
Somy Ali donates to PM Cares Fund
In a heartfelt statement, Somy expressed her deep-rooted connection with India, saying, 'India has always been close to my heart. As someone who believes deeply in justice, healing, and sacrifice, I wish to humbly contribute to the PM CARES Fund in support of our brave Jawans who put their lives on the line every day, and to honor the victims and families affected by violence in Kashmir.'
She further emphasized the spirit of global unity, compassion, and humanity in times of crisis. 'This gesture is small compared to their courage. But I hope it reflects the unity of humanity beyond borders, beyond religions, and beyond politics. I stand with India's fight against terrorism and with every family mourning an irreplaceable loss. As the world watches, let India also lead not just with strength, but with compassion,' she added.
Somy, who now leads the US-based NGO No More Tears, continues to use her platform to advocate for human rights and justice. Through her movement Somyism, she champions truth, healing, and empowerment across communities.
The actress also recently shared her vision for empowering girls in Pakistan, highlighting the potential of innovation and education. 'Imagine girls from Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Hyderabad becoming AI analysts, UX designers, and film editors. Women are already leading change in countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, and Vietnam. Why not Pakistan?' Ali's words and actions echo a call for unity, progress, and hope in regions affected by violence and inequality.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Discover Ateliers and Exhibitions for Unique Fashion Choices
Before malls became popular, exhibitions and couture houses were the go-to places for exclusive outfits. While malls dominate shopping habits today, these traditional spaces still cater to individual tastes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Apurva Kothari, founder of No Nasties, says, 'It's high time you respect your style. You don't want to be seen wearing something thousands are buying across the world.' Aisha Tharadra (29) of Mumbai and Rashmi Sharma (25) of Chennai shop from ateliers and exhibitions. 'Unlike mass-produced outfits sold at malls, ateliers offer limited, personalised pieces,' they say. Creative showcases sell curated collections by experts that offer a gratifying shopping experience. Gen Z is actively seeking ethical and sustainable choices. It is important to ask the right questions and understand what goes into the making of our clothes, to be able to make the right choices for our personal style and also our planet Apurva Kothari, founder, No Nasties When shopping from ateliers, you're not just purchasing a garment but taking home a piece of art, tailored to reflect who you are. It's intimate and layered with craftsmanship and storytelling. That's what sets us apart — we don't sell fashion, we celebrate it Maheka Mirpuri, couturier, artist & philanthropist WHY SHOP FROM CREATIVE SHOWCASES Representative image/@The Lil Flea Access to limited-edition pieces Chandni Sareen, founder and creative director of The Ikat Story, says, 'Shopping at ateliers and exhibitions offers access to limited-edition pieces and heritage crafts that are hard to find in the mass-market.' Building personal style Unlike fast fashion's endless cycle of fleeting micro-trends, Niti Gupta, founder of The Afra World, emphasises, 'True style comes from looking past trends. It involves choosing fabrics, cuts, and aesthetics that reflect your persona.' Developing a personal connection According to Priyanka Punjabi, co-founder and director, The Lil Flea, 'Couture houses and exhibitions offer thoughtfulness and individuality. Pieces are handcrafted, made in small batches, and you get to interact directly with makers, making the experience personal and memorable.' LIMITATIONS Limited pieces Chaitra Poojary, a Mumbai-based content creator who shops from ateliers, says, 'With limited pieces, you have to buy immediately or risk missing out. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Exhibitions, too, are temporary, so it's hard to revisit or find the same sellers again.' Return/exchange can be a hassle Another buyer, Disha Popli (27) from Delhi, states, 'Although I prefer shopping from ateliers, exchanging or returning any purchased outfits can be a hassle due to varying prices and availability of sizes.' It is a costly affair As opposed to fast fashion brands, ateliers and exhibitions are pricier. However, this high cost is inevitable. Saaksha Bhat, co-founder, Saaksha & Kinni, states, 'Creative showcases not only source better quality clothes but also have larger overheads. Still, it's wiser to invest in expensive pieces occasionally than to frequently buy cheaper, lower-quality ones.' Pieces at ateliers and exhibitions may cost more than fast fashion, but they offer better quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability. You're paying for unique, thoughtfully curated garments Saaksha Bhat, co-founder, Saaksha & Kinni SHOP AT FASHION WEEKS Fashion weeks in India let style-conscious shoppers to explore designer outfits. They host special pop-ups where attendees can shop curated pieces straight off the runway, often at discounted prices, making high fashion accessible to a wider audience.


News18
40 minutes ago
- News18
Film on Mother Teresa by Macedonian director to premiere at Venice Film festival
Kolkata, Jul 25 (PTI) Acclaimed Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska's film 'Mother', inspired by the life of Mother Teresa and partially shot in the city, will be premiered at the upcoming 82nd International Venice Film Festival. 'Mother', the seventh feature film by the Brussels-based, Macedonian filmmaker has Swedish actress Noomi Rapace playing the role of Mother Teresa, who later became Saint Teresa in a canonisation ceremony years after her death. The film festival will be held between August 27 and September 6. The film focuses on a brief period of her life, a few weeks after the end of World War II, before the nun founded her own congregation, the Missionaries of Charity and captures the period of 1948 in Kolkata.. A substantial part of the film was shot in the city in 2024 across the iconic Howrah bridge and locations like Kumartuli, Kalighat, Entally, Loreto Convent, where Mother had taught once, Prateek Bagi, one of the co-producers of the film, said on Friday. Having an international collaboration, the film is produced by several stakeholders – Sebastien Delloye for Entre Chien et Loup (Belgium), Sisters and Brother Mitevski (Macedonia), Vuk Mitevski and Labina Mitevska, Rainy Days in Sweden, Frau film in Denmark and Raging Film in India. Bagi recalled that the film crew was happy with the shooting experience in Kolkata, and the administration and local federation of cine technicians extended all help. 'The director thanked the office of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the administration, among others, for their help and promised to come back to the city for future projects," he said. Apart from Bagi, SRFTI alumnus and co-founder of Raging Films, Shaunak Sur, was associated with the film and its shoots in the city. The film 'Mother' by director Mitevska will have the honour of opening the Orizzonti section on the first competition day of this year's Venice Film Festival, the festival directorate said. 'The Orizzonti selection at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, which will open this year with the Macedonian film 'Mother', is intended for films that introduce new aesthetic and expressive directions in contemporary cinematography. Works with an innovative approach in storytelling, visual style and film language are particularly valued," it said. The film is in the competitive section.. This is the third time that Teona Strugar Mitevska has presented her film in the official programme of the Venice Film Festival. The producers of Mother said the director was enamoured by the amazing story of Mother Teresa's life. The director was born in Skopje in North Macedonia like her. She had initially wanted to make a documentary 'Theresa and Me', a project funded by the Macedonian Radio and Television and came to the city in 2010-11 for the first time. But as she came across more amazing facts of Mother's life during research, the script for a full-length feature film was developed, and she again came with the cast and crew in 2024, the producers said. The Orizzonti section, dedicated to showcasing innovative and emerging trends in global cinema, presents a lineup featuring both established stars and rising directorial talent, the festival directorate said. PTI SUS RG view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 13:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
YouTube's AI 'slop' a win for Alphabet as viewers embrace content boom
There's a prevailing wisdom that AI-generated content, or slop as it's colloquially known, should make our skin crawl. AI models tend to generate uncanny faces, mangled hands and fantastical scenarios. Take this YouTube Short video of a baby that finds itself being shimmied up a baggage loader onto a jumbo jet, before donning an aviation headset and flying the plane. It has racked up more than 103 million views. So too have other AI-generated videos which are starting to dominate the platform in much the same way they've proliferated across Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Several of YouTube's most popular channels now feature AI-generated content heavily. Earlier this month, YouTube — which could surpass The Walt Disney Co. this year as the world's largest media company by revenue — updated its policies to strike a balance between allowing AI-generated videos to flourish on its platform without spamming it. The new rules cut ad revenue from low-effort, repetitive content. Think channels like this one, this one, this one, this one and many more, often run by the same person uploading dozens of videos a day. Their creators might exploit AI tools like Eleven Labs to create a synthetic voice that reads out a script, scraped from Reddit, over a slideshow of stock images. Some of these videos get hundreds of thousands of views. The video platform's overall approach, however, is that AI-generated content is fine, so long as it's original, provides value to viewers and includes some human input. For now, it seems to be measuring that on a case-by-case basis, which is as good an approach as any with new tech. YouTube is also no stranger to fighting spam. YouTube clearly wants AI content to thrive. Sister company Google has said that later this summer, it will bring its video-generation tool Veo3 to YouTube Shorts, making it even easier to create lifelike AI videos of Storm-Trooper vloggers or biblical characters as influencers. The company says AI will 'unlock creativity' for its creators. But unlocking new forms of profit is more straightforward for Alphabet than it is for creators. Take Ahmet Yiğit, the Istanbul-based creator behind the viral pilot-baby video. Though his channel has racked up hundreds of millions of views, he's only received an estimated $2,600 for his most viral post, with the bulk of his audience coming from countries like India, where ad rates are low. Yiğit says he spends hours on a single scene and juggles a dozen tools, suggesting that even this new generation of AI creators could end up working harder for less, while Alphabet reaps ad revenue from their output. As long as the content machine runs, it doesn't matter whether AI videos are quick and easy or grueling to make — only that they drive views and ads. That's why YouTube is leaning harder into welcoming slop than policing it. While the company does require creators to say if their videos contain AI, the resulting disclaimer is listed in a small-text description that viewers must click through to read, making it tough to spot. That does little to address the growing confusion around what's real and what's synthetic as more YouTubers race to capitalize on AI content. The risk is that as slop floods our feeds and juices YouTube's recommendation algorithms, it'll drown out more thoughtful, human-made work. The earliest big YouTube hits were slices of life like the infamous, 'Charlie Bit My Finger.' What happens when the next wave of viral hits have no bearing on reality, instead offering bizarre, dreamlike sequences of babies dressed as Storm Troopers, or Donald Trump beating up bullies in an alleyway?