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The page (@6ftlove), created by New York-based urban planner, Sabah Usmani, is a reminder that though we are staying six feet apart physically, we are all still connected emotionally.“6ftlove is both a design project and a global solidarity movement to fight the spread of COVID-19,” says Sabah. The team invites people to send in their experiences of isolation, submitted in any language. Almost every day, they profile an individual’s story, with an illustration and a quote of how they are navigating the outbreak and dealing with physical distancing. “We are gathering stories spanning a diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and geographies.…

India is among the three countries to make the app mandatory. India is among the four countries to not have limitations on the use of data. Aarogya Setu’s code is not open sourced thus hampering transparency. According to a database maintained by MIT Technology Review, Aarogya Setu, India’s contact-tracing app to combat COVID-19, poses significant risks to the privacy of the user compared to similar apps in other countries. Though there is little clarity on the design and security of the app, it has been made mandatory in some places. The apps in China and Turkey pose greater risks for…

Facebook has introduced Shops, a tool to help small businesses set up free online store-fronts. The social media company said it would help the small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic and thrive in a retail space, which is going through a digital makeover. Any seller can list their business on the online platform and connect with customers. They can customise the look and feel of their Shop with a cover image and showcase their brand on this new tool, Facebook said. “I am hopeful that it is going to play some role in helping small businesses get through this period…

Google Maps has received several updates over the last two months. It appears that the app is now getting a new real-time location sharing interface on both Android and iOS devices. The interface update is also available to Google Maps users in India. It appears that the new location sharing UI was rolled out via a server-side update. It is important to note that the new update does not include new features, but overall changes the look and feel of the location-sharing interface. In the new interface, Google has made visual changes to the sharing window as well as added…

'No one has ever said that the coronavirus cases will be zero by a particular date', Niti Aayog member VK Paul said, and apologised for any misconception on the matter. Last month, Paul made a presentation at a Health Ministry briefing in which he explained how the lockdown helped curtail the spread of the virus. In one of the slides, the curve showed active cases plummeting to zero by May 16. This is the first time Dr. Paul has acknowledged the issue at a public forum. His presentation suggested that the first lockdown had prevented India from seeing a 1,00,000…

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday announced there will be no 14-day quarantine for passengers on domestic flights. The minister said that only one-third of the flights will be allowed to operate under strict rules when domestic flight services resume on May 25. "In case you test positive, then you will not even be permitted to enter the airport or board flights," Puri added while discussing the revised SOPs that flyers need to follow when flights start on May 25. The Centre decided to start the domestic flight services from the next week after two months. Travellers…

Flight PK8303, carrying 91 passengers and eight crew, was trying to land at Jinnah International Airport. Provincial health officials confirmed at least 37 fatalities, but a far higher death toll is feared. At least three passengers survived. The pilot had reported a loss of engine power and subsequently issued a mayday.Flight PK-303 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, just a minute before its landing, they said. The PIA Airbus A320 carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members has crashed into the Jinnah housing society located…

 After online classes, some city colleges have decided to let studentstake exams from home. Some institutions will conduct end of semester exams online to avoid delay in the academic calendar. A consensus was arrived at a meeting of University Vice Chancellors that was convened by Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel on Thursday. The decision comes amid several universities going back and forth over the examination schedule with many being compelled to defer them subsequently. While deciding to prioritise final-year examinations, the meeting deemed it wise to commence the examinations only after the completion of school-level examinations to prevent a sudden spurt in…

While the algal blooms causing green snow certainly make for a spectacular sight, they are also yet another indication of just how quickly temperatures in Antarctica are rising. Antarctica conjures images of an unbroken white wilderness but blooms of algae are giving parts of the frozen continent an increasingly green tinge. Warming temperatures due to climate change are helping the formation and spread of “green snow” and it is becoming so prolific in places that it is even visible from space, according to new research published on Wednesday. While the presence of algae in Antarctica was noted by long-ago expeditions,…

The central government stands with West Bengal in these testing times and will provide immediate advance assurance of Rs 1,000 crore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday as he wrapped up a visit to the state that had been battered by cyclone Amphan this week. This is PM Modi’s first outstation visit in nearly three months. “An advance assistance of ₹1,000 crore will be arranged by the government of India, so that the State government does not face any major hardship during these difficult time,” Mr. Modi said. “In addition ₹2 lakh will be given from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to…