Entertainment
Famed Kennedy arts center to be renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
The White House announced on Thursday that Washington’s iconic John F Kennedy arts centre is to be renamed the “Trump-Kennedy Center” after President Donald Trump.
The extraordinary naming of a major cultural venue after a living president is just the latest effort by the 79-year-old Republican to stamp his identity on the US capital in his second term.
He has also demolished the White House East Wing in order to install a grand ballroom, and is seeking to construct a large triumphal arch.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Kennedy Center’s board — which Trump purged of Democrats earlier this year before installing himself as chairman — had “voted unanimously” for the change.
She said it was “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation.”
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur,” she added.
The towering white monument is named after president John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The centre, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971.
Trump has made a number of references to renaming the centre in recent months.
Earlier this month at the opening of a peace institute that had also been renamed after him, Trump referred to it as the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” before adding: “Whoops, excuse me.”
During his first term, billionaire Trump never attended the annual fundraising gala for recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, as many of those artists vocally opposed his policies.
This time, Trump moved quickly to make the centre his own, ridding the board of trustees of its Democratic appointees and ousting its president, as part of a wider assault on federally funded cultural institutions he deemed too “woke.”
Trump then presented the honours this year himself, giving awards to “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone, disco legend Gloria Gaynor and rock band KISS.
A few days earlier, at the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup on December 5, Trump received a new peace prize from football’s governing body and made a speech on stage.
Entertainment
Zayn Malik shares personal video message on ‘Mind of Mine’ 10th anniversary
Zayn Malik is celebrating 10 years of his debut solo album Mind of Mine with a heartfelt message.
Earlier this week, the former One Direction star took to his Instagram Stories to post a short video of himself sharing the milestone with his supporters.
Clad in a black leather jacket the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker expressed his gratitude for all the love all this time.
“Zayn here,” he began in the brief clip. “It’s been exactly 10 years since the release of Mind of Mind, so I thought I’d just do a little video just to say thank you so much for all the support.”
“Love you guys,” the Die For Me singer continued. “It means the world.”
He wrapped up the personal video message, joking, “hopefully I don’t look too old,” flashed a bright smile and waved at his admirers.
For the unversed, Zayn, now 32, released Mind of Mine, his debut solo studio album on March 25, 2016.
It came out exactly one year after his departure from the boy band, consisting of Liam Payne (late), Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
The lead single, Pillowtalk, debuted at number one in both the UK and US, making Zayn the first British male artist to achieve this with a debut single.
He dropped Like I Would as the second official single, which leaned more toward an uptempo, dance-pop sound.
A collaboration, titled Wrong, with American singer Kehlani served as the final single from the album.
Moreover, a notable track is Intermission: Flower, a Sufi devotional sung in Urdu, reflecting Zayn’s British-Pakistani heritage.
Entertainment
Antonio Banderas opens up on ethnic stereotyping in Hollywood
Antonio Banderas has spoken candidly about the ethnic stereotyping he faced when he first arrived in Hollywood, recalling being told bluntly that his Hispanic background limited him to villainous roles, and explaining why breaking out of that box still means so much to him.
“They said, you are here, like the blacks and the Hispanics, to play the bad guys,” the Oscar-nominated actor told The Times.
The irony of what came next is something he clearly savours.
“The problem was a few years later I had a mask, hat, sword and cape and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blond and had blue eyes.”
That role was, of course, Zorro, the gutsy hero Banderas played in The Mask of Zorro in 1998 and The Legend of Zorro in 2005.
But it was a cat, not a swordsman, that he considers the most culturally significant step forward.
Puss in Boots, the character he first voiced in Shrek 2 in 2004, reached an audience that nothing else could quite match.
“Even more important is Puss in Boots, because it’s for young kids. They see a cat that has a Spanish, even an Andalusian accent and he’s a good guy.”
He has now voiced the character across five films, including the critically lauded Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which earned an Oscar nomination.
However, the 65-year-old confirmed last year that he has not yet been approached for Shrek 5, due in cinemas on 30 June 2027.
“I’m not so far, and I’m not being called for that,” he told Parade.
“Puss in Boots did very well. Number two got a nomination for the Oscar, and the movie behaved beautifully at the box office. But I am totally satisfied with the five Puss in Boots that I did. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. Maybe they [will] call me tomorrow.”
Entertainment
Kerosene hiked to Rs433.40 per litre, petrol, diesel held steady as PM intervenes
- Govt to pay OMCs Rs95.59 on petrol, Rs203.88 on diesel under PDC.
- PM blocks petrol, diesel hikes, bears Rs56bn to protect consumers
- Highlights diplomacy, says Pakistan leading talks with Iran, Gulf.
KARACHI: The federal government has increased the price of kerosene oil by Rs4.66 per litre, bringing it to Rs433.40 per litre, effective from March 28, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division.
Petrol and diesel prices, however, remain unchanged at Rs321.17 and Rs335.86 per litre, respectively, despite significant increases in the global oil market.
The Petroleum Division said petrol and diesel prices were held steady to shield consumers from international price shocks.
The government will pay oil marketing companies Rs95.59 per litre on petrol and Rs203.88 per litre on diesel under the Petroleum Development Cess (PDC), as per the notification.
This latest adjustment follows a March 21 revision, when kerosene prices had surged to Rs 428.74 per litre, marking a sharp increase earlier in the month.
The repeated revisions reflect ongoing pressure on domestic fuel pricing amid volatile global markets and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Consumers and businesses continue to feel the ripple effects of rising fuel costs, making this latest hike in kerosene closely watched across the country.
Meanwhile, a few hours before the March 28 announcement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the nation on the fuel crisis.
PM Shehbaz revealed that he had rejected a summary to raise petrol by Rs95 per litre and diesel by Rs203 per litre, keeping the prices of both fuels unchanged for now, despite global surges.
“The government will bear the additional cost, estimated at Rs56 billion, to protect consumers,” the premier said during the televised address.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic role in the Middle East, including ongoing talks with Iran and Gulf countries, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar leading the negotiations.
Shehbaz vociferously credited CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir and stressed Pakistan’s active diplomacy day and night to promote peace.
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