Tag: Top News

  • Malaysian PM proposes freeing East Asia of US dollar for trade

    Malaysian PM proposes freeing East Asia of US dollar for trade

    Malaysian prime minister (PM) has said that East Asia should consider a common regional trading currency to promote commerce and free the region from relying on dollar transactions, a private media outlet reported Thursday.

    According to reports, Mahathir Bin Mohamad said the proposed currency could be used for regional trade, but would not replace national currencies for use at the domestic level.

    “In the Far East if you want to come together, we should start with a common trading currency, not to be used locally, but for the purpose of settling of trade,” he was quoted as saying.

    “At the moment, we have to depend upon the United States (US) dollar but it is also not stable. So the currency that we propose should be based on gold as it is much more stable.”

    Mahathir, who is serving his second term in office, has a reputation of being a financial maverick.

  • Uber will start deactivating riders with low ratings

    Uber will start deactivating riders with low ratings

    Uber announced that it will be
    deactivating those riders that are constantly receiving bad reviews from the
    drivers and consequently have received an overall below average rating.

    Riders may lose access to Uber if
    they develop a significantly below average rating. Initially, the company will
    notify the rider when its rating starts to dip. The company will send tips on
    how to get their rating back-up such as speaking politely to the driver, not
    asking the driver to speed up or not leaving the trash in the car.

    Drivers with the help of the feature would choose from a list of reasons such as

    Wait time

    Patience

    Number of riders

    Attitude

     Wanted new route or any other.

     If a rider got the same “tag” twice within a span of 30 days, a notification would appear when they open the Uber app to let them know that their behavior is affecting their rating.

    According to Uber’s head of safety
    brand and initiatives, Kate Parker:

    “Respect is a two-way street, and so
    is accountability. Drivers have long been expected to meet a minimum rating
    threshold. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be
    impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it’s the right thing to do.”

    Uber has always emphasized both the
    riders and drivers to follow its community guidelines. With the new change now
    set to take place, things will even out for both of the sides and will
    encourage everyone to behave in the right manner.

  • Iman Aly on living with Multiple Sclerosis

    Supermodel Iman Ali, on World Multiple Sclerosis Day, has opened up about living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

    Taking to Instagram, Aly wrote, “Maybe some of you know already that I am living with Multiple Sclerosis. It is a part of my life now and my lifestyle has completely changed. My speech, movements, everything is impacted. But I am fighting on, like all the other patients who are living with this disease.”

    She explained that MS affects the nerves in the brain, and the most common symptom is blurred vision and when there is a relapse, blurred vision is also accompanied by dizziness.

    She encouraged everyone to show support to those who suffer from the disease and raise awareness on the subject.

    Following this, there was a flood of supportive and encouraging comments on Iman’s picture and several users also shared their own personal stories or of their near and dear.

    Despite her medical condition, Iman continues to live her life to the fullest. She recently tied the knot and will soon be seen in Tich Button, alongside Farhan Saeed and Feroze Khan.

    According to the MS Society, UK, multiple sclerosis is a condition that affects your brain and spinal cord as a result of which you experience symptoms like blurred vision and problems with how you move, think and feel. Once diagnosed, MS stays for life, but treatments and specialists can help manage the condition and its symptoms.

  • VIDEO: Malala trolls India at World Cup 2019 opening ceremony

    VIDEO: Malala trolls India at World Cup 2019 opening ceremony

    Taking a hilarious dig at Pakistan’s arch-rivals, world’s youngest Noble Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai has trolled India at the star-studded opening ceremony of World Cup 2019 in London.

    During the ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, a short competition called the 60-second challenge was held. One cricket legend and a celebrity represented each team that had to score as many runs as possible in the given sixty seconds.

    For India, former skipper Anil Kumble and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar took part in the game. They, however, managed to score only 19 runs, while Pakistan scored exactly the double.

    Sharing her thoughts over Pakistan maintaining the seventh place with 38 runs, Malala trolled the Indian team saying that in comparison, they came in last with only 19 points.

    “Pakistan, we were okay, not too bad, came number seven, but India came last,” she said, after which the audience broke into laughter.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “They tried their best and we appreciate their hard work,” Malala added.

    Cricketing legends like Viv Richards, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and Kevin Pietersen were among other notable participants.

  • Fayyazul Hassan Chohan appointed Punjab govt’s spokesperson

    Fayyazul Hassan Chohan appointed Punjab govt’s spokesperson

    In a rather shocking development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA and former Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has been appointed as the provincial government’s mouthpiece.

    Chohan was removed as the provincial information minister following his derogatory remarks against Hindus in March this year.

    Taking notice, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had said, “There is no place for such derogatory remarks against minorities in Islam.”

    However, according to a notification dated May 28, 2019, a copy of which is available with The Current, Chohan has now been appointed as one of the 38 spokespersons of the Usman Buzdar-led Punjab government.

    Punjab Information Minister Sumsam Ali Shah, PM’s Special Assistant Usman Dar, PTI Information Secretary Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat among others have also been notified as the provincial government’s spokespersons.

  • VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    At a time when Indian leadership is snubbing Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace, a video of Indian cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli mimicking Pakistan’s latest internet sensation — the ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid — has emerged.

    Ahmed Shah has taken social media by storm ever since his “Peechay Tou Dekho”  video started making rounds over the internet.

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

    Appearing on several TV channels, Ahmed, who belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), has become a celebrity.

    Now, a video breaking the internet shows Indian skipper Kohli breaking into laughter as he tries to copy Ahmed’s way of speaking Urdu.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Who is that behind [you]? Who is that?” he can be heard as saying in the video that shows how a Pakistani kid is winning hearts across the border.

  • Kit Harington checks into a wellness centre for treatment

    Kit Harington checks into a wellness centre for treatment

    Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington is undergoing treatment after the end of the HBO television series in which he starred as the heartthrob Jon Snow.

    His representative shared that “Kit has decided to utilise this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues.”

    The statement did not give details of his issues, but The New York Post’s Page Six column said that the ending of the show hit Harington hard and he checked into the wellness centre where he will be treated for stress, exhaustion and alcohol use.

    Page Six added that Harington checked into the clinic several weeks before the medieval fantasy series came to an end on May 19.

    Harington, 32, propelled to world stardom with Game of Thrones, in which he played the role of the courageous Snow, whose actions in the final episode were one of the show’s biggest shockers.

    Harington, who married his Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie in 2018, told Variety earlier this year that he had previously found it hard to deal with the fame and attention the show brought, calling it “terrifying.”

  • PM Imran Khan proposes death penalty as law for raping kids

    PM Imran Khan proposes death penalty as law for raping kids

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has proposed that death penalty be fixed for all those involved in child sexual abuse cases, a private media outlet quoted PM’s Special Adviser on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan as saying.

    She said that the premier, during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, expressed concern over the rise in misuse of internet for child pornography and subsequent increase in incidents of child sexual abuse.

    “He [PM Imran] addressed the ministries of human rights, law and interior in detail and gave them the responsibility of analysing the existing juvenile laws regarding sexual exploitation, rape of children and other violent behaviours,” she said.

    Awan added that all three ministries have been instructed to prepare an implementation plan and bring it before the cabinet so that the growing menace can be curbed with an effective law besides a mechanism of deterrence and awareness.

    CHILD ABUSE IN PAKISTAN:

    A recent minor rape and murder case is of 10-year-old Farishta, who was abducted from Islamabad earlier this month. The culprits are still at large, while at least two police officials have been arrested for negligence on PM Imran’s orders.

    According to a report released by NGO Sahil last month, cases of child abuse increased by 11 per cent in 2018 as compared to 2017, with more than 10 children suffering from some form of abuse every day in Pakistan.

    Last year had begun with the horrific rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Ansari, sparking widespread outrage and protests across the country after the minor’s body was found in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

    ‘#JusticeforZainab’ became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children and Imran Ali, who was convicted for the rape and murder, was executed nine months after the child’s death.

  • Study reveals women are happier without children or a spouse

    Study reveals women are happier without children or a spouse

    A new study by a leading expert in happiness has revealed that unmarried and childless women are the happiest and are more likely to live longer.

    Paul Dolan, a professor of behavioural science at the London School of Economics, said the latest evidence showed that the traditional markers used to measure success did not correlate with happiness – particularly marriage and raising children. He said that married people only say they’re happy when their spouse is in the room. But when they’re not, they say they’re miserable.

    He further shared that men benefited from marriage because they “calmed down, took fewer risks, earned more money at work, and lived a little longer.” Their health even benefited from marriage. Women’s health, on the other hand, remained mostly unaffected, though middle-aged married women are at higher risk of physical and mental conditions than their single counterparts. They are also likely to die earlier.

    “The healthiest and happiest population subgroup are women who never married or had children,” Dolan said.

    While other studies have measured some financial and health benefits in being married, for both men and women on average, Dolan says those could be attributed to higher incomes and emotional support, which allow married people to take risks and seek medical help.

    Despite the benefits of a single, childless lifestyle for women, Dolan said that the existing narrative that marriage and children were signs of success meant that the stigma could lead some single women to feel unhappy.

  • Blasphemy accusations against Hindu doctor lead to violence in Sindh

    Blasphemy accusations against Hindu doctor lead to violence in Sindh

    A Hindu veterinary doctor has been arrested over blasphemy accusations in the Mirpurkhas district of Sindh.

    According to reports, Ramesh Kumar was taken into custody on Monday while angry protesters burnt tyres to block roads and set ablaze shops owned by Hindus in the Phuladyon town of the city.

    Reports quoted Zahid Hussain Leghari, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the local police station, as saying that a case was registered against the doctor.

    He added that a proper investigation would be carried out and the doctor had been shifted to a safe location amid all the unrest.

    https://twitter.com/timesofpak123/status/1132965562852810754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1132965562852810754&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatoday.in%2Fworld%2Fstory%2Fpakistan-hindu-doctor-blasphemy-charges-mirpurkhas-violence-1536222-2019-05-28

    Earlier, the head cleric of a local mosque, Maulvi Ishaq Nohri, had filed the complaint with the police alleging that the doctor had torn pages of a holy book and wrapped medicines in them.

    “I urge the government to intervene and ensure the safety of Hindu Sindhis who have lived peacefully here for centuries,” said Facebook user Syma Jafri.

    “Also, action must be taken against those who initiated these riots and incited violence. There is a proper lawful procedure for such cases. How can we think of killing someone, especially when it’s Youme Ali,” she added.

    Being 7.5 million in number, Hindus form the biggest minority community in the country. Pakistan Hindu Council has time and again complained of minority members being “targeted under the blasphemy law by people because of personal enmity”.

    According to Center for Social Justice, at least 1,490 people have been charged under the country’s blasphemy laws between 1987 and 2018.