Page 361 - Social Issues
EU announces humanitarian package for Myanmar minorities
The European Union (EU) on Friday announced a $5.82 million humanitarian aid package for the Rohingya and other ethnic minority communities in Myanmar.
Abolishing 497 akin to giving licence for adultery: DCW chief
Apex court had decriminalised adultery by striking down Section 497 of IPC, terming it as unconstitutional, archaic and manifestly arbitrary
B'desh PM slams Myanmar for failing to take back Rohingya refugees
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has criticised Myanmar for failing to fulfil its commitment to take back Rohingya Muslim refugees who had fled to Bangladesh due to ethnic and religious persecution in their home country. Hasina said Myanmar had given a verbal commitment to take back Rohingya Muslims who have fled a military crackdown she described as "tantamount to genocide and crimes against humanity". Hasina made the remarks in her speech at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Thursday, even as the UN Human Rights Council agreed to set up a team to collect evidence of alleged crimes that could later be used to prosecute suspected perpetrators. "The world cannot ignore or remain silent over the plight of the Rohingya people driven from their homes in Myanmar and sheltering in Bangladesh," Hasina, said as she urged world leaders for an early and peaceful solution to the massive refugee crisis. "We are disappointed that despite our earnest efforts we
IYC activists get head tonsured in protest against 'Rafale scam'
Indian Youth Congress activists from Karnataka got their heads tonsured Friday in a protest against the "Rafale scam" near the residence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here. Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha MP from the southern state. "At least 15 IYC activists were here to get their heads tonsured but thousands others will do so in Karnataka," said IYC vice president Srinivas BV. "Our protest will continue till Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes out in open gives reply on the 'Rafale scam'," he said. The protesters raising slogans tried to march towards her residence but were stopped by the police on Safadarjung Road.
13 Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Mathura
Thirteen Bangladeshi nationals, including five children, were arrested Friday in a village near here, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed them on Monday from Jatora village in the district, Senior Superintendent of Police Babloo Kumar said, adding they were living in the village for the last two years. They were three men, five women and five children. While 12 immigrants were living without an identity proof, one had a bogus Aadhaar card bearing address of Jatora village, the SSP said. According to Kumar, station house officers of all police stations have been instructed to intensify the search against illegal migrants.
Odisha chemists, retailers join nationwide strike
Thousands of medicine stores and retail businesses remained closed in Odisha as they joined a nationwide strike on Friday.
Santosh Hegde welcomes SC verdict on Sabarimala
Retired Supreme Court Judge N Santosh Hegde welcomed the apex court judgement Friday paving the way for entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala. "I fully agree with the judgement. All through...for decades...women were discriminated as another human being. God is the same for both man and woman," the former Solicitor General of India told PTI. "Their biological differences cannot be a ground for the purpose of refusing entry into the temple. I think Supreme Court recently has been giving some very positive and good decisions. This is a also very good one. I fully agree with it," the former Karnataka Lokayukta added. The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said that banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women. The CJI said the practice of exclusion of women of 10-50 age group cannot be regarded as essential religious
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange steps down after 'incommunicado detention'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being replaced by the organization's former spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson. The organization states that the decision has been made owing to Assange's detention in isolation.In its official tweet, WikiLeaks announced that Assange appointed Hrafnsson as Editor-in-Chief after six months of effective incommunicado detention. He will remain the publisher.Assange has taken refuge in London's Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault charges, TechCrunch reported. Six months ago, the Ecuadorian government took actions that isolated Assange, including cutting off his internet access and restricting visitors.
Bangladeshi PM asks for early repatriation of Rohingya refugees
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked for early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
SC decision on Sabarimala temple makes Hinduism even more inclusive: Maneka
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi Friday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement allowing entry of women of all ages in the Sabarimala temple, saying it would make Hinduism even more inclusive. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said that banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women. Hailing the apex court judgement on Sabarimala, Gandhi said it is a "wonderful" judgement that paves way to make Hinduism even more inclusive. "It opens up the way forward for Hinduism to become even more inclusive and not a property of one caste or one sex," Gandhi said. The Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on a clutch of pleas challenging the ban on entry of women of menstrual age in Kerala's Sabarimala temple and said law and society are tasked with the task to act as levellers. Justice Chandrachud said religion cannot be used as cover to deny rights of worship .
Women activists welcome SC judgement on Sabarimala, express concern over its acceptance
Women activists Friday hailed the Supreme Court judgement allowing entry of women into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala, but expressed concern over its acceptance at the ground level by people. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said that banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women. Chhavi Methi, a women rights activist welcomed the judgement, but said its acceptance remains to be seen. "I am doubtful the temple authorities would take it in the right spirit. Women would accept it but its implementation might pose a problem," she said. Another women rights activist Vani Subramaniam said the decision is an extension of various pro-equality judgements taken by the Supreme Court, but she too expressed concern over the community's reaction to it. "Question remains to be seen how it is accepted in the community and by the people at the ground level," she ..
Jodie Sweetin opens about a sexual assault encounter
Actress Jodie Sweetin has come out in the open about her own sexual assault experience amid American professor Christine Blasey Ford's testimony.
SC verdict allowing entry of women of all ages in Sabrimala temple disappointing:Temple Head priest
The Supreme Court's verdict allowing entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple, was "disappointing", but the 'Tantri family' will accept it, Sabarimala head priest Kandararu Rajeevarau said. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said banning entry of women to Kerala's Sabrimala temple is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women. A Tantri is the Vedic head priest of Hindu temples in Kerala. Travancore Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar told PTI that the Supreme Court's verdict will be studied in detail and further course of action will be decided after that. Padmakumar said the board had informed the court that they wanted to continue with the existing ritual practices, but now they have no other option but to implement the verdict The board, he said, will take steps to execute the apex court directive. It will study the judgement seriously, he said. Rahul Easwar, President of the Ayyappa Dharma
Women of all ages now allowed to enter Kerala's Sabrimala temple: SC
The Supreme Court Friday paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala. The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women. It said religion is a way of life basically to link life with divinity. While Justices R F Nariman and D Y Chandrachud concurred with the CJI and Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice Indu Malhotra gave a dissenting verdict. The court pronounced its verdict on a clutch of pleas challenging ban on the entry of women of menstrual age in Kerala's Sabrimala temple saying law and society are tasked with the task to act as levellers. The bench passed four set of separate judgements. The CJI said devotion cannot be subjected to discrimination and patriarchal notion cannot be allowed to trump equality in devotion. He said devotees of Lord Ayyappa do not constitute a ...
Sale of Electoral Bonds To Take Place At 29 Authorised Branches of State Bank of India
The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 vide Gazette Notification No. 20 dated 02nd January 2018. As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals. Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds. The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
Satyarthi for global action against online child sex abuse, pornography
Kailash Satyarthi, the Nobel laureate and advocate for children's rights, has called for the adoption of a legally-binding international convention outlawing online child sex abuse and pornography, an evil that has proliferated into a $8 billion curse of the digital age.
People rally in solidarity with Ford, 59 arrested
At least 59 people were arrested when police descended over a crowd who were rallying near the Supreme Court of the United States in solidarity with the sexual assault victim Christine Blasey Ford.Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the allegations on Thursday.USA Today quoted the U.S. Capitol police as saying that 57 of the protesters were arrested for "unlawful demonstration activities'' and another two in the same location were arrested for crossing a police line.The Women's March co-founder, Tamika Mallory was quoted as saying, "Foes of Kavanaugh wanted to make sure our voices are heard and our concerns are raised. And to make sure senators understand that while they may still vote to confirm him, we will not forget when it comes to the midterms and beyond."Slogans of "Believe Women" or "I Believe" were chanted on the streets of Washington by the .
Trump reaffirms support for embattled Supreme Court nominee
President Donald Trump reaffirmed support for his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after the judge gave hours of testimony denying having sexually assaulted several women in his youth. "Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting," Trump tweeted Thursday. Trump called the Democratic opposition to his candidate and a slew of sexual assault allegations over the last week "a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!" Trump's re-endorsement of Kavanaugh came seconds after the end of the day-long hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senators heard gripping and painful testimony from one of the accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, and then from Kavanaugh himself. Kavanaugh, a conservative-leaning judge whose entry into the lifetime appointment would help shift the Supreme Court to the right for years to come, came out fighting. Angrily denying the accusations against him, he ended his .
Furious Kavanaugh denies sex assault after accuser testifies
A defiant Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court, angrily denied sexual assault allegations and condemned his bitter Senate confirmation process as a "national disgrace." Kavanaugh's passionate defence on Thursday came after a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he sexually assaulted her 36 years ago. The allegations against the 53-year-old conservative judge have thrust the Trump administration into the #MeToo movement's harsh glare, and threaten to derail its bid to tilt the nation's highest court to the right for years to come. "I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Dr. Ford," said Kavanaugh, whose voice shook with anger during an opening statement that saw him repeatedly shed tears. "I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college, not ever." "I am innocent of this charge," Kavanaugh thundered. Earlier, during four hours of emotionally-charged ...
Defiant Kavanaugh vows 'I will not' withdraw from Supreme Court process
A defiant Brett Kavanaugh told lawmakers Thursday he will not withdraw as President Donald Trump's US Supreme Court nominee, slamming the controversial confirmation process as a "national disgrace." "I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," Kavanaugh told the Senate Judiciary Committee, insisting "I am innocent of this charge" of sexual assault from decades ago. "My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations," Kavanaugh, fighting back tears as he insisted he has never sexually assaulted anyone. Kavanaugh's high-stakes testimony followed just minutes after the panel heard from professor Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of trying to rape her at a 1982 party when the two were in high school.
