Page 388 - Social Issues
Gunmen storm Brazil prison, policeman killed as 100 inmates escape
Heavily armed men blew down the front gate of a maximum security prison in northeastern Brazil early Monday and with guns blazing enabled more than 100 inmates to escape while killing a policeman, authorities said. Officials said the assault was carried out by about 20 men in four vehicles who fired on watchtowers and used explosives to destroy the front gate of the Romeu Goncalves Abrantes prison. A policeman shot in the assault later died in hospital. There were no other reports of deaths or injuries. The prison, a maximum security facility with 680 inmates, is located in Joao Pessoa, the capital of Paraiba state. "Heavily armed men knocked down the main gate after an exchange of fire with police and penitentiary agents," the state's secretariat for prisons said. By midday, 41 of the 105 escaped prisoners had been recaptured as security forces locked down the state capital, closing schools and medical centers as a precaution. Brazil has the world's third largest prison population, ..
UN Palestinian refugee agency appeals for funds
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Monday appealed for funds to tackle an unprecedented financial crisis caused by the US scrapping contributions. "We still need USD 200 million (172 million euros) to tackle the deficit this year," UNRWA commissioner general Pierre Krahenbuhl told a news conference in Cairo. "While UNRWA has experienced many types of crisis since it was created... in financial terms... this is the worst crisis ever faced," he said. The United States was the biggest contributor to the agency's budget in 2017, donating 350 million dollars. The US State Department said last month it would no longer fund UNRWA because it was "irredeemably flawed". To help plug the shortfall, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have all said they will contribute USD 50 million (43 million euros) each, Krahenbuhl said. He added he was hopeful China, Japan, India and European countries would also contribute funds. Krahenbuhl on Monday met Egypt's Foreign ...
Class 11 girl commits suicide for reservation to Maratha caste
A 17-year-old student allegedly committed suicide in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Monday, demanding reservation to the Maratha community, police said. Kishori Baban Kakade, a Class 11 student of Radhabai Kale women's college, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hostel room at 3 pm, Superintendent of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma told PTI. Kishori left a note where she has mentioned that she was committing suicide for reservation to the Maratha caste. She mentioned that she had secured 89 per cent marks in her Class 10 exams this year, but was unable to get admission to the science stream in the 11th standard, Sharma said. Her father, who is a farmer, has paid Rs 8,000 fees for admission in non-grant basis division, which was burdening to her poor farmer family. At the same time, the girls from reservation categories got the admission in grantable division for Rs 1000 when they have average 76 per cent marks, the SP said quoting the letter. Kishori alleged in her letter that
Pakistan sets up helpline for victims of HR violations
Pakistan on Monday established a helpline for the victims of human rights violations in the country, an official statement said.
Over 29 pc domestic workers reported sexual harassment at work: Survey
Over 29 per cent of women domestic workers reported sexual harassment at work, with over 65.6 per cent respondents stating stalking as the most common one, a recent survey found. A rapid survey was conducted with 291 domestic workers in Gurgaon, Faridabad and south Delhi in June this year. Around 61.8 per cent cited sexual harassment like lewd gestures and whistling. Sending SMSes or Whatsapp messages with sexual innuendo/content was cited by 52 per cent of the respondents. According to the survey conducted by Martha Farrell Foundation in collaboration with PRIA, of the 11 districts in Delhi, only two have formed the Local Complaints Committees. Noting the foundation's findings and consultative recommendation, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Monday said that Local Complaints Committees, as per the Sexual Harassment Act, will be set up within the next 2-3 weeks. He also invited the civil society to help the government in developing standard operating procedures for functioning of
Two brothers mowed down by train in Aurangabad
Two brothers were mowed down by a speeding train at Mukundwadi railway station in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, the police said Monday. The incident occurred Sunday night when Akash Bagul tried to save his elder brother Jayesh (25) from committing suicide, a police official said. The brothers had a quarrel, following which Jayesh left their house in Mukundwadi area and rushed to the railway track, he said. Akash followed him to prevent him from taking the extreme step, he said. However, both of them were run over by Shatabdi Express. They were rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital in the city by police personnel, but were declared dead on arrival by doctors, the official said.
CBI gets four day custody of 5 accused in gutka case
A CBI court here Monday granted the investigating agency four day custody of the five accused arrested in the multi-crore gutka scam. Special judge Thiruneela Prasad passed the order while allowing a petition from the agency, seeking custody of the accused, who were arrested on September 6. The five are P Senthil Murugan of Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, N K Pandian, a superintendent of the Central Excise Department and promoters of the banned gutka business, A V Madhava Rao, Uma Shankar Gupta and P V Srinivasa Rao. The Central Bureau of Investigation had carried out searches at 35 locations in Tamil Nadu on September 5, including the residences of state police chief T K Rajendran and health minister C Vijayabaskar. According to the agency, the promoters of the gutka firm had illegally been carrying on trade of tobacco products in the state even after the ban came into force in 2013. The scam came to light on July 8, 2017, when the Income Tax department raided the ...
Twitter takes steps to create awareness on World Suicide Prevention Day
Twitter, in collaboration with the International Association for Suicide Prevention, has launched a special emoji for 'World Suicide Prevention Day' available globally and in India, the microblogging platform said Monday. "September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day and the theme for this year is 'Working Together to Prevent Suicide'... Twitter, in partnership with the International Association for Suicide Prevention, is launching a special emoji in the shape of an orange ribbon - the international symbol for World Suicide Prevention Day," Twitter said in a statement. The emoji will appear when people Tweet with the hashtag #WorldSuicidePreventionDay or#WSPD or #??????????????????? from 7-16 September, it added. "Twitter India has also partnered with White Swan Foundation, to provide them with #adsforgood grants to help them reach more people and create awareness," the statement added. Mahima Kaul, Head of Public Policy for Twitter India said that the partnerships with International .
Assam CM pitches for strong immigration policy
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday strongly pitched for a strong immigration policy in the country and rolling out of NRC updating process in all states for tackling the menace of rampant illegal migration.
SC seeks Centre's response on parenting plan for kids of estranged couples
The Supreme Court Monday sought response from the Centre on a plea filed by a child rights NGO seeking implementation of its parenting plan relating to child custody in cases where spouses are embroiled in divorce litigation. A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Sanjay Kishan Kaul issued notice to the Ministry of Law and Justice on the PIL filed by NGO 'Child Rights Foundation', seeking setting up of a committee to formulation and implementation of the 'Parenting Plan', prepared by the petitioner organisation. The NGO, in its plea filed through lawyer Santosh Paul, has sought directions to all the family courts to grant "joint custody" of kids to estranged couples in the best interests of the child. "Grant joint custody in the best interests of the child and further direct the family courts to treat the grant of shared parenting as a rebuttable presumption in the best interest of the child," the NGO said. The NGO, in its petition, has asked the court to issue directions for ...
Vivek Agnihotri forced to delete abusive tweet against Swara Bhasker
Vivek Agnihotri was forced to take down an abusive tweet against actor Swara Bhasker on Monday after microblogging site Twitter locked the filmmaker's account for violating its rules. Bhasker had slammed Kerala MLA PC George for making objectionable remarks against the nun demanding the arrest of a bishop who allegedly raped her. Absolutely shameful and disgusting!!!! Scum present across political spectrums and religious divides in India. Literally nauseating! the actor tweeted with respect to George's statement. Agnihotri replied, in a reference to the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault, Where is the placard - #MeTooProstituteNun? Bhasker called out the director for using the trauma of women who are rape survivors to slut shame and abuse in public a woman you don't like. In the rare moments of sanity that may visit your brain - otherwise unhinged with hate - think about how low that is #scum, her tweet continued. She also notified Twitter authorities ...
Sonowal says NRC be implemented across India; Madhav for deletion of foreigners from voters list
BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said Monday people excluded from the final list of Assam-specific National Register of Citizens would be de-franchised and deported to their country, while Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal suggested that the NRC be implemented across India. Addressing a seminar on 'NRC: Defending the Borders, Securing the Culture', Sonowal said genuine citizens of India would get adequate opportunities to prove their citizenship and include their names in the final list of the NRC. "The NRC should be implemented in all states. This is a document which can protect all Indians. Those who will be excluded from the NRC in Assam can go to other states. So we will have to take strong step," he said at the seminar, organised by think-tank 'Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini'. The update of the NRC, a Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam, excluded more than 40 lakh people from the draft list published on July 30, triggering a political .
Interpol: Sudan rescues 94 human traffic victims, 85 minors
Police in Sudan have rescued 94 victims of human trafficking, including 85 minors, from open-air gold mines near Khartoum and the city's international airport among other places, Interpol said on Monday. A statement by the international police organization, which coordinated the operation late last month, said 14 people, 12 of them women, have been arrested. Police seized USD 20,000 during the operation, and Interpol said it is believed the money included ransom obtained in the abduction of a migrant among those rescued. Many of the rescued minors had been found working in illegally operated gold mines east of Khartoum where the children, including 10-year-olds, handled mercury and cyanide. The rescued victims came from a half-dozen countries including Chad, Eritrea, Niger, Congo and South Sudan. Sudanese were also among the victims. Sudan is among African countries that are both a source of migration to Europe and a transit country and destination for smuggling. The statement said ...
Goa launches helpline for women in distress
Goa government's Women and Child Development Ministry on Monday launched a universal helpline service for women in distress in the coastal state.
SC: Consider framing law to check bias against leprosy patients
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to consider framing a law to repeal all state and local laws that discriminate against those suffering from leprosy.
Thai police shut down journalists' panel about Rohingya
Police in Thailand have shut down a forum organized by foreign journalists to discuss whether senior military officers in Myanmar should face justice for alleged human rights abuses committed by their forces against Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minorities. About a dozen policemen showed up ahead of the scheduled panel discussion Monday evening at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand and ordered the panelists not to speak. The scheduled speakers included a prominent UK-based Rohingya activist, a former Thai diplomat and a representative of the International Commission of Jurists, a rights advocacy group. Last month a specially appointed UN human rights team recommended that Myanmar military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya.
Violence displaces over 30,000 in northwest Syria this month: UN
Violence in Syria's Idlib and the adjacent province of Hama has forced more than 30,000 people out of their homes this month alone, a United Nations spokesman told AFP Monday. "We're deeply concerned about this recent escalation of violence, which has resulted in the displacement of over 30,000 in the area. That's something we're monitoring very closely," said David Swanson of the UN's humanitarian coordination agency (OCHA) in Amman.
NCW summons Kerala MLA for 'prostitute' remark on nun
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday took action against the Kerala MLA P.C. George who called the nun protesting against "rape" by a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, "a prostitute".
Shutdown hits life in many Kerala towns
The statewide shutdown called by Kerala's ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition to protest rising fuel prices affected normal life at many places on Monday.
Bharat Bandh: 115 arrested in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh Police on Monday said that at least 115 people have been arrested during the day-long 'Bharat Bandh' that was observed on account of rising fuel prices and depreciating value of the Indian Rupee against US dollar.Addressing the media, the state's Inspector General (IG), Law and Order, Makrand Deuskar said, "110-115 people have been arrested. The numbers can rise. In Ujjain, Katni and Jabalpur there had been some incidents for which cases have been registered."The Congress party called for a nationwide shutdown today to protest against rising prices of petrol and diesel as well as the fall in the value of the Rupee in comparison to the US Dollar.Several Congress leaders conducted rallies appealing to people and shopkeepers to participate in the shutdown. Few Congress workers also vandalised a petrol pump and other commercial establishments in Ujjain during the Bharat Bandh protests.
