SAMBHAL (UP), May 1: A tehsildar court has declared illegal a mosque constructed on graveyard land in a village here, officials said on Friday.
A revenue team led by Tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar Singh visited Kaserua village under Nakhasa police station area and demarcated the land following complaints by villagers.
According to officials, the tehsildar court has already passed eviction orders against the mosque committee, which has filed an appeal before the district magistrate’s court.
“The court has passed an eviction order. The committee has filed an appeal before the district magistrate, and further action will be taken after the appellate court’s decision,” Singh said.
The tehsildar said the mosque was constructed on approximately 1,100-1,200 square metres of graveyard land.
“Constructing a mosque on graveyard land is not only illegal but also inappropriate from a religious perspective,” he said.
Officials said according to revenue records, the plot where the mosque is situated is designated as graveyard land. Singh told reporters that villagers approached the district magistrate, claimed the village lacked graveyard land, and sought its protection.
“During record verification, it was found that the graveyard land had been encroached upon and a mosque constructed on it. Action under Section 67 was initiated in this regard,” he said.
Singh said the mosque committee participated in the proceedings but failed to produce evidence proving the structure was built on its own land.
He said notices have been issued to those who have built houses on village community land. “If they remove the encroachments voluntarily, it will be better; otherwise, further action will be taken and penalties imposed,” he said. (PTI)
SAO PAULO, May 1 : The long-awaited trade deal between South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union took effect Friday, at least provisionally. The initiative creates a trans-Atlantic market estimated at USD 22 trillion with 720 million potential consumers, and some nations expect to boost their exports by more than 10 per cent by 2038, once it is fully implemented.
The trade deal was signed January 17 at a meeting of the South American group. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s move to provisionally enact the deal, effectively sidestepping the EU Parliament, is being challenged by EU lawmakers at the bloc’s judiciary. The agreement will be halted if the European body rules against it.
“This is good news for EU businesses of all sizes, good news for our consumers and good news for our farmers, who will gain valuable new export opportunities, with full protection for sensitive sectors,” she said Thursday.
Von der Leyen is expected to hold a videoconference on Friday with leaders of Mercosur nations Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay to celebrate the agreement.
Earlier this week, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, one of the key supporters of the agreement, signed a decree validating the deal in his country. He said it is a response to unilateral tariffs imposed last year by US President Donald Trump and a reaffirmation of multilateralism.
“Nothing better than believing in the exercise of democracy, in multilateralism, and in cordial relations between nations,” Lula said in a ceremony in the capital, Brasilia, to celebrate the milestone after more than 25 years of negotiations.
Last week, Brazil’s vice president and one of the negotiators of the deal, Geraldo Alckmin, said in an interview with The Associated Press and other news agencies that not striking the deal with the EU would have meant staying behind while competitor nations made other agreements.
Brazil is by far Mercosur’s largest economy, with a gross domestic product estimated at over USD 2.3 trillion in 2025.
Lia Valls, an associate researcher at the think-tank Fundacao Getulio Vargas based in Rio de Janeiro, agrees that the deal offers better perspectives against unilateralism worldwide.
“The EU and Mercosur are showing that it is possible for big blocs to reach a deal in this world where that multilateral system is being very weakened and where the US clearly operates to do that,” Valls told the AP. “It is a very positive sign.”
The agreement faced opposition from European farmers and environmental groups and was delayed in December, before being referred to the EU’s top court.
South American agribusiness industries, chiefly beef, fruit and minerals, are expecting a boost in exports to Europe. European automakers, pharmaceutical companies and technology firms also look forward to making new inroads in Mercosur markets.
While companies based in Mercosur countries have expressed fear of tough competition from European peers in high-tech industries, European farmers have shown concerns about price pressures and imports that do not follow similar environmental standards.
French President Emmanuel Macron, one of the critics of the deal, has long demanded safeguards to monitor and stop large economic disruption in the EU, increased regulations in the Mercosur nations like pesticide restrictions, and more inspections of imports at EU ports.
The agreement gradually removes trade barriers and tariffs in the two blocs, but it also keeps economic safeguard clauses for European countries to protect some sectors from excessive competition, such as poultry, beef, sugar, and fruit. (AP)
SRINAGAR, May 1: Apni Party president, Altaf Bukhari has urged the Central Government to come up with reciprocal Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to strengthen the prevailing peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said people have played a vital role in ensuring and sustaining a peaceful environment in Jammu and Kashmir, and now it is the responsibility of the Government of India to come up with reciprocal CBMs to support this ongoing peace and normalcy here.
“How long will our leaders and youth remain jailed? All the detainees except those who are facing charges for heinous crimes, must be freed,” he said while addressing a workers’ convention at Gulzarpora in Rawalpora, Srinagar today.
He also called for an end to arbitrary arrests and the indiscriminate filing of FIRs.
Taking a dig at traditional political parties, Bukhari said these parties have consistently deceived people with lies, false promises, and emotional slogans. He also blamed the public for allowing these parties to exploit them repeatedly.
Bukhari said, “Despite knowing that these political parties have been deceiving you time and again, and that they return every election with false promises to seek your votes, why do you continue to let them exploit you?”
“This ruling party made numerous promises during its election campaign. What has happened to those promises? Where are the one lakh jobs they pledged to provide soon after forming the government? Why have they not fulfilled their promise to regularise daily wagers? Where is the free electricity? Where is enhanced ration quota? Where are free gas cylinders, and the other benefits they assured they would deliver?”
Reiterating his view about the unjust reservation system, Bukhari said, “This unjust system has to go, and it must go. How long will 70 percent of the population receive only a 30 percent share of jobs? This is highly unjust,” he asserted.
Senior leaders- Muntazir Mohiudin, Mohd Ashraf, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Shiraza Malik, Dr Bilal Ahmad, Sheikh Nissar, Shoaib Dar and many others were also present on the occasion.
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 1: The Special Crime Wing (SCW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch J&K today filed a chargesheet against three persons in a multi-lakh Government job fraud case before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar.
In a statement issued here, the agency said the chargesheet, filed in FIR No. 09/2019 under Sections 201, 419, 420, 468, 471 and 120-B of the RPC, names Fayaz Ahmad Khan of Maloora Shalteng, Showkat Ahmad Shah of Shanzipora Handwara, and Owais Ahmad Rather of Shalteng Khwaja Bagh as accused. Click here to watch video
According to the Crime Branch, the accused allegedly duped several residents of Pulwama by collecting large sums of money on the promise of securing Government jobs for their children and relatives.
The investigation revealed that the accused were acting in criminal conspiracy and posed as influential officials to gain the trust of victims, the agency said.
They allegedly issued forged appointment orders purportedly from the Forest Department, which were later found to be fake.
Payments were reportedly taken in cash under the pretext of facilitating “backdoor entry” into Government service, the statement said.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 1: A missing teenager’s body was recovered from a canal at Rakh Bahu area under the jurisdiction of Police Station Bagh-e-Bahu here today.
The deceased individual has been identified as Davinder (17), son of Surjeet, and a resident of Press Morh, Bahu Fort area.
Officials said he was mentally challenged and was missing from his residence since Thursday. Click here to watch video
They said after the family members informed the local police, a rescue operation was started today and the body was traced floating in the canal near Rakh Bahu area.
It was later shifted to a hospital for conducting the post-mortem examination, they said.
Meanwhile, police have initiated inquest proceedings to further investigate into the matter.
JAMMU, May 1: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, launched a scathing attack on the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) Government over the steep increase in transport fares across multiple categories, terming the decision as “anti-poor, anti-middle class, and a complete betrayal of the promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir before elections.”
Sunil Sharma said that the fare hike has once again exposed the true face of the National Conference (NC) Government, which came to power by making tall promises of relief, employment, economic stability, and people-friendly governance, but has instead unleashed a series of decisions that are crushing the common people under financial pressure.
Sharma said that public transport is not a luxury but the backbone of daily life for lakhs of people across Jammu and Kashmir. Students travelling to schools and colleges, daily wage labourers, small traders, private employees, farmers, shopkeepers, and lower-income families depend on affordable transport for survival. At a time when inflation is already breaking the backs of common citizens, the NC Government has chosen to make life even more miserable for the people, he said.
Sunil Sharma stated that the Omar Abdullah Government has completely failed to honour its poll promises and has proven to be utterly disconnected from ground realities. Before elections, the National Conference promised relief to every section of society. They projected themselves as protectors of the common man. But after assuming power, their only contribution has been burden after burden on the people. Their promises have collapsed within months, exposing their hypocrisy and political opportunism, he said.
Sunil Sharma said that the present Government has miserably failed on governance, administration, and public welfare. The people of Jammu and Kashmir voted with hope, but the NC Government has responded with arrogance, incompetence, and betrayal. Every decision of this Government reflects confusion, poor planning, and complete disregard for public suffering, he asserted.
Sharma added the Government’s policies are rapidly generating anger and resentment among the masses, as people now realize that the promises made during elections were nothing more than political slogans aimed at misleading voters. NC sought votes in the name of public welfare but is now functioning in a manner that is openly anti-public, he added.
NEW YORK, May 1 : The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has warned that Israel’s newly adopted “Death Penalty for Terrorists Law” represents a “grave retrogression” in human rights protections and could institutionalize racial discrimination against Palestinians.
In a strongly worded statement issued under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure, the Committee urged Israel to “immediately repeal the law,” saying it undermines fundamental principles of equality and due process.
The Committee expressed alarm that the law mandates death by hanging as the default sentence for cases involving an “act of terrorism” before Israeli military courts. Those courts have exclusive jurisdiction over Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while Israeli citizens and residents are explicitly excluded from its application.
Israeli citizens and residents are explicitly excluded from its scope. According to the Committee, the legislation “de facto applies only to Palestinians,” particularly in cases involving accusations of intent to “deny the existence of the State of Israel.”
Acting under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure, as well as in follow up to the recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Conciliation Commission on the inter-State communication submitted by the State of Palestine against Israel.
The UN body also warned that the law eliminates judicial discretion by prohibiting mitigation, commutation, or pardon, and requires executions to be carried out within 90 days of a final verdict.
It further said the measure reverses Israel’s long-standing unofficial moratorium on executions in place since 1962 and expands the use of capital punishment across the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Committee expressed concern that the law was adopted amid rising settler violence, alleged unlawful killings, and ongoing violations of due process rights for Palestinians. It cited figures indicating that as of January 2026, “9,243 Palestinians were in Israeli custody,” including “3,385 administrative detainees held without trial.”
The UN panel urged Israel to ensure that all Palestinian detainees are guaranteed “equal treatment before the law, protection from violence, and access to justice,” and called for an end to what it described as policies amounting to “racial segregation and discrimination.”
It also appealed to all UN member states to ensure their resources are not used to support or enforce discriminatory practices in the occupied territories, referencing obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which Israel ratified in 1979. The Committee said the law and its broader implications must be addressed urgently, warning that failure to act could deepen systemic inequality and further erode international legal standards in the region. (UNI)
Srinagar, May 1: Police have intensified action against drug trafficking networks by freezing and attaching properties allegedly acquired through proceeds of narcotics trade in Baramulla and Shopian districts, officials said today.
Shopian Police have attached a double-story residential house falling in the Khasra No. 1163 and valued at Rs 2037126/- belonging to Ali Mohd Bhat, son of Ghulam Rasool Bhat resident of Haji Check Keegam.
Police said that the property was identified as having been acquired through proceeds generated from the illegal trade of drugs and narcotics. Accordingly, the property has been attached in connection with FIR No. 212/2025 of Police Station Shopian.
“The attachment proceedings were carried out in the presence of duly constituted police team, Executive Magistrate, Lambardar and Chowkidar, ensuring full compliance with all legal procedures and maintaining transparency,” police said.
In Baramulla, police said they secured confirmation from the competent authority under the NDPS Act, 1985, for freezing the property of an accused identified as Habil Yaseen Dar of Tarhama Kunzer.
He is involved in a case (FIR No. 16/2025) registered at Police Station Kunzer, in which 10 grams of heroin were recovered from his possession.
The property had initially been seized on March 12, 2026, during investigation.
Following due legal process, the competent authority confirmed that the property was acquired through proceeds of illegal drug trafficking and directed that it shall not be transferred or otherwise dealt with.
RANCHI, May 1: A seven-year-old swimmer from Jharkhand has crossed the Palk Strait between Sri Lanka and India, covering a distance of about 29 km, officials and family sources said on Friday.
The child, Ishank, completed the swim from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in India in 9 hours and 50 minutes, facing rough sea conditions and strong waves during the journey.
The feat is being described as a rare achievement for a swimmer of his age, with certification from relevant record authorities currently under process.
Family members said Ishank had shown interest in swimming from an early age and trained regularly with discipline. His coach attributed the achievement to consistent practice and mental endurance.
The Palk Strait is considered a challenging open-water route due to unpredictable weather and sea conditions.
Congratulating the young swimmer, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the achievement reflects dedication and commitment at a young age and brings pride to the state and the country.
Sports enthusiasts and local residents have also lauded the feat, with expectations that the swimmer will receive further training and support to compete at higher levels. (UNI)
PATNA, May 1 : JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar on Friday vacated the Bihar chief minister’s official residence, which he occupied for around two decades, and shifted to a new address.
Kumar, who is now a Rajya Sabha MP, relinquished the chief minister’s post on April 14, and the BJP’s Samrat Choudhary became the CM the next day. The JD(U) leader has served as the chief minister continuously since November 2005.
“We have shifted from 1 Anne Marg (the official CM residence) to 7 Circular Road, and will live there,” Kumar’s son Nishant told reporters.
The 1 Anne Marg house was notified as the Bihar Chief Minister’s residence in 2006.
Nishant also greeted people on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. (PTI)
