At least 10 police personnel including Sangin district police chief Abdul Mohammad Sarwari were killed in a Taliban attack in Lashkargah city on Saturday, Tolo News reported. &nbsp;

The three security force members, including the police chief, were killed and two more were wounded, Tolo News reported, quoting Zaman Hamdard, spokesman for the Helmand police chief.&nbsp;

A total of 15 Taliban were killed in the attack and seven got wounded, the spokesman told the reporters.&nbsp;

Earlier on Thursday night, a girl was killed in a clash between security forces and the Taliban in Chaharbolak district in the northern province of Balkh.&nbsp;

According to TOLO News data, 270 civilians and security force members were killed and 173 more were wounded in various security incidents across the country in February.&nbsp;

It further revealed that 166 security incidents, including magnetic IED blasts, roadside bomb blasts, targeted attacks, and Taliban offensives, occurred in Afghanistan in February.&nbsp;

However, in January, TOLO News findings indicated that 271 people were killed, and 347 others were wounded in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

At least 10 police personnel including Sangin district police chief Abdul Mohammad Sarwari were killed in a Taliban attack in Lashkargah city on Saturday, Tolo News reported.

At least 10 police personnel including Sangin district police chief Abdul Mohammad Sarwari were killed in a Taliban attack in Lashkargah city on Saturday, Tolo News reported. The three security force members, including the police chief, were killed and two more were wounded, Tolo News reported, quoting Zaman Hamdard, spokesman for the Helmand police chief. A total of 15 Taliban were killed in the attack and seven got wounded, the spokesman told the reporters. Earlier on Thursday night, a girl was killed in a clash between security forces and the Taliban in Chaharbolak district in the northern province of Balkh. According to TOLO News data, 270 civilians and security force members were killed and 173 more were wounded in various security incidents across the country in February. It further revealed that 166 security incidents, including magnetic IED blasts, roadside bomb blasts, targeted attacks, and Taliban offensives, occurred in Afghanistan in February. However, in January, TOLO News findings indicated that 271 people were killed, and 347 others were wounded in Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)

10 police personnel killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan 

Five Oklahoma City police officers were charged with first-degree manslaughter Wednesday after they shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who had dropped his gun on the ground, officials said.

The shooting came after the police had responded to a call for an armed robbery at the Okie Gas Express on Nov. 23. Before officers arrived, the clerk had fled the store and locked the teenager, Stavian Rodriguez, inside, according to the police.

Officers ordered Rodriguez to come out, and he climbed out a drive-through window, prosecutors said. Body-camera footage shows officers giving Rodriguez “varying commands,” prosecutors said.

Rodriguez lifted his shirt up and pulled a gun from his pants, holding it with his thumb and forefinger, prosecutors said. He dropped the gun on the ground and put his left hand in his back pocket and his right hand in his front pocket or waistline, prosecutors said.

One officer, Sarah Carli, fired a “less lethal” round at Rodriguez, striking him, prosecutors said. Five other officers then “unnecessarily” fired their guns at Rodriguez, striking him multiple times and killing him, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez had no weapons other than the gun, which he had dropped before being shot, prosecutors said. A cellphone was later found in the back pocket where his left hand had been, prosecutors said.

A medical examiner’s report showed that Rodriguez had been shot 13 times in the head, the chest and other parts of his body.

The five officers who fired lethal rounds and were charged in the death are Bethany Sears, Jared Barton, Corey Adams, John Skuta and Brad Pemberton. First-degree manslaughter carries a penalty of four years to life in prison, prosecutors said. Carli, who fired the “less lethal” round, was not charged, the police said.

Cameo Holland, Rodriguez’s mother, said Wednesday that the officers should go to prison for killing her son.

“The first thing that comes to mind is ‘Praise God,’ and I’m hopeful that they will be convicted,” she said. “The surprise is that the district attorney is willing to do the right thing and to charge all of them.”

Holland said there was no justification for the police to have shot her son. “I don’t defend what he did at the store or even him being there,” she said, “but nobody should expect to be killed for committing a crime — not robbery.”

She said the officers would now go through the criminal legal process, “something they denied my son the opportunity to do.”

It was not immediately clear if the officers who were charged had lawyers. All five have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department.

John George, the president of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123, which represents the city’s officers, said all five who had been charged had “acted within the law.”

“Officers must make life and death decisions in a split second, relying on their training,” George said. “When an armed robbery suspect did not obey police commands, five officers perceived the same threat and simultaneously fired their weapons. A loss of life is always a tragedy, and we know these officers did not take firing their weapons lightly.”

Wyatt Cheatham, 17, who police say helped Rodriguez rob the gas station but was not there when he was shot, was charged in December with first-degree murder for taking part in a crime that led to Rodriguez’s death, court records show.

The charges against the officers came on the same day that the police released body-camera footage from the shooting that showed multiple officers surrounding the gas station with their guns drawn.

After Rodriguez crawled out of the drive-through window, officers yelled, “Hands!” “Get down!” “Face down on the ground” and “Drop it!” before opening fire, the videos show.

Last month, prosecutors charged another Oklahoma City police officer, Sgt. Clifford Holman, with manslaughter after he shot a Black man, Bennie Edwards, 60, three times in the back as he ran away in December.

Edwards had struggled with mental illness, and the shooting by Holman, who is white, was partly captured on video and touched off protests in the city.

Rand Eddy, a lawyer for Rodriguez’s family, said the family had begun the process of filing a lawsuit against the city in state court and planned to file a federal lawsuit against the city and the five officers who were charged with manslaughter.

Eddy called the criminal charges against the officers “a step toward justice.”

“The Oklahoma City Police Department has been perpetuating the murder of innocent and unarmed people for decades,” he said. “Of the many forms of justice Stavian and his family deserve, we hope to see an end to this senseless violence and tragedy in our community.”

Holland said her son had always been respectful to her and had loved animals and people.

“I love my son, and there was a lot more to his life than the last hour of that incident that happened at that store,” she said. “I’m proud of my son, and I’m not going to stop what I’m going to do until I get what is fair for my child, as fair as fair can be at this point.”

Five Oklahoma City police officers were charged with first-degree manslaughter Wednesday after they shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who had dropped his gun on the ground, officials said.

Five Oklahoma City police officers were charged with first-degree manslaughter Wednesday after they shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who had dropped his gun on the ground, officials said. The shooting came after the police had responded to a call for an armed robbery at the Okie Gas Express on Nov. 23. Before officers arrived, the clerk had fled the store and locked the teenager, Stavian Rodriguez, inside, according to the police. Officers ordered Rodriguez to come out, and he climbed out a drive-through window, prosecutors said. Body-camera footage shows officers giving Rodriguez “varying commands,” prosecutors said. Rodriguez lifted his shirt up and pulled a gun from his pants, holding it with his thumb and forefinger, prosecutors said. He dropped the gun on the ground and put his left hand in his back pocket and his right hand in his front pocket or waistline, prosecutors said. One officer, Sarah Carli, fired a “less lethal” round at Rodriguez, striking him, prosecutors said. Five other officers then “unnecessarily” fired their guns at Rodriguez, striking him multiple times and killing him, prosecutors said. Rodriguez had no weapons other than the gun, which he had dropped before being shot, prosecutors said. A cellphone was later found in the back pocket where his left hand had been, prosecutors said. A medical examiner’s report showed that Rodriguez had been shot 13 times in the head, the chest and other parts of his body. The five officers who fired lethal rounds and were charged in the death are Bethany Sears, Jared Barton, Corey Adams, John Skuta and Brad Pemberton. First-degree manslaughter carries a penalty of four years to life in prison, prosecutors said. Carli, who fired the “less lethal” round, was not charged, the police said. Cameo Holland, Rodriguez’s mother, said Wednesday that the officers should go to prison for killing her son. “The first thing that comes to mind is ‘Praise God,’ and I’m hopeful that they will be convicted,” she said. “The surprise is that the district attorney is willing to do the right thing and to charge all of them.” Holland said there was no justification for the police to have shot her son. “I don’t defend what he did at the store or even him being there,” she said, “but nobody should expect to be killed for committing a crime — not robbery.” She said the officers would now go through the criminal legal process, “something they denied my son the opportunity to do.” It was not immediately clear if the officers who were charged had lawyers. All five have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department. John George, the president of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123, which represents the city’s officers, said all five who had been charged had “acted within the law.” “Officers must make life and death decisions in a split second, relying on their training,” George said. “When an armed robbery suspect did not obey police commands, five officers perceived the same threat and simultaneously fired their weapons. A loss of life is always a tragedy, and we know these officers did not take firing their weapons lightly.” Wyatt Cheatham, 17, who police say helped Rodriguez rob the gas station but was not there when he was shot, was charged in December with first-degree murder for taking part in a crime that led to Rodriguez’s death, court records show. The charges against the officers came on the same day that the police released body-camera footage from the shooting that showed multiple officers surrounding the gas station with their guns drawn. After Rodriguez crawled out of the drive-through window, officers yelled, “Hands!” “Get down!” “Face down on the ground” and “Drop it!” before opening fire, the videos show. Last month, prosecutors charged another Oklahoma City police officer, Sgt. Clifford Holman, with manslaughter after he shot a Black man, Bennie Edwards, 60, three times in the back as he ran away in December. Edwards had struggled with mental illness, and the shooting by Holman, who is white, was partly captured on video and touched off protests in the city. Rand Eddy, a lawyer for Rodriguez’s family, said the family had begun the process of filing a lawsuit against the city in state court and planned to file a federal lawsuit against the city and the five officers who were charged with manslaughter. Eddy called the criminal charges against the officers “a step toward justice.” “The Oklahoma City Police Department has been perpetuating the murder of innocent and unarmed people for decades,” he said. “Of the many forms of justice Stavian and his family deserve, we hope to see an end to this senseless violence and tragedy in our community.” Holland said her son had always been respectful to her and had loved animals and people. “I love my son, and there was a lot more to his life than the last hour of that incident that happened at that store,” she said. “I’m proud of my son, and I’m not going to stop what I’m going to do until I get what is fair for my child, as fair as fair can be at this point.”

Five Oklahoma officers charged in shooting death of 15-year-old boy

A British police officer, whose job was to guard diplomatic buildings, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder over the disappearance of a woman last seen a week ago, a development described as disturbing by senior officers.&nbsp;

Sarah Everard, 33, was last seen at 2130 GMT on March 3 as she walked home from a friend's house in south London.&nbsp;

Police said the officer, who is in his 40s and works for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was in custody after being detained on Tuesday evening. He is also under suspicion of indecent exposure.&nbsp;

A woman in her 30s was also arrested at the same location on suspicion of assisting an offender.&nbsp;

The London force said the officer, whose job it was to carry out uniformed patrols of diplomatic premises, had not been on duty the night Everard disappeared.&nbsp;

"The arrest this evening is a serious and significant development," Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said.&nbsp;

"We will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving Metropolitan Police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing."&nbsp;

Police have launched an extensive investigation to find Everard, with officers searching streets and nearby areas on her route home, that went near the large grassy Clapham Common area.&nbsp;

Officers are also searching locations in Kent, southeast of London, including a property in the seaside town of Deal and an area of woodland near Ashford.&nbsp;

Asked by reporters if Everard was still alive on Wednesday, Ephgrave said, "We are searching as hard as we can to find Sarah so we really hope that is the case."&nbsp;

He said he could not give further details on whether the pair knew each other, or how long the man had been a police officer for. The organisation charged with policing the conduct of officers is aware of the arrest.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A British police officer, whose job was to guard diplomatic buildings, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder over the disappearance of a woman last seen a week ago, a development described as disturbing by senior officers.

A British police officer, whose job was to guard diplomatic buildings, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder over the disappearance of a woman last seen a week ago, a development described as disturbing by senior officers. Sarah Everard, 33, was last seen at 2130 GMT on March 3 as she walked home from a friend's house in south London. Police said the officer, who is in his 40s and works for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was in custody after being detained on Tuesday evening. He is also under suspicion of indecent exposure. A woman in her 30s was also arrested at the same location on suspicion of assisting an offender. The London force said the officer, whose job it was to carry out uniformed patrols of diplomatic premises, had not been on duty the night Everard disappeared. "The arrest this evening is a serious and significant development," Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said. "We will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving Metropolitan Police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing." Police have launched an extensive investigation to find Everard, with officers searching streets and nearby areas on her route home, that went near the large grassy Clapham Common area. Officers are also searching locations in Kent, southeast of London, including a property in the seaside town of Deal and an area of woodland near Ashford. Asked by reporters if Everard was still alive on Wednesday, Ephgrave said, "We are searching as hard as we can to find Sarah so we really hope that is the case." He said he could not give further details on whether the pair knew each other, or how long the man had been a police officer for. The organisation charged with policing the conduct of officers is aware of the arrest. (With inputs from agencies)

Serving UK police officer held for murder of missing woman 

Myanmar security forces fired tear gas and surrounded hundreds of anti-junta protesters at two places in Yangon on Wednesday, witnesses said, prompting the US Embassy to call for their withdrawal.&nbsp;

In New York, the UN Security Council failed to agree on a statement that would have condemned the coup in Myanmar, called for restraint by the military and threatened to consider 'further measures'.&nbsp;

Talks on the statement would likely continue, diplomats said, after China, Russia, India and Vietnam all suggested amendments late on Tuesday to a British draft, including removal of the reference to a coup and the threat to consider further action.&nbsp;

More than 60 protesters have been killed and 1,900 people have been arrested in the turmoil in Myanmar since the February 1 coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group, has said.&nbsp;

The military has brushed off condemnation of its actions, as it has in past periods of army rule when outbreaks of protest were forcibly repressed.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, police stormed a compound in Yangon housing railway staff and surrounded hundreds of protesters in North Okkalapa district, in another part of the city. More than 100 people were arrested at the two sites, witnesses said.&nbsp;

Many of the railway staff are part of a civil disobedience movement that has crippled government business and included strikes at banks, factories and shops since the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.&nbsp;

"We are seeing reports of innocent students and civilians surrounded by security forces in North Okkalapa, as well as arrests," the US Embassy said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We call on those security forces to withdraw from the area, release those detained, and allow people to depart safely."&nbsp;

Police and army officials did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Zaw Myat Linn, an official from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), died in custody after he was arrested, the second party figure to die in detention in two days.&nbsp;

"He's been participating continuously in the protests," said Ba Myo Thein, a member of the dissolved upper house of parliament. The cause of death was not clear.&nbsp;

In a Facebook live broadcast before he was detained, Zaw Myat Linn urged people to continue fighting the army, 'even if it costs our lives'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Myanmar security forces fired tear gas and surrounded hundreds of anti-junta protesters at two places in Yangon on Wednesday, witnesses said, prompting the US Embassy to call for their withdrawal.

Myanmar security forces fired tear gas and surrounded hundreds of anti-junta protesters at two places in Yangon on Wednesday, witnesses said, prompting the US Embassy to call for their withdrawal. In New York, the UN Security Council failed to agree on a statement that would have condemned the coup in Myanmar, called for restraint by the military and threatened to consider 'further measures'. Talks on the statement would likely continue, diplomats said, after China, Russia, India and Vietnam all suggested amendments late on Tuesday to a British draft, including removal of the reference to a coup and the threat to consider further action. More than 60 protesters have been killed and 1,900 people have been arrested in the turmoil in Myanmar since the February 1 coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group, has said. The military has brushed off condemnation of its actions, as it has in past periods of army rule when outbreaks of protest were forcibly repressed. On Wednesday, police stormed a compound in Yangon housing railway staff and surrounded hundreds of protesters in North Okkalapa district, in another part of the city. More than 100 people were arrested at the two sites, witnesses said. Many of the railway staff are part of a civil disobedience movement that has crippled government business and included strikes at banks, factories and shops since the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. "We are seeing reports of innocent students and civilians surrounded by security forces in North Okkalapa, as well as arrests," the US Embassy said in a statement. "We call on those security forces to withdraw from the area, release those detained, and allow people to depart safely." Police and army officials did not respond to requests for comment. On Tuesday, Zaw Myat Linn, an official from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), died in custody after he was arrested, the second party figure to die in detention in two days. "He's been participating continuously in the protests," said Ba Myo Thein, a member of the dissolved upper house of parliament. The cause of death was not clear. In a Facebook live broadcast before he was detained, Zaw Myat Linn urged people to continue fighting the army, 'even if it costs our lives'. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar security forces surround, arrest protesters as US calls for withdrawal 

19 Myanmar police officers have crossed over the border into northeastern India to escape taking orders from a military junta that is trying to suppress protests against last month's coup, an Indian police official said on Thursday.

The men crossed into Champai and Serchhip, two districts in the northeastern state of Mizoram that share a porous border with Myanmar, the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

All the men, who are lower-ranking policemen, were unarmed, the official said. “We are expecting more (people) to come,” he said, citing intelligence reports.

India shares a 1,643-kilometre (1020-mile) land border with Myanmar, where at least 54 people have been killed since a February 1 coup.

The junta overthrew a democratically-elected government, and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, having disputed her party's landslide victory in November.

The junta justified its coup by making unfounded allegations that Suu Kyi's party rigged the election.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, 75, is reportedly being detained in Naypyidaw, the isolated capital that the military built during its previous, decades-long dictatorship.

The bloody Wednesday violence left the United States "appalled and revulsed," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"We call on all countries to speak with one voice to condemn the brutal violence by the Burmese military against its own people," he said, referring to the country by its former name.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for an "immediate end of the repression in Myanmar".

(With inputs from agencies)

19 Myanmar police officers have crossed over the border into northeastern India to escape taking orders from a military junta that is trying to suppress protests against last month's coup, an Indian police official said on Thursday.

19 Myanmar police officers have crossed over the border into northeastern India to escape taking orders from a military junta that is trying to suppress protests against last month's coup, an Indian police official said on Thursday. The men crossed into Champai and Serchhip, two districts in the northeastern state of Mizoram that share a porous border with Myanmar, the official said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. All the men, who are lower-ranking policemen, were unarmed, the official said. “We are expecting more (people) to come,” he said, citing intelligence reports. India shares a 1,643-kilometre (1020-mile) land border with Myanmar, where at least 54 people have been killed since a February 1 coup. The junta overthrew a democratically-elected government, and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, having disputed her party's landslide victory in November. The junta justified its coup by making unfounded allegations that Suu Kyi's party rigged the election. Suu Kyi, 75, is reportedly being detained in Naypyidaw, the isolated capital that the military built during its previous, decades-long dictatorship. The bloody Wednesday violence left the United States "appalled and revulsed," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "We call on all countries to speak with one voice to condemn the brutal violence by the Burmese military against its own people," he said, referring to the country by its former name. French President Emmanuel Macron called for an "immediate end of the repression in Myanmar". (With inputs from agencies)

19 Myanmar police officers seek refuge in India rather than carry out junta's orders

Myanmar security forces opened fire on protesters against military rule on Wednesday, killing 18 people, witnesses and media reported, a day after neighbouring countries called for restraint and offered to help Myanmar resolve the crisis.&nbsp;

The security forces resorted to live fire with little warning in several towns and cities, witnesses said, as the junta appeared more determined than ever to stamp out protests against a February 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

"They marched towards us and fired tear gas, marched again and used stun grenades," Si Thu Maung, a protest leader in the central town of Myingyan, said.&nbsp;

"Then they didn't spray us with water cannon, no warning to disperse, they just fired their guns."&nbsp;

A spokesman for the ruling military council did not answer telephone calls seeking comment.&nbsp;

One teenaged boy was killed in Myingyan but the heaviest toll was in another central town, Monywa, where five people - four men and one woman - were killed, said Ko Thit Sar, editor of the Monywa Gazette.&nbsp;

"We've confirmed with family members and doctors, five people have been killed," he said.&nbsp;

"At least 30 people are wounded, some still unconscious."&nbsp;

Two people were killed in the country's second-biggest city Mandalay, a witness and media reports said, and one person was killed when police opened fire in the main city of Yangon, a witness there said.&nbsp;

At least 31 people have been killed since the coup.&nbsp;

"The country is like the Tiananmen Square in most of its major cities," the Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, said on Twitter, alluding to the suppression of student-led protests in Beijing in 1989.&nbsp;

The violence came a day after foreign ministers from Southeast Asian neighbours urged restraint but failed to unite behind a call for the release Suu Kyi and the restoration of democracy.&nbsp;

Security forces also detained about 300 protesters as they broke up protests in Yangon, the Myanmar Now news agency reported.&nbsp;

Myanmar security forces opened fire on protesters against military rule on Wednesday, killing 18 people, witnesses and media reported, a day after neighbouring countries called for restraint and offered to help Myanmar resolve the crisis.

Myanmar security forces opened fire on protesters against military rule on Wednesday, killing 18 people, witnesses and media reported, a day after neighbouring countries called for restraint and offered to help Myanmar resolve the crisis. The security forces resorted to live fire with little warning in several towns and cities, witnesses said, as the junta appeared more determined than ever to stamp out protests against a February 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. "They marched towards us and fired tear gas, marched again and used stun grenades," Si Thu Maung, a protest leader in the central town of Myingyan, said. "Then they didn't spray us with water cannon, no warning to disperse, they just fired their guns." A spokesman for the ruling military council did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. One teenaged boy was killed in Myingyan but the heaviest toll was in another central town, Monywa, where five people - four men and one woman - were killed, said Ko Thit Sar, editor of the Monywa Gazette. "We've confirmed with family members and doctors, five people have been killed," he said. "At least 30 people are wounded, some still unconscious." Two people were killed in the country's second-biggest city Mandalay, a witness and media reports said, and one person was killed when police opened fire in the main city of Yangon, a witness there said. At least 31 people have been killed since the coup. "The country is like the Tiananmen Square in most of its major cities," the Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, said on Twitter, alluding to the suppression of student-led protests in Beijing in 1989. The violence came a day after foreign ministers from Southeast Asian neighbours urged restraint but failed to unite behind a call for the release Suu Kyi and the restoration of democracy. Security forces also detained about 300 protesters as they broke up protests in Yangon, the Myanmar Now news agency reported.

18 die as cops shoot protesters in Tiananmen Square-like Myanmar suppression

Police in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, is deploying an armed rollerblading unit to curb theft and harassment on its teeming streets.

Your Story: Karachi cops train for an armed rollerblading unit

A total of six US police officers have been suspended with pay and another 29 have been put under investigation over their conduct during the riots on Capitol Hill on January 6, according to a police department spokesperson.&nbsp;

"Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman has directed that any member of her department whose behaviour is not in keeping with the Department's Rules of Conduct will face appropriate discipline," said police spokesperson John Stolnis, as quoted by CNN.&nbsp;

Last month, CNN had reported that the Capitol police were investigating at least 10 officers, while two were suspended. &nbsp;

According to Tim Ryan, a member of the House of Representatives, one of the suspended officers took a selfie with a protester, while another officer was wearing a hat with then President Donald Trump's slogan 'Make America Great Again'. &nbsp;

On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the US Congress would establish a special commission to probe Capitol Hill attack. On January 6, a group of then US President Donald Trump's supports stormed the US Capitol building.&nbsp;

The unrest took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen presidential election. Five people, four protesters and a police officer, were killed in the riots. &nbsp;

The last time, the Capitol was stormed was when British troops marched into Washington and set fire to the building in 1814. The deadly attack prompted the House Democrats to move to impeach Trump. The Senate trial that ended this weekend acquitted Trump.&nbsp;

A total of six US police officers have been suspended with pay and another 29 have been put under investigation over their conduct during the riots on Capitol Hill on January 6, according to a police department spokesperson.

A total of six US police officers have been suspended with pay and another 29 have been put under investigation over their conduct during the riots on Capitol Hill on January 6, according to a police department spokesperson. "Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman has directed that any member of her department whose behaviour is not in keeping with the Department's Rules of Conduct will face appropriate discipline," said police spokesperson John Stolnis, as quoted by CNN. Last month, CNN had reported that the Capitol police were investigating at least 10 officers, while two were suspended. According to Tim Ryan, a member of the House of Representatives, one of the suspended officers took a selfie with a protester, while another officer was wearing a hat with then President Donald Trump's slogan 'Make America Great Again'. On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the US Congress would establish a special commission to probe Capitol Hill attack. On January 6, a group of then US President Donald Trump's supports stormed the US Capitol building. The unrest took place after Trump urged his supporters to protest what he claims is a stolen presidential election. Five people, four protesters and a police officer, were killed in the riots. The last time, the Capitol was stormed was when British troops marched into Washington and set fire to the building in 1814. The deadly attack prompted the House Democrats to move to impeach Trump. The Senate trial that ended this weekend acquitted Trump.

Six cops suspended for misconduct during Capitol Hill riots

Spanish police on Wednesday said they seized around four million counterfeit medical-grade face masks at a hotel during a raid on a gathering that violated virus restrictions.&nbsp;

Officers found the masks inside cardboard boxes on the ground floor and in the warehouse of the hotel in Leganes on Madrid's southern outskirts, police said in a statement.&nbsp;

The boxes were 'ready to be transported' and marked as containing high-protection KN95 and FFP2 face masks, it said. &nbsp;

In addition, police found a printer that was capable of printing masks with the so-called CE mark, reflecting conformity to European standards.&nbsp;

"The material, which was seized leads investigators to believe that non-approved masks were being put through a (CE-mark) printing process so they could be put on the market as certified masks," the statement said.&nbsp;

Police searched the hotel after being notified of a gathering of 48 youths that violated restrictions regarding the number of people allowed to meet up.&nbsp;

Officers detained the hotel manager on suspicion of falsification of documents.&nbsp;

Spain has been hard-hit by the pandemic, recording nearly 66,000 deaths from just over three million cases so far.&nbsp;

Spanish police on Wednesday said they seized around four million counterfeit medical-grade face masks at a hotel during a raid on a gathering that violated virus restrictions.

Spanish police on Wednesday said they seized around four million counterfeit medical-grade face masks at a hotel during a raid on a gathering that violated virus restrictions. Officers found the masks inside cardboard boxes on the ground floor and in the warehouse of the hotel in Leganes on Madrid's southern outskirts, police said in a statement. The boxes were 'ready to be transported' and marked as containing high-protection KN95 and FFP2 face masks, it said. In addition, police found a printer that was capable of printing masks with the so-called CE mark, reflecting conformity to European standards. "The material, which was seized leads investigators to believe that non-approved masks were being put through a (CE-mark) printing process so they could be put on the market as certified masks," the statement said. Police searched the hotel after being notified of a gathering of 48 youths that violated restrictions regarding the number of people allowed to meet up. Officers detained the hotel manager on suspicion of falsification of documents. Spain has been hard-hit by the pandemic, recording nearly 66,000 deaths from just over three million cases so far.

Cops seize 4 million fake medical-grade masks in Spain

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure.

To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max.

 
At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months.

King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed.

Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history.

Who were the Black Panthers?

The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance.

The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren.

Who was Fred Hampton?

The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities.

Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.”

Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group.

In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead.

 
Who was William O’Neal?

At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle.

In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States.

What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed?

Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded.

At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police.

Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal.

The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid.

Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat.

To Black Americans in the 1960s who were targeted and harassed by the police, 21-year-old Fred Hampton was an empowering figure. To the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was a radical threat. Hampton was killed by Chicago police officers early on the morning of Dec. 4, 1969, during a raid on his West Side apartment, which was a block south of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago headquarters. The ambush, and the months of FBI surveillance of Hampton and the Panthers that preceded it, are dramatized in Shaka King’s film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which began streaming Friday on HBO Max. At the time of Hampton’s death, Chicago was the site of political protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. The infamous trial of the Chicago 7, a court battle that involved seven Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention (a saga chronicled in Aaron Sorkin’s recent film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”), had been underway for a little over two months. King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, drew mostly from fact while taking viewers inside the Black Panther Party in the months leading up to Hampton’s death, though they took a few dramatic liberties. For instance, the film’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is a decade older than the 21-year-old Hampton was when he was killed. Here is a guide to the real-life people, groups and events that feature in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Be warned, there are spoilers, if such a thing is possible when speaking of history. Who were the Black Panthers? The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by a pair of Black college students, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, to oppose police brutality and racism in local neighborhoods. The Panthers, who were known for their military-style black berets, leather jackets and raised-fist salute, believed in removing abusive officers from communities by any means necessary, including armed resistance. The FBI viewed the Panthers as a radical group capable of galvanizing a militant Black nationalist movement. (Hoover, the bureau’s first director, called the Black Panther Party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country”). But the Panthers also launched a number of social initiatives: Members ran medical clinics, provided free transportation to prisons for family members of inmates, and started a free breakfast program that fed thousands of schoolchildren. Who was Fred Hampton? The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Illinois, to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party. In 1969, a few months after helping to found the party’s Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities. Hampton’s rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret FBI counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations.” Targets included both the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the “rise of a ‘messiah’ who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.” Under Cointelpro, the FBI tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group. In the months before the raid on Hampton’s apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gunbattles: One in July 1969 at the party’s West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead. Who was William O’Neal? At 17, O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield in the movie) already had a criminal record when the FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But O’Neal soon took on a new role: FBI informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hampton’s inner circle. In 1969, O’Neal sketched a floor plan of Hampton’s West Side apartment, including where everyone slept, which the FBI then shared with the Chicago Police Department, the agency that conducted the fatal raid. But unlike the character in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the real O’Neal did not see his actions as a betrayal of Hampton or the Panthers. “I had no allegiance to the Panthers,” he recalled in an interview for the PBS docuseries “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. What happened the morning Fred Hampton was killed? Fourteen Chicago police officers showed up before dawn on Dec. 4, 1969, at Hampton’s apartment, acting on the orders of Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County state’s attorney. Over the course of about 10 minutes, more than 80 shots were fired. When the smoke cleared, Hampton, 21, and another party leader, Mark Clark, 22, were dead, and four other Panthers and two police officers were wounded. At first, the police claimed they killed Hampton in self-defense after people in the apartment began firing shotguns at them as they tried to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons. But ballistics experts determined that only one of the bullets was probably discharged from a weapon belonging to an occupant of the apartment. A federal grand jury investigation also revealed that the “bullet holes” in the apartment’s front door, which officers had cited as evidence that the Panthers had shot at them, were in fact nail holes created by police. Though the Chicago Police Department had led the raid, the grand jury concluded that it had been coordinated by the FBI as part of Hoover’s mission to cripple the Black Panther Party — and an FBI memo later revealed that the bureau had authorized a bonus payment to O’Neal. The first federal grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the raid, and though a subsequent grand jury indicted Hanrahan and the police officers who participated in the shootings, all the charges were dismissed. In 1982, without admitting any wrongdoing, the federal government, the city of Chicago and Cook County agreed to pay $1.85 million to the families of Hampton and Clark and to survivors of the raid. Clarence M. Kelley, who succeeded Hoover as head of the FBI in 1973, issued a public apology three years later for the bureau’s abuse of power in the “twilight” of Hoover’s career. “Some of those activities were clearly wrong and quite indefensible,” Kelley said. “We most certainly must never allow them to be repeated.”

'Judas and the Black Messiah': What to know about this much-talked about film

Myanmar teenager Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who was supposed to be celebrating her 20th birthday on Thursday, was determined to protest coup when she was shot by police.&nbsp;

Instead, she is now fighting for her life in a hospital in the capital Naypyitaw after she was shot in the head when police cracked down on a protest against the military coup. A hunt is also on by the Facebook and Twitter users to find the shooter.&nbsp;

Myanmar’s army seized power on February 1 and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a long transition towards democracy and bringing tens of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets.&nbsp;

The shooting of the teenager - the first known serious casualty of the protests - has roused anger across the nation and rallied support for the anti-coup movement, many of whose members are part of a Generation Z, who say they refuse to allow another generation to experience military rule.&nbsp;

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a 19-year-old grocery store worker, had traveled with her sisters from a nearby village to Naypyitaw, the army-built capital in the center of the country, for a protest on Tuesday. It was one of dozens in towns and cities across the country.&nbsp;

Police quashed the peaceful protest with water cannon and gunfire. The teenager was struck in the back of the head with a live round as she was fleeing. A doctor from the hospital said, she had lost significant brain function and was not likely to survive.&nbsp;

The shooting has caused outrage across the country and recalled the long history of bloody crackdowns on protest by the security forces in Myanmar. &nbsp;

Protesters draped a massive portrait of her from a bridge in downtown Yangon, the commercial capital, on Wednesday. “Let’s together oppose the dictator who kills the people”, the banner read.

Myanmar teenager Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who was supposed to be celebrating her 20th birthday on Thursday, was determined to protest coup when she was shot by police.

Myanmar teenager Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, who was supposed to be celebrating her 20th birthday on Thursday, was determined to protest coup when she was shot by police. Instead, she is now fighting for her life in a hospital in the capital Naypyitaw after she was shot in the head when police cracked down on a protest against the military coup. A hunt is also on by the Facebook and Twitter users to find the shooter. Myanmar’s army seized power on February 1 and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a long transition towards democracy and bringing tens of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets. The shooting of the teenager - the first known serious casualty of the protests - has roused anger across the nation and rallied support for the anti-coup movement, many of whose members are part of a Generation Z, who say they refuse to allow another generation to experience military rule. Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a 19-year-old grocery store worker, had traveled with her sisters from a nearby village to Naypyitaw, the army-built capital in the center of the country, for a protest on Tuesday. It was one of dozens in towns and cities across the country. Police quashed the peaceful protest with water cannon and gunfire. The teenager was struck in the back of the head with a live round as she was fleeing. A doctor from the hospital said, she had lost significant brain function and was not likely to survive. The shooting has caused outrage across the country and recalled the long history of bloody crackdowns on protest by the security forces in Myanmar. Protesters draped a massive portrait of her from a bridge in downtown Yangon, the commercial capital, on Wednesday. “Let’s together oppose the dictator who kills the people”, the banner read.

Face of protest in Myanmar: Social media users launch hunt for girl’s shooter

In the latest clashes to mark the country's political crisis, Haitian police fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters, who were marching against President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, and attacked journalists covering the demonstration. &nbsp;

The protesters accuse Moise of illegally extending his term in office. Moise says it lasts until February 2022 -- but the opposition argues it should have ended last weekend, in a standoff over disputed elections. &nbsp;

Police moved to violently clear the demonstration, and on several occasions were seen directly targeting clearly identified members of the press. &nbsp;

"Their job is to shoot the activists, throwing gas on all the press," said protester Senat Andre Dufot. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"We all noticed that they put a tear gas canister in the back of the pickup of the TV Pacific car," he said, referring to a Haitian media outlet vehicle, while clutching a copy of the country's constitution in his hand. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a statement, the Association of Haitian Journalists then called on the Haitian National Police authorities to conduct an investigation to identify the perpetrators of these abuses so that they can be held accountable for their actions. &nbsp;

Officials loyal to Moise claimed on Sunday they had foiled an attempt to murder him and overthrow the government in a coup. Police arrested 23 people, including Haitian Supreme Court judge Yvickel Dieujuste Dabresil, accusing them of an 'attempted coup’. &nbsp;

And on Tuesday, Moise tried to force out three judges, including Dabresil, who were proposed as potential interim national leaders to replace him. &nbsp;

Dabresil was released on Wednesday from prison on the outskirts of the Haitian capital but remains under judicial supervision, according to his lawyers. However, human rights activist Marie-Yolene Gilles of the Je Klere Foundation later said the judge remained in prison. &nbsp;

"When there are opponents fighting, the best way to eliminate them was to accuse them of fomenting a coup," another protester, Ebens Cadet, said on Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The decree appeared to be contrary to the constitution and Haitian law. &nbsp;

The United States had backed Moise's stance, and he appears to have retained control of the Caribbean island nation. &nbsp;

But in a statement on Twitter posted on Tuesday, the US embassy in Port-au-Prince said it was "deeply concerned about any actions that risk damaging Haiti's democratic institutions."

In the latest clashes to mark the country's political crisis, Haitian police fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters, who were marching against President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, and attacked journalists covering the demonstration.

In the latest clashes to mark the country's political crisis, Haitian police fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters, who were marching against President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, and attacked journalists covering the demonstration. The protesters accuse Moise of illegally extending his term in office. Moise says it lasts until February 2022 -- but the opposition argues it should have ended last weekend, in a standoff over disputed elections. Police moved to violently clear the demonstration, and on several occasions were seen directly targeting clearly identified members of the press. "Their job is to shoot the activists, throwing gas on all the press," said protester Senat Andre Dufot. "We all noticed that they put a tear gas canister in the back of the pickup of the TV Pacific car," he said, referring to a Haitian media outlet vehicle, while clutching a copy of the country's constitution in his hand. In a statement, the Association of Haitian Journalists then called on the Haitian National Police authorities to conduct an investigation to identify the perpetrators of these abuses so that they can be held accountable for their actions. Officials loyal to Moise claimed on Sunday they had foiled an attempt to murder him and overthrow the government in a coup. Police arrested 23 people, including Haitian Supreme Court judge Yvickel Dieujuste Dabresil, accusing them of an 'attempted coup’. And on Tuesday, Moise tried to force out three judges, including Dabresil, who were proposed as potential interim national leaders to replace him. Dabresil was released on Wednesday from prison on the outskirts of the Haitian capital but remains under judicial supervision, according to his lawyers. However, human rights activist Marie-Yolene Gilles of the Je Klere Foundation later said the judge remained in prison. "When there are opponents fighting, the best way to eliminate them was to accuse them of fomenting a coup," another protester, Ebens Cadet, said on Wednesday. The decree appeared to be contrary to the constitution and Haitian law. The United States had backed Moise's stance, and he appears to have retained control of the Caribbean island nation. But in a statement on Twitter posted on Tuesday, the US embassy in Port-au-Prince said it was "deeply concerned about any actions that risk damaging Haiti's democratic institutions."

Cops shoot tear gas on protesters in Haiti

Protests erupted in a town in southern Chile after a street artist was fatally shot by the police. Hundreds of people took part in the protests that saw a building being burnt down. Police fatally shot a juggler after he refused to co-operate with a police search.

A video claiming to be that of the shooting was circulated widely by local channels and social media.

"We regret the loss of this young juggler. I hope that justice is done," Ricardo Valdivia, Panguipulli's mayor, told Radio Cooperativa.

Witnesses to the incident started to shout at police officers and this further led to violent demonstrations and burning of the building.

Protesters set fire to several other buildings and set up barricades in streets around the town before riot police fired tear gas and water cannons, according to images from local media.

A video posted on Facebook by local official Carlos Duran showed several fires burning across the town and smoke rising above its skyline.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-thousands-of-protesters-take-to-streets-again-361884">Myanmar: Thousands of protesters take to streets again</a>

The local police force backed the officer who shot the artist.

Boris Alegria, lieutenant colonel of the Panguipulli police, said in a video that the officer used his weapon to "safeguard his own life" in "legitimate self-defense."

An investigation into the incident has been launched and Chilean government has ordered the force to hand over all records of the incident to Public Ministry

Panguipulli, which has a population of 32,500, is located 850 kilometres south of the capital Santiago, where residents banged pots and pans in anger over the killing.

Chileans took to social media to call for reforms and condemn the shooting.

"In a police force with a minimum professional level this should not have happened," tweeted writer Pedro Gandolfo.

"A shameful act with a tragic result."

(With AFP inputs)

Protests erupted in a town in southern Chile after a street artist was fatally shot by the police. Hundreds of people took part in the protests that saw a building being burnt down.

Protests erupted in a town in southern Chile after a street artist was fatally shot by the police. Hundreds of people took part in the protests that saw a building being burnt down. Police fatally shot a juggler after he refused to co-operate with a police search. A video claiming to be that of the shooting was circulated widely by local channels and social media. "We regret the loss of this young juggler. I hope that justice is done," Ricardo Valdivia, Panguipulli's mayor, told Radio Cooperativa. Witnesses to the incident started to shout at police officers and this further led to violent demonstrations and burning of the building. Protesters set fire to several other buildings and set up barricades in streets around the town before riot police fired tear gas and water cannons, according to images from local media. A video posted on Facebook by local official Carlos Duran showed several fires burning across the town and smoke rising above its skyline. Also Read | Myanmar: Thousands of protesters take to streets again The local police force backed the officer who shot the artist. Boris Alegria, lieutenant colonel of the Panguipulli police, said in a video that the officer used his weapon to "safeguard his own life" in "legitimate self-defense." An investigation into the incident has been launched and Chilean government has ordered the force to hand over all records of the incident to Public Ministry Panguipulli, which has a population of 32,500, is located 850 kilometres south of the capital Santiago, where residents banged pots and pans in anger over the killing. Chileans took to social media to call for reforms and condemn the shooting. "In a police force with a minimum professional level this should not have happened," tweeted writer Pedro Gandolfo. "A shameful act with a tragic result." (With AFP inputs)

Chile: Protests break out after police shoot dead street artist

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/disgusted-chelsea-strongly-condemns-online-racist-abuse-against-reece-james-360251" hreflang="en">'Disgusted': Chelsea strongly condemns online racist abuse against Reece James</a>

West Bromwich Albion on Friday said that they contacted police and will be seeking the toughest possible punishment after midfielder Romaine Sawyers was racially abused on social media.

As per the statement released by the club, a racist message was sent to Saint Kitts and Nevis international during West Brom's 5-0 Premier League home defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday.

"Everyone at the club is appalled by the abhorrent message," it added.

"The club has a proud history of confronting all forms of discrimination and will assist the authorities with their inquiries, seeking the toughest available legal punishment, as well as a lifetime ban from The Hawthorns for the individual responsible.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ole-solskjaer-brands-racist-abuse-of-manchester-united-players-disgusting-360138" hreflang="en">Ole Solskjaer brands racist abuse of Manchester United players 'disgusting'</a>

The police released a statement after arresting the man. They said: "We've arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing West Bromwich Albion player Romaine Sawyers online," West Midlands Police said on Twitter late on Friday.

"The 49-year-old man from Kingswinford was this evening taken into police custody for questioning.

"Our dedicated football hate crime officer is also investigating another report of a racist comment towards the same footballer. We will not tolerate racism."

This week, Chelsea's Reece James, and Man Utd's Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were also the victims of online racial abuse this week.

The British ministers met top English players on Monday to discuss online abuse and discrimination as part of a series of 'Future of Football' discussions.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday. ALSO READ: 'Disgusted': Chelsea strongly condemns online racist abuse against Reece James West Bromwich Albion on Friday said that they contacted police and will be seeking the toughest possible punishment after midfielder Romaine Sawyers was racially abused on social media. As per the statement released by the club, a racist message was sent to Saint Kitts and Nevis international during West Brom's 5-0 Premier League home defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday. "Everyone at the club is appalled by the abhorrent message," it added. "The club has a proud history of confronting all forms of discrimination and will assist the authorities with their inquiries, seeking the toughest available legal punishment, as well as a lifetime ban from The Hawthorns for the individual responsible. ALSO READ: Ole Solskjaer brands racist abuse of Manchester United players 'disgusting' The police released a statement after arresting the man. They said: "We've arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing West Bromwich Albion player Romaine Sawyers online," West Midlands Police said on Twitter late on Friday. "The 49-year-old man from Kingswinford was this evening taken into police custody for questioning. "Our dedicated football hate crime officer is also investigating another report of a racist comment towards the same footballer. We will not tolerate racism." This week, Chelsea's Reece James, and Man Utd's Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were also the victims of online racial abuse this week. The British ministers met top English players on Monday to discuss online abuse and discrimination as part of a series of 'Future of Football' discussions.

Police arrests 49-year-old on suspicion of racially abusing West Brom's player

When lawyer Shadrack Wambui was growing up in one of Nairobi's slums, he vented his frustration at abusive police through boxing, cultivating discipline that helped him avoid confrontations that could have derailed his studies. Now the 29-year-old is turning to the sport again to help young people in poor Nairobi neighbourhoods, combining his passion for the sport with informal lessons on the law and legal clinics to resolve marital disputes.

Kenyan lawyer brings boxing and justice to the slums

The 63-year-old suspect in the bombing that rocked Nashville on Christmas Day morning was killed in the blast that destroyed his motor home and damaged more than 40 businesses, authorities said on Sunday.

FBI forensic experts matched DNA samples recovered from the scene to that of Anthony Q. Warner, whose home in nearby Antioch was searched on Saturday by federal agents.

"We've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber and he was present when the bomb went off and that he perished in the bombing," Donald Cochran, US&nbsp;Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told a news conference.

Officials said it was too early in the investigation to discuss the suspect's motives.

Warner's motor home, parked on a downtown street of Tennessee's largest city, exploded at dawn on Friday moments after police responding to reports of gunfire noticed it and heard music and an automated message emanating from the vehicle warning of a bomb.

The explosion in the heart of America's country music capital injured three people and damaged businesses including an AT&amp;T switching center, disrupting mobile, internet and TV services across central Tennessee and parts of four other states.

As investigators followed up on hundreds of tips from members of the public, they searched Warner's home on Saturday and visited a Nashville real estate agency where he had worked on computers.

The owner of Fridrich &amp; Clark Realty, Steve Fridrich, told the Tennessean newspaper that for four or five years Warner had come into the office roughly once a month to provide computer consulting services, until this month when Warner told the company in an email that he would no longer be working for them. He gave no reason, according to Fridrich.

"He seemed very personable to us – this is quite out of character I think," Fridrich told the newspaper.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday that local officials felt there had to be some connection between the bombing and the AT&amp;T Inc building.

Damage to the switching center was so extensive that AT&amp;T teams had to drill access holes into the wreckage to connect generators to critical equipment, as well as pump three feet of water from the basement. The company said in a statement on Sunday that it made "significant progress" overnight and had restored power to four floors of the building.

At a news conference on Sunday, five Nashville police officers who were on the scene early on Friday recalled the dramatic moments ahead of the explosion, as they scrambled to evacuate homes and buildings and called for a bomb squad, which was en route when the motor home blew up.

"I was thrown forward, knocked to the ground," officer Brenna Hosey told reporters about the moment of the explosion. "But I was able to catch myself, I was fine."

The officers have been hailed as heroes by city leaders.

The 63-year-old suspect in the bombing that rocked Nashville on Christmas Day morning was killed in the blast that destroyed his motor home and damaged more than 40 businesses, authorities said on Sunday.

The 63-year-old suspect in the bombing that rocked Nashville on Christmas Day morning was killed in the blast that destroyed his motor home and damaged more than 40 businesses, authorities said on Sunday. FBI forensic experts matched DNA samples recovered from the scene to that of Anthony Q. Warner, whose home in nearby Antioch was searched on Saturday by federal agents. "We've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber and he was present when the bomb went off and that he perished in the bombing," Donald Cochran, US Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, told a news conference. Officials said it was too early in the investigation to discuss the suspect's motives. Warner's motor home, parked on a downtown street of Tennessee's largest city, exploded at dawn on Friday moments after police responding to reports of gunfire noticed it and heard music and an automated message emanating from the vehicle warning of a bomb. The explosion in the heart of America's country music capital injured three people and damaged businesses including an AT&T switching center, disrupting mobile, internet and TV services across central Tennessee and parts of four other states. As investigators followed up on hundreds of tips from members of the public, they searched Warner's home on Saturday and visited a Nashville real estate agency where he had worked on computers. The owner of Fridrich & Clark Realty, Steve Fridrich, told the Tennessean newspaper that for four or five years Warner had come into the office roughly once a month to provide computer consulting services, until this month when Warner told the company in an email that he would no longer be working for them. He gave no reason, according to Fridrich. "He seemed very personable to us – this is quite out of character I think," Fridrich told the newspaper. Nashville Mayor John Cooper said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday that local officials felt there had to be some connection between the bombing and the AT&T Inc building. Damage to the switching center was so extensive that AT&T teams had to drill access holes into the wreckage to connect generators to critical equipment, as well as pump three feet of water from the basement. The company said in a statement on Sunday that it made "significant progress" overnight and had restored power to four floors of the building. At a news conference on Sunday, five Nashville police officers who were on the scene early on Friday recalled the dramatic moments ahead of the explosion, as they scrambled to evacuate homes and buildings and called for a bomb squad, which was en route when the motor home blew up. "I was thrown forward, knocked to the ground," officer Brenna Hosey told reporters about the moment of the explosion. "But I was able to catch myself, I was fine." The officers have been hailed as heroes by city leaders.

Nashville blast suspect died in explosion, police say

Activist Karima Baloch family and friends are demanding for a proper investigation after the Toronto Police ruled out any foul play in her death. The 37 year old Baloch activist body was located by the police in Toronto two days after she was reported missing.

Pressure mounts on Canada to probe Karima Baloch's Death?

More than 95 per cent of the total 16,098 police stations across the country have been using the software facility Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a mission mode modernisation project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 
 
Connectivity is available at 97 per cent of the police stations and 93 per cent of them are entering 100 per cent FIRs through the project.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-army-general-naravanes-saudi-visit-sheds-light-on-paks-break-up-with-arab-world-349792" hreflang="en">Indian Army General Naravane's Saudi visit sheds light on Pak's break-up with Arab world</a> 
 
Noting that integrated database concepts like the CCTNS and ICJS have become indispensable to realise the dream of New India, Minister of State for Home, G. Kishan Reddy, on Tuesday shared the details while addressing the inaugural session of the second conference on `Good Practices in Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems/Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)` through video conferencing. The two-day conference has been organised by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). 
 
Reddy also said that integrated database concepts like the CCTNS and ICJS have become indispensable to realise the dream of New India and that the two key modernisation programmes of the MHA have led to effective law enforcement and proved to be force multipliers.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/aap-to-contest-uttar-pradesh-assembly-election-in-2022-arvind-kejriwal-349901" hreflang="en">AAP to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2022: Arvind Kejriwal</a> 
 
"It is a reality that crime does not follow jurisdictional boundaries. Hence, our response to crime should also not be restricted by boundaries. Immediate recording of crime and the access of the information to all the stakeholders is undoubtedly a key aspect of any effective law enforcement operation. This has led to the genesis of the project of CCTNS," Reddy said. 
 
"This about Rs 2,000 crore mission mode project has revolutionised investigation and policing with its massive reach and connectivity. It has managed to connect the police stations and other offices, even in the most far-flung areas," the minister said. 
 
Reddy said the ICJS takes data sharing to a higher level and ensures a single source of truth between law enforcement and judicial systems. "Without doubt, ICJS is a force multiplier in this data driven world." 
 
The minister called for replicating the good initiatives taken by one state in other states, saying "it is a matter of great privilege, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, the government has used cooperative federalism as a guiding mantra and the states work together, learn together and propel each other forward". 
 
--IANS 
 
rak/arm

More than 95 per cent of the total 16,098 police stations across the country have been using the software facility Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a mission mode modernisation project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

More than 95 per cent of the total 16,098 police stations across the country have been using the software facility Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a mission mode modernisation project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Connectivity is available at 97 per cent of the police stations and 93 per cent of them are entering 100 per cent FIRs through the project. Also read| Indian Army General Naravane's Saudi visit sheds light on Pak's break-up with Arab world Noting that integrated database concepts like the CCTNS and ICJS have become indispensable to realise the dream of New India, Minister of State for Home, G. Kishan Reddy, on Tuesday shared the details while addressing the inaugural session of the second conference on `Good Practices in Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems/Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)` through video conferencing. The two-day conference has been organised by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Reddy also said that integrated database concepts like the CCTNS and ICJS have become indispensable to realise the dream of New India and that the two key modernisation programmes of the MHA have led to effective law enforcement and proved to be force multipliers. Also read| AAP to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2022: Arvind Kejriwal "It is a reality that crime does not follow jurisdictional boundaries. Hence, our response to crime should also not be restricted by boundaries. Immediate recording of crime and the access of the information to all the stakeholders is undoubtedly a key aspect of any effective law enforcement operation. This has led to the genesis of the project of CCTNS," Reddy said. "This about Rs 2,000 crore mission mode project has revolutionised investigation and policing with its massive reach and connectivity. It has managed to connect the police stations and other offices, even in the most far-flung areas," the minister said. Reddy said the ICJS takes data sharing to a higher level and ensures a single source of truth between law enforcement and judicial systems. "Without doubt, ICJS is a force multiplier in this data driven world." The minister called for replicating the good initiatives taken by one state in other states, saying "it is a matter of great privilege, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, the government has used cooperative federalism as a guiding mantra and the states work together, learn together and propel each other forward". --IANS rak/arm

95% police stations in India using CCTNS software to track criminals: Govt

Police in southwest Nigeria on Sunday warned foreign nationals to be vigilant days after gunmen kidnapped two Indian workers in the region.

Gunmen seized the two men on Wednesday as they drove out of a pharmaceutical firm in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state. They out the rear tyres of their vehicle to force it to stop. 
 
Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boko-haram-jihadists-kill-27-in-attack-in-niger-349563">Boko Haram Jihadists kill 27 in attack in Niger</a>

State police spokesman Olugbenga Fadeyi said in a statement the force was making a "concerted effort" to find and rescue them but did not say if the kidnappers had made contact with the families.

"All expatriates are advised to be vigilant and be watchful especially during this period," he said.

Security agencies should be alerted about "any suspicious movement around their facilities", he added.

Hundreds of Indian nationals live and work in Nigeria, especially in the pharmaceutical sector.

Kidnapping for ransom targeting foreigners and prominent Nigerians is common in Africa's most populous nation.

The victims are usually released unhurt after ransom payments, but the police rarely confirm any money was paid.

Police in southwest Nigeria on Sunday warned foreign nationals to be vigilant days after gunmen kidnapped two Indian workers in the region. Gunmen seized the two men on Wednesday as they drove out of a pharmaceutical firm in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state.

Police in southwest Nigeria on Sunday warned foreign nationals to be vigilant days after gunmen kidnapped two Indian workers in the region. Gunmen seized the two men on Wednesday as they drove out of a pharmaceutical firm in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state. They out the rear tyres of their vehicle to force it to stop. Also Read | Boko Haram Jihadists kill 27 in attack in Niger State police spokesman Olugbenga Fadeyi said in a statement the force was making a "concerted effort" to find and rescue them but did not say if the kidnappers had made contact with the families. "All expatriates are advised to be vigilant and be watchful especially during this period," he said. Security agencies should be alerted about "any suspicious movement around their facilities", he added. Hundreds of Indian nationals live and work in Nigeria, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. Kidnapping for ransom targeting foreigners and prominent Nigerians is common in Africa's most populous nation. The victims are usually released unhurt after ransom payments, but the police rarely confirm any money was paid.

Two Indians kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria: Police 

After weeks of violent protest, the French president Emmanuel Macron who seems to be in lot of crisis of late has said that there is an urgent need for him to reform his country's security forces, The protest continues in France against Police Security Bill.

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to reform the country's security forces of the nation

Paris police representatives on Monday (November 23) inaugurated a campaign of school visits that aims to educate pupils on reflexes against the novel coronavirus, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives in France.

Paris police teaches pupils 'good reflexes' against COVID-19

A six-year-old kid might be the reason a woman driving a car carelessly and smashed the car through a road barrier. The incident was caught on paper by a young kid.

The incident happened in the west German city of Hamm. A four-year-old who was waiting to cross the road witnessed the incident and drew it on yellow sheets.

<img alt="Four-year-olds help German police" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ce60e244-53da-4791-b31c-40a97959b400" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/German%20police%20%20%281%29.jpg" />

The Hamm police department took to Facebook to share the news. As per the police report, the driver was a woman who allegedly smashed through a road barrier and "didn't care about the damage caused and kept driving."

This incident was reported by four children,&nbsp;Luisa, Romy, Celina and Luis to their school teacher. She, then, asked them to sketch the incident and took the drawings to the local police to report the incident.

These sketches, the police department claims, helped them identify the car driver. The police posted two of these drawings and claimed that the third one shows the driver in a more detailed manner.

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Residents of the area, too, appreciated the efforts of the children congratulating them for their alertness.

A six-year-old kid might be the reason a woman driving a car carelessly and smashed the car through a road barrier. The incident was caught on paper by a young kid.

A six-year-old kid might be the reason a woman driving a car carelessly and smashed the car through a road barrier. The incident was caught on paper by a young kid. The incident happened in the west German city of Hamm. A four-year-old who was waiting to cross the road witnessed the incident and drew it on yellow sheets. The Hamm police department took to Facebook to share the news. As per the police report, the driver was a woman who allegedly smashed through a road barrier and "didn't care about the damage caused and kept driving." This incident was reported by four children, Luisa, Romy, Celina and Luis to their school teacher. She, then, asked them to sketch the incident and took the drawings to the local police to report the incident. These sketches, the police department claims, helped them identify the car driver. The police posted two of these drawings and claimed that the third one shows the driver in a more detailed manner. 6-jährige Nachwuchs-Ermittler helfen Polizei mit Fahndungsbild und Unfallskizze Ein besonderes Lob von der Polizei... Posted by Polizei NRW Hamm on Friday, November 13, 2020 × Residents of the area, too, appreciated the efforts of the children congratulating them for their alertness.

Super kids: Six-year-old's drawings help German police search for careless driver

Germany will publish a much-anticipated report on right-wing extremism in its security forces on Tuesday after a string of scandals over far-right networks in the police and military.

Germany to present report on far-right extremism in police

Twenty-six Bangladeshi policemen are undergoing termination proceedings for failing a surprise drug test, according to media reports.

The erring officials include a traffic sergeant, four sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, a 'nayek', and 17 constables -- all members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The DMP is conducting surprise dope tests on law enforcement officials as part of a wider crackdown on drug peddling. Over 100 policemen have been tested so far, the report added.

Most of the erring officials were found using yaba pills (amphetamine) and marijuana.

DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam told the newspaper that the termination proceedings will end soon. A departmental case has been filed against them and they will be dismissed after the legal process is duly followed.

"Policemen who are involved with drugs or helping drug traders will be arrested and prosecuted. At (police) unit meetings, I have said tell me if anyone of is addicted to drugs so we can arrange for their treatment," Islam said.

The sackings come at the backdrop of increased allegations of police involvement in drug mafia and of some using themselves.

"We first identified a list of suspected drug abusers, scrutinised the list, and finally tested them. We have conducted dope test on over 100 police officials,? the DMP chief told the newspaper.

He said the sackings should send out the clear message that drug trade will not be tolerated. 
More drug tests in the police force are expected in the coming weeks.

The Daily Star reported that the suspended officials are being treated as regular criminals.

The drug tests have created fear and many of the officials are said to be cleaning up their act before the surprise test, The Daily Star reported.

Twenty-six Bangladeshi policemen are undergoing termination proceedings for failing a surprise drug test, according to media reports. The erring officials include a traffic sergeant, four sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, a 'nayek', and 17 constables -- all members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Twenty-six Bangladeshi policemen are undergoing termination proceedings for failing a surprise drug test, according to media reports. The erring officials include a traffic sergeant, four sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, a 'nayek', and 17 constables -- all members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the Dhaka Tribune reported. The DMP is conducting surprise dope tests on law enforcement officials as part of a wider crackdown on drug peddling. Over 100 policemen have been tested so far, the report added. Most of the erring officials were found using yaba pills (amphetamine) and marijuana. DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam told the newspaper that the termination proceedings will end soon. A departmental case has been filed against them and they will be dismissed after the legal process is duly followed. "Policemen who are involved with drugs or helping drug traders will be arrested and prosecuted. At (police) unit meetings, I have said tell me if anyone of is addicted to drugs so we can arrange for their treatment," Islam said. The sackings come at the backdrop of increased allegations of police involvement in drug mafia and of some using themselves. "We first identified a list of suspected drug abusers, scrutinised the list, and finally tested them. We have conducted dope test on over 100 police officials,? the DMP chief told the newspaper. He said the sackings should send out the clear message that drug trade will not be tolerated. More drug tests in the police force are expected in the coming weeks. The Daily Star reported that the suspended officials are being treated as regular criminals. The drug tests have created fear and many of the officials are said to be cleaning up their act before the surprise test, The Daily Star reported.

26 Bangladeshi policemen face termination for failing drug test

&nbsp;

Amid growing concerns of unjust violence towards the African-American community in the United States by the local police, the US President Donald Trump has decided to end anti-racism training sessions in the government agencies and federal government.

The reason behind Trump's decision is simply that he feels this training is yet another "un-American propaganda".

The order was announced by the White House on Friday.&nbsp;

"According to press reports, employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that 'virtually all White people contribute to racism' or where they are required to say that they 'benefit from racism'," a statement from the WHite House read.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-and-trump-are-in-a-race-against-time-towards-creating-controversies-325293">Also read:&nbsp;Biden and Trump are in a race against time towards creating controversies</a>

"According to press reports, in some cases these trainings have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive a job," the statement read.

The order has come at a time when the US is already burning by clash of police against the people standing in solidarity with the African-American community in the US, who have been tortured by the local police on numerous incidents — some of which led to death of the victims. Recent cases have been George Floyd and Jacob Blake who were violently attacked by the state police even when they were unarmed, leading to Geroge Floyd's death and Blake being admitted in hospital for serious injuries.

The decision was announced less than 60 days before Americans vote for their next Preisdent — a race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Trump is targeting the White and South Asian communities as his voter base.

In addition to believing that these are "un-American" policies, the White House&nbsp;Office of Management and Budget has also been ordered to&nbsp; "ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions."

The decision has been widely criticised by the masses.&nbsp;

Amid growing concerns of unjust violence towards the African-American community in the United States by the local police, the US President Donald Trump has decided to end anti-racism training sessions in the government agencies and federal government.

Amid growing concerns of unjust violence towards the African-American community in the United States by the local police, the US President Donald Trump has decided to end anti-racism training sessions in the government agencies and federal government. The reason behind Trump's decision is simply that he feels this training is yet another "un-American propaganda". The order was announced by the White House on Friday. "According to press reports, employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that 'virtually all White people contribute to racism' or where they are required to say that they 'benefit from racism'," a statement from the WHite House read. Also read: Biden and Trump are in a race against time towards creating controversies "According to press reports, in some cases these trainings have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive a job," the statement read. The order has come at a time when the US is already burning by clash of police against the people standing in solidarity with the African-American community in the US, who have been tortured by the local police on numerous incidents — some of which led to death of the victims. Recent cases have been George Floyd and Jacob Blake who were violently attacked by the state police even when they were unarmed, leading to Geroge Floyd's death and Blake being admitted in hospital for serious injuries. The decision was announced less than 60 days before Americans vote for their next Preisdent — a race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Trump is targeting the White and South Asian communities as his voter base. In addition to believing that these are "un-American" policies, the White House Office of Management and Budget has also been ordered to "ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions." The decision has been widely criticised by the masses.

Trump ends anti-racism training sessions in federal governments; calls it 'un-American'

Protests were planned for New York Thursday over the death of a black man who police hooded and forced face down on the road, according to video footage that prompted a probe from the state's attorney general.

Demonstrators will gather in New York City's Times Square to demand justice for Daniel Prude, whose family said he died on March 30 after being removed from life support, seven days after the police encounter in the city of Rochester.

The 41-year-old's family along with activists made his death public on Wednesday, after receiving body cam footage through an open records request.

The revelation -- the latest in a spate of police killings of black people in the United States -- triggered fresh outrage three months after mass demonstrations gripped the United States over the police killing of George Floyd.

Prude's family have called for legal action against the officers involved, who are still on the force. Letitia James, New York state's top prosecutor, said an investigation was underway.

Prude's brother told journalists he had called police on March 23 as Daniel suffered a mental health episode.

"I placed a phone call for my brother to get help, not to get lynched," Joe Prude said outside Rochester's City Hall Wednesday.

"How many brothers&nbsp;have to die for society to understand this has to stop?"

When officers arrived Prude was unarmed and naked in the road, according to the video.

Police ordered an initially compliant Prude to get on the ground, but after being handcuffed he became increasingly agitated.

Officers then put a "spit hood" on him and forced his head to the ground. Moments later he lost consciousness.

An emergency medical technician tried to resuscitate him before he was taken to hospital. He died a week later when life support was switched off.

According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, an autopsy called the death a homicide caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint."

The report also noted a low level of the drug PCP in Prude's blood, listing it as a complication.

"He&nbsp;was treated inhumanely and without dignity," community organizer Ashley Gantt said.

"These officers killed someone and are still patrolling in our community."

On Wednesday some 100 protestors gathered in Rochester, a city home to approximately 200,000 people in western New York state to protest Prude's death.

At a separate news conference Rochester police chief La'Ron Singletary acknowledged anger over Prude's death but emphasized that the delay in releasing the video was "not a cover-up."

Officers generally use spit hoods as defense against blood-borne pathogens if someone apprehended spits or bites.

But they've become the subject of several lawsuits in recent years, raising concerns over their safety.

Since the police killing in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis, demonstrations linked to the Black Lives Matter movement have rocked the nation, with many calling for significant police reforms including defunding or abolishment.

Opponents of the movement have also protested, frequently leading to violent clashes and pushing law and order high up the agenda for November's presidential election.

News of Prude's death comes in the wake of social unrest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black father shot seven times in the back by a white officer in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha.&nbsp;

Protests also sparked in Los Angeles this week after police shot and killed Dijon Kizzee, a black man who was riding a bicycle, apparently in violation of vehicle codes.

Kizzee ran away and when deputies caught up to him, he punched one of them and dropped a bundle of clothing, which police say contained a handgun.

And in the capital city Washington police fatally shot an 18-year-old black man after responding to reports of a man with a gun. In a statement the force there said during a foot pursuit Deon Kay brandished a firearm before an officer shot him.

Body camera footage in that incident is under review and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Protests were planned for New York Thursday over the death of a black man who police hooded and forced face down on the road, according to video footage that prompted a probe from the state's attorney general.

Protests were planned for New York Thursday over the death of a black man who police hooded and forced face down on the road, according to video footage that prompted a probe from the state's attorney general. Demonstrators will gather in New York City's Times Square to demand justice for Daniel Prude, whose family said he died on March 30 after being removed from life support, seven days after the police encounter in the city of Rochester. The 41-year-old's family along with activists made his death public on Wednesday, after receiving body cam footage through an open records request. The revelation -- the latest in a spate of police killings of black people in the United States -- triggered fresh outrage three months after mass demonstrations gripped the United States over the police killing of George Floyd. Prude's family have called for legal action against the officers involved, who are still on the force. Letitia James, New York state's top prosecutor, said an investigation was underway. Prude's brother told journalists he had called police on March 23 as Daniel suffered a mental health episode. "I placed a phone call for my brother to get help, not to get lynched," Joe Prude said outside Rochester's City Hall Wednesday. "How many brothers have to die for society to understand this has to stop?" When officers arrived Prude was unarmed and naked in the road, according to the video. Police ordered an initially compliant Prude to get on the ground, but after being handcuffed he became increasingly agitated. Officers then put a "spit hood" on him and forced his head to the ground. Moments later he lost consciousness. An emergency medical technician tried to resuscitate him before he was taken to hospital. He died a week later when life support was switched off. According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, an autopsy called the death a homicide caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint." The report also noted a low level of the drug PCP in Prude's blood, listing it as a complication. "He was treated inhumanely and without dignity," community organizer Ashley Gantt said. "These officers killed someone and are still patrolling in our community." On Wednesday some 100 protestors gathered in Rochester, a city home to approximately 200,000 people in western New York state to protest Prude's death. At a separate news conference Rochester police chief La'Ron Singletary acknowledged anger over Prude's death but emphasized that the delay in releasing the video was "not a cover-up." Officers generally use spit hoods as defense against blood-borne pathogens if someone apprehended spits or bites. But they've become the subject of several lawsuits in recent years, raising concerns over their safety. Since the police killing in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis, demonstrations linked to the Black Lives Matter movement have rocked the nation, with many calling for significant police reforms including defunding or abolishment. Opponents of the movement have also protested, frequently leading to violent clashes and pushing law and order high up the agenda for November's presidential election. News of Prude's death comes in the wake of social unrest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black father shot seven times in the back by a white officer in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha. Protests also sparked in Los Angeles this week after police shot and killed Dijon Kizzee, a black man who was riding a bicycle, apparently in violation of vehicle codes. Kizzee ran away and when deputies caught up to him, he punched one of them and dropped a bundle of clothing, which police say contained a handgun. And in the capital city Washington police fatally shot an 18-year-old black man after responding to reports of a man with a gun. In a statement the force there said during a foot pursuit Deon Kay brandished a firearm before an officer shot him. Body camera footage in that incident is under review and the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

New York probes suffocation death of black man hooded by police

Norwegian police on Thursday said that they expelled a foreigner who violated quarantine rules. The police also fined the man $2,240 and the immigration officials banned him reentering the country for two years.

Norwegian police on Thursday said that they expelled a foreigner who violated quarantine rules. The police also fined the man $2,240 and the immigration officials banned him reentering the country for two years. The man was caught breaking quarantine regulations in the western county of More og Romsdal, about a week after arriving from Germany having flown via the Netherlands. According to quarantine rules in the country, travellers arriving from most European countries, including both Germany and the Netherlands, to isolate themselves for 10 days to curb the spread of Covid-19. "We live in a system based on trust. Everyone is asked to do their bit," regional police official Svein Rike told AFP. "In these circumstances, it's important to react firmly when the rules are broken," he explained. Police refused to disclose the man's identity or nationality, saying only that he was not from a country within the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway). (Inputs from AFP)

Norway bans man for two years over quarantine breach

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way.

By a vote of 7-1, the council approved a revised 2020 budget that reduced the department`s budget by $3.5 million for the remainder of the year and invested $17 million in community public safety programs.

The cut to the department's $409-million annual budget fell way short of the 50 per cent demanded by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in police custody on May 25.

Local media said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best had announced her resignation to staff. According to a report in the New York Times, Best said in a message to the Police Department that she would retire next month and was "confident the department will make it through these difficult times."

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Council President Lorena González called the cut a "down-payment for future potential reductions" to the department's budget.

Defunding advocates oppose the militarization of U.S. police forces and say officers are called on to deal with issues like addiction, mental illness and homelessness that could be better addressed by social services.

Law-enforcement supporters say cuts to police spending will lead to more crime.

The council begins 2021 budget talks in September and Mayor Jenny Durkan and Best had earlier signaled their willingness to rethink policing and consider $76 million in proposed cuts to the department's 2021 budget.

The revised 2020 budget came after a council inquest into the department, which revealed that 56 per cent of 911 calls are for non-criminal activity and only 3 per cent of calls result in arrest.

The rebalanced budget reduces executive pay and eliminates 100 police officers. It also reduces the budget for travel, public affairs, training and recruitment and makes cuts to specialized units like SWAT, harbor patrol, homeland security, mounted patrol and officers in schools.

The budget also removes officers from the city's homeless outreach team. More than a dozen business and neighborhood groups signed a letter from the Downtown Seattle Association opposing that move.

"In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness," the association said in a statement.

Multiple demonstrations for and against "defunding the police" have taken place at city hall over the past week. 
Anti-police protesters smashed windows at businesses perceived to support the police and set fire to the construction site at a juvenile detention facility.

The SPD has been under a federal consent decree for excessive use of force since 2011.

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way.

Seattle's city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the city's police department of less than 1 per cent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force, but signaled deeper cuts might be on the way. By a vote of 7-1, the council approved a revised 2020 budget that reduced the department`s budget by $3.5 million for the remainder of the year and invested $17 million in community public safety programs. The cut to the department's $409-million annual budget fell way short of the 50 per cent demanded by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in police custody on May 25. Local media said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best had announced her resignation to staff. According to a report in the New York Times, Best said in a message to the Police Department that she would retire next month and was "confident the department will make it through these difficult times." The Seattle Police Department (SPD) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Council President Lorena González called the cut a "down-payment for future potential reductions" to the department's budget. Defunding advocates oppose the militarization of U.S. police forces and say officers are called on to deal with issues like addiction, mental illness and homelessness that could be better addressed by social services. Law-enforcement supporters say cuts to police spending will lead to more crime. The council begins 2021 budget talks in September and Mayor Jenny Durkan and Best had earlier signaled their willingness to rethink policing and consider $76 million in proposed cuts to the department's 2021 budget. The revised 2020 budget came after a council inquest into the department, which revealed that 56 per cent of 911 calls are for non-criminal activity and only 3 per cent of calls result in arrest. The rebalanced budget reduces executive pay and eliminates 100 police officers. It also reduces the budget for travel, public affairs, training and recruitment and makes cuts to specialized units like SWAT, harbor patrol, homeland security, mounted patrol and officers in schools. The budget also removes officers from the city's homeless outreach team. More than a dozen business and neighborhood groups signed a letter from the Downtown Seattle Association opposing that move. "In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness," the association said in a statement. Multiple demonstrations for and against "defunding the police" have taken place at city hall over the past week. Anti-police protesters smashed windows at businesses perceived to support the police and set fire to the construction site at a juvenile detention facility. The SPD has been under a federal consent decree for excessive use of force since 2011.

Seattle reduces police funding, signals deeper cuts ahead

Amid growing cases of Coronavirus in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the local police have started holding awareness road rallies in different districts highlighting the importance of the ongoing lockdown.

In the frontier district of Kupwara, a team of policemen led by district superintendent walked streets amid lockdown. The cops were seen carrying placards which highlighted the importance of wearing face masks and staying indoors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-administration-orders-complete-lockdown-in-red-zones-after-spike-in-covid-cases-315135">Also read|&nbsp;J&amp;K: Administration orders complete lockdown in red zones after spike in COVID cases</a>

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A fresh lockdown has been reimposed in the Kashmir division after growing cases in most of the districts.

“We have to make this lockdown successful while highlighting the guidelines and SOPs laid by the administration. To enforce this lockdown, we took out this route march,” said Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar, SSP Kupwara.

A similar rally was also held in the Ganderbal district by the police. The focus of this rally was to make the masses aware of the use of masks, the importance of social distancing, and strict observance of lockdown.

Amid growing cases of Coronavirus in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the local police have started holding awareness road rallies in different districts highlighting the importance of the ongoing lockdown.

Amid growing cases of Coronavirus in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the local police have started holding awareness road rallies in different districts highlighting the importance of the ongoing lockdown. In the frontier district of Kupwara, a team of policemen led by district superintendent walked streets amid lockdown. The cops were seen carrying placards which highlighted the importance of wearing face masks and staying indoors. Also read| J&K: Administration orders complete lockdown in red zones after spike in COVID cases A fresh lockdown has been reimposed in the Kashmir division after growing cases in most of the districts. “We have to make this lockdown successful while highlighting the guidelines and SOPs laid by the administration. To enforce this lockdown, we took out this route march,” said Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar, SSP Kupwara. A similar rally was also held in the Ganderbal district by the police. The focus of this rally was to make the masses aware of the use of masks, the importance of social distancing, and strict observance of lockdown.

J&K police carries out awareness rallies on COVID-19; lockdown reimposed

A man armed with grenade took a senior police officer hostage on Thursday. Then incident took place in the city of Poltava.

The incident started around 09:05pm when the local police was trying to arrest a man who was a suspect of hijacking a vehicle. The situation escalated when he pulled out a RGD-5&nbsp;grenade and threatened to kill a senior police officers.

"Negotiations are ongoing to force the attacker to surrender to the police without harming himself or others," Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said on his social media account.

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23 липня в Полтаві о 09.05 на вулиці біля приміщення адміністративного суду працівники підрозділу карного розшуку...
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After continous negotiations, the man exchanged the police officer for a police colonel and drove off with him in a car provided by police.

This is the second hostage situation in Ukraine within the past three days. The first hostage situation took place on Tuesday when an armed man held 13 people hostage on a bus for hours.

A man armed with grenade took a senior police officer hostage on Thursday. Then incident took place in the city of Poltava. The incident started around 09:05pm when the local police was trying to arrest a man who was a suspect of hijacking a vehicle.

A man armed with grenade took a senior police officer hostage on Thursday. Then incident took place in the city of Poltava. The incident started around 09:05pm when the local police was trying to arrest a man who was a suspect of hijacking a vehicle. The situation escalated when he pulled out a RGD-5 grenade and threatened to kill a senior police officers. "Negotiations are ongoing to force the attacker to surrender to the police without harming himself or others," Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said on his social media account. 23 липня в Полтаві о 09.05 на вулиці біля приміщення адміністративного суду працівники підрозділу карного розшуку... Posted by Антон Геращенко on Thursday, July 23, 2020 × After continous negotiations, the man exchanged the police officer for a police colonel and drove off with him in a car provided by police. This is the second hostage situation in Ukraine within the past three days. The first hostage situation took place on Tuesday when an armed man held 13 people hostage on a bus for hours.

Detained man takes policeman hostage with grenade in Ukraine

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Sunday, that the State government would transfer the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He added that the same would be informed to the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court when the case comes up for hearing and with the court’s consent the case would be handed over to the CBI.&nbsp;

During a hearing on Monday, the Madurai bench of the Madras High court stated that they do not object to a CBI probe if it was the policy decision of the state government. The court added that it would not interfere with the decision of the State government. Given that the police had not cooperated enough in the investigation the Court had ordered that the Sathankulam police station (Where the alleged torture took place), be brought under the control of the Tuticorin Collector.&nbsp;

So far, the Inspector and two Sub-Inspectors of the Sathankulam Police station have been suspended, while a departmental enquiry has been initiated against two head constables.&nbsp;

While the CBI probe is seen as a measure to ensure delivery of justice, locals allege that two lives (father-son) could have been saved, had the earlier cases of Police excesses and brutalities been brought to light.

One such case is said to have happened after the murder of a man called Jayakumar, who local sources say was acting as a Police informer. Pertaining to the investigation of Jayakumar’s murder, the cops from Sathankulam station allegedly beat up several people, including innocents. In connection with the investigation, locals allege that nearly 30 people were picked up and thrashed.

“When the cops couldn’t find the accused, they picked up Mahendran, the younger brother of the accused and beat him up, which eventually led to his death. Due to head injuries, he died sometime recently, in the month of June. Had people protested against this and raised their voice, the father-son duo would not have had to endure such cruelty in custody and die” Joseph, an opposition party functionary and a Panchayat leader told WION.&nbsp;

Some also allege that there was a caste angle to the rivalry between some cops and certain individuals in connection with the Jayakumar murder. “Some cops involved in these excesses belong to a particular caste and they have local support and informers from their community. When one such informer Jayakumar was murdered, it was suspected that the members of their rival caste would have killed him. Even if innocents are beaten up, they or their families don’t speak up fearing repercussions” said another DMK functionary Parthiban, referring to the police excesses following the Jayakumar murder.&nbsp;

“There are many complaints from earlier against a few cops who had beaten the father-son duo to death. There are pending cases in the State Human Rights Commission. Some of these cops are involved in heinous crimes, including torture. District Police officials are also in the know about this and that is the level of impunity. Even the Police firings which killed 13 people in May 2018 during the protests were covered up” Founder of People’s Watch, Henri Tiphagne told WION.&nbsp;

WION contacted a senior Police officer from the Tuticorin district to understand the basis, status of these serious allegations (from earlier) against the cops. “We have received complaints and we are looking into it and will take the necessary action.”

What happened to Jayaraj-Bennix on that fateful night

There are different versions of what transpired at Bennix’s shop on June 18th (Thursday) and later on that fateful night, June 19th at the Police station. But one thing that locals are sure about is the gruesome manner in which the father-son duo was severely beaten for over four hours, while in the Police station.&nbsp;

One version states that on 18th June a little after 7:45 a cop had gone to Bennix’s shop and asked him to close for the day, as lockdown rules permit shops to be open only until 8 pm. That’s when Bennix’s father, Jayaraj is said to have uttered something to his son. This was said to be misunderstood by the cop, who went and misreported it to the Sub-Inspector.

“Police asked the son to close the shop, at the same time the father came and casually said something to the effect of, we will close on time and it’s not necessary for them (cops) to tell us about it. The same was heard wrongly by the Police personnel who was nearby and he misreported the same to the Sub-Inspector” says Venugopal, a senior journalist and advocate.&nbsp;

Another version alleges that the Police personnel were consuming liquor in front of Bennix’s shop, which eventually provoked Bennix’s father. “The police was drunk and this provoked Bennix’s father to say (something to the effect of) - these fellows shouldn’t be spared, they should be beaten up for doing such things while in uniform. This was reported to the Police Sub-inspector” says Parthiban, a DMK secretary from the locality.&nbsp;

Whichever way things transpired on June 18th evening, the Sub-Inspector was apprised of the same and he is said to have gone to the shop on Friday, June 19th. It is said that Jayaraj (58) was taken to to the nearby Sathankulam Police station.&nbsp;

After getting to know that his father was picked up by the cops, Bennix had rushed to the Police station by around 8 pm. Eyewitnesses say that the father was dragged into the station and was being questioned. That’s when an emotional Bennix charged into the station.&nbsp;

“The SI was about to hit his father and that’s when Bennix resisted the cop and pushed his hands away. We were waiting at the station for a different case and urged Bennix not to barge into the station, but he was in a real hurry. After seeing Bennix’s tussle with the cop, another cop joins the melee. Bennix pushed him away, as well. That’s when a handful of cops got together and started beating them” said Venugopal a senior journalist and advocate who was present at the station.&nbsp;

Locals allege that the cops took turns and mercilessly thrashed the duo for over four hours, after shutting the doors of the police station. Most people in the locality say that the duo was repeatedly beaten on the soles of their feet, the knees and their backs, which ended up causing severe bleeding.

“If the trade union members and locals had gathered in large numbers and demanded their release, they could have been saved. But the kind of atrocities, torture inflicted on them led to even rectal bleeding” said Parthiban, a DMK functionary.&nbsp;

Venugopal, who was present at the station until 9 pm denies the reports of sexual torture, but adds that the third-degree beating itself was meant to cause serious harm to their lives.

Later, on Saturday morning the duo was taken to the Sathankulam Government Hospital, following which they were produced before the judicial magistrate and were lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail that afternoon. On Monday, Benix developed health complications and was rushed to the Kovilpatti General Hospital, where he died.&nbsp;

The same night, Monday, June 23rd, his father Jayaraj fell ill and was taken to the same hospital, where he died on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

Procedural Lapses at every step&nbsp;

Senior Advocates point out several procedural lapses in the way this particular case has been handled at various levels. They say that all the actions of the officials from the time of the arrest until their hospitalization (on Monday) need to come under scrutiny and the officials must be suspended, besides charged for serious criminal offences.&nbsp;

“The duo shouldn’t have been arrested. If they violate the Covid-19 lockdown rules, the cops should inform the collector, instead of arresting the violators. FIR states that the father-son duo threatened the cops, but even in that case, the arrest shouldn’t have happened” senior advocate Radhakrishnan told WION.&nbsp;

He questioned several procedural lapses including why the cops did not inform the family about the arrest, why the arrest memo was not prepared and other basic mistakes. “The Police have rights to conduct an enquiry, but no rights to hit, torture them.”

He added that, following the night at the lockup, at the hospital on the next day, the Doctor shouldn’t have given a medical certificate. They should have been admitted for treatment. “Even the Magistrate could have examined and noted down nature, the severity of injury after keeping the cops away. As per Covid-19 rules, a remand was not necessary in this case. The jail SI also could have sent them to the hospital and not allowed them in. All the erring officials from the cops to the jail SI must be suspended and face the law. The investigation must take place under IPC Section 302” Radhakrishnan said.&nbsp;

Senior Advocate Sudha Ramalingam said that handing over the case to the CBI would not offer any remedy. “CBI needs to be probing cases of greater magnitude, including financial dealings, corruption etc. CBI is also ultimately from state police. It would be better to have a Special Task Force from another state, to ensure that they are not hindered by any form of pressure. But even in the case of CBI, they failed miserably in the Aarushi murder case and also the probe into May 2018 Police firings also is yet to be out” she told WION.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Sunday, that the State government would transfer the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Sunday, that the State government would transfer the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He added that the same would be informed to the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court when the case comes up for hearing and with the court’s consent the case would be handed over to the CBI. During a hearing on Monday, the Madurai bench of the Madras High court stated that they do not object to a CBI probe if it was the policy decision of the state government. The court added that it would not interfere with the decision of the State government. Given that the police had not cooperated enough in the investigation the Court had ordered that the Sathankulam police station (Where the alleged torture took place), be brought under the control of the Tuticorin Collector. So far, the Inspector and two Sub-Inspectors of the Sathankulam Police station have been suspended, while a departmental enquiry has been initiated against two head constables. While the CBI probe is seen as a measure to ensure delivery of justice, locals allege that two lives (father-son) could have been saved, had the earlier cases of Police excesses and brutalities been brought to light. One such case is said to have happened after the murder of a man called Jayakumar, who local sources say was acting as a Police informer. Pertaining to the investigation of Jayakumar’s murder, the cops from Sathankulam station allegedly beat up several people, including innocents. In connection with the investigation, locals allege that nearly 30 people were picked up and thrashed. “When the cops couldn’t find the accused, they picked up Mahendran, the younger brother of the accused and beat him up, which eventually led to his death. Due to head injuries, he died sometime recently, in the month of June. Had people protested against this and raised their voice, the father-son duo would not have had to endure such cruelty in custody and die” Joseph, an opposition party functionary and a Panchayat leader told WION. Some also allege that there was a caste angle to the rivalry between some cops and certain individuals in connection with the Jayakumar murder. “Some cops involved in these excesses belong to a particular caste and they have local support and informers from their community. When one such informer Jayakumar was murdered, it was suspected that the members of their rival caste would have killed him. Even if innocents are beaten up, they or their families don’t speak up fearing repercussions” said another DMK functionary Parthiban, referring to the police excesses following the Jayakumar murder. “There are many complaints from earlier against a few cops who had beaten the father-son duo to death. There are pending cases in the State Human Rights Commission. Some of these cops are involved in heinous crimes, including torture. District Police officials are also in the know about this and that is the level of impunity. Even the Police firings which killed 13 people in May 2018 during the protests were covered up” Founder of People’s Watch, Henri Tiphagne told WION. WION contacted a senior Police officer from the Tuticorin district to understand the basis, status of these serious allegations (from earlier) against the cops. “We have received complaints and we are looking into it and will take the necessary action.” What happened to Jayaraj-Bennix on that fateful night There are different versions of what transpired at Bennix’s shop on June 18th (Thursday) and later on that fateful night, June 19th at the Police station. But one thing that locals are sure about is the gruesome manner in which the father-son duo was severely beaten for over four hours, while in the Police station. One version states that on 18th June a little after 7:45 a cop had gone to Bennix’s shop and asked him to close for the day, as lockdown rules permit shops to be open only until 8 pm. That’s when Bennix’s father, Jayaraj is said to have uttered something to his son. This was said to be misunderstood by the cop, who went and misreported it to the Sub-Inspector. “Police asked the son to close the shop, at the same time the father came and casually said something to the effect of, we will close on time and it’s not necessary for them (cops) to tell us about it. The same was heard wrongly by the Police personnel who was nearby and he misreported the same to the Sub-Inspector” says Venugopal, a senior journalist and advocate. Another version alleges that the Police personnel were consuming liquor in front of Bennix’s shop, which eventually provoked Bennix’s father. “The police was drunk and this provoked Bennix’s father to say (something to the effect of) - these fellows shouldn’t be spared, they should be beaten up for doing such things while in uniform. This was reported to the Police Sub-inspector” says Parthiban, a DMK secretary from the locality. Whichever way things transpired on June 18th evening, the Sub-Inspector was apprised of the same and he is said to have gone to the shop on Friday, June 19th. It is said that Jayaraj (58) was taken to to the nearby Sathankulam Police station. After getting to know that his father was picked up by the cops, Bennix had rushed to the Police station by around 8 pm. Eyewitnesses say that the father was dragged into the station and was being questioned. That’s when an emotional Bennix charged into the station. “The SI was about to hit his father and that’s when Bennix resisted the cop and pushed his hands away. We were waiting at the station for a different case and urged Bennix not to barge into the station, but he was in a real hurry. After seeing Bennix’s tussle with the cop, another cop joins the melee. Bennix pushed him away, as well. That’s when a handful of cops got together and started beating them” said Venugopal a senior journalist and advocate who was present at the station. Locals allege that the cops took turns and mercilessly thrashed the duo for over four hours, after shutting the doors of the police station. Most people in the locality say that the duo was repeatedly beaten on the soles of their feet, the knees and their backs, which ended up causing severe bleeding. “If the trade union members and locals had gathered in large numbers and demanded their release, they could have been saved. But the kind of atrocities, torture inflicted on them led to even rectal bleeding” said Parthiban, a DMK functionary. Venugopal, who was present at the station until 9 pm denies the reports of sexual torture, but adds that the third-degree beating itself was meant to cause serious harm to their lives. Later, on Saturday morning the duo was taken to the Sathankulam Government Hospital, following which they were produced before the judicial magistrate and were lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail that afternoon. On Monday, Benix developed health complications and was rushed to the Kovilpatti General Hospital, where he died. The same night, Monday, June 23rd, his father Jayaraj fell ill and was taken to the same hospital, where he died on Tuesday morning. Procedural Lapses at every step Senior Advocates point out several procedural lapses in the way this particular case has been handled at various levels. They say that all the actions of the officials from the time of the arrest until their hospitalization (on Monday) need to come under scrutiny and the officials must be suspended, besides charged for serious criminal offences. “The duo shouldn’t have been arrested. If they violate the Covid-19 lockdown rules, the cops should inform the collector, instead of arresting the violators. FIR states that the father-son duo threatened the cops, but even in that case, the arrest shouldn’t have happened” senior advocate Radhakrishnan told WION. He questioned several procedural lapses including why the cops did not inform the family about the arrest, why the arrest memo was not prepared and other basic mistakes. “The Police have rights to conduct an enquiry, but no rights to hit, torture them.” He added that, following the night at the lockup, at the hospital on the next day, the Doctor shouldn’t have given a medical certificate. They should have been admitted for treatment. “Even the Magistrate could have examined and noted down nature, the severity of injury after keeping the cops away. As per Covid-19 rules, a remand was not necessary in this case. The jail SI also could have sent them to the hospital and not allowed them in. All the erring officials from the cops to the jail SI must be suspended and face the law. The investigation must take place under IPC Section 302” Radhakrishnan said. Senior Advocate Sudha Ramalingam said that handing over the case to the CBI would not offer any remedy. “CBI needs to be probing cases of greater magnitude, including financial dealings, corruption etc. CBI is also ultimately from state police. It would be better to have a Special Task Force from another state, to ensure that they are not hindered by any form of pressure. But even in the case of CBI, they failed miserably in the Aarushi murder case and also the probe into May 2018 Police firings also is yet to be out” she told WION.

Locals allege, if earlier Police excesses were probed, Tuticorin father-son, Jayaraj-Bennix could have been saved

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