Human Rights

20 Oct 2020; MEMO: The head of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, Yossi Cohen, has said that Israel and Saudi Arabia maintain peace relations, however they remain outside the official diplomatic framework, Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported.

The paper quoted Cohen as saying that the normalisation of relations with Arab countries gives Israel a “strategic depth” to confront the axis of evil led by Iran as well as the dangers it poses, especially the nuclear programme, terrorism and regional expansion.

20 Oct 2020; MEMO: The Fatah region in occupied Jerusalem warned, on Sunday, of Emirati funds pumped through Israeli channels and used to build settlements.

This came in a statement by the Fatah Secretary in Jerusalem, Shadi Mutwar, published on the movement’s official website on Sunday.

Ahmedabad, Oct 20 (PTI) Nearly 1.30 lakh children, mostly tribal, are illegally employed at cottonseed farms inGujarat, a city-based NGO has claimed.

Taking cognisance of the matter, an official from the state labour department told PTI on Tuesday that they will send their teams in areas specified by the NGO and take action if any wrongdoing is found.

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: Egypt’s Minister for Information Affairs called on Saturday for journalists and the media to shift their agenda in line with the “interests” of the Egyptian people, Al-Watan Voice has reported.

Osama Haikal said that Egyptians under 35 years old – 60 to 65 per cent of the population – do not read newspapers or watch TV so it is important for journalists to reflect this in their output. His comments provoked a sharp backlash from journalists who called on the minister to resign.

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: A senior Hamas official has claimed that the US has told a number of Arab states to stop giving financial support to the Palestinian Authority, Al-Aqsa TV reported on Sunday. According to Saleh Al-Arouri, a number of states have been asked to put pressure on Fatah, which controls the PA, in order to pull out of any reconciliation with Hamas.

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: The Israeli occupation authorities control 36 areas in Area C of the occupied West Bank and is planning to convert them into settlements and military camps, Jordanian Assabeel newspaper reported on Sunday.

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented a sharp increase in Israeli demolition of European Union (EU)-funded Palestinian projects built in occupied territories, a report issued over the weekend revealed.

According to the report, which was circulated by world news agencies, in 2019 the Euro-Med monitor documented a record high of 204 Palestinian structures that Israel had demolished in East Jerusalem alone, representing a spike when compared with previous years.

Kanpur, Oct 18 (PTI) A Dalit woman was allegedly raped at gunpoint by two men, including a former village head, in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday.

"The incident took place a week back, but the police were informed about the alleged gang-rape on Sunday," Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Keshav Kumar Choudhary said.

Lakhimpur Kheri; 17 Oct 2020 (UMMN): A BJP MLA and his son took away a man accused of eve-teasing from police custody on Saturday in Lakhimpur Khiri district of Uttar Pradesh. A video of the ruckus created by the BJP MLA, his son and supporters is now being circulated on social media.

18 Oct 2020; MEMO: Amnesty International on Saturday urged Lebanese authorities to investigate and hold accountable officers involved in the suppression of protesters during October 2019 demonstrations, reports Anadolu Agency.