Author: newsdesk

  • PAC orders investigation into data leak of military officials

    PAC orders investigation into data leak of military officials

    The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has on Thursday expressed apprehensions over the data leak of citizens and of military officials from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

    PAC ordered the Ministry of Interior to conduct a joint investigation into the data leak. Pakistan Tele-communication Authority (PTA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Military Intelligence (MI) should be included in the investigation team, PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said.

    Noor Alam Khan also asked PTA to block the data online, stating, “Everyone’s personal data is available on the internet. Data of military authorities has also been leaked. How was it leaked from NADRA?”

  • Drop everything now: Taylor Swift releases Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

    Drop everything now: Taylor Swift releases Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

    This night is sparkling as at long last, Taylor Swift finally released her third rerecorded album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) which also features six previously unreleased songs from the vault tracks.

    “It’s an album I wrote alone about the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20. I remember making tracklist after tracklist, obsessing over the right way to tell the story. I had to be ruthless with my choices, and I left behind some songs I am still unfailingly proud of now,” Taylor wrote in a statement announcing the album’s release.

    The rerecorded album follows Fearless and Red as Taylor attempts to take back control of her musical legacy when she was denied the opportunity to own her original masters by her record label Big Machine Records in 2019, a decision she detailed on a Tumblr post as the “worst case scenario” when news spread that the masters were sold to Scooter Braun:

    “This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it. 

    When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever.”

    The updated album features six previously unreleased songs including  ‘Electric Touch’ featuring Fall Out Boy and ‘Castles Crumbling’ with Paramore’s Hayley Williams. The others ‘From the Vault’ tracks are titled ‘When Emma Falls in Love,’ ‘I Can See You’, ‘Foolish One’, and ‘Timeless’.

    Listen to the album here:

  • Justice Musarrat Hilali becomes second woman to take oath as Supreme Court Judge

    Justice Musarrat Hilali becomes second woman to take oath as Supreme Court Judge

    Justice Musarrat Hilali on Friday took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, with Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial administering the oath to the former Peshawar High Court head.

    She has become the second female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court. After Hilali’s appointment the SC now has 16 judges in total.

    Earlier, a parliamentary committee had approved Justice Musarrat Hilali’s appointment as a justice of the apex court.

    Justice Ayesha Malik, appointed in January 2022 to the apex court, was the first female to become a judge of the Supreme Court. Mussarat Hilali was also the first female Chief Justice of PHC. She is the only woman on the bench since 2013.

    Justice Hilali also holds the honour of getting elected as the first woman executive member of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) from 2007-2009.

  • Gold market bounces back with second consecutive price increase of Rs1,800 to Rs207,800 per tola

    Gold market bounces back with second consecutive price increase of Rs1,800 to Rs207,800 per tola

    The price of gold in Pakistan has experienced a notable increase for the second consecutive session, following a prolonged period of decline subsequent to the $3 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Data provided by the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) reveals that the price of 24-carat gold rose by Rs1,800 per tola and Rs1,543 per 10 grammes, reaching Rs207,800 and Rs178,155 respectively.

    Simultaneously, the international market witnessed a decrease in the price of gold by $23, resulting in a settlement at $1,905 per ounce.

    The gold market in Pakistan has exhibited volatility recently due to persistent political and economic uncertainty, along with high inflation. Consequently, individuals seek to invest in this valuable commodity as a means of safeguarding their assets and hedging against market fluctuations.

    The APSGJA’s data also indicates that the price of silver has remained unchanged at Rs2,380 per tola and Rs2,126.20 per 10 grammes. Notably, the previous day witnessed a Rs1,000 increase in the price of gold.

    Furthermore, the Pakistani rupee displayed a marginal recovery of 0.13 per cent against the US dollar on Thursday. The interbank market, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), recorded the local currency closing at Rs277.04 in relation to the greenback.

  • Pakistan Stock Exchange rises above 44,000 points after 14 months

    Pakistan Stock Exchange rises above 44,000 points after 14 months

    On Thursday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) benchmark index surpassed the 44,000 milestone after 14 months, experiencing a substantial surge of over 600 points after a two-day decline. The PSX website reported the KSE-100 index closing at 44,178.85 points, reflecting a commendable rise of 1.44 per cent or 626.02 points.

    Market analysts attribute this rally to several pivotal factors. Firstly, the standby agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) played a crucial role in bolstering investor confidence. This agreement significantly alleviated uncertainties, particularly the risk of default, providing Pakistan with the opportunity to focus on its fiscal policies.

    Additionally, the disbursement of payments to independent power producers (IPP) contributed to the positive momentum in the market. The government allocated around Rs140 billion to the IPPs, allowing them to distribute higher dividends. Consequently, this development led to a surge in the shares of these companies.

    Moreover, the cement sector experienced a notable upturn due to a decline in international coal prices. Lower coal prices benefit the cement industry as coal is a primary fuel for cement production.

    Prominent market experts, such as Salman Naqvi, the head of research at Aba Ali Habib Securities, express optimism about the market’s potential. Naqvi anticipates that the index could potentially reach a range of 45,000 to 46,000 points. However, he cautions that the rise may not be consistently linear, considering the recent slump following a historic bull run on Monday.

    On Monday, the stock market witnessed significant gains as Pakistan secured a $3 billion short-term financial package from the IMF. This package provided significant relief to the struggling economy, which was facing a severe balance of payments crisis and diminishing foreign exchange reserves.

    The funding, allocated over nine months, surpassed expectations and provided respite as Pakistan awaited the release of the remaining funds from a previous bailout package agreed upon in 2019. The IMF board is scheduled to approve the deal in July.

  • Is McDonald’s closing operations in Pakistan? We have the real story

    Is McDonald’s closing operations in Pakistan? We have the real story

    McDonald’s Pakistan’s recent social media posts triggered rumors of the company shutting down its operations in the country.

    The first post in question read: “It’s time to pause for a while.”

    The Second post which was done 20 hours after first post read, “Pause to indulge.”

    Here’s how social media reacted to the possible shutdown of McDonald’s:

    https://twitter.com/daactarrsaab/status/1676922233393156097

    However, The Current’s sources have revealed that McDonald’s is not shutting its operations in Pakistan and the posts are a part of an upcoming campaign.

  • 50-year-old chokes to death while swallowing goat’s eyeball

    50-year-old chokes to death while swallowing goat’s eyeball

    A man choked to death while trying to swallow the eyeball of a goat at a small village in India on Thursday.

    A 50-year-old man known as Bagar Sai, who belonged to Chhattisgarh region of Surajpur, travelled to Khopa Dham with other people of Madanpur hamlet to sacrifice a goat at a temple after having his desire granted.

    After the sacrificial ritual, they all gathered to enjoy a meal. Bagar Sai excitedly picked up one of the goat’s eyeballs from the cooked flesh and as he tried to swallow it, the eyeball got stuck in his throat.

    The 50-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital but he could not survive.

  • Sindh CM orders immediate arrest of Karachi harasser caught stripping on video

    Sindh CM orders immediate arrest of Karachi harasser caught stripping on video

    Trigger Warning: Assault

    Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh, has on Thursday issued directions to arrest the suspect who tried to sexually assault a girl in Karachi.

    The man was caught on camera stopping his motorcycle, stripping off, and then trying to assault a girl who passed him by. The girl fought back, repelling the attack.

    According to Sharjeel Inam Memon, the Information Minister of the province, the Chief Minister has taken notice of the matter and ordered the police to arrest the suspect immediately.

    Police said that they had taken notice of the incident after the video started circulating on social media, but a formal complaint was not filed against the harasser yet. 

    Police officials further added that following the directions by the CM, two teams have also been formed to nab the suspect. The teams include station house officers (SHOs) of two police stations.

    The horrifying incident was allegedly recorded on Wednesday in the Gulistan-e-Johar area of Karachi.

  • Accountability court acquits Nawaz Sharif in plot allotment case

    Accountability court acquits Nawaz Sharif in plot allotment case

    An accountability court has acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday in a case pertaining to a reference on illegal plot allotment.

    The judgement said that the record shows that Nawaz Sharif was subjected to political revenge, blaming the government of the time for forcing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials to destroy the political career of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head.

    The accountability court has declared that the role of Nawaz Sharif in the allegations of the reference is less than that of his co-accused.

    The court has ordered the restoration of the Sharif’s properties and those of 27 shareholders, while emphasising that NAB should release the property after the time of appeal expires.

    The accountability court has also said in the decision that the court cannot be a silent spectator.

  • On Ranveer Singh’s birthday, here are the five times he made the internet sob with declarations of love for wife Deepika Padukone

    On Ranveer Singh’s birthday, here are the five times he made the internet sob with declarations of love for wife Deepika Padukone

    Everyone knows who Ranveer Singh is: a man of many talents including amazing acting skills, vibrant and eccentric fashion taste, but most importantly, adoration for his wife Deepika Padukone.

    Which is completely not weird because when you have a hottie for your wife, its your essential responsibility to keep worshipping the ground she walks on. And Ranveer proves that he is nothing but completely dedicated to the responsibility of being a simp husband.

    To celebrate his birthday, we have listed the five times Ranveer and Deepika took couple goals to a new level, and kept us muttering “me and who” while starring at them through our mobile screens.

    1 When he snuck in during Deepika’s Time magazine interview to give her a kiss and wish her best of luck

    And then later shared the cover on his Instagram page with the caption: “World at your feet! Proud of you, babygirl!”

    2 And then this moment during the Indian Sports Honors Awards

    3 This tear jerking moment at the Filmfare Awards when he brought Deepika out on the stage and called her his “lakshmi”, the secret behind his success and seriously someone get us a husband like Ranveer.

    4 Or this moment when he came up on the stage to give Deepika a shawl, and publicly declared how proud he was of her and seriously we’re not crying. It’s the onions.

    5 Or this moment while playing a game with Alia Bhatt