EU Russia: Bloc toughens visa regime but no ban
European Union foreign ministers have agreed to suspend a visa agreement with Moscow, making it harder for Russian citizens to obtain entry to the bloc, BBC reported.
Ukraine and some member states had called for a blanket ban, but others like France and Germany were opposed.
More than a million Russian citizens have travelled to the EU since the invasion of Ukraine in February.
Several eastern EU countries which border Russia are expected to impose further restrictions.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Glushko said the EU was "shooting itself in the foot" and the move would not go unanswered.
Impeachment motion was brought to make Deepak Karki Chief Justice: Rana
Suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana said that the impeachment motion was filed against him to make Deepak Karki the Chief Justice. In a statement given to the Parliamentary Impeachment Recommendation Committee on Wednesday, Rana said that he had to face false accusations while trying to strengthen the judiciary. “The impeachment motion was brought to make Deepak Karki the Chief Justice,” he said. While recording his statement, Chief Justice Rana said that he came to the Impeachment Recommendation Committee to respect the Parliament. He further said that some elements are trying to weaken the judiciary. Meanwhile, he expressed his dissatisfaction over the impeachment motion registered against him. “Why did the ruling coalition bring the impeachment motion proposal?” he questioned, “The CPN-UML should have brought the proposal.” Rana said that the impeachment motion should be filed against five other incumbent justices of the Supreme Court, not only him. On top of that, he said that the Parliament should maintain power balance with the judiciary. Rana reached Singha Durbar to give his statement this morning. The Parliament has formed an 11-member committee to look into the case. One-fourth of the members of Parliament had tabled an impeachment proposal against Rana as per Article 101 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal. As many as 98 lawmakers of the ruling coalition on February 13 had registered the motion against Rana. The then Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Whip Pushpa Bhushal, Maoist Center Chief Whip Dev Gurung and Unified Socialist Party Whip Jeevanram Shrestha were the proposers. The proposal was supported by 95 lawmakers. Earlier, the Nepal Bar Association had staged protests for 109 days demanding resignation of Rana.
Suspended CJ Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana in Singha Durbar to give statement
Suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumshar JB Rana on Wednesday reached Singha Durbar to give his statement on the impeachment motion filed against him. The Impeachment Recommendation Committee of the Parliament had summoned Chief Justice Rana today to record his statement. The Parliament has formed an 11-member committee to look into the case. One-fourth of the members of Parliament had tabled an impeachment proposal against Rana as per Article 101 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal. As many as 98 lawmakers of the ruling coalition on February 13 had registered the motion against Rana. The then Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Whip Pushpa Bhushal, Maoist Center Chief Whip Dev Gurung and Unified Socialist Party Whip Jeevanram Shrestha were the proposers. The proposal was supported by 95 lawmakers. Earlier, the Nepal Bar Association had staged protests for 109 days demanding resignation of Rana.
New York to restrict gun carrying after Supreme Court ruling
Amid the bright lights and electronic billboards across New York’s Times Square, city authorities are posting new signs proclaiming the bustling crossroads a “Gun Free Zone,” Associated Press reported.
The sprawling Manhattan tourist attraction is one of scores of “sensitive” places — including parks, churches and theaters — that will be off limits for guns under a sweeping new state law going into effect Thursday. The measure, passed after a US Supreme Court decision in June expanded gun rights, also sets stringent standards for issuing concealed carry permits.
New York is among a half-dozen states that had key provisions of its gun laws invalidated by the high court because of a requirement for applicants to prove they had “proper cause” for a permit. Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that she and her fellow Democrats in the state Legislature took action the next week because the ruling “destroyed the ability for a governor to be able to protect her citizens from people who carry concealed weapons anywhere they choose.”
The quickly adopted law, however, has led to confusion and court challenges from gun owners who say it improperly limits their constitutional rights.
“They seem to be designed less towards addressing gun violence and more towards simply preventing people from getting guns — even if those people are law-abiding, upstanding citizens, who according to the Supreme Court have the rights to have them,” said Jonathan Corbett, a Brooklyn attorney and permit applicant who is one of several people challenging the law in court.
Under the law, applicants for a concealed carry permit will have to complete 16 hours of classroom training and two hours of live-fire exercises. Ordinary citizens would be prohibited from bringing guns to schools, churches, subways, theaters and amusement parks — among other places deemed “sensitive” by authorities.
Applicants also will have to provide a list of social media accounts for the past three years as part of a “character and conduct” review. The requirement was added because shooters have sometimes dropped hints of violence online before they opened fire on people, according to Associated Press.
Sheriffs in some upstate counties said the additional work for their investigators could add to existing backlogs in processing applications.
In Rochester, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said it currently takes two to four hours to perform a pistol permit background check on a “clean” candidate. He estimate the new law will add another one to three hours for each permit. The county has about 600 pending pistol permits.
“It’s going to slow everything down just a bit more,” he said.
In the Mohawk Valley, Fulton County Sheriff Richard C. Giardino had questions on how the digital sleuthing would proceed.
“It says three years worth of your social media. We’re not going to print out three years of social media posts by everybody. If you look at my Facebook, I send out six or 10 things a day,” said the sheriff, a former district attorney and judge.
The list of prohibited spaces for carrying guns has drawn criticism from advocates who say it’s so extensive it will make it difficult for people with permits to move about in public. People carrying a gun could go into private business only with permission, such as a sign posted on the window, Associated Press reported.
