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  • 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.

  • PM Shehbaz convenes allies’ meeting today on talks with PTI

    PM Shehbaz convenes allies’ meeting today on talks with PTI

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of the ruling alliance today (Wednesday) before negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the Supreme Court’s (SC) directions.

    According to news reports, the meeting of the ruling alliance will be held at the Prime Minister’s House at 12:30 pm.

    Almost all parties in the ruling coalition have shown an inclination to end the political impasse by entering into negotiations with the PTI, but according to Dawn, Jamat-e-Ulema Islami- Fazl (JUI-F) continues to oppose the move.

    Geo News claims that the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has asked former speaker Ayaz Sadiq to contact PTI’s Asad Qaiser and both have agreed to meet today. However, PTI chief Imran Khan has clearly stated that the mandate for negotiations rests with Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    On April 20, the SC adjourned the hearing of the petition till April 27 after the key ruling parties —PPP and PML-N — had assured the Supreme Court they would sit with the PTI on April 26 and try to find a solution on the election date.

  • Humayun Saeed is surprised there wasn’t much criticism on THAT kissing scene

    In an interview with Independent Urdu, Humayun Saeed opened up about playing Dr. Hasnat Khan in Season 5 of ‘The Crown’ and talked about the controversial kissing scenes between him and Elizabeth Debicki, which had been slammed by social media users in Pakistan on the double standards male and female actors are subjected to.

    Saeed had played Dr Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani born British heart surgeon who had a romantic relationship with the late Lady Diana from 1995 to 1997, and was described by the Princess as “the love of her life.”

    Addressing the controversy now, Saeed said that he didn’t face extreme public scrutiny like he had expected from Pakistanis:

    “I am well aware that in our society such things aren’t acceptable for us, but my scene and the way we executed it was done in a tasteful manner. And there was not a lot of backlash from Pakistanis on that scene, because it wasn’t like the way they had thought.”

    Previously, Saeed had revealed in the talk show ‘The Fourth Umpire’ that the kissing scene was not real, and it was staged to look like it was real.

    Talking about how he took on the role of Hasnat, who is a private individual and has not publicly discussed his relationship with Diana, Saeed revealed:

    “It was not necessary that I imitate his every single move. While we were shooting for ‘The Crown’, there were two or three options on how we should develop his character. We knew that he was very successful in his career, but in his relationship with Lady Diana he was very shy so we decided to capture that. Maybe in reality he wasn’t that shy in his relationship, but we decided to capture that.”

    Listen to the complete interview here:

  • Abhi tak captaincy nahi karni aie; Kamran Akmal slams Babar Azam

    Abhi tak captaincy nahi karni aie; Kamran Akmal slams Babar Azam

    Former batsman Kamran Akmal lost his cool and lashed out at captain Babar Azam after Pakistan cricket team was defeated in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Pakistan set what seemed like a huge total of 194 runs, however, the Kiwis chased it with ease, Akmal said.

    The former wicket keeper criticized the captaincy skills of the national team skipper Babar Azam, after suffering defeat at the hands of New Zealand.

    Taking to his YouTube channel, Akmal slammed Babar, observing that after four years of captaincy, he still doesn’t know how to take a quick decision.

    “He does not even know which bowler will change the game,” Akmal stated, adding that two left handers were chewing up the bowling line-up, then asked why Azam did not give the bowling to Iftikhar Ahmed.

    “Speaking of their mistakes, they deflect and accuse us of criticism. But our focus is on their captaincy, not their performance. We’re not blind to their abilities.

    He (Babar Azam) still doesn’t know how to do captaincy after four years – he doesn’t even know which bowler to send out at what time. It’s no surprise that they lost when they continue to make the same mistakes. We didn’t control our errors, and that’s why they [New Zealand] emerged victorious,” he said.

    The 41-year-old also slammed the skipper for giving the ball to Shadab instead of Iftikhar Ahmed in the fifth T20I game. He believed it was a logical choice to go with Ahmed when both left-handed batsmen were on the crease.

    “If both the left-handed batsmen were on the crease, the logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed. But instead, we saw the leg-spinner Shadab Khan was given the over and was being continuously beaten by the Blackcaps batters.

    It would have been wise to rest him and bring in another all-rounder to give the team a chance to regain their footing,” he concluded.

    Akmal was also of the view that Shadab Khan’s dropped catch cost the match, pointing out that he drops catches in all the important matches and still Babar is not dropping him.

  • 85-year-old man performs Umrah after saving for 15 years

    A video of an elderly man wandering in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina has gone viral on social media. The video gained attention from high-profile figures such as Turki Alalshikh, advisor to the Saudi Crown Prince, who tweeted about finding him.

    The 82-year-old Baloch Abdul Qadir Bakhsh, has returned to his home in the village of Goth Hajji Rahim in Hub, Balochistan on Saturday after performing Umrah. Baksh, who doesn’t own a phone, said that he had been saving for 15 years to make the pilgrimage, and the first time he saw his viral video was during an Arab News interview.

    “I feel like all my worries have vanished. My heart is content. I am not even short of sustenance, I am happy. My wish to visit the shrine of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Makkah have been granted,” Bakhsh told Arab News.

    “At the Kaaba, I prayed: ‘Allah, I don’t know this place, so you are my guide. I have no guide here. If I’m not healthy then this place is better for me; I’m not a learned person and I have weak eye sight. Guide me as you’re my only guide… guide me to your secrets,’” he added.
    He stated that his prayers had been answered.

  • iOS 17 leak: Customisable Lock Screen and revamped Control Center to be featured in new update

    iOS 17 leak: Customisable Lock Screen and revamped Control Center to be featured in new update

    As the date for Apple’s WWDC23 event draws near, speculation about what to expect from the company’s upcoming software releases is growing. While little has been confirmed, it is widely anticipated that iOS will take centre stage once again, with iOS 17 making its debut alongside updates for iPadOS and macOS.

    Setsuna Digital, a source that has accurately leaked information in the past, has recently shared some early insights into iOS 17 via Weibo. It is important to note, however, that while the information may be accurate at present, software plans are fluid and subject to change.

    According to Setsuna Digital, iOS 17 will feature some minor but interesting updates. For instance, there will be changes to the flashlight toggle, allowing for more granular control over brightness. Users will also enjoy more options for customising the Lock Screen, including font size and the use of emoji wallpaper, as well as the ability to share custom configurations.

    There will also be changes to Apple Music, with the app moving towards a more graphics-led interface and the possible addition of on-screen lyrics on the Lock Screen. Finally, it seems likely that users will be able to customise and organise the App Library.

    While some had predicted a major overhaul of the operating system, the company’s focus on developing a mixed-reality headset may mean that iOS 17 will instead focus on quality-of-life improvements. One such change could be the introduction of sideloading, which would allow users to install apps outside of the App Store.

    Another potential change is a revamped Control Center, which has been a staple feature for iPhone users for several years. While the details of any updates are unknown at present, even small changes such as the ability to customise shortcuts would be welcome.

    Until Apple officially announces its plans, however, it remains to be seen what iOS 17 will actually entail.

  • Smuggled phones flood AJK and GB as device identification system remains unimplemented

    Smuggled phones flood AJK and GB as device identification system remains unimplemented

    According to a source in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the non-implementation of the Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) has led to an increase in the use of smuggled mobile phones in the Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan region. Unlike the rest of the country, the Special Communications Organisation (SCOM) is the main mobile phone operator in this region, and the DIRBS does not apply to its connections.

    The purpose of the DIRBS is to identify non-compliant devices operating on local mobile networks and eventually block them while registering compliant ones. Despite a halt in local manufacturing and import of mobile phones, around 100,000 mobile phones are being smuggled into the region every month.

    Industry experts have confirmed that non-duty paid mobile phones smuggled from Dubai have made their way to the region. Zeeshan Mianoor, Deputy Vice Chairman of Pakistan Mobile Phone Manufacturers Association, stated that the monthly sales of local mobile sets were around 2 million devices, with around 8-10% of them sold in the AJK and GB region.

    According to Dawn, Muhammad Ishaq Jalal, a Skardu-based journalist, explained that unregistered phones do not work in mainland Pakistan, but they operate on SCOM, and the same connection works in mainland Pakistan on the Ufone network due to the agreement between SCOM and Ufone. Jalal also noted that expensive, used smartphones are available at reasonable prices in the GB region because many of them are blocked in mainland Pakistan either because they were not registered with PTA or stolen, and their IMEI has been blocked.

    The spokesperson of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stated that both the PTA and the Ministry of IT and Telecom have requested the Cabinet Division to ensure the implementation of DIRBS on SCOM. The spokesperson added that the system would be extended to the SCOM connections once the Cabinet Division approves the request. The DIRBS was introduced to protect local mobile device manufacturing by imposing duties on imports of mobile phones, as well as those brought by travellers coming from abroad. However, this system also helped to reduce mobile phone smuggling.

  • ‘Propaganda’: DG ISPR dismisses social media reports of possible martial law

    ‘Propaganda’: DG ISPR dismisses social media reports of possible martial law

    Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Tuesday, held a press conference solely to brief the media on terrorist attacks that have recently taken place in the country.

    However, a journalist asked the DG about social media reports that claimed that martial law is going to be imposed in the country.

    Terming the reports as “baseless”, the general said that every day and night there are accounts on social media with or without names that spread this kind of this propaganda.

    Pointing out that every person is entitled to have an opinion, he stated, “we think the talks on social media against the army, institutions and their officeholders are not only irresponsible and unwise but unconstitutional.”

    “Our discipline doesn’t give us permission to respond to each and every speculation”, he stated at one point.

    He also reaffirmed that the army doesn’t support any particular political party. “All political parties and all leaders are respectable for us”, the Major General said.

    He was also of the view that it is not in the best interest of the country that the army should be involved in political matters.

    Talking about India, Sharif said New Delhi’s “aggressive designs and baseless accusations and claims” would not change history or occupied Kashmir’s internationally recognised status.

    “If need be, we can take this battle into the enemy’s territory. I also feel it is important to say that if India thinks of any misadventure due to any miscalculation or misunderstanding, then let there be no doubt that the army would give a befitting response with national support.”

  • First case of monkeypox detected in Pakistan

    First case of monkeypox detected in Pakistan

    The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the country, Geo news has reported.

    The infected person was deported from Saudi Arabia and arrived in Pakistan on April 17 with symptoms of monkeypox, said health ministry authorities while speaking to Geo News.

    The individual’s samples were subsequently forwarded to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, where the facility had previously confirmed that he was a carrier of the contagious virus.

    Following the discovery of the virus, airports all around the nation have been placed on high alert, with the ministry sending samples from suspicious cases to the NIH.
    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.

  • 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.