BAGHDAD: Iraq’s anti-regime protesters gathered in the capital and south on Saturday, grieving but defiant after 17 were killed in an attack demonstrators described as “slaughter”. The protest movement faced another worrying turn on Saturday after an armed drone targeted the home of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr, an attack his office said could lead to “civil war”. The dramatic developments …

At least 43 people have died in a factory fire in India’s capital New Delhi, with the toll expected to rise, police told AFP. The blaze broke out in the early hours in the city’s old quarter, whose narrow and congested lanes are lined with many small manufacturing and storage units. “We have since rescued at least 50 people,” Sunil Choudhary, …

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the chief ministers to lead the anti-polio vaccination campaigns in their respective provinces to ensure a quality nationwide campaign from Dec 16 for the elimination of the crippling disease. In a letter sent to all chief ministers on Dec 4, special assistant to the prime minister on national health services Dr Zafar Mirza …

In reply to question asked by MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Minister of Interior Ijaz Ahmad Shah told the National Assembly that murder, kidnapping, hurt dacotiy, robbery, theft, car theft, motorcycle theft and theft decreased from Aug 1, 2018, to Sept 30, 2019. The ratio of crime decreased due to better strategy adopted by the capital police, the written reply …

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear on Dec 18 the appeal filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif against his conviction in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference. The IHC registrar office has also scheduled the hearing of appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the acquittal of Mr Sharif in the Flagship Investment reference on …

HYDERABAD: The additional district and sessions judge-III of Hyderabad on Saturday ordered registration of an FIR against two doctors in the wake of the death of a woman at their private hospital on an application filed by her heirs. The judge directed SHO of the Qasimabad police station to record statement of the applicant and arrest the suspects if a …

LARKANA: Two polio cases have resurfaced within seven months in Larkana, which had remained a polio-free district for eight years, according to district health officer Syed Amjad Shah. The officer told Dawn that the latest case reported from riverine Soonharo Gadhi village in Karani union council on Nov 9 was that of Hasnain Gadhi, nine months, who was suspected of having acute …

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated development projects worth Rs5.9 billion at a ceremony presided over by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, on Shaheed-i-Millat Road, on Saturday. Later, speaking to leading businessmen the chief minister criticised the PTI-led federal government for doing little for Sindh. He said projects such as Green Line and Manghopir …

RAWALPINDI: A Project Management Unit (PMU) to supervise construction of the Ring Road will be formed within a month so that work at the site would be launched in March. This was stated by Commissioner Rawalpindi retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood during a meeting held to review the Ring Road, Daducha dam and Leh Expressway projects. Zeeruk was hired three months …

A blast in a refrigerator workshop in Lahore’s Township area on Saturday left one person dead and at least six injured, according to police. A police spokesperson said that a preliminary investigation had suggested that the blast took place as gas was being filled in a refrigerator. A ‘Seerat-un-Nabi’ conference was being held nearby, he added. A statement released by …