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.

  • All women crew conducts first spacewalk of 2020

    All women crew conducts first spacewalk of 2020

    The second spacewalk in history was conducted by a team of all-women astronauts at the International Space Station on Wednesday morning.

    NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch replaced batteries on solar arrays on the outside of the International Space Station during the first spacewalk of 2020.

    The same astronauts made history after completing the very first all-female spacewalk in October. That came months after a planned spacewalk with an all-women crew had to be cancelled in March because of lack of suitable spacesuits.

    These will be the second and third spacewalks for Meir
    and the fifth and sixth for Koch. NASA said Wednesday’s spacewalk is the 225th
    conducted at the International Space Station.

  • Jordanian princess becomes her country’s first female pilot

    Jordanian princess becomes her country’s first female pilot

    Jordan’s Princess Salma bint Abdullah became the first woman in her country to pass her theoretical and practical pilot training with the Jordanian Armed Forces.

    19 years old princess was presented with her aviation wings by her father in a ceremony at Amman’s Al Husseiniya Palace. Her mother Queen Rania and her elder brother, Crown Prince Hussein were also present at the ceremony.

    The princess graduated from a short commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in November 2018. She is also not the first female member of the Jordanian royal family to attend the military academy. Her aunt, Princess Aisha bint Hussein, became the first Middle Eastern woman to attend the academy, graduating in 1987.

    Her brother, who is a first lieutenant in the Jordanian Armed Forces, took to social media to congratulate her.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EA29cHx3s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  • Chitral citizens booked over disrupting US hunter

    Chitral citizens booked over disrupting US hunter

    A case was registered against three people in Chitral for meddling into the hunt of a United States (US) citizen, who was hunting Markhor in the area. 

    As per reports, the district forest
    officer (DFO) in the area said that an American hunter visited the Toshi-II
    game reserve in Chitral to hunt Markhor.

    “He obtained a permit for trophy hunting after paying a fee of US$150,000.”

    As soon as the US citizen set up his
    prey and was ready to shoot it a citizen fired a warning shot that made the
    animal run away.

    “The fire caused the hunter to change
    his location,” DFO said adding that three people were booked in the case over
    the violation.

    On December 12, an Italian citizen hunted the first Markhor of the season. According to the Gilgit – Baltistan wildlife department, Carlo Pasco successfully hunted a markhor from the conservation area.

    The hunter paid $85,000 as permit fee for hunting the rare wildlife species. The Wildlife department claims that 80% of the amount paid by hunters is given to the local community to invest in themselves and the conversation of these animals.

    The markhor is a large Capra species in
    Central Asia, Karakoram and the Himalayas. It is listed as one of the
    endangered species since 2015.

  • ‘InshAllah’ becomes part of German dictionary

    ‘InshAllah’ becomes part of German dictionary

    One of the most authoritative dictionaries of the German language Duden Dictionary recently included ‘Insha Allah’ (If Allah wills it) into the dictionary.

    The new entry is spelled as inschallah in the Duden dictionary, though as of now it is unclear whether the word will appear in the Duden’s digital version or published in a physical copy.

    The Duden is considered to be the most widely used dictionary of the German language. It has long been the prescriptive handbook for German grammar as well as spelling. The Duden dictionary has been issued since 1880 and is now in its 27th edition.

    The word ‘Insha’Allah‘ was included after the Turkish word ‘oha’ was added into the dictionary. Oha is used as an expression of surprise that is quite similar to the English word “whoa”.

  • Pakistani passport now ranks at fourth-worst for international travel

    Pakistani passport now ranks at fourth-worst for international travel

    The Pakistani passport has been ranked as the fourth worst passport for international travel, according to the Henley Passport Index.

    The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. It has placed Pakistan on the 104th position. 

    Last year the Pakistani passport had been rated as the
    fifth-worst passport to hold.

    It shares the fourth spot with Somalia followed by Syria,
    Iraq and Afghanistan. Pakistani passport holders still enjoy visa-free access
    to 32 countries.

    Japan came at the top spot as the world’s most powerful
    passport. Other Asian countries on the list are Singapore, which is in the
    second spot, and South Korea with Germany is in third place.

    European countries also performed well with Finland on
    fourth and Spain, Luxembourg and Denmark coming fifth. Sweden and France took
    the sixth spot on the list.

    The United States fell two places down coming on eighth,
    sharing the spot with United Kingdom, Norway, Green and Belgium. Canada ranked
    ninth.

    The United Arab Emirates also climbed up 47 places to sit
    in 18th place, with a visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 171.

    Here are the 10 most powerful passports in the world:

    1. Japan (191 destinations)

    2. Singapore (190)

    3. South Korea, Germany (189)

    4. Italy, Finland (188)

    5. Spain, Luxembourg, Denmark (187)

    6. Sweden, France (186)

    7. Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria
    (185)

    8. United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Greece, Belgium
    (184)

    9. New Zealand, Malta, Czech Republic, Canada, Australia
    (183)

    10. Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary (181)

    Here are the five least powerful passports in the world:

    1. Afghanistan (26)

    2. Iraq (28)

    3. Syria (29)

    4. Pakistan, Somalia (32)

    5. Yemen

  • Quetta Civil hospital doctors perform surgery with cell phone light

    Quetta Civil hospital doctors perform surgery with cell phone light

    Doctors at Civil Hospital Quetta were forced to perform surgery under cell phone light because of the constant power outage due to heavy rain and snowfall in the provincial capital. The hospital had no backup power as there was no generator in place either.

    According to a statement issued by Balochistan Young Doctors’ Association (YDA), the trauma and emergency centre in the hospital was in terrible condition due to the incompetence of its managing director.

    YDA spokesperson Rahim Khan Babar revealed that there was a lack of equipment and medicines. The operation theatre did not have slippers for the patients and the x-ray machines and other apparatus automatically shut down due to power breakdown.

    He added that Balochistan CM Jam Kamal, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Jamal Mandokhail and provincial Health Secretary Muddasir Waheed have visited the hospital but no development and improvement was witnessed.

    Earlier, the CM promised to ensure facilities for poor citizens in the hospital during his visit.

    Babar urged the CM to take notice of the situation and resolve it as soon as possible because precious lives were put at risk. He also stressed the management to make contractual staff permanent employees to improve the situation of the hospital.

  • First lunar eclipse of the decade to take place on Jan 10

    First lunar eclipse of the decade to take place on Jan 10

    The first lunar eclipse of 2020 – and the decade – will fall on January 10. Four penumbral lunar eclipses scheduled to take place in 2020.

    Lunar eclipse, also known as the ‘Wolf Moon Eclipse’, is an astronomic event that occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon and blocks some or all of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are imperfectly aligned. When this happens, the Earth blocks some of the Sun’s light from directly reaching the Moon’s surface and covers all or part of the Moon with the outer part of its shadow, also known as the penumbra.

    As per reports, the eclipse will start at 10:07 pm and end around 2:12 am. The full eclipse can be witnessed at 12:07 am.

    Four such lunar eclipses are expected to take place in 2020. Other eclipses will likely occur on June 5, July 5 and November 30.

  • PM Khan launches app for drug prevention

    PM Khan launches app for drug prevention

    Prime Minister Imran Khan launched an app for drug prevention. The “Zindagi” app has been introduced by the government to stop drug penetration in society.

    The federal government has launched this app to curb drug addiction in the country and to educate people about it. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the purpose of the “Zindagi” app is to build a drug-free society. The mobile app will have all the information on drug use and its repercussions.

    Meanwhile, watch what happens to the drugs that are seized by the Anti-Narcotics Force.

  • Schools in Punjab to remain closed till January 12

    Schools in Punjab to remain closed till January 12

    Educational institutes across Punjab will now have longer vacations than planned. The Punjab education department extended the vacations on Monday.

    Schools and colleges were supposed to open on Monday, January 6, after winter holidays but the education department extended vacations due to the weather. They will now open on January 12.

    Education Minister Murad Raas confirmed that the extension was because of the cold weather.

    Earlier, Murad Raas has wished good luck to all the students and teachers for going to school on Monday.

  • The quest for the perfect French Toast in Lahore

    The quest for the perfect French Toast in Lahore

    Winters and brunches go hand in hand. And nothing better than French Toast for the perfect sweet ending to a satisfying, or not so satisfying brunch. While, most cafes in Lahore have french toasts on their menu, finding the perfect French toast in town was quite a feat and I had a go through a couple to find the one.

    Read on for a comparison of French Toasts available in Lahore.

    Urban Kitchen

    Urban Kitchen has French Toast available only on Sunday as part of their Sunday brunch which is a pity because they truly are delightful. The bread is delicious and I’d honestly just go back for that. And the fact that the toppings do not include Nutella is the cherry on top.

    Thanda Garam

    Thanda Garam knows how to do their french toast because the french toast they had were divine – the best out of the lot. They were crispy from the outside and fluffy from the inside. The cream that accompanied was so delectable that I had to stop myself from licking clean the plate. The only downside was that there was too much Nutella – but then again those who love Nutella will absolutely love this. I’d request the restaurant to make Nutella optional and add a jam option as well – Strawberry or Apple Jam with these french toast would be delightful.

    Jade

    As far as Nutella French Toast are concerned, Jade was the pioneer of these in the city. But over the years, I feel that Jade’s french toast have become boring as well as oily. They are often too crispy on the outside and not as well cooked from the inside. The bread is also pretty thick which is why I’ve stopped having french toast from Jade.

    Chaaye Khana

    Just like Jade, Chaaye Khana also used to do good french toast. But after trying Thanda Garam and Urban Kitchen, Chaaye Khana’s french toast began to taste mediocre – there is tooo much bread and nothing with it. No cream, jam or maple syrup which makes the french toast dry and boring.

    Sasha’s

    The first time I went to Sasha’s, I quite enjoyed their french toasts. But the successive visit wasn’t as good. The bread was extra caramelized which made it difficult to chew – it was like eating burnt toffee. Add to that, maple syrup and nutella. The end result wasn’t very pleasing and I never went back to Sasha’s.

    In short, Urban Kitchen and Thanda Garam do the best french toast in town.