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Category: Lifestyle

  • British police officer Rebecca Kalam wins discrimination case

    British police officer Rebecca Kalam wins discrimination case

    Former West Midlands police officer Rebecca Kalam of the United Kingdom has won a landmark case against gender discrimination, winning a reported total of £820,720 for loss of earnings and pension in what is believed to be one of the largest payouts of its kind in the country.

    Former female police officer Rebecca Kalam accused West Midlands Police of gender discrimination during training in 2012, mistreatment by male officers, and failure to provide personal protective equipment.

    In an interview with Channel 4 News, Rebecca said that she fought the case not for the money but for the changes that she wanted to see, such as the provision of women-friendly protective gear for the police.

    Rebecca Kalam was made the poster girl for the force’s firearms unit in 2012 and said she could not pass the training course unless she agreed, an employment tribunal heard.


    She was also required to pose for a photo shoot when she was five months pregnant in 2016 and complained of male officers drawing images of genitals on notice boards around the police station along with using misogynistic language.


    The tribunal heard that during training exercises in March 2012, Mrs Kalam had to strip down to her underwear and, while doing press-ups, a male trainer put his foot on the back of her neck, reports Sky News.


    After the verdict was announced, West Midlands police released a statement that condemned the previous treatment and offered assurances that changes are being made. “All female firearms officers have been issued with equipment specific to their individual needs, including formed ballistic protection.We have also introduced new arrangements to procure female-specific uniforms and equipment, and female firearms officers are now involved in trialling and assessing new uniforms and equipment,” the statement read.

  • ‘Death GPT’ is here to tell you when you will die

    ‘Death GPT’ is here to tell you when you will die

    Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Northeastern University in Boston have developed an algorithm that can predict a person’s life course, including premature death, in much the same way that large language models such as ChatGPT can predict sentences⁠.⁠

    University of Copenhagen


    The death calculator, dubbed ‘DeathGPT’ by Financial Times, is based on narrative building just like it is in stories. According to scientists, each life story is the chronicle of a death foretold. By using Denmark’s registry data, which contains a wealth of day-to-day information on education, salary, job, working hours, housing and doctor visits, academics have developed an algorithm that can predict a person’s life course, including premature death, in much the same way that large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT can predict sentences. The algorithm outperformed other predictive models, including actuarial tables used by the insurance industry.


    The fact that our complex existences can be resolved in text is both exhilarating and confusing. Sune Lehmann, from the Technical University of Denmark, who led the research published last month in Nature Computational Science, does not find the idea discombobulating. “I think the similarity between text and lives is deep and multi-faceted,” he told Financial Times. “It makes sense to me that our algorithm can predict the next step in human lives.”


    Methodology


    For a first step, researchers compiled a “vocabulary” of life events, creating a kind of synthetic language, and used it to construct “sentences”. A sample sentence might be: “During her third year at secondary boarding school, Hermione followed five elective classes.”

    Loopholes


    While the paper claims that “accurate individual predictions are indeed possible”, the algorithm furnishes a probability of death over a certain period rather than an exact date. There are caveats: what applies in Denmark might not apply elsewhere, and the algorithm encodes biases in the training data. Even so, given its potential to fine-tune risk prediction, the impact on the insurance industry will be worth watching. For their part, the researchers don’t want their work to be used by insurers, and are keeping the algorithm and data under wraps for now.


    Outcomes


    In existing predictive models, researchers must pre-specify variables that matter, such as age, gender and income. In contrast, this approach swallows all the data and can independently alight on relevant factors (it spotted that income counts positively for survival, for example, and that a mental health diagnosis counts negatively). This could point researchers to previously unexplored influences on health — and may uncover new links between apparently unrelated patterns of behaviour. One of Lehmann’s growing concerns is privacy; he points out that companies such as Google are assembling muscular prediction machines, using an abundance of personal data filtered from the internet.


    This is an era of unparalleled predictability in human lives — and an era of unparalleled power for those who can read our stories before we have lived them.

  • 11 members of a family murdered: case registered against murdered daughter’s father-in-law

    11 members of a family murdered: case registered against murdered daughter’s father-in-law


    A murder case of 11 members of the same family has been registered in Lakki Marwat and the uncle of the deceased has nominated the father-in-law of one of the deceased daughters in the case.

    The murders took place in the Takhtikhel area of Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    According to the authorities, the uncle, Umar Gul, has claimed that the daughter-in-law of the accused father-in-law, Madar Khan came to her home after a fight within the family. Khan apologised for the fight and entered the home of his daughter-in-law as a guest, on the pretext of solving the matter. He spent the night with the family.

    Umar Gul stated that Khan shot and killed 11 family members after feeding them poisoned food.

    According to the police, two men, two women and six children are among those killed.

    Efforts are being made to arrest Madar Khan, according to Geo News.

  • Lahore: Man kills brother-in-laws for taking his wife home without his permission

    Lahore: Man kills brother-in-laws for taking his wife home without his permission


    A man killed two of his brothers-in-law in Hanjarwal, Lahore over a ‘personal dispute’, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing police sources.


    As per reports, a man named Fahad married a sister of the deceased brothers, out of their own free will, but the brothers took their sister back to her home.


    Enraged, Fahad along with his accomplices, allegedly shot and killed his two brothers-in-law Muzammil and Mudassir when they were at work, at a milk shop.


    Father of the slain brothers said that he had only two sons and five daughters and both sons were killed. The police has shifted the bodies of the victims to a hospital for their post-mortem after collecting evidence from the crime scene.


    The police said that teams have been formed to arrest the accused after registration of the case.

  • Strong earthquake in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK

    Strong earthquake in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK

    Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir (AJK), and their adjoining areas were jolted by a strong earthquake around 2:30 pm on Thursday. However, strong tremors were felt for only a few seconds. In Islamabad, people were seen coming out of high-rise buildings.

    According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the epicentre of the earthquake was the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan and the depth of the quake was 213 kilometres.

    The earthquake was also felt in Peshawar, Gujrat, Gujranwala, and other regions of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Malakand, Upper and Lower Dir, Kohat, Swat experienced both light and strong jolts.

  • Fee increased for driving licenses in Punjab

    Fee increased for driving licenses in Punjab


    The Punjab government has announced a new fee schedule for different vehicles, which will be implemented from January 16.


    The driving license fee for motorcycles and motorcycle-rickshaws is reduced from Rs. 550 to 500 while the fee for other vehicles has been greatly increased.

    For instance, the license fee for the Motorcar Jeep has been increased from Rs. 950 to 1800. The detailed schedule is mentioned in the tweet below.


    According to the official statement released by the Lahore Traffic Police, you can now apply online via the website https://dlims.punjab.gov.pk/. You can also download e-challans from the same portal.


    Licenses can be applied for via helpline number 735. The fine for driving any vehicle without a license is Rs. 2000.


    Additionally, driving a bike without a helmet will also be fine with Rs. 2000.

  • ‘Aloo Baingan’ ranked one of the worst desi dishes by food, travel survey

    ‘Aloo Baingan’ ranked one of the worst desi dishes by food, travel survey

    In a recent survey, food and travel guide ‘Taste Atlas’ published a list, where Aloo Baingan was in the 60th position, with a 2.7 rating out of five.

    TasteAtlas, a global food review publication, compiles its list based on user ratings and reviews. Aloo Baingan received a 2.7 out of 5-star rating, which is apparently low enough to land it on the list. Although listed as Indian, the dish is equally popular in Pakistan.

    As per TasteAtlas, “Simple and flavourful, aloo baingan is a dish made with a combination of eggplants and potatoes, cooked together with onions, tomatoes, and various spices. The name of the dish specifies its key ingredients since aloo means potatoes, and baingan means eggplant.
    It is a type of sabzi (dry curry) that is usually served with flatbreads such as roti and naan. It is said that aloo baingan is even better if made in advance, as the flavours deepen while the dish rests.”

    The rating stirred the internet as everybody started expressing their likes and dislikes but it turns out that people share a love-hate relationship with baingan (eggplant).

    Netizen commented, “How can someone label a dish with baingan as one of the worst? Westerners seriously lack taste buds”.

    A user, Nabeel Ahmed commented that it is completely ‘unjust’ as the dish served with boiled rice is commendable. He urged the dish Aloo Baingan to be given due respect.

    Another user, Surbhi shared her preference as aloo baingan to be bearable because in her view Torai is the worst.

    A couple of internet users stated clearly that they do hate the dish and some declared to neither hate it nor like it much.

    The debate tickled a funny bone in some, as a user referred to the famous rhyme, “Aloo Kachalo Miyan Kahan gaye thay” by commenting, “I hate baingan since the day he kicked the aloo in Baingan ne laat mari or aloo ro raha tha”.

  • Having trouble with renewing your passport? There’s a WhatsApp number you can contact for help

    Having trouble with renewing your passport? There’s a WhatsApp number you can contact for help

    The Department of Immigration and Passports has released a phone number and WhatsApp number for complaints and awareness on the issuance or renewal of passports.

    Afzal Nadeem Dogar’s report in Geo states that the Director General of Immigration and Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, explained that due to his efforts, the issuance of passports is going on as usual. However, if the public has any problems, they should call phone numbers 0519107072 and 0519107072 to register their complaints or get information.

    According to DG Immigration and Passports, in case of delays in receipts or printing of passports, citizens should send a photo of their passport token receipt to WhatsApp number 03368566685 so that their complaint can be redressed.

    To read more: Why aren’t you getting your passport?

  • Winter vacations extended for junior students after deaths of 36 children in Punjab

    Winter vacations extended for junior students after deaths of 36 children in Punjab


    The caretaker government of Punjab has extended winter holidays for junior students till Grade One.


    Students of all classes till Grade One will commence school on January 16, whereas middle school students and seniors are advised to stay indoors.

    The caretaker Chief Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, has also cancelled morning assembly sessions till January 31.

    The announcement came as the CM was visiting Children’s Hospital, Lahore. He took notice of about three dozen deaths of children due to pneumonia in the province, the chief minister on Wednesday also decided to postpone all examinations slated to be held during this month.

    Announcing the holiday extension CM added, schools up to class 1 will be shut down across Punjab.

    Mohsin Naqvi summoned an emergency meeting at Children’s Hospital in Lahore on Wednesday in this regard, saying 8 out of every 10 children are suffering from pneumonia. 36 kids have died due to this in Punjab.

    Most of the deceased children are babies younger than six months, he added.

    Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the importance of children using masks and washing hands in Lahore. This is made mandatory in schools.

    He also recommends the use of warm clothes amid the surge in cases of viral Pneumonia, especially in children, as highlighted by health experts in Lahore.

  • When is rain expected in Lahore?

    When is rain expected in Lahore?


    Lahore is experiencing bone-chilling cold as the smog-choked city waits for rain. The Meteorological Department has predicted that rains will start on January 15, reports City 42.


    According to Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Aslam, there is no possibility of rain in Lahore this week, however, a spell will start after January 15. In the next few days, the weather will remain cold and dry, which is likely to drop temperatures in the city.

    Karachi recorded the coldest night of the season with the temperature dropping to 12 degree Celsius. It is expected to get colder in the coming days as the temperature is expected to drop as low as 10 C in the coming days while the maximum temperature is likely to rise between 25 C to 27°C, reports Geo.


    On the other hand, a severe cold wave in the country continued to cause fog in the plains while snow falls on the mountains. In Skardu, temperatures dropped to -8 C.

    The plains of Punjab, Upper Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to be shrouded in fog. In North Balochistan, rain fell in some places while it snowed in the mountains.