Nayantara Sahgal, who kickstarted the awardwapsi protest in 2015 by returning her Sahitya Akademi award, has welcomed the official statement by Indias National Academy of Letters that condemned  threats against writers and, speaking to IANS, said that the centre must "act responsibly" too.


Government must act responsibly: Nayantara Sahgal on threats to writers


IANS Automatic

Pope Francis has decided to change the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on death penalty, by declaring it as "inadmissible" and encouraging his Bishops across the world to push for its abolition, the Vatican said on Thursday.


Pope declares death penalty 'inadmissible' in all cases


In a major development that has averted a possible return of the 2015 awardwapsi protest, the Sahitya Akademi has vociferously expressed solidarity with writers after at least 26 heavyweight authors urged Indias National Academy of Letters to condemn repeated ongoing threats to Goa's award winning writer Damodar Mauzo and Malayalam novelist S. Hareesh.


Sahitya Akademi expresses solidarity with writers as threats continue (Roundup)


The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to grant citizenship to all Afghan Sikh and Hindu families who have taken refuge in India after fleeing persecution in Afghanistan.


Akali Dal demands citizenship for displaced Afghan Sikhs, Hindus


The West Bengal BJP took out a march here on Thursday to demand the publication of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal also to drive out "infiltrators from Bangladesh" from the eastern state.


BJP march in Kolkata to demand NRC in Bengal too


A Roman Catholic diocese of the US state of Pennsylvaniaunveiled a list of 71 clergy members and seminarians, some of them deceased, "accused" of sexual abuse of minors since 1940.


US diocese unveils list of child abuse accused clergymen


Goa-based Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Damodar Mauzo, who was last week given police security following death threats by alleged killers of Bengaluru-based writer Gauri Lankesh, on Wednesday said the state government has gone soft on the Sanatan Sanstha, headquartered in the coastal state.


Goa government gone soft on Sanatan Sanstha: Writer


Kerala on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Sabarimala temple does not belong to any religious denomination and it cannot invoke the protection of Article 26 of the Constitution to save the practice of prohibiting women from entering the temple having the deity of Lord Ayyappa in celibate state.


Ban on women in Sabarimala temple not protected by Constitution, Kerala tells SC


The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Jammu and Kashmir authorities to prepare within a month a plan to phase out the use of mules to carry pilgrims from the Katra base camp to the Vaishno Devi shrine and to rehabilite mule owners.


Phase out mule rides for Vaishno Devi pilgrims: SC


A Danish ban on garments covering the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, went into force on Wednesday.


Danish ban on burqa goes into effect


The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed vociferous protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC) members over the Assam NRC issue, forcing house Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the house for the day.


TMC protests in RS over NRC, Rajnath tables statement


Breaking its silence over repeated threats to Malayalam novelist S. Hareesh, Sahitya Akademi President Chandrashekhar Kambar, speaking to IANS, condemned the threats that the novelist received from some right wing outfits, promising that as the President of Indias National Academy of Letters, he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and draw his attention to the "pressures and attacks" writers like Hareesh are facing.


Threats to Hareesh: Sahitya Akademi to write to PM; publisher says won't back down (Roundup)


With thousands of "Kanwariyas" likely to enter the state during the current Hindu lunar month of Shravan, Haryana Police have made adequate security arrangements for a smooth conduct of the "Kanwar Mela", a senior police officer said on Wednesday.


Haryana makes security arrangements for 'Kanwariyas'


The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the Indian Constitution prohibits exclusion of any community or section of people from any place of worship and the constitutional values would prevail over the religious.


Constitution prohibits exclusion, its values would prevail over religious: SC


The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday claimed that the Law Commission in principle agrees that a uniform civil code (UCC) is not practicable in India given the country's vast diversity and complexities.


Law Commission agrees UCC not practical in India, says Muslim body


The first India Indonesia Interfaith Dialogue (IIID) will be held on October 3-5 in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, the Indian Embassy here said on Tuesday.


India-Indonesia interfaith dialogue in October


Immigration officials in Canada have been using DNA testing and ancestry websites to try and determine migrants nationality, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).


Canada border authorities use DNA tool to detect nationality


Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson has resigned after being convicted of concealing child sex abuse.


Archbishop Philip Wilson resigns after sex abuse cover-up


In yet another blow to Haryana Police investigation, a court in Panchkula town on Monday acquitted six more activists of the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect for the large-scale violence in the town following conviction of the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in two rape cases on August 25 last year.


Panchkula court acquits six Dera activists


Dravida Kazhagam (DK) leader K. Veeramani on Monday urged DMK leaders and cadres not to pray to God for their leader M. Karunanidhi's speedy recovery, saying he would get better only due to medicines.


Don't indulge in superstition, DK tells DMK


The Supreme Court on Monday said the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Dawoodi Bohra community is violative of Article 21 and Article 15 of the Constitution that guarantees protection of life and personal liberty and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

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