If you’re planning to upgrade your MacBook, now’s the perfect time. Amazon is offering massive discounts on the latest Apple MacBook Air M4, cutting prices by up to 20%. The base model with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD now costs $799, down from $999, the lowest price ever recorded.
You can upgrade to a 512GB SSD for $999, previously priced at $1,199. For those needing more memory, the 24GB RAM with 512GB SSD version is now $1,199, down from $1,399.
The 15-inch MacBook Air M4 is also seeing a deep discount. The entry-level version is now $999, a drop from $1,199. Meanwhile, the 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD variant is going for $1,199, down from $1,399. Lastly, the top-tier 24GB RAM model is now $1,399, previously priced at $1,599.
Apple’s 2025 MacBook Air M4 lineup impressed with its sleek design and M4 chip performance. The laptops are ultra-thin at 0.44 inches and lightweight, 2.7 lbs for the 13-inch and 3.2 lbs for the 15-inch. Battery life stands out, offering over 18 hours of HD video playback. While both sizes are similar in power, the 15-inch model provides a larger screen, better speakers, and a bigger trackpad.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of army staff, is briefed by Pakistan Army officials during the induction ceremony of Z-10ME attack helicopters on August 2, 2025. Photo: Screenshot from the official YouTube Channel of Inter Services Public Relations Directorate of Pakistan Armed Forces
The Pakistan Army has inducted China’s export-oriented Z-10ME attack helicopter, Pakistani media reported on Saturday. A Chinese expert said that this would mark the first export deal of the Z-10, and the helicopter’s strong firepower and survivability could boost Pakistan’s defense capabilities, especially in the field of anti-terrorism.
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir presided over the induction ceremony of the state-of-the-art Z-10ME attack helicopter into Pakistan Army Aviation during a visit to the Multan Garrison, Pakistani media outlet The News reported, citing a statement by the country’s Inter-Services Public Relations on Saturday.
This state-of-the-art, all-weather platform is capable of precision strike operations day and night. Equipped with advanced radar systems and cutting-edge electronic warfare suites, the Z-10ME significantly enhances the Army’s capability to engage diverse aerial and ground threats, according to the report.
During his visit, the Pakistani army chief also witnessed a firepower demonstration by the newly inducted Z-10ME helicopters at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges, The News reported.
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) had displayed its Z-10 attack helicopter for the first time outside its home country at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024. As of then, the model had Pakistan as the only known export customer, but no sales had been announced at the air show, said Dawn, another Pakistani media outlet, in its report on the induction of the Z-10ME on Saturday.
The Chinese side has not announced the deal as of press time on Saturday.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Saturday that this would mark the first export deal of the Z-10ME helicopter.
Compared with fixed-wing aircraft such as the J-10CE, the Z-10ME helicopter can take off and land vertically and hover, making deployment more flexible without requiring dedicated airfields, Fu said.
Fu highlighted the potential use of the Z-10ME in Pakistan’s anti-terrorism operations, citing the helicopter’s fast response capability, hovering capability and strong firepower. He added that the Z-10ME can be equipped with rockets, anti-tank missiles and air-to-air missiles for traditional security missions.
Zhang Xuefeng, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that compared with the baseline version of the Z-10, the Z-10ME is customized with additional armor plates, warning sensors and jamming systems, which can boost the aircraft’s survivability.
The Z-10ME has outstanding comprehensive capabilities, making it one of the best medium-sized attack helicopters in the world, Zhang said.
(Bloomberg) — Switzerland’s 11th-hour phone call with Donald Trump offered the nation a harsh reality check: A trade deal isn’t a deal unless the US president personally closes it.
At 8 p.m. Swiss time on Thursday — 2 p.m. in Washington — President Karin Keller-Sutter spoke with her American counterpart and discovered the two leaders had vastly different views on the fairness of their bilateral trade relationship.
The clock added urgency, with just 10 hours to go before Trump’s higher taxes on imports were set to take effect Friday for many economies without an agreement.
Tariff Tracker: Trump’s Trade War and the Economic Impact
Rather than considering a broader picture that included services, foreign investment, and Swiss cooperation offers — which Trump had previously been open to, according to a Swiss official on the call — he zeroed in on Switzerland’s merchandise trade surplus.
For Trump, a goods trade imbalance of nearly $40 billion is akin to stealing from the US and he wanted the Swiss to increase its offer, the person said.
When Keller-Sutter didn’t offer anything that would see the trade balance change, Trump was so angry that the 39% rate he imposed on the Swiss hours later was chosen more or less at random, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Keller-Sutter was quoted as saying the notion was “absurd” that Switzerland had in essence stolen money from the US and should therefore be hit with a tariff rate commensurate with the trade deficit.
The Swiss state secretariat for economic affairs, which negotiates on tariff and trade matters, “has already made initial contacts” with their US counterparts for further discussions, Keller-Sutter said Friday. It’s not clear what, if any, response has been from the US government.
Asked if she’d be willing to make a last-minute trip to Washington before Aug. 7 when the new tariffs are due to kick in, Keller-Sutter said, “I don’t rule out such a visit, but first, the two sides should come closer together in their positions,” according to Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende.
That rate, if it stands, would put Switzerland at a big disadvantage to European Union member states, which negotiated a preliminary deal with Trump for a tariff on EU goods of 15% while pledging investments in the US economy and purchases of the country’s exports.
Trump’s focus on the goods imbalance caught the Swiss by surprise as negotiators from both sides had more than a month before hammered out the framework of a deal, which the Swiss government then endorsed on July 4.
Both Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had agreed to the draft, according to two people familiar with the matter, so the Swiss believed a final nod from the Trump administration would be more of a formality.
The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a White House official portrayed the outcome of the call as the Swiss refusing to make meaningful concessions on trade barriers. A country that is very wealthy wasn’t going to get an agreement without major concessions, the person said.
Pharma Production
Crucially, the draft included exemptions from US tariffs for Switzerland’s important drugmakers, Bloomberg has reported.
On Friday, after Trump’s executive order laying out his global tariff rates set the effective date at Aug. 7, Greer indicated that the levies are designed to incentivize manufacturers like pharmaceutical companies to produce in the US.
“We weren’t able to reach agreement on the best way to reduce that trade deficit at all,” he told Bloomberg Television. “They ship enormous amounts of pharmaceuticals to our country. We want to be making pharmaceuticals in our country.”
Saying that Swiss-US negotiators had prepared a deal that was ready to be signed is “an overstatement,” Greer said.
“The reality is: All of the countries, you trade back and forth paperwork and then you take it back to your leaders to get guidance from them,” he said. “And so nothing is agreed until everything is agreed — that’s what every trade negotiator knows.”
The Swiss government declined to comment on the phone conversation.
Still, in his Bloomberg TV interview, Greer said that new talks before that date are “not my focus.”
If countries call for negotiations, “I am always going to talk to these folks, and if they have proposals I’ll talk to them and I will speak to the president,” he said. “We are focused on implementation and doing what’s right to change the trading system to one that benefits American workers.”
–With assistance from Annmarie Hordern, Lisa Abramowicz, Dani Burger and Hugo Miller.
(Update with Swiss president’s comments in 7th-9th paragraphs.)
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visited Multan Garrison, where he reviewed the operational preparedness of the formation and presided over the induction ceremony of the Z-10ME attack helicopters into Pakistan Army Aviation, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. The Z-10ME induction ceremony was held later in the day.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the all-weather platform, equipped with advanced radar systems and electronic warfare capabilities, is designed for precision strike missions. It is expected to significantly enhance Pakistan Army Aviation’s operational capabilities against both aerial and ground threats.
Following the ceremony, Field Marshal Asim witnessed a live firepower demonstration by the Z-10ME helicopters at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges. The display showcased the Army’s modernised response capabilities and the integration of combined arms tactics, the ISPR said.
The COAS was received by the corps commander and briefed at the Corps Headquarters on ongoing training activities and the overall operational readiness of the formation. He expressed satisfaction over the high state of preparedness and reaffirmed the Army’s unwavering commitment to defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement read.
Gen Munir also held an interactive session with members of academia and civil society, where he emphasised the importance of national unity, civil-military synergy, and a whole-of-nation approach in countering hybrid threats and fostering social cohesion, it added.
In his interaction with troops, the army chief praised their high morale, professionalism, and combat readiness. He commended the effective demonstration of battlefield tactics, reiterating the Army’s resolve to maintain an edge amid evolving threats, the statement concluded.
After 33 years in the industry, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has finally won his first-ever National Award at the 71st National Film Awards for his performance in Jawan. His seniors and industry friends flooded social media with congratulatory messages, and superstar Kamal Haasan also expressed his joy over SRK’s win.
Kamal Haasan congratulates Shah Rukh Khan on National Award win.
Kamal Haasan on Shah Rukh Khan’s National Award win
On Saturday, Kamal Haasan took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to Shah Rukh Khan winning the National Award for Best Actor for Jawan. He wrote, “Congratulations to @iamsrk on your National Award for Jawan, a recognition long overdue for your stellar impact on world cinema.”
Shah Rukh shared the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey, who won the coveted prize for his performance in 12th Fail. Rani Mukerji won the Best Actress award for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.
Kamal also extended congratulations to Vikrant Massey and Rani Mukerji for their National Award wins. “12th Fail was a masterpiece that moved me deeply. It dignified struggle and inspired millions. Congratulations, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and @VikrantMassey on this well-deserved honour. Applauding Rani Mukherjee for a portrayal that was both fierce and fragile, richly deserving of this national recognition. #NationalFilmAwards,” he wrote.
Kamal and SRK previously worked together in the 2000 film Hey Ram. The film marked SRK’s Tamil debut and was written, directed, and produced by Kamal Haasan.
On Friday, an elated Shah Rukh Khan also expressed his gratitude after receiving the National Award for his performance in Jawan. In a video shared on Instagram, he said, “Thank you for honouring me with the National Award. Thanks to the jury, the I&B Ministry. Iss samman ke liye Bharat Sarkar ka dhanyavaad. Overwhelmed with the love showered upon me. Half a hug to everyone today…”
He further thanked director Atlee and his team for allowing him to lead Jawan. He also expressed gratitude towards his team and family for standing by him, even when he wasn’t able to give them his full attention.
Jawan is an action thriller co-written and directed by Atlee. The film was praised for its storyline and SRK’s performance. Shah Rukh played a dual role in the film, which also starred Nayanthara, Deepika Padukone, and Vijay Sethupathi. The film grossed ₹1160 crore worldwide, emerging as both a critical and commercial success.
Upcoming films of Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan
Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The action film also stars Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhay Verma, and Saurabh Shukla in key roles. Reports suggest Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, and Rani Mukerji are also part of the cast, though official confirmation is awaited.
Kamal Haasan will next appear in S Shankar’s Indian 3 and in Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sequel, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Prabhas in the lead roles.
Gaz Coombes of Supergrass during the band’s performance at Belladrum late on Friday
A busy Friday at Belladrum saw stages packed out by crowds of festival-goers for performances by CMAT and Supergrass.
Excitement had been building ahead of CMAT’s night-time performance, and her thousands of fans were thrilled when she climbed over a safety barrier and into the crowd during her set.
Following performances of Take a Sexy Picture of Me and I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby, the Irish singer-songwriter ended with Stay for Something.
Supergrass – who are marking 30 years since the release of their first album I Should Coco – were next on the main stage with hits including Caught by the Fuzz.
The three-day music festival near Beauly in the Highlands is due to close later with Tide Lines, Peter Capaldi, Example, Tom Walker and Texas among the headliners.
Hot House main stage performers earlier on Friday had included blues guitarist Toby Lee, while funk band Bohemian Monk Machine and blues/rock singer Elles Bailey were among the popular acts over on the Garden Stage.
The festival site on the historic Belladrum Estate got busier during the evening as fans poured in for performances by CMAT and Supergrass, who had both appeared at the Glastonbury Festival earlier this year.
Elles Bailey was among Friday’s Garden Stage acts
Toby Lee took to the Hot House stage during the afternoon shows
Beluga Lagoon packed out the Garden Stage on Friday night
But other acts also drew big crowds.
There was barely a space to be found inside the Grassroots tent for Black Sabbath tribute act, Sabbra Cadabra, and their show in honour of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne who died just days ago at the age of 76.
And the Garden Stage – Bella’s second largest venue after the Hot House stage – was rammed for Beluga Lagoon, a musical project led by Scottish wildlife cameraman Andrew O’Donnell.
Tony Lawther said he travelled from 1980s Southampton to be at Bella
The festival’s theme this year is cinema, and few festival-goers could match Tony Lawther’s effort.
He drove almost 600 miles from Southampton in his 44-year-old DeLorean – a car that is one of the stars of the Back to the Future films.
Dressed as the movie’s character Doc, Tony joked his journey from the 1980s to the future had gone as well as hoped though added: “The flux capacitor fell out half way up the M6, but apart from that it was great.”
BBC Alba is providing live coverage of the festival and iPlayer broadcasts across the weekend.
The shows can be watched live or on demand from Thursday on Belladrum on BBC Alba.
NASA’ Hubble telescope captures stunning spiral galaxy after decade
NASA Hubble Space Telescope has clicked an attention to detail image of spiral galaxy NGC 1309. The European Space Agency (ESA) that collaborated project, achieved this milestone third time after 2006 and 2014 releases.
The space photo features dark brown gas clouds, hundreds of distant background galaxies, NGC 1309’s bluish stars and pearly-white cores.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, announced this major achievement on August 01, 2025: “Much of NGC 1309’s scientific interest derives from two supernovae, SN 2002fk in 2002 and SN 2012Z in 2012.”
“SN 2002fk was a perfect example of a Type Ia supernova, which happens when the stripped-down core of a dead star, a white dwarf, explodes,” US space agency continued.
NASA’s official statement concluded with: “SN 2012Z was a bit of a renegade, classified as a Type Iax supernova. Its spectrum resembled that of a Type Ia supernova, the explosion wasn’t as bright as expected.”
NGC 1309 is 76 million years away from the earth and is about 100 million light-years from Eridanus star pattern.
The extragalactic has a community minded star with diffraction spikes and near the top of the frame. The image shows a blob of light as each single galaxy is accompanied by a streak and smudge.
ESA/NASA Hubble has captured a lot of galaxies since it was sent into space in 1990 after traveling 320 miles above earth orbit around.
The Orbital Telescope has shifted its focus to the NGC 1309 multiple times and photographed it in its 35 years of career alongside others.
Singer-songwriter Ejae co-wrote and performed number one single Golden
One of the stars of animated sensation KPop Demon Hunters says the movie’s success “feels like a dream”.
The film, about a fictional girl band who live a double life defending humanity from a supernatural threat, has become Netflix’s most-watched animated film ever since its release in June.
Upbeat anthem Golden, one of the standout songs from its soundtrack, leapt three places to take the number one spot in the Official UK Singles Chart from Justin Bieber in this week’s top 40.
Ejae, who co-wrote and performed the track, tells BBC Newsbeat she has been “honoured” by its success.
“It’s like I’m surfing for the first time and a big wave just came through,” she says.
“And I’m trying my best to get through it.”
In the film, Golden is performed in the film by girl band HUNTR/X, consisting of Rumi, Mira and Zoey.
According to the Official Charts Company, it’s the first K-pop single to top the UK chart since PSY’s Gangnam Style in 2012.
Ejae, who provides the singing voice of Rumi, performs some of the soundtrack’s songs and also co-wrote Your Idol, How It’s Done and the Hunter’s Mantra.
She tells Newsbeat ending up on the final recordings was an “organic process”.
“I’ve been singing all the demos while writing the songs,” she says.
“I guess we got used to me singing it. And they were like: ‘Hey, do you want to sing?’
“I was just like: ‘Why not?’”
Getty Images
KPop Demon Hunters spent two weeks as the UK’s most watched movie on Netflix
Ejae says the outpouring of support has been “overwhelming”.
She gained almost 100,000 Instagram followers in a month and says she’s been getting used to the spotlight instead of “working behind the scenes”.
The KPop Demon Hunters crew knew Golden was a “banger” when they wrote it, she says, but had no idea how huge it would become.
But Ejae has an idea as to why the song has captured so many fans.
“I think we’re in a time right now where we need hope and people are wanting that,” she says.
“And this song is very hopeful, it just lifts your voice and it’s a very powerful song.
“I think maybe that’s what people need right now.”
HUNTR/X face off against demon boyband the Saja Boys in the movie – and their single Your Idol climbed to number 10 in this week’s chart.
The Official Charts Company’s editor Carl Smith tells Newsbeat it’s a “sign of how popular K-pop is right now”.
He says both songs are “amazing pop songs with great melodies” and the film allows fans to “visualise their new favourite band”.
The last time an animated film soundtrack reached number one was when single We Don’t Talk About Bruno, from Disney’s Encanto, held the top spot for seven weeks in early 2022.
Carl thinks Golden could have similar staying power.
“It could possibly be the song of the summer,” he says.
“I think its popularity transcends generations.”
Getty Images
American actress SunHee Seo, known professionally as Ji-young Yoo, voices the character Zoey in the film
Katy, who runs K-pop site Hallyu Doing, tells Newsbeat the success of KPop Demon Hunters is exciting for UK fans.
“I’m seeing people who are not K-pop fans that have seen the movie and are now looking into K-pop artists for real that they want to go and see,” she says.
Elsewhere in the charts, Drake and Central Cee scored the week’s highest new entry with their collab Which One landing at number four.
And music from Ozzy Osbourne, whose funeral was held in Birmingham this week, continued to climb the charts after his death.
Black Sabbath’s Paranoid climbed 12 places to the top 20, while Ozzy’s solo track Crazy Train hit number 25 – its highest-ever position in the UK.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.
India’s Manush Shah is enjoying a brilliant campaign at the WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaçu 2025 in Brazil, reaching the finals in both men’s and mixed doubles. He also made the pre-quarterfinals in singles.
This is the first instance of Indian table tennis players making it through to a final at any WTT Star Contender tournament to date.
In men’s doubles, Shah and Manav Thakkar, the top seeds, overcame Japanese qualifiers Satoshi Aida and Mizuki Oikawa 3-1 in the round of 16, rallied to beat France’s Florian Bourrassaud and Lilian Bardet 3-2 in the quarters and edged Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yan-Cheng and Kuo Guan-Hong 3-2 in the semis.
In mixed doubles, Shah and Diya Chitale, also the top seeds, marched into the final with a straight-games win over Chile’s Nicolas Burgos and Paulina Vega 3-0 in the semi-finals, after defeating Gustavo Gomez and Daniela Ortega 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
Just a few months ago, Manush Shah, alongside Diya Chitale, clinched the WTT Contender Tunis mixed doubles title in Tunisia.
It was only India’s second mixed doubles triumph at a WTT Contender event since the ITTF format was revamped in 2021.
The WTT Contender and Star Contender series offer valuable world ranking points, enabling table tennis players to climb the ladder and qualify for higher-tier events such as the WTT Champions and Grand Smash tournaments.
Olympics.com caught up with Manush after he secured his place in both finals on Friday to share his thoughts on this special campaign.
Q: What a great and unforgettable day for India today, isn’t it?
Manush Shah: Yes, absolutely. It’s the first time that India is reaching the finals in mixed doubles and men’s doubles both. I’m really happy that I could contribute so far. I hope to take the trophy home for my country.
Q: What are your thoughts and feelings about today?
Manush Shah: I’m still slowly and gradually processing the day. It has been a long day – I played five matches, two mixed doubles, two men’s doubles, and one singles. I am really happy to have a 5/5 win record for me but the tournament is not over. I’ll take tonight as a good rest period and then prepare better for tomorrow because I’ll be facing a stronger opponent.
Q: Do you have any idea how big this achievement is for table tennis in India?
Manush Shah: Yeah, I think it’s history because nobody has reached the men’s doubles final at a Star Contender before. I’m really happy with my performance and hoping to make more history like this in the coming times.
Q: Which factors do you think contributed to this success?
Manush Shah: It has been a long journey for me in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Me and my partners have been playing together for years and training hard for what I achieved today. But it’s still not done, as I said before. There are a lot of factors – first, the Sports Authority of India, because of whom we are here, and TTFI, without whom this trip wouldn’t have been possible.
Q: How do you think you complement your mixed doubles partner? What’s the secret behind playing so well together in mixed and men’s doubles?
Manush Shah: I don’t think there’s a big secret I can share at the moment, but something I can say is the bond we share off the table. Me and Manav, in men’s doubles, are really good friends, and we’ve known each other for a long time, so we share a strong bond. The same goes with Diya – we’ve been playing together for years. She was in juniors when I was a little senior to her, but we’ve been at tournaments together for a long time. With each passing day, the chemistry between both of us is getting better and better.
Q: To close, a message for table tennis fans in India?
Manush Shah: Sky is the limit – dare to dream, I would say. In India, there are many players, but they’re not daring enough to dream big. I’m really happy that I can at least help a few dream big. That’s my message for the young ones coming up, and I wish them all the very best for the future.
