The Japanese giant Toshiba has sold its final shares of the company, which means that the firm is no longer connected with making PCs or laptops.
Sharp corporation bought 80% of Toshiba’s personal computing shares in 2018 for $36 million and has now bought the remaining shares, Toshiba said in a statement.
Toshiba made its first laptop, the T1100, which was launched in 1985. It weighed 4kg (8.8 lbs) and worked with 3.5 inches (8.8cm) floppy disks.
The laptop was launched only in Europe at first with an annual sales target of 10,000 units.
In 2011, Toshiba sold more than 17 million PCs but by 2017 this had fallen to 1.9m.
In 2016, it had ceased making consumer laptops for the European market and focused only on hardware production for businesses.
Recent years have been difficult for the company. In 2015, the firm posted a full-year loss of $318 million.
That same year its president and vice-president resigned after an independent panel found the company had overstated its profits for the previous six years.
In 2019, it wound up its nuclear business NuGen in the UK after failing to find a buyer for it.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Toshiba was among the top PC manufacturers, but as more players crowded into the market and with fewer unique features to offer, Toshiba’s laptops faded in popularity.
By the time it sold its stake to Sharp, Toshiba’s share of the PC market had decreased from its 2011 peak of 17.7 million PCs sold to about 1.4 million in 2017, according to Reuters.
The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has allowed resumption of “pre-COVID-19 practices subject to the adoption of social distancing guidelines” as it withdrew the government’s lockdown order.
According to the notification dated August 9, all sectors barring marriage halls and marquees and educational institutions have been allowed to resume operations from Monday (August 10), with timings and weekly holidays “reverted to pre-COVID-19 practice”.
According to Dawn, religious congregations will only be held after approval from the administration and will be bound to follow the standard operating procedures laid out by the government. Operators of public transport — that has been allowed to resume function — will also have to ensure that preventive measures are being observed by passengers.
The notification was issued three days after the federal government announced it was lifting restrictions on the tourism sector, restaurants and public transport, after months of suspension.
The decisions were made in a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, which was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by representatives of all the provinces. The meeting participants also decided to lift restrictions on railways, airlines and metro buses.
While the restrictions are being eased as government boasts of having successfully tackled the pandemic, it is worth mentioning that a sudden spike has been recorded in coronavirus infections over the past week. The number of per day fatalities, however, on Sunday dropped to single digits for the first time in over 110 days.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 10, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Sir, NAB K Khilaaf Nahi Bolna’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_FSz7_9I4o
It has been reported by Daily Jang that Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan was spotted telling his boss, Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar, to not speak against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in response to a journalist’s question during a press conference.
“NAB k khilaaf nahi bolna,” he was quoted as saying.
‘Pakistan Ki Shanaakht Tabah Ho Rahi Hai’
Daily Jang has quoted Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as saying that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is ruining Pakistan’s image. “Hukmaraan Pakistan ki shandar shanaakht tabah kr rahay hain,” he reportedly said.
BilawalGets Peshawar BRT Card
It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Transport Minister Shah Muhammad Wazir has sent a travel card for Peshawar metro to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over his criticism against the delays that the project faced amid rising costs. “Umeed hai Sindh hakoomat bhi Green Bus ka aik card mujhe bheje gi,” the minister said further.
FAW Motors has just announced that they will introduce Bestune cars for the mid-tier socio-economic segment of Pakistan.
Bestune, as of right now, has 8 vehicles in its product lineup, 4 of which are sedans, and the remaining 4, are Crossover Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).
Various reports suggest that Bestune shall be making an entrance by introducing the T77 Crossover SUV in the Pakistani Market.
The T77 is a compact crossover SUV that was launched in November of 2018 at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Since its launch, the car has only been sold in the Chinese market.
In terms of engine, the car is equipped with 1.2 litres turbocharged inline 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 141 horsepower, 204-newton/meters of torque, with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic gearbox transmission.
In the latest version, the buyers can opt for a 1.5-litre Turbocharged-Gasoline Direct Injection (T-GDI) inline 4-cylinder petrol engine, that makes 166 horsepower and 258-newton meters of torque, with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic gearbox transmission.
On the inside you are greeted with a high-end interior, a modern Mercedes Benz like single-screen infotainment system and instrument cluster, intelligent connectivity technologies such as Bestune radio, AI music, smart entertainment, as well as intelligent control function.
Other Features
Among other features, the SUV comes with:
Autonomous parking
Driver and passenger seat airbags
Parking sensors
Lane departure warning
Lane keep assist
Collision warning
Blind-spot monitoring
Adaptive cruise control
Hill-start assist and descent control,
Traction control
ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake-Assist (BA) Technology
Reports of a much bigger and better T99 SUV to be launched in Pakistan are also floating but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The company is making cars that are affordable yet modern, comfortable, and reliable. Since then, the company has mainly been operating in the Chinese and Russian Markets, where they have earned a decent amount of popularity.
August 14 is just a few days away and Pakistanis are ready to celebrate it with full zest. While people are excited to celebrate it, many brands are also offering discounts for their customers.
Here are a few brands that are offering sales on the independence day.
Alkaram
Alkaram is offering upto 50% off from 10th Auguts till the stock lasts.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has launched the biggest tree plantation campaign in the history of the country, targeting a plantation of around 3.5 million trees in a day across the country.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he thanked all those who had participated in Sunday’s campaign.
He said that Pakistan is among the top ten countries in the world most affected by climate change. “Our wheat production has fallen over the past two years due to climate change and unprecedented rainfall,” the PM said.
From Lower Dir to all parts of the country; from Tigers and youth to the elderly; all came out in huge numbers to plant trees. I want to thank everyone who responded to my call to plant a tree today. pic.twitter.com/z9UWVMbmVH
“If we keep continuing on this path, then some of the areas will become deserts,” he said. “It is our responsibility to make the country green for future generations.”
“The 3.5 million saplings that we have planted today is just the start. This is a constant, ongoing battle, [but] we are not doing this for us. We are doing it for the coming generations,” he further said.
“This is just the beginning. he said, promising that trees would be planted in empty spaces across cities,” he added.
The prime minister also urged women to participate. “The women have to participate the most,” he said.
He added that the nation also had to focus on cleaning the country’s rivers, in addition to making the country green. “So first we have to make the country green by planting trees, but simultaneously we also have to focus on cleanliness and make our rivers clean once again. Planting trees will also help in cleaning our climate and lessening pollution,” he said.
Earlier, in a tweet, the premier had invited everyone to join him today in planting trees all over Pakistan. He had also asked the parliamentarians, ministers, chief ministers, and Tiger Force volunteers to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign.
I want everyone to join me tomorrow, 9 Aug, in planting trees all over Pak. Have asked my MPs, ministers, Chief Ministers and Tiger Force to participate in the biggest tree planting campaign in our history. The target is 35 lakh trees in a day though we will try to exceed it.
There is never a dull day with Pakistani celebrities around because someone ends up passing a problematic statement. And the irony is that most of these statements are passed on Nida Yasir’s morning show Good Morning Pakistan.
The latest to come in the line of fire is newlyweds Hina Altaf and Agha Ali. In a video clip going viral on social media, Hina and Agha shared that at the time of their marriage, the only promise that Agha took from Hina was that she will never get fat or gain weight. The clip is from an Eid Special Show (1:15:07 onwards) of Yasir’s Good Morning Pakistan in which Hina and Altaf appeared for the first time as a married couple.
While talking to the host, Agha and Hina were sharing snippets about their married life, when the topic moved towards food and gymming. When the two shared that they are both foodies, Nida asked if they have a tendency to gain weight.
In response, Agha said: “At the time of our wedding, I only took one promise from Hina.”
“Please moti mat hona (Don’t gain weight),” chimed in Hina while laughing. She added that whenever she is eating and Agha walks by, he remarks, “Bas eik hee wada liya tha (I only took one promise).”
Hina joked that she took the same promise because it is a difficult one to fulfill. The trio then discussed how Agha is looking slimmer and that Hina will soon work on losing weight.
Soon after the clip went viral, social media users called out the couple for promoting fatphobia and unrealistic beauty standards. They also criticised the actors of being “tone-deaf” and passing problematic statements.
Agha Ali needs to shut up and learn that body shaming is disgusting. Also Hina needs to stop laughing at this sickness https://t.co/dwjiT5P0u0
HAHAHAHAHA soooo funny!! such a shweeetooos look how fatphobic we are 😍 allah ji KUCH nahi chahiye sawai total dictatorial control over your size & appearance babyyyy wah https://t.co/q0vXDul6GY
of course men would find nothing wrong with this.. because deep down they all want women to adhere to unrealistic beauty standards https://t.co/GAVaAmojiU
I feel disgusted that even to this date, there are men telling women to reduce their waistline is what will make them perfect and the women not dumping them THAT exact moment? Imagine spending your life under constant scrutiny of your body and what you eat?That's emotional abuse
Diriliş: Ertuğrul is a hard one to top but Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Raat Akeli Hai managed to do that and has been trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan since the past ten days. Hollywood’s recent teenage rom-com The Kissing Booth 2 has also proven to be popular among the Pakistani audiences and has been trending since it released on July 24. To be honest, The Kissing Booth 2 was a welcome addition to the top 10 list which apart from Diriliş: Ertuğrul usually features dark or erotic (read: 365 Days) movies.
Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte, Raat Akeli Hai is a murder mystery which revolves around the murder of a rich landlord on the night of his wedding. It appears that post the success of Sacred Games, Bollywood has found a new genre to explore – crime and the corrupt police system of India. Many recent films and series have centred on this theme, for example, Malang, Pataal Lok, The Family Man.
While Radhika plays the dead man’s newlywed wife Radha and the prime suspect, Siddiqui plays the police officer who is investigating the case. The plot and story of the film are unoriginal and something we’ve seen many times before in Hollywood and Bollywood films (Most movie critics and some members of the audience have also compared it to Knives Out). All through the film, I found several references to Amazon Prime’s Pataal Lok and Sonakshi Sinha-Sidharth Malhotra’s Ittefaq.
However, what makes the film worth a watch is the brilliant execution, performances and cinematography. Nawazuddin, as always, delivered a stellar performance as the cop investigating the case. Apte also gave a good performance as did the supporting cast of the film including Shweta Tripathi as Karuna Singh, Nishant Dahiya as Vikram Singh and Aditya Srivastava as Munna Raja. The chemistry between Nawazuddin and Radhika was crackling but it was let down by the weak development of the script and was not explored properly.
Radha
Vikram Singh
Moreso, given that the film can be classified as a whodunnit (a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus), it makes a fun one-time watch as you keep trying to figure out who the killer is. Be prepared for a slow first-half and a confusing but relatively fast-paced second half – the last 20 minutes of the movie are the most engaging and hold your attention.
Teen rom-com The Kissing Booth 2 is the exact opposite of Raat Akeli Hai. It is a light-hearted film which doesn’t demand much, though I do wish it demanded less time. While the film was a big hit and the makers have already announced that the film has a third part which has already been filmed and is currently in the post-processing stage, the film is nothing out of the ordinary. It is a typical rom-com featuring two teenagers who are trying to figure out a long-distance relationship and the deal with the baggage that comes with it. It can test your patience at a few instances especially when Elle tries to avoid being a clingy girlfriend but mostly it’ll have you rolling your eyes at the cliches. The makers have also weaved in several subplots, creating a bit of a jumble.
The performances were also not something to speak off. Joey King who plays Elle and Jacob Elordi who plays Noah were dull and had limited expressions. Noah, in particular, seemed to have a poker face throughout the film. The only person who truly demonstrated his acting abilities was Taylor Zakhar Perez who plays Marco.
Marco
If you’re a fan of sappy, teenage rom-coms, give this a watch. Else feel free to skip it and leave it for the teens.
This year, August 5 marked the one-year anniversary of occupied Kashmir’s illegal annexation and subsequent lockdown.
Last year, India changed the special status of the troubled valley to union territories. The gross human rights violations that followed and are still taking place is no secret. Pakistan has tried highlighting the issue internationally. Unfortunately, the international community is least bothered because of economic reasons; every country wants a share in the Indian market pie.
The myth of Muslim Ummah was also shattered when except for countries like Turkey and Malaysia, nobody raised voice for the plight of the Kashmiris. The same led to what appeared to be a major foreign policy shift for Pakistan as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked Saudi Arabia-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to stop dragging feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on the Kashmir issue.
Revoking the special status of held Kashmir was a step towards establishing Modi’s Hindu Rashtra. The first five years of Modi paved the way for an India that shattered all foundations of secularism. Modi regime’s six years have resulted in a wave of palpable fear amongst the Muslim minority in India. Modi’s Gujarat — where Muslims were killed as if it was a sport — is now being replicated in other parts of India; from beef lynchings to riots, the Muslim minority in India is being subjugated endlessly.
Modi chose August 5, 2020, as the day of laying down the foundation of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. As the New York Times put it, “In a moment of triumph that India’s Hindu nationalists had worked toward for years, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday set the ceremonial cornerstone for a new Hindu temple at the site of a destroyed mosque in Ayodhya.”
This gesture was a slap in the face of the Muslim minority of India as well as the last nail in the coffin of Indian secularism. Modi’s Hindu nationalism has destroyed the fabric of Nehruvian secularism. It is a reminder that when a fascist ruler is in power, even strong traditions and constitutions cannot guarantee fundamental rights, human rights, freedom of speech and all other traditions of a free society.
The cataclysmic shift of the Indian polity towards the right under Modi’s rule is not a surprise. In fact, what was surprising was the denial of Indian liberals when Modi was first elected in 2014. They were of the view that India’s secular traditions and constitution could never be destroyed but many pointed out how Modi’s victory was an indictment of the majoritarianism in India.
This is happening all over the world. From Trump’s America to Brexit in Britain, the world’s shift to right-wing politics is quite disappointing. We hope that some day, sane voices of India and the world will take a stand against Modi’s fascism.
After confusing fans with a cryptic picture of rings with no caption, Aamina Sheikh has confirmed that she has indeed tied the knot. The actor shared a picture of herself with her husband and daughter. According to reports, Aamina’s husband is a computer engineer based in Dubai.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDqFkANB4eo/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDqFxAxB_6h/
Earlier, Aamina had shared the picture of the rings in a grid form with ‘Bismillah’ hinting that she has tied the knot or has gotten engaged.
