Author: Ananya Gautam

On Sunday, India dispatched humanitarian assistance to the troubled Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amidst the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Approximately 6.5 tonnes of medical supplies and 32 tonnes of disaster relief materials were sent to Palestine, with delivery planned through Egypt.  India sends Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, announced on X (formerly Twitter), “An IAF C-17 flight carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for the people of Palestine departs for El-Arish airport in Egypt.” The items will be transported to Palestine via…

In the recent Australian referendum regarding the Voice, which aimed to establish a body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide advice to the country’s Parliament on legislation affecting this marginalized community, the proposal was defeated with a significant 60% majority of voters opposing it. This marked a missed opportunity to amend the Constitution for the first time in nearly half a century in the direction of a more inclusive philosophy. The referendum outcome was both clear-cut and polarizing. It deeply hurt Indigenous Australians who had long held onto the hope that a conciliatory approach could rectify the…

Harvard University is currently facing significant criticism in the United States as some of its students are squarely attributing the violence in the region to Israel following the recent Hamas attack. The letter, which emerged in the aftermath of Hamas’s assault on Israeli cities and the resulting loss of civilian lives, has generated widespread outrage, particularly due to Harvard’s perceived lack of response to the controversy. The Anti-Israel Letter A public statement authored by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups asserted full blame on the Israeli government for the ongoing violence. This letter garnered support from over 30 student organizations at…

A challenging agreement regarding the European Union’s position in preparation for this year’s UN climate conference has exposed internal divisions that foreshadow potential global conflicts at the upcoming COP28 summit. Over the course of several weeks, diplomats representing the 27 EU member states engaged in discussions to determine their approach to COP28. On Monday, the climate ministers reached a consensus, advocating for actions to phase out carbon-emitting fossil fuels, triple renewable energy production, and cease the construction of coal power plants. EU’s Stance On Monday, climate ministers from EU nations endorsed the bloc’s stance for this year’s U.N. COP28 climate…

Muizzu, a candidate representing the opposition coalition of the Progressive Party of Maldives and PNC, secured 54% of the votes in the conclusive round of the recent presidential elections. The President-elect is emulating the approach of his mentor, former president Abdulla Yameen, concerning the removal of Indian troops and a closer alignment with China. On the other hand, the Indian contingent asserts that their presence in the Maldives is solely for disaster relief purposes and not for conducting any open or covert military activities, either within the country or beyond its borders. Following the polls, Indian High Commissioner to Maldives…

A landlord in the Chicago area was taken into custody and charged with murder and hate crimes. He allegedly fatally stabbed a 6-year-old boy and severely injured his mother because they were Muslim. This attack was linked by officials to the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. Joseph M. Czuba, 71, faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two hate crime counts, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the Will County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, the U.S. Justice Department has initiated a federal hate crime investigation into the incident, as announced by U.S. Attorney General Merrick…

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Hamas to promptly release all hostages without any preconditions. He also called on Israel to permit swift and unhindered access to humanitarian aid for the civilians residing in the Gaza Strip. It was noted that the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas and housing approximately 2.3 million inhabitants, is currently subjected to a comprehensive blockade. As a consequence of the ongoing conflicts with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel has ceased the provision of essential resources such as food, water, and fuel to the region. On Monday, Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, announced the intention to…

“The Supreme Court expressed its moral opposition to judicially ordering the termination of a fetus in the womb,” stated on Thursday. This stance comes as the Court grapples with the ethical debate of “pro-life versus pro-choice” in a case involving a viable and healthy fetus, over 26 weeks into gestation, carried by a married woman who is resolute in terminating the pregnancy. This situation arose from the case of a married woman who was determined to terminate her pregnancy and who had approached the top court earlier this month. She cited the unawareness of her third pregnancy due to a…

Since May 3 this year, Manipur has been embroiled in an ethnic strife pitting the Meitei people from the valley against the Kuki-Zomi people from the hill-based Scheduled Tribe. This conflict has resulted in approximately 180 casualties.  During this period, there have also been instances of looting police armouries, extensive damage to hundreds of churches and over a dozen temples, and the destruction of several villages. In an effort to curb the spread of videos and pictures depicting the violence and destruction of property in the state, the Manipur government has issued a directive stating that any such distribution will…

Last week, the police took action against NewsClick, sealing its office, arresting its editor and administrative head, questioning more than 40 journalists linked to the outlet, and seizing many of its electronic devices. According to sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has assumed control of the inquiry into alleged breaches of foreign funding regulations by the NewsClick website. On October 3, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police apprehended NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This came days after a New York Times investigation alleged that the news portal had received funding from…