Page 174 - Social Issues
Pope urges politicians to defend rights of the unborn
Pope Francis is urging politicians of all faiths to safeguard the rights of the unborn and is exhorting abortion opponents to also assure that children are born into a world where they can live with dignity. Francis spoke Saturday at the Vatican to an Italian Catholic anti-abortion group. He praised their efforts but stressed that defending life also means assuring that people have health, education and job opportunities. Francis encouraged politicians to defend the unborn for the common good, saying that the young bring hope and a future to society. The pope decried "their killing in huge numbers" as undermining "the foundations of the construction of justice, compromising the proper solution of any other human and social issue." Catholic teaching forbids abortion.
Modi seeks Trinamool support for citizenship Bill, Mamata says withdraw it
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress to support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament to give the refugees living in India the right to citizenship.
Two Indians among 11 migrants arrested in Bosnia after mass fight
Police arrested 11 migrants, including two Indians, after a mass fight at their reception centre in Bosnia that left eight people seriously injured, a spokesman said on Saturday. The fighting, involving several hundred migrants accommodated at the centre in the northwestern town of Bihac, began late Friday, Fena news agency quoted the police spokesman as saying. After police brought the situation under control and questioned more than 30 migrants "eight Afghan nationals, two Indians and one Pakistani were arrested," spokesman Ale Siljdedic added. The cause of the fighting was not immediately known. Forty migrants sought medical help among whom eight were seriously injured most likely knife wounds, doctor Farun Helic said. One migrant sustained life threatening injuries but is recovering, he added. Bosnia has become a key transit country carrying migrants from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa towards the European Union. More than 23,000 people trudged through the mountainous ...
Public agitations against citizenship bill should be dignified: Assam govt
The Assam government Saturday appealed to all groups, organisations and political parties to be peaceful and "dignified" in their agitation against the contentious citizenship bill. Protest have rocked the state since the bill's passage in the Lok Sabha and on Friday activists of the peasant organisation Kisan Mazdoor Sangram Samiti held a nude protest outside the Assam Secretariat. Chief secretary Alok Kumar told a press conference here that it is the responsibility of the leaders to keep the movement peaceful. "The state is passing through a stage which is challenging... We are a mature democracy. We can understand the aspirations and concerns of the people", he said. Without making any direct reference to the KMSS protest, Kumar said "We have observed certain deviations of late. The government feels that we have to try to be as tolerant and as dignified in our conduct as possible." "It is very important to observe the accepted democratic procedures because as a society we owe it to
PoK displaced persons stage protest in Jammu
A group of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) displaced persons Saturday staged a protest here, demanding their proper rehabilitation. The protesters assembled under the banner of SOS international at Bakshi Nagar, and staged the protest on the eve of Prime Minister's Narendra Modi visit to the state. In November 2015, the Centre had announced a package of Rs 2,000 crore as "one-time settlement" for 36,454 PoK displaced families living in the state. "We are holding this protest on the eve of the prime minister's visit to invite his attention towards the community, which is facing stepmotherly treatment over the past seven decades," SOS International chairman Rajiv Chuni, who was leading the protest, told reporters. He said the protesters had chained themselves to convey a message that even after 70 years of Independence, the community was still kept as "slaves by not addressing their genuine grievances and demands".
Centre is creating hurdles on our way : Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday slammed the Centre for not considering the interests of the state in the recent Interim Budget and for creating hurdles in the various welfare schemes initiated by his government.The TDP chief also said that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojna will not benefit farmers. "Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced for farmers Rs 6000 for 5 acres per annum. That is only Rs 500 per month. Is it a donation? We have waived Rs 1.5 lakhs loans for each farmer," Naidu said."The Centre is creating hurdles for us as we are asking for special status for the state," he said while addressing a gathering at a village in Krishna district of the state. Naidu pointed out that his government's pension scheme had brought a significant change in the outlook of society towards the elders."When I held Pada Yatra, I met with many senior citizens who were facing financial troubles. I decided to give pension to old people. We have been providing ...
LGBTQ community holds pride march in south Mumbai
Over 250 members of the LGBTQ community Saturday held a "pride march" from August Kranti Maidan to Opera House and back, in south Mumbai, to highlight issues facing them. Such pride marches have been held by the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Trans-Queer community in different parts of the country since 2005, organisers said. While the earlier demand was the decriminalisation of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, current demands include inclusion in workplace, education, marriage, adoption rights, protection against abuse and discrimination, they said. On September 6 last year, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously decriminalised part of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalises consensual unnatural sex. The community is also opposing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 17 last year. The bill seeks to define define transgenders and prohibit ...
For Cong OROP means 'Only Rahul, Only Priyanka': Shah
BJP president Amit Shah Saturday gave a new definition to the OROP, which normally refers to 'One Rank, One Pension', saying that in the Congress it translated to "Only Rahul, Only Priyanka". Addressing booth-level workers here, he lauded the Union Budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Friday, which had proposed the highest defence budget of Rs 3 lakh crore to ensure the security of country's boundaries. "The jawans who are deployed on snowy peaks for the defence of the country had been demanding 'One Rank, One Pension', but the Congress did not bring it in 70 years. The government which you made, fulfilled this in just one year and finalised the OROP," Shah said. Referring to the pension scheme, the BJP chief took a dig at the Congress and said, "For them, OROP is 'Only Rahul, Only Priyanka'. While Modiji is working for our jawans, they are working for their family. Those who work for their family cannot take the country ahead." Shah claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was ...
Maha approves pension scheme for senior journos
The Maharashtra government Saturday gave administrative approval to a pension scheme for senior journalists in the state, which has been a long-pending demand of the media fraternity. Last year, the government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 15 crore towards implementation of such a scheme in view of rising demands from various quarters. As per a Government Order (GO) issued Saturday, the "Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana" will be implemented by the board of trustees of the 'Shankarrao Chavan Suvarna Mahotsavi Patrakar Kalyan Nidhi'. The pension amount is not yet finalised. Under the scheme, working journalists, photographers, editors of newspapers and other news broadcast media as well as freelancers who have attained 60 years of age and above and have completed 30 years in profession, will be eligible. The senior journalists have to be accredited for minimum ten years, and journalism should be their only source of income. Except the Employee Provident ...
Meghan puts notes on bananas sent to needy women in Britain
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has written personal messages to women being helped by a charity that seeks to help sex workers break free from prostitution. Prince Harry's wife took the unusual step of writing the messages on the skins of bananas destined for the food parcels that would be handed out to the women Friday. Meghan wrote sentiments such as "You are strong," ''You are special," and "You are brave!" with hearts next to them. She was visiting the One25 organization in Bristol, southwest England. She said the messages were inspired after she learned of a program "this woman had started in the States on a school lunch program when on each of the bananas she wrote an affirmation or something to make the kids feel really empowered.
Egypt discovers 40 mummies in ancient chambers in Minya
Egypt says it has discovered a number of ancient burial chambers containing some 40 mummies in the desert province of Minya, south of Cairo. Officials told reporters on Saturday at the site that the chambers, which were cut out of rock, belonged to a middle-class family who probably lived during the Ptolemaic, early Roman or Byzantine period. The mummies are in good condition and at least 10 are of children. Some were decorated with "demotic handwriting" a form of ancient Egyptian script used by ordinary people. Pottery, papyri and colourful mummy cases were also unearthed. Egypt has made a series of archaeological finds recently, and it has been heavily promoting them to revive its tourism industry, a staple of its economy that was decimated by the chaos that followed its 2011 uprising.
73 Indian arrested in Sri Lanka for violating visa norms
Seventy-three Indians have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for violating visa norms this year, officials said on Saturday. A total of 49 Indian nationals were arrested on Saturday from a factory in Matugama, about 60 km from here, the Immigration and Emigration Department officials said. They were staying beyond the visa term, they added. Last month, 24 Indians, who were employed in a factory at Ingiriya, were arrested for staying beyond their visa term, officials said. Those arrested have been sent to the immigration detention centre in Mirihana, the eastern suburb of Colombo, they added. Offiicials said those arrested would be sent to India after completing necessary formalities.
Will oppose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Centre will have to withdraw it: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation. She was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the bill, at a rally in Thakunagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. "The Centre will have to withdraw the Citizenship Bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," Banerjee said. In his speech at the event organised by the Matua community, Modi praised the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and sought the Trinamool Congress' support for it. The Bill, he said, would bring "justice and respectability" to those who faced religious persecution. "India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced ...
India issues demarche, urges US to release detained Indian students
India has issued a demarche to the US asking it to release at the earliest Indian students detained in connection with their enrolment in a fraudulent university and not to deport them against their will.
Farmers organisation announces dharna before Assembly
Farmers organisation Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) Saturday announced to launch indefinite dharna before the Odisha Assembly demanding social security allowance for cultivators. The agitation is planned keeping in view the Odisha Assembly's budget session which begins from February 4. Thousands of farmers from across the state will participate in the agitation, said NNKS convenor Akshya Kumar. The NNKS has been agitating for fulfillment of their long-standing demands of price, pension and prestige, Kumar said. He said the farmers also demanded Rs 5,000 per month for 36 lakh farmers of the state with an annual budget requirement of Rs 21,600 crore. "We demand the state government to allocate Rs 21,600 crore to ensure social security allowance for farmers," Kumar said. "About 3 lakh farmers from 30 districts will congregate on February 6 to gherao the Odisha Assembly. We demand provision for farmers in the interim state budget," Kumar claimed. Alleging that ...
Wearing hijab in court can make you more credible witness: Study
Sexual assault victims wearing the hijab or niqab are viewed more positively when testifying in court than uncovered women, reveals a study that aimed to investigate the importance of being able to see the face to judge credibility among witnesses, along with the importance of religious garments.
Modi accuses TMC of extortion, says it's killing aspirations of middle class
In a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused it of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state and said the ruling party in West Bengal is known for "triple T -- Trinamool Tolabaji Tax". In local parlance, 'tolabaji' is roughly understood as an act of organised extortion. Addressing a BJP rally in this industrial town, Modi also alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was treading the path of the previous communist government to trample democracy. She should know it did not work then and it will not work now, he said. "The TMC is killing the people's aspirations but the Centre will fulfil their (people's) dreams," the prime minister said. The interim Budget presented in Parliament Friday is a reflection of the BJP government's policy of 'Saabka Saath Saabka Vikas', he said. Modi also spoke about the income tax rebate, TDS for bank term deposits, earnings from second property among other budgetary provisions ...
CM Naidu launches 2nd phase of Pasupu-Kumkuma scheme, welfare pensions
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched the second phase of Pasupu-Kumkuma (Turmeric-Kumkum) scheme and welfare pensions.Under the second phase of the scheme, women who are a part of Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) will be given Rs 10,000 in three instalments.As many as 94 lakh DWCRA women will be given Rs 10,000 as a grant under the Pasupu-Kumkuma scheme. As much as Rs 9400 crore have been granted for the scheme.Elaborating on the three instalments, he said: "Rs 2500 will be given on February 1, Rs 3500 on March 8 and the final instalment of Rs 4000 will be given on April 5," he said."The welfare pensions are doubled from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000," announced Naidu while addressing the gathering at the event in this district.Welfare pensions for senior citizens, widows, handloom workers, toddy tappers, fishermen, single women, dappu (one kind of drum) artists, cobblers and AIDS patients have been increased from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000, while pension ...
12 held at Jaipur airport for fake entries in passport
Twelve persons who arrived at Sanganer Airport here from Malaysia were held by the police due to fake entries in their passports, officials said. "There were some fake entries in their passports. On information by immigration officials, 12 persons were held upon their arrival. They all came in an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur early Saturday morning," SHO of Sanganer police station Lakhan Singh said. "They belong to different places in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and had gone to Malaysia as labourers. They were taken into custody under sections 109, 151 of CrPC. An FIR against them under relevant sections including 420 of IPC will also be lodged," he said.
TMC killing aspirations of middle class: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of killing the aspirations of the middle-class people in the state. Addressing a rally in this industrial town, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre is bent on fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the middle-class people. "The TMC is killing people's aspirations but the Centre will fulfil their (people's) dreams," Modi said. The interim Budget presented in Parliament yesterday is a reflection of the BJP government's policy of 'Saabka Saath Saabka Vikas', the prime minister said. Modi also spoke about the income tax rebate, TDS for bank term deposits, earnings from second property among other budgetary provisions which, he said, will benefit the middle class.
