Weekly News Round-Up (20th– 26th February)
This week in the news, find out how Elon Musk is playing his part in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Noor Mukadam gets justice, which Pakistanis are making a name for themselves globally and more! Read on to find out all the news you’ve missed this week.
Elon Musk To The Rescue Amidst Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest. SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk said on Saturday that the company’s Starlink satellite broadband service is available in Ukraine and SpaceX is sending more terminals to the country, whose internet has been disrupted due to the Russian invasion. He was responding to a tweet by a Ukrainian government official who asked Musk to provide the embattled country with Starlink stations. (Source: Reuters)
Zahir Jaffer Sentenced To Death For Murdering Noor Mukadam
On Thursday the 24th of February, Zahir Jaffer was sentenced to death for the murder of Noor Mukadam. The court also found him guilty of rape and handed him 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000. Zahir’s household staff Mohammad Iftikhar and Mohammad Jan — both co-accused in the case — were sentenced to 10 years in jail, while all others, including Zahir’s parents (Zahir and Asmat Adamjee) and TherapyWorks employees, were acquitted.
Zahir Jaffer has been sentenced to death under Section 302(b) (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The death sentence, however, is subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court. He has also been sentenced to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs200,000 under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the PPC. The court also ordered Zahir to pay Rs0.5 million to Noor’s legal heir. In case of non-payment, the amount would be realised as arrears of land revenue and in case of non-realisation, he would have to undergo six months simple imprisonment. Additionally, he has been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 for kidnapping in order to murder (Section 364) and one year of rigorous imprisonment for wrongful confinement (Section 342). The imprisonment sentences would run concurrently with the benefit of Section 382(B) (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the Criminal Procedure Code granted to the convict. (Source: Dawn)
Lahore Qalandars Vs Multan Sultans – The Final PSL Showdown
The iconic Gaddafi Stadium will provide the perfect setting for the HBL PSL 2022 finale on Sunday the 27th of February where Multan Sultans will face off Lahore Qalandars. The first ball of the sell-out final will be bowled at 7.30pm. To date, Sultans have won 10 out of 11 matches, while Qalandars have won seven out of 12 matches this year. On a head-to-head in this tournament, Sultans lead Qalandars 2-1. Here’s what the captain of both teams had to say before the big finale:
Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan: “It has been an amazing tournament for us and I as a captain could not have asked more from my players…Lahore Qalandars have played good cricket throughout the HBL PSL 7 and I am sure they will have great support on Sunday. Last year we won in front of an empty stadium in Abu Dhabi due to covid restrictions so the opportunity of lifting the trophy in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium by the grace of Almighty Allah is amazing and our entire squad is fully motivated to deliver…I want to thank our fans for their support and we look forward to the final tomorrow knowing well that we have them backing us on this memorable occasion.”
Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi: “After Friday’s night’s incredible win we want to settle for nothing but the HBL PSL trophy…The joy of playing in front of a packed home crowd and winning is second to none. I really want to thank the Lahore crowd and request them to pack the GSL once again on Sunday as we will give it our all to win our first HBL PSL trophy in their presence…Multan is the form side but we have the belief that we can beat them and we will try our very best.” (Source: PCB)
Meet Pakistan’s First Hindu Lieutenant Colonel
On Friday the 25th of February, Pakistan Army promoted Hindu officer Kelash Kumar to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. “Kumar is the first Hindu officer to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Pakistan Army,” the PTV said in a tweet.
Laraib Atta & Team Get Oscar Nod And Make Global News Headlines
Pakistani singer Attaullah Esakhelvi’s daughter, Lairaib Atta, along with her team was recently nominated for a visual effects (VFX) Oscar for ‘No Time To Die’. Laraib’s portfolio includes working on movies such as, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, ‘Godzilla’ and ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’. She took to her Instagram to thank everyone and wrote, “Thank you EVERYONE for all your support and kind messages I have been receiving. The Oscar and BAFTA nomination for #notimetodie is for the whole marvellous team that I worked with. I am so humbled and honoured to work with such magnificent people at #dneg. Special shout out to Rob who I worked with on the show. Thank you once again!! Love you all. If I am not responding it’s because I am overwhelmed by so many messages”.
Atif Aslam Becomes Most Streamed Pakistani Artist Abroad On Spotify
On its first anniversary in Pakistan, Spotify revealed the most-streamed Pakistani artists outside of the country. Atif Aslam became the most-streamed Pakistani artist abroad, with his hits ‘Kadi Te Has Bol’ with Velo Sound Station, ‘Jeena Jeena (Badlapur)’ and ‘Tere Sang Yaara’ ranking in the top 10 most-streamed songs from Pakistan abroad. Acclaimed Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was the second most-streamed Pakistani artist abroad, and his uncle, the legendary qawwali maestro, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan came in third. Momina Mustehsan landed the fourth spot and Bilal Saeed came fifth. The top streamed song abroad was ‘Baari’ by Bilal Saeed, Momina Mustehsan.
‘Inventing Anna’ Tops Netflix Charts
Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna’ was watched for 196 million hours last week, on top of the 77 million hours it was watched the weekend it was released. According to the news, the show became Netflix’s top-rated English series. The nine-episode series stars Julia Garner as the conwoman who fooled people after claiming to be a German heiress in Manhattan and was convicted on multiple fraud charges in 2019. However, it wasn’t able to break the record of the Korean series ‘Squid Game’ that received almost 572 million watch hours. The second most watched show on the platform is another Korean drama, ‘All of Us Are Dead’, which racked up 236 million hours. (Source: BBC)
