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.

  • Lahore Police arrested 648 dacoits, recovering more than Rs27 crore in three months

    Lahore Police arrested 648 dacoits, recovering more than Rs27 crore in three months

    Lahore Police has recently revealed performance statistics on eliminating crime during the first three months of 2022.

    According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Additional IG Fayyaz Ahmad Dev, the first three months of the current year were peaceful in terms of overall law, order and security.

    He stated that the Lahore Police Department has applied advanced operational techniques, effective modalities, and systemic reforms to help bolster its force’s capacity to limit violence and preserve tranquility in the city.

    Performance Statistics

    Lahore Police detained 648 wanted members of 253 dacoit gangs and recovered cash and precious items valued at more than Rs27 crore.

    From the criminals, police recovered nearly 70 vehicles, 1,123 motorcycles, 14 laptops, and 843 cell phones. During the city’s big anti-illegal weapons operation, Lahore Police detained 1,214 criminals and registered 1,207 cases against them. From these criminals, police confiscated 05 Kalashnikovs, 90 rifles, 41 guns, 1,007 pistols, 01 carbine, 07 revolvers, and over 6,000 bullets.

    During the last three months, police arrested 1,973 criminals, filed 1,939 FIRs against them, and recovered more than 19 kg heroin, 843 kg charas, three kg ice, 50 kg opium, and 13,815 liters of liquor from them.

    Likewise, the Lahore Police Department nabbed 1,119 gambling suspects and filed 237 cases against them, collecting more than Rs23 lakh 69 thousand in gambling money. Moreover, the Punjab Police is aggressively chasing violators of the tenancy registration, displaying weapons, and violation of the Loudspeaker Act throughout Punjab. There were 1,117 incidents of exhibiting firearms, 4,795 cases of illegal possession of arms, and 624 licenses cancelled.

    Read more: Motorway Police distribute prizes to the best drivers

    According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, 882 cases of tenancy law violations were reported in the metropolis, with 1,233 people arrested. Similarly, 304 cases of violation of the Loudspeaker Act were registered, 310 individuals were arrested, and 1,203 cases of exhibiting and carrying illegal weapons were registered, with stern legal action being taken.

    Special squads have been created on the orders of IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan to apprehend the culprits, while the effectiveness of the Anti-Riot Force, Dolphin Squad, and Police Response Unit has also been improved. The Commander of Lahore Police is closely watching the productivity of police officers in order to meet crime-control objectives.

  • Prominent Russian activist detained after anti-war protest

    Prominent Russian activist detained after anti-war protest

    Oleg Orlov, a prominent Russian human rights activist, has been detained after staging a one-man protest in Moscow’s Red Square against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Members of Memorial, a now-banned human rights organisation of which Orlov had been a leader, shared a video of him on Sunday holding a banner before being taken away by police.

    The sign read, “Our unwillingness to know the truth and our silence makes us conspirators to this crime.”

    Human rights group OVD-Info also reported one other isolated protester – a man arrested in front of Moscow’s city hall for wearing blue and yellow, the colours of Ukraine’s flag.

    OVD-Info, which monitors political arrests, says more than 15,000 people have been detained at rallies across the country to protest against the war.

    Demonstrators taking to the streets risk fines and possible prison sentences.

    Orlov himself had his front door tagged with “Z” and his photo pasted on with the word “collaborator”.

    The Z symbol is widely used by Russian authorities and Putin supporters, decorating building facades, bus doors, car windscreens and T-shirts.

    In late December 2021, Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that Memorial should be shut down, part of a sweeping crackdown by authorities on rights activists, independent media and opposition supporters.

    Prosecutors had accused the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Centre and its parent structure, Memorial International, of violating Russia’s “foreign agent” law.

    The court ruled in favour of the prosecution, which charged at the hearing that Memorial “creates a false image of the USSR as a terrorist state, whitewashes and rehabilitates Nazi criminals”, referring to the Soviet Union.

    Memorial, which has spoken out against the repression of critics under Russian President Vladimir Putin, dismissed the lawsuit against it as politically motivated.

  • Saudi Arabia to allow one million Hajj pilgrims for 2022

    Saudi Arabia to allow one million Hajj pilgrims for 2022

    Saudi Arabia has increased the Hajj pilgrimage limit in the country to one million compared to last year’s 60,000 domestic pilgrims.

    To combat the coronavirus pandemic, attendance at the Islamic event was drastically reduced in the past two years due to travel restrictions.

    As per the latest notice, Pilgrims must be under the age of 65 and have received COVID-19 vaccinations that have been approved by the Saudi health ministry.

    All pilgrims must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test report within three days (72 hours of departure time).

    The move intends to accommodate the greatest number of pilgrims to perform Hajj while retaining the Kingdom’s health improvements in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the ministry.

    Furthermore, the directives noted that the expansion will be based on the quotas decided for nations that will follow the Kingdom’s mandatory health recommendations.

    As per the official figures, 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj in 2021. The number of Hajj pilgrims often surpassed the two million count before the Covid-19 outbreak.

  • World food prices at all times high in March: FAO

    World food prices at all times high in March: FAO

    Food commodity prices across the World made a significant leap in March to reach the highest-ever levels, as war in the Black Sea region spread shocks through markets for staple grains and vegetable oils, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported.

    The FAO Food Price Index averaged 159.3 points in March, up 12.6 percent from February when it had already reached its highest level since its inception in 1990. The Index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of commonly-traded food commodities. The latest level of the index was 33.6 percent higher than in March 2021.

    The FAO Cereal Price Index was 17.1 percent higher in March than in February, driven by large rises in wheat and all coarse grain prices largely as a result of the war in Ukraine. The Russian Federation and Ukraine, combined, accounted for around 30 percent and 20 percent of global wheat and maize exports, respectively, over the past three years. World wheat prices soared by 19.7 percent during the month, exacerbated by concerns over crop conditions in the United States of America. Meanwhile, maize prices posted a 19.1 percent month-on-month increase, hitting a record high along with those of barley and sorghum. Contrasting trends across the various origins and qualities kept the March value of FAO’s Rice Price Index little changed from February, and thus still 10 percent below its level of a year earlier.

    The FAO VEGETABLE OIL PRICE INDEX rose 23.2 percent, driven by higher quotations for sunflower seed oil, of which Ukraine is the world’s leading exporter. Palm, soy and rapeseed oil prices also rose markedly as a result of the higher sunflower seed oil prices and the rising crude oil prices, with soy oil prices further underpinned by concerns over reduced exports by South America.

    The FAO SUGAR PRICE INDEX rose 6.7 percent from February, reversing recent declines to reach a level more than 20 percent higher than in March 2021. Higher crude oil prices were a driving factor, along with currency appreciation of the Brazilian Real, while favorable production prospects in India prevented larger monthly price increases.

    The FAO MEAT PRICE INDEX increased by 4.8 percent in March to reach an all-time high, led by surging pig meat prices related to a shortfall of slaughter pigs in Western Europe. International poultry prices also firmed in step with reduced supplies from leading exporting countries following avian flu outbreaks.

    The FAO DAIRY PRICE INDEX rose 2.6 percent and was 23.6 percent higher than in March 2021, as quotations for butter and milk powders rose steeply amid a surge in import demand for near and long-term deliveries, especially from Asian markets.

    FORECASTS FOR CEREALS

    FAO also released its new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, which includes a forecast for global wheat production in 2022 of 784 million tonnes, a 1.1 percent increase from 2021. That estimate factors in expectations that at least 20 percent of Ukraine’s planted area to winter crops, notably winter wheat, may not be harvested due to direct destruction, constrained access or a lack of resources to harvest crops, reports from Russia of continued conducive weather conditions, as well as prospective production trends in China, the European Union, India, North America and elsewhere. Coarse grain production prospects remain favorable in Argentina, Brazil and South Africa.

  • 1 bln meals initiative begins distribution in five countries

    1 bln meals initiative begins distribution in five countries

    The 1 Billion Meals initiative, which aims to provide food support to the underprivileged and undernourished in 50 countries around the world, announced that it has started distributing foodstuffs, food parcels in Lebanon, India, Jordan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

    The initiative, which was launched at the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan and organized by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), has started distribution in the four countries in cooperation with the Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN), the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment (MBRCH).

    The FBRN has started distributing long-term food items and food parcels with storable ingredients to the beneficiaries of the 1 Billion Meals initiative. Whereas MBRCH is distributing food parcels containing basic staples such as flour, rice, oil, sugar and dates to beneficiaries.

    Accurate Databases

    The 1 Billion Meals initiative provides beneficiaries with basic necessities needed for the preparation of nutritious meals or instant electronic vouchers for food supplies in cooperation with relevant local authorities in beneficiary countries. This coordination ensures the efficiency of distribution operations and, by taking advantage of technology applications, also provides direct access to the communities most in need based on comprehensive and accurate databases.

    Donations Continue

    The distribution of food parcels coincides with the arrival of contributions and donations to the 1 Billion Meals initiative from individuals, institutions, companies, businessmen and pioneers of charity and humanitarian work. These donations embody the values of the UAE and its generous society, which is keen to express solidarity with those in need without discrimination between race, religion or geographical region.

    The launch of the 1 Billion Meals initiative and the start of its distribution operations are part of the message of MBRGI, whose humanitarian goals are based on giving without any exception on the basis of gender, race, belief or region. The initiative falls under the pillar of Humanitarian Aid and Relief, one of the five main themes focused on by MBRGI.

  • Islamabad Traffic Police issues more than 28,000 challans to careless drivers

    During the last three months, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) handed 28,224 fine tickets to motorists who were negligent on the roads.

    As per Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Rai Mazhar Iqbal, special squads have been formed on the directives of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Muhammad Ahsan Younas to deal with reckless drivers who endanger the lives of road users.

    He also instructed the officials that road users should be treated with respect.

    SSP Iqbal stated that all city personnel have been urged to take stern action against such offenders and to assure that the city’s roads are secure.

    Furthermore, he revealed that the ITP education wing has been directed to ensure renewed efforts in a bid to raise public awareness regarding traffic rules.

    Several students have joined ITP as traffic volunteers, therefore he directed ITP’s teams to visit educational institutions to build traffic sense among more students.

    According to the SSP Traffic, the goal of conducting action against irresponsible drivers is to safeguard their personal safety as well as the safety of others.

  • [VIDEO] DHL cargo plane breaks into two pieces after emergency landing

    Dalsey Hillblom Lynn, DHL Boeing cargo plane, broke into pieces after an emergency landing in Costa Rica on April 7. During landing, it skidded off the runaway at Juan Santamaria International airport.

    According to a statement released by DHL, soon after taking off, the crew reported the failure of the hydraulic system in the aircraft due to which the plane immediately made an emergency landing. It was reported that both pilots have escaped severe injuries. The company has initiated an investigation to find out the real cause of the incident.

    DHL added in the statement, “We are pleased to report that the crew was physically unharmed in the incident,” it continued, “One crew member underwent medical checks as a precaution.”

    As per data from the website FlightRadar24, the cargo plane took off from Juan Santamaria Airport and headed north initially before deviating from an original course after 10 minutes.

    The air jet was swung towards the south for about 20 minutes before entering a holding pattern. The pilots probably performed action was to dump excess fuel that could have catch fire in the crash landing. The air jet landed in the direction of North-East before the crash landing at the airport.

  • Turkey gears up for handing over Khashoggi trial to Saudis

    Turkey gears up for handing over Khashoggi trial to Saudis

    Turkey on Thursday held the final stage of the trial in absentia of 26 suspects linked to the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi before transferring the case to Riyadh, a decision that has angered rights groups.

    The 59-year-old journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 in a gruesome murder that shocked the world.

    A Turkish court began the trial in 2020 with relations tense between the two Sunni Muslim regional powers.

    But with Turkey desperate for investment to help pull it out of economic crisis, Ankara has sought to heal the rift with Riyadh.

    Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said last week that he would greenlight a Turkish prosecutor’s request to hand the case over to Saudi Arabia.

    The prosecutor said the case was “dragging” because the court’s orders could not be carried since the defendants were foreigners.

    But Human Rights Watch slammed Ankara, saying the decision will “end any possibility of justice”.

    Getting ‘away with murder’

    Transferring the trial would also “reinforce Saudi authorities’ apparent belief that they can get away with murder,” said Michael Page, the group’s deputy Middle East director.

    Amnesty International, whose head Agnes Callamard had investigated the murder in 2019 when she was a UN special rapporteur, also strongly rebuked the Turkish government.

    “Turkey will be knowingly and willingly sending the case back into hands of those who bear responsibility,” she said.

    Boycott

    To Riyadh’s dismay, Turkey pressed ahead with the Khashoggi case and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had at the time said the order to kill him came from the “highest levels” of government.

    In the years that followed, Saudi Arabia sought to unofficially put pressure on Turkey’s economy, with a boycott on Turkish imports.

    Last year, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Riyadh to mend fences with the kingdom.

    The transfer of the case to Riyadh would remove the last obstacle to normalising ties.

    But Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz urged Ankara to insist on justice despite rapprochement with Saudi in an interview with AFP in February.

    “In order for such a thing to not happen again…(Turkey) should not abandon this case,” said Cengiz.

    She was left waiting outside the consulate for Khashoggi when he was murdered. He had gone there to obtain paperwork to marry her. His remains have never been found.

    Erdogan has sought to improve ties with regional rivals including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in the face of increasing diplomatic isolation that has caused foreign investment to dry up — particularly from the West

  • Pakistan reports zero Covid death for 5th straight day

    Pakistan reports zero Covid death for 5th straight day

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) has claimed that Pakistan has reported zero Covid-19 deaths across the country during the past 24 hours.

    The NIH officials informed that a total of 141 new cases of the viral disease were reported during 27,000 samples were tested during the past 24 hours. The nationwide tally of confirmed cases stands at 1,526,234 while the death toll is 30,361.

    The country’s positivity rate was recorded at 0.52 per cent, the NIH said, adding the number of patients in critical care in various hospitals across the country has fallen to 280.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan last month announced the withdrawal of all Covid-19 related restrictions.

  • Indian TV reporter gets furious on ‘Urdu description’ on product packaging; Staff angrily responds

    Indian TV reporter gets furious on ‘Urdu description’ on product packaging; Staff angrily responds

    An Indian TV reporter got into a heated argument with the Indian food manufacturing company, Haldiram’s manager. The argument started when the reporter argued about Urdu’s description on one of its product packaging. The whole incident happened in the presence of police.

    In reality, the instructions were written in Arabic and English languages on the “Falhari Mixture” product packaging. However, the reporter from ‘Sudarshan News’ claimed the instructions are written in the Urdu language over which she started war of words with the manager.

    She kept asking the manager the same question, ” What lies are you disseminating in public or concealing by writing Urdu instructions?” The manager retaliated by saying, “Do whatever you want because these kinds of tantrums Halidram won’t entertain at all.”

    The reporter repeatedly asked, “Why have you written this (instructions) in Urdu? “Does it includes animal oil?”

    The outlet Manager replied bluntly, “Ma’am if you want to have it, you can have it. If you don’t want to have it, you can leave it here and go.” During the argument, she also questioned the reporter, “if people from three communities in India come to the outlet, who may know three languages- English, Hindi, Urdu. I have given these prescriptions for them then why she (the reporter) was stubborn on reading only the Urdu prescription. “Aap ko Urdu hi Kyun padhni hain, ma’am? English aur Hindi bhi hain wahan pe aap ke liye( there is English and Hindi for you as well.”

    This clip has widespread across social media and received backlash from various netizens and Indian journalists.

    One user asked this TV reporter, “Here is some Urdu text. Will this reporter go to the Railways and ask what it is about.”

    Another user sarcastically asked to boycott the Indian currency too as Urdu script is written on the note.

    Indian Journalist, Rana Ayyub highlighted the smear campaign against the Muslim community by the Indian Central government and TV channels.

    Another Journalist, Alishan Jafri appreciated the behaviour of Haldiram’s staff who confidently stood by the stance in favour of ‘Urdu description’ without giving any explanation.

    Haldiram’s products are exported to various Muslim countries including United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey. It is very common to write the Arabic language to facilitate customers living there.