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  • Meethi Eid: Places to order Eid cakes from

    Meethi Eid: Places to order Eid cakes from

    Eid ul-Fitr means new beginnings, celebrations and eating a lot of food and starting this exciting day with something sweet. Keeping in view the social distancing rules, everyone must avoid going out unnecessarily but that doesn’t mean we give up on our sweet tooth.

    Here are a few places where you can order Eid cakes online and have them delivered to your doorstep.

    Islamabad

    Waima’s Kitchen

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Wasimas-kitchen-102480028076161/

    Baked Temptations by Saira

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Baked.Temptations.by.s/

    Lahore

    Rabi’s Food Studio

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/rabifoodstudio/

    Cake Cloud

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cakecloudlahore/

    The Baking Studio

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thebakingstudiolhr/

    Theobroma

    If you’re a fan of the Tres Leches, then the Tres Leches from Obroma is a must-have. Order it now and thank us later.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_703cLg2aW/

    Vanilla by Hafsa Zulfiqar

    The richest, creamist chocolate cake you’ll ever have.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5iS6gehryx/

    Karachi

    Cakesh

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cakeshbysadiakanwal/

    Contact Number: 03343324381

    Sugar Mama

    Their Lotus Cheesecake is a bestseller and one everyone needs to try at least once. They are also offering a variety of Eid packages you can send to your loved ones.

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sugarmama.khi/

    Pie in the Sky

    Website: https://pieinthesky.com.pk/

  • Karachi’s top salons opt to remain closed

    Karachi’s top salons opt to remain closed

    While most salons across the country have opened their doors for business with the necessary SOPs in place, two of Karachi’s leading salons, Natasha’s Salon and Bina Khan, have decided to remain closed despite permission from the Government and the Supreme Court to resume business.

    Read more – Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    Natasha Khalid of Natasha’s Salon and Bina Khan announced on social media that they will not be opening their salons due the continuous increase in corona cases.

    “We have since yesterday received a barrage of calls asking if we’re open for services for Eid, mostly because the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered ‘resumption of normalcy’,” wrote Khalid.

    “First things first. Nothing is normal or back to normal! We have just been allowed to open shop & remove all corona-related limitations in the midst of a peak.”

    “This is being done due to enormous economical/social pressures, which have nothing to do with the fact that numbers of COVID-19 affectees are increasing on an hourly basis; that people both young and old, sick and healthy, are dying from it,” she remarked, adding, “We already have put extraordinary pressures on our health systems and are ever-increasingly encumbering hospitals and health workers with exponential risks.”

    Urging everyone to stay home, Natasha wrote, “Blow-dry your hair at home this time and if you can’t, tie that loose braid. Have hair on your arms and legs. Or just shave. Get a facial with the help of a plethora of ‘at home facials’ available online and watch one of the dozens of tutorials to get ready this Eid.”

    Announcing her decision, she wrote: “I will not risk my staff, myself, or anyone walking through my doors getting unwell. I am trying to generate cash from online classes to pay my staff and keep my business alive, but I will not risk opening my doors because I know I can’t guarantee 100% that someone will not get ill.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYUb6ljhuA/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Similarly, Bina Khan said that her salon will remain closed “because we care”.

    In a note, Khan wrote that she spoke to a couple of doctor before making her decision and they all explained to her that “providing normal salon services undeniably comes with some risk”.

    “I do not think that anything that goes on in a salon is an essential service so we have decided to keep our doors closed,” she stated, adding that her salon will open as soon as it’s medically advisable.

    Like Natasha, Bina said that online classes are allowing her to generate income so she is able to pay her staff.

    However, Bina said that she will make exceptions for her brides, but with strict precautionary measures in place.

    “I will open for my brides when they come because I understand that their weddings have been scaled back so hugely that looking like a bride and feeling special is a service that has started to feel more essential than it normally is. I am willing to risk my health for these poor corona brides, whose dream days have been so severely tarnished. But I will go alone and will only ask one staff member to help, taking every precaution known to man while we do so,” wrote the makeup artist.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAaEvNxlp0l/

    Meanwhile, other salons across the country have opened with the necessary precautions, including PPEs, sanitizers and masks, in place.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pgjS8he47/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAXEL-Xl2IB/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVC-TbDzVK/
  • Singaporean court hands out death sentence through video-link

    Singaporean court hands out death sentence through video-link

    A Singaporean court has handed via video-link the death sentence to a Malaysian man, Punithan Genasan, who was found guilty of being involved in drug trafficking.

    He facilitated the trafficking of 28.5 kilograms of heroin back in 2011, which has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drug use. He was then extradited in 2016, later he was found guilty and sentenced to death via a Zoom call by high court officials.  

    Singapore’s Supreme Court said in a statement that in line with measures to minimise the further spread of the COVID-19, courts have been conducting hearings, including hearings on criminal matters remotely.

    Therefore, for the safety of all involved in legal proceedings, trials are being conducted virtually. Genasan’s lawyer did not object to the sentence being handed out via video conference.

    Since much of the western world was placed on coronavirus lockdown in late February through March, Zoom’s usage has skyrocketed. This has led to questions about what business the software is and isn’t fit to handle.

    Companies like Google and SpaceX have banned employees from using Zoom out of security concerns. School districts in New York, as well as teachers throughout Singapore, have also been barred from using the software.

  • Cambridge University suspends all in-person classes until summer 2021

    Cambridge University suspends all in-person classes until summer 2021

    The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has become the first university to announce that it will move all “face-to-face lectures” online for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year. The institution added that it was “likely” social distancing would continue to be required.

    According to a report in The Guardian, the university said that while lectures would continue virtually until summer 2021, it may be possible for smaller teaching groups to take place in person if it “conforms to social-distancing requirements”.

    A statement from the university read: “The university is constantly adapting to changing advice as it emerges during this pandemic. Given that it is likely that social distancing will continue to be required, the university has decided there will be no face-to-face lectures during the next academic year.

    “Lectures will continue to be made available online and it may be possible to host smaller teaching groups in person, as long as this conforms to social-distancing requirements. This decision has been taken now to facilitate planning, but as ever, will be reviewed should there be changes to official advice on coronavirus.”

    All teaching at the university was already moved online in March and exams were being carried out virtually.

  • VIDEO: Unusual snowfall in Ayubia in May after a century

    VIDEO: Unusual snowfall in Ayubia in May after a century

    In an unusual occurrence, the lush green mountains of Abbottabad district’s Ayubia village, after over a century, have received snowfall in the month of May that is known for bringing warmer weather.

    According to The Express Tribune, nearby areas, including the Galiyat region, also received light snowfall on Tuesday, which was very unusual even for the local population.

    A report by the local English daily quoted a 90-year-old resident of Ayubia as saying that he hadn’t seen such weather since the British colonial rule. The resident said that his elder brother told him how in the 1920s the beautiful hilly region received snowfall for the last time in the month of May, while back when his forefathers resided in the region, the cold weather used to be very harsh even in June.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Galliyat Development Authority (GDA) Director General (DG) Muhammad Raza Habib said he had received reports from his team in Ayubia about the weather, adding that there was no causality or disturbance for civilian life in the region due to the unexpected snowfall.

    Rina Saeed, an Islamabad-based writer and author, said the changes in weather were due to coronavirus pandemic as most of the world was under lockdown.

    READ: Improved air quality leads to breathtaking view of Kashmir from Sialkot

    “The environment is much cleaner now as compared to pre-coronavirus period. Since there is no pollution in the atmosphere, the flora and fauna of this region would benefit from it,” she said.

  • Indian TikToker banned for ‘glorifying’ acid attacks

    Indian TikToker banned for ‘glorifying’ acid attacks

    Indian TikToker Faizal Siddiqui’s account was banned after he ‘glorified’ acid attacks in a clip posted recently. The famed TikToker’s account was revoked “due to multiple community guidelines violations”.

    Siddiqui, who has a following of 13 million people on the social media app, came under fire after he enacted a scene that shows Siddiqui is throwing a liquid on a girl’s face for betraying him.

    “Keeping people on TikTok safe is a top priority and we make it clear in our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines that clearly outlines what is not acceptable on our platform. As per the policy, we do not allow content that risks the safety of others, promotes physical harm, or glorifies violence against women,” the app spokesperson was quoted as saying.

    Many people called out the app and the star for the action. Acid attack survivor Laxmi Aggarwal on whom the film Chhapaak also raised her voice on social media, “We are working day and night to stop the acid attacks, violence against women. This cringe activity is not called influencing but promoting crime. Such persons are a curse to our society. So it is important to ban such videos and accounts from social media.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAUtS1NHtMJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  • Iranian hackers attack 3 major Pakistani telecom companies

    Iranian hackers attack 3 major Pakistani telecom companies

    A group of Iranian hackers has targeted three telecom firms in Pakistan and breached data servers, revealed a cyber security company, Symantec.

    While the report does not reveal the names of the companies that were targeted, it discloses that the group uses virtual “tunnels” to stay connected to the victims’ machines without a trace.

    Using virtual tunnel technique, they can also access other machines on the same network to extract valuable information.

    Jon DiMaggio, senior cyber threat analyst at Symantec explained, Iranian “Greenbug” is capable to breach telecom network repeatedly. “As we would close one door, they would attempt to come back from another.”

    Besides, this is not the first time a hacker group has been involved in cyberattacks against telecom companies. According to Symantec, 18 different groups linked to various governments around the globe targeted telecom firms in 2019.

    Telecom companies will always get these cyberattacks because they have valuable information in their databases, says Symantec. Big telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon have heavily invested in protection against cyberattacks, however, not all companies have the same resources.

    The reports recommended firms to keep their systems up to date with the latest security tools and features. There are tools that can automatically eliminate vulnerabilities from the databases of companies.

  • Murad Saeed trolled as Donald Trump ‘follows footsteps of PM Imran’

    Murad Saeed trolled as Donald Trump ‘follows footsteps of PM Imran’

    Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, who had falsely claimed that New York was to follow Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s coronavirus lockdown model, has been trolled by lawyer Reema Omer among others as United States (US) President Donald Trump expressed the desire for his country, worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, to reopen.

    The tweet by the lawyer came as Trump, who has been voicing his concerns over the adverse effects of the lockdown on the economy, tweeted, “REOPEN OUR COUNTRY!”

    The tweet by the US president coincided with PM Imran allowing to ease restrictions across Pakistan ahead of Eid to “wisely” provide relief to the labour class, daily wagers and lower-middle strata of the society.

    “Epic trolling,” tweeted senior journalist Abbas Nasir in response to Reema’s dig at the federal minister.

    ‘NEW YORK TO FOLLOW PAKISTAN’S LOCKDOWN MODEL’:

    In a May 11 viral video, Saeed had claimed that the US state of New York was going to follow the “smart lockdown” concept after being inspired by Imran Khan and Pakistan, however, fact checks revealed otherwise. Meanwhile, netizens shared videos and pictures of how the partial lockdown measures were failing even in Pakistan.

    The clip instantly gained popularity on social media and was reported by several Pakistani and international news outlets.

    “If you look at the smart lockdown concept implemented by PM Imran Khan even the governor of New York has quoted Pakistan’s contact tracing and tracking concept and are following it now,” the federal minister is heard saying while speaking at the National Assembly.

    Saeed also reportedly said that the cluster lockdown concept discussed by Khan is being taken forward by his counterpart Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom (UK).

  • Army’s tenant Monal sealed over illegal construction activities

    Army’s tenant Monal sealed over illegal construction activities

    The popular Monal restaurant located in Marghalla Hills, which now pays rent to the military for occupying its land, has been sealed by the Islamabad Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Islamabad Chief Commissioner’s Office over illegal tree cutting for expansive construction activities.

    Climate Change Ministry Media Focal Person Muhammad Saleem told reporters that the action was taken after the restaurant’s illegal activities, which were initiated by its management a few days ago, were brought to PM’s Adviser Malik Amin Aslam’s notice.

    “Taking serious notice of the illegal activities, Malik Amin directed EPA to take legal action against the culprits,” he told the media, adding that besides sealing off the property, an FIR had also been lodged against the offenders at the Islamabad Secretariat Police Station.

    Regretting the significant loss of tree cover and land degradation in the restaurant’s vicinity, the Climate Change Ministry’s focal person said that he was thankful to citizens for sharing pictures of the land levelled area achieved after the massive cutting of trees on social media until it went viral.

    “Resultantly, the district administration conducted a raid on Tuesday evening and it was observed that images of destruction activities which had appeared in social media were authentic. During the raid, two persons namely Muhammad Sagheer and Muhammad Naeem were arrested on the spot whereas an FIR, NO 224/20, has been lodged in Police Station Kohsar, F/7,” he added.

    Further, Malik Amin, along with the Climate Change Ministry’s higher authorities will visit the damaged site on Wednesday and take stock of the damage Monal restaurant has caused to the land and trees.

    The ministry’s media focal person also said that tree plantation activities will be carried out by him in support with the local forest officials to rehabilitate the damaged land.

    It may be mentioned here that a case regarding stone crushing and other activities in Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) was also brought before the Supreme Court (SC) wherein it was decided that all construction activities, private and commercial, would be ordered to immediately halt operations. However, a copy of the order is yet to be issued.

    ARMY STARTS GETTING RENT FROM MONAL:

    Amid the silence of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) over Pakistan Army’s land ownership claim at Margalla Hills, Monal in January started paying a monthly rent to Remount Veterinary & Farms Directorate (RV&F) General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi.

    According to a local news outlet, the leaseholder of Monal Restaurant has paid Rs484,008 as arrears of rental payment for September, Rs1,300,000 as rental of November, and Rs910,000 as rental of December 2019 to the RV&F GHQ.

    The building in which the restaurant is operating was constructed by the CDA and leased to Luqman Ali Afzal in 2006. It is now an iconic eatery of the federal capital.

    The city managers, while establishing this amenity by expending huge amount from public exchequer, never thought that the subject land does not belong to CDA as it was enjoying its sole ownership and absolute possession since 1961.

    However, tables turned around in 2016, when the army came forward with the claim that the said land was once allotted to Military Farms Rawalpindi in 1910 by then government of Punjab for the production of hay for army animals.

    To settle the over a century-old claim of the ownership of 8,603 acres of military land in the area, a meeting was held on November 8, 2016, under the chair of then defence minister.

    According to GHQ’s letters, it was decided in the said meeting to revert back the subject land to the owner, RV&F, after a joint survey by the ministry and CDA.

    Later, a survey was conducted on the request of the RV&F directorate to demarcate the military grassland at Margalla Hills, following which the demarcation was started in February 2017 and completed in May 2017. In it, a total of 8655.62 acres of land was demarcated as military grassland.

    In the light of said demarcation, the RV&F directorate conveyed the leaseholder of Monal that his building came inside 8655.62 acres land and he was asked to provide lease documents in addition to the payment of arrears and monthly rents to RV&F directorate instead of CDA.

    MONAL BUILT ON ARMY’S LAND:

    In November, a CDA official had told a parliamentary committee that the capital’s famous Monal Restaurant was built on military land and the army wanted it back.

    According to another local news outlet, Dr Shahid Mahmood had told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change that 15 years ago, the CDA “did not know it was building the restaurant on military grasslands until the army started claiming it”.

    The committee was told that the 22,000 acres of land — that are now a part of the Margalla Hills National Park — were actually owned by the Punjab government.

    Around 5,500 acres of the said land was allocated to the army, he said, although the exact year the allocation was made, was not stated. The CDA now owns 16,500 acres.

    The latest survey conducted by the authority revealed that the land allotted to the army is right in the centre of the national park, and Monal has been built on it.

  • Apple devices secretly wiretap sounds in surrounding, whistleblower claims

    Apple devices secretly wiretap sounds in surrounding, whistleblower claims

    A former Apple contractor, Thomas le Bonniec, has sent a letter to all European data protection regulators, stating that “it is worrying that the tech giant and iPhone manufacturer keeps ignoring and violating fundamental rights and continues its massive collection of data”.

    “I am extremely concerned that big tech companies are wiretapping entire populations despite European citizens being told that the European Union (EU) has one of the strongest data protection laws in the world. Passing a law is not good enough: it needs to be enforced upon privacy offenders.”

    “The recordings are not limited to the users of Apple devices, but also involve relatives, children, friends, colleagues and whoever could be recorded by the device. The system recorded everything: names, addresses, messages, searches, arguments, background noises, films, and conversations. I heard people talking about their cancer, referring to dead relatives, religion, sexuality, pornography, politics, school, relationships, or drugs with no intention to activate Siri whatsoever,” he said.

    “These practices are clearly at odds with the company’s ‘privacy-driven’ policies and should be urgently investigated by data protection authorities and privacy watchdogs. With the current statement, I want to bring this issue to your attention, and also offer my cooperation to provide any element substantiating these facts. Although this case has already gone public, Apple has not been subjected to any kind of investigation to the best of my knowledge,” Bonniec maintained.

    Le Bonniec, 25, worked with Apple as a subcontractor and used to transcribe users’ requests in English and French. He quit the job in the summer of 2019 because he didn’t want to be part of the unethical practices. He argues that the “company operates on a moral and legal grey area and they have been doing this for years”.