Page 118 - Social Issues
Christchurch harboured white supremacists before massacre
The leafy New Zealand city where a self-proclaimed racist fatally shot 50 people at mosques during Friday prayers is known for its picturesque meandering river and English heritage. For decades, Christchurch has also been the center of the country's small but persistent white supremacist movement. An expert on such fringe groups says it's probably more than coincidence that the accused mosque shooter, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, settled in the region, known for a whiter demographic than the country's north, after frequently travelling abroad in 2016-2018 in what appears to have been an extreme-right pilgrimage. He went mostly to areas of Europe with a long history of sectarian dispute, including clashes between Renaissance Europe and the Ottoman Empire and the breakup of Yugoslavia following its ethnic and religious conflicts. The attack has upended New Zealand's image as one of the world's safest and most tolerant countries. It also has highlighted apparent failings by ...
J-K: Terror suspect dies in police custody, magisterial enquiry underway
A terror suspect here died in police custody, said officials on Tuesday.;"In pursuance of terror case investigation, one suspect Rizwan Pandit who is a resident of Awantipore was in police custody. The said person died in police custody," the release said."In this matter while following the procedure laid down under section 176 of CrPC, a magisterial enquiry is underway," it further read.According to the police, a police investigation has also been initiated separately in the jurisdictional area of the incident.Reacting to the news, former Chief Minister Omar Abdulla tweeted, "I had hoped custodial deaths were a thing of our dark past. This is an unacceptable development & must be investigated in a transparent, time-bound manner. Exemplary punishment must be handed out to the killers of this young man."Former CM Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the Indian government and said, "Innocent men hauled up from their homes for interrogation return home only in coffins now. GoI's ...
School teacher, arrested in terror case, dies in custody in JK
A 28-year-old school teacher, who was arrested in connection with a terror case, died in police custody here, triggering protests at his town in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Tuesday, police said. The state government has order a magisterial inquiry to ascertain the cause and circumstances that led to Rizwan Pandit's death, they said. Pandit a resident of Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, died during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a senior police officer said. He was a teacher at a private school and was picked up by security agencies three days ago in connection with a terror case, the officer said. The civil administration, following a request by the police department, has ordered a magisterial inquiry under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to ascertain the cause and circumstances leading to Pandit's death, the officer said. The CrPC section pertains to inquiry by a magistrate into cause of death, including when any ...
Violence as man dies in police custody in Srinagar
A 28-year-old man belonging to Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district died in police custody in Srinagar, triggering a spontaneous shutdown and street clashes in Awantipora town.
Japan to ban parents from physically punishing kids
The Japanese government on Tuesday approved a plan to revise the child abuse prevention law and institute changes to legally prohibit parents and guardians from physically punishing children.
DMK promises education loan waiver, jobs reservation
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday promised to waive education loan dues, abolish common entrance exams for medical college admissions and reservation of jobs in the private sector, among other promises, in its Lok Sabha poll manifesto.
BJP govt changed UP's image, law and order a model for country: Adityanath
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserted Tuesday his government has changed the image of Uttar Pradesh and the state's law and order has become a model for the country as not one incident of rioting happened under his watch. Presenting a report card on the completion of two years of his government, he said when he assumed office in March 2017, debt-ridden farmers were committing suicides and Uttar Pradesh had become "synonymous with murder, loot and riots." "Mafia was looting the state's resources under political patronage. Mafia was rampant in SP, BSP rule," he alleged. "There was a long era of scams." Adityanath said he has changed the "perception about the state" and improved its "tarnished image". The better atmosphere has become a "nazeer" (model) for the country, he said. Hitting out at previous state governments, he said, "In 2012, there were 227 major communal riots. In 2013, there were 247 such riots. In 2014, there were 242 riots. And 219 riots in 2015 and more than 100 in ...
Omar demands 'exemplary punishment' in J&K teacher's custodial death
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday demanded a time-bound investigation into the custodial death of a school teacher in Jammu and Kashmir and exemplary punishment to those responsible for the death. "I had hoped custodial deaths were a thing of our dark past. This is an unacceptable development & must be investigated in a transparent, time bound manner. Exemplary punishment must be handed out to the killers of this young man," Abdullah tweeted. Rizwan Pandit, 28, who was arrested in connection with a terror case, died in a police custody here during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, an official said. Pandit, who was a teacher at a private school and a resident of Awantipora in Pulwama district, was picked up by the security agencies three days ago in connection with a terror case, the officer said. The police department has requested a magisterial inquiry under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to ascertain the cause and circumstances
Hindus forced to migrate in previous regime but no riots since BJP govt came to power in UP: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday claimed that there has not been a single riot in last two years since the BJP government came to power in the state whereas Hindus were forced to migrate in the previous regime.While presenting the report card of his government for the last two years, Adityanath said, "As many as 227 riots took place in 2012, 247 in 2013, 242 in 2014, 219 in 2015 and over 100 riots in 2016. But, in the last 24 months of BJP rule, not a single riot has taken place."He alleged that the previous governments gave patronage to the anti-social elements who were indulged in riots."This is the same state where a series of riots have taken place. These riots were committed by anti-social elements under the patronage of state governments, and there were dozens of towns like Kairana and Kandhla where a large scale of Hindus and people belonging to the trading community had to leave," said Yogi Adityanath."They were forced to leave their houses, selling them
Pollachi abuse case: Shops, hotels shut in protest
Shops and hotels downed their shutters in Pollachi on Tuesday in protest against the sexual abuse-cum-blackmail case that hit the Tamil Nadu town.
DMK assures scrapping of NEET, quota in private sector
The DMK on Tuesday promised to do away with the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions and ushering in quota in the private sector in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election. "The NEET for medical admissions will be scrapped," DMK chief M K Stalin said while unveiling the salient features of his party's manifesto. Opposition to NEET in Tamil Nadu from major political parties and students had taken emotive overtones in the past. Stalin said steps would be taken for implementing reservation in the private sector. The party also assured steps for waiver of all educational loans taken by students. Against the background of agitations by state government employees seeking reversion to the old pension scheme in place of the newly-introduced contributory scheme, the DMK chief said: "We will bring back the old pension scheme for both the central and state government employees." The DMK president said the party would revert to the administered-price ...
UN received 259 allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse in 2018: report
The UN received a total of 259 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by the staff working in its agencies and their partner organisations in 2018, an increase of more than a hundred in such incidents from the previous year, according to a report presented by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The report, presented to the General Assembly, said that from January 1 to December 31, 2018, the UN received a total of 148 sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) allegations directly involving UN workers, and 111 involving staff from partner organisations implementing UN programmes. This represents an increase in the total number of incidents reported in 2017, when 138 allegations were made, and 165 allegations made in 2016, it said. The report said while the figures of allegations rose in 2018 compared with the previous two years, there was increased awareness among the UN and UN-related staff, and improved and harmonized reporting tools across the organisation towards a 'zero ..
Italy's Salvini lays down law for migrant rescue ships
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has launched a fresh crackdown on charity ships which rescue migrants off Libya and bring them to Italy. "The ports have been, and remain, CLOSED", Salvini said on Twitter Monday, as his office released an eight-page directive on the laws regarding rescue operations -- laws it said some aid vessels had been breaking. The minister, who also heads up the anti-immigrant League party, has repeatedly declared Italian waters closed to NGO rescue vessels, leaving several of them stranded at sea in the past in a bid to force Europe to take its share of asylum seekers. While he acknowledged in his directive that helping those who lives are in danger was a "priority", he warned that there must be "sanctions" for those who "explicitly violate international, European and national rescue regulations". "Nor must the real risks that the group of migrants may conceal individuals involved in terrorist activities... be overlooked". The "passage of rescue ships ..
Odisha govt to provide 25,000 wheelchairs at polling booths
In a bid to ensure seamless polling for specially-abled voters, the state government plans to introduce a slew of measures, including the provision of around 25,000 wheelchairs at polling booths, Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar said on Monday.As per Kumar, there are over 4 lakh voters under the persons with disabilities (PwD) category in Odisha."We have decided to make this election PwD-friendly. Odisha government will provide 25,000 wheelchairs at booths during polls. Each booth will have two volunteers below the age of 18, either belonging to NCC or Scouts and Guides, to help PwD voters," Kumar said while speaking to ANI."Returning officers in each district will provide passes to PwD voters which will serve two purposes - priority voting and transportation facility. They will not have to stand in a queue and wherever required, vehicles will be provided to bring them to the booths and drop them back home," he added.Odisha will be going to polls in four phases on
Civil society campaign to highlight govt's failures
Several civil society organisations have come together on one platform to launch a nationwide campaign highlighting failures of the ruling BJP-led NDA government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
17 women rescued from hotels in Nagaland, 6 held
At least 17 women, allegedly forced into a prostitution ring, were rescued during raids at various hotels in Nagaland's Dimapur district on Monday, and six people have been arrested in this connection, police said. A 40-member police team raided the hotels in New Market area of Dimapur town and rescued the women, likely aged between 20 and 30, a senior police officer said. The women were handed over to a rehabilitation centre, he said. Initial inquiry has revealed that the women were also subjected to extortion by a network of pimps and hotel managers, the officer said. Show cause notices were issued to the owners of the hotels, he said, adding, police is communicating with the authorities concerned to cancel their trade licenses.
Narcotic drugs worth $1 mn seized in Myanmar
Myanmar authorities seized narcotic drugs valued at 2.56 billion kyats ($1.69 million) in Mandalay region, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse said on Monday.
Putin signs laws against 'disrespecting' authorities, fake news
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed controversial legislation that allows courts to fine and briefly jail people for showing disrespect for authorities and block media for publishing "fake news." Putin signed off on the legislation against the advice of human rights activists, who warned the laws amounted to censorship and would be abused to crack down on freedom of speech. The hugely controversial legislation on disrespecting authorities backs punishment for "offending state symbols" and stipulates hefty fines and jail terms of 15 days for repeat offenders. Another law allows prosecutors to decide what amounts to "fake news" and gives a media watchdog the power to demand an outlet delete the information. Websites that fail to comply would be blocked. Fines could reach 1.5 million rubles (over USD 22,700) if the infraction leads to grave consequences like death or rioting. Rights activists say that since first becoming president in 2000, Putin has gradually crushed ...
Court allows I-T department to quiz lawyer Gautam Khaitan in jail
A Delhi court Monday allowed the Income Tax department to interrogate Gautam Khaitan, accused in the AgustaWestland scam, in Tihar jail where he is lodged in a separate case of black money and money laundering. Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed the agency to question Khaitan on March 19, 20 and 22 and record his statement. The court passed the order after the agency said there was evidence against Khaitan showing evasion of tax and needed to be quizzed on the black money stashed. Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, appearing for Khaitan, opposed the I-T department's submission, saying the agency was targeting him and not even sharing the detail of the case. The court had on March 12 dismissed his bail plea of in the black money and money laundering case. The fresh criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was filed by the ED against Khaitan on the basis of a case lodged by the Income Tax department against him under section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign .
Civil society organisations to launch campaign to highlight failures of the ruling govt
Several civil society organisations Monday said they will launch a nation-wide campaign later this week to highlight the failures of the ruling BJP-led government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The organisations which include Swaraj Abhiyan, National Alliance of Peoples' Movements, All India Kisan Sangharsh Samnvay Samiti and Pension Parishad said the campaign will aim at bringing "real issues back into electoral focus" and increase awareness about issues like farm distress, hate crimes and unemployment. Over 600 civil society organisations will launch 'Desh Mera Vote Mera Mudda Mera' campaign on March 23, observed as Shaheed Divas, during which rallies, marches, human chains and seminars will be held across the country. "At a time when the whole narrative of elections is being hijacked under the garb of nationalism, it has become imperative that civil society organisations, social movements and groups who share a commitment to our constitutional values co-ordinate their energies ..