Two people, a man and a woman, have been arrested for trying to break into a mosque in Scarborough, Toronto, in Canada. The custodian was able to stop them but they kept threatening to set off an explosive. Canadian Police got there in time and arrested the individuals. They have further stated that they did not recover any weapons or explosives.
Once again, the authorities have attempted to shield the terrorists by saying their actions do not seem to have stemmed from hate.
Will they claim that this too was no terrorist attack?
Image Source: alahednews
Attack on Muslim Family in Canada
This month saw a family killed in a hate crime against Muslims in Canada. A 9-year old boy was the sole survivor of the family. This led to quite an uproar amongst the Muslim community around the globe and especially in Pakistan.
Canada tried to hush it off by saying that the arrested man did not have any links to hate groups. Through this, Canada sheltered itself by dissociating the crime from Islamophobia. But they need to understand that this was a terrorist attack, because if one whole Muslim family or if a Muslim place of worship is attached, it is a statement that their Islamophobic citizens are making.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates!
If you are an Apple lover and own most of the devices from Apple, then a home-pod is a must-have for you. It is one of the best-sounding wireless intelligent speakers available, and you can control it by voice using Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri.
However, there are multiple things that you might not know about a home pod. For instance, it is better to buy a home pod only if you’re an iPhone owner and a subscriber to Apple Music (or are willing to be). Likewise, let’s take a look at all the things you need to know about this cool gadget.
1. Power Efficient
A home pod is very power efficient. Even though it is plugged in most of the time, it utilizes minimum energy. The amount of energy it consumes while playing music is less than what a standard LED light bulb uses.
2. Earshot Range
The AI device can navigate when your iPhone is within earshot. This means even though your pod is switched on, it will only respond to your query on your phone after it detects that the phone is in your range.
Image source: https://www.macworld.com/
3. Voice Distinguisher
Even though Apple identifies specific waveforms to recognize your voice so that it can keep other people from accidentally summoning Siri, however, hope pod can’t do the same. Anyone in the house can have access to the home pod by just saying Hey Siri and getting whatever news they want.
4. Home Pod Can Make Calls or Messages
You can instruct Siri to make calls, dictate messages, and read your inbox aloud on the pod. And how would you do that? Similarly, how you ask Siri to run a message or make a call on your phone given that your phone is connected to the pod.
Image source: https://www.factmalta.com/
5. Find Music and Podcasts
Siri can help you find many music and podcasts, even if you sing one song lyric. You can also tell Siri to play music similar to the song that’s currently playing. With a home pod, your options for listening and navigating music are endless.
6. Privacy
You will be the only user is in control of the pod unless you buy a second one. According to Apple, the home pod only starts listening after you wake it up. Unlike Google Home or Amazon Echo, the conversations on the Home Pod are encrypted and will not be able to deliver personal information and notifications to anyone in the house.
Image source: https://www.howtogeek.com/
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
Karachi: 16th June, 2021 – The Global Green Finance Leadership Program (GFLP), recently held a webinar on green finance for the Central Asia region, attended by more than 300 participants from central banks, financial regulators, local banks, international organizations (IOs), and research institutions in the region. More than 30 experts from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, China and the UK were convened to share their insights on green investments, green taxonomies, environmental and social risk management, and biodiversity. The event was co-hosted by the Beijing Institute of Finance and Sustainability (BIFS), the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), and the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association (MSFA), with support from the UK PACT program.
This event was a timely response to the many carbon neutrality announcements that developing countries have made recently, such as those along the Belt and Road, like Kazakhstan. It is imperative to examine their current capacity and future needs for achieving these goals. As a network for knowledge sharing and capacity building in green finance, the GFLP looked into this issue and launched the report, Paving the Way for Green Finance Development in Central Asia, which assessed the baseline of green finance progress in the region and developed recommendations for multiple stakeholders to scale-up green investments, including local governments and IOs. The report estimates that significant amounts of green finance and capacity building will be needed to achieve carbon neutrality goals in Central Asia, where economies rely significantly on fossil fuel-related activities and therefore need deep and rapid energy transitions.
Jenny McInnes, Deputy Director of International Climate Finance, UK BEIS said in her opening remarks that, “UK PACT works in partnership with countries to accelerate the global climate transition. We need to raise the ambition and ability of all countries ahead of COP 26”.
Jenny McInnes, Deputy Director, International Climate Finance, BEIS
In parallel to major announcements on carbon neutrality, major banks and financial institutions operating in the Belt and Road region have signed up to the Green Investment Principles (GIP) for the Belt and Road to improve their capacity for environmental risk management and look for green investment opportunities. During this event, the GIP launched its first regional chapter, chaired by Mr. Yaseen Anwar, the former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and hosted by AIFC Green Finance Center. The main aim of this regional chapter is to enhance engagement with local stakeholders, identify prospective GIP members and collect green projects to be shared among existing members as potential investments.
Dr Ma Jun, President of the BIFS and Chairman of China Green Finance Committee, stated, “the greening of the global economy requires the greening of every single administration, including the involvement of local institutions of emerging market economies. That gives us our motivation for the launching of this regional chapter”.
Ma Jun, Chairman of China Green Finance Committee
“The core function of the chapter is to develop GIP knowledge and activities, build capacity for green and sustainable investment, as well as solve practical problems faced by investors and corporates who wish to make more green investments.” Mr. Yaseen Anwar, Chairman of GIP Central Asia.
Yaseen Anwar, Chairman of GIP Central Asia
Experts from investment institutions in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the UK shared cases of green investments, specifically promoting green investment with energy transition and infrastructure development. Sima Kamil, Deputy Governor of the SBP emphasized that extensive financial resources would be needed to accelerate sustainability development and that they just launched a national program on environmental and social risk management.
Speakers under the green taxonomies session introduced different major green taxonomies in the world, where Sean Kidney, CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, shared the global trends of green taxonomy development. Ms. Raux from UNEP FI presented the results of their internal test application of EU taxonomy and walked through how a taxonomy-aligned loan would be like. Experts from Mongolia and Kazakhstan also introduced their respective green taxonomies and implementation in their domestic markets.
As more and more banks have been aware of the role of Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM), Ms. Chuluunkhuu Baartar from Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia explained the bank’s E&S risk assessment process and its integration in the banking system. Ms. Yuan Wei from IFC shared their approach for risk assessment — an ESMS pyramid which emphasized the role of top-down behavioural change from the management, and training and capacity building among the employees, as well as ESG policy and procedures as benchmarks. Bankers from the Development Bank of Kazakhstan assessed the opportunity and risk of renewable energy in the country and their impacts on renewable energy projects.
The topic on the connection between biodiversity and the financial sector has been quite new. Experts from UNEP FI and WWF emphasized the importance of biodiversity and the accelerating crisis in nature by pointing out that the global living planet index reduced 68% from 1970 to 2016. Although biodiversity loss might cause finical risks, as presented by Nick Robins of the London School of Economics and Political Science and the NGFS from the perspective of central banking and financial regulation, nature and biodiversity protection would also create great financial opportunities, e.g. nature-related debt, bonds & funds and other instruments were already found in the market. BIOFIN expert Ainura Shalakhanova from UNDP Kazakhstan argued that financial support for biodiversity in Kazakhstan faced around 50% gap and the solutions for the gap could include ecotourism certification, carbon offsets, etc. (GFLP)
Generation, a clothing brand based in Pakistan, came under fire for posting an irresponsible picture in their Instagram story. The story was offensive to the Hindu community but thankfully, it was not just the Hindus but also, Muslims, speaking against this act.
Let’s see what the story was, first!
Generation took to their Instagram stories a photo that showed a wall with a poster taped on; they found it funny. The poster featured a meme but that meme was based on a Hindu belief, one of their gods. According to Hinduism, one of their goddesses has multiple hands. The one who created this meme, and the brand that reshared it weirdly found it funny. Knowing that if it was an attack on their religion, they wouldn’t tolerate it, it is sad that they felt someone else’s religion could be insulted.
Netizens school Generation
Offended, a number of people expressed their irritation at the ignorance. They couldn’t believe that a brand that portrays itself as socially aware, could do such a thing.
Image Source: FacebookImage Source: Facebook
Netizens also expressed discomfort on the idea that there is no blasphemy law when it comes to religions other than Islam.
Image Source: FacebookImage Source: Facebook
Anyway, after much schooling, just like any other brand would do to avoid conflict, Generation issued the apology. But it was still beyond the netizens’ grasp how could one even do this, regardless of whether the apology was made or not.
Image Source: Instagram
In Pakistan, we are quick to pass extreme fatwas and judgments against even alleged blasphemy cases when it comes to Islam. However, we do not exercise the same honesty when it comes to blasphemy against other religions. It hasn’t been that long when Jannat Mirza, the TikTok star had offended the Christian community. And now, a popular brand has offended the Hindu community.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates!
KARACHI, 14th June, 2021 – Bagallery announces its 4th year in the e-commerce industry with a mega Anniversary Party that has taken the internet by storm. The campaign will last for 5 days, starting from 26th– 30th June with more than 750+ brands on offer, featuring beauty, lifestyle & fashion products in this mega campaign with jaw-dropping discounts up to 80% off!
The #1 beauty, fashion e-commerce store in Pakistan is also partnering up with the industry’s leading names such as Unilever has announced its platinum partnership for the campaign, as well as L’Oreal who are on board as gold partners. Those customers who shop through HBL or Bank Alfalah can also obtain an additional 10% off through an exclusive payment partnership. Moreover, a virtual activity will take place called “#SpotthePartyBox” in collaboration with Maybelline New York, where participants can win big prizes! Lastly, Bagallery will collaborate with Teeli Productions for a web series exploring the various nuances of online shopping.
The leading online fashion store of Pakistan has a lot in stores for its customers. Firstly, the #partyonlinechallenge sees passionate beauty fans who showcase their creativity and get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win an iPhone 12! Secondly, Bagallery has created its own jingle for the campaign, and will allow it for public use for people to make humorous videos out of them. Lastly, Bagallery will release exclusive video content with the top fashion and makeup influencers with the likes of Mehak Raheel, Hunaina Rasool & Saman.
Islamabad June 16th, 2020: Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan and PepsiCo Pakistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer the largest internship program in the country. Through the MoU, PepsiCo and its bottling partners will offer 1000 internships for students from across the country through a virtual internship program. The internship program will prepare students for their professional careers by giving them the experience of working in a business environment.
PepsiCo’s ambition of rolling out a large-scale initiative for youth has been made possible through leveraging its ‘Roshan Kal’ platform. PepsiCo Roshan Kal is a youth platform that develops the professional skills of students through internships and skills development programs. Roshan Kal has created over 5300 opportunities for youth through its internship program and its professional skills development program that is run in collaboration with Amal Academy. Present at the occasion Mr. Furqan Ahmed Syed, CEO PepsiCo Pakistan and Afghanistan commented ‘Creating opportunities for the Pakistani youth is a government priority and part of PepsiCo’s DNA. I believe this synergy between Kamyab Jawan and Roshan Kal has created an opportunity to develop the skills of our youth at an unprecedented scale.’
The Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan program is rooted in the principles of education, employment and engagement for the youth of Pakistan. The program operates a number of schemes for youth. These include internships, loans for entrepreneurship, skills development, volunteering programs and supporting talented youth in fast-tracking their ideas through a ‘start up’ program. Mr. Usman Dar, The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs was present at the MoU signing ceremony. He commented ‘our best hope for a new and changed Pakistan is supporting economically productive, politically responsible socially integrated youth who espouse the values of merit, equity, volunteerism, inclusivity and tolerance. This partnership is yet another step taken for a brighter future of the country. I thank PepsiCo for joining us in this important journey.
Basic t-shirts are the best wardrobe staple to stock up on. However, once you have invested well in them, here’s how to keep reinventing them in small ways. The best part? It costs nothing to do so!
1. Give It A Sleeveless Look
If you’re tired of wearing it like a T-shirt, there are many hacks that can help you give a sleeveless look. Wriggle up two elastic bands, one on each arm, and tie them to the sleeve. Then fold your sleeve up to the underarm and voila!
2. Add A Knot
Adding a knot to the shirt can also elevate it and give that distinct look you’re craving sometimes. The knot can either be in the middle or more towards the side, both look just as fantastic.
Image Source: Pinterest
3. Wear A Corset on Top
Corsets are back in fashion and your t-shirt can help you style them. Wear a corset on top of your t-shirt and pair it with simple jeans or pants and you’ll have a new, unique outfit.
Image Source: Namshi
4. Add A Sundress To It
Wearing dresses in Pakistan can be difficult for obvious reasons. But if you have a sundress you really love and want to wear, add it on top of a t-shirt. It’s the new fashion and every bit convenient and breezy for this weather.
5. Wear It With A Skirt
A skirt and a t-shirt are some of the best combos in our opinion. The skirt adds some drama and flair to the outfit while the t-shirt keeps it humble and casual.
Go heavy on the jewellery. The best part about a t-shirt is how plain it is. It’s a blank canvas and you should have a field day on it. Silver jewellery is super trendy nowadays, if you have some of it, go crazy!
Image Source: Pinterest
7. Under A Blazer
A t-shirt and a blazer combo are also some of the most powerful ones. The t-shirt helps you balance the power of the blazer with a little under-stated attitude. It’s perfect for meetings or a presentation.
Image Source: Pinterest
8. Go Neutral or Bold
T-shirts can also be styled in two extreme ways. Either you can make a neutral outfit with them by pairing them with jeans or neutral pants or you can opt for bold colours. Pair with pants in jewel tones for an equally stunning outfit.
9. Saree Blouse
Image Source: Twitter
Last but not the least, t-shirts can be the best saree blouses. Go for a fusion look that will turn heads while you remain comfortable.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
Hira Mani set out to just take some selfies to showcase a wide range of moods. However, netizens only have one mood when it comes to those selfies: anger.
The Moody Series
Hira Mani set out to break Instagram and public persona norms. She was mocking how in all shoots and pictures, the photographers are shouting to make a particular kind of face. She’s tired of that!
She meant to teach her followers that Instagram is not a reality. The posed, sophisticated and good-expressioned pictures one sees, are not real. They’re curated! Since she believes in ‘originality’, she set out to take some strange and emotive pictures. To be herself truly.
However, we wish the netizens liked what Hira Mani was showing. On her original post and even the fan-made collage, their thousands and thousands of negative comments. People are saying bursting at the brim with negative comments about her face, her as a person and the post.
Image Source: InstagramImage Source: Instagram
So much so that this person just admitted their hate has no cause but still remains.
Image Source: Instagram
How Can A Selfie Be That Bad?
It was a plain set of selfies. Hira Mani simply photographed herself, as she was, without any filters or posing etc. What is all that bad in doing so? Under no circumstances can this much hate on selfies be justified.
Pakistanis, it appears, are always sitting with their guns loaded. It takes a millisecond for a celebrity to make a post and in that same millisecond the barrage of hateful comments comes through.
Image Source: Pinterest
What Goes Around Comes Around
This is a sad state of affairs. Celebrities are also humans at the end of the day. We bet none of the people who sent negative comments themselves would ever be able to handle this much hate. Celebrities get thousands of hate comments in a single minute— how is that acceptable?
Moreover, said people who mindlessly hate, also encourage the growing toxicity and negativity in their own selves. It continues to build and they add to the environment around them, making it darker and tenser. Who is to say tomorrow this won’t work against their own self? One’s mind needs to be calm, clean and positive for one to live a good life!
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a significant uproar in media and marketing by making a small gesture. At Portugal’s Euro 2020 group-stage clash against Hungary, he removed the Coca-Cola bottles, which were placed in front of him on the table. He then takes a water bottle on the table and shouts, “Agua! (Water)”.
Do NOT put Coca Cola in front of Cristiano Ronaldo 😠
This small attempt of Ronaldo to encourage people to drink water instead of carbonated drinks has caused coca-cola to lose $4billion.
His gesture has had significant ramifications and a negative impact on Coca-Cola. With the brand suffering losses worth billions of dollars within a brief period following the press conference. However, Coca-Cola and UEFA, neither have released any statement regarding the issue. According to the reports, the brand will not be so happy with the bit of gesture.
However, one of the official sponsors of Euro 2020 replied on Tuesday with a statement that said “everyone is entitled to their drink preferences” with different “tastes and needs.”
Marca reports that Coca-Cola went from being worth $242 billion to $238 billion – a “brutal 1.6% drop” for the company on the stock market.
The company’s shares were close to $56.10 at 3 pm when the stock market opened in Europe. However, it nose-dived to $55.22 per share within just 30 minutes after the Portuguese legend’s press conference.
Ronaldo Stance On The Sugary Drinks
Ronaldo’s dislike for sugary soft drinks is no secret to the world. However, this does not surprise, since the 36-year-old is one of the fittest athletes in the world.
According to the sources, he doesn’t like his eldest son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr consuming such products.
Image source: https://sport360.com/
“I’m hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I’m annoyed with him,” Ronaldo says.
“I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything. He knows I don’t like it.”
Stay tuned to brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
As a Pakistani girl, you would agree that it is quite easy for you to get harassed. Hence, you have to be extra careful when out in the public. While this shouldn’t be the case but we are a society where victim-blaming is rampant. Hence, girls are careful, and yet, they still get harassed.
One such incident happened two days ago in Lahore. A woman who was not even alone hut with her toddler had to go through a traumatic incident. However, instead of hushing it down, she took it to social media in an attempt of exposing her stalker/harasser.
Harassing incident – Packages Mall
According to the tweet, the incident happened in Packages Mall on 14th June. A man started following him from the mall to the parking outside. He kept asking for her number and telling her to sit in his car. She quickly made her way to her own car. There, she put her toddler on the seat, placed the shopping bags in the car, and drank some water. Recovering from the shock, she started making the video of the man, who quickly started hiding his face. At first, he tried doing so with his hand, and then put the window shades up.
this scene is from packages mall parking today 14 june this man was following us (me n my toddler) asking me to sit in his car hewas asking for number i settled down in my car pani pia chezain rakhi relax ho k i started making his video aur ye hain brave man #PunjabPolicepic.twitter.com/qqIUWws8xE
The tweet went viral with 2.5k retweets, 5.2k likes, and more than 600 comments. Within a day, people started commenting in her support. Especially since our society teaches us to be scared, this was a brave moment. Instead of hiding in her car scared about how the man could react, she first took her child to safety and then started making a video.
And if not that, they were found sharing their own experience regarding harassment. The Twitter user said that she had come across a harasser on the streets. She started taking pictures upon which he quickly ran off.
— Ergo Peter Parker Bewaja (@RstyClinomaniac) June 15, 2021
Whoever you are sir(s), first of all, shame on you, and not because ghar pe maa behen nahi but because of lacking basic humanity. It is because of these incidents, girls feel scared about existing in the public sphere. Secondly, hopefully, your entire social circle will recognize your car because the license plate number is very clear in the video.
AFH-298
So, my dear citizens of Lahore, be on the lookout for this car. And if you find it amongst your acquaintance, if nothing else, make sure to give them a judgemental look and then shut them out of your lives.
Officials respond
IG Punjab, Inam Ghani also came across the viral tweet. He responded with words of reassurance.
He said:
“I will ensure that prompt action is taken. It is our responsibility to protect our sisters and we will continue being vigilant for their security at all times.”
I will ensure that prompt action is taken. It is our responsibility to protect our sisters and we will continue being vigilant for their security at all times.
— Inam Ghani QPM & Bar, PSP (@InamGhani) June 15, 2021
Hopefully, the harasser will be made an example of. As a result, potential harassers will think twice before committing such actions.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates!
It’s official! Xulfi will be taking over Coke Studio and the Internet is buzzing with opinions.
About Xulfi
Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan is a songwriter, guitarist, and music producer. He’s also known as Xulfi, think of it as a stage name! He is all set to take over Coke Studio productions from this year.
Image Source: Hamnawa
Xulfi is also someone in the music industry who has proved himself. He has had the pleasure of producing some absolute gems starting from Vital Signs. Moving beyond, his biggest achievements include the ever famous Nescafe Basement and Battle of the Bands.
Where’s The Confirmation?
When the official account of Coke Studio tagged Xulfi and said “Shuru Karain” people were all too confused. Xulfi even replied to that tweet with a smiley face but even that gives nothing away.
It all started to make sense when Xulfi himself announced this on his Instagram with his post. He will officially be joining Coke Studio season 14 in the lead position. Everyone was shocked, excited, happy and much more.
The Vital Signs genius Rohail Hyatt was leading the production of the music franchise and has decided to step down this year.
Hyatt actually launched Coke Studio back in 2008 and continued to run it for six seasons. After that, he passed the baton to Strings who directed Coke Studio for season six till 10. Later, the 54-year-old Hyatt returned to the show in 2019, and only now is he resigning again.
Image Source: The Current
Hyatt is also one of the founding members of the legendary band Vital Signs of whom Junaid Jamshed was a vocalist.
What Do Netizens Think?
The reply section to the official tweet hinting at Xulfi’s take over is hilarious and heartwarming. Aside from Altaf Hussain’s memes, there are many congratulations and well-wishes for the new person in charge of Coke Studio.
People are anxiously waiting for amazing music now.
Exchange of Hands?
Hyatt also publicly mentioned that the esteemed musician Xulfi would be a trust replacement for the show.
This was concluded or rather hinted at in March 2021. This was when Hyatt stepped down as Coke Studio’s producer and a follower asked him who should produce the next season? Hyatt replied that it should be taken over by a person who is “excited” about it. Then he casually dropped Xulfi’s name as the best replacement.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
Omayr Waqar just spilt the tea on his Instagram and we’re all as shocked as ever.
The ‘Ask Me A Question’ Game
The famous and leading makeup artists put up a story asking his followers to send him questions. (This Instagram feature has been the source of way too many dramas).
Image Source: Instagram
Amidst the flood of questions was a benign one asking “Who’s the rudest celeb you’ve worked with”? However, the answer Omayr Waqar had to it blew people away.
Wait… Who?
It turns out Sana Javed is the rudest celebrity Omayr Waqar has worked with. Aside from spilling the tea like this, he also gave a very helpful tip to all his followers. “Don’t be fooled by what you see on screen”. That’s it, that’s the message!
Image Source: Instagram
Truth be told, Sana Javed looks like the nicest person from her Instagram. I mean, who could not be fooled by that smile? Her general Instagram persona is soft, gentle and charming. However, as Omayr Waqar also said, social media is not real. We’ve been fooled?
Image Source: Superstars Bio
So far, Sana Javed has said nothing about this. We’re sure by now these floating rumours have made their way to her. Whether she acknowledges this or not is something we’re waiting for!
The Nicest Ones
The makeup artist also spilled some beans about who the nicest people to work with were. His favourite fashion model to work with is Ayeza Khan because aside from being a total stunner, she’s also super nice.
Image Source: Instagram
Other than that, a fan also asked about celebrities who were down to earth. For that, Omayr Waqar had four names to take. His top picks include Ayeza Khan, Momal Sheikh, Saboor Aly, and Kubra Khan. All these ladies are hard-working, kind, and respectful according to Waqar.
Image Source: Instagram
Omayr Waqar also only had nice things to say about Mahira Khan and Ali Bhatt included. According to the MUA, Bhatt was extremely nice with no attitude, a humble celebrity indeed.
Image Source: Instagram
More Drama?
Omayr Waqar was also constantly being asked about not being invited to Minal Khan’s engagement ceremony. The two have been spotted at many parties together and looked like they had a great time. However, when it came down to invites, Omayr Waqar did not receive one. Here’s what he said about that:
Image Source: Instagram
All in all, this guy just spilled the beans on so many actresses and models that everyone is simply shocked. We can’t wait for the next ‘ask me a question’ round.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates.
Extending support to the governmental initiative of mass immunization while ensuring rider safety, foodpanda Pakistan has announced PKR 1 crore as cash incentives to compensate riders for the time spent in getting their COVID vaccine shots.
As the nation is successfully steering out of the third wave of coronavirus, mass immunization has turned out to be the only strategy to tackle the crisis. Pakistan’s largest delivery platform, foodpanda has announced PKR 1 Crore in cash incentives to the first batch of riders on the platform who are getting vaccinated. Riders can claim the cash incentive once they present a vaccination certificate at the rider hub.
The vaccination drive is the latest addition to foodpanda’s COVID-19 response in Pakistan. Since the early days of the pandemic, foodpanda has been providing financial assistance for up to 14 days to riders who are diagnosed with COVID-19. In addition to this, riders are also being provided medical insurance, increased incentives, and earnings support for the areas where services were halted due to lockdown.
To fight COVID-19, foodpanda also installed washbasins outside rider hubs, introduced Contactless Deliveries, conducted food donation drives at hospitals and installed disinfectant walkthrough gates outside various medical centers nationwide. Daily temperature checks at rider hubs have now become an integral part of a hero’s job, before starting his shift. Ever since the outbreak, foodpanda has dispatched hand sanitizers to their riders on-board and continues to actively distribute face masks and gloves to their heroes.
In collaboration with the district government, hygiene kits including masks and sanitizers were also distributed to citizens earlier this year.
Commenting on this initiative, Nauman Sikandar, CEO foodpanda stated, “Safety and wellbeing of our stakeholders is one of our core values and we encourage all our riders to get vaccinated to ensure safer deliveries. Riders are essential frontliners, who deliver orders to hundreds of customers every day. We believe it’s important for each rider to be vaccinated for the greater good of society.”
“foodpanda stands by all its stakeholders – they are not alone in the battle against this virus. With this and many more such initiatives, we hope to play our part in making Pakistan COVID free”, he further added.
More than 40,000 riders are part of the foodpanda family and this campaign will encourage Pakistan’s mass vaccination drive to further strengthen.
Aeronautical engineer becomes a sharbat wala in surprising events. Shocking, isn’t it? And yes, in the recent past we have come across many such youths who have started businesses of french fries or burgers even after being KU and NED graduates. But the field of aeronautical engineering is just too fancy for it. When you do aeronautical engineering, you do it with the hopes of working on airplanes. The hopes of Abdul Malik were crushed badly.
Abdul Malik – Aeronautical Engineer
Pakistani citizen, Abdul Malik belongs to Karachi. Initially, he was studying in the UAE and then moved to China to get a Bachelor’s degree. The field of his choice in the Chinese university was aeronautical engineering. he can speak 5 languages; Urdu, Engish, Chinese, Pushto, and Arabic.
Talk about being talented…
After getting his degree, he came back to Pakistan. Back in the country, he got to intern at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra. The CV, hence, was already looking good which is why he got a job in the Peshawar Flying Club as a trainee engineer. He has also worked as the assistant ramp officer for another private company.
Unfortunately, even with this amazing career, he could not secure a job with a market competitive salary.
Now a juice wala
With inflation on the rise, it is unlikely to survive without a source of income. Hence, the China-returned engineer started a juice stall. Now, he sells sharbat and has name the venture, ‘Muhabbat ka Sharbat‘.
While talking to a news channel, he said that he did not give up on the aviation industry just like that. Knowing that he had invested himself in the field, he first applied to all the airports in Pakistan as well as all the companies focusing on aviation. But just because he had no reference, he could not secure a job.
Does this hint at nepotism in the industry, we will not know. But it is common knowledge that in Pakistan, nepotism is a routine thing.
Is he in loss?
He says that he started selling juice because he wanted to be able to support his family. Having formally studied the complicated field of Aeronautical engineering and that too from abroad, it does seem like a loss. Not to mention that this nepotism has made it feel like his career and future has been destroyed. And if one starts feeling this way, he is on the losing end, and the culprit is none other than the corporate culture in the aviation industry.
Let’s hope something positive happens for Abdul Malike before he goes through with his plans of throwing away the degrees and certificates.
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E3 2021 has been quite eventful and interesting so far. It has really captured the minds of the audience. People are looking forward to a lot of new games. Xbox users are looking forward to playing new titles as soon as possible. In light of these brands, Nintendo has just presented themselves too. Let us see what they have come up with this year.
Nintendo has always been one to dominate the handheld market. Even the release of smartphones has not slowed down the company. People still love to buy handheld devices and play games on them. In fact, many of the games now are next generation so it even feels premium. For the people, Nintendo has decided to release quite a lot of fun titles. Let us dive into the details of the E3 2021 Nintendo Panel.
Image Source: hitc.com
Nintendo And E3
While they are one of the last publishers to present, they are certainly not behind. The Switch has been one of the most popular devices out there. In addition to that, the switch lite is not far behind either. Many people buy the latter because it is more affordable, with nearly the same games. However, switch-related news was not part of the panel today.
Nintendo has not made any claims or shown any hints of the Switch Pro. It seems that the rumours have been put to rest, for now. While the presentation was impressive, we may not be seeing the Nintendo Switch Pro right now. However, the game titles are definitely worth a glance. One of the games they intend to release is ‘Metroid Dread’. This is the latest in the Metroid series and it certainly has a lot to offer. The gameplay is 2D platformer style but it is smooth and seamless.
More Releases By Nintendo
Apart from this, Nintendo has also announced a new character addition to Smash Bros. Ultimate. Now, we shall be seeing a popular character from the Tekken universe. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot also intends to launch on Nintendo Switch sometime later on. Apart from that, there are titles like Mario Golf, Monster Hunter Stories 2, DLC of Doom Eternal.
Hold on to your seats because another game is also releasing for the switch. It has been reported that the new ‘Life is strange’ games are coming to the Nintendo Switch too. This includes the remastered collection and the new ‘True Colors’. This means that Nintendo users can also experience the beautiful universe set in these games.
Image Source: slashgear.com
Moving Ahead
Let us hope that Nintendo continues to launch new titles for the device soon. While the Switch pro may not be a reality right now, we can always hope for it to release later on. People want to see advancements in handheld and they might just see them. For now, let us bask in the fact that so many new games are coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch lite.
Sindh’s annual budget for the coming year was presented today by the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah. Here’s everything major you need to know about.
Opposition Unwilling To Listen
The opposition created a ruckus in the assembly as Murad Ali Shah stood to present the budget. They chanted slogans against the Chief Minister and did their best to undermine the legitimacy of the assembly.
However, Murad Ali Shah was armed with equipment to do what he had to. Wearing headphones to drown out the noise, he was shouting in the microphone to get the budget heard.
Image Source: Twitter
The Budget’s Details
The total volume of the Sindh budget was presented to be Rs1.4 trillion.
Murad remarked the following details:
A total of $400mn has been estimated as the total cost of Sindh Human Capital Projects.
It has been reported that no new tax will be imposed as part of the budget for year 2021-2022.
Rs105 billion has been proposed for the maintenance of law and order.
Rs172 billion has been allocated to health.
Image Source: TheAzb
As for education, Rs215 billion is reserved for school education while Rs25 billion for college education.
Moreover, it is proposed that Rs14 billion will be allocated for public transport, Rs75 billion for local bodies and Rs53 billion for the irrigation department.
Most importantly, the Sindh Cabinet has also approved a whopping increase of 20% in the salary of government employees. The minimum wage has been revised and now set at Rs25,000 in the province.
#Sindh Cabinet has approved an increase of 20% in the salary of Govt employees & also set the minimum wage at 25,000 in the province. No new tax is being introduced by #SindhGovt#SindhBudget
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) June 15, 2021
Dealing with Coronavirus
Murad Ali Shah stressed that Sindh’s budget must make space for the havoc coronavirus has wreaked on the province. He announced that the Sindh government will be allocating Rs24.72bn to counter the adverse impact of the pandemic. Moreover, Shah said that Rs18.32bn has been estimated for the purchase of medicines throughout the year. Lastly, it was also revealed that the Sindh government has allocated Rs2bn to procure PPE and PCR testing kits.
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For anyone mulling over corporate social responsibility for their brand, making a lasting impression on your customer base and building trust should be the first stepping stone. Capri, the moisturizing beauty soap which has been around for more than 50 years now has been delivering on its brand promise effectively and winning consumer’s hearts.
With the pandemic on the rise since last year, we have seen many brands and corporations jumping on the handwashing bandwagon – but not many have been able to deliver what the people might need – that is proper knowledge of why and how.
Capri has not only been on the top of its game in terms of raising awareness about taking care during COVID and the importance of hand hygiene by putting out Public Service Messages but has also been delivering on the brand’s promise of ‘care’ with multiple campaigns targeted towards empowering women, spreading cleanliness and care through small and big steps in the right direction.
Fighting against COVID responsibly and still managing to deliver on the emotional front is what people have been loving about Capri so far. With its Women’s Day campaign, Capri took center stage, reminding women to take care of them and be appreciative of their wins and achievements – which is one of the most important things to be able to succeed in life. As a consumer and part of a wide audience where there is no shortage of brands and products, it is refreshing to see promises being delivered and steps being taken in the right direction.
Savyour, Pakistan’s first and only cashback app, has entered into a strategic partnership with Daraz, the country’s biggest e-commerce platform. Under this agreement, users who shop on Daraz through Savyour, will be entitled to cashback on any transaction they make, regardless of its value. The cashback is on top of any ongoing sale, deal and bank discounts offered by Daraz, and applicable to any mode of payment including cash on delivery. Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of orders that a user can place through Savyour to avail cashback, which users can redeem in the form of cash to use at their own discretion.
Launched in 2020, Savyour is currently the only shopping platform in the country that provides its users with cashback that equates to real cash. All savings collected by a user in their Savyour wallet can easily be withdrawn as per their convenience in their assigned bank account. The only requirement the app sets is that the value of the withdrawal amount should be Rs.200 or more. Savyour has a presence in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and offers access to hundreds of brands across multiple categories.
Savyour and Daraz began their working relationship in 2020, by partnering for their flagship 11.11 sale event, which offered Savyour users special bonuses for shopping on Daraz. Post this successful pilot, the partnership has now formalized into a long-term arrangement with Daraz being listed on Savyour’s app and offering a wider range of their categories and products. This would further enrich the shopper experience with greater flexibility, attractive discounts and Savyour cashbacks on top. For the upcoming Daraz Mobile Week, users can avail up to 15% cashback along with a special cash reward on their first order, which will be credited to their wallets as soon as Daraz’s return cycle completes.
Umair Gadit, CEO Savyour, said: “At Savyour, our mission is to become the region’s best consumer rewards platform. We are pleased to partner with a brand like Daraz which has established itself as the country’s leading e-commerce platform. With online shopping witnessing a significant rise in Pakistan, through this partnership we will move one step further towards making online shopping ‘rewarding’ for our users and help grow the overall e-commerce market in the country. The cashback we offer is an easy way for consumers to save while they make purchases from the comfort of their homes. By shopping from Daraz, they now have access to countless products which will cater to all their day-to-day needs.”
Muhammad Ammar Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer, Daraz, said: “We are constantly on the lookout for partnering with platforms that share the same goal as us – digitize shopping in Pakistan and help grow the local economy. Savyour shares the same values and goals as us, which is why we have expanded the scope of our partnership. This collaboration will provide users of both platforms with the best value for money, and encourage them to make more of their purchases online.”
Ahad and Sajal have been winning hearts from the very first time they were paired, to be honest. If you are the Sahad fans, you will remember the time Yaqeen Ka Safar aired. Both of them were just flawless in it no matter if we found the drama a copy of Dhoop Kinarey. After that, they appeared in Aangan and then appeared as love interests in Yeh Dil Mera.
Ahad & Sajal – Dhoop Ki Deewar
After they got married, we were not able to see them on screen, together or otherwise. Thankfully, they are returning even if it is for a web series. That said, this is not your run-of-the-mill series. In fact, it will air from the channel the popular series Churails aired, Zee5, so bund to be iconic.
A Zindagi Original series by the name of Dhoop Ki Deewar features Ahad as Vishal from India and Sajal as Sara from Pakistan. The trailer that released today gives you an idea of how the story would proceed. What I gathered from it at least was that the two characters are very patriotic; both of them are army kids and both of their fathers die on the same day in a conflict on the border.
You know it is bound to touch hearts when you see in the very first scenes of the trailer, the parallel between the India-Pakistan cricket match and the India-Pakistan army conflict.
Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir have shared the trailer on their Instagram accounts announcing its release to be June 25th. Their chemistry has proved to be iconic in the past as well so one can expect people to be excited. Moreover, the dialogue by Ahad reminds you of the iconic SRK movie, Main Hoon Na. Of course, in that, Bollywood showed that India extends the hand for friendship to end hatred. In this series, however, it is the two enemy kids falling for each other even after knowing that their fathers died at each other’s hands. It is a story about the enemies falling in love and thus, ending hatred.
Questions – Dhoop Ki Dewar
How will they fall in love and aim to deal with the hatred is a story I want to know. And not just that, I want to know how the story will end most of all.
Will marriage be the result of this love? Or will they choose to stay away but have love in their hearts for each other? And will the LoveJihaad concept be discussed in India for this series given that this time it is the Muslim girl in love with a Hindu boy or was that just for the ad featuring a Hindu girl in a Muslim household?
To get answers to all these questions, I guess I will have to wait for June 25th. So let’s mark the calendar for the day when these two will have convinced me of their chemistry even more so because it is clear that in this particular story, the two will have to meet only virtually, and not geographically.
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A gaming conference has been taking place for the last few days now. It takes place every year and goes by the name of E3. However, it did not make an appearance last year due to the pandemic. That is also a reason why this year was bigger anticipation. People wanted to see new game releases and panel talks. In light of that, a problem with Xbox Series X has finally been addressed.
This problem was quite a huge one and it had bothered a lot of people by now. The issue itself is not related to any hardware or software. It resides in the fact that games on the Xbox Series X were a rare sight. This is in comparison to how Sony releases its games. When Sony came out with its games, it was titles like God of war and The last of us Part II. However, users of the Xbox Series X waited patiently for a long time.
Image Source: tomsguide.com
E3 and Xbox:
Now, it seems that certain changes have been made. Many of the Xbox releases at E3 2021 have been immensely impressive. Despite there being many brands showcasing, Xbox has certainly taken the spotlight many times. Titles like Halo Infinite, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5 have left the audience in shock. Additionally, many other impressive titles have also been announced. These include S.t.a.l.k.e.r 2 and Plague Tale 2.
In addition to that, Xbox has also announced and addressed the biggest problem that they had. While Sony users got their E3 titles from day one, Xbox Series X users had to wait quite a while. Finally, after weeks and months, some game titles showed up for a buy. Now, that has been made accessible and easier through the Xbox game pass. This is the subscription service that allows users to play various titles at a monthly fee. The most interesting part is what we have yet to tell you!
Image Source: engadget.com
Xbox Game Pass
Now, under this game pass, users will be able to play the new titles from day one. That is right, there is going to be no more waiting on this front. Xbox intends to release the E3 titles on the Game pass as the months go by. It will start off from the smaller titles and then move towards Halo, Starfield, Forza as well as Stalker. Xbox Series X users will not be deprived of the ability to play new games immediately.
Additionally, game pass users will get a 20% discount on new titles as compared to buying them in hard-copy form. Apart from this, there are many more titles that Xbox has not revealed yet. This means that they may have quite a lot more in store for us. At long last, the ability to purchase new Xbox-specific games has become available. The fans can rest easy and play for hours on end. Check out the image below to see the sequence of games releasing through 2021 and 2022
