4 killed in shooting in Canadian town
Montreal: A suspect has been arrested after four people were killed on Friday in a shooting in the eastern Canadian city of Fredericton, police said. Authorities urged people in the Brookside neighborhood, where residents reported waking to the sounds of dozens of shots, to remain in their homes, describing it as an “active incident” on Twitter.
Imran apologies to election commission
Islamabad: Imran Khan on Friday tendered an unconditional written apology to the election commission for violating the secrecy of the ballot, removing the last possible hurdle in his swearing-in next week. The Election Commission of Pakistan, in a 3-1 vote, accepted the apology submitted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief.
N Korea will preserve know-how: Minister
Tehran: North Korea will preserve its nuclear know-how despite its promise of denuclearisation to the United States, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said during a visit to Tehran, Iranian media reported on Friday.
US launches airstrikes as Taliban attack Af city
Ghazni (Afghanistan): US forces launched airstrikes on Friday to counter a major Taliban assault on an Afghan provincial capital, where terrified residents cowered in their homes amid explosions and gunfire as security forces fought to beat the insurgents back.
Flames inch close to California homes
los Angeles: An intentionally set wildfire grew perilously close to homes in Southern California on Thursday as evacuation orders expanded to more than 20,000 residents, though some homeowners stayed behind to fend off the flames themselves.
Hindu women in Pak allowed to remarry
Karachi: For the first time, divorced or widowed Hindu women in Pakistan's Sindh provincce have been allowed to remarry under a landmark amendment made by the provincial assembly, a media report said. Earlier, divorced or widowed Hindu women were not permitted a second marriage.
The Sindh Hindu Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2018 not only accords the right of separation to both the spouses, but also ensures the financial security of the wife and children, The Express Tribune reported.
It was moved by Pakistan Muslim league-Functional leader Nand Kumar and passed by the assembly in March."Either party to Hindu marriage, whether solemnised before or after the commencement of this Act, may present a petition to the court praying for decree of judicial separation," according to the law.
The law also places a general ban of underage marriages among members of the Hindu community.
"The Hindu community had been protesting forced conversions and marriages of underage girls. This law has banned the marriage of minors from the Hindu community," said Nand Kumar.
Kumar has also moved a bill against the forced conversions of members of religious minorities, but the bill was gathering dust in the Sindh Assembly secretariat.
He said that before the enactment of this law, Hindu women were considered lesser mortals and not even accorded the right to divorce.
"The amendment to this law is aimed at getting rid of old and outdated customs," Kumar said.