Entertainment
Pakistan, Micronesia formalise diplomatic relations at UN ceremony
- Asim Iftikhar, Jeem S Lippwe sign joint communiqué in New York.
- Ties to focus on climate, capacity building, peace at United Nations.
- Micronesia thanks Pakistan for UN support and cooperation.
Pakistan and the Federated States of Micronesia officially established diplomatic relations on Thursday during a signing ceremony held at Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The agreement was formalised by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, and his Micronesian counterpart, Ambassador Jeem S Lippwe, according to an official statement issued by the Pakistan’s mission to UN.
Senior diplomats from both sides, including Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative Usman Jadoon, were present at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that he was truly glad as the diplomatic relations between the two countries were being established on Pakistan’s Independence Day anniversary.
The ties, he said, would open up avenues for cooperation in the field of human resource management, capacity building and climate change. He said that both Missions would work closely on key matters, especially promotion of international peace and security at the United Nations.
Asim Iftikhar said that he was happy to learn that Pakistan was the 100th country with which Micronesia was establishing its relations.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lippwe expressed his pleasure at the start of a new chapter in bilateral relations. He said that he was privileged to be representing his country at the formal start of a journey of friendship and partnership with Pakistan.
He thanked Pakistan for extending support to his country for the opening of the United Nations offices there. He said that he looked forward to working closely with his Pakistani counterpart to strengthen the bond of friendship.
He conveyed his congratulations on Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Before the ceremony, both the ambassadors held a brief meeting during which they discussed possible areas of cooperation, both bilaterally as well as at the UN.
Entertainment
‘Saturday Night Live’ alum Tina Fey admits past jokes missed the mark
Saturday Night Live veteran Tina Fey reflected on her years at the NBC sketch institution, acknowledging that some of her jokes were “on the wrong side”.
Speaking at the History Talks event in Philadelphia, Fey said she’s realized with time that not every punchline was fair.
The two times Globe Globe winner added candidly, “I was pretty dumb.”
Fey joined SNL in 1997 and later became head writer.
She recalled navigating some of the show’s most difficult broadcasts, from the first episode after September 11 to the anthrax scare and even President George W. Bush’s visit to meet Will Ferrell.
Over time, she said, the line between comedy and current events grew thinner, with politicians and public figures often responding directly to the sketches.
One of her most memorable stretches came in 2008, when she teamed with Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler to craft the now iconic Sarah Palin sketches.
Fey explained that the team worked hard to make sure their material was “a fair hit,” grounded in truth rather than random exaggeration.
“If it’s not true, it will not be funny,” she noted.
Reflecting on the influence of SNL, Fey said it was both thrilling and intimidating to know that what she wrote could be taken seriously by people in power.
She emphasized that the show never set out to control politics or the national narrative, but admitted that some of her own jokes didn’t age well.
Fey appeared alongside Nicole Kidman, Ted Danson, Kate McKinnon, Colin Jost and others at the event, which marked the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Entertainment
Prince William’s ally Robert Irwin rejects Prince Harry, Meghan offer
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared to completed a successful four-day tour to Down Under, as they received a warm welcome from the Aussies.
The optics of the visit worked in the Sussexes’s favour, having plenty of similarities to an official royal tour. However, there was one particular item on their to-do list which they were not able to accomplish after facing a major rejection.
The Irwin family is hugely popular in Australia and especially with Robert Irwin’s work and amplified fame after winning Dancing with the Stars, they hold a special prestige in the country. So much so, Prince William has made Robert one of the ambassadors of the Earthshot Prize, a deeply personal and important initiative William had taken over five years ago.
Hence, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were hoping to get a meeting with the Irwins especially the celebrity conservationist at Australia Zoo in Queensland. However, it was not possible during the four-day trip, per New Idea magazine.
The source revealed that there is “no ill-will” towards the Sussexes from the Irwins and cited that it “wasn’t possible”. Although, it is key to note that they are all “staunch monarchists and fiercely loyal to The Firm”.
“Aligning with the Irwins’ worthy causes is something that Meghan and Harry could be on board with,” the source said. But, it seems that Robert may have played it safe as he did not want to upset William.
Entertainment
Breakthrough Prize laureate David Gross drops shocking prediction for humanity
David Gross has won the Special Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics with a whopping $3 million prize, as announced by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation on April 18, 2026.
The prize honors scientists whose discoveries have contributed significant advancement to the development of human knowledge.
The Breakthrough Prizes—commonly known as the ’Oscars of Science’—were established in 2012 to celebrate the wonders of the 21st century scientific age.
David Gross, who is a Nobel Prize laureate in Physics (2004), served as director at the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics at University of California, Santa Barbara for three decades.
What earned Gross winning Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics?
In the early 1970s, there was a wide gap in quantum field theory, as it could not define the strong nuclear force, which holds the atom’s nucleus together.
But in 1973, Gross and his graduate student Frank Wilczek cracked the mystery.
They discovered that the strong force works the opposite way to familiar forces like gravity: it gets weaker as particles approach each other, but stronger as they move apart.
That discovery led to the development of quantum chromodynamics.
After taking home the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, he drops a shocking prediction for humanity in an interview with LiveScience.
Gross, when asked if humanity will ever get to a place where we get rid of nuclear weapons.
Gross predicted, “We’re not recommending that. That’s idealistic, but yet, I hope so. Because if you don’t, there’s always some risk an AI 100 years from now, but chances of (humanity) living, with this estimate, 100 years, is very small, and living 200 years is infinitesimal.”
Gross became one of this year’s six awardees for his contributions to theoretical physics, earning the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
David Gross has remained an authority in fundamental physics for six decades.
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