Category: Lifestyle

The lifestyle of millennials is underreported in our mainstream media. The Current’s lifestyle news covers social events and issues that are unique.

  • Benazir Bhutto, Malala Yousafzai in the list of the most influential women’ in the world

    Benazir Bhutto, Malala Yousafzai in the list of the most influential women’ in the world

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, and education activist, Malala Yousafzai, have recently been added to the list of ‘most influential women in the world’.

    In the list published recently by Marie Claire, a renowned French magazine, the late Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto and Malala Yousufzai were included in the list of 60 women.

    The women on the list belong to every walk of life, from women’s rights activists and pioneers of racial equality to inventors, scientists, actors, and world leaders.

    Succinctly expressing the achievements of the former Pakistani People’s Party (PPP) leader, the website wrote, “Bhutto became the first woman prime minister of Pakistan in 1988. After a military coup overthrew her father’s government, she inherited the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party.”

    Moreover, describing Malala’s achievements, it added: “Yousafzai survived a gunshot wound to the face by the Taliban and has since become a spokesperson for human rights, education, and women’s rights. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”

    Some other prominent names mentioned in the list include Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Queen Elizabeth II and Indira Gandhi.

  • ‘It did take a toll on my mental heath’: F-9 park harassment survivor speaks up

    ‘It did take a toll on my mental heath’: F-9 park harassment survivor speaks up

    Trigger warning: discussion of sexual harassment

    On Thursday, a video from the Instagram account sab.chutzpah.hai went viral on social media. The clip, shared by the anonymous account of a woman, detailed her account of a visit to F-9 park in Islamabad, where a man flashed her, then kept following her around as she ran to her car and tried to look around for police authorities, but found no one present for help.

    The incident prompted a response from the Islamabad police who wrote in the comment section that they wished to get in touch with the survivor to arrest the culprit.

    When The Current reached out to A*, she revealed that the incident took place on the June 26.

    She recounted that she visited the park to walk a bit around afternoon before attending her class at the university. She had been walking around the track which was near the parking lot, when suddenly she realised that someone was closely walking behind her.

    “There weren’t a lot of people in the park that day, and not even police men,” said A. “Which is odd because police officers are constantly patrolling the park and questioning people about their coming and going.”

    The woman recalled that the man was walking next to her as if they were together, and suddenly he came close to her and said “Aap ko jism dubwana hai [Do you want your body massaged]”?

    “I remembered being completely taken aback and shocked by this,” recounted A. “Then I threatened him to leave or I’ll call the police. But he was already aware of the fact there were no police officers present at the park and he didn’t stop walking behind me as I rushed to my car. I was frantically rushing to my car, while trying to find some police man standing around who could stop this man, but there were two cars there and in one a driver was present, and I was afraid that he might be involved with the man.”

    A said she sat in her car and tried to start it, but the man stood outside her window and kept jerking off as he looked at her directly.

    “I was incredibly worried and scared of what was going on,” she said. “So then I decided to make proof of this and recorded a video. I tried to hide behind the window blinds so he can’t notice, but he did and he tried to conceal his face, but I made the video. My car started immediately and when I came to the gate, there was no police man in sight even though it was afternoon.”

    A chose to remain anonymous and did not want her identity to be revealed to the police, as she hasn’t revealed the incident to her family, and decided to share this video with a public account instead.

    “They had shared a similar video of a man assaulting a woman,” she said. “That’s when I decided that I should share my experience with them.”

    On whether officials from the Islamabad Police had reached out for more details, A said they had informed the admin of the page that an FIR had been launched and a man hunt was underway in search of the harasser.

    She recounted that the incident had taken a toll on her mental health:

    “I feel so conscious about men around me now,” confessed A. “I don’t go out now without my mother.”

    Previously, a gang-rape case in February had drawn anger from activists and residents of Islamabad, when a woman and her colleague were attacked by two armed men, who raped her at gunpoint.

    A senior police official from the Islamabad Police told The Current that since the culprit has been identified in a video, all efforts will be made to catch him. “We will get all evidence from him regarding the immoral incident. Once the actions have been established what he was doing, we will charge him and then file a case for trial. We would encourage the victim to reach out to us directly and report it without going public but if she doesn’t, even then we will follow the law that will lead to prosecution subjected to availability of evidence.”

    The police official also said that the judiciary should also ensure in such cases that perpetrators are punished so that such harassment incidents must be discouraged and such practices must be stopped. “We would encourage all victims to report harassment incidents so that we can take proper action against perpetrators of harassment. In any civilised society, there are laws that deal with flashing or masturbation in public and other forms of harassment. We hope that our judiciary also makes a commitment to punishing harassers as it is against the norms, values and laws of Pakistan.”

    ⁩

  • PM orders foolproof measures for possible flood conditions in eastern rivers

    PM orders foolproof measures for possible flood conditions in eastern rivers

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave orders to related authorities on Monday to make foolproof arrangements to tackle any possible flood in eastern rivers, including Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej.

    He has also gave orders to related departments to create awareness among the people about the possibility of flooding.

    Appreciating the personnel of Rangers and Rescue 1122 for immediate evacuation and assistance for the people trapped in flood waters in the Shakargarh area, the Prime Minister said that their actions helped save several people, including women and children.  

    “I along with the whole nation pay tribute to the country’s dutiful personnel”, he remarked.

    On Sunday, India released 185,000 cusecs of water in the river Ravi, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed. According to a report in Dunya News, the released water will reach the Shadra area of Lahore in the next 24 hours.

  • Indian defence scientist arrested after ‘falling in love’ with Pakistani, sharing classified info: NDTV

    Indian defence scientist arrested after ‘falling in love’ with Pakistani, sharing classified info: NDTV

    Pradeep Kurulkar, a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist from India, was arrested on May 3 after it was revealed he was chatting with a Pakistani using the alias ‘Zara Dasgupta’, NDTV has reported.

    Kurulkar, who was the Head of one of the labs in Pune, met Zara through WhatsApp where they had exchanged voice and video notes.

    Zara claimed to be a software engineer based in the UK, and befriended the scientist by sending him obscene texts and videos, while Kurulkar revealed classified information about top secret projects like the Brahmos Launcher, UCV, Agni Missile Launcher and other things.

    “Kurulkar, who was attracted to her, stored the classified and sensitive information of DRDO on his personal phone and then allegedly shared it with Zara,” the charge sheet said.

    The two remained in touch from June 2022 to December 2022.

    Chat records also show that Kurulkar shared his personal and office schedules and location with the spy, despite being strictly forbidden from doing so.

  • ‘World’s largest aviary’ approved by CDA…is this really necessary?

    ‘World’s largest aviary’ approved by CDA…is this really necessary?

    The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved plans for the construction of the world’s biggest aviary in Islamabad’s F-9 Park. The structure has been planned to span over an area of at least 10 acres.

    The decision was taken during a meeting of the CDA board, chaired by the authority’s chairman, Noorul Amin Mengal, on Tuesday, Dawn reports.

    The decision was announced on CDA’s official Twitter account. In their announcement, they said birds from all over the world will be bred in the aviary, and it will be built through an ‘open auction’ pertaining to design, build, operate and transfer (DBOT). 

    Using this strategy, the project is said to be carried out to the highest standards, while putting a strong emphasis on sustainability and long-term operation. 

    The CDA has yet to release further details about the project, including the expected completion date and the species of bird that are to be housed in the aviary.

    The announcement has generated significant interest on social media, with many users expressing their excitement and anticipation for the completion of the project.

    The project is reportedly one of CDA’s initiatives to support biodiversity and develop distinctive public leisure areas. However, users on Twitter called out CDA’s failed bird zoo in Lake View Park, another big project CDA hired a contractor to invest in.

    According to one Twitter user, the birds are kept in dismal conditions, with larger species such as eagles and owls being kept in cramped cages. He also points to how the contractor CDA hired is now “occupying the facility and generating revenue without any formal contract”, as stated in the report by the Auditor General of Pakistan.

    Considering Pakistan’s general history with keeping animals in enclosures (read: tales often ending in misery and death), one can’t help but wonder: is this the right step towards biodiversity and sustainability?

    As one Twitter user put it:

  • Bride-to-be drowns while crossing River Indus

    Bride-to-be drowns while crossing River Indus

    A girl passed away after falling into River Indus during a boat ride. The girl was accompanied by her husband-to-be who also fell into the water with her.

    According to Dunya News, the boat accidently capsized, throwing the couple into the river. The police have reported that the boy managed to survive.

    The accident took place two days ago, according to officials, and the girl has been buried by her family members. The family has, however, accused her betrothed of kidnapping and murdering her.

    Police are investigating the case.

  • Mother needed 20K from sons for financial support, son calls her ‘petty, wants unnecessary things’

    Mother needed 20K from sons for financial support, son calls her ‘petty, wants unnecessary things’

    A Twitter thread posted by a son about his mother is going viral on social media. A Reddit user has explained that he found his mother’s desire to take money from her sons “petty”.

    The user explained that his widowed mother asked him and his brothers each to pay her Rs 20,000 so that she would be able to fulfill all of her needs, but the reddit user termed this to be selfish, arguing that his mother would be spending the money on frivolous things like parties and clothes.

    “While the amount is not large by any means, and I can give it, it’s her reasoning for this that bugs me. First, this means that she gets more than one lakh month in total, counting the rental income – like I said, her necessities are already covered so she really is going to spend all this on frivolous things like party clothes, attending parties, etc etc. Doesn’t really seem fair when I keep on imposing restrictions on my own wife and kids to not spend a single paisa needlessly.”

    Twitter users slammed the thread as entitled, arguing that men feel entitled to withhold financial support from the women in their lives, even their widowed mothers who had spent their lives taking care of them. As Digital Rights Foundation founder and lawyer Nighat Dad wrote:

    “It’s not only about sending 20k a month to a single mother but how dare an elderly single mother think about enjoying life & spending money to pamper herself. Goes to show how much women are despised if they dare to spend their lives on their terms after passing of their partners.”

    https://twitter.com/c4ndynecklaces/status/1676490948157804546?s=20

    Some users were horrified that the way the user was trying to justify how spending a small amount like 20K on his mother was a ‘selfish’ act

  • Neglected Thai elephant Muthu Raja returns home after two decades

    Neglected Thai elephant Muthu Raja returns home after two decades

    Thai elephant Muthu Raja has reached back home on Sunday after two decades as the animal was claimed back by its birth country over reports of mistreatment.

    The 29-year-old Muthu Raja had been sent to Sri Lanka back in 2001 as a gift by Thai authorities, but the animal was demanded back by his home country after there were reports of Muthu being allegedly tortured and ill-treated in a Buddhist temple.

    Muthu was later temporarily moved to a zoo in Colombo after public uproar against the neglect and torture. Animal welfare groups pointed out that the animal presented as gift to the country had been forced to work with a logging crew. The elephant had also sustained wounds, some allegedly inflicted by its handler.

    According to the zoo’s chief veterinarian, Muthu Raja was in pain and covered in abscesses when it was rescued from the temple last year.
    Cruelty against the largest existing land animal was unacceptable by the authorities as elephants are also considered sacred creatures in Sri Lanka and are protected by law.

    The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka said he had personally conveyed the country’s regrets to the Thai king over the elephant’s condition.
    One of the organizations that protested for the elephant’s safety, RARE (Rally for Animal Rights and Environment), expressed sorrow over the news of Muthu’s departure and further urged the authorities to take action against those responsible.

    Muthu finally reached home on a commercial reparation flight that Thai officials said cost $700,000.

    The elephant received a warm welcome at the airport by the Thai environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa. “He travelled five hours and nothing is wrong, his condition is normal,” the minister said.
    Thai authorities have planned to quarantine the elephant at a nearby nature reserve.

  • Is France considering an internet shutdown after riots, mayor’s house set on fire with family inside?

    Is France considering an internet shutdown after riots, mayor’s house set on fire with family inside?

    Multiple media outlets have reported that after six straight nights of riots in France, the country’s interior minister has posted a statement announcing a partial ban on the internet after hundreds were arrested for protesting the brutal murder of 17-year-old Nahel, a French national of African descent.

    However, the reports remain unconfirmed, being carried only by Asian news outlets like Samaa and Indian publication Scroll.

    The protests in France continue to grow stronger, with Sunday witnessing Paris mayor Vincent Jeanbrun’s house being set on fire, injuring his wife and children, who were inside sleeping.

    Writing on Twitter, Jeanbrun revealed that rockets were thrown at his house as they fled, calling the attack an “assassination attempt” and “unspeakable cowardice”.

    “A line has been crossed,” he wrote. “If my priority today is to take care of my family, my determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than before.”

    According to Jeanbrun, a car was used to ram through the gates of his family’s home, and then the vehicle was set on fire which then spread towards the house.

    The mayor also revealed that a murder investigation has been launched against the perpetrators behind the violent attack.

    The protests in France began last Sunday after the brutal death of Nahel, reigniting long standing accusations of racism and police brutality within the French police.

    According to Al-Jazeera, the French Interior Minister reportedly deployed 45,000 police officials along with helicopters and armed vehicles. Around 700 people have been arrested since the protests began.

  • ‘I was blackmailed’: boxer Amir Khan says model Sumaira extorted money from him

    ‘I was blackmailed’: boxer Amir Khan says model Sumaira extorted money from him

    Bridal model Sumaira has shared screenshots of former Pakistani-British boxer Amir Khan begging her for nudes, and encouraging her to meet him behind the back of his wife Faryal, The Sun has reported. The article, dated July 1, gave details of Khan’s alleged messages, including ones where he is terming his marriage a “business arrangement” and saying that he and Faryal were not on speaking terms anymore.

    Sumaira revealed to The Sun:

     “We had a phone call and he said he and Faryal were not properly together and that it was a bit of a business arrangement.

    “He said he was 36 and retired and that Faryal spent a lot of time in London. He spun me a bit of a sob story, and to begin with I felt sorry for him and thought he was lonely.”

    Khan has finally responded, recounting his side of the story by revealing that Sumaira deleted a lot of messages, only sharing a select few with the British tabloid which pushed the narrative of cheating on his wife, Geo reports.

    The former boxer alleged that Sumaira had reached out to him on social media where she stated that she was looking to escape from her family. The model sent revealing pictures of Amir when he asked her about her faith, which Khan said he had rejected because he wasn’t impressed by the model’s actions.

     “All I replied was that you look good but really that wasn’t something I was impressed by. To be honest, it put me off.”

    Amir then went on to address whether he had written ‘I can’t stop looking’ to Sumaira, and he responded that it was on her request to give her a compliment.

    “I wish you would say I can’t stop looking so I did. Then she sent a lot more and all I said was it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” he confessed.

    Then Khan revealed that Sumaira asked him to give her £20,000, saying that she needed to get hand surgery.

    “I said I can’t give you any money. Go get a job and it’s wrong if you want money.”

    Khan said the model was writing lies about him in order to make money to leave her family:

    “The reason she went to the paper was I didn’t want to give her money. Her story about her family disowning her did upset me but I knew she’s on the money thing and is a liar. I stopped messaging her.”

    He also went on to reject the allegation by Sumaria that the boxer wanted to cheat on his wife, and that their marriage was a ‘business relation’:

    “I told her I am happily married. Not once did we speak about me and Faryal being together for the TV show. I think all my followers on socials know we are together and very happy. I reacted to the pictures out of the blue she sent me because I wanted to not upset her. But it wasn’t something you would take a look at twice. I also said to her sort your life out and that you are a Muslim girl. I’m sure your family will help you. She spoke ill about her family and why she didn’t live with them,” he confessed.