Tesla has unveiled more affordable versions of its Model S sedan and Model X SUV in the United States. These new “standard range” models are priced at $78,490 (PKR 22.4 million) and $88,490 (PKR 25.3 million), respectively, marking a roughly 10 per cent reduction from the previous lowest-priced options. The company aims to boost sales by focusing on cost reduction.
The new models will be available for delivery between September and October 2023. They come with a standard “pearly white” exterior and an all-black interior, while other colour choices will come at an additional cost.
The updated Model S offers a driving range of up to 320 miles (515 km), which is lower than the existing basic and performance versions, which provide up to 405 miles and 396 miles of range, respectively. Similarly, the new Model X SUV boasts a range of up to 269 miles, falling short of the basic and performance versions that offer up to 348 miles and 333 miles of range, respectively.
Tesla’s focus on price cuts and cost efficiency is evident in its consistent efforts to reduce prices in various markets. By doing so, the company aims to remain competitive and navigate economic uncertainties. In China, the company has recently lowered prices for its Model Y long-range and performance variants.
This strategic move coincides with Tesla’s upcoming releases, including the long-anticipated Cybertruck and the completion of a manufacturing plant in Mexico. The latter is dedicated to producing a mass-market electric vehicle, which will serve as the foundation for a robotaxi.
Although the Model S and Model X are some of Tesla’s earliest offerings, introduced in 2012, they have maintained premium pricing compared to the more budget-friendly Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover. In the second quarter of this year, Tesla delivered 19,225 Model X and S vehicles, an increase from 16,162 vehicles delivered during the same period last year.
Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor are considered one of the hottest celebrity couples within the industry, and now the actress has revealed details of her first meeting with her husband, with whom she shares daughter Raha.
Bhatt is currently promoting her Netflix film ‘Heart Of Stone’ where she stars along with Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. During an interview with Netflix, the ‘Gangubai’ actress said that at her audition for the 2005 film ‘Black’, she met Ranbir, who was working as a film assistant.
Although Alia didn’t get the role, the two met again in 2012 during ‘Student Of The Year’ which was directed by Karan Johar, where Ranbir visited on set. During an episode of ‘Koffee With Karan’, actor Ranveer Singh took everyone by surprise when he revealed the son of Rishi Kapoor had dropped by during the film shooting, and joked with Karan about whether he should marry Alia or not.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has banned entry and exit polls by national and international media during general elections according to its code of conduct for national media, international media, and observers.
According to the code of conduct, the ban is applicable to print & electronic media and any journalist, newspaper, and channel on their official accounts on digital media, and other social media influencers also forbidding them to conduct any kind of surveys at any polling station or constituency which may influence the voters’ free choice of casting votes.
An entrance poll translates into asking voters whom they are planning to vote for or a similar set of questions. In the same manner, an exit poll is taking opinions of voters regarding their voting pattern after they come out of the polling station.
While addressing the issues regarding the content, ECP further states that “the content on print & electronic media, any media person, newspaper, channel operating official accounts on digital media and social media influencers shall not include any aspect which might be construed as personal attack on candidates or political parties on the basis of gender, religion, sect, caste, baradari etc.”
The code bounds media houses to provide details of expenditures made by any political party that runs a paid advertisement on their platform. In addition to that, it further states, “The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Press Information Department (PID), Cyber Wing and Digital Media Wing of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) shall monitor the coverage given to political parties and candidates for their election campaigns through electronic channels, print and social media. The above authorities shall submit to the commission details of payments made by the political parties and candidates within 10 days after poll day.”
The code of conduct also advises the journalists or print, electronic and digital media, social media influencers, and media houses that throughout the election period they shall launch Civic and Voter Education programs which must be inclusive, especially targeting marginalized groups such as women, transgenders, youth, minorities, and differently-abled persons to maximize voter turnout and ensure their participation in the electoral process.
To ensure impartiality, the code of conduct for international media states that, “International Observers and Media persons shall select areas for election observation and reporting in consultation with Election Commission of Pakistan for their security and safety. However, International Observers and media persons shall choose the area to ensure balanced observation /reporting. “
It also restricts Individual observers from making any personal comments about his/her observation or conclusion on the election process to the media, also obligating them to share their findings, methodology, recommendations, and reports with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Microsoft has rolled out a new update for Windows 11, and as part of this update, they have removed the standalone Cortana app from the operating system. This means that Cortana, the virtual assistant, will no longer be available as a separate app on Windows 11. Microsoft confirmed this change on a support page and mentioned that Cortana will also be removed from Teams mobile, Teams display, and Teams Rooms sometime in the coming fall. However, Cortana will still be available in Outlook Mobile.
Cortana was introduced in 2014 as a virtual assistant to compete with Apple’s Siri on the iPhone. It was named after the character from the Halo video game series. Over time, Cortana was expanded to Windows 10, mobile devices, and the Xbox One. Recently, Microsoft has been gradually phasing out support for Cortana. It was removed from the Xbox dashboard in 2019, and its apps for Android and iOS were discontinued in 2021.
Despite this move away from Cortana, Microsoft has been focusing on AI advancements. One notable development is Windows Copilot, a new AI-powered assistant that the company is working on. This showcases Microsoft’s commitment to AI tools even as they retire Cortana.
Starting August 16, petroleum products are expected to undergo a notable price hike. In particular, the price of petrol is projected to rise by Rs15 per litre, while diesel will likely see a steeper increase of Rs20 per litre.
This surge in prices is attributed to a rise in global commodity rates. Recent reports indicate that the cost of crude oil has climbed by $5 per barrel, going from $86 to $91 per barrel. This increase is largely due to the elevated prices of petroleum products on the global market. Additionally, a separate premium charge of $2 per barrel has been applied to crude oil.
Simultaneously, the international prices for both diesel and gasoline have also experienced a $5 surge, climbing from $97 per barrel to $102 per barrel.
Should these prices remain unchanged, the anticipated effect on Pakistan’s fuel market would translate to a Rs15 per litre hike for petrol and a more substantial Rs20 per litre increase for diesel.
In the context of the previous fortnightly review conducted by the outgoing government, a significant Rs19 per litre escalation in petrol and diesel prices had been announced. This decision was justified as being in alignment with the demands of the International Monetary Fund.
Khudkaar, now known as xWave, started when Wardah Noor, 23, visited far-flung areas of district Layyah during a ration drive in the lockdown period. She observed how laborers were distraught while their economic conditions worsened day by day. That urged her to start something sustainable in case such circumstances arise again and “people have something to eat at home.” She decided to take a gap year from her university and work on the idea for a couple of months.
She was enrolled in B.A. LLB from LUMS at the time. The first half of Wardah’s gap year was consumed in traveling across Pakistan including KP and Sindh, visiting different institutes in Karachi, and residing in Islamabad for some time to see what is happening in other cities. That’s when she learned that skills training and development is something that might result into sustainability. In the second half, she started crowdfunding; her friends who were running other social ventures donated laptops, furniture, books and, “that’s how we started in Layyah.”
Today for me in pictures: Out of 10 people who joined stage, 7 were women and that is what's gonna change the future. More representation, more say and more power. SO SO HAPPY SEEING THESE WOMEN PARTICIPATE. @khudkaarpic.twitter.com/PLRLO3j7xD
“During crowdfunding, we asked people that a minimum of Rs100 and a maximum of whatever they can pledge for a year. We used to meet our monthly expenditures, and for furniture, different people donated different things,” she said. She started the venture in a room at her home where they initially made a computer lab and, in another section, women were taught stitching.
She was able to secure The Spark Fund- Global Fund for Children through which they managed the finances for next year. Till now they are crowdfunding and simultaneously applying for grants. Recently they have started enrolling wealthy students who pay a certain amount of fee which helps in covering a small part of expenditure. She believes that this venture has given a direction to her life.
“This has given me a purpose which gives me satisfaction too. I have the energy to get up every morning and work on this idea. I initiated another startup during my gap year. I prepared a curriculum for overseas Pakistanis to give them Urdu tuition and I taught people the Urdu language because it is not their first language,” she added.
She explains that this helped her in saving money, but it distracted her from her focus. She eventually took a decision at the start of this year, ending the Urdu tuition startup and giving all her energies to enhance xWave. The salary she has started drawing from xWave after a donor’s funding is 5 times less than what she was earning from her Urdu startup, but this gives her satisfaction, and she is determined to live and die for the cause. What gives her energy, and an adrenaline rush is knowing the success stories of her students and fellows.
Happy to share that I am starting a new venture named @xWavePak , going to Balochistan and Sindh tomorrow.
We will be training youth of flood affected areas in web 3.0 technologies in the first phase & our target is to create economic impact of $14M in the next 10 years. pic.twitter.com/jFRPSmVD0I
Shazia Gull, a 23-year-old young woman, hailing from Layyah couldn’t continue her studies due to personal reasons. She used to stay at home and got to know about this center through her cousin. She secured admission there and started learning illustration and 2D animation. She had no source of earnings prior to this.
She says, “I am working on multiple projects, I have a full-time job at xWave, and earning a good amount of money. I am instructing about teaching-related courses at Coursera to enhance my skills and earn more.”
Another student of xWave, Muhammad Zain Abbas, also a resident of Layyah, got to know about this institute through his college teacher. He joined last year to learn video editing. “I made my account on Fiver a year ago and I have earned 150 dollars so far. I bought a decently working mobile phone as it was important for my work and I am hopeful that I will earn around 5000 dollars per month in the future,” he said.
Afshan kawal, a student of video editing living in Layyah, has shown remarkable dedication and hard work in pursuing her passion for video editing.
According to data released by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT), 2022 saw a growth of 2.74% as the remittance inflows stood at $397.328 Million as compared to 396.243 Million in 2021. There were around 3 Million freelancers in Pakistan in 2022, as per the report released by MoITT, which have possibly increased in 2023.
Pakistani freelancers earn an average of $20 per hour, and the majority of freelancers in Pakistan are under the age of 30. The most popular payment gateway for freelancers in Pakistan is Payoneer. The global freelance industry is valued at $3.5 Billion, and the Pakistan industry accounts for 9% of the global market.
According to data released by Payoneer and Upwork, women make up 47% of the freelance market in Pakistan, which is more than the 35% global average.
40% of freelancers in Pakistan are from Punjab, 29.5% from Sindh, 14.7% from KPK, 10.5% from Balochistan, and 5.3% from Azad Kashmir.
Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi collectively account for 88% of Pakistan’s freelancing industry.
Wardah Noor is an inspiration for young Pakistanis, and she advises others to dream big.
“Keep struggling, you have unlimited opportunities and endless avenues to learn from. Don’t look for shortcuts to be rich overnight; learn as many skills as you can consistently. You can achieve anything in your life,” she says.
Pakistani students have slammed Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) after results for 2023 examinations came to light.
Cambridge exams were disrupted in Pakistan due to riots on May 9 and 12. However, instead of rescheduling the affected papers, Cambridge allegedly opted to allocate average marks. The announcement of the results, on August 10, has stirred frustration among students across Pakistan, as only a small number managed to attain A and B grades. More than 45,000 students appeared in the exams.
In response, students expressed their intent to stage peaceful protests in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, to highlight what they perceive as an injustice done by Cambridge.
Outraged students have turned to social media, urging a rescheduling of the exams to provide them with a fair opportunity to showcase their capabilities and receive grades reflective of their performance.
Students took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to run an online campaign and raise their concerns regarding the issue.
X user, Muhammad Awais Sial mentioned that Cambridge graded them on components where scoring marks are inevitable. https://twitter.com/MASial34789939/status/1690045360998322176?s=20
Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Maryam Nawaz, also expressed concerns, stating that numerous students have reached out to her. She urged the CIE to consider the conditions in which students sat during these exams while reviewing the results on fairgrounds.
Many hundreds have reached out voicing their dissatisfaction with the CIE grading this year. It appears that the grading this year has produced unfair results which has led to severe unrest & anxiety amongst the students. Expected A*s have ended up with Cs & Es. These students…
Chief organiser of President Punjab PML(N), Mohammad Sarwar mentioned that he has been contacted by students who are disheartened after receiving E grades. The former chief minister of Punjab stated that he has reached out to a member of the House of Lords, Wajid Khan, for support in urging CIE to review their grading process.
I’ve been approached by countless students who sat Cambridge exams this yr highlighting overall lower grading by CIE- A* students receiving E grades is disheartening. I’ve reached out to @LordWajidKhan for support in urging CIE for fair review & reconsideration of grading process
Activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir explained the issue in detail while demanding that “Cambridge Assessment International Education and British Council Pakistan needs to provide details and transparency in the mechanism adopted this year and it must ensure that students of Pakistan did not suffer in particular due to some discriminatory or flawed policy.”
Understanding the controversy around #Cambridge exams grades this year:
– There are three categories of students who are complaining about their grades:
i) Those who missed some components of a subject due to exam cancellation between 10th and 12th May due to political unrest… https://t.co/yW9oPNja7K
Addressing the concerned Cambridge students, Uzma Yousuf, the Country Director for CAIE Pakistan, stated, “Cancelling the exams on 10, 11 and 12 May has been a difficult decision for the British Council. Your safety and well-being come first, and that’s why this decision was taken.”
She further added, “Our team is continuously monitoring the situation, and we will keep you updated as we have more information. We are completely committed to providing a safe and secure environment for you to sit for your exams.”
According to the army’s media affairs division, security forces have killed two terrorists after they attacked a military convoy in Gwadar, Balochistan, early on Sunday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the terrorists attacked the convoy at 10 a.m. using hand grenades and small guns.
“However, due to the efficient and swift response, two terrorists were sent to hell with no harm to any military or civil persons,” the statement said, with the military expressing its resolve to “thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country”.
One militant was killed and three others were hurt during the exchange of fire with security personnel, according to an earlier statement by the ISPR, which added that an operation was initiated in the region after reports of the presence of terrorists.
On the other hand, according to China’s consulate in Karachi, there were Chinese workers in the attacked convoy.
“A Chinese convoy from the Gwadar port project was hit by roadside bombs and gunfire on its way back to the port area from the Gwadar Airport,” it said in a statement on its website, adding that “no Chinese citizens were killed or injured”.
A statement released by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack.
It’s been five years since Bollywood superstar Sridevi passed away in 2018 from accidental drowning in Dubai, leaving behind a celebrated legacy with films like ‘Chandni’, ‘English Vinglish’ and ‘Mr India’. The beloved Indian actress starred with Pakistani actors Sajal Aly and Adnan Siddiqui in the 2017 release ‘Mom’, and the two have always remembered her in fond words.
Aly commemorated the Bollywood icon by sharing a picture of her on her Instagram stories with the caption “Happy Birthday! I miss you”.
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Aly had praised the late actress, stating that she was “like a mother to me” and discussed her experience of working with her on ‘Mom’ by recalling how kind the ‘Mr India’ actress was to her.
“…The first thing a good person and a good actor would do is make the other person comfortable,” the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress gushed. “She was that kind of actor. She had a lot of empathy and kindness towards me. For instance, I had that one scene where I was wearing this red dress and when I got ready she was like ‘Oh! You should curl your hair more!’ She was acting like a mother to me, although she was just a co-star. But the fact that she cared about how I’m looking and how I could look better, that is something that stole my heart.”
The host recounted meeting Sridevi for an interview for a film at her house, where she praised Sajal, by saying she’s someone “you need to lookout for.”
“I didn’t know she said that about me, but of course in some interviews she pra
ised my acting a lot. These kind of compliments, I get scared because I feel the pressure. I never talk about her a lot and the relationship we had, it’s something I can’t explain. Because it was really real.”
Aly was also close to Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor, whom she could emotionally connect with because both of their moms had passed away.
“We met after six years[in Dubai],” recalled Aly. “When my mother had passed away as well as hers. Probably because of our mothers as well we got a lot more closer. So I connect with her and she connects with me. We used to keep in touch but then she started her career and she’s busy with that.”
Kapoor shared a picture of her mother on set on her Instagram, writing that she wished her mother was still here today.
“And today as I’m on a set on your birthday I wish more than ever I had you with me like this, so we could convince everyone it was actually your 35th and not 60th birthday. And you could tell me if I’m pushing myself hard enough or not. And I could see in your eyes if I was making you proud. I know you’d be happy seeing us try, in your memory. Every day. I love you, you are the most special woman on this planet.”
On Sunday, law enforcement officials arrested Kazim Khan on charges of murder and trying to hide evidence. Khan has been arrested for killing and secretly burying his wife, Diane Cristo Khan, in a graveyard in Lahore, Geo has reported.
Police officials told Geo that Diane was physically tortured and murdered at Lahore’s Factory Area. The murderer was trying to bury his wife when the grave digger called the police, who arrested him on the spot.
The police also confirmed that they found the murder weapon in the murderer’s possession. Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantt, Owais Shafiq, said that a case has been registered and the murderer is being interrogated. The body of the victim has been shifted to a facility for post-mortem examination.
