India farmers clash with police after march on capital blocked
Tear gas has been fired by security forces at protesting farmers in India as they attempt to march to Delhi.
Demonstrators broke through several layers of barricades during clashes with hundreds of police and para-military forces at the Shambhu crossing at the Punjab and Haryana border.
The farmers have a series of demands including waiving debts on farm loans, pensions for farmers and labourers, help with energy costs and legal guarantees around the Minimum Support Price (MSP) – which protects farmers from falls in crop prices.
Security has been tightened at the Shambhu crossing, on the border of Punjab and Haryana states, where hundreds have been camped out since February.
Tear gas was used on protesting farmers at the Shambhu border crossing. Pic: AP
The Haryana government, which is controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, has refused to allow protesters to pass through their state to reach the capital, about 140 miles (225km) away.
Police Superintendent Surender Singh Bhoria from the district of Ambala said: “All security measures were in place and if the farmers want to go to Delhi, they should first get permission from Delhi Police”.
Officers have reinforced barricades, adding three more layers, with razor wire and concrete barriers embedded with iron nails.
Hundreds of police and para-military personnel have been deployed along with drones and water cannon.
Shambhu crossing in India where farmers have clashed with police
Schools have been closed on Friday in Ambala and special restrictions imposed on gatherings of five or more people in one place. Internet services have also been blocked in some areas along the border.
The protests are being supported by two large farming unions, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), although other groups are not backing the march.
The protest groups have made three attempts to march to Delhi since February.
Farming leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said: “We’ve had four rounds of talks with the government and nothing has been resolved. We are open for talks with the government to resolve these issues.
Extra barriers have been erected to block farmers. Pic: AP
“This does not look like a Punjab-Haryana border, but an international territory. They are treating us like we are enemies from some other country.
“We are citizens of this land who want to peacefully march to the national capital to press our demands. The administration has accused us of carrying weapons, but we will march peacefully and on foot instead of taking tractors this time.”
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The Indian government said it remains open for talks. Kamlesh Paswan, minister for rural development, said: “No other government has done as much for farmers as the Modi government, we have helped them in every sector.”
Farmer issues can only be “resolved through talks. Dialogue is the only way forward and they should hold talks with the agriculture minister”, he added.
More than half of India’s population are farmers with millions more attached to agriculture.
Farmers from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh gathered on Monday to demand better compensation. Pic: Reuters
On Monday about 5,000 farmers from Uttar Pradesh attempted to march to Delhi seeking fair compensation for land acquired by the government since 1997.
The march was blocked on the edge of the capital with some farmers being detained by police.
Some demonstrators were detained by police. Pic: Reuters
India’s Supreme Court, which had been asked to intervene, addressed that ongoing protest. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said: “In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people… We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong.”
Security has now been tightened on national highways, with barriers being deployed and vehicle stop checks.
In 2020, thousands laid siege on the edge of the capital for 16 months during protests against what they considered ‘anti-farming’ laws being introduced by Modi’s government.
The legislation was later withdrawn, but unions claim more than 750 farmers lost their lives during the demonstrations.
World
US blocks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials from United Nations’ annual meeting in New York
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have been blocked from attending September’s annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has revoked the US visas of delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and denied others from applying for one.
It is the latest step by Donald Trump’s administration to target Palestinians with visa restrictions, and follows the suspension of a programme to allow injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the US.
Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general assembly in 2024, but is barred from next month’s meeting. Pic: Reuters
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” a statement from the US State Department said.
It added that, to be considered partners for peace, both groups “must consistently repudiate terrorism, and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO”.
Offensive will cause ‘intolerable deaths’
Several US allies, including France, Malta, and Australia have announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state at September’s United Nations General Assembly. Canada and the UK will too, unless Israel meets certain conditions.
Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday.
The army launched a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
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Thick smoke rises from Gaza City after Israeli strikes
Foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain released a joint statement saying the military operations in Gaza City will cause “intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians”.
Gaza latest: Israel’s Gaza City offensive condemned
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in Gaza City while enduring famine.
An Israeli armoured vehicle in northern Gaza on Friday. Pic: AP
Palestinians ride a truck carrying humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Pic: AP
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansour, said Mr Abbas had planned to lead the delegation to the UN meetings and was expected to address the general assembly at the general debate, which begins on 23 September.
He was also expected to attend a high-level meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 22 September about a two-state solution, a broad idea involving Israel coexisting with an independent Palestinian state.
The State of Palestine is an observer member of the UN, meaning it can speak at meetings but not vote on resolutions.
The State of Palestine cannot vote on UN resolutions. Pic: AP
US decision ‘contravenes international law’
The Palestinian Authority “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, calling it “a violation of US commitments” as the host of the UN, and claiming it “contravenes international law”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification in the “hope that this will be resolved”.
Hundreds of diplomats left when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu began speaking at the general assembly in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN, comprising officials who are permanently based there, would not be included in the restrictions.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
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The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 63,025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It also reported five more malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number during the war to 322, with 121 of them children.
World
Brazil implores businesses to attend major climate summit, despite ‘second thoughts’ amid Trump backlash
The Brazilian hosts of the biggest climate meeting of the year have implored businesses to attend in November, amid concerns some are backing away from the climate agenda into the shadow of Donald Trump.
In an interview with Sky News, Ana Toni, chief executive of the COP30 climate summit in November, admitted some companies were having “second thoughts” about the global switch to green economies because policymakers were creating uncertainty.
The US President Donald Trump has been attacking wind farms and waging tariff wars that could slow the transition to green energy.
Banks including HSBC and Barclays have ditched a net zero alliance set up just four years ago by Mark Carney, now the Canadian Prime Minister.
Ana Toni, Brazil’s climate secretary, is chief executive of the COP30 climate talks. Pic: Reuters
But even before Trump took office, tech companies were quietly dropping climate targets to prioritise energy-hungry AI, and other businesses were “greenhushing” their climate initiatives for fear of backlash.
In this environment, there are fears fewer business leaders will attend the annual talks, which are also being hosted in a city on the edge of the Amazon that hasn’t enough hotel rooms.
On Friday, the COP30 team wrote to business leaders urging them to “step forward, not back” and travel to Belem, despite “logistical challenges” and the “background of systemic uncertainty”.
Ana Toni told Sky News: “We are very concerned that the enabling conditions must be there so that the private sector can also deliver where they do best, which is bringing in technology, bringing innovation and accelerating the process of decarbonisation.”
In August the share price of Danish wind farm developer plummeted after the US halted its Rhode Island wind farm, while the British Tories and Reform parties are also attacking net zero.
Ana Toni met with King Charles and leaders of other COP summits at Clarence House last year. Pic: Reuters
But Ms Toni there is “nothing to panic [about], because we can see that the transition is inevitable,” citing major progress in China, India and Europe and Brazil.
Referring to the US’s withdrawal from the COP process, she said: “198 countries minus one is not zero. And we will put all our efforts of working with the 197 countries that want to go forward and want to protect their population.”
“Climate action is not only [still] cool, it is necessary,” Ms Toni said.
“We all need to face reality. We are going through a huge climate crisis… If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Companies understand that.”
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