<ul><li><keyword id="53964" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Soli-Sorabjee">Soli Sorabjee</keyword>, the <keyword id="2500151" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Former-Attorney-General-of-India">former Attorney General of India</keyword>, passed away on 30 April at the age of 91 due to complications from COVID-19.</li><li>The Padma Vibhushan awardee is most recognised for his work defending people’s freedom of expression as well as human rights. </li><li>Sorabjee is also one of the few well known names in the profession who have openly opposed lawyers that charge big bucks.</li></ul>Former <keyword id="458351" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Attorney-General-of-India">Attorney General of India</keyword>, Soli Sorabjee, passed away on Friday, at the age of 91 due to COVID-19 related issues. <br /><br />“He will be remembered as a legend who added strength to the pillars of democracy. I pay my deep respects to the departed soul. Condolences to the family, friends and fans,” said the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.<br /><br />Sorabjee had a career that spanned across seven decades during which he served two terms as the Attorney General, once from 1989 to 1990 and again from 1998 to 2004. <br /><br />“Despite possessing a different political persuasion, Soli [Sorabjee] has steadfastly believed in Voltaire [sic] famous dictum that he would disagree violently with anyone but defend to death that person’s right to disagree with him,” said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior Member of Parliament (MP) and senior advocate in the Supreme Court, in a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/straight-candid/down-the-memory-lane-reminiscing-soli-sorabjee/?source=app&amp;frmapp=yes">Times of India</a> op-ed.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression" comment="subhead" text="Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression"><span data-til="noop">Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression</span></cmsannotation><br />Sorabjee is known for his work in the area of the protection of human rights and freedom of speech — an endeavour that eventually won him the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in March 2002. <br /><br />“If Soli was forced to choose amongst his many passions, I would guess freedom of speech and press would be his choice. His commitment to it has been unfailing and unflagging, never affected by the vicissitudes of contemporary ambiance or the burdens and exigencies of high office,” noted Singhvi.<br /><br />Sorabjee is also one of the few well known names in the profession who have openly opposed lawyers that charge big bucks. According to him, anyone charging ₹30 to ₹40 lakh is in the business of extortion. "If a man is willing to be robbed, will you be a thief," he <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/law/articles/5-famous-indian-lawyers-and-where-they-studied-blogId-8656">said.</a><br /><br />The man has many a feather in his cap, including being the chairman of Berlin-based nonprofit organisation Transparency International and the convenor of the Minority Rights Group, in addition to being the <a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/1997/19971020.HRCN814.html">special rapporteur </a>to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) since 1997. <br /><br />He also worked on the Citizen’s Justice Committee, which represented pro bono — without any legal fees — the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots.<br /><br />The champion for freedom of speech and expression also defended the press in many landmark Supreme Court cases revoking censorship orders and bans on publications.<br /><br />The most recent example of this was lawyer and activist <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/supreme-court-holds-prashant-bhushan-guilty-of-contempt-of-court-punishment-to-be-announced-on-august-20/articleshow/77539437.cms">Prashant Bhushan’s case</a>. Before the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/supreme-court-tests-prashant-bhushans-resolve-with-a-1-fine-for-critical-tweets/articleshow/77846880.cms">₹1 verdict</a> came in, Sorabjee felt the apex institution overreacted over a couple of tweets. “The court may at most give a lecture to Prashant (Bhushan) now. Warn him, but not punish him… It is a rather delicate balance to keep,” he told <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/soli-sorabjee-interview-supreme-court-overreacted-in-prashant-bhushan-contempt-case/article32420327.ece?homepage=true">The Hindu. </a><br /><br />Sorabjee was born on 9 March 1930 and after studying at St. Xavier’s College and the Government Law College in Mumbai, he enrolled at the Bar in 1953.<br /><br />Zora Mody, Sorabjee’s daughter, is also a lawyer and a published author. She wrote the book <em>10 Judgements that Changed India</em>. Sorabjee also has three granddaughters — Anjali, Aarti and Aditi.

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee passes away at 91

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harjaskgrewal/">Harjas Kaur Grewal</a>, 23, is the activism associate manager of global social impact at <a href="https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/the-ordinary-owner-deciem-acquired-by-estee-lauder-1234741782/">Deciem</a>. </li><li>She is also a decorated humanitarian known for her work with the UN. </li><li>To Insider, she breaks down what a typical day looks like. </li></ul><p>Harjas Kaur Grewal is always busy. </p><p>As an activist, writer, and UN youth ambassador, her days are filled with researching social issues and implementing strategies to help solve the political tensions ever-plaguing the world. She ran her first petition at 13, became Youth Ambassador for the Youth Assembly at the <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> (as run by Friendship Ambassadors Foundation) at 19, and is currently a Young Innovator for <a href="https://www.unglobalcompact.org">UN Global Compact.</a>  Last year, Grewal won the Diana Award for her humanitarianism, which inspired her to start her own volunteer organization, <a href="https://www.unitedwomxn.com/">United Women.</a></p><p>During the day, however, Grewal works for the<a href="https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/the-ordinary-owner-deciem-acquired-by-estee-lauder-1234741782/"> billion-dollar</a> beauty company Deciem where she helps create and run its corporate activism initiatives. Deciem is known for its cult-favorite brand The Ordinary and Grewal started working there in February.</p><p>To Insider, Grewal maps out her typical day, including smoothie lunch breaks, meetings with Deciem CEO, and late-night United Women Slack meetings. "I've learned that routine is important," she said. "But it's okay to have every day look different and become comfortable with imperfection."</p><h2><strong>Her first alarm goes off at 7 a.m. </strong></h2><p>Grewal's first alarm goes off at 7 a.m., but if she's too tired, she'll press the snooze button and stay in bed for another two minutes. "I open my blinds and window to get some fresh air first thing in the morning," she said. "It always makes me feel refreshed, light, and ready for the day."</p><p>Moving back home during the pandemic was "hard" she said, but there have been perks. "Waking up to the warmth of the sun, sounds of birds chirping, and smelling spiced chai (tea) is refreshing," she continued. "Finding gratitude in the small things is always important." </p><h2><strong>Around 7:30 a.m., she starts her skincare routine </strong></h2><p>She always starts her day with a skincare routine. She became a "skincare lover" when she was just 13 after discovering Korean skincare routines. "Over the years, I would always tell my friends and family to take care of their skin because it's a form of self-care," Grewal said. </p><p><strong><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="524" width="932" msid="82018584" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>She starts off with a gentle cleanser before putting mist on damp skin. She follows up with a rosewater toner, before, of course, using The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% as a serum. After that, she puts an eye contour serum to cover hereditary dark circles.</p><p>"And as every good skincare routine ends, I use a moisturizer to lock in my skin and soothe," she said. "I also spritz some perfume on because it's a habit that's comforting and helps normalize working from home for me." </p><h2><strong>At 8:00 a.m., she starts to journal </strong></h2><p>Shortly before the workday begins, she journals her thoughts, "whether it be poetry, emotions, memories, or things to be grateful for," Grewal said. </p><p>She's been a writer and poet since she was a child and has been spending more time [during the pandemic] writing new work. She recently launched an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lettersbykaur/">Instagram page</a> to showcase some of her writing. "Many people don't know that I used to be a child actor, loved the theatre, started writing by the age of seven, and by the time I graduated high school I was a published playwright and won the provincial Young Authors Award," she told Insider.</p><p>"Writing and poetry is a hobby I try to make time for because it is a true passion of mine and I believe everyone needs to make time for what makes the heart and mind content." </p><h2><strong>The work day begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.</strong></h2><p>The Deciem office was previously featured in <a href="https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/careers/office-tour-inside-beauty-company-deciems-anythingbutordinary-office/image-gallery/ed00677610c8662140a2f773a4d6afec">Vogue</a>, highlighting its 70,000 square foot office in Toronto, Canada. Sadly, since the pandemic, Grewal has been working from home and has only been able to go into the office a few times. </p><p>"A colleague has the cutest black lab mix, Matthew, who greets us at the door and provides the best company someone could ask for," she said. </p><p><strong><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="678" width="932" msid="82018585" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>On this day, she reviewed the social impact and activism strategies and campaigns to prepare for an internal listening session she was co-moderating. The company is prepping to kick off its "We Are Eight" unconference, which is a participate-driven meeting without a set agenda. </p><p>She starts her day with a new hire call with executives including the CEO and COO. "We got to personally introduce ourselves and learn more about the senior <keyword id="34454" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="leadership">leadership</keyword> team," she said. Each week, she connects with the company's director of sustainability and social impact Jacquelyn Kankam, to whom she reports.</p><p>"She has a unique, inclusive, and liberating leadership style that I am thankful for because I am constantly learning as well as executing," Grewal said. </p><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="558" width="932" msid="82018586" hostid="261"></div><p>Grewal contacted Jackie last summer on LinkedIn for a virtual coffee after noticing her extensive sustainability experience as a fellow woman of color. "I found her inspiring because she paved her own path and career," Grewal added. "When we spoke during our initial meeting, she mentioned opening a Social Impact, Activism role one day but wasn't sure when this role would open or the details."</p><p>After that meeting, Grewal said she made it her goal to become Deciem's top pick and created a 13-page visual proposal outlining ideas she had for the role if it ever opened up. Four months later, Grewal found herself interviewing for the role and she was hired. </p><p>"When Harjas contacted me, I could tell her passion and dedication to activism and social impact was unmatched," Jacquelyn Kankam told Insider. "One of our goals at Deciem is to build growth to power good, we needed someone who is agile, smart, and creative and Harjas fit the bill to a tee." <br /><br />"This role meant I had achieved a goal to make my passion for social impact and activism into a career," Grewal added. "Moments like that prove that resiliency opens doors. "</p><h2><strong>Lunch is usually from 12 to 1 p.m. </strong></h2><p>She aims to eat a quick meal and has her daily fruit smooth for a boost of energy. Every day she picks up a book to read, and typically alternates between two at once. </p><p>"Currently, I am reading 'Faith, Gender, and Activism in The Punjab Conflict' by Mallika Kaur to learn more about the events leading up to the violence against Sikhs in Punjab in the 1980-90s," she said. "I have written about Partition of India, conflicts in Punjab, and violence against Sikhs extensively throughout my undergraduate degree, and as a Sikh, I am constantly pursuing knowledge about my community and history." </p><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="698" width="932" msid="82018587" hostid="261"></div><br />She is also reading "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey, the first book she picked up to read for "pleasure" after University ended. "My favorite quote from <em>Greenlights, </em>which is now my lock screen on my phone is: '<em>Less impressed, More involved,'" </em>she said. <h2><strong>At the end of the workday, she takes a walk with her family</strong></h2><p>After her workday, she makes sure to spend time with her family before starting her work with <a href="https://www.unitedwomxn.com/">United Women</a>, the organization she founded. "My younger brother, Jujhar, is rocking a t-shirt in support of the farmers protesting at the Delhi border in India right now in this photo," she said, referencing the picture below. "My entire family is passionate about social justice and we often talk at length about world issues, philosophy, and activism." <strong><br /></strong></p><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="870" width="1426" msid="82018589" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Around 6 p.m., she logs in to work at her nonprofit </strong></h2><p>After a break, she logs into Slack and starts working on United Women, her platform seeking to amplify young BIPOC voices, provide mentorship to youth in women's shelters and community housing, and platform human rights issues. She is managing a team of about 17 volunteers, alongside her co-founder Aimée Lister, who is based in the United Kingdom. </p><div type="image" title="Harjas Kaur Grewal" height="334" width="932" msid="82018591" hostid="261"></div><br /><br />"We just wrapped up a human rights campaign and are working on expanding our partnerships, finalizing the mentorship program, and responding to the youth who are interested in joining the organization to make an impact," Grewal said.<p>She also attended the United Nations Generation Equality Forum last week on behalf of United Women to create an alignment with the 17 SDGs, which include eradicating poverty, combatting climate change, and fighting for quality education.  </p><h2><strong>Around 11 p.m., it's bedtime</strong></h2><p>After she's done working on United Women, she takes the time to wind down and turns on some old Bollywood music. Right before bed, she might even FaceTime her friends. "My friends are the best support system I could ask for."</p><p>Then, she goes to sleep and does it all over again the next day.  </p>

How a 23-year-old UN rep, manager at billion-dollar beauty brand Deciem, and nonprofit founder spends her day

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="2742716" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="section-230">Section 230</keyword> — a federal law that Shields social media companies from liabilities that would otherwise reshape or crush their businesses — appears closer than ever to being rewritten. </li><li>President Donald <keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> has escalated a recent push to repeal Section 230 as retribution for <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> and <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> fact-checking his posts. He says they're proof that the platforms are biased against him, a claim Republicans have echoed.</li><li>Before that, both Democrats and Republicans have said for years that Section 230, which shields <keyword id="6358815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tech">tech</keyword> companies from being held liable for the content of users' posts, needs to be updated.</li><li>But repealing Section 230 was still a remote prospect — until this week, when FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he would issue guidance redefining the law.</li><li>And just days earlier, Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the court's conservative members, wrote an unusual opinion arguing that courts should reinterpret Section 230 to give tech companies fewer protections.</li></ul><p>After years of threats, the US government appears closer than ever to stripping away one of Big Tech's biggest shields.</p><p>In the weeks before the election, President Donald Trump has called with growing urgency for the repeal of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-section-230-internet-law-communications-decency-act-explained-2020-5">Section 230</a>, a law that prevents internet companies from being held liable for the content of users' posts as long as they make a good faith effort to remove illegal content.</p><p>This week, officials mounted more immediate threats to the law that could fundamentally reshape the internet and its biggest companies.</p><p>On Thursday, Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fcc-section-230-reform-trump-puppet-ajit-pai-2020-10">announced</a> that his office would "clarify the meaning" of Section 230, a measure that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-signs-executive-order-threatening-twitter-facebook-conservative-bias-2020-5">Trump has specifically requested</a>. While Pai didn't indicate what the clarifications would include, he implied that social media companies would lose some of the legal immunity currently granted to them by the law. Two days earlier, Clarence Thomas, associate justice of the Supreme Court and one of the court's conservative justices, issued an <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/101320zor_8m58.pdf">unusual opinion</a> arguing that courts should reconsider how Section 230 is interpreted to offer social media companies fewer protections.</p><p>The new developments mean big tech companies could face a restructured Section 230 in the near future. And by potentially circumventing Congress and the legislative process needed to amend the law, the federal government could act more immediately, and leave those companies without much recourse to fight the new regulations.</p><p>Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, known simply as Section 230, is part of a 1996 law that allows websites to avoid being treated as traditional publishers like newspapers that would be legally responsible for the content they produce. It has <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/cda230">set the legal foundations for the modern internet</a> and enabled sites to host open forums populated by posts from anonymous users. Companies like Facebook and other supporters of Section 230 see it as a fundamental building block for open discussion and innovation on the internet — akin to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/net-neutralityfor-dummies-and-how-it-effects-you-2014-1">net neutrality</a>. Trump and the law's critics, meanwhile, say that big tech has too frequently wielded the law as a shield for their own bad behavior.</p><p>Republican officials, including Trump's closest allies, have been some of the most high-profile recent drivers advocating a repeal or rewrite of the law. They say actions by Facebook and Twitter to fact-check Trump's false statements are evidence of systemic bias against conservatives, a claim <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/technology/what-if-facebook-is-the-real-silent-majority.html">without much data to back it up</a>. Meanwhile, some Democrats — including House Speaker <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/4/12/18307957/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-twitter-tweet-cheap-freak-presidency-kara-swisher-decode-podcast-interview">Nancy Pelosi</a> — have implied tech companies should face harsher penalties for hosting misinformation or hate speech, but have not gone as far as to push to dismantle Section 230.</p><p>Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have objected to calls to weaken the law's protections. A Facebook spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/28/trump-targets-social-media-with-executive-order-after-twitter-fact-checks-him.html">said in May</a> that limiting Section 230 "will restrict more speech online, not less" by penalizing companies "that choose to allow controversial speech," while a Google spokesperson <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/28/trump-social-media-executive-order/">said</a> the same month that repealing the law could hurt the US' stature as a leader in internet freedom.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Donald J. Trump  (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1313511340124917760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2020</a></blockquote><h2>If Thomas' opinion wins out, new liabilities could crush or reshape tech companies' businesses</h2><p>On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case concerning Section 230. In the rejection, Thomas <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/101320zor_8m58.pdf">argued</a> that courts should still reconsider the law at some point in the near future.</p><p>He cited examples of previous lawsuits in the opinion, arguing that Section 230 was interpreted too broadly to shield tech companies.</p><p>In one case, a group called Sikhs for Justice <a href="https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2017/09/facebook-wins-appeal-over-allegedly-discriminatory-content-removal-sikhs-for-justice-v-facebook.htm">sued Facebook</a>, claiming it removed their page at the request of the Indian government and refused to reinstate it, amounting to racial discrimination. In another case, a man <a href="https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10902194429858/20200902_Goldberg_FCC_Coments_Final.pdf">sued</a> the gay dating app Grindr for allegedly failing to remove the profile of another man who was impersonating him using his photos.</p><p>Facebook and Grindr won each of their cases. In both, courts didn't rule on whether the plaintiffs' claims were true — rather, they argued that Section 230 protected Facebook from claims of racial discrimination in how it moderates content, and that Section 230 immunized Grindr from complaints about how it removes fake profiles.</p><p>Thomas argued that those cases established an overly broad definition of Section 230 that should be narrowed in the future.</p><p>If Thomas' view prevails, hosting social media platforms would pose a far greater liability for tech companies, opening them up to a slew of new potential lawsuits. Legal experts are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/if-section-230-dies-twitter-facebook-would-likely-ban-trump-2020-5">divided</a> on what social media would look like without Section 230 protections, but changing the law could massively reshape how open forums are hosted across the internet.</p>

Big tech's biggest shield is under fire from all 3 branches of government — here's how repealing Section 230 went from a Trump threat to an impending reality

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8356e12e22af12ae5480e4-2000/trudeau%20responses.jpg" border="0" alt="Trudeau responses" data-mce-source="AP/CBC/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="A composite image shows Justin Trudeau (right) apologizing for a &amp;quotbrownface&quot; image of him in 2001, alongside Jasmeet Singh (top-left), and Andrew Scheer (bottom-right), who criticized Trudeau."><p class="source"><span>AP/CBC/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">A composite image shows Justin Trudeau (right) apologizing for a "brownface" image of him in 2001, alongside Jasmeet Singh (top-left), and Andrew Scheer (bottom-right), who criticized Trudeau.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Politicians in Canada condemned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday after the publication of a photograph showing him wearing brownface make-up in 2001.&#xa0;</li><li>The photograph was published Wednesday by <a href="https://time.com/5680759/justin-trudeau-brownface-photo/?utm_medium=social&amp;xid=time_socialflow_twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow&amp;utm_source=twitter">Time magazine</a>. It shows Trudeau attending an "Arabian Nights" party in which he dressed as Aladdin. His hands and face are darkened and he wears a turban.</li><li>The leader of Canada's New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh - a Sikh who wears a turban himself - said the act is "insulting" and that Trudeau "has to answer for it"&#xa0;</li><li>Conservative leader Andrew Schreer said "brownface was racist in 2001 and is still racist in 2019".</li><li>Canada is in the midst of an election campaign, in which Trudeau is fighting for a second term in office.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.&#xa0;</a></li></ul><p>Politicians in Canada have roundly condemned Justin Trudeau after a photograph of showing the Canadian prime minister wearing brownface make-up at a party in 2001.&#xa0;</p><p>The photo was <a href="https://time.com/5680759/justin-trudeau-brownface-photo/?utm_medium=social&amp;xid=time_socialflow_twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow&amp;utm_source=twitter">published Wednesday by Time magazine </a>and depict a 29-year-old Trudeau in an Aladdin costume. He was a school teacher at the time.</p><p>In the image, Trudeau's face and hands are covered in dark make-up and he wears a turban:</p><p>Politicians from rival parties condemned Trudeau, who apologized and&#xa0;acknowledged that wearing the costume was a racist act.</p><p>The leader of Canada's New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh - a sikh who wears a turban himself - said that Trudeau's costume was "insulting" and "troubling".&#xa0;</p><p>He said "Any time we hear examples of brownface or blackface it's making a mockery of someone for what they're lived experiences are."&#xa0;</p><p>Singh later tweeted that the image will bring up "intense feelings of pain &amp; hurt" in people marginalized for their appearance, and that they should be the focus of the news cycle rather than Trudeau.&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Elizabeth May, the leader of Canada's Green Party, said she was "deeply shocked at the racism shown in the photograph of Justin Trudeau". She said he had "failed" to set an example of social justice.</p><p>The leader of the opposition Conservative party, Andrew Scheer, said "brownface was racist in 2001 and is racist in 2019".&#xa0;</p><p>"What Canadians saw this evening was someone with a complete lack of judgement and integrity and someone who is not fit to govern this country."&#xa0;</p><p>Maxime Bernier, founder and current leader of the right-leaning People's Party of Canada made a point of not calling out Trudeau for racism but instead accused him of hypocrisy.&#xa0;</p><p>He said in a tweet the prime minister is "the biggest hypocrite in the country".&#xa0;</p><p>Trudeau has apologised for his actions publicly.</p><p>When asked whether the incident was a one-off, he told reporters that it was not.</p><p>Trudeau described dressing up in blackface at a high school talent show to sing "Day-O," a Jamaican folk song performed by African-American singer and activist Harry Belafonte.&#xa0;</p><p>Here is a video of the full apology:</p><p>&#xa0;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Exclusive: Justin Trudeau wore brownface at an "Arabian Nights" party in 2001. I got the photo.<a href="https://t.co/TiIQIrKY3z">https://t.co/TiIQIrKY3z</a></p>- Anna Kambhampaty  (@amiller_P_k) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1174460730822844416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>NDP leader Jagmeet Singh responds to a newly released photo of Justin Trudeau wearing brownface makeup and a turban in 2001. <a href="https://t.co/OvcQuuXhpb">https://t.co/OvcQuuXhpb</a> <a href="https://t.co/44NR8qJ6Q8">pic.twitter.com/44NR8qJ6Q8</a></p>- CBC News: The National  (@CBCTheNational) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1174470575999393792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Tonight is not about the Prime Minister.<br><br>It's about every young person mocked for the colour of their skin.<br><br>The child who had their turban ripped off their head.<br><br>And those reliving intense feelings of pain &amp; hurt from past experiences of racism.<br><br>To you, I say you are loved.</br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></p>- Jagmeet Singh  (@theJagmeetSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1174495388516126720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I am deeply shocked by the racism shown in the photograph of Justin Trudeau. He must apologize for the harm done and commit to learning and appreciating the requirement to model social justice leadership at all levels of government. In this matter he has failed.</p>- Elizabeth May  (@ElizabethMay) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1174475014587998210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Q29NtxfDQ60" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm not going to accuse <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a> of being a racist.<br><br>But he's the master of identity <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword> and the Libs just spent months accusing everyone of being white supremacists.<br><br>He definitely is the biggest hypocrite in the country.</br></br></br></br></p>- Maxime Bernier  (@MaximeBernier) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1174495233410834437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZkX85WL_tQA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/presidential-debate-entertaining-problem-democratic-trump-reality-tv-show-2019-9">How networks treat debates like reality TV</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/UKopX7aS-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

'He has to answer for it': Canadian politicians pile on Justin Trudeau over his 'brownface' Aladdin outfit from 2001

<ul><li><strong>Women had equal rights to inherit an ancestral property in India since 2005 but the latest Supreme Court verdict made it retrospectively applicable.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>This may allow aggrieved <keyword id="1773011" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindu-women">Hindu women</keyword> to challenge old disputes that have been settled in specific situations, subject to certain conditions.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.<br /></strong></li></ul>In a landmark ruling earlier this month, a Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah, stated that a daughter’s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth.<br /><br />This development is important because, while women have had equal rights to inherit property in India under the Hindu Succession Act since 2005 — the latest Supreme Court verdict made it retrospectively applicable. This may allow aggrieved Hindu women to challenge old disputes that have been settled in specific situations.<br /><br />The Hindu Succession Act applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs in India. Business Insider spoke to lawyers to understand the implications of the Supreme Court ruling. <br /><br /><strong>1.  How is it different from the one judgment after the 2005 amendment? </strong><br />The Supreme Court ruling has categorically held that the 2005 Amendment would apply to any daughter who was living at the time of passing of the Amendment. Thus, every daughter would be considered a coparcener — a person who enjoys equal rights in the share of the ancestral property — just like sons. This is irrespective of whether the daughter’s father was living or deceased when the 2005 Amendment was passed, according to Bijal Ajinkya, Partner, Khaitan &amp; Co. <br /><br />Previous judgments by the Supreme Court such as <em>Prakash vs Phulavati </em>(2016) and <em>Danamma </em>(2018) have given conflicting decisions in this regard. The Supreme Court decision has overruled <em>Prakash vs Phulavati</em> in its entirety and Danamma to the extent that it conflicts with the present ruling, Ajinkya added. <br /><strong><br />2.  Can cases whose judgment has been passed already before 2005 opened? </strong><br />If a final order of partition has been passed by the court, that case cannot be reopened. However, if only a preliminary order has been passed, the case can be reopened<br /><br />Similarly, if prior to 2005 if partition (or family settlement) through a registered deed has taken place and been implemented, the case cannot be reopened. In no case is there an automatic reopening and the earlier transaction would need to be challenged by the female coparcener in court. <br /><strong><br /> 3. In what situation can women reopen a case?</strong><br />In order to reopen a case of the partition (or family settlement) which has taken place after 2005, a woman would need to challenge the partition or settlement deed and likely prove that she was not acknowledged as a coparcener or denied her legitimate share in the joint family property. Further, if duress on her part can be proved, her consent to any deed or action can be made void. Whether a condition or duress existed at the time would need to be examined based on the facts, Ajinkya said. <br /><br />According to Sonam Chandwani, Managing Partner, KS Legal &amp; Associates, the partition is irrevocable in nature. However, for the purposes of equity, the law permits reopening the partition already affected in a few instances, including fraud, adopted son, minor or disqualified coparcener. The rationale behind is to prevent gross injustice to the member of the family.<br /><strong><br />3. What is the process to reopen cases? </strong><br />If the larger family does not want to reopen the case, the document or decree through which the partition or family settlement has been effected would need to be challenged in court, Ajinkya said. He further added that in case the larger family is amenable to reopening the case, a family settlement deed can be executed among the family members to redistribute the assets which were distributed through a previous deed – this should be adequately stamped or registered. <strong><br /><br />5. Can women challenge property distribution where they have already accepted a settlement?</strong><br />If the property distribution took place before 2005 through a valid, binding partition or family settlement — like through registered deed or final decree of court — the woman has no right since she was not a coparcener. <br /><br />If the property distribution took place after 2005, the woman has a right as a coparcener and would be able to challenge it. However, if she also consented to the deed and was acknowledged as a coparcener, the deed would ordinarily be binding on her irrespective of whether or not she received a share, Ajinkya explained. <br /><br /><strong>6. What happens in <em>'Haq Tyaag' </em>cases where women 'voluntarily' give up rights to the property because father or brother paid the dowry?</strong><br />Mere payment of dowry by father or brother does not preclude the woman from claiming her rights in the joint family property. However, if the ‘Haq tyaag’ has taken place through a registered deed executed by the woman where she has voluntarily given up her rights to the joint family property, no action can be taken by the woman, Ajinkya said. <br /><br /><strong>7. What happens in a case where the woman is an adopted child? </strong><br />Generally, the rights of an adopted child — whether son or daughter— are the same as that of a natural-born child. However, while the Supreme Court has emphasized that rights to coparcenary property may be conferred by adoption as well, it has not been made clear whether an adopted daughter would have the same rights as a natural-born daughter. This issue is also not judicially tested, Ajinkya said. <br /><br /><strong>8. If there is no paperwork and the earlier the settlement was just verbal, then is it straightaway liable to be reopened? </strong><br />The Supreme Court has held that claims of an oral partition are to be rejected outright. Those who claim that an oral partition took place prior to the 2005 amendment must provide substantial documentary evidence of the partition having been implemented, including showing public documents to this effect. However, there is no automatic reopening and the earlier transaction would need to be challenged in court, Ajinkya said. <br /><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO: <br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/economy/news/these-are-the-20-countries-with-the-highest-gold-reserves/articleshow/77605753.cms">These are the 20 countries with the highest gold reserves</a><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/these-are-the-top-20-cleanest-cities-in-india-in-2020/articleshow/77650052.cms"><strong>These are the top 20 cleanest cities in India— Indore tops the list for fourth year in a row</strong></a><br />

Indian women can now reclaim property even in some settled cases — 8 questions that explain the possibilities

Several academicians, former bureaucrats and judges, writers, artistes and scientists have expressed outrage over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill calling it "divisive" and violative of the Constitution and asked the government to withdraw it.<br /><br />In separate letters and petitions, they asserted that the proposed legislation threatens the federal framework provided by the Constitution and will fundamentally alter the character of the Indian republic if it comes into force.<br /><br />In an open letter, about 600 writers, artists, activists, former bureaucrats, ex-judges asked the government not to betray the Constitution.<br /><br />The signatories include historian Romila Thapar, author Amitav Ghosh, actor Nandita Das, filmmakers Aparna Sen and Anand Patwardhan, activists Yogendra Yadav Teesta Setalvad, Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy and Bezwada Wilson, former Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah and the country's first CIC Wajahat Habibullah among others.<br /><br />"All of us from the cultural and academic communities condemn this bill as divisive, discriminatory and unconstitutional. It will, along with a nationwide NRC, bring untold suffering to people across the country. It will damage, fundamentally and irreparably, the nature of the Indian republic. This is why we demand that the government withdraw the bill.<br /><br />"This is why we demand that the government not betray the Constitution. We call on all people of conscience to insist that the Constitutional commitment to an equal and secular citizenry be honoured," the letter states.<br /><br />The Lok Sabha passed the bill a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours. The contentious Bill will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.<br /><br />The bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there.<br /><br />According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.<br /><br />If religious persecution was the logic presented in the bill, then why were refugees such as Rohingyas from Myanmar or Hindu or Muslim Tamils from Sri Lanka or Ahmadis from Pakistan left out, the signatories asked.<br /><br />"Why focus on only three countries as if these constitute the only possible sources of asylum-seekers?" they asked, stressing on the need to have a refugee policy in line with international law, not a legislation dictated by an ideology that makes use of religion for political gains.<br /><br />"The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 tears to shreds the inclusive, composite vision of India that guided our freedom struggle. In the amendments it introduces to the Citizenship Act of 1955, the new Bill violates every single one of these fundamentals of the Constitution," the letter states.<br /><br />After the legislation got the nod of the Lower House, civil rights activist Mander said if the bill is passed, he will practice civil disobedience.<br /><br />"I will officially register as a Muslim. I will then refuse to submit any documents to NRC. I will finally demand the same punishment as any undocumented Muslim -- detention centre &amp; withdrawn citizenship. Join this civil disobedience," Mander tweeted.<br /><br />In a separate petition, a group of scientists and academicians said the use of religion as a criterion for citizenship in the proposed bill would mark a radical break and would be inconsistent with the basic structure of the Constitution.<br /><br />Academician Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a signatory to the petition, said the citizenship bill will convert a constitutional democracy into a unconstitutional ethnocracy.<br /><br />"We can debate the past forever. But with <keyword id="6363576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cab">CAB</keyword> India takes a giant step to officially convert a constitutional democracy into a unconstitutional ethnocracy," he tweeted.<br /><br />Academician Ramchandra Guha hit out at Home Minister <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword> and said he was a professed Savarakrite and had no issue with Muhammad Ali Jinnah's two-nation theory.<br /><br />"Savarkar, 1943: I have no quarrel with Mr Jinnah's two-nation theory. We Hindus are a nation by ourselves and it is a historical fact that Hindus and Muslims are two nations'. The home minister, a professed Savarkarite, has no quarrel with Mr Jinnah's two-nation theory either," Guha tweeted.<br /><br />The petition said the idea of India emerged from the independence movement, and as enshrined in the Constitution, is that of a country that aspires to treat people of all faiths equally.<br /><br />"The use of religion as a criterion for citizenship in the proposed bill would mark a radical break with this history and would be inconsistent with the basic structure of the Constitution. We fear, in particular, that the careful exclusion of Muslims from the ambit of the bill will greatly strain the pluralistic fabric of the country," the petition noted.<br /><br />The petitioners include those affiliated to Harvard University, Masachussets University, Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Indian Institute of Science, Delhi University, Chennai Mathematical Institute, International Centre for Theoretical Science, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, the University of Bonn, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Oslo.<br /><br />Over 230 activists and academicians from Gujarat also wrote an open letter expressing concern over the bill. Some social organisations in Pune appealed to the Maharashtra government to move Supreme Court against the bill.

Romila Thapar, Amitav Ghosh, Nandita Das join 600 writers and artists to seek withdrawal of Citizenship Bill

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59936bfcb0e0b595758b4725-2400/ap17227643203763.jpg" alt="Roy Moore" data-mce-source="AP/Brynn Anderson" data-mce-caption="Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, rides in on a horse named &amp;quotSassy&quot; to vote a the Gallant Volunteer Fire Department, during the Alabama Senate race, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017." /><p class="source"><span>AP/Brynn Anderson</span></p><p class="caption">Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, rides in on a horse named "Sassy" to vote a the Gallant Volunteer Fire Department, during the Alabama Senate race, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div>In a bizarre exchange, the frontrunner in Alabama's GOP Senate primary <a href="https://twitter.com/JStein_Vox/status/897542432186933249">told Vox reporter Jeff Stein</a> that "there are communities under Sharia law right now in our country."</p><p>"Up in Illinois. Christian communities; I don't know if they may be Muslim communities," former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore told Vox on Tuesday.</p><p>When pressed for further details, Moore explained that, from his understanding, communities in Illinois and Indiana are currently living under Sharia law. Here's the exchange:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Jeff Stein:</strong> Some right-wing conservatives think Sharia law is a danger to America - do you?</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Roy Moore:</strong> There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country. Up in Illinois. Christian communities; I don't know if they may be Muslim communities. But Sharia law is a little different from American law. It is founded on religious concepts.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Jeff Stein:</strong> Which American communities are under Sharia law? When did they fall under Sharia law?</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><strong>Roy Moore:</strong> </span>Well, there's Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana - up there. I don't know.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Jeff Stein:</strong> That seems like an amazing claim for a Senate candidate to make.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Roy Moore:</strong> Well, let me just put it this way - if they are, they are; if they're not, they're not. That doesn't matter. Oklahoma tried passing a law restricting Sharia law, and it failed. Do you know about that?</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Jeff Stein:</strong> No, I don't.</p><p>While it remains unclear what Moore meant by his statements on Sharia law, he may be referring to an <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2016/12/30/indiana-lawmaker-seeks-address-sharia-law-concerns/96000058/">Indiana lawmaker's proposed Senate bill</a> that would prevent judges from using foreign law as a legal standard, a move largely criticized as being motivated by Islamophobia.</p><p>Moore could also be referring to a <a href="http://www.snopes.com/sharia-compliant-illinois-drivers-licenses/">debunked claim</a> that Illinois had begun to allow religious headwear to be worn in driver's license photos following pressure from Muslim extremist groups. State guidelines did not change, but state officials issued flyers to remind DMV employees of religious exemptions to driver's license photo guidelines after complaints from a Sikh advocacy group.</p><p>Moore called Islam a "false religion" <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/roy-moore-islam-false-relgion-alabama-senate_us_5977853fe4b0c95f375f2222">in July</a> in response to an Alabama resident's concern over the possibility of Sharia law.</p><p>The twice-ousted former Alabama Supreme Court justice is the favored candidate to win Tuesday's GOP primary in Alabama for the Senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. President Donald Trump has endorsed Moore's opponent, Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to Sessions' seat after Sessions became attorney general.</p><p>Republicans in the deeply conservative state of Alabama have long held Moore in high esteem for his defense of evangelical values, which cost him his job on two occasions for going against federal courts orders - once for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building and later for ordering probate judges to uphold the state's ban on same-sex marriage.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-white-house-gut-renovated-truman-renovation-2017-1">The White House is undergoing renovations - here's how it changed after a massive facelift in the 1950s</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/QiYvns6N-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The frontrunner in Alabama's Senate GOP primary claims there are communities in America living under Sharia law

A leaked video exemplifies what Black migrants endure in US detention centers

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49010641.cms" /><br />
His mysterious death has always been a hot topic of discussion when Indians sit together to discuss patriotism. Blaming the govt for neglecting investigation in his death case and cursing the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=World+War+%E2%80%93II+">World War –II</a> for the loss of the hero, Indians in general and Bengalis in particular have always been a bit emotional and sentimental about Netaji <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=subhas+chandra+bose">Subhas Chandra Bose. </a><br />
 <br />
His death has always been a mystery. Some say he was killed in a plane crash in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Taiwan">Taiwan</a> in 1945, while many believe he was alive years after India’s independence.<br />
 <br />
And almost 68 years after India’s independence, the government of West Bengal decides to make the secret files about Bose’s disappearance public, thanks to the chief minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Mamata+Banerjee">Mamata Banerjee’s</a> endeavour.<br />
 <br />
The secret files on Bose have been declassified at Maniktala Police Museum in Kolkata this morning by the Police Commissioner S Purakayastha. While the dvd of the files have been given to Bose’s family members, the police haven’t mentioned when will it be accessible for the public.<br />
 <br />
People aware of the files believe Netaji was alive till 1964.<br />
 <br />
In 1960s , an intelligence report prepared by the US indicated that Bose returned to India in the February of 1964. Without mentioning Russia, Netaji researchers believe American intelligence units had learned about his imminent return from Russia via China<br />
<br />
"The report was prepared by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the US intelligence agency formed during World War II that later metamorphosed into Central Intelligence Agency or CIA. Remember, it was in 1949 that Netaji's elder brother Sarat Bose wrote an article: 'Netaji in Red China'. I believe this is conclusive proof that Netaji did not die in 1945," Netaji researcher Jayanta Chowdhury told The Times of India. Chowdhury had concluded before  Justice Manoj Mukherjee Commission that the Taihoku plane crash hadn't happened.<br />
<br />
Among the contents of the 64 files, US intelligence reports on Netaji's escape from house arrest on January 16, 1941.<br />
<br />
While history records that Bose, disguised as a Sikh, was driven away by his nephew Sisir, the CIA report - declassified and published 50 years later in the early 1990s - states that five Sikhs had arrived at 38/2 Elgin Road and all five had left in a wagon. One of them was Bose. But there is no mention of a relative. Intelligence Bureau records contain names of visitors to the Netaji residence on that date.<br />
<br />
Another indicator that the Allied powers did not believe Netaji died in a plane crash on August 18, 1945, is the sixth volume of the Transfer of Power document published in the UK after the War. It explored several options about how to deal with Subhas Bose - considered a war criminal for his alignment with Axis powers Germany and Japan - including court martial, deportation to a Sicilian island and a suggestion that he wouldn't be made to surrender or tried "if he stays where he is".<br />
 <br />
<br />
Gumnami Baba - the ascetic of Faizabad, who some believe was Netaji - had told his followers, including former INA veterans, about the difficulties he and the country would face from superior powers if his presence became public.<br />
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However, the most important file that could have contained definitive evidence on Netaji after 1945 has been destroyed. Only the front page of File No. 12(226)/56-PM regarding 'Investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of Subhas Chandra Bose' is left. The rest of the file was destroyed in 1972 when Congress was in power in West Bengal and Siddharth Shankar Ray was chief minister.<br />
<br />
"I believe some historical missing link may be obtained if successive state governments haven't already tampered with the files. While Congress had every reason to distort facts, so do Communists whose role as secret service agents in India during the Freedom movement is clear in the contents," said Chowdhury, adding that there is also a file on role of chief ministers in the Netaji mystery.<br />


​Netaji files declassified: So Bose could have been alive till as recently as 1964?

<ul><li>A 30-seconder was played during the Super Bowl on February 07 to support the farmers protesting against the new Farm Laws. </li><li>The ad is created by Teji Video. </li></ul>A 30-seconder was screened during the Super Bowl in the USA’s Central Valley in support of Indian farmers protesting against the government’s new Farm Laws. <br /><br /><keyword id="1617007" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Super-Bowl-Ads">Super Bowl ads</keyword> are occasionally political but mostly funny, happy and light. This ad, funded by the Sikh community in the Central Valley, stood out as it highlighted the farmers' protests that have been going on since November in India. <br /><br />It starts by requesting India to ‘take back the <keyword id="6123679" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="farm-bills">Farm Bills</keyword>’ and quoting <keyword id="97527" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Martin-Luther-King-Jr">Martin Luther King Jr</keyword>, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." It also features several scenes from ‘the largest protest in history,’ reminds the audience that 160+ people have died in the last 6 months and highlights how the Farms Laws are a violation of Human Rights. <br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="KissanEktaMorch" handlename="Kisan Ekta Morcha" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1339862481271844869/KUAOdODJ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="220" retweetcount="78" status="Fresno City community put that ad during the Super Bowl. This is great work by community to aware people regarding… https://t.co/QfdmUQ3tcO" createdat="1612764059000" id="1358657054546685952"></div><br />According to Reuters, around 100 million viewers were expected to tune in on February 07 to watch the game between Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs. As per SportingNews.com, a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 54 in 2020 cost about $5.6 million, which is slightly more than the last-month going rate of commercials in 2021. And this year, with a combined TV and digital audience of more than 100 million viewers in the United States, it's the highest-profile advertising space. <br /><br />The ad is created by Teji Video. <br /><br />    <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLAaYvqC237/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLAaYvqC237/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLAaYvqC237/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Teji Video (@tejivideo)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>]]></cdata></div><br />

This ad was played during the Super Bowl in support of the ongoing farmers' protest in India

<br /><ul><li><strong>The UK-based rapper Hard Kaur’s Twitter account has been suspended on Tuesday.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>she posted a video that abused India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The video condemned the two political leaders saying that “you use people for your personal agenda” and challenged them to come forward and fight like men. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has banned the Singer Mika Singh from Indian film industry.</strong></li></ul>Two Indian music stars are facing the wrath of the nationalists. <br /><br />The UK-based rapper Hard Kaur’s <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/hard-kaur-posts-video-abusing-pm-narendra-modi-and-amit-shah-twitter-suspends-her-account-1580339-2019-08-13">Twitter account has been suspended</a> after she posted a video that abused India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah. Bollywood singing sensation Mika Singh has been boycotted by an industry association for putting up a show in Pakistan.<br /><br />The video that was posted on Twitter, condemned the two political leaders saying that “you use people for your personal agenda” and challenged them to come forward and fight like men. Since then, the video went viral across social media platforms. Soon after, she posted a video promoting her new song "We are warriors."<br /><br />
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Bg_LJA6sp/" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Bg_LJA6sp/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Bg_LJA6sp/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">#wearewarriors COMING SOON !!! NEW BANGAAA WITH MY KAUR AVATAR 🦅⚔️💙 #punjabreferendum2020 #referendum2020 @sikhs.for.justice #hardkaurbrigade @thetimesofindia @hindustantimes @the_hindu @nytimes @thewirein @thepolisproject @theprintindia @thequint @thelallantop @indianexpress #khalistanzindabad @ranasingh2020 #khalistaniwarrior</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialhardkaur/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> HARDKAUR BRIGADE 🦅</a> (@officialhardkaur) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-08-11T12:30:23+00:00">Aug 11, 2019 at 5:30am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
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<br />The two minute long video featured Hard Kaur along with Khalistan supporters, who favoured Khalistan movement — a sikh movement that seeks to create a separate country ‘Khalistan’ in the Punjab region.<br /><br />However, this is not the first time that the rapper Hard Kaur has attacked Indian politicians. Back in June 2019, she was also booked because of her <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/movies/hard-kaurs-twitter-account-suspended-after-rapper-posts-video-supporting-khalistan-movement-2269827.html">negative remarks</a> against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. "In history, Mahatma Gandhi and Mahavir fought against Brahminical caste system. You are not a nationalist," she had commented earlier.<br /><br /><strong>Mika Singh in trouble</strong><br /><br />Meanwhile, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has banned the Singer Mika Singh from Indian film industry — boycotting all the movies and music contracts — after he was found performing in Karachi, Pakistan.<br /><br />
	
	
	
	
  
  
  
  
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<br />A letter from AICWA President Suresh Shyamlal Gupta stated: "AICWA bans and boycott singer Mika Singh from the Indian film industry for performing at a high profile event at Karachi dated August 8, 2019."<br /><br />"AICWA takes a tough stand of immediately boycotting all his association with movie production houses, music companies and online music content providers," IANS reported. <br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/twitter-suspended-a-conspiracy-theory-account-after-trump-retweeted-it/articleshow/70466855.cms">Twitter suspended a conspiracy theory account after Trump retweeted it</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/twitter-admitted-that-it-has-been-tracking-users-and-collecting-user-data-to-share-with-advertisers/articleshow/70570347.cms">Twitter is ‘sorry’ that it shared your data and tracked you without permission for over a year</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/the-london-based-indian-billionaire-who-shared-prison-time-with-the-bikini-killer/articleshow/70660728.cms">The London-based Indian billionaire who shared prison time with the ‘bikini killer’</a><br />

Here’s why Twitter suspended rapper Hard Kaur’s account and singer Mika Singh faces ban from the film association

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46986732.cms" /> Adoption gives one the immeasurable happiness of parenting a child. <br />
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India has over 30 million orphans and when you take into account the vast number of childless couples in India longing for a child, only 2,500 children were adopted last year.<br />
<br /> A survey by <keyword id="977610" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Society-For-Assisted-Reproduction">Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction</keyword> (ISAR) shows that 46% couples in the age group of 31-40 years are infertile.<br />
What are the problems that deprive countless children of a happy and secure life?<br />
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On paper, India has all the legalities of adoption worked out with the child’s welfare paramount.  Any Indian, an Indian NRI or a foreigner aged 21 years and above, who is medically fit and financially able to take care of a child, is eligible to adopt a child in India.<br />
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The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956 governs adoption by India citizens who are Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists and does not permit adoption of more than one child of the same sex.<br />
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Adoption by Indian citizens who are Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Jews, Indian NRIs and foreign citizens are governed by the Guardian and Wards Act of 1890 under which the adoptive parent is only the guardian of the child till its majority at 18 years of age.<br />
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NRIs and foreign adoptive parents must within a period of 2 years of guardianship complete the process of formally adopting the child under the adoption  laws of their country of residence.  Abandoned or abused children adopted by non Hindus come under the Juvenile Justice Act of 2000.<br />
<br /> The <keyword id="6413285" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Adoption-Resource-Authority">Central Adoption Resource Authority</keyword> (CARA) under the <keyword id="2816225" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Women-and-Child">Ministry of Women and Child</keyword> development is the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by <keyword id="6377129" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-Of-India">Government of India</keyword> in 2003.<br />
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The problem with legal adoption is it takes anywhere between three to four years to complete the formalities.  Over cautious and at times callous bureaucracy, burdensome legal formalities and paperwork, never ending delays all add to adoptive parent’s woes.<br />
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It takes almost two years for a home check of the adoptive parents. Many prospective parents drop out fed by the weary journey that often ends in bitter disappointment.  Or they turn to private adoption agencies where once again they are either taken for a ride or unable to legally become adoptive parents due to lack of papers. NRIs and foreigners are unable to get a passport that will enable them to take their child with them.<br />
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Illegal trafficking has become so rampant that babies are disappearing from hospitals itself and the inflow to orphanages and adoption agencies has come down. <br />
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Indian couples face much more social and familial pressure than their western counterparts.  They seek to adopt children who can conform to their ethnic, religious, social and cultural milieu.  Other prejudices like sex of the child colour of the child and physical attributes and health are amongst adoption deterrent factors.  Unlike western countries unhealthy or disabled children are rarely adopted by Indians.<br />
<br />
Attitudes are slowly changing and several prejudices are being rooted out but ‘Adoption per se’ is not a very acceptable notion in India despite the lip service paid to it.  Global preference for one’s own flesh and blood is also applicable in India.<br />
<br />
But the main obstacles are legal and bureaucratic. Appalled at the state of affairs,<br /> India’s Minister for Women and Child Development, the feisty Ms. <keyword id="42851" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maneka-Gandhi">Maneka Gandhi</keyword> has warned of strict action against CARA for its inaction.<br /> She also said under the new act CARA would get more teeth with the power to remove SARA (State <keyword id="2816224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adoption-Resource-Authority">Adoption Resource Authority</keyword>), remove adoption agencies or even completely ban them. Ms. Gandhi also wanted the time factor for adoption to be brought down to four months. <br />
The Minister also announced the launch of ‘Foster Care scheme’ where the government will pay the foster parents the cost of parenting the foster child, a popular scheme in several countries like USA, UK, Canada, Japan etc.   However in India foster care is mostly with relatives or as a pre adoption stage. <br />
<br />
Government’s active change and support and changing social values coupled with the growing infertility rate will hopefully lead to an increase in adoption in India.<br />
<em>Image: thinkstock </em><br />


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