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  • Snapchat launches ‘Buddy Passes’ to boost Snapchat+ subscriptions

    Snapchat launches ‘Buddy Passes’ to boost Snapchat+ subscriptions



    Snapchat has launched ‘Buddy Passes’ for Snapchat+ subscribers

    Snapchat has launched “Buddy Passes” for members to boost the Snapchat+ subscription. This feature will allow subscribers to gift a free one-week trial of Snapchat+ to their friends.

    It’s a great strategic move by Snapchat to ramp up its membership by allowing potential members to glimpse what the subscription plan offers without any cost.

    The platform explained to the users, “If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber, you can give your friends free access to Snapchat+ using a buddy pass. On the first day of each month (on an annual plan or the first day of each billing cycle (on a monthly plan), you’ll get three Buddy Passes to give to friends that will allow them to use Snapchat+ for free for 7 days.”

    Once a Buddy is sent, it would be impossible to take it back. The Snapchat support team does not help in this regard.
    Once a Buddy is sent, it would be impossible to take it back. The Snapchat support team does not help in this regard.

    Currently, the app has over 15 million Snapchat+ members, and the new feature Buddy Passes could bring 45 million new users to try out premium features, with a possibility that they will convert to paying subscribers.

    Of course, not everyone is going to use all passes; therefore, it’s a good promotion as an option for Snapchat users.

    The social media platform is good at outperforming the competitors who are offering similar packages, such as Meta Verified and X Premium.

    The service is particularly appealing to a younger audience, offering them add-on enhancements, exclusive features, and early access to experimental tools.

    ‘Buddy Passes’ could bring 45 million new users to try out premium features, with a possibility that they will convert to paying subscribers.
    ‘Buddy Passes’ could bring 45 million new users to try out premium features, with a possibility that they will convert to paying subscribers.

    Subscribers can send Buddy passes from the Snapchat+ management pages within the app. Follow the process given by the app:

    1. “Go to your Snapchat+ management page
    2. Tap ‘Send Buddy Passes’
    3. Select three friends who aren’t already Snapchat+ subscribers
    4. Send them your Buddy Passes!”

    Remember! Once a Buddy is sent, it would be impossible to take it back. The Snapchat support team does not help in this regard.

    Is Snapchat bigger than Instagram?

    No, Instagram has a significantly bigger number of users than Snapchat.

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  • Pakistan establishes rocket force, unveils new missile

    Pakistan establishes rocket force, unveils new missile

    The new Fatah-IV missile was unveiled on 12 August. (Janes)

    Pakistan has established a new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) one day after images of a new land-attack surface-to-surface cruise missile emerged on social media.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of the new ARFC on 13 August in a speech to mark the countryʼs 78th Independence Day celebrations. ARFC is focused on enhancing Pakistanʼs conventional warfare capability.

    Sharif said ARFC will be equipped with “state-of-the-art technology” and would operate missiles equipped with conventional payloads. He did not elaborate on the capabilities of ARFC or on what missiles it would be equipped with.

    News agencies in Pakistan also reported on 12 August that a new missile – known as Fatah-IV – was unveiled at a military event commemorating independence day. Images of the missile were also widely circulated on social media.

    The Pakistan government has not officially confirmed the existence of Fatah-IV. However, images of the missile showed an information board next to the missile that stated it has a range of 750 km, a maximum altitude of 50 m, a length of 7.5 m, and a weight of 1,530 kg.

    According to the information board, the missile has a maximum speed of Mach 0.7 and is equipped with a 330 kg blast fragmentation conventional warhead. The information board also stated that the missile is “terrain-hugging”, a feature that is intended to avoid radar detection.

    The Fatah-IV images show that the subsonic missile is a two-stage, solid-fuel-propelled weapon featuring fin stabilisation.
    Janes
    assesses that the missile likely features GPS and a terrain contour matching guidance system. The missile is also possibly equipped with an altimeter to enable its claimed terrain-hugging capability.

    Looking to read the full article?

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  • ‘Benevolent leadership’ enhances organizational learning, study finds

    ‘Benevolent leadership’ enhances organizational learning, study finds

    This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter.

    “Benevolent leadership,” combined with best practices, can improve overall organizational well-being, researchers determined from a study of 350 respondents at knowledge-worker institutions. These findings were published on Aug. 13, in the journal Scientific Reports.

    For the purposes of the study, benevolent leadership was defined as a style “characterized by warmth and a paternalistic approach.” Ultimately, researchers found that this approach can create the kind of workplace environment that encourages knowledge-sharing and promotes organizational learning.

    The Scientific Reports study fills in “a significant gap” in existing organizational research, which tends to focus on “transactional” leadership styles, the report noted.

    The findings can help guide employers when it comes to creating a learning and development strategy. Business leaders have a direct impact on company culture and workplace learning, the report found. 

    “Leaders shape formal policies and informally influence the social norms that can foster an environment conducive to learning,” researchers said.

    And in general, learning is increasingly crucial in talent attraction. More than half of Generation Zers said they’re prioritizing roles with personal development opportunities in their job search, according to an August report from Flexa.

    More specifically, Gen Zers were 68% more likely than their millennial, Gen X and baby boomer counterparts to seek jobs with concrete L&D benefits, such as language lessons, mentor programs and study leave.

    From the researchers’ perspective, these findings challenge the idea that benevolent leadership “inherently promotes a learning environment.” Instead, it takes benevolent leadership, plus trust and open communication, the report finds.

    Regarding trust, benevolent leaders are the type to empower workers by “delegating meaningful tasks and providing the necessary resources and autonomy to complete them, making them feel valued and part of the organization’s goals.” 

    And regarding open communication, researchers said that benevolent leadership inspires a workplace culture where “knowledge is not hoarded but shared freely among peers.” Knowledge sharing and open communication cannot exist without each other, researchers said.

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  • Karachi hit by heavy rains, urban flooding and power outages

    Karachi hit by heavy rains, urban flooding and power outages

    Torrential monsoon rains lashed Karachi on Tuesday, triggering urban flooding in several neighbourhoods, disrupting traffic, and causing widespread power outages.

    Dark clouds covered the city by afternoon, followed by heavy showers with strong winds in areas including Surjani Town, Federal B Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Qayyumabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Nazimabad, and New Karachi.

    Rainwater accumulated on major roads and inner streets, with Gulshan-e-Hadeed experiencing severe flooding as water entered homes, forcing residents to move valuables to safer places.

    Key intersections such as Hasan Square, Nipa Chowrangi, Jail Chowrangi, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Karsaz, and the Expressway also witnessed waterlogging, bringing traffic flow to a near standstill.

    A health department employee was injured when a parking shed collapsed at the Sindh Secretariat during heavy rain in Karachi.

    Police said the shed caved in after a tree fell, trapping several people who managed to escape. The injured, Muhammad Faizan, sustained a head injury and received treatment. No major losses were reported.

    Traffic update

    Traffic flow remained slow on several major roads across Karachi on Tuesday following heavy rainfall, police said.

    Slow-moving traffic is reported at key arteries, including Shahrah-e-Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, University Road, Liaquat Road, and Capri Chowk.

    DIG Pir Muhammad Shah said roads were partially blocked due to rain, but traffic was moving slowly. He added that mobile workshops had been deployed, while SPs, DSPs, SOs, SHOs and other officers were present on the roads to assist commuters.

    According to Karachi Traffic Police, congestion was particularly heavy in South, East, Central, West, Malir and Korangi districts.

    Officials cited urban flooding, stalled vehicles and ongoing development work as primary reasons for delays. At Jam Sadiq Bridge, traffic was diverted after a trailer and oil tanker broke down, while maintenance work on Shahrah-e-Faisal near Natha Khan Bridge also slowed movement towards the airport.

    Authorities confirmed that over a dozen major roads faced severe congestion, including Korangi Industrial Area Road, Bahadurabad, Gurumandir, Teen Hatti, Lasbela Chowk, and Golimar. Rainwater accumulation inside the Nazimabad underpass and nullah overflow on Korangi roads further added to difficulties.

    Traffic Police urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel, drive slowly, and maintain distance due to slippery conditions. Rescue teams and officers remained deployed across the city to manage flow. The Traffic Police helpline 1915 was made available for route guidance.

    Power supply disrupted

    Karachi’s electricity system collapsed once again after heavy rainfall, with K-Electric’s claims of stability proving hollow as more than 609 feeders tripped.

    The power utility’s distribution system remained unstable as outages made life difficult for citizens across several areas. According to reports, feeder breakdowns were recorded in Baldia (68), Bin Qasim (52), Defence (50), Gulshan-e-Iqbal (46), Gulistan-e-Jauhar (62), Korangi (59), Orangi (82), Society (68), Surjani (57), Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, and Othal, Balochistan (17).

    Restoration work could not begin immediately as K-Electric’s technical teams were unable to secure ground clearance. In many areas, underground cable faults and waterlogged substations also disrupted supply.

    Power outages were reported in FB Area, Liaquatabad, Shah Faisal, Gulbahar, Golimar, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, PECHS, North Karachi, Yousuf Goth, New Karachi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Bin Qasim, Surjani Town, North Nazimabad, Pils Colony, Orangi, Manghopir, Baldia, Metroville SITE, Landhi, Khokhrapar, Pak Colony, Moosa Colony, Gharibabad, Gadap, Kathore Goths, Yousuf Goth, Akhtar Colony, Manzoor Colony, Railway Colony, Qayyumabad, Bin Qasim, Othal, and Surjani.

    K-Electric sources said electricity was deliberately cut in low-lying and kunda (illegal connection) areas as a precautionary measure.

    CM Sindh

    Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed all concerned departments to remain on high alert during the ongoing monsoon rains.

    The chief minister instructed rescue services and the administration to stay fully mobilised in view of heavy rainfall.

    He ordered strict monitoring of drains and the drainage system to prevent urban flooding, and directed the Karachi mayor to ensure machinery and staff remain active for the immediate disposal of rainwater.

    The chief minister advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy downpours. He also directed district administrations, police, and municipal bodies to maintain coordination.

    Traffic police have been ordered to stay alert at low-lying and busy locations and to provide full guidance to the public during rainfall.

    He further urged people to stay away from electricity poles and weak infrastructure, and instructed that monitoring systems be strengthened to keep citizens informed about weather conditions.


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  • Andrea Stella surprised by level of McLaren’s dominance in 2025 as he explains team’s ‘aggressive approach’

    Andrea Stella surprised by level of McLaren’s dominance in 2025 as he explains team’s ‘aggressive approach’

    Team Principal Andrea Stella has praised the efforts of everyone within McLaren, admitting he has been surprised by the dominance the team have enjoyed throughout 2025 so far.

    The Woking-based outfit have excelled this season and currently sit top of the Teams’ Standings on 559 points. Their tally is more than double that of second-placed Ferrari on 260 points, while Mercedes and Red Bull sit in third and fourth with 236 and 194 points respectively.

    As a result, McLaren’s driver pairing of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have streaked ahead to battle for the Drivers’ Championship – with the duo sharing 11 of the 14 Grand Prix victories in 2025 – and just nine points separate them at the summit of the standings.

    With 10 rounds left to go following the August break, Piastri and Norris look set to be involved in a two-horse race for the title with Stella conceding he was himself surprised at how much the papaya squad had been dominating races in 2025.

    “I’ve been surprised by this level of competitiveness,” said the Italian, speaking during the Team Principals press conference at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. “When last year we discussed how much effort we wanted to put in improving the 2024 car, we definitely wanted to be very ambitious.

    “We wanted to try and clear the ‘going into race weekends and you never know who’s going to win’ situation we had last year, and we thought we needed to do a little bit more than the normal development.

    “So how do we do that? We embraced a very aggressive approach to innovation. The MCL39 is a very innovative car.

    “From an engineering point of view, we’ve been nervous as to whether we were actually in the condition to deliver them [some solutions]. But then when we looked at the lap times and the numbers in simulations, actually, we thought that wouldn’t be enough.”

    Stella went to explain how much of an impact McLaren’s recent upgrades have had in the last few races before the summer break, appearing to make the squad even more competitive.

    “At the start of the season, effectively it wasn’t enough,” he explained. “So, there’s a factor that has happened during this season, which is the car has actually been upgraded. I think it was more noticeable in the past because we were coming with one-off upgrades, and they were in themselves very noticeable.

    “But actually, even if we consider the last three, four races, there’s been quite a lot of new parts that have been added. If we add all these in a single incidence, then we would say, ‘Oh, McLaren has a big upgrade’. So, I think this has helped a lot in creating this trend and finding that in the last three races, we were definitely very competitive.”

    McLaren’s Team Principal also highlighted the progress made in the run up to the 2025 season, and that it’s hard to compare to his previously successful seasons with Ferrari – where he worked as Performance Engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen, before moving to become race engineer for the Finn and later Fernando Alonso.

    “It’s always difficult to compare across seasons,” Stella said. “In this case, we are comparing across teams, and even myself, I was in a very different role, so my field of view, my perspective was very different.

    “If I had to pick a couple of features of the journey that is happening here at McLaren, I would say the rate of progress that we have had in a couple of years is in itself pretty unique, and possibly the rate of progress itself was even faster than what we experienced at Ferrari in the very competitive times.

    “The second one is that there are no superstars. It’s like a proper team journey, and this includes even the drivers. So, I would say these are the two main features that are peculiar to the journey that we are having at McLaren right now.”

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  • South Korea reports a rise in domestic measles cases linked to overseas travel – itij.com

    1. South Korea reports a rise in domestic measles cases linked to overseas travel  itij.com
    2. Travel Smart, Stay Protected: What You Need to Know About Measles and Travel  Arizona Department of Health Services (.gov)
    3. Spread of COVID-19 variant raises concerns, smokers urged to take ‘extra caution’  The Korea Times
    4. Measles Risk in Popular Destinations: Vietnam, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Italy, and Mongolia, What Travelers Need to Know  Travel And Tour World

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  • England set out sweeping ambitions

    England set out sweeping ambitions

    Less than a month after watching their counterparts propel the nation into a state of footballing ecstasy by winning the UEFA European Women’s Championships, England’s Red Roses are ready to do the same and send women’s rugby into the stratosphere. 

    That is the single-minded message coming from a camp that is clearly happy to embrace all the pressure that comes with being the world No.1 ranked side and hosts of the biggest ever women’s rugby tournament. 

    “You look at what they did in the Euros and what that did for women’s sport, not just women’s football, we want to have a similar effect,” Hannah Botterman said at a media day ahead of opening up against USA on Friday night at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. 

    “For women’s rugby, it would be unbelievable to see a boom in participation. Hopefully we can get to the final and reproduce what the football girls did.”

    A 27-match unbeaten run, stretching back to their 34-31 defeat to New Zealand in the RWC 2021 final, only ratchets up the expectation levels for a side who have not lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup Trophy since 2014. 

    Something the Red Roses insist they are comfortable with. 

    “I don’t know a time when the Red Roses haven’t been under pressure,” forward Abbie Ward said. “I’ve been part of two World Cups when we’ve gone in as favourites and we haven’t won. The day the Red Roses don’t have that pressure will feel weird.

    “I think we enjoy it, we thrive on it. It’s something we can use in our favour. It’s a home World Cup so that’s an advantage – all that extra noise, having our friends and family there. The girls will harness it and hopefully we’ll see that in the performances.”

    That final part is key. England intend to enjoy their once-in-a-generation opportunity. 

    “We’ve played in other World Cups but to have a home one is so special,” Ward said. “I’m very proud that we can be opening in Sunderland in the north. It’s almost like a roadshow, down to Northampton and Brighton and the final being in Twickenham.” 

    The fact that every open training session is drawing huge numbers, let alone the 40,000-plus expected on Friday night, is what drives these players on. 

    “I found inspiration from every single person who was able to watch our training session today, hearing their stories, hearing what they’ve done,” star winger Abby Dow confirmed. 

    “Ultimately that’s what professional sport is, the bigger picture is what can we do to engage kids to inspire them. And I think being able to see that inspiration before the World Cup’s even begun is what’s inspiring the whole team.”

    Dow, whose 98-year-old grandad will be one of those in the stands on Friday night, is adamant that this team has what it takes to finally turn expectation into silverware. 

    “The one thing that Mitch (head coach John Mitchell) has done really well is unpack (the RWC 2021 final defeat) and actually reset who we are,” Dow said. 

    “We’ve worked out who we are individually. We’ve worked out what we want to be as a team. We’ve combined them in the route that we needed to take. And I think we’re a very different team from what we were then. We’re much stronger, more dynamic, more bold to do what we want to do.” 

    And while the 54-cap winger will be revelling in world-class rugby taking place in her northern home-from-home, she knows she has a job to do. 

    “I think I’ll leave the emotions until after the game,” Dow said simply. “The whole team want to make sure we can go and create something, start a platform, start a legacy that we want to be building and I think how perfect will that be on Friday night.

    “Right, lights are on, let’s go play.”

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  • Royal Birkdale Golf course expansion plans approved

    Royal Birkdale Golf course expansion plans approved

    Elliot Jessett

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    EPA a golf course, with a sandy bunker in the foreground. On the left there is a large stand, approximately half full of fans. Above that, there is a small TV gantry for cameras. To the right of the stand, a large white building is pictured. On the course, there are several golf players and caddies in the distance.EPA

    The Open Championship will be held at Royal Birkdale in 2026

    Plans to build a new practice area at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport have been approved despite “overwhelming public opposition”.

    R&A Championships Limited golf events company has been seeking to extend the practice area ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 2026.

    The company proposed making part of the open land linked to Birkdale Common open for golf course use with plans including a hitting tee, new fencing and the diversion a public right of way.

    Birkdale resident David Marsden said approving plans established “a very worrying precedent that our public parks are at the disposal of commercial interests”.

    ‘Bullying tactics’

    Mr Marsden said there was “overwhelming public opposition to this application”.

    He added: “R&A has not come close to justifying why it is essential for it to take over part of our public park.

    “I would urge the committee not to bow to R&A’s bullying tactics and its ridiculous claim that failure to commence work by September could put the whole Open tournament at risk.”

    There was no representative from R&A at the meeting.

    LDRS Sefton Council's planning committee convened at Bootle Town HallLDRS

    Plans were approved at Sefton Council’s planning committee meeting

    Sefton Council’s planning team recommended the proposals should be approved, stating The Open was “a very significant benefit to the borough”.

    “The last time it was held here in 2017, it attracted over 230,000 visitors,” the report said.

    It said the development would “help to improve the quality of the golf course and ensure that it remains in the position to attract world class events such as The Open”.

    The planning team said the space taken “would be less than one hectare while the overall space within the common is in excess of 20 hectares” and the proposal “will include realignment of the public right of way, ensuring continued access to the common”.

    The elected members at the subcommittee meeting at Bootle Town Hall on Monday approved the application.

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  • Secretive X37-B space plane to test quantum navigation system — scientists hope it will one day replace GPS

    Secretive X37-B space plane to test quantum navigation system — scientists hope it will one day replace GPS

    A US military space-plane, the X-37B orbital test vehicle, is due to embark on its eighth flight into space on August 21, 2025. Much of what the X-37B does in space is secret. But it serves partly as a platform for cutting-edge experiments.

    One of these experiments is a potential alternative to GPS that makes use of quantum science as a tool for navigation: a quantum inertial sensor.

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  • The Mysterious Origins of the Most Energetic Neutrino Ever Detected

    The Mysterious Origins of the Most Energetic Neutrino Ever Detected

    In February 2023, a cosmic particle detector housed deep in the Mediterranean Sea recorded the arrival of a neutrino with approximately 20 to 30 times more energy than any other neutrino documented previously. Labelled KM3-230213A, the particle had a calculated energy of 220 petaelectronvolts (PeV), far greater than the 10 PeV of the previously most energetic neutrino. The finding generated a lot of excitement among physicists, but raised also many questions.

    Neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the universe with mass. They are a type of fundamental particle, which means they don’t break down into smaller constituents, and are therefore very small and light. In fact, they are the lightest of all subatomic particles that have mass. Neutrinos also don’t have a charge (unlike, say, electrons, another type of fundamental particle, which are negative). As a result, only very rarely do neutrinos interact with with other matter; often they’ll pass straight through it without altering it. In fact, trillions of neutrinos travelling through space will have passed through your body since you started reading this article. For this reason neutrinos sometimes called “ghost particles.”

    For particle physicists, the detection of this anomalously energetic neutrino could only be explained in two ways: Either KM3-230213A was evidence of a cosmic process, possibly one never witnessed before, with the potential to change our understanding of neutrinos; or it was a disappointing measurement error. Researchers quickly set to work to find out which explanation was true.

    Now there seems to be an answer. A comprehensive study published in the journal Physical Review X compared the data of KM3-230213A with databases of information on other ghost particles that have been detected. Having analyzed the available data, scientists believe that this remarkable, ultra-energetic neutrino was not a statistical illusion.

    But Where Did It Come From?

    Just as a rock cannot describe the nature of a mountain, a 220 PeV neutrino alone isn’t useful in explaining the phenomenon that gave rise to it. As the paper acknowledges, with the information available, it’s not possible to “draw firm conclusions on whether the observation hints at a new ultra-high-energy component in the spectrum.”

    But if there were other recordings of similarly energetic neutrinos, this would present a substantial advance by hinting that other previously unseen phenomena are out there. “It could mean we are seeing cosmogenic neutrinos for the first time, produced when cosmic rays interacted with the cosmic microwave background, or it could point to a new kind of astrophysical source,” the study says.

    The energy of the 2023 neutrino also suggests it could have been emitted by one of the powerful cosmic accelerators that we’re aware of in the universe: a gamma-ray burst or supernova, or perhaps a relativistic jet—a beam of plasma emitted from the vicinity of a black hole. In contrast, many of the neutrinos detected on Earth are atmospheric neutrinos, produced by the impact of cosmic rays hitting atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, and are far less energetic. They are the same particles, but their likely origins impact their energy.

    Different branches of science use and study neutrinos for different reasons. Because neutrinos travel through the universe without being deflected or absorbed, they can provide valuable information about very distant cosmic events. Some scientists think of them as “reporters from the universe” who, from time to time, travel to Earth with data that would otherwise be lost.

    This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

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