Author: newsdesk

  • Samsung rolls out Android 12 based latest One UI 4.1

    Samsung rolls out Android 12 based latest One UI 4.1

    The Galaxy A32 5G received Android 12-based One UI 4.1 update in April, and now the LTE variants are getting Samsung’s latest custom Android interface.

    It also raises the Android security patch level for the smartphone to April 1, 2022, however, given that a few Samsung handsets have already received it, we expect the May patch to arrive soon.

    The smartphone gets a new update with firmware version A325FXXU2BVD6 that delivers a revamped UI and additional functionality.

    Read more: Samsung shipped 73.7 million cellphones in Q1 2022

    The One UI 4.1 update is already launched in several countries, and if you have not received it yet, you can manually check for it by going to Settings > Software update on your handset or wait for a few more days as Samsung takes a while to send updates to Pakistan.

  • Start wearing masks again: Pak detects case of Omicron sub-variant

    Start wearing masks again: Pak detects case of Omicron sub-variant

    Pakistan has detected its first case of Omicron sub-variant, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced.

    “NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries.”

    NIC also advised citizens to take preventive measures.

    “The best preventive measure (besides mask-wearing at crowded places) is Covid-19 vaccination. We strongly recommended getting vaccinated and all those due for boosters must get the shots immediately.”

    Read more- NCOC decides to lift all covid related restrictions

    The National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which was tackling Covid-19 in Pakistan, was shut down on March 31.

    On March 16, NCOC decided to lift all the Covid-19 related restrictions amid the decline in cases.

  • Bitcoin falls to lowest since January after stock market

    Bitcoin falls to lowest since January after stock market

    Bitcoin on Monday, May 9 fell to its lowest level since January 2022, as falling equity markets weighed on cryptocurrencies, which are now trading in line with riskier assets like tech stocks.

    In early trade, bitcoin fell as low as $33,266 to test the January low of $32,951. If it drops below that level, it will be at its lowest since July of 2021. The price then settled at roughly $33,500, down 1.4 per cent.

    A Singapore-based crypto platform, Stack Funds said that everything in crypto is still classified as a risk asset, and most cryptocurrencies are pummelling in the same way that the Nasdaq has been.

    The Nasdaq, which is heavily weighted in technology, plummeted 1.5 per cent last week and is down 22 per cent year to date, as persistent inflation forces the US Federal Reserve to raise rates despite slowing GDP.

    On Monday morning Nasdaq futures were down another 0.8 per cent.

    Other factors in bitcoin’s weekend slide were the crypto market’s notoriously low liquidity on weekends, as well as short-lived fears that an algorithmic stablecoin dubbed Terra (UST) could lose its stability against the US dollar.

    Read more: Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves down by $328 million

    The crypto world is keeping a close eye on UST because of its unique method of maintaining a 1:1 dollar peg, as well as its founders’ aspirations to construct a $10 billion bitcoin reserve to support the stablecoin, implying that UST volatility might potentially leak over into the bitcoin markets.

    On Monday, Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, plummeted to $2,421, its lowest level since late February.

  • Shoaib Akhtar reveals he was his mother’s driver for 11 years, pays tribute

    Shoaib Akhtar reveals he was his mother’s driver for 11 years, pays tribute

    Pakistani cricket star Shoaib Akhtar recalled his relationship with his mother on the occasion of Mother’s Day during an interview with Sportskeeda. Akhtar said that he was very close to her.

    “After my retirement, I served my mother for 11 years as a driver. I used to drive a car for my mother for almost three hours every day,” said Akhtar, adding that he used to go with his mother wherever she wanted to go, regardless of being a star.

    Shoaib said that Allah rewards those who sever their parents. “If you serve your parents as a servant, then Allah blesses you so much that you feel like the king of this world. If a person respects their parents, Allah makes sure to bestow that person with equal respect in the eyes of society and makes them successful.”

    He said that it does not matter who your parents are, you should never take them for granted.

    The fast bowler also said that many people say that he is famous in India because he says good things about them. “No, I don’t think bad or negatively about them [Indians]. This is the reason why Allah blesses me with respect.”

  • Bilawal to visit the US this month: report

    Bilawal to visit the US this month: report

     Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is expected to visit the United States (US) in the middle of this month, reports The News.

    United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited FM Bilawal to visit the US.

    Read More: US Secretary of State calls Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    Antony Blinken invited Bilawal to participate in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on May 18, 2022. Secretary Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month.

    Blinken telephoned Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on May 6 to congratulate him on becoming the country’s new foreign minister.

  • Pak Suzuki announces price hike for its overall lineup

    Pak Suzuki announces price hike for its overall lineup

    Following local vehicle manufacturers in Pakistan, Pak Suzuki Motors Company Limited (PSMCL) has announced a hefty price hike for their whole lineup. The new charges are effective immediately (May 9, 2022).

    Suzuki’s flagship hatchback, the Suzuki Swift GLX CVT, has received a price increase of Rs129,000 in its prior price of Rs3,169,000. The recently introduced vehicle now costs Rs3,298,000.

    After a price rise of Rs100,000 from its previous price of Rs2,662,000, the Suzuki Cultus AGS will now be available for Rs2,762,000.

    The price of the Suzuki Bolan AC variant has increased by Rs45,000 from its previous price of Rs1,370,000. Bolan is presently on the market for Rs1,415,000.

    Suzuki Alto VXL AGS, the automaker’s best-selling vehicle, will now be available for Rs1,951,000, up to Rs65,000 from its previous price of Rs1,886,000.

    Read more: Honda Atlas announces price hike instead of fixing delivery issues

    Suzuki’s Wagon R AGS, which was originally priced at Rs2,319,000 but is now priced at Rs2,399,000 after an increase of Rs80,000.

  • ‘No dance sequence was recorded’: Saba Qamar-Bilal Saeed discharged from Masjid Wazir Khan case

    ‘No dance sequence was recorded’: Saba Qamar-Bilal Saeed discharged from Masjid Wazir Khan case

    The acquittal pleas of singer Bilal Saeed and actor Saba Qamar in the case of alleged desecration of Wazir Khan mosque were accepted by Judge Muhammad Mushtaq in Lahore on Monday.

    No scene of dancing was recorded in the mosque paresis, the acquittal plea maintained that claimants filed the case solely to blackmail celebrities. The pleas claimed that they obtained permission from the Auqaf Department to film the ‘Qabool Hay’ song shooting and that no witnesses had objected to the song being shot in the mosque.

    It was argued that because the claimant’s lawyer, Farhat Manzoor Chandio, was not present when the filming was rerecorded and there was no evidence of a violation of the mosque’s sanctity, both parties should be acquitted.

    A judicial magistrate had previously issued bailable warrants for singer Bilal Saeed’s arrest for failing to appear in court in a case of alleged desecration of the Wazir Khan mosque with his co-accused local actress Saba Qamar.

    Both of the accused had filed for a personal appearance exemption. The Ghabrana Nahi Hai diva had gone to the UAE for professional assignments and would return by March 31, according to the accused’s lawyer, who also claimed that Saeed was unable to appear due to illness.

    The reel pair landed in hot waters in 2020 when a controversial video from the shoot of their song went viral on the internet. A year later, news of the issuance of the arrest warrants of both the celebrities started circulating on the internet.

    The celebrity duo have now clarified the news about their arrest in a statement issued by their lawyers.

    As soon as the news went viral, the Cheekh diva and Saeed’s lawyers released an official statement regarding their arrest warrants. The details stated that their arrest warrants have been canceled and the original orders of the court have been misinterpreted to malign the characters of their clients, who are law-abiding citizens of the country.

    While shooting for Bilal Saeed’s song Qubool Hai in Wazeer Khan Mosque, Lahore, the Hindi Medium diva was seen twirling for a scene of the music video.

    Shooting Case In Mosque: Saba Qamar, Bilal Saeed Got Relief IG News - IG  News

    Both the celebrities received fierce criticism from the netizens for violating the sanctity of the mosque. Later on, the Teri Khair Mangdi singer also posted an apology video and the matter was somewhat resolved.

  • Legal action to be taken against Imran’s anti-state speech, PM Shehbaz Sharif

    Legal action to be taken against Imran’s anti-state speech, PM Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has decided to take legal action against former PM Imran Khan’s speech during a rally in Abbottabad held on Sunday. PM Shehbaz termed Khan’s address a grand conspiracy against Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz said those concocting a narrative against national institutions were the real Mir Jaffars and Mir Sadiqs. He said the state of Pakistan, the Constitution of Pakistan, and the respected institutions of Pakistan were challenged by Imran Khan in Abbottabad on Sunday.

    Shehbaz said what Khan was doing could only be categorised as a conspiracy, not politics and this conspiracy was not against any political rivals but against the country.

    “Pakistan cannot be surrendered and compromised over one person’s ego, arrogance, and blatant lies. Imran first conspired to destroy the economy of the country and is now planning to trigger a civil war in Pakistan”, said the premier.

    PM Shehbaz pledged that these nefarious designs of Imran Khan would be crushed. “Imran is this era’s Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq who wants Pakistan to face the same fate as Libya and Iraq,” added Shehbaz.

    The premier went on to say that Imran Khan was digging holes in the very boat he is riding and biting the hand that feeds him.

    “The people of Pakistan, the Constitution, and the institutions of Pakistan are not slaves of Imran Niazi, nor can he hold them hostage.” He slammed Imran’s speech and said he would not be allowed to become the Hitler of Pakistan.

    ‘Extremely damaging’, army condemns practice of defamatory remarks about them

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a press release on Sunday, noted that “intensified and deliberate attempts have recently been made to drag Pakistan Armed Forces and their leadership by some political leaders, journalists and analysts into the ongoing political discourse in the country”.

    The military’s media wing termed this practice as “extremely damaging”.

    “This practice of unsubstantiated, defamatory and provocative statements/remarks is extremely damaging,” the ISPR condemned while adding that army takes “strong exception to such unlawful and unethical practices”.

    “These attempts are manifest through direct, insinuated, or nuanced references to the armed forces as well as their senior leadership, made by some political leaders, a few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication platforms, including social media”, the statement reads.

    Moreover, it said that the army “expects all to abide by the law and keep the armed forces out of political discourse in the best interest of the country”.

    Since the episode of the removal of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on several occasions, the establishment has urged the public not to drag them into political matters and clearly said that there is no involvement from their side in politics.

    The statement came hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s statement about the concept of neutrality, saying that God hadn’t permitted human beings to remain neutral when the time comes to stand up for justice and support the good.

    This is not the first time that Khan has made such comments. He once claimed that only animals can stay neutral and that humans either side with good or evil.

  • US First Lady makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

    US First Lady makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

    US First Lady Jill Biden paid a surprise visit to Ukraine on Sunday to demonstrate solidarity for the war-torn country in its struggle against Russia. Olena Zelenska, her Ukrainian counterpart, was also present.

    Before meeting in private, the two first ladies met in a tiny classroom, sitting across a table from one another and greeting each other in front of the media. Zelenska and her children have been kept safe in an undisclosed location.

    The school where they met has been turned into transitional housing for Ukrainian migrants from elsewhere in the country.

    “Because we understand what it takes for the US First Lady to come here during a war when the military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day, even today,” Olena Zelenska told Jill Biden.

    “I wanted to come on Mother’s Day. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine,” she said while talking to reporters.

    According to UN estimates, at least 1,964 people have been killed and 2,613 injured in Ukraine since the conflict began on February 24, with the true figure expected to be far higher.

  • ‘Bohat gandi lighting, sara kharab, check karni chhaiye tha’: Imran Khan grills Shaan Shahid for being unprofessional

    ‘Bohat gandi lighting, sara kharab, check karni chhaiye tha’: Imran Khan grills Shaan Shahid for being unprofessional

    Veteran film star Shaan Shahid recently interviewed former Prime Minister, Imran Khan for an Eid special show.

    Now during a press interaction, Imran has bashed Shaan for his set’s creative elements especially lighting. “Agar apki light sahi nahi to sara kharab lagta hai.”

    On his recent podcast, PTI chairman stated that the host asked very long questions, he should have made it crisp.

    The former PM opened up on his show that his mother used to always tell him that he is a very innocent and straight person and hence gets betrayed by everyone around him.

    He revealed, “My mother used to say that mera beta bohat seedha hai, subse dhoka khata hai.”

    Khan added that his wife, Bushra gets angry if he does not serve his guests well.

    Plea For Recovery Of 2 Citizens Against Bushra Bibi Son Ibrahim Maneka  Dismissed | Pakistan Point

    He also claimed that the Sharif family is preparing to launch a campaign against him after Eid.

    Last year the former PM paid his condolences when the Khuda Kay Liye star’s mother passed away.

    Soon after Shaan announced the news, messages of condolences began to pour in, Imran expressed his grief and extended his condolences to Shaan and his family.