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  • iPhone 13 buyers will now pay Rs132,000 for PTA approval

    iPhone 13 buyers will now pay Rs132,000 for PTA approval

    The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has made it nearly impossible for Apple fans to get iPhones in the country by significantly raising the tax on the overall iPhone 13 series.

    It is worth noting that the PTA approval costs for the iPhone 13 have been raised at a time when the iPhone 14 is likely to be released at the beginning of next month. However, it is unclear what prices the PTA will set for the approval of newer iPhones.

    The following are the latest PTA approval rates for the iPhone 13 lineup:

    Apple iPhone 13 Mini

    Tax Payable:

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Apple iPhone 13

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Apple iPhone 13 Pro

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders.

    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

    Tax Payable: 

    Rs108,000 for passport holders

    Rs132,000 for CNIC holders

    Read more: 12 important things you need to know before buying a used iPhone

    These taxes must be paid within 30 days after importation if the phone is registered on a passport, and within 60 days if it is registered on the national identity card.

  • Video: Indian players meet Shaheen Shah Afridi, inquire about his health

    Video: Indian players meet Shaheen Shah Afridi, inquire about his health

    Indian cricketers, including Virat Kohli, met Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and inquired about his health.

    In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Indian players were seen shaking hands with Afridi and inquiring about his knee injury.

    “Yaar mein soch raha hoon aapki tarhaan bas batting shuru kar doon, aik haath se chakkay lagaaoon,” [I am thinking of becoming a batter like you, start hitting sixes with a single hand),” said Shaheen to Rishabh Pant.

    “Kyun bowling mein ziada effort lagti hai? Fast bowler ho to effort lagaana parega sir, compulsory hai,” [Why? Because there’s more effort in bowling? If you’re a fast bowler, you have to put in an effort. It’s compulsory], responded Pant to Shaheen Afridi.

    While having a conversation with Virat Kohli, Shaheen Shah Afridi said, “Aap ke liye dua kar rahe hain aap form mein ayein, dekhna chaahte hain aap ko,” [We are praying for you, we want to see you back in form].

    Read more- VIDEO: Babar Azam meets Virat Kohli in Dubai ahead of Pak Vs India clash

    Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video in which Virat Kohli could be seen meeting Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.

    In the video, Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal were also chatting with Muhammad Nabi.

    Read more- Pakistan or India: Shane Watson predicts who will win Asia Cup 2022

    There will be eight teams in two groups competing against one another in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022. The most awaited match between Pakistan and India will take place on August 28 (Sunday).

  • Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic to miss US Open

    Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic to miss US Open

    Tennis player Novak Djokovic said that he will not be able to attend the US Open in New York City due to his unwillingness to take the COVID-19 vaccination.

    The twenty-one time Grand Slam champion Djokovic stated on Thursday that he will remain in “good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again.”

    The final Grand Slam will begin next week.

    “Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter.

    Although the US has relaxed COVID-19 regulations on a domestic level, visitors who are not US citizens or permanent residents must still be completely vaccinated before boarding a flight into the nation. In June, the United States eliminated testing requirements for overseas travellers.

    Djokovic competed at the US Open last year, reaching the men’s singles final. The virus was deemed a bigger public health danger at the time, although the US simply required testing rather than vaccination for entrance at the time.

    Djokovic sparked outrage earlier this year when his visa was revoked shortly after arriving in Melbourne to participate in the Australian Open. He already clarified that he will not take the COVID-19 vaccination, even if it meant missing out on some matches.

  • Pakistan officially declares flood situation a ‘national emergency’

    Pakistan officially declares flood situation a ‘national emergency’

    The government on Thursday officially declared the ongoing flood situation in the country a “national emergency”. Minister of Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the time has arrived to show “national spirit” in the face of the tremendous calamities in Sindh and Balochistan.

    At least 937 people have died in floods caused by heavy rains in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA), 234 people have lost their lives to rain and flood-related incidents in Balochistan and 306 people have lost their lives in Sindh.
    165 people have lost their lives in Punjab and 185 have lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said that 55 lakh households were affected, while more than three crore people became homeless due to the devastating floods and rains across Pakistan. He was speaking on the Dawn News programme, ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’.

    You can help the flood victims by donating to the following government and private organisations.

  • Twitter reacts to PM asking athletes to aim for ‘platinum medals’

    Twitter reacts to PM asking athletes to aim for ‘platinum medals’

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met with athletes who won medals for the country in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 and the Islamic Solidarity Games.

    The ceremony took place at the PM House in Islamabad, where athletes were awarded cash prizes.

    Medalist athletes including Altaf-ur-Rehman, Nooh But, and Arshad Nadeem also attended the ceremony.

    “I hope the athletes who won bronze [medal] will receive silver or gold medals in the future, and the athletes who won gold medals will receive platinum medals,” PM stated at the occasion.

    Since no platinum medals are awarded at the Commonwealth and Islamic Solidarity Games, the PM’s remarks have sparked a meme frenzy on Twitter.

    Here are some of the tweets:

    https://twitter.com/rizviregee/status/1562823249196527616?s=21&t=Wq7tQQKG4TBOOjU4zidelw

    PM’s tweet:

    “Honoured to host our players & athletes who made the country proud by winning various medals in the Commonwealth Games.  Their hard work and devotion were exemplary. Today I also announced the revival of departmental sports, which was a long-standing demand,” the PM wrote in a tweet.

    Ban on departmental sports lifted

    The PM has also lifted the ban on departmental sports. “The ban was imposed by the previous government, asking all public departments, corporations, and autonomous bodies to stop their funding of sports teams in 30 different disciplines,” the tweet from the Prime Minister’s office read.

    “The decision has led thousands to be jobless from the positions of departmental sports. “After taking office, PM pledged to restore departmental sports with the goal of promoting healthy games among the youth,” it added.

    https://twitter.com/PMO_PK/status/1562789257756155905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562789257756155905%7Ctwgr%5E9efbbc4b5877cecaf9cfb88529c710c5868603db%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecurrent.pk%2F%3Fp%3D194013
  • Hania Aamir opens up on comparisons with Fawad-Mahira’s iconic pair

    Hania Aamir opens up on comparisons with Fawad-Mahira’s iconic pair

    Actor Hania Aamir, who is currently riding high on the success of her latest blockbuster drama, Mere Hamsafar, has opened up on comparisons of her and co-star Farhan Saeed’s pairing with Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s chemistry from Humsafar.

    Mere Humsafar is special because of the performances: Farhan Saeed

    Mahira and Fawad’s pairing as Khirad and Ashar from Sarmad Khoosat’s Humsafar has been hailed as the best on Pakistani television in the last two decades. The two will be seen together in two major feature films this year, Neelofar and The Legend Of Maula Jatt.

    Fawad and Mahira Khan ready to fire up the entertainment industry once again - Global Village Space

    During another interview with Something Haute, the Sang e Mah diva stated that she was a person who never put herself first, and let the backlash on social media and controversies get the best of her.

    The Titli star said “when new actors enter the industry, they are not really trained for fame or how to handle it, and so people learn via trial and error.”

    Hania advised the viewers not to put their relationships on media because if things do not work out, it is nearly impossible to clarify about what went wrong. She said even people from the industry start weighing in on your life.

    Actress Sadia Faisal reacted to Aamir’s post by saying that celebrities these days even post about when they’re using the loo.

    Earlier this year after Hania’s dancing video from Asim Azhar’s concert went viral, the Jo Tu Na Mila singer made an indirect jibe at Hania with a cryptic post.

    The post didn’t go unnoticed by the young actress as she was quick to respond to it without even mentioning any names.

  • Pak Suzuki suffers losses of Rs17.23 million due to rising production costs

    Pak Suzuki suffers losses of Rs17.23 million due to rising production costs

    Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd. (PSMC) reported its half-yearly results, which were completed on June 30, 2022. The company reported a net loss of Rs17.23 million against a net profit of Rs1.19 billion, according to the automaker’s latest filing on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

    According to Mettis Global, the company’s sales revenue climbed 30 per cent YoY, from Rs66 billion to Rs112, 62 billion, mostly due to volumetric growth and pricing increases.

    As a result of growing input costs and the significant depreciation of the local currency, the gross margins during 1HFY22 decreased from 5.98 per cent to 3.74 per cent.

    Regarding the company’s primary expense heads, distribution and marketing costs came in at Rs1.64 billion, up 30 per cent YoY, while administration costs dipped to Rs1.48 billion, up 11 per cent YoY.

    In contrast to Rs866 millionn in 1HFY21, the company additionally received Rs1.56 billion in other income.

    Furthermore, as a result of rising interest rates, finance costs increased by 6.2x YoY, from Rs292 million to Rs1.8 billion.

    The company also paid Rs767.84 million in taxes, which represents an increase of 57 per cent YoY because of the impact of super taxes.

  • ‘Three crore people have become homeless due to floods’: Ahsan Iqbal

    ‘Three crore people have become homeless due to floods’: Ahsan Iqbal

    Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said that 55 lakh households were affected, while more than three crore people became homeless due to the devastating floods and rains across Pakistan.

    “A safe analysis suggests that 55 lakh poor households have been affected, while more than three crore people have been displaced due to the floods. We need more than one million tents for these people,” said Iqbal while speaking on Dawn News programme, ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’.

    At least 151 people lost their lives in rains and flash floods in Punjab, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) says in its report.

    Four more people have died in the rain and flood-related incidents in Balochistan during the last 24 hours, according to PDMA.

    Read more: Here is how you can help flood victims

    A report issued by the PDMA Balochistan said the death toll since June 1 in the rain-destructed province has reached 234. The deceased include 110 men, 55 women and 69 children.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman said that death toll in Pakistan has gone up to 903.

  • Picture of dead woman relatives smiling with her body goes viral

    Picture of dead woman relatives smiling with her body goes viral

    A picture of a family in India smiling at a funeral is going viral on the internet. The photograph was taken at Mariyamma’s funeral, a 95-year-old woman who had been unwell and bedridden for nearly a year. She had nine children and 19 grandchildren, all spread across the globe but most of them were at their family home when she died.

    The ‘happy’ picture is being criticised on social media. At least 40 members of the family were seen smiling as they gather around the funeral casket for a “family photograph”.

    “The people who cannot acknowledge the picture are those who have seen only tears after death. Instead of lamenting, the dead have to be bid adieu merrily. We have done the same,” said a family member of the dead woman in an interview with an Indian media outlet.

    “We sat around her body and shared memories about her. Her life was so inspiring and we felt so proud of her. We all decided to take that photo with smiling faces as there was nothing sad to feel about grandmother as she had led a fulfilled life,” Mariyamma’s granddaughter Harsha Elma Joseph told Times of India.

  • ‘Naqal ke liye aqal ki zaroorat hoti hai’: Qasim Suri trolled for sharing fake CNN screenshot

    ‘Naqal ke liye aqal ki zaroorat hoti hai’: Qasim Suri trolled for sharing fake CNN screenshot

    Former National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Suri shared a fake screenshot of CNN covering PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s rally in Haripur on Wednesday.

    “PTI Power Show in Haripur, Massive Crowed,” read the caption shared in the fake CNN screenshot shared by Suri.

    Soon after Suri tweeted the fake CNN screenshot with the caption, “Hunnh aaraam aye?” (Are you satisfied now?), several people pointed out that it was fake.

    CNN journalist Sophia Saifi also replied to Suri’s tweet.

    Suri deleted his tweet after being called out for posting a fake screenshot with wrong spellings of ‘crowd’.

    However, Twitterati did not spare him and soon “crowed” started trending on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/CorollaViruss/status/1562499608521035776?s=20&t=-qzlJ79cspn3jmGZyRjAUw

    This is not the first time that a PTI leader shared a fake screenshot.

    In April, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan went overboard as he shared a photo from the United States (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), claiming that it was from the party’s rally.

    The picture shared by the PTI leader actually shows the lights in the Iberian Peninsula, which falls in Spain and Portugal.