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  • ‘End her career’: Gal Gadot roasted after rejecting calls for ceasefire

    ‘End her career’: Gal Gadot roasted after rejecting calls for ceasefire

    The call to ban actress Gal Gadot from working in Hollywood has reached unprecedented heights. Social media users are now vowing to boycott her upcoming film ‘Snow White’ where she plays the evil stepmother. Gal Gadot, an Israeli national, has previously worked in the IDF. She was also among the several Hollywood actors who wrote a controversial open letter denouncing the October 7 attack on Israel which did not condemn the growing death toll in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes.

    The Hollywood actress was recently part of a panel slamming the Palestinian protests, that have called for an end to the genocide in Gaza where now 8000 civilians are dead.

    “But I ask myself what has happened to humanity?” Gal could be heard saying. “Why do we need to convince people that it is not okay when others are asking for a ceasefire?”

    Twitter users were shocked at Gal’s insensitive comment and were all in favor of watching her Hollywood career end.

    Users are calling for a boycott of Snow White and for audiences to stop purchasing products made by Disney. Disney was previously embroiled in controversy after the organisation declared its support for Israel and donated $2 million dollars.

    “remember that gal gadot served in the idf (so she is a murderer) and was miss israel 2004 (is proud to represent murderers). disney money goes toward funding israel. to hell with every person involved in this production and every person who supports it. BOYCOTT,” one user wrote.

    The casting of Snow White was overshadowed with controversy after Peter Dinklage called out the production house in 2022 for choosing to adapt a film with offensive stereotypes towards people with dwarfism.

    “You’re progressive in one way but you’re still making that f*****g backward story of seven dwarves living in the cave. What the fuck are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough,” Peter said as quoted by The Guardian.

    Recently, a picture featuring Rachel as Snow White and seven dwarfs surrounding her was criticised by the internet. Users alleged that it looked like one actor, Martin Klebba, had played all the seven dwarfs in CGI versions.

  • Pakistani-American doctor stabbed to death in front of 17 people

    Pakistani-American doctor stabbed to death in front of 17 people

    52-year-old Pakistani American paediatrician Dr. Talat Khan was stabbed to death in a park in her apartment complex on Saturday afternoon, in front of 17 people.

    The suspected murderer is 24-year-old Miles Joseph Fridrich, and is a white male.
    One of the witnesses, Mathew Amador explained what he saw when he got to the scene of the crime. He said that Fridrich stabbed Khan in broad daylight over and over again, checking to see if she was alive. “When I got there, he was checking her pulse to make sure she was alive,” Amador said, “and then stabbed her three more times.” Amador also yelled out the description of the suspect as the police arrived and they quickly took him into custody. The relationship of the suspect with the victim is unclear and witnesses declared that they have not seen him in the locality before. “I’ve never seen evil like that in my life,” Amador said.

    The Council on American Islamic Relation (CAIR) stated that, “police have not released a motive for the killing. We want to assure everyone that we are in conversation with law enforcement agencies. We are unsure at this moment if this was a hate crime; however, given the tragic circumstances, we are paying very close attention to the investigation.”

    Khan’s brother Wajahat Nyaz said his sister was a kind soul. “Talat’s life revolved around those two things, her kids — her son and daughter — and her kids [patients] she looked after as a paediatrician,” he said.

    The Associate Director of the Al Ansaar Mosque, Mohammad Ayubi said that Khan was a regular visitor and the whole community of 300 to 400 families are grieving. The security around the complex has also been increased.

  • PMA refuses to appoint military officials at public hospitals

    PMA refuses to appoint military officials at public hospitals

    The Islamabad chapter of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Monday recommended to the federal health ministry to not appoint serving military officials as executive directors for Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital.

    According to Geo News, the PMA condemned the letter of appointment of serving military officials sent by the federal health ministry.

    In response to a letter, PMA officeholders warned the federal health ministry about appointing serving military officers to manage public sector health institutions.

    The officials expressed strong disapproval of replacing federal government officials with military personnel, emphasising that such a move would be unacceptable under any circumstances. Furthermore, they mentioned that even military authorities would be unwilling to endorse the action initiated by the federal health ministry.

    On the other hand, a spokesman of federal health ministry said earlier that the appointment will be conducted as per recruitment rules, adding that the government believes in merit.

    The health ministry’s spokesman further stated that the government believes in providing best health facilities to Pakistanis by appointing competent officials.

  • Here are the celebrities who are hackers’ hot favourites

    Here are the celebrities who are hackers’ hot favourites

    A study by McAfee reveals a list of 10 celebrities which are used by hackers as bait while searching for them online may lead to malware and risky websites. The list includes celebrities spotted in deepfake and other AI driven content as well.

    ‘Barbenheimer’ fever is not over yet as the two movies were not just huge hits at the box office but for cybercriminals as well. Internet searches of the two films have got consumers in a rash of ticket scams, download scams and other attacks that were capitalising on these summer hits.

    Who made it to the list?

    In that context, our very own Ken, Ryan Gosling, is the hacker’s favourite celebrity, making it to number one. His co-star Margot Robbie and the titular character of the film Barbie makes it to number eight on the list.
    Emily Blunt, the leading lady of Oppenheimer, is at number two.
    Pop culture icon, actor, singer and producer Jennifer Lopez, known as JLO, is the third most malware attracting celebrity.
    Zendaya, famous for her portrayal of nerdy MJ in Spiderman, makes it to the fourth spot.
    Notoriously popular Elon Musk, owner of X (former Twitter) is unsurprisingly standing on number six.
    Among others are academy award winning actor Kevin Costner on number five, American weather presenter Al Roker on number seven, singer Bad Bunny on number nine and Barbie’s guide Gloria, played by America Ferrera, makes it to the tenth position.
    Football superstar Lionel Messi is also on the list, standing at number 18. Taylor Swift, singer with a huge fan following, made it to number 25.

    The plethora of crimes that can be committed and how?

    The hackers commit crimes with these searches as they pair celebrity names with terms like audiobook, lyrics, deepfake, free ringtone, free movie, free download, MP4, among others—which generate results that lead to shady sites. They carry out fraudulent activities with that because they understand people’s liking for the free celebrity content.

    The study finds out that between 25 to 135 deepfake URLs were celebrity searches. These could be malicious, recreational or cases of false advertising.

    A word of caution:

    Using trusted websites, sticking to legitimate streaming and downloading services and using antivirus softwares may help keep your devices protected and enable safe internet search. Searching about your favourite celebrities is not wrong because their names are used by hackers to attract more traffic. This just needs to be done with a sharp eye.

  • Israeli actress slaps child during Palestine protest; internet finds her

    Israeli actress slaps child during Palestine protest; internet finds her

    Israeli-American actress Edian Atias was recorded on video on Sunday, assaulting a child for protesting for Palestine. In a viral video, the Zionist was seen giving threating the boy infront of his family and friends.

    The Zionist’s personal details were leaked online by the internet, who found out she is an actress in New York.

    A user leaked her Linkedin account details online as well

    The incident is among the recent rise of hate crimes committed against Palestinians and protestors currently advocating for an end to the genocide in Gaza. Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times by his neighbour who, in a fit of rage, accused the family of spreading terrorism in the country. Just one day ago, Pakistani-American doctor Dr Talat Jehan Khan was murdered by a man in Texas. The case is under investigation.

    Twitter users, including actress Nadia Jamil, expressed their outrage at assaulting a child.

  • Two dead after container carrying expelled Afghans overturns

    Two dead after container carrying expelled Afghans overturns

    A container carrying Afghan refugees enroute to Afghanistan overturned on G.T. Road near Hattian, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries.

    The container was reportedly packed with several Afghans who were being repatriated, as November 1 is the last date for undocumented citizens to leave Pakistan.

    “At least two persons were killed and 14 others sustained severe injuries in the mishap,” rescue sources told ARY news on Sunday.

    The driver allegedly lost control of the container and overturned after colliding with a bridge.

    “The injured have been shifted to hospital for medical attendance,” rescue sources added.

    Previously, the caretaker government had announced that all illegal migrants must leave Pakistan before November 1 or face expulsion. So far, a few operations have been carried out against the undocumented individuals, especially Afghan refugees. Now that the deadline is near, the operations are expected to increase and intensify.

  • PTI leader Wajiha Qamar joins PML-N

    PTI leader Wajiha Qamar joins PML-N

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Wajiha Qamar has joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as general elections loom nearer.

    In the last week, three political leaders left PTI and joined Jahangir Khan Tareen’s Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP). Jahangir Tareen was a close aide of Imran Khan in the past.

    Three female politicians from PTI, Andleeb Abbas, Sadia Sohail, and Sumaira Bokhari also joined IPP.

    Wajiha Qamar was the latest PTI leader who parted ways with the PTI.

    Wajiha Qamar joined PML-N after meeting with party’s president and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who welcomed her on joining the fold of the PML-N.

  • Did Zaka Ashraf ignore Babar Azam’s phone calls? Ashraf reveals all

    Did Zaka Ashraf ignore Babar Azam’s phone calls? Ashraf reveals all

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that former cricketer Rashid Latif’s statement was “wrong, regrettable” and “part of an agenda.”

    Speaking on a TV show, former wicketkeeper Rashid Latif claimed that Babar Azam has been sending messages to the Chairman PCB Management Committee, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Director of International Cricket for two consecutive days, but all three of them are avoiding him.

    However, now in an interview on a private channel, PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf rejected Rashid Latif’s claims , stating, “The statement was wrong, which is regrettable, I think it is also part of an agenda.”

    Zaka Ashraf said that the chairman of the previous board had given NOC to the players to play leagues, and when the time came for the World Cup, the fitness problems of the players came to the fore.

    Talking about the payment of players’ salaries, he said that if the players sign on, the money will reach their account. “Neither the players are going anywhere, nor the board is going anywhere.”

    Zaka Ashraf said that players are being paid huge salaries all over the world. “I thought that they should give more money to the players to play in the national team.”

    Stating that Najam Sethi had filed a case against him in the previous period, Ashraf pointed out that, “Even then, no irregularity of even one rupee was proved against me.”

    “Our cricket is not modern-day cricket. Apart from that, I cannot say anything about friendship in the team, but the fitness and performance of many players are in front of you.”

  • Angelina Jolie donates for Gaza, calls for ceasefire

    Angelina Jolie donates for Gaza, calls for ceasefire

    Hollywood icon Angelina Jolie has joined growing calls demanding a ceasefire in Gaza as the death toll from Israeli bombing climbs past 8000, including 3000 children.

    The ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ actress wrote that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic: “nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no possibility of evacuation, and not even the basic human right to cross a border to seek refuge.”

    Angelina went on to reflect on her 20- years of experience working with refugees and stressed on how urgent it is to help those being displaced by violence.

    “Gaza has a population of over 2 million people (half of them are children), who have lived under a severe blockade for over two decades, on top of decades of displacement and statelessness. The few aid trucks that are entering are a fraction of what is needed (and was delivered daily before the present conflict), and the bombings are causing desperate new humanitarian needs daily.”

    The actress ended the note by revealing she had donated to Doctors Without Borders, and urged her followers to do the same.

  • State Bank of Pakistan set to announce policy rate decision today

    State Bank of Pakistan set to announce policy rate decision today

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will soon unveil its latest monetary policy for the upcoming two months.

    In an official statement, the central bank declared that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of SBP will convene on Monday, October 30, 2023, to determine the monetary policy. SBP will then issue the Monetary Policy Statement via a press release on the same day.

    Currently, the State Bank’s policy rate stands at 22 per cent. Since October 2021, the central bank has increased its policy rate by a cumulative 1,500 basis points in an effort to combat rising inflation and bolster the external balance. This rate has remained unchanged since July 2023.

    The forthcoming policy rate announcement is poised to exert a substantial influence on Pakistan’s industries and inflation rate.

    In the most recent meeting held in July, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) resolved to maintain the interest rate at 22 per cent.

    The Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank meticulously assessed economic data and the prevailing inflation situation before opting to retain the interest rate. It’s worth noting that substantial progress has been achieved in the current account, thanks to government initiatives.

    This decision comes against the backdrop of Pakistan contending with a high inflation rate, currently pegged at 29.65 per cent.