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Tag: Top News

  • Benefits of eating bananas every day

    Benefits of eating bananas every day

    Bananas are probably the most readily available fruit. They are easily available all year round and are a fruit basket staple. More than that, the banana is something that will taste good with anything – you can have it as it is or add it to your fruit salad or make a shake out of it – it’s that versatile. Plus it contains only 90 calories.

    And the good news is that eating a banana every day is very good for your health.

    Bananas are good for the heart

    Bananas are loaded with potassium which is an important electrolyte that helps in regulating heart function. According to a study done by the University of Leeds, increasing the consumption of fiber-rich foods such as bananas can lower the risk of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD).

    Maintain gut health

    Bananas are full of soluble fiber which slows down digestion and keeps you feeling full for a longer time. Which is why bananas are the perfect breakfast meal.

    Perfect pre-workout meal

    Bananas are rich in carbohydrates that keep you full throughout your workout sessions which is why they are considered to be the best energy-boosting pre-workout meal.

    Boosts mood

    Bananas contain amino acid and antioxidants, like dopamine, which play a vital role in boosting one’s mood.

    Assists in treating anemia

    If you have a low blood count, then it important for you to include bananas in your diet as they have a high iron content, which is essential for the development of red blood cells. Anemia leads to fatigue, shortness of breath, and paleness.

  • Murders of husbands by wives on the rise in Lahore

    Murders of husbands by wives on the rise in Lahore

    In an extremely bizarre turn of events, more and more wives in Lahore are murdering their husbands, either with their own hands or through hired killers.

    According to reports, eight of such instances occurred in the last year alone. The reasons behind the murders are often stated to be domestic disputes or marital misunderstandings.

    According to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Ismail Kharak marital disputes are the main cause behind such incidents. He elaborated that abusive husbands compel women to commit such crimes.

    “The story usually revolves around the husband being unjust and abusive to his wife. In some cases, the woman’s marriage takes place against her wish due to factors such as poverty,” he said.

    He added that in some instances, cheating or second marriage is the reason behind the murders, while substance abuse and addiction is also a cause.

    A lawyer pointed out that women get frustrated when the law doesn’t protect them and their husbands are not punished for their actions which is why they decide to take the law in their hands.

    Meanwhile, a religious scholar said that one of the reasons for a rise in such incidents is a lack of moral values. He added that parents should take the wishes of their children into account at the time of marriage.

  • Pakistani Candles – which one is worth the smell?

    Pakistani Candles – which one is worth the smell?

    DISCLAIMER: This review is not sponsored. The Current has done its own independent research for this review.

    After Pakistanis became candle crazy, different local companies started introducing their own scented candle lines as an alternative for people who were used to lugging candles from abroad to fulfill their candle needs. We tried four scented candles from different Pakistani brands to find which one has the most long-lasting smell.

    Not taking how long the candle lasts or the type of smell into account, our only focus was, can you actually smell the candle for a long period of time. They rank as follows:

    4. AURA

    Aura, a natural, toxin-free skincare brand branched out into candles and we tried out their scented candle called Eden. Sadly, it didn’t smell of anything, despite being lit for a few hours. Sticking your nose close to the candle won’t help much either. It emits a faint scent of flowers (or are we imagining that?)

    Price – Rs 700

    3. BATH AND BODY WORKS

    YES, believe it or not, two local candle brands outranked the foreign candle giant, Bath and Body Works. We tried out their Fresh (spring blue skies) scent and although you can smell it (and it smells a lot like the men’s cologne Aqua Di Gio and should be a huge hit with the boys) it doesn’t beat the top two.

    Rs 3900 (but if you get it from abroad, its usually on sale for half price)

    2. Karachi Candle Company

    We are very sure you thought the Karachi candles would win. We were surprised by the results too. As loyal Karachi candle company followers, we love their Motia Noir scent which took Karachi (and then other cities) by storm. It smells exactly of Karachi Jasmine nights and lingers and lasts for a long time.

    Price – Rs 2000

    1. Meem

    A young company, we bought the candle on a whim, after hearing murmurs of how good their Mulberry scent was. It smells exactly like bubble gum and can fill an entire office space with its scent. Strong and powerful, Meem is not one for the weak and lives up to its promise. We can’t wait to try other scents from them.

    Price – Rs 800 (small)

  • Sheikh Rasheed, and the three essential oils he should be buying

    Sheikh Rasheed, and the three essential oils he should be buying

    Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed was spotted buying what looks like aromatherapy essential oils with PM Imran Khan’s buddy Aneel Mussarat in London. While we don’t exactly know what he bought we can recommend oils we think would work best for his personality and job.

    Sandalwood Oil

    Used to calm nerves. Sheikh was in big trouble after the Railway’s Rs 28.62 billion loss was made public. So he could do with something to calm his nerves.

    Lavender Oil

    Helps with stress relief. Opposition parties were asking for Sheikh’s resignation after 80 train accidents took place in his first year.

    Rosemary Oil

    Helps with focus. We all need more of Sheikh’s famous predictions.

  • Cricket umpire dies after being hit by a ball

    Cricket umpire dies after being hit by a ball

    A cricket umpire has died one month after being hit on the head by a ball during a domestic match, BBC has reported.

    Mr. Williams was supervising a Pembrokeshire County Division 2 match between Pembroke and Narbeth when he was hit by a ball.

    He was taken to a hospital and was later rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff when he was in an induced coma. Williams was transferred to Withybush Hospital in Haverford west on August 1 where he died two weeks later.

    After the tragic death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes in 2014, safety concerns in cricket have been under surveillance. Hughes was hit on the head by a Sean Abbott bouncer during a native game. He went into a coma and never recovered consciousness.

  • Sacred Games: The new ‘Game of Thrones’

    Sacred Games: The new ‘Game of Thrones’

    We’re disappointed…

    The much-awaited second season of Netflix’s Sacred Games was dropped on Indian Independence Day, and if you want us to save you some time… we’re disappointed.

    It isn’t easy to be divided between watching Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) back in action and sticking to the idea of shunning Indian productions at a time when Pakistan and India aren’t the best of friends.

    However, having watched the eight-episode series, we can guarantee that you won’t miss out on anything as great as the first season, in case you’re planning not to watch it.

    Expanding beyond the novel by Vikram Chandra, the second season has left us disillusioned of Anurag Kashyap and co.’s ability to do wonders.

    To quickly recap the first season, because Netflix won’t, Sacred Games is one drawn-out game of cat-and-mouse between notorious Mumbai gangster Gaitonde and his chosen police mark, Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), trying to figure out the former’s dastardly (and as-yet-unknown) plans set in motion.

    SPOILERS AHEAD!

    The second picks up halfway through the 25 days left to save Mumbai from uncertain calamity. Singh dives back into the investigation, following a trail that points to nuclear weapons, terrorism and Gaitonde’s link to Khanna Guruji (Pankaj Tripathi).

    Gaitonde, still narrating to Singh but actually to us, calls Guruji his third father, to whom he and so many others are drawn like moths to a flame.

    But, as one could’ve imagined (keeping in view flashbacks and those mysterious mandalas from the first season), the ashram is actually a cult and its leaders the liaisons between Gaitonde’s drug trade and the weapons Singh suspects will be used to attack Mumbai over a decade later.

    Just after the new twists are registered – and half the season is gone – one starts waiting for things to get as interesting as promised by cast members time and again. You start looking forward to something big enough for the season to beat its predecessor… and in all honesty, to make sense.

    It isn’t later you realise that Sacred Games has successfully pulled a Game of Thrones and disappointed you more than Gaitonde was upon realising how Guruji deceived him as a pawn, for his own plans to create a “new world”.

    All this remains the tip of a story lost somewhere between juggling too many balls – crowing Singh as the hero, unnecessary exaggeration, Pakistan being portrayed as the villain, gang wars, Soviet-Afghan War, 9/11 and 26/11 attacks and so much more.

    Without spoiling the not-so-much a cliffhanger finale, it’s safe to say that both Gaitonde and the show might have lost the legacy which followers strived to honour after the first season (and we don’t really mind).

  • PIA earns Rs7-8bn from Hajj operations, 50% less than anticipated figure

    PIA earns Rs7-8bn from Hajj operations, 50% less than anticipated figure

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has earned a revenue of Rs7-8 billion from Hajj operations against the anticipated figure of Rs25 billion, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to reports, around 250,000 people went to perform Hajj from Pakistan this year. Out of the total number of pilgrims, PIA flew more than 82,000 pilgrims, which is 20% more than previous year’s 68,000.

    PIA and Saudi Airlines, being major services, covered around 100,000 Pakistani pilgrims, while the remaining pilgrims were carried by Airblue, Etihad, Emirates and others.

    Further details reveal that the Hajj package offered by the government this year cost around Rs400,000 while privately undertaken pilgrimage has no upper limit and can go up to Rs3 million.

    Meanwhile, the ticket prices from Lahore, Islamabad ranged from Rs110,000 to Rs150,000 and tickets from Karachi airport cost between Rs100,000-Rs105,000.

  • Dawlance vs Kenwood: Who has the better fridge?

    DISCLAIMER: This review is not sponsored. The Current has done its own independent research for this review.

    Looking to buy a fridge? Which one is the most popular in Pakistan? We compare two – Dawlance and Kenwood – that are the most popular in your city. According to our research, Orient, PEL and Haier are also very popular but salespeople at local stores claim that these two are the ones which are most commonly bought.

    The table below gives a brief outline of the two fridges.

    DawlanceKenwood
    Rs 33,000 – 55,000Rs 45,000 – 65,000
    Service Centres: 4 in Karachi, 2 in LahoreService Centres: 4 in Karachi, 3 in Lahore
    3-way coolingUnbreakable models
    Works on low voltageBest in load shedding
    Warranty – 12 yearsWarranty – 3 years

    Because of its services, price and warranty time period, Dawlance emerges as a winner.

  • Sri Lankan cricket team agrees to play Test series in Pakistan

    Sri Lankan cricket team agrees to play Test series in Pakistan

    The Sri Lankan cricket team, despite its bitter experience of the past, has agreed to play a Test series in Pakistan, a private media outlet reported Saturday.

    According to reports, the decision was taken after a security delegation from Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) visited Pakistan from August 7 to 9 to evaluate the security conditions in the country.

    The security team visited three major cities, including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

    PCB’s director for international cricket, Zakir Khan, and the head of security, Colonel Asif Mehmood, briefed the security team about the arrangements being made at the stadium for the series.

    The team was assured of foolproof security for the guest team during its visit to Pakistan.

    SLC Secretary de Silva thanked Pakistan for inviting them for security assessment and said: “We had a very fruitful discussion and briefing about the arrangements being made for the test match here.”

    Earlier, PCB had invited the Sri Lankan cricket team to come to Pakistan this October and play two Test matches in the country.

    The series will be the first of its kind to be played in the country ever since the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team 10 years ago.

  • U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    Soon after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its first-ever meeting over the Kashmir issue in almost 50 years, India has backtracked on its statement and admitted that Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) is disputed territory.

    According to The Express Tribune, facing a barrage of questions in a press briefing following the historic meeting at the UN headquarters on Friday, India’s envoy to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said that India was committed to the Shimla Agreement inked with Pakistan in 1972, which explicitly declares Kashmir as disputed between the two countries.

    Earlier, New Delhi had regularly blocked discussion on held Kashmir at the UN, saying it considers the matter an “internal affair”.

    “So let me begin by coming across to you and shaking your hand… as we’ve already extended our hand of friendship by saying we are committed to Shimla Agreement. Let us wait on that from the Pakistani side,” said the Indian ambassador while awkwardly reaching out to Pakistani journalists and shaking their hands.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Responding to a question, he said: “In closed consultations at the UNSC, anyone, especially parties to the dispute, can try and throw in anything at the members of the Security Council. That’s the nature of the beast.”

    “We are ready to address these issues in a matter in which states who have normal approaches to international ties address them… and in our case, we are committed to Shimla Agreement,” he added.