Author: newsdesk

  • WhatsApp will soon let you exit groups secretly

    WhatsApp will soon let you exit groups secretly

    WABetainfo has unveiled a beta feature that allows participants to leave a group with only the admins being notified.

    ‘Only you and group admins will be notified that you left the group,’ says a beta popup when a group member opts out.

    Currently, when someone leaves a group chat, WhatsApp broadcasts their departure to the whole group, making their departure very public. Although leaving a group silently is not yet possible, WhatsApp appears to recognise that making one’s withdrawal less noticeable may be the safest default.

    Officially, WhatsApp allows up to 256 users to join a single group, however, this can lead to a lot of coming and departing notifications in a conversation, which can be distracting to other participants.

    WhatsApp is also testing rich link previews in Status updates in another beta development. Rich link previews would provide a preview of the website being linked to, giving users an indication of the content they may expect to see if they visit the webpage, whereas sharing a link in a Status update now only displays the URL.

    The meta-owned WhatsApp hasn’t said when these new features will be available for the normal users, as it usually does while testing them with its beta users.

    Greater file transfers, emoji reactions and larger groups were among the most recent major additions to the platform in the last month.

  • Heatwave emergency declared in Rawalpindi Zoo

    Heatwave emergency declared in Rawalpindi Zoo

    Ayub National Park Zoo in Rawalpindi has declared a heatwave emergency to safeguard animals from heatstroke and dehydration amid an extraordinary surge in temperature in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It has been decided to install air-conditioners for animals if the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius.

    To prevent heatstroke in lions, bears, monkeys, zebras, deer, wolves, birds, and tigers, water ponds have been installed in their cages, as well as air-coolers and extra fans with ice blocks in their night barracks.

    Army Heritage Foundation Director-General Brig (retd) Asif Akhtar while talking to The Express Tribune said that unusually high temperatures have increased the risk of heatstroke and dehydration in animals and birds, thus the zoo administration has declared an emergency to preserve animals and birds from the heatwave’s detrimental consequences.

    Jungle World Zoo Deputy Director Major (retd) Salman explained that as the temperature rises, the animals’ feeding patterns alter, and the veterinary staff adjusts their nutrition accordingly.

    “Lions, bears, tigers, deer, zebras, monkeys, puma, and wolves are fed a variety of vitamins and minerals in water to protect them from heatstroke and dehydration,” he said.

    In the current situation, the zoo administration has urged visitors not to disturb the animals in cages, as the current heatwave is already causing them harm.

  • PUBG earns $307.1 million in Q1 2022 despite going free-to-play

    PUBG earns $307.1 million in Q1 2022 despite going free-to-play

    The South Korean company behind PUBG, Krafton revealed that the PC and console version of the battle royale shooter franchise is making a lot of money despite going free-to-play in January 2022.

    According to Krafton, the game earned $307.1 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2022, up 5 per cent year over year (YoY), after being downloaded more than one billion times as of March 2021.

    Sales on PC were boosted 61 per cent YoY to $82.3 million. The surge in console sales was even higher, up 124 per cent from the previous quarter and 274 per cent on a YoY basis, though Krafton did not disclose a cash amount for the period.

    From Q4 2021 to Q4 2022, PUBG’s average monthly active users nearly tripled.

    When PUBG: Battlegrounds first arrived in early access on Steam in 2017, it was a premium title, but free-to-play battle royale games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends established that the free model can be highly profitable.

    In fact, converting PUBG: Battlegrounds to free-to-play turned out highly beneficial for Krafton. The widely played PUBG: Mobile is already free to download on iOS and Android devices.

    Electronic Arts (EA) also announced that Apex Legends, which has been out for a little over three years, crossed $2 billion in lifetime net bookings in just two weeks, While Epic raised $144 million for Ukraine aid.

  • Economic crisis: Finance minister in Doha to hold talks with IMF

    Economic crisis: Finance minister in Doha to hold talks with IMF

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail along with his team left for Doha on Tuesday to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    The ministry said that talks with the IMF mission started today (May 18).

    The review talks are expected to continue for a week and will focus on striking a staff-level agreement for the release of a $1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

    It has been reported that Pakistan will have to convince the IMF to revive the stalled $6 billion programme at a time when the government had not started eliminating the unfunded fuel subsidy after making a commitment with the forum.

    The dollar rate is at its peak in the country. Currently, the rupee touched 200 against the US dollar in the open market. This spell of the dollar’s persistent rise against the rupee began last week.

  • Woman lost during partition in 1947, meets Sikh brothers at Kartarpur

    Woman lost during partition in 1947, meets Sikh brothers at Kartarpur

    A woman who was separated from her family during the partition of the Indian subcontinent met her Sikh brothers at Kartarpur, reports Dawn.

    In 1947, Mumtaz Bibi was an infant who was lying on the dead body of her mother who was killed by violent mobs. Muhammad Iqbal and his wife, Allah Rakhi, adopted Mumtaz Bibi during the time of partition and raised her as their own daughter.

    Iqbal and his wife did not tell Mumtaz that she was not their daughter. Two years ago, Iqbal’s health suddenly deteriorated and he told Mumtaz that she was not his real daughter and that her real family was Sikh.

    After Iqbal’s death, Mumtaz and her son Shahbaz started searching for her family through social media. They knew the name of Mumtaz’s real father and the village (Sidrana) in Patiala district of Indian Punjab where they settled after being forced to leave their native home.

    The families once lost through violence got connected through social media. Mumtaz, along with her other family members, reached Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur and met her lost brothers after 75 years. Mumtaz’s brothers Sardar Gurumeet Singh, Sardar Narendra Singh, and Sardar Amrinder Singh, accompanied by family members, also reached Kartarpur to meet their lost sister.

  • Govt to stay in power till August next year: report

    Govt to stay in power till August next year: report

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led government has decided to complete its constitutional tenure till August 2023.

    The decision was reached during a meeting of the coalition partners, where the country’s overall political situation was discussed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    As per media reports, the meeting expressed its readiness to take the unprecedented economic crisis head-on and not give up till the country saw economic stability.

    The participants of the meeting decided that the government would complete its constitutional tenure in a bid to take the country out of the current economic turmoil.

    On Tuesday, Shehbaz Sharif approved the formation of a committee headed by the Law Minister to amend the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

    During the cabinet meeting, it was pointed out that “NAB’s black law” was used only for political revenge, and harassment of government officials and the business community.

  • Bilawal reaches New York, expected to meet Secretary of State Blinken

    Bilawal reaches New York, expected to meet Secretary of State Blinken

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reached New York on Tuesday on his first official visit to the United States (US).

    The foreign minister has gone for a three-day official visit to attend a global food security meeting at the invitation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

    According to the Foreign Office (FO), Bilawal will have other important engagements today (Wednesday) including a bilateral meeting with Blinken.

    The FM will also participate in an open discussion at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting. He is likely to meet the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the UNSC.

    Bilawal was received by the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Masood Khan.

    As per FO, the meetings will bring together a regionally diverse group of countries, including those most affected by food insecurity and those in a position to take action to address it. Bilawal will highlight Pakistan’s perspective and policy priorities in the two meetings. 

    “Pakistan will continue to play a proactive role in supporting international efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable world – free of conflict, poverty and hunger,” said the foreign office.

  • ‘Shehryar Afridi, tumhara intazam kamzor hai’: Khan scolds Afridi at a jalsa

    ‘Shehryar Afridi, tumhara intazam kamzor hai’: Khan scolds Afridi at a jalsa

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan during his jalsa in Kohat scolded Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Afridi, and said that the arrangements he made for the jalsa were weak.

    “Shehryar Afridi, tumhara intazam kamzor hai. Lights hi nahin hain, loug nazar nahin aa rahay,” said Khan. [Shehryar Afridi your arrangements are so weak. There are no lights, I can’t see people properly].

    “I cannot see half the stadium, so give the arrangements to someone else from now on,” added Khan.

    The PTI chairman praised the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision on 63-A and said the apex court with the verdict has ensured Pakistan’s morality does not diminish.

    “I am thankful that the Supreme Court rejected the votes of the people who sell their vote and betray their constituents and democracy,” the ex-prime minister said.

    Khan said that “Allah has not given us the choice to remain neutral” and stressed that there was no intermediate way. 

  • PM wants collective efforts to eradicate polio, three cases in two months

    PM wants collective efforts to eradicate polio, three cases in two months

    Pakistan reported its third polio case this year, a few months after Pakistan marked one year of being polio-free.

    Addressing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication in Islamabad on Wednesday, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif urged for a concerted effort to eradicate polio in Pakistan. The meeting was informed that three polio cases were reported in North Waziristan during the months of April and May this year but no polio case was reported in the period between February 2021 and March 2022. PM Shehbaz expressed his concern about recent polio cases in the country and stated that the federal government will provide all available assistance and cooperation in the fight against the illness.

    He said that all parties, including federal departments, provincial governments, and international organisations, had contributed significantly to the country’s polio eradication campaign. PM kickstarted a polio campaign today (May 18).

    Read more- Pakistan reports two polio cases, girl and boy paralysed

    Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. To formally eradicate the disease, a nation must be polio-free for three consecutive years. Nigeria was declared free from wild polio in August 2020.

  • PHA plants hundreds of fruit trees along Canal Road Lahore

    PHA plants hundreds of fruit trees along Canal Road Lahore

    The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) on May 17 planted around 400 fruit trees alongside the canal road Lahore which were provided by the civil society.

    The Director-General (DG) PHA Zeeshan Javed applauded the efforts of PHA for the beautification of the provincial capital.

    He also praised the PHA workers for performing their responsibilities outside in such heat and insisted that PHA is dedicated to beautifying the city by implementing various beautification programmes.

    Last week, Commissioner Lahore Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman presided over a meeting at the PHA office to examine the city’s beautification efforts. The DG PHA Zeeshan Javed briefed the Commissioner on clean and green Lahore, tree planting, and ongoing and finished projects in the city during the meeting.

    Read more: Lahore ranks first in reporting most traffic accidents

    He urged the officials to take steps to beautify the city’s main highways, green belts, and provincial capital’s entrances and exits.