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.

  • Pakistan free of monkeypox?

    Pakistan free of monkeypox?

    On Sunday, Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel announced that the country had been declared free of monkeypox as the only verified patient who was suffering from the disease had fully recovered.

    A statement released by Ministry of National Health Services spokesperson Sajid Shah on Sunday confirmed that there had been only one reported case of mpox in the country, and that the patient was being treated at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). Patel mentioned that the patient was given top-notch medical care and had successfully recuperated.

    “The patient has been discharged after testing negative [for the virus]. There are no cases of mpox in Pakistan. Kudos to the hospital staff for taking the best measures,” he said.

    He further said that the government was taking all essential precautions to ensure the safety of the public and that the country’s institutions were prepared to handle any type of epidemic or illness. Patel also shared that out of the 22 suspected mpox cases and all of the samples sent for testing came back negative.
    The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the country on April 25.

    The infected person was deported from Saudi Arabia and arrived in Pakistan on April 17 with symptoms of the viral disease. The patient has recovered now.

  • More than 50 per cent of candidates failed in Urdu CSS exam in last three years

    In a surprising statistic, in the three last years at least 54.53 per cent of candidates, who appeared for the Central Superior Services (CSS) Examination failed Pakistan’s national language Urdu subject.

    In 2019, 30 per cent of candidates failed in Urdu, while in 2020 and 2021, the rate of failure shot up to 59 per cent and 73 per cent.

    Regarding the success rate in English, 35,000 out of 49,500 candidates failed in the subject in 2019 with a rate of failure of 73 per cent, which got better in 2020 when only 39 per cent got failed. However, in 2021, 92 per cent failed the subject.

    The details of the candidates were presented in the National Assembly (NA) on Friday.

  • Mattel introduces Barbie doll with Down’s syndrome

    Mattel introduces Barbie doll with Down’s syndrome

    On Tuesday, powerhouse toy producer Mattel unveiled their first-ever Barbie doll that represents an individual with Down’s syndrome. The doll was developed in collaboration with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to ensure that it accurately depicts a person who has the genetic disorder. Mattel consulted with the NDSS to incorporate specific design features and clothing that carry significance to represent the community.

    “Barbie plays an important role in a child’s early experiences, and we are dedicated to doing our part to counter social stigma through play,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls at Mattel.

    “Our goal is to enable all children to see themselves in Barbie, while also encouraging children to play with dolls who do not look like themselves,” she added in a statement.

    Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition that results in the presence of an additional chromosome, leading to differences in physical and cognitive development. Mattel had previously introduced a range of Barbie dolls that honored feminists and other inspiring figures. With the introduction of the new Down syndrome Barbie, the total number of different looks available in the Barbie collection is 175, according to Mattel.

  • Pakistan’s first female architect Yasmeen Lari receives Royal Gold Medal from King Charles

    Pakistan’s first female architect Yasmeen Lari has been granted the prestigious Royal Gold Medal for architecture from King Charles, making it the first architecture medal of his reign.

    The renowned Lari received the award in recognition for her role in designing homes for Pakistan’s vulnerable and poverty striken community, after retirement from her practice:

    “Whilst recognising the importance of her role in practice, as a symbol of change in Pakistan, it is the work she has undertaken since her retirement in 2000 that the Royal Gold Medal celebrates.”

    “In the last 23 years Lari and The Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which she founded with her husband, have reacted imaginatively and creatively to the physical and psychological damage that a number of major natural disasters, earthquakes, floods and conflicts have inflicted on the people of Pakistan.”

    Lari was born in Dera Ghazi Khan and shifted to London with her family when she was 15, where she studied at the Oxford Brookes University, moving back to Karachi in 1964 and opening Lari Associates alongside her husband.

    The duo also founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980, which has been spearheading conservation projects around rural villages in Pakistan, earning it the Recognition Award from the United Nations.

    She received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2006 and the Fukoka Award in 2016 for her services to arts and culture.

  • Sri Lanka is not sending elephants to Pakistan

    Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Pakistan has denied reports that the island nation plans to give two elephants to the country.

    Media reports had stated last week that Sri Lanka was gifting two elephants to Pakistan, after the demise of the Karachi Zoo’s Tanzanian elephant Noor Jehan. The pachyderm died after a very public battle with illness exacerbated by neglect from Zoo officials.

    The news was met with backlash from Pakistani social media users, including celebrities like Nadia Jamil, who took to Twitter to condemn the possibility, pointing out that Pakistan had no proper policy about the well-being and care of Zoo animals, which had led to Noor Jehan’s death.

    However, a tweet posted by the Sri Lankan High Commission has put the rumors to rest.

    “Sri Lanka has not taken action or discussed in providing Elephants to the Zoo’s in Karachi or Lahore, neither Government of Pakistan has made any such request. This post indicate the correct position in view of certain articles in media and discussions on going on social media.”

    The post did clarify that there was some truth to the claims, because the Sri Lankan Honorary Counsel in Lahore Yasin Joyia, had discussed the possibility of providing elephants to Pakistan, but he did not hold any authority to execute such decisions.

  • Pakistan asks WHO to provide monkeypox vaccine

    Pakistan asks WHO to provide monkeypox vaccine

    According to The News, officials in the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) have said that Pakistan plans to ask the World Health Organization (WHO) for vaccines to prevent monkeypox (mpox).

    “During a National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) meeting held on Wednesday to discuss the monkeypox situation in the country, it was decided that WHO would be requested a sizeable quantity of vaccine to immunise healthcare providers and infectious diseases experts who would be on the frontline to deal with the confirmed and suspected cases of the infectious disease”, an official of the NHS, R&C said.

    The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the country.

    Monkeypox is a viral disease brought on by the monkeypox virus, a germ from the orthopox virus genus.

    Humans can contract the monkey pox virus through coming into personal contact with an infected person, contaminated objects or infected animals.

  • Video: Racist Italian students mock Asian family and Pakistani girl

    A TikTok video showing three Italian girls mocking and laughing at an Asian American family including a Pakistani girl, on a train ride from Lake Como to Milan, has gone viral on TikTok.

    The incident was captured by Mahnoor Euceph, a Pakistani film director, who was traveling with her half-Chinese boyfriend and his Chinese mother and white father.

    The video has been viewed over 17.4 million times. In the footage, the three Italian women can be seen repeatedly laughing and attempting to imitate the Chinese language while looking at Euceph and her companions.

    “They were the most calm during the video but you can still hear them saying ni hao and get a vibe of their general attitude,” read the caption of the video . “Never in my life have I experienced such blatant racism.”

    Mehreen wrote that many of her Asian friends had shared their stories of experiencing racism in Italy and Europe with her.
    Social media users identified the three students and the universities they study at. Two of those universities are carrying out an investigation.

  • Study suggests eating french fries may be linked to anxiety, depression

    Study suggests eating french fries may be linked to anxiety, depression

    A group of researchers based in Hangzhou, China have discovered that people who consume fried foods regularly, particularly fried potatoes, are more likely to have a 12 per cent increased risk of experiencing anxiety and a 7 per cent higher risk of depression compared to those who do not eat fried foods.

    According to the research, the association between consuming fried foods and an increased risk of anxiety and depression is more evident in young men and younger individuals. Fried foods are widely known to be linked with a multitude of health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and clogged vessels.

    The study, which was published in the journal PNAS, suggests that reducing the consumption of fried foods could be significant in maintaining good mental health. However, experts in the field of nutrition cautioned that the findings are preliminary and it’s not yet clear whether fried foods are the cause of mental health issues or if people experiencing depression or anxiety tend to consume more fried foods.

    In the study, which spanned 11.3 years and involved 140,728 participants, those who consumed fried foods were evaluated. After excluding individuals who were diagnosed with depression within the first two years, it was discovered that 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were recorded among those who consumed fried food.

    Additionally, the study revealed that consuming fried potatoes, specifically, increased the risk of depression by 2 per cent compared to consuming fried white meat. The research also indicated that participants who regularly consumed more than one serving of fried food were more likely to be younger men.

  • Hold my halwa: tweet dissing Pakistani desserts ki band bajadi Pakistani Twitter nay

    Did y’all think you have seen everything? Well, the bird app will keep proving you all wrong. After the Manchurian war, the Ali Sethi peshwa conflict, now it is time to take a swipe at Pakistani desserts.

    A tweet has gone viral for all the wrong reasons, deciding to comment on something that made us clutch our third plate of sawaiyaan, because how dare you say that Pakistani deserts aren’t good.

    Did you really not grow up in Pakistan? How can one say Pakistani deserts are not good while growing up eating gulaab jamun, jalebi or kulfi?

    If ever there was a time for Pakistani Twitter do it’s thing, it was now. And it delivered beautifully.

    Saying Pakistani desserts aren’t good and apparently cookies can outshine jalebi is a crime against humanity

    https://twitter.com/superhbics/status/1650759755634462720?s=20
    https://twitter.com/fagittarius_jd/status/1650655889131708416?s=20

    Pakistani desserts aren’t bad, your taste is.

  • Online theft: FIA busts gang pretending to be bank officials on phone

    Online theft: FIA busts gang pretending to be bank officials on phone

    On Monday, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended a group of fraudulent online criminals who had been involved in a series of online theft cases.

    The FIA’s Cyber Crimes Circle Rawalpindi reported that six individuals were taken into custody for their involvement in the scams, which used advanced technology and modern gadgets.

    Six individuals by the names of Mohammad Farooq, Umar Usman, Mohammad Noman, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Adnan were arrested for posing as bank officials and stealing money from commercial bank account holders.

    One of the victims reported to the Cyber Crimes Circle Rawalpindi that Rs1.95 million had been fraudulently taken from their bank account through online theft.

    The victim reported that the suspects were able to obtain his personal information, access his bank accounts, and transfer the money. The FIA has seized seven mobile phones from the suspects and filed a First Information Report (FIR) against all six individuals. The investigation is ongoing, according to an FIA spokesperson.

    An official from the FIA stated that these types of gangs usually make calls from official commercial bank numbers and ask questions about ATM cards or pose as law enforcement officials to obtain bank account details. The official also mentioned that due to limited resources, the investigation agency was unable to address all of the complaints.