Current Final

Category: Lifestyle

  • Elon Musk praises Indian talent as Indian takes over Twitter

    Elon Musk praises Indian talent as Indian takes over Twitter

    Billionaire Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla Motors, took to Twitter to share his admiration for the Indian talent that contributed to America’s economy as Jack Dorsey (CEO) of Twitter stepped down and announced his successor, Indian Parag Agrawal.


    Last night, Dorsey announced his resignation on Twitter and confirmed that his replacement was Indian-born Parag Agrawal. Dorsey will remain a member of the board until his term expires in May 2022 and assist Parag with the transition.

    A 37-year-old immigrant from India, Agrawal joined Twitter in 2011 as a Software Engineer and was later promoted to Chief Technical Officer (CTO) in 2017. While working as CTO, he worked as in-charge of strategy involving Artificial Intelligence, reports CNBC.

    A colleague of Agrawal, Chklovski, who worked with him from 2012 to 2014 said, “Parag is phenomenal, understands the problems, stays up late to get it done, mentors others — he’s the whole package.”

    Yoel Roth who is Twitter’s head of site integrity, tweeted, “Parag was one of the first engineers I worked with when I started at Twitter (when we were first working on timeline ranking). The rigor he brings to every decision was clear then, and I’m delighted to see it recognized today.”

    https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1465360091348041731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1465360091348041731%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2021%2F11%2F29%2Ftwitter-ceo-parag-agrawal-key-to-dorseys-plans-to-revamp-social-media.html

    Apart from Twitter, five giant companies Google, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Palo Alto Networks have been headed currently by Indian-origin immigrants.

  • New Zealand MP rides a bicycle to hospital to give birth

    New Zealand MP rides a bicycle to hospital to give birth

    A New Zealand lawmaker, MP Julie Anne Genter rode to the hospital while in labour last night to give birth, reports The Guardian.

    She wrote on her Facebook, “Big news! At 3.04 am this morning we welcomed the newest member of our family. I genuinely wasn’t planning to cycle in labour, but it did end up happening. My contractions weren’t that bad when we left at 2 am to go to the hospital – though they were 2-3 min apart and picking up in intensity by the time we arrived 10 minutes later.”

    Ms Genter, an advocate for cycling, was a minister three years ago when she took a similar trip to deliver her first child in 2018.

    Netizens have given mixed reactions on Twitter.

    In 2018, The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern also made history for the first time, bringing her infant to attend the United Nations General Assembly. She received appreciation from the world for setting an example for women’s empowerment.

  • Charsadda police station set on fire by 5,000 strong mob finding alleged blasphemy suspect

    Charsadda police station set on fire by 5,000 strong mob finding alleged blasphemy suspect

    In Charsadda, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a mob attacked and set Charsadda police station on fire on Sunday when an official refused to hand over an alleged blasphemy suspect who disrespected the sanctity of the Holy Quran, reports Dawn.

    KP Law Minister, Fazal Shakoor Khan told Dawn that the alleged suspect was arrested on Sunday and later transferred to the Mandani police station in Tangi Tehsil of Charsadda.

    A mob surrounded the police station and demanded to hand over the suspect to them. When the local police declined their demands, more people joined the mob and then attacked the police station. They also smashed police vehicles that were parked outside the station, according to the law minister.


    He added, “The government will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands,” he said, “the suspect who has been arrested will be proceeded against in accordance with the law.”

    Read more- Mob attacks 100-year-old Hindu temple in Rawalpindi

    The causalities from the attack have not been confirmed by the police nor the details of the blasphemy suspect. However, the Peshawar Commissioner, Riaz Mehsud said the suspect is in safe custody. The commissioner while talking to Dawn said that around 4,000-5,000 people attacked the police station.

    Another police official confirmed that the police station is completely destroyed along with their important records. Police used aerial firing and tear gas to disperse the mob.

    After the attack, the mob also blocked the Harichand road by staging a sit-in protest but they were later dispersed after talks with local clerics accompanied by the district administration.

  • Examinations will be held on time despite new covid variant: Shafqat Mahmood

    Examinations will be held on time despite new covid variant: Shafqat Mahmood

    Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said on Monday that the government has no plans to suspend educational activities. He said that examinations will be taken on time and the full curriculum will be covered in it, reports Geo.

    When he was asked about the policy of the education department regarding precautionary measures against the Omicron variant, the federal minister said, “I don’t know about the new variant of coronavirus in detail, but the government wants to continue educational activities.”

    The new variant named Omicron, which was first discovered in South Africa is spreading drastically into various parts of Europe including Canada and Australia. On Saturday, Pakistan imposed a complete ban on direct/indirect inbound flights from six African countries and Hong Kong.

    Moreover, while talking about the smog situation in Lahore, Shafqat Mahmood said it will decrease by the closure of private and government schools thrice a week.

  • ’Squid Game Smuggler’ sentenced to death in North Korea

    ’Squid Game Smuggler’ sentenced to death in North Korea

    North Korea announced a death sentence to a man who smuggled and sold copies of the popular South Korean Netflix web series, ‘Squid Game’ which is banned in North Korea.

    The authorities caught seven high school students watching the worldwide hit Korean show, reports the RFA.

    A copy of Squid Game was smuggled from China into North Korea and was sold through the USB flash drives containing the Korean show.

    One of the students who bought the banned show was sentenced to life imprisonment whereas other students, who watched the pirated show received five years of hard labour.

    In schools, administration including teachers were also fired and exiled to isolate parts of the country to work in mines.

    According to analysts, there is a hard censorship policy in North Korea under the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un to ‘prevent the influence of capitalist countries.’

    A new law which is officially named “Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture,” was passed in North Korea last year to curb the impact of the outer world. It carries a maximum penalty of death for viewing, possessing, or delivering ‘capitalist content’, especially from South Korea and the United States of America (USA).

  • Risk of New Variant Omicron, Pakistan imposes travel ban

    Risk of New Variant Omicron, Pakistan imposes travel ban

    The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has imposed a complete travel ban from red zone African countries and Hong Kong on Saturday evening after the emergence of a new Covid variant, Omicron.

    NCOC tweeted the notification in which six South African countries and Hong Kong are included in category C due to Omicron.

    A complete ban has been imposed on every direct and indirect flight with immediate effect.

    Earlier, the United Kingdom (UK) already imposed the travel ban from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini unless travellers are the UK or Irish nationals.

    Head of NCOC, Asad Umar took to Twitter to urge the people of Pakistan how important it is to get vaccinated.

     

  • Deadly Omicron-new variant of Covid, raises alarm

    The new variant of the coronavirus was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on November 24. It was declared a new variant “of concern” and named it Omicron, reports the BBC.

    On Friday, this variant was identified as the B.1.1.529 infection which was collected from a specimen on November 9. The cases in the majority of the provinces of South Africa were found to be increasing drastically. Only 24 per cent of the population of South Africa received the vaccination. The situation in the southern Africa region is alarming as the new variant, Omicron also emerged in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong, and Israel.
    “This variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage,” the WHO said in a statement.

    Several countries banned or restricted travel to and from southern Africa including Australia, Japan, India, Iran, and Brazil. United Kingdom (UK) also restricted travelers from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini unless they are UK or Irish nationals.

    Experts also claimed that it is too early to confirm the impact of the variant on vaccinated people and the rate of transmission.

    United States of America (USA) Infectious Disease Chief Dr Anthony Fauci said, “Until it’s properly tested. We don’t know whether or not it evades the antibodies that protect you against the virus.”

  • Noor Mukadam’s calligraphy exhibition to be held in Islamabad

    Noor Mukadam’s calligraphy exhibition to be held in Islamabad

    An exhibition of late Noor Mukadam’s calligraphy will be held in Islamabad from December 10 to December 11. The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. The exhibition is being held to to honour the life and work of Noor.

    “Noor was spiritually in touch and artistically inclined from a very young age. Her passion for Islam conjoined with her creative soul were expressed through Calligraphy. Noor used this art medium to transmit the voice of the Divine in a unique and beautiful way,” says the invitation to Noor’s exhibition, “She was a prolific artist whose exemplary work was an expression of her innermost thoughts.”

    Read more- ‘It is very hard to imagine a life without her’, Noor Mukadam’s sister demands justice

    “The exhibition will journey the bright illustration of love and compassion in the often volatile and unsettling world of today.”

    Read more- Internationally renowned Pakistani Artist Sara Shakeel makes Noor Mukadam’s memory shine

    Noor Mukadam was brutally murdered at a residence in the capital’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20. The case is currently on trial.  Her death sparked national outrage, including protests and candlelight vigils across the country.

  • Malala’s husband, Asser Malik reveals where they first met

    Malala’s husband, Asser Malik reveals where they first met

    Nobel laureate and women’s education rights activist Malala Yousafzai’s husband Asser Malik revealed where the newlyweds first met. “The place we first met felt a little more special on Malala’s graduation day,” he wrote in an Instagram post while congratulating Malala on her graduation.

    Malala has graduated with degrees in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford.

    Ziauddin Yousafzai also congratulated her daughter for “officially” graduating from the University of Oxford.

    Malala tied the knot with Asser Malik in a small intimate nikkah ceremony in Birmingham on November 9.

    Read more- ‘Precious day in my life’: Malala Yousafzai ties the knot

    Earlier Malala also opened up about how she met Malik. ““In the summer of 2018, Asser was visiting friends at Oxford and we crossed paths. He worked in cricket, so I immediately had a lot to discuss with him. He liked my sense of humour. We became best friends. We found we had common values and enjoyed each other’s company. We stood by each other in moments of happiness and disappointment. Through our individual ups and downs, we talked and listened to each other. And when words failed, I sent him a link to our horoscope compatibility, hoping the stars could help reinforce our connection,” Malala writes in the article.

    Read more- ‘I believe that I can enjoy friendship, love and equality in marriage’: Malala

    The couple made their second public appearance earlier this month on November 23, at the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, Cinderella.

  • PIA UK to Pak flight turned into garbage dump by passengers

    PIA UK to Pak flight turned into garbage dump by passengers

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Manchester to Islamabad turned into a trash bin by the inconsiderate conduct of passengers. The return flight was delayed as the entire plane was littered with leftovers and rubbish. The cabin crew took four hours to do deep-cleaning, reports Dawn news.


    The littered plane caught attention when the images of its condition were circulated all over social media. PIA spokesperson also shared his discontent over passengers’ reckless behavior of throwing trash all around the plane.


    “Passengers usually remain careful and behave well when they are onboard the flights operated by foreign airlines, but unfortunately, they don’t do so while onboard a PIA flight,” said the airline spokesperson.


    A ground staffer of the airline said that the unruly attitude of passengers on the plane was not the first unusual incident, they have had to face. It often happens during United Kingdom (UK)-Islamabad flights.