Hollywood star Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting following a recent diagnosis of aphasia, a brain condition that impacts cognitive abilities and speech.
Willis’ eldest daughter, Rumer Willis, made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a joint statement from his family about Willis’ condition. Aphasia is caused by brain damage, and affects an individual’s ability to communicate.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” Rumer Willis wrote in the statement. “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
The statement continued, “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”
Rumer Willis concluded, “As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn.”
The Sixth Sense star was recently seen in at least eight action movies released in 2021 and has a handful of films currently in post-production. Titles from last year include “American Siege,” “Fortress,” “Deadlock,” “Apex,” “Survive the Game,” “Out of Death,” “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” and “Cosmic Sin.”
His upcoming are films including “Vendetta,” “Fortress: Sniper’s Eye,” “The Wrong Places,” and “Die Like Lovers,” among more.
Though never Oscar-nominated, beloved actor Willis has two Primetime Emmy Award wins for his guest role on “Friends” and his recurring role on “Moonlighting.” Willis also received a Golden Globe award in 1987 for his turn on “Moonlighting.”
Keeping his word, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan called senior journalists in Islamabad to meet him and revealed the contents of the ‘foreign country threat letter’. However, he didn’t mention which country the letter referred to and did not show the letter to anyone either.
The premier announced that he would show the “threat letter” reportedly containing evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” against the government to senior journalists and one member each of the government’s allied parties.
PM Khan told journalists that he would give a briefing to Parliament on the letter and admitted that the letter was written by Pakistan’s ambassador, not naming the country the ambassador was present in. He said that national security rules apply to the letter and he could not reveal any more details.
The Prime Minister said that the letter has been shared with the military leadership and that he could not explain the language used in the letter.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan speaking in relevance to the letter has said that the letter is an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan.
“If he brings Imran Khan brings the letter forward, the Opposition will get destroyed,” Senator Javed stated.
The Pakistani Rupee (PKR) continued its decline against the US Dollar (USD) today, reporting losses in the interbank market. At the close of the session today, the local currency lost 30 paisas against the US dollar.
It fell 0.16 percent against the US dollar, closing at Rs182.64 after losing 30 paisas and closing at Rs182.34 in the interbank market on Tuesday, March 29.
Pakistan’s ongoing political volatility and economic problems continue to weaken currency reserves as the country attempts to remove obstacles toward financial relief.
After global oil prices surged on Monday, the PKR maintained its downward trend against the greenback.
The rupee has lost about 17 per cent of its value since its last peak in May 2021. To date, the local currency has lost more than 13.6 per cent of its value.
It is worth noting that the Pakistani currency depreciated 30.5 per cent against the US dollar in the last three years under the government of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has decided to part ways with the government in principle. The final decision was announced today during a press conference, flanked by leaders of the joint Opposition, MQM-P. MQM is a government ally at the Centre.
The development was “historic”
MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at the beginning of the conference said the development was “historic” and at the same time, it was a “test for the political leadership of the country” as the coming days would pose several challenges to them.
“Today, we are gathered here to vow that we should work beyond promises and ensure that the decisions we take impact common Pakistanis,” Siddiqui said.
A national jirga of the opposition … has come together: Shehbaz
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said: “Today is an important day in Pakistan’s history because a joint opposition … a national jirga of the opposition … has come together and efforts have been made for national unity.
“This agreement will be implemented in letter and spirit,” added Shehbaz.
PPP and MQM-P have to work together under any condition if we want to work for Karachi and Pakistan’s prosperity: Bilawal
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari thanked MQM-P and described its decision of teaming up with the opposition as “historic”.
“I want to repeat that PPP and MQM-P’s working relationship is not related to the no-confidence motion. PPP and MQM-P have to work together under any condition if we want to work for Karachi and Pakistan’s prosperity,” he said.
“Imran Khan has now lost his majority. He is not the prime minister anymore. The parliament session is tomorrow. Let’s hold voting tomorrow and settle this matter. We can then start working on transparent elections and the journey towards restoration of democracy and an end to economic crisis can then begin.”
Following the formal announcement, MQM-P’s Siddiqui signed the agreement with the opposition parties.
MQM-P’s Farogh Naseem, Aminul Haque step down as federal ministers
Both members of MQM-P serving as federal ministers, Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque, have stepped down from their posts, hours after the party’s announcement to side with the Opposition in the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Opposition congratulates Pakistan
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Pakistan on the latest development.
“The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM & PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan.”
The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM & PPP CEC will ratify said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan.
— Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (@BBhuttoZardari) March 29, 2022
Rabta Committee meeting today
A draft agreement had been finalised between the two sides in the early hours today but MQM will publicly announce its final decision once the Rabta Committee has ratified the agreement. MQM-P will convene a meeting at their Bahadurabad office today at 2pm to discuss the agreement with the Opposition. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui will preside over the Rabta Committee meeting.
متحدہ اپوزیشن اور متحدہ قومی موومنٹ پاکستان کے درمیان معاہدہ نے حتمی شکل اختیار کر لی ہے پیپلز پارٹی کی سی ای سی، ایم کیو ایم پاکستان کی رابطہ کمیٹی مجوزہ معاہدے کی توثیق کے بعد اس کی تفصیلات سے کل شام۴ بجے باضابطہ میڈیا کو آگاہ کیا جائے گا۔ @MQMPKOfficial@PPP_Org@pmln_org
Journalist Gharidah Farooqi tweeted the list of demands made by the MQM.
The government ally has asked the Opposition that the local government law will be made in accordance with Article 140-A, the Sindh government will present a draft amendment in the local body law in the assembly within a month, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab will resign from his post, put an end to fake domiciles in Sindh, an increase in the powers of local bodies, and administrators of local bodies in Hyderabad, Karachi to be appointed in consultation with PPP and MQM.
ایم کیو ایم اپوزیشن معاہدہ؛ نکات؛
سندھ میں جعلی ڈومیسائل کا اجرا روکنے کے لیے قانون سازی کی جائے گی۔
بلدیاتی اداروں کے اختیارات میں اضافہ کیا جائے گا۔
حیدرآباد، کراچی میں بلدیاتی کونسلز میں ایڈمنسٹریٹرز کا تقرر پی پی/ایم کیو ایم مشاورت سے ہوگا۔ https://t.co/FjYgeVMevn
After the Opposition’s meeting, a delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also reached Parliament Lodges to convince the MQM, not to part ways with the government.
Apple is limiting the production of its recently launched ‘budget’ smartphone, the ‘iPhone SE 2022’ owing to lower-than-expected demand. The tech giant has urged suppliers to reduce the manufacturing of the iPhone SE, by roughly 2 million to 3 million devices, or about 20 per cent of initial booking orders.
In fact, the iPhone SE is still not as well-known as Apple’s higher-priced iPhones. According to research, from its launch through Q4 2021, the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE contributed to only 12 per cent of total iPhone sales.
It is worth mentioning that Apple also slashed orders for AirPods by around 10 million devices for the current year.
The 5g enabled iPhone SE is marketed by the company as an alternative for the premium devices from Apple. However, its price tag of Rs105,238 (excluding PTA charges) still seems surprising as compared to the earlier SE model which was offered with a lesser price tag of Rs72,520 (excluding PTA charges).
According to Nikkei, the drop in production is a result of the Ukraine crisis and inflation’s detrimental influence on the demand for gadgets.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several major IT companies, including Apple, ceased sales in the country. The United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have all slapped economic sanctions on Russia, causing supply chain disruption and raising inflation concerns.
The confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars has been discussed around the world in the days since. So many have had their say on the comedian’s joke and on the actor’s decision to respond by slapping Rockon the stage. Now, Jadahas broken her silence and shared a message on social media.
It was a mysterious and cryptic message, with no caption and just an image with some text.
“This is a season for healing and I’m here for it,” the message on Smith’s Instagram said, with the post earning hundreds of thousands of likes from her nearly 12 million followers and others.
Pinkett Smith did not comment amid the furore and public debate that ensued over the merits of Rock’s joke and Smith’s actions until Tuesday, posting to Instagram: “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it”.
Although Will posted an apology on social media.
Rock is yet to comment publicly on what happened at the Oscars or Smith’s apology.
However, tickets for his upcoming comedy shows have reportedly skyrocketed in Sunday’s aftermath.
One live event ticketing site, TickPick, said on Monday that it sold more tickets the previous night than it did in the past month combined.
A spokesperson also told CBS that prices for an upcoming Rock show on Wednesday in Boston rose from $46 (£35.16) to $411 (£314).
More than half of all ticket sales for Rock’s tour – which went on sale a month ago – came after the incident at the Oscars. The vast majority – 88% – of ticket sales for Rock’s shows on the website over the last week came after the incident.
Shortly after the on-stage blow, Smith won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Smith referred to Mr Williams in his tearful acceptance speech, calling him a “fierce defender of his family”.
On Monday, Mr Williams condemned Smith and expressed surprise that the incident had taken place.
“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” he told NBC through his son, Chavoita LeSane. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self defence.”
Earlier in April 2021 Jada Pinkett Smith trended on web for her hijab pictures.
The American actor on Tuesday posted a sun-kissed selfie of herself sporting a peach hijab while she and husband Will Smith spend time in the Middle East. It is not yet clear which country the couple is in though.
“I really think the colour peach in the Middle East … suits me,” wrote Smith in the caption.
Fans and followers, including celebrities, loved Smith’s selfie and gushed over her in the comments section for embracing Muslim culture.
“Beautiful! Thank you for embracing the culture,” wrote one social media user, while Priyanka Chopra commented: “Beautiful.”
“Salaam, you look phenomenal. Queen, thank you for showing the world that you and Will got love for us. We really appreciate it. Sometimes we are made to feel that the world is against us. Queens like you show the world there is nothing to fear and contrary to certain beliefs, we don’t hate the world or non-Muslims. I actually welcome, embrace and love all people. Thank you,” wrote another follower.
Earlier, Jada had also shared pictures of herself wearing a bright, orange hijaab, with the caption: “When you are in the Middle East watching Will Smith on his sunrise run in my non-glamour glory.”
Jada, who has denied being affiliated with any religion, in a series of tweets in 2017, admitted that she incorporates different aspects of several religions in her spiritual routine.
“I recently lit Shabbat candles with Rabbi Bentley at Temple Sinai…but I am not Jewish. I have prayed in mosques all over the world…but I am not a Muslim,” said the actor.
“I have read the Bhagavad Gita…but I am not a Hindu. I have chanted and meditated in some of the most magnificent temples on earth…but I am not a Buddhist,” she said further. “I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech…but I am not a Scientologist.”
“I practice human kindness, and I believe that we each have the right to determine what we are and what we are not. NO ONE ELSE can hold that power,” added Smith.
Atlas Honda is set to announce another price hike within a month for all of its motorcycles. The manufacturer will increase the prices from Rs2,000 to Rs10,000 for seven variants.
As per two prominent Atlas Honda motorcycle dealerships in Lahore: Honda Gulberg and Honda Hamiz Bedian, the Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA) have already notified all Honda dealerships across Pakistan of the revised prices.
The imminent price hike is due to the rising cost of raw materials used in production as well as the continuous depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.
According to the dealerships, the popular Honda CD70 and CD70 Dream variants will see a price hike of Rs2000 which will be sold at Rs99,900 and Rs106,500 respectively from April 1.
Honda Pridor will be priced at Rs136,900 after an increase of Rs3000 in its existing price of Rs133,900.
The manager at Honda Gulberg stated that the company will release a formal notification on March 31, 2022, regarding the increase, the new rates will be effective from Friday.
This hike will place Honda CG 125’s price at almost Rs160,000. It is worth noting that the same bike was priced at Rs134,000 last year in the same period.
A man in Saudi Arabia has reportedly divorced his wife after learning that she was a smoker before they got married. According to media reports, the husband who is a Saudi national, told his lawyer last week that he wanted to divorce his wife because he was afraid she might resume smoking.
He that since there was “no guarantee” that the woman would not start smoking again, her habit might “hurt his social status”. The man’s lawyer stated that the wife admitted to her husband that she used to smoke before they married.
The husband also elaborated that he dislikes smoking ladies. As a result, he filed for divorce. The court ruled in favour of the man and ordered the lady to repay the dowry she received from her husband at the time of the wedding.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced that he would show the “threat letter” reportedly containing evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” against the government to senior journalists and one member each of the government’s allied parties. On March 27, PM Khan had waved a letter during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) power show in Islamabad and talked about a foreign conspiracy to oust his government.
“The document that I have, I will show it to senior journalists today. We want to protect the nation and can’t divulge details in public. People think this is a joke and I have decided to share it with top journalists,” adding that he would call one member of each allied party and show them the document and “prove that it is real”.
I will show the threatening letter to senior journalists of the country: PM Imran Khan
PM Khan’s comments came during a ceremony for the launch of the E-passport facility in Islamabad.
“People can take whatever decision they want to. But beware of the fact that, directly or indirectly, you may become a part of a huge international conspiracy,” he said, adding that the document would provide proof of the same.
“Foreign funding is being used to change the government. Money is coming from abroad and people inside the country are being used. Some of them are unaware they are being used and some are intentionally using this money against us,” said PM Khan.
“But this is a foreign imported conspiracy. And it started when people from abroad started controlling Pakistan through telephone calls. They cannot tolerate a leadership that works in the people’s interest.”
“We sacrificed our interests for those abroad but they never valued it,” he said.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Planning and Development Umar said he has seen the letter himself, adding that if someone had doubts, the “prime minister is ready … he thought we can share with the chief justice of the Supreme Court”.
