Belarus activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian and Ukrainian organisations get Nobel Peace Prize
Human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties are being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on October 7, 2022. The Nobel Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy, the academy said.
Three-member Commission to look into granting SC status to Dalits converted to other religions
The Commission will be headed by former Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and will have as its members UGC member Prof. Sushma Yadav, and retired IAS officer Ravinder Kumar Jain. The government has set a time of two years for the Commission to submit its report. A gazette notification issued by the Social Justice and Empowerment ministry said the Commission will also examine the changes Scheduled Caste persons go through on converting to other religions in terms of their customs, traditions, social and other status discrimination and deprivation, and the implication of the same on the question of giving them Scheduled Caste status.
Human rights of people of Xinjiang should be respected and guaranteed: India
A day after abstaining at United Nations Human Rights Council vote on Xinjiang, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that India “remains committed to upholding all human rights”. In first such comments, New Delhi said that the human rights of the people of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region should be “respected and guaranteed” and called on China to address issues. “The human rights of the people of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region should be respected and guaranteed. We hope that the relevant party will address the situation objectively and properly,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Uttarkashi avalanche | 10 more bodies recovered, toll climbs to 26
Ten more bodies were recovered from the site of an avalanche in Uttarkashi, taking the death toll to 26, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering said. Two Cheetah helicopters took off from the Army helipad in Harsil to join the search operations, officials said. The avalanche occurred at a height of 17,000 feet on Tuesday when a team of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) was returning after summiting Draupadi Ka Danda II peak.
A voluntary organisation in Gujarat has sent legal notices to the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police after some police personnel publicly flogged a few members of a minority community accused of stone-pelting during a garba dance event, in Kheda district. Convenor of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Mujahid Nafees issued contempt notices to the officers after some policemen were seen publicly flogging the accused in Undhela village in Kheda on Tuesday.
Government seeks CJI Lalit’s recommendation on next and 50th Chief Justice of India
“As per the MoP [Memorandum of Procedure] on appointment of Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court Judges, today the Hon’ble Minister of Law and Justice sent a letter to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India for sending his recommendations for appointment of his successor,” the Union Law and Justice Ministry tweeted. The letter kick-starts the appointment process for the 50th Chief Justice of India. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is next in line to be Chief Justice of India in accordance with the seniority norm.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said there is no such thing as “remote control” in his party unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party, where every president is selected through a “consensus”. He said that if becomes the head of the grand old party, the remote control would be with him. He was replying to a query about the BJP’s claim that he would act as the “remote control” and “proxy” of Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the post. “A lot of people say I am a remote control and work from behind. They say I will do what Sonia Gandhi will say. There is no such thing as remote control in Congress, people take decisions together. It is your thinking. A few people are creating this idea,” Mr. Kharge said.
In response to a query about U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s interview in ‘ The Spectator’ that branded Indians as the “largest group of people who overstay” their visas in the U.K., the Indian High Commission in London said that India awaits “demonstrable progress” on certain commitments undertaken by the U.K. government under the MMP that was signed last year.
U.N. rights council to monitor human rights violation in Russia
The U.N. Human Rights Council agreed to monitor the rights situation in Russia, marking the first-ever resolution focused on violations inside the country. The 47-member top U.N. rights body accepted the draft text presented by all European Union countries with the exception of Hungary, with 17 nations voting in favour of appointing a so-called special rapporteur to monitor Russia. Twenty-four countries abstained, while six voted ‘no’, including China, Cuba and Venezuela.
Russian missiles, drones hit Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia again as death toll rises
The death toll from a missile attack on apartment buildings in a southern Ukrainian city rose to 11 as more Russian missiles and — for the first time — explosive packed drones targeted Ukrainian-held Zaporizhzhia on October 7. As the war sparked by Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine ground on, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to human rights organisations in Russia and Ukraine, and an activist jailed in Russian ally Belarus.
Kevin Spacey faces New York jury in sexual assault lawsuit
Kevin Spacey’s lawyer told a jury that a sexual misconduct allegation that derailed his theatrical career was the product of a young actor’s inability to tell the difference between real life and a scene he played on Broadway eight times a week. Jurors in a New York courtroom heard opening statements in what is expected to be a two-week trial in a lawsuit brought by Anthony Rapp, the actor who in 2017 became the first in a string of people to publicly accuse the “House of Cards” star of inappropriate touching or sexual advances.
Government kicks off IDBI Bank strategic disinvestment
The transaction will entail the sale of the government’s own 45.48% stake in the bank as well as that of LIC, which is its current promoter with a 49.24% stake. Public shareholders hold just 5.28% of the bank’s shares. The Government of India will sell 30.48% of its stake in the bank, and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) shall sell 30.24%, aggregating to 60.72% of IDBI Bank’s equity share capital, along with transfer of management control in IDBI Bank.
RBI to soon launch e-rupee on pilot basis for limited use
The Reserve Bank said it will soon commence the pilot launch of e-rupee for specific use cases as it tests digital currency in India. “As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of e-rupee, from time to time,” the central bank said in a concept note on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
Ind vs SA 1st ODI | Gave away too many runs, fielding wasn’t great: Dhawan
India captain Shikhar Dhawan admitted that his team leaked too many runs in the death overs and fielded poorly, leading to the nine-run defeat to South Africa in the rain-hit first ODI on Thursday. Opting to bowl in the rain-curtailed 40-over-a-side game, India had reduced South Africa to 110 for 4 in 22.4 overs but David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen powered the visitors to 249 for 4.
Warner, Starc help Australia sweep series against West Indies
Australia’s David Warner smashed an incendiary half-century and Mitchell Starc claimed four wickets conceding 20 to help the hosts beat West Indies by 31 runs in the second Twenty20 International and complete a 2-0 series sweep in Brisbane. Warner got Australia off to a flyer with his stroke-filled 75 and Tim David belted 42 off 20 balls down the order to power them to 178/7 after being put in to bat.
