NEW DELHI -- President of India Droupadi Murmu on Friday put her signature and the official seal on the women reservation bill which was passed by both the Houses of Parliament last week, thus making it a law, an official source in the federal law ministry said.

The law would ensure 33 percent reservation for women in Indian parliament's lower house Lok Sabha, members of which are directly elected, and all the states legislatures. It would be implemented after delimitation of all parliamentary and state legislatures' constituencies, and will be in force for a period of 15 years from the date of implementation. (India-Women-Election)

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HONG KONG -- A series of activities have been launched in Hong Kong to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival which falls on Friday this year, showcasing a blend of new technology and traditional culture.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, marking the reunion of family and friends. (HK-Mid-Autumn Festival)

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MANILA -- Philippine troops on Friday killed three suspected rebels in a clash in the central part of the country, the military said.

The military said the fighting broke out between troops and New People's Army (NPA) fighters at around 10:00 a.m. local time in Leon, a town in Iloilo province. (Philippines-NPA)

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ISLAMABAD -- The death toll of a blast that hit a religious gathering in Mastung district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Friday rose to 50, police and health officials said.

Confirming the casualties, Aetzaz Ahmed Goraya, deputy inspector general of Counter-Terrorism Department Police in the provincial capital city of Quetta, told Xinhua that the death toll increased after at least 30 injured people succumbed to injuries during treatment in various hospitals. (Pakistan-Blast-Balochistan)