Army to be deployed for 'free and fair' general election
The caretaker federal cabinet Tuesday accorded approval to a summary seeking deployment of the Pakistan Army and troops of civil armed forces to help the civil institutions in holding free, fair and peaceful general elections — slated to be held on February 8. The development came during a meeting of the federal cabinet held with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in the chair. Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought 277,000 army personnel to be deployed to maintain security, and law and order situation across the country whose 126 million voters will choose their representatives next month. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army had also vowed to provide necessary military assistance for the upcoming general elections. It is pertinent to mention, that Pakistan Army soldiers along with Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel will perform election duties following the Interior Ministry's summary's approval by the caretaker federal cabinet.
Source:The Nation
January 23, 2024 18:30 UTC
Instagram, Facebook users to get more choices to comply with DMA
Instagram and Facebook users in Europe will be offered more choices on how they consume Meta Platforms', opens new tab services to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), the social media company said on Monday. Under the DMA, which all Big Tech firms including Meta must comply with by March 7, companies are obligated to treat their own services and products like they do rivals'. Facebook Messenger users will be able to choose if they want their Facebook account linked to their Messenger account, or have separate accounts for both services, the company said. Meta added that Instagram and Facebook users who have connected both accounts can choose to manage them separately and no longer share information across the two accounts. Users can also choose whether to share information between their Facebook accounts and the platform's Gaming and Marketplace services.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 23, 2024 16:53 UTC
Tencent's Riot Games to lay off about 11% of staff
Tencent Holdings' Riot Games plans to lay off 530 employees, or about 11% of its staff globally, the online gaming company said on Monday in a blog that included a letter to employees from CEO Dylan Jadeja. Los Angeles-based Riot, whose popular titles include "League of Legends", said teams outside of core development will see the largest impact from layoffs. Digital games publishers are struggling to grow, as audience hold off on buying expensive titles or stick to fewer games amid high inflation. Riot will stop new game development under "Riot Forge", and drop some staff and features in "Legends of Runeterra". Tencent, which acquired a majority stake in Riot Games in 2011, also holds stake in fellow US video game developer Epic Games.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 23, 2024 16:07 UTC
Why the New Hampshire primary is first in the nation
The New Hampshire presidential primary will be held on Jan. 23, 2024, just 8 days after the Iowa caucuses, marking the first primary in the nominating process. What are polls saying about the New Hampshire primary? New Hampshire has an "open" primary, meaning that voters who are not declared with either party can vote in the primary. How does the New Hampshire primary work? A 55-year-old, Michigan native who moved to New Hampshire a year ago, Paige Leary, said she appreciates how involved New Hampshire voters are in the political scene.
Source:The Nation
January 23, 2024 13:38 UTC
Introducing an interesting feature in Tik Tok
Tik Tok is introducing an exciting feature that will enable more people to create their own songs. Yes, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, users will be able to create songs for their Tik Tok posts. In this feature called AI Song, the user has to give written instructions. Celebrating Air on Tik Tok along with other Creators Awards in PakistanGoogle, Facebook or TikTok, which will be the most popular website in the world in 2023? A company spokesperson said that it is not primarily an AI song generator and the name may be changed.
Source:The Patriot
January 23, 2024 13:01 UTC
Religious Freedom
A Pakistani, Peter Jacob, has won the International Religious Freedom Award on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Religious Freedom Act. The awards given by the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, were a proud moment for Pakistan as Peter Jacob earned the reward for his 35 years of dedication to religious freedom and human rights in Pakistan. He has advocated for the rights of religious minorities and has been very significant in bringing up the misuse and weaponisation of the blasphemy laws against minorities in the country. Religious tolerance and freedom are the very essence of Pakistani society. It is, then, people like Peter Jacob who have kept this ideal alive in their vision and imagination.
Source:The Nation
January 23, 2024 11:38 UTC
PK Feels Fortunate to Witness Consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
Vijayawada: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan said he was fortunate to have an opportunity to witness the consecration event in Ayodhya. The JS leader told national media after taking part in the ceremony there that India had been waiting for this moment for centuries. He said, “When I was watching the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, tears rolled down my eyes with an eruption of joy. I became emotional and this was the same experience for all Indians.”He said that as devotees from north India visited Tirumala to take darshan of Lord Venkateswara, it would now be the turn of devotees from south India to visit Ayodhya for darshan of Lord Ram.
Source:The Nation
January 23, 2024 07:52 UTC
Govt blames ‘technical issues’ for internet outages
The caretaker government on Monday blamed “technical issues” for the recent internet outages across the country, saying that there was no guarantee that such incidents would not occur in the future. However, Solangi said one could wish that internet outages did not take place but there was no guarantee of that. Netblocks, a global internet monitor, had said on X that live metrics showed “a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across Pakistan, including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube”. Further, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had said the internet was disrupted due to a “technical fault”. Last week, the interior ministry constituted a five-member joint investigation team (JIT) to “ascertain facts behind a malicious social media campaign” against Supreme Court judges.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 23, 2024 05:09 UTC
Pakistan, China hold fourth meeting of CPEC working group
Pakistan and China held on Monday the fourth meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC). The two countries agreed to enhance focus on high-quality advancements in industry, agriculture, information technology, and science and technology, ensuring tangible socio-economic benefits for the people. 2️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣Fourth Meeting of CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination🔗⬇️ https://t.co/E2tyf6XK0J pic.twitter.com/lenmyBsQrT — Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 21, 2024The meeting, which was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China Sun Weidong, also underscored CPEC's pioneering role in strengthening international and regional connectivity while appreciating the open and inclusive nature of this flagship project. Noting that the two countries were all-weather strategic partners, the foreign secretary reaffirmed the importance of CPEC in promoting cooperation and sustainable development. Islamabad and Beijing also agreed on sharing best practices and generating an intellectual knowledge pool of CPEC and BRI development through enhanced international communication and cooperation.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 22, 2024 22:03 UTC
PK Appeals to State to Resolve Angawadi Workers’ Woes
Vijayawada: Fuming over the Andhra Pradesh government's crackdown on Anganwadi workers protesting for 42 days, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Monday demanded Chief Minister Y.S. Kalyan slammed the arrests and termination threats against the workers, terming it "undemocratic" and an attempt to silence their legitimate demands. He pointed out their peaceful intent to submit a one-crore-signature petition to Jagan, highlighting their long-standing issues. He reminded Jagan of his pre-election promise (made during his padayatra) to increase Anganwadi worker wages by Rs 1,000 above neighbouring states and implement a gratuity scheme as per the Supreme Court verdict. Urging Jagan to view their demands "positively," Kalyan appealed for a swift and amicable resolution.
Source:The Nation
January 22, 2024 18:55 UTC
Last 6 and a half months have not been good for national cricket: Inzamam-ul-Haq
Former chief selector of the national team Inzamam-ul-Haq says that the last 6 and a half months have not been good for national cricket. Speaking on Geo News program Naya Pakistan, former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said that no one should be appointed for 3 or 6 months, the last 6 and a half months have not been good for national cricket. Leave millions of leagues for Pakistan’s domestic cricket, but what have I got? Omar AkmalOn the other hand, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim management committee member Mustafa Ramde said that Zaka Ashraf sidelined the management committee during his tenure, and no decision was shared with the committee. Mustafa Ramde added that PCB has been running on an ad hoc basis for 10 months and a one-man show is also running on an ad hoc basis.
Source:The Patriot
January 22, 2024 17:20 UTC
Sania-Shoaib divorce: Old interviews add fuel to fire
After months of circulating rumours about tension in their relationship, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and former Indian tennis player Sania Mirza have formally ended their marriage. The unexpected revelation came to light when Malik announced his marriage to Pakistani actor Sana Javed on Saturday. The public has been abuzz with curiosity about the reasons behind the breakup of this high-profile cross-border celebrity couple. Fan speculationsAmidst speculation about Malik's fidelity, various clips from old interviews and guest appearances on TV of the sportsman have resurfaced, adding fuel to the fire. During one game, Javed can be seen intently focused on winning while Malik playfully urges her to give up.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 22, 2024 17:04 UTC
Solangi vows action against malicious campaign on judiciary
SCREENGRABCaretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, on Monday pledged to take action against those involved in a malicious campaign against the superior judiciary. He emphasised that the press conference aimed to caution such elements against running a malicious campaign. In response to questions about the source of the campaign against the judiciary, Solangi stated that it originated both within the country and abroad, and action would be taken against those specifically involved in maligning judges. The minister reassured the public regarding the security situation, citing past successful general elections in 2008 and 2013 amid serious security problems. Solangi called on the people to trust the capabilities of security agencies, affirming that the general elections would proceed as scheduled on February 8.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 22, 2024 16:36 UTC
Infogain appoints Dinesh Venugopal as Chief Executive Officer
North Andover, MA (01845)TodayCloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..TonightPeriods of light snow. Winds light and variable. Snowfall around one inch.
Source:The Express Tribune
January 22, 2024 16:26 UTC
1/21: Face The Nation
1/21: Face The Nation This week on "Face the Nation," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says that the "agenda" that her administration has accomplished "is the same set of values that President Biden has and will continue to fight for these things." Plus, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders talks about her endorsement of former President Donald Trump and 2024 Republican hopeful Nikki Haley joins.
Source:The Nation
January 22, 2024 15:14 UTC