On his birthday, World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh hopes for swift resolution to farmers’ issues

Agencies

December 12, 2020

New Delhi, Dec 12: Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Saturday turned 39 but instead of celebrating his birthday this year, the 2011 World Cup hero hoped for a "swift resolution" to the ongoing farmers' issues through dialogue.

Yuvraj also urged people to take necessary precautions against coronavirus as the country continues its fight against the pandemic.

"Birthdays are an opportunity to fulfil a wish or desire and this birthday rather than celebrating I only wish and pray for a swift resolution of the ongoing talks between our farmers and our government," Yuvraj said in a Twitter post.

"Undoubtedly, farmers are the lifeblood of the nation and I truly believe that there is no problem which cannot be resolved through peaceful dialogue," he added.

The 2011 World Cup-winning star also distanced himself from his father Yograj Singh's unsavoury comments made earlier this week during a protest rally.

"As a proud Indian, I am indeed saddened and upset by the statements made by Mr. Yograj Singh. I wish to clarify that his remarks have been made in an individual capacity and my ideologies are not the same in any manner," Yuvraj said.

"I also urge everyone to continue taking precautions to fight against Covid-19. The pandemic is not over yet and we need to continue to be careful to defeat the virus completely," he said and ended the post with 'Jai Jawan! Jai Kisan! Jai Hind!'

Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana are camping at various Delhi border points, protesting against the new farm laws, which they claim will dismantle the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporate houses.

In a show of solidarity with the farmers, some sportspersons from Punjab and Haryana, including Khel Ratna awardee Vijender Singh, have threatened to return the national sports awards they had won.

The agitating farmers' concern is that these laws, aimed at reforming the sector, will eliminate the MSP and mandis that ensure their earning. But the government says the MSP system will continue and the new laws will give farmers more options to sell their produce.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant for war crimes

News Network

November 21,2024

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over war crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest”, it confirmed in a statement Thursday.

It is the first instance in the court's 22-year history it has issued arrest warrants for Western-allied senior officials.

In its statement, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of three judges, said it has rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction.

The chamber said it has decided to release the arrest warrants because "conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing", referring to Israel's ongoing onslaught on Gaza.

Netanyahu and Gallant, it said, “each bear criminal responsibility” for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” as well as “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”

All 124 states that signed the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court, are now under an obligation to arrest the wanted individuals and hand them over to the ICC in the Hague.

The court relies on the cooperation of member states to arrest and surrender suspects. The Netherlands' foreign minister quickly said his country was prepared to enforce the warrants while 93 nations earlier reiterated their support for the ICC.

Triestino Mariniello, a lawyer representing Palestinian victims at the ICC, called the warrants "a historic decision".

He noted that the court had endured "pressure and threats of sanctions" from the US government, but acted nonetheless.

As expected, the Tel Aviv regime rejected the rulings, with its security minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling the warrants “anti-Semitic through and through.”

The ICC said Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction was not required.

Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court.

Israel unleashed its bloody Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023. So far, it has killed at least 43,985 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 104,092 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israel faces an ongoing South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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