Latest news with #Siddiqi
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Malir Jail escapees hit 225, not 216
A recount of prisoners at Malir Jail has revealed that 225 prisoners, not 216 as initially reported, escaped on June 3, it emerged on Tuesday. The new jail administration conducted a thorough review and found that nine more prisoners, not included in the original report, had escaped the prison. The Superintendent of Malir Jail, Shahabuddin Siddiqi, wrote to the SP of Malir Investigation Department, notifying him of the revised escape count. Siddiqi stated in the letter that he took charge of the jail on June 4 and initiated a complete audit during the Eid holidays, which led to the identification of the 10 additional missing prisoners. As of now, 146 prisoners have been recaptured, while 79 are still on the run. One prisoner was listed twice in the escapees' list. It has been confirmed that one of the escapees, Raza Pervez Masi, committed suicide in the Madina Colony area of Maripur, while another died after being shot following his escape. Earlier, a jailbreak occurred at Malir Jail on June 3 early morning when inmates broke through the prison wall and attempted to flee, prompting a swift and heavy response from law enforcement agencies. The area surrounding the prison has been cordoned off as part of an intensified manhunt. According to initial reports, gunfire erupted in the vicinity of the jail following the escape attempt. Police forces, aided by other law enforcement units, quickly mobilised and launched a large-scale search operation to apprehend the fugitives. Police have urged citizens to avoid the area and report any suspicious activity immediately. A formal inquiry into the security breach is expected once the situation is brought under control.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
How to keep your energy levels up during the day if you're fasting for Ramadan
As we approach Ramadan, Muslims worldwide will observe the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, and holy month of fasting, as a time for prayer, reflection and community. Many Muslims will spend a period of 30 days abstaining from food and drink – including water – during daylight hours, as a means of celebrating and reflecting on their faith. After sunset, the breaking meal, iftar, is taken. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of February 28 and will conclude on the evening of March 30 – however the exact dates are contingent upon the sighting of the new moon – when Muslims worldwide will then celebrate Eid. What can be expected when fasting? Dr Nasir Hannan, GP at The London General Practice explains that the main symptoms that can manifest from fasting are headaches, reduced energy levels and mood changes. They tend to be mild initially, and as the month progresses, the symptoms do tend to resolve as the body adapts to the state, Hannan says. As people prepare themselves for Ramadan, while also navigating their day-to-day lives during the period, GPs explain how to maintain energy levels. Prepare beforehand As Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, Dr Shazia Siddiqi a GPwER in Dermatology at GP Pathfinder Clinics, advises participants to make some preparations in the run up to the celebration. 'I often tell patients if they have a week or two before Ramadan to begin cutting down their caffeine intake, drink a little bit more water and start spacing their meals out during the day, to give them a head start,' she says. 'Get your sleep pattern right in advance too – start sleeping a little earlier and waking up a little earlier. 'It's almost like preparing for a marathon rather than a sprint. You have 30 days where you will get more and more tired towards the end so it's important to make sure you prepare for it.' Have a routine 'The key to managing energy levels during fasting is to manage the interplay between diet, exercise and sleep,' says Hannan, who is also celebrating Ramadan. 'I find calendar planning and time management to be crucial in helping me maintain energy to sustain performance over the month.' Implement naps 'I also find micro napping very useful during the day time,' Hannan says. 'With night prayer implemented during Ramadan, I find having small naps helps to supplement sleep I may miss out on.' Slow down 'Slow things down during this month if needed,' says Siddiqi. 'If you have got annual leave to take – this may be a good time to take it.' 'Ramadan is occurring during the Easter holidays, so if you have kids, try and sort out your day to best suit you. If the kids aren't fasting, you can put them into activities out of the house so you can have a bit of a break.' Explaining that everyone will respond to fasting differently, Siddiqi says the main thing to remember is to not push yourself. 'The month is about more than just fasting. It's about being with family and taking some time out. We can use it as more of a reset button and coming back to what really matters. 'If you are feeling dizzy or weak, I would say you need to break your fast. Don't get to a point where it's dangerous.' Have a balanced diet Energy levels will inevitably drop as you go throughout the day, which is why it's important to have a balanced breakfast. 'It's all about eating the right kind of foods – slow energy release foods in particular at the beginning of the day,' says Siddiqi. 'Having a yoghurt base is also very good because it's quite cooling for the stomach and will help reduce a lot of the acidity that will build up during the day while not having any food going in. 'I would avoid big sugar hits throughout the fast as they will actually cause postprandial dips where you actually feel worse after you've eaten. Having a balanced diet is really essential throughout Ramadan.' 'It's common that people can overeat during Ramadan and it's extremely important not to do that,' says Hannan. 'Sometimes techniques such as calorie counting can help you with this. Hydration 'Keeping your water levels and hydration levels topped up throughout the times when you can eat and drink is needed,' says Siddiqi. 'A cup of tea or coffee at the end of the day could be fine but try to not drink too much caffeine or caffeine-based products – including colas or lemonades… They have high levels of caffeine and will dehydrate you, so it is better to stick to fruit juices and milk-based products.' Shorter exercise times 'You can implement shorter types of exercises such as walking or stretching rather than intense workouts,' says Siddiqi. 'Workouts such as pilates that aren't as intense will help you to maintain your energy throughout the day.' Are there are exemptions to fasting? Young children who have not reached puberty, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or menstruating, the elderly, those travelling and people with health problems can all be exempt from fasting.
Chicago Tribune
19-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: Rotary club donates $58,000 from Parade of Lights proceeds; Siddiqi selected as next College of DuPage president
Rotary club donates $58,000 from Parade of Lights proceeds Rotary Club of Naperville has awarded $58,000 in grant money to local nonprofit organizations from funds raised through its 2024 Holiday Parade of Lights. Among this year's grant recipients are Special Olympics Illinois and the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, which offer competition and recreational opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities and special needs; 360 Youth Services and the Alive Center, a news release said. Also benefitting are the Naperville Professional Firefighters for a Cause; Naperville Police Foundation; Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 educational foundations; Max's Mission, which supports families affected by suicide loss; Special Spaces, which creates dream bedroom makeovers for children with cancer, and Teen Parent Connect, which provides resources for teenage parents and their children. The club was able to distribute a total of $58,000 because it received a matching grant from Naperville Rotary Charities, the release said. Siddiqi selected as next College of DuPage president The College of DuPage Board of Trustees has named Muddassir Siddiqi as the school's eighth president. Siddiqi is currently the vice chancellor of instructional innovation and digital strategy for the Houston Community College System, a COD news release said. Before that, he was president and chief executive officer of Central College, which is part of the Houston Community College System. Siddiqi has a doctorate in education from Northern Illinois University, an MBA from the University of Northern Alabama and a master's degree in industrial technology from the Illinois Institute of Technology, the release said. Siddiqi succeeds Brian Caputo, who retired in 2024. The college conducted a nationwide search for its next president while Christine M. Hammond served as interim president. Naperville police to hold scam awareness webinar The Naperville Police Department will hold an online program on the latest scams being employed to defraud residents at noon Wednesday, Feb. 26. Last year, Naperville residents lost nearly $5.5 million to scams, police said in a news release. Victims ranged in age from 15 to 91. Residents are targeted through phone calls, text messages, emails and computer pop-up messages, Police Chief Jason Arres said in a news release. Scammers change tactics so it's important residents keep up with current trends and what might be a scam, he said. Some of the top scams reported in Naperville involve pop-up ads that claim the computer has a virus; online sales in which scammers pose as both fake sellers and fake buyers; and someone pretending they are from a government agency and asking for money to satisfy a warrant or fine, the police website said. To get a link to the free, public webinar, go to A program recording will be posted to the city's website.
Technical.ly
30-01-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Meet the tech worker who went from Amazon warehouse to Times Square billboard
Aaliyah Siddiqi is quite literally the model of skilled American workers without college degrees. Siddiqi, a 26-year-old tech worker from Newark, Delaware, was recently featured on a billboard in Times Square as the face of a national ad campaign for YUPRO. The workforce placement organization aimed to raise awareness of the 70 million Americans who took alternative routes to professional careers. For Siddiqi, that started with taking a few college courses before getting a job at an Amazon warehouse where, she said, she sometimes never saw the sun. 'I was a picker there, so it was very, very intense,' Siddiqi told 'I remember getting up in the morning before sunrise, and then exiting the warehouse after sunset.' That warehouse would become what Siddiqi considers the beginning of her journey into a tech career, a place where the work was hard and her coworkers were supportive of her finding what she really wanted to do with her life. Today, she works as a marketing operations specialist for a Philadelphia pharmaceutical company. Her journey includes a 2021 Year Up Wilmington cohort, internships, a YUPRO apprenticeship and, finally, officially entering the tech workforce in 2023. In this edition of How I Got Here series, Siddiqi discusses her journey from warehouse to hybrid tech worker, and shares advice for anyone not sure of their career path. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. How did your Amazon warehouse experience lead you to where you are now? Everyone was so kind there. When I would speak to people who were a lot older than me, they would always comment on how I had my whole life ahead of me and I shouldn't be spending it there. These conversations would always stick with me for the rest of the shift, and I would think about if this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life — the incentives were great, but my feet were killing me. The incentives were great, but my feet were killing me. Aaliyah Siddiqi, marketing operations specialist One day, when it was time for my break, it just hit me: the Year Up Wilmington program. My sister completed it, and she was successful. So I decided right then and there to open up the website on my phone, and I filled out an application. A few days later, we did the interview and then a few days after that, I found out that I was accepted into the program, and it was just a rush of excitement. Once I got that confirmation, I left Amazon and started the program. What was the Year Up program like? It was a unique experience since everything had to be virtual. It was definitely a big adjustment to have to do everything at home. There were three tracks that were available to choose from, and one of them happened to be investment operations. I decided to take that track since I had some familiarity there. Doing the classes at home definitely had challenges. Dedicating myself to work helped, and also forming virtual study groups with my peers. And before we knew it, we did it. Where did you go after YearUp? After the Year Up program, there are six months of college courses and another six months of an internship. I was sent to intern on a marketing team. It was a really cool experience, I got to be in charge of creating posts for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, and also got to dabble in tracking analytics. My manager was really kind and supportive, and she helped me build corporate skills that are necessary to have within that path. My Year Up coach reached out to me about an opportunity that was being offered at my current company, with the IT talent enablement team. That experience was also virtual, and it was my first experience of really being in that corporate world and being surrounded by a global team. There were people from the UK, China and Prague. I thought that that was so cool. At the end of that, unfortunately, I ran into an issue with there not being enough head count on the team, but a manager found out about YUPRO OpenClassroom, which was an apprenticeship that I was able to become a part of in digital marketing, which was perfect. How did you get your current job? At the end of that apprenticeship, I had another great manager who helped me get a position there, because he saw my skills and my potential. He found out about a central planning position that was being offered, and from there, I was able to do an interview, and that's how I got in. Since then I've been a marketing central planner and a support specialist, and I've been with that team for a little bit over a year now. Then, back in the end of December, YUPRO reached out to me about the billboard opportunity after hearing my story, and I said, yeah, absolutely. What advice would you give to someone who is unsure about their career? What are their passions? What are the kinds of things that they enjoy doing? I they still haven't figured that out, don't be afraid to dabble into things and experiment, because you never know what you'll find out. One thing that you can do is take college courses and go undeclared, so you can just take a few classes to see which one actually sticks out. To those who feel that life isn't really going somewhere for them, I've definitely felt that way at times. Things feel like they're moving too slowly. Just keep going. Don't lose hope. Never give up. Because you never know where these opportunities come up, it can be just being at the right place, at the right time, and knowing the right people. Broaden your horizons and step out of that comfort zone and just put yourself out there.
