Tag: topnews

  • Kashmir crisis: Modi govt to open 50,000 temples in held valley

    In another attempt to turn majority-Muslim Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) into majority-Hindu, the Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi-led government has decided to re-open around 50,000 temples in the held valley, Samaa TV reported.

    According to the details, Indian Minister for Home Affairs Kishan Reddy has announced opening the temples and said that a survey has been ordered to reopen or rebuild all the temples closed or destroyed over the years.

    The move comes amid fears that the Hindu nationalist government in India abrogated Article 370 of its constitution to pave way for a Muslim genocide in the disputed territory.

    The Supreme Court of India (SCI) had earlier ordered the government to restore normalcy in IoK “as soon as possible while keeping in mind national safety and security”.

    The court had further ordered the government to submit a report mentioning the actual situation in the region that has been lockdown with communication blackout.

    People of the Muslim-majority troubled valley have been held hostage by Indian occupying forces since August 5 when New Delhi abrogated the article to rob the disputed territory of its autonomy.

  • Mental agony costs Careem Rs 50,000

    Mental agony costs Careem Rs 50,000

    People who regularly use Careem for conveyance are well aware of the problems one faces while availing this cab service so it will come as no surprise that the private ride-hailing service was fined Rs 50,000 by a consumer court for providing bad service and causing mental distress to a customer.

    Careem Pakistan CEO Junaid Iqbal was directed to deposit Rs 25,000 in fines to the court, Rs 15,000 to the complainant for causing mental agony and Rs 10,000 litigation fee. Judge Javed Ali Korejo delivered the verdict on a complaint filed by a Careem user.

    As per reports, petitioner Advocate Mehmood Ahmed Khan stated in his complaint that he had booked a Careem cab from Gulistan-e-Jauhar to Saadi Garden. He and some of his guests were picked by a Careem captain, who ignored directions and drove in a rash manner. Instead of following Khan’s friends who were on a motorcycle, as Khan requested him to, the captain got angry at being repeatedly asked to follow the motorcycle and dropped the passengers in the middle of the road. Khan mentioned that the passengers were all fasting when the ride ended halfway. He added that the driver also used offensive language.

    Khan further said that he had lodged an online complaint with the company before approaching the court but after receiving no satisfactory response from the management he was left with no other option.

    “They did not even reply to the legal notice he sent”, said Khan.

  • ‘The entire world wants to meet me, but I want to meet Imran Khan’

    ‘The entire world wants to meet me, but I want to meet Imran Khan’

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (PM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Development Zulfi Bukhari has quoted United States (US) President Donald Trump as saying that “the entire world wants to meet him, but he wants to meet Imran Khan”.

    “Trump said that Imran Khan is a world leader whom he has faith in,” Bukhari said while speaking to a private media outlet after the two leaders’ meeting in New York on Monday night.

    He said it was a proud moment for Pakistanis all around the globe, and that the Pakistani community was overjoyed to have PM Imran with them in the US.

    “Trump has also said that the US has increased trade with Pakistan by 5 per cent and working to improve Pak-US ties will help in generating employment opportunities.”

    IMRAN MEETS TRUMP:

    Earlier, the premier met US president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) 74th session in a televised event.

    The two spoke about the ongoing situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), with PM Imran telling Trump that he felt that it was “the beginning of a crisis”.

    Addressing the US president and the reporters, he said, “Trump heads the most powerful country in the world. And the most powerful country in the world has a responsibility.

    “I honestly feel that this crisis could become much bigger. We look to the US to put out flames in the world,” Imran said.

    Responding to PM Imran’s concerns, Trump said “he thinks he would be an extremely good arbitrator”.

    “I’ve done it before, believe it or not. And I’ve never failed as an arbitrator. I’ve been asked to arbitrate disputes — pretty big ones — from… friends. And I’ve done it in a good, successful fashion. If I can be of help, you know that, if I can be of help, let me know,” he added.

    The US president said his predecessors did not trust Pakistan but that he did. “I trust Pakistan, but people before me didn’t, but they didn’t know what they were doing.”

    “You know what I do? I trust this gentleman right here and I do trust Pakistan,” he noted while referring to PM Imran. “I will tell you this… you have a great leader. He’s a good man… a nice man. Happens to be a great athlete.”

  • Study: the right way to gossip. Are you doing it?

    Study: the right way to gossip. Are you doing it?

    “Everyone gossips,” says Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology in the United States while talking to NBC News. He discusses a new study that determines how much humans gossip and how it affects them socially – and how there is a right way to do it.

    McAndrew said that people who gained social knowledge (aka gossiped) were far ahead than people who were not interested. People who didn’t indulge in discussing other people “were not good at attracting and keeping mates or maintaining alliances.”

    Women tend to engage in more neutral gossip than men

     Gossip isn’t “inherently bad,” he suggested and in a study with 467 adults over two-five days, researchers came to a conclusion on how to gossip the right way. They recorded conversations that these people had, and classified anything they heard about a person who was not there as gossip. It was coded as positive, negative or neutral. The data suggested that almost everyone gossiped (only 34 out of 467 individuals did not gossip at all) and majority of the gossip (75 percent) was neutral. Women engaged in more neutral gossip than men.

    According to psychologists, a “good gossiper” is a person who is trusted with information and uses it in a responsible way. For example, telling a friend information that might save them from a bad investment or a bad marriage. A bad gossiper shares information in order to get ahead or to be plain malicious, discussing a person’s shortcomings or trouble in their lives for the sake of talking.

    Hit program based on an anonymous gossip girl

    To be a good gossiper:

    1. Think twice

    Are you breaking someone’s trust by giving away this information or stabbing them in the back? Are you doing it responsibly for valid reasons?

    2. Don’t gossip for personal gain

    If you have something to gain by releasing information about someone else, don’t do it. You most likely are not doing it for the right reasons

    3. Don’t distort facts

    Do not exaggerate, add details or change the story. If you have to tell a story, tell it exactly how it happened

  • VIDEO: Man dies while proposing to his girlfriend underwater

    VIDEO: Man dies while proposing to his girlfriend underwater

    A man has drowned while proposing to his girlfriend underwater at an idyllic island off the coast of Tanzania. It is unclear what went wrong during the proposal at a popular honeymoon destination.

    His girlfriend Kenesha Antoine posted a video on her Facebook page. Video shows her boyfriend proposing to her through the window of their underwater hotel room at the luxury resort.

    “You never emerged from
    those depths so you never got to hear my answer, ‘Yes! Yes! A million times,
    yes, I will marry you!!’,” she wrote in a post confirming his death.

    Her video shows Steven Weber swimming up to the window, and pressing a handwritten note against it which read: “I can’t hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you, but everything I love about you I love more every day. Will you please be my wife, marry me.”

    He then pulled out a ring as Antoine squealed with joy while filming. It is unclear what went wrong
    during the proposal.

  • Home remedies to cure dengue fever

    Home remedies to cure dengue fever

    More than 10,000 cases of dengue have been reported in the country, with the numbers rising every day. As unfortunate as it is, the government has not been able to make proper arrangements in the hospitals to combat the disease.

    If God forbid you or any of your friends or family are suffering from dengue fever, here are a few ways that might help you recover from the disease. Previously, The Current listed the symptoms and preventions for dengue fever.

    Drink a lot of water

    Excessive sweating and exertion during dengue fever can cause dehydration. Make sure that you take a lot of water and fluids and stay hydrated. Staying hydrated also reduces headaches and muscle cramps.

    Juice of Papaya Leaves

    Another very effective remedy is drinking papaya (Papeete) leaf juice. Papaya juice is known to be the best available natural remedy for dengue fever. The leaves have a mix of nutrients which help in increasing your platelet count.

    Papaya leaves also have a high level of Vitamin C which improves the immune system, while antioxidants in it help in reducing body stress. All you need to do is crush the leaves and strain the juice from the crushed leaves.

    Chew Basil leaves

    Basil (Tulsi) leaves are amazing herbs that not only help during dengue fever but also improve your overall immunity. Chewing 5-6 basil leaves boosts your immunity. Basil leaves have essential oils with natural insecticidal properties which keep mosquitoes at bay.

    Neem Leaves

    Neem leaves have medicinal properties, which is the reason why they are recommended for a variety of illnesses. Steep neem leaves and drinks the brew to increase platelet and white blood cell count. Properly brewed neem leaves also improve the immune system if suffering from dengue.

    Disclaimer: This article is research-based. Kindly consult your doctor/physician to ensure that you are not allergic to any of these and seek proper treatment for the disease.

  • Physics practical score of Chohan’s son increased illegally, probe reveals

    The marks scored in a Physics practical by ex-Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan’s son, Fahad Hassan, were illegally increased from 14 to 30, an inquiry report has revealed.

    According to the report, the head examiner, Associate Professor Saleem Ramzan, misused his authority and increased the marks of the former minister’s son against the will of every other examiner.

    The report has been forwarded to the higher education secretary for further investigation against the head examiner.

    Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Board Chairman Dr Ghulam Dastagheer has said that Fahad’s result will be released after seeking legal advice from the authorities concerned.

    Earlier, Fahad had scored 769 marks in 12th class examinations and later submitted an application for re-checking of his papers. He had allegedly pressurised the board chairman to increase his marks from 14 to 30.

    The chairman had allegedly obliged the minister by increasing his son’s marks and also changed the award-list himself.

    The Rawalpindi board controller examinations, after being informed about the situation, had stopped the result and formed a two-member inquiry committee on the request of the board chairman.

    The board chairman had said that anyone found guilty of alleged tampering with the result should be dealt with strictly as per law. “The Physics practical was conducted on July 17, while I assumed the charge as board chairman on July 18,” he had said while clarifying his position.

    In a video message, Punjab Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan had said that he had nothing to do with the episode and had requested the board controller examinations to conduct an inquiry.

    He had also presented himself for the inquiry.

  • 200 kgs of dead frogs recovered, were to be used by Lahore eateries?

    200 kgs of dead frogs recovered, were to be used by Lahore eateries?

    After the entire donkey meat episode, Lahore police have recovered 200 kgs of dead frogs, which reports claim were to be used in burgers and shawarmas across the provincial capital of Punjab.

    According to a newspaper clipping doing rounds on social media, police caught a rickshaw loaded with 200 kgs of dead frogs being transported to an unknown location.

    Patrolling in the New Ravi Bridge area, police noticed a shady rickshaw carrying a heavy sack, the report said and added that when the cops attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspects tried to flee.

    https://twitter.com/AliAsad_Abbas/status/1176034925788762112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1176034925788762112&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.natcour.com%2Fnews%2F2019%2F09%2Flahore-frog%2F

    Managing to stop the rickshaw, the police took two people, namely Shahid and Manzoor, into custody for allegedly delivering dead frogs to restaurants across the city.

    An investigation is underway to determine what the frogs were to be used for, while suspects claim they were “only delivering the frogs to a medical college”. Medical students dissect the frogs and practice suturing on them.

    Other reports claim the police only stopped the men because they thought the frogs were of some rare species. Having the frogs is not a crime and neither the police nor the Punjab Wildlife Department has any issue with the case. “The men were released and were free to go with their frogs.”

  • Irregularities worth Rs97b detected in Pakistan Railways

    Irregularities worth Rs97b detected in Pakistan Railways

    The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has detected billions of rupees worth of irregularities in Pakistan Railways (PR), exposing gross mismanagement within the state-run transport service that continues to incur losses, The Express Tribune reported Monday.

    In his report for 2018-19, the top auditor pointed out
    irregularities that amount to a whopping Rs97 billion and later directed PR
    authorities to take action against those responsible for the massive loss to
    the national exchequer.

    “Pakistan Railways generated Rs49.6 billion in the last
    fiscal year against operational costs worth Rs85.5 billion. As a result, the
    state-run service had to bear a loss of Rs36.6 billion,” the report said.

    Of the audit objections noted in the report, 56 per cent
    pertain to PR lands, 20 per cent pertain to recoveries and 12 per cent pertain
    to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The remainder concern losses
    from theft, fiscal irregularities and embezzlement.

    The report also revealed that Pakistan Railways suffered a
    loss of nearly Rs15 billion due to the failure of its management to recover
    dues from other federal government wings, like the Port Qasim Authority,
    Pakistan Post, Water and Power Development Authority and the departments of
    irrigation, food and education, and provincial and district authorities.

    It pointed out that maladministration in the Railways Ministry cost a PSDP project Rs10.5 billion. It also noted that the PR administration had granted a contract worth Rs3.2 billion in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) rules.

    “Railways authorities also unable to recover Rs2.6 billion
    from provincial governments to repair level crossings and wasted Rs2 billion
    worth of scrap as well,” the report added.

    Delays in the repair of damaged railway coaches also cost
    the state-run service nearly Rs2 billion, the report pointed out. It also made
    note of Rs380 million worth of ‘fake expenditure’ in the repair process. The
    AGP also criticised PR authorities for losing Rs3.8 billion due to inaction
    while auctioning off railways roads and steel.

    A staggering Rs52 billion worth of irregularities in the
    state-run transport service occurred at the administrative level, the AGP’s
    report mentioned. Another Rs50 billion in losses were a result of embezzlement,
    fraud and theft. Around Rs6.5 billion were lost due to PPRA rule violations.

  • As dengue cases cross 10,000 mark, Punjab govt has a ‘dua’ for people

    As dengue cases cross 10,000 mark, Punjab govt has a ‘dua’ for people

    With the number of dengue cases in the country reaching five-digits and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza warning of a further increase within the next 10 days, Punjab government has come up with a spiritual cure.

    Sharing an Arabic phrase in a “public service message” — posters of which have been pasted across Toba Tek Singh — the city’s deputy commissioner has advised people to read the dua every day and paste the pamphlet outside their houses and workplace to ward off evil dengue.

    The dengue virus is spreading in different parts of the country due to the negligence of provincial governments. Despite many warnings issued by health experts before the season, no adequate arrangements were made by the departments concerned to tackle the issue.

    In Pakistan, there is no specific vaccine available to treat dengue and with scanty arrangments made by the government, it is likely that in the days to come, the situation will only get worse.