Category: News

A majority of online music consumers now listen on smartphones amid the boom in streaming services, the global music industry group said Tuesday.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in a 13-nation report found that 55 percent of people who listened to music on the internet did so at least part of the time on their phones, up from 50 percent a year earlier, with the United States leading the growth.

Still around two-thirds of online music consumers used a computer, but the figure had declined.

The study found strong differences among countries. Mexico led smartphone usage at 77 percent while in Japan only 39 percent listened on their phones at least once in the past six months.

The report, which surveyed 900 people in each country in March and April, found a strong correlation between smartphone use and subscriptions to streaming services.

Large majorities of subscribers to Spotify and Deezer listened on their phones, while computers were more popular among people who used the two services´ advertising-backed free tiers.

The music industry body, known as the IFPI, has avidly sought for music consumers to pay for streaming services, seeing subscriptions as a solid source of growth in a long-suffering industry.

In its most recent annual report, the federation reported that streaming in 2015 led to the first significant increase in revenue for the music industry since the dawn of online music.

The latest findings come as smartphones become commonplace in the developed world, leading to a maturing of the once-booming market.

Apple — which last year bet big on streaming by launching its Apple Music service — recently unveiled its latest iPhone model which will lack physical headphone jacks.

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra joined the Forbes’ list of 10 highest paid TV actresses for the first time this year, coming in eighth and earning $11 million.

According to Forbes, the actress netted the earnings through ABC TV show Quantico and endorsements.

The current ranking has also made Priyanka the highest paid actress in India wihile Deepika Padukone who came 10th on Forbes’ world’s highest-paid actresses earned $10 million in the same duration.

The magazine wrote about the newcomer, “New to the list is Priyanka Chopra, who stars on ABC’s Quantico. While Chopra may be relatively new to an American audience, she is one of the most famous faces in India. In the past year, she has starred in two Bollywood mega films (Bajirao Mastani and Jai Gangaajal) and will take her big-screen talent stateside later this year with one of the lead roles in Baywatch alongside Hollywood heavy-hitters including Dwayne Johnson, the world’s highest-paid actor.”

Rosy-cheeked Katrina Kaif is all set to reunite with her ex beau Salman Khan in the sequel of 2012 blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger, Indian media reported on Thursday.

According to Times of India, the sequel titled Tiger Zinda Hai will be directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and will hit cinemas on Christmas next year.

Yash Raj films has shared first look of the film on social media and it suggests that Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan would be pitted against a common enemy in their roles as Pakistani and Indian spies respectively.

The legal war between the former couple is in full swing and in the first phase, Humaira was granted her son’s custody by the court, reported Dunya News. According to the details, six year old Ali who was living with his father these days was subsequently handed over to Humaira.

The joy of Humaira knew no bounds as soon as the songbird was granted custody of her child. On the other side, Ahmad Butt was so upset with the court’s verdict; however he was still hoping beyond hope to regain his child’s possession. Ahmad Butt declared that he would appeal to higher courts for the custody of his child.

The court also declared in its verdict that Humaira had been granted temporary custody and that the final verdict would come under the Guardian Act on September 23.

The former ‘One Direction’ member cancels an upcoming concert due to ‘extreme anxiety.’

Singer Zayn Malik, who devastated One Direction fans when he left the chart-topping boy band, has canceled a concert in Dubai, saying anxiety issues did not make him confident enough to perform a major solo show.

The 23-year-old was due to appear at a show in Dubai on Oct. 7 but concert organizers 117 Live said in a statement on their website that it had been canceled and ticket holders would be refunded.

Malik posted a message to fans on his website saying: “I have been working over the last three months to overcome my extreme anxiety around major live solo performances I feel I am making progress. But I have today acknowledged that I do not feel sufficiently confident to move forward with the planned show in Dubai in October … I am truly sorry to disappoint you.”

The singer announced he was leaving the hugely successful band in March 2015 after five years, saying he wanted to lead a normal life.

The remaining four members of the group are currently on a break.

Momina Mustahsan, the new Coke Studio sensation, is spreading waves on both sides of the border. While making her coke studio debut with ‘Afreen Afreen’ and collaborating with music maestro Rahat Fatah Ali Khan, she is winning laurels for her euphonious voice and spellbinding beauty as Indian websites are also discussing the beauty of this latest Pakistani sensation.

The 23-year-old New York based Pakistani singer and song writer already has the song ‘Awaari’ from ‘Ek villain’ to her credit. However, through the latest coke studio sensation, she grabs everyone’s attention and praises. In other words, Momina’s name is a word on the street these days as she can be seen almost everywhere on all forms of media.

Bollywood’s all time popular actress Madhuri Dixit, who has been judging a popular reality show, has flown to the United States last week after her shoulder developed some problem.

The actress reportedly is in unbearable pain for which she wanted to get a second opinion for.

She is now seeking the help of doctors in the US for the same. According to reports, while shooting for the reality TV show, the diva was taking much longer breaks due to this prolonged suffering.

The Yahoo News cited its sources as saying that Madhuri Dixit knows many doctors in the US as she stayed in Denver for nearly 10 years after her marriage to Dr Sriram Nene — who was a practicing cardiovascular surgeon there— before shifting bag and baggage back to Mumbai in October 2011 with him and her two kids Ryan and Arin.

A very close friend confirmed to Yahoo about US trip and added, “Yes, Madhuri flew out about 5 days back but please don’t ask me to elaborate as I don’t think that I should be talking about it.”

Most of her work on return has been on TV, mainly centred around judging the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

She hasn’t done much on the movie front except guest appearances in Bombay Talkies and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and only two full-fledged roles in Dedh Ishqiya and Gulaab Gang.

MUMBAI: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan turns 74 next month but he says he´s still hungry for new challenges after his latest movie about sexual violence against women left him deeply moved.

In an interview at his sumptuous Mumbai office, the Hindi film legend of almost half a century said courtroom drama “Pink”, to be released on September 16, would challenge attitudes in conservative India.
“During the course of the film there will be substance that will talk about women, society and how morality views them,” Bachchan said of the thriller set in India´s capital.

“Delhi has been chosen deliberately as many of these cases have been occurring in Delhi,” he added, a reference to several high-profile attacks that have shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India.

Rape and sexual assault occur regularly, with incidents hitting the headlines on an almost daily basis, despite tough new laws following the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in December 2012.

“Pink”, which sees Bachchan play an ageing lawyer with bipolar disorder, centres on three women in their 20s who are molested one night by a group of drunk, socially influential men.

However, it´s the women who end up on trial. A short trailer released by the production company shows one of them being accused of defamation and another of soliciting while a policeman appears unsympathetic to their plight.

“It was a very emotional experience having to enact the circumstances that women go through, what they feel or how society should look at them,” said Bachchan, wearing a lime green Nehru jacket.

The actor affectionately known as “Big B”, a reference to his decades-long command over Bollywood as well as his six foot one inch frame, was so moved that he penned an open letter to his two granddaughters this week.

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Wildlife Department on Friday intercepted Peshawari Chappal made of Deer skin for Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and arrested maker of the chappal, Jahangir Khan, in Peshawar, ARY News reported.

With years of experience in his hand, one of Peshawar’s oldest chappal maestros, Jahangir has made an exclusive pair of deer skinned traditional chappals for Shah Rukh Khan.

After the news triggered into media, the Wildlife Department woke up from slumber to take action against Jahangir and confiscate the Peshawari chappal and deer skin.

Police said killing of deer was prohibited, hence interrogation was being made as to how did Jahangir get deer skin and who was involved in this illegal activity.

From Peshawar, King Khan’s paternal cousin sister, Noor Jehan, is due to fly to India next month to meet him.

“Since I will be visiting Shah Rukh Khan very soon, I telephoned him to guess what he wants from Pakistan and he has actually asked me to bring Peshawari chappals for him,” said Noor Jehan.

It took a month or so to design and then create the masterpiece, said Jahangir who has a long history of making Peshawari chappals for well-known Pakistani celebrities and politicians.

Chappals from Jahangir’s shop in Peshawar are also frequently exported on expatriates’ special demands to other parts of the world, including England, Dubai and Australia.

As a highly wearable product worn by both men and women (in some parts of the country), love for Peshawari chappals is immeasurable.

The footwear took its name from the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from where it was reportedly originated while chappal is a local word for flip-flops.

Peshawari chappals are comfortable and semi-closed footwear, consisting two wide strips that join with the sole by crossing each other. The backside has a strip locked with a buckle to tie. It is made of pure leather with a sole often made of a truck tyre – a unique feature of the made in Pakistan product.

Although pure leather ones are more in-demand in Pakistan, they also come in varying designs and colours with often golden and silver thread work

Lahore – The well-known songstress, Humera Arshad decided to part ways with her husband, reported Dunya News. The marriage ended in divorce as Ahmed Butt announced that everything was settled out with mutual consent.

The relationship was a rollercoaster ride over the past few months and Humera Arshad had already filed for Khullah. The songbird declared that she forgot all the hostilities with her former husband due to their only son, however there was no chance of living together with Ahmad anymore.