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  • 6 surprising sources of calcium other than milk

    6 surprising sources of calcium other than milk

    Everyone wants strong bones that will last a lifetime. Calcium is very important for both children and teens, as well as adults.

    Here is a table that will give you an idea about the number of serves of calcium-rich foods your child needs every day.

    Serves Per Day

    2-3 Years 4-8 Years 9-11 Years 12-13 Years 14-18 Years
    Boys 1.5 2 2.5 3.5 3.5
    Girls 1.5 1.5 3 3.5 3.5

    We all know that dairy products are rich in calcium but most children are not very fond of dairy products. Here is a list of food items that are rich in calcium.

    Ice cream

    You all will be surprised to know that ice cream also has a lot of calcium. Though milk and yogurt are definitely a better choice.

    Almonds

    While almonds are known to boost brain power and memory, they are also a very good source of calcium.

    Green Vegetables

    Many green vegetables such as spinach, okra and sweet potatoes are an excellent source of calcium.

    Cereals

    Cereals are a good way of adding calcium to your/ your child’s diet. Ragi, brown rice, etc are a good source of calcium.

    Fish and Meat

    Fish such as tuna, salmon, are an excellent source of calcium, while meat such as beef is also a good source.

    Eggs

    Eggs are amongst one of the first few food items that you may
    give to your baby. Eggs are rich in calcium and can be used in various forms
    and dishes.

  • Rain damages ancient Buddhist heritage site in Taxila

    Rain damages ancient Buddhist heritage site in Taxila

    Recent rains in the country have not only created hurdles for human life, but old heritage sites are also being affected by the storms. First, the small wooden entrance gate to the Shahi Qila in Lahore was damaged due to the rain and now the rains have damaged an ancient Buddhist heritage site in Taxila.

    As per details, the double-headed eagle Stupa located at Sirkap is crumbling fast. An architectural marvel, the double-headed eagle Stupa is made of Kanjur stone and was originally plastered with lime.

    The second city of ancient Taxila, Sirkap is significant in the archaeological history of Pakistan as it is among three of the 18 Buddhist sites of the Taxila valley with intact sculptures. The site which has relics dating back to the Achaemenid, Greek and Kushan periods has been classified as World Heritage Site by the Unesco.

    According to the curator of Taxila Museum, Sirkap was founded by the Bactrian King Demetrius, who conquered the region in the 180s BCE. The city was expanded by Gondophares who also built the famous double-headed eagle Stupa and the Temple of the Sun.

    Apart from the double-headed eagle Stupa, the recent torrential rains have also caused severe damages to scores of priceless stucco sculptures of the Buddhist period (2–5th century AD).

    The government and others responsible have not taken the necessary measures to preserve and protect these heritage sites, which these sites may soon cease to exist if things continue to be like this.

    Irshad Hussain, the deputy director of the archaeology department, said the department was facing a shortage of staff from the last 15 years as no recruitment has been made and employees were retiring every year after reaching their age limits. He said after the 18th amendment the site had been handed over to the provincial government. However, he added that the department had planned to erect a protective roof over such endangered stupas to save them from natural elements such as rain.

  • Breaking all records, Railways generates revenue of Rs54.60 billion

    Breaking all records, Railways generates revenue of Rs54.60 billion

    Pakistan Railways (PR) has registered over a 10 per cent increase in its annual revenue during the first year of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government by generating record Rs54.60 billion.

    According to the one-year performance report of the PTI released Monday, PR has generated the highest-ever revenue during the fiscal year 2018-19 against last financial year’s Rs49.5 billion.

    The government claims that through special initiatives, PR has managed to generate additional revenue of Rs10 billion that helped reduce its annual deficit by Rs4 billion.

    The report further said that PR has added 24 new passenger trains — refurbished locally at PR installations in Lahore and Islamabad — besides increasing the number of rail passengers to 70 million (travelling by trains in a year) and retrieving 383 acres of encroached land worth Rs30 billion among other reforms.

  • All you need to know about Congo virus

    All you need to know about Congo virus

    Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever, commonly known as Congo fever, is a viral disease that spreads through tick bites. The virus infects wild as well as domestic animals like sheep and cattle.

    Humans are infected when they come in direct contact with blood or tissues from infected animals or bites of infected ticks. Crushing of infected tick could also result in infection. The infection spreads to other people if they come in contact with the patient’s infected blood or body fluids.

    According to Agha Khan Hospital, Congo virus does not survive high temperatures, and well-cooked meat does not pose any risk of transmission of the virus.

    What are ticks?

    Ticks are scientifically classified as Arachnida (a classification that includes spiders). Ticks require blood meals to complete their complex life cycles.

    Tick

    Symptoms

    A person infected with the virus may show general symptoms like high fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, sore eyes and loose motions. He may suffer from severe bleeding, jaundice, and photophobia (sensitivity to light).

    If you experience any of the above symptoms and suspect that you may have been exposed to, or if you work in an environment where Congo virus is likely present, seek medical advice immediately.

    Prevention

    • Reducing the risk of tick-to-human transmission:
      • Wear protective clothing (long sleeves, long trousers)
      • Wear light-colored clothing to allow easy detection of ticks on the clothes
      • Use approved repellent on the skin and clothing
      • Regularly examine clothing and skin for ticks; if found, remove them safely
      • Avoid areas where ticks are abundant and seasons when they are most active.
    • Reducing the risk of animal-to-human transmission:
      • Wear gloves and other protective clothing while handling animals notably during slaughtering and butchering procedures.
      • Routinely treat animals with pesticides two weeks prior to slaughter.
    • Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community:
      • Avoid close physical contact with CCHF-infected people;
      • Wear gloves and protective equipment when taking care of ill people;
      • Wash hands regularly after caring for or visiting ill people.
  • Army chief dismisses serving major for misusing authority

    Army chief dismisses serving major for misusing authority

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has dismissed a Pakistan Army major from service for misusing authority, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement issued Tuesday.

    “The court adjudged the accused officer guilty of misusing his authority. Pakistan Army, alive to its institutional accountability system has dismissed the officer from service and sent him to jail  for life,” the statement read.

    The sentence, passed after the officer was tried by a field general court-martial, was confirmed by COAS Gen Bajwa.

    Earlier, a three-star retired general had been sentenced to 14 years in jail and a retired brigadier awarded the death sentence by field general courts-martial on charges of espionage and leaking “sensitive information” to foreign agencies.

  • Over 40 Azad Kashmir residents stranded in India after authorities ‘refuse to open border’

    Over 40 Azad Kashmir residents stranded in India after authorities ‘refuse to open border’

    As many as 42 residents of Pakistan’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) region have been left stranded in India after authorities reportedly refused to open “Rah-e-Milan” gate on the Line of Control (LoC) for the weekly bus service.

    The bus service that runs across the LoC — between AJK’s Rawalakot and Indian occupied Kashmir’s (IoK) Poonch district — is the brainchild of former IoK chief minister (CM) Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

    “Every Monday the weekly bus service operates between Rawalakot and Poonch via Chakan da Bagh, but this week it didn’t,” Indian media reports quoted an Indian official as saying.

    Out of 42 AJK residents left stranded in Poonch, 27 were due for their return today and taken to the gates at the LoC around 11 am on Monday, but Pakistani authorities didn’t let them pass forcing their return to Chakan da Bagh crossing point.

    “We conveyed the message to Pakistani authorities but they didn’t respond and hence the bus service could not operate,” the official said.

    Tensions are running high on either side of the border ever since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of its constitution to rob the disputed valley of its autonomy.

    The disruption in cross border travel follows Pakistan’s decision to suspend operations of Samjhauta Express between Wagah in Pakistan and Attari in India along with Thar Express that used to connect Khokhrapar in Pakistan with Munabao in India’s Rajasthan state.

    Earlier this month, the Lahore-Delhi bus service was also suspended.

  • 2.5M polythene bags confiscated in Islamabad

    2.5M polythene bags confiscated in Islamabad

    Special teams of the Ministry of Environment have made raids in different areas of Islamabad and removed 2.5 million polythene bags during the operation.

    Since 14th August polythene bags have been completely banned in Islamabad under the Clean and Green Pakistan campaign. Teams are visiting different areas of Islamabad daily and checking stores if they are still using polythene bags.

    The ban on the use of polythene bags in Islamabad involves a permanent ban on its manufacturing, trading, and sale. The Ministry of Climate Change has introduced cotton bags as an alternative.

    The
    Sindh government has also announced plans to make the province a plastic
    bag-free by October 2019. On the other hand, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar
    has also said that the approval to ban plastic bags in the province will be
    accorded in the next meeting of the provincial cabinet.

  • Punjab government announces monthly stipend for acid attack survivors

    Punjab government announces monthly stipend for acid attack survivors

    Spokesperson to Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Gill has announced a monthly stipend for girls and women who have survived an acid attack. 

    Gill made this announcement during while visiting an acid attack survivor in Gujrat. He also gave a cheque of Rs 500,000 to the victim’s family.

    Speaking on the matter, the spokesperson said, “We’ve paid more attention to paying off the country’s debt. For one year, we applied the policy of human welfare and will focus on it more in the coming years.”

    Along with announcing a monthly stipend for acid victims, Gill assured families that culprits will be punished for their crimes. He asserted that the government stands with the survivors, adding that the government has also legislated on the matter of abolishing the practice of acid attacks.

  • VIDEO: Indian cops beat each other up for front seat in patrol vehicle

    VIDEO: Indian cops beat each other up for front seat in patrol vehicle

    A video of two Indian cops in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) state of the country, which shows them beating each other up “for the front seat of the patrol vehicle”, has gone viral over the internet.

    According to Times of India, the video was shot as the two Police Response Vehicle (PRV) constables fought for the front seat in the vehicle that was to patrol around the Bithoor town of UP’s Kanpur district.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBDWl8PKao

    The footage, shot by a passerby on August 18, also shows a third cop trying to bring his colleagues to peace.

    The UP police have reportedly suspended the constables for their inappropriate behaviour on duty.

  • Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    The Ministry of Communications has registered over a 52 per cent increase in its annual revenue during the first year of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    According to the one-year performance report of the PTI issued Monday, the ministry generated record revenue of Rs43.32 billion during the fiscal year 2018-19, as compared to Rs28.64 billion in the fiscal year 2017-18, witnessing an increase of over Rs14 billion.

    The ministry has so far recovered Rs7 billion through audits. In addition, a new system containing facilities such as e-billing, e-tendering and a mobile app has been introduced by the ministry to enhance transparency.

    In the head of accountability, total audit recoveries of Rs7.02 billion were made in 2018-19, whereas no recoveries were made in 2017-18.

    A special audit of delayed projects of the National Highway Authority, including Lyari Expressway, Khuzdar-Shahdadkot Highway(M-8), Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Highway (M-8), Lowari Tunnel (N-45) Civil Works, and Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Highway (N-25) was also ordered.

    During past one year, NHA launched an anti-encroachment drive under which 3,347 encroachments were removed and 448.25-kanal land was recaptured. The estimated cost of the vacated land stood at Rs2.503 billion.