Watch Shah Rukh Khan’s
‘Jawan’ on Netflix

Shah Rukh Khan’s latest cinematic endeavour, Jawan, is poised to continue its impressive run, this time on the digital streaming giant Netflix. Directed by Atlee, the film, which has been setting the domestic box office on fire, is all set to bring its magic to the online audience. The OTT release date for this eagerly awaited offering is yet to be officially announced, but fans can expect a cinematic treat...with a bit of a twist.

In an exciting revelation, it has come to light that the Netflix version of Jawan will not only provide the convenience of streaming but will also feature an extended cut. These scenes, omitted during the theatrical release to maintain a reasonable duration, will be a bonus for viewers, offering a deeper dive into the world of Jawan.

Trudeau’s Allegations
Upend India-Canada Ties

Tensions between India and Canada escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the June murder in Canada of a Sikh separatist leader campaigning for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland called “Khalistan.” The Khalistan movement is considered a security threat by the Indian government. The bloodiest episode in the conflict between the government and Sikh separatists occurred in 1984.

In April this year, India arrested a self-styled preacher and Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh, for allegedly reviving calls for Khalistan, sparking fears of new violence in Punjab. Earlier this year, India hit out at Canada for allowing a float in a parade depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi, perceiving this to be a glorification of Sikh separatist violence. India has also been upset about frequent demonstrations and vandalism allegedly by Sikh separatists and their supporters at Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, Britain, the US and Australia. It has sought better security from local governments.

Indian diplomats based in Canada have on numerous occasions said that Ottawa’s failure to tackle “Sikh extremism”, and the constant harassment of Indian diplomats and officials by Khalistanis, is a major foreign policy stress point. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised strong concerns about Sikh protests in Canada with Trudeau on the sidelines of a G20 summit in New Delhi this month. Canada has paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India. Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a planned trade mission to India.

Toyota Pakistan and Bank of Punjab: Redefining Auto Finance

In a groundbreaking partnership, Toyota Pakistan and the Bank of Punjab have joined forces to introduce an exceptional financing campaign for select Hilux variants. This collaboration is set to transform the auto financing landscape in Pakistan, offering a range of attractive features and benefits designed to make owning a Toyota Hilux more accessible and convenient than ever before.

Affordable Monthly Rentals: The campaign’s standout feature is the remarkably low monthly rental, starting at just PKR 85,500. This affordability opens the doors to a wide range of potential Toyota owners who may have previously been deterred by budget constraints.

Lowest Mark-up Rate: With a market-leading mark-up rate of only 7%, this campaign makes owning a Toyota Hilux not just a dream but also a financially savvy choice.

Insurance with Tracker: Security and peace of mind are paramount when it comes to automobiles. This partnership includes insurance with a tracker at a competitive rate of 1.5%, ensuring that your investment is well-protected.

Priority Delivery: Customers who choose selected variants under this campaign will enjoy priority delivery, getting behind the wheel of their new Hilux sooner and with greater convenience.

However, it’s essential to note that this offer does come with eligibility criteria. To qualify, individuals must be Pakistani citizens between the ages of 21 and 45 who qualify for the Prime Minister Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme, with a primary residence in Pakistan. Government employees, unfortunately, are not eligible for this particular campaign.

Flexible Loan Tenors: The campaign also offers flexibility in loan tenors, ranging from 3 to 7 years. This empowers customers to select a repayment plan that aligns with their financial situation and preferences.

In conclusion, the collaboration between Toyota Pakistan and the Bank of Punjab is poised to revolutionize the auto financing sector. With its low monthly rentals, attractive mark-up rates, insurance with a tracker, and priority delivery, this campaign caters to the aspirations of potential Hilux owners in Pakistan. By simplifying the buying process and offering flexible loan tenors, this campaign brings Toyota’s renowned quality and performance within reach of a broader audience. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a Toyota Hilux, now is the perfect time to turn that dream into a reality. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to drive home in style with Toyota and the Bank of Punjab.

Michael Jackson’s moonwalk hat sells for $82,170

The hat that Michael Jackson wore just before performing his signature moonwalk dance for the first time sold at an auction in Paris in September last week for $82,170 (77,640 euros).

The black fedora had been estimated at 60,000 to 100,000 euros by the Hotel Drouot auction house.

It was the highlight among around 200 items of rock memorabilia, though the top price went to a guitar owned by the legendary bluesman T-Bone Walker, at 129,400 euros. Though it is the star among some 200 items of rock memorabilia, organiser Arthur Perault of the Artpeges gallery admitted that valuations for Jackson items had fallen lately due to “the sale of fakes and the accusations against him.” A man named Adam Kelly picked up Jackson’s hat, “thinking the singer’s staff would come to collect it, but they didn’t,” said Perault. He held on to it for several years, but it has since passed through a couple of private collectors on its way to Paris.

Jackson whipped off the hat while breaking into his hit Billie Jean during a televised Motown concert in 1983, at the height of his fame. The King of Pop whipped off the hat while breaking into his hit “Billie Jean” during a televised Motown concert in 1983, at the height of his fame. Moments later, Jackson showed off what would become his trademark move — the moonwalk — a seemingly effortless backward glide while appearing to walk forwards.

Pakistan to face highest inflation: ADB

Pakistan’s economy stands out as an outlier in Asia, according to a new report that predicts the country will have the highest inflation rate but the fourth lowest economic growth rate among all 46 economies in the region.

The Asia Development Outlook, the flagship publication of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has slightly revised downward the economic growth forecast to 1.9%. Still, it has significantly increased the inflation projection to 25% for the current fiscal year.

The report anticipates further increases in interest rates and calls for a fiscal consolidation plan that includes limited spending on defence and energy subsidies.

The report also points out that while the currencies of developing economies in Asia have marginally depreciated, Pakistan’s currency has seen a steep devaluation of 30%. Unlike other regional economies, Pakistan saw a decline in foreign remittances.

The ADB notes that there are exceptionally high downside risks to Pakistan’s economic outlook.

Previously, Pakistan’s economic outlook was relatively poor only within the South Asia region, but continued deterioration in economic conditions has placed the country near the bottom of Asia.

The report projects that “for FY2024, inflation is forecast at 25%, sharply higher than the earlier 15% projection.” This inflation rate is far higher than the target range set by the central bank and much higher than the target. It represents the highest inflation rate in Asia, significantly exceeding the projected 10% for any other economy.

Musk mulls charging all X users monthly fee

Elon Musk has suggested charging all users of his social media platform X, which would be the biggest shake-up since he took over the site then known as Twitter last October, but experts say he might struggle to get users on board. During a talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Musk said that introducing a “small monthly payment” for X was the only way to combat the legions of automated accounts, known as bots that plague the site.

But X users united in dismay at the plan, suggesting it could finally put an end to the site, and analysts questioned the logic of a move that would make the platform even less appealing to advertisers. “I imagine that a large number of people won’t go through the hassle of adding payment details, regardless of how small the price is,” said Simon Kemp, founder of online advisory firm Kepios. Musk bought Twitter for $44bn but has since admitted its value has plunged after he gutted its workforce and allowed right-wing conspiracy theorists back on the site, sending advertisers fleeing.

Naila Kiani, the first Pakistani woman to summit three peaks above 8,000m

Mountaineer Naila Kiani has successfully scaled her third peak over 8,000 metres in height, making her the first Pakistani woman to achieve this milestone.

Kiani reached the top of Gasherbrum-1 – the 11th highest mountain in the world – at 7:45am, despite extreme weather conditions between the C2 and C3 points. The Dubai-based banker summited K2, the second-highest peak in the world, in July. Prior to that, Kiani had ascended the world’s 13th-highest mountain, Gasherbrum-II, in 2021.

Last month, Pakistan celebrated Samina Baig becoming the first woman from the country to summit K2. The 31-year-old had reached the top of the 8,611-metre (28,251-foot) peak as part of a seven-member local team and was followed hours later by Naila Kiani.

Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains higher than 8,000 metres, and climbing them all is considered the ultimate achievement of any mountaineer.

Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact

American and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the New York Times reported.

Under the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.

Any treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as an unreliable partner who cares little about US interests or human rights. An agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.

India becomes the first nation to land near Moon’s south pole

India has become the first nation to land a craft near the Moon’s south pole, a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space programme.

The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit, touched down at 6:04 pm India time (1234 GMT) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues.

Its landing comes days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region and four years since the previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.

Only Russia, the United States, and China have previously achieved controlled landings on the Moon.

In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a craft into orbit around Mars and is slated to launch a three-day crewed mission into Earth’s orbit by next year.

ISRO had eagerly awaited August’s landing after the frustrating failure of its previous mission at the last hurdle in 2019.

‘Tree of Life’ on the verge of extinction

Humans are driving the loss of entire branches of the “Tree of Life,” according to a new study published which warns of the threat of a sixth mass extinction.

“The extinction crisis is as bad as the climate change crisis. It is not recognised,” said Gerardo Ceballos, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and co-author of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “What is at stake is the future of mankind,” he said.

The study is unique because instead of merely examining the loss of a species, it examines the extinction of entire genera. In the classification of living beings, the genus lies between the rank of species and that of family. For example, dogs are a species belonging to the genus Canis — itself in the canid family. “It is a really significant contribution, I think the first time anyone has attempted to assess modern extinction rates at a level above the species,” Robert Cowie, a biologist at the University of Hawaii who was not involved in the study, said.

SC goes live as full court tackles controversial law

In his maiden appearance as the chief justice, Justice Qazi Faez Isa ordered live-streaming of the entire hearing by the full court bench consisting of all 15 judges inside the Courtroom No. 1. Before the commencement of the nearly seven-hour-long proceedings with two breaks, a full-court meeting of judges was held in which it was decided by a majority that the proceedings should be broadcast live.

Subsequently, the Pakistan Television Corporation was assigned the task of covering the proceedings by installing six digital cameras: four in the gallery reserved for guests and one in front of the rostrum. At the start of the hearing, the courtroom was full, but as time passed, lawyers as well as media representatives started leaving the courtroom to avail the benefit of a live telecast of proceedings.

Though the live streaming benefited people glued to their screens, it also exposed the shortcomings of lawyers who failed to satisfy the court with their lines of argument. On the other hand, the counsel representing their clients also faced a volley of questions from all members of the bench, one after another.

AlHuda CIBE Continues its Commitment to Islamic Finance FinTech Services

AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE), a well-recognized name in Islamic banking and finance industry for research, has recently announced its steadfast dedication to the field of Islamic finance. Recognized as a leading service provider, AlHuda CIBE has gained acclaim for its advisory, consultancy, capacity building, research and development initiatives, bolstered by a team of dedicated professionals. With its comprehensive solutions in Islamic banking and finance, AlHuda CIBE has extended its services globally, reaching regions such as the Americas, Africa, Central Asia, Asia, and the Middle East. Beyond geographical expansion, AlHuda is also advancing intellectually in the realm of technology.

In an era where advanced technologies, AlHuda CIBE has now introduced its cutting-edge FinTech services, encompassing InsurTech, Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, CBDCs, RegTech, Metaverse, AR, VR, Robo advisory, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neo, and digital banking. The objective is to offer state-of-the-art solutions in Islamic banking and finance. AlHuda takes immense pride in its global recognition for delivering quality services.

The CIBE also provides state-of-the-art Advisory Consultancy and Education through various well-recognized modes viz. Islamic Financial Product Development, Shariah Advisory, Training Workshops, and Islamic Microfinance and Takaful Consultancies etc.