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Pakistan to convert 30% Vehicles to Electric by 2030

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Research has shown that electric cars are better for the environment. They emit lesser greenhouse gases and air pollutants than petrol and diesel cars. And this takes into account their production and electricity generation to keep them running. They can improve air and the environment in towns and cities. Pure electric cars do not produce any carbon dioxide emissions when driving. This reduces air pollution considerably. According to the World Health Organization’s guidelines, the air quality in Pakistan is considered unsafe- the most recent data indicates the country’s annual mean concentration of PM 2.5 is 58 µg/m3, exceeding the recommended maximum of 10µg/m3. It is no wonder that Pakistan wants to accelerate the use of Electric Vehicles. Pakistan is converting 30% of vehicles to electric by 2030.  

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, informed the international community that Pakistan is working on a plan to convert at least 30% of its road vehicles to electric cars by 2030. The Ambassador was speaking at a virtual meeting of the Group of Friends on Climate Change, in New York.

He said,

“If developing countries are destitute, if there are humanitarian disasters, if we are unable to recover from COVID, I think all other actions for many developing countries will become irrelevant. So urgent and immediate actions are needed”.

Ambassador Akram urged the leading countries in the world to fulfill their commitments on climate change, and the major emitters of harmful gases to step forward and work towards the creation of a safer, cleaner environment for all.

He said, “There are positive indications, I agree, but I believe that these should be made much clearer as we go forward, especially from the biggest country, the United States. We look forward to what the new US administration will have to say in the coming months.”

Urging the world’s leading nations to fulfill their pledge for the hundred billion annual commitment on climate finance, Ambassador Akram said, “I think for many developing countries that will be an acid test.”

He said despite Pakistan being the smallest carbon emitter in the world, it is the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. The Pakistani envoy stated, “We have an extensive and ambitious plan, both on adaptation, [and] mitigation. We are also a champion on financing investment in renewable energy, and we look forward to playing that role as well.”

He highlighted the need for tangible progress on development transfer and technology deployment in developing countries. Back in August, Pakistan revealed its plan to increase the share of renewable energy by 4 percent, taking it to 30 percent by 2030.

Moreover, the Pakistani government is seeking help from the neighboring country allied to the automobile industry. Furthermore, the government is also considering other more realistic projects like ‘Green Rickshaws’ and more.

In the first phase, the aim is to boost the share of renewables in the power mix to 30 percent. Then by 2030, the target is to increase the share of clean energy in its electricity mix to 65 percent. However, the plan to construct seven more coal-fired power plants under the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project will be a major hurdle in the achievement of this target.

BMW has introduced their top-of-the-line electric cars, the i3 and the i8 in Pakistan. Nissan, Hyundai, Audi, and Renault are already in talks with the Ministry of industries and production for producing locally manufactured electric cars in the country. Audi has launched its e-Tron 50 Quattro in Pakistan in April 2020. Pakistan has already a significant market for hybrid vehicles with Honda’s Vezel, Toyota’s Prius, and Aqua, and other models seen on the roads.   

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First-Ever Communication Device Used as a Weapon: Pager Explosions Across Lebanon – A Question Mark for Manufacturers?

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The world was recently shocked by reports of a new and dangerous trend in warfare: the weaponization of communication devices, with pagers being used as explosive devices across Lebanon. This unprecedented event marks a chilling escalation in the misuse of everyday technology, turning what was once a harmless means of communication into a tool of destruction. The implications for manufacturers and society at large are enormous, raising urgent questions about the responsibility of tech companies and the evolving nature of warfare.

Pager Explosions: A New Dimension of Warfare

In a world where technological advancements have connected people across borders, the idea of a communication device being used as a weapon seems both improbable and terrifying. Pagers, once ubiquitous in the 1980s and 1990s as a primary tool for sending short messages, have long since been replaced by modern smartphones. However, their simplicity and outdated technology may have ironically made them an attractive target for exploitation by malicious actors.

Recent reports from Lebanon suggest that a series of explosions triggered by manipulated pagers have caused significant damage and loss of life. These attacks represent a stark reminder that even outdated or seemingly benign technology can be repurposed for harmful purposes in the wrong hands.

The Implications for Manufacturers: Are They Doing Enough?

The transformation of pagers into explosive devices puts manufacturers in the spotlight. It raises critical questions about the security features in communication devices and whether manufacturers are doing enough to ensure that their products cannot be weaponized. While pagers may be older technology, the same concerns apply to modern devices, from smartphones to IoT gadgets, which are increasingly integrated into daily life.

Manufacturers must now confront the reality that communication devices, if not adequately protected, can be exploited for nefarious purposes. This includes ensuring that their products are not easily tampered with, hacked, or modified by malicious individuals or groups. The responsibility to design secure devices goes beyond just privacy concerns; it now involves protecting users from physical harm.

The Challenge of Preventing Device Weaponization

The weaponization of pagers in Lebanon highlights a significant challenge for both governments and manufacturers: how to prevent ordinary technology from being transformed into tools of war. As devices become more connected through the Internet of Things (IoT), the potential for their misuse increases. The world has already witnessed cyberattacks, data breaches, and surveillance scandals, but the physical transformation of communication devices into weapons takes the threat to a whole new level.

This new kind of warfare is complex and difficult to counter because it involves technologies that are readily available and widely used. Manufacturers must adopt stronger security protocols, including tamper-proof designs and advanced encryption methods, to prevent their products from being exploited. Moreover, collaboration with governments and law enforcement agencies is crucial to track and counteract these new threats in real-time.

A New War: The Global Community Must Take Notice

The pager explosions in Lebanon serve as a stark warning to the world about the evolving nature of conflict. The weaponization of communication devices signals a new form of warfare that can strike at any time, using technology that is widely accessible. Unlike traditional warfare, which is often fought with clear battle lines and military equipment, this new war can be waged anywhere, using devices that millions of people rely on for daily tasks.

This raises significant concerns for global security. Governments must now consider the potential for attacks that utilize communication devices as weapons, and develop strategies to mitigate these risks. From pagers to smartphones, the possibility of device manipulation must be taken seriously by all nations. The development of international regulations and standards for device security is now more urgent than ever.

The Role of Manufacturers in Safeguarding the Future

Manufacturers of communication devices are now faced with an ethical dilemma. While the primary function of their products is to enhance connectivity and facilitate communication, they must also take responsibility for ensuring that their devices cannot be easily weaponized. This requires a proactive approach to security, incorporating advanced technologies to prevent tampering, remote hijacking, or the embedding of dangerous software or components.

In addition, manufacturers need to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to understanding the evolving threats posed by malicious actors. Investing in research and development to create secure, tamper-resistant devices is not just a business imperative but a moral responsibility in the face of this new kind of war.

Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for the World

The use of pagers as explosive devices in Lebanon is a chilling reminder that the future of warfare is no longer confined to the battlefield. The world must wake up to the reality that communication devices, if not properly secured, can be weaponized in ways that are both unexpected and devastating. The responsibility to prevent this lies not only with governments and law enforcement but also with manufacturers, who must take a leading role in safeguarding the technology they create.

The world must now prepare for a new kind of war—one where the weapons are not guns or missiles but everyday devices. The pager explosions across Lebanon are just the beginning, and the global community must act swiftly to prevent this new form of warfare from spreading.

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Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham; The Pioneer of Optics

The contribution of Muslim Scientists in Series The era which we are praising today is the product of the intellects of many millennium. Those are the gems of intellect that worked out at that time when there were no scientific resources. Those people have observed their surroundings and have produced resources for humanity. The intellectual […]

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The contribution of Muslim Scientists in Series

The era which we are praising today is the product of the intellects of many millennium. Those are the gems of intellect that worked out at that time when there were no scientific resources. Those people have observed their surroundings and have produced resources for humanity. The intellectual Muslims have contributed to every field and their contributions are most valuable. Today all the advancements are based on the discoveries and inventions of ancient scientists both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Modern scientists are working and producing technological items that are also based on the ideas of ancient ones.

Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham of Basra is known to be the pioneer of Optics. He was the product of the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation that was a creative time period and brought out many far-reaching advancements in the field of science, mathematics, and medicine. He was the greatest Muslim physicist and one of the greatest students of optics of all time. He was inspired by the works of other great philosophers and scientists who were before him such as Aristotle, Euclid, Al-Kindi, Banu Musa, Ibrahim Ibn Sinan, and Ibn Sahl. Ibna al-Haytham based his theories on the work of Greek physician Galen. He is the one who introduced the methods of verification, testing, and experimentation for the exploration of truth. He has written books as well and in one of his books he says: “If learning the truth is the scientist’s goal . . . then he must make himself the enemy of all that he reads.”

He was the person who has given the concept of how vision works. And he has written a book about the “Book of Optics” in which he has illustrated the eyes and optic nerves. He has drawn images of eyes which have been used by the modern scientist to understand and to produce lenses and other optics items. Al-Haytham used a dark chamber to explore the nature of light and vision. Through this experiment, he observed that light entering through a small hole would travel straight and would project an image onto the opposite wall. From this concept, modern cameras have been designed.

Today, if we can have different lenses and glasses to replace or improve our vision artificially and can capture our every moment, is all because of Al-Haytham. The world is grateful for all his contributions.

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Digital Falsehood must be a crime

Fariyal Mir

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Digital Medium

Digital world has changed the world. It has brought the masses into one closet. This medium has dispatched information so efficiently. Digital purposes to connect everything in one. It facilitates all cybercitizens. There is various form of this medium that has made it more powerful and engaging. And has taken all of our data. At the same time, it has fascinated and influenced us. It can retrieve any data even the removed one from its platform. Precisely, it has made the world a more worthy place to live with lots of information. The digital platform highly contributes to academia, social networking, and professional networking, transferring of data, mining of knowledge and data, and many other fields. However, its’ worth depends upon the user.

What is Digital Falsehood?

Digital falsehood is the act of deception through digital means. Digital means can never lie but it’s you and I who used it negatively. Deception is in the nature of humans not digital. Digital is a non-living entity but human is living. Digital is emotionless but human is full of emotions. It is considered to be senseless yet cares more about your privacy than your flock. The nonliving sense is the act of deception and informs you on time. But you and I overpower it and persuade it for the deception. The level of falsehood varies from one another. It can be with the help of fake Id generation by betraying the digital. Hacking is another form of digital falsehood. Such acts of falsehood lead to crimes that are termed cybercrimes.

Reason and outcomes of Digital Falsehood

Digital falsehood can have many reasons but here I am mentioning some of them. It is used to betray someone. And the level of betrayal can be different. So far it can be to threaten someone or to misuse. The envious nature of a man leads him/her to steal information illegally so he used the digital mean. It is also used to defame reputation individually or collectively. Digital deception is also used to steal data and to use them for its purposes.

Therefore, digital media sometimes lose its worth. And it becomes unreliable. For instance, digital falsehood is a threat to E-commerce. And it has disadvantaged digital marketing. It has snatched the trustworthiness and reliability. Moreover, digital deception has turned it into a digital media war. As todays’ the world is attaching each other digitally.

Action to be taken                     

This digital falsehood cannot be control other than strict law implementation. Because it cannot be dealt with like other crimes. Law implementation is the only formula to lessen digital falsehood. Otherwise, it can fire the whole world, and then there would not be any pathway to back it. Because it is something intentionally and by professional people. If this would be the level of professionalism then what would happen to marginalized margins of the society.

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