Page 400 - Social Issues

Indonesian district bans men and women from dining together

A district in Indonesia's deeply Islamic Aceh province has banned men and women from dining together unless they are married or related, an official said Wednesday, saying it would help women be "more well behaved". Aceh -- the only region in the world's most populous Muslim majority country that imposes Islamic law -- has drawn fire in the past for putting moral restrictions on women. It also attracted global condemnation for publicly whipping people found guilty of a range of offences including homosexuality, gambling and drinking alcohol. Under the latest Islamic regulation, women in Bireuen district on Sumatra island will not be able to share a table with men at restaurants and coffee shops unless they are accompanied by their husband or a close male relative. Co-workers on their lunch break would also be forbidden from sharing a meal. "The objective is to protect women's dignity so they will feel more comfortable, more at ease, more well behaved and will not do anything that ...

Mamata remembers Mother Teresa on her 21st death anniversary

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday remembered Mother Teresa, also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, on her 21st death anniversary. Taking to her Twitter handle, Banerjee said that the United Nation (UN) had declared the day as the "International Day of Charity". "Mother Teresa (Saint Teresa of Calcutta) passed away on this day in 1997, after a lifetime of service for the poorest of the poor," Banerjee tweeted. "Sincerest tribute to her. In her memory, the @UN declared this day as the International Day of Charity," she added. Special prayers were held today to pay tribute to Mother Teresa. Candles were lit at her grave in Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity (MoC) she founded. The Vatican had declared Mother Teresa Patron Saint of the "Archdiocese of Calcutta" on September 6, 2017 in recognition of her selfless service towards helping the poor and the underprivileged in the city. Teresa, whose actual name was Agnes Gonxha

Indo-US 2+2 dialogue to deepen trade ties: US industry

The US Chamber of Commerce Wednesday said the upcoming '2+2 dialogue' between India and the US will deepen trade ties and help achieve the USD 500-billion bilateral trade volume target by 2025. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis from the US will be holding the first 2+2 dialogue with defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday. "You can't do defence without economic strength and the 2+2 will set the groundwork for something that will not only improve our defence ties but will clearly take us towards the USD 500 billion (target)," said Thomas J Donohue, president and chief executive officer, US Chamber of Commerce. "Security goes hand in hand with prosperity. Efforts to strengthen our security ties will help us as we work to tighten our economic ties," he said speaking at a US-India Business Council event. He said after some difficulties, the trade ties between the two countries are in a state of ...

Mother Teresa's 21st death anniversary observed in Kolkata

Prayer sessions and masses were held here to observe the 21st death anniversary of Mother Teresa, a saint who is well known for her unwavering commitment to uplift the poor.Scores of nuns and shelter house inmates residing in Mother House, which is the global headquarters of Missionaries of Charity (MoC), lit candles at the flower-adorned grave and offered prayers to the Nobel Prize winner on Wednesday.Born in a family of ethnic Albanians in Skopje, Teresa left her home at the age of 18 and later joined the 'Sisters of Loreto' located in Irelands's Rathfarnham.Mother Teresa, whose actual name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, moved to India in the late 1920s and taught history and geography for 15 long years at Calcutta's St Mary's High School.In 1948, Teresa decided to leave the church and adopted a lifestyle in slums to aid the poor and the needy in Kolkata. In 1950, she laid the foundation stone of the Roman Catholic religious congregation which is now popularly known as the Missionaries .

Survey finds Japan med schools admitting men at higher rates

A government survey sparked by a discrimination scandal has found most Japanese medical schools admit male applicants at a higher rate than women, prompting further government investigation. The unprecedented probe came after revelations last month that Tokyo Medical University routinely altered the scores of female applicants to keep down the number of women in the student body. Preliminary data from the education ministry's survey of all 81 medical schools over the past six years showed men were admitted at a higher rate than women, an education ministry official told AFP. "If there are cases of misconduct like the Tokyo Medical University case, the government will step in to call for corrective measures," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The survey found that 11.25 percent of male applicants were admitted overall, compared to 9.55 percent for women. Several medical schools involved in the survey declined to comment when contacted by AFP. But the survey said ...

Former Ranji player commits suicide in UP

A senior officer of the North Eastern Railway (NER) and former Ranji cricketer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at his official bungalow in the Shahpur area here, police said Wednesday. Tarun Shukla (56), who was posted as the deputy chief commercial manager, was found dead in the drawing room of his residence on Tuesday afternoon with a revolver lying near him, they said. A two-page suicide note, in which he has thanked everyone and also appealed for not investigating the matter, was recovered from the spot. Police have found that the handwriting in the suicide note matches with that of Shukla and post-mortem report is awaited. Circle Officer Pravin Singh said Shukla was a Ranji Trophy cricketer. Shukla, a native of Bareilly district, had been the captain of NE railway cricket team for 10 years and played in the Ranji Trophy from 1980 to 82. In the first page of the note written in green ink, Shukla thanked his colleagues, friends, fellow players and relatives, while ..

Over 200,000 Afghans displaced in 7 months: UN agency

More than 200,000 Afghans have been internally displaced by conflict in the first seven months of 2018, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan said on Wednesday.

Plea in SC against HC order restraining media from reporting on probe in Muzaffarpur case

A petition was filed on Wednesday in the Supreme Court challenging a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting the investigation into the case of Muzaffarpur shelter home where several women were allegedly raped and sexually abused. The plea, which has sought a stay on the operation of the high court's August 23 order, has alleged that the order was "patently erroneous" as it amounted to imposing a "blanket ban" on the media reporting in the case. "The high court was not justified in ignoring that the effect of the impugned order was a gross infarction of the fundamental right of the people to know and freedom of the press which is guaranteed under the Constitution," the plea, filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil, said. The Patna High Court, which has been monitoring the probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, had on August 23 expressed displeasure over the leak of details of the investigation and asked the media to refrain from publishing it as it could be ...

Jimmy Bennet sexually assaulted me, says Asia Argento

Actress Asia Argento, who has been accused of sexually assaulting musician Jimmy Bennett, has claimed that it was Bennett who sexually assaulted her when he was 17 years old.

Bharat Bandh: Security beefed up in MP

On the eve of the 'Bharat bandh' on September 6 called by 35 organisations in Madhya Pradesh to protest against the SC/ST Amendment Act, security has been beefed up in the state and prohibitory orders have been issued under section 144 of Crpc in some areas, police said on Wednesday.

Young Punjab Police officer authors challenges, solutions to country's problems

Being part of a police force that has earned a reputation for having taken on terrorism head-on and neutralising it, a young officer from Punjab has learnt all the tricks of dealing with crime-related issues. But the intellectual in him has forced him to make an attempt to deal with bigger issues facing the country -- even offering solutions.

1.8 cr UP families to get health cover under PMJAY

Around 1.18 crore families from Uttar Pradesh will be benefited by Rs 5 lakh health cover under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), announced state Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Tuesday."PMJAY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day from ramparts of the Red Fort. The beneficiaries are mainly from the Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes which have been identified as per socio-economic caste census. Around 1.18 crore families in Uttar Pradesh amounting to approximately six crore people will be given Rs 5 lakh health insurance under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)", he said while addressing the media.The minister said that the state government would further extend the benefits of this scheme to eligible beneficiaries left out of 2011 census."As per central government scheme, only those people who are listed in the census 2011 will be benefited by it. However, this is a 2011 census hence it is plausible that some people ...

Saudi Arabia declares online satire punishable offence

Saudi Arabia will punish online satire that "disrupts public order" with up to five years in prison, the public prosecutor said Tuesday, as the kingdom cracks down on dissent. "Producing and distributing content that ridicules, mocks, provokes and disrupts public order, religious values and public morals through social media ... will be considered a cybercrime punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of three million riyals (USD 800,000)," the public prosecution tweeted late Monday. The kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has drawn harsh criticism from rights groups over the targeting of human rights activists and political dissidents across the spectrum since his appointment in June 2017. Saudi Arabia's legislation on cybercrime has sparked concern among international rights groups in the past. Dozens of Saudi citizens have been convicted on charges linked to dissent under a previous sweeping law, particularly linked to posts on Twitter. In ...

Spinal Cord Injury Day observed with special dance performances

Delhi's Talkatora Indoor Stadium reverberated with energetic performances by differently-abled dancers affected by serious spinal injuries Tuesday, on the eve of the 3rd Spinal Cord Injury Day. Organised by Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) and International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS), the cultural event witnessed breathtaking performances with prime focus on increasing awareness about spinal injuries while advocating inclusive life for persons with disability. Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla said that a change of mindset towards disability was required without hurting their self-esteem. "The disability they suffer is purely physical but these people are determined to prove themselves as equal, which they are, provided the society lends a helpful hand...The cultural evening today is a wonderful step in that direction, the precision of the dancers left me awed," the minister said. The evening witnessed performances by ..

Kaepernick ad spurs Nike boycott campaign

(Reuters) - Protesters on social media called for people to burn their Nike sneakers and boycott the sporting goods maker after it chose former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, to participate in a new ad campaign.

India not to attend Afghan peace conference in Moscow

India is learnt to have declined an invitation from Russia to attend a multilateral conference on Afghanistan after Kabul decided not to be a part of it. Sources said India will not attend the conference as Afghanistan itself had decided against attending the conclave. Russia is organising the conference to bring peace in Afghanistan. India has always been favouring an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process to bring peace and stability in that country. The peace conference on Afghanistan was scheduled to take place in Moscow on Tuesday, but it has been postponed after several countries turned down Russia's invite to attend the event. The Taliban had indicated its willingness to attend the conference. India has been actively involved in reconstruction efforts in war-ravaged Afghanistan. Since 2002, India has committed USD 2 billion to the socio-economic development of the country.

Dabholkar murder accused in CBI custody till Sep 10

A session court here on Tuesday sent Sharad Kalaskar, an accused in Narendra Dabholkar murder case, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till September 10.The CBI, however, had asked for a 14-day custody of Kalaskar to investigate the murder case. CBI lawyer Vijay Kumar Dhakne in his argument said, "He is one of the shooters who fired two bullets at Dr. Dabholkar. He is involved in various activities. Sharad Kalaskar is an expert in weapon handling. We demand 14 days custody."Defense lawyer Dharam Raj countered that CBI's demand of Kalaskar's custody was not warranted. "The 14-day custody of Sharad Kalaskar was not at all warranted. In remand application, their arguments were vague that Kalaskar was an expert in firearm training. There was no specific argument," said the defense lawyer.Dabholkar, the founder of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), was shot dead on August 20, 2013, by bike-borne assailants, while he was returning home from a morning walk.

Explosives seizure case: Pawar's police custody extended

A court here Tuesday extended the custody of suspected right-wing activist Avinash Pawar in an explosives seizure case till September 6. Pawar was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police on August 24. He was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Padalkar Tuesday after his remand ended. Seeking an extension of his custody, the ATS said it has obtained "mirror image" of the data in his mobile phones and his home computer, and it needed to question him in this regard. So far, Pawar has not given any information about the SIM cards of three mobile phones seized from his house, said chief public prosecutor J B Desai. One of the phones the activist used had been given to him by co-accused Vaihbhav Raut, the prosecutor said. The possibility of Pawar having received training in use of firearms and bomb-making cannot be ruled out, he said. Observing that the grounds put forward by the ATS were legal and justifiable, the judge extended Pawar's custody. The .

I&B min advisory will impede 'Dalit' rights movement: Amnesty

Amnesty International India said Tuesday the Centre's advisory to private satellite TV channels to refrain from using the word 'Dalit' for people belonging to Scheduled Castes will impede the Dalit rights movement from asserting itself against caste-based oppression. "Progressive social groups adopted the term 'Dalit' in the 1970s to assert their identity in their fight against caste-based oppression. The term 'Dalit' is much more than just a word, it is a shared identity that recognises the historic discrimination faced by the community in India," Asmita Basu, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India said. "The government has no business telling the media to not use the term 'Dalit'. Government should respect the right of Dalit groups to identify themselves in the manner they choose," she said. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has issued the advisory to all private satellite TV channels, urging them to refrain from using the nomenclature 'Dalit' for ...

Nike shares hit as Kaepernick ad spurs boycott

(Reuters) - Shares of Nike Inc fell 3 percent on Tuesday as calls for a boycott of the sportswear giant gained traction on social media following its choice of Colin Kaepernick as a face for the 30th anniversary of its "Just Do It" slogan.