Category: Uncategorized

  • Nawazuddin’s ‘Haddi’ hired 300 transgenders for research and acting

    Nawazuddin’s ‘Haddi’ hired 300 transgenders for research and acting

    Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be playing a transgender in the film ‘Haddi’, a movie that will also star 300 transgenders, according to debutante producers Sanjay Saha and Raadhika Nanda.

    “The process was very adventurous and hard at the same time. It was not very difficult to convince them as we were also learning their life experiences and making them a part of our film. We had a great time learning tons of things from them, including how their life and world is very different from us,” the producers have said.

    The filmmakers also spoke about a transgender woman, Renuka, who had helped the filmmakers in researching the character.

    “She helped us learn about their community,” revealed Sanjay, “and their upbringing, along with the challenges faced by them from childhood to their day-to-day life. She also made us visit many people from the community which helped us write the script and get a better understanding of their life. She had brought some of her friends from the community to Nawaz so that he could get into the character and deeply understand their life.”

    “I’m glad how Nawaz has spent a lot of time with them and making sure he truly understands what they go through.”

    Speaking about how Renuka had helped in making Haddi a more accurate film, the producer revealed:

    “Renuka has helped us through the entire medical process too, including how the operation happens and what they have to go through post-operation. The writers sat with the transgender people to have a fair understanding of where they live, where they get treated, what they do in daily lives, and followed their lifestyle which helped us a lot to make Haddi a truth based film on them since Nawaz is playing a transgender.”

  • 102 people in army’s custody, AGP tells SC

    102 people in army’s custody, AGP tells SC

    Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), Mansoor Usman Awan, has told the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday that 102 people are currently in the army’s custody for trials.

    A seven-member bench included Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yayha Afridi, Justice Sayyed Ma­­zahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik hearing the petition.

    The AGP took to the rostrum in today’s hearing and told the seven member bench that 102 people are in the custody of the military, adding that no journalist or lawyer is included in the list.

    No minors or women are in the custody of the army, he added.

    Authorities had doubts about one of the people because his age is less than 18, and if his age is less than 18, he will be released, the AGP told the Supreme Court.

    A day earlier, the Chief Justice ignored a request for a stay order to stop the trial of civilians in the military courts by saying that it was not possible before listening to the AGP.

  • Foreign Office evaluating Pakistan’s participation in World Cup

    Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) likely new chairman, Zaka Ashraf, recently stated that he does not like the Hybrid Model for Asia Cup 2023.

    “I did not like the Hybrid Model. I feel that the present Hybrid Model seems to be an injustice with Pakistan. If all the important matches are going to take place in Sri Lanka and only less impactful matches will take place in Pakistan, then what is the purpose of having the hosting rights? Who will go to watch Nepal vs Pakistan,” he questioned.

    “The first thing I will do as PCB-chairman is reject the Hybrid Model. If Pakistan has the hosting rights, then all of the matches should take place in Pakistan,” Ashraf said recently.

    The statement stunned cricket fans all over Asia, and officials from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) expressed displeasure over it.

    If Zaka Ashraf rejects the Hybrid Model and if India does not agree to travel to Pakistan, will the Pakistan Cricket team travel to India for the World Cup 2023? The World Cup is a mega event of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

    Former PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi, released a statement to the BCC podcast, stating, “If the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) consider the Hybrid Model for the Asia Cup, then we will go with the same model in the World Cup. Because if the Hybrid Model is applicable for the Asia Cup, then why would it not be a good option for the World Cup?”

    Today, the foreign office of Pakistan released a statement, stating, “We are evaluating the participation of Pakistan in the World Cup, with the security concerns of the players being of utmost priority.”

    This statement by the Ministry comes at a time when bilateral cricket has been suspended for a long time due to bad political relations between the two rival neighboring countries.

    The two have only played cricket against each other in multi-team events at neutral venues over the past decade, and Pakistan’s participation in the Cricket World Cup in October-November is still in doubt.

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Goa last month, is the first senior Pakistani leader to visit India in the last 9 years.

    The Foreign Minister’s spokesperson said, “Politics should be set aside from sports. India’s racist policy of not playing in Pakistan is ridiculous and disappointing.”

    Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said yesterday, “We are observing and evaluating all aspects related to our participation in the World Cup, including the security situation of Pakistani cricketers. We will let you know our opinion.”

    The uncertainty of Pakistan’s participation means that the dates and venues of the World Cup are yet to be finalized, even though the tournament is only three months away.

    India has already refused to come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup starting on August 31. In response, Pakistan has warned that if Pakistan loses the rights to host the Asia Cup, it will boycott the World Cup.

    To resolve the issue amicably, Najam Sethi proposed the Hybrid model, but Zaka Ashraf straight away dismissed it.

  • Twitter aur Facebook ki kushti? Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg serious about cage fight

    Twitter aur Facebook ki kushti? Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg serious about cage fight

    Brawl of the Billionaires?

    The CEOs of the two leading social media apps, Facebook and Twitter, have reportedly decided to settle their competition with a fist fight. CEO of Twitter and Tesla, Elon Musk, suggested the idea when he responded to a user questioning him about Facebook’s plans to build a rival to the bird app. Musk, no stranger to eccentricity, asked if Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg would be ready for a cage match.

    ‘I’m up for a cage match if he is”, tweeted the SpaceX CEO.

    Zuckerberg then shared a screenshot of the conversation on his Instagram, writing: “Send me the location”.

    After a spokesperson from META seemingly confirmed that Zuckerberg was set for the billionaire brawl, Musk tweeted a sugggestion for the location: Vegas Octagon. He then stated hat he has a move called “The Walrus” where he sits on top of a person and does nothing.

    While social media is wondering who could win the Brawl of the Billionaires, sports journalist Nick Peet spoke to BBC and revealed that there is a chance this fight could actually take place because of “Elon Musk and his personality and his eccentric character. His career kind of suggests he’s not somebody who willingly steps down.”

    When asked about who would most probably win the fight, he said:

    “Zuckerberg all day! He’s 12 years younger. He is a lot smaller. I think he’s 5ft 7, Elon’s probably around 6ft. And Elon’s probably got a couple of stone in weight on him.”

    But unfortunately Mr Musk has got no training whatsoever. Even though Zuckerberg’s only been training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for 18 months, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to take his back, wrap his arms around his neck and give him a good old cuddle and choke him out!”

    The two CEOs have been at odds in the past, with Musk’s response to reports that Zuckerberg was planning to launch an app that will rival Twitter, and then in an interview with conservative satire website ‘The Babylon Bee’ he slammed Metaverse:

    “Am I like one of those people who was dismissing the internet [in] ’95 as some fad or something that’s never going to amount to anything? Sure you can put a TV on your nose. I’m not sure that makes you in the metaverse.”

  • ‘International community should deliver on commitments’: PM asks world to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund

    ‘International community should deliver on commitments’: PM asks world to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that as part of his interactions during the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, he drew world leaders’ attention to the exogenous shocks that created polycrisis for developing countries like Pakistan.

    In a statement issued by the Premier, it is mentioned that shocks from floods badly affected stalling growth. “Supply chain disruption became the reason for back-breaking inflation, and Pakistan faced a $30 billion loss due to an unprecedented flood,” it read.

    The PM also mentioned that it’s essential for the international community to deliver on the commitments they made at COP 27 in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, adding that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund should be based on the principle of equity.

    “The world should also use the present economic and climate turbulence as an opportunity for course correction,” the PM stated.

    He has also said, “The starting point could be rethinking the global financial architecture where International Financial Institutions (IFIs) design their programmes to be pro-growth and aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate justice goals.”

  • From hopeless ashiq to feared warrior: celebrating three powerhouse performances by Hamza Ali Abbasi on his birthday

    From hopeless ashiq to feared warrior: celebrating three powerhouse performances by Hamza Ali Abbasi on his birthday

    Happy birthday Hamza Ali Abbasi! Since his debut thirteen years ago, he has been gracing our screens with powerful performances revered by audiences. Within a short time, he has played a lovelorn man willing to decieve parents for his crush, a rebellious filmmaker who learns how to find a path back to God and a terrifying villain, cementing his status as one of Pakistan’s most versatile stars. While Abbasi has announced that he is set to come back on the big screen with two new projects, lets take a jog down memory lane in celebration of his birthday, and review three outstanding performances.

    1 Alif

    If there will be a Pakistani drama remembered years from now, it will definitely be ‘Alif’. The serial aired I 2020 but has remained alive within Pakistani pop culture as one of the few times a drama dominated all public discourse. Abbasi plays the troubled and rebellious Momin, who is grieving from childhood trauma and has completely lost his way in life. When he crosses paths with Momina (played by Sajal Aly), a struggling actress trying to make a living for her family, they help each other reach their destinations, and Momin learns to find refuge in God.

    2 Maula Jatt

    Action-thriller Maula Jatt made a wave around the world, raking in money and praise alike. Abbasi and Fawad Khan took the remake to dizzying heights, recreating old magic and generating plenty of new thrills. Hamza took the feared Noori Natt to new heights with his chilly portrayal of a psychopathic killer.

    3 Pyarey Afzal

    If Maula Jatt changed the way Hamza Ali Abbasi went from being the token good boy to a dark villain, then the lovelorn aashiq in ‘Pyarey Afzaal’ was the role that cemented his position in the industry. Acting opposite Ayeza Khan, who played Farah, Abbasi portrayed the titular character Afzal, who has a crush on Farah, and writes letters to himself that he claims to have received from her. But his world changes when Farah reaches out to him and requests him to pretend to be a love interest, so her parents don’t marry her off against her wishes.

  • Modi, Biden demand Pakistan should take the initiative to end ‘cross-border terrorism’

    Modi, Biden demand Pakistan should take the initiative to end ‘cross-border terrorism’

    United States (US) President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi have demanded that Pakistan should ensure that Pakistani land will not be used by terrorists.

    Indian premier is currently visiting the United States.

    The statement has been issued after a meeting between Biden and Modi.

    Both leaders have demanded action against terrorist groups allegedly based in Pakistan, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

    “They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” the 58-point statement issued by the White House read.

    Both the leaders demanded action against perpetrators of attacks, including the Mumbai and Pathankot incidents.

    The leaders have also demanded that the Afghan Taliban should respect human rights, and the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

  • ‘Protection of Muslim minority in Hindu majority India is worth mentioning’: Obama on Modi’s visit to US

    ‘Protection of Muslim minority in Hindu majority India is worth mentioning’: Obama on Modi’s visit to US

    In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thursday, Former United States (US) president Barack Obama, spoke about the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in India.

    “If the President meets with PM Modi, then the protection of Muslim minority in a Hindu majority India is something worth mentioning. By the way, if I were to have a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility that India, at some point, starts pulling apart. And we have seen what happens when you start getting into large internal conflicts… I think it is important to be able to talk about these things honestly.”

    While talking about the president of the United States meeting with leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi, Obama said, “It’s complicated. The POTUS has a lot of equities and when I was POTUS I would deal with figures, in some cases who were allies, who, if you would press me in private, run their governments and their political parties in ways that I would say aren’t ideally democratic.”

    “But you would have to do business with them because they are important for national security reasons, because they are a range of economic interests. I dealt with China and Modi to get the Paris Accords done because climate change transcends any momentary issues…it is a problem humanity has to deal with in the next several decades,” he added.

    “I do think it is necessary for the POTUS, where he or she can, to uphold those principles and to challenge, whether behind closed doors or in public, trends that are troubling. I am less concerned about labels than I’m concerned about specific practices,” said Obama.

    Modi is currently on a four day visit to the US.

  • The US population is older than it’s ever been before

    The US population is older than it’s ever been before

    According to data released by the Census Bureau, the United State’s population is older than it’s ever been before, with a median age of 38, New York Times reports.

    This is a steep rise considering the median age of 35 back in 2000 and 30 in 1980. Analysts are concerned that the U.=S ‘greying’, a term used to describe ageing populations, would pose challenges to the workforce, the economy and social programs.

    An earlier study conducted in 2020 revealed that 1 in 6 Americans (so 17% of the entire country) were 65 or older. Much of the greying of the US stems from the post-World War II baby boom – which was the period of 1946 – 1964. 

    Experts point to low birthrates as the main driver of the nation’s rising median age. “It’s simple arithmetic,” said president of demographic data firm Social Explorer, Andrew A. Beveridge, in conversation with the New York Times. “Fewer kids are being born.” 

    Since the beginning of the Great Recession (2007-09), birthrates had never been quite the same as previous generations. Birthrates also saw a steep decline in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    This trend of ageing populations due to declining birthrates is one observed on an international scale. Countries such as Japan and Germany have been attempting to tackle this issue for years, by introducing policies allowing skilled youth to naturalise more easily. In Japan, nearly 30% of its population is over 65 years old.

    Experts believe that millennial women have been more likely to prioritise education and work in their 20s, leading them to marry far later and have fewer children. That would explain why newer generations in industrialised countries have been witnessing lower birthrates and ageing populations.

  • Sharmila Tagore thinks today’s television content is regressive: ‘Women are portrayed as each other’s worst enemies’

    Sharmila Tagore thinks today’s television content is regressive: ‘Women are portrayed as each other’s worst enemies’

    Bollywood veteran actress Sharmila Tagore made her comeback to the big screen recently with the film ‘Gulmohar’, and in an interview with Times of India, she believed that television today has gotten more regressive in how women are portrayed:

    “The content TV is offering today is quite regressive. Most TV serials portray women as women’s worst enemies, and that is so unfortunate. The government does keep a tab on this, and then it finally comes to us.”

    The actress, who is also a member of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCI) had revealed she had often called producers to request them to remove objectionable material, but they refuse to, citing commericial reasons:

    “Sometimes, we call the show makers, asking them to tweak or remove certain objectionable portions. But, producers mostly refuse to budge as commerce often overrides logic.”