Protests mount as BBC invites anti-immigration leaderOctober 21st, 2009 LONDON - Anti-racist campaigners prepared to stage a demonstration outside the television studios of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Thursday over its controversial plans to host the leader of an anti-immigration party on a popular current affairs show. Trade unions, Nazi holocaust survivors, politicians, anti-apartheid veterans and students were set to join campaigners against racism and fascism at the BBC's West London television studios to protest the inclusion of British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin on the panel of Question Time.
Patients protest HIV/AIDS draft billOctober 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Highly dissatisfied with the third draft of the HIV/AIDS bill which the law ministry has proposed, nearly 200 people, including those living with HIV, staged a protest outside the ministry office in the capital Wednesday. According to the protesters, many of whom have come from as far as Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata to take part in the protest, 38 key provisions necessary to safeguard the rights of HIV positive people have been deleted in the draft.
Court asks Press Council to frame guidelines for mediaOctober 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Taking a serious view of reporting by media in criminal cases, the Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Press Council of India (PCI) to form guidelines for fair coverage of sensitive issues. The court passed the order on a public interest petition filed by an NGO, Act Now For Harmony and Democracy, seeking action against the police officials for allegedly leaking to the media confessional statements made before them by suspected terrorists in Batla House gun battle case, in which two terrorists and a Delhi Police inspector were killed Sep 19 last year.
Anoushka Shankar's blackmailer denied bailOctober 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The man who allegedly blackmailed Anoushka Shankar, noted sitar player and daughter of maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, was Wednesday denied bail. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja rejected the bail application of Junaid Khan and noted that the laptop and mobile phone allegedly used to send threatening e-mails to Anoushka Shankar were recovered from him.
All work and little pay, facilities for Games workersOctober 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - It's going to be one of the biggest sporting events to be held in India and preparations for the Commonwealth Games next year are going full swing. But for the thousands of construction workers at the Games sites, it is a story of woes - inadequate wages and no basic amenities like toilets and water.
Orissa journalists to protest colleague's arrestOctober 10th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Journalists in Orissa are set to stage a protest outside the Raj Bhavan Monday against the arrest of a scribe last month on charges of sedition and assisting Maoists. "The mediapersons will wear black badges and stage a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan here," Prasant Patnaik, a member of a delegation that met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday night to register their protest, told IANS Saturday.
21 Tibetans arrested for anti-China protestsOctober 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - More than 20 Tibetan activists were arrested when they attempted to jump the wall of the Chinese Embassy here Thursday, when China celebrates the 60th anniversary of its formation as a people's republic. "The 21 Tibetan men were arrested around 9.30 a.m.
No bail for Salem, no video conferencing of trialSeptember 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rejecting the bail application of underworld gangster Abu Salem in an extortion case, a Delhi court Wednesday accepted his plea that his trial should not be conducted via video conferencing from a Mumbai jail at this stage. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja accepted Salem's plea for not holding trial through video conferencing and posted the matter for Oct 13 for recording the statements of witnesses.
Police disperse protestors with tear gas in PittsburghSeptember 24th, 2009 PITTSBURGH - Police in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Thursday used tear gas to disperse dozens of demonstrators gathered to protest the Group of 20 summit, media reports said. Nearly 500 marchers, carrying anti-capitalist signs and wearing bandanas and gas masks, were warned in English and Spanish by police that they were not authorised to march into a certain area, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper reported.
Implement noise pollution norms in festive season, police toldSeptember 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed Delhi Police to strictly implement the noise pollution norms, specially during the ongoing festive navratri season. The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by lawyer Priyanka Aggarwal, who alleged that the noise pollution norms set by the apex court were not being followed by the organisers of functions held during the festival time.
PETA complains against illegal animal tests in PunjabSeptember 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has filed a complaint against Punjab's directorate of animal husbandry for conducting "breeding" experiments which violate the law on prevention of cruelty to animals. Under the Right to Information Act, PETA obtained a document stating that the department was conducting breeding and testing experiments in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 as it was not registered as an institute where experiments could be held on animals.
Appoint special teachers for disabled children, says courtSeptember 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi High Court Wednesday took serious note of absence of special teachers for disabled students in government schools, and asked the state government to appoint two such specialists in each of 3,000 state-run schools in the capital. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Manmohan said: It's not fair at all.
Puri temple to allow people in wheelchairsSeptember 14th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Jagannath temple in Puri, one of the most revered Hindu shrines, has decided to open its doors to wheelchair-bound devotees, an official said. But the temple authorities have taken no decision on building ramps for the wheelchairs.
Arrest of Orissa villagers for alleged Maoist link draws flakSeptember 8th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The arrest of at least 30 villagers last month in Orissa's Sundergarh district for their alleged links with Maoists has drawn flak from human rights activists and family members who staged a protest Tuesday, police said. Hundreds of people staged protests, blocked a road near Chandiposh village located some 60 km from the steel city of Rourkela and about 575 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, a police officer said.
Activists hail high court ruling on RTI purviewSeptember 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Right to Information (RTI) activists Wednesday hailed the Delhi High Court's ruling that judges should declare their assets and that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) comes under the purview of the RTI Act. I am very very excited.
