Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida after sectarian violence
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Cooperative society or bank employee is public servant: High Court
Cooperative society or bank employee is public servant: High Court of J&K and Ladakh. Court dismissed the plea by Ghulam Nabi Shah, former chairman of the Board, Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd. Shah had sought quashing of an FIR filed by Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) Anantnag against him regarding alleged backdoor appointments of at least 12 of his kith and kin. The FIR was challenged on the ground that after coming into force the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization Act of 2019, the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 would be applicable to the present case, Shah’s plea said.
Srinagar, Aug 23: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has held that an officer or servant employed by a cooperative society or cooperative bank falls within the definition of a public servant.
“An officer or servant employed by a Cooperative Society or Cooperative Bank, whether for the whole or part of his tenure including every member of the society or bank falls within the definition of Public Servant”, a bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar said, while dealing with a related plea.
The Court dismissed the plea by Ghulam Nabi Shah, former chairman of the Board, Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd, through which he had sought quashing of an FIR filed by Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) Anantnag against him regarding alleged backdoor appointments of at least 12 of his kith and kin.
The FIR (No. 04 of 2020) was registered on August 17, 2020 against the former chairman of the Bank for offences under Sections 5(1) (d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act 2006 and 120-B of RPC with Police Station, ACB Anantnag.
The FIR was challenged on the ground that after coming into force the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization Act of 2019, the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 have been extended to the UT of J&K. Therefore, the procedure prescribed in the Act would be applicable to the present case, the plea said.
The former bank officer also contended that in terms of Section 17-A of the Act of 1988, without previous approval of the competent authority, the investigation of the case could not have proceeded against him.
“An employee or officer of the Cooperative Society does not fall within the definition of ‘public servant’ as contained in Section 2(2) of the State Act, as such, the proceedings against him cannot continue”, according to the plea.
“In the instant case, the alleged offence has taken place at a time when State Act was in force and, as such, in terms of Article 20(1) of the Constitution of India which provides that no person shall be convicted for any offence except for violation of a law which was in force at the relevant time, the petitioner has to be tried for the offence as defined under repealed State Act and not for the offences created under the Act of 1988, which was not in force at the time of the alleged occurrence,” the court said in response to the plea.
The court observed that sub-section (2) of Section 2 of State Act adopts the definition of ‘public servant’ as contained in Section 21 of the Ranbir Penal Code.
It said: “Section 21 of the Ranbir Penal Code defines public servant and it brings certain persons within the purview of the definition of Public Servant.
The Court dismissed the plea, underscoring that an officer or servant employed by cooperative society or cooperative bank falls within the definition of a public servant.
Source – Greater kashmir
Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida and two Kurdish-held areas
Syria’s first parliamentary election will not include the Druze-majority province of Sweida and two Kurdish-held areas due to security concerns. The ballot will also be delayed in the northern provinces of Hasaka and Raqqa, as well as Sweida, until a “safe environment” is in place. Hundreds of people were killed in Sweida last month in clashes involving Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces. After toppling Bashar Al Assad in December, Syria’s new authorities, led by President Ahmed Al Shara, dissolved the Assad-era parliament and adopted a temporary constitution. The interim charter has been criticised for concentrating power in his hands after decades of autocracy under Assad and for failing to reflect Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity. The parliamentary election is planned between September 15 and 20. Appointed local bodies will pick two-thirds of the 210 lawmakers, while Mr Alshara will name the rest. The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
The Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections said the ballot would also be delayed in the northern provinces of Hasaka and Raqqa, as well as Sweida, until a “safe environment” is in place, according to state news Sana.
Seats allocated to the three provinces will remain vacant until elections can be held there, commission spokesperson Nawar Najmeh told the news agency.
Hundreds of people were killed in Sweida last month in clashes involving Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces. Israel also intervened with strikes, claiming to protect the Druze. But experts at the time warned Israel was exploiting the violence to fuel instability in Syria.
After toppling Bashar Al Assad in December, Syria’s new authorities, led by President Ahmed Al Shara, dissolved the Assad-era parliament and adopted a temporary constitution for a five-year transition.
The interim charter has been criticised for concentrating power in his hands after decades of autocracy under Assad and for failing to reflect Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity.
The parliamentary election is planned between September 15 and 20. Appointed local bodies will pick two-thirds of the 210 lawmakers, while Mr Al Shara will name the rest.
The planning for the first election under the new authorities comes after several waves of sectarian violence in Alawite and Druze areas of the country, and amid concerns of fighting in the Kurdish-held region.
Parts of Syria remain outside of the Syrian government’s control, with much of the north-east coming under the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Implementation of a March 10 deal on integrating Kurdish institutions into those of the central government has been held up by differences between the two sides.
Other workplace saving schemes The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels? The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel. A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001. Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed. The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live. When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap. While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference. In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). “Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.” Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender. “Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap,” she said. “Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently.”
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.” A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months. “Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Charge Sheet Filed in Kolkata Law College Rape Case Two Months After Crime
Charge Sheet Filed in Kolkata Law College Rape Case Two Months After Crime. First-year student was allegedly gang-raped on the South Calcutta Law College campus on June 25. Four accused are currently in judicial custody, police said. The charges ranged from gang rape, forcible wrongful confinement, kidnapping with the intention to cause harm, hiding evidence, misleading the probe and others, a senior officer said. He added that the prime accused was a former Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) unit president.
A charge sheet was filed on Saturday against four accused in the alleged gang rape of a law student on her college campus in Kolkata, around two months after the crime, police said.
The charge sheet was submitted to the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alipore, naming Monojit Mishra, the prime accused and an alumnus of the college, and three others, a senior officer said.
“The charges, based on technical, scientific and circumstantial evidence, ranged from gang rape, forcible wrongful confinement, kidnapping with the intention to cause harm, hiding evidence, misleading the probe and others,” the officer said.
The four accused are currently in judicial custody, he said.
The first-year student was allegedly gang-raped on the South Calcutta Law College campus on June 25 by Mishra and co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee.
Mishra, who was working as a temporary staffer in the college since 2024, was terminated from the service, while Ahmed and Mukherjee, the students of the institute, were expelled.
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Mishra and the two students were arrested on June 26 and booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while security guard Pinaki Banerjee was also apprehended the next day on charges of abetting the crime by not coming to the help of the victim and allowing the perpetrators to use his room on the campus for the crime.
Mishra was a former Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) unit president of the college, and the two other accused were his associates.
The TMCP had maintained that it had no association with Mishra for the past two years.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by VoM News staff and is published from the syndicated feed)
Pentagon working on plans for military deployment in Chicago, Washington Post reports
Pentagon working on plans for military deployment in Chicago, Washington Post reports. Defense Department planning involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city had grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops. The Pentagon said in a statement late on Saturday: “We won’t speculate on further operations.’“Chicago is a mess,” Trump, a Republican, told reporters on Friday, deriding its mayor as he continued his attacks on cities run by Democratic politicians.
WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) – The Pentagon is working on plans to deploy the U.S. military to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he is cracking down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
The Defense Department planning, in the works for weeks, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September, the Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
“Chicago is a mess,” Trump, a Republican, told reporters on Friday, deriding its mayor as he continued his attacks on cities run by Democratic politicians. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next.”
The Pentagon said in a statement late on Saturday: “We won’t speculate on further operations. The department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on the Post report.
JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, which includes Chicago, said in a statement the state had received no outreach from the federal government on whether it needed assistance. He said there was no emergency warranting a National Guard or other military deployment.
“Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families,” Pritzker said.
A spokesperson for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Friday Johnson said the city had grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops.
Also Read: Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida after sectarian violence
“The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound,” the mayor said, adding that over the past year, homicides in Chicago have fallen by more than 30%, robberies by 35% and shootings by almost 40%.
At Trump’s request last weekend, the Republican governors of three states said they were sending hundreds of National Guard troops hundreds of miles to Washington, D.C.
The president has portrayed the nation’s capital as a city awash in crime, although Justice Department data shows violent crime hit a 30-year low last year in Washington, a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress.
In June, Trump ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, against the wishes of California’s Democratic governor, during protests over mass immigration raids by federal officials.
Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida over security concerns
Voting will not take place in Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa due to security concerns. The decision comes after clashes between government forces and Druze fighters. The election was originally scheduled to take place between September 15 and 20. The electoral commission said voting will only take place when a safe environment can be established.
The Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections announced that voting will not proceed in Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa provinces as scheduled.
This decision comes after hundreds were killed in July clashes within Sweida province involving Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces.
Israel conducted airstrikes during the conflict to prevent what it described as potential mass killings of Druze civilians by Syrian government forces.
The Druze represent a minority Islamic sect with significant populations across Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Sweida province maintains a Druze majority population but also contains substantial Sunni tribal communities.
Longstanding tensions between these communities have historically centred around land disputes and resource allocation.
The electoral commission stated that voting in these three provinces will occur only when a safe environment can be established.
Seats allocated to Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa will remain vacant until elections can be properly conducted there.
Commission spokesperson Nawar Najmeh emphasised that elections represent a sovereign matter requiring full government control.
The nationwide parliamentary vote for the 210-member People’s Assembly was originally scheduled for September 15-20. – Reuters