Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Cut-off-their-water-Sarah Silverman hosts The Daily Show, show faces calls of boycott

    Cut-off-their-water-Sarah Silverman hosts The Daily Show, show faces calls of boycott

    Comedian Sarah Silverman drew the ire of the internet in October after she reshared a post slamming criticism of Israel cutting off Gaza’s water supply. She later deleted the post, claiming to be “stoned” when she reshared it on her Instagram account.

    On November 6, it was announced that Silverman is set to return from Monday as the new host of The Daily Show, replacing Hasan Minhaj. The announcement came on the heels of Minhaj being removed from hosting due to a misleading New Yorker article controversy. The article accused Minhaj of fabricating stories about racism. The comedian then posted a 30 minute long video sharing evidence of how the journalist writing the piece refused to use evidence provided by Minhaj to discredit him.

    READ MORE: Hassan Minhaj says New Yorker lied and he has the receipts

    Twitter users were appalled at the racism in American media that allows a brown Muslim comedian to be booted without any further thought due to a misleading, poorly fact-checked article, but a racist woman is offered a platform without consequence. As one user wrote:

    “Hasan Minhaj loses the daily show gig due to an inaccurate hit piece that mostly confirmed that he, like EVERY comedian, embellished stories for his stand-up. Sarah Silverman posted her support for the collective punishment of Gazans and gets to host. Islamophobia is reality.”

    Countless journalists and public figures were attacked and removed from their offices, many of whom were Jewish and Palestine supporters. But Twitter users were outraged at how racist women like Amy Schumer and Sarah Silverman were granted platforms.

    Users called for the show to be boycotted.

    Many also brought up Silverman’s history of racism including wearing the blackface and imitating a black man for a skit.

  • Social media erupts with memes on Glen Maxwell’s historic knock

    Social media erupts with memes on Glen Maxwell’s historic knock

    Australia’s Glen Maxwell played what is being described as one of the best ODI innings ever on Tuesday night, wrestling victory from Afghanistan just when the Asian team seemed poised to chalk up a historic win.

    The Afghanistan team seemed to dominate Australia, sending seven kangaroo players back to the pavillion with only 91 runs on the board while chasing 292, but after that, Glenn Maxwell took charge. He got injured several times while batting but did not pause the relentless onslaught on runs.

    He played an unbeaten inning of 201 runs on 128 balls with 10 sixes and 21 fours and led his team to victory.

    Australia’s victory against Afghanistan has helped Pakistan to keep their hopes alive of reaching the semi-finals. Afghanistan was also a contender for semis alongside Pakistan and New Zealand. Now Afghanistan is almost out of the semis race because their NRR (Net Run Rate) is too low and their last match is against South Africa.

    Maxwell201 and #QudratKaNizam started trending on social media after Australia’s win has opened the door for Pakistan to reach the semis. Social media users are sharing hilarious reactions after Maxwell’s unbelievable inning.

    Here are some reactions:

  • ‘Special allowance’ announced to assist workers earning below Rs32,000

    ‘Special allowance’ announced to assist workers earning below Rs32,000

    The federal government, in accordance with a notification issued by the finance division, has officially implemented a minimum monthly wage of Rs32,000. 

    The prescribed minimum wage, which is set at Rs32,000, applies to all civil employees of the federal government. 

    This also encompasses civilians who receive their remuneration from Defence estimates, including contingent paid staff and contract employees engaged for civil posts within the basic pay scales, under standard terms and conditions of contract employment.  

    Individuals whose gross monthly salary falls below the newly established minimum wage of Rs32,000 will be entitled to receive the difference as a “special allowance.” 

    It is worth noting that the government had previously announced an increase in financial compensation for individuals hired from the private sector for MP1, MP2, and MP3 positions within the bureaucracy earlier in the same month. 

    The revised minimum wage regulations will be in effect from July 1, 2023. 

  • Honda Atlas extends production suspension amid an ongoing parts shortage

    Honda Atlas extends production suspension amid an ongoing parts shortage

    Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. of Japan, has officially announced a temporary plant shutdown due to supply chain disruptions.

    In line with their communication dated October 30, 2023, the company has made the decision to extend the plant closure from November 8, 2023, to November 9, 2023, as disclosed in their notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

    The automaker further said that any updates to this plan will be duly communicated.

    The automaker had previously communicated the shutdown of its plant from October 24, 2023, to October 31, 2023, and later extended it to November 7, 2023.

    This decision was attributed to significant inventory levels and disruptions in the supply chain, which have severely affected the company’s production capabilities.

    Earlier this year, Honda Atlas Cars also suspended its production activities from March 9 to May 15, citing adverse economic conditions in the country and government-imposed restrictions on Letters of Credit (LC) issuance.

  • Qudrat ka nizam works again, Maxwell wrestles victory from the jaws of Afghanistan

    Qudrat ka nizam works again, Maxwell wrestles victory from the jaws of Afghanistan

    In the 39th match of the World Cup, Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell snatched victory from Afghanistan with what is bring called one of the best innings in ODI history.

    The Australian batsman scored 201 runs to guide his team to victory after a defeat looked almost guaranteed.

    Afghanistan scored 291 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 50 overs with Ibrahim Zadran remaining unbeaten on 129 runs, becoming the first batsman to score a century for his country in the World Cup. Rahmat Shah scored 30 runs, Hashmatullah scored 26 runs, Azmatullah scored 22 runs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 21 and Muhammad Nabi scored 12 runs. Rashid Khan was not out on 35 runs.

    For Australia, Josh Hazlewood dismissed two players, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell took one wicket each.

    Chasing Afghanistan’s target of 292, Australia got off to a disappointing start, with the top-order disintegrating in front of Afghan bowlers. Half of the Kangaroos returned to the pavilion with the score at 69.

    Australia was seven out for 91 runs, the match seemingly over, an Afghan win an almost certainty. But perhaps qudrat ka nizam played a factor when two easy catches were dropped, leaving Maxwell surviving.

    Maxwell and Cummins put on a 202-run partnership for the 8th wicket, a partnership that included only 12 runs from Cummins, with Maxwell scoring the rest. Maxwell’s unbeaten innings of 201 runs off 128 balls helped Australia to qualify for the semi-finals by defeating Afghanistan by three wickets.

  • Misogyny rears its head once more with Mohib Mirza’s sexist comments

    Misogyny rears its head once more with Mohib Mirza’s sexist comments

    What is this, misogyny month?

    Another male actor has decided to raise the misogyny flag with a gross comment and this time, its Mohib Mirza. The actor was featured in a podcast for FHM Pakistan where he talked at length about his career and the controversy surrounding the actor’s marriage to Sanam Saeed. Everything was going well, and we were quite proud of how Mohib shut down allegations of cheating against his first wife Amina Sheikh.

    But this was all shot down when Mohib was asked about whether it was him or Sanam who controlled the house.

    To which Mohib responded:

    “If you’re a man you cannot be shareef. No one should remain in this delusion that a man can be innocent. A woman can be innocent but not a man. It can’t be possible because of genetics. The way it was made it’s not possible for that reason. Do you know how many cells you generate in THAT specific area? Billions! You are made like a machine so you are a machine.”

    Where do I even begin with this nonsense. Why do women need to deal with this?

    Sab say pehlay tou Mohib sir, equating manliness with strength and femininity with weakness is a relic of the past. If such a thing were real, then men wouldn’t be throwing around chairs and breaking television sets every time their favourite team lost a cricket match. And women wouldn’t be quietly toiling while suffering intense period pain. Have you ever had a chance, Mr Mohib, to read up on our history? Or even perhaps spoken with the women of this country? Sit down with an ordinary Pakistani woman who is not only working at a job, but also taking care of her children, cleaning her house and then dealing with her in-laws. While men in this country, who were apparently born with superior genes, can’t provide proper financial support for the family. The gender you’re calling weak by associating it with femininity is the one holding families together.

    And also sir, this is not the first time you and Sanam went viral with your sexist comments. Earlier this year, both Mohib and Sanam were guests on Fahad Mustafa’s show. Sanam was asked whether men need to be dealt with like babies, to which she responded: “You need to take care of men like they are children.” The statement reeks of entitlement and ignorance, and as a couple with a lot of power and social status, you need to be mindful of the kind of words you say publicly.

    But you’re lucky Mr Mohib, you’re not the only celebrity who made us want to slam our heads on the wall this week. Javed Sheikh decided it was super cool to publicly announce that he refuses to believe in the slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’. He emphasised that a woman is beautiful when she is covered.

    Please tell us when and where did any woman ask you for your opinion? Did Haseena Moin ask you for reference when she cast you in her critically acclaimed drama ‘Ankahi’ where you acted opposite a head-strong, opinionated woman who didn’t need to cover up to demand respect from a man? Exactly, sit down.

    Why are we still addressing this topic? There’s a war in the Middle East. India is making more progressive movies like ‘Rocky and Rani’ centring around consent and holding men accountable for misogyny, and we’re still debating whether femininity makes a woman weak?

    All we will say is these are distractions from real issues, and we are done lecturing men on the basic elements of feminism. Which is why I didn’t bother to go into any details in this piece. Google is free, and at this point celebrities need to realise we can see through their PR attempts. We know what you’re doing when you bring up sexism because it will bring along another month’s easy coverage. Women don’t owe any man an explanation for why they deserve to be respected, and we’re done doing so as well.

  • All you need to know about ‘Just looking like a wow’

    All you need to know about ‘Just looking like a wow’

    The catchphrase, “just looking like a wow” trending nowadays is actually a very interesting sales pitch by Jasmeen Kaur, the owner of “Design Machine Suits” in Delhi with a total of 649K followers on Instagram. In her jubilant and enthusiastic style, she presents her really colourful, traditional dresses in live sessions and reels.

    Jasmeen runs a small business in Delhi. She jumped on the bandwagon of live streaming and using social media for growing sales. In one of those live streams, she was seen wearing a flamboyant yellow dress, pitching it to be the best ever choice for girls to wear by saying, “…so beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow” as she goes on to explain the sizes and colours available. The phrase was picked up by celebrities around the world and has become a pop-culture reference for netizens since then.

    Ms Kaur has since then become a social media personality, giving interviews and boosting her business to the fullest. She sees this stroke of luck as an outcome of her long struggle of 23 years.

    On Instagram, the audio clip has been recreated 477K times reaching millions of views especially created by celebrities. From Deepika to Ranveer, celebrities are using the phrase. The numbers are no less on TikTok. Thousands of videos have been created solely because it feels good and relatable. Yashraj Mukhate famous for his own musical stints, also posted his version of looking like a wow which has been liked by more than half a million until now.

    Videos are trending on social media with the audio of, “so toxic, so negative, just looking like a jao,” amassing thousands of views on Instagram and TikTok but nothing beats the simplicity with which Jasmeen carries herself. There is innovation in her style as she comes up with unique colours’ names like laddu peela, mouse grey and bengani purple.

  • PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to collaborate for the betterment of the country during a recent telephonic conversation, Geo news has revealed.

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expressed their commitment to jointly tackle crucial issues affecting the nation.

    Zardari reportedly extended congratulations to Sharif on his return to Pakistan on October 21 after spending four years in self-imposed exile in London.

    Both leaders underscored the significance of the participation of all stakeholders in the collective effort to steer the country towards stability and progress, according to reliable sources.

    Acknowledging the pressing concern of inflation, the leaders also discussed plans to alleviate the burden on the public. In light of their discussion, it is anticipated that a high-level meeting will soon be convened to deliberate on crucial matters.

    The timing of their conversation coincided with the directive given to their respective party workers to gear up for the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

    Notably, the PPP and the PML-N were previously coalition partners in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government, which came into power following the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    However, while the news of the conversation has been making rounds, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari downplayed its significance, emphasizing that the PPP remains open to collaborating with all political parties.

    Contradicting earlier reports, PPP Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi denied any direct communication between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, urging the public to verify the authenticity of such claims before spreading them.

    He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “I would like to clarify that the news of Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif contacting President Asif Ali Zardari is false and holds no truth. We urge everyone to verify information before spreading it.”

    In related developments, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday announced that they would be jointly contesting the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

    The development comes following a meeting of an MQM-P delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, and Syed Mustafa Kamal with the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore at the party’s Model Town secretariat.

    Later, speaking to the media, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said, “It has been decided that both parties will contest February 8 polls jointly”.

    Amidst escalating political activities, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Arif Alvi have reached an agreement to hold the general elections on February 8, adhering to the Supreme Court’s directives following a case regarding the delay of elections.

    Following the electoral alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said that he welcomes his opponent’s intention to stand in elections.

    “We will stand against our opponents that are coming in elections and we welcome them,” Zardari said while addressing party works in Ghotki’s Khangarh. 

    The former president was of the view that when people who oppose each other contest elections then the competition among them delivers the “best results”. 

  • One month of Israeli attacks, death toll crosses 10,000 in Gaza: What we know about day 32

    A month has passed since the declaration of war by Israel on Palestine. More than 10,000 people in Gaza have been killed including 4,104 children, while many are still trapped under the debris of destroyed infrastructure. Israeli blockades have led to scarcity of fuel, food and electricity.

    ‘Little pauses’, no ceasefire: Netanyahu

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that there will be no ceasefire until the hostages being held in Gaza are released, adding that only “tactical little pauses” will be accepted.

    “An hour here, an hour there – we’ve had them before,” Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC News. “I suppose we’ll check the circumstances, in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave.”

    While many around the world are calling for a ceasefire, the US has urged for a “humanitarian pause” without specifying the duration of the pauses.

    Considering the casualties and destruction of Gaza, human rights groups and organisations are calling for an immediate ceasefire.

    On the contrary, Hamas has reportedly offered to set hostages free if Palestinian captives are released from Israeli jails.

    Netanyahu also told ABC News that Israel would have “overall security responsibility” after the fighting with Hamas is over “for an indefinite period”, implying a continued occupation of the territory.

    Job losses costing Palestinians $16m a day

    The UN’s labour agency has revealed that job losses in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank are costing Palestinians $16m a day.

    The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported on Monday that 182,000 jobs have been lost in Gaza (61 percent of total employment).

    An additional 208,000 jobs losses have been recorded in the occupied West Bank, (24 percent of total employment).

    Aid into Gaza

    The Palestinian Red Crescent teams received 93 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent through the Rafah crossing on Monday.

    The supplies consisted of food, water, relief items, medical equipment and medications.

    Since October 21, a total of 569 trucks have been sent whereas before October 7, 750 to 850 trucks used to enter Gaza daily.

    Israel, however, has still not allowed fuel into Gaza.

  • Explosive material found near Adiala jail

    The police on Tuesday found a bag containing an explosive device in Gorakhpur near Adiala jail, where the hearing of the cipher case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled for today.

    According to police, the bomb disposal squad also confirmed that the bag had explosive material.

    “The suspicious bag was packed with high-grade explosives of 1,500 grams,” the bomb disposal squad said.

    The explosive device was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) experts. Senior police officers of Rawalpindi police were present at the spot.

    The bag with explosives material was found one kilometre away from Adiala jail, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is imprisoned.

    The incident came to light during a period when the country is facing terrorist threats from both internal and external extremist organisations, including the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    According to the report of Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), at least 386 security officials lost their lives in first nine months of 2023.