The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has launched a crackdown on illegal IMEI tampering and cloned mobile phones, seizing mobile devices, DVRs, and other items. According to official details, the PTA Zonal Office in Abbottabad and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency conducted a joint operation in Haripur, raiding locations at Mochi Bazaar and GT Road. Arrests Made and National Security Concerns A PTA spokesperson stated that three suspects were arrested at the scene and handed over to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The use of cloned mobile phones and IMEI tampering poses a threat to national security.
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Microsoft announced on Saturday that its Microsoft Azure users may experience increased latency due to multiple undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea. In an updated status message for its Azure system, the company stated that users might face service disruptions on traffic routes that pass through the Middle East. Internet Traffic Rerouted to Alternate Paths “We do expect higher latency on some traffic that previously traversed through the Middle East. Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted. We’ll continue to provide daily updates, or sooner if conditions change,” Microsoft said. As…
The European Commission has fined Google €2.95 billion (nearly $3.5 billion), ruling that the company violated EU antitrust laws by favoring its own advertising tools over those of its rivals. Regulators stated that Google abused its market dominance by giving preferential treatment to its ad exchange, AdX, within both its publisher ad server and its ad-buying tools. The Commission has ordered the company to cease these practices within 60 days and implement measures to address what it calls “inherent conflicts of interest along the adtech supply chain.” Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice president, emphasized that “digital markets exist to…
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Saturday that internet users across the country may experience service disruptions. The company stated that the issue is a result of submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters near Jeddah. The cuts have partially affected the bandwidth capacity of two crucial undersea cables, the SMW4 and IMEWE systems, which connect Pakistan to global networks. Restoration Efforts and Alternative Solutions According to the statement, international partners are working to restore the damaged links on a priority basis. Simultaneously, local teams are arranging alternative bandwidth to minimize the impact on users. “We sincerely appreciate…
Microsoft’s Azure cloud service has been hit by disruptions after undersea fiber cables were cut in the Red Sea. The tech giant stated on Saturday that the incident has forced the company to reroute internet traffic, causing users to experience slower speeds and delays. In a service health status update for its Azure platform, the company said that users may face increased delays and that traffic passing through the Middle East, whether originating in or destined for Asia or Europe, might see further disruptions. Microsoft explained, “Undersea fiber cuts can take time to repair, so we will continue to monitor,…
Artificial intelligence (AI) firm Anthropic has agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit from authors who accused the company of using their work without permission to train its AI models. According to the authors’ lawyers, the deal, which still requires approval from US District Judge William Alsup, would be the largest publicly reported copyright recovery in history. The agreement comes two months after Judge Alsup ruled that using books to train AI does not violate US copyright law, but still ordered Anthropic to face trial for its use of pirated material. On Friday, Anthropic stated that…
On a sunny spring afternoon in Warwickshire, a reporter and cameraman were parked in a car, ready to meet a drug dealer. The dealer had agreed to sell what he claimed were THC vape liquids—an illegal substance and the main psychoactive component of cannabis—to a person he believed was a schoolgirl. Unbeknownst to him, the “schoolgirl” was an undercover BBC reporter who had been messaging him on Snapchat. They suspected the vape liquid was actually laced with “spice,” a much more potent, highly addictive, and dangerous drug. This week, the BBC published an article exposing these dealers who are selling…
A councilor has raised concerns that a picturesque village is in danger of being ruined by “TikTok tourists” who are “exploiting the destination’s heritage for clicks.” According to Cotswold district councilor Jon Wareing, the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, often called the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” has faced significant challenges recently. The councilor noted that people visit the village solely to film videos for their Instagram Reels or TikTok, and to take selfies against the scenic backdrop. Wareing described this type of visitor as having “little real interest in the heritage, culture or natural environment they are exploiting for clicks. They are…
Parents and young people are being urged to be cautious of “job” scams circulating on social media. North Yorkshire Police has reported that in the past six months, they have received 40 complaints about these types of scams in the area. The police force stated that these scams involve social media posts offering hundreds of pounds in exchange for liking or sharing content, with the youngest victim being just 15 years old. Detective Inspector Janine Mitchell warned, “If you encounter an offer like this, please ignore it, do not click on any links they provide, and definitely do not send…
For years, Marina, a 45-year-old freelance copywriter, relied on WhatsApp for both her professional and personal life. That changed abruptly last month when a call to a colleague failed to connect properly. They then tried Telegram, another popular messaging app in Russia, but that didn’t work either. Marina was one of millions of Russians who suddenly faced new restrictions imposed in mid-August by Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, on calls made through these two widely used platforms. This timing coincides with the launch of a new “national messenger” app named Max, created by a Russian firm with close Kremlin ties. In…
