Burka Avenger is Pakistan's first female superhero

Back off Batman, and step aside Supergirl, because there's a new superhero in town taking Pakistan by storm - the Burka Avenger!

The Burka Avenger is an amazing action-comedy animated TV series that follows the adventures of the Burka Avenger and three young kids in the imaginary city of Halwapur as they fight the evil Baba Bandook and his henchmen.

The new hero is Pakistan's first ever female superhero.

Jiya is a schoolteacher who turns into the Burka Avenger to defend her young students from baddies who are trying to destroy their school.

The show has become a big hit in Pakistan, which has never had an animated series before.

The Burka Avenger's message is especially important for kids in Pakistan, where girls are not always given the right to an education.

In 2010, schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai was shot by the Taliban after campaigning for girls to get better access to education.

Burka Avenger is the creation of Haroon Rashid, one of Pakistan's most famous and best selling pop music artists.

Haroon says: "Burka Avenger is a cartoon superhero, but for me, Malala is a real-life hero."

From CBBC newsround

The Burka Avenger is an amazing action-comedy animated TV series that follows the adventures of the Burka Avenger and three young kids in the imaginary city of Halwapur as they fight the evil Baba Bandook and his henchmen.

The Burka Avenger TV series comprises of 13 episodes of 22 minutes each. Featuring guest appearances and original songs from some of the biggest musical acts from across South Asia (including Ali Zafar, Haroon, Ali Azmat, Josh and many others), Burka Avenger is a must see for kids and adults alike.

The main goals of the Burka Avenger TV series are to make people laugh, to entertain and to send out positive social messages to the youth.

Get to know Jiya

Separated from her parents at a young age, Jiya was adopted by a wise old Kabbadi Master, Kabaddi Jan. He took her under his wing and taught her theart of Takht Kabaddi, a new kind of fighting style where books and pens are primarily used as weapons in conjunction with a variety of karate moves. To the locals, she is known simply as the demure school teacher but whenever evil is afoot, she takes on her alter identity, Burka Avenger and uses theTakht Kabaddi to defeat her enemies. As the Burka Avenger, she uses theBurka to hide her true identity, which no one knows except for herffather,Kabaddi Jan.

From http://www.burkaavenger.com/about

Guide dog owners illegally denied access to restaurants

Guide dog owners are being illegally denied access to restaurants and leisure facilities, according to the charity Guide Dogs.

They say complaints from owners have risen by a third since last year.

Pets aren't allowed in many public places but some blind people have canine helpers and should have access.

Guide dog owners are being refused entry to shops, cafes, transport and other venues when going about their daily lives, a study found.

The report, which takes into account almost 400 complaints received by Guide Dogs, showed that the largest number of reported incidents involved restaurants.

• There are more than 4,700 guide dog owners in the UK, Guide Dogs says.
• The average working life of a guide dog is five to six years.
• The lifetime cost of a dog is about £50,000.

'More awareness needed'

Continue reading the main stor.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) says that by law, business owners must make "reasonable adjustments" to make their premises' accessible to disabled people. This should include being flexible on a "no dogs" rule for people with guide dogs.

Richard Leaman, chief executive of Guide Dogs said: "More awareness is needed to avoid blind and partially sighted people having to cope with this stress and discrimination."

The report was published ahead of Guide Dogs Week (October 5-13), which aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by guide dog owners in getting around with ease.

British Guide Dog stamp from 1981.

We've got a range of handy information booklets that explain the law and provide tips on delivering a better service. Ask for a copy by contacting your nearest Mobility Team or download the booklets you need from the list below.

• Access to leisure facilities PDF (707kb)
• Access to restaurants PDF (1MB)
• Access to sports stadia PDF
• Access to hotels PDF (2MB)
• Employing a guide dog owner - access requirements PDF (1.3 MB)
• Key messages on the street environment Word (119kb)
• Shared surface streets briefing note Word (158kb)
• GP Good Lighting Guidance Word (28kb)
• Guide Dogs GP Surgery Good Practice Guidelines Word (1MB)
• Guide Dogs in the Workplace PDF (144kb)
• Briefing note on Guide Dog owners in police custody PDF (280kb)
  
  This briefing note on Guide Dog owners in police custody has been jointly produced by Guide Dogs and the Police to give guidance to Police Staff on the appropriate way to manage a blind or partially sighted person who is accompanied by their guide dog in custody.

http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/access/#.Uin7jdK-ofg