In a recently-published article, Tennis star Serena Williams has said she is retiring to expand her family. Williams says she didn't want to choose between tennis and family, and wouldn't have had to, had she been a man. But is retirement really a gender issue? Listen in to Palki Sharma.

Gravitas: Serena Williams announces retirement

Sam Smith has responded to Shawn Mendes' apology for mispronouncing the former's pronoun. Mendes made a mistake when introducing Grammy-winning singer and songwriter at&nbsp;iHeart Radio Jingle Ball and immediately offered a heartfelt apology.

Mendes accidentally misgendered Smith, calling the singer "he" instead of "they" during an introduction on the show.

On Friday, Mendes took to his Instagram stories to apologize for the gaffe.

"Oh @samsmith I'm so sorry for referring to you as a ‘he' for your jingle ball introduction," wrote the "Wonder" singer. "It absolutely slipped my mind. Won't happen again. Sending you so much love! Also, you absolutely are one of the funniest people I've ever met!" 
 
Smith responded graciously to Mendes' apology writing,&nbsp; "We're all learning together," Smith posted on their Instagram stories along with two heart emoji. They added, "Happy holidays, all my love xx." 
 
<img alt="Sam Smith" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0525d0fb-f6df-4340-acb1-bd83e4e43aac" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/samsmith.JPG" />

In 2019, Smith had&nbsp;told actor and activist Jameela Jamil, "I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between." Then, in September of 2019, Smith came out as non-binary on Instagram, telling their fans and followers that their pronouns are "they/them."

"Today is a good day so here goes," Smith wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM ❤ after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out."

The "Diamonds" singer has been open about their struggles with gender issues and body acceptance. They went on to say that although they were nervous about making the announcement, they are "privileged to be surrounded by people that support me in this decision."

Smith also anticipated that people would make mistakes as they adjusted to his decision but had one request for others.

"I understand there will be many mistakes and misgendering but all I ask is you please please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now. Thank you."

&nbsp;

Sam Smith has responded to Shawn Mendes' apology for mispronouncing the former's pronoun. Mendes made a mistake when introducing Grammy-winning singer and songwriter at iHeart Radio Jingle Ball and immediately offered a heartfelt apology.

Sam Smith has responded to Shawn Mendes' apology for mispronouncing the former's pronoun. Mendes made a mistake when introducing Grammy-winning singer and songwriter at iHeart Radio Jingle Ball and immediately offered a heartfelt apology. Mendes accidentally misgendered Smith, calling the singer "he" instead of "they" during an introduction on the show. On Friday, Mendes took to his Instagram stories to apologize for the gaffe. "Oh @samsmith I'm so sorry for referring to you as a ‘he' for your jingle ball introduction," wrote the "Wonder" singer. "It absolutely slipped my mind. Won't happen again. Sending you so much love! Also, you absolutely are one of the funniest people I've ever met!" Smith responded graciously to Mendes' apology writing, "We're all learning together," Smith posted on their Instagram stories along with two heart emoji. They added, "Happy holidays, all my love xx." In 2019, Smith had told actor and activist Jameela Jamil, "I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between." Then, in September of 2019, Smith came out as non-binary on Instagram, telling their fans and followers that their pronouns are "they/them." "Today is a good day so here goes," Smith wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM ❤ after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out." The "Diamonds" singer has been open about their struggles with gender issues and body acceptance. They went on to say that although they were nervous about making the announcement, they are "privileged to be surrounded by people that support me in this decision." Smith also anticipated that people would make mistakes as they adjusted to his decision but had one request for others. "I understand there will be many mistakes and misgendering but all I ask is you please please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now. Thank you."

Sam Smith responds to Shawn Mendes' apology for misgendering their pronoun

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called women's inequality "stupid" and a cause for global shame. He pledged to press governments to end discriminatory laws in the face of a "strong and relentless pushback" against women's rights.

UN Chief Slams Gender Inequality

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has sparked controversy in India by saying his heavy training schedule for an upcoming film left him feeling &quot;like a raped woman&quot;. 
 
Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie Sultan, which tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback. 
 
&quot;When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn`t walk straight,&quot; 50-year-old Khan said in an interview with local news site Spotboye.com published on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
In the same interview, Khan said he had been able to quit every &quot;vice&quot; except women, saying that he had given up cigarettes, coffee and alcohol, but not female company.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There`s nothing left to quit anymore,&quot; he told the site. 
 
Social media users slammed the actor&#39;s comments. 
 
&quot;If you are a Salman Khan fan, it&#39;s good, but if you support his pathetic statement, you are nothing but a disgusting creature,&quot; wrote Twitter user @gautamverma23.&nbsp; 
 
Shaina NC, a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra state, tweeted: &quot;Rape is an exercise of power to destruct a woman&#39;s self esteem, (from what) I (know) of @BeingSalmanKhan he respects #women so he must apologise&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Khan&#39;s personal life has also been dogged by controversy. 
 
Last year he was cleared of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash, and he is battling allegations he used unlicensed arms to shoot antelopes in western India.&nbsp; 
 
Bollywood films are notorious for their sexism and Khan in particular is accused of having weaker female parts in his movies. 
 
While several Indian filmmakers are breaking with stereotypes to produce women-oriented films, these are still few and far between. 
 
More recently, in April, India&#39;s sports stars reacted with dismay after Khan was appointed goodwill ambassador for the Olympic team in the Rio Games later this year. 
 
His appointment, by the Indian Olympic Association, triggered a row over whether an actor was best suited to promote athletes. 
 
Khan is one of Bollywood&#39;s biggest box-office draws, starring in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit &quot;Maine Pyar Kiya&quot; (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s. 
 
(Reuters)

Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie 'Sultan'

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has sparked controversy in India by saying his heavy training schedule for an upcoming film left him feeling "like a raped woman". Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie Sultan, which tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback. "When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn`t walk straight," 50-year-old Khan said in an interview with local news site Spotboye.com published on Monday. In the same interview, Khan said he had been able to quit every "vice" except women, saying that he had given up cigarettes, coffee and alcohol, but not female company. "There`s nothing left to quit anymore," he told the site. Social media users slammed the actor's comments. "If you are a Salman Khan fan, it's good, but if you support his pathetic statement, you are nothing but a disgusting creature," wrote Twitter user @gautamverma23. Shaina NC, a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra state, tweeted: "Rape is an exercise of power to destruct a woman's self esteem, (from what) I (know) of @BeingSalmanKhan he respects #women so he must apologise". Khan's personal life has also been dogged by controversy. Last year he was cleared of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash, and he is battling allegations he used unlicensed arms to shoot antelopes in western India. Bollywood films are notorious for their sexism and Khan in particular is accused of having weaker female parts in his movies. While several Indian filmmakers are breaking with stereotypes to produce women-oriented films, these are still few and far between. More recently, in April, India's sports stars reacted with dismay after Khan was appointed goodwill ambassador for the Olympic team in the Rio Games later this year. His appointment, by the Indian Olympic Association, triggered a row over whether an actor was best suited to promote athletes. Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest box-office draws, starring in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit "Maine Pyar Kiya" (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s. (Reuters)

Indian Actor Salman Khan under fire for 'raped woman' comment

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