Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to take a mini-break for the first time since he assumed office.
According to reports, the PM has suspended his official and party engagements for two days, (Saturday and Sunday) and will be spending the weekend with his family members at his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad.
The PM will take a break from his work and no government official or party members will meet the premier, neither will he chair any meeting this weekend. PM Imran often chairs Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) meetings at his Bani Gala residence on the weekends as well as receives the party leaders and government officials there.
Considering that PM Imran is taking the weekend off, here are five things The Current recommends he does to make the most of his time off:
Sleep – Is a weekend off really a weekend off unless you sleep at least 16 hours?
Skype with his sons who are in London
Catch up on Pakistani dramas – He must binge-watch Meray Paas Tum Ho and Alif, which starres his fav actor Hamza Ali Abbasi. After all they are creating quite a stir.
Eat – We’ve heard that the PM is quite fond of haleem. The cooks in Banigala should get going on making his fav dish.
Reading – What better way to spend the weekend morning soaking up the winter sun and reading That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph.
Just a month after Prince William and Kate Middleton’s tour of Pakistan, the country is all set for another royal visit.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will be coming to Pakistan on November 25 for a three-day visit as the special advocate to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.
According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Embassy of the Netherlands, the Dutch royal will discuss the progress of financial services to improve the economic situation of Pakistan.
During her visit, the queen will hold talks with international development partners, representatives of the fintech sector, State Bank Governor Reza Baqir, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and NADRA Chairman Usman Mubin.
The Dutch queen is also expected to meet President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Queen Máxima will also be present at the launch of the Micropayments Gateway, a central bank initiative to reduce the cost of small payments in order to stimulate digital payments, in particular for people in poverty situations.
In Lahore, Queen Máxima will visit a number of projects that focus on digital financial services that, among other things, contribute to the development of entrepreneurs.
“Since 2009, Queen Máxima, as a UN special advocate, has been committed to making financial services accessible to all, including low-income groups and small and medium-sized businesses, and thus increasing their chances of economic and social development,” the statement said.
Who is Queen Máxima of the Netherlands?
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is the wife of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. An Argentinian born, the Queen attained a degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina followed by a master’s degree in the US. She has worked in the finance industry for over a decade including her position as the vice president of institutional sales in Latin America for HSBC and Deutsche Bank’s Brussels branch.
King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima with Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Royal Ascot
On April 30, 2013, Maxima became the first queen consort of the Netherlands since Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont in the late 1800s.
According to The Sun, Maxima met Willem-Alexander during a spring fair in Spain in April 1999. In later interviews, the pair explained that at first the prince simply introduced himself as Alexander, so she didn’t know he was a prince until later.
After the fair, they agreed to meet again in New York where Maxima was working, which is when their relationship began. The couple tied the knot in February 2002 in a civil ceremony.
The couple have three daughters. The Queen is well-known for her fashion statements.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed all educational boards of Sindh to design a mechanism to control cheating during examinations.
As perreports, a single bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar directed the boards to take into account the suggestions made by experts while hearing the case pertaining to cheating during examinations.
Institute of Business
Administration’s (IBA) registrar said that they have a standard mechanism for
making the question paper for exams in Sindh, suggesting that the papers should
be audited and monitored by a third party while checking and marking should be
made foolproof by surveillance through CCTV cameras.
While experts have advised that exam
centres should be monitored through CCTV cameras and Rangers officials should
also be placed there.
Justice Panhwar while giving his
remarks said, “It is the fundamental right of every citizen to gain quality
education under Article 25 of the constitution. It has become difficult to survive
without higher education”.
The court has now summoned the
chairpersons of the educational boards, Sindh Text Book Board chairperson, the
managing director of the Sindh education foundation and the boards and
universities secretary in a personal capacity, seeking a report from the
parties and other relevant institutions by December 11.
Are you an online shopping addict? Well, it has now been recognised as a mental health condition. Psychotherapists say it is an actual mental disorder, called the ‘Buying-Shopping Disorder’ (BSD).
“It really is time to recognise BSD as separate mental health condition and to accumulate further knowledge about BSD on the Internet,” says Dr Astrid Müller, a psychotherapist at Hannover Medical School in Germany. Her colleagues say the condition had gone unrecognised for too long.
In a study they looked at evidence from 122 patients seeking help for their online shopping addictions and found they had higher than usual rates of depression and anxiety. They argue the rise of online stores, apps and home delivery have added an entirely new dimension to the concept of a shopaholic. The research was published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry.
The internet has made shopping more available, anonymous, accessible and affordable. You can purchase things through Facebook or Instagram pages or websites. Cash on Delivery (CoD) option or online bank deposits has also made online shopping quite easy without stepping out of the comfort of your house.
Currently, BSD is not classified as a disorder on its own but is part of a category named ‘other specified impulse control disorder’. Online shopping can cause a loop of extreme cravings for buying things and satisfaction when spending money. This can then lead to a breakdown in self-control, ‘extreme distress’, other psychiatric problems, relationship difficulties and physical clutter and debt.
Are you addicted to shopping? Buying-Shopping Disorder (BSD) often happens alongside other mood, anxiety or eating disorders. It often appears in the late teens or early 20s, and usually gets worse over time.
Symptoms may include:
Accumulating debt
Hiding purchases from loved ones
Tensions or breakdowns in relationships between friends and family
Compensating for negative feelings by buying things
Federal Minister for Information and Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has announced to develop a mobile application to empower women via technology.
As per reports, the appwould be similar to an online portal and will offer guidance to women on their rights and help them become independent. It will provide information about Pakistan’s laws, scholarships, women’s education, and job opportunities.
The price of tomatoes has skyrocketed all over the country, including Karachi creating panic among the citizens considering how essential they are to Pakistani dishes.
After tomato prices reached Rs250-300 per kg in Sindh, thieves have started robbing tomato farms in Sindh’s Badin district.
This has made the farmers so paranoid that they have hired armed guards to protect their tomato farms.
Tomatoes in Karachi were being sold as high as Rs320 per kilogram (kg), double the rate from the previous week. Vendors and hawkers claimed that it was not their fault since wholesale prices had increased.
However, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Finance Adviser, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, was unaware of the ongoing situation. In a recent media talk, he claimed tomatoes were being sold as low as Rs17 a kilogram in vegetable markets of Karachi.
‘Doodh Pilai’ is a tradition at all desi weddings. The bride’s sisters, cousins or friends bring a decorated glass of milk for the groom. First, the bride takes a sip and then the groom takes a sip from the same glass. The groom then gives money as a token of thanks.
Doodh Pilai is usually a merry tradition where the bride and groom’s families share some fun moments.
But a Doodh Pilai rasam at Maraka village turned out to be quite eventful. The groom gave Rs 1,000 to the bride’s friends while they were expecting double the amount, i.e. Rs 2,000. This led to a violent fight between the bride and groom. As a result, the bride’s family beat up the groom.
Leading mobile phone manufacturing company Motorola released the first look of their upgraded and revamped iconic Motorola Razr and let’s just say, it flipped us.
The new Razr is an Android smartphone with a large touch screen that folds in half. It keeps the same general form factor but replaces the T9 keypad and a small LCD with a foldable plastic OLED panel. The screen measures 6.2 inches on the diagonal – about the same size as an iPhone 11 – and shuts to be about half as tall. Though it’s wider than the original, The Washington Post reports that the new Razr is, “impressively, just as thin.”
However, on the other hand, the Razr has a small battery at 2,510mAh and runs the older Android 9 Pie operating system on Qualcomm’s sub-flagship Snapdragon 710 chip. It lacks the 5G option and expansive memory of its rivals.
Nonetheless, the Razr will be the first device of its kind on the market. Samsung had previously introduced a flip phone, the Galaxy Fold but that had issues with air bubbles popping up beneath the display and tiny particles getting trapped under the screen. The device’s design chief Ruben Castano said that the Razr will have none of these issues.
Image Courtesy Bloomberg
The price of the phone will possibly make you do a double flip considering it is priced at $1,499.
The popular Motorola Razr smartphone, launched in 2004, went on to become an iconic device, even popularized by Hollywood, until the iPhone was launched in 2007.
Original vs New
Paris Hilton posing with her Motorola Razr
The new Motorola Razr will be available for pre-orders in the United States in December this year before retailing worldwide in January 2020.
With hazardous and toxic smog engulfing major cities of Punjab, the Government of Punjab has placed a ban on all outdoor activities in all public and private schools across the province.
According to a notification issued by the provincial government “no outdoor sports and other activities [will take place] in schools up till December 20, due to smog.”
The notification further said that all the students should wear air filter masks during school hours. Schools were also directed to create awareness among the students about air quality, prevention of smog and impact of the environment on the health of human beings.
Punjab Minister for School Education Dr Murad Raas also shared the notification on Twitter.
No outdoor activities in all Public & Private Schools of Punjab till December 20th, 2019 due to the Air Quality. Secondly, all children to wear air filter masks during School hours. Lastly, an awareness session on environment to be held in all schools. Notification Attached. pic.twitter.com/ZyXwJYckHo
Across the borders, in Delhi and Tehran, schools have been closed due to the worsening air quality.
Smog reached very unhealthy levels in Lahore on Wednesday, making life difficult for the citizens of the city. In the morning, the Air Quality Index was recorded at 529 which is hazardous.
According to the Met department website, different areas of the city had different AQIs. It AQI was 506 at the US Consulate, 498 in Gulberg, 491 at Punjab Assembly, 489 at Liberty Market, 453 at Upper Mall, 384 in Allama Iqbal Town’s Zeenat Block and 395 at Sundar Industrial Estate.
The toxic smog is causing eye and throat irritation, skin rashes, besides generating or aggravating pulmonary diseases.
The Punjab environment department says the practice of paddy stubble burning, mainly by the Indian Punjab farmers, is the biggest reason behind the formation of smog during October and November.
However, experts say that fuel emissions from vehicles on city roads, untreated emissions by industries and dirt also contribute to the increasing smog. That coupled with a fall in the temperature and wind speed at this time of the year worsens the overall situation.
Not that we didn’t know that already, but a new report has confirmed that Karachi is one of the worst cities to drive in.
According to a French-based survey, which ranked 100 global cities to determine which were the best, and worst, destinations for drivers, Karachi was at number five. Mumbai topped the list while Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia came second and Kolkata, India third.
On the other hand, Calgary, Canada was the best city in the world for driving followed by Dubai (2) and Ottawa (3).
Meanwhile, the same study ranked Karachi number three on the list of cities with the most incidents of road rage. Road rage is defined as aggressive or angry behaviour exhibited by a driver of a road vehicle. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia topped the list while Moscow, Russia came second.
The study took three factors into consideration – infrastructure, safety and costs – when drawing up comparisons and deciding which city made a good location to drive.
To determine a city’s infrastructure, a number of factors were examined, such as the number of cars per capita, traffic congestion, road and public transport quality, among others. Air quality levels were also investigated in order to determine the city’s commitment to providing fresh air and good visibility for its drivers and citizens alike.
The costs associated with driving in each city were also evaluated, including not only the price of combustibles and annual road tax paid in each location but also the purchase parity of each country to determine how affordable it was to drive in that particular city.
