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  • Why are Indians boycotting Cadbury chocolate?

    Why are Indians boycotting Cadbury chocolate?

    People in India are boycotting Cadbury chocolate over the allegations that the gelatine used in Cadbury’s goods is “derived from beef”. #BoycottCadbury has been trending on Twitter since Sunday.


    On social media, a screenshot of what appears to be a Cadbury website was extensively shared and claims that the gelatine used in their goods is “halal approved and sourced from cattle.”

    As per NDTV- an Indian media news outlet, the screenshot is from an older version of the brand’s Australian website.

    Another reason Cadbury products are being boycotted is because a recent advertisement by the company uses “Damodar” as the name of a poor lamp seller. Customers are claiming that this has been done to show “someone with PM Narendra Modi’s father’s name in poor light”.

  • Petroleum prices to remain unchanged for next fortnight

    Petroleum prices to remain unchanged for next fortnight

    For the upcoming two weeks, the government has decided to keep petroleum product prices unchanged.

    Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, made the announcement during a press conference.

    This means that the price of petrol will remain unchanged at Rs224.80 per liter, high-speed diesel (HSD) at Rs235.30, light diesel oil (LDO) Rs186.50, while kerosene will be sold at Rs191.83.

    It is important to note that the administration did not change the prices during the most recent fortnightly review. The government refused to lower the price of gasoline for the general population by raising the petroleum development levy (PDL) by Rs14.84.

    Dar also stated that the government will clear the outstanding letters of credit (LCs) after speaking with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), with the cap increasing to $100,000 from the existing $50,000 as of November 1.

    Despite the relief, locals are forced to buy petrol for their daily commute at outrageously high costs. Contrarily, it is anticipated that CNG stations in Punjab and Sindh may be closed for longer than four months, which has made the issues of the populace much worse.

  • Instagram fixes bug that locked users out of their accounts

    Instagram fixes bug that locked users out of their accounts

    Instagram announced on its Twitter account that an outage that started on Monday morning has been fixed.

    Instagram locked users out during the downtime and informed many of them that their accounts will be suspended on October 31, 2022. Due to a bug, numerous accounts with massive followings lost a considerable portion of their followers.

    The majority of reports of the problem appeared to come from iPhone users, with some claiming that their app recently crashed and became unusable prior to an update earlier this morning.

    “We’ve resolved this bug now — it was causing people in different parts of the world to have issues accessing their accounts and caused a temporary change for some in number of followers,” Instagram wrote. “Sorry!” The platform first confirmed the issue on Twitter at 10:14 AM ET but didn’t say things were resolved until many hours later at 6 PM ET. Adam Mosseri, who heads up Instagram, also apologized for the outage.

    Around the time Instagram acknowledged the problem, reports on Downdetector reached over 7,000, although they have levelled off since then.

    Around 10:15 AM ET, a quick glance at Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram account revealed that, although it still had 493 million followers the day before, it appeared to have lost 3 million of those. However, the figure has now risen to 493 million. More than a million fewer people were using Instagram’s main account.

  • Same sex relationships now legal in Tokyo

    Same sex relationships now legal in Tokyo

    In a nation that still forbids equal marriage, Tokyo’s metropolitan administration on Tuesday started distributing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who reside and work in the capital.


    The status allows LGBTQ partners to be considered as married couples for some public services in areas including housing, health, and welfare, even though it does not confer the same rights as a marriage.

    According to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, 137 couples have submitted applications for certificates as of last Friday.


    According to a survey conducted in 2021 by the public broadcaster NHK, 57 percent of the people supported gay marriage, while 37 percent opposed it.

    Japan has made progress in recent years in accepting sexual diversity.


    Today, more businesses are showing their support and homosexual characters are featured in television programmes.

  • Top driving techniques for reducing fuel consumption

    Top driving techniques for reducing fuel consumption

    The price of petrol in Pakistan is unforgivably high and motorists have no recourse since fuel is the basic and continuous expense for gasoline-powered vehicles. Still, the vast majority of auto owners want to lower their monthly fuel costs.

    Fuel economy may not be a huge concern if an individual rarely drives a car for short trips, but regular commuting and lengthy excursions make it challenging to save fuel.

    Here are a few tried-and-true tips that are well-known to increase mileage:

    Go easy on the accelerator

    This entails just accelerating the car when necessary. Frequent braking and engine revving increase fuel consumption whereas keeping the speed of the vehicle steady reduces fuel consumption. This is why you get greater mileage on long routes or motorways.

    It is strongly advised to maintain a low RPM (preferably less than 2,500), and if your automobile has an eco-mode, it would be helpful to frequently use it. Depending on the vehicle, this mode is especially made to improve fuel efficiency and can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15%.

    Watch your speed

    If your car has a small engine (under 1300cc), it will use more gasoline when travelling at speeds of 100 km/h or greater. To provide higher output, the engine must push harder, which raises the RPM and petrol usage.

    Bigger engines may generate greater power at lower RPMs, hence they are often unaffected by higher speeds as they require less power and repeated flooring.

    Be aware that hybrid engines are less affected by this as they may employ electric motors to maintain a high power output while consuming little fuel.

    Drive smartly

    A motorist may handle traffic more effectively by keeping an eye on the surroundings, maintaining safe distances, and analysing the driving habits of other drivers. By doing this, the motorist may prepare for obstacles including roadblocks, red lights, road closures, and bumps.

    Additionally, it aids in intelligent acceleration and deceleration. Ultimately, smart driving is one of the best ways to increase safety and reduce fuel consumption.

    Avoid idling

    This is the most basic fuel-saving advice offered by automotive specialists. It is clear that idling for an extended period of time wastes fuel. In addition, warming up a car shouldn’t take more than 60 seconds.

    Use AC when needed

    When the air conditioner (AC) is on, cars use more petrol. More fuel is saved by just using the AC when necessary.

    Still, driving with your windows down in the summer only to save on fuel is not advised, especially on highways. The automobile experiences higher drag when the windows are rolled down, especially at high speeds. As a result, the automobile encounters higher air resistance and requires more engine power to maintain the same speed.

    This is why while driving at faster speeds, such as on a highway, the driver would be wise to put on the AC rather than rolling down the windows.

    Remove excess weight

    Many automobile owners ignore this underrated advice. If your trunk is empty, it might not make much of a difference, but if you have heavy items within your car, this could be the cause of your excessive fuel usage.

    The engine is put under more stress as the automobile gets heavier because it requires more power to move ahead, which increases fuel consumption.

    Perform regular maintenance

    Every automobile owner’s primary priority should be maintenance. Regularly having your automobile serviced is crucial since there may be many underlying problems and components under the hood that you are unable to inspect or maintain.

  • PM Shehbaz congratulates Lula da Silva on his election as the new Brazilian President

    PM Shehbaz congratulates Lula da Silva on his election as the new Brazilian President

    Brazil has elected leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as President after he beat far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro in a tight presidential election on Sunday.

    Following the election, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif extended his wishes to Silva.

    “I extend my congratulations to H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his election as President of Brazil. I wish him great success and look forward to working with him to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. We share consensus on the dangers of climate change,” he said in a tweet.

    According to the country’s election authority, Lula secured 50.8 per cent of the vote compared with 49.2 per cent for Bolsonaro.

    In his victory speech, Lula said, “This country needs peace and unity. This population doesn’t want to fight anymore.”

    This is the first time that the sitting president failed to re-win the elections.

    Bolsonaro has made no public statement on the outcome.

    Lula, a hero for the country’s left, could not run in the 2018 election after being incarcerated on corruption charges which were later annulled.

    Lula left the presidency 12 years ago with record popularity after serving from 2003-2010. His conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court, allowing him to run again for president this year.

  • Husband of reporter killed in PTI long march gives up pursuing legal action, Govt alleges husband pressurised to give statement

    Husband of reporter killed in PTI long march gives up pursuing legal action, Govt alleges husband pressurised to give statement

    Sadaf Naeem, a reporter with Channel Five, died on Sunday in an unfortunate accident near Sadhoke while reporting on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march.

    The late reporter’s husband has decided not to pursue “any kind of legal action”, according to a statement submitted to the police on Sunday night.

    “When the long march […] started to move gradually, my wife — who was standing on the divider — fell and was trapped beneath the container and died on the spot,” her husband stated.

    “This was an accident,” he added, further saying that he did not want to take any legal action, “nor do I want to get a postmortem examination conducted”.

    He requested that “The dead body be handed over to us immediately so that the burial can be done in a timely manner.”

    However, Railway Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, shared a video purportedly showing Naeem’s husband signing his statement in the presence of PTI leaders including Aslam Iqbal.

    Rafique alleged that the deceased reporter’s husband was “surrounded” by PTI members to make him sign the statement.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Naeem’s fellow journalists were alleging that she was “pushed”.

    He called for the “person who pushed her” to be arrested as “after this witness account, it was necessary that investigations of the incident are carried out.”

  • Pakistani rupee reverses losses against greenback

    Pakistani rupee reverses losses against greenback

    After strengthening against the US dollar on Monday, the Pakistani rupee started the new week positively.

    Discussions between Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) employees and currency traders had positive effects as the local currency increased by Rs1.59, or 0.72 per cent, versus the dollar.

    In the interbank market, the rupee was able to settle at Rs220.89, according to the SBP.

    The rupee last week dropped 0.93 per cent versus the dollar, trading at Rs222.47. Analysts predicted that this week will see range-bound trading in the local currency.

    Earlier, Ishaq Dar issued a warning last week saying that anyone detected manipulating the currency rate will face harsh punishment.

    Dar said that the rupee’s true worth in relation to the dollar is less than Rs200. He predicted that the rupee will soon strengthen against the dollar and gave a warning to those who were speculating in and hoarding foreign cash.

    Furthermore, the price of Brent oil fell by 0.65 per cent to $95.15 per barrel on Monday, while the price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell by 0.83 per cent to $87.17 per barrel. With advances of 7.7 per cent and 9.3 per cent so far in October, respectively, Brent and WTI are on course to post their first monthly gains since May.

    Europe, which is anticipated to experience a recession this winter, poses a threat to global oil consumption. The European Central Bank’s policymakers are also continuing with their plans to raise interest rates, despite the fact that doing so might plunge the region into recession and stoke political unrest.

  • ‘Imran Khan zindabad’: A retired Indian Army major publicly shows support to IK for criticising establishment

    ‘Imran Khan zindabad’: A retired Indian Army major publicly shows support to IK for criticising establishment

    A retired Indian Army Major, Gaurav Arya, has posted a tweet on his account, offering support to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for his anti-establishment narrative.

    Talking to Twitter, Major Gaurav, infamous for being very critical of Pakistan, applauded Khan for speaking against the country’s army, the prime minister, as well as the country’s intelligence agency.

    “He calls Pak Army Chief an animal, Pak PM a thief, people of Pakistan slaves (ghulam) and Election Commissioner a traitor. He publicly threatens to expose ISI”, he said. He also expressed his wish to donate to PTI with the hashtag of ImranKhanZindabad.

    A few days ago, the PTI chief directly addressed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum.

    “DG ISI, listen carefully, the things I know…I am staying silent for my institutions and the country. I don’t want to damage my country,” Khan publicly said during the first day of his party’s ongoing long march.

    This is not a first time that someone from across border lauded Khan. Since the former Prime Minister’s outburst against the establishment, an Indian journalist has also said that Imran Khan Khan is her favourite.

    ABP News’ journalist Rubika Liyaquat said: “[Imran Khan] has become my dear most as he has his eyes set on exposing ISI’s secrets.”

  • As peak tourist season approaches, ‘Safe Tourist Programme’ approved for Murree

    As peak tourist season approaches, ‘Safe Tourist Programme’ approved for Murree

    Before the commencement of the winter tourism season in Murree and nearby galiyaat in the coming month, a comprehensive tourist programme has been approved to guarantee the safety of visiting families, reports Express Tribune.

    Under the programme, arrangements have been made for security, checking of vehicles and 24-hour clearing of snow in the district where standard “Tourism Services Rules” will also be regulated.


    During the snowy season, traffic police will not permit more than the designated number of vehicles to enter Murree and beyond, 17 miles of the Toll Plaza, no vehicle will be permitted to enter the district regardless of the number that the district administration and traffic police officers may decide.

    There are 215 small and large hotels in Murree overall, according to the report of the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner, and over 150 locals rent out their homes and common places. According to the tourism standard policy, there are a total of 24,239 tourist rooms available in hotels and guesthouses in Murree.


    Additionally, a uniformed civil defence force will be stationed in Murree to safeguard visitors from confrontations throughout the winter months.


    The local youth-led civil defence team will also be equipped with walkie-talkies and batons.
    The members of this force will be spread out in the city’s major markets in various shifts. 15 volunteers from civil defence will make up the force.


    A total of 50 more traffic wardens will be dispatched to Murree to manage the city’s traffic for the entire season.
    Rent for both heated and non heated hotel rooms will be pre-set. The additional deputy commissioner for Murree will keep an eye on hotel rents during the peak season.

    Food prices will be fixed in markets, and there will be distinct prices for each sort of entertainment. These prices and fees will be prominently displayed on banners with large prints.

    The installation of a price list will be required at all venues for entertainment, including lodging and food stands.

    Earlier this year in January, a traffic jam in Murree turned deadly after 23 people, including children, were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning as they waited in their cars with engines running.