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64-year-old Female Politician Wins Indian Presidential Election

Published

2 years ago

July 21, 2022

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A woman from India’s tribal minority, Droupadi Murmu, was elected as the country’s president Thursday with the backing of the ruling party, making her the first person from the marginalised community to occupy the top post.

Murmu, who is from the Santhal tribe, secured the largely ceremonial position with the support of more than half the electorate of MPs and state legislators, partial results released by the election commission showed.

Murmu, 64, was nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the post.

Modi tweeted to congratulate Murmu, saying her “exemplary success motivates each and every Indian”.

“She has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalised and the downtrodden.”

Her closest rival, the opposition-backed Yashwant Sinha — an ex-member of the BJP and former finance and external affairs minister, also tweeted his congratulations.

“India hopes that as the 15th President of the Republic she functions as the custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour,” Sinha wrote.

Murmu will be the country’s second woman president after Pratibha Patil, who held the position for five years from 2007, and succeeds Ram Nath Kovind, the second president from the Dalit community, the bottom of the Hindu caste system.

Born in Mayurbhanj district in the eastern state of Odisha, the president-elect began her career as a schoolteacher before joining politics.

NDLEA detains Indian businessman over 134,700 bottles of codeine
She has held ministerial positions in the state government and been governor of the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.

“As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, I had not thought about becoming the candidate for the top post,” she told reporters soon after her nomination this month.

Murmu’s win was considered a certainty because of the strength of the ruling BJP and its allies in the parliament and state assemblies.

But the post is largely ceremonial and her election is not expected to make significant practical difference to the tribal community, which has long been relegated to the margins of society.

“We’ve been on the road fighting for tribal rights since the 90s,” activist Dayamani Barla told AFP.

“Whatever agenda the BJP… has to place a politician from a tribal community in the post of the President, she will only be able to do anything if she is allowed to use her pen.”

The prime minister and the cabinet wield executive powers in India, although the head of state can send back a few parliamentary bills for reconsideration and also helps in the process of forming governments.

“Sitting on the seat is not as big a deal as much as it is having the power to actually use your position,” said Barla.

AFP

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Catholic Monk Comes Out As Transgender, Urges Church To Embrace Trans Members

Published

3 hours ago

May 21, 2024

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A Catholic monk came out as transgender this month, saying the church has “to deal with” trans Catholics.

On May 17, Brother Christian Matson, a Catholic monk in Kentucky, told Religion News Service, “This Sunday, Pentecost 2024 (May 19), I’m planning to come out publicly as transgender.”

“You’ve got to deal with us, because God has called us into this church. It’s not your church to kick us out of—this is God’s church, and God has called us and engrafted us into it,” Matson, who holds a doctorate in religious studies, told the Church regarding transgender Catholics.

Matson transitioned during college and converted to Catholicism four years later. He hopes his coming out will spark meaningful discussions about the inclusion of transgender individuals within the Catholic community.

His announcement comes just a month after the Vatican released “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that criticizes gender theory, abortion, and surrogacy as attacks on humanity’s connection with God.

Matson expressed disappointment that the Vatican’s stance on trans issues lacks scientific engagement. He has written multiple letters to the Vatican, urging leaders to interact more with transgender individuals.

Matson sought advice from a canon lawyer when he felt called to serve in the Church. The lawyer suggested the role of a diocesan hermit, which does not distinguish based on sex or gender.

Despite this, Matson faced rejections from several communities before finding acceptance in Kentucky.

“People who knew me said, ‘You clearly have a religious vocation,’ and these were all people who knew my medical history,” Matson said.

However, those responsible for decision-making within communities often refused to meet with him.

Bishop John Stowe, a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Catholic Church, received a letter from Matson in 2020 and oversaw his vows in 2022.

Catholic monk comes out as transgender, urges Church to embrace trans members
Bishop Stowe gave Matson permission to come out as transgender

“My willingness to be open to him is because it’s a sincere person seeking a way to serve the church. Hermits are a rarely used form of religious life … but they can be either male or female,” Stowe told the RNS.

Matson spent his initial year almost entirely in prayer or working at a local theater and renewed his vows in 2023.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda, I just want to serve the church,” Matson said. “People can believe that or not.”

Headline

JUST IN: One Dead, Many Injured As Deadly Turbulence Hit Singapore-bound Plane

Published

12 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

One person died and multiple people were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, the company said.

“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook.

The PUNCH reports that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident.

It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route.

“The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. More details at https://bit.ly/4bLqfCF. Regular updates will be provided on our Facebook and X accounts.”

The airline added that it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.

Turbulence during a flight refers to the irregular or unpredictable movement of air that causes the aircraft to experience sudden, erratic motions.

It is a common occurrence and can range from mild bumps to severe jolts.

Details later

Headline

Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.