A banner with an image of Karim Younis in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. AP
A banner with an image of Karim Younis in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. AP
A banner with an image of Karim Younis in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. AP
A banner with an image of Karim Younis in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. AP

Israel releases Palestinian prisoner Karim Younis after 40 years in jail


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Israel released one of its longest-serving Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, after 40 years in jail.

Karim Younis, 66, was freed and left in the city of Ra’anana, about 20km north of Tel Aviv, by Israeli authorities, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

His family had not been notified of his release, it said.

In 1983 Younis was convicted by Israel of the murder of Israeli soldier Cpl Avraham Bromberg three years previously in the occupied Golan Heights and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to 40 years in prison.

“It was 40 years full of stories, prisoners’ stories and each story is a story of a nation,” Younis said after his release. “I am very proud to be one of those who made sacrifices for Palestine and we were ready to sacrifice more for the sake of the cause of Palestine.”

Younis was expected to be released in 2013 as part of a deal negotiated by John Kerry, who was US secretary of stat at the time.

The agreement was to have freed several batches of prisoners held in Israeli jails since before the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995.

But Israel refused to release him, saying that because Younis had Israeli citizenship, it was an internal issue.

He was the longest-serving Palestinian citizen of Israel in prison and served the longest continuous sentence of any Palestinian.

Nael Barghouti, from the occupied West Bank and who does not have Israeli citizenship, is still in prison after 42 years. He was imprisoned from 1978 to 2011, before being re-arrested and his sentence reinstated in 2014.

Karim Younis's cousin, Maher Younis, who was also convicted of Bromberg's murder, is also expected to be released.

Israeli forces raided his family home in the northern town of Ar'ara on Wednesday, Wafa reported.

Troops confiscated Palestinian flags and banners promoting the Fatah party, which is dominant in the occupied West Bank.

After his release, Karim Younis visited his aunt, Maher's mother, before going to the graves of his parents, who died while he was in prison, the agency reported.

He was greeted by family, friends and supporters chanting and carrying him through the streets on their shoulders and draped in a keffiyeh.

His release comes days after Israel swore in the most right-wing government in its history.

Several ministers have pledged tougher action on Palestinian prisoners, including those who hold Israeli citizenship.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Tuesday called for Karim Younis to be stripped of his Israeli citizenship, in a letter to the country's attorney general saying such a move “has legal validity in circumstances when people use their Israeli citizenship to harm” Israel and its citizens.

Bromberg's nephew also called for Younis to be stripped of his citizenship.

"An Israeli citizen can’t hold an Israeli ID card with one hand and murder a soldier with another and it can’t be that the murderer will be freed from jail and walk around like anyone among our nation," he told the Israeli Walla news.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded the death penalty for Palestinians found guilty of attacking Israelis as a condition for joining the coalition government.

He has ordered authorities to suppress celebrations outside the prison were Younis was held, as well as in his hometown. It follows proposals to outlaw celebrations for released Palestinian prisoners convicted of terrorism.

THE SPECS

Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km

Price, base: from Dh571,000

On sale: this week

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Honeymoonish
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)

Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)

Wednesday

Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)

Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)

Norwich City v Everton (9pm)

Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)

Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)

Thursday

Burnley v Watford (9pm)

Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)

Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

Allardyce's management career

Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)

Countries (1) - England (2016)

The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.

The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers. 

Nick's journey in numbers

Countries so far: 85

Flights: 149

Steps: 3.78 million

Calories: 220,000

Floors climbed: 2,000

Donations: GPB37,300

Prostate checks: 5

Blisters: 15

Bumps on the head: 2

Dog bites: 1

'Saand Ki Aankh'

Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Updated: January 05, 2023, 12:33 PM`