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The film One Battle After Another dominated the Academy Awards, winning six trophies including Best Picture in one of the most competitive award seasons in recent years, defeating strong rival Sinners.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson personally won three Oscars—his first-ever Academy Awards—for the political thriller that explores issues such as immigration raids and white supremacy in the United States.

After receiving the Best Adapted Screenplay award, Anderson said he wrote the film for his children as a way of apologizing for the world his generation is leaving behind while encouraging hope that the next generation will bring wisdom and decency.

The film follows a former revolutionary struggling with addiction, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who faces off against the menacing Colonel Lockjaw, portrayed by Sean Penn, who won Best Supporting Actor. The film also secured awards for Best Editing and Best Casting.

Despite 11 previous nominations for films like There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, Anderson had never won an Oscar until this year.

Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s vampire-themed drama Sinners—which explores America’s complex racial history—entered the ceremony with a record 16 nominations and won four awards.

These included Best Original Screenplay for Coogler and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played twin gangster brothers Smoke and Stack.

Jordan later told reporters backstage that he kept detailed journals to develop the backstories of both characters and highlight the subtle differences between them.

Other awards for Sinners included Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson and Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, making her the first woman to win in that category.

In other major wins, Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her role as Agnes, William Shakespeare’s grieving wife, in Hamnet. She said winning the award on Mother’s Day in her home country of Ireland made the moment especially meaningful.

Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a deranged witch in the horror film Weapons. The Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film, while K-Pop Demon Hunters claimed Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.”

Both One Battle After Another and Sinners were produced by Warner Bros., which dominated the night by winning 12 out of 24 awards at the ceremony.

Youth-led start-ups reshaping Pakistan’s entrepreneurial landscape

With more than 60 % of its population under 30, Pakistan is in the midst of a youth-driven entrepreneurial surge. According to a recent analysis, this generation is not simply entering jobs—they’re building businesses.

In major hubs like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, start-ups led by young entrepreneurs are emerging across e-commerce, ed-tech, fintech and sustainable ventures. The report by DigiIT notes that sectors previously underserved—such as agritech, sustainable fashion and cloud kitchens—are now drawing interest.

Women entrepreneurs are gradually gaining visibility. Female-led tech start-ups such as those backed by i2i Ventures are recording increased activity, though funding disparities persist.

What’s driving this youth momentum?

• High internet and mobile penetration (~100 m users)

• Rising freelancing and remote work allowing side-projects to turn into start-ups

• Government incubator programmes (e.g., NICs) and grants providing early-stage support
Still, there’s a gap between desire and scale.

Many youth-led start-ups stall after MVP phase due to funding, regulatory hurdles or limitations in mentorship.

As one founder remarked:

“We have the idea, the tech, the hustle—but finding the right mentor and investor is the toughest part.”

For these entrepreneurs to succeed, the ecosystem must provide better access to networks, global mentors, cross-border expansion opportunities and structured growth tracks.

For policy-makers, the lesson is clear: lower regulatory burden, simplify registration and taxes, improve internet and power reliability and fund seed-stage grants targeted at diverse groups (women, rural founders).

In short, the young entrepreneurial army in Pakistan is ready—but to win the battle they need stronger arms: capital, infrastructure and institutional support.