Multan recorded an AQI of 2,135, with PM2.5 levels 189 times above WHO guidelines.
The AQI in Multan reached 980 by 10pm, at least three times over the 300 mark considered “hazardous”, Dawn reported
The Punjab education department has mandated the closure of tuition centres and academies.
Earlier on Friday, Pakistan experienced a surge in air pollution, with seven cities ranking among the world’s most polluted. Meteorologists predict worsening smog, with wind speeds dropping to 11 km/h in Lahore and 7 km/h near Multan. The air quality index (AQI) recorded a staggering 2,135 in Multan and 676 in Lahore.
On Thursday, Lahore topped the world’s pollution rankings with an air quality index (AQI) of 784, as reported by IQAir. The city’s air quality has been perilously high for weeks, frequently exceeding AQI levels of 1,000.
Lahore ranked as the world’s most polluted city with AQI of 1,165, causing a rise in respiratory illnesses.
Qatar urges Hamas leaders to leave under US pressure for peace.
Residents continue to struggle with the health impacts of the hazardous smog, which has made even daily activities difficult. Health experts are urging Lahore’s citizens to wear masks when outdoors to reduce exposure to the dangerous air.
The Department of Justice states that Shakeri joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and became an asset after deportation.
The co-conspirators have not received indictments yet.
The DOJ confirms that while Rivera and Loadholt are in custody, Shakeri remains at large in Iran.
Hamas militant group “rejected” the most recent request to reach a truce and a hostage agreement that led to the US pressuring Qatar for their departure.
Qatar, in a significant shift in its policy, has asked the leaders of the militant group Hamas to leave the country following pressure from the US, reported .
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office in Doha since 2012, when Syria’s civil war forced it to leave its base in Damascus, and the US asked Qatar to open a channel of communication with the Palestinian group.
US Pressures Qatar to Expel Hamas Following Rejection of Truce Talks
The US has informed Qatar that Hamas’ presence in Doha is “no longer acceptable” and that they should depart after the Palestinian militant group “rejected” the most recent request to reach a truce and a hostage agreement, news agency reported on Friday citing a senior administration official.
Along with the US and Egypt, Qatar has been a key player in the unsuccessful rounds of negotiations to negotiate a ceasefire for the year-long conflict in Gaza. Hamas rejected a short-term ceasefire plan at the most recent round of negotiations in mid-October, which resulted in no agreement.
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas’s rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,” the senior official told Reuters
US legislators have criticised Doha for its affiliation with the group.
Fourteen Republican US senators urged the State Department to freeze Hamas officials’ assets in Qatar, extradite top leaders, and pressure Qatar to end its support for Hamas. Qatar’s Prime Minister has stated that the Hamas office in Doha remains operational for communication.
It was unclear whether the Qataris gave the Hamas officials a deadline to depart the nation.
Additionally, humanitarian relief poured into the devastated coastal strip, but fighting quickly returned and has persisted ever since.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Qatar and Gulf officials there could be “no more business as usual” with Hamas after their October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 and kidnapped 250 in southern Israel.
Qataris assured Blinken they were willing to reevaluate Hamas’s status in the nation.
