BERLIN: A Berlin court on Tuesday fined a woman €600 euros (1, 82, 159 rupees) for using the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” at a protest, in a ruling slammed as a “dark day for freedom of expression” by her lawyer.
The 22-year-old, named only as Ava M, was found guilty of using the slogan at a banned gathering in Berlin’s Neukoelln district on October 11, according to a court spokeswoman.
The court concluded that the woman’s use of the phrase so soon after the October 7 raid in Israel meant it “could only be understood as a denial of Israel’s right to exist and an endorsement of the attack”, the spokeswoman said.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is seen by some as a call for the destruction of Israel, though others say it simply appeals to equality for Palestinians and Israelis.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser outlawed the phrase in November as part of a ban on the activities of Hamas.
However, the ban is legally controversial, and courts in different parts of Germany have handed down different rulings on cases involving the phrase, with many finding it to be permissible.
Lawyer Alexander Gorski, who represented the woman in Berlin, said it was “a dark day for freedom of expression”.
“My client only wanted to express her hope for a future of democratic coexistence for all people in the region,” he said, adding that his client would appeal the decision.
Islamabad’s Monal restaurant, built illegally in the Margalla Hills National Park, has announced in a statement posted on social media that it will end its operations on September 11 in light of the Supreme Court’s orders.
“It’s time to say goodbye. As per Honorable SCP directions, we are closing on 11/09/2024. Dear Valued Customers, thank you for your trust and for giving us a chance to serve you to the best of our abilities, for giving us recognition, appreciation, and a place in your heart,” the official statement read.
The post sheds light on the restaurant’s controversial journey: “Since 2006, it has been an absolute pleasure for the Monal family to serve and showcase a positive image of Pakistan and its beautiful people.”
“This journey was full of success stories and emotions for the team affiliated with us, but now it’s time to say goodbye. Here’s to a difficult farewell,” it concluded.
Supreme Court dismisses military’s claim on Margalla National Park commercial activity is an area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, along with a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court, had taken up an appeal against the Jan 11, 2022, judgement of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding sealing and taking over Monal’s possession.
The top court, however, rejected the appeal against the IHC order in which the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board were ordered to seal the Monal premises to ensure the conservation of endangered and wildlife species in the region.
The Youm-I-Istehsaal-i-Kashmir Day Resolution, presented by Safron and Kashmir Affairs minister Amir Maqam in the national assembly, was unanimously supported, demonstrating strong unity in the cause of Kashmir except for one lawmaker, Chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
The Member National Assembly opposed the resolution, arguing that the draft should be amended before being passed by parliament.
In a hard-hitting speech, he said, ‘‘We should ask the Kashmiris which country they want to join’’.
The resolution demanded India release political prisoners, stop the ongoing violation of human rights, provide humanitarian aid, and sincerely implement the relevant resolution of the United Security Council so that Kashmiri people can determine their future through the democratic process of a fair and partial plebiscite under the define guidance of the United Nations.
In response, after being called ‘havaldar’ by the achakzai, the speaker elaborated that he was proud of being called a havaldar as he is the country’s frontline soldier.
The Senate’s Standing Committee on Energy has been briefed by the Secretary of Power Division that 190,000 employees are being given free electricity worth 15 billion rupees annually.
He said, “Our electricity demand for industry is about 25 percent, decreasing over time.”
The Secretary explained that 25 million employees of 400 units received a 592 billion subsidy, which has now increased by Rs 692 billion. “244 billion was taken from industry and given to domestic consumers,” he told the Committee.
Senator Mohsin Aziz remarked, “IPP has become a dragon, and people are on the streets.”
The federal minister for power and energy said, “Even if we get five rupees from IPP payments, we will help poor people.”
The minister opined that electricity theft can be reduced with privatisation and digitisation.
The appointment came quickly after student leaders called on the 84-year-old Yunus — credited with lifting millions out of poverty in the South Asian country — to lead.
The decision was made in a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the heads of the army, navy and air force, and student leaders.
“(They) decided to form an interim government with Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus as its chief,” Shahabuddin’s office said in a statement.
“The president has asked the people to help ride out the crisis. Quick formation of an interim government is necessary to overcome the crisis.”
Yunus will have the title of chief advisor, according to Haid Islam, one of the leaders of Students Against Discrimination who participated in the meeting.
Shahabuddin agreed that the interim government “will be formed within the shortest time” possible, Islam told reporters.
Islam described the meeting as “fruitful”.
However, there were few other details about the planned government, including the role of the military.
Yunus, who is currently in Europe, told AFP on Tuesday he was willing to lead the interim government.
“If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” he said in a statement, also calling for free elections.
Muhammad Yunus: Bangladesh’s ‘banker to the poor’
Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus has been asked by Bangladeshi protest leaders to helm an interim government to replace ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, who had hounded him in speeches and through the courts.
The 84-year-old, known as the “banker to the poorest of the poor”, was awarded the Peace Prize in 2006 for his work loaning small cash sums to rural women, allowing them to invest in farm tools or business equipment and boost their earnings.
Grameen Bank, the microfinance lender he founded, was lauded for helping unleash breakneck economic growth in Bangladesh. Since then, scores of developing countries have copied its work.
“Human beings are not born to suffer the misery of hunger and poverty,” Yunus said during his Nobel lecture, daring his audience to imagine a world where deprivation was confined to history museums.
But his public profile in Bangladesh earned him the hostility of Hasina, who once accused him of “sucking blood” from the poor.
In 2007, Yunus announced plans to set up his own “Citizen Power” party to end Bangladesh´s confrontational political culture, which has been punctuated by instability and periods of military rule.
He abandoned those ambitions within months, but the enmity aroused by his challenge to the ruling elite has persisted.
Yunus was hit with more than 100 criminal cases and a smear campaign by a state-led Islamic agency that accused him of promoting homosexuality.
The government unceremoniously forced him out of Grameen Bank in 2011 — a decision fought by Yunus but upheld by Bangladesh´s top court.
In January he and three colleagues from one of the companies he founded were sentenced to jail terms of six months — but immediately bailed pending appeal — by a Dhaka labour court which found they had illegally failed to create a workers´ welfare fund.
All four had denied the charges and, with courts accused of rubber-stamping decisions by Hasina´s government, the case was criticised as politically motivated by watchdogs including Amnesty International.
Yunus was born into a well-to-do family — his father was a successful goldsmith — in the coastal city of Chittagong in 1940.
He credits his mother, who offered help to anyone in need who knocked on their door, as his biggest influence.
Yunus won a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States and returned soon after Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan in 1971 war. When he returned, he was chosen to head Chittagong University´s economics department, but the young country was struggling through a severe famine and he felt compelled to take practical action.
“Poverty was all around me, and I could not turn away from it,” he said in 2006.
“I found it difficult to teach elegant theories of economics in the university classroom… I wanted to do something immediate to help people around me.”
After years of experimenting with ways to provide credit for people too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, he founded Grameen Bank in 1983.
The institution now has more than nine million clients on its books, according to its most recent annual report (2020), and more than 97 percent of its borrowers are women.
Yunus has won numerous high honours for his life´s work, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, which Barack Obama awarded him.
Actress Hina Chaudhary is one of those rare celebrities who successfully balance their careers with her role as a wife and mother.
In a recent interview with ‘Fuchsia Magazine,’ Hina disclosed that she was deeply involved in cricket during her college days. “Meri ammi ko ye pasand nahi tha kyun ke mein sara din dhoop me rehti thi. Aur phir logon ka meri ammi ko ye kehna kay larkon walay khel khail rahi hai, ye tou kaali hojaegi,” Hina said. Despite her mother’s concerns about her getting tanned and impacting marriage prospects, Hina’s dedication to cricket was unwavering.
She also discussed how she reignited her passion for acting during her university days by joining a dramatics club and becoming its president. This led to a challenging yet transformative period as she convinced her father to support her acting career. Initially resistant, her father eventually agreed after many discussions.
She shared valuable advice from her mother: “My mother told me something that I still remember. If you want to reach the top, you must complete every step. If you miss a step, you will fall and get hurt.” This advice has guided Hina throughout her career, motivating her to persist and succeed.
Hina also talked about her marriage to Ali, whom she met at university. Ali, an assistant professor, initially helped her with admission documents. Their relationship grew from a simple connection to a deep and supportive partnership as Ali continued to assist her with academic challenges.
Hina emphasized that love can diminish. “It is very important to have friendship in a relationship,” she pointed out. She highlighted that Ali’s progressive attitude and support have been crucial for her career. Ali encourages her acting ambitions and supports her through various challenges, including managing family responsibilities.
A landlord in Sindh has cut off the leg of a donkey that entered his stable.
The incident took place in Batra village of Mehar Tehsil in Sindh.
The donkey’s owner says his son earns money by driving a donkey cart. The owner said, “Last night, my donkey went to the landlord’s shed, after which he and his son got angry and cut off the leg of the donkey.”
Geo News reported that the donkey owner had registered a complaint with the Rajhastan police station against the influential landlord, but so far, the police have not taken any action. They have also left the donkey with the police.
However, the police believe that the donkey’s owner has only reported the case and has not registered an FIR. Further action will be taken after the case is registered and the investigation is carried out.
Actor Adeel Hussain’s mother has passed away. Hussain has posted a picture on Instagram, remembering his late mother. “Though our hearts ache, we find solace in the beautiful memories she leaves behind. Her legacy of compassion and grace will continue to inspire us every day,” he wrote.
He also called her the light his life. “Words fail me as we wish her so long’ ❤ forever in our hearts and minds.”
Celebrities and fans offered condolences after his mother’s passing.
Ali Kazmi commented, “Sincere condolences my brother! May she rest in peace and always smile down upon you from her special place in the heavens.” Ushna Shah commented, “Inalilahewainaelerajiun – I’m so sorry Adeel” Aisha Malik also commented, “So sorry for your loss Adeel, may Allah grant her a high place in Jannah and give you strength during this difficult time.”
Here are the pictures of Adeel hussain with his mother:
Famous actress Ushna Shah has opened up about her struggle with high testosterone levels due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
In Instagram posts and tweets, Ushna shared that she and many other women in Pakistan deal with PCOS, which causes high levels of the male hormone testosterone.
Ushna’s honest talk brings attention to PCOS, a common but often misunderstood health issue. She pointed out that PCOS causes hormonal imbalances, leading to problems like extra body hair (hirsutism).
Talking to her followers, Ushna said that high testosterone gives her stronger muscles and more energy. However, she made it clear that this does not make her any less female. She said that even with these hormonal changes, she is still fully feminine.
Ushna’s comments challenge old views that link high testosterone with masculinity or a third gender.
Her message is important, especially in light of recent events like the case of Algerian athlete Imane Khelif. Khelif qualified for the Paris Olympics and is set to compete in the finals. However, she faced controversy last year when she was disqualified by the International Boxing Federation due to an unspecified gender test. Even though the International Olympic Committee confirmed Khelif’s female gender, the Algerian has been attacked relentlessly by racists and transphobes, including JK Rowling and Elon Musk.
On Pakistan’s 77th independence day, Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and his family have donated more than 30,000 square feet of land to the Balochistan government.
Geo News reported that the Qazi family wrote a letter to the government of Balochistan donating land amounting to 31,680 sq feet.
The letter stated that the donated land was located next to the Quaid-i-Azam Residency in Ziarat.
The letter further stated that the land could be used for an environmental centre in the public interest and handed over to the government on August 14th.
