LAHORE: Responding to traders’ protests and appeals by the shopping malls association and general public to revise 8pm business closure timings, the Punjab government has granted partial relief and lifted the restriction on market timings until June 1. The implementation and coordination wing of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), the Punjab government on Friday notified that “all the shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and food outlets are exempted from the prescribed closure timings till June 1, 2026”. On April 6, the federal government had announced that all markets across the country, barring Sindh, would close by 8pm throughout the week as part of energy conservation measures amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Complying with the federal government’s decision, Punjab notified that all shops, markets and shopping malls shall be closed at 8pm, including Saturday and Sunday. However, the government had exempted pharmacies, medical stores...
A rodent-borne virus with a scary name. A mid-ocean cruise ship in quarantine. Several people dead and more falling sick. It is no wonder that an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus on a luxury liner in the Atlantic has revived some Covid-era trauma and panic online. That has presented a dilemma to health officials: how to communicate quickly and clearly about a virus which is not new and unlikely to cause a pandemic, but where knowledge gaps remain — without inadvertently fomenting fear. “Hantavirus thread incoming,” posted the health department of Illinois state in the US earlier this week about a risk-free case unrelated to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. “But you have to promise to read this whole thread before panic-texting your group chat. Deal?” In interviews with Reuters, half a dozen health officials said they were trying to learn from mistakes around Covid, providing information on hantavirus with more empathy while addressing uncertainties and tackling falsehoods. “We spend half of our ...
BloFin, a prominent global cryptocurrency exchange, has officially opened registration for its highly anticipated trading competition, the WOW (War of Whales) 2026 Grand Prix. May 15, 2026, Press release – BloFin, a prominent global cryptocurrency exchange, has officially opened registration for its highly anticipated trading competition, the WOW (War of Whales) 2026 Grand Prix. Returning bigger and bolder than ever, this year's edition boasts an extraordinary total prize pool of up to $5,000,000 USDT, exclusive luxury giveaways, and a groundbreaking new twist — for the first time, human traders will go head-to-head against AI in a battle to claim the title of the ultimate whale. Under the rallying cry "Squad Up. Beat AI.", WOW 2026 is set to become one of the most dynamic and forward-looking trading events of the year, bringing together crypto traders, elite squads, and algorithmic challengers worldwide. Read more