Category: Uncategorized

  • Coronavirus: Online video game site Steam reports 20 million spike in users

    Coronavirus: Online video game site Steam reports 20 million spike in users

    As coronavirus outbreak has forced people to stay at home and self-isolate themselves, the gaming platform Steam had a record number of players online from all over the world this weekend.

    According to their data, over 20 million gamers connected at the same time. The highest single peak in terms of players was on Sunday afternoon when 20,312,000 players all connected at the same time – the most in its 16 year history. Out of the 20 million users logged on to the steam app on Sunday, nearly 6.4 million of them were actively playing a game.

    According to Mail Online, it’s a notable peak for the platform as it didn’t coincide with any major gaming release – unlike previous usage peaks. It has been put down to countries going into lockdown and people into self-isolation as a result of coronavirus. With major sporting events cancelled, gatherings of large groups banned and pubs beginning to close – people are looking for ways to pass the time indoors.

    In Italy, public life has also come to a complete halt as schools, restaurants, theatres and gyms have shut down indefinitely. As a result, Telecome Italia SpA’s national network registered a surge of more than 70 % of internet traffic over its landline network, with a major contribution from online gaming such as ‘Fortnite’ and ‘Call of Duty’.

  • Show your COVID-19 test results or go back: CAA tells travellers coming to Pakistan

    Show your COVID-19 test results or go back: CAA tells travellers coming to Pakistan

    Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a notification on Tuesday saying that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan, all international flight operations to/from all international airports were suspended except Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Airports.

    Three steps would be taken to ensure the enhancement of screening with effect from Saturday, March 21, 2020.

    All international passengers arriving in Pakistan shall be required to provide a copy of test results for COVID-19 conducted during the 24 hours prior to boarding the flight. Test results must include the name and passport number of the passenger and the original test result shall be required at the disembarkation airport in Pakistan. It shall be the responsibility of the airline operations to ensure that no passenger boards without the test result. This is in addition to the health declaration form at the point of disembarkation.

  • 254 Indian Shia pilgrims have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus

    254 Indian Shia pilgrims have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus

    Indian journalist Sidhant Sibal tweeted that a number of Indians pilgrims from Union territory of Ladakh in the central city of Qom in Iran have been confirmed with Coronavirus.

    “Indian mission in Iran & local authorities are reaching out to them,” she wrote in her tweet.

    Another Indian journalist Aditya Raj Kaul tweeted:

    In response to these reports by the Indian media, Indian External Affairs Ministry officials on Tuesday said they cannot confirm whether more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus but acknowledged that they were aware of such a list of people being circulated.

    MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi was asked several times about Indians in Iran testing positive.

    “Of course in a situation like that, you will find some positive cases among the Indian pilgrims given the extensive spread of virus in Iran,” Ravi told the media.

    “Rest assured that every care is being taken by mission in cooperating and coordinating with the government of Iran for safety of Indians there. The ambassador is giving a lot of attention to them,” he said.

    “Cannot confirm that over 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus and whether the list that is being circulated is authentic or not ,” he said in response to a question about media reports claiming that more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for the virus.

    He, however, said that it was not possible that all the tests of the Indian pilgrims would have come out negative as they were located in Qom.

    Video of MEA briefing:

    According to Bloomberg, India could become the next global hotspot for virus cases, with experts warning containment measures that proved successful elsewhere in Asia may not work in the world’s second-most populous country.

  • Did you know ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ was shot in 16 cities?

    Did you know ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ was shot in 16 cities?

    Apart from a stellar star cast, Hum TV and ISPR’s joint project Ehd e Wafa also boasted some breathtakingly beautiful shots of Pakistan. And it turns out that the drama was shot in 16 cities across the country.

    Osman Khalid Butt, who played the spoiled Malik Shahzain, revealed this little fun fact in a social media post in which he thanked director Saifee Hasan for his unrelenting effort in making the drama. Butt also shared that the drama’s shoot was spread over nine months.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zZS1ep8oX/

    The last bumper episode of the drama was released on Sunday (March 14). It was initially supposed to be screened in cinemas but the coronavirus outbreak lead to a closure of cinemas across the country.

    Earlier Zara Noor Abbas also took to social media to share some fun BTS from the sets of the drama and thank her co-stars for the experience. She also offered “special thanks to Col Asif and Major General Asif Ghafoor for all his love and hard work for this project which was his dream to fulfil.”

    Read more – Zara Noor Abbas congratulates General Asif Ghafoor for fulfilling his dream

    Directed by Saifee Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi, Ehd-e-Wafa is centred around the SSG, short for Secret ‘S’ Gang, consisting of Shehryar (Ahmed Ali Akbar), Shariq (Wahaj Ali), Saad (Ahad Raza Mir) and Shahzain (Osman Khalid Butt). The series won the hearts of the audiences because of its heartwarming storyline and great performances by the ensemble cast which also includes Alizeh Shah, Hajra Yamin, Vaneezah Ahmed, Zara Noor Abbas, Faraz Yahya, Syed Muhammad Ahmed and Adnan Samad Khan (Gulzar) among others.

    Check out The Current‘s review of the drama here:

  • Fayyaz Chohan comes under fire for his distasteful comments about differently-abled children

    Fayyaz Chohan comes under fire for his distasteful comments about differently-abled children

    Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan has once again sparked furor after he passed insensitive remarks regarding differently-abled children saying that they are born to parents as a punishment for their misdeeds.

    During a press conference that Chohan was addressing along with Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Chohan said: “Whoever adopts this ideology that apna sab kuch banta, bhaar mein jaaye janta [Let’s make a profit, and ignore what happens to the rest of the people], God will punish that person. Paralysed and differently-abled children are born as a result of this. We see this around us in our society. Relatives of such people then say that this has happened because that trader or industrialist was involved in fraudulent activities and this is an ‘azaab‘ [wrath of God].”

    He said that while the government and authorities will deal with such traders and industrialists in the world, God will punish them in the hereafter.

    Chohan’s comments sparked outrage and fury on social media and many including Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari took to social media to condemn the minister and his comments.

    Following the backlash, Chohan took to social media to apologise for his remarks.

    https://twitter.com/Fayazchohanpti/status/1239912973918969862?s=20
  • Groom arrested for arranging valima ceremony amid coronavirus outbreak

    Groom arrested for arranging valima ceremony amid coronavirus outbreak

    Despite calls for self-isolation and social distancing and the imposition of Section 144 in Punjab, a wedding in Multan went ahead as planned following which the groom was arrested for not abiding by the rules.

    According to reports, officials on Monday were informed that a wedding reception was being held at Nasir Public School. Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak ordered a team to launch a crackdown on the wedding. Upon reaching the venue, officials arrested the groom who was standing outside the hall to welcome his guests. Police began to remove all the tents at the site and called off the function. An FIR was registered against the groom as well as the principal of the school, Bilal Dogar, for organising the event.

    Meanwhile, following a sharp increase in cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, the government has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Punjab for the next three weeks. In a bid to stop the virus from spreading further, the government has also ordered citizens to voluntarily self-isolate and not congregate.

    Politicians, celebrities and health experts are also appealing to the people to practise self-isolation and social distancing.

  • ‘Ghabrana nahi hai,’ PM tells nation, again

    ‘Ghabrana nahi hai,’ PM tells nation, again

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday resorted to his popular mantra of “ghabrana nahi hai” as he urged the nation not to panic amid the global outbreak of coronavirus that has left at least 237 infected across the country and over 190,000 in the world with nearly 8,000 deaths.

    Addressing the nation as the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — spreads in Pakistan, the premier said that the virus was dangerous for the elderly since it attacked their already-weakened immune system, adding that there was no need to panic since 97% of the affectees recovered from the virus.

    “Corona[virus] is a flu that spreads very quickly. 97% cases of the virus are treated successfully, and out of this, 90% are mild. Only 4-5% have to go to hospitals,” he said as he downplayed the global pandemic that has forced countries to shut down entire cities, including the Italian capital.

    “We formed the National Security Committee last week when only 20 cases had been reported. Italy didn’t act immediately, which led to a lockdown after the virus rapidly spread. The United States (US) is now shutting down cities while the United Kingdom (UK) is dealing with it differently,” PM Imran said, adding that his government mulled shutting down cities back when there were only 20 cases of the novel virus.

    He maintained that it, however, wasn’t an option for a country like Pakistan. “Our country is not like Europe. We are a poor country. Unemployment is high, businesses are slow, the economy is going through a tough time. So we thought people would die of hunger and poverty if we locked down cities.”

    “We are dealing with this in our own way. We have asked NDMA [National Disaster Management Authority] to be ready for an outbreak. NDMA will also provide ventilators as they will be needed in case of an outbreak. We have shut down educational institutions and banned public gatherings. A core committee of doctors specialising in infectious diseases is also working with us.”

    The premier further said that the government had constituted two committees to deal with the virus. “One is the coordination committee and the other one is an economic committee to determine how this will affect the economy. Our economic committee will ensure that there is no hoarding and prices of essential items do not increase.”

    PM Imran said that his government took the difficult decision to prohibit public gatherings and ban events where public showed up in huge numbers such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Urging the people to join hands with the government in its war against the pandemic, he said that people should know that the virus will spread. “But don’t panic. It is our belief that life and death are in the hands of Allah. Every person should not get him or her self tested based on mild flu symptoms alone. Testing kits should be used only for those who actually have symptoms of the novel virus.”

    The premier also paid tribute to the government of Balochistan and Pakistan army for ensuring that pilgrims arriving from Taftan were quarantined. He said that the government was following the coronavirus situation closely, and praised the efforts of doctors and nurses, saying that the government would help them in their “jihad” against the virus.

  • Keep coronavirus off your phone with these simple steps

    Keep coronavirus off your phone with these simple steps

    While we all regularly wash our hands and use hand sanitisers to save ourselves from the coronavirus, we forget that our phones carry the most amount of germs and need to be disinfected as well so that our chances of catching the coronavirus are further reduced.

    Mashable has given a step-by-step guide on how to disinfect your phone. Here is how you can do it:

    1. Turn off your phone. Remove all cables/accessories.

    2. Mix hand soap with water. Use your best judgement to determine the soap-to-water ratio.

    3. Dip a lint-free – or soft cloth which does not give up any fluff – into the soap solution. Wring it to remove any excess water.

    4. Wipe your phone with the damp cloth. Never dunk your phone into the solution, even if your phone is water-resistant.

    5. Use a dry lint-free cloth to wipe your phone down. Avoid using paper towels if you can.

    Optional Step:

    1. Remove your SIM-card holder. Might as well get that cleaned, too.

    2. Dip a Q-tip into the soap solution. Squeeze it dry with your fingertips.

    3. Use the Q-tip to gently clean the tray.

    4. Wipe the tray down with the dry cloth. Then stick it back into your phone.

    Watch the video here:

  • Saba Qamar reveals why she hasn’t gotten married yet

    Saba Qamar is without a doubt one of Pakistan’s finest actors with a huge fan following. While Saba otherwise is very casual and easygoing, she has always kept her private life tightly under wraps.

    However, in a recent ‘Ask Saba’ session on Twitter, the actor revealed some interesting tidbits of her life.

    Like why she hasn’t tied the knot as yet.

    What her favourite thing to do is.

    How she deals with her mental health and remains positive.

    When she is starting her YouTube channel.

    Her favourite ice-cream flavour.

    Her thoughts on Pindi.

    Which drama is closer to her heart.

    When she will be doing her next drama.

    And last but not least, her future plans.

  • Coronavirus: Restaurants, shopping malls across Sindh shut down for 15 days

    Coronavirus: Restaurants, shopping malls across Sindh shut down for 15 days

    The Sindh government has decided to shut down all the restaurants and shopping malls across the province to control the spread of coronavirus.

    However, grocery stores will not be asked to close early.

    Meanwhile, IG Sindh has been directed to arrest those selling tissue papers and hand sanitizers at inflated costs.

    As per reports, coronavirus cases in the country have risen to 236 with the maximum number of cases from Sindh.