Microsoft’s card game Solitaire is celebrating its 30th anniversary today.
The card game, which was initially known as Windows Solitaire, is still one of the most played games in the world. According to reports, more than 35 million people around the world play it monthly.
Microsoft Solitaire was originally included as part of Windows 3.0 back in 1990, designed specifically to teach users how to use a mouse. Grabbing virtual cards and dropping them in place taught the basics of drag-and-drop in Windows, which we still use today in many parts of the operating system.
Solitaire was included in the world video game Hall of Fame in 2019 due to its huge popularity. It has also been translated into 65 languages.
The new app of Microsoft Solitaire has five new game modes in it, daily challenges, competitive events, Xbox Live integration, and also gives the option to select the difficulty level.
The game is now available for Windows, IOS, Android and web users.
One of the two people to survive a plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people has described jumping from the burning wreckage of the aircraft after it hurtled into a residential neighborhood.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane came down among houses on Friday after both engines failed as it approached Karachi airport, the airline said.
Its wings sliced through rooftops, sending flames and plumes of smoke into the air as it crashed onto a street, sparking a rescue operation that lasted into the night.
Commercial flights in the country resumed only days ago, ahead of Eidul Fitr, after planes were grounded during a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.
“After it hit and I regained consciousness, I saw fire everywhere and no one was visible,” Mohammad Zubair, 24, said from his hospital bed in a video clip circulated on social media.
WATCH VIDEO:
“The cries were everywhere and everybody was trying to survive. I undid my seat belt and I saw some light and tried to walk towards it. Then I jumped out.”
Zubair had suffered burns but was in a stable condition, a health ministry official said.
The airline named the other survivor as the president of the Bank of Punjab (BoP), Zafar Masud.
The health ministry for Sindh on Saturday confirmed that the 97 bodies recovered from the crash site had been on the plane.
At least 19 had been identified so far, while DNA testing was being carried out at the University of Karachi to help name the rest of the victims.
A local hospital earlier reported it had received the bodies of people killed on the ground.
The disaster comes as Pakistanis prepare to celebrate Eid, with many traveling to their homes in cities and villages.
“Eid has become meaningless not only for Karachi but the whole of Pakistan,” said Ziaul Huq Qamar, who lives near the crash site.
Several members of the armed forces who were flying home to their families to celebrate the holiday were among the dead, the military said.
Shahbaz Hussain said his mother, who was also among the victims, had been flying back to Karachi after becoming stranded by the lockdown in Lahore while visiting her daughters.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, wealth of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of Amazon and Facebook increased by 15 per cent.
According to reports, wealth of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg witnessed the increase within the past two months.
More than 600 billionaires in the United States (US) became even richer as tech stocks rose during virus lockdowns. Between March 18 and May 19, their total net worth went up by $434 billion while coronavirus continued to cause unemployment around the world.
Bezos’s wealth grew over 30 per cent to $174.6 billion while Zuckerberg’s fortune increased by more than 45 per cent to $80b billion.
As per a study conducted by Americans for Tax Fairness and the Institution for Policy Studies’ Programme for Inequality, Amazon and Facebook stocks have surged following new programmes that pushed their businesses ahead at a time when many consumers are stuck at home.
Reportedly, job losses in the US have surpassed 36.8 million since business shutdowns began in the middle of March to stop the spread of the deadly new disease.
Data also shows that housing sale and manufacturing businesses also collapsed during the said time period.
Coronavirus has killed at least 94,700 people in the US where more than 1.5 million infections have so far been confirmed.
Karachi-bound flight PK8303 of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore on Friday crashed in a residential area of the port city a bit over a minute away from the airport, and two days before Eid sending waves of shock across the country and the world. It was a disaster no one saw coming. Following the tragic incident, condolences for the dead and their loved ones poured in from all over the world.
Among those who offered their condolences were the stars of hit Turkish drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, who have been receiving immense love from Pakistani audiences ever since the serial aired in Pakistan on PTV Home.
Engin Altan Düzyatan, the lead star of Diriliş: Ertuğrul, said that he was “very sorry to hear about the crash in Karachi”.
Esra Bilgiç, who essays the role of Halime Sultan in the series, commented on model Zara Abid’s post and apologised for being late to follow her back.
“We knows words aren’t much comfort at a time like this,” said the actor. “But we’d like you to know we are thinking of you.”
Nurettin Sönmez, who playes Bamsi Beyrek, one of the three Alps of Ertuğrul, wrote that he is sharing the sadness.
Cavit Çetinm who plays Güner Doğan Alp, another one of the three Alps of Ertuğrul, sent his prayers for everyone in Pakistan.
The creator of the show, Mehmet Bozdağ also sent in his condolences and prayers to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
فضائی حادثے میں جان بحق افراد کے لیے اللہ سے مغفرت ، ان کے اہل خانہ اور برادر حکومت پاکستان اور عوام سے تعزیت کا اظہار کرتے ہیں ۔ @ImranKhanPTIpic.twitter.com/yxsuw5M1ln
Meanwhile, condolences also poured in from the other side of the border with Bollywood bigwigs including Anil Kapoor and Anupam Kher expressing their sadness and sending their prayers.
Deeply saddened to hear about the #planecrash in #Karachi. My heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones and sending my prayers for the speedy rescue & recovery of the ones who are injured.
Deeply saddened to know about the tragic #PIAPlaneCrash. It is so so sad. My heartfelt condolences & prayers for the families who lost their loved ones. May God give them the strength to deal with this tragic loss. Prayers for the injured.
The secret behind the sudden drop in number of new coronavirus cases being reported in Punjab has been revealed as journalist Amber Rahim Shamsi quoted Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skill Development Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal as saying that lab workers had been given Eid holidays, resulting in less testing.
Mian Aslam just said in his press conference that lab personnel had been given Eid holidays so less testing.
After easing lockdown restrictions, Punjab has generously announced six Eidul Fitr holidays from May 22 to May 27, which means the rate of increase in the number of cases in Punjab started going down Friday as lab personnel, who had been working tough shifts since the outbreak began, started getting off work and heading home to celebrate Eid with their families.
For last 3 months Punjab’s labs staff is working non-stop due to workload of #COVID19 testing. No days-off.
Punjab Health Department has decided to allow them Eid holidays, to give much needed rest to these frontline heroes.
Labs might function at lower capacity during Eid days
The number of COVID-19 infections in Punjab, which increased from 13,914 to 14,584 from May 16 to May 18 and then 16,685 on May 20, stood at 18,455 on Friday with over a thousand cases being reported every day since May 17-18.
However, the same number on Saturday stands at 18,730 with an increase of just 275 cases — unlike what trends had suggested.
“It is true that labs have started working at a lower capacity that is leading to the number of cases going unreported as of yet,” a provincial health official told The Current on the condition of anonymity. They refused to comment on the government’s decision of allowing Eid holidays to lab personnel, but said it was a much-needed relief.
“Things will get back to normal and the testing capacity will be restored after… or maybe even during Eid,” the official added.
By the time this report was filed, the total number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan stood at 52,437 with 1,101 deaths. Sindh topped the chart with 20,883 cases, followed by Punjab with 18,730 infections, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 7,391 and Balochistan with 3,198. Islamabad had reported 1,457 cases while Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Kashmir had 607 and 171 infections, respectively.
At least 97 people have been killed after an Airbus A320 passenger airliner crashed into a residential neighbourhood while on approach to the airport in Karachi.
Only two male passengers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK8303 from Lahore to Karachi survived the crash that wasn’t the first in Pakistan’s history, and, unfortunately, might not be the last.
The country has a chequered aviation safety record, and here is a timeline of the air crash tragedies that shook Pakistan.
May 20, 1965
PIA Boeing 707 crashes during inaugural flight while attempting to land at Cairo airport, killing 124 passengers.
August 6, 1970
PIA Fokker F27 aircraft crashes while attempting to take off from Islamabad in a thunderstorm, killing 30 on board.
December 8,1972
Another PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Rawalpindi, leaving all 26 passengers dead.
November 26, 1979
A PIA Boeing 707 bringing home Pakistani Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia crashes shortly after take off from Jeddah airport, killing 156 people.
October 23, 1986
PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Peshawar, leaving 13 out of 54 passengers dead.
August 25, 1989
Another PIA Fokker crashes in Gilgit with 54 people on board. The wreckage was never found.
September 28, 1992
A PIA Airbus A300 crashes while approaching Kathmandu after the plane descended too early, killing 167 people.
July 10, 2006
PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Multan shortly after take off, killing 45 people.
July 28, 2010
Airblue Airbus 321 from Karachi crashes in Margalla Hills outside Islamabad, leaving all 152 passengers dead.
April 20, 2012
A Bhoja Air Airbus 737 from Karachi crashes in Islamabad due to bad weather, killing all 127 passengers.
December 7, 2016
PIA ATR-42 aircraft flying from Chitral to Islamabad, crashes near Abbottabad. 48 people died in the incident, including singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed.
Friday’s tragic episode was the first commercial airliner crash since 2016. There have, however, been a number of chartered and military jet crashes.
In yet another tragic chapter of Pakistan’s aviation history, Karachi-bound flight PK8303 of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore on Friday crashed in a residential area of the port city a bit over a minute away from the airport, and two days before Eid.
A Google Maps screen grab of the distance from the crash site of PIA’s PK8303 to the airport
A majority among the 91 passengers of the ill-fated flight — also carrying seven crew members — was of those who were heading back home to celebrate Eid in Karachi, as the government lifted the ban imposed on domestic air travel to curb the spread of COVID-19.
While a rescue operation is underway and conflicting reports about the number of survivors and fatalities pour in, here’s everything we know so far.
THE FLIGHT AND THE CRASH:
The aircraft, which FlightRadar24.com identified as a 15-year-old Airbus A320, took off from the eastern city of Lahore for Karachi.
“The last we heard from the pilot was that he has some technical problem,” the national carrier’s spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said in a video statement. “He was told from the final approach that both the runways were ready where he can land, but the pilot decided that he wanted to do a go-round.”
Speaking to a foreign media outlet, one senior civil aviation official said it appeared the plane was unable to open its wheels due to a technical fault prior to landing, but it is too early to determine the cause.
“The plane first hit a mobile tower and then crashed over houses,” a witness Shakeel Ahmed said near the site, just a few kilometres short of the airport — in the Jinnah Garden area of Malir’s Model Colony.
A video, purportedly showing Fridays crash, is also doing rounds over mainstream and social media.
CAUSE OF THE CRASH:
While it still remains too early to determine the cause of the crash, an audio clip of the last conversation between the flight’s pilot and the control tower has been released.
The pilot sent a Mayday — emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications — and told controllers the aircraft had lost power from both its engines on its second attempt to land.
After the aircraft reportedly called off an earlier attempt to land and went around for a second attempt, a controller radioed the pilot that he appeared to be turning left, suggesting he was off-course.
The pilot replied, “We are returning back, sir, we have lost engines,” and the controller cleared the plane to land on either of Karachi airport’s two West-Southwest-facing runways.
Twelve seconds later the pilot called “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and was again cleared to use either runway. There was no further communication from the aircraft.
PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik confirmed that the pilot, in his last words, had said that there was a technical fault with the aircraft. “The pilot was told that both runways were ready for him to land. However, the pilot decided to do a go-around. Why did he do that, due to what technical reason, that we will find out,” he said, before hopping on a plane to Karachi.
While experts say that what actually caused the crash “will only be determined after the black boxes are opened”, it has been learnt that there has been no permanent director general for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the past two years.
POSSIBLE SURVIVORS AND FATALITIES?
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Bank of Punjab (BoP) President and CEO Zafar Masud as well as Urban Unit CEO Khalid Sherdil were also on the ill-fated flight that crashed in Karachi, seats 1C and 1F, respectively.
According to reports, Masud was shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Malir Cantt, where he is receiving treatment and is said to be out of danger. There was no word on Sherdil by the time this report was filed.
As per various unconfirmed reports, anywhere between 14 to 40 passengers have survived. Dozens of others, however, are feared dead, which also include locals who are said to be buried under debris of their houses, or lost their lives due to the fire that broke out following the crash.
A rescue operation is underway and the military has also rushed to the aid of civilian authorities.
Update #PIA Incident: Army Quick Reaction Force & Pakistan Rangers Sindh troops reached incident site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration. Details to follow.
Update #PIA Incident: To speed up relief & rescue efforts, Army Urban Search & Rescue Team with special equipment & rescue specialists flown from Rwp. 10 fire tenders at site have extinguished fire. Military ambulances busy in rescuing injured & providing necessary medical care.
Military’s assistance to speed up relief and rescue efforts in the densely populated area was announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
PRESIDENT, PM REACT TO CRASH:
As condolences pour in, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan have offered their condolences to the families of the victims while also praying for the safety and earliest recovery of the survivors.
The premier has ordered an investigation into the tragedy as well.
Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now. Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.
“Shocked and saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi and with the rescue and relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now [sic],” he tweeted, announcing that an immediate inquiry would follow.
The Lahore police have introduced the ‘Pehchaan App’ so that the public can access FIR and criminal records before hiring a domestic worker.
The Pehchaan App is easily available on the App Store and anyone can download it. Users have to register with CNIC number before accessing records.
An inaugural ceremony was held at the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed’s office. The smartphone application is developed with the help of Punjab Safe Cities Authorities (PSCA) by CCPO Hameed.
DIG Investigation Dr Inam Waheed and SSP Investigation Zeeshan Asghar also attended the ceremony.
In the initial phase, the App is being introduced in Lahore as a pilot project.
A Karachi-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Lahore on Friday crashed a bit over a minute away from the port city’s airport, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said.
The plane that crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony, was reportedly carrying 95 passengers.
A video available with The Current showed houses located in the locality’s Jinnah Bagh area on fire.
WATCH VIDEO:
Rescue teams are en route to the site of the crash, a cloud of thick black smoke can be seen over which.
The city at the centre of the coronavirus crisis — Wuhan — has banned the eating of wild animals and Chinese farmers are being offered cash to quit breeding exotic animals. Both moves come amid mounting pressure for China to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade blamed by many for the pandemic that has killed more than 330,000 people and left over 5 million infected.
The local administration in Wuhan, the city of about 11 million people in China’s central Hubei province where cases of the new coronavirus were first recorded late last year, announced that the eating of all wild animals was officially banned.
The city also banned virtually all hunting of wild animals within its limits, declaring Wuhan “a wildlife sanctuary,” with the exception of government-sanctioned hunting for “scientific research, population regulation, monitoring of epidemic diseases and other special circumstances”.
Wuhan also imposed strict new controls on the breeding of all wild animals, making it clear that none could be reared as food. City officials said the local administration would take part in the wider national scheme to buy wild animal breeders out.
The national plan is the first time Chinese authorities have pledged to buy out breeders in an attempt to curb exotic animal breeding, animal rights activists say.
China had already banned the sale of wild animals for food as the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — spread around the world, citing the risk of diseases spreading to humans, but the trade remains legal for other purposes, including research and traditional medicine.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is widely believed to have passed from bats to people, possibly via another species, before spreading worldwide.
