HBO has released the official first images from Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. The images feature series stars Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans and Steve Toussaint.
The upcoming series, which began production last month is set 300 years before the original Thrones series. It will tell the story of the Targaryen family, ancestors of Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke), as House Targaryen begins its historic downfall.
The cast so far includes Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Sonoya Mizuno as Prince Daemons’ unlikely ally Mysaria, Rhys Ifans as Hand of the King Otto Hightower, Steve Touissant as Lord Corlys Velaryon aka a legendary Westerosi seafarer known as The Sea Snake, Fabien Frankel as the knight Ser Criston Cole and Eve Best as Lord Corlys’ wife Princess Rhaenys Velaryon.
Earlier, in an interview, HBO/HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys had said that showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan J. Condal are “prepping” and “have been writing for a long time”. He added that they have drafts of all 10 Season 1 episodes “in various stages.”
The series is one of several spinoff Game of Thrones projects in the works, including a Broadway show and the Dunk and Egg novellas and planned TV adaptation. A prequel starring Naomi Watts has already been killed by HBO.
House of the Dragon is based on author George R R Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood. The series will premiere on HBO and HBO Max in 2022.
Television host and actor Fakhar-e-Alam has escaped a fatal car accident unhurt.
Sharing the horrific experience on social media, Alam said: “Without question, Allah is the greatest protector of them all. I have just survived what could have been easily a fatal accident while on my [way] to to Hum News Pakistan for filming.”
“These trucks become killing machines in the hands of unlicensed drivers,” said Alam further, adding that Islamabad Capital Territory Police is handling the case.
Without question Allah is the greatest protector of them all. I have just survived what could have been easily a fatal accident while on my to to @humnewspakistan for filming.These trucks become killing machines in the hands of unlicensed drivers. @ICT_Police is handling the case pic.twitter.com/BmGwQSgpkq
Later, in a series of tweets, the 45-year-old actor detailed the entire incident.
“It was a close call to what would have been most certainly a fatal accident. This milk truck from Chiniot without indication made a U-turn from the far out lane forcing our vehicle to take evasive measure missing the truck, hitting the divider and ending up on the other side,” said Alam.
1/5 It was a close call to what would have been most certainly a fatal accident. This milk truck from Chiniot without indication made a U turn from the far out lane forcing our vehicle to take evasive measure missing the truck, hitting the divider & ending up on the other side. pic.twitter.com/f7bLDzXdQ0
“Once tossed to the other side we narrowly missed oncoming traffic,” he shared further. “The fact that the driver and I have walked away alive is nothing short of a miracle. These truck operators without proper training are allowed on our roads endangering all of us and our loved ones.”
“I am grateful to Allah that I will once again get to see my children but there are many who have never returned home because of extremely poor road safety & dangerous drivers. Tonight I followed up with Islamabad Police to do whatever was possible legally to stop this driver,” Alam added.
3/5 I am grateful to Allah that I will once again get to see my children but there are many who have never returned home because of extremely poor road safety & dangerous drivers. Tonight I followed up wid @ICT_Police to do whatever was possible legally to stop this driver
Alam shared that the traffic warden, who was an eye witness stated that the truck driver was wrong. “The driver had no ID card, no license. All I want is for Islamabad Police to make sure he never drives again & endanger anyone else’s life. He wrote a confession & maafinama, I just don’t want any family to be a victim of his,” Alam said.
He also urged people to report such drivers, saying: “Please report dangerous drivers, please wear a belt, it saved my life today and above all the law enforcement must not allow for such irresponsible people to drive on our roads. The truck is now at Aabpara police station. What happens next we will all be watching.”
5/5 Please report dangerous drivers, please wear a belt, it saved my life today and above all the law enforcement must not allow for such irresponsible people to drive on our roads. The truck is now at Aabpara police station. What happens next we will all be watching.
Meanwhile, in one of his tweets, Alam had revealed that he will be sharing studios with five gold medalists of Cambrian Patrol Britain, world’s toughest & largest military competition with 140 teams each year.
He said: “I will be bringing you the story of this league of extra ordinary gentlemen very soon with Hum Network.”
Had the honor of sharing studios with 5 gold medalists of Cambrian Patrol Britain, world’s toughest & largest military competition with 140 teams each year. I will be bringing you the story of this league of extra ordinary gentlemen very soon with @humnewspakistan@Humtvnetworkpic.twitter.com/1L8XQ7NWaU
According to him, this will be a “very special project” and “a big filming project,” presumably airing on Hum News/Hum Network.
Islamabad pre production meeting on a very special project into late night….a big filming spell starts tonight…Next few days will be awesome, tiring and entertaining…. pic.twitter.com/0LsenLtEm6
I’ll be honest. When the first teasers of Chupke Chupke released I was not impressed. Ayeza Khan as a clumsy, 20-something bewakuf larki didn’t really appeal to me and she appeared to have no chemistry with co-star Osman Khalid Butt. Don’t get me wrong here, both actors are brilliant but somehow I was unable to connect with the show.
Though I initially decided to avoid the drama altogether, the nature of my job doesn’t really allow me to do so and soon enough Chupke Chupke memes and fan edits started popping up on my social media feeds piquing my interest. And when ten-something episodes later, Faazi (Butt) and Meenu (Khan) tie the knot against their wishes, I ended up getting hooked to the show.
The premise of Chupke Chupke is by no means simple, given the number of characters in the show. Kudos to director Danish Nawaz for dealing with the script so skillfully and straightening out the creases. Nawab Sahab, the family patriarch had two wives – Bebe (Asma Abbas) and Ama (Uzma Beg). While Nawab Sahab has passed away, both his wives live in the same house but in different portions. The two cannot stand each other and are always putting each other down even though all their grandchildren are friends. Meenu, Haadi (Arslan Naseer) Mirchi (Areesha Sultan) and Waleed are Bebe’s grandchildren, while Gul Apa (Mira Sethi), Faazi, Roomi and Mishi (Aymen Saleen) are Ama’s grandchildren. Gul Apa is married to her maternal cousin Miskeen (Ali Safina), while Roomi is married to Mani (Salman ‘Mani’ Shaikh). Tara Mahmood and Farhan Ally Agha play Meenu and Mirchi’s parents and Qavi Khan plays Nawab Sahab’s elder brother.
Meenu and Faazi, who are constantly trolling each other, are set to marry outside the family on the same day. In a dramatic turn of events, the two end up getting married to each other and from there on there’s only trouble with a capital T. From the two refusing to acknowledge the marriage and later their feelings to the two grandmothers rejecting the nikkah and calling for an annulment to a ‘khufia’ (suspicious) and rushed rukhsati in the middle of the night – it is a mad caper.
If this drama was not enough, Haadi and Mishi, popularly known as Hashi, are also interesting in getting married to each other, while Gul Apa makes sure she makes life for the new bahu living hell with the help of the other ‘evil’ sister Roomi. Gul’s husband Miskeen, staying true to his name, will do or say something silly which is bound to make you laugh out loud. All the characters are so lovable that it is terribly hard to decide which one is your favourite. But if someone puts a gun to my head and forces me to choose, I’d go with Haadi and Miskeen.
The ‘evil’ sisters minus Mishi and Ama
What makes the drama stand out, even more, is the performances. Each actor from little Mirchi to the two dadis, everyone has brought their A-game lighting up the screen and bringing so much energy that it perks up the viewer also. Like mentioned earlier, I had some reservations about Ayeza playing Meenu, but I can now say with full conviction that the actor has done complete justice to her role and despite racking my brain for other options, I couldn’t think of a better actor for this role.
Meanwhile, Safina and Naseer in particular deserve a special shoutout. Safina’s transition into Miskeen is incredible – he has performed the role with such finesse that every time he comes on screen and says “Sarkar,” I want to cheer for him – his comic timing is excellent. Similarly, Naseer has made a promising debut as Haadi delivering one sarcastic comment after another with such ease.
The drama takes a while to set the stage but once it’s set its a rollicking rollercoaster.
As far comparisons with Suno Chanda are concerned, there are plenty, but I think I’ll leave those for another day. It’s Chupke Chupke’s time in the spotlight and it’s best to let it shine.
With only a few episodes to go till the finale, I am curious to know whether Haadi and Mishi will get married and what the future holds in store for Meenu and Faazi. Will Gul Apa go to Sadiqabad with her husband and leave them in peace? Can’t wait to find out!
The minister tweeted that the students of grade 9 and 11 will sit for their exams as per the scheduled timetable given by their respective boards.
Mahmood added that there was no truth to the rumours circulating regarding the cancellation of the exams.
Last month, Mahmood and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had announced that as per the suggestion of the National Command and Operation Centre, all board exams had been postponed till June 15.
“Exams of 9, 10, 11 and 12, which were supposed to begin from the end of May, have been delayed further,” the minister said. “No board exams will be held till mid-June (June 15).”
Mahmood added that another meeting of the NCOC will decide in the third week of May whether these exams will be postponed further or not.
Netflix’s latest horror film Things Heard and Seen, featuring Amanda Seyfried and James Norton, is reportedly based on a true story of a murder that took place in 1982.
According to a report in NY Post, the film based on Elizabeth Brundage’s novel All Things Cease To Appear was partly inspired by the gruesome death of Cathleen Krauseneck in 1982 in Brighton, New York. Cathleen’s murder is better know as “the Brighton Ax Murder.”
On February 19, 1982, James Krauseneck Jr. returned to his new house on Del Rio Drive near Rochester from his job as an economist at Eastman Kodak Co., when he spotted broken glass inside from a window and called the police. He had found his 29-year-old wife, Cathleen, dead in bed with an ax lodged in her head and their 3-year-old daughter seated calmly in her own bedroom, dressed to go out.
In a statement to the police, James had said: “She [his daughter] had a red sweater over a pink sweater with blue ABC corduroy pants and two pairs of socks. She looked dazed to me. I picked her up from her bed and ran downstairs and out the front door with her.”
James, who was considered to be one of the key suspects, said he had been at work all day. The next day he reportedly took his daughter Sara and fled to Michigan, where he grew up. Brighton Police Chief Eugene Shaw opted not to question the daughter a month later because “too much time has gone by.”
James Krauseneck Jr.
Meanwhile, Cathleen’s murder case, which had gone unresolved for almost 39 years, finally made a breakthrough in November 2019 when James was indicted by a grand jury on a second-degree murder charge. He pleaded not guilty.
The Brighton Police Chief attributed the delayed charges to improved forensic technology that’s clarified the timeline of the murder — calling James’ alibi into question — and has shed more light on the crime scene.
“I understand people want a singular piece of evidence that can directly point to James Krauseneck Jr.,” the current Brighton Police Chief David Catholdi had told a local media out. “This is not one of those cases.”
It is pertinent to add that at the scene of the crime no other DNA was found other than the family’s. It was also reported that shortly before her death, Cathleen found that James had not completed his doctorate and lied to his employers.
After Michigan, James moved to Gig Harbor in Washington, where he worked as a vice president of sales for a timberland company called Weyerhaeuser. When he was charged, James was living in Peoria, Arizona, with his fourth wife.
To add another twist, serial rapist Ed Laraby, right before he died in 2014 claimed that he killed Cathleen and committed at least a dozen more crimes.
“Ed Laraby is a notorious self-described sociopathic killer of women,” Krauseneck’s defense attorney said. “The issue is he lived really within basically a half mile, or less than a half mile, and has confessed to this murder as he lay dying in prison.”
Unlike the ending of the movie, which had a comprehensive end, Cathleen Krauseneck’s murder remains unsolved. James, now 69, was freed on $100,000 bail and is awaiting a trial that was delayed by the pandemic — the next pretrial hearing is set for June.
Things Heard and Seen follows an unhappy young mother (Seyfried), who is brutally murdered with an ax while her child is found eerily seated on the couch downstairs. Her studious husband (Norton) leaves shortly after the crime. The film gives the real-life characters different names, changes up their circumstances (they have a son and live in the Hudson Valley) and adds some ghosts for some more horror.
The film is currently trending in the top ten on Netflix Pakistan.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued final notices to the owners of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor’s ancestral houses as the government plans to take over the properties after Eid, Geo News has reported.
As per details, KP Archaeology and Museums Department Director Dr Abdul Samad has said that restoration work on both houses will take place following the take over.
Dr Abdul Samad added that the “deputy commissioner has sent the final notices to the landlord”.
Meanwhile, the owners of the properties will be summoned on May 18, and they can demand the KP government or the court for a higher price and can submit their objections.
Earlier this year in January, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan approved Rs 23.56 million to purchase the ancestral houses of two Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in Peshawar, but the owner of Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar refused to sell the house to the government at the price set by the authorities.
As per reports, the value of Raj Kapoor house is Rs 15 million, while Kumar’s home is worth Rs 8.56 million. Both houses will be converted into museums after restoration work.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to restart his initiative of taking phone calls from the masses and giving them his response from May 11. The initiative is expected to restart when he returns from Saudi Arabia.
Khan is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 9. The issue of the release of Pakistani prisoners who are suffering in Saudi Arabia’s jails is likely to be highlighted by the PM.
This is the third telethon series to be done by PM Khan. He launched the event on March 28, which was a telethon for the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and also took calls from the general public on April 4th.
“It is the practical implementation of the promise made by the prime minister to the masses in his victory speech that he would be answerable before the people,” a PTI leader said.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced nominees for April’s ICC Player of the Month Awards. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are among the nominated players.
The ICC Men’s Player of the Month nominees for April are in
Fakhar Zaman 302 ODI runs at 100.66, two centuries Babar Azam 228 ODI runs at 76.00; 305 T20I runs at 43.57 Kushal Bhurtel 278 T20I runs at 69.50
ICC introduced the award to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket.
In the month of April, Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the number one ranked batsman in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, ending Indian Cricket Team’s captain Virat Kohli’s long reign at the top of the charts.
Babar’s match-winning 82-ball 94 in the third ODI against South Africa helped him gain 13 rating points to reach a career-best 865 points. He also contributed 122 from 59 balls in Pakistan’s successful chase in the third match of a T20I series against the same opposition.
His compatriot Fakhar Zaman also produced a stellar showing during the month, scoring two centuries in the ODI series victory over South Africa, including a magnificent 193 in the second match in Johannesburg.
Completing the men’s shortlist, Nepal’s Khushal Bhurtel was the leading run-scorer as his team won a tri-series also featuring the Netherlands and Malaysia. His significant contribution with the bat totalled 278 runs, including four half-centuries in five matches.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, her team-mate Megan Schutt and New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek made it to the Women’s Player of the Month nominees.
Who gets your vote for the April ICC Women’s Player of the Month?
Alyssa Healy 155 ODI runs at 51.66 Leigh Kasperek 9 ODI wickets at 7.77 Megan Schutt 7 ODI wickets at 13.14
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail visited K-Electric’s Bin Qasim Power Station-III (BQPS-III) project to review the progress on the latest addition to Karachi’s power network. The visit followed a meeting between KE’s Senior Leadership and the Governor Sindh where KE presented an update on the company’s preparedness for Ramadan and the 2021 summer season.
BQPS-III is a USD 650 million project which will be adding 900 MW of generation capacity to KE’s existing network. This mega-project is progressing on the back of close collaboration between leading engineering firms who are partnering with KE to achieve a shared vision of empowering Karachi. Work is progressing swiftly, and the first unit of 450 MW is over 70% complete and is expected to come online in the next 5 to 6 weeks. The high-efficiency plant will be utilizing RLNG as its primary fuel source. Not only is this expected to reduce the carbon footprint, the inclusion of RLNG will further diversify the company’s fuel mix and bring savings by lowering import costs for the government by eliminating the need for furnace oil.
KE officials were joined by senior representatives from Siemens, SSGC, and PLL, who apprised the Governor of the progress on the construction of a spur pipeline which will be supplying 150mmcfd of gas to BQPS-III, which is keeping pace with the plant’s progress and is also over 90% complete. The underlying Gas Supply Agreement between SSGC and PLL is also in advanced stages and is expected to be finalized as soon as necessary approvals are received from the Government, ensuring an adequate supply of fuel to energize the plant.
Commenting on his visit, Governor Imran Ismail said, “The sincerity of the Government of Pakistan is evident in the support they have extended to KE, and I am pleased to see that Sehr and Iftar times during this Ramadan are exempt from load-shed as a result. I’m monitoring the situation daily to ensure that the best possible facilitation is given to the citizens of Karachi. Seeing the scale and progress of work and the commitment with which KE is working, I feel positive for the future of the city. KE’s management and representatives from Siemens, SSGC, and PLL have assured me that they are working to complete the project on time, and I have instructed them to resolve any bottlenecks that may affect the energization of the plant which is expected to be inaugurated by the Honorable Prime Minister. In this process, I have also assured them of my fullest support from my office and from the Government of Pakistan.”
CEO K-Electric, Moonis Alvi said, “We’re grateful to the Governor Imran Ismail sahab and our partners at Siemens, SSGC, and PLL for visiting BQPS-III today. The timely execution of this project is critical to meet Karachi’s future demand, and we are all working around the clock to ensure the same. I also want to commend the Government of Pakistan for their support to KE and Karachi, especially during Ramadan which has enabled us to fully support Karachi’s power requirements. We look forward to this support in the summer months as well. Without their assistance and collaboration, it would not be possible for us to realize this dream for Karachi.”
Speaking with media during his visit to under construction BQPS-III site, Mr. Imran Maniar, Managing Director Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) said, “It is very important for us to work together with KE which is also our largest customer. Timely energization of this plant is necessary and we are working with KE to ensure their RLNG requirement is met. SSGC is pleased to be playing its role in this process.”
Special Assistant to Punjab’s Chief Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that she is a supporter of women empowerment and has always encouraged women to work. “I being a woman acknowledge the challenges women face in the world,” she said.
However, while speaking so staunchly on women’s rights, she negated her own stance by saying that she was “also aware of the tactics women pull these days”.
“I have my eye on the ones that are idle and wear ray-bans and only do modelling,” she told a Lahore News reporter.
Previously a video of her insulting Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sialkot Sonia Sadaf, went viral on the social media. She was seen shouting at the AC, telling her that Sadaf was getting paid for her work and it was her duty to keep a check on things. She also asked the AC which ‘shameless person’ appointed her.
