A 30-year-old Pakistani man was named on Sunday as the security guard killed in a weekend knife attack in a Sydney shopping mall, according to two local community groups.
The Australian Pakistani National Association and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said Faraz Tahir was killed by a knife-wielding man who also killed five women.
On Sunday evening, members of the Muslim community held a silent vigil for the man, who is said to have moved to Australia last year.
“He quickly became an integral part of our community,” a statement said.
The Australian Pakistani National Association encouraged the community to “stand together in solidarity, offering support and prayers to those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss”.
As the attack unfolded on Saturday, online social media accounts falsely reported that the attack was linked to ideological or religious groups or events in the Middle East.
Police have named the assailant as 40-year-old itinerant man Joel Cauchi who was previously diagnosed with a mental health issue.
The world may be at the brink of a very dangerous war but social media’s trolling of Israel continues unabated.
Right after Iran retaliated against Israel on Saturday night for destroying its embassy in Syria, Israel hurriedly called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Social media users did not fail to roast the country for its own recent actions.
BREAKING: Israel calls for emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
A political analyst picked up on Israel’s continuous violations of all international laws and UN conventions.
It's strange to be Israel: You violate a mountain of UN resolutions, condemn the UN at every turn, bomb UN schools & shelters, murder UN employees, & then you demand a UN meeting over another country responding to your bombing of their consulate 🤯 https://t.co/AwMof4bWj8
Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles on Israel in an unprecedented attack late on Saturday “in response” to a deadly airstrike on its Damascus consular annexe earlier this month.
Iran’s allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and blasts were heard in the skies above Jerusalem early on Sunday.
Iran had vowed to strike back in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe while America had warned repeatedly in recent days that the retaliation was imminent.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched “extensive” drone and missile strikes — as part of what they called the Operation ‘True Promise’ against “certain targets” inside Israel.
“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
Videos emerged as people in Jerusalem sought cover and flooded the roads. “As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighbourhood.
US President Joe Biden expressed “ironclad” support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the current attack against Israel.
Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square, waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the unprecedented military action against Israel.
On the other hand, Israeli military official said, “So far, we’ve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles,” Hagari said. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept “all aerial threats”.
Iran’s allies in the region joined the attack with Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement announcing rocket fire at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
The official Irna news agency said the attack had dealt “heavy blows” to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage.
US help for Israel neutralizing all the attacks
The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran’s conflict with Israel. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!” it said.
Despite Tehran’s warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel.
Biden said in a later statement that the United States had “helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles”, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength.
The US president said he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, after recent tense relations over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
“I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” he said.
He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear.
Matter of a ‘truce’ in Gaza
The Gaza crisis began October 7 and has claimed lives of more than 33 thousand in Gaza.
In the main central city of Deir al-Balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque. Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes”, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness.
In nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, Abd Thabet said residents had been warned to evacuate on Friday evening ahead of a large explosion that caused “massive destruction”.
Hamas said it had submitted its response to a Gaza truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week.
The Palestinian group said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on “a permanent ceasefire” and the “withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip”.
During the October attack, Hamas seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.
The Israeli prime minister’s office accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts for an exchange of hostages for prisoners. “Hamas to this day has refused any deal and any compromise proposal,” it said.
Arshad Khan, a tea-stall owner who rose to fame for his exceptionally good looks is in news again as the famous Chaiwala has run into serious financial troubles. He launched his Chaiwala London café a year ago in London, England with the help of two franchise owners, who also happen to be cousins.
Arshad Khan has not been paid royalty as promised by UK franchise owners, according to an insider. He has been requesting the London café owners who have refused to pay him because of business losses. Additionally, they also refused to pay rent to the landlord.
Background
Arshad Khan’s brand was brought to the UK last year by two cousins: Nadir Khan Durrani and Yaver Akbar Durrani. UK Companies House record shows that Yaver Akbar Durrani registered Cafe Chaiwala Ltd under company number 13205566.
Nadir is a UK national and Yaver Akbar Durrani is a Canadian national who lives in the United States. They registered the company in early 2021 and are currently running the business actively.
Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan is located in East London on 229 Ilford Lane. The situation is bad to the extent that the café never opened its ground floor section to the public because of poor quality of service. It was a big hit when it opened last year but the poor quality, mismanagement and lack of hygiene at the café deterred the customers, according to reports.
When opening the café last year in London Yaver Akbar Durrani and Nadir Durrani announced that they would open several franchises of “Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan” in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Now the two cousins have run into a legal dispute with the owner of the building after failing to pay rent of over six months, citing business losses and complaining that that the rent is too much and should be reduced. Yaver Durrani met Arshad Khan in Islamabad and made promises to clear the pending monthly royalty but later on told him he cannot pay him until the business goes into profit. He told Arshad Khan that too many Chai cafes have opened nearby on the same street and that has damaged the business. Arshad Khan has been trying to keep the issue private to protect his brand, he says. Durrani is also accusing Arshad Khan of not delivering the full recipes to the London café as promised originally.
Failed Promises
A source at Arshad Khan Chaiwala told Pakistan Today that Arshad sold the international franchise to the Durrani brothers but they have broken the contract and agreement by not paying royalties to Arshad Khan and continuing to use his name. Therefore, Arshad Khan will not allow them to use the brand and franchise anymore. “Both sides have threatened legal action against each other,” said the source from Islamabad.
During the London launch, the Master Franchisees-UK promised that Arshad Khan will visit London soon to meet his fans and to brew ‘karak’ chai for them. Later, they didn’t make arrangements for his travel to the UK as the non-payments estranged the two parties.
Information Minister from Punjab Azma Bukhari recently appeared in an Eid interview with Geo Pakistan where she was asked about Chief Minister Punjab and her Party’s (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s looks and styling.
To this she replied, “I can categorically say that she just applies a thing or two on her face (cosmetics) and gets simple lawn dresses worth 700-800 stitched and wears them.” Azma further added that “it is not about the cost of the items but the way you carry them,” adding that she is inspired by Maryam Nawaz because she carries the clothes well.
The video surfaced on social media a day earlier and has taken the net by storm as people are grilling Azma for being so oblivious of current prices.
A number of users commented that not even a lawn shirt cost 800 now let alone a whole dress. Some quipped that they want the address of the place Maryam Nawaz gets her dresses from.
Many other lambasted Azma by pointing out the expensive collection of shoes and bags Maryam Nawaz uses on daily basis which are worth hundreds of dollars.
A user commented that CM Punjab should suffix the cheap dresses with costly bags and shoes actually.
She donned a Saira Habib dress paired with Dior sandals at the oath-taking of her uncle Shehbaz Sharif on his oath-taking ceremony as Prime Minister of Pakistan. The look in totality is worth way more than Rs800 contradictory to what Azma claimed.
Yasir Hussain, a renowned host, actor, comedian, and director, gained fame with his first movie ‘Karachi Say Lahore.’ The popular star appeared on Nadia Khan’s show ‘Thori Si Masti’ where he discussed his son Kabir Hussain and shared his plan for a second baby.
Responding to Nadia’s question about society’s pressure on expanding the family, he said, “We plan to have a second baby soon, InshaAllah. I don’t mind people asking such questions, they can ask anything, it’s good that they’re interested. Usually, we aren’t asked such things, but even if someone does, I won’t get upset. We worry when people stop caring, so it’s good they’re concerned about us.”
Five Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have filed a legal complaint in Berlin against the German government over its delivery of weapons to Israel, an NGO representing them said Friday.
The complaint seeks to “revoke the export licences issued by the German government for arms deliveries to Israel”, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for the administrative court in Berlin confirmed it received the complaint late Thursday. The five plaintiffs live in different parts of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, the official added.
The Palestinians are “challenging the authorisation already granted for the delivery of anti-tank weapons” and seeking to stop deliveries that have not yet been authorised, the spokeswoman said.
The complaint is directed against the economy ministry, which now has two weeks to respond.
The five Palestinians have all had family members killed in Israeli missile attacks since Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, according to the ECCHR.
The plaintiffs say Berlin is failing to fulfil its obligations under international law, including the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.
“Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war in which serious violations of international humanitarian law are evident,” said Wolfgang Kaleck, general secretary of the ECCHR.
Germany is the second biggest arms exporter to Israel after the US, accounting for 30 percent of imports between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Berlin is facing a case in the International Court of Justice in which Nicaragua says it is in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, set up after the Holocaust.
On Tuesday, Berlin’s representatives insisted that Germany supplied arms only “on the basis of detailed scrutiny… that far exceeds the requirements of international law”.
Israeli genocide in Gaza Strip has killed more than 33,000 people since October 7, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Five people were killed and several others injured — including a small child — when a knife-wielding attacker rampaged through a busy Sydney shopping centre on Saturday, Australian police said.
Multiple people were stabbed by the unidentified assailant, who was shot dead by a policewoman at the scene.
The incident occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers.
“I’m advised that there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender,” said New South Wales police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke.
The motive was not immediately clear, but Cooke said “terrorism” could not be ruled out at this stage.
“I do not know at this stage who he is. You would understand this is quite raw. Inquiries are very new and we are continuing to make attempts to identify the offender in this matter,” said Cooke.
A New South Wales Ambulance spokesperson told AFP that eight patients were taken to various hospitals across Sydney, including a young child who was taken to the city’s Children’s Hospital.
“They all have traumatic injuries,” the official said.
Security camera footage broadcast by local media showed a man wearing an Australian rugby league jersey running around the shopping centre with a large knife and injured people lying lifeless on the floor.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic, with shoppers scrambling to safety and police trying to secure the area.
Several people took shelter in shops as they tried to protect themselves and their families.
Pranjul Bokaria had just finished up work and was doing some shopping when the stabbing occurred.
She ended up running to a nearby shop and taking shelter in a break room.
“It was scary, there are some people who were emotionally vulnerable and crying,” she told AFP.
She escaped using an emergency exit with other shoppers and staff, which took them to a back street.
She described a scene of “chaos”, with people running, and police swarming the area.
“I am alive and grateful,” she said.
Reece Colmenares was on her way to the gym when she saw “people running and screaming” past her.
She told AFP the people were saying someone had been stabbed so she ran into a nearby hardware shop with 10 to 12 other people
“They took us down [to a room] and closed the shop,” she said.
“It’s scary, there are little children and elderly and people in wheelchairs everywhere.”
As night fell, dozens of police and ambulances were still outside the shopping complex, with stretchers ready to take people to nearby hospitals.
The sound of police sirens and helicopters filled the air.
The mall has been locked down and police have urged people to avoid the area.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed Australians’ sadness and shock at the attack.
“Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones,” he wrote on social media platform X.
Such attacks are virtually unheard of in Australia, which has relatively low rates of violent crime.
The meteorological department has predicted rains in various parts of the country, reports Geo.
The weather became pleasant with thundershowers in many cities of Punjab including Rajanpur and Bhakkar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Parachinar city and adjacent areas received rain and snow on the mountains. In Quetta and its surrounding areas there were heavy spells of rains.
Azad Jammu Kashmir’s Neelum valley also experienced overcast along with strong winds.
The sand storm from the border desert of Afghanistan entered the Pakistani areas due to which trees were uprooted, mud walls and solar panels fell in many areas including Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Pashin, Gulistan, Jangal Pir Alizai, Saranan due to which high alert was issued.
Gusty winds will continue intermittently in South Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir according to the Department of Meteorology. Heavy rain and hail may also occur at some places.
Apart from this, the weather department has also that there is a possibility of rain in Karachi today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday).
Umair Jaswal has posted photos of his Eid-ul-Fitr look on his Instagram account. Usually, the singer posts pictures and videos of his gym sessions. However, for Eid-ul-Fitr, he decided to share his Eid look, wearing the traditional shalwar kameez attire, although the color isn’t clear.
He’s also sporting sunglasses and a watch. Additionally, he posted another picture where he’s wearing a black shalwar kameez and showing affection towards his nephew Ammar Jaswal. He also extended Eid greetings to his fans.
