Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, on Monday, returned to London after her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls’ education more than five years ago.

Malala, 20, arrived in Islamabad on March 29, six years after she was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Local media footage showed a smiling Malala along with her parents at the airport in Islamabad to take a flight back to London after the four-day visit.

The visit was kept highly secret and hardly anyone knew until she landed in Islamabad and was driven in security to a hotel. On her visit, she met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM House where a ceremony was also organised in her honour.

“I have been dreaming of returning to Pakistan for the past five years,” teary-eyed Malala had said. She also made an emotional visit to her hometown in Mingora area of Swat district where she lived, went to school and was attacked in 2012.

“So much joy seeing my family home, visiting friends and putting my feet on this soil again,” she had tweeted about the visit, terming Swat as: “The most beautiful place on earth to me.” Malala, who is currently studying at Oxford University, also said that she plans to return to Pakistan after completing her studies in Britain.

The famed human rights activist was shot at by the Taliban gunman in December 2012 for her female education campaigning in the Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan. Severely wounded, she was airlifted from one military hospital in Pakistan to another and later flown to Great Britain for treatment.

Post the attack, the Taliban released a statement saying that they would target Malala again if she survived. At age 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her education advocacy in 2014 when she shared the coveted honour with India’s social activist Kailash Satyarthi.

Unable to return to Pakistan after her recovery, Malala moved to Britain, setting up the Malala Fund and supporting local education advocacy groups with a focus on Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Syria and Kenya. Malala began her campaign aged just 11 when she started writing a blog for the BBC’s Urdu service in 2009 about life under the Taliban in Swat, where they were banning girls’ education.

In 2007, the Islamist militants had taken over the area and imposed a brutal rule. Opponents were murdered, people were publicly flogged for supposed breaches of the sharia law, women were banned from going to market, and girls were stopped from going to school. The Taliban, who are opposed to the education of girls, have destroyed hundreds of schools in Pakistan.

Read more at https://www.udayavani.com/english/news/international/282746/malala-concludes-first-visit-pak-shooting#Kc6gOXETD7KJY3Kr.99

Palestinians mourn 17 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza during Land Day march calling for return of Palestinian refugees.

Funerals have begun for the 17 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as thousands marched near Gaza’s border with Israel to mark the 42nd anniversary of Land Day.

Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip held the funeral for 30-year-old Sari Abu Odeh late on Friday.

He was shot dead earlier in the day after Israeli forces fired live ammunition at protesters and used tear gas to push them back from a heavily fortified fence as they began a planned six-week demonstration demanding the right of return for refugees.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,400 others were wounded at the demonstration which commemorated Land Day, which stems from March 30, 1976, when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by Israeli forces during protests against the Israeli government’s decision to expropriate massive tracts of Palestinian-owned land.

Mohammed Najjar, 25, was shot in the stomach during a clash east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, while Mahmoud Muammar, 38, and Mohammed Abu Omar, 22, were both shot dead in Rafah.

Among the other victims were Ahmed Odeh, 19, Jihad Freneh, 33, Mahmoud Saadi Rahmi, 33, Abdelfattah Abdelnabi, 22, Ibrahim Abu Shaar, 20, Abdelqader al-Hawajiri, Sari Abu Odeh, Hamdan Abu Amsheh, Jihad Abu Jamous, Bader al-Sabbagh and Naji Abu Hjair, whose ages remain unknown.

Earlier on Friday, Omar Waheed Abu Samour, a farmer from Gaza, was also killed by Israeli artillery fire while standing in his land near Khan Younis, just hours before the demonstrations.

Funerals for the rest of those killed are set to take place throughout the day on Saturday.

In honour of those killed, the Palestinian Authority declared Saturday a day of “national mourning”.

“Schools, universities, as well as all government institutions, across the country will be off on Saturday, as per President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to declare a day of national mourning for the souls of the martyrs,” a statement issued on Friday said.

Adalah, a legal centre for Palestinian rights in Israel, condemned the Israeli army’s use of force, calling it a “brutal violation” of international law.

“Live gunfire on unarmed civilians constitutes a brutal violation of the international legal obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants,” the group said in a statement.

It also said that it would launch an investigation to “demand that those found responsible for the killings be brought to justice”.

WATCH: Land Day – Palestinians protesting the expropriation of their land (2:40)
Yara Mahamid, a student from Gaza told Al Jazeera, that Israeli aggression wouldn’t deter Palestinians from protesting.

“We came to commemorate Land Day because we have to confront the [Israeli] state.

“We came out to remember our martyrs and to reclaim ownership of our land. We will resist until our last breath. We shouldn’t negotiate anymore. We shouldn’t give up our rights,” she said.

This year’s Land Day comes on the heels of months of anger over US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.

It is widely expected the US will be transferring its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the run-up to the Nakba, “day of catastrophe”, on May 15, when Israel was officially declared a state and more than 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes.

Aljazeera

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has said that the perception in Pakistan that Iran’s Chabahar Port project, that connects India to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, is a “rival project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)”, is not correct.

“The Chabahar Port project is aimed at connecting Iran with Central Asia, and the ultimate goal is to uplift the Iranian economy,” Kharazi said at an event here. The project was under deliberation for a long time, therefore, it was not correct to link its launch with that of the CPEC, he was cited as saying by Dawn online on Saturday.

India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a trilateral agreement in 2016 to jointly develop the Chabahar Port, opening a new strategic transit route between the three nations and other Central Asian nations, bypassing Pakistan.

On the other hand, the CPEC connects China’s Kashgar in Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan through a network of roads, railways and highways.

India strongly objects to the route of the CPEC corridor, which goes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Kharazi, Iran’s Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2005, said that though it was true that India had massively invested in the Chabahar project, it was an open platform for all regional countries to participate in.

“While we are engaging with India on the economic front and India is investing in Chabahar, we have not given exclusive rights on the project to them,” he said.

Talking about the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, Kharazi said that Iran had “urged India a number of times to resolve the dispute in a peaceful and justly manner” and that Tehran was even willing to mediate between the two sides.

“But if we talk about economic partnerships, then Pakistan also has relations with the US which has put a number of sanctions on us, but (Iran) doesn’t mind it,” he said.

He pointed out that bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan suffered over reluctance of Pakistani banks to do business with Iranian entities due to a fear of US sanctions.

Kharazi said that another issue that had negatively impacted the bilateral trade was the “lack of political will from Pakistani side due to intense pressure from Washington and middle-eastern countries”.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama got emotional on Saturday as he embraced one of the five Assam Rifles troopers, Naren Chandra Das, who escorted him in India after his escape from Tibet.

In 1959, as a young trooper Das, now 80, escorted the Dalai Lama, now 82, on his arrival in Arunachal Pradesh. Dalai Lama has lived in exile ever since fleeing Tibet in March 1959.

“I feel blessed once again as His Holiness touched me and bumped his head with my head,” Das told reporters after he was honoured by the leader at an event in Dharamsala to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India.

Das said he was overwhelmed by the gesture of His Holiness for inviting him. The event marked the onset of a year-long ‘Thank You India’ campaign.

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, Members of Parliament Shanta Kumar and Satyavrat Chaturvedi were also present in the event along with functionalities of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), comprising its President Lobsang Sangay.

In 2017, Das was reunited with the Dalai Lama for the first time in 58 years at a festival organised by the Assam government.

Das, who joined the force in 1957, said he was told to escort the Dalai Lama along with others. “We were directed only to escort the Dalai Lama and not to speak with him,” said Das.

He was then posted at Lungla near the China border after having completed his training at Tawang in the then North East Frontier Agency, now Arunachal Pradesh, he said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Communist rule in Tibet.

The Dubai Public Prosecution has directed the Dubai Police to initiate criminal proceedings against five people, for spreading false information about Kalyan Jewellers.

All the five accused are of Indian origin and face charges of cyber crime and abuse using the internet or social media platform. The action was initiated based on a complaint filed by the company in November last year, following a series of posts online, that attacked the brand.

The action comes in the wake of several false social media posts that claimed that the gold sold by the jewellery brand was fake. One version of the post claimed that owners of Kalyan Jewellers in Dubai, was arrested for selling fake gold ornaments.

According to Kalyan Jewellers, one of the five people under the scanner, has during the course of the investigation, admitted that he had logged in and slandered the company.

Even as Dubai police started investigation on the complaint, recently, more fake posts were circulated on social media, especially on WhatsApp. A latest post that is being widely circulated along with an invoice of purchase accused the jeweller of mixing wax in huge proportion in antique jewellery.

Brands must take social media slandering seriously

Speaking to TNM, Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director of Kalyan Jewellers, said that the brand takes social media slandering seriously and was particular that they would respond through a legal channel.

“The first thing which we did when the social media attack started was to counter it on our own accounts and post the truth there. Then we complained to the police and we were waiting for the end result. Today, we have got a confirmation from the Dubai police,” he said.

Saying that when it comes to purchasing gold, customers are always concerned about what they buy, Ramesh said:

“Customers spend time in ensuring that the gold they purchase is pure. With regard to antique jewellery, people are well aware that a certain quantity of wax is used and this is mentioned in the invoice. But even so, when such a fake message questioning the purity of the jewellery is shared online, fear is created. That is not only going to affect the brand, but also the industry. That’s why we reacted fast in India,” he said.

Saying that it is extremely important for brands to clear the air as soon as possible when false information about the brand begins to circulate, Ramesh said, “Unfortunately, brands can clear the air only in their own official social media pages. But that does not get shared as much as a post meant to defame the brand. People should exercise caution when they receive these kind of posts,” he said.

Commenting on the development, Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers TS Kalyanaraman said:

“It is very reassuring to see the steps taken by the Dubai Police to contain social media abusers. Perpetrators should know that social media slandering will not be taken lightly. A brand’s reputation is built over years by the contribution and hard work of many people. Such instances of fake propaganda by a few irresponsible individuals, is an attempt to tarnish the

image and reputation of brands. These acts have deep impact on the emotions of all those associated with the brand and the company. I thank the UAE’s legal system and the Dubai Police for taking strict measures in preventing cybercrimes and establishing the truth in such situations.”

An Afghan provincial council member, along with a local pro-government leader and an attacker, was killed when the latter blew himself up in the country’s Kunar province on Friday, a government spokesman said.

The explosion occurred in the afternoon after the arrival of Shah Wali Hemat, a provincial council member, to attend a local funeral ceremony, government spokesman Ghani Musamim told Xinhua news agency.

A local tribesman named Abdul Rahman also died on the spot.

A security guard was injured in the explosion, the latest targeted attack against government officials and local leaders.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

(IANS)

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will visit India from April 6 to 8 on his maiden foreign trip after assuming office, in line with the tradition of a Nepali PM visiting India on his first overseas trip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.

Oli’s visit comes following an invitation from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya, Oli will lead a government delegation comprising of ministers, members of Parliament, secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Nepali government, the Ministry said.

His visit aims to revisit the century-old ties between the two countries.

During the visit, Oli will pay courtesy calls on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. Some senior Cabinet members of the Indian government will call on the Nepali leader.

Oli will also visit Pantnagar, Uttarakhand and attend a programme at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, according to the Ministry.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that Oli’s upcoming visit “will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review wide-ranging cooperative partnership and to progress it further”.

In a sign of the Indian diaspora’s growing influence, two cabinet-level officials of Indian-descent represented the biggest superpower, the US, and its neighbour, Canada, at the UN Security Council’s ministerial-level meeting on peacekeeping on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., January 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo – RC14E6F54740

And they are both Sikhs — US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley, a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, and Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan.

They were among the ten ministers and a deputy minister from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas at the meeting presided over by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

But there was no minister from India, which was represented by Tanmaya Lal, the Deputy Permanent Representative.

The changing demographics of Europe was on display, too.

Britain was represented by Tariq Ahmad, the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, and Sweden by Ibrahim Baylan, the Policy Coordination Minister.

Ahmad is an Ahmadiyya Muslim of Pakistani origin, while Baylan is an Assyrian born in Turkey.

Nikki, or Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, is the daughter of Ajit Singh and Raj Kaur Randhawa, who immigrated from Punjab’s Amritsar district. She was born in South Carolina state and was elected its Governor.

She came to the meeting with the Trump administration’s policy of cutting back on international contributions.

She said the US will not pay more than 25 percent of the peacekeeping budget and there should be a more equitable sharing of the burden.

Peacekeeping was a shared responsibility of all the nations and “One country should not shoulder more than one quarter of the UN peacekeeping budget,” she said.

Washington now foots about 28.5 percent of the $7.3 billion peacekeeping budget.

Haley said that peacekeeping missions need to support political solutions and the mandates set by the Council “must be realistic and achievable”.

“We need to be willing to change mandates when things aren’t working,” she added.

Sajjan, who was born in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur District and immigrated to Canada when he was five years old, spoke on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security and held more women should be deployed in peacekeeping operations.

Creative thinking was required to meet this challenge and the UN department dealing with peacekeeping should devise a gender strategy.

At least 68 people were killed in a fire at a prison in Venezuela’s Carabobo state, according to a government official.

“The Public Prosecutor’s Office informs the public that in the face of the terrible events that took place at the General Command of Carabobo, where 68 people died in the wake of a fire, we have appointed four prosecutors to clarify these dramatic events,” Chief State Prosecutor Tarek Saab tweeted on Wednesday.

The Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigation Service Corps (Cicpc) as well as the Prosecutor and the director of the Carabobo Police Jose Aldama, are investigating to identify the cause of the incident, reports Efe news.

The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out on Wednesday.

Relatives surrounded the station after news of the fire broke.

The situation soon turned violent, leading the 20 state police officers who were guarding the station to launch tear gas.

Last month inmates at a different prison in Carabobo took a number of prisoners and guards hostage in another riot.

(IANS)

The family of the woman who was killed in a fatal accident with Uber’s self-driving vehicle in the US state of Arizona has reportedly reached a settlement with the ride-hailing company even as the police continued to investigate the crash.

“The attorney with the firm of Bellah Perez in Glendale, Arizona, said ‘the matter has been resolved’ between Uber and daughter and husband of Elaine Herzberg who died after being hit by an Uber self-driving SUV,” The Telegraph reported on Thursday.

However, the terms of the settlement between Herzberg’s family and Uber have not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey suspended the ride-hailing giant’s self-driving vehicle tests earlier this week following the fatal collision.

“As Governor, my top priority is public safety. Improving public safety has always been an emphasis of Arizona’s approach to autonomous vehicle testing and my expectation is that public safety is also the top priority for all who operate this technology in Arizona,” Ducey wrote in a letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

Uber has already suspended its self-driving operations in other cities including Tempe, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto following the fatal accident.

A self-driving Volvo SUV from Uber travelling at 64 km per hour killed the woman in Arizona earlier this month, triggering a heated debate on whether autonomous cars are safe enough and who is to blame for the death.

According to the police, the victim was walking outside of the crosswalk when she was hit by the car, which was in autonomous mode at that time although a vehicle operator was behind the wheel.

(IANS)