wartribune

A woman wearing a protective mask at at street market in Milan.  Salman Shehzad Government in Italy has decided that it will shut all educational institutions from Thursday for 10 days as it battles to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The decision comes afther the death toll reached above 100. A total of 107 people have now been killed by the coronavirus in Italy, which has the most serious outbreak in Europe. PM Giuseppe Conte said the health service risked being overwhelmed, media reports. Most of the more than 3,000 cases are in the north but others have been confirmed in 19 of Italy's 20 regions. Globally about 3,200 people have died and more than 90,000 have been infected, the vast majority in China, where the virus emerged late last year. The World Health Organization has so far stopped short of declaring a pandemic - an epidemic spreading across the world through local transmission - but on Wednesday Germany's health minister said the coronavirus now met th...

By Salman Shehzad The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday accepted a petition to stop Aurat (women) March 2020, scheduled to be held on March 8, and summoned officials of Cybercrime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency on February 27. The petition, filed by Judicial Activism Council Chairman Azhar Siddique said that "there are various anti-state parties present who are funding this Aurat March with the sole purpose of spreading anarchy amongst the masses" he termed the women march against Islam, and a hidden agenda of the western powers. "During last year's Aurat March, women were holding placards that had objectionable messages," added Siddique. He also submitted another application to enforce the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and Citizen Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, 2020 to "stop the promotion of anti-state activities such as Aurat March on social media" and another application for the promulgation of the Punjab Red Zone (...

By Salman Shehzad The body of a journalist, Aziz Memon was found from an irrigation waterway on Sunday in the Sindh Provence of Pakistan. Aziz, who was associated with Sindhi TV channel KTN News and Sindhi-language daily Kawish Memon was allegedly strangled to death near Mehrabpur town of Naushahro Feroze district on Sunday. Hafiz Memon, brother of the slain journalist, told local media that Aziz had left to cover a story in a nearby village with his camera man, Owais Qureshi, on Sunday morning. Some hours later, his body was found, tied with an electric wire, in an irrigation outlet near the town. Some months ago Aziz has released a video massage, claiming that he and his family reciving life threats from high level police officers including Senior Superintendent of Police District, Noshero Feroz, because of a story he covered about 'rented supporters' in a political rally of Pakistan People's Party. In his vedio he appealed for protection.   Journalist ...

By Salman Shehzad  Government in Pakistan approved new regulations restricting social media rules that would dramatically change operations of the companies such as Facebook, Twitter and others. Critics say this would threaten freedom of expression.  Regulations, passed by Pakistan’s government Wednesday, media companies must remove content Pakistani authorities deem objectionable, set up offices and data centers in the country, and remove the encryption on content if requested by the government officials . They must take down certain posts by Pakistanis based abroad, where a number of vocal critics of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment and the current government are based. If the companies don’t comply, according to the rules, the company’s platforms could be blocked in the country, according to legal amendments instituted this week by the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Government in a statement said that "internet must be regulated. " ...

Salman Shehzad Turkish government is considering a highly controversial bill allowing men who have sex with girls under the age of 18 to avoid any punishments if they marry their victims. At the end of the month, the bill, which has been nicknamed the “marry your rapist” bill, will be debated on by politicians in the Turkish parliament. The legislation would have applied to statutory rape cases without the use of “force, threat, or any other restriction on consent” involving girls aged 15 or younger. Civil rights activities and critics of the proposed bill have said that the law could potentially normalize statutory rape and child abuse in a country which has become increasingly Islamized in recent years. The UN has said that the law would legalize child rape and leave vulnerable people at the mercy of their tormentors. Politicians debating against the bill have said that it would lead to victims marrying people against their will. A similar piece of legislation in 2016 ...