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  • Is scrutiny of Hum awards amidst flood crises justified? channel releases statement

    Is scrutiny of Hum awards amidst flood crises justified? channel releases statement

    A-listers of Pakistani entertainment industry are currently in Toronto, Canada for the ceremony of 8th HUM Awards under fire, being held in Toronto on 24th September 2022.

    Senior politician Sharmila Faruqi recently schooled local celebrities (with the noted exception of Hadiqa Kiani) for not doing enough for flood relief.

    In an Instagram post, she shared pictures of several celebrities in Canada for the Hum TV Awards, along with an image of Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie in Pakistan.

    The backlash by prominent personalities started a scrutiny fest for the channel on social media. While sentiments of the local netizens have been hurt, the reaction on social media seems to be strikingly overwhelming.

    For the unversed, the event was planned months in advance, from the venue to the performances and guests, everything was keyfully planned weeks before the event itself.

    Earlier when HUM TV held its award show in 2018, it garnered a similar backlash due to the snubbing of the General elections.

    To be factual, bookings of venues of that scale for events that are high profile cannot simply be postponed or cancelled in a matter of days. Celebrities that are set to perform have contracts in place for set performances which cannot be revoked.

    The show from the get-go was advertised with a disclaimer that HUM will donate a portion of the earnings through ticket sales to the flood victims. HUM has done its part in helping those in need, also hosting a live fundraiser telethon via their foundation ‘HUMdard’ that was held in Karachi in early September. Another such fundraiser event was also held in Canada prior to the Awards which was attended by numerous celebrities. 

    Hum TV even officially addressed the controversy on social media.

    All this backlash led to several celebrities coming to their own and HUM’s defence. We saw the likes of Ahmed Ali Butt who took to Instagram stories, sarcastically mocking those praising Angelina Jolie and calling out our people’s double standards or lack of fact-checking skills by pointing out how a portion of ticket sales will go to relief funds and that the event is not just some lavish party.

    Mahira Khan, Ushna Shah and Haroon Shahid also joined in on this with Haroon taking to Twitter to let people know that they already are and will continue to do their part in raising awareness and doing everything they can to help those in need. 

    We also however saw Azfar Rehman announce via Instagram post that he has chosen to not attend the event, having withdrawn by choice.

    Ushna Shah, who is also in attendance at the fundraiser event in Canada, was seen posting from the event showing millions being raised for the relief funds.

    Despite all of HUM’s efforts, the backlash is still nowhere close to dying down. It’s rather unfortunate that in most such cases of online backlash, audiences are proven to assume the worst without any fact-checking done from their end.

    That’s exactly what we are seeing here, with #BoycottHumTV still being blasted at them under every post and #BoycottHumAwards trending on Twitter. The internet is a cesspool of misinformation and vicious hate cycles and unfortunately, this is just the next one.

    The ceremony will be screened on Hum TV later this year.

  • ‘Woman killed, justice delayed is justice denied’: Mahira Khan highlights Sara Shahnawaz’s murder

    ‘Woman killed, justice delayed is justice denied’: Mahira Khan highlights Sara Shahnawaz’s murder

    Actor Mahira Khan has taken to her twitter handle to condemn the murder of Sara Shahnnawaz by her husband Shahnawaz Amir in Islamabad.

    The Raees star asked, “How long before we get any sort of justice for any woman who has been killed at the hands of rage and privilege?”

    she added, “Another long wait for justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. #JusticeForSarah”

    A harrowing murder took place in Islamabad on Friday morning. Daughter-in-law of senior journalist Ayaz Amir has been murdered in Islamabad. 37-year-old Sara was found murdered at a farm house in Chak Shahzad.

    According to details, journalist Ayaz Amir’s son Shah Nawaz killed his wife at their home with a gym dumbbell.

    After murdering her, the accused dumped her body in a bathtub.

    The police have arrested Shah Nawaz and the wife’s body has been sent to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for postmortem.

    As per media reports, Shah Nawaz and Sara got married only three months ago. According to the details, they met on social media. Sara came back from Dubai last night where she worked and resided.

    According to details, Shah Nawaz and Sara got into a fight on Thursday night after which he reportedly murdered her in the morning around 9AM.

    Sara was born in Canada. She was Shah Nawaz’s third wife, the police said, reports ARY.

    Islamabad Police confirmed that Ayaz Amir’s son has murdered his wife. Senior police officials and forensics teams are investigating the incident.

  • Malala meets PM Shehbaz, discusses floods, concern about Pakistani Taliban reappearance

    Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. She met with the PM after his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

    During her meeting with the PM she discussed the urgent needs of flood victims in Pakistan.

    “We are calling on the international community to ease debt pressure and provide immediate humanitarian support,” wrote Malala in a tweet while sharing a picture with PM Shehbaz.

    “The floods destroyed tens of thousands of schools, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without education. Humanitarian aid must include funding for emergency schooling, especially for girls,” the tweet added.

    Malala also expressed her concern about “The reappearance of Pakistani Taliban in my hometown of Swat Valley & other parts of KP province.”

    “Finally, I asked the Prime Minister to put more pressure on the Taliban to allow Afghan girls to go to school and women to go to work. Today Afghanistan is the only country where girls are banned from secondary school. Pakistan must stand for women’s rights and girls’ education,” wrote Yousafzai in the concluding tweet.

  • Best gaming laptops to buy in 2022

    Best gaming laptops to buy in 2022

    In the past, it was challenging to find the finest gaming laptop because the search required making concessions. You could purchase a thin, underpowered laptop or a powerful one that pushed the limits of what can be considered a laptop.

    However, gaming laptops have significantly improved in recent years, largely as a result of Nvidia and AMD GPUs that are more powerful and durable.

    Here are some of the best gaming laptops:

    ASUS ROG Strix G15 Gaming Laptop

    Concentrated firepower optimises and improves the ROG Strix G15 with Windows 11 Home’s fundamental gaming experience. A GeForce RTX GPU and an AMD RyzenTM CPU operating at their top speeds make everything, including gaming and multitasking, quick and fluid.

    Esports competition displays should run at 300Hz/3ms for increased speed. Due to Adaptive-Sync, gameplay is incredibly fluid, and clever thermal improvements keep you composed under pressure. No matter what game you are playing, you can get the best gameplay.

    Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-79TD Gaming Laptop

    Acer gaming laptops offer cutting-edge performance to all gamers. The Nitro line of gaming PCs and accessories is ideal for casual gamers that are prepared to improve. A gorgeous 15.6-inch FHD display on the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57 can help you visualise success.

    In addition to Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate, DLSS, resizable BARs, second-generation Ray Tracing cores, and third-generation Tensor cores, the most recent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPU offers a wide range of additional features. Matchmaking is quicker and match disconnection is no longer a concern with DoubleShot Pro with Killer Wi-Fi 6.

    The Acer Nitro 5 11th Gen Intel Core i7’s processing capability delivers outstanding performance when you challenge your buddies to combat or concentrate on a new hobby. This Acer Nitro laptop has 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid-state storage, both of which may be upgraded as needed. To get the most out of USB, connect a display using the HDMI 2.1 port, take advantage of USB power-off charging, and use the USB-Type-C port.

    Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop

    The Alienware m15 R4, a stylish and useful gaming laptop, is powered by a superb Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. Although the cost of this device can easily surpass $2,500, you will get a thin, light computer with an RGB keyboard and a stylish white chassis in exchange. Thanks to its quick CPU, large hard drive, and surprisingly comfortable touchpad, the m15 R4 is a flexible device that can be used for both work and play.

    If you choose to purchase this laptop, be warned that the battery life is insufficient for continuous productivity or gaming, and the fan can become very loud. The only drawbacks are these. This computer can play the newest games at high settings and has cutting-edge hardware, so it will survive for a long time.

    Dell G15 5511 Gaming Laptop

    The new Dell G15 gaming laptop is made to improve gaming. It comes with a 4 GB GDDR6 graphics card, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and an 11th-generation Intel i5 processor. The laptop maintains its coolness even over extended sessions of gaming thanks to Alienware’s inventive thermal design that enhances ventilation. The G15 has a new tough finish and comes in the gorgeous Dark Shadow Grey colour. Play around with the orange backlit keyboard and 15.6-inch FHD screen.

    All of these laptops offer what you’re searching for in the best gaming laptop, including the capacity to run the most demanding games of today without having to make compromises on settings.

  • Iran President declines interview by CNN anchor who refuses to wear hijab

    Iran President declines interview by CNN anchor who refuses to wear hijab

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi didn’t turn up for a CNN interview when the interviewer, Christiane Amanpour, refused to wear a hijab during the taping.

    Amanpour took to Twitter to explain the incident, stating that the interview was long planned and this would have been President Raisi’s first-ever interview on US soil. However, things didn’t go as planned.

    “An aide came over and said that the President is suggesting that I wear a headscarf because it’s the holy months of Muharram and Safar”, she said while adding that the aide made it clear that the “Interview would not happen if Amanpour did not wear a headscarf”.

    She said that she “politely declined”, stressing that she was in New York, where there is no law or tradition regarding headscarves. “I pointed out that no previous Iranian president has required this when I interviewed them outside Iran,” she pointed out.

    The journalist concluded by saying that because of the situation going on in Iran, it would have been an “important moment” to speak with President Raisi

    “And so we walked away. The interview didn’t happen. As protests continue in Iran and people are being killed, it would have been an important moment to speak with President Raisi.”

    Anti-government protests erupted across Iran last week over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in custody, after having been arrested by Iran’s morality police on an accusation of violating the law on head scarves.

    However, Iranian officials have claimed that Amini died after suffering a “heart attack” and falling into a coma, but her family has said she had no pre-existing heart condition.

    Following the incident, thousands of people have taken to the streets. In the videos which are circulating on social media, women can be seen cutting their hair and burning their hijabs as a protest. According to media outlets, at least eight people have been killed in the demonstrations.

    It is pertinent to mention that since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it has been compulsory for women to wear the hijab in Iran.

  • ‘Unless we get substantial relief how can the world expect from us to stand on our own feet? It is simply impossible’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Unless we get substantial relief how can the world expect from us to stand on our own feet? It is simply impossible’: PM Shehbaz

    In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the damage caused by floods and urged that the world to pay more attention to the crisis.

    The premier said, “What the world has done is commendable but it is far from meeting our needs. We can’t do it alone”. He stressed that flood losses are estimated to be at $30 billion.

    “Unless the world comes up with billions of dollars for relief, rehabilitation, for building resilient infrastructure, things will not come back to normal. And I need to put the economy back on track and put millions of people back in their homes,” he told Bloomberg.

    “Unless we get substantial relief, how can the world expect us to stand on our own feet”, he asked. “It is simply impossible. The world has to stand by us”.

    He reiterated that although Pakistan contributes very little to carbon emission, the country is among the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change, adding that around 1,500 people had died in the situation.

    Talking about the economic situation of the country, he said that Pakistan recently signed a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under “very tough” conditions, including taxes on petroleum and electricity.

    He went on to say that several world leaders had talked about the devastation in Pakistan.

    Recalling his meetings with the world leaders, he said that he is “very grateful” to United States (US) President Joe Biden for speaking about Pakistan’s plight. He added that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and France’s Emmanuel Macron had also done the same.

    The premier was of the view that such action from the world shows the intentions and sincerity of global leaders. While saying that, he added that “But I think it should come very fast because time is running out and we are racing against time”.

  • ‘Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai’: Imran Khan on Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan

    ‘Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai’: Imran Khan on Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan while speaking on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar’s possible return to Pakistan said that the criminals are having a great time and theives are enjoying Eid.

    “Mujrimon ki aiyashiaan hui vi hain, choron ki eid hui vi hai [Criminals are having a great time, and the thieves are enjoying Eid]. There corruption cases are slowly being forgiven,” said Khan while speaking to journalist Abbas Shabbir.

    “This is the reason these thieves [came into power], ” said Khan.

    When asked that there is news circulating that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan, Khan said, “Nawaz Sharif ka bara acha istaqbal hoga [Nawaz Sharif will receive a rousing welcome.]

    An accountability court on Friday, September 23, suspended the arrest warrant issued against Dar and dismissed orders for arrest upon his arrival in Pakistan.

    Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir issued the orders, stating that once Dar returns to Pakistan, the court will decide whether it should revoke his arrest orders permanently or not.

    “We will consider permanently suspending Dar’s arrest warrants once he appears before the court in person,” the judge added.

  • British pound hits 37-year low against US dollar as recession fears grow

    British pound hits 37-year low against US dollar as recession fears grow

    As central banks raised interest rates to combat soaring inflation, the pound fell to a record 37-year low versus the US dollar on Friday, raising concerns among traders about the economy’s outlook.

    Following the Bank of England’s Thursday increase in borrowing prices by 50 basis points, the value of the pound dropped as low as $1.1151, its lowest level since early 1985.

    That came after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a point on Wednesday and hinted at further increases.

    Additionally, the dollar rose versus the euro, with the euro trading at $0.9753, a fresh 20-year low.

    The Fed has taken a notably hawkish stance, stating it would not relent until the inflation, which is near four-decade highs, is controlled, even at the expense of the economy, while central banks around the world are raising borrowing prices.

    The focus of traders is now on London, where the new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng is scheduled to present a mini-budget to assist individuals and companies.

    On Thursday, Kwarteng announced he would repeal a recent salary tax introduced by his predecessor Rishi Sunak and would disclose the price tag for the new administration’s proposal to cap energy costs for both homes and companies.

    It occurs when the Bank of England issues a warning that Britain is on the verge of entering a recession as a result of skyrocketing gasoline and food prices.

  • Unidentified men hurl grenade at PTI’s Shehryar Afridi’s home

    Unidentified men hurl grenade at PTI’s Shehryar Afridi’s home

    Unidentified men hurled hand grenade at the ancestral home of former minister of state and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Khan Afridi’s in Kohat on late Thursday, September 23.

    Taking to Twitter, PTI leader Senator Ejaz Chaudhry said that there was a cracker bomb attack at the house of Shahryar Afridi. May Allah protect him and destroy the enemies of Pakistan, he prayed.

    The police officials said four unidentified men riding on two motorbikes hurled a hand grenade at the residence of the former minister and managed to escape from the scene. The grenade exploded outside the residence.

    No loss of life was reported while the gate and wall have been partially damaged.

    Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the unidentified men at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

    Kohat District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur visited the crime scene and said that the accused will be arrested soon with the help of CTD.

  • Malala says she will protest if someone forces her to remove her scarf

    Malala says she will protest if someone forces her to remove her scarf

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai while expressing her anger on the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, said that a woman has the right to decide whatever she wants to wear.

    “Whatever a woman chooses to wear, she has the right to decide for herself,” Malala said, adding that, “As I have said before: If someone forces me to cover my head, I will protest. If someone forces me to remove my scarf, I will protest.” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I am calling for justice for Mahsa Amini.”

    Masha breathed her last on Friday, days after being arrested by a police unit responsible for forcing Iran’s strict dress code for women. She was arrested for not complying with hijab rules.

    According to eyewitnesses, Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran on Tuesday.
    Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed have gone viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.
    Her death has sparked widespread protests in Iran, with women taking to the streets and setting their hijab on fire.