News

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has nominated Istanbul deputy Ismail Kahraman as a candidate for the post of parliament speaker, Turkey’s second most senior position in state protocol.

Muscat: Majlis Al Shura discussed on Thursday the five year plan (2016-2020) and the general budget for 2016. The committee hosted Nasser Jashmi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Talal Rahbi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Planning, and a number of higher officials from the Majlis Al Shura.

A panel established on Wednesday to devise a new parliamentary electoral law will hold weekly meetings in order to resolve a dispute that has resulted in the extension of parliament's term on two occasions.

The committee will hold its first meeting on December 1, revealed the daily An Nahar on Thursday.

Its discussions will continue until mid-March 2016, which marks the beginning of parliament's regular session.

With the second phase of the polls that will devolve powers to the grassroots level around the corner, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has nullified the inclusion of rural areas into the urban ones in 23 local bodies’ constituencies in 11 districts.

ABU DHABI // Dr Amal Al Qubaisi was on Wednesday appointed President of the Federal National Council, making her the region’s first female leader of a national assembly.

“I am proud to take this seat for the first time as a woman in the Arab world,” she said, after winning the role of President and Speaker unopposed.

“I dedicate this achievement to the great women of the UAE, and to the Mother of the Nation, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.”

The Change and Reform bloc led by MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday called for electing a president who would bring “change and solutions,” as it stressed that the electoral law for parliamentary polls must be “fair” for Christians.

“We are advocates of a change and solutions presidency,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

The statement was recited by former labor minister Salim Jreissati.

ISLAMABAD: Following the Sindh High Court verdict on suspension of recently carried out delimitation, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed the forthcoming local government elections in 81 union councils (UCs) of Sindh.

The local government polls were scheduled for Thursday, November 19.

Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad shared the district names while addressing a press conference on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Around 30 per cent of the 3,500 polling stations in nine districts of Hyderabad division have been declared very sensitive by the police.

Besides the army and Rangers personnel, more than 30,000 policemen will perform the election duty, out of which 23,000 policemen will be deployed at the polling stations.

Around 142 areas have been declared as trouble spots, where it is feared that clashes can occur between the rival groups. These trouble spots include small localities to an entire taluka of a district.

BADIN: Continuing the war of words against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the run-up to the local government elections on November 19, PPP scion Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attracted a considerable crowd at a Badin rally today.

Addressing the PTI chairman, who had earlier criticised the young leader for being 'immature', Bilawal asked, "Imran Uncle, has any one ever taught a fish how to swim?"