September 2, 2026 - Pakistan Chronicle

NASA Roman Space Telescope Launches to Explore Dark Energy and Distant Worlds

September 2, 2026 Nadeem Ali

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches aboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy

FLORIDA: NASA’s next-generation Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has successfully launched into space, beginning a major mission to investigate dark energy, black holes, exoplanets and some of the Universe’s biggest unanswered questions. The powerful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday morning aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Around 30 minutes after launch, the telescope separated from its launch vehicle and began its journey toward an orbiting position roughly one million miles (1.6 million kilometres) from Earth. NASA says the telescope will…

Pashtun National Jirga Quetta Ends With 19-Point Declaration

September 2, 2026 Syed Sardar Muhammad Khondai

Three-Day Pashtun National Jirga Concludes in Quetta, 19-Point Joint Declaration Issued Quetta (By Syed Sardar Mohammad Khondai) The three-day National Jirga of Southern Pashtunkhwa, presided over by the Central Secretary of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, concluded in Quetta. The Jirga was convened from 30th, 31st August and 1st September 2026, on the invitation of the Chairman of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, in continuation of the Bannu Jirga held from 11th to 14th March 2022. The 19-point…

Atif Aslam Says Coke Studio India Lacks the Magic of Coke Studio Pakistan

September 2, 2026 Kainat R

Atif Aslam performing on stage during a Coke Studio Pakistan session

Singer Atif Aslam has once again put the spotlight on the long-running rivalry between the two regional versions of the same music franchise. Talking about Coke Studio India, he said the show is missing the spark that made Coke Studio Pakistan a household name across the region. Summary Atif Aslam, one of Coke Studio Pakistan‘s most recognisable voices, said Coke Studio India relies too heavily on commercial formulas and star power. According to him, that approach has cost the Indian version the raw, organic feel that defined the Pakistani show…

Apple Maps Renames Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for US Users

September 2, 2026 Kainat R

Apple Maps interface displaying Lake Ontario labeled as Lake America for US users

Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on Apple Maps, but only for people browsing from the United States. The update rolled out on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. It follows a similar change that Google made to Google Maps just days earlier. The switch affects the web version of Apple Maps first, with the change expected to spread across iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps shortly after. Users in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario” as before. People browsing from outside North America will see both…

Iran Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on US Targets Across Middle East

September 2, 2026 Nadeem Ali

Iran missile and drone attacks against US targets in the Middle East

TEHRAN: Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on US targets in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain after American forces resumed strikes against Iran, escalating tensions across the Middle East. The Iranian missile and drone attacks came after US forces carried out fresh strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran has warned that Washington will face consequences for its military action, while the US military said its operations were conducted against Iranian military threats and did not target civilians. The Iranian Red Crescent said five people, including a child, were…

Fort Bend South Asian Community Discusses Redistricting and 2027

September 2, 2026 Abdul Rehman Patel

South Asian Community Holds Major Civic and Political Forum in Fort Bend Redistricting, representation, voter participation and the 2027 Texas Legislature take center stage SUGAR LAND, TEXAS: South Asians United of Fort Bend hosted an important civic and political forum Tuesday evening at Mai Colachi in Sugar Land, bringing together elected officials, judges, community leaders, candidates, civic activists and members of Fort Bend County’s growing South Asian community. The well attended event drew a packed audience and provided a timely platform for discussion about political representation, redistricting, public safety, voter…

Islamabad Newborn Tragedy: 15 Babies Lost and Questions of Accountability

September 2, 2026 Amir Muhammad Khan

Fifteen newborn martyrs will embrace us on the Day of Judgment Amir Muhammad Khan I heard that every newborn born in the world comes with the message that Allah Almighty has not yet given up on His servants. A newborn is actually a symbol of hope, the beginning of a new future. But the fifteen newborns who came to a hospital ward in Islamabad left another message for us while leaving this world. They returned to their Creator after a few hours of life, but as they left, they asked…

Suthra Punjab Authority Launches E-Challan System to Fine Littering in Lahore

September 2, 2026 Kainat R

Suthra Punjab Authority enforcement team issuing an e-challan for littering on a Lahore street

Summary The Suthra Punjab Authority (SPA) rolled out an e-challan system this week to penalise littering at public places across Lahore. Burning tyres and waste will be treated as a separate, more serious offence, with fines reaching up to Rs500,000 and possible imprisonment for repeat or severe violations. Background Lahore has struggled for years with open dumping, roadside littering and waste burning in markets and along major roads. Earlier in 2026, the Punjab Assembly passed the Suthra Punjab Authority Act, giving the new body legal power to fine and prosecute…

Indus Delta in Pakistan: The Slow Death of a Once-Thriving Coastline

September 2, 2026 Kainat R

Cracked, dried-up land of the Indus Delta in Sindh, Pakistan, showing coastal erosion near Thatta and Sujawal

A Region on the Edge of Disappearing The Indus Delta in Pakistan is running out of time. Once a rich, green stretch of rivers, creeks and farmland, it is now drying up, eroding away and sinking under the weight of an advancing sea. Freshwater and sediment that used to flow down from the Indus River barely reach the coast anymore, and the effect on the people who live there has been devastating. Families in Thatta, Sujawal and Keti Bandar are watching their homes, fields and fishing grounds disappear. Many have…

Pakistan to Phase Out EPZs and SEZs by 2035 Under IMF Conditions

September 2, 2026 Kainat R

Senate finance subcommittee session on IMF conditions affecting Pakistan's export processing zones

Pakistan will wind down Export Processing Zones and Special Economic Zones across the country by 2035. The commitment falls under the IMF conditions for Pakistan tied to the ongoing Extended Fund Facility, and it was laid out to a parliamentary subcommittee on Tuesday. The goal, according to officials, is to fold every sector into one uniform tax regime instead of letting zone-based enterprises operate under separate rules. Background Pakistan has leaned on EPZs and SEZs for decades to pull in export-oriented investment. Companies inside these zones get tax holidays, customs…