BLACKPINK’s Lisa is gearing up for her next solo venture with the upcoming release of “New Woman,” featuring a collaboration with Spanish singer Rosalía. The track is scheduled to drop on August 15th, promising a fusion of Lisa’s signature fierce energy and Rosalía’s unique musical style.
Anticipation for the single has been building since Lisa teased the collaboration on August 6th with a cryptic poster titled “Brand New Día.” The poster hinted at the song’s lyrics and Rosalía’s involvement, sparking excitement among fans. Rosalía further fueled the buzz during a recent Instagram live session by previewing a snippet of what seemed to be Lisa’s verse.
This exciting release comes on the heels of Lisa’s successful solo comeback with the hip-hop track “ROCKSTAR,” which has already surpassed 100 million views on its music video and achieved the fastest 100 million streams on Spotify for a K-pop female soloist.
With the first concept photo for “New Woman” now unveiled, fans are eagerly counting down the days until they can experience this highly anticipated musical collaboration.
At a convention in Islamabad, the army chief called on scholars and clerics to promote tolerance and unity rather than extremism and discrimination. Our society faces growing challenges from discrimination, intolerance, and extremism, requiring a collective response.
Currently, those who promote anarchy have a significant presence in the country. The state needs to provide space and protection for alternative viewpoints in the country, allowing for diverse perspectives and promoting a more inclusive society.
Drake’s recent career resurgence, marked by the release of “100 Gigs” and a teased collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, has been abruptly halted by a fresh wave of controversy.
The rapper’s association with a streamer accused of exploiting minors for revenge porn has thrust him back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The streamer, known as Snoh, has been the subject of serious allegations detailing a pattern of coercing young women into exposing themselves on camera, only to subsequently distribute the footage without consent.
While these claims remain unsubstantiated, the fact that Drake has publicly endorsed Snoh and even appeared on her stream has raised significant concerns.
A resurfaced clip showing Drake interacting with an 18-year-old on Snoh’s stream has added fuel to the fire. While innocent on its own, the footage takes on a more sinister context given the allegations against the streamer. The clip was shared by Twitter user sum_offfff, who also compiled evidence supporting the claims against Snoh.
The latest development comes on the heels of Drake’s contentious feud with Kendrick Lamar, during which the latter leveled accusations of predatory behavior against the rapper.
Although Drake vehemently denied these claims on “The Heart Part 6,” the current situation is likely to reignite the controversy.
This representational image shows a person using a laptop. — Unsplash/File
ISLAMABAD: The much-hyped E-Office project for the placement of paperless functioning and decision-making among 40 federal ministries has not seen the light at the end of the tunnel during the last two decades.
Now the Prime Minister’s Office has highlighted major flaws in the latest endeavours for implementing E-Office undertaken by the National Information Technology Board (NITB).
Official documents and background interviews by The News revealed on Sunday that the PM Office took a serious notice of the unwarranted delay in implementing the E-Office and found that some major flaws existed.
The premier was told that the scrutiny of the project revealed that the software’s User Interface was designed with multiple features, but the UI should have been developed with only two to three options. Excessive options led to confusion. One of the reasons that after so many years, ministries and government officers are reluctant to give up paper is due to the confusing UI of the E-Office.
The E-Office was aimed at transforming from a paper-based to a paperless transition, but the system mirrors paper-based processes, negating digitalisation’s benefits. A user-centric approach has not been applied in the E-Office system as there is no element of feedback from users.
A search function is essential for any E-Office system. The existing system cannot provide modern search capabilities, requiring users to open each file to search its contents. There is non-compliance with the Electronic Transaction Ordinance (ETO) 2002. The E-Office does not adhere to ETO 2002 standards. Approved documents must undergo e-signing and e-sealing (digital certification) for tamper-proofing and legal compliance. This is a serious concern and must be addressed immediately, as it compromises a major feature and makes the government non-compliant with local and international standards. It also exposes the system to approval fraud and misuse of official documents and signatures, which are placed with copy-paste methods.
The system’s reliance on a licenced Oracle platform poses licencing costs and expertise challenges. Additionally, hosting the system on a data center with various bottlenecks impacts performance. Several other major flaws were identified by industry experts.
Upon further investigation, it was found that the E-Office system suffers from a variety of issues, starting with a poorly designed and overly complex user interface that falls short of industry standards. A fundamental requirement for any professional system is that it should be simple and effective, yet E-Office fails to meet this criterion. The international standard for technology adoption is around 80 to 85 percent, with users starting to use the system. However, E-Office failed to attract more than 50 percent of users, who also complain about poor processes, poor functionality and poor UI.
The prime minister was displeased with the slow progress and quality of the E-Office development. In response, he directed the Ministry of IT to either rectify the issues immediately or shut down the system altogether.
Following this directive, the ministry hired industry experts to conduct a system review and work with the main vendors to fix the system’s problems.
Although these experts reportedly completed many of the pending tasks, the project hit another roadblock due to a change at the secretary level. As a result, the project has once again fallen victim to negligence and incompetence. The main vendors and subcontractors, including project staff, complain of poor or no response from the CEO of NITB, who does not make decisions nor fulfill his written or verbal commitments with the vendors and project staff.
In a large ministry-wide meeting chaired by the secretary of MoITT, where the E-Office vendor was also invited to address the slow and poor performance of the E-Office solution, the vendor blamed the CEO of NITB entirely for not replying, not paying, or not taking any interest in the project. Upon this complaint, the CEO of NITB’s dashboard was examined, where over 100 cases were pending since January 2024. That was the reason none of the projects under the CEO of NITB could be completed. Sources say the secretary of IT warned the CEO of NITB to clear his pending work and start making decisions, or the ministry will be forced to take action.
When this scribe contacted the CEO of NITB, Babar Majeed Bhatti, and sought his comments, he said that he was hired in NITB almost two years back and they developed and placed E-Office-related software among all 40 ministries at the federal level. He said that there was an element of adoptability for which they organised around 30,000 training programmes but conceded that there was resistance to implementing the system fully. He said that there were some standalone ministries, such as the Foreign Office or the Ministry of Information Technology, where the majority of work was done through the E-government system. He said that digital signatures would be developed at a later stage, probably after six months, but other priorities would be implemented first.
Babar said he proposed major changes as he placed 25 officials of bureaucracy in the surplus pool of the Establishment Division. There is a need to revamp the NITB or close down this entity, he concluded.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed the government’s commitment to creating a supportive environment for the youth and providing them with ample opportunities. In his message on International Youth Day, observed on August 12, he emphasised the importance of recognising the potential of young people and raising awareness about their critical role in shaping the future.
He highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” noting that it underscores the vital role of youth at the intersection of technology and opportunity. This convergence, he said, empowers young people to transform their aspirations into reality, leading to a sustainable and equitable future.
Sharif pointed out that over 60% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, making the country a youthful nation increasingly connected to the global digital landscape. He emphasised that by leveraging technology for education, entrepreneurship, and social activism, young people can become catalysts for positive change in their communities.
The Prime Minister also referenced the Youth Loan and Agricultural Scheme introduced in 2013, which has yielded significant results. He reported that approximately 186 billion rupees have been disbursed to over 280,000 young entrepreneurs, creating numerous job opportunities across the country. He noted that the Youth Business Loan Scheme was restructured to include Agricultural Loans, with microfinance institutions engaged to provide interest-free loans.
Looking forward, Sharif announced plans to expand this initiative by allocating an additional Rs100 billion during the 2024-25 financial year, aiming to empower around 300,000 young entrepreneurs nationwide.
He further explained that the government’s comprehensive Youth Programme adopts a holistic approach, equipping young individuals with essential skills through a Skill Development Programme, providing advanced technology through the Youth Laptop Scheme, and offering financial support via Youth Loan Schemes. This integrated support system is designed to ensure that youth have the necessary resources to succeed and prosper.
Sharif concluded by stating that today’s youth are the leaders of tomorrow and are pivotal in shaping a brighter future for Pakistan. He emphasised that empowering youth through meaningful opportunities will not only foster individual growth but also contribute to the country’s broader social and economic development.
The latest fiasco in Bangladesh is an old story for the people of the subcontinent. Though one wishes for a different ending to this liberation movement, if the past is any guide, the liberators in this part of the world are seldom motivated by ideology.
They are mostly just jumping on a bandwagon and trying to capitalize on the shifting winds. One can only pray and hope that the subcontinent gets motivated and sincere liberators who are guided by an ideology and live and die by it.
In a cinematic showdown between Hollywood’s power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, both emerged victorious at the box office. Reynolds’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” held its top spot for the third consecutive week, amassing $54.2 million in North American ticket sales and crossing the coveted $1 billion mark worldwide.
Not far behind, Lively’s romance drama “It Ends With Us” shattered expectations with an impressive $50 million opening weekend.
This dynamic duo created a “family edition” of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, where two contrasting films thrived due to counter-programming. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a raucous superhero flick, and “It Ends With Us,” a heartfelt romance based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, attracted diverse audiences, showcasing the couple’s wide-ranging appeal.
While Reynolds and Lively celebrated their success, the weekend also saw a high-profile flop with the long-delayed video game adaptation “Borderlands,” which opened to a disappointing $8.8 million.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” directed by Shawn Levy, is now the second R-rated film to cross $1 billion, trailing only “Joker.” It stands as one of the most successful Marvel releases and the second highest-grossing film of the year, behind Disney’s “Inside Out 2.”
Lively’s “It Ends With Us,” which she both stars in and produced, proved to be a profitable venture with its modest $25 million budget. It’s expected to maintain its momentum through August, capitalizing on its strong audience reception.
Reynolds and Lively playfully acknowledged the convergence of their film releases, further fueling audience interest. Their combined success underscores their star power and the potential for diverse storytelling to capture the hearts of moviegoers.
Saturday Night Live star Chloe Fineman has taken to TikTok to parody the viral routine of Australian B-Girl Olympian Rachel Gunn, also known as Raygun. Gunn, a 36-year-old former ballroom dancer and cultural studies professor at Macquarie University in Sydney, represented Australia in the debut of breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her unconventional moves, including prancing and kangaroo-like hops, left her without a single point in the competition but gained significant attention online.
Fineman, known for her spot-on impressions, donned a similar green and yellow tracksuit and recreated some of Gunn’s “creative” moves in a humorous video. The comedian’s parody quickly garnered attention, with Fineman captioning her post, “All hail RAYGUN. Girl hopped like a kangaroo and ate???”
Gunn, who has faced both criticism and praise for her unique routine, acknowledged that her approach was different from the more traditional power moves of her competitors. “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity,” Gunn told the Associated Press. Despite not scoring in the competition, she remained positive about her Olympic experience, telling Yahoo Sports, “It was amazing. Such an amazing experience. What a stage, what an arena, what a crowd. Music was great. Like, oh, so, so grateful for the opportunity.”
This refers to the letter ‘Unpayable’ (August 3, 2024) by Dr Irfan Zafar. I fully endorse the views of the writer on the exorbitant electricity bills and the inadequacy of simply extending the payment deadline as a means of relief.
The same can be said for the federal energy minister’s prediction of a potential decrease of 2-3 per cent per unit of electricity by January next year given stable economic factors. People are much more aware about public affairs now than in the past and cannot be fooled anymore.
India has detained nearly a dozen Bangladeshi nationals attempting to cross the border as they fled escalating violence and political unrest following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Border officials reported on Monday that hundreds more are gathered along the frontier, pleading for entry into India.
Sheikh Hasina, who resigned abruptly on August 5 after 15 years in power, fled to India amidst rising violence targeting minority communities in Bangladesh.
Hindus, who represent the largest minority group and are a key support base for Hasina’s Awami League, have been particularly affected, with reports of widespread attacks on their homes, temples, and businesses.
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested 11 Bangladeshis since Sunday as they attempted to cross into West Bengal.
BSF deputy inspector general Amit Kumar Tyagi stated that several hundred more remain stranded in no-man’s land along the border, seeking refuge.
Bangladesh shares a 4,000-kilometre (2,485-mile) border with India, much of which is unfenced.
The situation has also seen four Bangladeshis being “repelled” from Assam, according to the state’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The fall of Hasina has put India on high alert, given her administration’s balancing act of fostering strong ties with both India and China. India’s home minister, Amit Shah, announced that a committee has been formed to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has expressed concern over the attacks on minorities and pledged to address the situation urgently.
