Daily News Pakistan

Is it possible for former president Donald Trump to run for president in 2024, especially after his conviction in the hush money case on Wednesday? Legal experts affirm that Trump can still take part in the election for the White House office. The 77-year-old former president was found guilty on 34 charges of falsifying business records in the hush money trial. Donald Trump has become the first former president of the US to run for president as a felon. According to the US Constitution, a presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, a “natural born” citizen, and have resided in the US for at least 14 years. There are no restrictions barring individuals with criminal records from running. However, voter sentiment could play a major role in this election. At least 53% of swing state voters will not vote for Trump if he were convicted, a Bloomberg poll revealed. Another poll by Quinnipiac University indicated that 6% of Trump’s supporters might reconsider their vote. This ...

China wants to work with Arab nations to resolve hot spot issues in ways conducive to upholding fairness, justice and achieving long-term peace and stability, President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Thursday that also highlighted the Gaza crisis. China is seeking to strengthen its relations with Arab states as a model for maintaining world peace and stability, Xi was quoted as saying by state media at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing. In remarks about the war in Gaza, the Chinese leader said war cannot continue indefinitely, justice cannot be permanently absent and a “two-state solution” should be firmly upheld. “In the face of a turbulent world, mutual respect is the way to live in harmony, and fairness and justice are the foundation of lasting security,” Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news. Chinese leader supports ‘two-state solution’, saying war cannot continue indefinitely and justice cannot be permanently absent He was addressing the heads of state of ...

At least 15 people have died of suspected heatstroke in India’s eastern states of Bihar and Odisha on Thursday, authorities said, with the region gripped in a debilitating heatwave expected to continue until Saturday. India has been experiencing a blisteringly hot summer and a part of capital Delhi recorded the country’s highest ever temperature at 52.9 degrees Celsius this week, though that may be revised with the weather department checking the sensors of the weather station that registered the reading. While temperatures in northwestern and central India are expected to fall in the coming days, the prevailing heatwave over east India is likely to continue for two days, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which declares a heatwave when the temperature is 4.5°C to 6.4°C higher than normal. The deaths of 10 people were reported in the government hospital in Odisha’s Rourkela region on Thursday, authorities told Reuters, while five deaths were reported in Bihar’s Aurang...

Meta app intends to improve user experience by permitting users to easily access their most important conversations and groups. The version of this update is 2.24.12.7, according to WABetaInfo. In order to experience this new feature, WhatsApp encourages all beta testers to download the new update from the Google Play Store. It is gradually being rolled out to more users in the coming days but it may not be instantly accessible to everyone. This feature was earlier available for the calls tab, but is now being extended to the chats tab. A new filter that enables users to quickly find their Favorite Chats, and can now be experimented on by beta testers who have downloaded the latest update. This includes individual contacts and groups. This is a prominent initiative towards prioritising and organising the most relatable conversations in WhatsApp. Users can add Favorites directly within the chats tab or through a dedicated “Favorites” section in the app settings in order to make th...

Albert P. Khorev, the Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan said, “It is safe to say that the initiative on the battlefield belongs to Russia, we see Russian troops systematically advancing in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. A few weeks ago, our troops launched an offensive in the Kharkov direction, taking the enemy by surprise. Once again, I would like to reiterate that all the goals of the Special Military Operation – namely the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine – will be achieved”, he was briefing the media at the… Talking about the time frame of the military operations the Ambassador added, “We often hear questions like “why is the Special Military Operation taking so long, why can’t Russia achieve its goals faster?” The answer is simple: the seemingly slow pace of the Russian troops’ advance is explained by our efforts to minimize casualties among both the civilian population and among the personnel of the Russian Armed Forces. As we say in Russia: “The slo...

Google will invest $2 billion in Malaysia to develop its first data centre and Google Cloud region in the country, the unit of Alphabet said on Thursday, the latest in a wave of expansion by global tech firms into Southeast Asia. The government said the investment would advance Malaysia's digital ambitions, and the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and other advanced technologies would help local industry move up the global value chain.With a young tech-savvy population of 670 million, Southeast Asia has been attracting plenty of interest and investment recently from technology giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia and Apple. Google said in a statement the data centre and cloud region will be located in Sime Darby Property's Elmina Business Park in central Selangor state. The data centre will power services including Search, Maps and Workspace, and will help deliver AI services, while the cloud centre will offer services to local firms and public sector organi...

Papua New Guinea has ruled out finding more survivors under the rubble of last week’s massive landslide, as a UN agency warned of a “significant risk of disease outbreak” among displaced residents, who are yet to receive sufficient supplies of food and clean water. Six days after a mountainside community in Enga province was buried in a sea of soil, boulders and debris, the United Nations’ migration agency (IOM) said on Thursday that water sources had become tainted and the risk of disease was soaring. Much of the area’s water flows through the landslide site – now a 600 metre-long (1,970 feet) graveyard of a still undetermined number of people. “The creeks now flowing from the debris are contaminated, posing a significant risk of disease outbreak”, the UN’s migration agency told partners in a rapid assessment report. “There are no methods being used to treat the water to make it safe for drinking,” it said, warning of diarrhoea and malaria. For much of the past week, residents ...

Panels a, b, and c each show stereographic image pairs of the asteroid Dinkinesh taken by the NASA Lucy Spacecraft's L'LORRI Instrument in the minutes around closest approach on Nov. 1, 2023. The yellow and rose dots indicate the trough and ridge features, respectively. These images have been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast. Panel d shows a side view of Dinkinesh and its satellite Selam taken a few minutes after closest approach.  When NASA's Lucy spacecraft flew past its first official target Dinkinesh in November 2023, researchers discovered that the asteroid—known as "Dinky"—was not alone in space. A satellite asteroid, which the team named "Selam," was orbiting Dinky. As Lucy sent more data back to Earth, the researchers discovered something surprising: Selam was not just one moon, it was a contact binary—or two moons melded together. The Lucy team, which includes University of Maryland Professor of Astronomy and Geology Jessica Suns...

Artificial intelligence is being used in the hunt to find an endangered male plant, described as the world's loneliest, a female partner. A research project, led by the University of Southampton, is scouring thousands of acres of forest in South Africa - where the only known Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii) was ever found. All existing members of the species are male clones of the only known E. woodii, and cannot naturally reproduce. The ancient species predates the dinosaurs, and is believed to be one of the most endangered organisms on the planet. Dr Laura Cinti, research fellow at the University of Southampton, is leading the first project to use drones and AI to search for a female E. woodii. She said: “I was very inspired by the story of the E. woodii, it mirrors a classic tale of unrequited love. "I’m hopeful there is a female out there somewhere, after all there must have been at one time. It would be amazing to bring this plant so close to extinction back throu...

South Africans began voting Wednesday in an election seen as their country’s most important in 30 years, and one that could put their young democracy in unknown territory. At stake is the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress party, which led South Africa out of apartheid’s brutal white minority rule in 1994. It is now the target of a new generation of discontent in a country of 62 million people — half of whom are estimated to be living in poverty. Africa’s most advanced economy has some of the world’s deepest socioeconomic problems, including one of the worst unemployment rates at 32 percent. The lingering inequality, with poverty and joblessness disproportionately affecting the Black majority, threatens to unseat the party that promised to end it by bringing down apartheid under the slogan of a better life for all. After winning six successive national elections, several polls have the ANC’s support at less than 50 percent ahead of this one, an unprecedented ...

More than a million people have fled Gaza’s southern city of Rafah since Israel launched a ground invasion on May 6 and some have been displaced several times already because of Israeli bombardments, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees has said. Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the agency known as UNRWA, told a UN press conference that the agency's teams on the ground say heavy bombardments again took place overnight including in the area north of Rafah home to the UN main offices as well as UNRWA's offices. Most of its staff didn’t make it to work and were "packing and moving," she said. "People are absolutely terrified," Touma said in the video briefing from Jordan. "A lot of people are fleeing to al-Muwasi and they are also fleeing to the middle areas including Deir al-Balah," which are crowded with other displaced Palestinians. Touma said just over 200 trucks with humanitarian supplies have been picked up for delivery to those in ne...

YouTube has just taken its gaming experience up a notch with the launch of Playables, now available for all users across various platforms. This exciting addition brings a curated collection of 75 games right to your fingertips, catering to a diverse range of preferences. You can enjoy classics like chess and crossword puzzles, as well as beloved mobile hits like Angry Birds Showdown!, Trivia Crack, and Cut the Rope. What sets Playables apart is its seamless integration into the YouTube ecosystem. You dive into these games instantly, also track your scores and performance without missing a beat. It's gaming on the go, with all the convenience and fun you'd expect from YouTube. This move marks a significant expansion of YouTube's gaming offerings, reflecting a trend among tech giants to redefine the gaming landscape. Last year saw YouTube dip its toes into gaming with a limited version of Playables exclusive to Premium subscribers. However, this iteration was short...

The establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only route to peace” in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said as his country announced formal recognition, alongside Norway and Ireland. Sanchez spoke on Tuesday before a cabinet vote that approved the previously announced plan to recognise a Palestinian state. Norway’s recognition has also taken effect, while Ireland was due to follow suit later in the day. Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegria announced that the cabinet had “adopted an important decision to recognise a Palestinian state”, which had “one objective: to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace”. The Spanish prime minister called the move “a matter of historical justice”. “The only route towards establishing peace is the establishment of a Palestinian state, living side by side with the state of Israel,” he said. “The state of Palestine must be viable with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as ...

In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reviews Apple’s AI strategy. Apple’s focus will be on providing users with practical tools. The main iOS 18 apps, Safari, Photos and Notes, will all receive AI implementation. Apple will use AI to deliver the following new features: Photo retouching. Transcription of voice messages. Suggested replies to emails and messages. Automatically generated emojis based on the content of the user’s messages, providing completely new and unique emojis. Improved search in Safari. Faster and more reliable searches in Spotlight. More natural interactions with Siri. A more advanced version of Siri designed for Apple Watch, optimized for ‘tasks on the go.’ Smart summaries of missed notifications and individual messages, web pages, news articles, documents, notes and more. Developer tools for Xcode. AI functions that require less processing power will run on the device, while more demanding functions will be run via the cloud. Apple also expe...

In a move to enhance user privacy, Instagram has introduced a feature to turn off Read Receipts, allowing users to control who can see when they've read a message. This update brings Instagram in line with other popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. Read Receipts on Instagram notify the sender when you've seen their message, and vice versa. While this feature can be useful, it can also lead to unintended pressure to respond quickly. By turning off Read Receipts, users can avoid this expectation and maintain their privacy. To toggle off Read Receipts on Instagram: - Open the app on your iPhone - Go to the chat you want to modify - Click on the conversation partner's name at the top - Select "Privacy and Safety" - Tap "Turn off Read Receipts" This update is part of Instagram's efforts to provide users with more control over their experience. Other recent features include broadcast channels, chat themes, and collaborative posts....

Strong winds and heavy rain have pounded the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall, leaving millions without electricity after power poles fell and some trees uprooted by gusty winds. The storm crossed the coastal regions of Bangladesh's Mongla port and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India's West Bengal state late on Sunday with wind speed measuring up to 135 kmph (about 84 mph), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The storm will gradually weaken into a cyclone during the morning on Monday and then move northeast and gradually weaken further, the IMD said in its latest weather update. The landfall process began around 9 pm local time in India (1530 GMT) on Sunday and continued for about five hours, the regional meteorological office in Kolkata said. One person was killed in the major metropolitan city of Kolkata when concrete chunks fell on him during the peak of the storm, police said. Roofs of thatched huts were blown...

Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 160 Palestinians over the past 24 hours, including many who were burnt alive in a bombing raid on shelters housing displaced people. The assault targeted a centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees near Rafah, in what has been described as a “horrific massacre.” The attack on the Tal as-Sultan camp followed strikes on other shelters, compounding the devastation in the southern Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian officials, the strikes on Tal as-Sultan, Jabalia, Nuseirat, and Gaza City resulted in significant civilian casualties, with many of the victims being women and children. The Israeli military confirmed the strike in Rafah, claiming it aimed at Hamas fighters using “precision weaponry.” They acknowledged civilian casualties due to a fire that broke out during the attack and indicated that the incident is under investigation. Reports from the Wafa news agency highlighted that approximately 40 Palestinians...

Israeli forces have bombed a tent camp housing displaced people in a designed safe zone in Rafah, killing at least 35 Palestinians, according to officials. Many of the victims were women and children and they burned alive. The attack on the Tal as-Sultan area came as Israeli forces also bombed shelters housing displaced Palestinians in areas including Jabalia, Nuseirat, and Gaza City in the past 24 hours, killing at least 160 others, according to the Palestinian officials. The Israeli military confirmed the attack, saying it targeted Hamas fighters using “precision weaponry”. It admitted civilians were injured when a fire broke out and said the incident is under investigation. The local media in Gaza earlier said the strike hit a centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees near Rafah, branding it a “horrific massacre”. The Palestinian officials said assaults in Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood, Jabalia, Nuseirat and Gaza City killed at least 160 citizens in the past 24 hours....

Taiwan’s new president said on Sunday he was still ready to work with China, despite this week’s military drills around the self-ruled island. The drills began around Taiwan on Thursday, just three days after Lai Ching-te was sworn in, part of an escalating campaign of intimidation by China which views the island as part of its territory. During the two-day drills, China vowed that what it described as “independence forces” would be left “with their heads broken and blood flowing”. Lai told reporters on Sunday that he wanted Taiwan and China to “jointly shoulder the important responsibility of regional stability”. “I also look forward to enhancing mutual understanding and reconciliation through exchanges and cooperation with China […] and moving towards a position of peace and common prosperity,” he said at an event in Taipei. Communications between China and Taiwan were severed in 2016 after former president Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office, pl...

The International Organization for Migration has increased its estimate of the death toll from a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to more than 670. Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the United Nations agency’s mission in the South Pacific island nation, said on Sunday the revised death toll was based on calculations by Yambali village and Enga provincial officials that more than 150 homes had been buried by Friday’s landslide. The previous estimate had been 60 homes. “They are estimating that more than 670 people [are] under the soil at the moment,” Aktoprak said. “The situation is terrible with the land still sliding. The water is running and this is creating a massive risk for eveyrone involved,” added Aktoprak, who is based in capital, Port Moresby. Local officials had initially put the death toll on Friday at 100 or more. Only five bodies and a leg of a sixth victim had been recovered by Sunday, while seven people, including a child, had received medical treatment. Me...

European lobbying groups representing airlines, hotels, and retailers are urging EU regulators to prioritise their interests alongside large tech intermediaries as Google adapts to the bloc's landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA). These groups, including Airlines for Europe (representing Air France KLM and IAG), hotel groups Hotrec and European Hotel Forum, as well as retail associations, are concerned that Google's compliance measures may inadvertently benefit large online platforms at their expense. “Our industries have serious concerns that currently considered solutions and requirements for implementing the DMA could further increase discrimination,” the groups wrote in a joint letter to EU regulators dated May 22nd. They argue that proposed changes, while aimed at increasing user choice, could hinder their direct sales by giving preferential treatment to powerful intermediaries. “Initial observations indicate that these changes risk severely depleting direct sales revenu...

A spokesman for Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday its fighters had captured Israeli soldiers during fighting in Jabalia in northern Gaza on Saturday, though the Israeli military denied the claim. The Hamas armed wing spokesman did not say how many soldiers had been captured and showed no proof of the claim. "Our fighters lured a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel ... The fighters withdrew after they left all members of the force dead, wounded, and captured," Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Al Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message. The Israeli military on Sunday denied the claim by Hamas' armed wing. "The IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) clarifies that there is no incident in which a soldier was captured," the military said in a statement. Hamas released a video that appeared to show a bloodied person being dragged along the ground in a tunnel and photos of military fatigue and rifle. The comments by Abu Ubaida came hours after prospects for a...

The Spanish government demanded on Saturday that Israel comply with an order by the top UN court to immediately stop its bombardment and ground assault on the Gazan city of Rafah. It stressed that the ruling on Friday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was legally binding. “The precautionary measures set out by the ICJ, including that Israel should cease its military offensive in Rafah, are compulsory. Israel must comply with them,” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares wrote on X. “The same goes for a ceasefire, the release of the hostages and access for humanitarian aid (to Gaza),” he said. “The suffering of the people of Gaza and the violence must end.” In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli assault on Gaza amounts to “genocide”, the ICJ ordered Israel on Friday to “immediately halt” the ground and air offensive in Rafah. The operations began on May 7 despite international fears for the safety of the 1.4 million civilians trapped in the city. The Hag...

Escalating violence in conflict-torn Myanmar’s Rakhine State has forced another 45,000 minority Rohingya to flee, the United Nations warned, amid allegations of beheadings, killings and burnings of property. Clashes have rocked Rakhine State since the Arakan Army (AA) rebels attacked forces of the ruling military government in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since a military coup in 2021. The fighting has caught in the middle the Muslim minority group, long considered outsiders by the majority Buddhist residents, either from the government or the rebel side. The AA says it is fighting for more autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population in the state, which is also home to an estimated 600,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, who have chosen to remain in the country. More than a million Rohingya have taken shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh after fleeing Rakhine, including hundreds of thousands in 2017 during an earlier crackdown by the military...

Astronomers are abuzz with the recent discovery of Gliese 12 b, an exoplanet (planet outside our solar system) that’s tantalizingly close to Earth — a mere 40 light-years away. What makes this distant world so exciting? It’s not just the Earth-to-Venus size or the potential 107°F (42°C) temperature that makes Gliese 12 b interesting. The real intrigue lies in what this planet might teach us about how planets retain or lose their atmospheres. Gliese 12 b exoplanet for atmospheric studies Why is Gliese 12 b so perfect for studying planetary atmospheres? A few reasons include: Right size of exoplanet Gliese 12 b is roughly the size of Earth or slightly smaller, making it comparable to Venus. This similarity in size makes Gliese 12 b an excellent subject for studying rocky planets. Understanding its characteristics can help scientists draw comparisons between Earth, a habitable planet, and Venus, which is inhospitable due to its extreme greenhouse conditions. These comparisons ar...

Israeli ministers dismissed on May 24's ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to cease its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, vowing to continue fighting to free its hostages and defeat Hamas. The ruling by the World Court on May 24 was the latest in a series of steps in recent weeks that have deepened Israel's international isolation over its conduct of the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office rejected the allegations in the case brought by South Africa that Israel was carrying out genocide in Gaza as "false, outrageous and morally repugnant". "Israel is acting based on its right to defend its territory and its citizens, consistent with its moral values and in compliance with international law," it said in a statement. It said operations in Rafah would not be conducted in a way that "may inflict ...

TRAVELLERS to Saudi Arabia holding visit visas will not be allowed to enter the holy city of Makkah during the Haj season, according to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior. In a statement, the ministry said the ban would remain in force from May 23 to June 21. Foreigners currently in Saudi Arabia on visit visas have been requested not to travel to Makkah during the designated period, acco­rding to the Saudi Press Agency. Any person intending to perform Haj rituals in Makkah will need a permit as visit visas do not grant permission to perform Haj, the ministry warned. The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has also stopped issuing Umrah permits through the Nusuk app — an online portal for permits to perform the rituals, reported Saudi Gazette, while quoting the ministry. Saudi officials have war­ned the violators of strict punishments and hefty fines. “Defying Haj regulations will result in severe and unwavering penalties. A fine of SR10,000 ($2,666) will be imposed on individuals caught ...

The haunting concept of a Third World War has fuelled intense speculation and debate for decades. With the devastating impacts of the first two world wars still etched in global memory, the thought of another massive conflict is both terrifying and compelling. Predictions from renowned astrologers like Nostradamus and Baba Vanga have long stoked these fears, and now, a fresh prophecy has emerged, catching fire on social media. The newest addition to this series of predictions comes from Indian astrologer Kushal Kumar. In a recent Medium post, which he also shared on LinkedIn, Kumar made the startling claim that World War 3 is just weeks away. According to his LinkedIn profile, Kumar is a Vedic astrologer who uses planetary charts to forecast future events. His prediction for 2024 is particularly ominous, highlighting May 8 as a significant date for escalating conflicts in hotspots like the Koreas, China-Taiwan, the Middle East, and Ukraine-Russia. "2024 was predicted to be m...

Elon Musk has decided to remove public likes, a move that elicited mixed reactions from its users. Haofei Wang, X's Director of Engineering, confirmed the upcoming change, stating, "Yes, we are making likes private." Once public likes are removed, users will not be able to see which posts others have liked on their profiles. This change was first brought to light by Aaron Perris, a MacRumors researcher, who discovered a new feature in the X app for iOS that disables the likes tab on users' profiles. Wang explained, "Public likes are incentivising wrong behaviour. Many people feel discouraged from liking content that might be considered 'edgy' due to fear of retaliation from trolls or to protect their public image." Wang clarified that making likes private will allow users to interact more freely and improve the For You algorithm's recommendations for a user. However, the announcement left many questions unanswered. Enrique Barragan, X'...

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed in principle to strike a deal whereby Islamabad is ready to sell its 15% shares in the Reko Diq project to Saudi investors, according to media reports. The decision was taken after Barrick Gold Corporation refused to sell out its stakes in the multibillion-dollar project. With this development, Pakistan’s overall shares in the Reko-Diq project are expected to be reduced from the existing 50% to 35%. Out of 35%, the Balochistan government’s share would remain at the existing level of 25%, while the federal government’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) stakes would be reduced from 25% to 10%. “With this development, Pakistan will become a minority shareholder in this project,” official sources told the publication. One top government official, when contacted, said that Pakistan possessed experience in running certain companies in joint ventures with international players; so keeping in view experience in the case of PTCL and the banking sect...

Israel’s Ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, was rebuffed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government on Wednesday after the envoy made a dramatic appeal on X, formerly Twitter, to the Federal government to reject the ICC’s legitimacy fully. Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, was asked on Wednesday if the German government would execute an ICC arrest order against Prime Minister Netanyahu for alleged war crimes during Swords of Iron. Hebestreit said, "Of course. Yes, we abide by the law." Three European countries to recognize a Palestinian state Norway, Ireland and Spain announced on Wednesday that they would recognise an independent Palestinian state on May 28, saying they hoped other Western countries would follow suit. It prompted Israel to recall its ambassadors. "In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live i...