Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistan records 2.5 million deliberate abortions annually

    Pakistan records 2.5 million deliberate abortions annually

    The federal government has established targets to reduce population growth as part of its five-year plan. According to sources, the goal is to decrease the annual population growth rate to 1.1 percent by 2030.

    Sources within the Ministry of Planning indicate that the population growth rate was 2.55 percent according to the 2023 census. The new target aims to lower the total fertility rate to 2.2 percent by 2030.

    In the fiscal year 2024, the total fertility rate was reported at 3.32 percent, as stated by Ministry of Planning sources.

    Additionally, Ministry of Planning sources report that the adoption rate of modern contraceptive methods was 39.36 percent in fiscal year 2024. The target is to increase this rate to 60 percent by 2030.

    It’s reported that 2.5 million intentional abortions in Pakistan annually result from the lack of adoption of modern contraceptive methods.

    According to the 2023 census, Pakistan’s population reached 24,149,000. The Prime Minister approved the Ministry of Planning’s plan during the NEC meeting.

  • Did Hareem Farooq just announce her engagement?

    Did Hareem Farooq just announce her engagement?

     With social media going crazy over actress Hareem Farooq’s most recent Instagram video, fans and followers are speculating whether the social media star is engaged. In the video, Hareem celebrates her childhood friend Saad Sultan’s birthday.
    Rumors about their relationship continue to spark interest and speculation.

    Hareem shared a birthday reel and wrote:, “Need i say more! Happy birthday Saaaadddddiiiii- the ying to my yang & calm to my crazy – we’ve spent almost half a life time together now i dont even know what life will be without you! Love you to the moon and back ”  

     
    Hareem Farooq’s caption has left fans wondering if the relationship has progressed from friendship to romance.
     Here are the comments of the fans:

  • Khan admits there are factions within the PTI

    Khan admits there are factions within the PTI

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) head Imran Khan has admitted to groupings within his political party. The admission comes ahead of a crucial meeting with both party factions tomorrow in Adiala Jail, as reported by The News on Wednesday.

    While Khan admitted to rifts within his political party but he refuted claims of a “forward bloc” while speaking to reporters in a courtroom.

    PTI leaders have started speaking against each other, giving credibility to claims of internal rifts.

    Last month, the party’s Secretary-General, Omar Ayub, stepped down to “focus on his role as National Assembly Opposition Leader” instead.

    Ayub resigned when 27 PTI leaders wanted to resign from the National Assembly in protest against the current PTI leadership for not trying to get Khan out of jail. Even though Ayub’s resignation was not accepted by PTI’s parliamentary party

    Geo News reported that out of 27 leaders, 21 hinted at forming a forward bloc.

  • PCB withholds Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan’s NOC for Global T20

    PCB withholds Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan’s NOC for Global T20

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withheld No Objection Certificate (NOC) for captain Babar Azam, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi and batsman Muhammad Rizwan for the Global T20 in Canada, Urdu Points has reported.

    According to details, PCB has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to question the affiliation of the Global T20.

    The decision on the NOC will be taken after clarification by the ICC. Seven Pakistanis, including Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Asif Ali, Muhammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Nawaz, were selected by the GT20 teams.

    On Tuesday, PCB had issued NOCs to 12 players to participate in various leagues around the world. Some of the players on the list are part of Pakistan’s central contract, while others have not played for the green shirts for a long time.

    PCB has a policy that centrally contracted players cannot play in more than two leagues. That is why wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan withdrew from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) as he could not get NOC from the board.

    Saim Ayub and Azam are also part of the Guyana Warriors squad for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024, but neither of them has yet to receive the NOC from the PCB.

  • ‘I wanted to harm my daughter’: Sarwat Gilani bravely talks about postpartum depression

    ‘I wanted to harm my daughter’: Sarwat Gilani bravely talks about postpartum depression

    Famous Pakistani actress Sarwat Gilani has bravely talked about her difficult experience with postpartum depression, including having thoughts of harming her newborn daughter.

    In a recent TV interview, Sarwat explained that she didn’t have postpartum depression after she gave birth to two sons so she didn’t know much about it. However, she went through severe postpartum depression after her daughter was born.

    She described meeting her daughter four days after birth because they were in different hospital wards after surgeries. During this time, her baby needed breastfeeding, but Sarwat was very depressed and had upsetting thoughts of dropping her baby to end the stress.

    “I was crying uncontrollably and told my husband that I wanted to harm our daughter to stop all the tension,” she shared with tears in her eyes.
    Sarwat talked about how many women lack proper information during their first pregnancy, often turning to books and social media for help. The first pregnancy is especially tough, she stated, recalling the many psychological challenges women face, making support from husbands and in-laws very important.

    “When a pregnant woman receives support from her family, it positively impacts her mental health,” she explained. Her husband helped her by explaining that what she was feeling was postpartum depression and that it wouldn’t last forever. His reassurance gave her much-needed comfort and understanding.

    Sarwat stressed the need for awareness about postpartum depression for both men and women, saying, “I realized then how important it is for everyone to understand this condition.”

  • Pakistan’s Awais Munir wins Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship

    Pakistan’s Awais Munir wins Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship

    Pakistan’s Awais Munir has won the Asian 6 Red Snooker Championship held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    In the final of the event, Awais defeated Hong Kong’s Nansen Wan.

    He won 6-3 against Nansen Wan of Hong Kong, after the match was tied 2-2, Owais Munir won 3 consecutive frames with ease.

    In the eighth frame, Nansen made a comeback, but in the ninth frame, Owais showed excellent control and putting and wrapped up the victory.

    Awais Munir won the match with the scores of 65-0, 26-35, 36-27, 20-38, 65-0,46-13, 60-8, 0-34, 40-27.

    Earlier, Pakistani cueist Hasnain Akhtar defeated compatriot and defending champion Ahsan Ramzan in the final of the ongoing Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship in Saudi Arabia.

  • Euro Cup: Netherlands and Turkey Advance to Quarter-Finals

    Euro Cup: Netherlands and Turkey Advance to Quarter-Finals

    The Netherlands and Turkey reached the quarter-finals of the Euro Cup. The Netherlands beating Romania 3-0 while Turkey defeated Australia by 2-1.

    The pre-quarterfinals in Munich witnessed an exhilarating first half between the Netherlands and Romania, adding to the thrill of the Euro Cup.

    In the 20th minute of the match, Kody Gepko scored to give the Netherlands the lead; Romana could not equalize until the break. In the second half, Romania played better, but in the 83rd minute, Daniel Malin scored the second goal for the Netherlands to secure the victory for his team.

    Daniel scored his second and possibly third goal in injury time to send the Netherlands into the quarter-finals.

    In the second match, Turkey beat Austria by one goal to two. The line-up of eight teams for the quarter-finals of the Euro Cup has been completed.

    It should be noted that England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey are among the top eight teams.

  • Apple reportedly testing Samsung-made camera sensor for iPhone 16

    Apple reportedly testing Samsung-made camera sensor for iPhone 16

    Apple is reportedly testing advanced CMOS image sensors (CIS) from Samsung, which could feature in the iPhone 16 later this year. According to The Elec, Apple is conducting a final quality assessment of these sensors, provided by Samsung System LSI, the logic business unit of Samsung.

    Traditionally, Apple has relied exclusively on Sony for its CIS needs. However, recent developments suggest a strategic shift away from the Japanese supplier due to concerns about reliability and the desire to integrate new technologies into its camera systems.

    This change in direction comes after Apple encountered issues with Sony last year. In response, Apple asked Samsung to develop new image sensors in 2023 when Sony failed to deliver in a timely manner, complicating the launch schedule for the iPhone 15.

    If Samsung successfully passes the current quality tests, it will mark the first time the company supplies CIS for an iPhone. The new sensors from Samsung boast a more advanced three-wafer stack design, compared to the two-stack design used in current and previous iPhone models. These three wafers separately house the photodiode, transistors, and analog digital converter logics, which allows for higher pixel density, reduced noise, and smaller pixel sizes.

    In a CIS, the photodiode converts light into electrical signals, while four transistors are responsible for transferring, amplifying, reading, and erasing these signals. The separation of these components into three wafers enhances the sensor’s performance.

    Additionally, the new technology uses wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding, which directly attaches the wafers through a copper pad, eliminating the need for signal-transferring bumps. This results in a smaller CIS with faster data transfer speeds.

    The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the autumn, featuring new camera capabilities, including a dedicated “Capture” button and a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera.

  • PIA and other airlines increase federal excise duty on international flights

    PIA and other airlines increase federal excise duty on international flights

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other airlines operating in Pakistan have announced a significant increase in the federal excise duty (FED) on international flight tickets, following the federal government’s decision in the 2024-25 budget.

    According to the latest notification, the FED on economy and economy plus tickets has surged by 150 per cent. Previously, passengers paid Rs5,000 in FED for economy class tickets, but this has now increased to Rs12,500.

    For premium travellers, the increase is even more substantial. Passengers travelling to the USA in Club Class, who previously paid Rs250,000 in FED, will now be charged Rs350,000. Similarly, the duty for flights to destinations in Africa and the Middle East has risen from Rs75,000 to Rs105,000.

    Travellers to European cities will see their FED increase from Rs150,000 to Rs210,000. The duty on tickets for flights to Australia, New Zealand, and countries in the Far East has also risen by 40 per cent, now standing at Rs210,000.

  • Yo-Yo test is back: Pass it or get dropped from team

    Yo-Yo test is back: Pass it or get dropped from team

    The Yo-Yo test is back!Any cricketer who fails the infamous difficult fitness test will be dropped from national and regional teams.

    Director Domestic Khurram Niazi has approved a plan to improve player fitness levels.

    According to the plan, the fitness test will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be conducted across the country from July 11, first at the district level and then at the regional level.

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has approved the fitness mission.

    The Director Domestic has made team selection subject to fitness tests, including regional contracts. After that, test cricketers, international cricketers, and national cricketers will have to pass all fitness tests, including the Yo-Yo test.