Science and technology

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has asserted that Grand Theft Auto 5 will remain popular on the streaming platform despite the launch of GTA 6. Rockstar Games has confirmed that the upcoming title in the blockbuster franchise will arrive on May 26, 2026. Following the confirmation, several developers reportedly rescheduled the release of their titles in an attempt to avoid the clash with GTA 6. While industry analysts have predicted the game to be a blockbuster, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy believed that the launch of GTA 6 would not hurt the popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5 on the streaming platform. During a recent interview with a foreign media outlet, Clancy expressed his disappointment over the delay in the release date of the game. He, however, maintained that GTA 5 will remain popular on Twitch due to the RP (roleplay) mod. Read more: GTA 6 delay weighs on global videogame market growth, data shows “The interesting thing was it was going to be a little strange because whenever it does co...

Meta Platforms’ (META.O), WhatsApp messaging service has been banned from all U.S. House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to all House staff on Monday. The notice said the “Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use.” The memo, from the chief administrative officer, recommended using other messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O), Teams platform, Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O), Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s (AAPL.O), iMessage and FaceTime. Read more: WhatsApp users beware: Alert issued for hacking threats Meta disagreed with the move “in the strongest possible terms,” a company spokesperson said, noting that the platform provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps. In January, a WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its use...

As Sony gears up to release Death Stranding 2, its creator, Hideo Kojima, has reflected on the challenges he faced during the development of the game. The game is set to be released on June 26, around six years after the launch of Death Stranding. The original title became a fan-favourite as soon as it hit the shelves, and fans had been asking Hideo Kojima to develop a sequel. The notable game developer is finally set to release the sequel game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, later this week. Ahead of the game’s release, Hideo Kojima reflected on the challenges he faced when he first began working on the sequel. “I planned Death Stranding 2 before the pandemic and was already testing some things out, but after the pandemic hit, I fell quite ill. For the first time in my life, I thought I could never make another game, and I felt very isolated. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t even visit the hospital. I was in a crisis unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before in my life,...

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has hinted at releasing the game on the Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console. While the game was released on the PS5 in 2023 on the PS5, it came to PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in 2024. Earlier this year, the latest entry in the popular franchise dropped on Xbox consoles during the June 8 Xbox Games Showcase. Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has now hinted at developing a Nintendo Switch 2 version. During a recent interview with a foreign media outlet, Yoshida noted that Nintendo remains the last gaming platform that does not have the game. “All that’s left is Nintendo,” he said. The Final Fantasy 16 producer was joined by co-director Kazutoyo Maehiro, who said, “I want to do my best. I want to conquer it.” Read more: CD Projekt launches Cyberpunk 2077 game on Nintendo Switch 2 It is worth noting here that the Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console comes with backward compatibility, allowing gamers to enjoy Final Fantasy entries releas...

A fresh rumour suggests that the next PlayStation State of Play event is planned for the second half of September and it could feature the reveal of a new God of War game. According to industry leaker Detective Seeds, PlayStation is currently gathering trailers for what is expected to be a longer-than-usual State of Play . While no official confirmation has been made, the leaker hints that Santa Monica Studio, the developer behind the hugely successful God of War series, may showcase their next project during the broadcast. Santa Monica Studio has released almost nothing but God of War titles since its founding, apart from its debut game Kinetica back in 2001. Read More: 2K Games confirms Borderlands 4 pricing, content details So, speculation is high that the teased project will indeed be a new God of War game. Whether it will be a full sequel or a spin-off remains unclear, but fans are already buzzing with excitement. The rumour also mentions Saros , the upcoming game fro...

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has announced an exciting feature in the hotly anticipated Borderlands 4. The upcoming game has been the topic of discussion for months, with talks mostly focused on the pricing of the game. 2K Games, the parent company of Gearbox, confirmed the pricing of Borderlands 4 last week. According to 2K Games, the upcoming title in the looter shooter will launch in three editions—Standard, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe—on all platforms, with prices set at $69.99, $99.99, and $129.99, respectively. Now, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has revealed that the game will come with an optional combat radar when it launches in September. Pitchford made the announcement in a long thread on X, in which he revealed the feature was not in the initial plans. However, the developers began looking into the possibility after multiple fans requested the combat radar feature. Read more: 2K Games confirms Borderlands 4 pricing, content details “These guys splintered off and made some...

April 16, 2025: The Trump-endorsed World Liberty Financial Initiative (WLFI) has enhanced its advisory board with the strategic appointment of Bilal Bin Saqib, a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, announced on April 15. This move aligns with WLFI’s recent launch of its USD1 stablecoin and its plans to expand its decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol. Who Is Bilal Bin Saqib? A London School of Economics graduate and Member of the British Empire (MBE), Bilal Bin Saqib is renowned for his work in social entrepreneurship and technology. His non-profit, Tayaba, has transformed clean water access in underserved Pakistani communities through innovative solutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his One Million Meals campaign delivered over a million meals to UK NHS frontline workers. As a venture capitalist, Saqib advises Web3 projects like The Coin Masters, Busha, and Corol Reef. He also serves as Chief Advisor to Pakistan’s Finance Minister for the Pakistan Cryp...

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 163,200 illegal SIMs so far across the country, ARY News reported quoting PTA. According to documents, the PTA has permanently deactivated 6.43 million inactive SIMs in a crackdown against illegal and fake SIMs in Islamabad. Additionally, 2.989 million SIMs registered under the identity cards of deceased individuals have been blocked. The authority also blocked 171 SIMs registered under the names of unrelated women in new districts and 69,246 SIMs linked to canceled identity cards. Furthermore, 783,000 SIMs associated with over 360,000 expired identity cards have been blocked, as per PTA documents. The PTA has intensified its monitoring and actions against fake SIMs. Across the country, 62 raids were conducted, resulting in the arrest of 72 individuals involved in the illegal sale of SIMs. During these raids, 193 illegal biometric devices and 11,470 SIMs were seized. Additionally, over 296,000 digital fingerpri...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday extended to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of short-video app TikTok despite a law that mandated a sale or shutdown without significant progress. Trump signed an executive order pushing back Thursday’s deadline for 90 days, a step he had previously signaled. The Republican president had already twice granted a reprieve from federal enforcement of a law that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok that was supposed to take effect in January, absent significant progress toward a sale. Trump has said he wants to keep the app, which helped him woo young voters in the 2024 presidential election, active in the U.S. He has also expressed optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve a deal that preserves the app, though it is unclear how significantly the topic has featured in the two countries’ ongoing talks to resolve a tariff dispute. “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and sup...

SpaceX’s massive Starship spacecraft exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas late on Wednesday, the latest in a series of setbacks for billionaire Elon Musk’s Mars rocket program. The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. local time while Starship was on a test stand at its Brownsville, Texas Starbase while preparing for the tenth test flight, SpaceX said in a post on Musk’s social-media platform X. The company attributed it to a “major anomaly,” and said all personnel were safe. “Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,” Musk said in a post on X, in a reference to a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel. “If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design,” he continued. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment. The Starship rocket appeared to experience at least two explosions in quick succe...

THIMPU, Bhutan, Jun 18, 2025: “I can’t get this anywhere else,” says Tshering Lhamo, a 29-year-old shopkeeper in Thimphu, as she gestures toward the clean Himalayan air outside her thangka shop. She once studied in Kuala Lumpur but came back to Bhutan for the peace—and the purity. Her friend, Kezan Jatsho, who has never left the country, adds, “I cherish the peace here,” even as many of their peers migrate abroad. But the serenity they speak of is under threat. Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom of 745,000 people—roughly the size of Switzerland—is lauded as the world’s first and only carbon-negative country. Forests cover over 72 percent of the land, and the constitution mandates that no less than 60 percent remain forested forever. Clean air, abundant water, and natural beauty define life here. This environmental commitment is not new. Since 1972, Bhutan’s national philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) has prioritized well-being over GDP, championing sustainability, cultural ...

ISLAMABAD: Telecom subscribes in Pakistan has crossed the landmark of 200 million, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said. To celebrate the milestone, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has offered a complimentary package to the telecom users. According to the package, on June 20, users will receive 2 GB of free data and 200 on-net minutes valid for 24 hours. According to PTA, the country now has over 197 million mobile subscribers, while broadband users have exceeded 143 million. Fixed-line telephone users stand at around 3 million. The authority also reported that mobile services are available in 80.30% of the country’s geographic areas. Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) warned mobile users, advising them to make sure their SIM cards are registered under their name to avoid unauthorised usage. Read more: PTA issues SIM registration warning According to a recent announcement on the social media platform, Facebook, PTA highlighted that users mus...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed on Wednesday that Meta is aggressively trying to recruit OpenAI employees by offering staggering bonuses, in an effort to bolster its AI division amid intensifying competition. In a June 18 interview with his brother, Jack Altman, on the topic “The Future of AI,” Sam Altman revealed that Meta had offered $100 million bonuses to OpenAI staff in an unsuccessful bid to lure them. Responding to a question about Meta’s scale, he remarked that Meta views OpenAI as its biggest competitor, stating that Meta’s current AI initiatives have not progressed as well as the company had hoped. “Meta started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team — like $100 million signing bonuses. I’m really happy that, at least so far, none of our best people have decided to take them up,” Sam Altman said. He also criticized Meta’s approach, stating that the company is “not great at innovation,” while OpenAI has built a culture of repeatable innovation. His comments fol...

Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of MindsEye, has opened up after the game received mostly negative reviews on its launch. The game, considered a rival to GTA 6, failed to meet the expectations as players complained about bugs and several other technical issues. MindsEye is a GTA-styled third-person shooter developed by Build A Rocket Boy. Fans were expecting the game to rival GTA 6, given that Leslie Benzies, former Rockstar North president, serves as the director of the studio. It is worth noting here that Benzies served as the lead developer on the Grand Theft Auto series between GTA III to GTA V. Read more: MindsEye developer opens up on GTA 6 comparison However, the debut game of his new studio failed to impress gamers and critics, who dubbed it a failed attempt at cloning GTA 6. Following the negative reviews of MindsEye, Build A Rocket Boy took to X to share its dismay for failing the expectations of gamers “We are heartbroken that not every player was able to experien...

Amid the wait for Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6, a fresh rumour has emerged about a potential radio station in the game owned by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. Speculations about the details of the radio station in the upcoming Rockstar Games began making rounds on social media after rapper Jermaine Dupri suggested that Drake may have a dedicated station in GTA 6, as per US media outlets. “They asked me to do Grand Theft Auto. Drake got his own radio station in Grand Theft Auto,” he said in an interview. According to Dupri, the Canadian rapper might be able to upload brand-new, unreleased tracks straight to the sixth title in the Grand Theft Auto series. This is not the first time that such rumours have circulated on social media, as a leaker had claimed earlier this year that DJ Khaled will have his own radio station in GTA 6. Meanwhile, Rockstar Games has not confirmed or denied the reports about Drake getting his own radio station in the highly anticipated game. Read more: GTA ...

ISLAMABAD: In a major leap toward a data-driven future, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal here on Thursday inaugurated the ‘National Big Data Portal’, calling it a transformative step in Pakistan’s digital evolution. The platform, developed by LUMS and supported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), is designed to centralize and democratize access to public data, making it more usable for researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and citizens. Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Minister said the portal marks more than just the unveiling of a digital tool — it represents Pakistan’s commitment to leading in the global data revolution. “Our development story will now be written in code, computed in the cloud, and interpreted through data,” he declared, emphasizing that harnessing data is no longer a strategic choice but a national imperative. He noted that in today’s world, data has become the lifeblood of innovation and...

Hyderabad: In an awful incident of cyber fraud, a retired scientist from Hyderabad became a victim of a fake court scam, compromising 13.4 million to cyber criminals. The cyber criminals pretended as Supreme Court authorities, including a fake judge, and pressured the retired scientist into transferring the amount under pretenses of legal proceedings. The victim, a 73-year-old retired chief scientist from the Central Research Institute, got a call on May 31, introducing themselves from the Department of Telecommunications. The caller incorrectly mentioned to him that a case had been filed against him at the Ashokanagar Police Station in Bengaluru. Soon after, another cybercriminal, acting as Police Officer Sandeep Rao, gave an allegation that the victim’s Aadhar Card had been used by a criminal involved in human trafficking across Cambodia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. The victim was then contacted by a person mimicking CBI Officer Akash Kulari, who mentioned a pending arrest un...

Apple’s rivals are rapidly seeking new opportunities in the AI domain while Eddie Cue, Apple ‘s head of services has admitted that with such pace, AI could make the flagship iPhone obsolete in the upcoming decade. In 2025, Apple’s developer conference is to start at June. And yet, the company has surprisingly fallen short in making any waves in the AI revolution. No matter how elegant Apple portrays itself or how its devices cause never ending ques in stores, it has not badly but miserably failed in riding the AI tech bandwagon. What’s its plan? Last year, the company’s value soared to more than $200 billion after the announcing of Apple intelligence (its own version of AI). Tim Cook promising words created hopes for the future where there would be an iPhone that would act as an AI assistant. This will make Siri much smarter than ChatGPT. Optimism was prevalent at a time when the company was grappling with declining global iPhone sales. It’s been a year and there seems to be not a...

Activision has revealed that it is working with Nintendo to bring the Call of Duty franchise to the Switch gaming console. The two companies signed an agreement in 2023 to bring the first-person shooter franchise to Nintendo Switch gamers “the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity.” While Activision did not mention Nintendo Switch 2 as a launch platform in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 announcement, it has confirmed its collaboration with the Kyoto-based company to bring the game to the gaming console. However, there was no clarification given about whether the franchise would be released on Switch or its sequel gaming console, which recently hit the shelves. “We’re committed to getting the franchise on Switch. Both teams are working on it. Will share details when ready,” a spokesperson for Activision said in a statement issued to a foreign media outlet. Reports said that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on Nintendo Switch was unlikely, however, Activision might launch ...

Microsoft’s Activision has announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the next planned title in the hit franchise. This marks the first time in CoD history that two Black Ops games will be released consecutively, following last fall’s Black Ops 6. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Black Ops 7 is set in 2035, over 40 years after the events of its predecessor, and will feature a star-studded cast. Milo Ventimiglia takes on the role of David Mason, a fan-favourite character introduced in Black Ops 2, now redesigned to reflect the actor’s likeness. Kiernan Shipka joins as Emma Kagan, the CEO of an organisation called The Guild, while Black Ops 2 veteran Michael Rooker returns as Mike Harper. Tyler Bahl, Activision’s head of marketing, praised the casting, saying that Ventimiglia as David Mason felt right for such an iconic character. Read more: Call of Duty 2026 title, campaign setting emerge online “We brought in Kiernan Shipka, which we’re super excited about and is red hot ri...

Microsoft on Sunday confirmed its plans to launch a new handheld gaming console ROG Xbox Ally. The announcement was made during the Xbox Games Showcase in the Summer Game Fest, taking place at the Grammy Museum Rooftop in Los Angeles. While Microsoft remained tight-lipped about the pricing, it confirmed that the gaming console will have two variants: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. The company confirmed its plans to release the handheld gaming console this holiday. Per the description, “The Xbox Ally offers great value for anyone looking to take their favourite games wherever they want to play, whether it’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gears of War: Reloaded, Lies of P, South of Midnight, or many more. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor—balancing performance and power consumption to maximise battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality—16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.” According to Microsoft, the gaming console “also features impulse triggers for more ...

The reported title and a brand new campaign setting for Activision’s Call of Duty 2026 have emerged online. There have been rumours about Activision’s plans to develop 2025’s Call of Duty as another Black Ops game. Earlier this year, reports emerged that the next Call of Duty game will be a sequel to 2012’s Black Ops 2 and will be set five years later in 2030. However, it is the first time the 2026 title has been discussed. The discussions about the details of the 2026 title began when a leaker claimed that the Korean peninsula would be the setting of Call of Duty 2026, the first time this particular Asian region would be portrayed as the setting for a Call of Duty game. According to leaker TheGhostOfHope, 2026’s Call of Duty game is titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 사. “사” is the word for the number 4 in the Korean language, which would make it Modern Warfare 4. Read more: Call Of Duty 2025 details leaked before Black Ops 6 release As per the leaker, the game’s campaign wou...

A prominent Fortnite leaker disclosed that updated versions of the characters Teknique, Omega, and The Visitor will be part of the Season 4 battle pass for Fortnite OG’s classic mode. After a long hiatus, Fortnite has returned to iOS devices in the U.S., creating fresh opportunities for mobile gamers previously shut out of the popular battle royale. Season 3 of Fortnite OG will wrap up on June 7 at 2 PM ET, coinciding with the start of the Death Star Sabotage live event. This event will mark the end of the Galactic Battle mini-season, featuring Fortnite’s most ambitious Star Wars partnership yet. Post-event, servers are expected to face a lengthy downtime, though no official duration has been set. Fans are hopeful for a restart either later that day or on June 8, leading into Chapter 6 Season 3 and Season 4 of Fortnite OG. Redesigned Teknique, Omega, and The Visitor designs from Chapter 1 Season 4’s pass will be featured in Season 4’s Fortnite OG battle pass, according to reputab...

ISLAMABAD: New York City Mayor Eric Adams during a meeting with Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib on Friday, backed Pakistan’s vision for Crypto and Blockchain.  According to press release issued by finance ministry here, Mayor Adams during the meeting remarked, “We consider New York to be Lahore.” According to press release, both New York City and Pakistan have taken bold steps by establishing dedicated Crypto Councils to support the responsible growth of the digital economy. This meeting marked a key step toward building direct collaboration between the New York Crypto Council and the Pakistan Crypto Council—two government-backed bodies committed to shaping the future of Web3. Mayor Adams and Minister Saqib explored opportunities to co-develop knowledge-sharing initiatives, capacity-building programs, and strategic advisory efforts to foster innovation while ensuring regulatory compliance. The two leaders also discussed shared challenges and appro...

Amazon has cut jobs in its books division, including at its Goodreads review site and Kindle units, the company said on Thursday. The Seattle-based retailer said that fewer than 100 workers were impacted and the move was meant to improve efficiency and streamline operations. “As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our business roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. Amazon has been making piecemeal job cuts, most recently in its devices and services unit, as well as its Wondery podcast division and stores and communications staff. Read more: Amazon trims jobs in devices and services unit CEO Andy Jassy is undertaking an initiative to reduce what he has described as an excess of bureaucracy at the company, including by reducing the number of managers. Through this year’s first quarter, Amazon add...

MULTAN: In a key operation, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, in collaboration with the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCI) Multan, have knocked down a global cybercrime network that was operational in the country. In the crackdown, five members of a 21-member gang, including Muhammad Aslam, Adeel Aziz, Usama Nawaz, Abdul Moeez, and Shoaib Nazir. The network, reportedly led by Rameez Shahzad, was found guilty of multi-million dollar fraud targeting foreign nationals, mainly Americans. Earlier, in the USA, the FBI and Dutch police identified the network’s fraudulent activities and later blocked dozens of scam websites connected to the group. Officials exposed that Rameez Shahzad, originally from Fatehpur Layyah, had launched cybercrime network in Lahore and Multan. Rameez Shahzad would frequently travel to Abu Dhabi, where he reportedly collaborated in fraudulent operations. Upon the investigation, luxury vehicles and other high-value assets worth millions were apprehe...

Poland’s biggest game developer CD Projekt said on Thursday that ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition’ had been launched on the Nintendo Switch 2 console, bringing it to Nintendo players for the first time. Back catalogue sales have become more important for developers due to the increasing number of delays to new games. Last month, Tomb Raider owner Embracer said it was leaning on its back catalogue to maintain cash flow while fewer games are being released. Since the release of ‘Phantom Liberty’ expansion to ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ in September 2023, CD Projekt has been relying on sales of existing games from its back catalogue. Erste Group analyst Krzysztof Tkocz said in a note to clients that the release of ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ on Nintendo Switch 2 “will have a significant impact on the company’s results in second quarter and subsequent quarters”. Read more: Gamers line up for Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day Gaming fans queued up for the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday amid pent-u...

Gaming fans queued up for the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday amid pent-up demand for the more powerful next-generation gaming console. “The level of demand seems to be sky-high,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy. In the Ikebukuro shopping district of Tokyo, dozens of successful applicants to a sales lottery by electronics retailer Bic Camera lined up before the store opened to collect their devices. “I feel like I’m going to cry,” Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, told Reuters. Ohi had missed out in other lotteries and had come from Saitama prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, to receive her Switch 2. Nintendo has sold 152 million Switch home-portable devices since launching in 2017. It became a games juggernaut with titles including two “The Legend of Zelda” titles and COVID-19 pandemic breakout hit “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. The Nintendo Switch 2 bears many similarities with its predecessor but offers a larger screen and improved gr...