New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted a three-member committee to investigate allegations involving Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma, following the alarming discovery of a large sum of cash—some burnt—found at his official residence.

The panel comprises Supreme Court Judge Aravind Kumar, Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, and senior jurist B. V. Acharya. Speaker Birla emphasised that the “process of removal should begin” and confirmed that the impeachment motion would remain pending until the committee submits its report.

Background of the Controversy

The scandal erupted following a fire at Justice Varma’s residence in March 2025, during which sizeable amounts of cash were found in a storeroom or outbuilding. Some of the money was charred, while other bundles remained intact, leading to widespread concern and calls for a formal investigation.

An initial in-house inquiry, overseen by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, reviewed CCTV footage, interviewed witnesses, and assessed the scene over 40 days. Justice Varma challenged the constitutionality of this inquiry, but the Supreme Court rejected his plea, stating that his conduct did not inspire confidence and that due procedure had been followed.

What Comes Next?

The newly appointed Lok Sabha committee is entrusted with examining the facts and circumstances, and its findings will determine the next steps in the impeachment process. With 146 Members of Parliament signing the impeachment notice, the matter has garnered significant cross-party attention.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has also weighed in, citing the controversy alongside broader concerns such as judicial appointments and the selection process for critical oversight positions. Commenting on the integrity of the judiciary, he highlighted the importance of upholding transparency and public trust.

This incident has ignited a broader debate on the mechanisms of judicial accountability, balancing judicial independence with the imperative of ethical conduct. Observers say the outcome of the committee’s work could establish precedent on how allegations against serving judges are handled, and whether Parliament can act as a corrective mechanism when in-house procedures are questioned.

Indian nationals serving prison sentences in the United Kingdom, including those with ongoing asylum appeals, could soon be deported before their claims are resolved under a major expansion of the U.K. government’s ‘deport now, appeal later’ policy.

The U.K. Home Office announced late on Sunday that the list of countries covered under the scheme has grown from eight to 23, with India among the latest additions. Other newly added countries include Australia, Canada, Bulgaria, Angola, Botswana, Brunei, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia.

The policy allows the British government to remove foreign nationals whose human rights claims have been denied before their appeals are concluded, enabling them to participate in the appeals process from their home country via video link.

Impact on Indian Prisoners

As of June 30, 2024, there were 273 Indian citizens in prisons across England and Wales, according to government data. Foreign nationals make up around 12% of the U.K.’s prison population. The new measures could mean that many Indian inmates with pending appeals may be deported much earlier than previously possible.

A second policy announced over the weekend will allow the immediate removal of many foreign nationals after conviction, bypassing the current requirement that they serve at least 30% of their sentences in the U.K. This change, which will come into effect in September, is aimed at easing prison overcrowding. However, individuals convicted of terrorism, murder, or other offences that carry life sentences will be excluded and must serve their time in Britain.

Political Context

The changes come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government seeks to tighten rules around both legal and illegal migration. Since winning a landslide victory in July 2024, Mr. Starmer has faced mounting pressure from the far-right Reform UK Party, which performed strongly in the May 1 local elections, overtaking the Conservatives in several areas and signalling growing voter discontent over migration policy.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the move was part of a broader effort to “increase the number of countries where foreign criminals can be swiftly returned.” He added, “If they want to appeal, they can do so safely from their home country.”

Addressing Prison Overcrowding

The Justice Ministry has been exploring multiple measures to reduce pressure on the prison system, which has been struggling with capacity issues. The government had already reduced the time foreign nationals must serve before deportation from 50% to 30% of their sentence. The new law allowing removal immediately after conviction marks a further escalation in efforts to free up space.

Alongside deportations, the Labour government has also been considering the creation of overseas “return hubs” to process and house deported migrants, though no concrete plans have been finalised.

With the new rules in place, Indian prisoners — along with those from the other 22 countries on the expanded list — could find themselves back in their home nations far sooner than expected, participating in appeals remotely as Britain pushes ahead with its stricter migration enforcement agenda.

August 11: A major political showdown unfolded in the heart of the capital on Monday as scores of senior opposition leaders, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were detained by Delhi Police during a protest march to the Election Commission (EC) over alleged irregularities in voter roll revisions. The demonstration, spearheaded by the INDIA bloc, accused the EC of colluding with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the electoral process.

The march, which began outside the Parliament building, drew participation from a wide spectrum of opposition parties. Leaders present included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, DMK’s T R Baalu, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Prominent MPs such as Mahua Moitra and Sushmita Dev of the TMC, along with Congress leaders Sanjana Jatav and Jothimani, were seen climbing over barricades near Transport Bhawan and raising slogans when police blocked their route.

Speaking to the media shortly before being taken away in a police bus, Rahul Gandhi framed the protest as a fight for democratic principles. “This fight is not political… it is to save the Constitution. The fight is for ‘one person, one vote’,” he said. “The reality is they cannot talk… the truth is in front of the country.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed similar sentiments earlier, telling reporters, “We want a clean, pure voter list.”

The trigger for the protest was a letter written by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to the EC seeking a meeting to discuss concerns about alleged discrepancies in the voter rolls. According to the opposition, such discrepancies — which they claim disproportionately affect opposition-leaning voters — undermine the integrity of upcoming elections. The INDIA bloc has accused the EC of ignoring their repeated demands for corrective measures.

Delhi Police officials, however, said the protest violated agreed-upon conditions. Joint Commissioner of Police Deepak Purohit confirmed that INDIA bloc leaders were detained and taken to a nearby police station, but declined to specify the number. “The Election Commission said 30 MPs could visit them… but over 200 came marching,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla told reporters. “We stopped them to prevent any breakdown of law and order. They were then detained. Some MPs tried jumping barricades… they were also detained.”

Visuals from the scene captured chaotic moments — Akhilesh Yadav clambering over two police barricades, leaders jostling with security personnel, and a sea of placards and party flags filling the streets. Party workers chanted slogans accusing the EC of bias and demanding reforms to ensure fair elections.

The detentions are expected to heighten political tensions in the run-up to the polls, with opposition parties likely to use the incident as a rallying point to galvanise their supporters. Sources within the bloc indicated they may escalate the matter by taking their grievances to the President of India and staging further nationwide protests.

Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao, widely regarded as a potential future foreign minister, has been detained by authorities for questioning, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the report, Liu, 61, was taken into custody after returning to Beijing in late July from an overseas work trip. The reason for his detention has not been disclosed.

China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the central government, and the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department — the body Liu currently heads — did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Liu has led the Communist Party’s International Liaison Department since 2022, a post that involves managing relations with foreign political parties. In this role, he has visited more than 20 nations and met officials from over 160 countries. His high-profile diplomatic activity, including a meeting in Washington with then–US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, had fuelled speculation that he was being groomed to become China’s next foreign minister.

If confirmed, Liu’s detention would represent the highest-level investigation involving a Chinese diplomat since the dramatic ouster of Qin Gang in 2023. Qin, a close protégé of President Xi Jinping, was removed from his post as foreign minister amid unconfirmed rumours of an extramarital affair.

Veteran Diplomatic Career

Born in China’s northeastern province of Jilin, Liu majored in English at Beijing Foreign Studies University before pursuing further studies in international relations at the University of Oxford. He began his career as a translator in China’s foreign ministry, later serving in the country’s mission to Britain.

Liu went on to hold ambassadorial roles in Indonesia and the Philippines. During his tenure as the foreign ministry’s spokesperson, he earned a reputation for mixing humour with a firm defence of Beijing’s positions, often delivering pointed rebuttals to foreign criticism while maintaining a polished diplomatic style.

Political Significance

The detention of a figure of Liu’s stature could signal turbulence in China’s upper diplomatic ranks, where personnel changes are rare but often carry political undertones. Analysts note that investigations of senior officials in China are typically linked to allegations of corruption or breaches of party discipline, though such probes are not always made public.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Liu’s sudden disappearance from public view has drawn attention in diplomatic circles, given his prominent role in shaping China’s global outreach at a time of heightened tensions with the United States and its allies.

Chinese authorities have not issued any official statement on Liu’s whereabouts or the nature of the investigation.

Israeli forces killed two of Gaza’s most prominent journalists and three of their colleagues late on Sunday, just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed international criticism over his plan to occupy the Palestinian enclave.

According to Al Jazeera Media Network, its correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea were among five media workers “deliberately killed” when Israeli forces struck their tent outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Sharif, 28, a father of two, had been stationed with cameramen and photojournalists Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Mosaab Al Sharif outside the hospital’s main gate when the strike hit. Two other unnamed Palestinians were also killed.

Shortly before his death, Sharif posted a video on X showing what he described as Israel’s “intense” missile strikes on the eastern and southern parts of Gaza City. His final post captured the deafening booms of explosions close to his location.

Al Jazeera Condemns ‘Attempt to Silence Voices’

In a statement, Al Jazeera described Sharif as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists,” accusing Israel of a “desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.”

“Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people,” the network said.

An outpouring of grief and condemnation has followed the Israeli assassination of five Al Jazeera staff in Gaza, including prominent correspondent Anas al-Sharif.

🔗: https://t.co/MEM8sQ9wbi | #JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/A1hFL9E9pj

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 11, 2025

It noted that while international media had been barred from entering Gaza, its journalists stayed behind, “experiencing the hunger and suffering they documented through their lenses.” Through “continuous, courageous live coverage,” Al Jazeera said, they delivered “searing eyewitness accounts of the horrors unleashed over 22 months of relentless bombing and destruction.”

The network has previously accused Israel of targeting its journalists — including in October 2023, when Wael al-Dahdouh’s family was killed in an airstrike — and has called for international accountability.

Israeli Military Claims Sharif Was a Hamas Operative

Following media reports on Sharif’s death, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed carrying out the strike, alleging he was a “terrorist operating under the guise of a journalist.”

“The terrorist Anas al-Sharif served as a cell leader in the Hamas terror organization and advanced plans for rocket fire against Israeli civilians and IDF forces,” the military said.

🎯STRUCK: Hamas terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as an Al Jazeera journalist

Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.
Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and… pic.twitter.com/ypFaEYDHse

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 10, 2025

The IDF claimed that in October 2024, it had released documents seized in Gaza that “unequivocally” confirmed Sharif’s “military affiliation with Hamas.” According to the military, Sharif headed a rocket-launching squad and was a member of an elite Nukhba Force unit in Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion.

“These documents serve as proof of the terrorist’s integration into the Qatari Al Jazeera media network,” the statement added.

Competing Narratives Over Journalists in Conflict

The killing underscores long-standing tensions between Israel and Al Jazeera, which the Netanyahu government has repeatedly accused of acting as a propaganda arm for Hamas. Al Jazeera rejects the accusations, insisting its Gaza bureau operates as an independent newsroom documenting the war.

Press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have urged independent investigations into the deaths of journalists in Gaza, warning that targeting media workers violates international humanitarian law unless they are directly participating in hostilities. The IDF maintains that in cases like Sharif’s, it has acted within legal frameworks because it believes the individual was an active combatant.

The war in Gaza has been one of the deadliest conflicts for journalists in modern history, with at least 103 media workers killed since October 2023, according to CPJ figures. Most of them were Palestinian journalists working inside the besieged enclave.