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Interviews with North Korean refugees and ex-officials reveal widespread sexual abuse and total impunity. Despite the horrendous scale of abuse against women, just five people were convicted of rape in 2015. North Korean officials in positions of power regularly sexually abuse women without any repercussions, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday. Sexual violence against women is so widespread in the reclusive country that it "has come to be accepted as part of ordinary life," the New York-based watchdog said. "Sexual violence in North Korea is an open, unaddressed, and widely tolerated secret," said Human Rights Watch's executive director Kenneth Roth. "North Korean woman would probably say 'Me Too' if they thought there was any way to obtain justice, but their voices are silenced in Kim Jong Un's dictatorship." The report, "You Cry at Night but Don't Know Why," is based on interviews with 54 North Korea...

Hundreds of brand-new Maseratis were destroyed in a large fire at the Italian port city of Savona on Tuesday after, following a flood in the north-western Italian town. After sea waters rose and flooded the port last night, including the two parking areas, local media reports that the salt water caused car batteries to explode and catch fire in the early hours of this morning. Most of the vehicles destroyed in the blaze were brand new Maserati. Several hundred were reportedly stored at the terminal ready for export to the Middle East, the Local reported. Lorries and other vehicles parked at the terminal were also caught in the blaze. This is the second major fire to break out at the port in a week. On October 23 the Port Authority building was completely destroyed after fire broke out. The storm also destroyed a quay at the port yesterday, as the town was battered by strong winds, rain and high waves in storms that affected most of Italy, leaving nine people dead and one missing...

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said the National Assembly and other institutions of the country should stand with the Supreme Court on its decision to acquit Asia Bibi. “The Supreme Court is our national institutional. I think that the National Assembly along with all other institutions should stand with the Supreme,” Bilawal said while speaking to reporters. The PPP chairman added that the country could not be run from the streets and had to be run according to the Constitution and rule of law. “I am waiting for the day when the country is run through the rule of law and not threats.” Bilawal also spoke on the national action plan and how the previous and past governments had failed to implement it. Earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death over blasphemy allegations. The apex court cleared Asia Bibi of all blasphemy allegations and ordered her immediate release.

Amanullah Kanrani was elected to the highly coveted post of president, Supreme Court Bar Association (SBCA) on Wednesday after a tough contest between the Independent Group (Asma Jahangir’s panel) led by Ali Ahmed Kurd, and the Professional Group (Hamid Khan’s panel) led by Kanrani. Kanrani obtained 1092 votes in total whereas Kurd received 950 votes. Both Kurd and Kanrani were running for the SCBA presidency for a second time. The former had won the election and served as SCBA president in 2008 whereas the latter lost the election against Kamran Murtaza in 2013. In Lahore, the vice president's election resulted in victory for Karamat Ali Malir, who secured 466 votes against his opponent, Tayyab Nasir Mohammad, who garnered 331 votes. Azmatullah Chaudhry of the Asma Jahangir group was elected to the post of SCBA general secretary for Lahore after securing 438 votes, as opposed to the Hamid Khan panel hopeful Shamimur Rehman, who obtained 360 votes. After the results were ann...

The 71th Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is being celebrated with traditional zeal and fervour today. On November 1, 1948, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had revolted against Dogra Raj and liberated 72,000 square kilometres of geo-strategically located land. The GB government has declared an official holiday on the occasion. The main function will be held in historic Chinar Bagh Yadgar-e-Shuhada. Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Raj Jala Hussain, Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Force Commander Northern Areas Major General Ehsan Mehmood along with civil and military officials and GB war veterans will attend the flag-hoisting ceremony. The officials will lay floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offer Fatiha. Gilgit-Baltistan now connects Pakistan with its all-weather friend China, Afghanistan and India.

The chief prosecutor in Istanbul has alleged that Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was strangled to death as soon as he entered the Saudi Consulate. Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Irfan Fidan said on Wednesday that Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was strangled to death in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as soon as he entered the building and his body was dismembered before being disposed of. Fidan said it was a premeditated operation. A statement from Fidan's office also said that discussions with Saudi Attorney General Saud al-Mojeb yielded no "concrete results" despite "good-willed efforts" by Turkey to uncover the truth. The statement is the first public allegation by Turkish law enforcement that Khashoggi was strangled and dismembered after he entered the Saudi Consulate on Oct. 2 to collect paperwork that he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. The announcement came as Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb, was heading ho...

Chelsea dumped Frank Lampard s Derby out of the League Cup on Wednesday despite a valiant effort by the Championship side to battle back from a defensive Halloween horror show. Maurizio Sarri s much-changed side eventually emerged 3-2 winners, with all five goals coming in a helter-skelter first half, on a night when there were also fourth-round victories for Arsenal, Tottenham and Middlesbrough. Two astonishing early defensive errors at Stamford Bridge from Fikayo Tomori -- on loan from Chelsea -- and Richard Keogh either side of a Jack Marriott equaliser gave the home side a 2-1 lead. Undaunted, Lampard s side levelled shortly before the half-hour through Martyn Waghorn before Cesc Fabregas restored order for the Premier League high-flyers. Lampard, one of Chelsea s greatest-ever players, felt his side deserved a draw on chances created but said he was a "lucky man" to be able to enjoy such an occasion. "The difference between the sides was they scored three... ...

Pakistan has improved its ranking by 11 points and moved from 147 to 136 in Doing Business (DB) Report published by World Bank. Advisor to Prime Minister Mr Razzak Dawood, in a statement, said that since the launch of DB report in 2002, it is the first time that Pakistan has jumped 11 points in one year. Meanwhile, talking to media in Islamabad, Chairman Board of Investment Haroon Sharif said this improvement clearly reflects the confidence of private sector on the reform drives of the government.

A man set off a bomb at the entrance of an office belonging to Russia’s main intelligence agency, killing himself and injuring three security officials. The man entered the Federal Security Service (FSB) office in the city of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia and removed a bomb from a bag, which detonated, Moscow’s anti-terrorist committee said. It confirmed three FSB employees were injured in the explosion and said at least one was in intensive care. Russian investigators identified the attacker as a local 17-year-old man and said they are treating the attack as an act of terrorism. It was unclear if the man meant to just leave the bomb or had intended to blow himself up. A short while before the blast, a message about a terror attack appeared on a leftist-anarchist forum. In the chat, the person, who identifies as a "anarchist-communist" mentions an exact place and a motive: fabrications and torture allegedly committed by the FSB. The chat was open, and several of its...

All educational institutes across Punjab will remain closed today (Thursday) in light of the traffic and law and order situation in the country, a spokesperson for the provincial government confirmed. In Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, however, only the private educational institutes will remain closed, while all schools, colleges, and universities in Balochistan are expected to remain open as per schedule. The Punjab government spokesperson added that intermediate exams slated for Thursday under all secondary education boards have been postponed and that a new date will be disclosed later. The School Education Department, in light of the expected traffic situation today, has also announced a holiday, while the University of Engineering has deferred the exams that were scheduled for today. Private educational institutes in all of KP's districts, including Peshawar, are also to remain closed today. While the government of Sindh has made no formal announcement as to whether scho...

Pakistan beat New Zealand by two runs in the first Twenty20 international in a last over thriller in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. New Zealand needed a six off the last ball to tie the match but managed a boundary to finish at 146-6 in 20 overs. Pakistan´s best bowler was Hasan Ali who finished with 3-35. Pakistan made 148-6 with Mohammad Hafeez (45), Sarfraz Ahmed (34) and Asif Ali (24) main run getters after they won the toss and batted. Adam Milne was the best New Zealand bowler with 2-28. The remaining two matches will be played in Dubai on Friday and Sunday. Pakistan, who are on a roll after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia on Sunday, brought back left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in place of another fast bowler Usman Shinwari. New Zealand left out express paceman Lockie Ferguson and included both spinners Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel. Pakistan maintained their top spot in the ICC T20 ranking with a 3-0 whitewash of Australia in Dubai on S...

The government has raised the prices of petroleum products, with petrol going up by Rs5 per litre. The price of diesel and light diesel have been raised by Rs6.37 and Rs6.48 per litre respectively. The new price of petrol is Rs97.83 per litre, diesel Rs112.94 and kerosene oil Rs86.50 per litre. The new price for light diesel is Rs82.84 per litre. The finance ministry has given approval for the increase in prices and it will be take effect from 12 am on Thursday. A day ago, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) had sent a summary to the Ministry of Petroleum recommending an increase of Rs9 per litre in petrol prices. According to sources, the body had suggested an increase of Rs13 per litre in diesel prices and Rs6.47 in kerosene oil. The government on August 30 had reduced petroleum prices by as much as Rs6 for the month of September, according to a notification. The price of petrol was reduced by Rs2.41 bringing it down to Rs92.83 per litre. High speed diesel price wen...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at PM House in Islamabad. During the meeting, matters pertaining to country’s security situation in wake of protests following the Supreme Court’s verdict in Asia Bibi case came under discussion during the meeting. The meeting was held after PM Imran addressed the nation hitting out at protesters and appealed for calm after agitating protesters called for the country s Supreme Court justices to be murdered for overturning the conviction of a Christian woman facing execution for blasphemy. Khan, who took to the nation s airwaves several hours after the court ordered the acquittal of Asia Bibi, delivered a forceful call for Pakistanis to respect the verdict which sparked protests across the country. "They are inciting you for their own political gain, you should not get trapped by them for the sake of the country, they are doing no service to Islam," Khan said. "We ...

Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for a four-day official visit tomorrow. He will begin his visit from 2nd of next month at the invitation of the Chinese leadership. This will be the first official visit of the Prime Minister to China after assuming office in August 2018. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The visit signifies the closeness and traditional warmth which characterizes Pakistan-China all weather strategic cooperative partnership. During the visit, Prime Minister Imran Khan will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The two sides will review the entire range of bilateral relations which have enjoyed a long history of mutual trust and support. The two sides will also sign several Agreements and MoUs of Cooperation in diverse fields. After his visit to Beijing, the Prime Minister will visit Shanghai to participate in First China International Import Expo in Shanghai, where Pa...

In a statement Mr. Saqr Bin Mubarak Al Mansouri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he pointed out that the State of Qatar will seek to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. He stressed that during the visit to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, the importance of supporting Pakistan economically at this stage was discussed. The Ambassador pointed out that the Qatari Finance Minister had invited Finance Minister of Pakistan His Excellency Mr. Asad Omar to visit the State of Qatar to discuss ways of cooperation between the two countries and establish a mechanism for economic cooperation. The Ambassador pointed out that the State of Qatar has the desire to invest in the port of Gwadar as well as in the fields of energy and exploration as well as refineries.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat against New Zeland in First T20 international. Pakistan continues with the same squad which whitewashed Australia earlier last Week. Pakistan maintained their top spot in the ICC T20 ranking with a 3-0 whitewash of Australia in Dubai on Sunday, cementing their place as the leading lights of the game's shortest format. Speaking to the media, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed admitted New Zealand, two points behind Australia in the world rankings having played three fewer matches, will be a tougher opponent. “They [New Zealand] have a strong team with ideal batsmen for T20 and a balanced bowling attack so we need to set the tone from the first game by winning it," said Sarfraz. He added, "We want to carry forward the winning momentum of the Australia series." Pakistan has won 10 of their 18 previous T20 internationals against New Zealand. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is also aware of the threat posed by Pakistan and s...

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday fully backed the Supreme Court's decision in the Asia Bibi case, warning protesters against clashing with the State. The prime minister's address came after a three-judge bench acquitted and ordered the release of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was earlier sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. "I'm here only because a Supreme Court verdict was announced today. The way a small section reacted to it and the language that they used, I am forced to address you," Khan said. "The decision of the judges is according to the constitution and Pakistan's constitution is according to the teachings of Islam," he said referring to Asia Bibi's acquittal by the apex court. Asia Bibi's acquittal: TLP protests in various cities across Pakistan The prime minister condemned some protesters for declaring the judges of the Supreme Court 'Wajib ul Qatl' and the army chief a 'non-Muslim'. He warne...

President Arif Alvi has congratulated Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed on the launching of local train in Karachi. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, President Arif Alvi said that Karachi faced the issue of lack of transport and the local railway service had ended a long while ago. He said that trains are among the basic means of transport around the world. Meanwhile, federal minister Sheikh Rasheed said that railways and people associated with it are crucially important to the country’s economy. He said that the local train service has been inaugurated upon the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan. In Karachi, local train service was inaugurated in the era of 60s and more than two dozen trains with three different routes used to operate across in the city.From 2007 to 2014, the local trains operating in Karachi were ended. Earlier, President Arif Alvi inaugurated local train service on Wednesday in Karachi, which will become operational on November 1 for the general ...

Mohammad Javad Zarif Khonsari, Foreign Minister of Iran called on Prime Minister Imran Khan today on his second visit during the past two months. Iranian FM is visiting Pakistan to discuss relations between the two countries and issues of mutual interest including the recovery of 12 Iranian border security guards. Earlier, Zarif met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office. “FM Qureshi welcomed Zarif at MOFA today. Detailed discussions on all issues of mutual interest including ways to enhance cooperation took place,” FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted. “Talks between Iran and Pakistan took place on all issues of mutual interest,” he added. Earlier Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif reached Islamabad early morning Wednesday for one day visit. According to the details, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived at the Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) Wednesday morning for what marks his second visit during the newly-elected Pakist...

The United Nations head has chosen diplomat Geir Pedersen to replace Staffan de Mistura as special representative in Syria. The envoy faces the Herculean task of bringing peace to the country torn by civil war. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres chose Geir Pedersen as his desired next special envoy to Syria. The Norwegian diplomat will be tasked with seeking to peacefully resolve Syria's deadly war, now in its seventh year. "I am pleased to inform you of my intention to announce the appointment of Mr. Geir O Pedersen as my Special Envoy for Syria. In taking this decision, I have consulted broadly, including with the government of the Syrian Arab Republic," Guterres said in a letter sent to media. "Mr. Pedersen will support the Syrian parties by facilitating an inclusive and credible political solution that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people," the UN head added. He called on the international community and the Syrian governm...

Austria will not sign on to a landmark UN pact regulating global migration. The right-wing government of Sebastian Kurz is following in the footsteps of leaders from the United States and Hungary. Austria will not sign a United Nations agreement on migration, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Wednesday, arguing that the pact could not adequately regulate migration and failed to adequately distinguish between legal and illegal migration. The decision by the country's right-wing government follows in the footsteps of the United States and Hungary, whose populist leaders have backed out of the agreement known as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. "We have decided that we will not join the pact," Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told Austrian public broadcaster ÖRF. Kurz, head of the conservative People's Party (ÖVP), currently governs in coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ). The coalition has taken a hard-line approach to immig...

Migrants from across the European Union have made a considerable contribution to economic growth in Europe's powerhouse, a fresh study by a leading German think tank reveals. But they don't always get the jobs they want.  Workers from fellow European Union countries were crucial in increasing economic output in Germany between 2011 and 2016, a study by the Berlin-based German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) showed Wednesday. In the period under review, migrants from across the EU added an average 0.2 percent of GDP growth annually. The study said their contribution to Germany's overall economic output was particularly big in 2015 as a result of an above-average influx of skilled labor from the bloc. The overwhelming majority of the new arrivals was able to find employment and thus fueled private consumption in Germany. According to DIW researchers, a total of 5.1 million migrants from other EU nations came to Germany between 2011 and 2015, with the high numbe...

Wildlife conservationists have called on China to reinstate the ban, saying it undermines international norms. But Beijing has defended its decision, claiming the animal parts are useful for scientific research. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Tuesday defended Beijing's decision to ease a ban on the trade of rhinoceros horns and tiger parts, effectively lifting regulations put in place in 1993. Lu said prior regulation did not take into consideration the "reasonable needs of reality." He claimed that rhinoceros horns and tiger bones are useful for medical treatment and scientific research. China's State Council announced on Monday that it would allow the previously banned animal products to be sold under strict controls. "Under the special circumstances, the regulation on the sales and use of these products will be strengthened, and any related actions will be authorized, and the trade volume will be strictly controlled," the State Counci...

An army helicopter carrying senior officials has crashed in bad weather in the western Farah province, killing all 20 on board. Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the Farah governor, said the helicopter crashed around 9:10 a.m. (0440 GMT), shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district heading toward the nearby Herat province. On board were the corps commander, Gen. Naimudullah Khalil, and two members of the Farah provincial council, its chairman, Farid Bakhtawar, and Jamila Amini, one of only two women on the nine-member council. Earlier today, A suicide bomber had blown himself up near the gate of Afghanistan’s largest prison, killing at least seven people and wounding three, officials say, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his visiting Iranian counter-part Javad Zarif held talks in Islamabad on Wednesday. They discussed all issues of mutual interest including ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields.   Iranian Foreign Minister will also call on Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said he cannot even imagine committing contempt of court and the government will operate in accordance with the law while the country will be run as per Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policies. Speaking to the media after appearing before the Supreme Court in a suo motu case regarding the transfer of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jan Muhammad, the information minister said, “I highly respect the chief justice.” “Neither I have ever committed contempt of court nor I can ever imagine of doing so,” he added. Clarifying his statement on the Islamabad IGP’s transfer which the top court termed “irresponsible” and summoned him to explain, Chaudhry said, “My statement was regarding the bureaucracy and not the court.” “We will run in accordance with the law and our admiration for bureaucracy has not been reduced,” he added. “Whenever anyone goes beyond their authority, law has the right to intervene and the Constitution is supreme ...

The Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Federal Minister Azam Swati in a suo motu case regarding the transfer of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jan Muhammad. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a suo motu case on the transfer of the Islamabad IGP. IGP Muhammad was transferred on October 27 after he allegedly refused action on a complaint by Federal Minister Senator Azam Khan Swati's son regarding an incident at the farmhouse which, the minister claims, led to three of his employees being injured. Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed, secretary establishment and interior secretary appeared before the court for the hearing. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also appeared in court after being summoned. During the hearing, the bench took strict notice of the statements of the information minister and federal minister for science and technology and summoned them. The benc...

An accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday extended former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif's transit remand till November 6 in the Ashiana Housing scheme case. The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was produced before Judge Mohammad Bashir today by the National Accountability Bureau. The anti-corruption watchdog sought a seven-day extension in Shehbaz’s transit remand, which was granted by the court. Shehbaz was arrested on October 5 in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case after he appeared before NAB in the Saaf Pani case. On October 6, an accountability court in Lahore granted NAB a 10-day physical remand of Shehbaz. The PML-N president’s remand was then extended on October 16 by 14 days. He was already on transit remand, which was to expire today before the court extended it by seven days.

Kashmiris staged a protest in front of Indian Embassy at Brussels in Belgium. It was led by president PTI Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood. Addressing the protest , he said the Indian forces are involved in oppression and brutalities on innocent Kashmiris. He said the international community should play its due role in implementation of resolutions passed by United Nations regarding Kashmir issue.

Pakistan take on New Zealand in the first game of the three-match T20 series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi today (Wednesday). Pakistan maintained their top spot in the ICC T20 ranking with a 3-0 whitewash of Australia in Dubai on Sunday, cementing their place as the leading lights of the game's shortest format. Speaking to the media, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed admitted New Zealand, two points behind Australia in the world rankings having played three fewer matches, will be a tougher opponent. “They [New Zealand] have a strong team with ideal batsmen for T20 and a balanced bowling attack so we need to set the tone from the first game by winning it," said Sarfraz. He added, "We want to carry forward the winning momentum of the Australia series." Pakistan has won 10 of their 18 previous T20 internationals against New Zealand. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is also aware of the threat posed by Pakistan and said his team needed to be at their b...

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants to end a constitutional right that automatically grants citizenship to any baby born in the United States. Trump, in an interview with "Axios on HBO,'' said his goal is halting guaranteed citizenship for babies of noncitizens and unauthorized immigrants. U.S. citizenship through birth comes via the 14th Amendment , which was ratified after the Civil War to secure U.S. citizenship for newly freed black slaves. It later was used to guarantee citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil after court challenges. Here is a look at the Citizenship Clause and how citizens worked to be included in it throughout U.S. history: The 14th Amendment In the aftermath of the Civil War, radical Republicans in Congress sought to push through a series of constitutional protections for newly emancipated black slaves. The 13th Amendment, which was ratified in December 1865, outlawed slavery. The 14th Amendment, ratified in July 1868, assured cit...

Though Pakistan has shown improvement in the health sector the last 18 years, it needs to do a lot more as the country is far behind in the region and across the globe, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report launched on Tuesday says. The report titled Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3: Localisation in Pakistan, which was compiled in collaboration with the National Health Services (NHS), says the maternal mortality rate in the country was 290 per 100,000 live births in the year 2000 which has dropped to 160. However, the SDGs require it to be reduced to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Skilled birth attendance was 23pc in 2000 and is currently at 69pc but the SDGs require them to be over 95pc by 2030. The under-five mortality rate was 112 per 1,000 live births in the year 2000 and is currently at 75 but has to be reduced to less than 25. Incidents of tuberculosis were 275 per 100,000 people in 2000 and are currently at 269 but have to be reduced to 54 by 2030. ...

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) elections for the term 2018-2-19 are being held today (Wednesday). A total of 3,047 voters will cast their votes to elect the 22-member body. Judges from across Pakistan will elect the new body for the bar association. The Lahore registry has 1291 registered votes while the Karachi registry has 504. In Islamabad, there are 484 registered votes while Peshawar has 280 votes. Quetta, Bahawalpur and Multan have 196, 89 and 203 registered votes respectively. Polling stations have been set up in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Islamabad and other cities. According to the SCBA policy, the president of the bar is elected from different province each year as per rotation policy. The slot of the president has been reserved for Balochistan this year with the two candidates vying for the being Ali Ahmad Kurd and Amanullah Kanrani. For the slot of the secretary, the contest is between Shamim-ur-Rehman Malik and Azmat...

A suicide bomber targeting a bus carrying employees of Afghanistan's biggest prison killed at least seven people on Wednesday, officials said, in the latest militant attack in the war-torn country. Another five were wounded in the blast near the facility in Kabul, which police spokesman Basir Mujahid said had hit a vehicle that staff of Pul-e-Charkhi prison were travelling in. The attacker was on foot, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. He struck as the bus was entering the jail in the east of the Afghan capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, but the Daesh has claimed most suicide attacks in Kabul in recent months. The attack comes days after a suicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission in Kabul, killing at least one person and wounding six. A wave of election-related violence has killed or wounded hundreds across the country in recent months as the Taliban and IS step ...

The top U.S. general overseeing a deployment of more than 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico said on Tuesday that troop levels would rise further but declined to say how high or estimate what the operation will cost. Many basic questions remain unanswered a day after the Pentagon announced an open-ended deployment of over 5,200 active-duty troops to the border, including the cost and scope of the mission as well as the Pentagon's assessment of any threat posed by arriving migrants. U.S. President Donald Trump has hardened his stance on immigration ahead of Nov. 6 congressional elections. He has drawn attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States as he seeks to fire up support for his Republican party. Republican lawmakers and other Trump supporters have applauded the deployment. But critics say Trump is politicizing the military, deploying them as a stunt to drive Republican voters to the polls without any real national securit...

The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death over blasphemy allegations. A three-judge special bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel heard Bibi's 2014 appeal against her conviction and death sentence under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Justice Nisar while reading out the verdict said, ""The appeal is allowed. She has been acquitted. The judgement of the high court as well as trial court is reversed. Her conviction is set aside." The judgment added, "Asia Bibi be released immediately if not involved in any other case." On October 8, the top court had reserved its judgment on the appeal of the Christian mother of four, who in 2010 became the first woman to be sentenced to death under Pakistan's blasphemy law. Allegations against Bibi The allegations against Bibi date back to June 2...

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that there is no place for incompetent and unproductive ministers in the cabinet. The PM held meeting with provincial ministers in Lahore, where he said that opposition’s work is to criticise while the government’s role is to serve. “Pakistan Citizens Portal has opened now, the public cannot hold us accountable. Corruption will be under check and hard work is required for the purpose” said the prime minister. The PM said that NEPRA suggested an increase of more than Rs3 on electricity rates, but the government approved hike of Rs1.27, not putting burden on the poor. PM Imran said that the entire focus is on improving governance, asking the ministers to priortise serving the people. PTI wants to make Pakistan a welfare state and education and health are first most priority of the government, said the prime minister. The provincial minister expressed complete trust upon the leadership of the prime minister and gave recommendations for improving diffe...

Cambodian-American Laura Som said her mother raised her to never get involved in politics. Her mother would say politics is "a bloodbath, and we don't want to see you walk into that." A deep fear of government is shared by Cambodians, many of whom experienced the violence of the Cambodian genocide, a four-year period in the 1970s when the communist Khmer Rouge regime killed nearly 2 million people. "Just the word 'government' would trigger a lot of traumas of killing, violence, not just to ourselves but to our children or to our loved ones," said Som, a community activist who lives in Long Beach, California, the U.S. city with the largest concentration of Cambodians. Recalling the first time she became involved in local civic activities, Som said, "My mother received a call from a community leader to say how horrible of a mother she was to allow such a young college kid (to) participate in civic engagement events." Som's experience as...