Page 9 - Violence

70 killed, including nine soldiers, in militia attack in western Congo

At least 70 people, including nine soldiers and a soldier's wife, were killed when armed men attacked a village in western Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities said, as violence intensifies between two rival communities. The attack took place on Saturday in the village of Kinsele, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Kinshasa, the capital. Because of insecurity and poor infrastructure in the region, deadly attacks can take days to be reported. Kinsele is located in the Kwamouth territory, where for the past two years conflict has raged between two local communities Teke and Yaka leading to deaths of hundreds of civilians. As Congo battles armed groups in the east, violence has also intensified in the western part of the country. The attackers were members of the Mobondo militia, an armed group presenting itself as defenders of the Yaka people. As of this morning (Monday, July 15), 72 bodies have already been found and the search continues to find other bodies in t

Several shops, houses damaged in Tripura's Ganda Twisa violence, 4 arrested

Senior officials from the police and district administration spoke with local businessmen and assured them of their full support, urging traders to reopen the market

Violence breaks out in France as left-wing coalition leads snap election

French election night turned turbulent as results showed a left-wing coalition poised to claim the majority of parliamentary seats

Kenyan cops crucial to controlling gangs, early days are positive: Haiti PM

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that recently deployed Kenyan police will be crucial to helping control the country's gangs and moving toward democratic elections and he called feedback from their initial days in the capital "extremely, extremely positive". He said his government will focus on addressing gang violence and food insecurity, ensuring free elections through constitutional and political reform, and rebuilding public trust in the police. On June 25, the initial contingent of 200 Kenyan police arrived in Port-au-Prince. Kenya has pledged 1,000 police to the international police force and Conille said the next contingent will be arriving very soon. They will later be joined by police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica in the force that will total 2,500 personnel. Haiti asked for an international force to combat gangs in 2022, and UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres appealed for months for a countr

Haiti's gang violence has displaced 300,000 children since March: UN

Gang violence in Haiti has displaced more than 300,000 children since March, the UN children's agency said Tuesday as the Caribbean country struggles to curb killings and kidnappings. Children are more than half of the nearly 580,000 people who have become homeless in the last four months. The spike in violence began in late February after a series of coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure eventually led Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in April. The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes is taking a devastating toll on children, Catherine Russell, UNICEF's executive director, said in a statement. Displaced children are in desperate need of a safe and protective environment, and increased support and funding from the international community. Gangs now control at least 80 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince and the key roads leading in and out of it, with more than 2,500 people killed or injured across the country in the first three months of the year

Gang violence in Haiti displaces nearly 580,000 people, shows UN report

Surging violence in Haiti from clashes with armed gangs since March has displaced nearly 5,80,000 people, according to a new report from the UN migration agency, a sobering figure that underscores the magnitude of the Caribbean nation's crisis. Haiti has long faced unrest but at the end of February, gangs unleashed coordinated attacks with gunmen taking control of police stations, opening fire on the main international airport that remained closed for nearly three months and stormed Haiti's two biggest prisons. A report released on Tuesday by the International Organisation for Migration said the displacement of more than half a million is mainly due to people fleeing the capital of Port-au-Prince for other provinces, which lack the resources to support them. In March, the agency reported more than 3,62,000 internally displaced people in Haiti. Since then, the violence has more than doubled the number of internally displaced in the southern region already ravaged by a 2021 earthquak

Amit Shah calls meeting to review Manipur situation amid ethnic violence

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will on Monday review the security situation in Manipur which has been witnessing ethnic violence for over an year. Senior officials from the central and state governments and other security forces will attend the high-level meeting, officials said. On Sunday, Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey had called on Shah here and is believed to have discussed the prevailing situation in the Northeastern state. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, over 220 people belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. On J

BJP forms committee of 4 MPs to analyse post-poll violence in Bengal

BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday formed a four-member committee to look into the alleged political violence in West Bengal, as the party accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of remaining a mute spectator. The committee includes Biplab Kumar Deb, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Brij Lal and Kavita Patidar, all BJP MPs, with Deb as its convener. A party statement said, "Mamata Banerjee remains a mute spectator, while criminals of her party, attack and intimidate opposition workers and voters with impunity. Even the Calcutta High Court has taken note of these excesses and extended deployment of CAPF till June 21 and has listed the matter for hearing on June 18." The BJP said the Lok Sabha elections were held across the country and no instance of political violence was reported from anywhere except West Bengal. "It continues to be in the vice grip of post-poll violence, the kind we saw post 2021 assembly elections," the BJP alleged.

Officials should be held responsible for loss of lives: Manipur BJP MLA

In the wake of the ambush on Manipur CM N. Biren Singh's advance security convoy in Kangpokpi district on Monday and the recent surge of violence in Jiribam district, a BJP MLA has raised concerns about security breaches and demanded an inquiry into police officers who received advance intelligence reports regarding the situation in Jiribam earlier this year. In a post on X on Wednesday, BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh said, "The state government has to initiate an inquiry regarding the lackadaisical attitude of the officers who were given advance intelligence report by the state government regarding the situation in Jiribam earlier this year. These officers should be held accountable for the loss of lives and property of all those affected and, pending such inquiry they should be suspended and strict action should be taken against them as per procedures prescribed by law." "Along with their associate officers, they should also be held accountable for the ambush on the state police team .

B'luru court sends rape-accused Prajwal Revanna to 14-day judicial custody

A court here on Monday sent former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual abuse against several women, to 14 days judicial custody. He was produced before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court as his Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody ended today. The court on May 31 remanded him to SIT custody till June 6, and later extended it till June 10. While in their custody, the SIT conducted a detailed investigation, including gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses, and questioned Revanna extensively about the allegations. The court, taking into consideration the gravity of the allegations and the evidence presented by the SIT, decided to remand him to judicial custody for 14 days, till June 24. The 33-year-old grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda had failed in his bid to retain the Hassan parliamentary constituency in the recent polls. SIT officials arrested Revanna soon after he landed at Bengaluru's

Suspected militants ambush Manipur CM's advance security convoy, one hurt

Suspected militants ambushed the advance security convoy of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Kangpokpi district on Monday, leaving one personnel injured, police said. The convoy was on its way to violence-hit Jiribam district. Multiple gunshots were fired at the vehicles of the security forces, who retaliated, they said, adding, the shootout is still on near Kotlen village along a stretch of National Highway-53. At least one personnel suffered bullet injuries during the attack, police said. "CM Biren Singh, who is yet to reach Imphal from Delhi, was planning to visit Jiribam to take stock of the situation in the district, an official told PTI. Two police outposts, a forest beat office and at least 70 houses were torched in Jiribam by suspected militants on Saturday.

Situation tense but under control in violence-hit Manipur's Jiribam

The situation in Manipur's Jiribam district remained tense but under control on Sunday, after suspected militants torched two police outposts and at least 70 houses in a fresh bout of violence in the state, police said. Additional security forces have been deployed in the affected areas following the incident on Saturday evening, they said. "The situation is tense but under control in the wake of violent disturbances that broke out in Jiribam district in which miscreants torched two police pickets, a forest beat office... and several houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities, the Manipur Police said in a statement. Police is also actively monitoring social media updates, which may incite communal feelings amongst the communities and requests general public to refrain from spreading unfounded/ unverified information," it said. Violence broke out in Jiribam in the ethnic strife-torn state on Thursday evening, after suspected militants killed a 59-year-old man. The person,

Haiti PM hospitalised days after being selected to lead nation: Official

Haiti's newly selected prime minister, Garry Conille, was hospitalised late Saturday in the capital of Port-au-Prince just days after arriving in the country, an official told The Associated Press. It wasn't immediately known why Conille was hospitalised. Louis Grald Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council that recently chose Conille as leader of the troubled Caribbean country, said he was en route to the hospital and did not have further information. A spokesman for Conille did not immediately return a message for comment. AP journalists observed high-ranking officials entering the hospital, including Frantz Elb, director of Haiti's National Police. Also present was Bruno Maes, UNICEF's representative in Haiti. They both declined comment. A handful of curious onlookers gathered outside the hospital as authorities blocked the street with tinted-glass SUVs. Conille was chosen as prime minister May 28 after a convoluted selection process. He faces an arduous task

Lok Sabha polls Phase 7: EVM in pond, violence mars final phase in Bengal

A mob reportedly threw reserve EVM and VVPAT machines into water after certain polling agents were denied access to a polling booth in Kultali of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district

CBI files charge sheet against Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali incident

The CBI has filed a charge sheet against suspended TMC leader Shahajahan Sheikh and six others in connection with the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team at Sandeshkhali, officials said on Tuesday. The agency filed its first charge sheet in the case on Monday before a special court, they said. The ED team had come under attack from a 1,000-strong mob when they went to raid the house of Sheikh in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. The team had gone to arrest Sheikh because of his alleged close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick under scanner in the scam, they said. Sandeshkhali, a riverine island around 80 km from Kolkata, has been in the news after local women alleged land-grabbing and sexual abuse by Sheikh and his men, who are involved in fish farming and trading. The CBI has taken over investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5, they said. Sheikh was arrested by the state

Violence mars fifth phase of polls in Bengal, 73% voter turnout till 5 pm

Scattered incidents of violence marred the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls to seven parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, with 73 per cent of the 1.25 crore voters exercising their franchise till 5 pm on Monday, officials said. Voter turnout was lesser than the previous four phases, and also in comparison to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The final voter turnout for this election, however, will be released later. "Polling was more or less peaceful, barring a few scattered incidents of violence in some constituencies. But we took immediate steps to address those," state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ariz Aftab told PTI. Although no major incident was reported, scattered disturbances could not be averted despite the poll body deploying over 60,000 personnel of central forces, in addition to around 30,000 policemen, the highest number of security forces deployed in any of the phases so far in the state, the official said, adding a total of 1,992 complaints were received. Arambagh Lok

India urges students to stay indoors amid Kyrgyzstan violence; Key details

The capital city of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, has been marred with mob violence against migrants, allegedly over 'lenient treatment of the foreigners'

Manipur violence accounted for 97% of displacements in South Asia in 2023

Conflict and violence triggered 69,000 displacements in South Asia in 2023, with Manipur violence alone accounting for 67,000, according to a new report. The report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) termed it the highest number of displacements triggered by conflict and violence in India since 2018. On May 3, 2023, a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in Manipur's hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The march led to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and the Kuki communities, ultimately claiming more than 200 lives. The Manipur High Court had in March last year called for recommendations to be sent to the central government to recognise the Meitei community as a "scheduled tribe," an official status designed to protect minorities from marginalisation. The call was met with resistance from other local scheduled tribes, including the Kukis. Land disputes were also an underlying driver o

Violence, chaos erupts on campuses in US as protesters clash over Gaza war

A brawl erupted at UCLA after a pro-Palestinian encampment was forcefully attacked, the school's chancellor said Wednesday, while activists at the University of Wisconsin in Madison clashed with police officers who destroyed their tents, in a day of escalating violence on some college campuses over the war in Gaza. Fifteen people were injured during the UCLA confrontation, including one person who was hospitalised, according to the president of the University of California system. The chaotic scenes unfolded Wednesday after police burst into a building occupied by anti-war protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night, breaking up a demonstration that had paralysed the school. Chancellor Gene Block at UCLA said in a statement that a group of instigators came on campus Tuesday to forcefully attack the pro-Palestinian encampment, prompting the school to ask for assistance from outside law enforcement. After a couple of hours of scuffles between duelling demonstrators at the ...

LS polls: Re-polling at 11 booths in Manipur Monday after firing incidents

On April 19, incidents of violence were reported at some of the polling booths in conflict-torn Manipur where some miscreants opened fire and even destroyed EVMs