Page 96 - Social Issues
Cong lodges complaint against Tripura CM, seeks his arrest
The Tripura unit of the Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, seeking the immediate arrest of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for allegedly spreading communal hatred in the state. Tripura Pradesh Congress vice-president Tapas Dey filed the complaint on Friday with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti, accusing Deb of repeatedly making false statements with "a motive to divide communities in the state on the lines of caste, creed and religion". Dey also called for the chief minister's immediate arrest. The office of the CEO has confirmed receiving the complaint against the chief minister. "Our party has urged the CEO to register an FIR against Deb for his immediate detention to judicial custody," another state Congress leader said. Dey also claimed that BJP activists were threatening voters to not go to the polling stations and were attacking Congress workers and candidates. Despite repeated complaints to police, no action has been taken, he ...
Google's Android TV update is showing sponsored content no one asked for
You update your smart TV thinking that it will make the interface better, only to realise that you have been bombarded with advertisements you did not sign up for. Owners of Android TVs are facing a similar situation.According to Engadget, a pilot program on Android TVs, which include most of Sony's lineup from the last few years, has added a row of Sponsored content, even as the owners of the TVs purchased the displays without the ads.What's even more troubling is that there is no way to disable them. If you are facing a similar situation, Sony has suggested creating a new restricted profile that will only list the apps you opt into showing.
Obama tells young Europeans to foster reasoned online debate
Former US President Barack Obama says he wants to support young leaders in Europe and elsewhere who are trying to tackle problems such as climate change and inequality. Obama told a town hall meeting in Berlin on Saturday that mentoring activists through his foundation may help encourage "millions of people who are working on the values and causes that we so deeply believe in." He said despite Europe's wealth, social achievements and decades of peace, "we also know that powerful forces are working to reverse many of these trends." The former president offered activists advice on a range of topics, from capitalism to mindfulness. Obama suggested that fostering reasoned debate online should be a key task to keep politics from going in a negative direction.
Pope blames Europe, US weapons for children killed in wars
Pope Francis blamed Europe and the United States for the deaths of children in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, saying Saturday that wealthy Western countries fuel conflicts by selling weapons in war zones. Speaking to students and teachers of Milan's San Carlo Institute, Francis said the reason there are so many wars around the world is "the rich Europe and America sell weapons ... used to kill children and kill people." Without such firepower, the pope added, there wouldn't have been war in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. . "A country that produces and sells weapons has on its conscience the death of every child and the destruction of each family," Francis said. Talking about the need for countries to welcome and integrate migrants, the pope refuted the crime concerns governments cite to keep out asylum-seekers. Foreigners aren't the source of most crime in Italy because "we also have lots of them," Francis said. "The Mafia has not been invented by Nigerians. Mafia is ..
G7 urges greater role for women in peace processes
Foreign ministers from the world's seven most developed nations on Saturday urged a greater role for women in solving conflicts, saying that peace settlements with female involvement were more likely to endure. The Group of Seven (G7) ministers, at their meeting in the northern French resort of Dinard to prepare a summit meeting under French presidency in August, also called on greater mobilisation worldwide to "prevent sexual and gender-based violence in conflict". "Women rarely sit at the negotiating table," the final statement of the meeting said, adding that only rarely do peace agreements include provisions that protect women's human rights. "At the same time, we know that when women are meaningfully included and play an influential role in peace processes, peace agreements are more likely to last," it said. According to the UN Women's agency, between 1990 and 2017, women constituted only two percent of mediators, eight percent of negotiators, and five percent of witnesses and ...
Catholic bishops' body says new govt should follow 'golden rule' of secularism
The new government should imbibe the culture of charity and respect the Constitution and the "golden rule of secularism", a Catholic bishops' body said Saturday after holding discussions among the faithful across the country. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has submitted a report on the discussions among the faithful at various levels regarding their stance for the forthcoming general election, Chevalier Adv V C Sebastian, the secretary of Laity Council, said. According to a statement issued here, the discussions were held from February 1 to March 22 at various centres in India about the standpoint of the faithful regarding the coming Lok Sabha polls, the socio-political situation in India and the expectations of the citizens in general. "The general feedback received from across the country was that the new government should imbibe the age-old culture of sages regarding charity and fellowship, respect the constitution and the golden rule of secularism and the ...
Manjhi promises separate SC, ST seats in HAM(S) manifesto
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday released the manifesto of his party -- the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) -- for the Lok Sabha polls, promising separate constituencies for SCs and STs, if the opposition grand alliance is voted to power. Manjhi said all the voters and contestants would be from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories only, in such constituencies. The HAM(S) chief also assured reservation to people belonging to these two categories for appointment as judges in high courts and the Supreme Court, besides introducing a common schooling system and providing free electricity to farmers having land up to five acres. The manifesto further said that loans would be waived for farmers having land up to 10 acres. "If our alliance or the party supported by us comes to power at the Centre, we will take initiative for preparing separate/double voters list for people belonging to SC and ST category, thereby creating a separate ...
China's marriage rate at 5-year low in 2018
China's marriage rate dropped to a five-year low of 7.2 in 2018, yet another cause of worry for the country that has the world's largest ageing population.
Chennithala alleges irregularities in issuance of masala bonds by KIIFB
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala Saturday alleged irregularities in issuance of masala bonds by state-owned KIIFB to an overseas pension fund allegedly having link with a controversial foreign company. Talking to reporters here, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly urged the state government to reveal the details of issuance of masala bonds of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), raising Rs 2,150 crore. Rupee denominated overseas bonds are popularly known as masala bonds. He sought to know who took interest in issuing the bonds to the pension fund allegedly connected with the Canada-based controversial engineering and construction group. "There is a mystery in it. This is a tip of an iceberg of a big corruption or nepotism," Chennithala claimed and also named the companies. The Congress leader levelled charges of corruption against the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF government in the state in the midst of campaigning for the the Lok Sabha polls to be held on April .
French yellow vest protesters hit streets for 21st weekend
Protesters from the yellow vest movement are taking to the streets of France for a 21st straight weekend, with hundreds gathered for a march across Paris, one of numerous protests around the country. Paris police have fine-tuned their strategy of being more mobile and proactive to counter eventual violence since the first Saturday of protests Nov. 17. The Champs-Elysees avenue is off-limits to protesters after it was hit by rioting last month. Hundreds gathered in Rouen, in Normandy, a past flashpoint, and hundreds more in eastern Paris at the Place de la Republique, the start of a march to the business district on the capital's western edge. The yellow vest movement, demanding social and economic justice, has attracted dwindling crowds but still remains a challenge to President Emmanuel Macron.
India to be third largest economy by 2030: Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said India is expected to become the third largest economy in the world by 2030 with GDP touching USD 10 trillion, helped by consumption and investment growth. Currently, the size of the Indian economy is about USD 2.9 trillion, he said while addressing students of the Shri Ram College of Commerce here. "We keep oscillating between fifth and the sixth largest economy, depending on the dollar rate. As we look at the years ahead, we would be USD 5 trillion by 2024 and USD 10 trillion by 2030 or 2031. "That's when we will be amongst first three - US, China and India and then of course, we would in the rat race of the big three wanting to catch up with much mightier competitors. So the sheer size and opportunities is going to expand," he said. Talking about avenues of growth for the next 20 years, the finance minister listed infrastructure creation, rural expansion and gender parity, among others. Jaitley, himself an alumnus of the college, said ..
China's marriage rate drops for fifth consecutive year
China's marriage rate has been declining for five years in a row as the younger generation delays or has given up on marriage, according to official data. The marriage rate dropped from 9.9 per 1,000 people in 2013 to a five-year low of 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2018, the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Saturday. The figures vary in different regions. The more developed regions have lower rates of marriage. Tying the knot is no longer a "necessity" for today's young adults, with many preferring the single life. "I'd prefer a high-quality single life to a low-quality marriage" is a common refrain, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Experts said the increasing costs of living and child education constitute another factor for the downward trend in the marriage rate. "The decrease is also closely related to the changing demographic structure," Shi Zhilei, associate professor with the School of Public Administration of the Zhongnan University .
China's marriage rate drops for 5 consecutive years
China's marriage rate has been declining for five years in a row as the younger generation delays or has given up on marriage, according to statistics.
Modi a liar, TMC will lead formation of new government at the
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "liar" and accused the BJP of trying to turn legal citizens of the country into foreigners in the name of NRC and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. She claimed that her party TMC will lead the formation of the new government at the centre. In an apparent dig at Modi, Banerjee wondered how a person who didn't look after his wife would look after the citizens of the country. "The BJP has to be defeated in order to save the people of this country. The TMC will lead the formation of the new government at the centre," she said addressing a public rally at Barobisha area of Alipurduar district. "Prime Minister Modi is a liar. He has been blabbering lies in the last five years. He has not fulfilled a single promises he made in 2014," she said. "The NRC and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill are another ploy to turn legal citizens of this country into refugees," the fiesty TMC supremo said.
Washington raises smoking age to 21 to curb addiction
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has signed a bill into law raising the state's smoking age to 21 years, making it the ninth in the country to introduce such legislation, officials said.
YSRCP releases manifesto with focus on development of marginalised sections, women
The YSR Congress Party on Saturday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections in the state with a focus on empowerment of marginalised sections of the society, especially women.The manifesto was released by YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at party's head office here.The party acknowledged farm distress and proposed 'Rythu Bharosa' scheme that will provide Rs 12, 500 per annum, free crop insurance, interest-free loans to farmers.For empowerment of women, the manifesto promises Rs. 15,000 per year under 'Amma Vodi' welfare scheme. The manifesto promises Rs. 50,000 per year for Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) under the YSR Aasara scheme.The party promises Rs. 75,000 for Backward Caste (BC), Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and minority women (over the age of 45 years) under YSR Cheyutha scheme.As per the manifesto, under YSR Housing scheme, the houses will be registered under the name of the women. The marriage support of up ..
Screen time before bedtime may not harm teenagers
Spending time online, gaming or watching TV, especially before bedtime, may not damage young people's mental health, finds a new research challenging previous notions on screen time.
YSRCP manifesto promises many sops for farmers
Farm investment support of Rs 12,500 per annum, free crop insurance and interest-free loans for farmers are some of the major promises made by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in its election manifesto released on Saturday.
Women issues at Microsoft reach CEO Satya Nadella
Citing cases and raising concerns of discrimination in career advancements and sexual harassment against women within the company, Microsoft employees had a much-needed meeting with the CEO, Satya Nadella.
Rather than NYAY, strengthen public services landscape (Column: Active Voice)
The idea of launching Nyuntam Aay Yojana, a cash transfer scheme that intends to provide Rs 72,000 per year to the poorest 20 per cent Indian families, by the Congress Party if it comes to power, has stirred a debate among the policymakers about whether the move is economically viable or is just a tactic by the Congress Party to garner votes in the upcoming general elections.