Pakistan’s first-ever transgender TV host, Marvia Malik escaped an assassination attempt, the local media reported.The gunmen opened fire on her when she was returning home from a pharmacy in Lahore, Pakistan. After being "disowned" by her family, Ms. Malik, then 21 years old, became Pakistan's first transgender newsreader in 2018, in a nation where discrimination is still pervasive.Ms Malik made her debut appearance on Pakistan’s Kohenoor TV just days after becoming the first transgender model at a prominent fashion show held annually by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, according to reports.Ms. Malik has left Lahore in order to keep safe following the incident on last week. She admitted to authorities that she had been receiving threatening calls for some time because she had been speaking up for Pakistan's transgender community. She said that the attack was motivated by her "activism."
Balochistan blast kills 4, injures 14
At least four people were killed and 14 others were hurt in a market explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden on a motorcycle in Pakistan's unrest-ridden Balochistan region, according to police. The blast took place a day after two policemen were killed and another was injured in Balochistan’s Khuzdar when an IED went off while police officers were patrolling the area.According to Barkhan deputy commissioner Abdullah Khoso, the explosion was caused by an IED that was detonated on a motorcycle. Volunteers are seen removing bloodied victims in social media videos that have not been authenticated. Mangled motorcycles and charred vegetables can be seen strewn about on the road. No terrorist groups have claimed responsibility for the blast.
2 Pakistanis reach home after being freed
According to sources, two Pakistani brothers who had been detained by the Americans at Guantanamo Bay for 20 years were released and sent back home. According to security sources and a Pakistani senator, they will be reunited with their families following a formal inquiry by Pakistani authorities. Pakistan arrested Abdul and Mohammed Rabbani on suspicion of their links to al-Qaida in 2002 in Karachi, the country’s largest southern port city.The brothers were being returned to Karachi, where they already resided with their families, according to Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, the head of the upper house's human rights committee.
US man anonymously donates £1.16 mn for treatment
For the treatment of a Kerala couple's son who has a rare genetic condition termed spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2, which results in progressive loss of movement and limited lifespan if left untreated, a US-based individual has anonymously gifted Rs11.6 crore. Nirvaan’s parents, Sarang Menon and Adithi Nair, received Rs 5 crore through crowdfunding with contributions from 50,000 people as per media report. They were informed by the doctors that the treatment for their child’s condition would cost around Rs 17.5 cr for a single drug named Zolgensma.As per reports, upon diagnosis of this condition, the parents opened accounts for their 15-month-old baby on two crowdfunding platforms- Milaap and ImpactGuru. Hailing from Kerala, but based in Mumbai, the couple was informed that their son requires a drug for gene replacement therapy.
Iran currency falls to record low amid unrest and global isolation
Iran’s currency fell to a record low against the US dollar on the unofficial market on last week, amid the country’s increasing isolation over its disputed nuclear programme, human rights violations and the supply of drones to Russia. According to a foreign exchange website, the US dollar was trading for up to 601,500 rials on Iran's black market, up from 540,000 rials on Friday and 575,000 rials the day before. Following months of unrest caused by the death of a woman on September 16 while she was being held in custody, Iranian officials have blamed the currency decline on "the enemies' plot" to destabilise the Islamic Republic. Since the beginning of the demonstrations, the value of the rial has decreased by nearly 50%.
Death penalty for ‘kidnapped’ German
An Iranian court on Tuesday sentenced to death on terror charges an Iranian-German national who supporters say was abducted in the Gulf and forcibly returned to Iran for a show trial. According to the news service, Mizan, the Tehran Revolutionary Court found Jamshid Sharmahd guilty in relation to the deadly bombing of a mosque in 2008. Sharmahd, 67, a German national and a resident of the US, was detained, according to Iranian officials, who made the announcement in August 2020. His family claims that he was kidnapped by Iranian security forces in Dubai while travelling. According to Mahmood Amiry Moghaddam, the leader of the Iran Human Rights group with a base in Norway, "They kidnapped Jamshid Sharmahd and now they've sentenced him to execution after a sham trial."
Kids take Austria to court over climate inaction
On Tuesday, twelve kids filed a lawsuit against the government in Austria's highest court, accusing it of failing to update a "inadequate" climate protection statute. A growing number of organisations and people are using the legal system to protest what they believe to be the government's inactivity in combating climate change.
Lowest fertility rate in S’ Korea
The fertility rate, or the average number of expected children per South Korean woman over the course of her reproductive life, decreased to 0.78 in 2022 from 0.81 a year earlier, according to data issued by Statistics Korea last week. According to experts, the rate must be at least 2.1 to maintain the nation's 52 million population level. The number of newborns declined last year to 249,000 from 260,600 a year earlier which is less than five per cent of the population.The fertility rate in the South East Asian nation first dropped to lower than one child per woman in 2018. Experts believe that the trend will likely continue because of causes such as increased living expenses, high real estate costs, the cost of education, increased economic worry, and more.