Page 149 - Social Issues
Cardinals blame 'homosexual agenda' for abuse crisis
Two cardinals criticised on Wednesday Pope Francis's approach to the clerical paedophilia crisis, saying "abuse of power" was not to blame but homosexuality. "We turn to you with deep distress! The Catholic world is adrift," US Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke and German Cardinal Walter Brandmueller said in an open letter to the heads of the bishops' conferences. "Sexual abuse is blamed on clericalism. But the first and primary fault of the clergy does not rest in the abuse of power but in having gone away from the truth of the Gospel," they said. They blamed a corruption of the "absolute moral law", referring to homosexuality, which they described as the "denial, by words and by acts, of the divine and natural law". "The plague of the homosexual agenda has been spread within the church, promoted by organised networks and protected by a climate of complicity and a conspiracy of silence," claimed the cardinals, who belong to the church's conservative wing. The Catholic church considers the .
Pulwama terror attack: Factory starts tiles production inscribed with 'Pakistani Murdabad'
Amid protests across the country in the wake of the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama, a ceramic factory in Morbi district of Gujarat has started manufacturing tiles with the inscription 'Pakistan Murdabad'.The tiles, inscribed with 'Pakistan Murdabad' along with Pakistan's national flag, will be used in the construction of public toilets in protest against Pakistan backing terrorist groups.The factory owner Suresh Kasundra said, "We are doing it to register our protest against Pakistan. We will increase the production of tiles with demand. Now, these tiles will be used in public toilets of Morbi. But, if we get demand from the other places then we will provide it to them for free as well.""We have taken it up to protest against Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terrorist attack. We have done to show Pakistan its status. When people will urinate on these tiles, they will get to know their status," a factory worker Ravi said. On February 14, nearly 40 CRPF personnel were killed when ...
HC asks Delhi government to consider Chautala's plea for release from Tihar
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the government of Delhi to consider the representation of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who has sought his early release from the Tihar jail.The 83-year-old INLD patriarch had approached the court on Tuesday through his counsel Amit Sahni, seeking benefit as per the July 18, 2018 notification, whereby the Central government has asked all States and Union Territories to grant special remission to the male prisoners above 60, female and transgender prisoners above 55 after they have undergone half of their actual sentence.Advocate Rahul Mehra, the standing counsel for Delhi government, told a division bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul that the city-state government would consider Chautala's representation, seeking his release as per the Centre's notification dated July 18, 2018.The High Court also directed the state government to consider Chautala's plea within four weeks.However, the Centre's notification further ...
Transgender seeks name, gender change in education records: HC asks CBSE, DU to help her
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed CBSE and Delhi University to work out a way to help a transgender who is seeking change of name and gender, from male to female, in education records. Coming to her aid, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao expressed displeasure with the CBSE and DU for declining to change her name and gender, saying that when the Supreme Court has recognised their right to declare their gender identity, statutory bodies like the education board and the varsity "have to rise to the occasion to help her". CBSE and DU contended that once a student has left the institution, his or her past records cannot be changed thereafter. The Board has taken the stand that request for such changes in its records would be entertained only if it is made before publication of the 10th or 12th results, while DU norms say that for change of name and gender, the same have to be first altered in the CBSE records. Disapproving of the stand taken by the two ...
Two drug traffickers held with over 100 kg cannabis in Noida
Two suspected drug traffickers were arrested here after the recovery of 111 kg cannabis from their vehicle on Wednesday, police said. The duo was nabbed in the early hours from Sector 122 in a joint action by police from Noida Phase 3 station and a police response vehicle (PRV) team on the basis of a tip-off, a senior police officer said. "Those arrested have been identified as Sanjay Sahu and Kumar Chand Saha, both natives of Bihar but staying in Noida," Circle Officer, City 2nd, Piyush Kumar Singh said. "The two were active in the National Capital Region and held with 111 kg of illegal cannabis," he said. Their SUV, bearing registration number of Odisha which was used for smuggling the cannabis, has been impounded, Singh said. A search is on to track down their network and three associates who managed to escape, the officer said. A first information report has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and the accused were produced in a ...
APDR rally attacked in city
A rally by civil and human rights organization Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) against war mongering was attacked on Wednesday by a group who accused APDR of being a sympathizer of terrorists. APDR had called the rally to protest against war mongering and efforts to communally polarize the society by using Pulwama attacks. Its activists carrying placards and shouting slogans demanding peace between nations was to cover the 2.8 km distance from College street to Esplande area. A huge police contingent was present at the spot for security purposes. When the rally crossed the Janbazar area in central Kolkata, a few youths carrying national flags blocked their way and shouted slogans against APDR activists accusing them of being sympathizers of Pakistan and anti-national elements. The youths also heckled the APDR activists and asked them to go to Pakistan. The police intervened and removed the youths from the spot. APDR has accused Hindutva outfits of
Saras Dairy deputy manager commits suicide
A deputy manager of state-run Saras Dairy allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a ceiling fan in his house here, police said Wednesday. Ajay Bhatia was to retire two months later. He hanged himself with the ceiling fan in his house on Tuesday night. His maid informed the neighbours on Wednesday and they called the police, SHO of Shipra Path Police Station, Subhas Yadav, said. "No suicide note was recovered from the house," he said, adding, the matter was being probed. Bhatia was living alone since the death of his wife six years ago. His son stays in Delhi and daughter is married, police added.
Newborn "kidnapped" by neighbour in Telangana, rescued
A newborn male baby, who was allegedly kidnapped within hours after his birth at a primary health centre here has been rescued and two people, including a woman arrested in this connection, police said Wednesday. The baby boy went missing on Tuesday while sleeping beside his mother at the government health centre in Narapally area, they said. The family members lodged a complaint following which a case was registered. The CCTV footage at the hospital showed the woman's neighbour taking the baby away, they added. The baby was later traced to her house, police said.
Akhilesh says triple talaq ordinance will used as 'weapon against minorities'
Attacking the BJP government at the Centre for giving nod to re-issue the contentious triple talaq ordinance, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Wednesday it will be used as a "weapon against minorities". "Social change cannot be achieved through force and arbitrary criminalisation. A narrative of women's empowerment is being used to cover up an ordinance which will be used as a weapon against minorities. We will support an act that implements the Justice Sachar report," Yadav said here. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to re-issue the ordinance that makes the practice of instant triple talaq by Muslim men a penal offence. Once signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, it will come into force for the third time in less than one year. A bill on the ordinance making the practise of 'talaq-e-biddat' (instance divorce) void and an offence is pending in Rajya Sabha. The bill will lapse on June 3 with the dissolution of the present Lok Sabha. While opposition parties and some ...
Book looks at constitutional interpretation of today's issues
A new book draws on pre-Independence legal and political history to argue that the Constitution was intended to transform not merely the political status of Indians from subjects to citizens, but also the social relationships on which legal and political structures rested. "We think of the Indian Constitution as a founding document, embodying a moment of profound transformation from being ruled to becoming a nation of free and equal citizenship. Yet the working of the Constitution over the last seven decades has often failed to fulfil that transformative promise," Gautam Bhatia, a practising lawyer. His book "The Transformative Constitution: A Radical Biography In Nine Acts" looks at cases that had a bearing on major recent judgements such as Section 377, Aadhaar and Sabarimala. "Not only have successive parliaments failed to repeal colonial-era laws that are inconsistent with the principles of the Constitution, but constitutional challenges to these laws have also failed before the ..
Triple talaq ordinance anti-minority: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed the Modi government for approving an ordinance for a third time to make triple talaq a law.
Putin promises Russians better living conditions 'within this year'
President Vladimir Putin promised Russians rapid improvements in their living conditions as he kicked off his annual state of the nation address on Wednesday. "We cannot wait, the situation must change for the better now," Putin said. "Within this year (Russians) should feel changes for the better." The Russian leader announced several policies that he said would boost living standards, while addressing the country's declining birth rate. These included new child benefits and reduced taxes for large families. "We did and will do everything for the strengthening of family values," he said. "The incomes of Russian families should of course rise," he said. "The principles should be -- the more children, the less taxes," Putin said, adding that Russia is going through a "difficult stage" in demography. Putin addressed both houses of parliament as he faces an unprecedented fall in his approval ratings. A hugely unpopular reform raising the retirement age that Putin signed into law in ...
Democratic lawmakers seek probe into force-feeding incidents in ICE detention centres
Three Indian-origin Democratic lawmakers have joined hands with over 40 others to demand an investigation into reports of force-feeding of immigrant detainees, including Indians, on a hunger strike by the US authorities at detention centres. At least 13 immigrant detainees, including Indians, were force-fed through nasal tubes, against their will, by the the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials after they went on a hunger strike to protest conditions at a processing centre in Texas early this month. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Veronica Escobar led 47 of their colleagues in calling on the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to probe the on-site conditions of ICE detention facilities following recent reports of detainees being punished for protesting their treatment and force-fed while engaging in a hunger strike, a statement by the lawmakers said on Tuesday. The lawmakers, in a letter to John V Kelly, Acting Director, Office of ...
India at inflection point in Artificial Intelligence adoption: Microsoft
There has been a spurt in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across industries in India and cloud infrastructure and rapid deployment of intelligent Cloud services will further drive AI adoption in the country, Microsoft India said on Wednesday.
Second time in 12 months, Maharashtra farmers launch 'long march'
For the second time in 12 months, over 50,000 farmers embarked on a nine-day-long 'Kisan Long March-2' from Nashik to Mumbai to protest against what they termed a "betrayal" of the peasantry by the BJP governments in the state and the Centre.
Burberry apologises 'noose' hoodie outfit, removes dress after backlash
British luxury fashion brand Burberry has apologised for showcasing a hoodie outfit with a noose around the neck. The outfit was showcased in Burberry's Autumn/Winter (A/W) collection, "Tempest", during the recently concluded London Fashion Week. On the social media, the brand was blasted for glamorising suicide. Model Liz Kennedy, who walked in the Burberry show but did not wear the outfit, also criticised the brand. Taking to Instagram, Kennedy said that she had voiced her disapproval to the outfit but was ignored by the fashion house. "Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go... How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth," she wrote. She said she was herself dealing with the loss of a family member, who committed suicide. "I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write
Kaluuya, Stanfield might work on film on Black Panther Party leader
Actors Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield are in negotiations to star in the historical drama "Jesus Was My Homeboy", about Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton.
Government must act against cow vigilantes: Human Rights Watch
The Indian government should prevent and prosecute mob violence by vigilante groups targeting minorities in the name of so-called cow protection, Human Rights Watch has said.
Delhi HC to hear plea against rule barring specially-abled from pursuing MBBS tomorrow
A petitioner moved the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking quashing of Medical Council of India's (MCI) recent notification which declared aspirants having a benchmark disability of more than 80 per cent ineligible for admission to undergraduate medical education programmes.The plea was filed after MCI rolled out the notification on February 2 stating that divyangs (specially challenged) with more than 80 per cent disability have been barred from pursuing MBBS education.In addition, aspirants having, Dysgraphia has also been prohibited to take up the profession.Observing urgency in the case, the Delhi High Court has agreed to hear the PIL on Thursday.The petition states that the notification is a "highly irrational, arbitrary and discriminatory" in manner. The petition further claims that the notification has declared the person having one hand amputated cannot pursue MBBS education in India.The petition also added that according to Section 3(1) it is the duty of respondents to ...
HC asks Delhi government to consider Chautala plea for release
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government to consider former Haryana Chief Minister O.P. Chautala's plea seeking his release from the Tihar Central Jail here under the special remission granted to males above 60 years.