Latest news with #Masud
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lawyers ask for year-long delay to Lockerbie bombing trial
The trial of a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed an American airliner over Lockerbie could be delayed until spring next year. The case against Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, known as Masud, was due to begin in Washington this month, but was delayed due to his poor health and to give the defence more time to prepare. In a joint submission lodged with the court, lawyers for the prosecution and defence are now "expecting to request" a trial date of late April 2026. The proposed delay would have to be approved by a judge. Masud has denied priming the explosive device which brought down Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988, killing 270 people. The explosion killed 259 passengers and crew and a further 11 people in the Dumfries and Galloway town when wreckage of the Boeing 747 fell on their homes. It remains the deadliest terror attack in the history of the United Kingdom. New documents blame Libya for Lockerbie bombing US judge agrees to delay Lockerbie bombing trial Masud, who is in his early 70s, is described as a joint citizen of Libya and Tunisia. He has been receiving treatment for a non-life threatening medical condition. In a joint status report to the US district court for the District of Columbia, both parties referred to the "complex, international nature" of evidence in the case, adding that a pre-trial schedule would be "atypical". Lawyers also requested an early deadline for motions to "suppress the defendant's statement," presumed to be an alleged confession Masud made while in jail in Libya in 2012. The claim, which is said to be of "importance to the [US] government's case," alleges that Masud admitted working for the Libyan intelligence service and confessed to building the device which brought down the aircraft. It is also alleged he named two accomplices, Abdelbasset Al Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah. Megrahi was convicted of murdering the 270 victims and died in Tripoli in 2012 after being freed on compassionate grounds by the Scottish government. Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah, his co-accused in the trial at the Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands, was found not guilty. Scottish and US prosecutors first named Masud as a suspect in the case in 2015 following the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. He was charged five years later by then-US attorney general William Barr with the destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. Masud was taken into US custody in 2022 after being removed from his home by an armed militia. The latest hearing in the case is due to take place in Washington on Thursday. Lockerbie bombing: The ultimate detective story? FBI search for 'all Lockerbie victims' ahead of suspect's US trial
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Lawyers ask for year-long delay to Lockerbie bombing trial
The trial of a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed an American airliner over Lockerbie could be delayed until spring next case against Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, known as Masud, was due to begin in Washington this month, but was delayed due to his poor health and to give the defence more time to a joint submission lodged with the court, lawyers for the prosecution and defence are now "expecting to request" a trial date of late April 2026. The proposed delay would have to be approved by a has denied priming the explosive device which brought down Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988, killing 270 people. The explosion killed 259 passengers and crew and a further 11 people in the Dumfries and Galloway town when wreckage of the Boeing 747 fell on their remains the deadliest terror attack in the history of the United Kingdom. Masud, who is in his early 70s, is described as a joint citizen of Libya and has been receiving treatment for a non-life threatening medical a joint status report to the US district court for the District of Columbia, both parties referred to the "complex, international nature" of evidence in the case, adding that a pre-trial schedule would be "atypical".Lawyers also requested an early deadline for motions to "suppress the defendant's statement," presumed to be an alleged confession Masud made while in jail in Libya in claim, which is said to be of "importance to the [US] government's case," alleges that Masud admitted working for the Libyan intelligence service and confessed to building the device which brought down the aircraft. It is also alleged he named two accomplices, Abdelbasset Al Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifah was convicted of murdering the 270 victims and died in Tripoli in 2012 after being freed on compassionate grounds by the Scottish Amin Khalifah Fhimah, his co-accused in the trial at the Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands, was found not guilty. Scottish and US prosecutors first named Masud as a suspect in the case in 2015 following the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in was charged five years later by then-US attorney general William Barr with the destruction of an aircraft resulting in was taken into US custody in 2022 after being removed from his home by an armed latest hearing in the case is due to take place in Washington on Thursday.
Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
'Seat 1C' launched with life lessons from a plane crash
Zafar Masud, the banker who miraculously survived the plane crash in Karachi five years ago involving the national airline, shared his story at the launch of his book, Seat 1C. Speaking at the event, he stated "I wrote this book primarily for myself, but it contains life lessons that can be beneficial for everyone." The book not only narrates his personal story but also addresses important topics such as mental therapy, the significance of traditions, courage, arrogance, and "survivor's guilt." Following the book launch, Masud was invited for a discussion and Q&A session at Habib University, where he spoke about the experiences, emotions, and reflections before, during, and after the crash, as captured in his book. The session was moderated by journalist Naveen Naqvi, and was attended by literary circles, academia, students, various figures from the banking sector, and professionals from different fields. Masud, who is also the president of the Bank of Punjab, claimed that surviving a plane crash is an experience unlike any other, and that extensive research went into the background of the book, drawing from survival stories around the world. He emphasised that in life, certain lessons are crucial and must not be overlooked, stressing that the book does not promote any political ideology; rather, it focuses on history, research, and life lessons valuable to all individuals. Masud also mentioned that literature is the best medium to express themes related to education and the economy, and this belief motivated him to write the book, which he believes can especially serve as a learning resource for youth and students. He shared that one of his favorite chapters is about rituals, where he recounts the kindness of people who immediately came to his aid after the crash. He recalled how the vehicle that transported him was later destroyed, but he remained deeply grateful for the good people who were there for him at the right time. The book also dedicates an entire chapter to the topic of arrogance, shedding light on the possible causes of the plane crash. According to Masud, the pilot's overconfidence was a major factor; despite warnings from his subordinates about landing issues, the pilot chose not to listen. Masud stated "I am an optimistic person. Without the prayers of my grandfather and the help of good people, I wouldn't be here today. Courage means not fleeing from challenges but standing firm."
Business Recorder
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistanis make waves at Dubai AI Week 2025
The first Dubai AI Week was held from April 21 to 25, attracting over 30,000 experts and participants from more than 100 countries from around the world. It included panel discussions and workshops, as well as agreements between government and private sector stakeholders, investors, and startups. The event also saw the participation of major tech giants such as Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Google and IBM. With so much going on in one week, Business Recorder breaks down the top four things that happened at this year's inaugural event, including the impact made by Pakistani-founded companies. 1. The Game Company launches cloud gaming platform Dubai-based startup The Game Company (TGC), founded by Pakistani Osman Masud, launched its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cloud gaming platform, which brings over 1,300 AAA titles directly from the cloud, 'making high-performance gaming accessible to anyone, on any device, without the need for costly consoles or downloads'. AAA in the video game industry refers to high-budget, high-profile games typically produced and distributed by major publishers. Masud, who has studied at LUMS and Harvard Business School according to his LinkedIn profile, said in a statement that 'gaming is not just entertainment. It is culture, economy, and infrastructure.' 'We have built the foundation for a new generation of gaming and we are proud to launch it here in Dubai. Dubai gave us the platform and belief. We are proud to showcase a homegrown product that is setting a new global benchmark.' Dubai AI Week: Huspy launches region's 'first AI-powered mortgage chatbot' According to Faisal Kazim, Head of Dubai Programme for Gaming 2033 - a strategy to establish the emirate as a global leader in gaming and emerging tech - the launch of the platform 'highlights the power of AI to transform industries, augment human creativity, and unlock new creative economies. It's a proud moment to see a product of this calibre launched from Dubai, for the world'. 2. Dubizzle introduces 'Sell with AI' Dubizzle, the well-known online classifieds giant founded by Pakistanis, launched 'Sell with AI' at Dubai AI Week, a new AI-powered feature aimed at transforming the user experience on the platform. The tool is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, enabling users to effortlessly post ads once they upload an image. Based on the image, the AI-based solution automatically suggests key details such as category, price, and other attributes, significantly reducing manual input and saving users time and effort. Haider Khan, who is not only CEO of dubizzle and Dubizzle Group MENA but also a board member of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said in a statement: 'Our mission is to continually elevate the experience for our users, keeping innovation at our core by leveraging the use of the latest tech and AI solutions, build products and features that address key pain points'. 'This tool allows us to empower our users—whether individuals or businesses—with a seamless, highly intuitive experience, ensuring they can reach their audience faster and more effectively.' The company has been founded by Pakistanis Imran Ali Khan, who is also Group CEO, and Zeeshan Ali Khan, who is CEO, KSA. The company's current CFO, Areeb Pasha, is also a Pakistani. 3. The importance of a Chief AI Officer According to Shukri Eid, General Manager of IBM Gulf, Levant and Pakistan, organisations with a dedicated Chief AI officer are achieving 10% higher returns on their AI investments, underlining the value of appointing leadership for AI-driven transformation. Dubai to lead next wave of AI development: Crown Prince At Dubai AI Week, he noted that the UAE was among the first countries to establish such roles in both public and private sector institutions. Eid revealed preliminary findings of a study conducted by IBM in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, which show that 26% of organisations in the region have appointed a Chief AI Officer, with this figure expected to rise to between 50 and 65% over the next two years. Eid emphasised that AI has become a strategic priority for organisations in the region, serving as a powerful tool to enhance productivity and maximise returns. He predicted that AI's impact would accelerate in the future with the adoption of 'AI assistants' and 'AI agents' capable of understanding context and making independent decisions with minimal human oversight. 4. AI education top of mind The launch of Dubai's first-ever PhD programme in AI was announced by the University of Birmingham Dubai. It will 'help develop specialised talent in key areas of AI, including smart city development, advanced healthcare, sustainability, and future mobility – core components of Dubai's ongoing digital transformation,' said H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. The idea is to build a talent pipeline that will drive homegrown innovation and ensure the ethical, inclusive, and impactful development of artificial intelligence in the region. Students accepted in the programme will pursue diverse streams such as AI for medicine and healthcare, natural language processing, computer vision, AI ethics and regulation, and explainable and trustworthy AI. The curriculum includes personalised academic supervision, advanced research training, and access to AI labs, incubators, and government-led innovation initiatives. Separately, Sheikh Hamdan launched the Dubai AI Academy, a new initiative aimed at mainstreaming AI education and advancing its adoption across vital sectors of the economy. Dubai serves as gateway for German businesses eyeing Pakistan market The plan is to educate 10,000 emerging and experienced leaders, positioning itself as a leading provider of AI training and certification programmes, collaborating with globally renowned academic institutions including Oxford University's Saïd Business School, Udacity, and the Minerva Project. His hope is to make Dubai 'the destination of choice' for those who are seeking to lead the future of AI. The Crown Prince has plans to make Dubai AI Week a yearly event, and has already announced the next AI week for April 2026 'with the goal of doubling all targets — expanding to 20 events across the city and welcoming participation from the world's leading technology experts.'
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Sister Europe by Nell Zink review – all the ideas Trump deems most dangerous
On 7 March 2025 the New York Times published a list of words that the Trump administration was systematically culling from government documents and educational materials. This list, which includes the words 'gender ideology', 'affirming care', 'confirmation bias', 'ethnicity', 'identity', 'immigrants', 'racism', 'prostitute', 'political', 'intersectional' and 'privilege', reads like a bingo card for Nell Zink's astonishingly prescient new novel, Sister Europe, in which a large cast of racially, economically and gender-diverse characters convene over the course of a single evening to attend a literary awards ceremony in Berlin. On its surface, Sister Europe is a comedy of manners set among Berlin's exclusive and elusive cultural elite. The prose is searingly quick, revelatory and funny: Zink's dialogue reads like our best plays. Entertaining banter could be this book's largest trophy, were it not for the contents of the banter, which are so ambitious and ethically interested that they make it clear that Zink is one of our most important contemporary writers. Like the film classic My Dinner with Andre, in Sister Europe the interactions between characters are vehicles through which philosophical quandaries are explored. However, while the questions in My Dinner with Andre are largely posed in the abstract, here they are shockingly specific. For example, Demian, a German art critic, struggles to reconcile his admiration for the Arabic writer being honoured, Masud, with racist elements in Masud's writing: On reading [Masud's] books, Demian discovered to his consternation a grating and persistent anti-Black racism. Was it excusable? He excused it, on the grounds that it would be hard for an anti-Black racist to do much damage in Norway, where anti-Muslim racism was a deadly threat (admittedly much of it intersectional, directed against Somalis). Was it patronising to suspend his ethical standards because the man was a genius, or Eurocentric not to suspend them, and which was worse? In this way, Zink repeatedly names systems of power without being moralistic. She is simultaneously stringent and funny, which is disarming. Humour is one of our best tools for processing extreme violence: Zink knows this, and accordingly deploys her singular wit throughout. Over the course of the evening, Zink's characters vocalise their desires, fears and prejudices. Nothing, including narrating from the consciousness of an economically privileged 15-year-old trans girl who tries her hand at streetwalking, is off limits. The most working-class character in the book is an Israel-loving antisemitic German cop who takes bribes from pimps but also delivers an exacting critique of the decriminalisation of prostitution under the Social Democratic-Green German government in 2002. In this way, Zink endows each of her characters with both moral high grounds and glaring blind spots. In Sister Europe, as in life, who is the oppressed and who is the oppressor is not fixed. The ever-shifting flow of social and sexual power between the characters is nerve-racking and tantalising: there are no saints and no demons. Though her work is rarely discussed in the context of politics, Zink is one of our most ambitious and explicitly political writers. Here she shows us that the Trump administration's embargoed words are not weapons, but questions. Nothing is more dangerous to a dictator than someone who can anticipate, and therefore interrogate, their actions. Sister Europe performs an intellectually rigorous interrogation of the ideas the Trump administration deems most dangerous, all the while dressed in the outfit of an extravagant Hermes-clad literary gala. While this is a novel of ideas, the narrative is never cold or cerebral. It's beautifully felt, and emotionally open-handed. I wanted love and joy for each of the 13 main characters, which the book (surprisingly!) delivers. As the long night is coming to an end, and morning is threatening to creep over the winter streets of Berlin, Zink's large cast pairs off and an unlikely couple trade pillow talk: Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion He whispered hesitantly, speaking into the towel over her ear, 'You want to change your life.' 'That was stupid,' she replied. 'Life should change me. I don't want to be destructive of a living thing, flattening it with my identity.' She said the word slowly. As though identities were something ubiquitous, but distasteful, like dust mites, that might be dispensed with, given careful hygiene. This book is not a rejection of identity politics, but a plea for the possibility of an evolving self; a bid against inner stagnancy. Like Erasure by Percival Everett, Sister Europe addresses the claustrophobia that can accompany an identity. No character, real or imagined, enjoys being flattened. Rita Bullwinkel's novel Headshot is published by Daunt. Sister Europe by Nell Zink is published by Viking (£14.99). To support the Guardian buy a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
