Meta Launches New Friends' Tab on Facebook

Meta has unveiled a new ‘Friends’ tab on Facebook — rather counterintuitive statement - considering what the platform was originally meant to be.

The new ‘Friends’ tab is aimed at reviving the platform’s original purpose of connecting people with their personal social circles.

The CEO, Mark Zuckerberg announced the development on March 27 2025, and is a part of the social media company’s effort to bring back what it refers to as “OG Facebook”, or the earlier version of the platform that prioritized direct interactions between friends.

It's noteworthy that the feature is now available in the US and Canada.

“We’re introducing a new Facebook Friends tab that makes it easier to connect with your friends,” the social media company said in an official statement.

“Connecting with friends has been a part of Facebook since it was launched. Over the years, Facebook evolved to meet changing needs and created best-in-class experiences across Groups, Video, Marketplace and more, but the magic of friends has fallen away.

"We will be adding several “OG” Facebook experiences throughout the year, beginning with the revamped Friends tab,” it added.

Over the past few years, Facebook has mostly steered away from a social network primarily centered on friends and family to a platform where algorithmically recommended content dominates.

This has seen the introduction of AI-powered recommendations in users’ feeds, surfacing posts from strangers, trending videos, and content from influencers rather than personal connections.

While this approach has helped drive engagement, it has also led to criticism from longtime Facebook users, many of whom have expressed frustration over their feeds being inundated with viral content, advertisements, and recommended posts at the expense of updates from friends.

Now, Meta is seemingly going back to its roots.

The Friends tab is not the first attempt by Meta to reintroduce a more personalized user experience. In 2022, Zuckerberg introduced a dedicated “friends” feed, which allowed users to view posts from personal connections in reverse chronological order.

However, this feature was not prominently placed in the app, making it difficult for users to access and utilize effectively. It remains to be seen whether Meta can leverage this to retain younger users, especially since many of them have migrated TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Facebook, once the go-to platform for social networking, has seen a decline in engagement from Gen Z users, who often perceive the platform as outdated or too focused on older demographics.

The Friends tab replaces what was previously a section dedicated solely to friend requests and “People You May Know” suggestions. With the latest update, this tab has been transformed into a dedicated feed exclusively featuring content from users’ Facebook friends.

Unlike the main feed, which remains heavily influenced by Meta’s content algorithms, this section removes posts from groups, pages, and recommended sources, ensuring that users only see updates from their direct connections.

The content displayed in the Friends tab includes status updates, posts, Stories, Reels, birthday reminders, and friend requests, making it a one-stop destination for friend-related interactions.

Additionally, Meta has provided users with the option to pin the Friends tab to their main navigation bar, allowing for quick and easy access.

This feature can be customized through Settings & Privacy. Hence, users need to go to Settings and click on the Tab Bar.

2 Dead, 4 Missing in Spanish Mine Accident

At least two miners reportedly died on Monday, 31st March 2025 and four were missing in an accident in a mine in the northern Spanish region of Asturias, the regional emergency service said.

The emergency service said another three people had been injured due to a machine malfunction inside the mine in Degana at 9:32 a.m. (0732 GMT) local time.

Three helicopters and two ambulances have been sent to the scene of the incident.

Reports earlier revealed there had been an explosion in the mine and that several people were trapped.

Meet Ten Countries with Highest Malaria Mortality

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by female Anopheles mosquitoes and affects several countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, the disease is one of the most severe public health problems worldwide and the leading cause of death in many developing countries.

While the disease can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medical treatment, the number of people dying from the same is startling. Nearly 600,000 persons died from Malaria globally according to 2023 WHO statistics, with 263 million malaria cases recorded.

Out onumbere numbers, 569,000 representing 95%, and 246 million representing 94%, respectively were recorded in the WHO African Region.

Children under 5 suffered the most, with about 76% of deaths coming from that category in the said region.

A list of the ten countries with the highest malaria mortality rates is given below:

1. Nigeria

Nigeria can be said to be leading the malaria burden globally, accounting for approximately 31% of all malaria deaths worldwide. In 2022, the country reported nearly 200,000 malaria-related deaths. Children under five and pregnant women are the most affected groups, with a national malaria prevalence rate of 22% among children aged 6-59 months as of 2021, according to the WHO. 2. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

As a result of its tropical regions and other major challenges in DRC's healthcare infrastructure, high incidence and mortality rates associated with malaria are consistently recorded in the country. The country currently accounts for approximately 12% of global malaria deaths.

3. Niger

Malaria is a leading cause of death in Niger, representing approximately 6% of global malaria deaths. The country's predominantly rural population and limited access to healthcare services make malaria a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.

4. Tanzania

Approximately 4% of Tanzanians die globally from malaria deaths, according to the World Health Organisation. Despite ongoing control efforts, malaria remains a major public health issue, particularly affecting children under five years old.

5. Mozambique

Mozambique contributes to approximately 4.2% of global malaria deaths. The country's climate and environmental conditions promote malaria transmission, leading to significant health impacts.

6. Uganda

Uganda has relatively higher numbers compared to other African countries as far as number of global malaria deaths are concerned. With an estimated 5.1% of global malaria deaths, malaria is endemic across the country, with high transmission rates posing substantial health risks to the population. 7. Angola

Angola represents approximately 3.4% of global malaria deaths. Many, particularly pregnant women and children die from malaria in this part of Africa, according to statistics available to the World Health Organisation.

8. Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso contributes to about 3.2% of global malaria deaths. According to the World Health Organisation, the high transmission rates are a significant public health concern, especially in rural areas. ​ 9. Mali

Mali accounts for approximately 3.2% of global malaria deaths. The country's malaria situation poses ongoing challenges to public health efforts.

10. Cameroon

Cameroon represents about 2.6% of global malaria deaths. Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with children under five being the most vulnerabl

Samsung co-CEO, Jong-hee Dies of Cardiac Arrest

The co-CEO of Samsung Electronics Company, Han Jong-hee has died of a heart attack. This was announced by the Management of the South-Korean tech giant on 25th March 2025.

This development has reportedly left the newly-appointed boss Jun Young-hyun solely in charge of the company as it revamps its underperforming chip business and navigates trade uncertainties.

Young-hyun was appointed barely a week ago at the Samsung’s Annual Shareholders Meeting, following his promotion in 2024, to lead its semiconductor division.

Jong-hee, 63, became the Chief Executive Officer of South Korea's biggest company in 2022 and was also in charge of its consumer electronics and mobile devices division.

Samsung said in a stock exchange filing that Young-hyun would be the sole CEO of the company after Jong-hee's death.

Samsung shares were down 0.5% in line with the broader South Korean market (.KS11), opens new tab.

The world's biggest memory chipmaker has been suffering from weak earnings and a sagging share price in recent quarters after falling behind rivals in advanced memory chips and contract chip manufacturing, which have enjoyed strong demand from AI projects.

Samsung has also ceded its smartphone market crown to Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab.

Jong-hee, who was also a board member, passed on at a hospital on March 25 while being treated for cardiac arrest.

Samsung has not yet decided on a successor, its spokesperson disclosed during the announcement.

It's noteworthy that the company has traditionally had a co-CEO structure that divides oversight of its consumer and chips divisions.

Jong-hee joined Samsung nearly 40 years ago and built his career in its television business.

It's being speculated that Jong-hee was the key figure behind making Samsung’s TV business influential on a global scale.

Hence, with his sudden passing, it could yield a long-term impact on its business strategy, particularly in areas like marketing.

Burundi's President Says Rwanda Plans to Attack his Country

The Burundi's President, Evariste Ndayishimiye has claimed that he had seen "credible intelligence" that Rwanda plans to attack his country.

Ndayishimiye also stated, while responding to questions on the BBC news, that Rwanda had tried to launch a coup a decade ago in Burundi, akin to what it's currently doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwanda has already hit back via its President, Paul Kagame, calling the president's comments "surprising" and insisting that the two neighbours are co-operating on security plans for their shared border, which has been shut for over a year.

Despite extensive United Nations (UN) evidence, Rwanda has always denied arming and backing the M23 rebel group, which has recently seized large parts of eastern DR Congo alongside Rwandan troops.

Rwanda has also denied links to the resurgent Red Tabara rebel group, which President Ndayishimiye says is a proxy force similar to the M23 and is being supported by Rwanda to destabilise Burundi.

"They would say it's an internal problem when it's Rwanda that's the problem. We know that President Paul Kagame has a plan to attack Burundi," Ndayishimiye added.

"Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters.

"But now we don't have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue."

At the heart of Ndayishimiye's comments was a call for peace and the full implementation of an agreement between the two nations - a peace deal that had been signed in previous years - but according to Burundi, had not been honoured by Rwanda.

"The people who did the 2015 coup were organized by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organised them - it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hand of Rwanda," he alleges further.

"If Rwanda accepts to hand over the troops and bring them to justice, the problem would be finished."