Karachi: The Pakistani rupee continued its agressive tone against the US dollar, gaining another Rs2 in the interbank market on Thursday.

Per the State Bank of Pakistan, the local currency closed at Rs221.94 per dollar, an appreciation of 0.9 per cent from yesterday’s close of Rs223.94.

The rupee -- which had fallen close to an all-time low of Rs239.71 on Sept 22 -- has been recovering since then. It has gained Rs17.77 or 7.41pc in the last nine sessions.

Interbank closing #ExchangeRate for todayhttps://t.co/1ib7ME1SpC pic.twitter.com/TDo4CubrMp

— SBP (@StateBank_Pak) October 6, 2022

According to currency analysists, the joint probe of the SBP and finance ministry to identify and penalise the banks involved in earning exorbitant profits from their dollar sales had brought calm to the interbank market.

The central bank had initially identified eight banks in connection with exchange rate manipulation in the first phase. 

The appointment of Ishaq Dar as the finance minister is also forcing hoarders to dump their dollar holdings in the market to insulate themselves from further losses.  This has further improved dollar liquidity in the market.

The analysists further say the rupee recovered in the open market mainly because of a narrower trade deficit in September and the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) announcement of around $2.3-2.5 billion in aid.

A consistent decline in imports and growing remittances are also contributing factors behind the strenthening of the local currency. 

Humans are visual creatures and filter the world according to what they see first because their subconscious mind is programed to read things visually first and foremost. 

Words convey ideas but action portrays emotion that binds us together into societies rather than any written or spoken words, that typically convey the rules or protocols. This makes non-verbal communication extremely important whether in our day-to-day communication or in professional setting communication.

If you go to someone’s house and he/she verbally tells you that they are happy that you came, but don’t smile, will you believe that they are really happy? Most likely, you won’t.  

Non- verbal communication indicates what a person is thinking and feeling, sometimes in contradiction to what they are saying. When we speak in person with someone, the biggest factor of our communication isn’t our words but these elements that are called non-verbal communication. 

There are still some regions on Earth where non-verbal language is the basic mean of communication. 

Oroo: Penan's Secret Forest-Language

The Penan people of Malaysian Borneo have developed a secret forest language called ‘Oroo’ that utilizes sticks, leaves, vines, and other debris to create symbols and signs to alert travelers to certain dangers. 

They can also be used to request help and set up activities with fellow kin. The Penan’s secret language doesn't involve pens, paper, Wingdings, or even ancient Egyptian Wingdings. 

Instead, it uses the environment itself: sticks, leaves, vines, and other forest stationery. For example, the image above says, “I’m a friend, follow me this way. Or wait for me to return.” 

Whistling language of ‘bird village’ 

In quaint Kuşköy aka "bird village" in Turkey, a few hundred people still converse using the traditional method of whistling. A method innovated more than four centuries ago. 

The bird village is a lovely, vibrantly verdant village in the Pontic Mountains. 

In a region, this "kuş dili" or "bird language" works just fine for some. It's like regular Turkish, except transmogrified "into varied-pitch frequencies and melodic lines" of about 20 distinct sounds. 

By whistling, villagers can communicate with each other across long distances, more than half a mile.

The whistling language is, however, fading due to cell phones and other modern contrivances.

Esoteric "Quipu" Llama-Fiber Quilt

A Quipu (also spelled khipu) was an ancient accounting tool that the Incas used—and predecessor societies—for bookkeeping.  

Quipu literally translates to “knot” in Quechua. Many ancient Andean cultures used this knot system, referred as “talking knots,” which served as a writing system. This was crucial since there was no formal written language. 

Quipus were used since 2.500 a.C. and were used until the spanish colonization, because the colons destroyed them. 

A quipu could have as many as 1,500 strings, and every aspect conveyed some sort of information: the type and number of strings, knots, their position, color, how they were twisted, and other relations.

In simple words, the knots represent numbers via the decimal system. 

Pirahã: Language Without Numbers 

Ancient peoples were, intellectually, as complex as we are. They simply had different things to think about. Hunting and gathering for a living, for example, is hard. It requires a significant level of skill and constant paying attention to stuff. You can’t do that if you’re simple and stupid. 

That said, there are scripts we can’t read not because they’re next-level complicated. It’s because figuring that stuff out is inherently hard and we have little or no evidence to go on. 

The Amazonian Pirahã do not have numbers. This is unthinkable in our modern mathematical world. Only one non-native person really understands Pirahã, which is also the name of the language. 

According to Everett, the Pirahã do not care about numbers, religion, other languages. They live in the "here and now" without recorded history. Their language is just as bare bones. It doesn't confuse one with a variety of letters. It only seems to utilize about 8 consonants and 3 vowels. 

Without numeracy, the Pirahã only have words for certain amounts: small, more, and a bunch. 

Musical, Anti-Demon Language

Kongthong, a gorgeous village acclaimed for its natural beauty and its unique tradition, 'Jingrwai Iawbei.' You would often hear curious whistles and chirrups echoing through the jungles in Kongthong. Closer inspection reveals that it is not birdsong, but rather people singing to each other.

According to tradition, each newborn in Kongthong is assigned both a regular name and a distinct melodious tune at birth by their mother. While their name is only used for official purposes, this tune becomes their identity to which they respond throughout their lives.

The mother must come up with a different tune than the existing ones to ensure that the child's identity remains his own. Another intriguing aspect is that the villagers are accustomed to communicating through music.

Each native person has a distinct tune for calling each other, and this custom has been passed down through generations. 

The custom is known as "jingrwai lawbei," which translates as "song of the clan's first woman," referring to the Khasi people's mythical original mother. The lullaby has no words because it is only a hum that the villagers can understand.

Song names can be 30 seconds or so.

As per an old legend, Kongthong's musical call signs were devised to save villagers' souls from folkloric threats. The forests and rivers hereabouts are home to malefic spirits and demons, which can only infest mortals upon hearing their spoken names. So song names kept demons at bay.

Bangkok: At least 34 people have been in Thailand on Thursday in a mass shooting at a day-care centre by a former policeman who killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead, police said.  

As per the details, police Maj Gen Achayon Kraithong said the shooting took place early in the afternoon in the town of Nong Bua Lam Phu. 

Children as young as 2, as well as two teachers and a police officer were among 34 killed in the nursery shooting. The gunman also used knives, Thai media reported.  

At least 12 people have been wounded.

The gunman went home and killed his wife and child after the mass shooting, Col Jakkapat Vijitraithaya said. 

Chakkraphat Wichitvaidya, superintendent of Na Klang police station, told Thai Rath TV that the gunman was discharged from the police force last year. 

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a “shocking incident” and sent condolences to the families of the victims.

Police say the attacker shot and stabbed his victims before going on the run. The motive behind the incident is unclear.