Tag: Nobel Prize

  • Claudia Goldin wins Nobel economics prize for work on women’s pay

    Claudia Goldin wins Nobel economics prize for work on women’s pay

    An economic historian and Harvard professor, Claudia Goldin, has been awarded with the Nobel Prize in economics for her work examining the gender pay gap.

    Goldin’s unprecedented research highlights the fact that women, despite their higher academic qualifications, are paid less than men; and that mostly this difference arises after childbirth.

    “This year’s Laureate in the Economic Sciences, Claudia Goldin, provided the first comprehensive account of women’s earnings and labour market participation through the centuries,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.

    “Her research reveals the causes of change, as well as the main sources of the remaining gender gap.”

    After Elinor Ostrom in 2009 and Esther Duflo in 2019, Goldin is the third woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in economics — a category with the lowest number of female laureates.

    Goldin’s research examines data tracing 200 years of women’s participation in the workforce in the United States.

    As per her research, a woman’s role in the job market and her pay are, in part, decided by individual decisions, including educational choices, as well as broad social and economic changes.

    The prize committee highlights that while much of the earnings gap historically could be explained by differences in education and occupational choices, Goldin “has shown that the bulk of this earnings difference is now between men and women in the same occupation, and that it largely arises with the birth of the first child”.

  • Jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Prize

    Jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Prize

    A jailed Iranian women’s rights advocate, Narges Mohammadi, is the winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women and advocacy for social reform.

    She was awarded the prestigious prize on Friday, while she is till behind bars, for her efforts to promote human rights and freedom for all”, as stated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

    “Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes,” head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen, said in Oslo during the announcement.

    51-year-old Mohammadi is an Iranian human rights activist who has played a leading role in the campaign for women’s rights and the abolition of the death penalty in the country.

    She is currently serving a number of sentences in Tehran’s Evin prison, adding up to about 12 years of jail, including charges of spreading anti-state propaganda.

    Mohammadi is the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a non-governmental organisation led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

    The New York Times approached her after she was named the winner. “I will continue to fight against the relentless discrimination, tyranny and gender-based oppression by the oppressive religious government until the liberation of women,” she stated.

    “I also hope this recognition makes Iranians protesting for change stronger and more organised. Victory is near.”
    On the contrary, Tehran has accused the Nobel committee of politicising the issue of human rights.

    “The action of the Nobel Peace Committee is political move in line with the interventionist and anti-Iranian policies of some European governments,” Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said.

    “The Nobel Peace committee has awarded a prize to a person convicted of repeated law violations and criminal acts, and we condemn this as biased and politically motivated,” he added in a statement carried by state media.

  • Geniuses behind mRNA covid vaccines to receive Nobel Prize

    Geniuses behind mRNA covid vaccines to receive Nobel Prize

    Katalin Kariko from Hungary and American-born Drew Weissman have won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research that paved the way for the first mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, made by Pfizer and Moderna.

    The Nobel Prize committee announced the winners in Sweden on Monday.

    “The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the jury said in Sweden’s capital Stockholm on Monday.

    Professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Katalin Kariko researched mRNA along with Drew Weissman at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Their prize will include a diploma, a gold medal and a $1 million cheque on December 10 in Stockholm. That day will also mark the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel, the scientist who created the prize in his last will and testament.

  • Who won the Nobel Peace Prize 2022?

    Who won the Nobel Peace Prize 2022?

    This year’s Peace Prize is awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.

    Ales Bialiatski:

    Ales Bialiatski was one of the initiators of the democracy movement that emerged in Belarus in the mid-1980s. He has devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country. Among other things, he founded the organisation Viasna (Spring) in 1996 in response to the controversial constitutional amendments that gave the president dictatorial powers and that triggered widespread demonstrations. Viasna provided support for jailed demonstrators and their families. In the years that followed, Viasna evolved into a broad-based human rights organisation that documented and protested against the authorities’ use of torture against political prisoners.

    The Center for Civil Liberties:

    The Center for Civil Liberties was founded in Kyiv in 2007 for the purpose of advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. The center has taken a stand to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and pressure the authorities to make Ukraine a full-fledged democracy. To develop Ukraine into a state governed by rule of law, Center for Civil Liberties has actively advocated that Ukraine become affiliated with the International Criminal Court.

    After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Center for Civil Liberties has engaged in efforts to identify and document Russian war crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population. In collaboration with international partners, the center is playing a pioneering role with a view to holding the guilty parties accountable for their crimes.

    The Memorial:

    The human rights organisation Memorial was established in 1987 by human rights activists in the former Soviet Union who wanted to ensure that the victims of the communist regime’s oppression would never be forgotten. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and human rights advocate Svetlana Gannushkina were among the founders. Memorial is based on the notion that confronting past crimes is essential in preventing new ones.
    Since its inception in 1901, about 109 individuals and 25 organisations have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

  • Malala says she will protest if someone forces her to remove her scarf

    Malala says she will protest if someone forces her to remove her scarf

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai while expressing her anger on the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, said that a woman has the right to decide whatever she wants to wear.

    “Whatever a woman chooses to wear, she has the right to decide for herself,” Malala said, adding that, “As I have said before: If someone forces me to cover my head, I will protest. If someone forces me to remove my scarf, I will protest.” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I am calling for justice for Mahsa Amini.”

    Masha breathed her last on Friday, days after being arrested by a police unit responsible for forcing Iran’s strict dress code for women. She was arrested for not complying with hijab rules.

    According to eyewitnesses, Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran on Tuesday.
    Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed have gone viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.
    Her death has sparked widespread protests in Iran, with women taking to the streets and setting their hijab on fire.

  • Pakistani philanthropist Dr Amjad Saqib nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

    Pakistani philanthropist Dr Amjad Saqib nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

    Dr Amjad Saqib, a Pakistani philanthropist and founder of Akhuwat — the country’s largest interest-free microfinance programme — has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. Dr. Amjad Saqib has been nominated by Malta’s Foreign Minister, according to the British organization PA Media. However, as per the information available on the website of Nobel Prize, “Neither the names of nominators nor of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize may be divulged until 50 years have elapsed.”

    “The Committee does not itself announce the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. In so far as certain names crop up in the advance speculations as to who will be awarded any given year’s prize, this is either sheer guesswork or information put out by the person or persons behind the nomination. Information in the Nobel Committee’s nomination database is not made public until after fifty years.”

    Dr Saqib earned Asia’s highest honour, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 2021 for his humanitarian work in poverty reduction, and has now been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work in poverty alleviation.

    Amjad Saqib, while talking to The Express Tribune about his nomination said, “My services are beyond such awards and they are purely for the sake of Allah.” He continued by adding: “An official of a foreign country might have recommended my name for the award as people across the world are familiar with my services for humanity… but I am not aware of any such development.”

    Dr Saqib resigned from Civil Service in 2003 and founded Akhuwat the same year. He has been its CEO and main driving force since beginning. With 17 years of successful operations, Akhuwat now presents a viable model of Shariah-compliant microfinance, which is both sustainable and replicable. Besides Akhuwat, Dr Saqib is voluntarily serving many civil society organisations in the realm of education, health, disability, banking and finance. He is also on the board of a commercial bank and a few public universities.

    There are 343 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, including 251 individuals and 92 organisations from

  • Malala: Pakistan’s pride

    Malala: Pakistan’s pride

    Malala Yousafzai, a name that evokes different emotions – from pride to love to respect to a need to protect her from everything that is vile. Malala is the youngest Nobel laureate and the second Pakistani to win the Nobel after Dr Abdus Salam. Unfortunately, both Pakistani Nobel laureates have been vilified by many in Pakistani society – Dr Salam for being for being an Ahmadi and Malala for just being Malala.

    Malala’s recent interview to British Vogue has created quite a controversy yet again. So much so that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has even asked Malala to explain her comments regarding partnership. This despite the fact that Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, explained in a tweet that Malala’s comments were taken out of context by the media and social media and have been spread in a negative way.

    The 23-year-old young girl spoke about several issues – from relationships to wearing a dupatta to politics to college life. In her interview, the young Nobel Laureate defended her choice to wear a dupatta (scarf) to cover her head. “And Muslim girls or Pashtun girls or Pakistani girls, when we follow our traditional dress, we’re considered to be oppressed, or voiceless, or living under patriarchy. I want to tell everyone that you can have your own voice within your culture, and you can have equality in your culture.” She also talked about marriage and how she is unsure about getting married. She was quoted as asking why marriage “can’t just be a partnership”. Several people on social media and our very own Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have taken this as an opposition to the concept of nikkah or marriage. It seems quite obvious that as any other young girl of the same age, Malala is unsure of what being married entails. She is asking why marriage is seen as just a contract or signed papers and not a partnership… a partnership that is more about companionship, similar values, compatibility, etc. She did not say anything about nikkah or a live-in relationship, which is how her words are being misconstrued and misinterpreted. It is quite appalling to see the way Malala is being attacked for an innocent query.

    This is of course not the first time that Malala is targeted so viciously on social media. That she barely survived a brutal assassination attempt by the Taliban is questioned by the anti-Malala brigade. They call it a ‘drama’. Well, they should be glad that none of them have had to go through this brutality. When Malala released a statement on Israel and Palestine, she was questioned for why it was not worded more strongly. Of course these Twitter warriors did not know that Malala has done far more for the children of Gaza than any one of them. Back in 2014, she gave $50,000 for the reconstruction of Gaza schools. In May this year, Malala donated $150,000 for children in Gaza. But who can argue with social media warriors and conspiracy theorists with logic?

    Let Malala live her life and give her a break. She does not owe anyone an explanation. Long Live, Malala, our pride!

  • Malala turns producer, announces multi-year deal with Apple TV

    Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is expanding her partnership with Apple Inc to produce dramas, children’s series, animation and documentaries that will air on the tech giant’s streaming service, Reuters has reported.

    As per Apple’s website Malala, 23, and her new production company Extracurricular have joined Apple TV+’s growing roster of content creators including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Will Smith, Octavia Spencer and Jennifer Aniston.

    “I hope that through this partnership, I will be able to bring new voices to this platform, to this stage,” Malala told Reuters in an interview. “I hope that through me, more young people and girls will watch these shows, get inspired.”

    Malala also made an official announcement about the new partnership on her social media accounts.

    “I believe in the power of stories to bring families together, forge friendships, build movements and inspire children to dream,” wrote Malala, while sharing the news.

    She continued: “I’m thrilled to partner with Apple Tv to help bring new stories to life – and to support women, young people, writers and artists in reflecting the world as they see it.”

    “Today I’m announcing a multi-year programming partnership with Apple TV+  that will span dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation and children’s series,” added the young activist.

    Earlier, Malala shared a list of TV shows and movies she recently watched and enjoyed.

  • Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over UAE-Israel peace deal

    Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over UAE-Israel peace deal

    United States (US) President Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize over his efforts to broker a deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.

    According to reports, Trump was nominated by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, who praised the US president’s efforts aimed at resolving conflicts worldwide.

    “For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees,” Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News.

    Tybring-Gjedde, in his nomination letter to the Nobel Committee, said the Trump administration had played a key role in the establishment of relations between the UAE and Israel. “As it is expected, other Middle Eastern countries will follow the footsteps of the UAE, which can be a game-changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity.”

    UAE-ISRAEL PEACE DEAL“

    The UAE and Israel last month declared there would be peace between the two nations, with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin inviting the leader of the Emirates to visit Jerusalem.

    The gesture came as the UAE, after Egypt and Jordan, became the third Arab country to agree to have full ties with Israel.

    Trump took to Twitter to announce the major development.

    At the time, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that the agreement was “a truly historic moment”. “Now that ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the UAE,” he said.

    In 2020, there are 318 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. Submissions should be made online and all nominees are discussed and then the most worthy and interesting are shortlisted. 

  • Sikhs demand Nobel prize for Imran over Kartarpur opening

    Sikhs demand Nobel prize for Imran over Kartarpur opening

    As praises pour in for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor despite deteriorating Pakistan-India ties, a group of Sikhs has demanded Nobel Prize for the premier.

    According to reports, several Sikh organisations, including “Sikhs for Justice”, have decided to launch a campaign seeking the Nobel Prize for Imran in a bid to make the world recognise his peace efforts.

    The Sikh community, in this regard, will write a letter to the Nobel committee — a body responsible for most of the work involved in selecting Nobel laureates — wherein it will highlight the details pertaining to Kartarpur opening amid heightened Pakistan-India tensions.

    It also plans to shed light on how the Imran-led government in Islamabad ignored all political differences between the two countries to facilitate Indian Sikh minorities and indicate Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace.

    PM Imran on Saturday formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor at a star-studded ceremony, paving way for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit their second-most holiest site — Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan — without a visa.

    “I am happy we could do this for you,” he told a gathering of over 12,000 devotees, including former Indian PM Manmohan Singh and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu.

    “Believe me, I had no idea of the importance this place holds; I found out a year ago,” Imran said. During his brief address, he also raked up the Kashmir issue and said it had resulted in 70 years of hatred between Pakistan and India.