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Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj freed on bail

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  Indian authorities have released prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj on bail after years in prison on “terrorism” financing charges although both remain under tight court-imposed restrictions. The two men walked free from a New Delhi jail late on Wednesday, their relatives said, as India’s National Investigation Agency seeks to overturn their bail – the latest chapter in what rights groups call New Delhi’s sweeping crackdown on activists, journalists and dissidents in India-administered Kashmir since 2019 when it scrapped the region’s autonomy, granted under the Indian Constitution. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Why is India vetting books in Kashmir in search of ‘anti-national’ content? list 2 of 4 Decades of denial: Death certificate for disappeared reopens Kashmir wounds list 3 of 4 ‘Limited damage’: Upcoming Bollywood film angers Kashmir pellet gun victims list 4 of 4 Can Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s electio...

In India, fear has switched sides

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  Twelve years, one month and 24 days after Narendra Modi was sworn in, the words “ Modi must resign ” were uttered full-throatedly for the first time – without fear, in front of witnesses and cameras – on the streets of the national capital. India’s Gen Z is saying the unthinkable. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Opposition MPs disrupt Indian parliament in support of Cockroach protesters list 2 of 4 Photos: Police fire tear gas at India’s Cockroach movement supporters list 3 of 4 Why have India’s Gen Z protesters called for a march to parliament? list 4 of 4 How Modi’s refusal to sack India’s education minister fits a pattern end of list For more than a month, students, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), have been camped out at Jantar Mantar, a prominent protest site in central New Delhi, seeking education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This week marked a significant escalation in the movement’s demands with students now ...

Indian activist Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike over exam paper leaks

  Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his 26-day hunger strike demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over a series of examination paper leaks. Wangchuk ended his strike late on Thursday night, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a social media statement, saying he will bring a tougher law to check paper leaks. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Italians protest in Bologna after Moroccan man dies during arrest list 2 of 4 Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Trump’s top US intelligence official list 3 of 4 Guyana ferry disaster: families demand answers as around 100 feared dead list 4 of 4 Goldman officials deny allegations end of list In a video address posted on social media, Modi called the leaks a “matter of great pain” for hundreds of thousands of students. Wangchuk, 59, said in a post on social media that he had ended his fast after “a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country”. He sa...

Far-right Israeli incursion heightens tensions at Al-Aqsa ahead of election

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  Hundreds of Israelis have entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem as part of one of the largest incursions seen this year. The Palestinian Authority said it expected the number of trespassers at the site to continue increasing until sunset on Thursday, potentially reaching about 5,000, as Jews mark Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of mourning marking the destruction of both ancient Jewish temples believed to have stood on the Islamic holy site. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Israel bans Jerusalem’s grand mufti from Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week list 2 of 4 Key takeaways from Khalil al-Hayya’s first speech as Hamas leader list 3 of 4 More than 4,200 Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem list 4 of 4 Right-wing Israeli groups storm Al-Aqsa as Palestinians barred from worship end of list Orthodox Jews have traditionally considered it forbidden to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, but the rise of the Religious Zionist movement has led to an increase...