Page 54 - Social Issues
US deports 52 Pakistani nationals
Fifty-two Pakistani immigrants deported by the US have arrived here by a special flight amid tight security, a media report said Thursday. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that US authorities detained and prosecuted the Pakistani nationals for immigration violations, criminal conduct and other serious charges. Dawn newspaper, quoting immigration sources, reported that 53 Pakistanis were scheduled to be deported, but 52 arrived on Wednesday as one person fell sick at the US airport and was not sent back. US security officials were guarding the Pakistani deportees when they arrived at the Islamabad International Airport. Soon after landing, they asked the Pakistani authorities to take custody of the deportees who had been arrested by the US police. The Trump administration recently launched a crackdown on the foreigners who stayed in the US even after the expiry of their visas. The 52 ...
Panama sees surge in migrants crossing perilous Darien Gap
Venise Felizor lay on a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot, sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering from diarrhea for days. Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers stole her husband's backpack containing the $1,000 that he had saved from two years working in Chile. The thieves raped three women in their group. "The way was very dangerous," said Felizor, 26. "I thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of death." Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a spike in the number of migrants passing through what is known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous stretches for people heading north from South America, usually toward the United States or Canada. It's the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced
Taiwan to vote on formal recognition of same-sex marriage
Taiwanese legislators are scheduled to decide Friday on legalising same-sex marriage, marking a potential first in Asia. Lawmakers pressured over the past two years by LGBT groups as well as church organisations opposed to same-sex marriage will choose between bills that broadly legalise the unions and give couples many of the tax, insurance and child custody benefits available to male-female married couples. If the legal changes are approved, Taiwan would become the first place in Asia with a full-scale law on same-sex marriage. Taiwan's Constitutional Court in May 2017 said the constitution allows same-sex marriages and gave parliament two years to adjust laws accordingly. The court order mobilised LGBT advocacy groups pushing for fair treatment as well as opponents among church groups and advocates of traditional Chinese family values.
Lady Gaga, Ava DuVernay, Cynthia Nixon weigh in on Alabama abortion ban
Hollywood celebrities Lady Gaga, Ava DuVernay, Cynthia Nixon and Chris Evans came together to raise their voice against the near-total abortion ban bill, signed into legislation, calling it unconstitutional and an attack on women's fundamental rights. On Tuesday, Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. The bill is under fire by people from all walks of the society -- such as women's rights activists and legal counsels on social media. Gaga called the passage of the bill a "travesty". "It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama, period, and all the more heinous that it excludes those who have been raped or are experiencing incest, non-consensual or not. "So there's a higher penalty for doctors who perform these operations than for most rapists? This is a travesty, and I pray for all these women and young girls who suffer at the hands of this system," the Grammy ...
Refugees in Sri Lanka fear for safety amid violence
More than 1,100 refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka have been forced to flee their homes due to violent attacks on religious minorities following the Easter Sunday bombings and are living in precarious makeshift shelters in the country, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Upset over water scarcity, farmer commits suicide in Maha
A 47-year-old farmer, who was apparently under depression due to drought and unavailability of water and fodder for his cattle, allegedly committed suicide in Maharashtra's Satara district, police said on Thursday. Sampat Kokre hanged himself on Wednesday from the ceiling of a room at his house in Man tehsil, located around 250 km from here, an official at Dahiwadi police station said. He took the extreme step when his wife and son had gone out of the house for some work, he said. On being informed, the police rushed to the spot and sent the body for postmortem, the official said. Talking to PTI, the farmer's nephew, Uttam Kokre, said, "My uncle was under depression as he did not have any work due to drought and unavailability of water. He had some land and a few cattle, but was unable to feed them well." The police official, however, said Kokre had liquor addition since last 10 years and was jobless, and they suspect this might have led him to commit suicide. "We have ...
CBIC introduces weightage system for appointments under compassionate scheme
The CBIC has introduced a weightage points system for appointing persons on compassionate ground, based on criteria such as family income, dependents and remaining service period of the deceased. The weightage points system, based on nine criteria, aims at ensuring objectivity, transparency and uniformity in the selection process for appointments on the compassionate ground. Under the compassionate appointment scheme, the government appoints dependent family member of a government servant dying in harness or those who have retired on medical grounds, thereby leaving his or her family without any means of livelihood. The instructions for such appointments are issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the CBIC has come out with the 'weightage points system' for its cadre under the broad guidelines of the personnel department. Under the weightage system, points would be given for family pension, terminal benefits received by the family of the deceased government ...
People will bring down Mamata Banerjee from power for 'fanning violence': Shiv Sena
Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning violence in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday said that people will bring her down from power the way CPI(M) was removed from office."She did not permit senior leaders to step into the state. What kind of oppressive behaviour is this? She has turned West Bengal into a battleground by fanning violence," Saamna, a mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, said in an editorial."There has never been a time when she has not opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, Communist Party of India (Marxist) fanned violence in the state and people threw them out of the power. Now it is Mamata's turn," it said.Clashes broke out on May 14 in Kolkata during BJP president Shah's roadshow and a bust of the 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in a college named after him.Commenting on Banerjee's remark if Shah is a god that no one can protest against him, Saamna said, "She, too, is not ...
White House urges Internet users to denounce 'censorship'
President Donald Trump's administration has renewed its claims of political favouritism among search engines and social media platforms by launching a survey that encourages people to report online censorship. "SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies," read the online survey. It asks for respondents' contact details along with information about instances in which they believe they were censored online. "No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump," the survey continues. Trump has made heavy use of Twitter both in his 2016 presidential campaign and during his time in office. Yet he's repeatedly denounced "collusion" between tech giants and his political opponents, and at one point accused Google of rigging search engine results to favor negative .
Maha family faces social boycott for opposing virginity test
A family from the Kanjarbhat community in Thane district of Maharashtra has approached the police after it faced social boycott for opposing the practice of virginity test of women, an official said on Thursday. Based on the family's complaint, the Thane police on Wednesday night booked four persons from Ambernath town here under the Maharashtra Prohibition Of People From Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, he said. The complainant, Vivek Tamaichikar, told the police that his family was facing a boycott by their community's jati (caste) panchayat for the last one year for opposing the custom whereby a newly-wed woman has to prove that she was virgin prior to the marriage. He alleged that their panchayat instructed all members of the community not be have any association with his family. "The community members went to such an extent that when my grandmother died on Monday, they did not come for her funeral," Tamaichikar told reporters here on ...
Alabama governor signs near-total abortion ban into law
Alabama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. "To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement on Wednesday. The bill's sponsors want to give conservatives on the US Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide, but Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticised the bill as a slap in the face to women voters. "It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue," said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat. The abortion ban is set to go into effect in six months, but is expected to face a lawsuit to block it from halting abortion access. Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a ...
Lady Gaga condemns Alabama Abortion Bill, calls it a 'travesty'
Lady Gaga on Wednesday slammed Alabama abortion bill which was passed earlier this week and labelled the decision a "travesty" in a pointed tweet.The bill passed by the Alabama Senate outlaws abortions in the state, calling it an outrageous, appalling and unconstitutional attack on women.Responding to this, Gaga tweeted, "It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama period, and all the more heinous that it excludes those who have been raped or are experiencing incest non-consensual or not. So there's a higher penalty for doctors who perform these operations than for most rapists? This is a travesty and I pray for all these women and young girls who suffer at the hands of this system."The American singer concluded her Tweet with related hashtags including #AlabamaAbortionBan, #Alabama #AlabamaSenate, #NoUterusNoOpinion, #PlannedParenthood, and #ProChoice.The legislation bans abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalises the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with ...
Mumbai local train commuters can avail accident coverage with Bajaj Finserv pocket insurance
Bajaj Finserv, through its lending arm Bajaj Finance Ltd - India's most diversified NBFC, introduces 'Mumbai Local Train Cover', an insurance policy that provides coverage in case of mishaps during a train journey.Though local trains are the lifeline of thousands of commuters in Mumbai every day, there is also a high risk of accidents or other unfortunate events that could derail their lives. With the Mumbai local train cover, people can easily safeguard their local train journeys and get coverage of up to Rs 1 lakh by paying an affordable premium of just Rs 399 per annum.This insurance cover has several features and benefits. In the event of a person's demise due to an accident on a Mumbai local train, the nominees can get up to Rs 1 lakh. Also, if the insured passenger suffers a disability due to injuries sustained on a Mumbai local train, he/she is covered against loss of income, with Rs 2000 per week during the policy period. Local train travellers above 18 years of age and below .
Uber introduces 'Quiet Mode' to let you politely tell chatty drivers to shut up
Ever called for an Uber after a long, tiring day and realised the driver was being too chatty? You can take a break from drivers who go on to give you a tour of the city unasked with a simple yet subtle new feature.Uber Black and Uber Black SUV riders in the US will now be able to enable the Quiet Mode to politely indicate you need some quiet on your way to your destination, the official blog explains. You can disable the feature if you feel like having a casual conversation with your driver.Other features to add to the luxurious experience includes help with luggage, extended pickup period, temperature control, premium customer support, and more.
Bahrain charges lawyer of sharing "fake news" for his Tweets
Bahrain's Public Prosecution says it is charging a person, identified by a rights group as a prominent lawyer, for misusing social media and publishing fake news that can harm public order. The prosecution did not name the individual in its statement, but the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy identified him as lawyer and human rights campaigner Abdullah Hashim, who'd tweeted early Wednesday that he'd been summoned by prosecutors. Prosecutors say they found a long history of comments on his Twitter account that question the state and its ability to maintain security and protect the public. The rights group says it confirmed that prosecutors also ordered the lawyer be detained for one week, describing it as a continuation of the government's crackdown on freedom of expression.
Six persons arrested for pelting stones at RSS camp
Police have arrested six persons for pelting stones at a camp held by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district.
Modi govt is 'magroor' not 'mazboot', says Priyanka
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday hit out at the Modi dispensation, saying it is not a 'mazboot' government but a 'magroor' one that harbours an "oppressive" mindset. She alleged that people fighting for their rights were put behind bars on charges of being anti-national and were subjected to atrocities. Addressing an election rally in Deoria in support of Congress' Salempur candidate Rajesh Mishra, Priyanka claimed that no development works were carried out in Varanasi, the constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She drew a quick comparison between the work done in Amethi by her father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and that by Modi in his Varanasi constituency. "PM Modi has lost his connect with people. He has a 56-inch chest then why the condition of farmers in the country is pathetic. You might have seen him in China, Japan and in Pakistan enjoying Biryani but have you ever seen him visiting a poor man's house when he is in problem?" the ...
Arunachal Pradesh govt hikes Dearness Allowance by 3 pc
The Arunachal Pradesh government Wednesday increased Dearness Allowances (DA) by 3 per cent effective from January 1, 2019, a move that will benefit about 50,000 state government employees. With this increase, the DA will be 12 per cent, state development commissioner Bilatee Pertin said in a notification. The increased DA will be paid along with the salary from June 1, it said. A part of the arrears will be credited in the General Provident Fund accounts of the employees, while another part will be deposited in their National Pension Scheme accounts, the order stated. The revised rates of DA will be applicable only to regular government employees. The expenditure on account of the increased DA will be met from existing budget provisions of the concerned departments, the order said.
Global study finds third of female lawyers harassed
The world's largest survey of sexual harassment in the legal profession has found one in three women said they had suffered abuse from their bosses and colleagues. The report published on Wednesday by the London-based International Bar Association (IBA) also found that 75 percent of victims who reported abuse in the survey did not speak up and file complaints at work. Half did so for "fear of repercussions" or because the perpetrator was someone more senior. The global sexual harassment rate among men in the legal profession was reported at around seven per cent. "I didn't report it because who believes that a man says no to sex?" a man from a Swedish law firm said. The report noted that many victims were speaking up thanks to the #MeToo movement that spread globally in response to sexual harassment charges filed against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. The IBA found that men and women who did report their cases most often felt frustrated with their employer's response. "In ...
Family issues behind Kerala mother-daughter suicides
A suicide note recovered on Wednesday from the home of the 41-year-old mother and her 19-year-old daughter, who set themselves ablaze a day before, has revealed that family issues were behind the extreme step, and was not provoked by the risk that their home would be seized by bank officials for non-repayment of housing loan.