Habib Siddiqui

  A United Nations (UN) expert on Wednesday warned that Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, is being “detained in circumstances that could pose a serious risk to her physical and mental integrity”. Bushra is serving a seven-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case. She was recently  sen­tenced  to 17 years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana 2 case, which revolved around the purchase of an expensive jewelry set gifted to Imran by the Saudi crown prince during his May 2021 visit. “The state has an obligation to protect Mrs. Khan’s health and ensure conditions of detention compatible with human dignity,” Alice Jills Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur, said in a  statement  issued on Wednesday. Earlier in May, the Adiala prison administration submitted a  detailed report  to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), stating that Bushra was receiving a range of special facilities at the prison, with accommodation provided to her under the...

  Nasry Asfura, a conservative candidate backed by United States President   Donald Trump , has won the closely contested presidential elections in Honduras, the country’s election council has said. The final results, announced on Wednesday – more than 20 days after the vote took place – are likely to lead to challenges in the Central American nation. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Honduras issues arrest warrant for ex-president Hernandez after US pardon list 2 of 3 Honduran military vows to ensure orderly post-election power transfer list 3 of 3 Honduras election official says ‘disturbances’ preventing vote recount end of list According to the electoral authority, known as the CNE, Asfura won 40.3 percent of the vote, edging out centre-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla, who received 39.5 percent. In a brief social media post, Asfura thanked the CNE on Wednesday. “Honduras: I am prepared to govern. I will not fail you,” he wrote. Trump had come o...

  US Justice Department says it requires weeks to process newly found Epstein-related files under transparency and court rules. Statues representing US President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a work of protest art by free speech advocates, stand on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington, DC [File: J Scott Applewhite/AP] By  Al Jazeera Staff  and News Agencies Published On 24 Dec 2025 24 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media Share Save More than a million additional documents that are potentially related to late sex offender and financier  Jeffrey Epstein  have been uncovered, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). In a social media post on Wednesday, the DOJ said it is reviewing the documents and will need “a few more weeks” before proceeding with a congressionally mandated release of the information. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Newly released Epstein files spotlight Trump’s past jet trips wit...

  French Empire: Civilising Mission How the French Empire built power through language, schooling and cultural assimilation and what it means today. Beyond armies and violence, France built its empire through language, schooling and cultural influence. This film explores how assimilation became a method of rule and a source of resistance. At the heart of French colonial rule was the mission “civilisatrice”, a doctrine that claimed to lift up colonised societies through education, administration and the French language. In practice, this system sought to reshape colonised people’s identities, loyalties and cultures, replacing local traditions with French norms while maintaining strict political and economic control. Schools, legal systems and bureaucracies became tools of empire as powerful as armies. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 British Empire: Rule the Waves list 2 of 4 China’s Victory Day military parade: Who attended and what happened? list 3 of 4 Vatican retu...