Current Final

Tag: India

  • Saeed Anwar becomes latest celeb to blame women for rising divorce rates

    Saeed Anwar becomes latest celeb to blame women for rising divorce rates

    Saeed Anwar played the most beautiful cover drive the world of cricket had ever seen but his opinions on working women are far less appealing.

    Fans are upset with the former opener after he passed old-fashioned remarks about women being independent.

    Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah, posted a video in which Anwar can be seen stating that divorce rates went up by 30 per cent because women started working and making their own money.

    He talked about meeting an Australian mayor who said their culture suffered when women started working outside their homes.

    Anwar also talked about meeting top cricket players from New Zealand and Australia who asked him for advice on fixing problems in their culture. He said, “Women are now quick to end marriages because they can work on their own.”

    Since the video was shared on social media, people have criticized Anwar for blaming women and not talking about what men do.

  • Modi files candidacy for India election in Hindu holy city

    Modi files candidacy for India election in Hindu holy city

    India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday formally submitted his candidacy to recontest the parliamentary seat for the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in a general election he is widely expected to win.

    The marathon six-week poll concludes next month, and the 73-year-old premier used the election formality as a campaign event that paid deference to the country’s majority faith.

    Varanasi is the spiritual capital of Hinduism, where devotees from around India come to cremate deceased loved ones by the Ganges river, and the premier has represented the city since sweeping to power a decade ago.

    Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside a local government office to greet Modi when he arrived to lodge his nomination.

    Footage showed the premier handing over his candidacy paperwork, flanked by a Hindu mystic.

    “It’s our good fortune that Modi represents our constituency of Varanasi,” devout Hindu and farmer Jitendra Singh Kumar, 52, told AFP while waiting for the leader to emerge.

    “He is like a God to people of Varanasi. He thinks about the country first, unlike other politicians.”

    Modi, who has made acts of religious worship a central fixture of his premiership, had spent the morning visiting temples and offering prayers at the banks of the Ganges.

    Tens of thousands of supporters had lined the streets of Varanasi to greet Modi as he arrived in the city on Monday atop a flatbed truck, waving to the crowd from atop a flatbed truck as loudspeakers blared devotional songs.

    Many along the roadside waved saffron-coloured flags bearing the emblem of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), throwing marigold flowers at the procession as it passed by.

    ‘Not wanted’

    Modi and the BJP are widely expected to win this year’s election, which is conducted over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging the democratic exercise in the world’s most populous country.

    Varanasi is one of the last constituencies to vote on June 1, with counting and results expected three days later.

    Since the vote began last month, Modi has made a number of strident comments against India’s 200-million-plus Muslim minority in an apparent effort to galvanise support.

    He has used public speeches to refer to Muslims as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, prompting condemnation from opposition politicians and complaints to India’s election commission.

    The ascent of Modi’s Hindu-nationalist politics despite India’s officially secular constitution has made the Muslims in the country increasingly anxious.

    “We are made to feel as if we are not wanted in this country,” Shauqat Mohamed, who runs a tea shop in the city, told aFP.

    “If the country’s premier speaks of us in disparaging terms, what else can we expect?” the 41-year-old added.

    “We have to accept our fate and move on.”

    abh/gle/mca

    © Agence France-Presse

  • India vote resumes with Indian-occupied Kashmir poised to oppose Modi

    India vote resumes with Indian-occupied Kashmir poised to oppose Modi

    India’s six-week election resumed Monday including in Indian-occupied Kashmir, where voters were expected to show their discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cancellation of their disputed territory’s semi-autonomy and the security crackdown that followed.

    Modi remains popular across much of India and his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected to win the poll when it concludes early next month.

    But his government’s decision in 2019 to bring IOK under its direct rule — and the subsequent clampdown — have been deeply resented among the region’s residents, who will be voting for the first time since the move.

    “What we’re telling voters now is that you have to make your voice heard,” said former chief minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference party is campaigning for the restoration of IOK’s former semi-autonomy.

    “The point of view that we want people to send out is that what happened… is not acceptable to them,” he told AFP.

    IOK has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim it in full and have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region.

    Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989 on the side of the frontier controlled by New Delhi, demanding either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

    India accuses Pakistan of backing the insurgents, a charge that Islamabad denies.

    The conflict has killed tens of thousands of soldiers, rebels and civilians in the decades since, including a spate of firefights between suspected rebels and security forces in the past month.

    ‘Referendum’

    Violence has dwindled since the Indian portion of the territory was brought under direct rule five years ago, a move that saw the mass arrest of local political leaders and a months-long telecommunications blackout to forestall expected protests.

    Modi’s government says its cancelling of IOK’s special status has brought “peace and development”, and it has consistently claimed the move was supported by Kashmiris.

    But his party has not fielded any candidates in the IOK valley for the first time since 1996, and experts say the BJP would have been roundly defeated if it had.

    “They would lose, simple as that,” political analyst and historian Sidiq Wahid told AFP last week, adding that Kashmiris saw the vote as a “referendum” on Modi’s policies.

    The BJP has appealed to voters to instead support smaller and newly created parties that have publicly aligned with Modi’s policies.

    But voters are expected to back one of two established IOK political parties calling for the Modi government’s changes to be reversed.

    “I voted for changing the current government. It must happen for our children to have a good future,” civil servant Habibullah Parray told AFP.

    “Everywhere you go in Kashmir today you find people from outside in charge. Everyone wants that to change.”

    In rural districts outside Srinagar, the region’s biggest city, army soldiers patrolled roads in convoys of bulletproof vehicles.

    Several polling booths around the constituency had more than two dozen paramilitary troops guarding voter queues.

    Boycotts called by rebel groups left few Kashmiris willing to participate in past elections, with just over 14 percent of eligible voters in Srinagar casting a ballot during the last national poll in 2019.

    By mid-afternoon on Monday nearly 30 percent of people in the constituency had voted, with booths still open for several more hours.

    Nearly one billion voters

    India’s election is conducted in seven phases over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging the democratic exercise in the world’s most populous country.

    More than 968 million people are eligible to vote in India’s election, with the final round of polling on June 1 and results expected three days later.

    Voter turnout elsewhere in India has so far declined significantly from 2019, according to election commission figures.

    Analysts have blamed widespread expectations that Modi will easily win a third term and hotter-than-average temperatures heading into the summer.

    India’s weather bureau has forecast more hot spells in May and the election commission formed a taskforce last month to review the impact of heat and humidity before each round of voting.

  • Urwa Hocane wants her husband Farhan Saeed to ‘focus’ on her

    Urwa Hocane wants her husband Farhan Saeed to ‘focus’ on her

    Urwa Hocane, the famous actor who’s now producing films, wants her husband, heartthrob actor-singer Farhan Saeed, to focus on her.
    The two were again chatting playfully in the comments on Farhan’s latest Instagram post.


    When the star of ‘Mere Humsafar’ recently posted a new picture and asked for suggestions in the comments, his loving wife advised him to focus on her.


    Saeed asked in the caption of the two-picture gallery from a recent gig, “This year I should focus on?” Hocane simply commented, “Me,” followed by a series of emojis.


    The adorable comment has caught the eye of social media users, who can’t help but gush over the affectionate couple. Thousands of fans have also sent their best wishes to the pair.

  • Geethika Tiwari’s comment on Feroze Khan’s photo goes viral

    Geethika Tiwari’s comment on Feroze Khan’s photo goes viral

    Indian actor-model Geethika Tiwari left a mysterious comment on the latest photo posted by her co-star, Pakistani heartthrob Feroze Khan.
    Khan shared a new photo on his Instagram on Thursday evening, shirtless, showing off his well-defined abs.

    In the caption, he wrote, “- they wish to be close to me.” The post got over 150k likes and many comments for the superstar. But one comment from his upcoming co-star, Indian actor Geethika Tiwari, caught the attention of social media users.
    She commented, “Abhi tak no no no no chance,” seemingly in response to the caption.

    Earlier, the Indian celebrity praised the ‘Tich Button’ star during a Q&A session with her Instagram followers. Last month, she wrote, “@ferozekhan is a very talented person in the entertainment industry. He captivates audiences effortlessly on both big and small screens with his charm and great acting skills.”


    She received more than 500 questions about Khan. Tiwari added, “Feroze’s kindness and warmth make a lasting impression on everyone he meets.” She ended with, “See you all guys in the theatre soon.”
    It’s worth noting that Feroze Khan and Geethika Tiwari will soon appear together in an upcoming film called ‘Luck Lag Gayi’.

  • Sharmin Segal hits back at ‘Heeramandi’ criticism

    Sharmin Segal hits back at ‘Heeramandi’ criticism

    Actress Sharmin Segal has talked about how she handles online harassment and criticism of her work in a podcast interview before the web series’ ‘HeeraMandi’ release earlier this month.

    “I feel a lot of pressure, and sometimes it shows in strange ways. But I have a great support system. My sister is my strongest support; she’s also an assistant director on the show. This setup allows me to vent when I need to.”

    She continued by saying that she won’t keep putting too much pressure on herself. “I want to prove myself, but I’m also realistic now. I hope everyone loves Alamzeb [her character in Heeramandi], but some people will always have their opinions.”
    Segal was called the weakest member of the ‘Heeramandi’ ensemble cast, and fans questioned why Sanjay Leela Bhansali gave her such a big role based only on their relationship. The star disabled comments on her most recent Instagram photos in response to the vicious bullying that was going on on social media. For those who don’t know , Segal is the niece of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who previously worked with him on successful films such as ‘Bajirao Mastani,’ and ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ before making her cinematic debut in ‘Malaal’.

    On May 1, Netflix released ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ which is about the courtesans who resided in Lahore’s red light district.

  • Class 10 student decapitated by 32-year-old fiance in India

    Class 10 student decapitated by 32-year-old fiance in India

    A tenth standard student was brutally murdered by her 32-year-old fiancé in Karnataka, India. The man cut off the victim’s head and threw away her body right outside her home.

    The victim was identified as 15-year-old Meena, a tenth-grade student of High School who had passed the board examination recently. She was brutally murdered by the accused Onkarappa (Papu), a resident of the village because their engagement was called off.


    The accused allegedly dragged the victim out of her house on Thursday night and massacred her in front of her parents. The incident has been registered at the police station.

    Journalist Muhammad Zubair from ALT news posted on X that the incident is not being given coverage because elections in Karnataka are over and the suspect is not a Muslim.

  • Ranveer Singh addresses divorce rumors after deleting wedding picture

    Ranveer Singh addresses divorce rumors after deleting wedding picture

    Ranveer Singh has dismissed rumors of divorce with his wife Deepika Padukone, just days after he removed their wedding photos from his Instagram account.
    The Bollywood action star, who recently wiped out all posts on his Instagram before January 2023, including those with Padukone, addressed the resultant speculation during a fancy jewelry store’s opening in Mumbai. He showed everyone his favorite jewelry- his wedding and engagement rings.
    “One of the rings that are very dear to me is this one it’s my wedding ring, presented to me by my wife. The other one is a platinum engagement ring,” he said while showing the jewellery pieces to the camera.
    “And then there are my mother’s diamond earrings and my grandmother’s pearls,” he added. “These are my favorite pieces because they have a lot of personal and sentimental value to me.”

    Ranveer Singh and Indian superstar Deepika Padukone got married in Lake Como, Italy in 2018. They had been dating for almost six years.
    This year, in February, the couple shared the news of their first pregnancy. They made the announcement on Instagram. They said they’re expecting their baby to arrive in September.

  • India vote a chance for Kashmiris to signal opposition to Modi

    India vote a chance for Kashmiris to signal opposition to Modi

    Srinagar (India) (AFP) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign speeches claim his quelling of an insurgency in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) as one of his greatest achievements, but many in the disputed region see India’s election as a chance to signal their disagreement.

    Widely expected to win the biggest poll in history, Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not field any candidates in Kashmir for the first time in nearly three decades. Experts say they would have been roundly defeated if they had.

    Modi’s government cancelled the limited autonomy Kashmir had under India’s constitution in 2019, a move accompanied by a huge security clampdown, mass arrests of local political leaders and a months-long telecommunications blackout.

    Violence in the Muslim-majority region has since dwindled, and the BJP has consistently claimed that its residents supported the changes.

    But some Kashmiri voters in this year’s national elections will be eager to express their frustrations with the end of their territory’s special status.

    “I have never voted in the past. But this time, I will… to show that I am not happy with what India is doing with us,” a middle-aged man told AFP in the main city of Srinagar, declining to be identified for fear of retribution.

    “How can India say that Kashmiris are happy when we are actually suffocating in a state of fear and misery?”

    ‘Voice their disagreement’

    Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim it in full and have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region.

    Rebel groups opposed to Indian rule have waged an insurgency since 1989 on the side of the frontier controlled by New Delhi, demanding either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

    The conflict has killed tens of thousands of soldiers, rebels and civilians in the decades since, including a spate of firefights between suspected rebels and security forces in the past month.

    India is in the middle of a six-week election, with voting staggered across phases to ease the logistical burden of staging a vote in the world’s most populous country.

    Modi and his ministers have championed the end of Kashmir’s special status, saying at campaign rallies it has brought “peace and development”, and the policy is popular among voters elsewhere in India.

    But many in the valley have chafed at increasing curbs on civil liberties that have curtailed media freedoms and brought an effective end to once-common public protests.

    Many are also upset with the 2019 decision to end constitutional guarantees that reserved local jobs and land for Kashmiris.

    Open campaigning for separatism is illegal in India, and established democratic parties in Kashmir have historically differed on whether to collaborate with the government of the day in New Delhi or to pursue greater autonomy.

    But antipathy towards Modi’s Hindu nationalist government had helped paper over differences between rival parties by forging a common sense of opposition, parliamentary candidate Waheed Ur Rehman Para told AFP.

    “There’s a huge solidarity silently in Kashmir today for each other, irrespective of party lines,” he said.

    Para is standing for a seat that takes in Srinagar, the territory’s biggest city, on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was a BJP ally before 2019 but is now campaigning for the reinstatement of Kashmir’s autonomy.

    Voters were preparing to “convey to Delhi that the consent of decisions about Kashmir is most important and it should lie with the locals”, he said.

    ‘Want to win every heart’

    Political analyst and historian Sidiq Wahid told AFP the election was being seen by Kashmiris as a “referendum” on the Modi government’s policies in the territory.

    “The BJP is not fielding any candidates for a very simple reason,” he said. “Because they would lose, simple as that.”

    Modi’s party retains a presence in Kashmir in the form of a heavily bunkered and almost vacant office in Srinagar.

    The complex is under constant paramilitary guard by some of the more than 500,000 troops India has permanently stationed in the region.

    The BJP has appealed to voters to instead support smaller and newly created parties that have publicly aligned with Modi’s policies.

    India’s powerful home minister Amit Shah, a close acolyte of Modi, said at a campaign rally last month the party had made a tactical decision not to field candidates.

    He said he and his allies were in no rush to “see the lotus bloom” in Kashmir, a reference to the BJP’s floral campaign emblem, but would instead wait for the people of the valley to understand its good work.

    “We are not going to conquer Kashmir,” he told the crowd. “We want to win every heart in Kashmir.”

  • What is Azaan Sami Khan’s birthday wish for sister Medina?

    What is Azaan Sami Khan’s birthday wish for sister Medina?


    Actor Azaan Sami Khan, the son of singer Adnan Sami Khan, wished a happy a happy birthday to his younger half-sister, Medina.
    While writing on his Instagram, Azaan Sami Khan posted a picture with his younger sister to wish her a happy 7th birthday.
    He captioned, “Happy 7th Birthday! My baby sister, Lalas Jaan, had the best birthday ever. I love you so much!”
    He added, “P.S. Baba loves me more.”


    Azaan Sami Khan kept the comments turned off on the post.
    It’s important to remember that Azaan Sami Khan is the only child of singer-musician Adnan Sami and his first marriage, which lasted for three years, to veteran actor Zeba Bakhtiar.
    Whereas Medina is the younger and only daughter of the veteran singer’s third wife, Roya Sami Khan.