Author: newsdesk

  • FACT CHECK: Disney offers Johnny Depp a staggering PKR 6100 crore for ‘POTC’ sequel?

    FACT CHECK: Disney offers Johnny Depp a staggering PKR 6100 crore for ‘POTC’ sequel?

    Hollywood veteran Johnny Depp has received an apology letter from Disney, requesting him to return to the Pirates Of The Caribbean.

    Owing to the accusations made by actress Amber Heard, Johnny was ousted from Fantastic Beasts 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean.

    As per an Australian pop culture site Poptopic.com, Disney has now finally apologized to Depp. They reportedly made a heartening gesture and even offered him a whopping $301 million to return as the iconic Jack Sparrow in the next installment of POTC.

    A source close to the publication revealed, “I know corporate sent him a gift basket with a very heartfelt letter, but I’m unsure how it was received. But what I can tell you is that the studio has already penned up a draft for a film about Jack Sparrow, so they are very hopeful that Johnny will forgive them and return as his iconic character.”

    However, there remains no confirmation of the same. In fact, the article has raised doubts as the amount offered by Disney seems to be really close to what Johnny mentioned in the defamation trial.

    If one recalls, Depp had said that he would not return to Pirates Of The Caribbean now even if he was paid a sum of something as huge as $301 million. Furthermore, producers have previously clarified that they have no plans to bring back the veteran actor so far. So this is nothing but just another rumour.

    Depp’s current net worth is over USD 150 million, as he has made some staggering real estate investments which include luxury islands, French villages, and English country homes among others.

    Johnny’s lifestyle is like his persona, larger than life and unbelievably exorbitant.

    Wild history of Johnny Depp's West Hollywood castle

    He has recently spent more than USD 75 million on real estate.

    Here are a few things that constitute Depp’s monthly bills, according to the lawsuit:

    • $30,000 on wine
    • $300,000 on staff, including 40 full-time employees
    • $150,000 on security for himself and his family
    • $200,000 for a private jet

    The Gilbert Grape actor loves to live like a true superstar.

    According to TMG, Depp spent more than $75 million to buy and furnish 14 residences, including an entire village in France. Depp is now trying to unload the town, which features a church, a restaurant and several houses, for $63 million.

    In a January 2017 filing, Depp mismanaged his finances, costing him millions. TMG counterclaimed that Depp dug himself into a financial hole.

  • ‘Qarza le le ke economy sambhali bhi to kya sambhali’: Samina Peerzada slams government

    ‘Qarza le le ke economy sambhali bhi to kya sambhali’: Samina Peerzada slams government

    Veteran actress and host Samina Peerzada took to her Twitter handle to slam the ruling government for taking loans from agencies like The International Monetary (IMF).

    Samina said that “if the government is managing the national economy by taking loans then it’s pointless.”

    Earlier this month the Judaai actor tweeted an appreciation post for former PM Imran Khan.

    The Mera Naseeb star said that if Imran comes back into power, people from around the globe would contribute money which will help Pakistan get rid of its economic crises.

    She also mentioned that she trusts Khan’s honesty and values.

    Recently actor Shahroz Sabzwari appeared in an interview with his pregnant supermodel wife Sadaf Kanwal. On being asked about his political stance, the Nand star stated that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is stronger than ever and after what has happened to him, he is dangerous.

    The Teri Raah Mein hero added, “My father has fed me halal rizq, so it isn’t possible for me to not follow Imran Khan. There can be no two ways about this.”

    Elaborating on his admiration for the PTI chairman, the actor added, “He is an honest and clear man. He has just learned politics, now people should fear his comeback. This was his first time in power, the others have been in politics a long time. The big people who are against him, even they agree that Imran Khan is more dangerous to the opposition because now he will engage in the correct politics.”

    On his belief in IK’s ability to steer the nation towards a better future, the Nand actor continued, “No one else can take Pakistan forward and make it Riyasat e Madina other than Imran Khan. If you have the tiniest bit of honour, it’s not possible for you to follow anyone other than him.”

    IK was ousted following a vote of no confidence, leading to an outpour of support for the former PM. Many celebrities have openly expressed their support for IK, including Syra Yousuf, Samina Peerzada, Shaan Shahid and Anoushey Ashraf, among others.      

  • Mariyam Nafees hits out at trolls for scrutinising Iqra Aziz’s latest shoot

    Mariyam Nafees hits out at trolls for scrutinising Iqra Aziz’s latest shoot

    Actor Mariyam Nafees took to her Instagram stories to condemn trolling of fellow actress Iqra Aziz over her recent shoot. The Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 star posted her pictures in a floral frock and flaunted her chiseled legs which got a polarising response from the netizens.

    While sharing a meme, Mariyam said that there are much more serious topics that need the required attention rather than Aziz’s legs. She cited examples like domestic violence and corruption.

    Earlier Nafees grabbed headlines for her stance on cousin marriages. On Geo’s Jashn-e-Cricket. During a segment of the show, the host Shahzad Iqbal asked the Diyar-e-Dil diva about her stance on cousin marriages.

    Mariyam expressed her displeasure over the idea of cousin marriage, saying that they grow up like siblings. She also said the idea of coursing marriage is ‘Disgusting.’

  • Nio electric car falls from third floor of office, killing two

    Nio electric car falls from third floor of office, killing two

    Two employees were killed, according to Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio, when one of its vehicles fell from the third floor of its Shanghai headquarters.

    One staff member and one worker from a joint venture were inside the car as it crash-landed from Nio’s Shanghai office.

    The incident happened on Wednesday at around 05:20 PM, according to the company. As the car fell from the building, those who were inside perished.

    According to Nio, it launched an investigation into the incident right away in collaboration with authorities.

    The third-floor space where the car fell has variously been referred to as a showroom, a testing facility, or a parking lot.

    “Our company has collaborated with public security department to launch the investigation and analysis of the cause of the accident. Based on the analysis of the situation at the scene, we can initially confirm that this was an accident (not caused by the vehicle),” the company said in a statement.

    “We feel very sad about this accident and would like to express our deepest condolences to our colleague and partner employee who lost their lives. A team has been set up to help the families,” it added.

    Within a half-hour, thousands of netizens commented on Nio’s initial Weibo post before it was removed. Social media users reacted angrily to the final clause of the statement, “not related to the vehicle itself.”

    The Chinese business to dominate the electric vehicle market is led by Nio. To allay customers’ worries about needing to charge their cars frequently, it has placed a lot of faith in interchangeable batteries in its vehicles.

    Nio is a rival to the US-based electric car manufacturer Tesla, owned by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, who also operates a manufacturing facility in Shanghai.

  • ‘Below my dignity to respond to such a liar’: Ex-brigadier to Imran Khan

    ‘Below my dignity to respond to such a liar’: Ex-brigadier to Imran Khan

    Former Director-General (DG) of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, Brigadier (retd) Muzaffar Ali Ranjha responded to the allegations made by former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan that Ranjha manipulated the 2013 general elections in favour of Nawaz Sharif.

    In an interview with Lahore Rang, the retired brigadier called Khan a compulsive liar, saying: “These are baseless allegations from a liar. But since he has publicly made these allegations, I am compelled to respond.”

    “He [Imran Khan] is a morally, financially, intellectually, and socially corrupt person. I am a respectable person. It’s below my dignity to respond to such a pathological liar,” he added.

    While replying to the question that why is Khan bringing up this issue, Ranjha said that he believes that Khan has lost his mind after losing power.

    “This man [Khan] has never been in favour of the armed forces. He only flirted with the military. Now, since the military has detached itself from politics, he is randomly hurling allegations.”

    “If he [Imran] opens his mouth again, then I’ll go to a public forum and spill the beans”, Ranjha said, adding that Imran should know that he knows everything about him as he has also served as an intelligence officer.

    During the interview, Ranjha offered Imran to agree to the formation of a commission that should investigate the vote-manipulation charges.

    The former DG also challenged Khan to contest elections against him.

    It is pertinent to mention that Ranjha was removed from his office by the Punjab interim government just before the 2018 elections.

  • Khan challenges NAB amendments in Supreme Court

    Khan challenges NAB amendments in Supreme Court

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan approached the Supreme Court (SC) to challenge the recent amendments to the National Account­ability (NAB) Ordinance, contending that they will “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder”.

    In the petition filed today (June 25), Khan named the Federation of Pakistan through its secretary Law and Justice Division, and the NAB through its chairman as respondents in the case.

    Khan had said his party would challenge the recent amendments to the NAB law in the SC.

    Addressing a press conference at his Banigala residence, Imran Khan expressed hope that the top court would take notice of the development, adding that if such moves were allowed then it would be detrimental to the country.

    Earlier in June, President Dr Arif Alvi refused to sign the bills seeking amendments in NAB and election laws.

    The bill was returned back to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif as the president said he “was not informed” about the “legislative proposal” under Article 46 before they were tabled in parliament.

  • Mumbai attacks’ alleged mastermind arrested by FIA

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested suspect Sajid Mir with the help of law enforcement agencies, in the investigation of the Mumbai attacks, reports Wajahat S. Khan for Nikkie Asia.

    “According to the FBI, Mir allegedly served as the chief planner of the [Mumbai] attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks,” writes Wajahat.

    The deputy foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, told Nikkei Asia that she would not comment on this particular case. Senior police officials and investigators from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), also did not comment on the arrest but did not deny it.

    The United States (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had placed Mir on its most-wanted criminal list. It offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

    Mir is allegedly the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks. Rumours of his death had persisted for a long time.

  • Govt raises tax rates for salaried class on IMF demands

    Govt raises tax rates for salaried class on IMF demands

    In response to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recommendation to eliminate relief provided on June 10, the coalition government on Friday announced amended tax deduction rules for the salaried class.

    The News reported on Saturday that the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) target for tax collection for the fiscal year 2022–23 has been raised to Rs7,470 billion, an increase of Rs466 billion.

    In order to raise the collection, the government had to take harsh measures, such as boosting the tax rates for high earners to raise Rs120 billion for fighting poverty and Rs35 billion for the salaried class.

    For the upcoming fiscal year 2022–2023, the government imposed a 10 per cent super tax on 13 high-earning sectors, which will cost Rs80 billion in income.

    The government increased the Personal Income Tax (PIT) by Rs80 billion by abolishing tax relief worth Rs47 billion and then increasing the tax amount by Rs35 billion. As a result, the FBR was expected to collect Rs235 billion from the salaried class in the upcoming budget, up from Rs200 billion in the preceding fiscal year.

    The PTI-led government had promised to raise the tax revenue by Rs335 billion by increasing the tax slab rates for the salaried class, but the PDM-led coalition government persuaded the IMF to accept Rs100 billion less than the amount the PTI-led government had promised to raise.

    The government suggested a tax rate of 2.5 per cent for the salaried class for income brackets of Rs50,000 to Rs100,000. The proposed tax rate increased to 12.5 per cent for income earners who make between Rs100,000 and Rs300,000 per month.

    The FBR proposed raising the tax rate from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent in cases where the taxable income is greater than Rs3,600,000 but not greater than Rs6,000,000. The FBR tax rate is proposed to rise from 22.5 per cent to 25 per cent where the taxable income exceeds Rs6,000,000 but does not exceed Rs12,000,000.

    The FBR will charge a tax amount of Rs2,004,000 plus 32.5 per cent of the amount exceeding Rs12,000,000 on an annual basis where the taxable income exceeds Rs12,000,000. The FBR suggested a 35 per cent tax rate for the aforementioned income.

  • Economic crisis: HEC recommends local tea production, promotion of ‘lassi’ and ‘sattu’

    Economic crisis: HEC recommends local tea production, promotion of ‘lassi’ and ‘sattu’

    The vice chancellors (VCs) of the public sector institutions have been advised by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) to encourage the use of regional beverages like lassi and sattu since doing so will boost employment and bring in revenue for the general population, Arshad Yousafzai, reports for Geo.

    Dr Shaista Sohail, acting chairperson of the HEC, called on the VCs in a circular to take a “leadership role and think of innovative ways to provide relief to the lower-income groups and the economy as a whole” in response to the financial crisis that Pakistan is currently experiencing.

    “I am sure that the honourable vice-chancellors will be able to innovatively explore many other avenues to create employment, reduce imports and ease the economic situation,” she added.

    She recommended VCs to promote regional tea plantations as well as locally produced, wholesome traditional drinks like lassi and sattu.

  • PM Shehbaz in Karachi: What is he planning to do today?

    PM Shehbaz in Karachi: What is he planning to do today?

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Karachi today (Saturday) on a day-long visit.

    During this visit, he will meet a delegation of leaders of the government’s allied party Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    According to Geo News, the premier will discuss the MQM-P’s agreement with Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N).

    When former PM Imran Khan was ousted, an agreement was signed to confirm MQM-P leaving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition and joining hands with the then-opposition parties [PML-N, PPP, JUI-F and others]. The MQM-P decided to part ways with PTI almost a week before the no-confidence motion against Khan and announced its final decision on March 30.

    Other than this, discussions on the census, electoral reforms and upcoming local body elections will also take place between PM Shehbaz Sharif and MQM-P.

    PM Shehbaz also paid a visit to Nawabshah to offer condolence to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on his mother’s demise.

    The premier’s first stop was Pakistan Naval Academy Manora where he attended the passing out parade of the 25th Short Service Commission.

    In his speech during the ceremony, PM Shehbaz expressed happiness over witnessing women cadets in the passing out parade.

    On Friday, PM Shehbaz made a visit to the port city of Gwadar.