Israeli forces kill 45 Palestinians during raids in north Gaza

News Network
October 27, 2024

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The Israeli regime’s forces have carried out intense bombing raids against six buildings in the city of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, killing at least 45 people.

Dozens more were also wounded after the raids targeted the structures, including a house belonging to a Palestinian family named as Abu Shidiq, on Saturday.

The attacks came as the severity of the regime’s aggression has forced the Palestinian Civil Defense to cease its activities in the northern side of the coastal sliver, leaving civilians there to their own devices.

Commenting on the situation, Director-General of the Gaza Health Ministry, Medhat Abbas said more than 900 Palestinians had been killed over the past weeks during the Israeli campaign that has targeted the northern areas.

Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last functioning hospital in the north, has been a special focus of the campaign that has either killed all of the facility’s doctors or forced them to flee, with the exception of three physicians, who remain there, he added.

“The occupation is committing genocide by destroying the health system in Gaza,” Abbas noted.

The regime embarked on implementing a so-called “Generals’ Plan” in northern Gaza earlier in the month, deploying hundreds of military vehicles and thousands of forces with immense firepower towards its realization.

The plan seeks to tighten the regime’s siege against the areas, cut off humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians inside, and label those who remain there as combatants so it could target and kill them after declaring the areas "closed military zones.”

The plan is part of a genocidal war that the regime launched against the Gaza Strip last October, during which it has killed more than 42,924 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded another 100,833.

Also on Saturday, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group, called on the United States, the regime’s biggest supporter, to stop the “systematic extermination of an entire population” in Gaza.

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News Network
June 16,2025

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi-led government of India has declined to endorse the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) condemnation of Israel’s ongoing military strikes on Iran, exposing a potential fault line within the Eurasian bloc over the rapidly escalating conflict.

While global leaders have issued urgent calls for restraint, Israel has intensified its offensive against Iran, targeting nuclear and military infrastructure in what many analysts describe as an unprecedented escalation. The latest wave of attacks, which began last Friday, has drawn condemnation from several countries — but not from the Modi government.

The renewed fighting follows two direct confrontations between Iran and Israel earlier in 2024, triggered by Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory attacks from Tehran. Iran reports that recent Israeli strikes have hit residential and military zones across Tehran and other cities, killing at least 80 people — including civilians, senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard, and prominent nuclear scientists.

On Saturday, Israeli missiles targeted oil reserves, power stations, and refineries across Iran. In response, Tehran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing at least 13 and injuring many more. Simultaneously, Iran announced a pause in its nuclear negotiations with the United States.

Why Did the Modi Government Stay Silent?

The Modi administration’s refusal to participate in the SCO’s condemnation raises several critical questions: Is New Delhi quietly aligning with Israel? What geopolitical risks does this stance pose for India and the broader region?

What Did the SCO Say?

Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, and several Central Asian nations. Iran, the bloc’s newest member, joined in 2023 under India’s own chairmanship.

Currently chaired by China, the SCO on Saturday issued a joint statement expressing “serious concern” over the rising Israel-Iran tensions and “strongly condemning” Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. The statement called Israel’s attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities “a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter,” warning that such actions threaten global peace and stability.

It further emphasized the bloc’s support for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through peaceful, diplomatic means, and extended condolences to the Iranian government and people.

New Delhi’s Diplomatic Balancing Act

In the immediate aftermath of Israel’s strikes, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, conveying “the deep concern of the international community” and urging restraint and a return to diplomacy. A statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to “monitoring the evolving situation” and promoting dialogue.

“India enjoys close and friendly relations with both countries and stands ready to extend all possible support,” the statement read.
However, when the SCO released its statement condemning Israel, the Modi-led government clarified that it had not participated in drafting or endorsing the declaration. “The overall position of India as stated above was communicated to other SCO members,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Analysts suggest this reflects a broader strategic calculation.

“Unlike other SCO countries, the Modi government has to juggle defence ties with Israel and economic cooperation with Iran,” said Dr. Shanthie D’Souza, a senior fellow at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. India is Israel’s largest arms buyer and has reportedly supplied munitions to Israel during the war in Gaza. At the same time, New Delhi is investing in Iran’s Chabahar Port, a critical trade corridor to Central Asia and Afghanistan.

“India is walking a very fine line in this conflict,” D’Souza added.

Quiet Backing for Israel?

Although the Modi government hasn’t openly backed Israel, its refusal to condemn the strikes and its abstention from a recent UN General Assembly vote demanding a ceasefire in Gaza raise questions about its true alignment.

Kabir Taneja, a strategic analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, called the abstention “perplexing,” speculating that it may be linked to India’s growing ties with the United States. India is currently finalizing a trade agreement with Washington, and maintaining strategic harmony with both the US and Israel could be influencing its position.

“India’s reluctance to endorse the SCO’s statement reflects its somewhat outsider status within the bloc,” Taneja noted. “Russia and China are aligned closely with Iran, but New Delhi’s tilt toward the US-Israel axis makes such statements politically sensitive.”

US Pressure on Iran – A Strategic Setback for India?

New Delhi’s balancing act is further complicated by renewed US sanctions under the second Trump administration. These include suspending waivers that previously allowed India to develop Iran’s Chabahar Port — a key part of its regional connectivity strategy.

The port is critical to bypassing Pakistan for trade with landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asian markets. Now, Trump’s sanctions put at risk India’s multimillion-dollar investment in Chabahar and limit its options in Central Asia.

Yet India’s interest in Iran is not just economic. Iran’s geography is a strategic asset, offering India a vital corridor into regions that are central to its energy, trade, and security objectives.

By choosing not to back the SCO’s condemnation of Israel, the Modi-led government has signalled its preference for strategic autonomy — or what some might see as quiet alignment with the West and Israel. This decision may serve short-term interests, but it also risks long-term consequences for India’s role in regional diplomacy and the future cohesion of multilateral forums like the SCO.

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News Network
June 16,2025

New Delhi, June 16: The Narendra Modi-led government has officially notified plans to conduct India's 16th national census in 2027 — the first in 16 years since the last full enumeration was carried out in 2011. This upcoming census will, for the first time, include caste-based data collection across the country.

According to the notification issued on Monday, the census will be conducted with two different reference dates:

•    October 1, 2026 for snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

•    March 1, 2027 for the rest of the country.

The government plans to deploy around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, supported by 1.3 lakh census functionaries, all equipped with digital devices to streamline the massive data collection exercise.

A significant update for the 2027 exercise is the inclusion of caste enumeration, a move that has long been debated in policy circles and public discourse. Additionally, the census will provide an option for self-enumeration, allowing citizens to submit their data digitally.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparations for the exercise on Sunday in a high-level meeting attended by Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, and other senior officials.

Two-Phase Operation

The census will be conducted in two distinct phases:

1.    House Listing Operation (HLO): This phase will record housing conditions, household assets, and amenities.

2.    Population Enumeration (PE): This phase will capture detailed information on demographic, socio-economic, and cultural aspects of each individual in every household.

This will be India’s 16th decennial census since the first one in 1872, and the eighth since Independence in 1947.

The government has also assured that robust data security protocols will be implemented to safeguard information during collection, transmission, and storage, addressing concerns around privacy and digital vulnerabilities.

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News Network
June 9,2025

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Bengaluru, June 9: A 33-year-old woman was brutally murdered in a hotel room in South Bengaluru, allegedly by a man with whom she had been in a relationship. The accused, 25-year-old Yashas, has been arrested by Subramanyapura police after reportedly confessing to the crime.

The victim, Harini R, a resident of Hemmigepura in Banashankari 6th Stage, was found with 13 stab wounds in a hotel room in the Poornapragna Housing Society Layout during the early hours of Saturday. Police say the murder took place on the night of June 7.

Yashas, a BCA graduate and employee of a private firm, is said to have surrendered voluntarily. After the murder, he returned to his residence in Kengeri, inflicted a self-stab wound, and contacted a police constable from the Kengeri police station. Based on the information, officers reached the hotel around 3:30 am. He was initially treated at a nearby facility before being shifted to KIMS Hospital. Following his recovery, he was discharged and taken into custody.

Initial investigations reveal that Harini was married to Dasegowda H.P., a 41-year-old farmer, since 2012. The couple has two daughters, aged 13 and 10. Three years ago, Harini reportedly met Yashas at a village fair, and a romantic relationship developed between the two, eventually leading to an extramarital affair.

The affair had come to the attention of both families a few months ago, and Harini had reportedly cut ties with Yashas after being counselled by her family. However, police believe the two recently reconnected and decided to meet "one last time."

According to police, Yashas picked Harini up around 5 pm on June 6 and took her to a hotel he had booked in advance. After spending time together, Harini reportedly told him she could no longer continue the relationship due to family pressure. Investigators allege that Yashas had pre-planned the murder, carrying a knife with him to the hotel.

Following the altercation, he is believed to have fatally stabbed her multiple times before fleeing the scene. During interrogation, he allegedly told police that he could not cope with her decision to end the relationship.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

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