Entertainment

NATO bans TikTok on devices

NATO officially banned staffers from downloading the social media app TikTok onto their NATO-provided devices, citing security concerns. NATO officials sent a note to staff announcing the ban, the officials said. The note made the ban official, but TikTok was not really usable on NATO-issued devices before, anyway, the officials said, because of internal tech restrictions.

Ahmed Ali Akbar, Mansha Pasha star together in a drama

Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha’s upcoming drama Idiot is an ode to all the misfits out there who refuse to accept the world for what it is and seek to align it with the vision they have for it. Green Entertainment shared the trailer captioned, “To all the social misfits and rebels who question dysfunctional man-made norms of society, all the wanderers embarked on a journey of self-discovery, searching for the greater purpose of existence.”

China appeals for fair treatment after TikTok bans

Beijing: China appealed to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok. The restriction was imposed due to fears that the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk. “We call on the countries concerned to recognize the objective facts, effectively respect the market economy” and provide “a non-discriminatory environment” for all companies, said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

Asim Azhar’s ‘Family Bizniss’ to hit the screens

Asim Azhar is returning to our screens with a new drama releasing on the first of Ramazan. The trailer for the Family Bizniss, also starring Saife Hasan and Salma Hasan is out now. Fahad Mustafa, who is one of the producers of the show, shared the two-minute clip on his Instagram. “Get ready because what you were waiting for is finally here. Watch the trailer for Family Bizniss and be ready for the tamasha [spectacle],” he wrote.

Cristiano Ronaldo sends relief items to Türkiye, Syria

Al Nassr footballer Cristiano Ronaldo sent a plane loaded with relief items to the earthquake victims of Türkiye and Syria. Ronaldo paid for tents, food packages, pillows and blankets, beds, baby food and milk and medical supplies for those affected by the devastating quakes. Earlier, football legends including Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr auctioned their signed jerseys in a bid to help those affected by the quake.

Chris Rock hits back at Will Smith

Los Angeles: Chris Rock finally hit back at Will Smith in a brutal stand-up routine. The comedian came out swinging, accusing the Hollywood star of “selective outrage” when he reacted to a jibe about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. “Everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that. I didn’t have any entanglements,” he said, referring to Pinkett Smith’s acknowledged marital infidelity.

Deepika Padukone to present Oscars alongside Dwayne Johnson

With her accomplishments overseas, Deepika Padukone has frequently drawn. Being one of the select few from around the world who will be presenting an award at the ceremony, the actress is prepared to represent India at the Academy Awards in 2023. In receiving this honor, Deepika will be seen joining celebrities like Emily Blunt, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Riz Ahmed, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. On Sunday, March 12, 2023, ABC will broadcast the 95th Oscars live.

Sushmita Sen undergoes angioplasty

Renowned Indian actress Sushmita Sen recently underwent angioplasty after suffering from a heart attack. The news was confirmed through a statement on social media, where Sen advised her fans to keep their hearts calm and happy, as it would stand by them when needed. Sen shared that she had a heart attack a few days ago, but she received timely medical attention and had undergone an angioplasty and a stent procedure. She also expressed her gratitude towards the medical professionals who helped her during this critical time

Hadiqa Kiani builds houses for flood victims in Balochistan

Balochistan: Hadiqa Kiani, a prominent Pakistani singer and actress, successfully constructed 100 houses for flood victims in a village of Tehsil Tambo in Naseerabad district of Balochistan. The singer initiated a relief campaign called 'Waslia Rah' soon after the flood, under which she collected donations from the public and various institutions. Initially, the singer provided essential items to the flood-affected people in Sindh, Balochistan, and South Punjab. However, the campaign later expanded to the construction of houses, a school, a mosque, and a maternity home.

HSY to launch ‘affordable’ festive collection “Rehana”

Designer HSY’s new collection is weeks away from launching and there’s something special about it. To start, it’s going to be a tribute to his mother Rehana, and other “courageous” women like her. He announced his upcoming collection in a video on Instagram. “For the first time ever, HSY introduces affordable festive collection for the women of Pakistan, named after his mother Rehana,” read the caption.

Bride-to-be Ushna Shah kickstarts her wedding festivities

Actress Ushna Shah and beau Hamza Amin kickstarted their wedding festivities last night with an intimate soiree. Bride-to-be Ushna Shah and her fiance Hamza Amin hosted an intimate wedding function on Friday, for close family and friends, before they get into the desi celebrations. The ‘Habs’ star shared a brief montage from the private evening on her social media handle.

Transgender anchor escapes unhurt in life attempt

Lahore: Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor escaped life attempt on Thursday night outside her residence in Lahore's Cantonment area. Marvia Malik told police that she was returning home from a pharmacy when two attackers opened indiscriminate fire. She claimed that she had been receiving threatening phone calls and messages from unknown numbers for raising her voice for the transgender community.

Renowned Baloch folk singer passes away

Quetta: Eminent Baloch folk singer Wasu Khan on Friday passed away in Jaffarabad at the age of 80. According to his family, Wasu Khan had been suffering from kidney disease for a long time and breathed his last at a hospital in Sukkur. He will be buried in the Akhund Baba graveyard near Kali Deba on Sunday afternoon.

Usman Mukhtar’s film Gulabo Rani bags more awards

Actor-director Usman Mukhtar’s horror film Gulabo Rani, scheduled for a release in March, just won seven more international awards. Mukhtar penned a long thank you note on Instagram, saying: “Alhamdulillah, so happy to announce that our film Gulabo Rani has bagged seven more awards internationally.” He listed the awards saying Gulabo won four awards at the Independent Shorts Awards Los Angeles, two awards at the Indie X Film Fest LA, and one at the Indie Short Fest LA.

Bafta Awards face backlash over all-white winners

The Bafta Awards have come under fire, after all the winners at its film ceremony on Sunday were white. The prestigious British event had a diverse set of nominees, with people belonging to ethnic minorities taking almost 40% of acting shortlist slots. But that did not translate into wins, with the 49 victors across all categories being white.

Feroze Khan sends Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy legal notice for ‘defamation’

“Khaani” star Feroze Khan claimed that he served filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy with a defamation lawsuit. He also asserted that she “played” with his reputation by “publicly humiliating” him without hearing his side of the story. He demanded that Ms Obaid-Chinoy should apologise for acting on a “baseless allegation,” a reference to his former wife Aliza Sultan’s accusations of domestic abuse

Mahira Khan’s clothing line upsets fans

Social media users have slammed Mahira Khan’s new fashion label ‘M’ for being too expensive during the period of high inflation in the country. Many people were annoyed by the items’ simplicity: plain white Mardana and embroidered Kurtas, Silk Tunic set, and co-ord sets. While many Netizens expressed their admiration for the Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad star, few seemed willing to purchase the clothes.

Prince Harry, Meghan to be questioned in defamation case

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are to be questioned as part of a US defamation case brought by her half-sister over "false and malicious" statements. Samantha Markle sued Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, for “defamation and injurious falsehood” following the couple’s high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Javed Akhtar, other luminaries to attend Faiz Festival

Lahore: The annual three-day International Faiz Festival is all set to begin. Foreign delegates from various countries including the UK, Canada, the USA and India will host various literary, musical and artistic activities during the festival. Famous Indian poet and film writer Javed Akhtar will also participate in the event. He will launch his new book during the event and will also be a part of a Mushaira.

Imran Abbas stars in US-Indo Punjabi film

It emerged that Imran Abbas would make his Punjabi cinematic debut with his upcoming Punjabi film 'Jee Ve Soneya Jee'. The actor would be playing the main character in the love story. “This is a very serious, very intense love story between two countries, India and Pakistan. It will be shot in Europe, London, and India. Our Punjab and Indian Punjab, as you know, are so close so this is a great effort to keep us close to people in the Indian Punjab,” he stated.

Hollywood stars prevail in Super Bowl ads

New York: It was reported that big-name advertisers from Netflix to Google would be paying as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot during the big game on Sunday. In the ads released so far, John Travolta and “Scrubs” star Donald Faison and Zach Braff sang a T-Mobile-themed version of “Summer Nights” from “Grease,”. Moreover, Adam Driver created multiple versions of himself for Squarespace, and Alicia Silverstone reprised her “Clueless” character for the online shopping site Rakuten.

Harry Styles, Beyoncé win at UK’s Brit Awards

Harry Styles won four prizes, including album of the year, at the U.K.’s leading music awards. Beyoncé added two Brits to her crowded shelf of awards for international artist of the year and international song of the year, for “Break My Soul.” Styles took the album of the year trophy for “Harry’s House,” less than a week after winning the same category at the Grammy Awards.

Folk singer Bashir Baloch passes away

Quetta: The Presidential award-winning folk singer Bashir Baloch passed away in Quetta on Sunday. According to Muhammad Raza, the son of the late singer, Bashir Baloch was suffering from kidney disease. The renowned folk singer will be buried in the Akhund Baba graveyard near Killi Deba area of Quetta today.

Shae Gill, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi to sing PSL anthem

Lahore: It emerged that singer Shae Gill, Asim Azhar, and Faris Sharif would sing the official anthem of the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). According to the PSL official Twitter account, "Shae Gill will lend her voice to the official HBL PSL-8 anthem." As per reports, the PSL 2023 trophy will be unveiled on Feb 9 in Lahore at the Shalimar Gardens.

Farhan Saeed demands public apology from Feroze Khan

Lahore: Actor Feroze Khan made waves in news due to the leakage of private information of prominent Pakistani celebrities. After Sarwat, her husband Fahad Mirza, Yasir, and others, Farhan Saeed also reacted and served Feroze Khan a legal notice. He demanded a public apology within three days for the damage he’s caused, to avoid any further legal consequences.

Rakhi Sawant arrested in Mumbai

Bollywood actor and model Rakhi Sawant was detained in connection with an FIR filed against her by actor Sherlyn Chopra. She was arrested by Mumbai police. Sherlyn Chopra took to Twitter to inform everyone about Rakhi's arrest. She tweeted, “Amboli Police has arrested Rakhi Sawant in respect of FIR 883/2022. Yesterday, Rakhi Sawant’s ABA 1870/2022 was rejected by the Mumbai session court.”

India defames Pakistan’s actors: FIA

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) discovered up to 400 social media profiles that were involved in a smear campaign against Pakistani actresses and models Mehwish Hayat, Kubra Khan, Mahira Khan, and Sajal Aly. Numerous social media accounts were being run from India, according to FIA sources. Many of these accounts were also being run from Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar.