Tag: trending

  • Father kills daughter in the name of honour

    Father kills daughter in the name of honour

    A father has killed his own daughter and her alleged friend in Sindh in the name of honour.

    The police in Jamshoro has arrested two suspects in connection with the incident and a heavy contingent of forces have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident.

    In 2022, a report stated that at least 217 people, including 152 women, have been killed in so-called honour-related crimes across Sindh.

    Hundreds of women are killed each year in Pakistan by family members over perceived loss of “honour”.

    Many human rights activists have raised alarms over the issue and while numerous laws have been passed to prevent honour killing, the numbers continue to get higher which each passing year.

  • PM Shehbaz’s wife attended Fatima Bhutto’s wedding

    PM Shehbaz’s wife attended Fatima Bhutto’s wedding

    First Lady of Pakistan and bestselling author Tehmina Durrani attended former Prime Minister (PM) Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s granddaughter Fatima Bhutto’s wedding which took place in Karachi a few days ago.

    While sharing a picture of herself with the newlyweds, Durrani wrote: “Fatima Bhutto and Gibran’s marriage is an important message of simplicity for the entire nation.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the history of ties between the Bhutto family and Tehmina goes way back to the 1970s when she was married to former Punjab Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar, who was one of Bhutto’s closest confidants. However, after Tehmina got divorced from Khar, she remained in touch with Bhutto’s son Murtaza’s family.

    Fatima Bhutto, who is also a famous writer, got married in an intimate ceremony at her family home in Karachi’s 70 Clifton on April 28, with the simple nuptials held in her grandfather’s library.

  • ‘Look who’s talking’: Twitter has no patience for Salman Khan’s hypocrisy on women’s clothes

    Bollywood star Salman Khan is no stranger to controversy and scandals, but it now seems like the aging lothario has forgotten his past.

    The ‘Kisi Ka Bhai, Kisi Ki Jaan’ actor was speaking at Rajat Sharma’s show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ where he defended his rule that women on the sets of his films couldn’t wearing plunging necklines. The superstar said that women’s bodies are precious and it was boys who have bad intentions:

    “It’s not a matter of girls, it’s about the boys. The way they look at girls, at your sister, wife or mother, I do not like it. So, I do not want them to go through this.”

    When asked about whether this statement imposes double standards by blaming women for their harassment, the actor responded:

    “There is no double standard in it. I feel that a woman’s body is a lot more precious, the more that is covered, the better, I feel.”

    Twitter users have slammed Khan’s comments as degrading and sexist for blaming women once more for the actions of men.

    Many had to point out that Khan had a lot of skeletons in his closet to go and preach modesty to women, by printing out receipts of the actor’s history of abusing ex-girlfriends.

  • ‘Kabhi petrol bomb phainknay waalon se mazaakraat nahin hotay: Javed Latif calls PTI ‘terrorist’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Javed Latif, has expressed disapproval of the ongoing talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying that dialogue should never be held with a “terrorist wing” and the “ones who throw petrol bombs”.

    Addressing a press conference, Latif, who is considered close to PML-N head Nawaz Sharif, went on to say that dialogue could never be held with a person who “is spreading anarchy in the country, especially at a time when Pakistan’s economy is stabilising and the country is progressing without IMF’s aid”.

    He urged “individuals in institutions” to take responsibility for “producing” a person like Imran Khan, Chairman of PTI, and for the consequences of their actions. He also claimed that some people are trying to reinstate the PTI chairman as Prime Minister.

    The PML-N leader said that the elections won’t be held without the participation of his party supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The third and final round of talks will be held tomorrow. As of yet, no census is in sight.

  • Meta’s AI strategy pays off with Q1 profit of $5.7 billion

    Meta’s AI strategy pays off with Q1 profit of $5.7 billion

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has exceeded expectations by reporting a first quarter profit of $5.7 billion (£4.6 billion), despite a period of job cuts. The success has been attributed to the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which has helped to drive positive results across the business.

    Meta’s total revenue reached $28.6 billion, while the number of monthly Facebook users rose to just under three billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company was becoming more efficient, allowing it to build better products faster and to put itself in a stronger position to deliver its long-term vision.

    He also announced Meta’s intention to commercialize its privately-run generative AI, which can instantly create sentences and graphics, for practical applications such as chat experiences in WhatsApp and Messenger, visual creation tools for Facebook and Instagram posts, and ads. Zuckerberg assured investors that the move would not detract from Meta’s metaverse project, and confirmed that the company planned to release its next Quest VR headset later this year.

    Despite a net loss of $4 billion last quarter in its Reality Labs division, Meta still expects operating losses to increase year over year in 2023. However, the company’s cost-cutting measures have proved successful, with Meta having shed almost a quarter of its global workforce in the past few months.

  • Petrol price unchanged, diesel price slashed by Rs5 per litre

    Petrol price unchanged, diesel price slashed by Rs5 per litre

    The federal government has announced a reduction in the price of diesel by Rs5 per litre, effective immediately, while maintaining the price of petrol for the next two weeks.

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that the prices are revised to provide “maximum relief” to the public, following the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In addition to the decrease in diesel prices, there will be a reduction of Rs10 per litre in the prices of Kerosene oil and Light Diesel Oil (LDO).

    The new prices have been set at Rs282 per litre for petrol, Rs288 per litre for high-speed diesel, Rs176.07 per litre for kerosene oil, and Rs164.68 per litre for light diesel oil. Diesel is widely used in the transport and agriculture sectors, so the price reduction could have a positive impact on inflation and provide some relief to farmers, particularly as the crop-harvesting season is underway.

    However, consumers are already facing high prices, which are especially burdensome for the low-income group who use motorbikes and small cars.

    In its previous fortnightly announcement, the federal government increased the price of petrol by Rs10 and the price of kerosene oil by Rs5.78, citing the increase in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations as the reason for the increase.

  • Iranian minister impeached over rising inflation

    Iranian minister impeached over rising inflation

    Iranian lawmakers have voted to impeach Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Reza Fatemi Amin over his poor performance.

    The country is under a financial crisis because of international sanctions and rising inflation.

    Reza Fatemi Amin failed to gain enough support in a vote of confidence that saw 162 MPs vote in favour of his removal and 102 against it.

    The development took place due to the rising price of domestically manufactured vehicles after foreign imports dried up because of sanctions.

  • ‘Revenge’: Twitter roasts Sonam Kapoor for upcoming performance at Charles’ coronation

    King Charles’ crowning coronation is only a week away. Media reports revealed how big names like Adele and Harry Styles had turned down the opportunity to play at his coronation, but it seems like there is a line-up of powerhouses ready to be part of the big day. The final list shows impressive A-listers like Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Tom Cruise, and Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor.

    Some Twitter users are dumbstruck that a citizen from a former colonised nation is coming to celebrate the Royal Family, and that of all the people it was Sonam Kapoor?

    But, Twitter would take up any opportunity to provide some hilarious memes and delivered beautifully.

    We’re solely tuning in if this happens

    https://twitter.com/ProfPinkman/status/1652619378142367746?s=20
    https://twitter.com/phoolandtanhai/status/1652587879024181248?s=20

  • ‘Spark Notes version of an action series’: Critics blast Priyanka Chopra’s Citadel

    Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden has teamed up with Bollywood turned Hollywood diva Priyanka Chopra for Amazon Prime’s action series ‘Citadel’, with the episodes already streaming online. Both actors went on the traditional promotional tour, gushing about each other, with Chopra revealing that this was the first time she was getting the same pay as her male co-star, and Madden praising Chopra as a ‘brilliant improvisor’ who is fully committed to her roles.

    However critics are not impressed with the $300 million spectacle, calling it a ‘flop’, ‘poorly-paced’ and a cheap copy of James Bond movies, without anything much to say about the current affairs of the world.

    Time magazine called the series ‘all spectacle, no substance’ and shared how aside from the glamorous locations, as well as the charming performances of both Chopra and Madden, who star as former lovers and top agents working for an elite international spy agency ‘Citadel’, the show didn’t offer much:

    “But when the smoke clears, geopolitical window dressing aside, the show has little to say on the state of the world. Whether it’s due to behind-the-scenes turbulence, including the replacement of a showrunner and extensive reshoots, or comes out of the difficulty of making a spy thriller palatable to people in all of the 200-plus countries and territories where Prime Video is available, the absence of substantive ideas, or even much Bond-style humor, makes Citadel feel pretty pointless. Maybe it’s possible to make a great show that appeals to everyone without offending anyone, but this isn’t it.”

    The Ringer had also shared criticism of the lack of dramatic tension, and called the show “a spark notes version of an action series” because of the limited attention given to detail and narrative, recounting how the original showrunner Josh Applebaum exited the series in 2020 over creative differences.

    Rolling Stones has labelled Citadel as “$300 million disaster for Amazon,” and harshly calling it “bland, generic and almost shockingly cheap-looking, given the price tag.” The performances by Chopra and Madden were called ‘charming but also not popping off the screen.

  • Fawad or Marriyum: Whose idea was PTV Flix anyway?

    Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday announced the launch of the online platform PTV Flix, which will allow users to access thousands of movies, television shows and documentaries online. In a tweet, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) politician revealed that the was an initiative quite close to her heart, as countless iconic shows like ‘Dhoop Kinaray’, ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Ainak Wala Jin’ can now be easily accessed online.

    Aurangzeb also thanked the team at PTV and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, who had helped in making this idea in to a reality:

    “I would like to thank and congratulate the team at PTV and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for all their hard work which has made this idea a reality. I would also like to thank our entertainment legends Bushra Ansari Sba, Javed Sheikh Sb and Khalid Abbas Dar Sb for joining me at the launch event.”

    However, many tweeps began tagging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, crediting him for the initiative. Chaudhry later put up a tweet revealing that this was a project he had began during his tenure.

    To which Aurangzeb had a cheeky response, but really who was the person to kickstart PTV Flix?

    If we look back, it was Chaudhry who during his tenure as the Minister of Science and Technology, had announced in 2020 in a tweet that his team was working on setting up Pakistan’s version of Netflix, and had already asked regulatory authorities to draft a guideline about the content.