Page 109 - Social Issues
Economist Jean Dreze briefly taken into custody in Jharkhand for poll code violation
Noted economist Jean Dreze and another person were Thursday taken into preventive custody for violating the model code of conduct by organising a meeting without permission in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, police said. Dreze, who was a member of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi during the erstwhile UPA regime, and Vivek Gupta, an activist, were eventually released, they added. "Dreze and Gupta were taken into preventive custody for organising a programme without taking permission which violated model code of conduct in operation now," Bishanpura police station in-charge Vijay Kumar Singh said. They were set free after an investigation, he said. Dreze is a specialist in Development Economics and had helped draft the food law.
NDA gains in opinion polls after Pulwama, Budget
Even as the slugfest between the BJP and opposition parties continues over alleged politicisation of the post-Pulwama airstrikes in Pakistans Balakot, opinion polls show that the BJP-led NDA has made substantial gains in terms of number of seats it may win if Lok Sabha elections are held now.
CPI-M releases manifesto, calls for scrapping of sedition law in present form
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) released its manifesto here on Thursday calling for scrapping of sedition law in its present form, restoration of wealth tax, and seeking urban job guarantee scheme among others.The party also sought a legislation with regard to farmers' right to sell their produce at a Minimum Support Price (MSP), which is at least 50 per cent higher than the total cost of production.In its manifesto, the CPI-M advocated for a statutory minimum wage for workers of not less than Rs 18,000 per month and wages linked to Consumer Price Index.The party called for a comprehensive anti-discriminatory bill covering LGBT, reservation in educational institutions, ensuring horizontal reservation in employment and ensuring crimes against LGBTs are treated on par with crimes against non-LGBT persons.The CPI-M manifesto underlined the need of a universal public distribution system with provision of 35 kg of foodgrains per family, or, 7 kg per individual at a maximum ..
Economist Jean Dreze taken into 'preventive custody' for organising meeting without permission
Noted economist Jean Dreze was taken into "preventive custody" on Thursday for allegedly organising a meeting without permission, police said. A senior police officer told PTI that the Belgian-born economist, now an Indian citizen, was addressing a meeting in Garhwa district in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. "Dreze was taken into preventive custody for addressing a meeting at Bishanpura in Garwha district, about which the local administration had no information," he said.
European court rejects activists' UK royal wedding complaint
Europe's human rights court has rejected a case brought by activists who said British authorities infringed on their rights by banning demonstrations around the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The eight activists were detained for several hours on the wedding day for security reasons, then released without charge. After British courts dismissed their appeals, the activists turned to the European Court of Human Rights in the French city of Strasbourg, arguing that their detention was disproportionate and unjustified. The European court announced Thursday that it refused to take up the activists' case, and that British courts "had struck a fair balance between the applicants' right to liberty and preventing them from disturbing the public order." Large numbers of foreign dignitaries and onlookers came to London for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
China slams US criticism of Muslim treatment as 'absurd'
China on Thursday hit back at criticism from the United States' top diplomat who called its treatment of Muslims "shameful hypocrisy" after speaking with a former prisoner from a Chinese detention camp. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the comment after meeting with Mihrigul Tursun, a member of the Uighur ethnic group who has spoken publicly in the US about what she said was widespread torture in China's prisons for the minority group. Beijing claims the camps are "vocational training centres" that provide language classes and employment, steering locals away from extremism. Pompeo's comments are "extremely absurd and grossly interfere in China's internal affairs," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing. "Currently, the overall situation in Xinjiang society is stable ... and all ethnic groups get along harmoniously," he said. "We urge the US to respect the facts ... and stop the malicious smearing and groundless accusations against the ...
Homosexuality, adultery punishable by death in Brunei
Homosexuality and adultery will be punishable by death in the south-east Asian nation of Brunei after a new law proposing the same comes into effect from next week.As per the new law, anyone found guilty of the offenses will be stoned to death and the punishment will be "witnessed by a group of Muslims," reported CNN.The human rights groups and the international community have expressed serious concerns about the new penal code, according to which theft will be punishable by amputation.CNN quoted Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, Rachel Chhoa-Howard as saying: "Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice."Brunei, a small oil-rich nation with a population of over 450,000 people also made the headlines in 2014 after it became the first nation in the region to adopt
Amazon Echo led India smart speakers market in 2018
Amazon Echo led the Indian smart speakers market with 59% share in 2018, followed by Google Home with 39% unit share, a new report from International Data Corp (IDC) said on Thursday.
ED seeks custodial interrogation of Robert Vadra in money laundering case
The Enforcement Directorate Thursday sought custodial interrogation of Robert Vadra in a money laundering case. The agency sought the custodial interrogation of Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, before Special Judge Arvind Kumar. Vadra, facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, was granted interim protection from arrest by a Delhi court till March 27. Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, had denied all allegations against him and said that he has not misused the liberty granted to him by the court.
Taiwan mulls death penalty for drunk driving
Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drunk driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups. The cabinet on Thursday approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drunk driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed "intentional", officials said. The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage. Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drunk behind the wheel is 10 years. The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction. They face up to a life sentence for causing a death and 12 years for grave injuries. "Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant... drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives
'Racist' German advertisement infuriates women in S. Korea
A German advertisement showing an Asian woman getting aroused after smelling dirty laundry worn by white men has fueled anger in Seoul, with many women calling it racist and demanding an apology. The commercial, produced by German DIY-store chain Hornbach, shows white men working outside in a garden before removing their sweaty clothing and dumping it in a box. The ad then cuts to a grey, industrial city that resembles Tokyo, where an Asian woman buys a bag of dirty clothes -- previously worn by the men -- opens it and moans with pleasure, as the commercial ends with a slogan saying: "That's how the spring smells". An online petition asking for a public apology from the German firm and the removal of the ad had secured almost 1,000 signatures by Thursday afternoon. Angry users on social media accused the company of promoting stereotypes against Asian women. "How many more Asian female voices will you need to take us seriously and be aware of your thoughtless deeds and apologise?" a ...
I-T officials carry out raids on K'taka minister Puttaraju's residence
In a pre-dawn swoop Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew. The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD minister H D Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, sources said. Revanna's son and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajjwal is contesting from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat. Condemning the raids, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted, "PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time." Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli .
Facebook bans white nationalism on its platforms
Abandoning a long-standing policy of allowing white supremacy to thrive on its platform, Facebook has banned praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its platform and Instagram.
Tax raids on Karnataka businessmen: Official
Income-Tax (I-T) Department officers on Thursday started searches in the premises of a few Karnataka businessmen for alleged tax evasion, an official said.
Peruvian ex-soldiers accused of 'systematic' rape
A Peruvian judge said Wednesday that soldiers had committed crimes against humanity by "systematically" raping nine female farmers between 1984 and 1995 during the conflict with the Shining Path guerrillas. "Because this is a crime against humanity, the trial will take place in public hearings," Judge Edhin Campos said. Fourteen non-commissioned officers who are now retired were accused of having repeatedly raped nine women in the Andean region of Huancavelica, one of Peru's poorest, during the bloodiest period of the conflict between the military and the Maoist guerrillas. "It's a historic decision... We are not talking about isolated instances of rape but systematic rape on military bases," said Juan Jose Quispe, an attorney for six of the victims. "We are now waiting for the trial to take place within two years and for those responsible to face the law and be sentenced." Prosecutors said that several of the women became pregnant as a result of the rapes, and more women likely were .
Turkey's Erdogan hits out at Trump over Golan Heights
Turkey on Wednesday accused US President Donald Trump of resorting to "bully boy" tactics over a disputed move to proclaim that the Golan Heights -- captured from Syria in 1967 -- belong to Israel. "Unfortunately, Trump is behaving like a bully boy," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told A Haber television during an interview. "He did the same on Jerusalem." On Monday, Trump signed a proclamation recognising Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic plateau, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel's move has not been recognised internationally, and three UN Security Council resolutions have called for it to withdraw from the territory. "How can you do this despite the United Nations?" Erdogan said. "What are you doing? Being at the helm of a state like the US does not give you such a right." The Turkish leader added: "America has preferred to escalate tensions ... rather than contribute to peace." Last December, Trump went against decades of practice by ...
India, African Union ink MoU on health sciences cooperation
The Indian Council of Medical Research and the African Union (AU) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which formalised the India-Africa Health Sciences Collaborative Platform (IAHSP) by establishing a framework."India for Africa. MoU on India-Africa Health Sciences Cooperation between @ICMRDELHI & African Union was signed. It will pave way for cooperation in R & D, capacity building, health services, pharmaceutical trade, and manufacturing capabilities," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.The IAHSP was established after the first India-Africa Health Sciences Meet in 2016 in New Delhi. The IAHSP strengthens cooperation in the health sector in a structured and organized manner.The MEA has offered full support for the implementation of the MoU.
CRPF in Bengaluru to carry out I-T raids, alleges Kumaraswamy
Raising fears about possible income tax raids on Congress-JD(S) functionaries, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Wednesday claimed CRPF personnel have been brought from various parts of the country to carry out I-T raids in Karnataka. "I have got a specific information that some 200 to 300 CRPF sleuths have arrived from various parts of the country. They will be ferried from the airport to the city. They have been brought to Bengaluru from other states to carry out income tax raids in Karnataka," Kumaraswamy told reporters at Mandya. He claimed that the raids may be carried out at 5 am Thursday. I-T officials were not immediately available for comment. Striking a belligerent note, Kumaraswamy warned the BJP-led NDA government that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee did if it tried to "bully" the Congress-JDS coalition partners. Banerjee had staged a "Save the Constitution" dharna from February 3 to 5 at Kolkata after the CBI's failed bid to ...
Woman & 2 minor girls commit suicide
A woman and two minor girls from the same family allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a canal at Karaivaikkal, police said The deceased included a 40-year-old woman and two girls, aged 15 and 10, they said. Police suspect that they might have jumped into the canal some distance away from where the bodies were recovered The bodies were yet to be identified as none had so far come forward to claim them, police said.
Muslim women demand law against mob lynching
Muslim women from different parts of the country on Wednesday gathered in the national capital urging the "secular" political parties in the country to add in their manifesto the need to have a law against mob lynching.