TikTok has announced a competition for its users in Pakistan for the first time. Contestants can participate in the competition ‘1 Million Audition’ by sending creative videos.
The #1MAuditionPK campaign started on January 6 and will continue till January 22. The campaign invites all TikTokers to showcase their creative streak, across various talent categories.
TikTokers in Pakistan will have to use the #1MAudition hashtag for the campaign. They can also add the category in which they would like to compete such as #1MAComedy, #1MATalent, #1MASing&Dance.
There will be nine winners in each category. Winners will be selected based on video quality and engagement on the video. The final winners will be announced on January 22.
TikTok will gift a voucher worth US$1000 to one winner in each category. The runner up in each category will get an $800 voucher and while the second runnerup will receive $500.
This campaign was launched in 2018 in many other countries by TikTok.
As per a press release, the move is aimed to encourage and promote creative expression in Pakistan.
The Bollywood actor recently slammed a photographer and publication for capturing and posting her and husband Virat Kohli’s private moment.
Taking to Instagram, the mom-to-be posted the picture taken by the photographer and wrote, “Despite requesting the said photographer and publication, they still continue to invade our privacy.”
“Guys! Stop this right now,” added a furious Anushka.
Ever since Virat and Anushka announced their pregnancy in August, pictures of the couple and their baby bump have gone viral on social media. However, this time the actor decided to take a stand.
Earlier, in an interview to a fashion magazine, Anushka had said that she wants to raise her child away from media attention as she does not want to “raise brats”.
Anushka and Virat are expecting their first child this month. Their announcement tweet was the most-liked tweet of 2020.
Meanwhile, later when a fan lashed out at celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani for sharing pictures of the couple on a lunch date, Bhayani said Anushka “was concerned that her private home pictures were leaked and that is what irked her”.
He added that he is constantly in touch with her management to “check if there is any concern as distress is caused to them”.
The opposition leadership, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, will visit the families of the Hazara coal miners who were killed in a sectarian attack in Mach, Balochistan, last week.
The families of the slain miners are protesting for the past five days against the killings on Quetta’s Western Bypass. They have refused to bury their dead till the in person security assurances from the prime minister. But the PM has refused to visit, saying he will come to condole with them very soon.
In a statement, Marriyum Aurangzeb, the PML-N spokesperson, confirmed the visit of Maryam to Quetta on Thursday. She said the PML-N VP will visit the victim families to express condolence on behalf of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif. She will be accompanied by PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Khurram Dastgir, Rana Sanaullah, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair, the statement said.
On the other hand, Bilawal will visit the Hazara mourners along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and members of the Sindh Cabinet. The PPP chief will offer condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the attacked claimed by the Islamic State.
On Wednesday, the PM had asked Hazaras to bury their loved ones, saying the state was taking measures to put a stop to such attacks against the minority Shia community. He had also blamed a neighbouring country for the attack.
India will hold a mass nationwide online “cow science” exam next month, in the latest push by the Hindu nationalist government to promote and protect the sacred animal, officials said Wednesday.
The hour-long test on February 25, open to children and adults as well as foreigners, comprises 100 multiple-choice questions in Hindi, English, and 12 regional languages.
The aim is to assess the public’s knowledge and “sensitise and educate” them, according to the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) cow protection agency created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
“Certificates will be given to all. Successful meritorious candidates will be given prizes and certificates,” the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.
“The cow is full of science and economics. People are not aware of the true economic and scientific value of the animal,” said RKA chief Vallabhbhai Kathiria.
Accompanying study material released by the RKA includes information on different breeds of cows as well as the theory that slaughtering animals causes earthquakes.
Many from India’s overwhelming Hindu majority consider cows sacred but under Modi’s rule, the animal has increasingly become a political and sectarian flashpoint.
His government has made cows a top priority and invested millions of dollars in programmes to protect the animal and research the uses for bovine dung and urine.
Cow slaughter and eating beef has become illegal in many parts of the culturally diverse and officially secular country, while sentences elsewhere have increased. There have been a string of attacks by vigilante Hindu groups on Muslims and low-caste Hindus who have traditionally eaten beef and disposed of cow carcasses.
On Tuesday, the southern state of Karnataka amended its cow protection law to give police increased powers to search and arrest anyone without a warrant suspected of cow slaughter.
The state government, controlled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), enhanced jail terms to seven years and fines to one million rupees ($13,700) for offenders.
The breach of the US Capitol by the supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump to stop the final electoral count resulted in the death of four people and scores of arrests last night. The situation turned so bad that it prompted a curfew in Washington DC.
The lawmakers were counting votes to certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden when the chaos ensued as a direct result of a speech made by Trump. It took hours to get the far-right Trump supporters out of the Capitol.
The visuals coming out of the US capital sent waves throughout the world and images of the protesters taking over the house floor and flooded social media. And Twitter didn’t miss the chance to roast the US over its interventionist policies and a history of hijacking third-world elections. But not all memes were political, like this one.
What would the US do if this was a third world country?
If the United States saw what the United States is doing in the United States, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States
The Venezuelan government puts out a statement expressing concern about violence in DC and condemning political polarization, and says it hopes for stability for the American people. https://t.co/HJe7uBUa1s
“Always in favour of law and democracy,” a Turkish lawmaker mocks the US over its habit of meddling in other countries’ affairs.
We follow the events in the USA with concern and invite the parties to calmness. We believe that problems will always be solved within law and democracy. As Turkey, we have always been in favor of the law and democracy and we recommend it to everyone.
The police arrested a delivery boy for robbing people using a weapon hidden inside his delivery bag.
As per details, the suspect from Karachi’s Ferozabad area bore the uniform and a box of online food delivery service in which he put his weapon.
The delivery boy, Abdul Rauf told the police he had only recently joined the online food delivery service and admitted he was tempted to rob people as he had no money.
“I bought this gun back in 2011”, Rauf admitted to police.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) East Sajid Sadozai told media the suspect knocked at house doors pretending to be a food delivery person and then robbed them with his partners.
The police are still searching for his alleged aides involved in criminal activities.
Rauf has confessed to at least 21 robberies, SSP Sadozai said.
Looks like Feroze Khan is becoming a favourite among Turkish actors. After Diriliş: Ertuğrul‘s Ozman Sirgood, who plays Ibn Arabi in the series, requested Feroze not to quit acting, Celal AL (Abdul Rehman Alp) has praised Khan and invited him to visit Turkey.
Commenting on Khan’s Instagram post, in which he shared the poster of his upcoming drama serial Khuda Aur Mohabbat, the Turkish actor said: “MashAllah mere bhai. Bohat khoob”.
He then went on to invite Feroze to Turkey, saying: “Istanbul kab arhay? Kardes [friends] intzaar mein hain.”
Replying to Celal’s comment, Khan complemented him for picking up Urdu quickly and promised to visit soon.
Celal also shared the teaser of Khan’s upcoming drama on his Instagram story, with the caption: “Turk Pak Brotherhood.”
Meanwhile, Khuda aur Mohabbat 3, in which also features Iqra Aziz, is all set to go on-air soon.
At least four people were killed and scores were arrested after supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump breached the Capitol last night to stop the electoral vote count that would certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
The protestors pushed through barriers and occupied the building for hours, where lawmakers had gathered to certify that Joe Biden had won the election. Lawmakers were evacuated from the building by the police following the chaos that, reports say, was a result of a speech by Trump calling the election stolen.
In hours-long episode of violence, there were clashes between the protesters and the police officers and the police were called “traitors” as well. A BBC report described the scene at the Capitol as Trump loyalists waving placards with “show us the ballots” inscribed on them. “All we want is for the Capitol police to stand down, and surrender the building to us,” it quoted a Trump supporter.
Rioters were seen marching through the building chanting “We want Trump” and one was photographed in the Senate president’s chair, as per a BBC report. Reports said there was an armed confrontation at the doors of the House of Representatives.
CBS News reported that one woman was shot and killed by police after breaching the Capitol and attempting to enter the House chamber. “Three others died as a result of medical emergencies,” it quoted the Metropolitan Police Department.
In order to quell the unrest, the US authorities had called in troops from neighbouring states, Maryland and Virginia in addition to the National Guard. However, it took them hours to secure the Capitol. The US media reported 52 arrests: four related to weapons charges after the recovery of six firearms.
“Two pipe bombs, one near the Republican National Committee and one near the Democratic National Committee, were also recovered, along with a cooler filled with Molotov cocktails,” the media outlet reported.
TRUMP BLOCKED ON TWITTER:
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!
Meanwhile, Trump has been blocked on Twitter and Facebook for 12 and 24 hours for instigating violence as he called upon his supporters to go home while still calling the election “stolen”. “I know your pain, I know you’re hurt,” he said. “You have to go home now, we have to have peace… we don’t want anybody hurt.”
Visuals from inside the Chamber show that the protesters and the police are engaged in a standoff.
President-elect Joe Biden, however, said the demonstration “borders on sedition and it must end now”. “At this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault,” he reacted to the news of the assault on the Capitol. While another lawmaker said it was a ‘coup’ attempt.
Can I be honest and say that I could not watch ‘Ertugrul’? I started it but was so daunted by the five seasons that I stopped before I could get ahead. Two of our most-read stories today and yesterday are about Turkish dramas. Ertugrul’s Ozman Sirgood has a special message for actor Feroze Khan and Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry went to Turkey and visited the sets of ‘Kuruluş: Osman’ where he interacted with the actors of the Turkish historical series. When asked what went down on his visit, Fawad exclusively told us that he “discussed how to defeat PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement)”. Ha Ha! He is a funny one.
What isn’t funny is that the head of police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has said that the mob that demolished a Hindu temple in Karak last week was able to destroy the religious site due to the “cowardice and negligence” of the policemen. They were incited by a cleric to go and destroy the temple. The families of the 11 miners who were killed In Balochistan this week are staging a protest on the streets, saying they will continue to do a sit-in, in the freezing cold, until the prime minister himself comes to Quetta to address their grievances, reminding him of his previous stance.
Quetta might be sunny today but the province is incredibly cold. Karachi has some cloudy sunshine and rained out Lahore will not have any rain today unlike Islamabad where rain is expected. Lots of sun in Peshawar today though. Another one of our trending stories today has been the one detailing info on who morning show host Nadia Khan’s husband is. Her marriage this week made people believe in love again (and she looked truly happy). In Bollywood news, actor Urmila is not happy with actor Kangana Raunat who has come out and said that there are drug addicts in Bollywood. Urmila has challenged her to name them. I doubt she will name anyone, though no one will put that past Kangana who is quite capable to do so. One controversial and recently- arrested-by-NAB figure is PML-N’s Khawaja Asif. Want to know more about him? Watch this week’s ‘Know your Politician.’
I want to know more about you! Please write back and I plan to write a newsletter detailing about you guys — the ones who I speak to on a daily basis. Also, we are having a New Year office ‘party’ tomorrow (with masks and SOPs in place of course)! We haven’t seen each other in months since we have been working from home, so should be great fun! Will attach a picture of the event tomorrow!
Until then, stay honest!
Marium
Current Baba’s Prediction
You made a new year resolution this year and you’re already breaking it. Don’t try to hide from it, if at first you break it, try try again!
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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided to remove Misbah-ul-Haq and bring in a foreign coach after the home series against South Africa.
According to reports, Gary Kirsten and Grant Flower are likely to replace Misbah.
It must be noted here that Misbah had already been removed from chief selector and batting coach’s posts. The head coach received immense backlash after Pakistan badly lost two-matches Test series against New Zealand.
Misbah took charge in 2019 and under his coaching, Pakistan has only won home Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The green shirts lost the home T20I series against Sri Lanka immediately after he took charge.
It is pertinent to mention that the former cricketer recently parted ways with Pakistan Super League (PSL’s) team Islamabad United.
Thank you @isbunited for 4 wonderful seasons. Best of luck for PSL 6. An amazing franchise, thank you to the owners, management and players. #UnitedWeWin
IU’s official Twitter account said that he wanted to focus on commitments with the National side.
#ISLU will not be renewing @captainmisbahpk’s already expired head coach contract given his commitments with the National team. We thank him for his great contribution to ISLU. We wish him the very best of luck with the National Team.
