Pakistan elections could be delayed as election body needs 4 months to draw new constituencies
Pakistan’s election oversight body said Thursday that parliamentary elections must be delayed because it needs four months to redraw constituencies to reflect the recently held census. A delay would likely heighten the political strains in Pakistan, which has seen now opposition leader Imran Khan removed as prime minister by a no-confidence vote by parliament in April 2022 and his imprisonment this year after a graft conviction. In a statement, the Election Commission of Pakistan said it won’t be able to complete drawing new constituencies before Dec. 14. That means the vote could possibily be delayed at least until February. The development came a week after President Arif Alvi dissolved parliament at the completion of its five-year term. Usually, that step starts the process of holding elections for a new parliament within 90 days. But elections could still be held later this year if the caretaker government, which was installed under Premier Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar this week, decides to go ahead with it under the previous census. Kakar had no immediate comment on the announcement by the election oversight body. Analysts said the judiciary could also push Kakar’s government to hold the vote on time to meet the constitutional requirement. Under the constitution, a vote was to be held either in October or November. Kakar’s new Cabinet was sworn in Thursday at the Presidency in the capital, Islamabad. Kakar has chosen former diplomat Jalil Abbas Jilani to head the foreign ministry, and longtime journalist Murtaza Solangi to be the information minister. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party is hoping to return to power after what is expected to be a close election. Khan, a highly popular 70-year-old former cricket star, has been held at the Attock prison in eastern Punjab province since Aug. 6, when he was sentenced to three years in prison by a court after being convicted of concealing assets he amassed by selling state gifts. A court in Islamabad will take up Khan's appeal next week, and his legal team is expecting him to be released. Khan will not be able to run in the election unless his conviction is overturned. Pakistan bars anyone with a criminal conviction of leading a political party, running in elections or holding public office. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-08-18 03:28
NBA releases its schedule for the coming season, with an eye on player rest and travel
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Maui residents fill philanthropic gaps while aid makes the long journey to the fire-stricken island
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2023-08-18 03:27
The body of a 9-year-old boy with autism was found at the edge of a nearby waterway behind a Brooklyn IKEA store, police say
The body of a 9-year-old boy was found at the edge of a waterway after he was separated from his family at an Ikea store in Red Hook, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, police say.
2023-08-18 03:26
One-Third of US Adults Felt Pressured to Move in Last Six Months
About one-third of American adults felt pressured to change residences in the last six months, a Census Bureau
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Pascale Ferrier jailed for 22 years for mailing Donald Trump ricin
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2023-08-18 03:23
Danny Meyer closes two restaurants in a New York hotel that was converted into a migrant shelter
Prominent restaurateur and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer announced he will be closing two New York City restaurants located in a hotel which has been repurposed as a shelter for the city's growing migrant population.
2023-08-18 03:15
Private Credit Loans Are Growing Bigger and Breaking Records
The $1.5 trillion private credit market just set a fresh record for the largest loan in its history.
2023-08-18 02:58
Volland signs with Union Berlin from Monaco
Union Berlin have signed Germany international Kevin Volland from Ligue 1 side Monaco, the Bundesliga club...
2023-08-18 02:54
Zverev beats Medvedev to stretch Cincinnati win streak
Alexander Zverev won a battle of former ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open champions against Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 on Thursday to maintain his...
2023-08-18 02:53
US appeals court blocks Idaho's transgender student athlete ban
By Nate Raymond A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to allow Idaho to enforce a first-in-the-nation ban
2023-08-18 02:53
DeSantis debate strategy revealed on super PAC website: Defend Trump and ‘hammer’ Ramaswamy
A super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis has revealed the Florida governor’s strategy for a comeback in next week’s Republican presidential primary debate, The New York Times reported. Axiom Strategies, which works with Never Back Down, a super PAC that supports Mr DeSantis, released a bevy of research memos on its website to give advice for the governor ahead of the first primary debate in Milwaukee. One of the memos outlines “four basic must-dos” for Mr DeSantis, whom the memos refer to as “GRD,” saying he would need to attack fellow candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has begun to ascend in the polls against Mr DeSantis. “1. Attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times. 2. State GRD’s positive vision 2-3 times. 3. Hammer Vivek Ramaswamy in a response. 4. Defend Donald Trump in absentia in response to a Chris Christie attack,” the memo said. Jeff Roe, a chief strategist for Never Back Down, owns Axiom. Mr Roe served as the campaign manager for Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) when Mr Cruz won the 2016 Iowa caucus and came in second behind Mr Trump. When The Times reached out to Axiom, the firm removed the memo from its website. “When GRD's name is invoked and he is given a chance to respond, there are two approaches,” the memo says. “1. When there is a core attack on GRD's central candidacy (calling GRD a liberal, hitting veteran record, hitting conservative record), GRD should take the time, correct the record, and highlight the positive/dismiss the attacker if it's a tier one candidate. GRD can also pivot to hitting Joe Biden when possible.” The memo also says when another candidate attacks Mr DeSantis but does not make a “core” attack, Mr DeSantis should pivot and the take up time. “GRD should ignore the weak attack , not even address it, and instead pivot to message and vision and name check Iowa, New Hampshire , etc. voters directly ‘Iowans/Americans , I'm talking directly to you now,’” the memo says. Super PACs cannot officially coordinate with candidates. But Never Back Down has featured Mr DeSantis and his wife Casey at multiple events as a guest. Candidates can use memos that Super PACs release pubicly. The memo says that Mr DeSantis should attack Mr Ramaswamy, who has started gaining steam by adopting talking points similar Mr DeSantis’s against “wokeness,” as “FakeVivek” or “Vivek the Fake.” A new Fox News poll showed that since June, Mr DeSantis has fallen by six points to 16 per cent in terms of whom Republican primary voters prefer to be the nominee for president. The same poll showed that in June, five per cent of GOP primary voters preferred him to be the nominee, but that number has grown to 11 per cent. The memo also said that Mr DeSantis should defend Mr Trump when former New Jersey governor Chris Christie attacks the former president. “Trump isn'there so let's just leavehim alone. He's too weak to defendhimselfhere. We're all running against him. I don't think we want to join forces with someone on this stage who's auditioning for a show on MSNBC,” the memo suggests Mr DeSantis say. The memo also suggested that Mr DeSantis, who has often been portrayed as awkward or impersonable, “[i]nvoke a personal anecdote storyabout family, kids, Casey, showing emotion.” In addition, the campaign memo showed how Mr DeSantis could simultaneously defend Mr Trump but pivot to get people to support him. “Manyvoters , like me, voted for Donald Trump, love Donald Trump,” he said. “He was a breath of fresh air and the first president to tell the elite where to shove it. But he was attacked all the time, provoked attacks all the time, and it was non-stop. The drama affected families. Trump's drama pitted brother against brother, friend against friend. He's gotso many distractions that it's almost impossible for him to focus on movingthe country forward.” epublicans will hold their first debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Fox News will host the debate. Read More Robert F Kennedy Jr Democratic primary support is plummeting – latest 2024 election polls When is the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate and how can you watch it? Tim Scott will share the spotlight at massive South Carolina campaign event headlined by DeSantis Jenna Ellis forced to crowdfund Georgia lawyer fund after cutting ties with Trump Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’ Renata Scotto, soprano of uncommon intensity, dies at 89 Why is a police raid on a newspaper in Kansas so unusual? Tom Jones, creator of the longest-running musical ‘The Fantasticks,' dies at 95
2023-08-18 02:52
