Tag: trending

  • ‘Disrespectful’: Twitter users are criticizing Jimmy Kimmel for awkward interaction with Malala Yousafzai at Oscars

    ‘Disrespectful’: Twitter users are criticizing Jimmy Kimmel for awkward interaction with Malala Yousafzai at Oscars

    After watching the Academy Awards last night, twitter users are furious at host Jimmy Kimmel after he had an awkward interaction with Nobel Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai.

    First calling her ‘Malalaland’ at the ceremony, Kimmel then asked her opinion on whether Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine at the premier of All My Darlings.

    To which the Pakistani-origin activist had responded: ‘I only talk about peace”

    Twitter users called Kimmel ‘racist’ for using the word ‘Malalaland’ and called him a horrible host. He was also branded insensitive for undermining the work of brown women by also having previously tried to tamper with Quinta Brunson’s speech while she was was receiving the award for ‘Best Writing in Comedy’ at the Oscars.

    Users are demanding that Kimmel apologizes to Yousafzai for making a disrespectful joke.

    https://twitter.com/joeyIikespizza/status/1635105539788242947?s=20

    https://twitter.com/yEeyEe006/status/1635105416538636288?s=20
  • PTI agrees not to speak against state, institutions and judiciary in rally today

    PTI agrees not to speak against state, institutions and judiciary in rally today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been allowed to stage an election rally in Lahore with certain caveats attached to the permission.

    According to media reports, a meeting was held at the direction of Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi where the permission was discussed. PTI leadership submitted an affidavit, assuring the city administration of its full cooperation with them, police and security officials.

    The party also assured the authorities that they would not give speeches against state institutions and the judiciary. The PTI would be responsible if public property is demanded during the rally, read the affidavit.

    According to PTI Lahore Chapter President Imtiaz Shaikh, a rally will be taken out from Zaman Park to Data Darbar at 2pm today.

    “Imran Khan will lead the rally,” he confirmed.

    This would be the first rally that Khan would lead in more than four months.

  • Lahori students to get free rides on Orange, Metro line

    In a bid to provide easier access to transportation, public train systems Orange Line and Metro Line in Lahore will provide free transportation facilities to students in school uniforms, Samma has reported.

    The decision was announced by the Caretaker CM Punjab Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Sunday, in order to help students attend their schools punctually and also lessen the financial burden of travelling costs on their families.

    Students will only need to be dressed in school uniforms in order to receive a free ride.

  • Maria B and what continues to be wrong with our society

    Designer Maria Butt, running the Maria B design label, somehow stays more in the news because of her controversial, many times toxic and mostly disappointing point of view than her clothing brand itself. The designer has a way of getting attention for all the wrong reasons.

    So a designer who has been in the industry for a long should have evolved with the changing times, but sadly, to our disappointment, Butt reflects a more significant part of our society that is still stuck in ancient times. But, like many bigoted Pakistanis, it provides little to no space for accepting people for who and what they are.

    Let’s talk about her many problematic views that have hurt the sentiments of many, put the lives of marginalised groups in danger and not to forget the very recent emotional damage done to a family because of her brand’s recent photoshoot.

    Maria B has several times attempted to “raise awareness” about her apparent “vast distinctions” between the Khwajasira and Transgender community through her limited knowledge, which resulted in putting the lives of the already marginlised community in danger. People like Maria B should understand that the transgender community is struggling to stay alive, let alone benefit from rights granted to them by the laws of this country. She has a huge following and the words she utters against anyone have consequences of their own.

    How can one forget that Maria B expressed great joy in a series of Instagram stories, when the censor board in Punjab banned the film Joyland. A film that has put Pakistan’s name on the world map was widely opposed by the designer. She then hailed the Punjab government saying, “You guys rock!” when they banned the film. Maria also highlighted how this ban “gives hope” to people like her who want a better future for children in Pakistan.

    Despite being from a previliged class, she has only displaying ignorance. A member of Bahawalpur’s Abbasi family, the former nawabs of the once princely state, called out the Maria B brand for posting and later deleting pictures and videos of a campaign shot in their private family graveyard. The campaign featured shots from various locations in Bahawalpur. In it, the models are seen walking and twirling around in various locations, one of which was identified as the private graveyard of the royal family of Bahawalpur. The videos and pictures have since been deleted and the Maria B page posted an apology for the “unfortunate incident”.

    Needless to say, Maria B has been receiving backlash for offering her unsought and limited knowledge about topics she is no expert on. Yet, her ignorance and insensitivity makes her believe that it is her duty to raise her voice, and speak without thinking of consequences for others. We can only hope she and others like her learn for the better. Pakistan is already intoxicated by the narrow mindset of many. We don’t want additional toxicity in our country.

  • Ruh-roh, Maria B quotes trans supporter Lady Gaga in campaign video

    .It seems that while insisting she has better knowledge about who is a real woman and who is not, Maria B should have first researched which celebrities champion trans causes.

    A video for the promotion of Maria B’s upcoming fashion brand is going viral because Mona Hussain, another vocal anti-trans rights person, was seen quoting Lady Gaga’s famous song ‘Born This Way’ in it.

    “Women empowerment is when a woman is allowed to reach her full potential in whatever way that may be. What it certainely means is that we do not need men to tell us who we are, or define our roles… In the words of the famous Lady Gaga, ‘Baby, you were literally born this way!”

    Mona Hussain is a psychologist who has collaborated in the past with Maria B in transphobic videos.

    What Maria B chooses to completely filter out here is that ‘Born This Way’ was written by Lady Gaga in support of the transgender community, and it features lyrics that encourages people to love themselves, regardless of being gay, straight or transgender:

    “No matter gay, straight, or bi
    Lesbian, transgender life
    I’m on the right track, baby
    I was born to survive
    No matter Black, white, or beige
    Chola or Orient made
    I’m on the right track, baby
    I was born to be brave!”

    Lady Gaga has also called out transphobes in interviews, for instance in an interview with Anderson Cooper, she was asked about the rumor that she is secretly a man to which she responded:

    “Maybe I do…Would it be so terrible? Why the hell am I gonna waste my time and give a press release on whether or not I have a penis? My fans don’t care and neither do I.”

  • Male Iranian pharmaceutical employees start wearing hijabs to protest against sexist govt policy

    Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad has shared a clip of male pharmaceutical workers actively resisting a sexist policy introduced by the Iranian Drug & Food Administration which had ordered women to start wearing black veils at their workplaces. Alinejad wrote in a tweet:

    “Iran’s Food & Drug Administration has ordered pharmacies to force their female staff to wear black veils at workplace. Iranian men are mocking this order and supporting their female colleagues by wearing hijab. Compulsory hijab is the main pillar of a religious relationship. Together we will bring this wall down.”

    Alinejad called for international pharmacists to support their Iranian colleagues in their fight for gender equality, as many women have lost their jobs because they protested against compulsory hijab laws:

    “I call on international pharmacists to support their Iranian colleagues. Many women lost their job for the crime of resisting compulsory hijab laws. Forcing women to wear hijab is an insult to all women and men across the globe. Human rights is a global matter. Show your solidarity.”

    Compulsory hijab has been in the eye of the storm in Iran, leading to strikes and demonstrations across Iran after the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini, who died under custody of the morality police after refusing to abide by the strict hijab rules. Many women continue to remove their hijab in order to protest against the compulsory law, stating that it denies them social and political freedom.

    Speaking to RFE, an unnamed psychologist said: “Women see it as their absolute right, a right they have been denied for years. I’m protesting the status quo.”

  • ‘Stop lying’: Imaan Zainab, Aurat March protesters criticize Sherry Rehman for tone-deaf tweet

    At the Aurat March protest held in Islamabad on March 8, police officers were caught on camera assaulting female protestors and pushing them back by installing barbed wires.

    Politicians like the Minister of Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, condemned the clashes in a tweet and called for an inquiry on the conduct of the police officers who had brutally beaten the female protesters.

    Lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Haazir called Rehman out, writing in a tweet that the Minister had done nothing to prevent the police from preventing the peaceful protest from going on.

    “You came to the march for a photo-op and left after creating complete chaos which we were then dealing with for the next hour. You were rude to us in our meeting with you on 6 March and were aware of all the risks we were taking. Please save this drama for someone who believes it. Too little, too late.”

    Rehman responded to Mazari-Hazir’s tweet saying that she had left early due to a distress call, and offered an opportunity to meet all year round rather than just for a “one year episodic march”.

    “Oh please. I did not need your “photo op”; left a fully scheduled press con at PID (anyone can check) at 2.40 becoz I got a distress call. In my office I offered u a safe space thru the year to meet and build traction, not just a one year episodic march. With my broken shoulder I stood there but many were caught up in angry sloganeering. Have been the butt of many laathi charges but never behaved like this. Rudeness is never going to get u allies or grow solidarity. All the best”

    Mazari-Hazir then criticized Sherry Rehman for reducing Aurat March to a “one year episodic march”.

    “Calling it ‘just a 1 year episodic march’ shows what you really think of it. That in itself is sad. This ‘one year episodic march’ is a global practice- doesn’t mean collectives (or even individuals within them) are not working year round. Could have criticized what I said without punching down on movement.”

    Other Aurat March protestors also criticized the minister, calling her “condescending” for interrupting the trans performers present at the march.

    This user wrote: “You were extremely condescending to all of us whn we met u. You interrupted the Trans persons’ perfrmance by standing over them knowing fully well tht the media will follow u. U brought out the inner transphobes in the media persons who thn started strampling the trans performers”

    Another activist, Fauzia Yazdani tweeted how Rehman had refused to condemn the police officers who had started harassing and pushing back the protestors

  • CM Mohsin Naqvi says PTI worker died in car accident

    CM Mohsin Naqvi says PTI worker died in car accident

    Interim Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi and Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar on Saturday jointly addressed the press conference, presenting their case that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Ali Bilal lost his life in a car accident and not due to custodial torture by the Punjab police.

    Both of them claimed that PTI leadership had known the truth yet accused the Punjab government of Bilal’s death.

    CM Naqvi said that the Vice president of the PTI in Central Punjab Raja Shakeel informed PTI leader Yasmin Rashid that Bilal was hit by a car. Later, Rashid also informed the party about it at Zaman Park.

    He added that all the evidence will first be taken to Bilal’s family. He claimed that the PTI worker’s father was also offered money to stick to torture allegations.

    Naqvi asserted that the government will financially help the family.

    “I am accused of murder, is it that easy to level murder accusations on someone?” he asked, adding that the PTI is openly asking to file an FIR for the murder.

    Naqvi said he would have answered the accusations “in a different manner” had he not been in CM’s position.

    Addressing the presser, Punjab IG said that the people who brought Bilal to the hospital have been arrested and will be presented before a court.

    “Action will be taken if evidence of police torture is found,” the IG said.

    During the press briefing, confessional video statements of the two suspects, who are currently under police custody, were also played.

    On March 8, PTI workers were picked up by the police when a clash took place just before a scheduled election rally.

    Later, the party leadership claimed that Bilal was tortured and killed while in police custody. Bilal’s postmortem report, issued by the Mayo Hospital, says the victim suffered “massive blunt trauma”, while a fracture to his skull and subsequent bleeding has been cited as the cause of death. The report also noted damage to his liver, spleen and testes, which led to profuse bleeding.

  • ‘I was shocked by the success of Jab We Met’: Kareena Kapoor

    ‘I was shocked by the success of Jab We Met’: Kareena Kapoor

    It has been 16 years since the iconic Bollywood rom-com ‘Jab We Met’ took over our screens and cemented itself as one of the best films to ever come out of India.

    Kareena Kapoor who starred as the naive and bubbly Geet in the film, admitted in an interview with Mirchi that she was completely taken aback by the iconic status the film has been given, since at that time the actor was more focused on her film ‘Tashaan’:

    “I was in this whole zone of getting to size zero, I am working in Tashan, with Akshay (Kumar), Anil (Kapoor) and Saif (Ali Khan).”

    Kapoor also went on to reveal that she had been completely focused on training for her role in ‘Tashaan’, even while she was on the sets of ‘Jab We Met’:

    “I got the main part and it was a Yash Raj film and I was doing action for the first time and whenever I came on the Jab We Met set it would be like ‘Please I need to train because I am going for action training.’ I never thought, the reverse situation actually happened. I had all my bets on Tashan.”

    Shahid Kapoor, who played the introverted Aditya in ‘Jab We Met’ recently shared a clip of himself visiting fans at the cinema when the film had re-released once more.

    Speaking to Pinkvilla, Kapoor admitted that ‘Jab We Met’ was the type of rare film that is made once ever two decades, and was looking forward to doing another romantic film with the director, Imtiaz Ali, again:

    “We re-released Jab We Met recently and a lot of people are now asking me why ain’t I doing a film like this again. I feel, Jab We Met happens once in two decades and it’s not like an everyday film. Most of the films one does in this genre are bad, so one needs to pick up a decent script. In fact, Imtiaz (Ali, director) and I were also chatting to find something in this space again. I want to do something fun and exciting.”

  • Ranbir Kapoor under fire once more after comment on Alia Bhatt goes viral

    Ranbir Kapoor under fire once more after comment on Alia Bhatt goes viral

    Ranbir Kapoor is once more being criticized by fans for his insensitive comments about his wife, Alia Bhatt.

    The ‘Tu Jhooti Mein Makkar’ actor was previously called a misogynist by the internet when he was seen body shaming Bhatt during a livestream, while Bhatt had been pregnant with their baby, Raha.

    Kapoor is being criticized this time for a remark he made during an interview with ‘GOODTiMES. The ‘Brahmastra’ actor said he doesn’t want their baby Raha to have Alia’s personality, since the ‘Gangubai’ actor is very loud and ‘talks a lot’:

    “I just hope she has my personality rather than hers because I can’t have two women like Alia in the house,” he said. “Alia has a very boisterous personality; she talks quite loud and is vivacious. Two girls at home like that would be quite a daunting task for me. I hope Raha is a bit more quiet and demure like me so then we both can handle Alia.”

    Since this interview went online, Twitter users have slammed Kapoor as insensitive and misogynist for refusing to recognize how such comments about Bhatt are extremely hurtful.

    One user wrote: “I hate guys who do this to their wives. This low key mocking of their demeanor which they then pass on to the kids. Very common in Indian families.”

    Another user wrote “oh god oh god oh god if you don’t like your wives just say that stop making jokes at the expense of their literal personality and get a life”

    Many users were pointing out that Kapoor’s action was one of most common traits through which men put down confident and loud women by mocking and publicly humiliating them.