Tag: trending

  • ‘Pray for forgiveness’: The Nun is taking Warner Bros to court

    ‘Pray for forgiveness’: The Nun is taking Warner Bros to court

    Looks like The Nun doesn’t just haunt abandoned abbeys, she can also become a nightmare for film producers when they neglect to give her fair financial compensation.

    Bonnie Aarons, the actress who played the creepy demonic sister from the horror franchise ‘The Nun’, is taking Warner Bros to court for not providing her with the fair share of earnings from the film’s merchandise.

    According to the lawsuit filed on August 15 in Los Angeles, the contract signed between Aarons and Warner Bros stated she would receive $71,000 from the the film ‘The Nun’ which released in 2018, along with box office bonuses, but the studio missed out on a key part stated in the actor’s contract:  the right to receive “gross receipts from merchandise” featuring her likeness as the demon nun. 

    Aarons had featured in the film ‘The Conjuring’ where she played the demon Valak, then went on to reprise her role in the film ‘The Nun’ which became a box office hit, grossing around $365 million worldwide. A sequel, ‘The Nun 2’, is releasing across theatres in a few weeks.

    The suit has argued that Warner Bros exploited Aarons by refusing to give her the complete amount they had made from the merchandise of ‘The Nun’:

    “Instead of accounting and paying in a transparent fashion, Warner Bros. obscures and hides the true amount of Ms. Aarons’ rightful share of merchandising revenues, all while continuing to exploit her,” the suit reads.

    It noted that Aarons had not relied on prosthetics to don the role of the terrifying creature, but it was the actor’s particular features that boosted merchandise. A significant portion of the merchandise alludes to Valak, as she’s the most popular character from The Conjuring cinematic universe.

    The shocking revelations of actors exploited by studios has arrived in the light of the SAG-AFTRA strikes currently happening across Hollywood, as actors and writers have together protested against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers regarding contracts and low residuals offered despite how popular franchises had gotten. Actor Mara Wilson, who had been the lead of the popular movie ‘Matilda’ and then ‘Mrs Doubtfire’, took to Twitter to reveal she was never able to make enough to qualify for SAG-AFTRA healthcare.

    “I haven’t acted much as an adult, but I WAS on a recurring character on one of the most critically acclaimed animated shows of all time, as well playing an actual Disney villain. But thanks to streaming, I have never once made enough to qualify for SAG-AFTRA healthcare.”

    Actress Mandy Moore, who starred in the critically acclaimed series ‘This Is Us’ shocked social media users when she revealed her residuals amounted up to 81 cents only.

  • ‘World stop’: Fawad, Mahira’s photoshoot for Fawad’s wife’s brand mesmerises Twitter

    Aur kitni baar Mahira aur Fawad humara dil jeetain gay? The duo, who can make a simple seven second video exude more chemistry than all the high budget Bollywood love stories put together, has once more joined hands to win hearts again. Their recent photoshoot for the brand Sadaf Fawad Khan has won X (formerly Twitter) over.

    A few days ago, Mahira shared a seven-second video of her walking towards Fawad. The clip spread like wildfire across social media. Clearly the two know how much power they hold over the generation that loved Khirad and Ashar.

    The duo look exquisite posing for the campaign ‘Phir Milenge’, with Mahira wearing a red blouse and matching lengha adorned with silver patterns, pairing it with silver jewelry. Her hair is pulled back in a bun. Fawad wears a grey kurta with matching pajamas.

    Since the photoshoot was released on social media, Twitter users are going wild. Fawad and Mahira continue to hold a place in our hearts and will do so for a long time ahead.

    They’ll forever be THAT couple.

  • ‘Shaadi kay din hi, I knew something was wrong’: Firdous Ashiq Awan addresses Sania-Shoaib Malik divorce rumors

    Cricketer Shoaib Malik and his wife, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, have been one of the most popular public couples since they tied the knot in 2013. However, in recent months, rumours of the couple contemplating divorce have picked up pace. Previously, the rumor mill went into hyperdrive when Shoaib Malik removed Sania Mirza’s name from his Instagram bio, and now politician Firdous Ashiq Awan has added fuel to the fire.

    In a recent appearance on the show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’, the former Information Minister, who had attended the couple’s lavish wedding in Hyderabad, said that at the reception she got a gut feeling that the marriage won’t work out.

    Awan said that on the day she, along with the family, arrived in Hyderabad to meet Sania’s family, she had whispered in Shoaib’s ear “Puttar, bara bura phas gaya hai. [Son, you are badly stuck ]”

    Awan said her intuition was based on the situation she saw. Although the two had a love marriage, and had tried to make their marriage work by deciding to live in Dubai rather than Pakistan or India. But Awan said what she witnessed during the wedding made her realise the marriage won’t work.

    “Jab tak mohabbat ka bhoot sawar hai,” the politician joked. “Ye chalay ga.”

    The couple have not made any public announcements about separation or divorce, and are currently hosting ‘The Mirza Malik show’ on Express Entertainment.

  • CCTV camera points towards Khan’s open bathroom in prison cell, judge takes notice

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan has termed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s privacy concerns “genuine” regarding the presence of a CCTV camera around his toilet at Attock jail. Imran Khan had claimed that the camera breached his privacy, with the judge asserting in a report after an inspection of the prison facilities that the camera violated prison rules.

    Punjab Prisons Department, in response to Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan’s report, stated that Khan is being provided with all the facilities in accordance with Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

    A new toilet with five feet high walls, a door, and toiletries have been constructed in his cell. The statement said Khan was also given a bed, pillow, mattress, table, chair, air cooler, exhaust fan, fruit, honey, dates, prayer mat, Holy Quran with English translation, several books for reading, a thermos with tea, newspapers and tissue papers.

    The statement further reads that five doctors have been appointed to provide medical facilities to Khan, “One doctor is present at all times on an eight-hour duty.” Special meals are given to Khan as per the doctor’s advice and with the approval of Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir. It further said the meals are served by a special team after a doctor’s inspection.

    The prisons department confirmed that Imran was allowed to meet his family on Tuesdays and lawyers on Thursdays.

    “CCTV cameras have been installed outside Imran Khan’s room for his and the jail’s security. More than 4,000 CCTV cameras have been installed not only in District Jail Attock but also in other jails of Punjab for security purposes,” the statement concluded.

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, while speaking on the Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, reassured the viewers that Imran Khan was allowed to meet visitors and provided facilities according to the prison class he had applied for. He said that the concerns raised in the inspection report, including those related to the CCTV camera, would be thoroughly investigated and addressed in accordance with the law.

    “We will ensure that all those facilities and class he (Imran) applied for and deserves as the ex-prime minister according to the law are provided to him. As far as I know, he has a bed and newspaper so the behavior with him will be according to whatever the law permits,” he said.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan visited Attock jail and compiled a report on 15 August, after his fortnightly inspection of the prison facilities, which was released on August 21. The report stated that Khan’s concern regarding the presence of CCTV cameras is genuine and is in violation of the prison rules 257 and 771.

    Rule 257 (Sanitary and bathing arrangements) of the Pakistan Prison Rules states: “Prisoners shall be granted adequate facilities for bathing and latrines, ensuring privacy.”

    Meanwhile, Rule 771 refers to “latrines,” specifying that “latrine floors should be elevated and frequently renewed. Each latrine must have a proper seat and partitions for the sake of privacy.”

    The judge further noted in his report that the superintendent of police present has provided assurance to address the grievance raised by the PTI chairman.

    The PTI’s official X (former Twitter) account tweeted in response to the report “Absolutely shameful how a national hero, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is being denied his fundamental human rights, and basic facilities he’s entitled to.”

  • ‘A patient revealed she was kicked out of her house by her husband because of her stretch marks’: Shaista Lodhi

    ‘A patient revealed she was kicked out of her house by her husband because of her stretch marks’: Shaista Lodhi

    Actress and aesthetic physician Shaista Lodhi appeared as a guest on the ‘The Talk Talk Show’ where she spoke about her career as an aesthetic physician, who provides cosmetic medical surgeries to celebrities, politicians and the general public. She spoke about the dark side of her career, revealing that young women and girls come to her after being bullied by men about their features.

    The ‘Samjhota’ actress said that many young girls and women visited her clinic led by insecurity about their features, after their husbands send them pictures.

    “Those pictures were given to them by their fiancés,” revealed Shahista. “Then I tell them that they should get rid of this man first. Can you imagine? It’s such an insult for a man to tell you to look like this woman.”

    Shahista shared another horrifying instance where a patient came with her husband, who jokingly asked the surgeon to make his wife look like her. The actress recalled feeling outraged and wanting to lash out at the man.

    “You can see the way women are treated in our society,” lamented the ‘Pardes’ actress. “That girl was sitting in a corner and politely laughing while I wanted to slap him right away. But that woman kept silent, even though it must be torturous for her to stay with such a man who keeps taunting her with things like ‘Tumharay baal hain’, ‘tumharay boaht ziada baal hain’..”

    Shahista Lodhi said women are consistently scrutinized and made to feel inferior because of their looks, and bullied by their in-laws over things like their skin coloror body type. She went on to point out that these things don’t prove that there is a problem with women, but it is men who have complexes.

    Shahista further stressed that if people want to get plastic surgery, they should, but never at the cost of their insecurities.

    When asked about she deals with women coming to her wanting to change features, Shahista spoke about the time a woman came to her clinic asking to remove her stretch marks because she was kicked out her house- which completely shocked the actress.

    “Three days ago a woman came to me and said she recently delivered a baby, and her husband kicked her out of the house because of her stretch marks. And the woman had been staying at her mother’s house for the past 20 days.

    “I tried in any way I could to console her and tell her she’s earned this. Allah made you a gift, and you’re not alone in this. How could a man tell you this!”

    Shahista re-called the woman begging her to fix her marks so she might save her marriage, and the actress said “If you think fixing your stretch marks would save your marriage, then its better such a union never happened!”

    Kudo’s to Shahista for taking such a powerful standard against imposing such beauty standards on women- and reminding them that its not worth fixing a marriage where you are imposed into taking such measures.

  • Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Hours after the President said that he does not need Waqar Ahmed’s services, the Secretary has said in a statement on Monday that Dr. Arif Alvi did not sign the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, nor did he make a written decision to send them back to parliament for further consideration.

    On Monday, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of @PresOfPakistan stated: “In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President’s Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr. Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately”.

    President Arif Alvi caused a sensation on Sunday when he said in a tweet from his personal account that he did not sign the official secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as he does not agree with the laws. He said that despite his orders to return the bills to parliament, his staff disobeyed him.
    “I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were,” Alvi wrote about the bills in a tweet, adding that he just found out that his staff “undermined my will and command”.
    He also asked for forgiveness from those who are affected by the bills.

    The tweets came about after news broke that he had signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Now both bills are part of the law.
    On the other hand, former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has said that “the tweet of President Arif Alvi was inappropriate”.
    Raza Rabbani pointed out that if an inquiry is initiated, the president will have to appear before a committee of the upper house since he is a part of the parliament under Article 50 of the Constitution.
    “As per Article 75 of the Constitution, when a bill is sent for assent, the president has two options: either give assent, or refer the matter to the parliament with specific observations. Article 75 does not provide for any third option,” he stressed.
    The ministry has said neither of the requirements was fulfilled. Instead, the president purposely delayed the assent, it added. Returning the bills without any observations or assent is not provided for in the Constitution, the spokesperson said, adding that such a course of action is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
    “If the president had any observations, he could have returned the bills with his observations like he did in the recent and distant past. He could have also issued a press release to that effect,” the law ministry said.

  • Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar is still not over Mahira Khan schooling him for his misogyny

    Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar is still not over Mahira Khan schooling him for his misogyny

    Controversial drama writer Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar has said that he will never work with superstar Mahira Khan again. The writer had landed in a storm when during a TV appearance alongside journalist Marvi Sarmad on Neo TV, he hurled swear words at her after she chanted the famous Aurat March slogan ‘Mera jism meri marzi’. Several prominent figures lashed out at Qamar on his misogynist behavior, including actress Mahira Khan. Her outspoken condemnation became the source of a grudge against the actress that Qamar seems to carry till date.

    How dare a woman correct a man for using degrading, disgusting language against another woman, right?

    Recently, while talking on ‘Public Demand with Mohsin Abbas Haider’ the ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ writer was asked about whether he would ever ‘forgive’ Mahira Khan. Qamar replied that despite efforts made by others to fix the feud between the two, the screen writer has no desire to ever work with the actress again.

    “I’m still shocked today that the way the two of us respected each other, it gave her no right to tweet the way she did. She had every right to phone me, she could have discussed with me and I could have explained…She is a beautiful and accomplished actress but I’ll never be able to work with her.”

    Mahira has never publicly expressed regret or spoken about the feud, however, KRQ keeps talking about it three years later, openly expressing resentment towards her.

    Last year, KRQ shared a screenshot of Mahira condemning the brutal language Khalil used against Marvi, and in the caption he wrote: “May iska behad ehtram karta tha lekin iski ye zaban aur ghatiapan mujhay martay dam tk nahi bhoolay ga.”

    Like last year, KRQ shared a screenshot of Mahira ciondemning the brutal language Khalil used against Marvi, and in the caption he wrote: “May iska behad ehtram karta tha lekin iski ye zaban aur ghatiapan mujhay martay dam tk nahi bhoolay ga.”

    During an interview with Nadir Ali in October 2022, KRQ said Mahira had lost out on the opportunity to star in ‘London Nahi Jaungi’ and ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ because of her comments.

  • Activist Malala Yousafzai sends support to Afghanistan women’s football team

    Women’s rights activist and Noble Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has expressed her support for the women’s football team from Afghanistan, who were banned by the current Taliban government from playing the sport after the takeover in 2021. Currently, the team resides in Melbourne, Australia, where they escaped to in 2021, but right now the football team is not recognised by the government or the FIFA organisation.

    “I’m very sad. I was expecting a lot more for football’s governing body,” said Khalida Popal, who was the former captain of the women’s football team.

    “[Fifa needs] to stand with these women. We want leadership – we need a strong voice to stand with us. Don’t keep silent.”

    Currently, the Afghanistan Women’s Football team is being sponsored by the Australian professional football club Melbourne Victory, and now activist and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has joined the ranks in calling for the team to be recognised by FIFA.

    The producer behind ‘Joyland’ was in Melbourne to watch the Women’s World Cup and shared a post of her meeting the team members of the Afghanistan women’s football team, writing that she was inspired by their bravery and determination.

    “I came to Melbourne because of a story. The New York Times published an incredible account of the keeper for the Afghanistan Women’s Team and how its founder @khalida_popal_girlpower helped the players escape near-certain death after the Taliban gained control and banned women’s sports. I was inspired by their bravery and determination. They were so proud to play for their national team and now they were burying their jerseys to avoid being caught and killed.

    Today, I finally met the AWT in person— including Fatima and Khalida — to continue to support their campaign to be recognised by FIFA. This is the power of stories and why we must continue to share them. You never know who could be listening.”

    The Pakistan-born activist urged her followers to read more about the football team and to donate funds to help support them as they live in exile and away from their families

  • Six universities are now offering courses on Taylor Swift

    Six universities are now offering courses on Taylor Swift

    ‘Well they didn’t teach you that in prep school so it’s up to me!”

    Looks like Taylor Swift has decided to take this lyric literally and influenced more than six universities across America, including NYU and Stanford, are introducing courses revolving around the pop mastermind and her works, ranging from literature to psychology.

    Arizona State University announced this month that they were offering a course titled “Psychology of Taylor Swift — Advanced Topics of Social Psychology” where the course revolves around connecting various themes from Taylor’s music like revenge, trauma, anxiety- and link it to psychology. PHD student Alexandra Wormey used Swift 2017 album ‘Reputation’ as an example:

    “Taylor’s sixth album, Reputation, is her comeback after disappearing from the spotlight due to conflicts with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. She enacts her revenge on them — and the broader media landscape — by dropping an incredibly successful album along with a stadium tour,” she explained. “The students know this — but do they know why we like revenge? Do they know how we enact revenge? Social psychology can tell us.”

    This decision to incorporate the singer-songwriter’s ballads into academic life has long started with places like New York University, when in 2022 the Clive Davis Institute introduced their first ever course on Taylor Swift, which will explore her evolution as a songstress, country, pop and indie legend, as well discourses surrounding girlhood, sexism and trauma from her work. The course is three months long, and Swift had also been invited as a guest speaker.

    In August 2022, University of Texas at Austin introduced “Literary Contests and Contexts — The Taylor Swift Songbook”, where the 12 time Grammy award winning’s music would be studied alongside the masters of literature like Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath.

    There are courses dedicated to dissecting some of her most critically acclaimed songs like ‘All Too Well’ (10 minute version) which Taylor had released on Red (Taylor’s Version). Stanford University announced the set up of their winter quarter course ‘All Too Well (10 week version)’ which would revolve around an in-depth analysis of Taylor’s hit.

    Berkley College of Music recently announced that the students could opt for a course that requires them to study the songs written by Taylor Swift and dissect each album and the themes it revolved around.

    And it’s not just the US now which is offering Taylor Swift courses now! Ghent University in Belgium called ‘Literature: Taylor’s Version’ which, according to the instructor Elly McCausland, would delve into how the ‘Anti Hero’ singer incoporates some of the most prominent writers of English literture like Jane Austen, Shakespeare or even Charlotte Bronte into her works.

    “The way she uses the war, like a metaphor for a relationship, made me a bit uncomfortable and it got me thinking about Sylvia Plath’s poem Daddy, which does a similar thing and also it’s very uncomfortable reading,” the academic said speaking to AFP. “Literature (Taylor’s Version)”, is a way to make literature “more accessible” and “not to create a Swift fan club”.

  • Shehbaz Sharif arrives in London to meet Nawaz

    Shehbaz Sharif arrives in London to meet Nawaz

    Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reached London on Sunday to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. According to Geo News, the agenda of the meeting between the two brothers included the upcoming general elections and Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz is accompanying him.

    According to PML-N sources, Shehbaz Sharif will meet his brother as well as other party leaders in London.
    Several former federal ministers are also present in the British capital to join the crucial meeting about Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country.
    Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif has said that his elder brother will return to Pakistan next month and face the law.