Day: November 3, 2022

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News release – Climate crisis documentary series by Emmy Award winner features Asia’s mountains

Karachi, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): With contributions by filmmakers from Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Nepal, the 10-episode second season of the environmental documentary series Voices from the Roof of the World (VRW) features the climate crisis in the mountains of Asia.

A joint initiative by agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) including Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Aga Khan Foundation and University of Central Asia, the series will be premiered on TV and online on November 6.

“The people worst affected by climate change today are least responsible for its causes and too often left to bear this burden alone,” said Prince Hussain Aga Khan. “We must give these vulnerable communities a voice and all take responsibility to help them cope with this global crisis. Across all our activities the AKDN works with communities, governments, civil society, and the private sector to invest in locally-led climate action and build resilience.”

“The new season takes us from the Thar desert to high mountain communities whose traditions and very survival is threatened by fast melting glaciers and unpredictable snow and rain,” commented Andrew Tkach, eight Emmy-winning Executive Producer of the series, who has been collaborating with local talent to produce the films.

The series will document the threats faced by such iconic species as snow leopards and griffon vultures. The stories capture the struggle of people and natural habitats that are the least responsible for global warming but already shouldering its catastrophic impacts. Combining local knowledge and innovation, they are finding ways to adapt and fighting to save diverse ecosystems and precious water sources.

Last year, record temperatures provoked a series of glacial lake outburst floods in northern Pakistan, sweeping away bridges in valleys below the Shisper Glacier in Hunza. Higher up the mountains, semi-nomadic people called the Wakhi were leading their yaks to summer pastures.

Their traditional lifestyle has also been heavily impacted by climate change. Filmmaker Karim Shallwanee has profiled both the scientists and the villagers on this global warming frontline.

Filmmaker Tazeen Bari has documented the annual harvest festival in the Kalash Valleys, which this summer was followed by the devastating floods that inundated much of Pakistan.

“Due to climate change and human encroachment, the habitat of snow leopards is quickly shrinking in the Karakoram in Gilgit-Baltistan. With less natural prey to eat, snow leopards have increasingly attacked domesticated livestock,” said filmmaker Abdullah Khan, who followed one angry herder who lost more than a hundred animals to snow leopards.

The series episodes will be available online at www.aku.edu/vrw

Episodes from VRW’s first season received critical acclaim at a dozen international film festivals, from Banff to Rotterdam.

For more information, contact:
Media Executive
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Stadium Road, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34930051
Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095
Cell: +92-301-8258028
Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu
Website: www.aku.edu

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Haris approved as replacement for Zaman in the Pakistan squad

Dubai, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved Mohammad Haris as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad.

Haris was named as a replacement after Zaman was ruled out after sustaining a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury to his right knee. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.

The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent).

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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Big Time Celebration Unveiled For T20 World Cup final At The MCG

Dubai, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): In its 40th year, ICEHOUSE’S ‘Great Southern Land’ will echo around the Melbourne Cricket Ground like you’ve never heard before as frontman Iva Davies performs with electrifying First Nations musician, Mitch Tambo, and leading Didgeridoo player, William Barton, to celebrate the Final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Striking at the heart of the event – bringing generations and cultures together – the celebrations before the start of the match will honour each team who participated in the World Cup and will weave together artists who represent multicultural Australia.

The second song of the evening, ICEHOUSE’S – We Can Get Together – will feature the remarkable sounds of Zimbabwean-born ‘First Lady of Soul and R and B’, Thndo Sikwila, and 13-year-old second generation Australian Indian, Janaki Easwar.

The celebrations – which will be broadcast to millions of people globally – will also incorporate instruments, dancers and sounds from around the world, bringing the iconic MCG to life before the cricket takes centre stage.

At the MCG for the announcement, Iva Davies, founder, singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer of ICEHOUSE said:

“It’s an absolute honour to be asked to play at the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. As an Australian, anytime you get the chance to perform at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground you know it’s going to be special, and I can’t wait to celebrate the final with thousands of passionate fans.

“Working with Mitch and Will on ‘Great Southern Land’, as well as Janaki and Thndo on ‘We Can Get Together’, has been an incredible experience and each artist brings their own unique style and personality to the track. It’s going to be a great representation of Australia!

“Fittingly, this year marks the fortieth anniversary of Great Southern Land, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the song than by sharing it with not only Australia and those at the ‘G, but a global audience of hundreds of millions too.”

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup CEO, Michelle Enright said:

“Since the first ball of the event was bowled on October 16, it’s been amazing to see everyone come together and embrace this T20 World Cup – it’s been a true celebration of cricket and the many different cultures within its extraordinary global fan base.

“When we thought about the final, we wanted to create an entertainment piece that speaks to our purpose and goes to the heart of the event, which is just that, bringing generations and cultures together.

“The combination of an Australian classic which has been reworked to acknowledge our First Nations Peoples, coupled with performances by Janaki and Thndo – plus a myriad of cultural performers and dancers – will perfectly capture the essence of this event and recognise every team from around the world who participated.

“Together with a live Welcome to Country on the day, it’s going to be a wonderful celebration and I can’t wait to see this vision come to life at the MCG on Sunday 13 November.”

The T20 World Cup Final takes place on Sunday 13 November at the MCG at 7pm (AEDT), tickets available now!

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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Stories of Survival on the Frontlines of Climate Change

Karachi, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): Alarms are ringing throughout the world: the most ruinous floods in Pakistan’s history, the worst drought in a generation in East Africa, Everest base camp turned from a frigid outpost to a lakeside camp.

These are all signs that climate change is accelerating while most countries are failing to meet their pledges to reduce their carbon emissions. Ian Fry, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, said that “climate change is the largest, most pervasive threat to the natural environment and societies that we’ve ever experienced. And the poorest countries are paying the highest price.”

Voices from the Roof of the World, an environmental documentary series sponsored by the Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Aga Khan Foundation and University of Central Asia, aims to raise awareness around this injustice and the climate crisis in High-Mountain Asia.

The series is launching its second season on 6 November 2022, airing on Express News TV in Pakistan, Aga Khan University YouTube, and multiple global platforms.

As world leaders gather in Egypt for COP27 to negotiate emissions reduction targets, the people and wildlife living amongst the earth’s highest mountains are already reeling from the impact of climate change. The film series includes a glimpse of what is at stake for the world’s most vulnerable if the talks in Sharm el Sheikh fail to secure new ambitions.

In A Cry from the Mountains, a film capturing the impact of this summer’s record-breaking floods in Pakistan, Nishat, a survivor of this year’s glacial lake outburst floods in Hassanabad, Hunza in Gilgit Baltistan recounts, “there is water draining down all around us. Everywhere you look, we’re surrounded by mountains and rushing streams…. This is no place to live, only for water to drain away.”

Agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are committed to enabling the vulnerable to not only survive but thrive despite accelerating climate change. Commenting on the launch, Prince Hussain Aga Khan stated “The people worst affected by climate change today are least responsible for its causes and too often left to bear this burden alone.

We must give these vulnerable communities a voice and all take responsibility to help them cope with this global crisis. Across all our activities the AKDN works with communities, governments, civil society, and the private sector to invest in locally-led climate action and build resilience.”

Through 10 films produced by filmmakers from Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Nepal, Season 2 of Voices from the Roof of the World takes us to high mountain communities whose traditions and very survival is threatened by fast melting glaciers and unpredictable snow and rain. Other episodes will document the threats faced by such iconic species as snow leopards and griffon vultures.

The stories capture the struggle of people and natural habitats that are the least responsible for global warming but already shouldering its catastrophic impacts. Combining local knowledge and innovation, they are also finding ways to adapt and fighting to save diverse ecosystems and precious water sources.

“The last year of devastating fires, droughts, and floods has not spared any part of the planet, although the world’s poorest citizens, living in the most remote communities will bear the greatest burden. We have to listen to their stories,” urges Andrew Tkach, Emmy-winning Executive Producer of the series. “From Mt. Everest to the Thar Desert, these films show us what lies ahead if we fail to heed the warnings from the roof of the world.”

Season one of Voices from the Roof of the World was broadcast by Express News TV channel and Deutsche Welle TV YouTube channel (DW TV) in Pakistan on a weekly basis from 31 October 2021 through 2 January 2022.

The entire series and many individual episodes were screened at a dozen international film festivals, from Banff to Rotterdam. Find out more about Voices from the Roof of the World and watch Season One: https://www.aku.edu/vrw/Pages/documentary.aspx

For more information, contact:
Media Executive
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Stadium Road, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34930051
Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095
Cell: +92-301-8258028
Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu
Website: www.aku.edu

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ICC Player of the Month nominees announced for October prize

Dubai, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): Shortlists for the ICC Player of the Month awards were announced today, revealing the best performing players who have shone on the international stage throughout the month of October.

The line-up for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month features three superstars from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. India’s talisman Virat Kohli is nominated following his heroics with the bat, most notably in the win against arch-rivals Pakistan. South Africa’s David Miller impressed in the lead up to the tournament, and continued his sparkling form in Australia, including during his side’s victory over India to secure his place in the shortlist. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe completes the line-up and seeks to reclaim the award he won in August thanks to a series of Player of the Match performances in the opening stages of the T20 World Cup.

In the ICC Women’s Player of the Month category, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma are named on the shortlist following their Asia Cup heroics for India. Rodrigues ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer while teammate Sharma was named Player of the Tournament and joint leading wicket-taker. Nida Dar is the final candidate in contention for claiming the award for October as her handy contributions with bat and ball drove Pakistan to the semi-finals of the same event.

An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes until Sunday.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for October:

Virat Kohli (IND)

Kohli is nominated for the very first time in the ICC Player of the Month awards, and while registering 205 runs across the calendar month, he showed glimpses of his very best form. He looked at ease in scoring an unbeaten 62 against a dogged Netherlands, however his highlight came in the era-defining innings played in front of a full house in Melbourne as his side claimed a historic victory against rivals Pakistan. The iconic display saw Kohli rally his side from 31 for four to chase down the 160 target on the final ball, thanks to an unforgettable score of 82 not out from 53 balls.

David Miller (SA)

Like Kohli, Miller is also named on the men’s shortlist for the very first time, and he started the month in the bilateral series against India, scoring 117 runs across three ODIs and 125 runs in two T20Is, including a brutal knock of 106 not out in 79 balls in Guwahati.

This blistering form was carried into the T20 World Cup where his most significant contribution during the month came in the successful run chase against the same opposition on a challenging Perth track. His unbeaten 59 was crucial to seeing his side over the line after losing quick wickets early, further outlining his credentials as a big game player for South Africa.

Sikandar Raza (ZIM)

Raza is going through a purple patch for performances in 2022, and finds himself nominated for the second time in three months. The talented all-rounder claimed the award back in August and was a key player in sealing Zimbabwe’s qualification through to the Super 12 stages of the T20 World Cup.

Scoring 145 runs and taking nine wickets at a formidable average of 14.66 from his six T20Is, he won three Player of the Match awards, including for his contribution in the wins against Ireland (82 not out) and the shock result against Pakistan (3-25).

ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for October:

Nida Dar (PAK)

Dar has for so long been an influential figure in the Pakistan line-up, and throughout the Women’s Asia Cup in Bangladesh last month, she showed the full range of her batting and bowling abilities. She finished the month having scored 145 runs at an average of 72.50 in her seven T20Is, as well as taking eight wickets. Despite not getting to the final, Dar was inspirational not least in her side’s historic victory over India in Sylhet, where she won the Player of the Match award for her unbeaten 56 and two wickets for 23.

Jemimah Rodrigues (IND)

Rodrigues was previously nominated back in August thanks to her stellar displays in the Commonwealth Games, and once again she was a driving force behind India’s surge to Women’s Asia Cup success. When her side celebrated victory over Sri Lanka in the final, Rodrigues was the leading run-scorer for the tournament, having amassed 217 runs from her eight matches at an average of 54.25. Among her top displays was the 76 she scored against the eventual finalists in the opening game, setting the tone for India’s prize-winning campaign.

Deepti Sharma (IND)

Another of India’s talismanic performers, Sharma enjoyed a prolific month during the Women’s Asia Cup, departing with the event trophy and the Player of the Tournament accolade. Her 13 wickets at a remarkable average of 7.69 underlines the consistent threat she posed with the ball, including impressive figures of three for against Pakistan and three for in the semi-final against Thailand.

The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process:

The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels.

Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month October 2022*:

Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Mohammad Sekander Ali and Md Ariful Islam Roney; England: Elizabeth Ammon and Lydia Greenway; Ireland: Ger Siggins and Clare Shillington; India: Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Jordan Oppert and Craig Cumming; Pakistan: Sawera Pasha and Sana Mir; South Africa: Zaahier Adams and JP Duminy; Sri Lanka: Azzam Ameen and Farveez Maharoof; West Indies: Daren Ganga and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Daniel Nhakaniso and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Ajit Vijaykumar and Dirk Nannes.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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More than 50% of Pakistan’s drink fizzy drinks either every day or few days in a week: Gallup and Gilani Pakistan

Islamabad, November 03, 2022 (PPI-OT): According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, more than 50% of Pakistan’s drink fizzy drinks either every day or few days in a week

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the following question regarding, “How regularly do you drink fizzy drinks?” 17% responded every day, 36% said few days in a week, 23% said once in a week, 22% said once in a month while 2% said once in a year.

Question: “How regularly do you drink fizzy drinks?”

For more information, contact:

Head Office,

Gallup Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-8445080

Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk

Website: www.gallup.com.pk