Page 137 - Social Issues
Saudi prosecutors say women's rights activists to face trial
Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have referred detained women's rights activists to trial, saying those charged "enjoy all rights preserved by the laws in the kingdom" after them being reportedly tortured in custody. Prosecutors issued the statement late Friday night, referring to their earlier June statement that marked the activists' arrest just before Saudi Arabia granted women the right to drive. Prosecutors alleged those arrested had the "aim to undermine the kingdom's security, stability and national unity." Several people with knowledge of their arrest have told The Associated Press that some of the women detained have been subjected to caning, electrocution and others were also sexually assaulted. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal and to protect personal details about the detainees. The Saudi government did not respond to questions about the women's cases early Saturday. The women, who include activists in their 20s as well as mothers, grandmothers and ...
Extremist groups systematically subjugate women: UN chief
Extremist groups have systematically subjugated hundreds of thousands of women to slavery, sexual exploitation, kidnapping, trafficking and other horrific ordeals, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said.
UN urges Bangladesh not to close door to Myanmar refugees
The United Nations on Friday stressed that refugees fleeing conflict should be granted safe haven after Bangladesh declared that it would no longer take in Myanmar's Rohingya. Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told the Security Council on Thursday that the refugee crisis had gone from "bad to worse" and deplored the fact that none of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had returned home. "Bangladesh has been amazingly generous in the support they have given the Rohingya refugees," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "It is important that people fleeing conflict are able to find safe haven wherever they go." Under a deal reached with Bangladesh, Myanmar agreed to take back some of the refugees, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return. Haque told a council meeting on Myanmar that "Bangladesh would no longer be in a position to accommodate more people from Myanmar", suggesting that his ...
National Alliance for Women's Football in India held in Delhi
In the lead up to Women's Day, CEQUIN in partnership with Australian High Commission and UNESCO, organised a Conclave of the National Alliance for Women's Football In India, in New Delhi today.Inspired by new emerging women sporting icons in India, an ambitious plan of taking Indian Women's Football to the global stage, has brought together various stakeholders to set up the Alliance, with CEQUIN as its convener. This unique initiative includes diverse partners committed to the advancement of women's football in India such as the government, All India Football Federation, state federations, players, clubs, academies, NGOs, educational institutions, media, UN agencies, commercial leagues, corporate bodies, international organizations, etc.The day long Conclave saw the participation of over 80 delegates from across the country, deliberating and identifying opportunities to develop a multi-stakeholder approach to galvanise girls football at the grassroots, at well as support AIFF and ...
Odisha: Meeting on transgender welfare board held
Plans to form a transgender welfare board were discussed in a meeting held between the members of All Odisha Kinner Mahasangh and SSEPD Minister Prafulla Samal here on Friday.This has come after members of the transgender community held a protest against the state government on Thursday demanding the formation of welfare board."Today morning we had a detailed discussion with the members of the transgenders in Bhubaneshwar in our office in the presence of the minister. It was discussed that a technical committee at the state level will be constituted comprising representatives of various departments associated with welfare activities for transgender and members of the transgender community," SSEPD chief secretary Nitin Chandra told ANI.Speaking to ANI, All Odisha Kinner Mahasangh president Meera Parida expressed hope that such a committee would help empower the transgender community in the state.Last year, states of Gujarat and Maharashtra had formed the transgender welfare board.
Instagram is most used platform for grooming offences: Report
The latest report on how social media is abused to exploit the young has revealed that Instagram is the biggest platform that is used for grooming offences.Grooming is defined by the the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) as the act of building an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purpose of sexual abuse or exploitation.According to the latest report by NSPCC, more than 5,000 online grooming offences have been recorded in 18 months with a 200 percent rise in recorded instances in the use of Instagram to target and abuse children in the 18-month period between 2017 to 2018.The report highlighted that grooming offences involved one major social media platform or another in 70 per cent of the cases. It was found that Instagram was used in 32 percent of those instances, Facebook in 23 percent, and Snapchat in 14 percent..
DCW chief writes to Delhi CP over sale of illegal liquor, drugs
The Delhi Commission for Women on Friday wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik over sale of illegal liquor and drugs in the national capital. In a letter to Patnaik, DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in every lane that she went to in the last five days, women and girls told her about the "sale of illegal liquor and drugs from houses and that the crime remains unchecked as the local police is hand in glove with the criminals". She said the national capital was in a firm grip of drug and liquor menace and "generations were being destroyed and the roots of the country were being weakened". Blaming drugs and liquor for the growing crime rate in the city, Maliwal wrote that she met some boys who were consuming drugs openly in New Seemapuri. The DCW chief said they told her how initially they were forced to consume drugs till they became addicted. Now they indulge in petty crimes to collect money for buying drugs. The commission on Thursday issued notices to the Delhi Police over ...
DSSSB Chair served show cause notice by disability court
The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities has served a show cause notice to the DSSSB Chairperson after it received a complaint from a disabled person alleging that the government body did not shortlist her despite her scoring the qualifying marks in the examination held for the post of assistant nursery teacher.
When at work, just be yourself
Still trying to crack the right trick of conducting yourself at work? According to a recent study, it's healthier and more productive just to be yourself. As part of the study the researchers examined 65 studies focusing on what happens after people in a workplace disclose a stigmatised identity, such as sexual orientation, mental illness, physical disability or pregnancy.Eden King, a co-author of the study, said the decision to express a stigmatised identity is highly complicated."It has the potential for both positive and negative consequences," she said.However, the research overwhelmingly indicates that people with non-visible stigmas (such as sexual orientation or health problems) who live openly at work are happier with their overall lives and more productive in the workplace. King said self-disclosure is typically a positive experience because it allows people to improve connections, form relationships with others and free their minds of unwanted thoughts.Workers who expressed
Federal same-sex marriage ruling improved life satisfaction for same-sex couples
Federal same-sex marriage ruling has played an important part in improving life satisfaction for same-sex couples.Until the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015 provided federal recognition of same-sex marriage in the United States, individual state laws varied. Some states were clear on whether or not they would recognize the marriages of same-sex couples, and others were in an uncertain flux, in some instances legalizing, then backpedaling on the decision days later. Some married couples thus faced uncertainty about whether their union would continue to be legally valid.Even since the ruling, recent news headlines have shown that several states continue to challenge marriage equality.When the U.S. Supreme Court announced they would be ruling on same-sex marriage, the researchers expanded their project so they could evaluate the impact of the Obergefell vs. Hodges decision."Our key question was, does federal recognition improve the well-being of individuals in ..
Bangladesh: We'll become unable to take new Myanmar refugees
Bangladesh's foreign secretary said Thursday his country will need to stop accepting more refugees from Myanmar and accused its government of being "obstructionist" about bringing back more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence. Myanmar, meanwhile, continued to insist it is taking steps toward their return. Its ambassador appealed for patience from the UN Security Council, but several members complained about what they saw as lagging progress nearly a year after a council delegation traveled to see the crisis firsthand. After a renewed flare-up in violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State, new refugees are still crossing the border to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said. "As far as repatriation is concerned, the situation has gone far from bad to worse," he told the council, adding that his country "would no longer be in a position to accommodate more people from Myanmar." He didn't say when that might occur. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled to ...
Won't accept any more Rohingya refugees: Bangladesh tells UN
Bangladesh has told the UN that it won't accept any more Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, the first time the country has threatened to close its borders to members of the Muslim minority fleeing violence.
Anubhav Industrial Resources announces change in registered office
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Sri Lanka receives 100 application for hangman's post
Sri Lanka received 100 applications, including from an American, as it began a search for two hangmen as it wants to revive capital punishment for drug smugglers. The ministry of justice and prison reforms has announced that the date of interviews and the short-listed applicants would not be disclosed for security reasons. There will be two positions of hangmen. It said among the applicants is a US national when the application deadline ended on February 25. Capital punishment is legal in Sri Lanka but no executions have taken place since 1976. The country has struggled to find a permanent executioner after its last hangman resigned five years ago. President Maithripala Sirisena announced early in February that he would implement the death penalty within the next 2 months for drug convicts. The Justice Ministry had earlier announced that there were 48 death row drug convicts. Thirty of them have appealed, so 18 of them could be hanged. The last hangman resigned in 2014 after seeing ..
Rajasthan: PAN card, driving license among 11 documents besides voter card valid for casting votes
Besides voter identity card, 11 other documents can be used to prove identity for exercising one's franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, according to a statement from the office of Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer. According to the statement, voter's slip alone will not be enough for casting vote. They will either have to show Electoral Photo ID Card (EPIC) card or any of the 11 other alternative document to exercise their franchise along with voter slip, it said. On the directions of Election Commission, besides the EPIC card, passport, driving license, photo ID card issued by state or central government, public sector undertakings, public limited companies, banks or post office passbooks having photograph, PAN card, Registrar General of India and National Population Registrar or MNREGA job card can be produced to cast vote. Health insurance smart card issued by the labour ministry, pension document with photo or Aadhaar cards will be also be valid.
Cabinet approves inclusion of Common Services Centres as Enrolment Agency for PM-SYM
Unorganized Sector Workers to get monthly pension of Rs 3000 after 60 years of age
US same-sex marriage ruling improved life satisfaction
The US Supreme Court 2015 ruling legalising same-sex marriages in country boosted the well-being and life satisfaction of homosexual couples, a study claims. Some states were clear on whether or not they would recognise the marriages of same-sex couples, and others were in an uncertain flux, in some instances legalising, then backpedaling on the decision days later. Some married couples thus faced uncertainty about whether their union would continue to be legally valid. Even since the ruling, recent news headlines have shown that several states continue to challenge marriage equality. Researchers at the University of Illinois in the US, led by associate professor Brian Ogolsky, intially wanted to understand how variation in state-level legislation and local community climate regarding same-sex marriage impacts the well-being and life satisfaction of same-sex couples across the US. When the US Supreme Court announced they would be ruling on same-sex marriage, the researchers expanded ..
Govt approves Centre for Disability Sports in Gwalior
The union cabinet has approved the setting up of a Centre for Disability Sports in Gwalior, a move which is likely to benefit para-sports in the country. The centre will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 170.99 crore, spread over a period of five years. "Setting up of the Centre will develop a sense of belonging in Divyangjan to facilitate their integration in society," an official statement read after the cabinet meeting here on Thursday evening. The centre will have a Governing Body comprising a maximum of 12 members, some of them experts from "National Level Sports Federations apart from experts in para games". Section 30 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, requires the government to take measures to ensure "effective participation of Persons with Disabilities in sports activities which includes the provision of infrastructural facilities for sports activities for them". The upcoming centre was proposed in the budget of 2014-15. "At present, no ...
Man attempts suicide by shooting himself in UP
An official of the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself at a village in this district, police said on Friday. Devdutt (26) shot himself over family dispute at his house in Balda village on Thursday evening. According to Bhopa Police Station SHO the injured man was rushed to district hospital in serious condition. A case has been registered in this regard and an investigation is underway, the official said.
Texas executes oldest man in state's history
Texas has executed a 70-year-old man, becoming the oldest person the US state has put to death since the modern era of the death penalty began in the 1970s.
