Page 376 - Social Issues
30 displaced Bru families return to Mizoram after 2 decades
At least 30 Bru refugee families, who have been living in camps in Tripura for over two decades, returned to Mizoram on Wednesday as part of a Home Ministry-monitored rehabilitation package, an official said. The Bru families would be given a one-time financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh, a house, a monthly assistance of Rs 5,000 and free ration for two years as per the agreement signed by the representatives of the Bru refugees, the governments of Mizoram and Tripura and the Centre. "About 30 Bru (Reang) families from Tripura are going back to Mizoram after 20 years as part of central repatriation package," a senior Home Ministry official told PTI. A total of 5,407 Bru families, who were displaced from Mizoram due to ethnic tension, have been living in various camps in Tripura since 1997. The process Wednesday started after a group of the refugees walked out of the agreement signed in July alleging inadequate compensation for their rehabilitation. The return of 30 Bru families were ...
Google arms admins to monitor workers in G-Suite apps
Google on Wednesday announced a new tool "Work Insights" that entitles admins with more visibility and monitoring control into the ways that G-Suite is deployed and utilised in their organisations.
Indian-origin family targeted in UK hate crime arson attack
An Indian-origin family of four in the UK had a lucky escape when their house was targeted in an "unprovoked" arson attack which the police is treating as a hate crime. Mayur Karlekar, called as Mac Karlekar, and his wife Ritu and two young children were asleep in their home late on Saturday night when they were woken up by their neighbours, who had called in the fire brigade to tackle a huge blaze outside their home in south-east London's Borkwood Park area of Orpington. "The Metropolitan Police is investigating this as a hate crime. It is being dealt with as a case of arson and criminal damage. No arrests have been made so far," a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said on Wednesday. CCTV images from the area reportedly show a group of four-five youths, dressed in hoodies, attempting to start a fire on the hedges outside the Karlekars' home. "We all were sleeping and were luckily woken up by neighbours on time. Though most of the damage was done to the hedges leaving the house now ...
Top S. Korea theatre director sentenced to six years for sex abuse
A prominent South Korean theatre director was Wednesday sentenced to six years in prison for the sexual abuse of nine women, as the country's nascent #MeToo movement gathers pace. Lee Yoon-taek was jailed for assaults on actresses dating back to 2010, including abusing eight women and sexually assaulting another. The court heard that Lee, now 65, fondled the eight women -- claiming he had to put his hands under their blouses as part of voice training -- and forced them to massage his genitals, while he injured and attempted to rape the ninth victim. "The accused claims these activities were all part of acting lessons, but they should be considered sexual abuses as there was no explicit consent from the victims," the court said in a statement. The #MeToo campaign against the abuse of women swept the South this year after Seoul prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon defied convention to speak out on television about the abuse she suffered at the hands of a superior. Since then a growing number of ...
Anger at Singapore ads offering Indonesian maids for sale
Online ads in Singapore offering Indonesian maids for sale were Wednesday condemned as "unjust and demeaning", in a rare flare-up of tensions between the neighbours over domestic helpers. Singapore is home to almost 250,000 maids, mostly from poor parts of Indonesia or the Philippines, who head to the wealthy city-state to earn higher salaries than they can back home. While Indonesia regularly protests about abuse and exploitation of helpers in Malaysia and parts of the Middle East, complaints about treatment of maids in tightly-regulated Singapore are less common. However reports that Indonesian helpers were being offered for sale in the city-state on online marketplace Carousell quickly drew condemnation from rights groups. The adverts under the user name "maid.recruitment" reportedly offered the services of several helpers from Indonesia, while some ads indicated maids had been "sold". The posts on the e-commerce site, which operates in several Asian countries and describes itself
New Zealand to increase annual refugee quota to 1,500
New Zealand plans to increase the number of refugees it takes each year from 1,000 to 1,500. Liberal Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Wednesday that the new quota will take effect from 2020. The country has previously been criticized for not taking enough refugees after the annual quota remained at 750 for three decades before it was raised to 1,000 this year. Ardern said moving the number to 1,500 represents a significant increase. "It is the right thing to do," she said. "It puts New Zealand much more in line with the humanitarian policies of other developed countries." Ardern said she doesn't anticipate the negative reaction to refugees that some people have had in countries like Germany because New Zealand gives refugees intensive support to ensure they have adequate housing and are well integrated into the community. "We have one of the best records globally in the way we resettle," Ardern said. "So no, I don't anticipate having those issues." New Zealand focuses most ..
Malaysia urged to ban child marriages as older man weds teen
Malaysia's government has come under renewed pressure to outlaw child marriages after another case of a child bride surfaced in a poor rural state, the second in weeks. A 15-year-old teenager became the second wife of a 44-year-old Muslim man in northeast Kelantan state, the New Straits Times newspaper reported. It said the union was approved by the Islamic Shariah court in July after her parents consented due to poverty. The latest case occurred in the same month when a Kelantan rubber trader married an 11-year-old girl as his third wife, but only became public this week. Muslim girls under the minimum legal marriage age of 16 can wed with the consent of the Shariah court and their parents. Muslim men can marry up to four wives. The case has sparked renewed outrage among rights groups. UNICEF in a statement received Wednesday slammed the latest child marriage as "unacceptable" and urged Malaysia to bring legislative change to ban the practice. "A new legislation on child marriage ...
Facebook faces lawsuit for hiding job ads from women
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Facebook on behalf of three women job seekers who accused the social media giant of posting ads that are shown only to men.
Myanmar based drug peddlers threaten to kill Tripura CM
Tripura's former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ratan Chakraborty has claimed that Myanmar-based drug peddlers have hatched a plot to kill state Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.Chakraborty further claimed that the drug kingpins recently had a meeting in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw to eliminate Deb.Deb, after coming to power, had earlier launched a massive operation against drugs.During his tenure, security forces in Tripura have seized more than 41,000 kilograms of marijuana, 80,000 bottles of contraband cough syrup, 1.35 lakh tablets (including Yuba manufactured in Myanmar), two-kilogram heroin, and 620-gram brown sugar and arrested more than 250 drug peddlers.Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Chakraborty said, "The Union Home Ministry is very worried as Asia's top kingpin and drug peddlers had organised a meeting at Myanmar capital and decided to eliminate Biplab Kumar Deb."He further said, "They have declared
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan faces rape accuser in court
Prominent Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan faced one of his rape accusers for more than eight hours in a French court Wednesday as he seeks bail after seven months in custody on charges he furiously denies. Ramadan, a frequent TV commentator, was a professor at Oxford University until he was forced to take leave when the rape allegations surfaced at the height of the "Me Too" movement late last year. The Swiss citizen, whose grandfather founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, was charged in France in February with raping two women in hotels in 2009 and 2012. Swiss prosecutors have also opened an investigation into allegations that he raped a woman in a Geneva hotel in 2008, local media reported Sunday. On Wednesday, he came face-to-face with a disabled woman who accuses him of attacking her in the eastern French city of Lyon in 2009. She remains anonymous but is known in the media as "Christelle". "It was a bitter confrontation" in which "everyone maintained their positions," her lawyer Eric
Imran mulls to give citizenship to refugees' kids born in Pakistan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday sought the National Assembly's advice for granting citizenship to Pakistan-born children of Afghan and Bangladeshi migrants.
Merkel removes spy chief to defuse row over far-right
Angela Merkel's government on Tuesday removed domestic spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen from office, transferring him to a different post to defuse an explosive row over immigration and the far right that once more rocked the German chancellor's fragile coalition. "Mr Maassen will become state secretary in the interior ministry," Merkel and the leaders of her coalition parties announced in a statement after crisis talks. The face-saving compromise lets Merkel's fourth-term government live to see another day, after her Social Democratic coalition partners had insisted on Maassen's departure as head of the BfV intelligence service, against the wishes of Interior Minister Horst Seehofer from her Bavarian CSU sister party. Maassen, 55, was at the centre of a heated controversy after he raised doubts about the veracity of reports of far-right hooligans and neo-Nazis randomly attacking immigrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz in late August. In his senior new role, essentially a promotion, ...
Delhi cabinet okays survey on infrastructural lacunae with focus on women safety
The Delhi cabinet Tuesday cleared a proposal to conduct a survey on infrastructural lacunae in Delhi-NCR with a focus on women safety in public places. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi government will undertake a survey on infrastructural lacunae in Delhi-NCR with a focus on women safety. The survey will be conducted by 'Safetipin' organisation, which has the specialised skill set and prior experience, the Delhi cabinet said in a statement. Various key stakeholders -- transport department, municipal corporations, Public Works Department, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and educational institutions -- will be actively involved the survey. The cabinet sought a detailed report on the previous survey, including the list of black spots and how many lights were installed following the survey, the statement said. To assess the on-ground improvement, Safetipin would conduct a second round of ...
Rewari gang rape: Activists slam AAP Haryana chief over 'insensitive' remarks
Activists Tuesday lashed out at AAP's Haryana chief Naveen Jaihind for making "insensitive" remarks in connection with the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman in the state, saying it shows the patriarchal mindset of political leaders in the country. Condemning the BJP government in Haryana for giving only Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the Rewari gang rape victim, Jaihind told media persons in Rohtak that "he will give Rs 20 lakh to any BJP leader who gets sexually assaulted by 10 people". Jaihind, the husband of Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, said he stands by what he said. Maliwal did not respond to repeated phone calls by PTI. Women rights activist Shabnam Hashmi said the comments were "very obnoxious and irresponsible". "This shows the patriarchal mindset of these leaders who consider women an object," she said. Annie Raja, National Federation of Indian Women's general secretary, said it is a "criminal opinion". "He is trying to take political mileage out of the ...
Only 1/4th of third grade students can read, understand simple short stories in India: Report
Only a quarter of third grade students can read and understand a short story with a few simple sentences or subtract two-digit numbers from another in India, according to a new report. A report by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said that the Indian government's own National Assessment Survey also shows that a high percentage of children have low learning levels. "Only one quarter of third grade students can read and understand a short story with a few simple sentences or subtract one two-digit number from another," the report said. The report quoted the data from the 2017 Annual Status of Education Report. Fortunately, as the outlines of the crisis have become clearer, learning has started to get the attention it requires, both inside and outside of India, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation report said. "From Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi to the Ministry of Human Resource Development to pioneering state governments in Delhi and Rajasthan that are instituting reforms, Indian
96% coverage in issuing biometric cards to fishermen:Centre
India has achieved 96 per cent coverage in issuing biometric cards to fishermen across the coastal regions of India, the Centre said Tuesday. Briefing reporters at the end of the 28th meeting of Southern Zonal Council held here, Union Homeminister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, described it as "very successful and very fruitful." Of 27 agendaitems, 22 were successfully resolved. The rest would be resolved at the next meeting to be held in Tamil Nadu, whose date has notbeen fixed, Singh said. "The zonal councilprovides for a common meeting ground for states to promote and facilitate coordinated efforts for fostering economic and social development," he told reporters. R Buhril, secretary, inter-state council in the Home ministry of home affairs, said, "96 per cent of biometric cards have been given across the country. The Home ministry is very particular about this because it involves coastal security. This willhelp identifying whether those fishing in high seas .
MNVM traders protest rise in fuel prices
Scores of traders affiliated to Maha Nagar Vyapar Mandal (MNVM) protested against rising fuel prices at the collectorate here on Tuesday. Addressing the protestors, MNVM general secretary Ashok Chawla said petroleum rates are increasing every day and transportation costs rising unchecked. Later, the mandal members submitted a memorandum to the district administration, which was addressed to petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Khan inaugurates institute for spl children in Jaipur
Bollywood actor Salman Khan inaugurated a centre for children with disabilities here Tuesday. After unveiling the plaque, Khan spent over an hour with the children. Trustee of the NGO Umang, which set up the institute, and former Rajasthan tourism minister Bina Kak showed Khan the various services and facilities available at the centre. On the occasion, Salman said he has been associated with Umang for many years. The centre will take care of around 300 children. Responding to a question, Khan told reporters that he is very fond of Rajasthan and that he loves vising Jaipur.
Iraqi held over fatal stabbing released from German jail
German news agency dpa reports that a court in the eastern city of Chemnitz has ordered the release of an Iraqi man detained over the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German last month that sparked violent protests. Dpa quoted the 22-year-old Iraqi man's lawyer as saying the Chemnitz court had lifted the detention order against his client Tuesday. The Iraqi, identified only as Yousif A., was arrested together with a 23-year-old Syrian on charges of manslaughter. Thousands of people took to the streets in the wake of the killing, which authorities say occurred after a verbal altercation between two groups escalated in the early hours of Aug. 26. The protests brought together neo-Nazis, members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party and other Germans angered about crimes committed by migrants.
Russians could face jail for not deleting news judged 'fake'
Russians who refuse to take down online information that has been judged "false" by a court could be sentenced to up to a year in prison under a bill approved by MPs Tuesday in a key second reading. Deputies in parliament's lower house voted to approve the measure that would apply to individuals on social media as well as to those working for media groups. Senators and President Vladimir Putin still have to sign off on the bill following a formal third reading in parliament. The law comes in the context of an ongoing crackdown on internet freedoms in Russia, where social media remains one of the few places the opposition can organise. Those who break the rules outlined in the bill could also be subject to a 50,000-ruble ($740, 630-euro) fine, according to an approved text distributed on the judicial site pravo.ru. Russia has in recent years increasingly criminalised online content, frequently jailing people for sharing or publishing information deemed extremist or illegal, including ..
