Page 36 - Social Issues
US to withdraw India's GSP benefits from June 5, Ministry says 'unfortunate'
The US will withdraw the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits extended to exports from India from June 5, 2019. India calls it "unfortunate".
Farmers suicide: Relief issue should be raised in Parliament, says Vijayan
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the issue of providing relief to the families of farmers, who committed suicide over failure to repay bank loans, needs to be raised in Parliament. The Union government needs to take a stand regarding the agricultural loans taken by farmers from commercial banks, he said on Friday in a reply to the letter written by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. A copy of the letter was released to the media. Vijayan said since the farmers across the country were facing "severe distress" due to their mounting debts and difficulty in repaying the loans availed by them, the matter needs to be raised in Parliament. "This issue needs to be raised in the Parliament and I hope that you will join us in taking up the issue of relief for the debt affected families," he said. Gandhi, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad, had asked the state government to provide assistance to the family of V D Dineshan, a Wayanad farmer, who committed suicide allegedly due to .
Man held in Kerala for 'sexually exploiting' over 50 women
A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Kerala for allegedly sexually exploiting over 50 women, he had befriended over social media, by blackmailing them with their morphed obscene photos, police said Saturday. Pradeesh Kumar from Areeparambu near Ettumanoor was arrested on Friday on the basis of a complaint by a woman, they said. Explaining his 'modus operandi,' police said Kumar used to target women over social media and got their phone numbers. After establishing contact with the women, mostly housewives, and understanding their family problems, he used to create fake Facebook accounts posing as female and got in touch with the husbands of his potential targets, police said. The accused used to take screenshots of the chats their husbands had with the fake accounts and forwarded it to their wives to convince them about their spouse's "illicit relationships." After being ensured that the women had started distancing themselves from their husbands, the accused grew very close to the ..
Businesses warn Trump of consequences of new Mexican tariffs
Despite pushback from US business, Mexico and Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threat to slap a 5 per cent tariff on Mexican imports unless America's southern neighbor cracks down on Central American migrants trying to cross the US border. US manufacturers said the tariff, set to take effect June 10, would have devastating consequences on them and American consumers. U.S. stocks tumbled on Wall Street in response to Trump's planned action. "Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is exploring legal action in response to the tariffs. "These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border." Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador dispatched his foreign secretary to ...
Naqvi hits out at Owaisi for comments on PM Modi
Minority Affairs Ministry Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday hit out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for his comments that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi can visit the temple then Muslims can visit Mosque, saying some people talk like this for the sake of their livelihood.Speaking to ANI here, Naqvi said, "Some people talk like this for the sake of their livelihood. Some people talk unnecessary things on the basis of religion, caste and region. This does not help anyone. Modi has the confidence of 130 crore people of the country. Under Modiji people know they are well secured."Earlier today, Owaisi had said, "If Modi can visit a temple we can visit our mosques, if Modi can go sit in a cave, we Muslims can also proudly say our prayers in mosques. Securing more than 300 seats is not a huge thing, Because India has a living Constitution, the 300 seats (of the BJP) cannot take away our rights."Praising Prime Minister Modi, the Minority Affairs Minister further said, "Modi has called for ...
Wayand farmer suicide: Kerala CM responds to Rahul's letter, orders detailed inquiry
Responding to Congress President Rahul Gandhi's letter requesting for an inquiry into the "suicide" of a debt-ridden farmer VD Dinesh Kumar from Wayanad, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stated that he has ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter.In a letter dated May 31, the Chief Minister said: "I have asked District Collector, Wayanad, to conduct a detailed inquiry into the suicide of VD Dinesh Kumar and submit a report to the government at the earliest for taking further action including any financial assistance."Vijayan also assured that the Kerala government is making continued efforts to help the farmers and has also announced a moratorium on repayment of farmers' loans till the end of this year.Expressing concern over issues being faced by farmers in the country, the Chief Minister said they ought to be raised in the Parliament and urged Gandhi to join the movement."...As these loans from commercial banks come under the SARFAESI Act it is for the Government of ...
Kim Kardashian West visits inmate on death row at San Quentin State Prison
Continuing her efforts to improve the criminal justice system, Kim Kardashian West on Thursday went to San Quentin State Prison to meet an inmate on death row.According to People, Kevin Cooper, 61, was convicted of murdering four people, including two children.The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star spent time with Cooper in the cell.Kardashian shared a picture from her visit on Twitter and wrote: "I am hopeful that Kevin will be exonerated since DNA testing has now been ordered on Kevin's case and I remain grateful to Governor Newsom for ending capital punishment in California."Cooper was a convicted burglar at the time when he committed the murders. However, he has maintained his innocence regarding the murders since the time of his arrest.In October last year, Kardashian had asked the then governor of California, Jerry Brown, to look into Cooper's case."Governor Brown, please add Kevin Cooper to your legacy of smart, fair and thoughtful criminal justice reforms," Kardashian ...
Over 90,000 displaced in Libya due to fighting in Tripoli: UN
More than 90,000 people have been displaced in Libya since April as a result of the armed conflict between Khalifa Haftar's army and UN-backed government forces in capital Tripoli, United Nations said on Friday.Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a press briefing here that over than 8000 people were displaced this week alone. Half of them are believed to be children."Aid workers continue to provide assistance to the internally displaced and to other vulnerable people impacted by the hostilities, with more than 47,000 people in Tripoli and surrounding areas having received help to date," Xinhua quoted Haq as saying.According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, more than 390 people have lost their lives and over 1,900 others wounded since the fighting began on April 12.Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of its dictator Muammar Gaddafi.The LNA-backed parliament controls the east of Libya, .
Migrants dreaming of US brave hellish Panamanian jungle odyssey
Some have died on the way, pregnant women lost their babies and one Haitian was shot in the arm, yet migrants still trek on foot through Panama's perilous Darien forest in the hope of one day reaching the United States. To reach Panama from Colombia, the migrants -- mostly from Haiti and Cuba, but also Africa and Asia -- brave the nightmare journey across the 575,000 hectares of jungle where snakes and jaguars lurk. And there are no roads. Migrants, many of whom cannot swim, also have to cross rivers where they could be swept away by a powerful current. "In the group I came with, at least five people stayed behind (in the jungle) and are dying," said Pierre Louis Clivens, a Haitian who tackled the journey with his wife and seven-year-old son. Yet the greatest danger stems from people and drug traffickers. "They took all my money. They took three telephones, one of my husband's and two of mine, and the thief shot me in the left arm," said Marie-Claudia Toussaint, a Haitian with her arm
Home minister Shah terms as 'landmark' the pension scheme for retail traders
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday described as "landmark" the Modi government's decision to launch a new pension scheme for shopkeepers and retail traders. Shah, who took oath as a central minister Thursday, also said in a series of tweets that farmers and poor have always been a priority for the Modi government. "In its efforts to provide universal social security, the Modi government has taken a landmark decision and approved a new scheme, which assures all shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3000 per month after the age of 60 years," he tweeted. Shah said as promised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the PM-Kisan Yojana to all farmers. The Cabinet has also approved a new scheme "Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana" to provide pension to crores of small and marginal farmers, he said. "I congratulate PM @narendramodi ji for approving major changes in the PM's Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund. It reflects .
Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief accused of sexual harassment
The personal security chief of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by two former members of the private staff.According to Business Insider, Liam Booth, a former Secret Service agent, is also accused of making racist, homophobic, and transphobic comments. He has been put on administrative leave until the matter is resolved.The former members allege that Booth repeatedly made racist remarks about Zuckerberg's Asian American wife, Priscilla Chan. They further allege that repeated complaints were ignored by Brian Mosteller, another one of Zuckerberg's key aides.
Cabinet okays pension for traders
Fulfilling his poll promise, the Modi government on its first day announced a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for traders across the nation, which will benefit over three crore people.
Cabinet okays pension for traders (Lead with correction)
Fulfilling his poll promise, the Modi government on its first day announced a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for traders across the nation, which will benefit over three crore people.
Cabinet approves scheme to control foot and mouth disease
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved a scheme to control the foot and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis, two diseases which are common amongst the livestock."The Cabinet today approved an ambitious scheme with a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crore to fully control these diseases amongst the livestock in the five years and subsequently eradicate these diseases," Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said while briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting.The scheme envisages vaccination coverage to 30 crore bovines, 20 crore sheep or goat, and 10 million pigs.According to a government statement, the programme so far has been implemented on a cost-sharing basis between the Central and State governments. Now, the Central government has decided to bear the entire cost of the programme.The Union Cabinet in its first meeting also approved three other welfare schemes, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana, a pension scheme ..
Bihar cabinet sanctions Rs 384 cr for old age pension scheme
The Bihar cabinet on Friday sanctioned Rs 384 crore for payment of pension under the Chief Minister Old Age Pension Scheme for financial year 2019-20, an official said here. The money was sanctioned from the Bihar Contingency Fund for payment to beneficiaries who are above 60 years and do not receive any salary, pension, family pension or social security pension either from central and state government. The number of such beneficiaries is 36.50 lakh, Cabinet Secretariat department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar told reporters. Those who are in the age-group of 60-79 will get Rs 400 per month while those above 80 will get Rs 500 per month as pension under the scheme. The cabinet also enhanced the corpus of the Bihar Contingency Fund from Rs 350 crore to Rs 8020.04 crore till March 30, 2020, Kumar said. The move was made to withdraw funds in advance for carrying development work which had not got budgetary allocation. It also approved a proposal of the finance department
Cabinet clears pension scheme for small farmers, traders
In its first meeting after the NDA returned to power, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved a pension scheme for small-marginal farmers and small retailers and also extended the scope of the direct income support scheme for farmers by removing the ceiling of two hectares of land.The Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the new central sector scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana (PM-KPY), which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for all small and marginal farmers across the country with the entry age of 18 to 40 and with a provision of minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 on attaining the age of 60 years.The Central government shall also contribute to the pension fund an equal amount matching the farmer's contribution.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has done away with the benchmark of two hectares. With this, two crore farmers who were left ..
Mexico president: We won't react desperately to Trump threat
Mexico President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador said Friday that Mexico won't respond to US President Donald Trump's threat of coercive tariffs with desperation, but instead will push for dialogue. A day after Trump's threat to impose a 5 per cent tariff that could increase incrementally to 25 per cent on all Mexican imports, Lpez Obrador seemed convinced that Trump just needed to be informed of all that Mexico has been doing to slow illegal migration, and he dispatched Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to Washington Friday. "We are carrying out our responsibility in immigration policy," Lpez Obrador said at his daily morning news conference. He made no promises of new action to stem the flow of mostly Central American immigrants transiting Mexico to reach the US border. Mexico has stepped up raids on migrant caravans travelling through the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca this year. It has deported thousands of migrants and frustrated thousands more who wait endlessly for ...
Bonanza for farmers: New govt extends PM-KISAN, announces pension scheme
In the first Cabinet meeting Friday, the government decided to extend PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers, costing Rs 87,000 crore a year, and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for 5 crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the BJP's poll promise. Announcing the two key decisions, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced the landmark decisions for the farming community in the first Cabinet meeting. "The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Tomar told reporters after the meeting. The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares. "Now, the revised scheme ...
Cabinet approves Rs 3,000 pension for small traders
In its first meeting, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday decided to give monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to small traders, businessmen, and shopkeepers after they attain the age of 60 years."The Union Cabinet has approved, in its effort to provide to universal social security, a new scheme which assures all shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after attaining the age of 60 years," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media persons after the Cabinet meeting.All small shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as the retail traders with Goods and Services Tax (GST) turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18 and 40 years can enroll themselves for the scheme."The decision is likely to benefit 5 crore small traders in the coming three years. The enrolment can be made through the Common Service Centre. For those who are 18 years of age, Rs 2 per day is the investment," he said."Those .
Cabinet clears farmer pension plan, widens scope of PM-KISAN scheme
Addressing rural distress in its first meeting on Friday, the Union Cabinet approved a new pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country and extended the ambit of the direct income support scheme for farmers by removing the ceiling of two hectares to cover more beneficiaries.The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a new central sector scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana, which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for all small and marginal farmers across the country with the entry age of 18 to 40 and with a provision of minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 on attaining the age of 60 years.The Central government shall also contribute to the pension fund an equal amount matching the farmer's contribution.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has done away with the benchmark of two hectares. With this, two crore farmers who were left out of ..
