Year: 2024

US states take precautions over concerns of political violence

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Governors from at least three states have requested the deployment of National Guard troops to assist in maintaining public order. An Arizona sheriff has placed his department on heightened alert to mitigate the risk of potential violence, with drones and sharpshooters prepared for any incidents. As the nation gets ready to cast votes for either Republican Donald Trump or Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, heightened concerns regarding potential political violence have prompted officials to implement a range of security measures both during and after Election Day.…

Services chiefs’ term extended to 5 years: Bills passed into law

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All six bills that were approved by the lower and the upper houses of parliament earlier today have become law after acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani signed them on Tuesday. According to sources, the acting president signed all six bills including the Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Islamabad High Court (Amendment) bill, 2024. Earlier in the day, both houses passed the bills tabled by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. The first of them sought to increase…

Pakistan’s Amjad Ali shines as thousands partake in Istanbul Marathon

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In a remarkable display of skill and determination, Pakistani runner Amjad Ali delivered a standout performance at the Istanbul Marathon on Sunday as he became the country’s fastest finisher in the race. Competing among thousands at the 46th Marathon — the world’s only long-distance race that traverses two continents — Ali secured an impressive 47th place overall with a timing of of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 29 seconds. The 42-kilometre marathon started from Istanbul’s Asian side and ended on the European side. Ethiopian athlete Dejene Debela won the men’s…

OpenAI challenges Google’s dominance with new ChatGPT search engine

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OpenAI, the tech firm behind the generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, has significantly enhanced its chatbot, integrating search engine capabilities to challenge tech giant Google’s long-standing dominance in web search. The company said that the latest upgrade allows users to receive “fast, timely answers” with direct links to relevant web sources, where they may access information that previously required traditional search engine. The revamped ChatGPT can now deliver real-time information on various topics, including weather forecasts, stock prices, sports scores and breaking news, the company said. These inlcude direct access…

Spain flood death toll crosses 200 as Valencia opens temporary morgue

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ALFAFAR: Spanish rescuers opened a temporary morgue in a convention centre and battled to reach areas still cut off on Friday as the death toll from catastrophic floods rose to 205 people in Europe’s worst weather disaster in five decades. In Valencia, the eastern region that bore the brunt of the devastation, at least 202 people have died, regional authorities said. Three have died in Castilla La Mancha and Andalusia. The number of dead is now almost level with the 209 who died during heavy floods in Romania in 1970. …

Dense smog shrouds Lahore with AQI over 1,000

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Punjab’s capital Lahore led the global pollution charts with a dangerously high air quality index (AQI) of over 1,000 as thick smog shrouded the densely-populated city.  Lahore had the worst air quality of 1,067 around 9:30am on Swiss air quality watchdog’s real-time list of most polluted cities in the world, despite provincial government’s desperate attempts to fight off smog. The city battles pollution each year in winter as temperatures fall and cold air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions, and smoke. Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore also…

Fazl says ‘dirty’ draft would have passed without JUI-F votes

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Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused the government of “purchasing” 11 votes to ensure the passage of the recent 26th constitutional amendment impacting Pakistan’s judiciary, stressing that without the party’s votes, “a very dirty” draft would have passed. Talking to the media in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, he said, “We had only eight votes. Without our support, a very dirty (unacceptable to the opposition parties) draft would have been passed.” He stressed that the government had secured 11 votes to pass the constitutional amendment, alleging that…

UK anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson jailed for 18 months

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A UK judge on Monday jailed notorious far-right agitator Tommy Robinson for 18 months after he admitted committing contempt of court over a long-running libel case involving a Syrian refugee. The sentence is the latest jail term for one of Britain’s most prominent anti-Muslim activists, who is blamed for helping fuel anti-immigration riots earlier this year. It came after Robinson — whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — pleaded guilty earlier on Monday to 10 breaches of a 2021 High Court order. It bars the 41-year-old far-right figurehead from repeating…