Page 81 - Social Issues
Runaway Saudi sisters 'treated like slaves', seek help
In the latest case of Saudi women fleeing the ultra-conservative kingdom, two sisters are seeking international help and have urged the UN to help them get to a "safe" country.
Vice-Prez calls for empowering women through financial
: Predicting that India would become a USD 10 trillion economy in the next 10-15 years, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Friday said there was a need to empower women through financial literacy. Speaking at a national conclave on Empowering Women through Financial Literacy here, he said there cannot be an accelerate progress unless women are involved as equal stakeholders in every sphere of activity, including agriculture. "With India emerging as a top destination for investments and the country set to become a USD 10 Trillion economy in the next 10-15 years, women empowerment through financial literacy acquires greater importance and must be accorded highest priority," he said. "This can only be done when government, NGOs like Learning foundation, civic society collectively work towards it," Naidu said. Quoting IMF reports, the Vice President said Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.3 per cent this fiscal and 7.5 per cent in 2020. "We are the sixth largest economy ..
MHA refutes media reports on action against editors opposing Citizenship Bill
Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday refuted reports doing rounds in the media that it has asked the Assam government to take action against editors opposing the Citizenship Bill.The Ministry, in its clarification, said such reports are "an absolutely baseless and a mischievous interpretation of the fact"."This is to clarify that Union Home Ministry has not asked the state government of Assam to initiate any enquiry against any editor or any member of the press/media. It is mischievous to suggest that central government has asked Government of Assam to initiate action against any editor or any media person in Assam. It is reiterated that it is standard practice to forward every petition received on Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) to the Ministry/state government concerned," the statement by the MHA said.The MHA further explained, "The factual position is that one Vinay Joshi with the address of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra sent a public grievance petition .
UN begins evacuating refugees from Libya to Niger
The UN said Friday it had evacuated 163 refugees from war-ravaged Libya to neighbouring Niger, but more than 3,000 others were still trapped in detention centres affected by clashes. The move marked the first evacuation of refugees and migrants out of Libya since fighting escalated in Tripoli two weeks ago, the UN refugee agency said. "Given the situation in Libya, humanitarian evacuations are a lifeline for detained refugees whose lives are in jeopardy in Libya," UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said in a statement. The operation came as fierce fighting continued between forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar and those backing the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The renewed fighting has killed over 200 people and left more than 900 wounded, the World Health Organisation said Thursday. More than 25,000 have been displaced, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Dozens of women and children were among those evacuated on the UNHCR ...
Merck Foundation defines interventions to break infertility stigma at IFFS World Congress
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, in partnership with the International Federation of Fertility Societies- IFFS conducted "Merck More Than a Mother" Ministerial Panel during the 23rd IFFS World Congress held in Shanghai, China with the theme of "No to Infertility Stigma".The Ministerial panel was convened to discuss capacity building and improving access to equitable fertility care solutions in Africa and developing countries.Merck more than a Mother Ministerial Panel was chaired by Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck More Than a Mother. The panellists included; Dr Isatou Touray, Vice President of The Gambia; Sarah Opendi, Minister of State of Health of Uganda; Hon. Dr Ndikumana Thadee, Minister of Public Health and fight against AIDS of Burundi, Dr Balandamio Florent, Vice Minister of Health, Republic of Congo, Joe Leigh Simpson, Immediate Past President of IFFS and Oladapo Ashiru, President of Africa Fertility Society."Merck ...
Italy donates 2m euros to help displaced in war-torn Libya
Rome, April 18 (IANS/AKI) Italy is giving two million euros to the United Nations refugee agency to help it provide essential items for around 20,000 families who have fled the deadly warfare in the Libyan capital this month as well as aid to 750 refugee families, the Foreign Ministry said in statement Thursday.
Canada reunites Syrian family after fire claims seven kids
A Syrian refugee who lost seven children in a Halifax house fire has been reunited in Canada with siblings and more family members will join them Thursday, a lawmaker said. The family was among tens of thousands of Syrian refugees welcomed by Canada over the past four years. Kawthar Barho, 30, and her family fled the northern Syrian city of Raqa, where Islamic State militants had established their de facto capital. They settled in the Atlantic port city of Halifax in 2017, but in February a fire ravaged their two-storey home. Her children, aged four months to 15 years old, died in the blaze. Her husband Ebraheim remains in hospital, recovering from severe burns. Ottawa has fast-tracked travel permits as well as security and health screenings to bring over members of her extended family to provide support. "One group of family members arrived in February, and remain by her side," said MP Andy Fillmore in a statement. "We can now share that one additional group of family members is set .
Widows of Vrindavan cast their votes
Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr 18 (ANI): Hundreds of widows in Vrindavan town of Mathura district on Thursday voted in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.Cleanliness, road development and proper delivery of government schemes are among the main issues, these widows said they voted for."Today, I voted for the development of my city, for cleanliness. I want that our Ashram keep flourishing and we keep getting pension," says widow Kusum from Madhya Pradesh, who has been living in Vrindavan for the past 10 years.While some women live in the government ashrams, others have to live in rented houses across various towns near Vrindavan.Apart from the monthly pension of Rs 1850 and 35 kg of ration, the state government provides quarterly income to some widows living in government ashrams. However, the lives of women living outside ashrams are a constant struggle, which remains the same, irrespective of the government in power.Ninety-year-old Tabuat Mandal says, "Five kg out of 35 .
Braille-coded voter cards distributed to visually impaired electors of East Delhi
Braille-coded voter cards were Thursday distributed to visually impaired electors of East Delhi, in consonance with the Election Commission's aim to make the polls more accessible to the disabled, officials said. "First time, East Delhi parliamentary constituency in Delhi took the initiative of issuing Braille-coded electoral photo identity cards to visually-impaired voters," the Delhi CEO office said in a statement. District Election Officer for East Delhi K Mahesh said, there are 276 visually impaired electors out of 5,218 disabled voters in the district. "All visually impaired voters are being provided identity cards in Braille," the statement said. Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh Thursday handed out Braille-coded voter cards to some of the few visually impaired electors at his office here. "The electors were also provided with a specially designed alarm clock, a signature guard with a case, along with the Braille coded/scripted Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC)," the statement said.
70 pc voter turnout in Udhampur, 15 per cent in Srinagar as 2nd phase passes of peacefully in JK
Seventy per cent voting was recorded in Udhampur Lok Sabha seat on Thursday, while the trend of low turnout continued in Srinagar with 14.8 per cent voters exercising their franchise in the constituency where polling was held in tight security amid militant threats and boycott call by separatists. The polling for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir remained peaceful and incident-free, Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar told reporters. In the 2014 general election, Srinagar had witnessed a turnout of 25.86 per cent which fell to 7.2 per cent in the 2017 Lok Sabha bypoll. Udhampur had witnessed 70.9 per cent polling in 2014. Kumar said Srinagar district recorded the lowest turn out of 7.69 per cent while Reasi district in Udhampur constituency recorded the highest of 73 per cent among the nine district where polling was conducted Thursday in the state. According to sources, as many as 90 polling booths, mostly in downtown Srinagar, saw no voting. Srinagar
BJP will get 'Vidai certificate' post polls: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday vowed to stop the BJP from implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal and said her party will ensure the saffron outfit is given the NBC or "National Vidai (farewell) Certificate" from the Centre after the 2019 polls.
LS Polls: Clash between security officials, voters in Bihar
Violence erupted in Sambhugadh polling booth following a quarrel between the voters and security officials, police said on Thursday.Speaking to ANI, a police official said, "There was an incident of a quarrel between security forces and voters at the polling booth.""But soon the situation was brought under control and polling got underway in a peaceful manner," he added.The victim Vikas Kumar Singh said, "I was beaten by a security official with a lathi. The security official was stopping a woman from entering the booth, he also pushed the woman down. When I protested against him, he beat me up with a lathi.""The security official also fired 7 to 8 shots in the air," the victim added.
Migrant Kashmiri Pandits protest on finding names missing from electoral roll
Several migrant Kashmiri Pandits could not exercise their franchise as their names were found missing from the electoral roll at the special polling stations set up for Srinagar constituency in Jammu during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. Miffed at it, they raised slogans against the administration and the Election Commission at several polling stations. "We came to the polling station to cast our vote but found our names missing from the electoral roll. It is a denial of our right to vote," said Radha Krishen Bhat, a migrant Kashmiri Pandit from the Chadoora segment of Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Bhat said four members of his family could not vote and alleged that there was a conspiracy to deny the migrants their right. Similarly, Mintoo Mawa and four of his family members, who hail from Amira Kadal segment, had to return without exercising their franchise. "Why have we been denied the right to vote. I had submitted the required Form M to Sarwal camp ...
Nearly 65 per cent polling in Udhampur, 15 per cent in Srinagar
Nearly 65 per cent polling was recorded in Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, while the turnout was low in Srinagar seat with nearly 15 per cent voters exercising their franchise till 5 pm on Thursday in the second phase of general elections in Jammu and Kashmir, according to poll officials. No major untoward incident was reported during polling which was being held amid tight security due to militant threats and a boycott call by separatists in Kashmir. However, there was a protest by a group of displaced Kashmiri migrants in Jammu after some of the members found their names missing in the voters list at a special polling station. Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency recorded 64.78 per cent polling, with Udhampur district registering the highest of 72.2 per cent till 5 pm, poll officials said. Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded nearly 15 per cent polling, with highest 21 per cent polling recorded in Shia dominated Budgam district till 5 pm, they said, adding polling has been peaceful .
Indian lawyers in TIME's list of 100 most influential people
The TIME magazine in its list of 100 most influential people of 2019 has included two Indian women lawyers -- Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju -- who spearheaded the legal challenge to strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
Facebook bans UK far-right groups
Social media giant Facebook on Thursday banned various far-right British groups including the English Defence League from its network for promoting hate and violence. Other groups kicked off both Facebook or Instagram include Knights Templar International, Britain First, the British National Party (BNP) and the National Front. The tech titan banned the groups for contravening its policy forbidding "terrorist activity, organised hate, mass or serial murder, human trafficking or organised violence or criminal activity". "Individuals and organisations who spread hate, or attack or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are, have no place on Facebook," a spokeswoman for Facebook said. "We ban those who proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence. "Posts and other content which expresses praise or support for these figures and groups will also be banned." Former BNP leader Nick Griffin and Britain First leaders Paul Golding and Jayda .
People will give another chance to Modi: Himachal CM
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday said people have made up their mind that once again the reins of the nation should be handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Farmers' budget will declare MSP in advance, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Thursday that Minimum Support Prices (MSP) would also be announced in the separate farmers' budget which his party's manifesto has promised. Addressing a campaign rally at Vanthli in Junagadh district, he also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of applying different rules to the rich and the poor. "If the Congress comes to power, the country will have two budgets. One will be national budget and another farmers' budget. "In the farmers' budget we will announce MSP for various crops in advance so that farmers know what they will get. We will (also) announce the amount of insurance (premium) payable (by farmers) and what the would farmers get," he said. The Modi government was ready to waive loans of rich industrialists but not those of farmers, he said. "We will not allow formation of two Indias. If we have one flag, then we should have one nation. If Ambani gets justice, farmers should also get justice," Gandhi said. If big ...
Saudi sisters plead for help after fleeing to Georgia
Two Saudi sisters have issued a plea for international protection after fleeing to ex-Soviet Georgia in the latest case of women fleeing oppression in the ultra-conservative kingdom. In a post on a Twitter account called @GeorgiaSisters, the women said they were "trapped in Georgia" after Saudi authorities cancelled their passports. The women posted photographs of their passports identifying themselves as 28-year-old Maha Alsubaie and 25-year-old Wafa Alsubaie. "We are in danger," Maha Alsubaie said in one video posted on Twitter. "Please help us." "We want to apply for asylum in any safe country," one of the women said in another video that does not show her face. "If we go back to Saudi we will be killed." "We fled oppression from our family because the laws in Saudi Arabia (are) too weak to protect us," Wafa Alsubaie said in another video. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement it was "closely monitoring" their situation. Human Rights Watch called on the ...
TERI SAS to implement SDGs for generating sustainable livelihood
Echoing the national concern to enhance livelihood security and sustainability by scaling up institutional mechanisms that reduce the vulnerability of communities and confirm Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Department of Policy Studies, TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS) concluded a high-level conference titled "SDGs and Sustainable LivelihoodIndia is still lagging in generating sustainable livelihood and the new upcoming government needs to prioritize and ensure successful implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will eventually lead to secure sustainable livelihood for the citizens. The conference and deliberations will act as a prelude for policymakers; especially a new government will be formed soon, giving the vision to raise the scale of employability, and to look at innovative policies that can support livelihood projects specifically aimed at sustainable development in urban and rural India.The idea of sustainable livelihood was ...