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More than 75 percent of married Bangladeshi women experience violence from partners at least once in their lifetime, a national survey published Monday said.

Over 75% Women In Bangladesh Experience Violence After Marriage: Survey

A lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari,  the Hindu priest arrested and accused of sedition in Bangladesh, has been attacked, the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) has said. A court in Bangladesh is expected to hear the case on December 3. 

In a post on X, Radharaman Das, the spokesperson for ISKCON, said, "Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life".

Many lawyers in Bangladesh, however, have denied any such event.

Last month too, there were claims on social media and a few news outlets that a lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das was killed. But investigations revealed that the murdered lawyer, Saiful Islam, was an assistant public prosecutor and he was not defending Chinmoy Das.

The post from Radharaman Das read: 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. 
 
Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveBangladeshiHindus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveBangladeshiHindus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu</a> <a href="https://t.co/uudpC10bpN">pic.twitter.com/uudpC10bpN</a>
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) <a href="https://twitter.com/RadharamnDas/status/1863593503609303469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2024</a></blockquote>

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, was arrested in Dhaka last month after protests by the Hindu community in Rangpur, demanding stronger legal protections for minority groups. He has been accused of sedition and was denied bail by a Dhaka court on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has seen widespread political violence and protests over minority rights since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Amid attacks on minority Hindus in the neighbouring coutry, Radharaman Das had earlier posted on X that two disciples of Chinmoy Krishna Das have gone missing in Chattogram after a second Hindu monk, Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested.

India has condemned the arrest and urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities. 

The arrest has also been strongly criticised by Indian religious leaders and members of the civil society.

Protest rallies have been held in West Bengal and several other staes that share border with Bangladesh.

In Tripura, the criticism has taken the form of boycott. Hotels and restaurants have decided not to accept bookings from tourists from Bangladesh, the top association of the travel sector has said.

Earlier today, more than 50 protesters allegedly entered the premises of the Bangladeshi mission in Tripura capital Agartala, leading to panic among the officials and staff at the complex. India has described the incident as "deeply regrettable".

Advocate Defending Hindu Priest In Bangladesh Attacked, Says ISKCON

Reversing his past promises to not use the powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family, US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued an official pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, sparing him a possible prison sentence for two criminal cases related to federal felony gun and tax convictions.&nbsp;
Joe Biden had time and again said that he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. Mr Biden's decision to use his position to help his son marks a significant shift in the Democratic President's political position, who promised Americans to restore norms and respect for the rule of law, after Donald Trump's first term in office.&nbsp;
<h2>Biden's Statement</h2>
"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," the US President said in a statement.
Mr Biden,&nbsp;who is in the final weeks of his presidency before Trump takes office on January 20,&nbsp;said that his opponents had sought to break his son with selective prosecution.
"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son -- and that is wrong," said the President.
He stressed that people were rarely brought to trial for felony charges for how they filled out a gun form, and said others who were late in paying taxes because of addiction but paid them back with interest and penalties, as his son had, typically received non-criminal resolutions to their cases.
"It is clear that Hunter was treated differently. The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Mr Biden said.&nbsp;
"In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me - and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough," he added.
Hunter Biden, a recovering drug addict who became a target of Republicans, has been granted "a full and unconditional" pardon for any offences in a window from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.
Mr Biden said he had made his decision to pardon over the weekend.
The president, his wife, Jill Biden, and their family including Hunter, spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and returned to Washington on Saturday night.
"Here's the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice - and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further," he said.
"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," the President added.
<h2>What Is Presidential Pardon?</h2>
The US Constitution gives power to presidents to grant clemency, which can include commutations and pardons. Granting commutation reduces penalties against the convicted felon without erasing the conviction. Meanwhile, a pardon forgives a person's federal crimes entirely.
<h2>Republicans Criticized Joe Biden's Move</h2>
"Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!" President-elect Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site, referring to those convicted for storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, after Trump claimed falsely that he had won the 2020 election.
"Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family's corrupt influence-peddling activities," said Representative James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
<h2>Cases Against Hunter Biden</h2>
The younger Biden faced sentencing for the false statements and gun convictions this month. He was convicted earlier this year of lying about his drug use when he bought a gun -- a felony.
In September he also pleaded guilty to federal charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items. He was scheduled for sentencing in that case on December 16.
Earlier, Hunter Biden has paid the back taxes, as well as penalties levied by authorities. In August 2023, his lawyers said prosecutors had reneged on a plea deal that would have resolved the tax and firearms charges -- but that agreement fell apart at the last minute.&nbsp;
For tax evasion, Hunter Biden was facing up to 17 years in prison. For the separate gun charge, he was facing 25 years in prison.
"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction - mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport," Hunter Biden said in a statement on Sunday.
"In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages ... I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering," He said further, adding he had remained sober for more than five years.
His case has long been a thorn in the Biden family's side, particularly during this election year when Republicans have charged that Hunter was being treated too leniently.
However, President Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race in favour of Vice President Kamala Harris had taken much of the zeal out of the Republican drive to make an example out of his son. Still, prosecutors appeared unwilling to cut him any slack, rejecting a so-called "Alford plea," whereby Hunter Biden would admit guilt because of the high probability of conviction, but would maintain his innocence.
<h2>Power And Pardon</h2>
The move brings fresh scrutiny over the independence of the US judicial system -- especially at a time when incoming president Donald Trump has moved to appoint loyalists to the FBI and Justice Department himself.
But, this is not the first time when a US President used pardon to help family members and other political allies.
Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for old cocaine charges and Mr Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion, though in both cases those men had already served their prison terms.&nbsp;
Mr Trump has also vowed to pardon supporters who stormed the US Capitol in a deadly riot on January 6, 2021, in a bid to reverse his 2020 election loss.&nbsp;

Reversing his past promises to not use the powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family, US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued an offic

All About Hunter Biden's Case History, Reactions To Presidential Pardon

Syria Civil War: सीरिया में मचे घमासान और तख्तापलट के बीच विद्रोही दमिश्क में इटली के राजदूत के आवास में जा घुसे. इटली के विदेश मंत्री एंटोनियो तजानी ने कहा कि एक आर्म्ड ग्रुप दमिश्क में इतालवी राजदूत के निवास के बगीचे में घुस गया और तीन कारें चुरा लीं. हालांकि विद्रोहियों ने राजदूत और कैराबिनियरी (दूतावास पुलिस) को कोई नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाया है. तजानी ने सीरिया में सत्ता के शांतिपूर्ण हस्तांतरण की अपील की है.&nbsp;
इटली के विदेश मंत्री कार्यालय ने सीरिया में रह रहे अपने 300 नागरिकों की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करने की प्रतिबद्धता जताई है. तजानी ने कहा कि उनकी सरकार देश छोड़ने में इच्छुक नागरिकों की मदद के लिए तैयार है. सीरिया की स्थिति पर हुए एक बैठक के बाद तजानी ने कहा, "आज सुबह, एक विद्रोही समूह इटली के राजदूत के निवास के बगीचे में घुस गया. उन्होंने तीन ऑटोमोबाइल छीन लिए."&nbsp;
'सीरिया में पूरी तरह से नियंत्रण में है स्थिति'
उन्होंने बताया कि विद्रोही समूह असद के सैनिकों की तलाश कर रहा था, लेकिन उसने राजदूत या वहां तैनात इतालवी पुलिस को कोई नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाया. तजानी ने पुष्टि की कि राजदूत "सुरक्षित" हैं और किसी अलग जगह से रिमोट फॉर्म में काम कर रहे हैं. उन्होंने कहा, " वहां स्थिति पूरी तरह से नियंत्रण में है. सीरिया में बहुत खुशी है, लेकिन हवा में गोलीबारी करके खुशी इजहार करना उलझन को बढ़ाता है." दिन की शुरुआत में इस्लामवादी नेतृत्व वाले विद्रोहियों ने घोषणा किया कि वे राष्ट्रपति बशर अल-असद की सेनाओं के खिलाफ़ हमला बोलकर दमिश्क में प्रवेश कर चुके हैं.
इराकी दूतावास को कराया गया खाली दमिश्क में घमासान के बाद इराकी दूतावास को खाली करा दिया गया है. &nbsp;इराक ने सीरिया के सीमा पर हाई अलर्ट का एडवाइजरी जारी किया है और वहां सैनिकों की तैनाता बढ़ा दी गई है. भारी संख्या में सीरियाई सेना के जवानों ने इराक में शरण ले रखी है.
भारत ने भी एडवाइजरी की जारी शनिवार को विदेश मंत्रालय की ओर से जारी एडवाइजरी में MEA ने भारतीय नागरिकों को अगली सूचना तक सीरिया की यात्रा नकरने की सलाह दी थी. एडवाइजरी में कहा गया है कि सीरिया में रहने वाले भारतीय दमिश्क स्थित भारतीय दूतावास के आपातकालीन हेल्पलाइन नंबर +963 993385973 और ईमेल आईडी hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in पर संपर्क में रहें.&nbsp;
<div id="article-hstick-inner" class="abp-story-detail ">
यह भी पढेंः&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abplive.com/news/world/britain-democrats-mp-raised-concerns-on-religious-freedom-and-human-rights-abuses-of-minority-religious-minorities-in-pakistan-2834527">बांग्लादेश में हिंदुओं पर जारी हिंसा के बीच ब्रिटेन की संसद में गूंजा पाकिस्तान का ये मुद्दा, सांसद ने लगाया गंभीर आरोप</a>
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सीरिया में इटली के राजदूत के घर में घुसे विद्रोही, चुरा ले गए तीन महंगी कारें! जानें और क्या हुआ

US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden after repeatedly pledging not to. Below is a look at the circumstances leading up to the pardon and its legal consequences.
WHAT DID THE PARDON COVER?
Hunter Biden was pardoned for his conviction by a jury in Delaware and a guilty plea in California. Hunter Biden was also pardoned for federal crimes "he committed or may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014 through the end of this year.
WHAT CRIMES WAS HUNTER BIDEN CONVICTED OF?
A Delaware jury in June found the president's son guilty of lying about his addiction to illegal drugs on a disclosure form that is required to purchase a firearm. The trial included hours of embarrassing testimony about Hunter Biden's addiction to crack and reckless behavior. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12.
Biden separately pleaded guilty to criminal charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.
WHAT SENTENCE WAS BIDEN FACING?
He was facing decades in prison, although sentencing guidelines suggested he was likely to receive a much less severe punishment.
For the gun charges, sentencing guidelines are 15 to 21 months, although legal experts said defendants in similar situations receive shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they abide by the terms of their pretrial release. Hunter Biden's attorney had told the judge that he was complying with terms of his bail, which included drug testing to show he was not using illegal drugs.
A juror told CNN after the trial they did not think Hunter Biden belonged in prison.
WASN'T THERE A PLEA DEAL?
Yes. In June last year Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes and an agreement that would have spared him a conviction on a gun-related charge. The agreement prompted accusations by Republicans that Hunter Biden is receiving favorable treatment as the president's son. A federal judge questioned the breadth of that agreement and declined to accept it, paving the way for Hunter Biden's trial on gun charges.
COULD HUNTER BIDEN BE CALLED TO TESTIFY IN ANOTHER CASE?
If the US House of Representatives or the Justice Department decides to probe the Biden family business dealings, as some Republicans have promised to do, Hunter Biden could potentially be called to testify. Before he was pardoned, he could have declined to do so, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The pardon could limit his ability to invoke that right, because he no longer faces criminal jeopardy for any federal crimes committed during the period covered. Presidential pardons do not protect people from prosecution for state crimes.
ARE PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS UNUSUAL?
No. Presidents beginning with George Washington, the first US president, have granted pardons. Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace, Bill Clinton pardoned his brother-in-law and Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden after repeatedly pledging not to.

Explained: What Is The Legal Effect Of Joe Biden's Pardon Of His Son?

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Earlier this month, tragic news from Texas brought the abortion debate into sharp focus. According to a media report, a pregnant woman died because medical staff delayed care due to fear of legal repercussions under the state's strict abortion laws. Such stories underline the life-threatening consequences of restricting reproductive rights.

Vice President Kamala Harris made abortion rights the heart of her campaign, but President-elect Donald Trump first waffled on his positions on abortion but towards the end of his campaign he finally admitted he would "not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances." But the abortion rights activist fear Trump might do the opposite. America may become intolerant to unwanted pregnancies. It may become a place where coming out of the closest could be looked down upon.

In any case, across the US, 41 states now enforce abortion bans, many with minor exceptions. Thirteen of these have outright bans, leaving women with few options even in cases of severe health risks.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, countries like Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia enforce equally harsh abortion restrictions, rooted in religious principles. In Iran, the Youthful Population and Protection of the Family Law, introduced in 2021, has made obtaining an abortion even harder, emphasising state control over women's reproductive choices.

What ties these regions together is a shared ideological conservatism-one that prioritises the moral sanctity of foetal life over women's autonomy. In both conservative US states and Islamic fundamentalist societies, the convergence of politics, religion, and societal norms has turned women's health into a battleground.

I am writing these lines from a liberal man's perspective but I often hear in my Muslim friends and families' circles strong arguments in support of abortion bans.

The idea here is to show that the two sides might be sworn enemies, almost incapable of seeing eye to eye, but quite interestingly they speak the same ideological language and practise the same dogma. Whether it's on religion or abortion or whether it's on the role of women and their collective disdain for gay people. It's hard to believe how much they have in common-until you remember they can't stand each other. I'm talking more Evangelicals in America and Muslim fundamentalists in the Islamic world.

Two sides of the same ideological coin

Strange bedfellows? politically yes but ideologically not quite. They are more like two sides of the same ultra-conservative coin, but wittingly or unwittingly locked in a battle of supremacy.  

Recently, the world watched, as a young Iranian woman staged a bold protest, removing her hijab and clothes in public at a university, defying a government that enforces compulsory hijab laws with a heavy hand. Her act of rebellion harks back to the tragic case of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in 2022 after being detained for not wearing her hijab "properly." The nationwide protests following Amini's death highlighted the deep resentment against these restrictive laws.

So, in one world-the conservative US states-women fear criminalisation for seeking abortions, bound by laws that strip them of autonomy over their own bodies. In another world-places like Iran-women defy oppressive mandates, risking everything to assert their right to freedom.

I have often wondered about two things, without giving them much thought: how the Evangelicals of America and the ultra-fundamentalists of Iran and other Islamic states, such as Saudi Arabia, seem to speak the same language and use identical idioms-yet why do they hate each other despite being cut from the same ideological cloth? But first, let's take a quick look at some of the views the two sides share on a variety of issues.

Family Values, a cornerstone of society: Both Islamic and Evangelical fundamentalists emphasise the centrality of the family as a divinely ordained unit. In many conservative Islamic societies, family is seen as the bedrock of a society, based on morality, with strict roles for men as providers and women as caretakers. I believe the family structure is designed to preserve religious and cultural traditions. Evangelical Christians in the US similarly prioritise family roles. They too advocate for traditional gender roles, with the husband as the head of the household and the wife in a submissive role. Both groups view the family as under attack from liberal views of secularists, such as single parenthood, same-sex parenting or gender fluidity. They see these views as a threat to social order.

Homosexuality is against nature: Conservative Rev Jerry Falwell had once said: "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals".  Ayatollah Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani, an Iranian cleric, has referred to homosexuality as a "moral corruption" and aligned it with societal decay, suggesting that such behaviour brings misfortune upon communities, a sentiment echoing Falwell's rhetoric.

Homosexuality is widely condemned in conservative Islamic contexts, often punished severely, including imprisonment or even execution in some countries. Gender fluidity is considered unnatural and an affront. Evangelicals oppose same-sex marriages and gender identity rights, viewing them as sins. For them, only two genders exist -- male and female

Liberal Values as Satan's Workshop: Both Islamic and Evangelical fundamentalists reject liberal values, associating them with moral decay and godlessness. In Islamic societies, liberal ideas like freedom of speech, individualism, and secularism are often condemned as corrupting influences from the West, undermining culture and morality. Music, art and media that challenge traditional norms are viewed with suspicion. Evangelicals similarly view liberal values, such as LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom and secular governance, as evidence of a decay.

If their views on many issues converge and overlap, why do they hate each other? I think it stems from historical, cultural and political factors. Let's consider the following:

Historical Hostility and Religious Exclusivity: Both Islamic and Evangelical fundamentalists claim exclusive access to ultimate truth, which puts them in opposite camps. One set of people views the other as misguided at best or heretical at worst.

Historical Conflicts: In the Islamic world, children in educated families grow up knowing about the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition and centuries of atrocities committed by the Catholics against Muslims. Centuries of historical clashes have left deep scars on their psyche. Evangelical Christians often see Islam as a "threat to Western civilisation," while Islamic fundamentalists view Christian missionaries and Western expansion as attempts to undermine their culture and religion. 

Cultural Hegemony and Identity Politics: Their shared ideological views are overshadowed by cultural and nationalistic narratives that pit them against each other. Evangelicals in the US often see themselves as defenders of a "Christian America" against perceived external threats. Political rhetoric about the "clash of civilisations" feeds into this dynamic, painting Muslims as adversaries in a broader cultural war. Islamic fundamentalists often see Western Christian powers, including evangelical movements, as aggressors trying to impose their values and political dominance on Muslim-majority societies. The US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and evangelical missionary activities are often cited as examples of Western hostility. 

Political Alignment and Global Power Dynamics Following the 9/11 terror attack, President George Bush declared a war against Islamic terrorism. For the proposed war, he used the word 'crusade', which stirred old hostilities between Christians and Muslims. The choice of the word 'crusade' coming from the US president may just have been accidental but that was not how it was viewed in the Muslim world. He came in for a massive criticism by Muslim leaders. Many Evangelicals support US foreign policies that are perceived as hostile to Muslim-majority nations, such as unwavering support for Israel, military interventions in West Asia and policies against Muslim immigration.

Media Narratives and Fearmongering Both groups are often manipulated by political actors and media to stoke fear and division. In Western narratives, Islamic extremists are often portrayed as violent ones while Evangelicals are projected as defenders of Western values. 

Rivalry in preaching their religious faiths: The two groups' approaches to spreading their faith also create conflict. Evangelicals actively proselytise, often working to convert others. Islamic fundamentalists also promote dawah (inviting others to Islam), but their efforts are often localised or defensive, aimed at countering Western influence rather than converting Christians. 

In a world where identity politics often outweigh shared ideologies, I tend to believe that these two groups are unlikely to find common ground despite their similar stances on family, gender and morality.

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सीरिया में इटली के राजदूत के घर में घुसे विद्रोही, चुरा ले गए तीन महंगी कारें! जानें और क्या हुआ

Explained: What Is The Legal Effect Of Joe Biden's Pardon Of His Son?

Over 75% Women In Bangladesh Experience Violence After Marriage: Survey

Advocate Defending Hindu Priest In Bangladesh Attacked, Says ISKCON

All About Hunter Biden's Case History, Reactions To Presidential Pardon

सीरिया में इटली के राजदूत के घर में घुसे विद्रोही, चुरा ले गए तीन महंगी कारें! जानें और क्या हुआ

Explained: What Is The Legal Effect Of Joe Biden's Pardon Of His Son?

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Opinion: Two Sides Of The Same Coin: Fundamentalists Share Worldview Yet Remain Hostile

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