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FOREIGN

Girls at Malala school in Shangla still study under fear

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SHANGLA: Dozens of girls in grey-and-white uniforms trooped into a building beneath a pine-covered ridge in Pakistan’s mountainous Shangla district Friday for classes at the school built with Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Prize money.

The Khpal Kor Model School, three storeys tall and with a computer lab, playground and library, is a symbol of the change that Malala has helped bring to a deeply conservative region where she was once one among many girls struggling to receive an education.

But with many parents afraid to speak to the media for fears the building would be targeted by militants, it is also a sign of how far Pakistan has to go in its long battle with extremism, even in a region that it regularly touts as a security success story.
“We don’t want this school to be publicised because if it happens, militants will target it,” one parent said on condition of anonymity.

Have dreamed of coming back to Pakistan for five years: Malala Yousafzai

Opened just over two weeks ago, the building hosts 183 students, most between the ages of five and 12. Thirty-eight of them are orphans.

The road leading to its solid yellow gate is paved only partially, and girls walking up it are often escorted by fathers or elder brothers.

Some, said principal Sajid Shah, are transported by the school — an initiative paid for, along with the books, uniforms, tuition for the orphans and poorer students, teachers’ salaries and the building itself, by the Malala Fund.

 

Police have promised they will soon deploy three officers to guard the campus. When AFP visited Friday, they had not yet arrived.

The school is built on the outskirts of Shahpur, a town in Malala’s home district of Shangla — part of the region known as Swat, the scenic valley once infested by the Pakistani Taliban.

In 2007, the militants took control, waging a campaign of beheadings, other violence and attacks on girls’ schools before the army deployed 30,000 troops in 2009, declaring it secure by July that year.

Since then Pakistani and at times US officials have held up Swat — recently designated a safe tourism destination once more — as a success story in the country’s fight against Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

But critics have long warned that Pakistan is not doing enough to fight the root causes of extremism, and beneath the surface peace in Swat was always fragile, as the attack on Malala herself three years later demonstrated.

By then she and her family had moved to Mingora, the main town in neighbouring Swat district — also part of the Swat region — and it was there that gunmen stopped her school bus on October 9, 2012, asked for her by name, and shot her in the head.

Her near-miraculous survival and subsequent fierce education campaigns have turned her into an instantly recognisable force for human rights.

But her emotional return to Pakistan Thursday for the first time since the shooting has refocused attention on Swat.

Security there has improved “significantly”, analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai said Friday, but rare attacks — such as one that killed 11 soldiers in Swat on February 18 — show the danger is not yet over years on.

Love and hate: The many views of Malala Yousafzai

“They (the militants) still have their facilitators and sleeper cells there,” Yusufzai told AFP.

In Shangla, Afshaar Alam, a medical student who is guardian to his seven-year-old sister attending the Khpal Kor school, said it was the best school in the area.

However his family had opposed his decision to send her there, he said, “fearing it may be targeted”.

Militancy aside, residents in Shangla said life in Swat was changing for girls and women, particularly in a conservative region where their access to education had long been problematic.

Education is highly valued in Swat, which is also plagued with natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods that in the past have left children studying in the open air even through harsh winters.

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“I am grateful to Malala for her invaluable efforts to promote education, a task our leaders failed to accomplish,” Shangla shopkeeper Farmanullah said after dropping his three daughters at the school.

“We have just one Malala today but after a decade or so, we will have Malalas everywhere.”

There was still no word Friday on whether the 20-year-old herself would go to Swat during her brief, unannounced visit to Pakistan.

Her schedule is being kept tightly under wraps out of security fears, which Yusufzai said was telling.

“Not taking her to her hometown means they are not confident,” he said, referring to the government and military establishment.

“If the government can’t provide her security, then what does it mean?”
AFP

FOREIGN

Lee Min-Ho Returns To The Big Screens In Netflix’s “When The Stars Gossip”

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Lee Min-Ho back to the screen in When The Stars Gossip | fab.ng

Lee Min-ho is set to make a triumphant return to the big screens with Netflix’s upcoming South Korean series When The Stars Gossip.

After a well-planned hiatus, the iconic actor will star in this highly anticipated sci-fi romance alongside Gong Hyo-jin.

The series will premiere globally on January 4, 2025. Netflix K-Content announced it with exclusive first-look images that tease a captivating narrative exploring love and life among the stars.

In the series, Min-ho takes on the role of an OB-GYN who becomes a space tourist. Meanwhile, Gong portrays a space mission commander. Their characters promise an exciting dynamic that blends romance and adventure in an interstellar setting.

Renowned as one of South Korea’s most celebrated actors, Lee Min-ho rose to international fame with his breakout role as the charismatic Gu Jun-Pyo in the 2009 drama Boys Before Flowers.

His performance earned widespread acclaim and established him as a key figure in the global Hallyu wave. Over the years, he has enthralled audiences with his performances in hit dramas. These dramas are The Heirs (2013), Legend of the Blue Sea (2016), and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020).

Known for his selective approach to roles, Min-ho consistently curates projects that highlight his versatility, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his next move.

His most recent major project, Apple TV+’s Pachinko, showcased his exceptional acting skills. In seasons one (2022) and two (2024), Min-ho delivered a critically acclaimed performance as Koh Hansu, a morally complex and nuanced character. This role further cemented his reputation as a versatile and skilled actor.

Lee Min-ho’s deliberate approach to choosing projects has elevated the anticipation for When The Stars Gossip. Fans are thrilled to see him return to the small screen in a fresh and compelling narrative.

The series boasts an impressive supporting cast. They include Gong Hyo-jin (When the Camellia Blooms), Oh Jung-se (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay), Han Ji-Eun (Be Melodramatic), Kim Joo-hun (Castaway Diva), Lee El (My Liberation Notes), Lee Cho-hee (Once Again), and Heo Nam-jun (Sweet Home).

Indeed, the show promises to captivate audiences worldwide with its unique mix of sci-fi and romance.

Check out more movie updates here.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Denzel Washington Opens Up About 15-Year Battle With Alcohol

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Denzel Washington On 15-Year Battle with Alcohol | fab.ng

Hollywood icon Denzel Washington recently disclosed his past struggles with alcohol during an interview with Esquire.

The two-time Academy Award winner candidly shared a fifteen-year pattern of wine consumption. What began as a casual habit gradually escalated into a regular occurrence.

He began, “Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden,” he elaborated, recalling how a wine cellar he constructed in 1999 within his home became a place for self-indulgence.

The actor added,

“And part of it was we built this big house in 1999 with a ten-thousand-bottle wine cellar, and I learned to drink the best. So I’m gonna drink my ’61s and my ’82s and whatever we had. Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left. And then later in those years I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.”

Washington also delved into his past, acknowledging his youthful experimentation with drugs. However, he emphasized that he never developed an addiction to substances such as heroin or cocaine.

He continued,

“I’m sure at first it was easy because I was younger. Two months off and let’s go. But drinking was a fifteen-year pattern. And truth be told, it didn’t start in ’99. It started earlier.”

A decade ago, as Washington neared his 60th birthday, a turning point arrived. He made the resolute decision to abstain from alcohol completely.

“I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean. Be ten years this December. I stopped at sixty and I haven’t had a thimble’s worth since. Things are opening up for me now—like being seventy. It’s real. And it’s okay. This is the last chapter—if I get another thirty, what do I want to do? My mother made it to ninety-seven,” said Washington.

Check out more updates here.

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FOREIGN

Bruno Mars Breaks All-Time Spotify Monthly Listener Record For The Second Time

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Bruno Mars Breaks Spotify Monthly Listener Record | fab.ng

Bruno Mars now commands 130 million monthly Spotify listeners, shattering the platform’s previous record.

The Grammy winner achieved this milestone following the release of his recent collaborations: ‘Die With A Smile‘ featuring Lady Gaga and his appearance on Rose’s track ‘APT’.

These new singles mark Mars’ first musical releases since his collaboration with Anderson Paak on their Grammy Album of the Year-winning project ‘An Evening With The Silk Sonic’ in 2021.

The stellar performance of these tracks has propelled him past The Weeknd’s previous record of 120 million monthly listeners.

The Weeknd had previously made history as the first artist to attract 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The Canadian superstar then broke his own record by reaching an impressive 120 million listeners.

As of November 13, 2024, Bruno Mars leads the Top 20 highest Spotify monthly listeners, demonstrating his enduring appeal and growing global fanbase.

His achievement reflects both the success of his recent releases and his consistent ability to connect with audiences worldwide.

The record-breaking numbers showcase the expanding reach of streaming platforms and Mars’ commanding presence in the digital music landscape.

Top 20 highest Spotify monthly listeners as of November 13, 2024.

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