Assam Flood Death Toll Rises to 86, Over 50,000 Still in Relief Camps - via News18

Assam Flood Death Toll Rises to 86, Over 50,000 Still in Relief Camps - via News18

About 50,470 inmates are still in 522 relief camps while 28 relief distribution centres are operational in various districts of the state.

Assam Flood Death Toll Rises to 86, Over 50,000 Still in Relief Camps An aerial view of flooded Majuli, an island in River Brahmaputra, Assam. (Image: AP)

Guwahati: Four more people died on Monday due to floods in Assam, mounting the toll to 86 this monsoon season.

The overall situation, however, improved with the water level in all 17 affected districts showing a receding trend since Sunday, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.


Of the fresh four deaths, two were reported from Barpeta and one each from Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts.

Altogether 1,348 villages in 50 revenue circles of the 17 districts are still deluge-hit, the ASDMA said.

The affected districts are Dhemaji, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baksa, Barpeta, Nalbari, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat and Cachar.

About 50,470 inmates are still in 522 relief camps while 28 relief distribution centres are operational in various districts of the state, the ASDMA said.

The rivers flowing above the danger level are the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat in Jorhat and Dhubri, Disang at the Nanglamuraghat in Sivasagar, Jia Bharali at NT Road Crossing in Sonitpur and Kushiara at Karimganj.

The Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) on Monday made a contribution of Rs 10 lakh to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund, officials said.

Office bearers of the Kamakhya temple also donated Rs 5 lakh to the fund, they said.

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Infinix includes the sensational new Hot 7 Pro to the world renowned HOT series

Infinix includes the sensational new Hot 7 Pro to the world renowned HOT series

The global smartphone brand, Infinix is launching a new 64GB phone called the Hot 7 Pro which is priced at only 19,999 PKR. The company announced that this latest addition to the Hot series which features a large 6.2 inch display and 13MP rear camera will be available for consumers this Eid al-Adha. Moreover, as per an exclusive offer Infinix is giving away 10,000mAh power-banks to the first 500 people who purchase the Hot 7 Pro. 

The Hot-series feature the most popular Infinix smartphones that are affordable, stylish and have great specs. In lieu of this, the Hot 7 Pro is a phenomenal device that offers a lot at a nominal price. 

The Hot 7 Pro has a high definition 6.2 inch large display that allows you to view videos and images in enhanced IPS screen resolution. It also features dual front and dual rear cameras that boost 2MP and 13MP respectively. What’s even more exciting is its video capacity of 1080P@30FPS that gives you HD+ playback. Additionally its memory of 4GB + 64 GB is large enough to satisfy your storage needs. If that doesn’t sound like a lot to fulfill your requirements then the expandable memory slot that offers up to 128GB is sure to impress all. 

In terms of battery life, the Hot 7 Pro is fitted with a 4000mAh battery that allows more than 27 hour talk time. Even more amazingly if left on standby the phone can remain powered for a record time of 30 days. 

The smartphone runs on an Android 9 Pie operating system which is the most efficient and fast OS at the moment. The phone handles dual sim and supports 2G, 3G and 4G networks. Other perks of the Hot 7 Pro include WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, FM radio, voice recording, GPS navigation, micro USB port, fingerprint sensors, gyroscope and light and proximity sensors. 

There’s a colour for everyone with the Hot 7 Pro. The smartphone comes in luxurious shades of midnight black, Bordeaux Red, Aqua Blue and Mocha Brown, which gives consumers the option to choose the colour that reflects their personality. 

Infinix is enhancing the 2019 Eid by not just bringing you the latest version of your favorite Hot-series but by also offering exclusive gifts to commemorate the holiday. To mark the celebrations, Infinix will be giving away 10,000mAh battery power banks for free not just with the first 500 orders online of the Hot 7 Pro but also with the first 100 orders of the Smart 2 HD or the Smart 3 Plus.  In a statement Infinix said ‘We wish everyone Eid Mubarak and hope that the Hot 7 Pro and the free power-bank will make your Eid al-Adha more exciting and keep you and your phone charged throughout the holidays”. 

To join the festivities with Infinix and avail its exclusive offers, you can purchase the Hot 7 Pro at retail stores across Pakistan and online at Daraz.com during the website’s “Hari Bari Eid” campaign.

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Meezan Bank and Indus Motor Company Limited (IMC) sign Memorandum of Understanding for Priority Delivery of all Toyota vehicles

Meezan Bank and Indus Motor Company Limited (IMC) sign Memorandum of Understanding for Priority Delivery of all Toyota vehicles

Karachi, July 31, 2019: Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s leading Islamic bank and the Best Bank in the country has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indus Motor Company Ltd (IMC) - one of the largest automotive manufacturers and distributors in Pakistan, to provide priority delivery of all Toyota variants to Meezan Bank’s customers. The signing ceremony took place in Karachi and was attended by Mr. Arshad Majeed – Group Head Consumer Finance, Meezan Bank and Mr. Abdul Rab - Senior General Manager, Indus Motor Company Limited along with their respective team members. 

Under this agreement, Meezan Bank will provide additional value-added services of priority processing as well as fast track delivery of Toyota vehicles to customers of Meezan Car Ijarah, Pakistan’s first Riba-free car financing product. 

Mr. Arshad Majeed while speaking at the occasion said, “Meezan Bank is the leading player in Pakistan’s Islamic Auto Financing industry.  We are hopeful that our alliance with Indus Motor Company Ltd will further facilitate our clients by providing them with the best services across the country.”

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OICCI Launches First Ever Manual on “Evolution of Intellectual Property Rights in Pakistan”

OICCI Launches First Ever Manual on “Evolution of Intellectual Property Rights in Pakistan”

Karachi, July 31, 2019: The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) unveiled its maiden and unique manual on the “Evolution of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Pakistan: OICCI Perspective” at a ceremony chaired by Mr Mujeeb Khan, Chairman of the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPOP).  The manual sets as a landmark publication, first of its kind in Pakistan, giving comprehensive view of the laws and its application in relation to copyrights, trademarks and patents in Pakistan. This manual will be of great interests to foreign investors, who own IPR in various forms and to the local innovators in various fields of business and vocation. The launch ceremony was well attended by OICCI members, owners of various forms of IPR in Pakistan, representatives from IPR enforcement wings of Customs, FIA and other Law Enforcement agencies, members of diplomatic missions, senior leadership of IPOP and anti-counterfeit body (ACIF) members. 

Mr Mujeeb Khan, speaking at the launch ceremony informed that all matters related to IPO-P are being reviewed and relevant rules, procedures and policies will be updated to ensure that it plays a more effective role in enforcing IP rights and “ the OICCI IPR manual will contribute to the strengthening of the IP regime and educating all stakeholders to their IP rights”  

OICCI President Shazia Syed commented, “The OICCI IPR manual will go a long way to educate investors’, innovators, as well as regulators on various aspects of intellectual property rights laws in Pakistan. Effective IPR regime, which ensures protection for innovators and investors is pivotal to economic growth acting as one of the key factors in attracting foreign direct investments into the country”. Shazia further added, “The results of a recently conducted survey of estimated financial impact from counterfeiting, smuggling and violations of IPR, including copyrights, patents and trademarks, indicated loss of approximately 14% of the OICCI members’ total revenue in 2018, or Rs. 757 billion. This translates into an annual loss of tax revenue of approximately Rs 240 billion to GOP.” 

Effective protection of IPR has always been a key focus of the OICCI agenda and the chamber has actively highlighted at various forums on the need to create awareness and promote of IPR friendly business environment. The IPR laws in Pakistan, OICCI believes, are comprehensive and aligned to international standards where they can give considerable boost to country’s image when implemented effectively. OICCI is confident that the IPR manual will be a significant milestone in boosting awareness to relevant stakeholders about the existing IPR laws, and the measurement taken by the government to not only combat IPR issues but also strengthen the IPR regime in Pakistan. 

Mr Ali Kabir Shah, Senior partner of Ali & Associates, who collaborated with OICCI for the research, and a key contributor in the compilation of the manual remarked, “The OICCI has been at the forefront of intellectual property protection and promoting good governance. The OICCI IPR manual provides a holistic view on the prevailing IP Laws in Pakistan and their respective enforcement mechanisms. The idea behind this manual is for the stakeholders to better understand the dynamics of Intellectual Property in Pakistan, hence facilitate them in devising appropriate, winning business strategies. The protection of intellectual property should be a concern of every citizen of this country as in today's world the value of intellectual property assets may outweigh the value derived through any other means and resources." 

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Vulture-Safe Livestock Vaccination Drive Launched in Thar

Vulture-Safe Livestock Vaccination Drive Launched in Thar

KARACHI: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Baahn Beli, on Sunday, launched the first-ever vulture-safe vaccination drive in Thar, targeting vaccinating over 6000 livestock in two days, as part of their ongoing vulture conservation programme in collaboration with the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company in Sindh’s Thar region. Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company – under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) - is working on various initiatives and projects targeted at interventions aimed to improve life of the Thari communities and enrich the bio-diversity of the region.

The drive was launched at a small ceremony organized in the vicinity of the Gorrano reservoir, which has overtime become a hotspot for birds in the region. Hundreds of local Tharis brought their livestock to the free vulture-safe vaccination camp, which also offered free veterinary check-up. Senior officials from the Sindh Livestock Department, Sindh Wildlife Department, SECMC, IUCN and NGO Baanhn Beli participated in the ceremony.

Chief guest on the occasion was MPA Sher Mohammad Bilalani. Speaking on the occasion, MPA Bilalani assured the gathering that the Livestock department will work towards ensuring the discontinuation of the harmful drug Disclofenac that has been responsible for the steep decline in vulture population in Pakistan. Representative from the Sindh Wildlife Department, Mr. Talpur said that it was mandatory that “we all work together to protect the wildlife which is our asset.” He also explained how different animals play their role in keeping the environment healthy.

Mr. Naseer Memon, General Manager CSR, SECMC appreciated the support given by the livestock department and MPA Mr. Bilalani, and encouraged the communities to help the programme achieve its objectives by playing a more active role in creating awareness of the threats to vultures and their role in the ecosystem.

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Jubilee Life Insurance Window Takaful Operations and National Bank of Pakistan Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group signed Bancatakaful agreement

Jubilee Life Insurance Window Takaful Operations and National Bank of Pakistan Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group signed Bancatakaful agreement

Jubilee Life Insurance signs Bancatakaful agreement with NBP Aitemaad to launch Bancatakaful business through NBP’s Islamic Banking branch network across Pakistan. The agreement was signed between Mr. Javed Ahmed, Managing Director & CEO - Jubilee Life and Mr. Arif Usmani, President & CEO - National Bank of Pakistan in the presence of other members of senior management from both organizations.

Karachi, July 30, 2019: National Bank of Pakistan Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group signed the ‘Bancatakaful’ agreement with Jubilee Life Insurance Window Takaful Operations which is the largest life insurance company in the private sector of Pakistan. The agreement was signed in a ceremony held at NBP's Head Office to commemorate the partnership in the wake of the expanding market for Bancatakaful products. The agreement signing ceremony was graced by Mr. Arif Usmani, President and CEO of National Bank of Pakistan, Mr. Javed Ahmed, MD & CEO of Jubilee Life Insurance, Mr. Fouad Farrukh SEVP/Group Chief, NBP – AIBG, Mr. Shan Rabbani, Group Head – Retail operations, actuarial and Investments, Jubilee Life Insurance and Syed Rizwan Aziez, Head of Bancassurance, Jubilee Life Insurance along with senior officials from both organizations.

President NBP Mr. Arif Usmani emphasized the importance of Takaful (Shariah Compliant alternate to insurance) in the growth of the Islamic finance industry. He said that NBP has a long-running business relationship with Jubilee Life Insurance, and through this partnership it combines the expertise of one of the leading insurance companies with NBP’s extensive branch network, offering branch customers with convenient solutions to their Takaful needs. 

Mr. Fouad Farrukh said that NBP Aitemaad Islamic banking group and Jubilee Life Insurance Window Takaful Operations had joined hands by entering into the ‘Bancatakaful’ agreement for selling Takaful products of Jubilee Life Insurance WTO through NBP’s Aitemaad Islamic banking branch network on a referral model. He said the agreement will introduce a cross sales culture throughout the organization. The alliance will cater towards savings and protection needs of NBP Aitemaad clients. He added that NBP believes in creating value and convenience for their customers and providing innovative financial solutions.

Mr. Javed Ahmed, MD & CEO, Jubilee Life Insurance, also spoke on the occasion, saying ‘Bancatakaful’ was the commencement of a new chapter in the Shariah compliant market and a means of strategically penetrating through the industry which has witnessed prodigious growth in Pakistan, “We are confident that, along with NBP Aitemaad, our top quality services will create room for business longevity through the newly established platform of trust.

National Bank of Pakistan is the largest state-owned financial institution of Pakistan which launched Islamic banking in 2006. To market Islamic products and services, NBP plans to capitalize on its strong brand recognition. It relaunched Islamic banking in 2013 under the brand name “Aitemaad”. Aitemaad provides high-quality and cost-effective Islamic banking products and services to the nation. 

NBP - Aitemaad Islamic banking has observed phenomenal growth in its Islamic Banking branch network. The branch network increased from eight branches in 2012 to 190 branches in 2019. It has a strong presence in more than 85 cities including many areas where no other banks exist.

Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health and general) in the Asian and East African markets. Jubilee Life is the largest private insurance company in Pakistan in the Life & Health insurance and in Window Takaful Operations. Jubilee Life offers uniquely designed range of life and health insurance plans, catering to various customer segments and needs. These include retirement, child education, marriage, saving & protection, wealth accumulation, life insurance plans for women, rural insurance plans and life and health insurance solutions for the less privileged of our country. 

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Timesaco introduced ‘Buraq’ a new taxi service in Pakistan instant delivery “Fema” and City Freight “Cargo+”.

Timesaco introduced ‘Buraq’ a new taxi service in Pakistan instant delivery “Fema” and City Freight “Cargo+”.

Timesaco Press ConferenceTimesaco held its pre-launch event at Islamabad and introduced its Instant Services: taxi service “Buraq”, instant delivery “Fema” and City Freight “Cargo+”.

Timesaco is providing multiple online services in Pakistan. Buraq Taxi service will start its operation from 10th July, while Fema and Cargo services will be launched on 27th July of this year.

Buraq Taxi service has multiple feature and providing latest technology for drivers and customers.

Buraq is offering 97% share of total earing to drivers, and it will be a game changer for Pakistani market. Buraq offers 10% discount for all activities like wedding, conferences, exhibitions, matches, trainings and seminars; it is offering 10% discount for Army personnel, teachers, doctors and senior citizens.

People can register multiple vehicles with Timesaco at the same time and they have no time bounding. During the presentation, Timesaco’s CEO Donald-Li expressed that Timesaco is an ecosystem platform and it care for customers, care for drivers, care for partners, care for employees, and care for investors. Timesaco offers lower price for customers, it is more secured and will always reach on time, Timesaco provides better services and it will be very satisfactory for users. He further added that, Buraq Taxi service will be very different from other existing players and it will be very profitable for drivers. Buraq drivers will get 97% share of their earing and company will get only 3% from drivers.

Timesaco has found a Buraq Club for drivers where 1% of Company’s 3% revenue will be used for drivers’ care. Donald said, Buraq drivers will be able to get financial support, special discounts, and medical facilities through Buraq Club. Buraq Club will care the drivers’ vehicle equipment, Life, living, family, entertainment and legal support.

On a question, Donald responded that Timesaco developed 3 Main Applications (1) Timesaco App for customer (2) Buraq App for driver (3) BizTree App for partners. Everyone can download the application from Google Play Store and can join Timesaco’s different platforms. People can register their Bike, Car, Rickshaw, Bolan, Pickup, Qingqi Loader, and Truck with Timesaco and they will get multiple ways for earning. Donald further shared that, Buraq Taxi service will be available from 10 July of this year.

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At least 57 dead in Brazil prison riot, 16 decapitated - via AFP

At least 57 dead in Brazil prison riot, 16 decapitated - via AFP

Two guards were taken hostage during clashes, which were brought under control later.
At least 57 inmates were killed during a prison riot in northern Brazil on Monday as rival gang factions fought each other, an official said.

Sixteen of the dead were decapitated in the second major eruption of violence to rock the country's severely overpopulated and deadly prison system in as many months.

Fighting broke out in the Altamira Regional Recovery Center at around 7:00am (10:00 GMT), an official from the Para state government's penitentiary department told AFP.

Two guards were taken hostage during the hours-long clashes, which were brought under control at around midday. The guards were eventually freed.

Brazilian TV stations showed footage of thick black smoke rising from the prison compound and people sitting on the roof of a building.

Other images showed flames inside a building that almost reached the ceiling and people, apparently prisoners, sitting on the ground outside.

"It is likely that many detainees died from asphyxiation (from smoke)," the government official said.

No firearms were found at the scene, but improvised knives appear to have been used in the turf war, according to a statement issued by the penitentiary department.

Some of the bodies had not yet been recovered due to the heat inside some of the prison structures.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security said ringleaders of the violence would be transferred to federal jails, which are more secure.

About 311 prisoners were being held at the jail, which the department said was not overcrowded. It reportedly has a capacity for 200 inmates.

An outbreak of violence in the same prison in September 2018 left at least seven inmates dead, local media reported previously. Guards had apparently foiled an attempted prison escape.

In May this year, at least 55 prisoners were killed at several jails in the neighboring state of Amazonas, violence also blamed on an apparent drug trafficking gang dispute.

Most of the victims were killed by asphyxiation, the state government said at the time.

The federal government dispatched reinforcements to boost security in the jails.

Brazil has the world's third-largest prison population after the United States and China, with 726,354 inmates as of June 2017, according to the latest official statistics released this month.

The population is way above the capacity of the nation's jails, which in the same year was estimated to be 423,242 inmates.

The federal government had been expected to add another 115,000 inmates by the end of 2018, Human Rights Watch said in a recent report.

Around 33 percent of the prison population is made up of pretrial detainees.

Along with severe overcrowding and gang violence, riots and breakout attempts in Brazil's prisons are not uncommon.

Experts estimate hundreds of people are killed in prison violence every year in Brazil. Conditions have been described as inhuman, with most inmates poor, black and with little formal education.

"Brazilian policymakers have typically responded to the prison crisis by building more prisons, stiffening penalties, and separating gang leaders from the rank and file," said Robert Muggah, research director at the Igarape Institute, a think tank in Rio de Janeiro.

"The only way the government can turn the situation around in the short-term is by reducing the stock and flow of inmates." AFP

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Emirati female pilot who flies A380s, one of the world's largest passenger aircraft - via Gulf News

Emirati female pilot who flies A380s, one of the world's largest passenger aircraft - via Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Regularly flying across the world, traversing different time zones and flying the world’s largest passenger aircraft — the Airbus A380 — is all in a day’s work for Emirati pilot Aisha Al Mansouri, a senior first officer with Etihad Airways.

It all started when her sister, who was already a pilot, took her to an air show in Al Ain.

“While visiting the event there were some people working there who told me that a national cadet programme was opening at Etihad, so I looked into the programme and decided to join, and within eight months I was hired.”

Her first flight on the job was on an Airbus A320 to Ammam, Jordan.

“I had already done so much flight training — including flying a Cessna 172 — but once I was in the cockpit it was a very different feeling.”

Women can be whatever they want to be, that’s what I think my example shows. All women should follow a career path that inspires and makes them happy

- Aisha Al Mansouri

She flew the A320 for five years before eventually moving up to bigger aircraft like the A330 and, the biggest of all, the A380.

“Flying the A380 is amazing, it’s a huge plane, but it handles like an A320, it reacts very well and is really enjoyable to fly.”

Describing her job as more of a lifestyle than work, she added: “One of the unique things about being a pilot is that it is more than just a job, as a pilot you need to manage your lifestyle accordingly to be able to handle all of the long haul flights and the different time zones that come with it.

“The thing I try to concentrate on before I have long flights is to make sure that I am well rested, that’s the most important thing for me. The night flights are usually the tricky ones, for example if I have to fly at 3am I have to basically sleep during the day or afternoon.”

Read on Gulf News

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Viral Video Shows Indian Family Caught Stealing 'Everything' from Bali Hotel

'What a Disgrace': Viral Video Shows Indian Family Caught Stealing 'Everything' from Bali Hotel

The video had Twitterati fuming who called the whole incident disgraceful.

A video of an Indian family caught stealing a plethora of accessories from a hotel in Bali has gone viral on social media. The video, which is 2:20 minutes long, shows one of the hotel staff scanning the family's luggage as they were on their way out from the hotel.

In the video, a woman can be seen arguing with the officials from the hotel who seem to be vigorously going through the suitcases. Apparently, the family had "stolen" whatever they could get their hands on - which included decorative items, toiletries, electronics, towels and so on. The security officials can be seen telling the family that they'd managed to steal 'everything' from the hotel room, including hangars.

She repeatedly asks the officials to let them go since they had a flight to catch. She even offers to pay for the stuff they'd stolen. A man also can be heard saying, "I will pay." However, the hotel officials refuse to accept payment.

The video was originally posted on Twitter by a user named Hemanth, who wrote "this family was caught stealing hotel accessories. Such an embarrassment for India. Each of us carrying an #IndianPassport must remember that we are ambassadors of the nation and behave accordingly. India must start cancelling passports of people who erode our credibility."

He also wrote about Indonesians being one of the most genteel people and also how they hold Indians in high regard. But this incident may very well be a game changer.

The video had Twitterati fuming who called the whole incident disgraceful:

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Facebook Unveils Tips to Control Online Harassment

Facebook Unveils Tips to Control Online Harassment

Karachi: July 29,209: Facebook intended to educate its users through providing effective tips to control online harassment with the self-regulated techniques and easy monitoring of the content.

If someone is making you feel bad or if being online is making you feel sad or stressed out, it is important to tell someone close to you. They will help you find a way to solve the problem. If you think you are being bullied, do check out Facebook’s Bullying Prevention Hub for resources to help you.

Online harassment comes in many types and has a lot of names including cyber bullying, trolling, flaming, outing or masquerading. Harassment can happen in one-to-one texts, emails or private messages, or more openly on social media platforms where a nasty post or photo designed to hurt or embarrass someone is shared.

This all means that it is important to take extra care of yourself and your information online, and at the same time be careful that you don’t unwittingly cause hurt to someone online either.

The social media platform instructed its users to keep good friends while checking the friends list regularly to make sure users are comfortable with their friends looking at their personal content.

As your friends list grows, check your privacy settings often to make sure the information you are keeping private and public still feels right good to you. Here are some steps you can take to share mindfully, Facebook said in its press note available on this (https://www.facebook.com/safety/youth/facebook-basics/safety)

Accept friend requests from people you know carefully check-out anyone else who knocks at your door and unfriend anyone who has worn out their welcome, it further added.

Some information are important to hide, like your address or the exact location when you’re doing something fun, and the same goes for private information. The same applies to information about your friends too.

Facebook strongly forbade its users to share the password with anyone. Not your friends, not the person you're dating or your BBF. It is never, ever worth it. Always remember that Facebook will never ask for your password through a message or email!

The social media platform suggested its users to take a break from social media if it’s getting too much.

It further suggested that to review the post before posting on Facebook whether it may hurt someone feelings and reputation.

Facebook also advised its customers for making the mistakes fixed through apologizing with friends whom sentiments are hurts by comments.

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Join the Infinix festivities and get the exclusive chance to win exciting prizes including a trip to Baku Azerbaijan!

Join the Infinix festivities and get the exclusive chance to win exciting prizes including a trip to Baku Azerbaijan!

Following it's release, the Infinix S4 has gained overwhelming success as the hottest selfie smartphone of 2019. As the phone with one of the best front cameras ever, the S4 has caught the attention of young photographers and social media enthusiasts.

In light of this Infinix is holding exciting activities in mobile hubs in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi. These activities will take place from the 29th July to 3rd August and will enable users to participate in games, lucky draws and will give people the chance to take magical pictures in the first of it's kind spectacular "Anti-Gravity" shop. People may visit the shop and take pictures. The pictures taken can be shared on social media such as Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #InfinixS4 and #InfinixReverseShop to win small prizes! Alongside all the prizes and games, there will be music and exhilarating dance performances for the entertainment of the customers with refreshments as well.

In Lahore, the Infinix activities are set to take place in Hafeez Center, in Rawalpindi it will take place at Akhter Plaza while in Karachi the event shall take place at Serena Mall, Karachi. 

Most excitingly though, people will have the chance to get their hands on their own Infinx S4. With such a sleek design, immense storage capacity and a crystal clear camera, the S4 is irresistible and a must have for a rising star. At such a low price of just Rs 22,999, the S4 has a lot to offer. The smartphone offers brilliant technology at an affordable rate. 

One of the many astonishing features of the S4 is the powerful 32MP front-facing selfie camera. The selfie camera features AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AR stickers (Augmented Reality stickers) as well. The phone is packed with a robust 4000mAh battery as well, lasting longer than most smartphones on one charge. The S4 comes in eye-catching dynamic colours with a royal glass-finish. The S4 has a “Triple Camera”, consisting of a 13MP, 8MP and 2MP camera combined. This gives the camera a greater depth of field, vivid colours along with various modes like Portrait Mode and Night Photography or Night Portrait mode. The phone has a 6.2 inches screen, which is averagely well-sized for most users.

The S4 comes with the latest Android Software, the Android 9.0 or Pie. The smartphone has a dual-sim feature, which means the user shall be able to run two cellular networks at once. The phone has the option of running 4G LTE, the fastest data speed. The Infinix S4 has a 2.0 GHz Octa-Core Cortex-A53 CPU, allowing the phone to run as smoothly as possible. Along with the CPU, the phone has a PowerVR GE8320 GPU, enhancing the graphics of the games you play on your phone. The S4 also comes with a 64GB built-in storage, packed with a 4GB RAM. However, this does not limit the user as there is the option of expanding your storage as well, up to 256GB using an SD Card. Given such stunning specifications at such a low price, the smartphone was bound to stand out from the rest.

In celebration of the breakthrough technology of the S4, Infinix will has announced exciting giveaways. Every customer who will purchase the S4 will be eligible to compete for a draw to win a trip to Baku, the largest city of Azerbaijan! Not only this, customers may even get the chance to win more S4 and S3 smartphones via lucky draws. People who buy older models released by Infinix may also be able to win amazing gifts by playing exciting games at the aforementioned locations.

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Careem partners with NBK to facilitate customer payment collections in Kuwait

Careem partners with NBK to facilitate customer payment collections in Kuwait

Careem and NBK (National Bank of Kuwait)  yesterday announced a new partnership that will see NBK manage the collection of Careem customer payments.

Careem is the leading technology platform for the greater Middle East and has been operating its ride hailing service with taxis in Kuwait since 2017 and is the largest player in the market. Careem has changed the way people move around their cities, providing a safe, reliable service with transparent pricing.

Today many Kuwaitis will choose to leave their car at home or at the office, and use the Careem app to ride throughout the day - decreasing the number of cars on the road and saving people time. The Careem platform has also benefited the taxi industry by making driver time more efficient - reducing their downtime and fuel costs by optimising where they spend their day to best match customer demand.

The partnership will facilitate the backend collection of Careem customer payments though NBK.

'Through our new partnership with NBK, Careem customer payments will now be collected via NBK. We are delighted to join forces in Kuwait with such an established institution as NBK and look forward to rolling out further, exciting developments together in the future said Khaled Nuseibeh, General Manager of Careem, GCC countries.

'We are pleased to announce our latest partnership with Careem as part of our commitment to providing the best online payment solutions and at the highest standards of safety that enable customers to complete their transactions electronically and increase non-cash payment said Mohammad Al Othman, NBK General Manager Consumer Banking Group.

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Golen Gol Chitral flood destruction - Golen Valley residents seek restoration of irrigation system, gave 3 day days deadline to authorities

Golen Gol Chitral flood destruction - Golen Valley residents seek restoration of irrigation system, gave 3 day days deadline to authorities 

CHITRAL: Setting a three-day deadline to the provincial government, the residents of Golen valley said they would take to the streets if the government did not restore the irrigation system in Mori Payan.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, councillor Rehmat Wazir Khan, Muhammad Nabi Khan, Qadardan Shah, Rehmat Nadir, Gul Haider and others lamented that despite the lapse of 21 days the government had not yet restored the irrigation pipeline washed away in the recent flash floods in Mori Payan in Golen Valley.

They said the standing crops of maize and fruit orchards were also destroyed by the floods.

They said they were unable to irrigate the crops due to the broken water supply lines meant for irrigation purposes, adding they were also facing acute shortage of drinking water.

“The authorities of the Irrigation Department should repair the damaged pipeline,” Rehmat Wazir said.

He asked Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to direct the authorities concerned to restore the irrigation system in the valley at the earliest.

Lashing out at the lawmakers and representatives of local bodies, the residents said they had miserably failed to help the affectees, adding, “They should tender resignation and we don’t need their representation as they have failed to come to our rescue and help in this crisis.”

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NDRMF, AKF Ink Grant Implementation Agreement Worth Rs 834.606 Mln

NDRMF, AKF Ink Grant Implementation Agreement Worth Rs 834.606 Mln

National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) Wednesday signed Grant Implementation Agreement of Rs 834.606 million with a Joint Venture of Agha Khan Foundation (AKF) Pakistan and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 24th Jul, 2019 ) :National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) Wednesday signed Grant Implementation Agreement of Rs 834.606 million with a Joint Venture of Agha Khan Foundation (AKF) Pakistan and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS).

The agreement had been made by NDRMF for providing grant financing up to Rs 579.621 million for the project titled "Promoting Integrated Mountain Safety in Northern Pakistan (PIMSNP)", a press release said.

The currently agreed project with Agha Khan Foundation's total cost is Rs. 834.606 million, with NDRMF share of 70 per cent (amounting to Rs 579.621 mln) of total project cost and Agha Khan foundation share of 30 per cent (amounting to Rs 254.985 mln).

The duration of this project was 18 months in which various interventions would be carried out including Early Warning Systems (EWS), Physical infrastructure interventions (included flood protection walls, retrofitting of schools), Community mobilization for formation of community level disaster risk management committees at local / revenue village and union council levels and capacity building in Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) and Formation of Community Emergency Response Teams along with provision of emergency response tool kits. The proposed interventions were in line with National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) and National Flood Protection Plan (NFPP-IV).

The outcome of this project was to better protect and make resilient the communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of multiple hazards in northern areas of the country including Mansehra, Chitral, Gilgit, Skardu, Ghanche and Hunza.

NDRMF has made significant progress for grant financing to Fund Implementing Partners (FIPs) for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects.

NDRMF was committed to make Pakistan resilient while ensuring involvement and ownership of local communities in its Disaster Risk Management (DRM) interventions along with building their capacity in an institutionalized manner.

General Manager Program and Operation Group NDRMF, Khurram Khaliq Khan and Director, Rural Development, Civil Society and Habitat, Irshad Khan Abbasi signed the contract designed to better protect and enhance resilience of communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of multiple natural hazards.

Moreover, prior to this NDRMF has also signed agreement with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP).

All the projects have been selected through a merit based and transparent process in accordance with pre-set criteria, promoting gender equality, inclusiveness and environmental and social safeguards. NDRMF have also set in place a strong monitoring framework to ensure that all of the funded projects were implemented in an effective and transparent manner, thus reducing disaster risks and protecting the local population from disasters.

Pursuant to its mandate, 19 entities have been accredited during the first phase, including International and National NGOs and UN Agencies. Projects worth total value of USD 20.56 million from diverse public and non-public sector agencies have been approved by the BoD with NDRMF contribution of up to 70 per cent to the total projects cost.

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Ban or Not to Ban New policy soon to regulate social media

New policy soon to regulate social media

Blocking websites containing blasphemous content not easy. PTA has received 8,500 complaints about blasphemous content and some local websites had been blocked while those administered from other countries had been informed in this connection

ISLAMABAD   -    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman on Friday told the Senate Special Committee that the government was going to introduce a new policy to regulate social media in the country.

READ MORE: Pak, US share common goal of lasting peace in Afghanistan: FM Qureshi

PTA Chairman Major General (r) Amir Azeem Bajwa asked the government either to increase technical capabilities of the Authority or block social media websites in the country in order to stop the dissemination of blasphemous content online.

Briefing the Senate Special Committee on purported grievances of some sections of the society, he said that the government had instructed the PTA to frame new rules for regulating the social media . “The Authority will soon submit draft of the proposals to the government for its approval,” he added.

Bajwa told the committee that met with Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif in the chair that blocking of websites having blasphemous content was not an easy job. “The blasphemous content is being disseminated online through fake names and proxies,” he said, and added that such websites were now spotted on the dark web in Pakistan and it was not easy to control these. “The blocked websites are opened through proxies on the dark web,” he informed.

PTA chief said that local solution to the problem was necessary as most of such websites were being operated from other countries. He suggested Pakistan should develop a local version of social networking sites on the pattern of China.

“The government should either formulate a policy to block social media websites in the country like China and the United Arab Emirates or increase PTA’s technical capabilities,” he demanded.

He went on to say that the government should sign treaties with other countries so that access to blasphemous content found on social media could be blocked in Pakistan.

Senator Saif proposed that PTA should choke revenues of the social media websites containing blasphemous content as these earned huge money from Pakistan.

PTA chief, in his briefing, said that PTA had set up a cell to monitor websites and it had blocked more than 39,000 URLs since 2010. “We have also run campaigns in order to inform people that sharing blasphemous content was a crime,” he told the Senate body.

“PTA has received 8,500 complaints about blasphemous content on the internet,” Bajwa said, and added that some local websites had been blocked while those administered from other countries had been informed in this connection.

He also said that international media reports that Pakistan topped the list of countries where child pornography was common were misleading.

“There is child pornography in Pakistan, but Pakistan is not at the top,” he said, and added that the Authority had blocked 850,000 websites containing pornographic content.

Barrister Saif said that the rules relating to the blasphemous content should not be religion specific. He asked PTA to prepare and review existing laws for a more effective crackdown on blasphemous content online. “PTA, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other government agencies are responsible for taking action against those people who are involved in the publication of blasphemous content in order to create anarchy in the society,” he stressed.

The FIA DG told the committee that the Agency had registered 19 cases of disseminating blasphemous content online, out of which 15 were registered in Punjab and four in Islamabad and arrests were also made in these cases. “As many as 12 other complaints are under investigation,” he informed.

He further said that that FIA had received 32,000 complaints in the past three years and its cyber wing had only 15 experts to investigate these cases. He pointed out that the wing was understaffed. 

The committee stressed the need for a proper legislation to block publication of blasphemous content online and to hold accountable those who are behind this act.

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Four in every 10 Punjab children under five are stunted: Survey

Four in every 10 Punjab children under five are stunted: Survey

                 

LAHORE: Nearly four in every 10 children under five years of age are stunted and that the number of underweight adolescent boys is double than girls in Punjab, reveals a report of the National Nutrition Survey 2018-19 launched here on Friday.

The survey reports also shows that nearly two out of every 10 children under hve years of age also suffer from wasting, a form of malnutrition that puts the affected children at high risk of dying. At least 23.5 per cent of children under five were found to be underweight while 9.9 per cent were overweight in the province.

It reveals that one in eight adolescent girls and nearly two in eight adolescent boys are underweight,while approximately 41 per cent of the adolescent girls are anaemic.

The findings of the survey were shared by Prof Dr Zulfiqar A.

Bhutta of the Aga Khan University, while provincial ministers Dr Yasmin Rashid and Murad Raas, P&D Board Chairman Habibur Rahman Gilani, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Zahid Akhtar Zaman Secretary, Chief of Nutrition Unicef Pakistan Dr Eric Alain Ategbo and others were also present.

The sharing of findings is aimed at initiating dialogue with regards to a provincial policy development around malnutrition and to reiterate Punjab`s government commitment towards making nutrition a priority, said Mr Gilani.

The supposedly largest-ever nutrition survey in the history of the country inclusive of provincialand district level data, it provides robust evidence for programming to scale up nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific interventions with a high level of development and progress.

The survey assesses nutrition status of 40,452 households across Punjab. Children under five, adolescent girls and women of child bearing age are the primary focus while collecting the data on nutrition indicators along with data on access to water and its quality, hygiene and sanitation, food security and disability among children.

It says that children living in rural areas suf fer more from under nutrition (stunting and wasting) thantheirpeersinurbanareas.

The prevalence of stunting improved f rom 1965 (48pc) to 1994 (36.3pc) but deteriorated from 2001 (41.6pc) to 2011 (43.7pc). In2018 it remains at global critical level, 40.2pc.

Since 1997, the prevalence of wasting or low weight for height among young children in on the rise, f rom 8.6pc in 1997 to 25.1pc in 2011 and 17.7pc in 2018, the highest ever rate in the country.

The survey was conducted by the Aga Khan University in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Services Regulation and Coordination with the support of Unicef Pakistan and Department for International Development.

Dr Yasmin said that preventing and reducing malnutrition saves lives, reduces illness, enables children to learn and helps individuals and countries escape from poverty and maximize their potential.

She said eliminating malnutrition remains a top priority agenda of the current government.

Source Dawn

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Faulty design caused Damage to Golen Gol Power Station Bridges

Damage to Golen power station, bridges blamed on faulty design

CHITRAL: The glacial lake outburst flood (Glof), which struck the Golen valley on the evening of July 7, has damaged the headworks of the 108MW Golen hydropower station, leading to its shutdown, thus exposing the technical fault and lack of proper planning by Wapda.

Five suspension bridges constructed by Wapda over the streams were also washed away along with a six-kilometre-long road, disconnecting the valley from rest of the district for four days.

The RCC bridges and the road were constructed three years ago as part of the hydropower project whose water channel has its headworks right in the middle of the valley.

The residents said Wapda engineers and planners utterly neglected the specific geographical features of the valley and their advices were always turned down whenever they wanted to share their experience with them.

Abdul Wali Khan Advocate, a former member of district council from the area, said destruction of roads and bridges coupled with the headworks of the power channel due to Glof showed design was faulty.

He said Wapda did not carry out study of the physical features of the valley which had large volumes of glacier in its highland with eight glacial lakes which had been declared sensitive by the environmentalists long ago.

“It was mega project of Rs15 billion whose feasibility study should have considered all the facts of the area’s topography,” he said.

Wali Khan said the locals had time and again expressed their reservations regarding the design and alignment of the road and the position of the headworks of the power house on the basis of their local knowledge but the arrogant engineers turned them down,” he said.

Hajeebullah Khan, an octogenarian of Bubaka village of the valley, said during his lifespan, he had witnessed three Glofs, including the recent one, which spelled more disaster to the agricultural lands, homes and fruit orchards than the earlier two because this time the low-lying bridges diverted the floodwater to the villages.

Rafiq Ahmed, a civil engineer working with an international organisation, said the spanning of all the bridges was too short to withstand the abnormal floods as it was evident that the abutment of all the five bridges had been washed away while the superstructure and decks remained intact.

He said the positioning of the headworks of the power channel was also defective due to its proximity to the stream and the designers had consigned to oblivion the hard fact that Glof would pass through the stream anytime.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2019

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Vivo S1: An Almost Perfect Mid-Ranger is Now Available in Pakistan

Vivo S1: An Almost Perfect Mid-Ranger is Now Available in Pakistan

Vivo has officially launched its newest product, the Vivo S1 for the Pakistan market. The first smartphone of the S-Series that carries the tagline “32MP AI Selfie, Capture Your Style” which resonates with Vivo’s young consumers who are energetic, stylish, and always keep up with the latest trends.

Vivo S1 comes with a range of excellent features such as; In-Display Fingerprint Scanner, Super AMOLED Halo FullView™ Display, 32MP AI Selfie Camera, AI Triple Rear Camera and a stylish design with a choice of Diamond Black and Skyline Blue colors.

A special Vivo S1 launch event was held in Lahore, where media from tech & fashion segment was invited to get the first hands-on experience of this new series.

“Vivo as a consumer-based technology brand wants to meet the changing demands of Pakistani smartphone users. Vivo’s internal research shows a growing segmentation of young users who want a stylish smartphone bundled with features that suit their lifestyle. This is what we want to fulfill through the S-Series” said Eric Kong, the CEO for Vivo Pakistan.

Super AMOLED Halo FullView™ Display:

S1 features Halo FullView™ Display with a high screen-to-body ratio. Its perfect symmetry provides a fantastic visual effect. A 16.20cm (6.38 inch) Super AMOLED Display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and the screen-to-body ratio of 89.98% allow you to enjoy a full view without boundaries.

Always On Display:

With the self-illuminating Super AMOLED display, S1 supports Always On Display at a low power consumption. You can glance at your phone whenever you like to check the time or view alerts. Plus, customize this feature’s theme to add charisma to your phone and let your personal style stand out.

In-Display Fingerprint Scanning:

Since launching its In-Display Fingerprint Scanning technology, Vivo has been leading the industry in bringing a better unlocking experience for its consumers. With just a single touch on your S1 display, the screen can be unlocked swiftly. A variety of animation effects are also available, which makes unlocking the phone easy and fun.

Trendsetting Design:

With further breakthrough in the design and craftsmanship, S1 adopts a diamond pattern design and seamless transition from blue to purple. Surrounded by black, the gleaming diamond pattern just resembles all the shining stars in the night sky.

32MP Front Camera, Capture A beautiful You:

S1 features an industry-leading 32MP front camera. The 32MP resolution allows you to take selfies with high clarity and precise details. It also comes with multiple selfie modes, such as AI Face Beauty, lighting, AR Stickers, AI Filter, etc., which makes selfie-taking experience enjoyable and fun.

AI Triple Camera with Wide-Angle:

Featuring the Sony IMX499 Camera Sensor, S1 allows you to shoot with enhanced accuracy and precision. AI Portrait Framing helps you in better composition to achieve a perfect ratio, and brings you more fun in every snapshot of your life moments.

AI Super Wide-Angle Camera expands your view to 120°, so you can capture more landscape, more of your friends and a more beautiful world. In group photos, you can switch to Super Wide-Angle mode for a wider range.

Powerful Performance:

Vivo S1 runs on an octa-core Helio P65 processor with a 12nm design and clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz. S1 is also equipped with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM to boost the fast and smooth performance of multiple apps and mobile games. The phone runs on the latest version of Android with Funtouch OS 9 on top of it, that enhances the functionality of Android.

Vivo’s AI has made another leap forward, with a more powerful Jovi that understands your needs better than ever. Besides the dedicated Smart Button and Jovi Image Recognizer, S1 also features a more intuitive version of Google Assistant, specifically customized for Vivo.

Ultra Game Mode is designed for the ultimate gaming fun. The newly-added Game Countdown floating window could remind you the remaining time before the game starts, so that you can do more things while waiting. And when it comes to speed, by increasing smooth gameplay and reducing frame-drop by 300%, Multi-Turbo is the lightning-fast feature gamers need.

Long-lasting Battery:

S1 is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which comes with Vivo’s own 18W Dual-Engine Fast Charging technology. Leave your power bank at home and focus on making the most of your day.

Availability and Pricing:

The Vivo S1 is already up for pre-orders since July 20th, 2019 — customers who pre-ordered will get special Vivo merchandise with their phone and will be the first ones to own this sleek and stylish device.

The official sales of Vivo S1 will begin from today i.e 26th July 2019 and customers will be able to purchase this phone for the recommended retail price of Rs. 49,999 with one-year official warranty — duly approved by Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.

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