FARUKH SHEHZAD

ADNAN HAMEED  Working on Promoting Soft Image of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, FEB 2 - This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relation between China and Pakistan, to celebrate this significant event and in conjunction with upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, China Cultural Center in Pakistan will host a series of cultural activities to celebrate online the Happy Chinese New Year in Pakistan.

The Spring Festival, which is also known as Chinese New Year, according to the lunar calendar, is held by the Chinese as their most important festival and has a history of over 4,000 years. It is an occasion on which people pray for a good harvest, celebrate and enjoy themselves.

Nowadays, the festival is celebrated from the evening of the last day of the 12th lunar month to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new lunar year.

During the Spring Festival, Han Chinese and many of China's other ethnic groups hold a variety of distinctive celebrations in order to honor deities and ancestors, symbolize the replacing of the old with the new, and to welcome the New Year and pray for a bumper harvest. People do everything in their power to spend Chinese New Year with their families so that they can welcome the New Year and the happiness that they wish it will bring with those closest to them.

I have good news and bad news about Apple’s new Face ID feature that was released as part of the developer beta for iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4.

The good news? You’ll soon be able to unlock your iPhone via Face ID while wearing a face mask. The bad news? It only works if you own an Apple Watch. 

So if you have both of these devices, congrats — you can cross one first-world problem off of your list. And if you don’t, there are other workarounds, like simply typing in your passcode.

Here’s how to set up the new feature once the final versions of iOS and watchOS are released to the public. 

1. Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch are up to date

As of right now, the only way you can download iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 is if you’re enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.

Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until Apple releases the public versions. The company remains tight-lipped on when that’ll actually be. But based on past developer beta and public release cycles, it’ll likely be a few months from now. 

When it is released, open your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Software Update, and tap on iOS 14.5. Once that’s downloaded and installed on your phone, you can move on to updating your Apple Watch.

With the Apple Watch, you have two options: You can either download it from the Watch app on your iPhone or right from your wrist on the Apple Watch. 

iPhone

Go to the Watch app > General > Software Update and download watchOS 7.4. 

Apple Watch

Head to Settings > General > Software Update and tap to install the new software.

2. Turn on the “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature 

Once both of your devices are updated, you can turn the new feature on. 

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Unlock with Apple Watch and toggle it on.

There are also a few tweaks you’ll have to make (if you don’t already have these things turned on) to your Settings on the Apple Watch. Otherwise, the feature won’t work at all.

• To enable a Passcode on your Apple Watch, go to Settings > Passcode > Turn Passcode on and type in your chosen code.
• Make sure “Wrist Detection” is toggled on. It should turn on automatically when you set up your Passcode since it uses the feature to determine when to lock the Apple Watch. But it’s always good to double check. 

3. Unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch

Now, unlocking your iPhone using Face ID while wearing a face mask should be super simple.

As long as your Apple Watch is on your wrist, the iPhone will recognize it and immediately proceed to unlock. You’ll feel the Watch buzz on your wrist and a notification will appear on it letting you know the iPhone has been unlocked. A button to lock the iPhone will also appear underneath that notification.

As for those workarounds I mentioned before, you can do one of the following:

Turn off Face ID:

• Go to Settings > Face ID and disable “iPhone Unlock.” You can either choose to go completely passcode-free or strictly rely on your custom numeric code

Hack the system:

• If you’re really set on getting your iPhone to work with a face mask, you can attempt to trick the Face ID feature instead. Cover half your mouth with a mask, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Set up an Alternate Appearance, andscan an alternate Face ID appearance.

Again, this official Apple Watch / Face ID feature isn’t available for everyone just yet — it’s only available as a developer beta. Until it’s publicly released, you’re stuck being unrecognizable to your iPhone until you enter that passcode.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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ISLAMABAD, FEB 2: If you’re someone looking for the online registration of your company in Pakistan. You’re at the right platform. This guide will tell you the procedures you need to follow in order to get your business registered online.

• Sign up at eservices.secp.gov.pk and create a digital signature.
• Reserve a company name which must not be prohibited. Check the availability.
• Proceed with filling the form by entering information about your company like address and type of business.
• Before you submit your data, review it once at least.
• Attach the necessary documents which include but not limited to.
  Form-1 (Declaration of Applicant for Incorporation)
  Form-21 (Notice of Situation of Registered Company Office)
  Form-29 (Particulars of first Directors)
• Fill forms-27 and 28. It includes particulars of all the persons consenting to act as directors of the company to be registered.
• Fill form S-1. This is a requirement for single member companies. It declares the nomination of the director of the company and the alternate nominee director, as well as their particulars.
• Attach Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association.

• Attach a document of sponsors for authorization.
• Attach copies of National Identity Card or copy of Passport in case of foreign citizens.
• Pay registration fee online or attach paid bank receipts.Fee for business name registration:
  Rs.200/-(Online)
  Rs.500/-(Manual)Basic fee for company incorporation:
  Rs.2, 500/-(Online)
  Rs.5, 000/-(Manual)
• Check e-mail response from SECP that will inform you about the acceptance or rejection of the application.
• Receive the Certificate of Incorporation that will be dispatched via courier on the acceptance of the application.

Apart from this, there are some important post-incorporation requirements which include the appointment of the First Chief Executive within the time-frame of 15 days and holding of Annual General Meeting (AGM) within 18 months of incorporation.

For further information, visit: SECP-Guide.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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OSLO, FEB 2: Oslo Municipality has almost finished the vaccination of nursing home residents when it comes to the first dose. That means that the vaccination of the 75-84 age group can begin shortly.

The latest figures from the Municipality show that residents of the nursing homes are now mostly vaccinated with the first dose. 

Residents in care homes have also been offered the first dose and will also be fully vaccinated this week.

It also appears that the vaccination with the first dose of other people in the age group over 85 years will be completed during the week.

Thus, everything is ready for the next large age group between 75 and 84.

A race

Oslo’s Vice Mayor for Health Robert Steen (AP) states that the vaccination of the aforementioned age group will start next week.

“Some residents in this group can probably get the vaccine this week as well,” he said.

In total, there are around 25,000 people in the 75-84 age group in Oslo.

“There is now a race between the mutated virus and the vaccines. I breathe a little easier after each cohort gets vaccinated. 

“An enormous effort is being made in Oslo now, among those who are getting vaccinated, those who work with infection control, and all Oslo people who keep their distance and keep the infection down,” he said.

However, he added that not everyone between the ages of 75 and 84 should expect a phone call next week. 

The pace will vary somewhat from district to district.

Over 90% have said “yes”

All in all, there are now 14,953 people in Oslo who have received the first vaccine dose, according to figures from the vaccine register Sysvak. Out of these, 2,762 people also received the second dose.

More than 90% of those who have been offered a vaccine in Oslo so far have said “yes.”

The vaccination has largely taken place according to plan, although some nursing home residents still have to be vaccinated, partly due to outbreaks and quarantine and partly because new residents have arrived.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health estimates that vaccination of nursing home residents alone will halve mortality from COVID-19.

To date, 64% of the registered deaths in Norway have been in the group of those over 80 years of age.

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COURTESY norway today

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LONDON, FEB 2021: While corona vaccination in the European Union (EU) remains slow, the UK is vaccinating record numbers of people. 

On Saturday, almost 600,000 were vaccinated.

Almost 9 million people have now received the first dose of vaccine in the country, while 490,000 have received the second dose. 

By mid-February, the UK authorities aim to make vaccination available to all the 15 million people in risk groups.

Although the UK’s infection curve is declining, many new infection cases are still registered every day. 

More than 20,000 new cases were registered on Sunday alone.

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COURTESY norway today

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ISLAMABAD, FEB 2021: On 1st February 2021 the Third Session of the Online Internship Program, “The Contemporary Non-Traditional Security Challenges” organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad was held.

The internship aims to provide an opportunity for students to understand the contemporary global non-traditional security challenges, gauge the existing potential, build resilience and find the solutions to mitigate the daunting impacts of these transnational issues.

The theme for the Third session was, Climate Change: Risks and Analysis and the speaker for this session was Mr. Shakeel Ramay, Member Board of Experts, Center for Global & Strategic Studies, Islamabad.

Mr. Shakeel presented a detailed analysis of the contemporary situation of Climate Change and National Security. He initiated the discussion by explaining the difference between climate and weather. He explained that the situation of climate change begun when massive industrialization took place in the world, causing the emission of harmful gasses into the atmosphere.

He also discussed the history of the Climate Change debate that has got momentum over the past few years. Moreover, Mr. Ramay also shared that it was the security agencies who presented the idea of climate change and its threats to national security. Moreover, he also highlighted the natural resources that will be impacted by the climate change situation including, water resources, agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, coastal zones, and natural calamities as well.

Discussing the concept of Climate Change and threat to human security he stated that Pakistan will face a severe impact of this worsening climate situation. As when combined with the existing problems in Pakistan, climate change will cause severe havoc. Stating examples, he mentioned the low productivity of the agriculture sector and the situation of droughts and floods in many areas of Pakistan.

Mr. Shakeel Ramay presented a comprehensive Case Study of Pakistan and discussed the most vulnerable sectors in the context of Pakistan. He stated that climate change is a major threat to our natural resources especially water, as it can cause floods, draughts, and unavailability of food as well.

Mr. Ramay also put forward suggestions to effectively tackle the situation of Climate change. First and foremost, Pakistan must develop a National Vulnerability Index for better planning. Moreover, the inclusion of the human security dimension in national planning and implementation should also be prioritized.

The session was moderated by Ms. Laraib Fatima Hassan, Communication & Coordination Manager, CGSS.

It is noteworthy that students from all across Pakistan are enrolled in this Online Internship Program. This program will prove to be a milestone for the students of International Relations & related fields to understand the contemporary dynamics of Non-Traditional Security Threats.

COURTESY CGSS

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ISLAMABAD, FEB 2: In another attempt to regain the trust of users, WhatsApp has reiterated that the conversation of users on the platform will remain ‘protected’ as there is no way for end-to-end encryption of chats to change.

“Whatever you share on WhatsApp, stays between you. That’s because your personal messages are protected by end-to-end encryption and that will never change,” WhatsApp said on its official Twitter account.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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Ashgabat, FEB 2021: Foreign citizens arriving in Turkmenistan will provide a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19. This was announced at a working video meeting held on Thursday, at which a report was heard by the Minister of Health and Medical Industry Nurmuhammed Amannepesov on the implementation of comprehensive measures to monitor the spread and prevention of infectious diseases in the country.

“Focusing attention on the vaccination of citizens and Turkmen students traveling to study abroad, in accordance with the vaccine used in these states, the provision of vaccination certificates from foreign citizens arriving in Turkmenistan, as well as the provision of vaccines to citizens within our country, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov addressed the appropriate a number of instructions to the leaders, ” the official material of the State Information Agency, published today in the newspaper“ Neutral Turkmenistan ”, says.

We will remind, earlier, during a visit to the Olympic town in Ashgabat, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan will provide a free set of vaccines from COVID-19 to participants in international competitions in Ashgabat.

“Despite the Russian vaccine registered with us, foreign athletes may want to be vaccinated with other vaccines or special means, and therefore they should have a choice. We must provide them on a gratuitous basis, for this we have every opportunity,” Berdimuhamedov said, instructing the relevant leaders to continue negotiations with other countries producing vaccines against acute viral infection.

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COURTESY turkmenportal

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In the real world, people hate traffic, but online, people can’t get enough of it. That’s because, when it comes to owning a small business, you’d rather have too many people waiting in line than not enough. Otherwise, you’re out of a job. In fact, boosting the amount of traffic to your website is critical to your success online.

Be a Voice of Authority

To get people excited about coming to your site, you need to set yourself up as a voice of authority. Your business probably isn’t the only one of its kind. Since you’ve got competitors, let your visitors know that you know more than the other guys. You can do this by creating useful content that your visitors actually want to consume. Here are a few ideas:

• Create blog posts, e-books, or industry guides
• Answer questions on social media
• Host a webinar
• Produce educational videos
• Live tweet or stream important events

Focus on a Specific Niche

Second, don’t market your product to everybody. Market it to somebody! Find out who your visitors are. Are they male or female? Partygoers or mommy bloggers? Where do they live? Figure out exactly who your target market is, and then generate content that appeals to them.
You can do this by guest blogging, answering questions on Quora, Yahoo, or other websites, such as Helpareporter.com — which allows journalists to quickly find expert sources (like you) to interview.

Develop Partnerships

Third, a great way to attract traffic to your website is through partnerships. Many small businesses make strategic partnerships but never foster them. You should take advantage of these connections by doing joint social media promotions, shared giveaways and sales, trading ads on each other’s websites, and writing blog posts that highlight how you are working together.

Support a Cause

Fourth, humanize your brand a little. Let your customers know you care, and then they might show a little love back. For example, choose a cause or nonprofit that aligns with your business’s values and support it. Your customers will see that you’re more than just a money-making machine.

Use PPC Advertising

Lastly, use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. PPC lets you place ads online in places where your target market is most likely to see them. Whether that’s on a Google search result page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or on any other website that allows for paid advertising, the online world is your billboard! PPC advertising is the fastest way to get traffic to your website off the bat, and you only pay a fee when your ad is clicked.

As you can see, getting more traffic to your website is a combination of efforts. It takes time, and it takes patience. But in the end, it leaves you with loyal customers and more of them.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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• Parliamentary polls in summer will test delivery of Japarov’s populist promises, as opposition currently chooses to wait and watch

LONDON, FEB 1: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, who began his six-year term on Jan. 28, is expected to strike a fine balance between the expectations of his domestic constituents and foreign policy pursuits.

In terms of personal strengths, Japarov is seen as a fearless person, who can take difficult decisions. He did not hesitate to unite people around himself including those dissatisfied with the earlier government, according to Nikolai Topornin, an office-bearer of the Coordination Council of Russian NGOs.

“In fact, he [Japarov] is reaping the fruits of the bold actions he took during the days of the crisis,” he said.

Although winning laurels for his bold stances, Japarov will need to demonstrate his abilities to act on promises, he has made to voters.

In his inaugural address, he declared that the country needs a management system in which they will "unquestioningly" execute laws, increase responsibility for economic and political reforms, and then be able to answer for them to the people.

Asel Doolotkeldieva, a prominent Kyrgyz political observer believes that among Japarov's aides there are none, who could be called distinguished for their reformatory spirit or even possess a concrete vision of reforms.

In the context of the current global economic crisis, it is very important to have a clear program to get the country out of a difficult situation.

She said the populist regimes all over the world generally suffer due to a lack of clear programs and mechanisms for their implementation.

Japarov has promised to create a society with rule of law, where justice and prosperity prevail. The forthcoming constitutional reform is expected to include these goals. The president has also stressed to prevent corruption, restore people's confidence in justice, give economic freedom to people with strong spirit and mind and protect the vulnerable.

Alexandra Filatova, a researcher at Moscow’s National Research University said it remains to be seen who will deliver these reforms. The implementation of the ambitious program needs professional officials with institutional memory. Otherwise, if the government is unable to deliver specific or at least some promises, it will once again create discontent and protests. In fact, the non-delivery of promises by past governments brought Japarov’s populist government to power.

Implementing large projects

To fulfill his objectives, the new president wants to start implementing large projects in the energy sector as soon as possible -- the Kambar-Ata hydroelectric power station, the Sary-Zhaz hydroelectric power station, and the Verkhne-Naryn hydroelectric power station cascade.

While announcing that Kyrgyzstan will continue pursuing multi-polar foreign policy, President Japarov acknowledged China's influence on world politics and talked about its growing economic power. It is expected that China’s rise will have a beneficial effect on the economy of Kyrgyzstan whose external debt has approached $5 billion.

Analysts are predicting Kyrgyzstan's reliance on China to procure loans and assistance. Anticipating a complicated situation for Western partners, Doolotkeldieva said considering the circumstance that brought Japarov to power, the relations will remain somewhat lukewarm as compared to ties within the region that includes former Soviet states.

Japarov has also laid out a vision to rejuvenate the economy, contribute to rapid development, and support entrepreneurship that will lead to the rise in the people's standard of living.

Acknowledging that the energy sector is facing a challenge, which owed a debt of $1.6 billion, the president has put securing concessions for gas imports as a priority on the agenda with Russia.

Russia and Kyrgyzstan have announced pursuing new initiatives and joint projects within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Humanitarian Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic (IGC), will lay out a road map, which will include existing and potential joint projects in the field of automotive, electrical engineering, light, pharmaceutical industry, urban infrastructure.

Chairman of Kyrgyzstan State Committee for Industry, Energy and Mineral, Jyrgalbek Sagynbaev, announced that new projects will be launched by March 2021 that includes a project to jointly collaborate with a Russian company to assemble armored vehicles in Kyrgyzstan.

“This is a mutually beneficial project that is in demand in our market and may in the future constitute the export potential of Kyrgyzstan in the Central Asian region”, Sagynbaev anticipates.

Russia watching and engaging

Russia is closely watching events unfolding in neighboring countries. In Moscow, there is a realization of the need to engage with Japarov so that Kyrgyzstan does not deviate towards the West while considering the China factor too. President Japarov has been quick to declare that Russia was and remains a strategic partner for Kyrgyzstan.

Irina Jorbenadze, a political commentator recalled that Russia with its military airbase located outside Bishkek provides security to the country. Further, Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz migrants legally work in Russia, sending remittances home, which, according to Japarov, serve as a critical pillar of the Kyrgyz economy. Lately, Russia is aiding Kyrgyzstan to combat the COVID-19. Moscow is donating 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Last year, Russia donated $20 million to the country. Kyrgyzstan is also interested in the domestic production of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.

Wait and watch for opposition

Except for a small group, some of those who had been critical of Japarov have temporarily receded into the shadows. Those who are neutral are also bidding their time.

According to a Bishkek-based professor Medet Tyulegenov, since Japarov appears too popular at this time, several political elements in the society have temporarily withdrawn themselves from posing any active competition to him.

The parliamentary elections are also scheduled in the country sometime in early summer. That will test the delivery of Japarov’s promises.

Asilbek Egemberdiev, the editor of a Kyrgyz portal, cautions pursuing a policy of persecution. He said that it may lead to discontent and new unrest. He advises caution about making loud proclamations, lest the government loses credibility and become a victim of its own loud initiatives that it could not put into practice.

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The writer is a UK based analyst and has worked with universities in three Central Asian countries.

COURTESY aa.com.tr

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