LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed warm sentiments about Lahore’s iconic Basant festival, saying he was pleased to see images of the celebrations and the joy they brought to people across Pakistan.

Speaking in London to Geo News, the London mayor said he had watched coverage of Basant and was struck by the visible happiness of the participants.

“I saw Lahore Basant on Geo News, where people are very happy during Basant. I pray that Basant is always celebrated safely. It’s a good thing people flew kites again in Lahore,” he said.

Basant, traditionally associated with the arrival of spring, has long been a defining cultural event in Lahore.

Rooftops across the city fill with families and friends flying colourful kites, while neighbourhoods echo with music and celebration. In recent years, however, the festival has faced restrictions due to safety concerns, particularly linked to hazardous kite strings and rooftop accidents.

Khan emphasised the importance of ensuring that public safety remains central to any celebration.

Ben Stiller has publicly pushed back against calls for federal action over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, mocking a Republican congressman’s demand for an investigation and defending the performance as a celebration of inclusion and talent.

The Severance executive producer and director weighed in after Florida representative Randy Fine said he was asking the Federal Communications Commission to investigate Bad Bunny’s halftime appearance, which aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl. 

Fine described the show as “disgusting and por**graphic filth” and claimed it violated broadcast standards after the Puerto Rican superstar allegedly used profanity in Spanish.

Stiller responded directly to Fine on X with a sharply sarcastic post that quickly gained traction. 

“Focus of investigation: how did Bad Bunny manage to kick ass at such a high level and deliver the most watched and well produced half time show about inclusion and love ever made….investigators plan to explore source of Bunny’s huge talent, off the charts charisma and even bigger heart,” he wrote.

Fine, a Republican representing Florida’s 6th congressional district, had earlier said he was sending a letter to FCC chairman Brendan Carr calling for what he described as “dramatic action”. 

In posts and in the letter, Fine argued that language used during the performance crossed legal lines. 

“You can’t say the f-word on live TV. ‘Bad Bunny’s disgusting halftime show was illegal,” he wrote on X. 

He added that if similar lyrics had been performed in English, “the broadcast would have been pulled down and the fines would have been enormous.”

In the letter itself, Fine doubled down, writing, “It doesn’t matter if you say it in Spanish. Encouraging children to use cocaine in a live television broadcast is a crime. It doesn’t matter who is singing.” 

He urged the FCC “to conduct a thorough investigation and to pursue the maximum penalties permitted by law,” warning that anything less would suggest indecency is acceptable if it is profitable.

Fine was not alone in his criticism. 

Tennessee representative Andy Ogles and Missouri representative Mark Alford also called for the FCC to look into the halftime show. 

Donald Trump joined the backlash, branding the performance “a slap in the face to our country”, despite Bad Bunny being an American citizen born in Puerto Rico.

Stiller’s comments, however, turned him into one of the most prominent Hollywood figures to publicly ridicule the campaign against the artist.

Stiller’s stance echoed similar online reactions from other entertainment figures, including Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen, who also spent time after the Super Bowl mocking critics of Bad Bunny’s performance on social media.

Despite the political uproar, the halftime show itself drew massive attention, and the controversy appears to have further highlighted its cultural reach, with Stiller’s defence underlining a broader pushback against efforts to police language, culture and identity on one of television’s biggest stages.

• Matter referred to privilege and Senate finance committees for scrutiny.
• Provincial university visits and town halls announced to ensure compliance.
• Fake degree concerns addressed; permanent verification desk at HEC soon.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has declared the recent Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) meeting null and void, calling it conducted with malicious intent, against prescribed rules, and without the President’s approval.

The committee, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, took serious notice of the matter. 

“The vice chancellor who is going above the rules is not bigger than the system,” Senator Butt said, questioning the continued functioning of a vice chancellor under inquiry for alleged rule violations. 

She also raised concerns over reports of the vice chancellor attempting to treat her position as an inherited right and facilitating her sister’s appointment. 

The committee has declared her retired and referred her absence from prior meetings to the Privilege Committee.

Senator Butt further questioned the opening of a hostel with only six months remaining in the vice chancellor’s tenure and referred the case to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance to examine whether the action exceeded lawful authority.

“These actions are not against any one particular person but against the norms of owning public institutions as private business,” she said, emphasising that the committee’s stance would set an example for future vice chancellors. 

She announced provincial visits to universities to ensure institutions comply with rules and confirmed that town halls will be held to gain a broader understanding beyond the Chancellors’ reports.

Addressing fake degree concerns, she said, “Students will not pay for our negligence. We will collect exact data on unverified institutions and ensure students get their due rights.” 

A permanent help desk at the Higher Education Commission will be established immediately.

The committee also reviewed the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), learning that 71,000 students were trained in 2025 with an annual budget of Rs7 billion. 

Discrepancies raised by a student from South Punjab regarding training allocations prompted the chair to form a sub-committee, led by Senator Kamran Murtaza, to investigate potential embezzlement and hold responsible parties accountable.