Author: Ali Qasim

Pakistan Prosperity Index surges by 13% .

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Pakistan Prosperity Index (PPI), after taking a hit in April and May, grew by 13% in June due to the post-lockdown commercial activities.

A recent report by the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) said that the PPI had grown to an all-time high of 135.9 in June, driven by a surge in post-lockdown business activities.  The PPI is an agglomeration of trade volume, lending to the private sector, purchasing power and manufacturing output indices.

The trade volume increased Rs548 billion year-on-year (YoY) and Rs360 billion month-on-month (MoM) with the resumption of business activities and reopening of international markets.

Subsidized borrowing rates by commercial banks showed that the private sector had taken on a lot of credit as well, while, long-term financing facility stood at an all-time high of Rs390.8 billion in June 2021.

In the context of purchasing power, the YoY inflation was reported at 9.7%, while the MoM one clocked in at a negative 0.3%, a manifestation of improvement in purchasing power. The prevalent high levels of inflation are mostly because of a hike in food and energy prices.

Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) increased by 4.36% MoM. This increase can be attributed to the higher demand emanating from the ease in lockdown, mass vaccination and opening up of business.

In addition, higher production costs fueled by higher energy prices, and supply-side disruptions of raw material all had a fair share in restricting LSM’s output. Notwithstanding, the overall economic outlook, as measured by PPI, seems to be encouraging.

The performance of the economy indicated by PPI is consistent with the latest Business Confidence Survey 2021 by Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), which also illustrated the strengthening of business confidence and augmented growth prospects owing to an uptick in the business activities.

With the ease in lockdown restrictions and a mass vaccination drive, the overall state of the economy appeared encouraging and on a right track, the PRIME report said.The report, however, stressed that Pakistan needed to bring down inflation to increase purchasing power/real income of the masses and also to decrease the input cost of the LSM.

The study stressed that addressing the supply-side shocks of basic food items was pertinent to lower food inflation, which was the main cause of rising overall inflation in the economy. These supply-side shocks called for more liberal trade measures and elimination of state intervention in the market, the report added.

Nadia Jamil is enroute Hunza to Journey to Wellness via Motorbike

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actor Nadia Jamil, who recently defeated cancer, is all set to explore the serene Hunza Valley on what she’s termed as her “journey to wellness”.

The beloved TV star joined a long list of celebs who chose the Northern Areas of Pakistan as their vacation destination this summer, taking to Instagram to share a picture of herself en route to Hunza.

Perched atop a motorcycle in the picture, Nadia wrote, “Off to beautiful @hunza_valley.pk. Stopped en route for a karak chai and met up with the amazing @venturer.pk team. What an inspiring team! My next adventure will have to be on a motorbike.”

Video of Zaid Ali T reciting Azaan in newborn son’s ear goes viral

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

YouTuber Zaid Ali T recently welcomed his first child with wife Yumnah Ali, and a video snippet of him giving Azaan into his son’s ears has warmed fans’ hearts. A week after the birth of his son Izyan Ali Zaid, who was born on Aug. 18, Zaid shared a vlog on his YouTube titled ‘OUR BABY BOY IS HERE!’ featuring videos from the hospital room just before and after Yumnah gave birth to him.

One such snippet of Zaid Ali reciting the azaan into his newborn son’s ears has taken the Internet by storm, eliciting warm reactions from fans who follow the couple. Have a look at the heartwarming video!

 

The YouTube comments section naturally overflowed with love and prayers for the couple and their newborn child, with many pointing out the special moment between Zaid Ali and his firstborn.

“I was getting goosebumps when he was giving azaan in Izyaan’s ears,” read one comment, while another viewer said, “The Adhan part was so emotional man!”

Mahira Khan posts a cute love note for her beau Salim Karim on Instagram

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESk)

Mahira Khan officially introduced her beau Salim Karim to her social media (albeit without a picture of him) on Thursday, with a love note addressed directly to the special man in her life.

On her man’s big day, the superstar took to Instagram to share a haiku about the love she has for him. It read: “My Love. You make me better. The right love. The right person. You are.”

She proceeded to tag Salim in the picture with the caption, “My Love.”

Friends and fans were quick to flood the comments section with wishes and prayers for the couple, with industry stalwarts like director Asim Raza and media maven Frieha Altaf wishing Salim a happy birthday.

Earlier in 2020, Mahira had openly talked about Salim for the first time on an Instagram live session with Pehli Si Muhabbat actor Hassan Sheheryar Yasin.

You are in love now, his name is Salim. When you look deep into his eyes, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?” the designer asked during the live, to which the Raees actor had replied, “”Pata nahi tum mujhe kis naiki kay badlay main miley ho” [I don’t know what I did right to deserve you.]  I think the same about him.”

The starlet had went onto add, “I don’t know what have I done in my life, [but I] must have done something good because of which Allah blessed me with.”

Enabling Teachers to Use Activity Based Learning through Visual Arts for Social Cohesion and Peace

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Little Art arranged a capacity building training workshop with school teachers in Faisalabad from 23-25 August 2021, on themes of peace, democracy and rights. The three day training workshop was part of ArtBeat project, aimed for teachers in low-income schools to acquire skills of activity based learning using visual arts.
Through this project, The Little Art enables the teachers, how to engage children on peace, and learning different skills that relates to them to promote social inclusion. It is also noted that in some cases, children might not be able to afford to buy basic art materials in such schools. The project provides Art Kits containing art materials for children so no child is left behind to creatively express themselves and take part in the national exhibitions of ArtBeat.
The Little Art’s “ArtBeat” is a national competition for children to submit painting and drawings. It is also the largest such even in Pakistan which is running now since past 11 years and keep growing every year.
With the support of Australia Aid and Australian High Commission Islamabad, TLA undertakes a National level Visual Art project for children and youth to raise awareness on Peace, Democracy and Human Rights. The first workshop was organized one of the project school “Umul Maddaris Model School” in Faisalabad and On the last day of capacity building training, H.E. Australia High Commissioner Ambassador Mr. Dr. Geoffrey Shaw visited the school in Faisalabad. H.E. Ambassador was amazed to see the immediate implementation of the set of activities with the children by teachers learned from the capacity building training. H.E talked to the teachers, gave certificates to the participating teachers of the training workshop and handed over the Art Kits to the school principal.
In the concluding ceremony, ArtBeat call to submit artworks was also announced. The Little Art will collect artworks from across Pakistan, from public to private schools, and select some of the best to be a part of an exhibition. Exhibition will be held in Islamabad and also a digital exhibition will be online on Google Cultural Institute.
ArtBeat – National Child Art Competition and Exhibitions was initiated in 2012 with a vision to promote visual culture, understanding of issues among children and youth from their own perspective, celebrate children as artists and present children’s view as a point of discourse for adults and community. It’s a National level competition of visual arts (painting and drawing) on the themes of Peace, Democracy and Human rights for children and young people.
The Little Art is a registered non-profit arts education organization, which carries a mission to establish arts in Pakistan as a major facilitator for children and young people to realize and achieve their dreams; through innovative arts education projects and creative learning opportunities. We use the medium of art to promote positive social values through innovative learning opportunities among children and young people, specially marginalized and from low-income backgrounds.

SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY LAUNCHES PATAKHA PICTURES

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Two-time Academy Award and four-time Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announces the launch of PATAKHA PICTURES: A grant which will provide funding and mentorship to emerging and the next generation of female filmmakers and storytellers creating powerful, thought-provoking works of fiction and non-fiction.

With PATAKHA PICTURES, Chinoy aims to facilitate filmmakers from under-represented and underserved areas to help them tell stories that are in line with her production house SOC Films’ mission: “Stories that Matter.”

“With PATAKHA PICTURES, our mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of emerging and the next generation of female filmmakers who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. We are on a search for stories which push the boundaries of how we see ourselves and the world, urgent expressions of the human experience, and compelling visions for the future. We realize that filmmaking is not easy, it requires intervention in the form of grants and mentorship and we are here to provide female filmmakers with both and help them achieve their dreams.” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

PATAKHA PICTURES will fund and mentor:

  • Single fiction and non-fiction short form films i.e. less than 40-minutes projects in animation, documentary & live action from Pakistan.
  • Candidates may apply at any stage of production. Any idea that needs seed funding or mentorship and fulfills the format requirement will be considered in shortlisting process. If it is a script that needs early stage investment or mentorship to move it into production, if the filmmaker is looking for finishing funds to help edit the piece, or even guidance on film festivals and marketing, PATAKHA PICTURES will provide assistance on all aspects.

After an application is submitted, a notification of the status will be generated within 6 weeks, where the selected finalists will be required to submit additional materials and meet with the team to further explain their vision. All funded projects will be expected to acknowledge the support from PATAKHA PICTURES in all program and publicity materials.

Indeed, PATAKHA PICTURES will provide support in creative development and feedback, and, depending on the broadcast outlet, with marketing, publicity, and audience engagement services. The filmmaker will own all the copyrights and maintain full editorial, creative, and financial control. The overarching objective is to enable filmmakers to advance their current projects and help recognize professional accomplishments in independent film.

The funding cycle will open in October 2021 while final decisions will be announced in January 2022. PATAKHA PICTURES will share further details in September 2021.

 

YouTube removed 1 million “Dangerous” Videos On Covid-19

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

YouTube revealed that it has removed more than one million videos with “dangerous coronavirus misinformation” since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The statement by the Google-owned video platform comes as social media platforms are under fire from political leaders for failing to stem the spread of false and harmful misinformation and disinformation about the virus and other topics.

YouTube said in a blog post it relies on “expert consensus from health organizations,” including the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, but noted that, in some cases, “misinformation is less clear-cut” as new facts emerge.

“Our policies center on the removal of any videos that can directly lead to egregious real world harm,” chief product officer Neal Mohan wrote.

“Since February of 2020, we’ve removed over one million videos related to dangerous coronavirus information, like false cures or claims of a hoax,” he said.

“In the midst of a global pandemic, everyone should be armed with absolutely the best information available to keep themselves and their families safe.”

YouTube said it was working to accelerate the process for removing videos with misinformation while simultaneously delivering those from authoritative sources.

Mohan said the platform currently removes close to 10 million videos per quarter and that the majority of them have been watched less than 10 times.

“Speedy removals will always be important but we know they’re not nearly enough… The most important thing we can do is increase the good and decrease the bad,” he said.

“When people now search for news or information, they get results optimized for quality, not for how sensational the content might be.”

Facebook plans to launch digital wallet in 2021

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Tech giant Facebook is planning to launch a digital wallet this year to allow users to store cryptocurrencies, a senior company executive said in a recent interview. David Marcus, head of Facebook´s crypto unit, told The Information news site that company leaders “feel pretty committed” to launch digital wallet Novi this year.

Marcus said he would have preferred to release Novi alongside Diem, a digital currency tied to the dollar that the company is also developing, but Diem’s timing was uncertain. “In theory, Novi could launch before Diem, but it would mean launching without Diem and that is not necessarily something that we want to do,” Marcus told The Information.

“It all depends on how long it is going to take for Diem to actually go live and that´s not something I’m personally looking after.”

In 2019, Facebook had said it planned to introduce a cryptocurrency that at the time was called Libra. The project, however, faced regulatory resistance over concerns about security and reliability. In December 2020 Libra changed its name to Diem and moved its operations from Switzerland to the United States as part of a “strategic shift.”

Shopify, and TikTok join hands for Shopping app

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Canada’s e-commerce giant Shopify Inc said on Tuesday it was partnering with TikTok to work on a feature that would let shoppers buy directly from the social media app.

Shopify merchants who have a TikTok business account would soon be able to add a shopping tab to their profiles for the first time ever, the company revealed in a blog post.

The pilot version is currently available to users in the U.S. and UK and the company will launch in additional regions in the coming months. Social media giants including Facebook Inc, Alphabet’s YouTube and Twitter have recently been investing heavily in shopping features to drive sales growth.

The companies are vying for a piece of the so-called social commerce industry, which relies on users’ ability to discover and buy products through social media apps and is expected to balloon to $50 billion from $36 billion in annual sales by 2023 in the United States according to research firm eMarketer.

Google is helping millions of users from personal Data theft

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Google is helping users from Data theft Under the law ‘right to be forgotten’ — first introduced in 2014 by the European Union (EU) — citizens of the EU and UK can fill a simple form with details of the information they want to be removed from Google search listings.

According to Google, since the law was introduced the technology company has received more than 4.4 million delisting requests. However, the tech giant only processed 47% of requests. If Google denies a request, the applicants are informed through email.

The requests were denied due to several reasons; mostly the requests were turned down because they considered the information to be in the public interest. For example, any information related to someone’s professional life, criminal records, etc.

The information that the tech giant removes is only personal information for instance names, family information and addresses. With the help of data broker sites, fraudsters could collect this sort of information and then change passwords and engineer a fake profile of that person.

Nonetheless, the key risk area identified by the tech giant is social media. According to the company, most of the removal requests they receive are URLs from social media websites. However, it is pertinent to mention that if a URL is delisted from Google search, it does not mean that the site itself has removed the data.

To protect your privacy and data, the self-audit of your online presence is very important. To begin with, search about yourself on Google to see what information is publically available. Once you have built up a picture of your web presence, you identify information that you can and cannot have removed. Then, you can request removal from search engines or web privacy companies to secure your online identity.