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Thousands of people defied prohibitory orders in Manipur's Imphal West district and took out a torch rally to protest the recent bomb attack in which two children were killed, triggering clashes with security forces, officials said. Thousands carrying torches began the rally around 7 pm on Thursday at Singjamei, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the April 7 blast at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district that claimed the lives of two children. Officials said some protesters raised slogans against the security forces and verbally abused personnel deployed at the spot. After covering nearly 2 km, the rally reached Chingamathak, a few km from the chief minister's bungalow, police headquarters and Lok Bhavan. Security personnel, who were heavily outnumbered, asked the protesters to turn back as prohibitory orders were in force, leading to a confrontation, officials said. As the situation turned volatile, security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells and resor
Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam has warned outsourcing agencies and contractors of strict action, including blacklisting and licence cancellation, in case of any unruly behaviour by them or their workers. The warning comes in the wake of a large-scale protest by thousands of factory workers, including women, in Noida that turned violent on Monday. Chairing a meeting with outsourcing agencies and contractors of various industrial units on Tuesday, Roopam stressed the need for 100 per cent compliance with government guidelines to maintain industrial peace in the district. "All contractors must ensure 100 per cent adherence to government guidelines. If any unruly behaviour is exhibited by an agency, or by any of its employees or workers, the agency itself shall be held jointly responsible and in such instances, the agency may be blacklisted, and proceedings for the cancellation of its licence may be initiated," the DM said. Referring to the revised minimum wage rat
"Outsiders" attempted to incite unrest in Noida after workers had dispersed peacefully, and several such elements have been detained and seven FIRs registered in connection with the violence, police said on Monday. "After the labourers dispersed peacefully, a group from outside the district arrived in the areas bordering neighbouring districts. They moved around attempting to incite tension and provoke violence. We have taken some members of this group into custody, and we are identifying the remaining individuals to initiate appropriate action against them," Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh told reporters on Monday night. Seven cases have been registered across various police stations within the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate, and "several anti-social elements" have been taken into custody following the unrest, police said. A police statement noted that around 40,000 to 45,000 workers from various sectors gathered at over 80 locations across the commissionerat
RSP's Balendra Shah on Saturday defeated four-time PM K P Sharma Oli by a huge margin and set to form the next government in Nepal, decimating traditional political parties in the first general elections since last year's violent Gen Z protests demanding generational change and corruption-free regime. Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' the prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency. Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli's 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said. The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 62 seats out of the 78 seats for which results have been declared by 6:30 pm, according to the Election Commission (EC). RSP's seats include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 60
Delhi Police has arrested Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with the shirtless protest staged by a group of IYC members at the AI Impact Summit here last week, officials said on Tuesday. With this, the total number of arrests made in the case has risen to eight. Police had earlier arrested seven Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers, including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, for the protest staged at the Bharat Mandapam last Friday. They have been identified as Jitendra Yadav, Raj Gujjar and Ajay Kumar. In addition, IYC's Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla has been detained from Lalitpur in the state. According to police, additional sections under the BNS, including 196 (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration), have been invoked in the FIR, which carry a jail term of up to three years. Charges of criminal conspiracy, ...
After late-night clashes at the Jawaharlal Nehru University left several students injured, the university authorities on Monday said it has taken serious note of the incident and warned of strict action against any unruly behaviour. Tensions flared on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after a protest turned violent around 1.30 am on Monday, with both the Left-led students' union and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accusing each other of violence and stone-pelting A statement issued by the JNU registrar said it is committed to safeguarding the academic environment on campus, and warned of strict action under the university rules and the BNS against any unruly behaviour. "It has come to the notice of the JNU administration that several academic buildings inside the campus were reportedly locked by a group of protesting students. The protesters entered the central library and reportedly threatened the unwilling students and intimidated them to join the ...
The Congress will hold a rally over the issue of India-US trade deal in Punjab and it will be attended by Rahul Gandhi, said senior party leader Bhupesh Baghel here on Monday evening. Baghel said the rally is expected to be held either on February 28 or March 1. He said Rahul has been opposing the India-US trade deal in Lok Sabha and outside Lok Sabha and adding that he has already been raising farmers' related issues. "The fight over this issue (India-US trade deal) will begin from Punjab. A big rally will be held in which Rahul ji and other party leaders will be present," said Baghel. To a question on Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking Gandhi to debate this issue, Baghel said, "Amit Shah wants to hold a debate. We will come there. Farmers will come. You decide the time and place." Rahul has been attacking the BJP-led government and accusing it of a sell-out through the India-US trade deal and on Sunday he posed a string of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged
The nationwide strike called by trade unions against the Centre's policies on Thursday triggered protests in a few districts of Madhya Pradesh, while over 25,000 civilian employees of defence establishments reported to work an hour late across the state. However, MP's business capital Indore remained unaffected by the strike. The day-long strike was called to protest against what the unions described as anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies of the central government. In Indore and adjoining industrial areas, the strike had a negligible impact on factory operations, and work continued as usual, industrial bodies and labour leaders said. Markets, petrol pumps, schools and colleges remained open across the state. More than 25,000 civilian workers posted at six ordnance factories in Madhya Pradesh, the 506 Army Base Workshop, the Central Ordnance Depot and the Military Engineer Services reported for duty an hour late as a mark of protest, said S N Pathak, president of th
The death toll from a crackdown over Iran's nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which offered the latest figures, has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. The slow rise in the death toll has come as the agency slowly is able to crosscheck information as communication remains difficult with those inside of the Islamic Republic. Iran's government offered its only death toll on January 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran's theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran. The rise in the death toll comes as Iran tries to negotiate with the United Sta
The United Nations chief is warning that the world body faces "imminent financial collapse" unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues - a message likely directed at the United States and the billions it owes. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a letter to all UN member nations obtained Friday by The Associated Press that cash for its regular operating budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect its operations. "Either all member states honor their obligations to pay in full and on time - or member states must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse," he said. While Guterres didn't name any country in the letter, which was reported earlier by Reuters, the financial crisis comes as the US, traditionally the largest donor, has not paid its mandatory dues to the United Nations. The US now owes USD 2.196 billion to the UN's regular budget, plus it will owe USD 767 million for
Students from upper caste communities called for a protest outside the University Grants Commission headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday, saying that the new regulations issued by the commission could lead to chaos on campuses. Those behind the protest call have appealed for unity from the student community, urging them to say "No to UGC discrimination" and requesting them to gather in large numbers to register their opposition. The new rules notified by the UGC on January 13 -- the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 -- have sparked widespread criticism from general category students who argue that the framework could lead to discrimination against them. Under the new regulations, introduced to stop caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, the UGC has asked institutions to set up special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to handle complaints, especially from SC, ST and OBC students. Speaking to PTI, Alokit Tripathi, a PhD ...
Activists said Tuesday that at least 6,126 people were killed in Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests and many more are still feared dead. The new figures came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran. The group verifies each death with a network of activists on the ground in Iran. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll given authorities cutting off the internet and disrupting calls into the Islamic Republic. Iran's government has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labelled the rest "terrorists." In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.
Iranian state TV has issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed in the demonstrations that began December 28. The figure is lower than the 4,560 people activists say died. State television on Wednesday night carried a statement by the Martyrs Foundation providing the toll. It said that of those killed, 2,427 were civilians and security forces. It did not elaborate on the rest. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Wednesday put the death toll at 4,560. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.
A US-based activist agency said Sunday it has verified at least 3,919 deaths during a wave of protests that swept Iran and led to a bloody crackdown, and fears the number could be significantly higher. The Human Rights Activists News Agency posted the revised figure, up from the previous toll of 3,308. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution. The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently confirm the toll. Iranian officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests had left several thousand people dead and blamed the United States for the deaths. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualt