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  • Crazy Ex: Man arrested for making 800 calls to ex-girlfriend in two days

    Crazy Ex: Man arrested for making 800 calls to ex-girlfriend in two days

    A Maryland man is facing years behind bars after he was charged with cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend. The man bombarded his former lover with over 800 calls in two days.

    He also allegedly sent her tens of thousands of texts over a period of months and used social media posts to humiliate her.

    “Cyberstalking is a pervasive problem that we treat very seriously in West Virginia,” US Attorney William Ihlenfeld said in the official statement.
    “I encourage those who are being intimidated online and who suffer substantial emotional distress as a result to file a police report so that wrongdoers may be investigated and held to account.”

    If convicted, the man could face up to five years in prison.

  • Gold price in Pakistan hits new record high of Rs214,500 per tola

    Gold price in Pakistan hits new record high of Rs214,500 per tola

    Tuesday saw a historic moment for Pakistan as the price of gold soared to an all-time high, hitting Rs214,500 per tola (11.66 grammes). The cause of this surge was multifaceted, with the global market’s uptrend playing a part, alongside the rupee’s historic low against the US dollar in the interbank trade.

    The rupee had plummeted to a never-before-seen low of Rs287.29 against the US dollar in the interbank market, and the surge in gold prices was a reflection of this movement. The ripple effect was felt across the country as traders scrambled to adjust to the new reality of the local bullion market.

    In a surge that grabbed headlines across Pakistan, the price of 24-carat gold soared to an all-time high on Tuesday, hitting Rs214,500 per tola and Rs183,900 per 10 grams, according to the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA). It was a clear reflection of the rupee’s movement, which had plummeted to a historic low of Rs287.29 against the US dollar in the interbank market, as well as an uptrend in global markets.

    As inflation rates in Pakistan reached a nearly all-time high of 35.4 per cent in March, people felt the pinch of rising consumer prices on their budgets, prompting them to turn to gold. This precious commodity has always been considered a hedge against inflation, with its value increasing as the purchasing power of the dollar declines. During the two-day period from Monday to Tuesday, gold gained Rs5,200 per tola.

    Economic tensions have been on the rise, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) scrutinizing external financing commitments from friendly countries before releasing bailout funds. The delay in the revival of the program had a negative impact on the currency market, which, in turn, fueled demand for gold. Investors’ attention turned to this precious commodity as a safe haven in these uncertain times.

  • We asked Chat GPT to write a Pakistani horror story and this was the result

    We asked Chat GPT to write a Pakistani horror story and this was the result

    Chat GPT has swept the world up in its wake, generating responses to all kinds of topics and triggering a debate on how good it is or isn’t at its job. By simply entering a few keywords and prompts, the artificial intelligence chatbot can be used to write letters, college application essays and even novels, with Amazon already enlisting books where the co-author includes the AI bot.

    We were curious about ChatGPT’s storytelling capabilities, wondering if it is good enough to write a Pakistani story? We have all grown up listening to horror stories like Karsaaz ki Dulhan, the wandering woman at Mohatta Palace, so can Chat GPT give us something equally eerie and chilling?

    The result is printed here and we leave it to our audience to decide whether this was a good spooky story or not:

    “Once upon a time in Karachi, there was a family named Ahmed. They lived in a big house, where multiple generations of the family resided. The house was luxurious with plenty of large rooms, but there were always rumors about mysterious things that happened inside the house at night.

    One day, a new family moved next door to the Ahmeds. They had a daughter named Aisha who was just six years old. Aisha was a curious little girl who could be found playing in the front yard of her house every day. One day while playing, Aisha caught sight of the house next door. She couldn’t take her eyes off the house, so she walked up to the fence separating their properties.

    Suddenly, she saw a ghostly apparition with long hair and an old-fashioned dress in the window of the house next door. Terrified, Aisha ran back to her parents and told them everything. They didn’t believe her, thinking it was just her imagination.

    That night, the Ahmeds also noticed something unusual: the sound of footsteps could be heard from within the house. It sounded like someone was walking down the hallway. They were all very scared, and some members of the family started to believe the rumors they had heard about the house.

    Finally, the elder members of the Ahmed family decided to investigate. They searched the entire house but found nothing. But the very next night, the footsteps became louder and the ghostly apparition again appeared in the window. This time, everyone saw it.

    They decided to approach the local priest to help them with this situation. The priest told them that the house was built on an ancient burial ground, and the person buried there had been murdered. The restless soul of that victim was haunting the house, and it had now become more active because of Aisha’s presence.

    The family was very scared, but the priest performed an exorcism and recited some holy verses to calm the spirit. Soon the house was free of the ghostly presence, and the family members were able to live there in peace.

    From that day on, the Ahmed family knew that they should never underestimate the power of spirits and the potential for paranormal activity. They lived on, never forgetting what had happened and always being careful to not disturb the burial grounds next door.”

  • Senators protest against same-sex family chapter in O-levels Sociology book

    Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, assured the Senate on Tuesday a letter is being written to Cambridge to remove the highly objectionable content (Same-Sex Family chapter) from the O-Level sociology book, reports The News.

    “We are immediately writing to Cambridge to either delete the related chapter or we shall not allow such books here. The government will also write to the provinces to take necessary measures in this connection,” the minister said.

    Rana Tanveer was responding to a calling attention notice moved by senators Mohsin Aziz and Faisal Saleem Rehman. The senators had raised objections terming the content being contrary to Islamic and cultural teachings and values of Pakistani society.

    Senator Mohsin Aziz said the chapter on “Same-Sex Family” could not be even discussed in the family system here in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

    “What kind of education is being imparted to a child, hardly 14, 15 and 16 years old”, he asked.

    He also read out some portions of the content. He regretted the terms lesbian and gays used in the chapter and wondered how such things were looked at by the authorities.

  • FACT CHECK: India claims they are not removing Mughal history but the rumour has sparked some legendary memes

    FACT CHECK: India claims they are not removing Mughal history but the rumour has sparked some legendary memes

    Claim: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of India has removed chapters and topics related to the Mughal empire from its 12th-grade history syllabus.

    FACT: NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani has denied the news reports calling them a lie. “There was a rationalisation process last year. Due to Covid, there was pressure on students everywhere,” the NCERT director said, adding that the expert committee recommended dropping the chapters which won’t impact the knowledge of the students.

    “The history of Mughals is being taught in Empires in section-2 of the 11th class book. And in the class 12th book there were 2 chapters on the history of the Mughals, out of which theme nine was removed last year, while theme eight is still being taught to the students. This year no chapter has been removed from any book,” Saklani said.

    However, the false claim generated a meme fest on Twitter. Have a look at some:

  • WhatsApp to introduce biometric chat locks for enhanced privacy and security

    WhatsApp to introduce biometric chat locks for enhanced privacy and security

    A number of Android OS skins from prominent brands such as Xiaomi offer app lock capabilities, whereby individual apps require authentication to gain access, sometimes by way of biometric verification.

    Stock Android can also be endowed with this feature by utilising various apps accessible on the Play Store, though their reliability can be called into question. Given the confidential nature of WhatsApp conversations, Meta’s ongoing development of a per-chat biometric lock embedded into the app is a positive move in the right direction.

    For an app that is advertised as having a strong focus on privacy and security, the absence of in-app biometric authentication options is highly noticeable. Luckily, according to WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta update available on the Play Store (v2.23.8.2) gives indications of a new feature being developed. This feature will allow users to lock individual chats using either a passcode or fingerprint, even though only the latter’s toggle is visible. It is suspected that the fingerprint unlock will require a passcode to be set up as a backup.

    Screenshots imply that it will be possible to lock sensitive group chats from the group info section. It also appears that all locked chats will be relocated to a vault-like space, separated from regular chats, hence requiring authentication only once. While it isn’t apparent from the shared screenshots, WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp will erase the chat if users wish to unlock it by force, such as in the event of forgetting the passcode.

    There is little information available about how notifications for these chats will be displayed, what will happen to the media in the conversations, and how many chats can be locked. WhatsApp is one of the most well-known encrypted messaging apps in existence, yet it is not at the forefront of this feature. For instance, Telegram has allowed passcode or fingerprint unlocking since around 2018, but it is for the app as a whole rather than individual chats. It is somewhat perplexing why WhatsApp has not followed this path.

  • A friend in need’s a friend indeed: Babar Azam saves Shadab Khan as vice-captain

    A friend in need’s a friend indeed: Babar Azam saves Shadab Khan as vice-captain

    From the last couple of weeks speculation was rife in media reports that officials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are not happy with the vice-captain of the national cricket team, Shadab Khan. Sources had told news media that PCB are looking for a new vice-captain while considering resting Shadab Khan for the New Zealand series.

    However, the management has followed the advice of captain Babar Azam and retained Shadab as vice-captain.

    Reportedly Babar Azam excluded Imad Wasim from the ODI squad but kept him in the T20 Squad with PCB backing the captain’s decisions.

    According to media reports, PCB initially planned to give rest to Shadab Khan while Usama Mir was under consideration to play in the home series against New Zealand.

    Shadab Khan’s relations with management seem to be rocky.
    Shadab was appointed as the stand-in captain for the Afghanistan series but the team suffered a historic defeat in the matches.

    Matters got worse when in the post-match press conference, Shadab said that now the management and nation will know the importance of key senior players.
    Higher authorities were purportedly displeased with the statement.

    Rumors of removing Khan from vice-captaincy faced backlash from former Test stars and social media with the hashtag #DestroyerNajamSethi trending on Twitter against the chairman of the PCB Management Committee.

    Sources reveal that the captain has reportedly urged the board to avoid further experimentation ahead of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 scheduled in India.

    Given the current schedule, players cannot be afforded rest, and therefore, the decision was made to retain Shadab Khan as vice-captain due to his performance.

    However, all is not well, as Imad Wasim has expressed disappointment over Babar Azam’s alleged condition of being made captain of the PSL franchise Karachi Kings, and the subsequent lack of trust shown towards him in that role.

    However, Imad has reclaimed the reins of Karachi Kings following Babar’s move to Peshawar Zalmi, and his impressive performance in Sharjah makes it difficult for the team management to leave him out of the playing eleven.

  • Four Paws has reached Pakistan to treat elephant Noor Jehan

    International animal welfare group Four Paws has reached Karachi on April 4 to examine and begin treatment of ailing elephant, Noor Jehan. In a press release posted on their website, Four Paws revealed that since 2021, they have been strongly recommending that both elephants Noor Jehan and Madhubala are shifted from Karachi Zoo, as the facility does not comply with international standards of providing habitable living conditions for animals.

    “However, no such measures to relocate them have been taken,” the post read.

    The team was led by the head of the organization, Dr Amir Khalil, along with  Dr Frank Göritz and Prof Dr Thomas Hildebrandt from the Leibnitz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), and Dr Marina Ivanova from FOUR PAWS. Khalil spoke to journalists about Noor Jehan’s condition yesterday, as reported by Dawn and Express Tribune.

    He said that Jehan needs a detailed medical examination which includes endoscopy, ultrasound and X-rays, in order to provide proper insight into her condition.

    “We don’t know what went wrong with her. But, her condition has deteriorated very fast within a few weeks. She has got swelling on her hind legs as well as genital parts and she could barely walk. Right now, she has a 50-50 chance for survival,” he said.

    Khalil went on to reveal that their team was setting up a crane, wench and a fire brigade to help the animal remain stable and upright during surgery:

    “Our greatest concern is not to let the animal fall down. We fear that if Noor Jehan falls down, she it will not get up again. We will find out tomorrow whether it’s a fracture, trauma or an infection.”

    Today, the Karachi Metropolitan Center (KMC) spoke to DAWN and revealed that they were ready to facilitate the team in every way to help the elephants, and were making preparations to send them to Safari Park:

    “We are with Four Paws. All departments are ready to arrange any logistics needed for medical procedures. We are also making preparations to shift both zoo elephants to Safari Park within a month as per experts’ recommendation,” said Dr. Saif-ur-Rehman, Karachi Administrator.

    Rehman went on to add that Noor Jehan had been suffering from a neurological deficiency for the past two or three months which had impacted her hind legs. The government did not have the facilities for the treatment Noor Jehan needed in Pakistan which is why the international group was approached to help diagnose her illness and provide a solution.

    “The kind of treatment Noor Jehan requires isn’t available in Pakistan. So, we approached the international group to help us diagnose her illness and suggest and offer treatment, if possible,” Dr Rehman said.

  • Man fined $11,000 for taking 4,500 smoke breaks during 14 years of employment

    A Japanese government employee has been fined approximately $11,000 for smoking more than 4,500 times during the course of his 14-year employment.

    The human resource department discovered a secret stash of tobacco owned by the man and two other employees in the organisation.

    The 61-year-old director-level employee was deemed to have violated the “duty of devotion” under the Local Public Service Act.

    Osaka has stringent smoking regulations that are mandated by law. Since 2008, smoking has been prohibited on government property, including offices and public institutions. 2019 saw the addition of smoking prohibitions at work.

  • ‘Charge sheet against three-member bench’: Nawaz asks parliament to file reference against SC judges

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, urged the parliament to file a reference of misconduct against Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar following the recent Punjab polls verdict which he claims has “virtually disabled” the legislature and made it “redundant.”

    Calling the verdict a reflection of a “one-man show” in the judiciary, Nawaz argued that one individual should not be allowed to hold multiple functions, such as the prime minister, defence minister, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and above all, parliament.

    Nawaz said the verdict aimed to benefit one pampered person [Imran Khan] while immobilising the state.

    “This is a pity,” Nawaz said, adding: “This is the result of over 70 years of mismanagement and corruption in our political system. It is time for us to re-evaluate the way we run our country.”

    “It is a symptom of the larger problem plaguing our political system,” he stated.

    “For over 70 years, we have witnessed mismanagement and corruption that has eroded the trust of the people in their government. Punjab was earlier handed over to the PTI chief by declaring the MPAs disqualified and denying them the right to vote in the chief minister election.”

    Questioning the rejection of the demand to constitute a full court, Nawaz said, “What was the hurdle behind forming a full-court bench? This decision is a charge sheet against you. Why this insistence on a three-member bench? Daal mein kuch kaala hai, this decision could only have come from this bench.”

    The former prime minister also questioned why a suo moto notice was not taken in his case, stressing that the decision against him was incorrect and should have been reviewed by a constituted bench.

    Talking about how Nawaz was labelled “godfather” and part of the “Sicilian mafia” when he was the prime minister, he recalled an incident where Justice Azmat Saeed remarked in a case about the promotion of a government official that ‘the PM should know there is plenty of room in Adiala jail’.

    He appealed that the nation should wake up as certain people “are destroying Pakistan”.