Page 25 - Social Issues
34 held, 3,305kg ganja seized in Odisha
A major drug trafficking racket was busted, as police arrested 34 persons and seized 3,305 kilograms of ganja (dry cannabis) from their possession.Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) said the cost of the ganja that was seized on Saturday is around Rs 2 crore.On June 6, a police team was attacked by drug peddlers and a police officer was reportedly injured, after which a team of 75 officials was formed to bust the drug trafficking racket, police said.Among those arrested, 17 are from Malkangiri, 11 from Nabarangpur, 5 from Koraput and 1 from Chhattisgarh.
Trump touts deal with Mexico to avert tariffs
US President Donald Trump touted Saturday his last-minute deal averting tariffs on Mexico, a plan economists warned would have been disastrous for both countries, saying the agreement will be a big success if America's southern neighbor cracks down on illegal immigration as promised. With Trump poised to slap five percent tariffs on all Mexican goods starting Monday, senior officials announced an agreement late Friday night. Under the deal, Mexico agreed to expand its policy of taking back migrants, most of them from violence-riven Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, as the United States processes their asylum claims. Mexico will also use its newly created National Guard to crack down on illegal migration, in particular along its southern border with Guatemala, a gateway for poor Central Americans hoping to reach the US. In turn, Mexico managed to avoid a proposal it had continually rejected -- that it process asylum claims on its own soil before migrants reach the United ...
Relief at US-Mexico border after tariff climbdown
Businesses and workers at the US-Mexico border in California expressed relief Saturday over the scrapping of planned tariffs which had threatened to deal a devastating blow to a region built on cross-frontier trade. Otay Mesa, California's busiest border crossing for commercial trucks, had been braced for the worst after US President Donald Trump vowed to impose levies on Mexican imports over illegal immigration. Senior officials announced an agreement Friday night to avert the tariffs after three days of intense negotiations -- to the delight of border workers. "If tariffs had gone up, all the rates would go up," said Rafael Toledo, a 61-year-old towing company employee, on his commute from Mexico early Saturday. "But I'm not worried now because everything was sorted out yesterday, no? I don't think there will be a problem now. Tariffs are bad for the US and bad for Mexico." Daniela Clark, a Mexican housewife visiting the US, said her family's avocado export business would have been .
Threat and tantrums no way to negotiate: Pelosi slams Trump over Mexico immigration deal
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday hit out at President Donald Trump over the immigration deal reached with Mexico in exchange for halting tariffs on the Central American country, saying "threats and tantrums are no way to negotiate foreign policy."Pelosi, in a statement, accused Trump of taking actions that "undermined America's preeminent leadership role in the world" and slammed him for repeatedly threatening tariffs on Mexico, which she described as US' " close friend and neighbour to the south," The Hill reported."The Trump Administration must also do much more to cooperate in a meaningful way with Mexico in cracking down on smuggling networks. [Its] failure to do so thus far is unconscionable and irresponsible. Threats and tantrums are no way to negotiate foreign policy," she said in the statement.In response, Trump fired back at Pelosi, calling her "nervous.""Nervous Nancy Pelosi & the Democrat House are getting nothing done. Perhaps they could lead the way with ...
Trump thanks Lopez Obrador for migration accord
US President Donald Trump thanked his Mexican counterpart on Saturday for the efforts his government has made to reach a migration accord and in so doing, stop the imposition of punitive US tariffs on imports from Mexico, while urging the ratification by his own country of the USMCA trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
Trump says US, Mexico reach agreement to prevent tariffs
President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he had suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting that the country "has agreed to take strong measures" to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States. A "US-Mexico Joint Declaration" released by the State Department outlined the details of the deal, saying the US "will immediately expand the implementation" of a program that returns asylum-seekers who cross the southern border to Mexico while their claims are adjudicated. Mexico will "offer jobs, healthcare and education" to those people, "according to its principles," the agreement stated. Mexico has also agreed, it said, to take "unprecedented steps to increase enforcement to curb irregular migration," including the deployment of the Mexican National Guard throughout the country, especially on its southern border with Guatemala. And Mexico is taking "decisive action to dismantle human smuggling and trafficking organizations as well as their illicit ..
Join hands to implement Ayushman Bharat: Harsh Vardhan to Delhi CM
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday termed the Delhi government's claim that its health scheme was "10 times bigger and comprehensive" than the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat programme as "baseless".
No custodial deaths: Delhi police on 3 deaths in 12 days in police stations
With three custodial deaths reported within 12 days, the Delhi police have been in the spotlight for wrong reasons, however the police claim all three cases of deaths do not fall into the category of custodial deaths and that the department has been investigating the cases to ascertain the reasons.
Venezuela reopens border crossing with Colombia
Thousands crossed into Colombia on Saturday to buy food and medicine after Venezuela's President Nicols Maduro reopened a border that had been shut down for the past four months. Long lines of Venezuelans stood at two international bridges near the city of Ccuta waiting to have their documents checked by Colombian officials, with some carrying children on their shoulders. Venezuelan border guards dressed in green uniforms helped to control the crowd. The South American nation's socialist government ordered the borders with Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Brazil and Colombia closed in February as the opposition tried to deliver food and medical supplies into the country. Most of the aid was provided largely by the United States, a key ally of opposition leader Juan Guaid who declared himself to be Venezuela's rightful president in January. But Maduro dismissed the aid as an infringement on Venezuela's sovereignty and prohibited it from entering. In May, the government reopened borders with ...
Alerted by man's social media singals, cops prevent suicide
Police stopped a 19-year-old man, resident of Pune, from committing suicide Saturday after his social media behaviour indicated that he was going to take the extreme step, an official said here. The cyber cell of Maharashtra police was tipped off that there was a possibility that the man -- whose name was not disclosed -- was going to end his life, the police official said. After scanning his social media accounts, the cyber cell tracked down his location and alerted Pune police, he said. Pune police reached the spot within thirty minutes and stopped him from taking any extreme step. He was being offered counseling, the official added. It was not yet known why he was thinking of ending his life, the official said.
Vaping ads on social media must disclose nicotine risk: FTC
The vaping trend is catching on and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is concerned about companies posting ads on social media without any health warnings.The FTC and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have sent warning letters to companies posting ads about flavoured e-liquid products or vape on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter without the warning that the products contain highly addictive chemical, nicotine, the official release saidThe non-disclosure in social media posts could be seen as a violation of the FTC Act. Companies have been asked to disclose material health or safety risks in ads on social media or when influencers endorse these products.
Union Health Minister hits back at Kejriwal over Ayushman Bharat
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday rebutted Arvind Kejriwal's claim that Delhi government's health scheme is "ten times bigger and comprehensive" than the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat programme and said the chief minister's "callous" response shows he is "least interested" in the welfare of the people of Delhi. Vardhan shot off a second letter to the Delhi chief minister as the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme became yet another bone of contention between the Centre and the Delhi government, which has refused to implement it in the city. After the Union Health Minister wrote to Kejriwal pressing him on the issue, the chief minister had replied on Friday that the Delhi Government has introduced free health care and, therefore, need not implement the central scheme. But Vardhan hit back saying all 'fancy schemes" of the AAP government", "including the much-touted Universal Coverage Health Scheme, announced more than a year ago, are still lying on the drawing ...
Two commit suicide in East Delhi
Two men allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves from ceiling fans in East Delhi Saturday, police said. Praveen Verma, 40, allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan of his office in Parparganj area Saturday morning, they said. "The incident occurred at around 10 am. A suicide note was recovered from near the body in which the deceased mentioned that due to huge debt on his head, he was taking the extreme step," Jasmeet Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), said. Verma was a resident of Laxmi Nagar and used to work as a manager in a printing press factory in Parparganj area, police said. In his suicide note, Verma apologised to his wife and children and asked his owner to take care of his family, they said. In another incident, a 32-year-old driver, Ganesh, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his home in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar area, police said. Police received the information about the incident at around 6 pm Saturday, Singh ...
Russian journalist on drugs charge in hospital as supporters decry case
A Russian investigative journalist facing drugs charges in a case supporters have denounced as a frame-up was taken to hospital Saturday after complaining of being beaten in police custody. Ivan Golunov, a Moscow-based reporter for Meduza independent news site has been charged with attempted dealing in designer drug mephedrone and cocaine. Supporters and his defence team said he had received death threats and suggested the drugs were planted to punish him over his reporting. Rights groups Amnesty said there was evidence that the authorities were fabricating drugs charges to shut up their critics. After his detention on Thursday Golunov told a representative of Russia's presidential rights council, which advises Vladimir Putin that police had punched him and stood on his chest, His lawyer Pavel Chikov said that paramedics suspected he had broken ribs and concussion. A paramedic who examined him told Interfax news agency that he had numerous grazes to his chest, injuries to his ribs and
Girl kills self following SSC results announcement
A 16-year-old girl committed suicide after failing the std 10th examination at Akola in Maharashtra Saturday, police said. Sanjana Shravan Navkar allegedly hanged herself at her home around 5 pm when other members of the family were away, a police official said. The results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination were declared earlier in the day. A case has been registered with Ramdaspeth police station and further probe is on.
Bhutan gays celebrate after homosexuality decriminalised
Bhutan's LGBT community celebrated Saturday after the tiny Himalayan kingdom's parliament became the world's latest to decriminalise homosexuality. The lower house overwhelmingly voted late Friday to repeal two sections of the 2004 criminal code which made "unnatural sex" illegal. "A lot of us cried," said Tashi Tsheten of Rainbow Bhutan that represents the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. "We are a small and marginalised community and when our rights are discussed in parliament, it makes us extremely happy," Tashi said. The law had never been used, but Finance Minister Namgay Tshering, who submitted the recommendation to repeal sections 213 and 214 of the penal code, said they had become "a stain" on the country's reputation. Namgay Tshering said the sections had become redundant since Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008. "There is a high degree of acceptability of the LGBT community in our society," he said. The minister added that he was ...
Harsh Vardhan debunks Kejriwal's claims on Delhi government health scheme
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday debunked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claims on the state government's health scheme, asserting that it is still in the planning stage.Expressing deep anguish over Kejriwal's letter in which he asserted that his government will not implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) in a Union Territory, Harsh Vardhan stated that the response shows the Chief Minister is least interested in the welfare of the people of Delhi.He further termed as baseless the claim that Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government is implementing free health care, and therefore, does not need to implement the PMJAY."All your (Delhi government) fancy schemes, including the much-touted Universal Coverage Health Scheme, announced more than a year ago, are still lying on the drawing boards awaiting implementation even after four and a half years. Your Mohalla Clinics are an utter flop and the drastic neglect of patient care in Delhi ...
Man held for cheating five sisters of Rs 84 lakh in TN
A 29 year-old man was arrested here Saturday for duping five sisters, including a differently abled, to the tune of about Rs 84 lakh under the pretext of getting higher returns through online trading, police said. The accused, Jaikarthik hailing from Chennai, approached the differently abled woman and her four sisters residing in Peelamedu and persuaded them to invest in online trading with an assurance of higher returns. The sisters also invested Rs 84 lakh, for which Jaikarthik paid the interest in the initial months as promised, they added. After gaining their trust, the accused stopped paying monthly instalments following which the disabled woman lodged a complaint. A special police team traced and arrested Jaikarthik and remanded him to judicial custody, police said.
Russian journalist in drugs case hospitalised: police
Russian police said Saturday that an investigative journalist facing drugs charges in a case supporters say is trumped-up has been taken to a Moscow hospital after he fell ill in custody. Ivan Golunov, a reporter for Meduza independent news site who has been charged with attempted drug-dealing, "complained of feeling unwell," Moscow police said in a statement. "As a result of examination by paramedics, the decision was taken to send the detainee to a medical facility for assessment." Golunov's lawyer Pavel Chikov earlier wrote on Telegram that medics suspected Golunov had broken ribs, bruising and concussion. Golunov on Friday told a representative of Russia's presidential rights council, which advises President Vladimir Putin, that he had been beaten while in custody, with police twice punching him in the head and standing on his chest. The 36-year-old has investigated high-level corruption among Moscow officials and Meduza said he had received a number of death threats. It believes .
Letter from PM to states can help prioritise issue of bonded labour: NHRC members
Human rights experts have suggested that a letter from the prime minister to chief ministers will help prioritise the issue of bonded and migrant labour. During an open house session hosted by the National Human Rights Commission on Friday evening, participants discussed on the issue and felt that the root cause of this menace lies in the agrarian crisis, which needs to be addressed on priority in the country, a senior NHRC official said on Saturday. "It was also suggested that a letter from the prime minister to the chief ministers will help priorities this issue on the lines of mission mode campaigns, like the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan," the NHRC said in a statement. NHRC Member Justice P C Pant, said a preventive approach is needed to end bonded labour, as it has acquired various "new forms and dimensions" with changing times and vocations since the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act was enacted in 1976. Pant said bonded labour contracts are not purely economic in India and these are