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.

  • Covid on the rise again: 171 cases reported in the last 24 hours

    Covid on the rise again: 171 cases reported in the last 24 hours

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH),171 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 1.53 per cent were reported in Pakistan on June 20.

    The number of positive cases has risen to 1,532,153. However, no death was reported. A total of 11,212 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours .

    Read more- Surge in Covid-19 cases in Pakistan

    The positivity rate in Sindh’s capital Karachi has reached to 5 per cent. The Sindh government has also requested citizens to get booster shots.

    In April, Pakistan reported zero Covid-19-related deaths for the first time since the breakout of the pandemic in the country.

    In March this year, the government announced the closure of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The body was set up in March 2020 to deal with Covid-19.

  • Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Snapchat is reportedly working on a subscription plan that will allow users access to several features, including the ability to pin conversations. With the launch of Snapchat +, users may have to pay to access exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features on social media platforms. With a premium subscription, Snapchat users will get a special Snapchat icon and a special badge.

    What is Snapchat Plus?

    With Snapchat Plus, Liz Markman (Snapchat Spokesperson) reports, subscribers will have access to certain features of the app.

    “You’ll be able to pin friends as best friends, get custom snap chat icons and subscriber profile badges, and see how many retweets you have on Snap Stories”. He also notes that “you will be able to see your friends’ location in the last 24 hours, but only if they share it with you”.

    Why paid when they can offer free?

    This is not the only social media platform to launch a paid subscription model. Other social media platforms are also running the same race. For example, Twitter launched its first subscription offer, Twitter Blue, in June, which is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

    The transition to a subscription-based business model may be the result of app tracking transparency, a feature introduced by Apple in iOS 14 that requires apps to ask users before they can track their data. Companies such as Snap and Meta have publicly stated that Apple’s new guidelines have affected their revenue, which is largely based on advertising.

    By introducing new subscription plans, these companies hope to offset the loss in advertising revenue by charging for access to special features that will not be available to free users.

    How much does Snapchat Plus cost?

    The service costs € 4.59 (Rs1,009) monthly or € 45.99 (Rs10,111) per year.

    It is not clear when Snapchat Plus will launch as it is still in testing mode, but keep an eye out for it. Will you pay for it?

  • Islamabad Traffic Police to suspend driving licenses of habitual offenders

    With the aim of maintaining traffic discipline and a safe road environment in the city, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has made the decision to suspend the driving licenses of habitual offenders of traffic rules.

    Syed Mustafa Tanveer, Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic), said the ITP has put in place a system to hold those who break traffic rules accountable. He stated that digital challan records would be reviewed on a regular basis, and that those whose licenses had been revoked for repeated violations of traffic laws would have their license suspended.

    He has also instructed the Zonal DSPs to maintain traffic discipline in the city and prosecute violators sternly.

    In its first step, ITP examined the digital challan log and identified 17 people who had been involved in multiple violations under sections 15 and 16 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance. Six of the 17 violators have been ordered to attend traffic rules and road safety classes for five days, while the driving licenses of 11 others have been suspended.

    He stated that violators of traffic rules will face severe consequences, and that road users will be held accountable in order to protect the lives of others.

    SSP Traffic warned that violators would be supervised on a routine basis and that there would be no tolerance for traffic violations.

  • Energy crisis: Sindh govt announces market closures by 9pm

    Energy crisis: Sindh govt announces market closures by 9pm

    The Sindh government announced that all markets, restaurants, marriage halls and hotels will be closed early in order to save electricity. The decision will remain in force from June 17 (today) to July 16.

    According to an official notification by the provincial Home Department, all markets, bazars, shops and malls will close by 9pm. Marriage and banquet halls will close by 10:30pm, while hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and cafes must shut by 11pm. However, the decision is not applicable to medical stores, pharmacies, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, bakeries and milk shops.

    The notification reads: “The urgent need to take the effective measures for the conservation of energy in Sindh through a two-pronged approach, i.e. to utilise the daylight hours for business activities and minimise the possible adverse impact of the business activities.”

    However, the All Pakistan Trade Union Association has rejected this decision of the provincial government, reports ARY News.

    Pakistan is facing a serious power crisis due to which the government has resorted to load-shedding all over the country.

    Last week, as part of the government’s ongoing measures to manage the energy crisis, the National Economic Council (NEC) agreed on the closure of markets by 8:30pm in all provinces.

    No power in commercial areas in the evening from 7-10pm

    The Power Division has decided to cut supply to commercial feeders from 7pm to 10pm daily across Pakistan, reports Geo News.

    In this regard, the Ministry of Energy has prepared a summary for the cabinet’s approval. According to the media outlet’s sources, the commercial feeders will not face load-shedding during the daytime, which would save approximately 5,000 MegaWatt (MW).

    Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that a huge amount of electricity can be saved if people start their businesses early in the morning and close by Maghrib prayers. He said that saving electricity means saving oil.

  • Famous Afghan anchor forced to sell street food after Taliban takeover

    Afghan journalist Musa Mohammadi was spotted selling street food in order to make ends meet. After the Taliban takeover, the country has experienced economic turbulence, forcing professionals like Mohammadi into a state of poverty.

    Kabir Haqmal, lecturer at Kabul University and former journalist, shared Mohammadi’s picture on Twitter with the caption, “Mohammadi worked for years as an anchor and reporter on different TV channels. He now has no income to feed his family and sells street food to earn some money.”

    In another tweet, Haqmal added, “It is also important to look at how the well-to-do people in a country have reached this stage, and what will happen to the poor. We don’t know what to call the change.“

    The viral post drew the attention of Ahmadullah Wasiq, Director of the National Radio and Television, who ensured Mohammadi’s employment in his response.

    Wasiq’s responded: “Unemployment of Musa Mohammadi, a spokesman for a private television station, was highlighted on social media. As the director of the National Radio and Television, I assure him that we will appoint him within the framework of the National Radio and Television. We need all Afghan professionals.”

    https://twitter.com/WasiqAhmadullah/status/1537122260212977665?s=20&t=7i3XCpZ0jBaS_7mpTMgEdA

    Like Mohammadi, Afghan journalists have been facing never-ending challenges since the Taliban’s takeover. Last month, Afghan female TV presenters were forced to cover their faces while appearing on air.

    This ruling was widely criticised by many, calling it another step by the Taliban to promote extremism.

  • Man and woman decide to commit suicide, man backs out after woman jumps in the river

    Man and woman decide to commit suicide, man backs out after woman jumps in the river

    A couple in India decided to end their life together by jumping in a river as they could not marry each other.

    However, the man did not jump at the last minute while the woman had already jumped into the river.

    They had both been in a relationship for almost seven years. The woman was married to someone else and has a daughter. She took her daughter to Pune and returned after some time, only to discover that the man — Chandu — had married in the interim. Chandu promised her that he will divorce his wife and get married to her.

    However, due to many obstacles, they both decided to end their lives by committing suicide together.

    The couple went to a river to commit suicide but the man did not jump. After finding out that the man did not jump, the woman decided not to die either and swam across the river. The police took her to the hospital.

    According to the police, the man has been charged with attempted murder and damage to the mobile of the woman. An investigation is taking place now.

  • Superstar Ravi: Adidas collaborates with Dubai-based Pakistani restaurant

    Superstar Ravi: Adidas collaborates with Dubai-based Pakistani restaurant

    Famous shoe brand, Adidas, has announced the launch of a limited-edition shoe dedicated to iconic Dubai-based Pakistani eatery Ravi.

    The collection will be available in selected shops in Dubai and online beginning June 23. It’s part of a collection of sneakers honouring legendary eateries in 11 locations around the world.

    The special edition Superstar Ravi is an addition to the Adidas Original Superstar series.

    RAVI founder​ Chaudary Abdul Hameed said, “It’s humbling to see so many cultures and communities coming together to celebrate our traditions and roots through food. We’ve been feeding the people of Dubai for over 40 years, across different generations, and now bringing our story to the table in a different way is a moment for our family to be proud of.”

  • Air pollution reduces life expectancy by two years worldwide: Report

    Air pollution reduces life expectancy by two years worldwide: Report

    A recent study revealed that microscopic air pollution, mostly generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, affects life expectancy by more than two years globally.

    According to a report by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, if fine particulate matter levels across South Asia reached World Health Organization criteria, the typical individual would live five years longer.

    The severe lung and heart illness caused by so-called PM2.5 pollution reduce life expectancy by eight years in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, home to 300 million people, and by a decade in the capital city of New Delhi.

    PM2.5 pollution penetrates deep into the lungs and reaches the circulation, with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller, nearly the same as a human hair. It was declared a cancer-causing substance by the United Nations in 2013.

    According to the WHO, the concentration of PM2.5 in the air should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic metre in any 24-hour period, or 5 mcg/m3 on an annual basis.

    The WHO strengthened these guidelines last year, the first revision since air quality guidance was established in 2005, in response to accumulating evidence of harmful health effects.

    In the Air Quality Life Index report, lead researcher Crista Hasenkopf and colleagues stated, “Clean air pays back in additional years of life for individuals all over the world.” “Reducing global air pollution to WHO recommendations permanently would add 2.2 years to average life expectancy.”

    Almost every inhabited region on the planet exceeds WHO limits, but not more so than Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan all exceed WHO guidelines by 15-fold, 10-fold, and nine-fold, respectively.

  • These ‘aftermarket’ front panels for Bugatti cost more than one kanal house in DHA

    These ‘aftermarket’ front panels for Bugatti cost more than one kanal house in DHA

    Owning a Bugatti supercar is unquestionably one of the most expensive pleasures a person can enjoy. An oil change, for example, costs more than Rs5.09 million ($25,000). To look at it another way, just the oil change is more expensive than a new Toyota Corolla Altis Grande in Pakistan.

    An oil change is a ‘small’ fraction of the money you have to spend every 12 months to keep the French beauty in great shape. If you break the exterior, things get even worse.

    We’re well aware of the exorbitant price of maintaining a Bugatti, yet the internet continues to surprise us with independent postings of OEM Chiron parts.

    The most outrageous example seen so far is the front-end component from a Chiron Super Sport 300+ shared by CarScoops, which is priced at Rs81.5 million ($399,999). In Pakistan, you can buy a nice house in Defence Housing Authority, Lahore, and even save some money with this sum.

    It’s important to note that we’re still discussing an OEM part component here.

    Consider the following scenario: you’ve scraped the roof of your gleaming Bugatti Chiron, but you don’t want to go to the brand’s official shop to save some money. Repainting the panel is one option, but if the damage is too extensive, it must be replaced. Finally, if you opt to handle the repair yourself, there are roof components available on the internet to ‘assist’ you.

    SGR Automotive recently posted an ad on Instagram for a Bugatti Chiron roof assembly. It is still unclear where this component originates from, but the seller claims it’s an OEM part in excellent shape. The available photographs show a spotless blue roof assembly with no blemishes on the paint or carbon fiber structure.

    It’s worth noting that the roof component of the Chiron is considerably more than a mere panel covering the passenger compartment. It is a structural element of the Chiron’s chassis and plays an important function in the supercar’s monocoque. Needless to say, even minor flaws in the Chiron’s carbon-fiber structure might significantly impact its cornering performance.

    A roof assembly is priced at Rs11.20 million ($55,000) by SGR Automotive. Well, that’s enough to get you a nice new Toyota Fortuner 2022 in Pakistan, but in the Bugatti world, 55 grand is practically nothing. If this roof piece is an OEM part, it’s definitely well worth the money, since a new fuel tank costs Rs8.96 million ($44,000)  to replace.

  • Elephant kills woman, later crashes her funeral

    Elephant kills woman, later crashes her funeral

    A 70-year-old Indian woman was killed by an elephant in Odisha, India, while she was collecting water from a tube-well, reports The Print.

    The elephant trampled Maya Murmu. As a result, she sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital where she breathed her last.

    When the family members were performing Maya’s last rituals, the elephant returned and took the corpse from the pyre. It trampled her body again and fled after throwing it. 

    However, Maya’s last rites were finally conducted a few hours later. The elephant had wandered off from the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary.

    According to official data, as many as 3,300 people have been killed in attacks by wild elephants in India in the last seven years. Odisha has suffered the most deaths, with nearly 600 killed between 2014-2021.