President Donald Trump’s administration has levied a massive $1 billion fine against the esteemed University of California (UC) system. The demand comes as the administration intensifies its claims of antisemitism in how UCLA handled student protests related to Gaza in 2024. The proposed fine is five times the amount Columbia University agreed to pay to resolve similar federal accusations. James Milliken, the president of the UC system, which includes ten campuses, stated that the $1 billion demand would “completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system.” He emphasized that a payment of this size would inflict “great harm on our…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile attempts to build strong relationships with major global powers have reportedly been met with significant challenges, as his outreach to both Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump has resulted in political embarrassment and raised questions about India’s international influence, according to a report in The New York Times. Modi’s initial major diplomatic move was an attempt to forge a strong bond with China. In 2014, he gave Xi Jinping a grand welcome in Gujarat, but even as they met, Chinese troops clashed with Indian forces along the disputed border. This was…
The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported on Saturday that three people were shot and injured in New York’s Times Square. According to an NYPD spokesperson, the victims—an 18-year-old female, a 19-year-old male, and a 65-year-old male—are all in stable condition at a hospital. A 17-year-old male has been taken into custody in connection with the incident, and police have also recovered a firearm. The shooting occurred around 1:20 a.m. ET following a verbal altercation with one of the victims. Authorities have not yet determined if the victims and the shooter knew each other. This incident, at one of New…
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s firm stance against political influence in bureaucratic appointments is reportedly causing friction within the PML-N, particularly with a federal minister. The minister is said to be upset after being left out of a key administrative decision in his own constituency, which led to the arrest and removal of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Sialkot. Sources indicate that the Punjab Chief Minister is committed to her principle of not allowing political pressure, whether from within or outside the party, to sway bureaucratic appointments. The minister, who hails from Sialkot, became upset when the ADC was removed…
Security forces have presented tribal jirgas in Bajaur with several options for dealing with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) before a major operation begins. According to a report published on Saturday, the operation will be launched if the terrorists do not leave the area. Security sources say the first option is for the terrorists to voluntarily leave Bajaur. The second option is for the tribes to evacuate the area for a planned operation to neutralize the militants. The sources have firmly ruled out any government-level talks with the terrorists or their facilitators, stating that negotiations will not take place unless…
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has confiscated a substantial amount of assets from a high-ranking government official in Sialkot, who is currently under investigation for alleged bribery and abuse of power. The assets were recovered from Muhammad Iqbal, the Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR). In a recent court proceeding, the ACE was granted a four-day extension in Iqbal’s physical remand to facilitate further investigation. According to an ACE spokesperson, this follows an initial five-day remand granted after his arrest on August 1, 2025. The case, FIR No. 46/2025, was registered on July 31, 2025, under Sections 161 and 162 of the…
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Saturday that security forces have eliminated 47 Indian-backed terrorists during a series of operations in the Zhob district of Balochistan. In a statement, the military’s media wing said that troops initially killed 33 terrorists attempting to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Sambaza area of Zhob on the night of August 7-8. Following this, a subsequent sanitization operation in the area resulted in the elimination of an additional 14 terrorists. The ISPR confirmed that a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered from the neutralized individuals. The military stated that it…
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has refuted widespread rumors of an 80% fee increase for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025. In a statement, the council clarified that the fee has only seen a moderate rise of 12.5%. According to the PMDC, the fee was Rs8,000 in 2024 and has been adjusted to Rs9,000 for 2025, which represents a rise of just Rs1,000. Registration for the test is now open, and the exam is scheduled for Sunday, October 5. The PMDC explained that the fee was adjusted at the request of the universities administering the…
A recent report by the Punjab Healthcare Commission has exposed concerning levels of bacterial and viral contamination in several major public hospitals across the province. This is attributed to inadequate infection control measures, which pose a significant risk to patient safety. According to the report, 17 hospitals were evaluated, and most were found to be lacking basic infection control protocols. Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, and Services Hospital were specifically flagged for poor practices. Similar issues were observed in other major facilities, including Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, Allied Hospital in Faisalabad, and Nishtar Hospital in Multan. The analysis, which…
The equity market experienced a volatile session on Friday as the benchmark index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) fluctuated sharply. The KSE-100 Index climbed to an intraday high of 146,813.43 points, gaining 1,166.30 points (0.8%), while also touching a low of 145,011.75 points, down 635.38 points (0.44%) from its previous close of 145,647.13. Foreign Exchange Reserves Fall for Third Consecutive Week On Thursday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that the country’s foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank dropped for a third consecutive week. As of August 1, the reserves stood at $14.232 billion, a decrease…
