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World needs willing allies to counter adverse impact of US actions
Nitin Desai
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Eighty years ago, an international organisation, the United Nations, was set up and its agreed charter defined the legality of relations between States and established diplomatic practices that favoured restraint and mutual respect. This global standard of behaviour by countries was also reflected in the charters of several other international institutions. To a certain extent, this held true even during the first four and a half decades of its existence that were dominated by tension between the United States and the USSR. Over the past three decades, polycentrism has emerged with substantial rise in the global impact of China, particularly
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NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
India Stresses Humanitarian Aid, Ceasefire, Dialogue, Diplomacy For Gaza
New York: India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, on Wednesday, emphasised the need for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, urging purposeful dialogue and diplomacy to bring the parties together while delivering a statement at the High-Level International Conference on "The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of The Two-State Solution" in New York. He highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed, and many more injured, with medical facilities damaged or destroyed, and children deprived of schooling for over 20 months. Harish said that sustaining life is beyond any realm of politics and conflict. He reiterated India's stance that there should be an immediate ceasefire. "Humanitarian assistance is vital in sustaining life and must remain outside the realm of politics or has also been clear on the measures that must be undertaken in the short term: an immediate ceasefire, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, release of all hostages, and the path of dialogue and diplomacy. There are no alternatives to these measures," he said. "We appreciate the efforts of all friendly states that have facilitated such measures between the parties," he added. Ambassador Harish called for immediate attention to the humanitarian assistance pillar, ensuring an uninterrupted aid flow to Gaza, including food, fuel, and basic necessities, without hindrance or politicisation. "Our efforts must now focus on how to bring about a two-state solution through purposeful dialogue and diplomacy, and bringing the parties to the conflict to engage directly with each humanitarian assistance pillar demands our immediate attention and action. The human suffering in Gaza continues unabated. Tens of thousands have been killed, and many more injured. Several medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Children have been deprived of schooling for more than 20 months. Humanitarian aid needs to flow without impediments," he said. "Palestinians in Gaza must have access to food, fuel, and other necessities without hindrance," he added. India has advocated for an immediate ceasefire, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of all hostages, and dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path forward. Ambassador Harish reiterated India's readiness to contribute to achieving practical solutions that make a tangible difference in the lives of Palestinians, emphasising the need to follow up on action points emerging from the conference. "It is also India's earnest desire to see peace and calm prevail in the Middle East. Lasting solutions are required to achieve this. Certain action points are emerging from the Conference. Following up on them is the key. Let us not be content with paper solutions but strive to achieve practical solutions that actually make a tangible difference in the daily lives of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. India expresses its complete readiness to contribute to this noble endeavor," he said.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why has Delhi HC criticised the law capping rents in Delhi as unjust, and called it anachronistic?
Earlier this month, Delhi High Court criticised the tendency of some well-off tenants to 'unjustly' occupy premises paying a pittance as rent, while their landlords are forced into 'impecunious and desperate circumstances'. This, the court said, was an 'egregious misuse' of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958, which it described as an 'anachronistic piece of legislation'. The court was hearing a challenge to orders passed by the additional rent controller in 2013, which had dismissed eviction petitions relating to a property in Sadar Bazar, and ruled in favour of the tenants. The 1958 law has allowed many tenants of properties in areas such as Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, and Chandni Chowk to continue to pay rents that are sometimes as low as Rs 500. What is the Delhi Rent Control Act (DRCA)? The DRCA was enacted to regulate rents, prevent arbitrary evictions, and define the rights and duties of landlords and tenants in Delhi. The Act restricts landlords from charging tenants more than a fixed 'standard rent', and prohibits the collection of extra charges. It also specifies the limit by which rents can be increased – not more than 10% in three years. There are strong protections for tenants against eviction, and landlords are allowed to throw out tenants only under specific conditions, such as non-payment of rent and subletting without permission. The law also lays down the procedure for depositing rent, mechanisms for appeal, and summary eviction processes in certain cases. The DRCA was enacted in the aftermath of World War II and Partition to protect tenants in a situation of scarce housing in Delhi. Is the DRCA applicable everywhere in Delhi? The law is not applicable to government-owned premises. Later, certain other categories of properties were excluded from the ambit of the Act, such as those where the rent was more than Rs 3,500, and 'premises constructed on or after the commencement of the Delhi Rent Control (Amendment) Act, 1988, for a period of ten years from the date of completion of such construction'. It is important to note that while the Act is technically applicable to all remaining properties in the city, the precise percentage of housing to which it is applicable is not known because of the existence of a large number of illegal and unplanned settlements. In fact, about a quarter of Delhi's population is believed to be living in slums or squatter settlements. Implementation of the Act is uneven and mostly ineffective. Tenants pay market rents, not 'standard' rents fixed after both parties approach a rent controller. Landlords often do not issue rent receipts, and in many cases tenants have to make large advance deposits before they move in. What are some of the criticisms of the rent control law? Like rent control laws in other states, the DRCA has been criticised for being too tenant-friendly and facilitating an unfair situation of unrealistically low rents for landlords. Indeed, in the older markets of Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, and Chandni Chowk, monthly rents for some residential and commercial properties that are valued at crores can be still as low as Rs 500. In this situation, landlords often prefer to withdraw their premises from the rental housing market, creating an avoidable shortage and distorting the market. Economists have criticised rent control legislation around the world for decreasing or freezing the supply of urban rental housing, and for leading to a deterioration of housing stocks as a result of a lack of incentive for landlords to invest in maintaining and upgrading it. The National Urban Rental Housing Policy 2015 noted that rent control legislation in various states have 'resulted in rental housing being economically unattractive and thereby creating an informal market'. Rent ceilings had led to reductions in both the quality and quantity of housing, the policy said. 'These laws not only restrict supply but also drive away legitimate seekers of rental housing which force tenants into unrecorded and informal arrangements,' it said. Since land and housing are State subjects, the central government drafted a Model Tenancy Act in 2021 as a framework that could be adopted by states and Union Territories. The model Act sought to balance the interests of landlords and tenants by allowing rent be decided by mutual agreement between the parties. However, the Act has so far been adopted by only four states: Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' faces backlash for filming in Western Sahara
Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan is facing criticism for filming parts of his upcoming film "The Odyssey" in the Western Sahara, 70% of which is occupied by Morocco, reported Variety. Nolan reportedly filmed in Moroccan-controlled Dakhla According to the outlet, the director recently spent four days filming in the highly anticipated historical film starring Matt Damon , Tom Holland , Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and more in the city of Dakhla, which has been deemed the capital of the Moroccan administrative region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab. Western Sahara recognised as disputed territory Western Sahara is a disputed territory and is classified as "non-self-governing" by the United Nations. Home to the Indigenous Sahrawi people, it's the last remaining African colonial state to achieve independence, with Morocco still claiming control over the majority of its land, reported Variety. However, a Morocco-proposed plan giving Western Sahara autonomy but Morocco ultimate sovereignty -- similar to Spain's relationship to the Canary Islands and Basque Country -- picked up steam last year with the support of the U.S., U.K. and France, reported Variety. Sahrawi film festival issued protest statement Last week, after the shoot had wrapped in the region, the Western Sahara International Film Festival (aka FiSahara) -- which takes place in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria -- put out a statement urging Nolan to stop production. "Dakhla is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes. First and foremost, it is an occupied and militarized city whose Indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression by the Moroccan occupation forces," the festival said, adding that the production should "stop filming in Dakhla and stand in solidarity with the Sahrawi people who have been under military occupation for 50 years and who are routinely imprisoned and tortured for their peaceful struggle for self-determination," reported Variety. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Moroccan official welcomed the Hollywood production On the other hand, Reda Benjelloun of the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre told a local outlet, Medias24, last week that the production filming in Dakhla is "extremely important," marking the first major Hollywood production to do so. "Dakhla will indeed offer extraordinary opportunities in the future to foreign productions ... which will find geography very different from other regions of Morocco," said Benjelloun as quoted by Variety. 'The Odyssey,' which adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic poem for the big screen, has also filmed in Morocco, Greece and Italy. It's set for a theatrical release from Universal on July 17, 2026, with early tickets already selling out for screenings.
