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Showing posts from December, 2025

New PTA Tax Values For Used iPhone 15 Series in Pakistan

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Directorate General of Customs Valuation Karachi have recently issued updated tax and customs valuation rules for used mobile phones, including the highly popular Apple iPhone 15 series, effective in 2026. This revision aims to align import taxes with current international market prices and curb undervaluation at customs.   📉 What Changed in 2026? Under Valuation Ruling No. 2035 of 2026, the customs authorities revised the fixed customs values (C&F values) for the commercial import of used phones without packaging or accessories. The updated valuations apply to a broad category of devices from top brands like Apple, Samsung, and Google Pixel.  This update replaces outdated valuation tables that were last set over 18 months ago and no longer reflected real-world used device prices. It also makes tax calculation more transparent by basing duties on fixed values, irrespective of cosmetic condition or grading.  👉 Key Requ...

Gold price drops by Rs10,700 per tola in Pakistan

  Gold prices in Pakistan   decreased on Tuesday in line with their loss in the international market. In the local market, gold price per tola reached Rs459,462 after a decline of Rs10,700 during the day. Similarly, 10-gram gold was sold at Rs393,914 after it fell by Rs9,174, according to rates shared by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA). On Monday , gold price per tola reached Rs470,162 after a decline of Rs5,500 during the day. The international rate of gold declined by $107 to reach $4,371 per ounce (with a premium of $20). Meanwhile, the price of silver also decreased by Rs145 to reach Rs7,930 per tola.

Samsung Galaxy A07 5G to Feature 6,000 mAh Battery, Certification Confirms

  Samsung’s Galaxy A07 5G is expected to make its official debut soon, potentially later this month or in January, following a couple of months after the launch of the Galaxy A07 4G in August. The device has now been spotted in Brazil’s certification database, shedding light on a key feature its 6,000 mAh battery, which is a 1,000 mAh increase over its predecessor. The Galaxy A07 5G will come equipped with a larger 6,000 mAh battery, a notable upgrade from the 5,000 mAh battery found in the Galaxy A07 4G. This increase promises longer battery life, which is a welcome improvement for users seeking more power for their everyday smartphone needs. While the chipset, memory, and storage options appear to be similar to those of the A06 5G, users are hoping for further upgrades, especially in areas such as the camera or display. However, details about additional improvements remain unclear as of now. Certification and Launch The Galaxy A07 5G has received certification in Brazil, confirmi...

Fauji Fertiliser Joins Arif Habib Consortium in Rs135bn PIA Privatisation Deal

  The Arif Habib Consortium has confirmed that   Fauji Fertiliser Company Limited   has formally joined its group following the successful acquisition of a 75% majority stake in   Pakistan International Airlines   for Rs135 billion. In a statement issued on Thursday, the consortium said Fauji Fertiliser will strengthen the airline through financial backing and corporate expertise. It also confirmed that the company will take part in the airline’s management structure alongside the Arif Habib Consortium. The consortium announced plans to invest Rs 125 billion in the first year. The funds will support upgrades to ground operations and overall passenger services. It also aims to expand PIA’s operational fleet from 18 aircraft to 62 in phases. Earlier, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation  Muhammad Ali  told Reuters that the government expects the new owners to take operational control by April, subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction ha...

Why South Yemen’s Cultural Continuity Requires Recognition of Its Unity and Independence

In conversations about Yemen’s future, Western audiences are often presented with a simplified view: the country needs to stay unified to bring stability. But this perspective overlooks a deeper truth—for many South Yemenis, unity with the North has historically meant cultural and political erasure rather than genuine cohesion. Before unification in 1990, South Yemen existed as an independent state—the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen—for over two decades. It was not merely a territorial unit; it was a distinct socio-political space with its own anthem, educational narratives, and cultural institutions. The importance of this historical independence is not academic. It shaped social memory, artistic expression, and community structures that are distinct from the North’s tribal and religious frameworks. As a result, many South Yemenis today believe that only by reclaiming political agency—up to and including renewed independence—can their culture be genuinely conserved and celebrat...

GTA: Vice City Browser Port Now Enables Users to Play it on Almost All Platforms: Available as a Free Demo

  is the Doz Zone team (fans of GTA series) who has presented this browser port of the actual GTA: Vice City game for users, thus bringing its availability to almost all the known platforms, and it can be accessed without any downloads. This means, users will be able to play the game on mobiles, PCs, and more that runs a modern web browser (like Chrome, Edge, among others). However, it has to be noted that this will only be a free demo, and players relying on it will be able to play it until the 1st story check point (i.e. Hotel Ocean View). After reaching there, they will be asked to upload an original game file like ‘gtavc.exe’ if they wish to continue forward. Notably, the browser port has been created with open source codes that are readily available on the internet, following the licences. The main reason behind such a version is solely for educational and research purposes, and it will display how the technical capabilities work to run complex games like GTA:VC on the modern ...

Peshawar University Announces Winter Holidays

  The University of Peshawar has officially announced its winter vacation schedule for the 2025–26 academic session. According to the notification, the university will remain closed from December 22, 2025, to January 3, 2026. During this period, all academic and administrative offices will be closed. However, the university has emphasized that all scheduled exams and tests will continue as planned, and students are advised to follow the existing academic timetable. University authorities stated that the winter break is part of the seasonal academic calendar and aims to give students and staff adequate time to rest and prepare for the upcoming term. Regular classes and administrative operations will resume on January 3, 2026.

Dense fog forces closure of motorway sections

  Dense fog in various cities of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has badly affected the traffic flow on motorways on night between Thursday and Friday, Dunya News reported. The thick fog has badly affected the flow of road traffic in several cities. According to a Motorway spokesperson, the Motorway M1 from Peshawar to Rashkai, Motorway M2 from Lahore to Hiran Minar, Motorway M3 from Faizpur to Jaranwala, Motorway M4 from Sheh Shah to Sham Kot, Motorway M5 from Multan to Zahir Pir and Ghotki to Rohri and have been closed for all kind of traffic. The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use Grand Trunk (GT) Road for travelling. They have also urged the drivers to drive slowly and switch on fog lights. The Motorway police have also requested the people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling. Dense fog has also disrupted traffic at several places in the province at the National Highway due to low visibility.  

ChatGPT-5.2 Arrives: Here's What It Means for Everyday and Work Users

  ChatGPT just received an upgrade. Parent company OpenAI  announced on Thursday  that ChatGPT-5.2 offers better performance across the board, and said it's the company's  strongest model  yet for science and math.  In the statement, OpenAI touts the new model's usefulness not so much for everyday personal tasks but for work-related activities. We designed GPT‑5.2 to unlock even more economic value for people," the statement said. "It's better at creating spreadsheets, building presentations, writing code, perceiving images, understanding long contexts, using tools, and handling complex, multi-step projects." Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sent an  internal "code red" memo  to alert employees about the growing threat from competitors -- specifically Google and its advanced Gemini 3 chatbot, released in November. The move echoes  Google's own "code red" memo  from a few years ago, sent when ChatGPT launched and captured global att...

Ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed sentenced to 14 years in jail by Pakistan court

   Pakistan military court on Thursday sentenced former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed to 14 years in prison, Associated Press reported. The Field General Court Martial (FGCM) sentenced Hameed to jail on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities and violating the Official Secrets Act. “The accused was tried on four charges related to engaging in political activities, violation of the Official Secrets Act detrimental to the safety and interest of the state, misuse of authority and government resources, and causing wrongful loss to individuals,” a statement of the Pakistan military court said, according to AP. The military said the court found Hameed, the former Director General of the ISI, guilty on all charges after “lengthy and laborious” legal proceedings and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment. Though the military provided no additional details,  Hameed was considered close  to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imr...

BBL 2025: Sydney Sixers Introduce Jersey Number For Babar Azam

  BBL 2025 is set to begin on December 14, and Babar Azam, who arrived in Sydney earlier this week, will be part of the Sydney Sixers squad Australia 's Big Bash League (BBL) team,  Sydney  Sixers, has introduced a unique jersey number for  Pakistan 's star batter  Babar Azam , who will be representing the team in the upcoming season of the  T20  league. BBL 2025 is set to begin on  December 14, and  Babar Azam , who arrived in  Sydney  earlier this week, will be part of the  Sydney  Sixers squad. Ahead of the 15th season of the BBL,  Sydney  Sixers unveiled a special jersey number for  Babar Azam ,  breaking  with tradition. While Babar’s national jersey number is 56, the Sixers have given him the jersey number '056' for the BBL, a three-digit number that is unique to him. The franchise shared images of  Babar Azam  wearing the new jersey on  social media , where he was seen donning...

Motorway Police issues special travel advisory amid dense fog across regions

  The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has issued a detailed travel advisory for commuters due to dense fog affecting multiple areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Motorway Police has issued this advisory as visibility on major highways and motorways has dropped drastically, increasing the risk of traffic accidents. According to an NHMP spokesperson, foggy conditions significantly reduce visibility and can lead to hazardous driving situations. To ensure public safety, relevant motorway sections may be temporarily closed if the fog becomes dangerously thick. Motorists have been strongly advised to plan their journeys carefully and ensure that travel is completed between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, when visibility conditions are relatively better. The spokesperson urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel during nighttime, when fog tends to intensify. Drivers travelling through affected areas have been instructed to use fog lights, keep their vehicle wipers in prope...

P TA clears PTCL-Telenor merger with strict conditions

  ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tele­communication Authority (PTA) has approved the  merger  of Telenor Pak­i­stan with Pakistan Tele­comm­unication Company Ltd (PTCL), though it imposed strict conditions to prevent abuse of market power and to bind the new entity to invest in upcoming spectrum auctions. The PTA believes these measures are necessary to ensure fair competition in the telecom sector, particularly given PTCL’s dominant market position. In line with an earlier decision by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), the PTA has also treated PTCL and its mobile arm Ufone (Pak Telecommu­nication Mobile Ltd, PTML) as separate legal entities, barring any cross-subsidy bet­ween them and requiring the maintenance of separate accounts. PAKISTAN OPINION BUSINESS IMAGES PRISM WORLD SPORT BREATHE MAGAZINES TECH VIDEOS POPULAR ARCHIVE FLOOD DONATIONS Search Search PTA clears PTCL-Telenor merger with strict conditions Kalbe Ali    Published   December 5, 2025 ...