Pakistan
20 most stunning big wall climbs from around the world | Atlas & Boots
It was five years ago that I first came across a big wall climber. A tiny speck on the side of a gigantic granite wall, the climber was bivvying in Yosemite National Park, the Holy Land of big wall climbing. I couldn't comprehend how someone could sleep tacked onto the side of a wall, suspended thousands of feet above the ground, sometimes in treacherously windy conditions. I was reminded of this special breed of people by the recent film Meru which follows three world-class climbers on their efforts to scale the mountain's imposing Shark's Fin. The high-altitude and Alpine climbing on display is impressive of course but it's the big wall climbing on the near-featureless Shark's Fin that is really mind blowing. The post 20 most stunning big wall climbs from around the world appeared fir...
Best road trips in the world (and how to stay online en route)
When it comes to road trips, we’ve had our fair share of mishaps. We’ve battled a total whiteout in Iceland, got stuck in a ditch in Turkey, broken down in Chile and changed a flat tyre in lion territory (in Namibia’s Etosha National Park, constituting one of the most stressful events of our travels). Despite all this, we’re irrevocably drawn to the open road. There’s a very specific freedom in being able to rent a car wherever you land and set your own course. More importantly, you can veer from the course when you want to: spend extra days in a national park or depart a tourist town earlier than planned. You are the masters of your time. The post Best road trips in the world (and how to stay online en route) appeared first on Atlas & Boots.
Pakistan launches new laws to expedite CBDC launch by 2025
Regulators worldwide see central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as a way to enhance fiat capabilities by inheriting the financial prowess of technologies that power cryptocurrencies. Pakistan joined this list by announcing new regulations to ensure the launch of an in-house CBDC by 2025. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) signed in new laws for Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) — non-bank entities offering digital payment instruments — to ensure the timely issuance of a CBDC in the next three years. The World Bank helped Pakistan design the new regulations, according to local media Arab News. In addition to timeline adherence for the CBDC launch, the regulations warrant preventive measures against money laundering and terror financing while considering consumer protection and reporting r...
Boiler Room Announces Inaugural Broadcast From Pakistan
In a milestone for the nascent Pakistan dance music community, Boiler Room announced their first-ever show in Pakistan. Local dance music fans were swept off their feet when a striking poster popped up on Instagram from Boiler Room with the surprise announcement earlier this week. The poster pays homage to Pakistani culture with a rose shimmering above the Pakistani state symbol of a crescent with a five-pointed star, embellished with a famous Urdu phrase: “dekh magar pyar se” (look, but with love). Pakistan’s inaugural Boiler Room streams today, June 20th at 7PM PKT (3PM BST) from the metropolis of Karachi. The highly anticipated broadcast is a collaborative effort organized by the British Council, Dialled In, Karachi Community Radio, and Cape Monze Records. U.K. producers Aha...
Law Decoded: First-mover advantage in a CBDC conversation, Jan. 10–17
Last week saw an unlikely first move in the opening narrative battle around a prospective U.S. central bank digital currency: Congressperson Tom Emmer came forward with an initiative to legally restrict the Federal Reserve’s capacity to issue a retail CBDC and take on the role of a retail bank. This could be massively consequential as we are yet to see a similarly sharp-cut expression of an opposing stance. As a matter of fact, it is not even clear whether other U.S. lawmakers have strong opinions on the matter other than, perhaps, condemning privately issued stablecoins as a digital alternative to the dollar. By framing a potential Fed CBDC as a privacy threat first, Emmer could tilt the conversation in the direction that is friendly to less centralized designs of digital money. Below is ...
Pakistan’s president calls for more training in blockchain technology
Arif Alvi, currently serving as the president of Pakistan, called for additional training in emerging technologies including blockchain, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity while meeting with a delegation of blockchain technology experts. In a Monday announcement, Alvi said Pakistan’s talent pool should be ready to meet the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which includes utilizing blockchain technology in the public and private sectors. According to the Pakistan president, the technology could be used as a government tool to track transactions, reduce corruption and increase transparency. Among the panel of experts was Bitcoin SV advocate Jimmy Nguyen, founding president of the Bitcoin Association. President Dr. Arif Alvi had a meeting with an international delegation ...
Pakistan’s central bank reportedly wants to ban crypto
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is reportedly seeking to ban all cryptocurrency transactions in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Sindh High Court reportedly held a hearing related to the legal status of cryptocurrencies in the country, in which several Pakistani authorities, including the SBP, submitted a document to the court, arguing that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) are illegal and cannot be used for trade. According to local news channel Samaa TV, the document cited at least 11 countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, that have opted to ban cryptocurrencies. The Pakistani central bank reportedly urged the court not only to ban cryptocurrency activity but also to impose penalties against crypto exchanges. The SBP also referred to several investigations against ...
Pakistan to investigate Binance for multi-million dollar crypto scam
Pakistan‘s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reportedly issued a formal notice to crypto exchange Binance in an effort to identify links around a multi-million crypto scam in the region. The government of Pakistan started a criminal investigation after receiving numerous complaints against an ongoing scam that involved misleading investors into sending funds from Binance wallets to unknown third-party wallets. According to local coverage, the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing has issued an order of attendance to Binance Pakistan’s general manager Hamza Khan to identify the exchange’s link to “fraudulent online investment mobile applications.” KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has detected an online fraud of Rs100 billion using a cryptocurrency and issued notice to the local represent...
Eight-thousanders: the 14 highest peaks in the world
The eight-thousanders are so ferocious that only 44 people have summited them all. We explain why they bewitch climbers all across the globe Most boys grow out of their fascination with mountains and the great outdoors. Those that do not usually end up on the side of a mountain, asking ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ But, as the saying goes, the best alpinists have the worst memories and so they venture once again into the ether. My fascination with mountains was piqued as a child when I visited the Glen Coe region in the Highlands of Scotland and eyed the gullies of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. This fascination has only grown through the years. My bookcase continues to expand with mountaineering books, from thrilling first-person accounts of difficult first ascents to thick bio...
Ice maidens: 10 first ascents by female mountaineers
In a world dominated by men, a select group of women have shattered the ice ceiling. Here we review some daring first ascents by female mountaineers I’ll be honest: it rankles to write the words ‘the first female’ to do such and such. It feels patronising, as if to say you weren’t good enough to play with the big boys but I’ll pat you on the head anyway. The truth is, of course, that being the first female to do something great is and should be an achievement. We in the western world have lived under a patriarchy for centuries; one that has undermined and undervalued women at every turn. The select few that have broken through deserve to be hailed as great. Today, we pay homage to 10 daring first ascents by female mountaineers. first ascents by female mountaineers: Specific pea...
The seven second summits: a tougher challenge
The seven second summits are considered to be a much harder mountaineering challenge than the more popular seven summits Previously, I’ve written about my dream of climbing the seven summits and laid out a realistic if not deeply challenging and expensive program of how to achieve that goal. This week I look at the seven second summits; the second-highest mountains on each continent. The highest summits are a dream of mine, but I draw the line at the second-highest – they’re simply too scary for an amateur enthusiast like me! Introducing the seven second summits Alpinism author Jon Krakauer wrote in Into Thin Air (one of my favourite mountaineering books) that it would be a bigger challenge to climb the second-highest peak of each continent instead of the highest. An ob...
Passion, Perseverance, and Propaganda: Behind Pakistan’s Controversial Hunza Verse Music Festival
Before prohibition and religious radicalization under the rule of Zia Ul Haq in 1977, Pakistan’s nightlife was thriving. In the bustling metropolis of Karachi, clubs like Excelsior, Oasis, Samar, and Club 007 openly served alcohol, hosted American jazz musicians like Dizzie Gillespie and Duke Ellington, and attracted professional belly dancers from foreign cities like Beirut, Cairo, Tehran, and Istanbul. Sweeping conservatism shuttered Pakistan’s nightlife, thwarting any chance for dance music to enter the fold. In recent years, however, regional stability and tides of liberalism have birthed interest in electronic music beyond house parties and underground raves. Diplo performed in Islamabad in 2016 before returning in 2018 alongside Valentino Khan and Chrome Sparks for a Pakistani rendit...
