Category: Uncategorized

  • Netflix crosses 200 million subscribers

    Netflix crosses 200 million subscribers

    Netflix on Tuesday topped subscriber growth expectations in the past quarter, keeping ahead of new streaming rivals competing for viewers stuck in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Read more – Netflix’s five most-watched original series revealed

    As per details, the streaming platform added some 8.5 million paid subscribers in the quarter to reach 203 million, topping 200 million despite recent price hikes, its quarterly earning update has revealed.

    “COVID-19 has accelerated that big shift from linear to streaming entertainment,” said Netflix chief financial officer Spencer Neumann. “So, the underlying long-term looks good.”

    The company’s cash flow was so strong that it will no longer borrow money to pay for operations, and is considering starting to buy back shares, according to a letter to investors.

    Netflix shares jumped more than 12 percent in after-market trades following the release. Profits dipped to $542 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $587 million in the same period in 2019. But overall revenue in the quarter surged 21.5 percent to $6.6 billion.

    According to the earnings report, Netflix added a record 37 million paid memberships for the full year. Paid membership increased 23 percent in the final quarter of 2020 when compared with the same period a year earlier, but average revenue per membership was flat, according to the Silicon Valley-based company.

    While Netflix raised rates slightly in the US late last year, the majority — some 83 percent — of its new subscribers were from outside North America, the earnings report indicated.

    Read more – ‘Bridgerton’ is the arranged marriage we all want

    Meanwhile, Netflix has invested heavily in original shows and films to make itself a must-have service in the increasingly competitive streaming market. Netflix executives said their productions are back up and running in most regions after being derailed by the pandemic.

    Netflix boasted having more than 500 titles in post-production or being readied for release on the service, with the plan being to launch at least one new original film every week.

    Already the master of the pandemic-era movie landscape, Netflix last week offered a preview of upcoming 2021 releases, a list with no fewer than 70 star-studded feature films.

    From drama, comedy, and science fiction to horror and even Westerns, the slate will take in every major film genre before the year is out, with some releases poised as potential competition for major awards.

  • Faisalabad man gunned down by police for not stopping at checkpoint

    Faisalabad man gunned down by police for not stopping at checkpoint

    At least four policemen have been arrested in Faisalabad for killing a man and injuring three others after they fired at a vehicle that failed to stop at a checkpoint in Dijkot area of the city.

    The family of the deceased says that Waqas Ahmed was on his way back from a wedding on Wednesday when the police team on a patrolling duty stopped their car.

    There are conflicting reports about what transpired at the checkpoint. Waqas’s cousin says that the deceased had stopped at the checkpoint and answered police’s questions, but policemen still chased him and gunned him down.

    However, a police report claims that Waqas “mistakenly” ran over Sub-Inspector Shahid Rasool’s foot and sped away from the check-post in panic. The police officers chased the vehicle and intercepted them in no time. They then pulled out Waqas from the vehicle and shot him multiple times. They even slapped Ahmed after he had passed away as well, his cousin told a media outlet.

    The three men accompanying Waqas were taken to an unknown location, but they were released after the Faisalabad police chief intervened. Police claim Waqas was killed in an exchange of fire following his failure to stop on the checkpoint.

    Meanwhile, the relatives of Waqas organised a protest on Samundri Road and set tyres on fire. Following this, the Faisalabad CCPO took notice of the incident and launched an inquiry. Ahmed’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination while the three other men have been sent back home.

    Last month, five officials of Islamabad Police were arrested for killing 21-year-old youth, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital. According to reports, shots were fired from the front and hit Satti mostly on the face and upper body.

    The policemen were subsequently dismissed from the service after a probe.

  • ‘Elitist’ Cannoli owners mock restaurant manager’s ‘English’

    ‘Elitist’ Cannoli owners mock restaurant manager’s ‘English’

    Uzma and Diya, who own Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, are at the receiving end of outrage for mocking and ridiculing their restaurant manager for his English speaking skills.

    In a now-deleted video from the café’s Instagram page, the two women explained how their manager has been working at their café for nine years and has taken three language courses until now. 

    They then asked him to introduce himself in English and when he struggled with speaking fluent English, they made fun of him by commenting on the manager’s salary. The manager, Owais, was visibly uncomfortable in the video.

    Soon after the video was posted on social media, people started calling out the women for their elitist behavior.

    Even Shaniera Akram stepped in to defend Owais and said that she “knows what it’s like being put on the spot to speak another language”.

    Later, #BoycottCannoli began to trend on Twitter as netizens called for people to boycott the restaurant.

    Meanwhile, Cannoli Lahore has said that they are not linked to the Islamabad Branch and that they condemn the incident.

  • A new President

    Today, all eyes were on Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th US President. #InaugurationDay was trending at No. 1 on Twitter in Pakistan.

    Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian VP.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated President Biden in a tweet:

    “I congratulate President @JoeBiden on his inauguration. Look forward to working with @POTUS in building a stronger Pak-US partnership through trade & economic engagement, countering climate change, improving public health, combating corruption & promoting peace in region & beyond.”

    Biden took the oath of office from US Chief Justice John Roberts. He said that “democracy has prevailed” and it was a day of “history and hope”. Biden said his whole soul is in “putting America back together again”.

    It was interesting to see that former US President Donald Trump did not attend the inauguration ceremony.

    Here are some tweets that sum up the inauguration.

    https://twitter.com/thejessiewoo/status/1351939282076901376?s=21

  • Newsletter- 20th January 2021, Wednesday

    Newsletter- 20th January 2021, Wednesday









    *|MC:SUBJECT|*

    Good morning *|MERGE1|*. Today is the 20th of January which means you are only ten days away from your salary. It will be sunny across all the major cities of Pakistan except Quetta where it will be partly cloudy.

    Morning Meme

    Know your Politician

    For his ability to switch political alliances smoothly, he is known ‘as a man of all seasons’. He once sought the support of an Ambassador to become the prime minister. To find out more about him, watch the video.
     

    Watch

    EXPLAINER: How NAB cost Pakistan billions over Broadsheet deal

    What is Broadsheet and why are we hearing about a scandal everywhere in the media? Click on the link below to find out why NAB gave a guy named James money when we didn’t need to.

    Read on

    PTI UK member claims Buzdar govt official told him to run Twitter campaign against Aurat March, critics

    In a video message, Arslan Mushtaq, who was appointed as the deputy head of PTI UK Twitter in September last year, has accused Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Azhar Mashwani of telling him and others to run smear campaigns. Azhar denies the allegations.

    Read on

    Marriage teaches you how to act, says Humayun Saeed

    Speaking on Ahsan Khan’s new show, ‘Time out with Ahsan Khan’, Saeed remarked that marriage helps one with acting.

    Read

     ‘Tandav’ makers issue ‘unconditional apology’ after series sparks outrage

    The cast and crew of Amazon Prime show Tandav have offered an “unconditional apology” after the political drama was accused of hurting Hindu sentiments. The official apology was tweeted by the creator of the show Ali Abbas Zafar.

    Read On

     

    Humaima Malick vows never to have Mc Donalds again

    Humaima Malick has sworn never to have Mc Donalds again as she and her nieces are not well after having ‘Chicken Uncle Donald’

    Read On

    Great news for us this week! The Current’s Facebook page got the ‘blue tick verification’! So you know, we are real and here to stay!

    Current Baba’s prediction

    Today you will finally get to enjoy some time alone as you might get stuck in a lift

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  • After ‘Tandav’, case filed against ‘Mirzapur’ for ‘damaging social harmony’

    After ‘Tandav’, case filed against ‘Mirzapur’ for ‘damaging social harmony’

    A case has been filed against the producers of Mirzapur, as well as Amazon Prime Video, for allegedly hurting “religious, social and regional sentiments” and “damaging social harmony”.

    As per the reports, the complainant, Arvind Chaturvedi, has alleged that the Amazon Prime Video show hurts religious, social, and regional sentiments and damages social harmony. Chaturvedi also claimed that the series has hurt religious beliefs and feelings by focusing on abusive and illicit relationships. It is pertinent to add here that Chaturvedi is a local journalist, who has also written a book on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The makers of the superhit web series have also been accused of spoiling the image of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

    An FIR has also been reportedly filed against Mirzapur producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, and Bhaumik Gondaliya. They have been charged under IPC sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC along with sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

    This is not the first time that the show has found itself embroiled in a controversy. Last year, a day after its release, Mirzapur’s MP Anupriya Patel had also demanded action against the show.

    In a tweet on October 24, 2020, MP Anupriya Patel had written that under the leadership of PM Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the city of Mirzapur has shown development and is “a centre of harmony”.

    The complaint against Mirzapur comes days after an FIR was lodged against the makers of Tandav. The recently-released show is facing backlash for its portrayal of Hindu Gods and it has been alleged that the show depicts them in a poor light. Several BJP leaders have called for a complete ban on the show.

    Tandav creator Ali Abbas Zafar on Tuesday announced that the cast and crew of the show has decided to implement changes in the series in order to pacify viewers who have been hurt because of the content.

    Zafar shared an official statement from the cast and crew of Tandav on Twitter and asserted that the team had no intentions to hurt or offend the sentiments of any caste, race, community, or religion.

    “We have the utmost respect for the sentiments of the people of our country. We did not intend to hurt or offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead,” read the statement.

    The team also thanked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for guiding and supporting them in the matter.

    “We thank the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for guidance and support in the matter. We once again apologise if the series has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments,” it added.

    Earlier on Monday, the cast and crew of the political-drama had extended their apologies to the viewers for “unintentionally” hurting their sentiments.

  • Maya Ali, Hira Mani celebrate five million followers on Instagram

    Maya Ali and Hira Mani have crossed five million followers on Instagram. The actors shared the news and excitement on social media and thanked their fans for the love.

    “Thank you for all the five million family,” wrote Maya on social media, adding: “So grateful for all of you, and for all the love and appreciation you guys show me.”

    Similarly, Hira Mani, who recently said that she has become an official singer, announced that she has crossed five million followers on the social media application.

    Sharing a goofy picture of herself, Mani wrote: “Thank you for liking me and liking my Instagram and liking my song and liking my face and liking my kids and liking my originality.”

    “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she added.

    Read more – The Current Ranking: Pakistani celebs and their followers on Instagram

    Meanwhile, Ayeza Khan and Aiman Khan are the most followed Pakistani celebrities on Instagram with 7.9 million followers each. Mahira Khan follows closely behind with 7 million followers.

  • Adnan Siddiqui, Christian Turner pledge to promote cultural ties

    Adnan Siddiqui and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner have pledged to promote cultural exchange between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

    Sharing pictures of their meeting, Siddiqui said: “In these times of global inclusivity, the world is an oyster in every sense of the word. I firmly believe that cross-cultural exchange across all fields will shape the new order of diplomacy.”

    He said the two have pledged to further Pakistan-England ties through “education, entertainment, and cricket.”

    The actor also thanked the British High Commissioner for his time, writing: “May our friendship grow personally and diplomatically.”

    Responding to Siddiqui’s post, Dr Turner said: “The pleasure was mine.”

    “Great to hear about Mere Pass Tum Ho and discuss UK-Pakistan dosti,” he added.

    Later, Dr Turner shared another picture with Siddiqui and The Legend of Maula Jutt producer Ammara Hikmat and wrote: “Pakistan’s TV and films attract a big following in the UK, working to boost the industry”, hinting towards future cross-cultural collaborations between the two countries.

    Recently, Humayun Saeed announced that he and Siddiqui are working on a project in collaboration with Turkish artists.

  • Vogue to release new Kamala Harris cover after original sparks outrage

    Vogue to release new Kamala Harris cover after original sparks outrage

    Vogue will publish a new limited edition of its latest issue featuring a different photo of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris after the original cover image sparked controversy, the magazine has announced.

    Critics slammed the photo that graced the hard copy of the February issue, saying it was poorly composed and diminished Harris’s achievements as the first Black woman to be elected vice president.

    Social media users criticised the lighting of the photo — in which Harris wears a blazer, jeans and sneakers — and also questioned whether the magazine had lightened her skin.

    Following the backlash, Vogue announced it would release some copies with a more formal portrait of Harris wearing a light blue Michael Kors pantsuit. That image had been used for the digital cover.

    “In recognition of the enormous interest in the digital cover, and in celebration of this historic moment, we will be publishing a limited number of special edition inaugural issues,” a spokesperson for Vogue said.

    Editor Anna Wintour was forced to defend the original image after it circulated online earlier this month, insisting it was not the magazine’s intention to “diminish” Harris’s “incredible” election victory.

    “When the two images arrived at Vogue, all of us felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the Vice President-elect really reflected the moment that we were living in which we are all in the midst — as we still are — of the most appalling pandemic that is taking lives by the minute,” Wintour had said in a statement to the New York Times.

    “And we felt to reflect this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture, something that was very, very accessible and approachable and real, really reflected the hallmark of the Biden-Harris campaign and everything that they are trying to, and I’m sure will achieve,” she added.

    Both photos were taken by American photographer Tyler Mitchell, who in 2018 became the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover with his portraits of music icon Beyonce.

    Harris, 56, did not publicly react but sources close to her told US media that she was surprised by the choice of the more relaxed photo.

    The controversy was the latest to hit Wintour, who found herself under pressure during the massive Black Lives Matter protests that swept the US last summer.

    She apologised for not making enough room for Black stylists and photographers in the magazine.

    Wintour added that she also took “full responsibility” for “publishing images or stories that have been hurtful or intolerant.”

    Meanwhile, Harris is all set to become the first Black person, the first woman, and the first South Asian to serve as vice president after she is sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina member.

    She and Joe Biden will take their oaths in a ceremony that will take place in front of a heavily fortified Capitol, where a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building two weeks ago, enraged by his false claims that November’s election was stolen with millions of fraudulent votes.

  • IN PICTURES: Nepali mountaineers first to summit K2 in winter

    On January 16, a team of 10 Nepali mountaineers summited K2, the second-tallest mountain in the world. Prior to this ascent, the mountain had never before been conquered in winter.

    The Nepali team of mountaineers that climbed the K2 includes Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Nirmal Purja, Pun Magar, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa, DawaTenjing Sherpa, and Sona Sherpa.

    https://youtu.be/k7DLHXH5f90

    Check out pictures from their ascent: