By Paaras Abbas

As she entered the packed lecture theatre, the audience rose in honour of the woman who had been dishonoured by being gang-raped and paraded naked in her village nine years ago. The Mukhtara Mai that addressed the audience at the School of Oriental and African Studies last week is a woman who has redefined the word honour, and is, according to Democracy Now, an international symbol for women’s rights in Pakistan.

By Agencies

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that the government is directing foreign aid towards the reconstruction of schools destroyed by the Taliban and that education was its top priority.

By Tim Holmes

The UK is no stranger to reactionary moves to knock climate change out of school education. Readers may recall the episode in 2007 when Al Gore’s climate change film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ was blocked by a High Court judge – Mr Justice Burton – from distribution and screening in British secondary schools following a legal challenge.

By Ruth Grove-White and Jenny Moss

When Dalisay* came to the UK as a domestic worker, she had no idea what she was letting herself in for. She found herself working in a private house with no days off for just £25 per week, and she was not allowed outside alone. She was regularly shouted at and insulted by her employer, who had taken her passport away from her. After two long years she managed to escape and find a better employer – it’s still hard work but she is at least treated decently.

By Shada Islam

It is a topsy-turvy world. This past week, I have taken part in a passionate discussion with top Nato and EU officials on the future of Afghanistan, met Syrian opposition representatives, kept track of Nato defence ministers’ decisions on Libya — and tried to get serious about Europe’s ‘ vegetable crisis’, prompting family discussions on whether or not to eat lettuce and tomatoes.

By Usman Zafar

After much hue and cry, ballyhooing and brouhaha, tongue wagging and finger pointing, the Punjab Provincial Assembly has finally allowed one of its members Kamran Michael to present the provincial budget. It’s a well deserved move for the junior politician, who holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance, making him a key leader of the ruling party in Punjab, the PMLN.