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A European lawmaker cut off her hair during a debate in the Parliament to express solidarity with Iranian women amid the ongoing protest in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Addressing the EU debate in Strasbourg, Swedish politician Abir Al Sahlani said, "We, the people and the citizens of the EU, demand an unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against men and women in Iran."  "Until the women of Iran are free, we will stand with you," Al Sahlani said as she cut off her hair using a pair of scissors in front of members of the European Parliament, according to a video she posted on her Twitter handle. More than 100 people have been killed in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO.  Iranian schoolgirls and women have come out in huge numbers to demonstrate by removing their hijabs and staging rallies in protest over Amini's death. Many women have even cut off their hair while chanting anti-government slogans. Abir Al-Sahlani, a member of the European Parliament, pointed out that three weeks of continuous courage have been shown by the women of Iran. "They are paying the ultimate price for freedom with their lives." "Enough of the press releases now, enough of the mumbling, it's time to speak out, it's time to act. The hands of the regimes of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history or Allah of god almighty will forgive you for crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own people," she added.  Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested by Iran's "morality police" in Tehran on September 13 for allegedly violating the strict dress code. She later fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention center and died three days later from a heart attack, according to authorities. Since her death, thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations throughout the country.  Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests. Last week, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was becoming "increasingly concerned" about reports of the rising death toll.  He said he had been following events closely, and he called on security forces to stop using "unnecessary or disproportionate force". Breaking his silence on the protest, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for the ongoing protest in the country. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Khamenei said he was heartbroken at the death of the 22-year-old girl in police custody. However, he did not approve of the large-scale demonstrations following the death of Amini.  "We were heartbroken, too. But the reaction to this incident, while no investigation has been done and nothing has been certain, should not have been this that some people come and make the streets insecure, cause the people to feel unsafe, harm the security, burn the Quran, remove the hijab of a woman, burn mosques and husainiyah, and arson banks and people's cars," he was quoted as saying by news agency IRNA. (ANI)

Days after holding referendums, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws to formally take over the four regions Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into the "Russian Federation."  "Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed four federal constitutional laws on the entry of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation," said the lower house of Russian parliament Wednesday citing government documents. "He also signed the relevant laws on ratification," it added, reported Al Jazeera. This comes after last week's developments where both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions part of Russia. Russia's annexation has sparked wide criticism from around the world. The United States announced that it will impose a "swift and severe cost" on Russia. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the "United States unequivocally rejects Russia's fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine's internationally recognized borders."  "We will continue the United States' powerful, coordinated efforts to hold Russia to account, cut Russia's military off from global commerce and severely limit its ability to sustain its aggression and project power," he added. After Putin's formal announcement of the annexation of the said four regions, western leaders condemned it, termed it "illegal" and vowed that they will "never recognize" these areas.  Earlier, Putin during the formal announcement of the annexation said that the millions of ordinary citizens, whose culture has been "destroyed", carried the "love for their historical homeland in their hearts" and in the heat of the battle, "heroically" came to the referendum and made their choice to be with Russia. (ANI)

US Former President Donald J Trump on Monday (local time) sued CNN, accusing the network of engaging in a smear campaign against him ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.  According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump is seeking more than $475m in damages. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in southern Florida, alleging that CNN has sought to use its influence with viewers to spread false claims about Trump for the purpose of defeating him politically. As per The Wall Street Journal, Trump accused CNN of associating him with Adolf Hitler and portraying him as a Russian lackey and a racist.  The network, he alleged, has been escalating these efforts recently in the expectation that he may run for president again in 2024.  It is to be noted that over the course of his business and political career, Trump has frequently threatened to sue media organizations over news coverage. In 2020, his re-election campaign sued The New York Times and The Washington Post over opinion articles that linked the former US President to Russian interference in American elections, The New York Times reported. In 2019, Trump threatened CNN with a lawsuit over "unethical and unlawful attacks." CNN called that threat "a desperate PR stunt." A suit never materialized, as per The New York Times.  Meanwhile, following the day when Trump's legal team filed a lawsuit against CNN, the former US President threatened legal action against various news media outlets and the House select committee investigating the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.  The Hill reported, Trump, however, did not specify what other media outlets he plans to sue but said he would file lawsuits against them for their "disinformation" about the 2020 election, which he lost to President Biden.  "In the coming weeks and months we will also be filing lawsuits against a large number of other Fake News Media Companies for their lies, defamation, and wrongdoing, including as it pertains to 'The Big Lie,' that they used so often in reference to their disinformation attack on Presidential Election of 2020," Trump wrote in his statement cited by The Hill.  The former president said he would target Jan 6. committee for not investigating his claims of election fraud. "The Unselect Committee has refused to acknowledge, as was done by the Biden Inspector General at the Department of Defense, and others, that days ahead of January 6th, I recommended and authorized thousands of troops to be deployed to ensure that there was peace, safety, and security at the Capitol and throughout the Country," Trump added. (ANI)

The Islamabad High Court on Monday dismissed a contempt case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan after he agreed to apologize for his controversial remarks against a female judge at a rally.  A five-member bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, said it was satisfied by Imran Khan's apology over the remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, Dawn reported.  During the court proceedings, the chief justice noted that prima facie this was a contempt of court case but it was being dismissed due to Imran Khan's conduct.  "We have read your affidavit. Is there anything else you would like to add?" Justice Minallah asked Imran Khan. "We take a lot of care in contempt of court cases," Justice Minallah added. He said the IHC was "discharging" the notice issued to Imran Khan, effectively ending contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, the report said. "This is the unanimous decision of the larger bench," Justice Minallah said. Imran Khan had submitted an affidavit in the IHC, assuring the court he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary, The Express Tribune reported.  "I am ready to apologize if the judges think I have crossed a red line," he had said. On Sunday, IHC approved the pre-arrest bail of Imran Khan and directed him to appear before the court concerned before October 7 after he filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court through his counsel Babar Awan.  In the plea, Imran Khan said a terrorism case was initially filed against him, however, he added that the charges were later struck down by the high court and the case was transferred. Earlier, an arrest warrant was issued for the former premier in connection with the case.  Imran Khan had made some controversial remarks against Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and other officials at a rally on August 20 in Islamabad. The PTI chief had criticized the female judge after she had approved an extension in the physical remand of his close aide Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case.  The PTI chief was booked in a terrorism case on the complaint of Islamabad Sadar Magistrate Ali Javed for threatening the female judge. The terrorism case was registered against Imran Khan in Margalla police station for allegedly using derogatory language and threatening the judge. (ANI)