mass prison escape.After the Tupamaros collapsed in 1972, he was recaptured and spent the entirety of Uruguay’s military dictatorship from 1973 to 1985 in prison. During his incarceration, Mujica endured torture and long periods of solitary confinement.Upon his release, he turned to democratic politics, founding the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) in 1989, which became the largest faction within the Broad Front, Uruguay’s Left-wing coalition.He was elected to parliament in 1995 and became a senator in 2000. In 2005, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture in the country’s first leftist government. In 2010, he was elected President and served a single five-year term, in accordance with Uruguay’s constitutional limits.Mujica, who had no children, is survived by his wife and lifelong political partner, Lucía Topolansky.–IANSint/jk/rad

Seoul, May 14 (IANS) South Korean Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung called on the People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday to immediately expel former President Yoon Suk Yeol from the party, criticising him as a “military coup leader.”Lee’s call came a day after the PPP’s candidate Kim Moon-soo said he was not considering expelling Yoon who was ousted over his short-lived martial law imposition in December and now faces criminal charges of leading an insurrection.”The People Power Party must immediately expel military coup leader Yoon Suk Yeol now,” Lee said during a campaign rally in Busan, about 320 kilometres southeast of Seoul.”If the People Power Party respects the basic liberal democratic order from the Constitution, it must apologise a hundredfold over the military coup.”Is the People Power Party a conservative party as it is called? Is it a democratic party?” Lee questioned. “That party has to now choose between the two choices of changing or being kicked out.”Meanwhile, Lee told reporters that he expected the election to be determined by a slim margin despite rosy forecasts for the DP candidate who has been leading in the polls by a wide margin, Yonhap news agency reported.”Our goal is a certain victory not an overwhelming victory,” he said.Yoon, who dramatically rose from a top prosecutor to the presidency in about three years, became the nation’s second President to be formally removed from office, with his surprise martial law bid rattling the nation for months and deepening political polarisation.Before taking the nation’s highest office, Yoon began his career as a prosecutor in 1994, rising through the ranks to lead an investigation team into Park’s corruption scandal that ultimately led to her ouster and subsequent imprisonment.In 2019, he was appointed as the nation’s top prosecutor under then South Korean President Moon Jae-in but clashed with the administration as he oversaw investigations into family members of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk.Amid mounting pressure from the Moon administration, Yoon stepped down from his post in 2021, only to enter politics shortly after and win the presidential election in 2022 as the candidate for the conservative People Power Party.Yoon’s term was riddled with conflict with an uncooperative National Assembly dominated by the main Opposition Democratic Party (DP). Yoon exercised his presidential veto power against 25 Bills passed by the National Assembly.Tensions with the DP appeared to reach an extreme in early December as the main Opposition introduced motions to impeach the country’s top auditor and a senior prosecutor, with Yoon declaring martial law on December 3, which ultimately led to his downfall.–IANSint/jk/rad

Seoul, May 14 (IANS) Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee declined to appear…