Retail stores in the shopping districts of major cities across the United States were boarded up on Tuesday over fears there could be unrest as results of the presidential elections start trickling in.

After a summer of nationwide protests against police violence and racism, the boarding up of businesses in several big cities was an extraordinary sight on Election Day in the US.

Workers covered storefronts with plywood panels in cities including Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC, NPR reported.

Businesses took the measure as a precaution against break-ins that were seen earlier this year, when looters took advantage of a nationwide wave of civil unrest following the police killing of African-American man George Floyd.

In New York City, the Empire State Building, Macy's department store, and the skyscraper that houses the President Donald Trump-favoured Fox News channel were among those that were boarded up.

On Rodeo Drive, one of the most expensive shopping streets in California's Beverly Hills, staff had stripped the display windows at Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels of their jewels and luxury stores disappeared behind plywood.

"While we intend to remain open where possible, out of an abundance of caution the windows of select stores in key cities will be boarded in anticipation of potential election related activity," Tiffany said in a statement to NPR.

Retailer Target also said they were taking precautionary measures, which could include boarding in some locations, "to ensure the safety of our stores".

According to NPR, the guidance issued by Washington DC authorities for businesses did not recommend boarding up for the election, with city officials saying they were not aware of any credible threats of violence as of late last week.

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This is Mr. Sefik Dzaferovic's first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina

ISLAMABAD, NOV 4 (DN) – On the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic will pay a two-day official visit to Pakistan on 4-5 November 2020.

The Chairman will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Minister for Security as well as Presidential Advisers.

During the visit, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina will call on the Prime Minister and the President and will have separate interactions with the Speaker of National Assembly, Foreign Minister, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, and other dignitaries.

This is Mr. Sefik Dzaferovic’s first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had met with Mr. Sefik Dzaferovicon the side-lines of 14th OIC Summit in Makkah in May 2019.

Pakistan enjoys traditionally warm and friendly relations with Bosnia & Herzegovina. The two countries have extended support to each other in times of need. During the years 1994-95, Pakistan was a significant contributor of troops to the UN Peacekeeping Mission. Bosnia & Herzegovina provided assistance during the 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods in Pakistan.

High-level exchanges are an important feature of the bilateral relationship. The two sides are committed to further deepen and broaden cooperation in diverse fields – including trade, commerce, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

The visit of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina will serve to enhance bilateral relations and strengthen cooperative bonds between the peoples of the two countries.

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BAKU, (DN) - On September 27, 2020 the armed forces of Armenia, blatantly violating the ceasefire regime have launched another aggression against Azerbaijan, by intensively attacking the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan along the frontline, as well as by deliberately subjecting to artillery shelling residential areas of Tartar, Aghdam, Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts.

On the following days, densely populated residential areas – Shamkir, Beylagan, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Goranboy, Tartar, Barda, Aghjabadi and the city of Ganja were subjected to heavy bombardment, including with mid-range missiles.

As a result, there have been casualties among civilians and military servicemen of Azerbaijan. Extensive damage has been inflicted on many houses and other civilian infrastructure.

The new aggression by Armenia against Azerbaijan is yet another blatant violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, IHL, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its Additional Protocols, as well as the United Nations Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874, 884 of 1993 demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

According to preliminary estimation, as of October 30, totally 91 civilians, including children, women and elderly have been killed, more than 400 civilians have been wounded as a consequence of heavy artillery shelling. As of October 29, 2406 private houses, 92 apartment buildings and 423 civilian facilities were damaged and became unserviceable as a result of armed attack.

Vehicles belonging to civilians became unserviceable, and numerous small and large horned animals and haystacks were destroyed as well. Extensive damage was inflicted upon water, energy and other civilian infrastructure.

The armed forces of Armenia do not even spare ambulances and medical facilities in a blatant violation of IHL, in particular Article 35 of the First Geneva Convention of 1949.

Also, a medical worker was seriously injured as a result of the shooting by the armed forces of Armenia of a sanitary medical vehicle, clearly marked with a white flag, collecting the bodies of Armenian soldiers in the area of Sugovshan.

Every time when the humanitarian ceasefire was agreed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the armed forces of Armenia violated it by subjecting residential areas and civilian infrastructure in Azerbaijan, including the city of Ganja, Barda, Mingechevir and Gabala to bombardment by different types of missiles like Scud, Smerch, Tocka-U and etc, launched both from its own territory and the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The latest humanitarian ceasefire of October 26 has already been repeatedly violated by the armed forces of Armenia.

Below are some of those cases recorded for the last two weeks: - Ganja – the 2nd biggest city, in which more than 331 000 people reside and which is located far from the frontline, was subjected to “SCUD/Elbrus” ballistic missile attack.

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US President Donald Trump had said he felt good about his chances for victory as the US election opened on Tuesday, predicting that he would register big victories in key states such as Florida and Arizona.

“We feel very good,” a hoarse-voiced Trump told Fox News in a phone interview. “I think we’ll have victory.” Trump said he expected victory in all the key states that will decide the election.

“We think we are winning Texas very big. We think we are winning Florida very big. We think we are winning Arizona very big,” he said.

“I think we are going to do very well in North Carolina. I think we are going to do well in Pennsylvania. We think we are doing very well everywhere.“

The US president added he will spend Election Day making phone calls to people who have been loyal to him and will go to his campaign headquarters in suburban Virginia to thank the staff.

Trump said he would declare himself the winner of the election “only when there’s victory”.

There has been concern that Trump will declare victory early — before vote counts are definitive. But the Republican president told Fox there’s no reason to “play games”, adding that he thinks he has a “very solid chance at winning”.

Trump also said he understands why businesses are boarding up their storefronts but thinks it’s very sad they feel the need to do it.

He predicted that if there is violence and unrest, it will be in Democratically run cities like Chicago, New York, Portland, Oakland, and Baltimore and blamed “weak leadership.”

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Zimbabwe defeat Pakistan in the third ODI in Super Over in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Pakistan have set a three-run target after losing Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman for two on the board.

Musa Khan scores a last-ball boundary to take the match into Super Over.

Pakistan: 278-9 (50 overs)

WICKET: Babar’s resistance comes to an end as he is caught behind for 125.

Pakistan: Pakistan 266-9 (48.6 overs)

WICKET: Shaheen Shah Afridi is caught at the outfield for two

Pakistan: 266-8 (48.5 overs)

WICKET: Blessing Muzarabani breaks the partnership as Wahab after his vital 52-run knock.

Pakistan: 251-7 (46.5 overs)

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Pakistan have set a three-run target after losing Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman for two on the board. Musa Khan scores a last-ball boundary to take the match into Super Over.

Pakistan: 278-9 (50 overs)

WICKET: Babar’s resistance comes to an end as he is caught behind for 125.

Pakistan: Pakistan 266-9 (48.6 overs)

WICKET: Shaheen Shah Afridi is caught at the outfield for two

Pakistan: 266-8 (48.5 overs)

WICKET: Blessing Muzarabani breaks the partnership as Wahab after his vital 52-run knock.

Pakistan: 251-7 (46.5 overs)

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The President said that Pakistan greatly values its ties with Indonesia

ISLAMABAD: Adam Mulawarman Tugio the newly arrived ambassador of Indonesia has presented his credentials to the President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi.

He stayed with the President of Pakistan for some time and exchanged views on bilateral as well as other issues.

The President said that Pakistan greatly values its ties with Indonesia. He hoped that during the tenure of Ambassador Tugio relations between the two countries will be strengthened further.

Mr. Adam is a career diplomat and has held a number of important diplomatic positions in different countries.

Mr. Adam Tugio did his Master’s degree in Law from American University, Washington in 1996. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in 1990 from the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia.

Ambassador Adam Mulawarman Tugio has also undertaken various training courses. In 2007 he got Senior Diplomatic Training, in 2002 Mid-career diplomatic training and in 1991 junior diplomatic training from Center for Education and Training Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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America has begun voting for its next president today, Nov 3

The Republican President Donald Trump is being challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden. The later is popularly known as Barack Obama’s vice-president and has been in politics since 1970.

Here we will be updating the polling results as they keep coming in.

New Hampshire hamlet casts first US Election Day votes

Voters in Dixville Notch, a village of 12 residents in the state of New Hampshire, kicked off Election Day at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday by voting unanimously for Biden.

The vote and count only took a few minutes, with five votes for Biden and none for President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term.

The tiny northeastern town in the middle of the forest, near the Canadian border, has traditionally voted “first in the nation” since 1960.

Neighboring village Millsfield also begins voting at midnight but a third village in the area, which typically follows the same tradition, canceled overnight voting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Polls Open In New York, New Jersey, Virginia

Polling stations opened in New York, New Jersey and Virginia early Tuesday, marking the start of US Election Day as President Donald Trump seeks to beat forecasts and defeat challenger Joe Biden.

The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Trump and his uniquely brash, bruising presidency that Biden urged Americans to end to restore “our democracy.”

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KARACHI: Delivering on its commitment to continuous innovation, TPL Trakker, Pakistan’s leading IoT Company, has launched yet another industry-first initiative – TrakkerPro.

With TrakkerPro, TPL Trakker has gone the extra mile to give customers complete peace of mind. For the first time in Pakistan, TrakkerPro customers will get the cash equivalent of the value of their car if, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Company is unable to recover their stolen car. The Company’s intent to provide customers with innovative solutions that are fully transparent is evident with the new product’s tagline, ‘Gaari Nahi Toh Cash.’

As pioneers of the vehicle tracking industry, TPL Trakker was the first Company in Pakistan to acquire a vehicle tracking license. It is also the only vehicle tracking company in Pakistan to be assigned a long-term financial status rating of A- by PACRA and the only public listed tracking company in the country to date. The Company had a successful IPO in August this year, raising Rs. 802 million with an over subscription of 14.7%.

Customers who already have Trakker Plus and Trakker Premium can simply apply for an upgrade to avail the additional benefits of Trakker Pro. New customers can opt-in for TrakkerPro when purchasing eligible Trakker units.

Speaking at the occasion, Sarwar Ali Khan, CEO, TPL Trakker said, “As a customer-centric Company, TPL’s decision making process is guided by the increasingly diverse needs of all customer segments in Pakistan. Our team at TPL Trakker is excited to launch this unique product offering for the first time in Pakistan, and we promise to deliver many firsts in the future.”

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The final countdown has begun, and Donald Trump – on a spree through key swing states – is chasing his Democratic rival Joe Biden, still leading in the polls.

The 77-year-old former vice-president has enjoyed a solid lead over 74-year-old US President Trump in the national polls for months, at times reaching double digits.

But US presidential elections are not decided by the popular vote.

They are won in the 538-member Electoral College, where each state has a number of electoral votes equivalent to its representation in the House and Senate.

And the electoral votes of battleground states such as Florida and Pennsylvania could determine the winner of Tuesday´s battle for the White House.

Here is a look at the latest national polls and polls in key battleground states:

National polls 

An average of national polls by the RealClearPolitics (RCP) website gives Biden a 6.8 point lead over Trump — 50.7 percent to 43.9 percent.

That is roughly in line with the averages of other leading outlets such as FiveThirtyEight.com, which has Biden up by 8.4 points nationally.

Biden´s lead nationally is more than double that of Hillary Clinton going into the 2016 election, when the polls were relatively accurate concerning the popular vote, which she won while losing in the Electoral College.

Florida

In Florida, Biden has a 1.7 point lead over Trump, according to the RCP average of state polls.

A Siena College/New York Times poll has Biden up by three points in the Sunshine State but a Washington Post/ABC News poll has the Republican incumbent up by two points.

Trump won Florida and its 29 electoral votes in 2016 and winning the state again is seen as crucial to his hopes of victory.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, Biden has a 2.9-point lead, according to the RCP average of polls in the Keystone State, which has 20 electoral votes.

Trump won Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes in 2016 and his reelection hopes could hang on taking the state again.

Michigan, Wisconsin

Michigan and Wisconsin are two Midwestern states Trump won narrowly in 2016 but the RCP averages have him trailing in both this time.

According to the RCP averages, Biden is up by 5.1 points in Michigan, which has 16 electoral votes, and by 6.6 points in Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes.

Arizona, North Carolina

The battleground states of Arizona and North Carolina, both of which Trump won in 2016, are also being closely watched.

According to the RCP averages, Biden has a 0.5 point lead in Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes, while Trump leads by 0.5 points in North Carolina, which has 15 electoral votes.

Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Texas

Four other states are also being closely watched this time — Georgia (16 electoral votes), Iowa (six), Ohio (18) and Texas (38).

Trump won all four states relatively easily in 2016 but the polls are showing close races there this time.

Trump is up by 0.2 points in Georgia, according to the RCP average, a state Trump won by 5.1 points in 2016.

Trump is up by 1.4 points in Iowa — he won by 9.4 points four years ago — and by 1.4 points in Ohio, a significantly smaller margin than his 8.1-point win last time around.

Trump won Texas, one of the biggest prizes of the night, by nine points in 2016 but the RCP average gives him a narrow 1.2 point lead there ahead of Tuesday´s vote.

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Mr. Rong shall present his credential to the President of Pakistan in few days along with Ambassadors of USA and Indonesia.

ISLAMABAD: The newly appointed Ambassador-designate of Peoples Republic of China Nong Rong has said it was indeed an honour for him to serve as the Ambassador of P.R. China to Pakistan. In his first Twitter message Ambassador Rong started his Pakistan stint by saying  ‘Assalam-o-Alaikum, Iron Brother’.

Upon arrival in Pakistan, Ambassador Nong thanked Amin the DCP Ministry of Foreign Affairs who received him at the airport.

He thanked Amin for his warm welcome and said that it is his great honor to be posted in Pakistan. China and Pakistan are good brothers and partners with special friendship.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan have carried out close anti-epidemic cooperation, which reflects the true nature of China-Pakistan relations of sharing weal and woe together.

Nong Rong looked forward to strengthening all-round exchanges and cooperation with all walks of life in Pakistan during his tenure, so as to promote the comprehensive and in-depth development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and jointly work for a Closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future.

It may be mentioned here that Ambassador-designate Nong Rong, arrived in Islamabad to assume the post. Ms Pang Chunxue, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of China, and Mr Ammar Amin, DCP of the Protocol Division of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were present at the airport to receive the new ambassador.

On behalf of the Pakistani government, Ammar Amin warmly welcomed Ambassador Nong Rong. Amin said that Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic partners and iron friends. Friendly cooperation with China is not only the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy but also the consensus of all walks of Pakistani society.

The Pakistani side expects that Pakistan-China relations will be further improved during the term of Ambassador Nong Rong. Amin assured that Pakistan will provide all facilitation and support for the Ambassador for continuous progress of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

On November 2, 2020, Ambassador Nong Rong met with the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Sohail Mahmood. Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest.

Pakistan and China enjoy excellent brotherly relations. CPEC has further cemented and diversified this relationship. As rightly mentioned by the newly arrived ambassador CPEC is a landmark project that would bring peace, prosperity and development in the region.

Mr. Rong shall present his credential to the President of Pakistan in a few days along with Ambassadors of USA and Indonesia.

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