Tag: media

  • Google fires 28 workers protesting contracts with Israel

    Google fires 28 workers protesting contracts with Israel

    New York, United States – Google fired 28 employees following a sit-down protest over the tech giant’s contract with the Israeli government, a Google spokesperson said Thursday.

    The Tuesday demonstration was organized by the group “No Tech for Apartheid,” which has long opposed “Project Nimbus,” Google’s joint $1.2 billion contract with Amazon to provide cloud services to the government of Israel.

    Video of the demonstration showed police arresting Google workers in Sunnyvale, California, in the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s, according to a post by the advocacy group on X, formerly Twitter.

    Kurian’s office was occupied for 10 hours, the advocacy group said.

    Workers held signs including “Googlers against Genocide,” a reference to accusations surrounding Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

    “No Tech for Apartheid,” which also held protests in New York and Seattle, pointed to an April 12 Time magazine article reporting a draft contract of Google billing the Israeli Ministry of Defense more than $1 million for consulting services.

    A “small number” of employees “disrupted” a few Google locations, but the protests are “part of a longstanding campaign by a group of organizations and people who largely don’t work at Google,” a Google spokesperson said.

    “After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety,” the Google spokesperson said. “We have so far concluded individual investigations that resulted in the termination of employment for 28 employees, and will continue to investigate and take action as needed.”

    Israel is one of “numerous” governments for which Google provides cloud computing services, the Google spokesperson said.

    “This work is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services,” the Google spokesperson said.

    jmb/nro

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Why did Aurat March hold a Feminist Press Conference?

    Why did Aurat March hold a Feminist Press Conference?

    This Friday, on March 8, as the world will celebrate Women’s Day, Aurat March will take to the streets in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Multan.

    The Current attended this year’s Aurat March press conference and got details about how this year is different from the ones before.

    Every year, the press conference is dominated by men from media platforms, leaving little or no room for women and transgender journalists to interact with Aurat March members.

    Moreover, coming with preconceived notions and biases, male journalists reportedly have been condescending and aggressive towards Aurat March members who conduct the conference with the aim to explain their manifesto and charter of demands prior to the big day.

    To counter this issue, this year Aurat March decided to hold a Feminist Press Conference.

    The purpose of a Feminist Press Conference was to provide a space to women, transgender, and minorities where they can get a fair chance to not just raise questions in respect to the March, but meaningfully engage with members.

    “This year’s press conference, in comparison to previous ones, was definitely much better,” said one of the representatives (who requested to remain anonymous).

    “Today, we were able to talk about our manifesto, we took questions from the reporters, and the interaction was respectful.”

    The member further denoted that this has never happened before. She explained that in the past, no reporter would come having read Aurat March’s charter of demands and the manifesto and instead, would resort to stereotypical questions.

    “When we would try to counter their queries, they wouldn’t listen to us because they wanted to hear the preconceptions they came with.

    “In fact, we are happy that this year, because the conference was conducted peacefully, we even got suggestions from journalists – which will, of course, help us as well”, she added.

    On Youtubers

    Last year, Youtubers disrupted the press conference, and media journalists stated that they do not consider YouTubers as journalists. “I am glad this year, we talked about [YouTuber disruption] as well”, the members highlighted.

    “The journalist community should think through ways to distance themselves from or critique YouTubers who are badmouthing their profession.”

    Some YouTubers, who attend the March as independent journalists, are known for their alleged misconduct at Aurat March. They have also been called out for spreading disinformation about performances and placards at the marches, and also harassing marchers with irrelevant and demeaning questions.

    This poses a threat to Aurat March members as well as attendees, and above all, the propaganda hinders socio-political awareness that the March intends to raise.

    The irony of today’s feminist press conference was when a YouTuber reached out to Aurat March members, upset for not getting a chance to ask his questions during the session. Well, I hope he realized how women feel when men take up their rightful space.

  • Over Rs6.4 billion allocated for Ramzan subsidies: Essential items to be available at reduced rates

    Over Rs6.4 billion allocated for Ramzan subsidies: Essential items to be available at reduced rates

    The government has earmarked Rs6.484 billion to provide essential food items at subsidised rates through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) during the holy month of Ramzan.

    A substantial portion of the allocation, Rs3.474 billion, will go towards subsidising flour, followed by Rs1.610 billion for sugar and Rs1.4 billion for ghee.

    Additionally, subsidies of Rs25 million for channa daal, Rs12 million for masoor daal, Rs37.50 million for white gramme, and Rs62.5 million for basmati rice are planned. Further, Rs20 million and Rs62.5 million are allocated for Sehlla rice and broken rice, respectively.

    The implementation of the Ramzan relief package is set to commence on March 4th.

    Further breakdown reveals Rs200 million for cooking oil, Rs20 million for washed moong daal, Rs6.25 million for washed maash daal, Rs100 million for chakki baisen, Rs50 million for dates, Rs22.50 million for carbonated drinks (1,500 ml), Rs30 million for squash and syrup (800 ml), Rs150 million for black tea, Rs15 million for UHT milk, and Rs50 million for spices.

    Moreover, an allocation of Rs145 million is designated for an awareness campaign through electronic and print media regarding the Ramzan Package, set to kick off on March 4th, 2024.

    The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has greenlit the Ministry of Industries and Production’s proposal for a Rs7.492 billion Ramzan Relief Package. This package aims to provide 19 essential items at subsidised rates through the USC.

    In response to IMF restrictions on untargeted subsidies, the government has opted to provide subsidies exclusively to beneficiaries registered under the PMT-40 of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the fiscal year 2023–24.

  • Bushra Ansari takes stand against media double standards on Shoaib Malik’s wedding

    Bushra Ansari takes stand against media double standards on Shoaib Malik’s wedding

    Veteran actress Bushra Ansari is upset with people on social media after reactions to the news of Shoaib Malik’s wedding. Ansari said that the country has been buzzing since morning.

    She was annoyed with mainstream media too. Bushra shared that after Shoaib Malik’s second wedding, she received many calls from media channels.

    Expressing her anger, she said, “Did I study with Shoaib in school? Was he my classmate? Did Sana Javed play with me as a child? Am I part of their family? Who are you to speak about someone’s private life? Why should I answer stupid questions? I am very angry at these things, do you fear God or not? They both got married, that’s good, be happy, who are you and I to question someone’s private life?”
    Bushra Ansari pointed out that while there are serious issues in the world, the media is focused on Shoaib Malik’s marriage and how his first marriage ended. She mentioned actor Talat Hussain Ali and the world’s problems, but the media seemed more interested in sensational news about Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed.

    Expressing her frustration, Bushra Ansari warned that people who invade others’ lives for sensational news on social media will face the most punishment from Allah.
    She advised Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed to stay away from social media, where people are talking nonsense about them.

  • ‘No, babies are not dropped from the skies’, Sarwat Gilani haters get schooled

    ‘No, babies are not dropped from the skies’, Sarwat Gilani haters get schooled

    Joyland star Sarwat Gilani recently announced the birth of her baby girl.

    In the months preceding the delivery, she shared pictures of her baby bump. While some showed love, the morality police criticized her for being “vulgar”.

    People, however, came out in droves to support Sarwat Gilani.

  • Kya Malik Riaz ka interview Imran Khan ko muskhkil mein daal sakta hai?

    Kya Malik Riaz ka interview Imran Khan ko muskhkil mein daal sakta hai?

    Pakistan is watching a wave of interviews and the latest twist in this unfolding drama has been disclosed by senior journalist Javed Chaudhry in a recent vlog, hinting that Malik Riaz, a property tycoon, is poised to unravel a series of explosive revelations in the days to come.

    Javed Chaudhry’s vlog, providing a sneak peek into an upcoming interview with Malik Riaz, outlined three key points that are expected to rock the political landscape.

    First and foremost, the interview is anticipated to shed light on the staggering Rs460 billion penalty imposed on Bahria Town by the Supreme Court. Riaz is expected to reveal what Saqib Nisar got in return for favors. He will also delve into the details of the 460 billion rupees fiasco.

    Furthermore, the property tycoon is predicted to make startling claims regarding the 2014 protest, alleging that influential figures orchestrated the demonstration to unseat then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

    The revelations will also cover how the sit-in was sponsored and from where and how food was provided.

    Riaz will also talk about why he advised Nawaz Sharif to leave the country for three months after his resignation.

    Riaz is also anticipated to discuss his role in preventing a collaborative effort between Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif against Imran Khan, shedding light on the intricate dynamics that shaped Pakistan’s political landscape.

    Riaz will also openly talk about who played what role during Imran Khan’s government and how they all benefited from it.

    While specific details of the upcoming interview were not disclosed by Chaudhry, he expressed confidence that Malik Riaz’s revelations would be nothing short of bombshells, suggesting a turbulent period ahead for Pakistani politics.

  • Instagram page, Eye on Palestine, restored

    Instagram page, Eye on Palestine, restored

    According to officials from Meta, the owner of Eye of Palestine has been given access to their account.

    Previously, the widely followed Instagram account Eye on Palestine (@eye.on.palestine), that had been extensively covering the situation in Gaza, has been removed by Meta.

    It reportedly had more than six million followers.

    It also had a second page created as a back-up which was also removed.

    People react:

    Here is how can make sure you are able to keep up with all the posts of other similar accounts that are being censored:

  • BBC admits to ‘misleading’ coverage of pro-Palestine protests

    BBC admits to ‘misleading’ coverage of pro-Palestine protests

    British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News has admitted to “misleading” sentences used to describe recent pro-Palestine protests when one of its presenters, Maryam Moshiri, termed the marches supportive of Hamas.

    Moshiri posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Earlier we reported on some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the weekend.

    “We spoke about ‘several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas’.

    “We accept this was poorly phrased and was a misleading description of the demonstrations.”

    Notably, BBC did not apologise for the statement.

    People around the world have been coming out on the streets against Israeli attacks on Gaza. So far, more than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed while the survivors are deprived of basic necessities including food, water, healthcare, electricity and internet.

  • Fact-check: Is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen dead or alive?

    Fact-check: Is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen dead or alive?

    News about veteran Indian economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s death started circulating on social media today.

    A social media post about Sen’s death that the Indian media was quoting was from Claudia Goldin’s X (formerly Twitter) account, which turned out to be a fake account.

    Claudia Goldin is an American economic historian and has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize Economics for this year.

    Sen’s daughter took to X and tweeted:

    “Friends, thanks for your concern but it’s fake news: Baba is totally fine. We just spent a wonderful week together w/ family in Cambridge—his hug as strong as always last night when we said bye! He is teaching 2 courses a week at Harvard, working on his gender book—busy as ever!”

    Seema Chishti, Editor The Wire, corrected the misinformation, clarifying that Sen is very much alive.

    Other accounts also corrected the misinformation being spread about Sen’s death.

  • Journalist corrects Indian media spreading misinformation about Pakistan

    Journalist corrects Indian media spreading misinformation about Pakistan

    Naimat Khan, a journalist working with Arab News, pointed out false news being widely circulated by Indian media.

    Indian news platforms have been reporting that Maulana Qaiser Farooq has been shot and killed in a target attack in Karachi, alleging that he was one of the prominent leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba and was a close associate of Hafiz Saeed.

    Khan, however, fact checked and corrected the outlets by stating that Maulana Qaiser Farooq, killed by unknown assailants in Karachi, was associated with Gulshan-e-Umar, a branch of Binori Town, a top Deobandi seminary in Karachi. He pointed out that this institution has no connection with Hafiz Saeed.