Author: Ali Qasim

WhatsApp ready to introduce 5 new features soon!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

WhatsApp is about to introduce a set of new features, five we could keep track of, that will be available for users around the world. Used by an estimated one billion people around the globe, it is natural that the instant messaging company has to keep itself updated with what users like or dislike.

We listed down five features, as per a few media reports, about the features WhatsApp intends on pushing out in the days, weeks and months ahead.

1. Time limit to delete messages

WhatsApp, as per reports, is working on changing the time limit for users in which they can delete their messages.

Currently, WhatsApp allows you to delete messages that are up to 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds old. Now, the company has been spotted testing a time-limit of 7 days and 8 minutes.

It was also earlier reported that WhatsApp was mulling changes in the time limit for deleting messages. However, that seems to have been changed.

2. Privacy setting for ‘Last Seen’, profile photo

Reports also indicate WhatsApp is testing a feature that allows users to hide their “Last Seen”, profile photo and status from specific contacts.

The feature is being tested on the beta versions of both Android and iOS. Currently, WhatsApp provides users three options: show their display picture, Last Seen and status to “Everyone,” “Nobody,” and “My Contacts.”

However, as per a report on WABetaInfo, WhatsApp will now add another option that will read: “My Contacts…Except,” and will allow users to select who all to hide their last seen status and profile picture from.

3. Photo editor

WhatsApp is also working on introducing an in-app photo editor that will allow users to add stickers and text, crop and rotate their photos on any WhatsApp screen.

The company had earlier announced that it is working on introducing the feature to WhatsApp Web first.

4. Sticker maker for WhatsApp

After WhatsApp launched the sticker-maker for its web version, reports are now doing the rounds on the internet that the app is focusing on introducing the same feature to its mobile app version as well.

Currently, WhatsApp only allows users to send stickers using pre-loaded or third-party sticker packs. However, a recent report in 91Mobiles hints that the company may allow iOS and Android users to create their own stickers soon.

5. Playback control for forwarded voice notes

WhatsApp is also working on speeding up forwarded voice notes. Currently, users can only speed up voice messages by increasing the speed to 2X level.

However, the same cannot be done with forwarded voice notes. You will have to hear the way it has been sent. If the latest reports are to be believed, that may change soon. 

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Pak vs Ban: Pakistan announce 12-man squad for first Test match

Posted on by Ali Qasim

(NUT-SPORTS)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday announced the 12-man squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh. The Men in Green will clash with hosts Bangladesh in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday, November 26. 

Here is the squad, led by skipper Babar Azam:

  • Babar Azam – Captain
  • Mohammad Rizwan – Vice captain (wicketkeeper)
  • Abdullah Shafique
  • Abid Ali
  • Azhar Ali
  • Faheem Ashraf
  • Fawad Alam
  • Hasan Ali
  • Imam-ul-Haq
  • Nauman Ali
  • Sajid Khan
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi
  • “Our team is impressive and this time around, will make a good impression in the Test Championship,” said skipper Babar Azam during a press conference today. 
  • Azam acknowledged that the team had had less time to adjust to Test cricket after months of playing T20 matches. 
  • The Pakistani skipper said his team was not taking Bangladesh lightly. “Conditions here are different [than Pakistan is used to] hence we cannot take Bangladesh lightly,” he said. “These conditions are a bit difficult and batters have to stick around on the crease to get settled.”
  • Babar Azam said the Men in Green will have to play with focus and patience to do well in the series. 
  • The two sides will follow up the first Test match with another on Saturday, December 4 at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka. 
  • Pakistan will be brimming with confidence when they take the field tomorrow against Bangladesh. The visitors completed a 3-0 whitewash over the hosts last week, winning the third and last T20 match of the series in thrilling fashion. 

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Junaid Safdar’s valima date confirmed, ceremony to be held in Lahore

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Junaid Safdar, the son of PML-N President Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar, will celebrate his valima (wedding reception) in Lahore and the date of the ceremony has also been confirmed. 

Speaking during the hearing of Maryam Nawaz’s case in the accountability court of Islamabad, her lawyer —  Azam Nazir Tarar — confirmed December 17 as the date of the ceremony. He, therefore, requested the judge to fix the next hearing on some other date.

It may be recalled that Junaid Safdar tied the knot with Ayesha Saif, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif’s long-term ally Saif-ur-Rehman, on August 22 in London after which photos and videos of their nikkah went viral on social media. 

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who lives in London, also attended the ceremony. 

On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz and her husband could not be present at the wedding ceremony as her name has been added to the exit control list (ECL), which bars her from leaving the country before the conclusion of the court cases against her. 

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VIRAL: Minal Khan writes heartfelt note for Ahsan Mohsin Ikram

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actor Minal Khan wrote a heartfelt note for husband Ahsan Mohsin Ikram in Instagram pictures that went viral.

The loving couple is seen posing for a picture together. It got millions of likes on the photo and video-sharing social media application.

“Look inside you’ll find a deeper love. The kind that only comes from high above ❤️” the caption read.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWp0c7jMRoR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Ahsan Mohsin Ikram replied to the Minal Khan’s post with a heart emoji.

The couple, who announced their engagement last May, got married on September 10 in a fairy-tale event that was attended by close family and friends.

The actor regularly shares pictures of the couple on Instagram to keep the fans updated about the happenings. They also share images of them together in exotic locations across the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUxwbCrhh0r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The previous pictures and videos of her with her husband went viral on social media and got thousands of likes from the users.

Moreover, Ahsan Mohsin Ikram posted an Instagram story in which the couple were seen on a flight with Hania Aamir, who he called his “new friend”.

The celebrity took to social media application Instagram to share the pictures with her fans.

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Uroosa Siddiqui leaves fans amazed with drastic weight loss

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The surprised transformation of actress Uroosa Siddiqui has taken the internet by storm. The actress’s fans are curious to know the reason behind her rapid weight loss. 

Uroosa shared new clicks on her Instagram account wearing a stunning pink eastern dress flaunting her new haircut and flawless makeup.

In a separate black and white post she told her followers that “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

Uroosa’s followers were quick to appreciate the actress for her new look and kept on asking the secret of her smartness in the comments on her Instagram posts.

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70% PSO petrol pumps open across Pakistan.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

60 to 70 per cent of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) petrol pumps are operational across Pakistan, a spokesperson for the state-owned company said.

He said that there are more than 3,500 PSO petrol pumps in the country, 60 to 70% of which are operational.

The company has received purchase orders for 6,500 metric tonnes of petrol and 6,000 metric tonnes of diesel over the last five hours, meaning citizens are being provided fuel uninterrupted.

Most of the petrol pumps across the country discontinued selling fuel today as petroleum dealers went on a nationwide strike for an indefinite period in protest against low profit margin, troubling commuters and motorists.

Almost all petrol pumps were shut in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and other cities of the country. Panic gripped major cities on Wednesday as citizens rushed to petrol pumps to top up tanks of their vehicles.

The petroleum dealers are demanding an increase of up to six per cent from the current three per cent in their profit margin.

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E-commerce vital for employment generation, economic growth: PM

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that e-commerce is vital for employment generation and economic growth.

Speaking to Bjarke Mikelsen, Group CEO of Daraz, an online e-commerce platform, who called on him at the PM House, Prime Minister Khan said Pakistan offers huge potential for e-commerce that will generate employment opportunities and help in economic growth.

He said that the government is providing full support to foreign investors under its “Ease-of-doing-Business” policy.

The CEO Daraz expressed interest in further investment and expansion of e-commerce in Pakistan.

Adviser to the PM on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) Chairman Amir Hashmi, Senator Aon Abbas Bappi, and managing director of Daraz Ehsan Saya were present during the meeting.

On Wednesday, the prime minister appointed Senator Aon Abbas Bappi as his Special Assistant on e-commerce. The Cabinet Division issued notification of the appointment of Aon Abbas Buppi as SAPM. Buppi previously served as Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal.

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Hadiqa Kiani and Fakhr-e-Alam congratulates Arooj Aftab for Grammy nomination

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Grammy nominations for the 2022 edition were unveiled on Tuesday and a lot of music fans want to know about an unfamiliar name that has taken over social media. 

Arooj Aftab has become the first Pakistani to be nominated for the Best New Artist, which is described as a “category that recognises an artist whose release achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape”.

But who is Arooj? According to Billboard magazine, she is a composer, vocalist and producer and has three solo albums to her credit. She was trained at the Berklee College of Music.

Arooj was born in Saudi Arabia and her family moved back to Lahore when she was 11 years old. In a profile published on ArtForum in April 2021, Arooj shared that she listened to Begum Akhtar, Mariah Carey and Billie Holiday while growing up and taught herself how to play guitar. It was in Pakistan that Arooj started promoting her music on the internet. Her covers of Amir Zaki’s Mera Pyar and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah helped her establish herself as one of the first “indie” artists in Pakistan.

Arooj’s latest studio album Vulture Prince was released in May through New Amsterdam Records. The album has seven tracks among which Mohabbat and Last Night received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. She has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Darian Donovan Thomas for Baghon Mein, and Brazilian singer Badi Assad for Diya Hai. 

In July, Arooj’s Mohabbat was on Barack Obama’s summer playlist as well.

Arooj Aftab has won a number of music awards. Last year, she received her first Latin Grammy in the best rap or hip-hop category. Arooj was honoured with a Student Academy Award for composing music for the short film Bittu as well.

A number of celebrities, including Hadiqa Kiani, and Fakhr-e-Alam have congratulated Arooj on her achievement and wished her luck. The 64th Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2022.

 

Malala Yousafzai spotted with husband Asser Malik at fundraiser

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Nobel laureate and women’s education rights activist Malala Yousafzai was spotted on Monday night with her husband, Asser Malik, at the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, Cinderella.

This was the couple’s second public appearance together since their marriage earlier this month. The first was when the newly-weds were seen celebrating their marriage at a London cafe.

The musical show is a collaboration between Malala and Webber for raising funds for women and girl refugees. Proceeds from the show will go to the international non-profit organisation Malala Fund — co-founded by Malala — that advocates for girls’ education.

On Tuesday, Asser shared a picture from the musical in which he and Malala can be seen standing beside the show impresario Webber. 

“It was an amazing experience watching Andrew’s spectacular take on Cinderella. The energy of the actors and the wonderful music and stage designs were just some of the elements of the outstanding performance,” Asser wrote.

Webber later replied saying: “Thank you very much @MalikAsser. It was a joy to welcome you both. An incredibly special evening.”

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‘Khaani’ pair Feroze Khan, Sana Javed return for ‘Ay Musht e Khaak’.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Fan-favourite duo Feroze Khan and Sana Javed are back to amaze audiences with their stellar performance. In their third collaboration with 7th Sky entertainment, Feroze and Sana are bringing their acting prowess with Ay Musht-e-Khaak. 

The first look of the drama serial, which is dropped by the actors on Tuesday, features a surreal Sana in an all-white ensemble.

“#AeyMushteKhaak !! A project very close to my heart coming soon#Dua,” wrote the actor, revealing her character name in the post. 

Feroze Khan on the other hand displays an intense look for the serial, donning a burgundy suit. “AY MUSHT E KHAAK,” wrote the actor as he tagged producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi.

Ay Musht-e-Khaak adds to the list of Feroze and Sana’s joint collaboration with Geo TV after Khaani and Romeo Weds Heer.

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