Latest news with #Legislative
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain's Ashura Model Praised Abroad
TDT | Manama Bahrain's model of religious tolerance during Ashura received praise at a regional parliamentary session this week in Cairo, with Member of Parliament Dr. Hisham Ahmed Al-Asheeri commending the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa for their support of the annual commemorations. Speaking on the sidelines of the Legislative, Legal and Human Rights Affairs Committee of the Arab Parliament in Cairo, Dr. Al-Asheeri said the royal directives to ensure the safety and dignity of Ashura rituals reflected Bahrain's values of coexistence and mutual respect. 'The annual support from official, security, and service agencies ensures that religious rituals are held in a safe and organised environment,' he said, calling it a reflection of Bahrain's 'civilised approach' rooted in His Majesty's comprehensive reform project. He noted that such efforts not only uphold religious freedoms but also strengthen national unity by respecting sectarian and cultural diversity. The meeting in Cairo formed part of the Arab Parliament's general session. Dr. Al-Asheeri and other members reviewed progress on prior recommendations and discussed regional legal proposals, including a draft law on illegal immigration and a preliminary Arab parliamentary vision for consumer protection. The MP said the discussions were taking place amid rapid global challenges, with the committee working to address them from both legal and humanitarian perspectives. Dr. Al-Asheeri also reviewed resolutions issued during the 34th Arab Summit, held in Iraq last month, as part of the committee's broader legislative agenda.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana Ten Commandments law ruled unconstitutional by federal appeals court
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday that Louisiana's law to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms is unconstitutional. Louisiana became the first state in the nation to pass the bill requiring public schools and universities to display the Ten Commandments in the 2024 regular legislative session. The law stated that it would be displayed with a large, readable font on an 11-by-14-inch poster or framed document. 'We strongly disagree with the Fifth Circuit's affirmance of an injunction preventing five Louisiana parishes from implementing HB71. We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court,' Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. 'The Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws—serving both an educational and historical purpose in our classrooms. I fully support Attorney General Murrill's decision to seek an en banc panel to review the decision,' said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. Timeline of Louisiana's Ten Commandments Law: June 19, 2024: A bill requiring public schools and universities to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was passed during the 2024 Regular Legislative Session. June 24, 2024: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit claiming the law violated students' First Amendment rights. Some religious leaders and activists also voiced opposition to the law. Aug. 5, 2024: Murrill called for the lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing it was premature and that the plaintiffs could not demonstrate actual harm. July 19, 2024: Louisiana agreed to pause implementation of the law until a hearing could be held, initially scheduled for Nov. 15. Oct. 21, 2024: A hearing debated whether the law should go into effect while its constitutionality is litigated. The preliminary injunction allowed arguments on both sides regarding the posting of the Commandments. Nov. 12, 2024: A federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, prohibiting the display of the Ten Commandments in schools. Dec. 11, 2024: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed an opening brief to defend Louisiana's Ten Commandments law in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Jan. 23, 2025: Oral arguments held in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to address the state's appeal of the preliminary injunction. Can public money flow to Catholic charter school? The Supreme Court will decide US Senator Bill Cassidy take steps to ensure public's trust in vaccines Supreme Court approves swift deportation Under Trump Policy Baton Rouge Police Chief shares vision for safer community as crime rate drops Our Lady of the Lake showcases newest surgical technology Suspect arrested, accused of shooting man after an argument in Baton Rouge Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
West Bengal: Mock-polling held ahead of bypolls in Kaliganj
Kaliganj (West Bengal) [India], June 19 (ANI): Mock polling was held at a polling booth in the Kaliganj assembly constituency ahead of voting for the Kaliganj bye-elections, which began at 7 AM. The visuals show election officials casting a vote and conducting a mock-polling drill before the actual polling begins. Pradyut Mallick, Presiding Officer at Booth No 171, Debagram DK Girls High School, in the Kaliganj Assembly Constituency, told ANI, 'Good arrangements have been made by the Election Commission. Security is also good... Seeing everything, we are confident that voting will take place peacefully... Mock poll is going on currently, and everything is going on smoothly... There are 1174 voters in this polling station...' The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has fielded Alifa Ahmed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Ashish Ghosh, and the Congress has fielded Kabil Uddin Shaikh as candidates for the by-elections. On Saturday, the BJP announced Ashish Ghosh as the candidate for the upcoming Kaliganj assembly constituency bypoll. Meanwhile, the TMC announced Alifa Ahmed as their candidate for the Kaliganj shared a post on their official 'X' handle and informed about the development. 'AITC, under the inspiration and guidance of Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, we are pleased to announce the candidate for the upcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly By-election scheduled for 19th June, 2025', the 'X' post read. Bye elections in Kaliganj will be held on June 19, and the results will be counted on June 23. The seat became vacant following the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed. On May 25, the Election Commission of India announced dates for by-elections on five assembly constituencies across four states. These include Gujarat's Kadi and Visavadar, Kerala's Nilambur, Punjab's Ludhiana West and West Bengal's Kaliganj. Bye-election will be held in Gujarat's constituencies Kadi and Visavadar to fill the posts of Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki, who passed away in February this year, and the resignation of Bhayani Bhupendrabhai Gandubhai. In Kerala, the bye-election will be held in Nilambur to fill the post of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who resigned in January this year. He was appointed convener of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In Punjab, the bye-election will be held in Ludhiana West to fill the post of Gurpreet Bassi Gogi after his demise in January. (ANI)
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queen's Park visible to public for 1st time in 5 years
The public can once again see the statue of John A. Macdonald outside Queens Park. The statue had been surrounded by wooden hoarding for the past five years. It was first covered up in 2020 after demonstrators threw pink paint on it amid wave of protests across the country that took aim at Macdonald as Canadians grappled with the history of residential schools. Workers took down the hoarding Wednesday after a legislative committee voted to remove the covering last month. "As Speaker, I recognize the sensitivities surrounding the history of Canada's first Prime Minister and I welcome all Ontarians to express their views — peacefully," Speaker Donna Skelly said in a statement about the removal of the hoarding. "Violence and acts of vandalism will not be tolerated, and the Legislative Protective Service will actively monitor the statue and grounds." Children's shoes that were placed at the base of the statue after the discovery of possible unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools were "carefully and respectfully" removed and stored prior to the removal of the hoarding, the statement says. The question of what to do with the monument of Canada's first Prime Minister has been controversial. Macdonald is considered an architect of the country's residential school system that took Indigenous children from their families in an effort to assimilate them. WATCH | The complicated legacy of Canada's first PM: The NDP's Sol Mamakwa is a residential school survivor, and the only First Nation member at Queen's Park. He has said the statue is a source of pain. "It's not just a statue," he said last month after the decision to uncover the statue was made. "It's a statue of oppression. It is a statue of colonialism. It is a statue of Indian residential schools." Skelly says she hopes a committee will approve a monument recognizing those who attended residential schools and said Mamakwa would be welcome to join that committee.
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald outside Queen's Park uncovered after five years
After five years behind protective hoarding, the 1894 statue of Sir John A. Macdonald on the front lawn of the legislature is being uncovered. Workers have put a protective coating on the bronze figure gazing south down University Avenue along with a plaque acknowledging his controversial role in creating residential schools where thousands of Indigenous children died after being taken from their families. The statue was covered after repeated acts of vandalism. 'I recognize the sensitivities surrounding the history of Canada's first prime minister and I welcome all Ontarians to express their views — peacefully,' Donna Skelly, speaker of the legislature, said in a statement Wednesday. Workers unveil the statue. 'Violence and acts of vandalism will not be tolerated, and the Legislative Protective Service will actively monitor the statue and grounds.' Officers were keeping a close eye on the statue as the uncovering proceeded Wednesday morning. A plaque in front of the statue states in part 'though we cannot change the history we inherited, we can shape the history we wish to leave behind' and notes officials at the legislature, including a committee of MPPs, are considering how Indigenous history can be better represented in the building and on its grounds. When the decision was made by the legislature's all-party board of internal economy last month to removed the hoarding, Indigenous New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) — who survived residential schools — made it clear he was hurt by the move and warned it remains a target. 'It might come down, it might get spray-painted. I don't know. But let them learn,' he told reporters. 'We are still trying to find our kids, our ancestors, in these residential schools,' he added, referring to ground radar searches for graves in former school locations across Canada. There have been criticisms that the plaque now in place does not say more about the controversy over Macdonald and many suggestions have been made about how to deal with his statue, such as moving it into a museum where its context can be better explored or a building a monument on residential schools nearby. Tiny shoes placed in front of the boarded-up statue in tribute to residential schoolchildren have been 'carefully and respectfully removed' and stored. Some left there years ago had already been moved into the legislature and included in an exhibit of Indigenous art called the Gathering Place. Residential schools began in 1883 under Macdonald's government and the last one closed in 1996. About 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes and forced into a system likened to apartheid and genocide. In its 2015 report, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission initially counted 3,201 deaths at the schools , where the search for unmarked graves is expected to take years.
