Author: newsdesk

  • Aamir Liaquat leaked video case: Dania Shah released on bail

    Aamir Liaquat leaked video case: Dania Shah released on bail

    Dania Shah, the estranged wife of the late Dr Aamir Liaquat, has been granted bail on Tuesday by Sindh High Court.

    The high court issued its decision on Dania Shah’s February 8 bail plea.

    A previous bail application had been denied by the district and sessions court in Karachi. Subsequently, Dania Shah approached the high court and claimed that no evidence had been uncovered against her, pleading that the court should release her on bond and end the legal remand.
    The SHC, while accepting bail of late Aamir Liaquat’s wife against surety bonds of Rs200,000, ordered police to release her from jail.

    Aamir Liaquat, a televangelist and politician, was found dead at his home on June 9 in Karachi.

    A few months before his death, videos surfaced online showing Dr Aamir in compromising positions, allegedly shot in secret and released by Dania Shah.

  • Hyderabad woman suffers vision impairment after using phone in the dark

    Hyderabad woman suffers vision impairment after using phone in the dark

    Indian doctor Sudhir Kumar has shared details of a case on Twitter where a woman began suffering from vision impairment for one and a half year. Her symptoms included seeing bright flashes of light, dark zig zag lines and some times, the inability to see or focus on objects.
    In a lengthy Twitter thread, he said that the 30 year old woman had quit her job as a beautician to take care of her specially-abled son, which is when she picked up the habit of scrolling through her phone for several hours at night with the lights switched off.

    “I reviewed the history. Symptoms had started after she quit her job of a beautician in order to take care of her specially abled child. She picked up a new habit of browsing through her smartphone for several hours daily, including >2 hours at nights with lights switched of.”

    After this, the doctor revealed that it was clearly a case of ‘smartphone vision syndrome’ which occurs after long term usage of tablets, phones or computers which can cause disabling optical symptoms.

    “The diagnosis was obvious now. She was suffering from smartphone vision syndrome (SVS). Long-term use of devices such as computer, smartphones or tablets can cause various eye-related disabling symptoms, referred to as computer vision syndrome (CVS) or digital vision syndrome.”

    The doctor had advised the woman to reduce her use of phones and only use it when it is completely necessary. Now, 18 months later the woman’s eyesight has been restored and she no longer sees flashes of light or zig zag lines.

    Using this case as an example, he advised his followers to reduce phone usage to take care of their bodies better. His two reminders were:

    1 Take 20-second break, every 20 min, to look at something 20 feet away, while using a digital screen (20-20-20 rule).

    2 Avoid looking at screens of digital devices for long, as it can cause severe and disabling vision-related problems.

  • Petrol price likely to rise by Rs20 per litre in upcoming review

    Petrol price likely to rise by Rs20 per litre in upcoming review

    Oil industry sources report that there may be a Rs20 per litre increase in petrol prices at the upcoming review on February 15, 2023. The increase is based on calculations of the international price of petrol, specifically on a free on board (FOB) basis.

    During the previous fortnightly review of fuel prices, the government implemented a substantial increase of Rs35 per litre. Currently, the government imposes a petroleum levy (PL) of Rs50 per litre, while the general sales tax (GST) has not yet been levied.

    Sources suggest that the price of petrol could increase further if the foreign exchange rate is adjusted at the next review. They noted that the exchange rate is currently unfavorable, negating any potential benefits or reductions for local consumers.

    Despite a decrease in international petrol prices, the sharp depreciation of the rupee against the dollar has offset gains, adversely affecting domestic consumers. Additionally, the sources warned that the government may implement a Rs20 per litre adjustment to account for the exchange rate, which could result in an overall increase of up to Rs40 per litre.

    The price of diesel, as reported by sources, has not seen any increase on FOB without exchange rate adjustments. However, they stated that diesel prices could potentially increase in the next review if the exchange rate is adjusted. The government previously adjusted Rs14 per litre on diesel due to the exchange rate, but the recent appreciation of the dollar has effectively negated this adjustment from the last review.

    While global diesel prices have reportedly decreased by five to six dollars per barrel, the depreciation of the rupee prevents the government from passing on the reduction to local consumers.

    The most recent price adjustment of petroleum products was made on January 29, 2021, by the federal government. Following the review, petrol was priced at Rs249.80 per litre, high-speed diesel at Rs262.80 per litre, kerosene oil at Rs189.83 per litre, and light-speed diesel at Rs187 per litre.

    The government implemented an increase in petrol and high-speed diesel prices by Rs35 per litre each, and raised the rates of kerosene oil and light diesel oil by Rs18 per litre each on January 29, 2023.

    Pakistan is currently experiencing a shortage of petrol, with its most populous province, Punjab, being hit the hardest. The crisis has affected major and minor cities, towns, and villages in Punjab, with the shortage being attributed to petroleum dealers.

    Sources previously reported that in addition to a low import of petrol by most Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), petroleum dealers were also involved in hoarding petrol in anticipation of an expected price increase in mid-February.

  • Gen Bajwa personally recorded conversations with Imran Khan, claims Aftab Iqbal

    Gen Bajwa personally recorded conversations with Imran Khan, claims Aftab Iqbal

    Television personality and anchorperson Aftab Iqbal has claimed that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa recorded conversations with former Prime Minister Imran Khan when they used to meet.

    “General Bajwa told me that he has audio recordings of Imran Khan praising me for trapping Nawaz Sharif [in court cases and removing him from power]. He [Khan] used to come to me and share ideas of what more I should do with Nawaz Sharif,” reveals Iqbal.

    Iqbal said that Gen Bajwa claimed that he himself recorded the conversations and that former Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Faiz Hameed also didn’t know about it.

    “Securing Faiz, Gen Bajwa said that he will reveal all information that he has on Khan,” said Iqbal.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has yet again come up with another narrative regarding his version of ‘regime change’. The former Prime Minister said that Gen Bajwa told the United States (US) that Khan is anti-America, which resulted in his ouster.

    In an interview with Voice of America, aired on Saturday, Khan said, “As things unfolded, it wasn’t the US who told Pakistan, it was unfortunately, from what evidences have now come out, it was General Bajwa who actually somehow managed to tell the Americans that I was anti-America and so it was not imported from there actually it was exported from here to there.”

  • First female Hindu officer assumes charge as Assistant Commissioner in Hassanabdal

    First female Hindu officer assumes charge as Assistant Commissioner in Hassanabdal

    For the first time in the town’s history, a woman from a minority group has been selected as Hassanabdal’s assistant commissioner.

    The 27-year-old Dr Sana Ramchand Gulwani has taken over as the town’s administrator and AC.

    Dr Sana became the first female member of the Hindu community to pass the 2020 Central Superior Services (CSS) test and get accepted into the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).

    She attended a local government school for her elementary and secondary education while growing up in the tiny village of Chak in Shikarpur, Sindh.

    Her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University was awarded to her in 2016. She continued her urology education after which she started studying for the CSS test.

    Her parents did not want her to see the administration, according to Dr Sana. Her career in medicine itself was the family’s long-held desire. She did, however, succeed in reaching both goals.

  • Huawei to copy iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island cutout design for its next smartphone

    Huawei to copy iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island cutout design for its next smartphone

    The iPhone 14 series was introduced in September of last year and marked a significant change for Apple. Unlike previous releases which typically had a similar design, the company decided to eliminate the notch in its Pro models and replace it with the “Dynamic Island.”

    This new cutout houses the front camera and Face ID sensors, and was well-received by users. Other manufacturers were inspired by this change and started working on similar designs.

    Huawei was one of the first companies to follow suit, and the Huawei Nova 11 series will feature a new pill-shaped cutout screen. This is a first for the Chinese tech giant, which has used various punch-hole techniques in the past. The most popular of these was a single hole or pill-shaped camera placement in the top left corner of the screen. However, for the first time, Huawei will position its cameras in the middle, similar to Apple’s “Dynamic Island.”

    Nova 11 series is also set to launch with the XMAGE camera system, which is expected to offer a better photography experience for users. The Dynamic Island feature is expected to have similar functionality to Apple’s, but no further details have been announced at this time. It is likely that the phone will run on HarmonyOS, as with other current Huawei models.

  • A wholesome detail in Kiara and Sidharth’s wedding has fans swooning

    The wedding of Bollywood actors Sidhart Malhotra and Kiara Advani was the most anticipated event of the year, with millions of fans around the world flocking to send their well wishes to the new couple as soon as they uploaded a video on Instagram.

    But what fans realized later was the inclusion of the song ‘Ranjha’ in the wedding video, which had previously been used in the film ‘Sheershah’ where both starred as star-crossed lovers in the backdrop of the Kargil war.

    The iconic song ‘Ranjha’, sung by Jasleen Royal and B Praak, was originally about the heartbreak both characters had to endure when they parted ways because of the war,. However, fans were deeply moved to find out that the song was re-written for the bride’s entry.

    The filming team “The Wedding Planner” shared exclusive details revealed that the couple chose ‘Ranjha’ as their song, so they called some people to re write it in order to fit their day!

    ‘Very few humans are so generous with their love that they are willing to share it with the world. She wanted to walk towards Sidharth on ‘Ranjha’, which is their song. “But it’s a sad song!” I argued. “But it’s our song!” She maintained! So we rewrote the lyrics with respect to fit the situation we were in, and suddenly, everyone’s dreams came true! ‘

    Prerna Arora and Ashwani Basoya, who sang the new version, shared clips of the wedding on their Instagram page, and thanked the Bollywood stars for including them in their big day.

    “I feel really happy and honoured to share this with you all. ❤️ Recorded my vocals for @kiaraaliaadvani and @sidmalhotra wedding day song – “Ranjha”
    As we say, it was a happy ending for Shershaah and Dimple in the parallel universe..” wrote Arora

    “Every wonderful opportunity in my life is just Grace ✨
    Thankful and grateful to have sung a happier version of YOUR song for you both @kiaraaliaadvani @sidmalhotra. It’s an honour to be a small part of your beautiful Love.
    Wishing you a lifetime of Love and Happiness ! ❤️” wrote Basoya

    The lyricist Shraddha Sehgal, had shared the song lyrics of ‘Ranjha’ on her Instagram page.

    Fans on Twitter were moved to tears by this wholesome dedication

    Cue to us sobbing alone as well

  • Next-generation Apple Watch may feature a built-in camera

    Next-generation Apple Watch may feature a built-in camera

    Recently, information about Apple’s plans for its smartwatches has emerged from a leaked patent application. The patent reveals that Apple has given significant thought to incorporating a camera into its Apple Watch.

    The company has been granted a patent (US-11571048-B1) for a strap release mechanism for the Apple Watch, which could be used in conjunction with a built-in camera. This discovery, made by Patently Apple, describes a strap comprised of two segments and a “nest” section that facilitates the removal of the watch from the strap. This mechanism opens up new possibilities for the utilization of the Apple Watch, including the ability to capture photos with a built-in camera.

    The patent filing includes visual depictions of utilizing the camera feature on the strap-less Apple Watch, as well as a cross-section of the device that showcases a bottom-facing camera and its field of view. The user can take a picture by simply removing the watch, holding the camera section, and capturing the photo.

    Apple has a history of exploring camera-related patent designs for its Apple Watch. In the past, the company was granted a patent for a camera located within the digital crown and another patent from 2019 for a rotatable camera integrated into the end of a strap.

    Apple’s recent patent application is consistent with the company’s ongoing investigation into camera capabilities for the Apple Watch. There is already a similar product, known as the Wristcam, which can be utilized as a third-party accessory for the device.

    It is important to note that the filing of a patent by Apple does not necessarily imply the eventual release of an Apple Watch equipped with a camera. Rather, it serves as evidence of the company’s examination of various conceptual possibilities.

  • Another U-turn? Khan claims ‘conspiracy’ to remove him was ‘exported’ from Pakistan to US

    Another U-turn? Khan claims ‘conspiracy’ to remove him was ‘exported’ from Pakistan to US

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has yet again come up with another narrative regarding his version of “regime change”. The former Prime Minister has now said that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa told United States (US) that Khan is anti-America, which resulted in his ouster.

    In an interview with Voice of America, aired on Saturday, Khan said, “As things unfolded, it wasn’t the US who told Pakistan, it was unfortunately, from what evidences have now come out, it was General Bajwa who actually somehow managed to tell the Americans that I was anti-America and so it was not imported from there actually it was exported from here to there.”

    The former premier was of the view that “International relationships shouldn’t be based on personal egos, they should be based on the interest of the people of your own country”, adding that it is in the interest of Pakistanis to have good relations with US.

    Talking about his relationship with Bajwa, Khan said that his government and the military were on the “same page”, which meant that “we had the organised strength of Pakistan army to help us”.

    However, Imran contended that Gen Bajwa “favoured some of the biggest crooks in the country” and didn’t think about corruption as a big problem.

    “He wanted us to work with them. What that meant [was] giving them immunity from their corruption cases,” he claimed, adding that Gen Bajwa has a “very close” relationship with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    In response to another question, Imran said that he was sure that the new military leadership had realised that the “experiment of regime change” has gone wrong.

    Addressing the worsening law and order situation, he blamed the “negligence” of Pakistan’s security forces and intelligence agencies for the rising incidents of terrorism in the country.

    Reacting to the disclosure, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said, “Imran Niazi’s antics & somersaults continue to disappoint the nation. The only constant is his desperation to get back into power even if it involves plunging the country into a protracted period of instability. His politics is based on lies which are getting exposed by the day.”

  • Punjab Flour Mills Association declares indefinite strike from today, halts flour supply

    Punjab Flour Mills Association declares indefinite strike from today, halts flour supply

    The Punjab Flour Mills Association has declared an indefinite strike from today, disrupting the supply of flour to the market from February 14th.

    The strike is a response to the suspension of wheat quotas for over 100 flour mills by the Punjab Food Department.

    The ongoing differences between the Flour Mills Association and the Food Department have reached a boiling point following the government’s decision to suspend the quotas.

    The Chairman of the Punjab Flour Mills Association released a statement announcing that the flour mills will no longer receive wheat from the government quota, resulting in the discontinuation of the provision of affordable flour to the market.

    He also requested the Food Department to provide evidence for any alleged malpractice within the association.

    Prior to this development, the open market price of wheat in Punjab experienced a significant decrease of Rs1,200 per maund, due to the increased wheat quota and import. Market dealers report that the price dropped from Rs5,200 per maund to Rs4,000 per maund.

    As a result of a decrease of Rs1,200 per maund, the price of wheat per kilogramme in the open market has fallen to Rs100 from its previous rate of Rs130 per kg, according to ARY News.