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.

  • Hospitals’ negligence cause patient’s death

    Hospitals’ negligence cause patient’s death

    A fruit seller in critical condition has died in a private ambulance after four hospitals in Lahore, including Services and Ghulab Devi, allegedly refused treatment, Dawn reports.

    The patient, Iftikhar Ali, 57 years old and a father to seven children, had been in a road accident a few weeks back, fracturing his leg. He was taken to Mayo Hospital for surgery, where he had a rod fixed in his leg. 

    According to the family, Iftikhar experienced complications only a few days after being discharged from Mayo. He complained of severe pain in the leg and experiencing breathing issues. Pus was reportedly oozing out of the wound as well.

    When he was brought back, Mayo Hospital refused to admit Iftikhar and reportedly asked him to wait at home. One of the family members shared details of how a doctor suggested the family take Iftikhar to a private hospital in Lahore Cantt.

    The family alleges that they were carelessly referred from one hospital to the next. Iftikhar’s family explained he was admitted to a private hospital a week back where the patient underwent another surgery.

    During this time, the family sold household items to arrange Rs600,000 for the treatment. However, the hospital administration requested an additional Rs400,000, due to the ‘deposit having been drained’. 

    When the family demonstrated their inability to afford more than the stipulated amount, the hospital discharged the patient three days after admission. They suggested Iftikhar be taken to any government hospital for ‘free treatment’.

    Government hospitals Ghulab Devi and Services both denied Iftikhar admittance and treatment. At Ghulab Devi, doctors refused to admit the patient on the excuse that they visited the hospital “too late at night”, according to Iftikhar’s family.

    A similar fate was encountered at Services, where doctors allegedly paid no heed to the family’s repeated request for admission, being asked to revisit OPD (out-patient department) any other day.

    According to Dawn, the matter of denying treatment to the patient by public hospitals was in the knowledge of caretaker health minister Professor Javed Akram.

    He expressed his guilt for the alleged criminal negligence on the part of hospital staff, saying that he would take up the matter with the higher authorities.

  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush join Ilhan Omar in boycotting Modi’s Washington address 

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush join Ilhan Omar in boycotting Modi’s Washington address 

    Congresswoman Cori Bush and member of the U.S. House of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have joined Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in boycotting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Washington speech. 

    Both politicians announced their decision via Twitter. The development came shortly after Omar announced that she would be boycotting Modi’s speech, citing human rights abuse.

    Both Ocasio-Cortez and Bush have made their decision to boycott for the same reasons. In her statement on Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez pointed out how Modi had been denied a U.S. visa in 2005 due to his alleged complicity in the 2002 Gujarat riots. 

    She goes on to explain that a joint address to Congress is among the most prestigious invitations the U.S. can extend, and it should not be done so to individuals with a record of human rights violations. 

    Bush also alleges Modi’s history of committing human rights abuses, undermining democracy, and targeting journalists. 

    In February this year, BBC offices in India had been raided by tax department officials, just weeks after the release of a documentary revealing evidence of Modi’s responsibility in Gujarat riots. The documentary was later blocked by the government.

    Modi had been invited by top U.S. lawmakers to join Biden in a joint address to Congress on June 22nd. As China’s influence grows in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. is anxious to secure India’s cooperation as a counterbalance.

  • Modi to celebrate International Yoga Day on UN’s Lawn during U.S. visit

    Modi to celebrate International Yoga Day on UN’s Lawn during U.S. visit

    In celebration of the ninth annual observance of International Day of Yoga, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will be leading a yoga session on the north lawn of the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday morning.

    Modi, a practicing Hindu, often presents himself as devoutly religious. Considering yoga has its origins in ancient Hindu religious practices, the exercise seems a fitting ode to both his faith and culture.

    But there are other, more important concerns surrounding his crucial visit to Washington.

    Congresswoman boycotts speech

    Earlier today, United States’ Congresswoman Ilhan Omar published a tweet ahead of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s speech to Congress. She stated she will not be attending the address, holding a briefing with human rights groups instead to discuss ‘Modi’s record of repression and violence.’ 

    She accused his government of repression of religious minorities, emboldening Hindu nationalist groups, and targeting journalists/human rights advocates ‘with impunity’.

    At the beginning of June, top lawmakers in the U.S. had invited Modi to address Congress on the 22nd of June, during his visit to Washington, DC. Addressing Congress is a rare opportunity that is granted only to the country’s closest allies.

    Biden asked to raise concerns

    A letter was sent to U.S. President Joe Biden on the eve of Modi’s visit to Washington, asking him to raise concerns around democratic norms and human rights in India with its prime minister. 

    A total of 75 American Senators and Representatives have signed the letter. The U.S. lawmakers that drafted it said they were concerned about religious intolerance, press freedoms, internet access and the targeting of civil society groups. 

    They cited “a series of independent, credible reports” reflecting “troubling signs” in India, as reported by Reuters. 

    “We do not endorse any particular Indian leader or political party — that is the decision of the people of India — but we do stand in support of the important principles that should be a core part of American foreign policy,” said the letter.

    A strategic ceremony

    According to BBC, the discussions between the two states not only have potential to infuse new energy into India-U.S. relations, but also have an impact on the global order.

    As China’s influence continues to grow in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. needs India’s influence more than ever, viewing it as a counterbalance to China’s. While India is reluctant to claim this tag, China is one of the main catalysts driving India-U.S. relations.

    Human rights advocates worry that geopolitics might overshadow humanitarian issues. U.S. rights groups have planned protests against Modi’s state visit to Washington, citing India’s deteriorating human rights record, as reported by Reuters.

  • President Arif Alvi approves Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill

    President Arif Alvi approves Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill

    On Tuesday, Pakistan’s president Dr. Arif Alvi approved the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2023, to be enacted as law. 

    Under the Bill, women employees of both public and private departments under the federal government’s administrative control will be entitled to avail maternity leave with full pay three times during service.

    The times have been stipulated thus: 180 days for the first time, 120 days for the second, and 90 days for the third. 

    Working men now also have the right to spend their first month as a father on paternity leave with full pay. However, male employees will only be entitled to a leave of 30 days three times during their employment period. 

    If a company is found in violation of the Bill, there is a risk of imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to 100, 000 rupees, or both.

    The bill was passed by Pakistan’s parliament last month, and had been in the works for several years after being initially moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Quratulain Marri in 2018. 

    The President gave his assent to the bill under Article 75 of the Constitution, which states that bills sent to the president are formally enacted as laws after his approval.

  • No Holi festival in universities anymore

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has banned Holi celebrations in educational institutes throughout the country, citing a deviation from the sociocultural values and Islamic identity of Pakistan. The notification regarding the ban was issued by HEC on Tuesday.

    According to the notification, students are prohibited from observing the festival to uphold sociocultural values.

    “While there is no denying the fact that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads towards an inclusive and tolerant society, that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard. The students need to be apprised to be aware of the self-serving vested interests who use them for their own ends far from the altruistic critical thinking paradigm.”

    The decision comes a few days after Holi celebrations were held on June 12 by students at Quaid-i-Azam University. The notification, while referring to the event, said that “it has caused concern and has disadvantageously affected the country’s image.

  • As the search continues, who are the two Pakistanis onboard the Titanic submersible?

    As the search continues, who are the two Pakistanis onboard the Titanic submersible?

    The OceanGate Titan submersible dominating global headlines lost connection and went missing an hour and forty minutes into its expedition on Sunday. 

    U.S. and Canadian navies, marine authorities and commercial deep-sea companies began a frantic search beneath the North Atlantic Ocean.

    It was confirmed through a statement by the Dawood family that Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Sulaiman, were onboard the vessel.

    But who are the Dawoods? 

    The Dawoods are a prominent business family primarily based in Karachi. Shahzada’s grandfather, Seth Ahmed Dawood, migrated to Karachi from Bombay when the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947.

    He and his brothers started Dawood Corporation Ltd. In the following decades, Dawood founded several businesses and chaired companies in a plethora of industries including cotton, textiles, paper, consumer goods, oil, logistics, insurance, jute, chemicals, motorbikes, home appliances, electronics, and fertiliser industries in East and West Pakistan.

    Seth Ahmed Dawood was a major figure in the industrialisation of Karachi. Pakistan’s former president Ayub Khan would often consult Dawood on trade and industry affairs.

    Seth Ahmed Dawood with former president of Pakistan, Ayub Khan

    When Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971, Dawood lost his factories in Dhaka and Chittagong. Back home in Pakistan, the nationalisation process initiated by the government led to him losing his most profitable industrial projects. One of these projects, Dawood Petroleum Limited, became an official part of PSO (Pakistan State Oil) in 1974.

    In spite of the massive losses, Dawood continued to develop projects on a relatively smaller scale. The fertiliser business founded by the family in 1965 eventually grew to become one of the biggest companies in the country today: Engro Corporation.

    Engro operates through four divisions: Food & Agriculture, Energy & Related Infrastructure, Petrochemicals, and Telecommunication Infrastructure. Shahzada, who is lost somewhere at the bottom of the North Atlantic with his son, is currently the acting vice-chairman of the company.

    Pakistan’s philanthropists

    The family also set up a not-for-profit foundation called The Dawood Foundation. It has financially assisted Pakistanis affected by the 2005 earthquake and the catastrophic 2010 floods. 

    During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Pakistan, Shahzada’s father Hussain Dawood, pledged one billion rupees on behalf of Engro Corporation and Dawood Hercules Group, another company predominantly owned by the family.

    Moreover, the foundation has funded a variety of formal and informal education projects, the most notable ones including Dawood University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi School of Business and the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design at Beaconhouse National University.

  • ‘Banging sounds’ heard underwater in search for missing Titanic submersible 

    ‘Banging sounds’ heard underwater in search for missing Titanic submersible 

    In a frantic search for the missing OceanGate Titan submarine, a Canadian maritime surveillance aircraft is reported by Al-Jazeera to have detected ‘banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes.’ 

    On Sunday, the submersible went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean 100 minutes into its voyage to see the wreck of the Titanic. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood are onboard the vessel.

    The United States Coast Guard said that one of the Canadian aircrafts involved in the search for the deep-sea vessel has detected “underwater noises in the search area”. 

    Remotely operated vehicles  (ROVs) were then relocated “in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises”, the coastguard said on Wednesday, Al-Jazeera reports.

    So far, the ROVs have “yielded negative results”, said the coastguard in a tweet. Still, they are continuing their search.

    Rolling Stone magazine, citing internal US government communications, was the first to report the news of what was described as “banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes”. 

    The magazine cited an internal email sent to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. “Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard,” the magazine reported.

    The oxygen supply on OceanGate’s Titan will run out by Thursday morning, according to officials. 

    A foreseeable tragedy?

    The former director of marine operations for OceanGate, David Lochridge, had previously raised safety concerns about Titan before being fired from his position.

    Lochridge’s concerns about the safety of the missing submersible are still contained in a response he filed to the lawsuit that OceanGate brought against him for breaching a non-disclosure agreement.

    Lochridge wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reached “extreme depths”. 

    According to his claim, he learned the vessel was built to withstand a certified pressure of 1,300 meters, although OceanGate planned to take passengers to 4,000 meters, CBS news reports.

  • Andrew Tate indicted on human trafficking and rape charges in Romania

    Andrew Tate indicted on human trafficking and rape charges in Romania

    Andrew Tate, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian associates, are facing criminal charges of rape, human trafficking, and leading an organised crime group for the sexual exploitation of women.

    According to the indictment presented to a Bucharest court, the four defendants are accused of forming an organized criminal group in 2021 with the aim of engaging in human trafficking in Romania, as well as the U.S. and the U.K.

    The indictment names seven alleged victims who state they were deceived by the Tate brothers on false promises of love and marriage.

    All the defendants have denied the allegations. The Tate brothers were initially arrested at their Bucharest home in December and were later granted house arrest in March by a Romanian judge.

    The judge now has a 60-day period to review case files before sending it to trial. There are also ongoing investigations into other alleged crimes such as money laundering and trafficking of minors, which may result in separate indictments.

    Assets belonging to the accused, including properties, cars, and over $300 million in cryptocurrency, have been seized. However, the trial is not expected to begin immediately and is likely to last several years.

    Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, gained notoriety in 2016 when he was expelled from the British TV show Big Brother due to a video showing him apparently assaulting a woman. Despite a temporary ban from Twitter for controversial comments blaming women for sexual assault, he later had his account reinstated.

    Andrew Tate has amassed a substantial following among young men, due to his flagrant display of hyper-masculinity and a luxurious lifestyle.

  • Government mulling handing over Karachi Ports to UAE

    Government mulling handing over Karachi Ports to UAE

    In a last-ditch attempt to raise much needed foreign exchange, Pakistan’s government is planning to finalise a deal to hand over Karachi’s port terminals to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    This move may constitute the first intergovernmental transaction under the Intergovernmental Commercial Transactions Act, a law which was enacted last year in 2022. This law is aimed at selling state assets on a fast-track basis to raise funds.

    Last year, Pakistan’s coalition government created the effective-immediately bill to raise emergency funds.

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions on Monday. A decision was made to set up a committee that would negotiate a commercial agreement between the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the UAE government, as reported by The Express Tribune.

    The negotiation committee constituted to finalise a framework agreement will be headed by the Minister for Maritime Affairs, Faisal Sabzwari. Committee members include the additional secretaries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the special assistant to PM Jehanzeb Khan, the Chairman of the Karachi Port Terminal (KPT), and the general managers of the KPT.

    The UAE government had shown interest in acquiring the Karachi port terminals that were under the administrative control of Pakistan International Containers Terminals (PICT) last year. However, for now, PICT will maintain operational control over the ports.

    The Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMa) released the following statement, as reported by Dawn: “KPT was of the view that they couldn’t operate the terminal due to lack of time and resources and interface with the clients/shipping lines and the timeframe for bidding had lapsed and the events have created an unforeseeable situation where the time limits laid down for open or other methods of procurement cannot be met.”

    The MoMA said and went on to report that “the (KPT) has, therefore, recommended that in the given circumstance only PICT is in a position to provide management services to keep the terminal operational”.

    According to The Express Tribune, sources indicate that the government needs to be extra careful when finalising a deal with the UAE, considering it is the first transaction of its kind and the outgoing operator is posing some challenges.

    Pakistan’s IMF loan of $6.5 billion was signed in 2019 and is set to terminate on June 30. Its termination date drawing closer has sent panic through the Pakistani government. Already suffering one of the worst economic crises Pakistan has faced, the threat of the country defaulting looms ominously near.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with the ambassadors the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Sharif wants to rouse support for the revival of Pakistan’s stalled deal with the IMF.

    The prime minister stressed that the government was keen to get at least the $ 1.2 billion IMF loan tranche out of the remaining $2.6 billion, which is attached with the completion of the pending 9th review of the program, according to sources at The Week.

  • Pakistani father and son aboard missing Titanic submersible

    Pakistani father and son aboard missing Titanic submersible

    Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood are currently onboard a missing OceanGate tourist submersible vessel that was carrying five people to see the wreck of the Titanic at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean.

    The Dawood family has released the following statement:

    “As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available. A rescue effort that is being jointly led by multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies is underway to reestablish contact with the submersible and bring them back safely,” read the statement.

    “We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time. The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members,” it added.

    Shahzada Dawood is a trustee of the SETI Institute in California and vice chairman of Dawood Hercules Corporation, part of the Dawood Group.

    The OceanGate Titan craft submerged Sunday morning, and its support vessel lost contact with it about an hour and 45 minutes later, The Independent has said.

    OceanGate Expeditions is a company that offers eight-day missions to see the Titanic debris at a cost of $250,000 per person. The organisation confirmed its submarine was lost at sea with crew members on board, and that it is exploring all options to rescue the five people onboard. The company’s chief executive is also believed to be on the craft.

    Officials confirmed government agencies, the US and Canadian navies and commercial deep-sea firms are helping in the rescue operation, as reported by the BBC.

    The craft they were on board dives with a four day emergency supply of oxygen. Addressing a news conference, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours of oxygen available at this point

    British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet are also among the passengers onboard.