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MAKKAH : More than a million Muslim pilgrims poured into the holy city of Makkah ahead of the annual hajj, with authorities vowing to hold a safer pilgrimage amid searing desert heat and a massive crackdown on illegal visitors. Temperatures were forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week as one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings officially commences on Wednesday. The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means. As of Friday, more than 1.3 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for…

LAHORE : On the last Sunday before Eidul Azha, cattle markets across the country witnessed massive crowds as the public holiday gave families a chance to shop for sacrificial animals. Children were particularly excited, enthusiastically helping their families pick the perfect animal. While some were drawn to bulls, others preferred goats and sheep. Price haggling between buyers and sellers was a common sight. Many citizens complained of skyrocketing prices, saying that animals’ costs were beyond the average buyer’s reach. Cattle markets in Islamabad also saw a spike in activity, with large numbers of buyers flooding the markets to secure their…

Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki has emerged victorious in Poland’s presidential run-off election, according to media reports citing the final vote count. Nawrocki secured 50.89 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who garnered 49.11 percent. The Associated Press, citing official figures, confirmed the tight race on Monday, with the Polish Electoral Commission announcing that all votes had been counted. The commission also stated that the official results would be published on Monday morning. Nawrocki, 42, a historian and former head of the National Remembrance Institute, campaigned on a platform focused on prioritising economic and social policies…

The Meteorological Department on Monday forecast light rain and scattered thunderstorms in various parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while predicting hot and dry weather conditions in most other regions of the country. According to the department, light rain is expected in several districts of Punjab, including Bahawalnagar, Multan, Sahiwal, and Pakpattan, where scattered thunderstorms may also occur. The cities of Khanewal and Dera Ghazi Khan are likely to experience light rain accompanied by gusty winds. In the hilly areas of Punjab, particularly Murree and Galiyat, partly cloudy weather is expected with chances of rainfall, providing some relief from…

As anticipation builds for the release of Squid Game Season 3, lead actor Lee Jung-jae has opened up about his mixed feelings ahead of the new season’s debut. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lee expressed his nervousness about how fans will receive the upcoming episodes. “We are going to be releasing quite soon, I am very nervous,” said Lee. “I know that a lot of you out there are curious about what’s going to happen in season three, but all of us are more curious about how much you’re going to enjoy it. So I can’t wait, I’m very nervous.”…

Australian-American actress Sydney Sweeney has opened up about a challenging period in her teenage years, revealing that she lived in a Holiday Inn hotel for over eight months after her parents declared bankruptcy. In an interview with The Times, the 27-year-old actress recounted how, at the age of 16, her family lost their home while living in Washington in 2013. This forced them to relocate to a cramped one-bedroom hotel room in Burbank, Los Angeles, where she, her parents, and brother shared the small space without basic amenities like a kitchen or balcony. “It felt like my entire life,” Sweeney said,…

As misinformation surged during recent tensions between India and Pakistan, many social media users turned to AI-powered chatbots for quick verification of news and videos — only to be misled by inaccurate responses, highlighting the growing concerns over the reliability of these tools. AFP’s investigation has revealed that xAI’s Grok, along with other popular AI assistants such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, frequently produce false or misleading information, especially in breaking news contexts where facts are still emerging. During the recent conflict, Grok wrongly identified old footage from Sudan’s Khartoum airport as a missile strike on Pakistan’s Nur Khan…

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has reiterated his party’s contribution to the country’s defence and economic development, saying that the people vote for performance and work must continue alongside politics. Speaking to journalists outside his residence at Avenfield House in London, Mr Sharif said the PML-N had played a pivotal role in stabilising the country and reviving the economy after what he termed as damage inflicted by the previous government. “People vote for work. Work should be done along with politics,” he said, adding that conditions in the country were now gradually improving and…

Mild earthquake tremors were felt in various parts of Karachi late Monday night, marking the second such seismic activity in the city in as many days. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the earthquake occurred at 1:06am and measured 3.2 on the Richter scale. The tremors were shallow, with a depth of 12 kilometres, and the epicentre was located near Gadap Town on the outskirts of the city. Residents of Khokhrapar, Malir, Landhi, Quaidabad, Future Mor, Gul Ahmed, and Hospital Chowrangi reported feeling the tremors, prompting many to leave their homes in panic. However, no casualties or damage…

At least six people were wounded in a suspected targeted attack during a peaceful rally in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, prompting strong condemnation from local officials and community leaders. The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at an open-air mall on Pearl Street in the town of Boulder, Colorado. Demonstrators affiliated with the volunteer group Run For Their Lives had gathered for their routine weekend march to raise awareness about the Israeli captives still held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Boulder police confirmed that a male suspect, later identified as Soliman, was taken into custody shortly…