Tag: Life Top

  • Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    New Delhi and the areas surrounding the city have been engulfed by a cloud of smog which is choking the city and its residents. The air quality index has reached hazardous levels as the Indian capital has been hit by the worst pollution in three years. A public health emergency has been declared and people have been advised to stay indoors.

    According to a report in Khaleej Times, as smog levels exceeded, authorities parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal – the iconic 17th-century marble mausoleum 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Delhi – in a bid to clean the air in its surrounds.

    The air purifier van deployed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has the capacity to purify 15 lakh cubic metre air in eight hours within a 300-metre radius.

    Regional Officer of UPPCB Bhuvan Yadav shared that a mobile air purifier van has been deployed at the west gate of the Taj Mahal keeping in mind the developing situation and consistent deterioration in air quality.

    Pollution around the white marble mausoleum has been a cause of concern for a long time as it has been damaging the monument, one of the seven wonders of the world. Pollution causes the white marble of the monument to turn yellow.

    Read more: Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Meanwhile, the Delhi government has declared a public health emergency in the city following the deterioration in air quality. The local government also directed the closure of all schools till November 5 in the interest of the health and safety of children. Free pollution masks were also handed to the children to limit their exposure.

    Construction work in the city has been put on hold and private cars have been banned on the roads to limit pollution.

    According to a recent study, almost one million Indians died prematurely every year as a result of inhaling this pollution-ridden smog. Experts have warned that both state and national governments needed to go beyond short-term remedies and find a solution to combat this problem which hits every year.

    Read more: Tips to beat the toxic smog this winter

    Across the border, Lahore is also suffering from the effects of smog. The air quality index in the city has also reached hazardous levels making breathing tiresome for the residents.

  • Here’s how ‘Azadi March’ protestors are charging their phones

    Here’s how ‘Azadi March’ protestors are charging their phones

    Considering that the participants of the JUI-F’s Azadi March have to sit-in for long hours, they came prepared for their Islamabad protest.

    According to reports, the participants are using solar panels and power banks to charge their mobile phones. In fact, these solar panels are even being used to provide electricity in some tents.

    A protester shared that they have been using power banks to charge smaller mobile phones while the panels are being used to charge bigger phones. He added that the panels are also being used to provide electricity in some tents too.

    Despite the government’s ban on cellular signals in the areas where the protest is being staged, protestors are walking up to four kilometres to share updates from the march on social media.

    The JUI-F workers and supporters have been staging a protest at Islamabad’s H-9 Ground near Peshawar Morr with the aim to topple the PTI government.

  • Kartarpur Corridor is ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims

    Kartarpur Corridor is ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims

    Kartarpur is ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims.

    The renovation of the world’s largest Sikh shrine and the construction of Kartarpur Corridor project has been completed. Prime Minister Imran Khan will formally inaugurate the corridor on November 9.

    The official Twitter handle of PM Imran shared night time pictures of the shrine and its surroundings and the results look brilliant.

    PM also waived off the condition of passport for Sikh pilgrims to provide maximum facilities to them on the occasion of Baba Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday.

    A 150 feet high Pakistan flag has been hoisted near the immigration center. The building is painted in white and the finishing has been done in gold.

     Buses will be ready to receive Indian guests from the border. Scanners for checking luggage have also been installed at the gates of Gurdwara Sahib.

    The Kartapur Corridor project will also have a tent village to provide to 10,000 pilgrims and the Mehman Khana to facilitate over 700 pilgrims if they want to stay the night. For the facilitation of pilgrims, a medical emergency center and kiosk area have also been constructed.

  • Book review: ‘The Testaments’ keeps the reader engrossed till the end

    Book review: ‘The Testaments’ keeps the reader engrossed till the end

    The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is the much-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale which has almost a cult following around the world. The book was released with much fanfare and publicity and recently also won the Booker Prize along with Girl, Woman, Other. The reactions to the book, however, have been divisive.

    The Testaments picks up fifteen years after the previous book. Gilead is still the same; if anything else the fundamentalism and extremism has gotten worse. For some reason, all of the stringent laws mostly apply to women in an attempt to suppress them further. Which is probably why this aspect resonated with me as currently many cultures are receding into their traditional roots.

    Women in this military-controlled zone are merely instruments for childbearing as in this dystopian future, humanity has self-destructed to the point of rampant infertility. Girls in schools, even the elite are not allowed to learn how to read and write in the fear that they may develop independent thought. The male commanders rule all and they use older women called ‘Aunts’ to control the younger members. The atmosphere of suffocation and fear that Atwood has created is almost palpable.

    Read more: Elif Shafak’s ’10 minutes 38 seconds’ is thought-provoking, insightful and relevant

    Without giving away spoilers, the storyline revolves around Aunt Lydia, an influential all-powerful force to be reckoned with; Agnes, a young girl in Gilead who doesn’t quite belong; and Daisy a young girl living in the free world whose story has some surprising twists and turns. Each of these women are struggling with their own troubles and adversities in an atmosphere of extreme mystery and secrecy which adds to their fear and tribulations.

    Margaret Atwood

    Is this book as powerful as The Handmaid’s Tale? Perhaps not. I reckon Atwood wrote this more for the large television viewership that the series enjoys. I found it an easier read than the prequel but perhaps less profound. However, this is not to say that it is not a good book – it brings the story to a satisfying conclusion and keeps the reader engrossed until the end.

  • Narcissists are happier, study finds

    Narcissists are happier, study finds

    Narcissistic personality traits — such as superiority and entitlement — have been on the rise in recent years but it appears that it might not be a bad thing after all.

    Many people find narcissists to be challenging to work with but as per this new study, they can easily attract a following of people, are more likely to receive promotions and often get paid more.

    For a study by Queen’s University Belfast, researchers surveyed more than 700 adults who exhibited clinical or “normal” levels of narcissism (which is different from having a narcissistic personality disorder) and asked them about narcissism and mental toughness.

    One of the key findings of the research was that grandiose narcissism can increase mental toughness and this can help to offset symptoms of depression.

    It also found that people who score high on grandiose narcissism have lower levels of perceived stress and are therefore less likely to view their life as stressful.

    The evidence showed that grandiose narcissism tended to be correlated with traits that help you succeed, such as mental toughness, confidence and goal-orientation. And the confidence and sense of accomplishment that people exhibiting grandiose narcissism gained seemed to offset any negative feelings of stress and depression than those traits might otherwise cause.

    Grandiose narcissism appears to correlate positively with healthy self-esteem and extroversion.

  • VIDEO: Policeman wins hearts by helping a differently-abled man

    VIDEO: Policeman wins hearts by helping a differently-abled man

    A video of a police officer helping a differently-abled man is winning hearts over social media in Pakistan.

    The video, which has been shared on Islamabad police’s official Twitter account video shows a police constable, Amir Baig, helping the disabled man cross the street and lift him up on the embankment on the side of the road.

    Once the man is lifted, he thanks the cop before going on his way.

    Inspector-General of Police in Islamabad has awarded Rs10,000 and a certificate to the officer for his noble gesture.

    Meanwhile, people praised the officer on social media for his heart-warming act.

  • Realme XT #64MPQuadCameraXpert stands out at star-studded launch

    Realme XT #64MPQuadCameraXpert stands out at star-studded launch

    The megapixel camera race has truly made a comeback for smartphones. But this time, it’s nice to see mid-range phones leading the pack rather than the high-end ones while putting better cameras in the hands of the masses.

    On October 26, 2019, Realme fans and media gathered at the
    Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in Lahore for the launch party of Realme XT
    #64MPQuadCameraXpert. Celebrities in attendance included Rawalpindi Express Shoaib
    Akhtar, superstars Ahsan Khan and Nimra Khan among others.

    Realme has decided to be first-past-the-post this time
    around, bringing a whopping 64 MP lens to its quad-camera set on the new Realme
    XT. The quad-camera set was just seen on the Realme 5 and 5 Pro. That’s quite a
    slew of devices and lenses from the Chinese brand that has stepped out from
    under the Oppo umbrella.

    While XT’s nomenclature is like Realme’s ‘flagship’ X, it is much closer in look, feel, specs and operation to the Realme 5 Pro, with the big difference being a 64 MP lens instead of a 48 MP. The drop notch, quad-camera strip on the back, lovely patterns and gradients, are very similar to the 5 Pro.

    The Pearl White review unit was a thing of beauty, with
    light bouncing off and also giving shape to gorgeous patterns on the phone’s
    back. The way it looks belies its price point and to the uninitiated, this
    could well look like a phone that is at flagship-level prices. The camera
    assembly juts out, but there’s a case in the box to do away with that
    awkwardness. However, the case robs the back of some of its sheen, which is a
    pity. If you are not butter-fingers, try doing without one if you want to
    flaunt it.

    A remarkable feat in a place where new smartphones are launched nearly every other day and every player wants a slice of the pie, the Realme XT is yet another smartphone from the brand and it comes with a whole new shtick.

    A whopping 64MP camera makes it a great buy. The Realme XT
    is an easy recommendation. Between competent internals, fetching design and the
    all-new camera, it is one of the best high-end mid-rangers in the market right
    now. Realme has been pretty good with pushing out quality-of-life updates to
    hardware, and if the company sticks to it, you can expect image quality and
    design to improve further.

    The smartphone has a quad-camera setup featuring an 8MP
    ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP depth sensor and 2MP macro lens. For selfies, it
    offers a 16MP Sony IMX 471 sensor up front.

    Under the hood runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 712 processor. The phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery with support for 20W VOOC 3.0 flash charge. Its storage stands at 128GB with an 8GB RAM.

    On the software front, it will ship with ColorOS 6 based on Android Pie. Realme has added system-wide dark mode, new fonts, and Android Pie’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’ on the XT.

    As it stands, the Realme XT is definitely one to consider if
    you’re in the market for one of the best high-end smartphones under Rs55,000.

  • Pakistani makeup artist recreates Deepika’s iconic look

    Pakistani makeup artist recreates Deepika’s iconic look

    Makeup artist and stylist Shoaib Khan has been taking Instagram by storm recently with his incredibly mind-blowing transformations. The makeup artist first wowed everyone with his Maleficent look and now he has recreated Deepika Padukone’s iconic look from her debut film Om Shanti Om.

    “Finally! The look I’ve been meaning to do for so long! My Inspiration, My Queen, Deepika Padukone, arguably the most elegant and sensational actress I’ve ever seen!,” Shoaib wrote in the caption.

    “I just love every bit of her, be it her beauty, her acting skills or her personality! How smart & sophisticated this lady is with everything, the way she carries herself and pulls off every look is literally to die for!”

    Members of the film fraternity including Minal Khan, Hira Mani, Sadaf Kanwal and Amna Ilyas also lauded Khan for his skills.

    Previously, Shoaib had also transformed himself into the Joker and we can’t decide who looks better. The iconic facial expression of the character with a painted white face, red coat, and sporting green hair left us all shook.

    Shoaib also shared with his fans how artists work with devotion regardless of what’s going on in their personal lives.

    “Being an artist we feel every emotion more than any other person, and you can see those emotions through our work. No matter what’s going on in our lives we still have to be at work on time and do our work with all the dedication,” he wrote in the caption.

    He shared that he could relate to the Joker on some levels which is why he recreated this look.

    “Recently I watched Joker and I don’t know I felt that this story is telling lots of people’s stories and I could relate to it, so I thought my next look should be dedicated to this great character and I tried my best to give all my emotions in one look.”

    Lastly, here is Shoaib as Angelina Jolie from Maleficient.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3UrueAFSdM/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
  • 3 board games for your next game night

    3 board games for your next game night

    We have all grown up playing board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and many more, there are some new board games that are equally fun!

    Board games industry has seen a resurgence. According to the BBC, industry forecasters predict the global board game market will be worth more than £9bn by 2023.

    The Current recommends these three board games that you must try:

    1. Wits & Wager

    This is an extremely fun party game. It is played in seven rounds. One trivia question is asked each round, and each player gives a numerical answer to every trivia question. Players simultaneously place their written answers to the trivia question on the betting mat, and then bet on the answer they believe is closest to the right answer but not over it. The house pays players who choose the correct answer based on the odds marked on the board. The player with the most chips after the seventh question is the winner.

    2. Risk

    Risk is a game of military strategy where you acquire and defend your territory from possible attacks or takeovers. According to Rave, this “dice-rolling war game hits themes of diplomacy and conquest and will go down in history as one of the most popular board games with a major fan base of enthusiasts”.

    3. Trivial Pursuit

    If you’re a trivia buff, this is the game for you. The object of the game is to move around the board by correctly answering trivia questions. Questions are split into six categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts & Literature, Science & Nature and Sports. The game includes a board, playing pieces, question cards, a box, small plastic wedges to fit into the playing pieces, and a dice.

  • Health emergency declared in Delhi following toxic smog

    Health emergency declared in Delhi following toxic smog

    The Delhi government on Friday announced a public health emergency in the city following the deterioration in air quality in the city. The local government also directed the closure of all schools till November 5 in the interest of the health and safety of children.

    According to a report in the Hindustan Times, air quality in the capital has deteriorated breaching ‘severe plus’ level and the city remained shrouded in a thick, toxic layer of smoke and haze. Many environmentalists began to refer to Delhi as an open gas chamber.

    Read more: Tips to beat the toxic smog this winter

    The Air Quality Index (AQI) value in Delhi was at approximately 459 at 8 am Friday morning and this is the first time that the air quality has dipped to emergency levels in the national capital this season. Such a situation was last seen in January 2019. Meanwhile, Lahore’s AQI stands at 343 according to Air Visual.

    This prompted the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPA), a Supreme Court-mandated body, to declare a public health emergency. It stated that the air quality in Delhi NCR has become “hazardous” and will have adverse health impacts on all particularly the children.

    Effects of smog on children

    The EPA also suspended all construction activity in Delhi-NCR till November 5.

    Delhi witnessed a spike in pollution after Diwali and the air quality quickly dipped in the following week with the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution rising to 35 percent.

    Chief Minister Kejriwal described the city as a “gas chamber” while distributing masks to schoolchildren. He also blamed the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, where thousands of farmers at this time of year burn crop stubble, sending vast clouds of smoke drifting across northern India and Pakistan.

    Read more: Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Experts have previously predicted that more crop residues are burnt around the time of Diwali since farmers can show them as incidental fires. They use the method to quickly and cheaply ready their fields for the next round of sowing.