In March, Apple was slapped with a hefty €1.8 billion fine ($2 billion) following a complaint lodged by Spotify in 2019. At the core of the dispute was Apple’s policy of imposing a 30% fee on app makers for first-year user subscriptions and a 15% fee for subsequent years. This practice put Spotify at a disadvantage, as it had to raise subscription prices to compensate for the fee, giving Apple Music an unfair competitive edge. However, Apple is not passively accepting the fine. Bloomberg reports that Apple has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit with the EU’s General Court…
Author: WebDesk
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has endorsed Gautam Gambhir as a strong contender for the position of head coach of the Indian cricket team, citing Gambhir’s suitability to succeed Rahul Dravid. Akram’s support for Gambhir comes amidst reports of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reaching out to prominent international coaches like Stephen Fleming, Ricky Ponting, and Justin Langer. Speaking on a YouTube channel, the legendary fast bowler stated, “Yeah, he is the best candidate. It depends on whether Gautam accepts it. He has also left politics because it took too much time. It is a time-consuming…
Pakistan’s investment ratio has plummeted to a 50-year low, standing at 13.1 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year. Both investment and savings as percentages of GDP have fallen short of targets. The target for the investment-to-GDP ratio was set at 15.1 percent, yet it dipped to 13.1 percent, marking the lowest since the fiscal year 1973-74, according to the Express Tribune. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sought clarification from the federal government regarding its investment projections for the current and upcoming fiscal years. However, there hasn’t been any significant surge in foreign or domestic investment. The current…
Amidst an ongoing heat wave, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has declared a surge in daily water provision by six million gallons to cater to the escalating demands of Islamabad’s residents. The decision came following directives from the CDA Chairman during a meeting convened to assess the water supply scenario in the federal capital. Senior officers from the Water Supply Wing were present at the gathering. Acknowledging the heightened water requirements of citizens during the summer, the Chairman announced an additional allocation of six million gallons per day (MGD) from Simli Dam. He emphasized extending the duration of water supply…
Islamabad: The automotive vendor industry is grappling with a decline in production while facing an influx of imported used cars. Industry representatives are urging the government to establish stable policies, pointing out the supply-demand crisis in the local automotive sector. This instability has resulted in frequent shutdowns of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), negatively impacting vendors. Last year, there was a staggering 700% increase in used car and SUV imports, totaling over 30,000 units, compared to 3,386 units the previous year. Local automotive manufacturers, who have heavily invested in expanding capacity and supporting local vendors, now confront significant challenges. The surge…
The Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) has taken proactive measures to tackle cheating during examinations. To address this concern, security barcodes will now be integrated into exam papers as a deterrent against fraudulent activities. In addition, to address the risks of heat-related illnesses, medical teams will be stationed during exams to promptly assist students showing symptoms of heatstroke. Commencing May 28, as intermediate exams begin, students will benefit from enhanced facilities aimed at safeguarding their well-being. For the first time, students will have access to first aid boxes containing medications to alleviate symptoms such as nausea, fever, weakness, and…
The Interior Ministry has launched a service to aid Pakistani citizens in Saudi Arabia by offering NICOP renewal services at the NADRA counter within the Pakistan embassy in Riyadh. This initiative aims to ease the process for overseas Pakistanis, allowing them to renew their NICOP without the need to return to Pakistan. The NADRA office at the Pakistan embassy in Riyadh offers various services, including NICOP, CNIC, CRC, FRC, and Biometric Verification of Succession Certificate. For the convenience of Pakistani citizens, a NADRA mobile registration team will be available on May 24 and 25 (Friday and Saturday), operating from 8:00…
Last November, we addressed a widespread SMS scam affecting numerous users across the country. The fraudulent messages would claim that delivery packages could not be received unless recipients updated their street addresses, prompting them to click on malicious links. It appears that this scam is still prevalent, with many users reporting similar fake messages online. These messages continue to mimic official Pakistan Post communications, urging recipients to update their addresses through suspicious links. As a reminder, Pakistan Post never requests online payments or address updates via SMS, especially not through potentially harmful links. Moreover, if there are issues with orders,…
Multiple Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights faced delays or cancellations at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. However, the reasons behind these disruptions were not disclosed by the airline. Flight PK 300 from Karachi to Islamabad experienced a delay of six hours and twenty minutes, now scheduled to depart at 1:20 PM. Similarly, the departure of flight PK 301 from Islamabad to Karachi was postponed by six hours and ten minutes, now expected to land in Karachi at 6:15 PM. Additionally, the flight from Karachi to Sui will be delayed by two hours and ten minutes. Several PIA flights were canceled, including:…
Islamabad: The Prime Minister’s coordinator on climate change and environmental coordination stressed the necessity of joint collaboration among all stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, to achieve significant national-level impact in addressing the climate crisis. This message was conveyed during the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, comprising representatives from various entities such as SIFC, the Ministry of Federal Education, HEC, COMSATS, the PM Youth Program, IRS, SDPI, the Planning Commission, the Ministry of Power (K-electric), NGOs, CSOs, private universities, and the banking sector. The committee members lauded the initiative of the Prime Minister’s coordinator to convene all…