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.

  • Why is #ElonToGaza trending on Twitter?

    Why is #ElonToGaza trending on Twitter?

    #ElonToGaza is one of the top trends on Twitter right now, appearing on the microblogging site after Elon Musk’s visit to Israel.

    The billionaire tycoon and owner of X (former Twitter), having made a number of controversial statements about the Gaza situation, went to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog. The tour took place after one of his tweets, dubbed anti-semitic by critics, went viral on social media. The contents of the tweet promoted the conspiracy theory that white people in the West are being “replaced” through immigration from the Global South with the help of progressive Jews – “the actual truth”.

    Details of the visit

    Accompanied by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the tech billionaire also visited a kibbutz that was raided by Hamas fighters on October 7, during an assault that left 1,200 people dead. He was also shown footage of the Hamas attack and met some of the families of people taken into captivity from Israel.

    Elon’s Twitter Space with Netanyahu

    “It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.
    In the brief life-streamed conversation on X, Musk and Netanyahu agreed that Hamas needs to be eradicated. “You first have to get rid of the poisonous regime as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan. Yeah, in World War II,” said Netanyahu. Musk replied, “There’s no choice. There’s no choice.”

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Musk during a meeting that he had a huge role to play in the global fight against anti-Semitism.“We have to do whatever is necessary to stop the hate,” Musk replied, according to a statement released by Herzog’s office.

    Despite the fact that the Israeli Prime Minister condemned Musk for the tweet, he welcomed the visit by stating that Musk’s visit to Israel points to his solidarity with Israel.

    Purpose of the visit

    Musk reached an agreement with Israel “in principle” that internet access to Gaza may be provided through Starlink, but only using units operated by Israel and with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications.

    In October, CEO Musk said that “Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza.”

    As Gaza plunged into darkness after its communications blackout in October, social media users pleaded with Musk to provide the besieged Gaza Strip with internet access through Starlink.

    Musk was prompted to provide internet connection in Ukraine through Starlink as it uses satellite and not cables to provide internet. People accused him of having “double standards” when it comes to Gaza where a brutal war is being inflicted by Israel. Even Israel has previously opposed Starlink connectivity for Gaza, contesting that Hamas would use it for “terrorist activities”.

    Now netizens are questioning Elon for not visiting Gaza despite the destruction and death that has befallen innocent civilians there.

    Hamas has also sent an invitation to Elon Musk.

  • Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022

    Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022

    Extreme weather events in countries vulnerable to climate change drove more than 27 million children into hunger last year, Save the Children said on Tuesday.

    The figure represented a sharp 135 percent increase over 2021, the UK-based charity said in an analysis ahead of the COP28 climate summit opening in Dubai on Thursday.

    It said children made up nearly half the 57 million people pushed into crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse across 12 countries because of extreme weather in 2022, according to data from the IPC hunger monitoring system.

    Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children facing hunger, Save said.

    “As climate-related weather events become more frequent and severe, we will see more drastic consequences on children’s lives,” Save’s CEO Inger Ashing said in a statement.

    The charity called on leaders meeting at COP28 in Dubai to take action on the climate crisis by recognising children as “key agents of change” but more broadly to address other causes of food insecurity such as conflict and weak health systems.

    Save highlighted the situation in Somalia, which is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, locked in a vicious cycle of drought and floods.

    It said the recent torrential rains and flooding that have engulfed many parts of the country had displaced about 650,000 people, about half of them children.

    Elsewhere, Save noted that two million children in Pakistan remained acutely malnourished after floods that swamped a third of the country last year.

    Across the planet, Save estimated that 774 million children -– or one third of the global child population — are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk.

    In a report issued last week, Save said that more than 17.6 million children will be born into hunger this year, one-fifth more than a decade ago.

  • Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed has said that the government will provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages for pilgrims, on Tuesday.

    He further stated that female abayas having a Pakistani flag on the backside and 13 Kg suitcases will also be provided to pilgrims performing hajj this year.

    The minister said that it was a historic step that the caretaker government has declared a significant reduction of one lac in government Hajj expenses, adding that a further Rs50,000 will also be reduced in the coming few days after which Hajjaj will get back their money in their accounts.

    He further revealed that a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

    Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding that, the app will also provide digital training programs to every pilgrim.

    The minister also disclosed a project that the Ministry of Hajj in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the Imam of mosques will play a leading role.

    Minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city area, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

    He said that the Ministry of Hajj is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

    While describing another project, minister for religious affairs said that his ministry with the collaboration of health ministry has another project in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.

    Lady health workers and other essential staff of doctors will also be provided in all masajid where they will facilitate to citizens visiting inside the masque of areas, he added.

  • Gaza’s main public library destroyed by Israeli airstrikes

    Gaza’s main public library destroyed by Israeli airstrikes

    Gaza’s main public library was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on Monday, during the humanitarian truce held between Israel and Palestine. Authorities in Gaza City have condemned the destruction, and revealed the library was regularly used by school children and other members of the community before the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

    Municipal authorities in Gaza have criticised the Israeli army for destroying countless books and historical documents. They have appealed to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to “intervene and protect cultural centers and condemn the occupation’s targeting of these humanitarian facilities protected under international humanitarian law.”

    Writing on the attack, acclaimed literary website Literary Hub slammed it as Israel’s attempt to “erase all evidence of Palestinian life, Palestinian humanity, from Gaza. To turn the besieged enclave—with its ancient mosques and archeological sites, its labor-of-love bookstores and meticulously-curated libraries, its pesky health care workers and journalists and sole survivors—into an empty soccer field.”

    Social media users were outraged at the attack that happened during the humanitarian pause declared by Israel.

  • Do you know which is the cheapest country to live in?

    The website Numbeo has just released a list of 140 countries with cheap cost of living in ascending order.

    Surprisingly, Pakistan is the cheapest country to live in according to Numbeo’s cost of living index by country 2023.

    In the current indices, Pakistan has the lowest prices for living. It is followed by Egypt while India is only two steps behind.

    The most expensive country according to the chart is Bermuda followed by Switzerland, Cayman Islands, Bahamas and Barbados.

    The chart was made after analyzing the cost of living, rent, cost of living plus rent, groceries and restaurant prices prevalent in the countries included.

  • Meet the man who saved 25 lives in Karachi’s mall fire

    Meet the man who saved 25 lives in Karachi’s mall fire

    Mohammad Amir, along with his son, saved the lives of 25 people in the fire that broke out in Karachi’s RJ Mall on Rashid Minhas Road on November 25. The fire ended up killing 10 people and left many injured.

    Amir and his son were invited on the show Zara Hat Kay by Zarrar Khuhro and Wusatullah Khan to honour his efforts. The fire that erupted on Saturday, trapped people in the building without access to an exit. Amir reached the mall earlier at dawn and participated in the rescue operation. His son Subhan worked the night shift in the call centre located on the upper storey of the mall. He called his father in panic to inform him about the fire in the office, pleading with him to come and help.
    The father rushed to the mall and called 15 Rescue Services. The lift was jammed while the stairs were ablaze. The lifter of the rescue team could not reach the fourth floor so he entered the third one and cut the grill with his hands and a cutter. A rescue team member refused to enter as it was hard to breathe but Amir ploughed ahead for his son. He managed to rescue his son along with 25 of his colleagues as he paved the way back to third floor from where they were taken back to the ground.

    In the interview, Amir asserted that buildings should be designed to favour the public so that if such an incident happens, people can be rescued quickly.

  • Father of girl killed on Jirga orders arrested by police

    Father of girl killed on Jirga orders arrested by police

    Update: The father of the girl who was killed at the hands of brothers and father on the order of Jirga is arrested by the police. However, the picture came out to be edited in the initial report released by the police. Pictures of two girls went viral through the Facebook ID of Aman Deedar where the girls were photoshopped with Aman Deedar and Rehmat Shah, the two boys who are now hiding.

    Moreover, the other girl was allowed to go back with her parents on a guarantee of 30 lac rupees by the local Palas court.

    A girl from Kolai Palas, Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa got killed on orders of a local Jirga after her pictures with boys went viral. The pictures of two girls posing with boys went viral on social media after which family members in the jirga decided to kill her, says the police.

    The other girl was brought to the court to ensure her safety where she stated before the judge that she does not have any threat from her family. Therefore, she was allowed to go back. Meanwhile, the boys seen in the photos are still in hiding, fearing possible outrage. Local police told Dawn that as per tradition, the jirga declared that those who appeared in the images circulating on social media ‘chor’ (thieves) and issued a decree for their killing.

    Deputy Superintendant Police (DSP) Masood Khan said the victim’s body had been moved from the crime scene to a nearby health facility for autopsy. He added that videos and photos, which were apparently edited, went viral on social media three to four days ago. An FIR has been registered on the complaint of local SHO as the victim’s family did not approach the police. The culprits who issued the assassination decree and those who executed it will be brought to justice, the police official said.

    Sections 109 (abetment in crime), 302 (punishment of qatl-i-amd or premeditated murder) and 311 (punishment after the waiver of qisas) of the Pakistan Penal Code have been added in the FIR.

    A similar incident had been reported a decade ago where five women cheering for a dancing boy in the video were allegedly killed, along with the boy’s four brothers, on the orders of a local jirga. The alleged killings captured international attention, and then-Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the incident.

  • Fulbright scholarship: TOEFL replaced by Duolingo English Test for 2025

    Fulbright scholarship: TOEFL replaced by Duolingo English Test for 2025

    The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has announced an update in the language proficiency test for the Fulbright Scholarship Program for the year 2025.

    Applicants were previously required to pass TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which will now be replaced by the Duolingo English Test.

    Fulbright scholarship program: Duolingo english test replaces TOEFL for 2025

    The eligibility criteria for the Fulbright Scholarship Program, however, is the same as before.

    A generously funded scholarship programme, Fulbright is open for all Pakistanis citizens with a strong academic background, who commit to return back and serve Pakistan.

    Preference is given to women, individuals with disabilities, and those hailing from specific regions such as Balochistan, Northern Sindh, Southern Punjab, KP, AJK, and GB.

    Application and documentation

    Prospective applicants are required to submit an application form along with three reference letters, a GRE score report, and scanned transcripts.

    Deadline and submission

    The deadline for applications for the 2025 Fulbright Scholarship Program is February 28, 2024, accessible through the USEFP’s website.

  • ‘My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,’ says Israeli hostage released by Hamas

    ‘My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,’ says Israeli hostage released by Hamas

    An Israeli hostage named Danielle Aloni held captive by Hamas for 49 days, has penned an emotional note, expressing gratitude to her captors for their remarkable kindness towards her daughter Emilia, TRT World has reported.

    The note reveals that she was doted upon by everybody in captivity. Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, shared the letter on its official Telegram account.

    “Children should not be in captivity, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way, my daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza and in general, acknowledges feeling like the centre of the world,” Danielle stated in her letter.

    She expressed her gratitude by stating, “Thank you, thank you, thank you for the countless hours you spent as caregivers.”
    Danielle acknowledges the challenging circumstances and substantial losses experienced by her captors in Gaza. However, she finds it within herself to express a desire for their health and well-being.

    “I wish in this world we could truly be good friends,” she wrote and added her well wishes to Gazans, “I wish you all health and well-being… health and love to you and your families’ children.”

    Danielle and Emilia Aloni were among 24 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on November 24. They were visiting Danielle’s sister and her family at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel before being taken hostage.

  • Extreme Rainfall Increases Exponentially With Global Warming: Study

    State-of-the-art climate models drastically underestimate how much extreme rainfall increases under global warming, according to a study published Monday that signals a future of more frequent catastrophic floods unless humanity curbs greenhouse emissions.

    It comes as countries prepare to meet at the COP28 summit in Dubai beginning later this week, amid fears it could soon be impossible to limit long-term warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius scientists say is necessary to curb the worst effects of human-caused climate change.

    Researchers from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK) looked at the intensity and frequency of daily precipitation extremes over land in 21 “next generation” climate models used by a UN body in its global assessments.

    They then compared the changes projected by the models with those observed historically, finding that nearly all climate models significantly underestimated the rates at which increases in precipitation extremes scaled with global temperature rise.

    “Our study confirms that the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall extremes are increasing exponentially with every increment of global warming,” said Max Kotz, lead author of the paper published in the Journal of Climate.

    The changes track with the Clausius-Clapeyron relation in physics, which established that warmer air holds more water vapor. This finding underpinned the fact that temperature and not wind dominate the global change in extreme rainfall events, according to the authors.

    Stronger increases in rainfall intensity and frequency were found across the tropics and high-latitudes, like in Southeast Asia or Northern Canada, according to the study.