Tel Aviv, July 27 (IANS) The death of Qatar’s former Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani marks the loss of a key stabilising figure. For the country’s ruling Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the challenges ahead differ significantly from those his father confronted.While Sheikh Hamad governed amid booming gas production, soaring energy prices and the Arab Spring — the strategic landscape today is markedly “less forgiving,” a report has stated.Also known as Qatar’s ‘Father Amir’, Sheik…

Athens, July 27 (IANS) Several Chinese communities in the United States that oppose the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – along with pro-democracy activists and supporters of Taiwan, Tibetan and Uyghur rights – have accused Beijing of using agents to harass, spy on and intimidate them, a report has stated.A report in the Greek City Times cited US-based human rights group Freedom House documenting that China has been linked to the highest number of transnational repression cases worldwide, with 319…

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested a proclaimed offender linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hashim Baba crime syndicate who had been evading arrest since September 2024 in connection with the murder of businessman and gym co-owner Nadir Shah in South Delhi.The accused, identified as Saddam Hussain alias Sonu, was arrested by a Special Cell/NDR team led by Inspectors Alok Kumar Maurya and Nitu Kumar under the supervision of ACP Ashish Kumar.Deputy Commissioner of Polic…

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) As many as 2,873 people with criminal antecedents were present between July 20 and 25 during the students’ protest site at Jantar Mantar, a Delhi Police source said on Monday.These criminals were identified using Facial Recognition System (FRS) and through technical means, said a senior police official.Most of the identified persons were seen in FRS cameras in North-East Delhi, including Seelampur, Chand Bagh, Jafrabad and some colonies in South -East Delhi like Jamia…

Bhubaneswar, July 27 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said that regular monitoring of the grievance redressal mechanism at every level has significantly improved the grievance resolution rate, strengthening public confidence in the system across the state. He made the statement while addressing reporters after hearing grievances at the 19th public grievance hearing held at the Chief Minister’s Public Grievance Cell in Unit-II, Bhubaneswar.Majhi also stated that Odisha’s …

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday granted Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other respondents three weeks to file their replies on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) criminal revision petition challenging a trial court order refusing to take cognisance of its prosecution complaint in the alleged National Herald money laundering case. A single-judge Bench of Justice Manoj Jain granted time to the re…

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court has dismissed a review petition challenging its March 24 judgment, which held that a person who has converted to Christianity and continues to profess and practise the faith cannot claim Scheduled Caste (SC) status or invoke protections under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan said that there was “no error apparent on the record” warranting review of its earlie…

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Dharmendra Pradhan made his first appearance in Parliament on Monday after resigning as Union Education Minister. He received a rousing welcome from BJP and NDA MPs. It was a show of the NDA’s continued backing for the Odisha leader. During the reception, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh approached Pradhan and expressed sympathy over his resignation, saying, “It happens.” Pradhan responded sharply, saying, “Nothing happened. I am a street fighter, not an AC-room activist…

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) The recent student congregation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi was not merely a protest over an examination controversy. It was a moment of political and social awakening that deserves to be understood beyond the immediate issue. The students may eventually return to their classrooms, but Jantar Mantar has entered their collective consciousness. It has become more than a place; it has become a symbol.The phrase Jantar Mantar itself carries a deeper metaphor. While histor…

Kolkata, July 27 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting his intervention for expeditious disposal of disqualification petitions against 20 party Lok Sabha members who joined the National Citizens’ Party of India (NCPI) soon after the results for the West Bengal Assembly elections were announced.In his letter, Abhishek Banerjee, also the nephew of the party supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Bane…