Entertainment
Pakistan Idol set for Oct 4 premiere on Geo TV

KARACHI: The wait is finally over: Pakistan’s biggest music reality show, Pakistan Idol 2025, will kick off on October 4 with its grand return to television screens.
The much-celebrated competition will be aired exclusively on Pakistan’s leading entertainment channel, Geo TV.
With excitement at its peak and dreams shining in the eyes of thousands of aspiring singers, the nation’s most-awaited music show promises to capture hearts once again.
This season’s judges’ panel features a stellar lineup: Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Fawad Khan, Zeb Bangash, and Bilal Maqsood. Adding charm and wit to the stage, the ever-energetic Shafaat Ali will host the show.
Together, they bring a magical blend of expertise, melody, and entertainment never before seen on Pakistani television.
Auditions kicked off in Sukkur and later reached Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Karachi, where hundreds of young singers showcased their talent. From classical renditions to regional folk melodies, extraordinary voices emerged in every city. Among the participants were differently-abled and visually impaired contestants, whose passion for music deeply moved both the judges and audiences.
Now, the chosen talent will step onto the grand stage, where their voices, journeys, and dreams will be tested before the star-studded judges’ panel. The show will not only highlight their singing abilities but also their stories of perseverance and dedication.
As anticipation builds, one question dominates: Who will be crowned Pakistan’s next superstar? The answer begins to unfold on October 4, when Pakistan Idol 2025 premieres, only on Geo TV.
Entertainment
Julia Roberts gives rare shoutout to husband Danny Moder

Julia Roberts calls her 23-year marriage to Danny Moder a “never-changing joy.”
During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Eat, Pray, Love actress, 57, was asked what brings her joy in life.
While her After the Hunt co-star Andrew Garfield talked about how what makes him happy changes over time, Roberts credited her longtime husband for being her ultimate source of joy.
Her co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Michael Stuhlbarg laughed, with Edebiri joking, “I knew you were going to say that!”
Roberts chuckled and added, “Never changes. Sometimes more. Sometimes medium.”
Roberts and Moder, married since July 2002, met on the set of The Mexican. They share three children: twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, 20, and Henry, 18.
The private couple recently made a rare public appearance at the Venice Film Festical in August 2025 for the premiere of Roberts’ latest film. They hadn’t been seen at such an event since 2020.
After the Hunt hits theaters October 10.
Entertainment
Cat Stevens postpones North American tour, cites visa issues

Legendary singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf, announced that his upcoming North American book tour will be postponed due to unspecified visa issues.
The “Morning Has Broken” singer took to Instagram to share the news on Monday, saying his “Cat on the Road to Findout” book tour won’t be going ahead as scheduled next month. The book will be released in the U.S. on Oct. 7 and was made available in the U.K. earlier this month.
“Waiting months for visa approvals, we held out as long as we could,” he wrote. “However, at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time.”
He added: “I am really upset! Not least for my fans who have bought tickets and made travel plans to see me perform.”
Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
Stevens said North American fans may still get a chance to see the tour “if visa approvals come through,” though he said those dates would most likely be “some time away” because of other commitments.
“Hopefully, fans will be able to hop on the Peace Train route at some time in the future,” he added. “Meanwhile, tour delays should not affect the book, which you’ll still be able to enjoy… the obvious benefit of it being — books don’t need visas!”
The singer-songwriter, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after embracing the Muslim faith, did not specify any reason for the visa delays. He is the latest in a string of international musicians and athletes impacted by visa issues, as fees have increased in the past year and processing times have slowed.
Representatives of Stevens did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
The singer’s tour was set to start Oct. 2 in Philadelphia and had various stops scheduled across the country for the rest of the month. His Oct. 8 tour stop in Toronto, Canada, was also postponed.
The British singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1960s and put his career on hold for two decades after converting to Islam in the late 1970s. He returned to secular music in the 2000s.
Entertainment
Nationwide communications blackout hits Afghanistan: report

A huge communications blackout hit Afghanistan on Monday, weeks after Taliban authorities began severing fibre optic connections in multiple provinces to prevent “vice”.
“A nation-wide telecoms blackout is now in effect,” said Netblocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance.
“We’re now observing national connectivity at 14% of ordinary levels.”
The watchdog said the incident “appears consistent with the intentional disconnection of service”.
AFP lost contact with its bureau in the capital Kabul around 6:15pm (1315 GMT), including mobile phone service.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities began a crackdown on internet access earlier this month, severing connections in multiple provinces.
The move, ordered by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, effectively shut down high-speed internet in several regions.
Fibre optic internet was completely banned in northern Balkh province on the leader’s orders, provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said on September 16.
“This measure was taken to prevent vice, and alternative options will be put in place across the country to meet connectivity needs,” he wrote on social media.
At the time, AFP correspondents reported the same restrictions in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar, as well as in Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Uruzgan in the south.
Over the past several weeks, internet connections have been extremely slow or intermittent.
In 2024, Kabul had touted the 9,350-kilometre fibre optic network — largely built by former US-backed governments — as a “priority” to bring the country closer to the rest of the world and lift it out of poverty.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have instituted numerous restrictions.
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