Violence in Libya's Tripoli threatens nearly half mln children: UNICEF
Tripoli, May 15 (UNI) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday said the escalating violence in and around the Libyan capital Tripoli over the past two days threatens to impact nearly half a million children.
"UNICEF has received reports that children, families, and medical staff were stranded in hospitals for hours, including inside Al Jalaa Children Hospital, as fighting closed in. For several hours, emergency services were unable to access the facility to provide the needed help. Families are reporting extreme distress among their children due to the violence," UNICEF said in a statement.
It urged all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children and the infrastructure they rely on.
"We call for a sustained cessation of hostilities to ensure the safety and well-being of every child," it said.
Heavy clashes broke out late Monday in Tripoli between forces loyal to Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah, including the 444 Brigade, and a powerful militant group affiliated with the Presidency Council the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), amid reports of the death of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, known as "Ghaniwa," who was the head of the SSA.
Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity declared a ceasefire on Wednesday following intense overnight clashes between the rival militias that spread into central and residential districts of the capital.
Libya has been mired in political turmoil and insecurity since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains split between rival administrations: an eastern-based government in Tobruk backed by the House of Representatives, and a western-based government in Tripoli aligned with the UN-recognized Presidency Council.
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The Wire
22 minutes ago
- The Wire
Why Mehbooba Mufti's Meeting With LG Manoj Sinha Has Set Off Speculation
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics Why Mehbooba Mufti's Meeting With LG Manoj Sinha Has Set Off Speculation Jehangir Ali 7 minutes ago The move was unusual enough for some political analysts to suggest that the PDP, a party with a 'soft separatist' agenda, is finally coming to terms with the 'harsh realities of J&K.' Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti addresses a press conference after a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan, in Srinagar, Monday, June 2, 2025. Photo: PTI Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Srinagar: Is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti trying to rebuild the bridges with the Bhartiya Janta Party-led Union government that she and her party leaders spent six years tearing down after the reading down of Article 370? In an unusual political departure, Mufti called on the lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on June 2 – something which sparked speculation in Jammu and Kashmir. Some political analysts suggest that the PDP, a party with a 'soft separatist' agenda, is finally coming to terms with the 'harsh realities in J&K' against the backdrop of the Pahalgam massacre which has temporarily overshadowed the political dialogue over the restoration of J&K's statehood. Other analysts and observers argue that Mufti, who raised the issue of Kashmiri Pandits with Sinha, was ramping up her attacks on chief minister Omar Abdullah whose government had been reduced to a powerless entity in the Union territory while Raj Bhawan holds the reins of power. 'Major shift' Rekha Chowdhary, academic and former professor of political science at the University of Jammu, said that the meeting was laced with irony given that Mehbooba and her party leaders including Pulwama legislator Waheed Parra have been criticising Abdullah for being too close to the Union government. 'It is a major shift,' Chowdhary said, 'Mehbooba Mufti taking the initiative on her own and showing her interest in reconciling with the new political situation reflects that her party is facing existential issues and it has realised that in the present situation (post Pahalgam) nothing is going to change politically for the time being'. 'Relevant' A Srinagar-based senior political analyst who wished not to be named said that Mehbooba was 'trying to keep herself alive politically' at a time when political uncertainty has gripped J&K in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. 'It (Sinha-Mehbooba meeting) could also be a courtesy call or perhaps she is clearing her position after making some strong statements recently (after Pahalgam). She has to keep herself politically relevant both with the public and perhaps with the Union government also and hence the meeting,' he said. As the carnage in Pahalgam has overshadowed J&K's path to statehood, pressure is mounting on Abdullah who seems to be struggling to hold accountable an increasingly assertive bureaucracy which is controlled by the Raj Bhawan. It has been over six months since his elected government was sworn into office. Sharing the podium with prime minister Narendra Modi in Katra during the inauguration of the historic rail link to Kashmir, Abdullah pointed to his 'small demotion' as the chief minister of a state to that of a UT which is administered by the Union government. 'But I am optimistic that the time will soon come when this wrong will be righted and you will restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood,' he said to Modi, evoking a dismissive smile from Sinha who also attended the inauguration ceremony. LG Manoj Sinha, PM Narendra Modi and CM Omar Abdullah during the inauguration of the Chenab Rail Bridge. Photo: X/@narendramodi. On the possibility of J&K UT's transition to a state and Mehbooba Mufti meeting LG to prepare grounds for the same, Choudhary said it would depend on the interpretation of J&K Reorganisation Act and there could be fresh election if J&K's statehood was restored. 'Right now, it is a UT assembly as per this act. I believe there would be another reorganisation act for the transition of J&K to a state that will have its own processes and provisions and which will need the approval of the parliament,' she said. PDP versus NC; NC versus NC She said that the PDP has been cornering the Abdullah government for allegedly reneging on its electoral promises but the narrative that nothing was being done by the ruling party on Article 370 restoration and other issues wasn't gaining much public traction. 'The PDP is very much part of that narrative but the (Abdullah) government looks stable, unless there is some coup like in 1984 and some NC leaders decide to come out of the party. That would lead to a major crisis which I don't see forthcoming,' she said. Abdullah and his allies have 49 seats in the assembly of 90 but the questions over the 'impotence' of the elected government are gaining momentum, even within the ruling party. Last month, senior National Conference leader and three-time legislator from Srinagar's Habba Kadal constituency Shameema Firdous said that Abdullah was unable to deliver on the promises made by the party due to the alleged interferences by Sinha and his administration. 'We thought elections would solve our problems but now we have realised that there are many challenges. We cannot do anything or deliver the promises for which we were voted to power. Even the chief minister is facing problems,' said Firdous, in an interview with ETV. After the Lok Sabha parliamentarian Aga Syed Ruhullah, Firdous has become the second senior leader of the National Conference whose remarks have landed Abdullah in a difficult position. Ruhullah stirred a major row during the National Conference's working committee meeting last month when, without taking names, he sought to target the party leadership for abandoning the promises made in the election manifesto last year, including the restoration of J&K's pre-Article 370 identity and expeditious release of political prisoners. Following a tense exchange with Abdullah, the Srinagar MP offered to resign and later walked out of the meeting (something that was denied by the party), sarcastically dismissing it as a 'public milan ' of the party 'that once stood for something bigger than power'. Later, in a cryptic post on X, Ruhullah indirectly asked the chief minister to wear bangles if he can't deliver on his promises. 'Disillusionment with the elected government has started too early,' senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said, adding that an 'organic change' was taking place on the political front in Jammu and Kashmir as the ruling party was failing to live up to its electoral promises. Akhtar, a former J&K minister and the PDP ideologue, dismissed attempts to attach political motives to Mufti's volte face, arguing that a clear message had gone out post the massacre at Baisaran meadow that Kashmiris are against all forms of terrorism. 'We thought that this message shouldn't be a one-off occasion. The issue of Kashmiri Pandits seems to have been pushed on the back burner and by seeking their rehabilitation, we are affirming that Kashmir is not a communal issue,' Akhtar said. Chowdhary said that Mehbooba's meeting was an indication of the party's struggle to find relevance in the prevailing political situation, especially as Abdullah was negotiating directly with the Union government while the PDP had been reduced to merely three members in the assembly. 'Rather than talking about hard issues, she must have chosen a softer issue like Kashmiri Pandits because it appeals to many and it can appeal to the Union government also,' she said. She added: 'If PDP is feeling that J&K statehood was going to be restored or some other political development was going to take place, the party would be fixing its act on the ground and trying to win the support of people rather than meeting the LG,' she said. Akhtar said that the party has not given up on its political agenda, 'We will continue to promote peace with dignity which includes political resolution of Kashmir problem and an end to human rights abuses,' he said. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Grand Tamasha of Jammu and Kashmir Politics What Amit Shah's Amarnath Yatra Security Meeting Says About Who Controls Law and Order in J&K Lone NC MP in All-Party Delegations to Not Join His Group, Cites Urs at Native Village A PM Dependent on the Opposition Doesn't Bode Well for BJP 'Attack on Religious Right of Kashmir's Muslims,' Says Mirwaiz as J&K Govt Bar Eid Prayers at Srinagar Eidgah Modi's Cult-Driven Foreign Outreach Efforts Have Left India Friendless One Year, Five U-Turns: How Modi 3.0 Was Forced to Bend to Coalition Pulls & Opposition Pressures The Search for the 'Bandung Spirit' Rural Development Ministry Seeks 12% Hike in MGNREGS Outlay: Report About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Suspending police officers for Karnataka stampede looks like scapegoating: Think tank
New Delhi, The suspension of five police officers before the completion of a detailed investigation into the RCB victory celebrations-linked stampede in Karnataka would be seen as "scapegoating" and may have a "demoralising" effect on the entire force, an independent think tank on policing has told the state chief minister. The Delhi-based Indian Police Foundation has also said "isolating" the police force for "punitive" action, while other stakeholders escape scrutiny, distorts the reality of shared responsibility and "misses" the opportunity to draw "comprehensive" lessons for the future. The June 4 stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru led to the death of 11 people, while 56 were injured, as a large number of people thronged to participate in the Royal Challenger Bengaluru team's IPL victory celebrations. The Karnataka government has suspended Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior police officials on the charge of dereliction of duty. The state government has also appointed a one-man inquiry commission under retired Karnataka High Court judge John Michael Cunha to probe the incident. The IPF, a private think tank on policing subjects with a number of retired police chiefs and civil servants on its panel, wrote a two-page letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday. The letter, accessed by PTI, said the suspension of the five police officials has raised "serious concerns" within the professional policing community across the country. "Actions taken without establishing individual responsibility would be seen as scapegoating rather than principled accountability and may have a demoralising effect on the entire police force, while undermining institutional integrity," the IPF said. Large public events of this nature, it said, especially when held at such a short notice and without adequate time for preparatory work, require "coordinated" efforts among multiple civic, administrative and political agencies. The think tank urged the Karnataka government to "reinstate" the suspended officers and said disciplinary action, if warranted, should follow from the findings and not precede those. The IPF also offered the services of its multi-disciplinary expert members for conducting a post-incident review and analysis of the stampede. "This would be a non-adversarial, independent exercise, not intended for fault-finding, but focused on identifying systemic gaps, good practices and actionable lessons to guide police operations and training," it said. The foundation offered condolences to the bereaved families and said it fully supports a fair, impartial and transparent inquiry into the tragedy. Former Union home secretary G K Pillai, former Meghalaya governor and retired IPS officer R S Mooshahary, former HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, former Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh and former CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla are among the IPF members.
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
SC grants interim protection from arrest to MP journalists alleging police assault
New Delhi, Jun 9 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to two Madhya Pradesh-based journalists who alleged custodial torture, caste-based abuse, and death threats from Bhind police officials, including Superintendent of Police Asit Yadav. The petitioners, journalists Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, approached the apex court under Article 32 of the Constitution, claiming that they were assaulted by the state police for reporting on the alleged exploitation of the Chambal River by the sand mafia. A bench comprising justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, while declining to entertain the writ petition, directed the journalists to move the Madhya Pradesh High Court within two weeks. 'We are not inclined to entertain this petition under Article 32,' the bench said. 'However, looking at the allegations, we permit the petitioners to move the concerned High Court within two weeks from today. Till then, the petitioners shall not be arrested.' Counsel for the journalists pleaded for protection, saying, 'We are fearing for our lives. Kindly protect us for at least two weeks.' The court granted the limited interim relief but made it clear that all further remedies must be sought before the appropriate high court. The case brings to light serious concerns regarding alleged police high-handedness and intimidation of media personnel covering illegal activities in the region. UNI SNG PRS
