Women at Microsoft Corp working in US-based technical jobs filed 238 internal complaints about gender discrimination or sexual harassment between 2010 and 2016, according to court filings made public on 12 March.

The figure was cited by plaintiffs suing Microsoft for systematically denying pay raises or promotions to women at the world’s largest software company. Microsoft denies it had any such policy.

The lawsuit, filed in Seattle federal court in 2015, is attracting wider attention after a series of powerful men have left or been fired from their jobs in entertainment, the media and politics for sexual misconduct.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys are pushing to proceed as a class action lawsuit, which could cover more than 8,000 women. More details about Microsoft’s human resources practices were made public on 12 March in legal filings submitted as part of that process.

The two sides are exchanging documents ahead of trial, which has not been scheduled.

Out of 118 gender discrimination complaints filed by women at Microsoft, only one was deemed“founded” by the company, according to details in the unsealed court filings.

Attorneys for the women called the number of complaints“shocking” in the court filings and the response by Microsoft’s investigations team“lackluster.”

Companies generally keep information about internal discrimination complaints private, so it is unclear how the number of complaints at Microsoft compares to competitors.

Microsoft said in court filings that the plaintiffs did not identify practices that impact enough employees to warrant a class action, and that it spends more than $55 million per year to promote diversity and inclusion. The company had about 74,000 US employees at the end of 2017.

Microsoft said the plaintiffs cannot cite one example of a pay or promotion problem in which Microsoft’s investigations team should have found a violation of company policy, but did not. A Microsoft spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

US District Judge James Robart has not yet ruled on the plaintiffs’ request for class action status.

A Reuters review of federal court cases filed between 2006 and 2016 revealed hundreds containing sexual harassment allegations where companies used common civil litigation tactics to keep potentially damning information under wraps.

Microsoft had argued that the number of womens’ human resources complaints should be kept secret because publicizing the outcomes could deter employees from reporting future abuses.

A court-appointed official found that scenario“far too remote a competitive or business harm” to justify keeping the information sealed.

Priyanka Chopra says women have the “superpower” to balance career with family and it is high time men understood that their aspirations are equally important. The 35-year-old actor, who entered the film industry soon after winning the Miss World title at the age of 18, credits her parents, especially her father, for understanding her dreams and helping her achieve them.

“I came from a family where everyone questioned my decision to become an actor. There was a big debate in my house. But my parents, especially my father said, ‘I am standing by her in whatever she wants to do. I will make sure nothing wrong happens to her.’ He kept his promise. He was with me always till I was 23. He used to be my manager. I had the support of my father,” Priyanka told in an interview.

“The men in the world need to understand that as soon as you empower a woman, as soon as you give her the opportunity to be her best, she can handle both family and career. I feel boys can’t tackle both. Look at the medals at Commonwealth Games, most of them have been won by women because they had this opportunity,” she says. The actor believes society needs to be more open towards the idea of women being ambitious. She says people have still not warmed up to the idea of a career-oriented woman.

“Girls being ambitious is still like… ‘haw kitni ambitious hai!’ (she is so ambitious!). Women have the superpower where they can manage their family and their ambition together. Just because a woman is working, it does not mean she won’t be able to take care of her family. My mother was a working woman. She is double MD. She raised two children, who seem to be alright. We need to separate the two things,” she says.

Priyanka, who has always been upfront about her ideas on issues pertaining to gender equality and women’s health, says being an entertainer gives her a platform to spread awareness about various social causes. “I take my social responsibility very seriously. I know I am an influencer. I know because of being an entertainer, I have the ears of people. They will listen to me. I like to use the platform to be able to make a change. I know what my life would have ended up being had my parents not taught me to be the way I am. So, I like to take that opportunity, especially when I believe in a cause.”

The actor, however, does not think working for social welfare is solely a celebrity’s job. She believes promoting a cause is a personal decision and celebrities should not be expected to behave like superheroes. “So many people ask me ‘you are celebrity, what do you do for the world?’ People never ask themselves what they have done. As an entertainer, it is my job to entertain people and I am doing it. And I don’t understand why celebrities are expected to do everything and solve world problems. I am doing this because I want to.

“I am a strong believer that each one of us needs to be socially responsible. But it is an individual’s decision. For me, it is important that I will fly down in the middle of my shoot just for 12 hours. But everybody can’t be expected to have the same standard. And I do think, we tend to sometimes think that actors should be perfect, but we are not… We are humans,” says Priyanka.

Priyanka, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, flew down to Delhi from Dublin, Ireland to formally introduce the 2018 Partners’ Forum, a platform which works towards improving the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. The actor says despite being a public figure, she does not censor her opinions to fit the popular narrative which sometimes lands her in trouble.

“… I am logical, but not careful. That is why I get into trouble. But I speak from my heart and I know I don’t have any malice. I know there are people out there who are waiting with a magnifying glass to see if I speak something wrong. I always hope that I don’t say something wrong and if I say I am not shy to apologise. But if I am not wrong, I will defend myself,” she says.

Fashionable women, dark-haired Saudis and blonde Eastern Europeans alike, fill the gold-trimmed halls of Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, marking the start of Saudi Arabia’s first-ever fashion week. Models and make-up artists, preparing for the inaugural Saudi episode of Arab Fashion Week, said they were surprised the event was taking place in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.

“We are so excited because this is the first fashion week in Saudi Arabia, so we are making history,” model Anita Dmycroska said. Strict social restrictions have eased dramatically under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has reined in religious police, introduced public concerts, and lifted bans on cinemas and women driving.

Yet, restrictions persist. Tuesday’s reception was open to men and cameras, but only women are permitted at catwalk events and outside photography is barred. Women in public places in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, wear abayas — loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of piety.

With recent reforms, women in some cities have begun to don more colourful abayas, sometimes trimmed with lace and velvet or left open to reveal long skirts or jeans. No abayas will feature on the catwalk. The event hosts invitation-only fashion viewings and a Harvey Nichols pop-up store in a tent that was still being erected hours before the first show.

Another tent holds the catwalk, featuring designers from Brazil, Lebanon, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

The event, initially scheduled for last month, was postponed because of delays in issuing visas. Industry figures from Italy, Russia and Lebanon flocked to Riyadh, many for the first time, to admire the work of local and international designers. Layla Issa Abouzeid, Saudi Arabia country director for the Dubai-based Arab Fashion Council (AFC) organising the event, said 1,500 people were expected to attend, including 400 from abroad.
She hopes the event will bring revenue into the kingdom and highlight local talent. “[When] people go to Paris on the Paris Fashion week, the hotels are fully booked,” she said. “I want to create the same demand in Saudi Arabia, twice a year. I want to create a platform for the local designers to go worldwide.”

Lebanese designer Naja Saade came to Riyadh to display his couture collection. “I’m very proud to participate in this first edition of Arab Fashion Week in Saudi Arabia, because it’s a part of the revolution of the women in this country,” he said. By bringing talent from Europe and placing international brands on the same catwalk as Arab brands, he hopes to elevate local fashion designers. AFC wants to introduce fashion courses, internships and scholarships to Saudi Arabia and develop a fashion district in Riyadh.

The alleged crime came to light when the elder of the two sisters, who is 17 years old, told her mother about the ordeal last week.

A 42-year-old fashion designer was arrested in suburban Vakola for allegedly sexually assaulting his two daughters, police said on Tuesday.

The alleged crime came to light when the elder of the two sisters, who is 17 years old, told her mother about the ordeal last week, said a police official. The younger sister is 13 years old, he said.

When the woman confronted her husband about it, he abused her, after which she took both the girls to the Vakola police station and lodged a complaint, said senior inspector Kailashchand Avhad.

Police registered a case of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against the man.

The elder girl, who is a class XI student, told police that her father had sexually assaulted her many times in the last two years, the officer said.

He allegedly threatened to stop paying for her education and even throw her out of the house if she complained.

In November last year, the accused tried to sexually assault her younger sister too, she told police. The accused was arrested on April 8 and a special court for the POCSO Act sent him in police custody till April 12, Avhad said, adding that that probe is underway.

On Saturday, Telugu actress Sri Reddy stripped naked in front of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the existing casting couch in the film industry. Another point that she wanted to put forth is that native Telugu actress should be given more roles than outsiders.

Following her ‘stripping’ episode, earlier in the day today, she resorted to her Facebook page to inform the audience and media that her landlord has asked her to vacate the house. “My owner called me and told to vacate my house,what a great people..he is working as an ias ..such a narrow minded people..U dnt even imagine how rude talking..Big people game started (sic),” wrote Reddy on her social media page.

However, Sri Reddy’s act did not go down well with Movie Artists Association (MAA) and they have banned her for the brazen act. In fact, MAA has even threatened that they would suspend any member who worked with her.
Sri Reddy spoke about how a top producer’s son forced her to maintain physical relation with him in the studio and many such scandalising revelations.

“I am a victim. One of the producers’ sons used me in the studio. Studio belongs to the government; they have assigned the property to the guy. Why is the government giving studios?” Sri questioned.

She also assured that she will reveal the name of the person but at the right time. “I will provide photos also. That is my Brahmastra,” she said.

Talking in detail about the incident, where the top producer’s son allegedly exploited her sexually, she said, “He used to take me to the studio and he used to f**k me. He is the son of a top producer who is ruling the Telugu film industry. He used to force sex (on me). He would ask me to come to the studio and I said I will go only to talk, not for any sexual act. But after going there, he used to force (me to have) sex.”

She further added, “Studios are the safest place to use for sex. Big directors, producers and heroes use studios as brothels. It’s like a red-light area. And it is the safest place because no one will come inside; police also will not check, and the government is not taking this as a big issue.”

Unhappy with the native talent being ignored, Reddy said that North Indian actresses always have an upper hand over them because they agree to sexual favours. She has also accused of the top four film families in the Tollywood of crushing fresh talent.

Reddy questions the MAA’s decision of banning her and said that this film body offered her crores of rupees for settlement and not approach the media. “I did not do it only for myself, I did it for all the girls and women who are facing this problem,” she said.

Though her act has been canned as a publicity stunt, she reveals that she had four offers in hand when she decided to voice her opinion. “I will fight till my last breath. They have already smashed my career. If I get any offer, then I will do, otherwise I will go back to TV but I will not stop fighting,” she said.

Sri Reddy was a news presenter and anchor before she entered films.

An Indian nurse has committed suicide by jumping off a hospital’s rooftop in Al Ain city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the media reported.

The woman, identified as Suja Singh, was in her early 40s and hailed from Kerala. She jumped from the hospital’s building on Sunday afternoon, the Gulf News reported on Monday citing hospital sources.

Suja Singh is survived by two children who study abroad. No immediate reason for the suicide was ascertained.

An official spokesperson of the hospital where she worked confirmed the incident and said she was working as a head of nurses since January.

“The entire hospital is in shock… We are fully supporting the family of the victim in this difficult time. Suja Singh had no issues with the hospital or any of its members. She was working fine,” the official said.

According to the daily, Suja Singh was a divorcee. The hospital approached her children abroad but they were reportedly not ready to receive the body.

The hospital said the family didn’t want to take the body to India and was planning to arrange her burial in the Emirate.

AIADMK’s jailed leader V.K. Sasikala was granted parole for 15 days on Tuesday to attend her husband M. Natarajan’s last rites, Bengaluru Central Jail Chief Superintendent M. Somashekar said.

Natarajan, 74, died on Tuesday in Chennai after he was hospitalized on March 16 for chest infection and kept on ventilator support.

His body is to be taken to his village in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, about 350 km south of Chennai, for last rites.

Sasikala is currently serving a four-year sentence since February 15 last year after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in a corruption case.