Russian forces struck a cafe in a key front-line area in northeastern Ukraine Saturday, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials said.
The shelling near the city of Kupiansk came as UK officials said that Russia may try to retake the area, which was captured by Kyiv in a lightning counteroffensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation.
Fierce fighting there earlier this month prompted mandatory evacuations and fears of a second Russian takeover.
Russian shells on Saturday morning struck the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupiansk, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post. He added that rescue teams were working at the site.
Wagner fighters face uncertain future sans Prigozhin
The Wagner Group’s presence extends from the battlegrounds of Syria to the deserts of sub-Saharan Africa, projecting the Kremlin’s global influence with mercenaries accused of using brutal force and profiting from seized mineral riches.
Putin tells them to sign allegiance oath
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state after a deadly plane crash believed to have killed Yevgeny Prigozhin
Putin signed the decree bringing in the change after the Kremlin said western suggestions that Prigozhin had been killed on its orders were an ‘absolute lie’
But that was under Yevgeny Prigozhin, who, in what may have been his final recruitment video, appeared in military fatigues from unidentified dry and dusty plains, boasting of Wagner “making Russia even greater on all continents”. A private jet carrying Prigozhin and his top lieutenants crashed northwest of Moscow on Wednesday, two months after he led an armed rebellion that challenged the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The crash has raised questions about the future of the group.
In African countries where Wagner provided security against extremist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the ISIS, officials and commentators predicted Russia would likely maintain a presence, placing the mercenaries under new leadership.
Others, however, say Prigozhin built deep, personal connections that Moscow could find challenging to replace quickly. Africa is vitally important to Russia. This summer, Wagner helped secure a national referendum in the Central African Republic; it is a key partner for Mali’s army in battling armed rebels; and it contacted the military junta in Niger that wants its services following a coup.
She was in Capital for departmental exam; accused at large
New Delhi, August 26
A CRPF head constable’s hand was chopped off allegedly by her husband in a hotel in northwest Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar following an argument between them, the police said on Saturday. The couple hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
They had checked in at the hotel around 3 pm on Friday. The woman was in the city for giving a departmental examination. According to the police, it is suspected that the accused might have given something to his 28-year-old wife following which she became unconscious and he later chopped off her hand from the wrist on Friday evening.
When the woman re-gained consciousness, she called the hotel staff who later informed the police. “We are verifying the details provided by the victim. The woman is in a semi-conscious state and has been admitted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial hospital. She is currently not in a position to give details,” a senior police officer said.
“However, we are trying to trace the accused who is at large,” he added.
Security forces have busted a terror module in Bandipora district with the arrest of two people, including the wife of a slain terrorist, the police said on Saturday.
Among them is a hybrid terrorist, Shafayat Zubair Rishi, a resident of Nesbal, Sumbal. He was caught at a checkpoint in Dardgund area of the North Kashmir district on Friday, a police spokesman said. A pistol, a pistol magazine, eight rounds and other incriminating material were recovered from him.
During his questioning, the accused disclosed that he was on his way to collect a cache of arms and ammunition from a woman identified as Munira Begum, wife of slain terrorist commander Yousuf Choupan. Begum has also been arrested.
The accused was in touch with Pakistan-based terror handler Mushtaq Ahmad Mir who “exfiltrated” to the neighbouring country in 1999 and had been working for the revival of terrorists in the district. On the disclosure of Begum, a cache of arms and ammunition have been seized by security men.
China, Bhutan form panel to speed up boundary talks
China and Bhutan have set up a joint technical team (JTG) on the delimitation of China-Bhutan boundary as part of Beijing’s efforts to speed up the resolution of the boundary issue.
The decision to set up the JTG was taken at an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on China-Bhutan Boundary Issues held in Beijing from August 21 to 24. The meeting of the JTG was held on the concluding day of the 13th EGM.
However, the 25th round of China-Bhutan boundary talks has still not taken place despite intentions expressed at the 12th EGM held on May 23 in Thimphu.
The EGM was taking place when PM Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Johannesburg to end military tensions in the India-China border areas.
Besides setting up a JTG, the 13th EGM saw “constructive discussions on continuously implementing the MoU on the Three-Step Roadmap for expediting the China-Bhutan boundary negotiations” with both sides agreeing to “expedite and take simultaneous steps to implement the Three-Step Roadmap.”
As was the case last time, the 13th EGM also saw the two sides agreeing to keep up the “positive momentum of frequent expert group meetings,” and resolved to hold the next EGM as soon as possible. China and Bhutan have held three EGMs in the first eight months of the current year. The 11th EGM was held in Kunming from January 10 to 13.
CJI highlights need for making legal profession more inclusive
Highlighting the need for inclusivity in the legal profession, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday called upon young lawyers to do their bit to make the noble profession more inclusive.
Addressing the 31st convocation of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, the CJI recalled an incident of a law student having been discriminated against during his internship at a law office on caste grounds.
Let women clerks work from home during periods
Last year, four law clerks out of five were women. It is common for them to call me up and say, ‘Sir, I have menstrual cramps’. I tell them: ‘Please work from home and take care of your health’.
We have also provided sanitary napkins dispensers in the female washrooms in the Supreme Court. DY Chandrachud, cji
Narrating the incident, he said that during his internship at a law office, the student was asked by his supervisor about his caste and when he revealed his caste, he was asked not to come back.
“As lawyers, we are keenly aware of society and its injustices. Our duty to uphold constitutional values is higher than that of other citizens. Yet, this incident shows some lawyers are violating the law… leave aside upholding constitutional values,” CJI Chandrachud said.
“Lift others up when you have the opportunity to. Regardless of the type of lawyers you become, do your bit to make this profession more inclusive,” the CJI said, expressing the hope that things would improve.
On the issue of inclusivity, the CJI said he permitted women law clerks to work from home during menstruation. “Last year, four law clerks out of five were women. It is common for them to call me up and say, ‘Sir, I have menstrual cramps’. I tell them: ‘Please work from home and take care of your health’. We have also provided sanitary napkins dispensers in the female washrooms in the Supreme Court,” he said.
The CJI also highlighted the fact that many law firms prefer candidates who could work 24×7 throughout the year. “My late former wife who was a lawyer, when she went to a law firm… she asked what the working hours were. She was told it is 24×7 and 365 days. When she asked what about ones with family, she was told to find a husband who can do household chores and there is no family time,” Justice Chandrachud said.
As lawyers we must stand up against injustice: CJI Chandrachud
“As lawyers we must ensure to stand up against discrimination and injustice,” stated Chief Justice of India Dr D.Y. Chandrachud on Saturday.
Addressing the 31st annual convocation of the National Law School of India (NSILU) University in Bengaluru, the CJI explained that he was told that a young law student who went to intern at a law office was asked what his caste was and when he told, he was asked not to come back.
“This filled me with despair. As lawyers, we must ensure to stand up against discrimination and injustice. We have to ensure constitutional values are adhered to and this shows that some lawyers are violating the law let alone upholding the constitutional values,” he underlined.
“The Supreme Court at present is engaged in seminal constitutional issues. We have released a handbook on gender stereotypes. On why we should not call a woman a housewife, or call a woman who is raped or ‘ravished’, we have said how these words cannot be used in modern India. The graduating class is the one who will drive the change, and technology in your hands is what fish is to water. For us it is a learning process,” CJI Chandrachud stated.
India’s first female advocate Cornelia Sorabjee was not allowed to make submissions in court unless accompanied by a male lawyer. These stories are not the ones we can leave behind in our history books. Much needs to be done, he pointed out.
CJI Chandrachud explained that, “Last year out of five, four law clerks were women. It is common for them to call me up and say that, Sir, I have menstrual cramps. I tell them please work from home and take care of your health. We also informed you of sanitary napkin dispensers at the female washrooms in the Supreme Court.”
“If being a good person and good lawyer comes at a juncture, I urge you to be a good person,” he underlined. The profession of advocacy is slowly becoming an opening point for the entry of more and more women lawyers,” he said.
The CJI stressed, “Do not ever kick the ladder that took you up in this journey of life.”
Search operation launched after suspicious movement detected near LoC in Poonch
Security forces on Saturday launched a search operation in a forested area after detecting suspicious movement near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.
The search operation by the army and police was launched in Chamrer and Gangna Top in the Buflaiz sector around 6 am, they said.
The search parties fired a few rounds in the Chamrer forest area on observing some suspicious movement but there was no retaliation from the other side, the officials said.
Reinforcements had been rushed to the area for conducting a thorough search operation, they said.
CRPF inducts state-of-the-art WhAP armoured vehicles in Kashmir Valley
The CRPF on Saturday inducted WhAP vehicles, designed both for land and water operations in the Kashmir Valley, adding to the paramilitary force’s operational capabilities, officials said.
The force demonstrated the vehicle’s capabilities at Lethpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Two Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform (WhAP) vehicles have been deployed in south Kashmir to aid anti-militancy operations, the officials said.
The 8-by-8 vehicle is a state-of-the-art platform. It boasts contemporary features, optimised ergonomics, modular ballistic protection and is capable of carrying 10 troops and a driver.
The vehicle underwent complex tests before being inducted, the officials said.
“It is India’s first vehicle that can be driven on road, marshy terrain and in water as well. It performs very well in mountainous terrain as well,” senior CRPF officer Shish Pal told reporters here.
The vehicle has been developed by Vehicle Research and Development Establishment—a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organisation—and Tata Advanced Systems Limited.
“Its weighs about 24 tonnes and is 8 metre in length and 3 metre in width,” he said.
The vehicle can move in rivers against the waves. It is fully bulletproof and mine-protected, Pal said.
“It has an automated tyre-inflation system, a remote-control weapon system (RCWS) to fire MMG (medium machine gun), which has extreme precision while targeting. It also has an automatic grenade launcher,” according to Pal, who added that the vehicle has a speed of 8-10 km per hour in water. In normal terrain, it can drive at speeds up to 140 km per hour.
Another senior CRPF official said the new technology will act as a force multiplier and morale booster.
The WhAP variant will provide a tactical advantage, the official said.
According to CRPF personnel, the WhAP vehicle lends a tactical advantage to the force.
“This vehicle has very advanced technology. We can launch an assault while sitting inside the bulletproof vehicle. This will help in anti-terror operations as we can get closer to targets where terrorists are holed up,” CRPF jawan Pratap Singh said.
The Tribune Exclusive: Shaheed Udham Singh’s fingerprints discovered at Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur
As the nation observes the 84th martyrdom year of Shaheed Udham Singh and a film on his life won five national awards on Thursday, the freedom fighter’s fingerprints lie hidden from the public eye in the closets of the Punjab Police Academy (PPA) at Phillaur.
Shaheed Udham Singh
The fingerprints were captured in 1927 when Udham Singh was arrested for holding a gathering of Ghadar Party activists. This correspondent, with the help of the Punjab Police, came across the rare document while searching for the fingerprints of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The academy has been a repository of police case files, documents and weapons since 1860s, then known as the Military Police Force. It was rechristened the PPA in 1891. It’s the first time a photo of Udham Singh’s fingerprints has been published. Udham Singh had famously avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 1919 by assassinating Michael O’Dwyer, a former colonial-era lieutenant governor, on March 13, 1940, in London.
Udham Singh, who insisted his name was Ram Mohammad Singh Azad—to show his secular preference—turned a hero back home after the assassination. He has since been a subject in books, songs, plays and films. Every year on his martyrdom day, there is a call to collect things attached to him and display those in a museum. However, many things like the fingerprints are lying hidden in government files or archives.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said he was excited to know about the “discovery” of the fingerprints and happy that the PPA had preserved such an important document all these years. He assured the prints would be displayed suitably soon. Earlier, a research from the same academy had led to the discovery of martyr Bhagat Singh’s lost pistol.
While being arrested in 1927, Udham Singh was shown to be in the possession of unlicensed arms and ammunition by the British police. The copies of “prohibited” Ghadar Party paper called “Ghadr-di-Gunj” (Voice of Revolt) were also recovered. He was prosecuted and sentenced to five years in prison, a period when the fingerprints were captured.
Udham Singh’s real name was Sher Singh and he belonged to Sunam. Born on December 26, 1899, to Tehal Singh and Narain Kaur, he had an elder brother, Sadhu Singh. The martyr’s mother died when he was three years old and his father too passed away after some time. The brothers were adopted by the Central Khalsa orphanage and baptised as Mukta Singh and Udham Singh. The elder brother too died a few years later due to an ailment.
As per the information form, the fingerprints list the bearer’s name as Sher Singh, son of Tehal Singh. These were taken on October 10, 1927. Interestingly, the prints bear a noting of April 1, 1940, also, where it seemed the prints were taken from the academy for verifying the identity of Udham Singh, who was under arrest in London on March 13, 1940, when he killed O’Dwyer.
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