Lahore has experienced continuous rainfall since yesterday, with light showers persisting in several areas on Friday. The ongoing rain has intensified the cold, creating a significantly chillier atmosphere. Lahore recorded its highest rainfall at 8 mm around Jail Road, followed by 7 mm in Gulshan Ravi and 6 mm in Youhanaabad. Wasa data also indicates 6 mm of rain in Gulberg and Upper Mall. Across other parts of the region, Ferozewala and its surroundings saw heavy rain and strong winds, causing a sharp drop in temperature. Intermittent light rain in Khanqah Dogran brought back cold weather and led to power…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
The federal government has released new working hours for government offices during Ramadan. The Establishment Division’s announcement details separate schedules for offices with five-day and six-day work weeks. For five-day work week offices, the hours will be 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Friday. Offices with a six-day work week will operate from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Friday. These changes aim to facilitate employees’ religious observances during Ramadan and will be in effect for the entire month. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal…
On February 28, 2025, security forces carried out an intelligence-driven operation in the Ghulam Khan Kalay area of North Waziristan District, acting on information about the presence of extremists. The operation resulted in a successful engagement with the terrorists, leading to the elimination of six extremists. Weapons and ammunition were seized from the deceased, who were known for their involvement in attacks on security forces and the killing of civilians. A clearing operation is currently underway to ensure the area is free of any remaining extremists. Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism nationwide. President Asif…
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of Punjab has announced a new, specialized bus service designed to assist women living in rural areas. The provincial government has given the green light to a bus service that will connect smaller administrative areas (tehsils) to larger district centers. There are also plans to explore a transportation network that links villages together. Furthermore, the introduction of a mass transit system with 25 buses for remote districts is being evaluated. During a meeting, the Chief Minister instructed officials to develop a complete transportation strategy for rural women, which would include fare subsidies. She emphasized the importance…
Utah appears to be the first state ready to put a full ban on fluoride in public water systems under a bill that doesn’t allow cities or communities to decide whether to add the cavity-preventing mineral. A bill sponsor and an organization opposed to fluoridating water said Utah’s proposal would set a precedent in the U.S. — and it would come as new federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, which is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Utah’s bill cleared its final hurdle in the legislature last…
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. answered questions about his stances on antidepressants at a recent US Senate confirmation hearing before becoming US Health and Human Services secretary, he sparked discussion on whether the medications are as addictive as some commonly abused drugs. “I know people, including members of my family, who’ve had a much worse time getting off of SSRIs than people have getting off of heroin,” Kennedy said during the January 29 hearing, referring to the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Kennedy told committee members that he was addicted to heroin for 14 years when…
Erik and Lyle Menendez, imprisoned for over 30 years for the brutal murders of their parents in Beverly Hills, are nearing potential breakthroughs in their quest for release. However, the newly appointed Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, has cast doubt on their chances of success. Hochman recently announced his opposition to their request for a new trial, arguing that newly presented evidence of sexual abuse by their father does not constitute self-defense. This stance, a departure from his predecessor George Gascón’s support, presents a significant hurdle for the brothers. The brothers, serving life sentences without parole, have pursued…
Iowa lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday that removes gender identity protections from the state’s civil rights code. This move is the first of its kind in the U.S., and it has sparked widespread protests from opponents who argue that it could expose transgender individuals to discrimination in numerous areas of life. The bill moved quickly through the legislative process after being introduced last week. The state Senate passed the bill first, along party lines, followed by the House less than an hour later. Five House Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against it. The bill removes gender identity as…
A small group of pro-Palestinian student demonstrators occupied a building at Barnard College’s Manhattan campus Wednesday, clashing with staff and sending one employee to the hospital, the school said. The demonstration, organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest, was part of a week of action demanding the reinstatement of two students expelled for disrupting an Israeli history course last month. Nearly 100 students from Barnard and Columbia University – which is affiliated with Barnard and was a focal point of pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year – staged a sit-in at Barnard’s Milbank Hall, Columbia University Apartheid Divest said on social media. Masked…
A former US Navy sailor pleaded guilty to a federal charge accusing him of a 2022 plot to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in northern Illinois, according to a plea agreement unsealed Thursday. Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, allegedly devised a plan involving Iranian actors to conduct an attack against the US to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, a general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was killed by a US airstrike in 2020, according to court documents. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 2019. In November, Pang pleaded…
