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PM calls for immediate ceasefire in Palestine, end to Gaza bloodshed

Address All Parties Conference on Palestine and Gaza at the President House

Published by Faisal Ali Ghumman

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Islamabad (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Palestine, urging the international community especially the Muslim World to act swiftly in stopping Israel from further bloodshed in Gaza.

Addressing the All Parties Conference on Palestine and Gaza at the President House, the prime minister said it was time for the Muslim World to move forward and take practical steps to prevent Israel from further bloodshed in Palestine.

He condemned Israel’s ongoing violence and barbarism, expressing deep sorrow that innocent Palestinians were being killed daily.

“The first priority should be to stop the bloodshed in Palestine, which is a foremost duty, and for this, the platform of the OIC is available.”

Commending the participation of all political parties in the conference, the prime minister said the gathering reflected that whenever Pakistan faced challenges, either external or internal, the country’s entire political leadership gets united to present solid recommendation and offers full cooperation in implementing the proposals.

The prime minister announced to formulate a working group that would take decisions in the light of proposals presented in the Conference.

He also agreed with other participants’ views that instead of adhering to a two-state solution, the focus should be on demanding for an independent state of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital.

The prime minister highlighted that he forcefully raised the government’s stance against Israel’s barbarism in Palestine without take care of the consequences.

Additionally, he said he along with the delegation, also staged a walkout at the UN General Assembly when Israel’s PM Netanyahu came to address the assembly.

“I knew that my speech would cause a stir, but I didn’t care and boldly raised my voice in support of the oppressed Palestinians at the UN General Assembly.”

The prime minister pointed out that developing the country’s economy was the foremost priority of the government as without overcoming poverty and getting economically strong, “our voice would not be heard in the world”.

As regards dispatching relief goods to Palestine, PM Shehbaz said the government was making full efforts in this regard. He also appreciated the Al-Khidmat Foundation for cooperating with the government.

Furthermore, he announced that the orphan Palestinian students would also be given admissions and other facilities in the Pakistan’s medical colleges.

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Technology

You can slap a Pixel Watch 2 on your wrist for just $224 right now

The Google Pixel Watch 2 has fallen to a new low this weekend. Amazon’s new Fire HD 8 has also received its first discount, as has Apple’s newer MagSafe Charger (2m).

Published by Web Desk

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The Pixel Watch 3 may be the shining refinement Google’s wearable lineup needed, but the last-gen Pixel Watch 2 is still a great buy. That’s especially true when you can get it for as low as $224 ($26 off) — which is the watch’s current starting price at both Amazon and Best Buy.

Although the Pixel Watch 3 introduces a host of solid improvements — including a bigger and brighter display, a new 44mm size, AI-generated workout suggestions, and offline Google Maps — the second-gen Pixel Watch is still a looker. It only comes in one size (41mm), and the usable display area is only about 10 percent smaller than the third-gen model. It also uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear W5 Gen 1 chip, though it lacks the ultra wideband chip that lets you unlock nearby Pixel devices and select BMW vehicles.

Overall, performance between the two is similar and battery life on the 41mm models is about the same, averaging about 24 hours per charge. With the Watch 2, you’re only really missing out on the new workout features (other once-exclusive Wear OS 5 features have started to trickle down to the Watch 2), plus a screen that’s said to be twice as bright. If you don’t feel those Watch 3 traits are worth the $350 starting price, we’d still happily recommend picking up the older model.

Read our Google Pixel Watch 2 review.

Google Pixel Watch 2 (41mm, GPS)

$25010% off
$224

The Pixel Watch 2 lasts a reliable 24 hours on a single charge with the always-on display enabled. It offers the same Qualcomm processor as the new Pixel Watch 3, along with a multipath health sensor, Wear OS 5 compatibility, and a host of welcome safety features.

$224 at Amazon$224 at Best Buy$250 at Google

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Leave it to Amazon to discount a new product by nearly half just days after release. The new Amazon Fire HD 8 is already down to $54.99 ($45 off) at Amazon ahead of the retailer’s next Prime Day event — and you don’t even have to be a member to take advantage of the discount. In addition to slightly boosted hardware compared to the previous generation (RAM now sits at 3GB, and the rear camera has been upgraded to a 5-megapixel sensor), the 2024 Fire HD 8 brings new AI-powered features like writing assistance, webpage summaries, and even generative AI wallpapers.The small-but-effective Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is on sale at Amazon for Prime members starting at $149.99 ($90 off), which is one of the better prices we’ve seen in recent months. The excellent air purifier is compact enough to fit in any corner of your home yet offers a three-stage filtration system, including a true HEPA filter supported by both a pre-filter and a deodorizer. You can choose between three fan speeds and run it for 30 minutes to cover up to 874 square feet, and there’s an air quality indicator to let you know how well it’s cleaned your air.You can get Apple’s newer MagSafe Charger (2m) for $44 ($5 off) at Amazon or $45.99 ($4 off) at Best Buy. It’s not a massive savings, but it’s the first discount we’ve seen on the magnetic wireless charger since it launched in September. It supports 25W charging on the iPhone 16 or 16 Pro when paired with a 30W adapter, or up to 15W on all other Qi2 / MagSafe iPhones with a 20W adapter. You can also drop other Qi-enabled devices — including AirPods and older iPhones — to charge them at speeds up to 7.5W.
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Technology

The toxic transformation of Warcraft maker Blizzard

Journalist Jason Schreier discusses his new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.

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On this week’s episode of Decoder, I’m talking to Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg journalist and author of the new book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.

If you don’t know Blizzard, you know its games — the studio behind Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch is more than 30 years old, and it’s achieved legendary status. At the same time, Blizzard has become emblematic of many of the industry’s biggest failings, from the shareholder pressures to prioritize monetization over creativity to the deep sexism that still pervades so much of gaming today. 

Jason’s book is out on October 8th, and it’s an incredible, detailed accounting of how Blizzard started, grew into one of the most beloved (and most controversial) companies in the world of video games, and eventually became a victim of its own mismanagement. Oh, and there are a series of chaotic, culture-clashing acquisitions along the way, culminating with Microsoft closing its deal to buy the combined company known as Activision Blizzard last year in the most expensive acquisition in gaming history.

As you’ll hear Jason tell it, the story of Blizzard really revolves around two central themes. One is the inherent tension that exists between art and commerce and how Blizzard’s journey from a small startup in California to a subsidiary of Microsoft with thousands of employees has been about as close to M&A hell as you can imagine.

In particular, Jason goes into detail about how merging with Activision, the company behind Call of Duty, set Blizzard on a collision course that would rob it of much of the creative agency that allowed it to flourish back in the ’90s. 

The other big theme is how industries in intense insular fandoms, like gaming, often have deeply problematic workplace cultures that take root from the very beginning and refuse to let go. That makes these companies almost impossible to change without industry-shaking upheaval.

The state of California filed a massive sexism and discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in 2021, a moment that would change the course of the company and precipitate its sale to Microsoft’s Xbox division the following year. (Activision Blizzard and California settled the suit in 2023, shortly after the Microsoft deal closed.)

There’s a lot going on here. And as you’ll hear Jason say, the story of Blizzard is a quintessential tale about the perils of capitalism — about what growth and scale will do to a business, especially those in the business of making art, and the compromises that have to be made along the way to keep all that money flowing.

It’s also a cautionary tale, about a fundamentally creative industry that has, at many times in its history, utterly failed to make room for more diverse voices, creating a ticking time bomb at the heart of even the most beloved institutions.

If you want to read more about the history of Blizzard, including excerpts from Jason’s book and deeper reporting on the Microsoft-Activision saga, check out these links below:

Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment | Hachette How Blizzard’s canceled MMO Titan fell apart | PolygonBlizzard was built on crunch, co-founder says, but it’s ‘not sustainable’ | PolygonInside Activision and Blizzard’s corporate warcraft | BloombergBlizzard cofounder’s new company Dreamhaven aims to recreate old magic | BloombergActivision Blizzard’s rot goes all the way to the CEO, alleges report | The VergeActivision Blizzard’s workplace problems spurred $75 billion Microsoft deal | WSJCalifornia settles Activision Blizzard gender discrimination lawsuit | The VergeMicrosoft completes Activision Blizzard acquisition | The VergeMicrosoft lays off 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees | The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel /

A podcast from The Verge about big ideas and other problems.

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