LOS ANGELES: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took back his spot as the world’s richest man on Monday, dethroning Elon Musk on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bezos’ net worth stands at $200 billion, according to the tracker, surpassing the Tesla chief’s $198 billion.
Musk, who also heads X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX, has seen his riches fall by more than $30 billion as Tesla’s share price has dropped 25% in recent months.
Adding to Musk’s woes, a court in January approved the annulment of his enormous Tesla compensation agreement, worth $55.8 billion and originally struck in 2018.
Bezos, who no longer runs Amazon, has meanwhile benefited from the e-commerce giant’s rising stock price. Even after recently selling off $8.5 billion in stocks he remains the company’s largest shareholder.
The French CEO of the luxury group LVMH, Bernard Arnault, remains in third place in the rankings of the world’s richest people, worth $197 billion.
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Olympian javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has revealed that he has not had a world class javelin since seven or eight years.
Talking to Geo news, Arshad Nadeem said “It is very important to have a javelin of international standard. It improves the game and maintains uniformity in training because if you train with local javelin and go abroad with international javelin, it makes a difference in the performance.”
Arshad then said his world level javelin is damaged.
“I am training with a local javelin for the Paris Olympics. There is a risk of injury from using local and non-standard javelins, I have undergone surgery on my right knee last month after one on my left knee and right elbow.”
The beloved athlete states that a world level javelin costs between Rs 700,000 – 800,000. “For international competitions, there should be at least five or six javelins. A local javelin costs 1 to 1.5 lac rupees but they are not of a good quality.”
Stressing that there is a “world of difference” between his and Indian thrower Neeraj Chopra’s training, Arshad revealed that he does not have a ground available to train continuously.
“After last night’s surgery, I have also started rehab and will be back in full rhythm in a month. My current target is the Paris Olympics for which we have qualified for the second time. There will be a couple of events to prepare for before that and I am also going to South Africa for training.”
During the match between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi on March 4, Subhan Khan first dropped a catch outside the boundary, then Colin Munro told him how to hold on to the catch. Subhan then held on to a great catch in the same match.
After he took the catch, Colin Munro hugged Subhan.
In a groundbreaking study conducted by the Women Journalists Association of Pakistan (WJAP) and Freedom Network, the Pakistani media industry has been thrust into a state of gender emergency due to the stark under-representation of women journalists in newsrooms and the absence of gender-sensitive policies.
The comprehensive gender audit surveyed 15 news organizations in Islamabad, focusing on workforce representation, organizational policies, anti-harassment measures, working conditions, and wages. Among the audited organizations were six TV channels, four newspapers, three news agencies, and two news websites.
The audit findings reveal that the average share of women journalists at the news outlets is only 11 percent. Majority of news organisations have no woman journalists in a leadership position.
Only two out of the 15 media houses have an anti-harassment inquiry committee despite a federal law making it mandatory for employers. Most media organizations do not offer paid maternity or paternity leave even though it is now legally required.
The gender sensitivity assessment of the audit report found that overall around 75 percent of the 15 news outlets were gender blind, meaning their organisational policies and practices do not identify or address specific gender-based issues that can affect men, women, and other gender minorities differently at the workplace.
The findings also revealed that the majority of the news organisations do not have documented policies regarding employee conduct, salaries, and promotions. At nearly half of the organisations, salaries are paid late, and the wages of female journalists are lower than their male counterparts at a quarter of the organisations.
As per the study, almost 75 percent of news outlets did not have even one woman journalist in an influential or leadership role at their Islamabad offices. The remaining four outlets had at most two women journalists involved in news decision-making.
In response, the study offers a set of recommendations directed at news organizations, media managers, civil society, journalist unions, and policymakers. These include implementing gender equality strategies in hiring, promotions, and workplace conduct, conducting capacity-building training and awareness on gender for journalists and newsrooms, demanding transparency in contracts and wage structures, and seeking legal recourse against violations of gender protection laws.
Summer is almost here, bringing with it blazing hot weather, skyrocketing bijli bills, mosquitoes and houseflies. At least we have lawn to look forward to. Well, we USED to have lawn to look forward to.
Over the years, lawn suits have progressively become heavily embroidered concoctions, leaving the simple and light lawn jora a memory of our distinct past.
And consumers have had enough of it.
In a recent tweet, Zunaira Inam khan, the wife of actor Usman Mukhtar, expressed frustration with current summer lawn designs. She questioned whether desi designers still understand the true purpose of lawn clothing, emphasizing the need for light and cooling options during the hot summer months. “‘ Her tweet expressed disappointment the prevalence of overly embroidered suits accompanied by organza dupattas and intricate designs that resemble jigsaw puzzles.
Twitter was quick to agree. Some users also pointed out that the suits have become more expensive. Others were unhappy with the convoluted designs.
Yes yes yes shuker hy ksi ny is py bat ki. Voice should be loud enough k wahan tk pohnch b jaye. Or ub range b 20k tk
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has claimed on Thursday that they have arrested three Afghan terrorists with a map of Adiala Jail, a hand grenade, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with them.
Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani stated that police recovered automatic weapons and ammunition from the terrorists, after which police and other law enforcement agencies launched a search operation near the Adiala jail area.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently in Adiala jail, serving sentences in multiple cases. CCPO Rawalpindi has stated that the terrorists are from Afghanistan.
Earlier on November 7, 2023, police found a suspicious bag laden with an explosive device near Adiala Road in Gorakhpur, Rawalpindi, just one kilometre away from the Adiala jail, ahead of a hearing of the cipher case.
The main conservative group in the European Union parliament will call for asylum-seekers to be moved to “safe third countries” to assess their claims in its manifesto to be approved Wednesday for elections in June.
The programme of the European People’s Party — which will formally back European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as its candidate for a second term — picks up controversial proposals by several conservative parties across Europe.
Britain, no longer an EU member, has notably embarked on plans to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda. Italy has a deal with Albania to set up centres to process migrants rescued in the Mediterranean.
Asylum applications in EU countries surged to over one million last year, a seven-year high, with Syrians and Afghans remaining at the top of the list, as the EU works through an overhaul of its rules on asylum-seekers.
Rules approved in December aim to share hosting responsibilities across the 27-country bloc and to speed up deportations of irregular migrants deemed ineligible to stay.
In its manifesto, which is expected to be adopted at a congress in Bucharest, the EPP called for a “fundamental change in European asylum law”.
“We want to implement the concept of safe third countries,” the manifesto reads.
Under the proposal, those applying for asylum in the EU could be transferred to a third country, and if their claim is deemed valid will receive protection there.
“A comprehensive contractual agreement will be established with the safe third country,” the manifesto details.
Some of them could be admitted into the EU “through annual humanitarian quotas of vulnerable individuals,” allowing “us to address both security and integration requirements in the selection process”, it adds.
Germany’s opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) — von der Leyen’s party — in its draft manifesto presented in December has also proposed sending asylum seekers to third countries.
The move aims to bring down the numbers of migrants arriving in the EU, CDU official Jens Spahn told German media then.
He mentioned Africa’s Rwanda and Ghana and Europe’s Georgia and Moldova as possible third countries.
Britain has started negotiations with Rwanda to send migrants to Rwanda but there have been court objections.
The scheme has been widely criticised as undercutting basic rights principles, with EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson also expressing some reservations.
In a different case, Italy signed a controversial deal with Albania — which is not part of the European Union — in November under which asylum seekers rescued at sea would be held in two migrant centres in Albania.
The EPP meets Wednesday and Thursday in Bucharest and is to choose von der Leyen as their lead candidate for European Commission president.
The EU elections are scheduled to take place from June 6-9.
From dramas about the atomic bomb and Auschwitz to comedies about dolls and sex-mad reanimated corpses, the lineup of best picture contenders at Sunday’s Oscars is the most varied in years. Here are the 10 movies from 2023 that will go head-to-head for Hollywood’s most prestigious prize.
American Fiction achieves a remarkable feat. It highlights systemic racism and bigoted hypocrisy – while being flat-out hilarious. Jeffrey Wright stars as a Black author who becomes disillusioned with a publishing industry that only wants books from him about deadbeat dads and crack cocaine. When he delivers exactly that, as a joke, the novel becomes a sensation.
The sharp satire won the top prize at the influential Toronto Film Festival and is the frontrunner for the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Cannes film festival winner Anatomy of a Fall – an intricate French legal drama about a woman suspected in her husband’s death – has taken Hollywood by storm. It is the favourite for best original screenplay. Thanks to an inventive awards campaign that heavily featured the movie’s lovable canine star, it could be in line for more.
Can it become just the third Palme d’Or winner to claim the award for best picture, following in the recent footsteps of South Korea’s Parasite? It is a potential dark horse. Simply by nominating Barbie for best picture, the Oscars have already won. Greta Gerwig’s feminist satire drew hordes of pink-clad fans to theatres, sparked countless memes, and was the year’s highest-grossing movie, netting $1.4 billion.
No film – even its unlikely release twin Oppenheimer – dominated the global conversation more than Barbie, and the movie has featured prominently in the Oscars telecast’s promotional push. But can it win? High-profile snubs for its director, and its star Margot Robbie, suggest it could struggle to score prizes beyond costume design and best song.
A charming, witty, old-fashioned drama, The Holdovers follows an unlikely trio stranded together over the winter holidays at a 1970s New England boarding school. The film reunites star Paul Giamatti with director Alexander Payne. Their previous collaboration, 2004’s wine-country road trip movie Sideways, is an all-time classic.
Snubbed by Oscar voters for Sideways, Giamatti has a strong claim for best actor this time, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a shoo-in for supporting actress honours.
If any film can stop Oppenheimer from claiming the Best Picture, it may be The Holdovers. But that is still a long, long shot. Yes, it is three-and-a-half hours long. But Martin Scorsese’s sumptuous drama about the murders of Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma was just too beautiful – and important – for Academy voters to ignore.
Aside from its A-list leading men Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon perfectly cast Indigenous star Lily Gladstone in a vital, tragic role. Her performance as a wealthy, naive wife could be the first by a Native American to earn an acting Oscar, even if the meandering film itself left many voters cold.
Perennial nominee Bradley Cooper’s latest bid to woo Oscars voters, Leonard Bernstein’s biopic Maestro – which he writes, directs and stars in – racked up an impressive seven nominations. Yet the film seems likeliest to win just the Oscar for best make-up. That would be a bittersweet, if fitting, legacy for a film that made unwanted, early headlines for Cooper’s giant prosthetic nose. Maestro never truly escaped the so-called Jewface controversy, despite warm reviews.
It is hard to recall an Oscars with a more dominant frontrunner than Oppenheimer. Christopher Nolan’s drama about the father of the atomic bomb drew critical acclaim, grossed nearly $1 billion, and has won just about every top prize Hollywood has to offer. A grand, old-fashioned blockbuster for grown-ups, shot on a $100 million budget, Oppenheimer is overwhelmingly expected to buck the recent trend of smaller, indie movies winning best picture.
It would be the biggest upset since a loss for La La Land – which was mistakenly announced as best picture in 2017 – if it did not take the night’s final prize. No film had a longer journey to the Oscars than Past Lives, which reduced hardened festivalgoers to sobbing wrecks when it debuted at Sundance back in January 2023.
Hopping between continents, Celine Song’s tearjerker follows the intense reunion of two childhood sweethearts, whose lives have diverged dramatically. It is perhaps the unlikeliest to win best picture — but has had a remarkable journey all the same. Another major festival winner, Poor Things took the prestigious top prize at Venice last fall. The rest of the world had to wait months to see Emma Stone as a sexually voracious reanimated corpse, roaming a steampunk vision of 19th-century Europe, breaking the hearts of misogynistic men.
Hilarious, absurdist and strongly feminist, Poor Things has shades of director Yorgos Lanthimos’ earlier film The Favourite, which also starred Stone. That film earned an Oscar for its star Olivia Colman, and the latest could well do the same for Stone – even if Best Picture likely remains out of reach.
The Zone of Interest is a Holocaust film like no other. Jonathan Glazer’s harrowing drama keeps the horrors of Auschwitz strictly at the periphery, both visually and audibly.
In a dramatic turn of events, ‘Ishq Murshid’ brought heartbreak for Shahmeer. After he reveals his true identity to Shibra, Bilal Abbas Khan and Durre Fishan deliver powerful performances that resonate with viewers in emotional scenes brought to life by heartfelt music.
Shibra’s quiet exit leaves us wondering what’s next for the characters. The show’s future is uncertain, leaving us eager for more. With the storyline taking unexpected twists and turns, anticipation runs high for the upcoming episodes. As Shahmeer’s fate hangs in the balance, viewers are left speculating about the outcome of the mysterious hints dropped by the director. Episode 23 will solve these mysteries and help us understand what will happen to the characters. Additionally, the developing tension between Sulieman and Dawood Ali Khan adds an extra layer of curiosity to the narrative, hinting at further revelations to come. As ‘Ishq Murshid’ continues to captivate audiences with its gripping storyline and compelling performances, fans eagerly await the unfolding of events in the episodes to come.
Mariyam Nafees, a versatile Pakistani actress, model and host is riding high on the wave of successful projects. With notable roles in popular Pakistani dramas like ‘Yaqeen Ka Safar,’ ‘Ishq Jalebi,’ ‘Kam Zarf,’ and ‘Mohabbat Chor Di Maine’, she has garnered a significant following on social media.
Happily married to Aman Ahmed, Mariyam shares a strong bond with her husband. Recently, the stunning ‘Jaan E Jahan’ actress delighted her fans by sharing breathtaking pictures from Bali, Indonesia, where the couple enjoyed a blissful vacation. Mariyam looked radiant in beach attire as she shared glimpses of their stay at a scenic resort.
