Tag: trending

  • PM Shehbaz chairs CCI meeting to discuss 2023 census

    PM Shehbaz chairs CCI meeting to discuss 2023 census

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is presiding over a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) to decide the destiny of the 2023 census. There is a disagreement between the coalition partners on the issue.
    All of the chief ministers and senior members of the federal cabinet reportedly attend the council’s crucial meeting.

    According to reports, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has informed the federal government that all formalities have been fulfilled and census results are ready for CCI approval.

    Elections would likely be postponed by a few months if the CCI adopts the census findings since the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would need more time to redo the delimitation exercise.

    According to the legislation, the ECP is required to organise elections based on new data if a new census is announced.
    It is important to note that the National Assembly will be prematurely dissolved on August 9 — three days before its term ends — by the ruling coalition, giving the electoral body 90 days to hold elections.

  • ‘I don’t own a single pair of designer clothing’: Sara Ali Khan’s attempt to dispel nepotism comments spark backlash

    ‘I don’t own a single pair of designer clothing’: Sara Ali Khan’s attempt to dispel nepotism comments spark backlash

    Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan was the latest celebrity to feature on the cover of Vogue India. A comment from the interview went viral where the ‘Zarra Hat Ke Zarra Bach Ke’ actress spoke about wanting to come across as more relatable amidst the criticism that she is a nepo-baby. The actress is the daughter of Saif Ali Khan, as well the granddaughter of Sharmila Tagore, and comes from the family of the last ruling Nawab of Pataudi.

    “I wear my honesty with more pride than any designer clothes. In fact, I don’t have a single pair of designer clothing in my wardrobe. I know people initially judged me for it but I’m happy that they can now not only appreciate but also identify with me because of these very reasons.”

    Many readers were confused by the statement because how does it prove you’re “relatable” and a normal person because you don’t own designer clothes, when everyone knows your royal lineage, especially the fact that you come from a generation of stars? The statement received backlash on social media, with many calling the actress ‘tone-deaf’ and ’embarrassing’ for trying to prove that she was not a nepo-baby.

    Can Bollywood stars seriously just admit they come from privilege? Stop embarrassing yourselves

  • When we almost had Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Dicpario in the same movie

    When we almost had Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Dicpario in the same movie

    Forget about Avengers Endgame or Barbie, the biggest movie ever….never got made. Two of the greatest actors this generation has seen, Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo DiCaprio, were once about to come together to give us the most incredible thriller film of our lives.

    Back in 2011, the Bollywood Badshah had signed on the film ‘Xtreme City’. A picture, purportedly a fan-made poster, broke the internet. Featuring Khan, DiCaprio, Karan Johar, the film was supposed to be produced by the legendary Martin Scorsese with Paul Schrader directing, and Mushtaq Sheikh writing. The film was suppose to pit Khan and DiCaprio against each other.

    Sheikh gushed about the once-in-a-lifetime powerful collaboration with NDTV, calling it “the best news I’ve heard in a long time”.

    “We are all elated. This is the best news I have heard in a long time. Martin loved the script and it meant the world to me as the writer of the film along with Paul Schrader. But when he comes in as the producer of the project, then I am thrilled as it takes the film to another level completely. Inshaallah, all goes well from here onwards. Fingers and all parts of the body crossed.”

    In a 2011 interview with Press Trust of India, Sheikh described the plot of the film as one where “both Indian and American protagonists are balanced human beings”:

    “It’s a different kind of film, one where both Indian and American protagonists are balanced human beings and the story treats them in their full complexity without either culture being diminished or taken for granted. It’s a cross-cultural thriller designed for both Bollywood and Hollywood. And if we get it right, this will be an attempt at true global entertainment.”

    However the project couldnt take off because both actors weren’t as committed to the project to continue it, and in an interview with Open Magazine, Schrader revealed that Shah Rukh wasn’t comfortable with doing a film he couldn’t control:

    “Well, in the end, I don’t think Shah Rukh wanted to make it. It was really up to him, and I just got the feeling that he was never going to be comfortable doing an international film that he didn’t control. You know that everything SRK does, he has total control over? So if he did something like this at an international level, he wouldn’t have that control.”

     “I think in the end he wasn’t that comfortable not being a hundred per cent in control. We did have a script, which was a hundred per cent paid for. We also had a meeting with SRK and Leo in Berlin, but neither of them actually ever committed. There was a lot of waiting—maybe they were waiting for each other to commit, but it never quite happened.”

    Shah Rukh Khan has also candidly discussed why he chose not to follow the path of other actors like Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, to star in a Hollywood movie, while speaking in 2008 at the Berlin Film Festival.

     “My English is not good, if they give me a role of a dumb person who doesn’t speak, maybe then there’s a possibility. I am not trying to be modest, I am 42 years old. I am a little brown. I don’t have any USP as an actor, I don’t have any specialty. I don’t know Kung Fu, I don’t dance salsa, and I am not tall enough…I have seen the recent European films, there is no place for me there, no space for me. I don’t think am talented enough. Instead, I would like to continue working in India and take Indian cinema to the world.”

  • Swords, knives, missiles and kangaroos; ECP awards symbols to parties

    Swords, knives, missiles and kangaroos; ECP awards symbols to parties

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted symbols to political parties as general elections loom nearer. The list of symbols is eccentric, becoming the subject of much hilarity on social media.

    A four-member bench led by ECP Sindh Member Nisar Durrani, allotted election symbols to 23 political parties as these parties have fulfilled the criteria.

    According to the Election Act 2017, holding intra-party election is a prerequisite to get the election symbol.

    ECP has allotted ‘sword’ as election symbol to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), ‘knife’ to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaniyat, ‘missile’ to Pakistan Peace Movement, ‘pistol’ to the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Pakistan, ‘victory’ (sign) to Pakistan People’s Party Workers, ‘fist’ to Pakistan People’s Party Shaheed Bhutto, ‘book’ to the JUIF, ‘ring’ to Rabita Jamiat-e-Islam, ‘cup’ to the People’s Muslim League, ‘bucket’ to Kisan Ittehad, ‘leaf’ to the Pakistan Awami Democratic Alliance, ‘kangaroo’ to All Pakistan United League, ‘moon’ to Hazara Democratic Party, ‘hockey’ to Pakistan Awami League, ‘waistcoat’ to the Movement of Dervishes Pakistan. Likewise, the commission allotted ‘takhti’ to JUI Ideological, ‘helmet’ to Modern Awami Party and ‘telephone’ to Tehreek-e-Azam Pakistan and ‘jug’ to Allah o Akbar Movement.

  • Claws out: Fight breaks out at shopping mall in Faisalabad

    Claws out: Fight breaks out at shopping mall in Faisalabad

    It seems like yet another sale has led to a fight between shoppers. Videos on social media show huge crowds at the Sapphire store in a shopping mall in Faisalabad, where an annual sale is taking place. Long lines of women and men standing in que to purchase clothes can be seen.

    One video shows a fight breaking out at the store, with a man clearly beating another person, while another one had a pistol with him, according to eye-witnesses.

    ARY news reports that Madina Town police has arrested six people because of the incident.

    Try ordering online ladies and gentlemen. Avoid the long lines and the guns.

  • IHC rejects Chairman PTI’s request to transfer Tosha Khana case to another court

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has on Friday rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request to transfer the Tosha Khana case to another court.
    On the other hand, the maintainability ruling in the Toshakhana case against Imran Khan issued by the session court was deemed “void” by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    IHC also said, “The session court should hear the case and decide again”.

    According to the verdict, Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar will hear the case.

    Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s petition to pause trial court proceedings in the Tosha khana case.
    Last year, on October 21, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case for making “false statements and incorrect declarations.”

  • ‘I’m not a villain’: Lizzo responds to harassment claims, dancers reject her statement

    ‘I’m not a villain’: Lizzo responds to harassment claims, dancers reject her statement

    Pop singer Lizzo has been mired in a huge controversy since a few days ago when a suit filed by her former dancers accused her of bullying, sexual harassment and body shaming. The three dancers detailed their experience of being fired after being accused of gaining weight, unprofessional working environments as well as being pressurised into controversial activities.

    In a statement released on her social media accounts, the Grammy award winning singer has responded to the suit, calling the stories “sensationalised”, adding that the former employees had already admitted their behavior on tour was unprofessional:

    “These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

    ‘I am not here to be looked at as a victim but I also know I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be the last few days…There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”

    READ MORE: Lizzo sued after three former dancers accuse her of sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior

    The statement was slammed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez who spoke to UK’s Channel 4 about the 44 page lawsuit they filed against the ‘Good as hell’ singer, and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley.

    “Initially for me, it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,” Williams said. “I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas. In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely. It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.”

    “So yes, it was very disheartening to read and feel overlooked especially when she stands for what she stands for in regards to women’s empowerment – being an advocate for mental health, being an advocate for body positivity – and to just further prove that that’s not the case, because nothing was acknowledged in that statement,” the former dancer further added.

    Speaking to CBS News, Davis elaborated on the Amsterdam accident, when Lizzo had taken the backup dancers to a strip club and pressurised Angela to grope the nude dancer, then forced a security guard member to go on stage and strip. She described the situation as ‘mortifying’:

    “I did not ask for it. I said no multiple times,” Davis said.

    After facing intense pressure from Lizzo, she “briefly touched” the performer. “I was very, very mortified, everyone burst into laughter,” she recalled.

    In the lawsuit, it was also mentioned that Lizzo body-shamed the dancers, firing one of them after commenting that she seemed “less committed” about the role.

    Arianna told NBC that the fatphobia comments weren’t spoken directly, but underlined every criticism she was given:

    “It was very nuanced and very underlying underneath all the other issues that were going on,” Davis explained. “I just had this feeling that they had a problem with the way I was gaining weight and looking different and that I wasn’t ‘the same’ as when they first cast me.”

    Attorney Neama Rahmani, who is representing Davis, Williams and Rodriguez in the lawsuit, addressed Lizzo’s statement and said the case will be moved to trial to prove whether what the pop singer is saying is true:

    “Given Lizzo is denying that any of this happened, let’s take it to trial. More witnesses are coming forward every day corroborating the plaintiffs’ allegations, so we’re looking forward to facing Lizzo and her team in court.”

    Lizzo’s lawyer representing her at the trial is Marty Singer, whose previous clients include Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Chris Brown and Jonah Hill.

  • Khaqan, Bhootani in running for caretaker PM post

    Khaqan, Bhootani in running for caretaker PM post

    The names of independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are also in the running for the post of caretaker PM, Geo News has reported.

    According to the report, coalition partners are currently having a Zoom meeting to share their views about the upcoming caretaker setup, as the tenure of this government is coming to an end.

    According to media reports, aome other names that are being considered include Ishaq Dar, Gohar Ejaz, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Dr. Hafeez Pasha, and former Chief Justice Tassaduq Jilani.

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and other senior leaders are in the Zoom meeting.

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders have had several meetings about the upcoming caretaker setup, but no final decision has been made.

    Earlier, at a dinner hosted for allies, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed that the National Assembly will be dissolved on August 9, three days before the end of its tenure.

  • Portuguese tourist on world tour killed in road accident in Balochistan

    Portuguese tourist on world tour killed in road accident in Balochistan

    A Portuguese tourist, on a tour of 50 countries, has died on Thursday in a road accident in Chaghai district in Balochistan, Dawn has confirmed.

    Nuno Miguel Vilao Castanheria, 28, crossed into Pakistan from Iran on Wednesday evening on his motorcycle, and was on his way to Quetta when his motorbike collided with a pick up truck near Dalbandin town. At the time, he was accompanied by two German tourists, Tony Pankraz Linder and Nikolas Lang, both of whom were also travelling on their bikes, and Levies personnel.

    Castanheria died on the spot, Chagai Deputy Commissioner Hassan Jan Baloch has confirmed.

    The driver of the pick up truck and his helper were arrested by Levies.

    The Foreign Office has been informed of the death while the body has been sent to Quetta so that it can be shifted to Islamabad and handed over to Portugal’s embassy.

    The Portuguese man started his tour on May 21. He was scheduled to travel through Pakistan’s northern areas before crossing over into India from Wagah border, Dawn has said.

  • It’s “undeclared martial law” in Pakistan: Imran Khan

    It’s “undeclared martial law” in Pakistan: Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has said while talking to BBC HARDtalk that there is “undeclared martial law” in Pakistan, adding that “fascists” are leading the country and taking it into “dark ages”.

    Imran was elected in 2018 and ruled the country for four years. He was removed from office with a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year.

    According to Imran Khan, a free and fair election is the only solution for political stability in Pakistan.

    Stephen Sackur, the presenter, asked Imran Khan if it was true that there was the involvement of the army in the 2018 election.

    In response, Imran Khan said that it’s not true, asking that if there was involvement of the army establishment, then how did Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) clean sweep in by-elections.

    “How come, despite the establishment openly going against us, trying to dismantle us, how come after we are out of government, we won 30 out of 37 by-elections?”

    He also said that the establishment thinks that my removal from the government can weaken my party, “Normally, it happens when you’re out of power for quite a while. But instead, what happened was that the party’s popularity kept growing”.

    He also stated that PTI workers were not involved in the violent protests of May 9 and that there should be a fair investigation into this matter.

    Imran Khan also said, “They have tried everything. They have put 10,000 people in jail, including women and peaceful protesters.”

    He repeated that “The only solution to Pakistan is free and fair elections. That’s the only way we will get out of this mess.”