Meghan Markle only ‘wants to serve herself’, royal fans have expressed their views following her secret visit to France.

The Duchess made her Paris Fashion Week debut in an all-white ensemble on Saturday, according to the New York Post.

Commenting on Meghan Markle’s appearance, one royal fan said “Meghan is not cut out to be a princess in the real world. Real princesses, like Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne, devote themselves to serving others.

“Meghan only wants to serve herself. I guess she thought being a princess meant sitting on a throne all day long and be waited on hand and foot. She was, and in many ways still, is an actress. And like many actresses, she just wants to be the center of attention.”

Another alleged, “Markle paid fans to ‘see her leaving her hotel’! So she paid fans to see her at a hotel she’s not staying at. She’s to important to herself to let anyone know where she’s staying!”

The third said, “She went from thinking she was the next Princess Diana to trying (and failing) to become the next Kim Kardashian.”

The fourth warned, “She won’t be a success much longer, as soon as William becomes king. He will wave his wand and she will be a commoner once again.”

• Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana says focus solely on game.
• India enjoy unbeaten record against Pakistan in Women’s ODIs.
• No handshakes expected as BCCI hints at continuing policy.
  

COLOMBO: Pakistan and India are set to face off today in a much-anticipated match of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka’s Colombo.

Pakistan suffered a massive defeat against Bangladesh in their first encounter of the tournament, while India managed to defeat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Cricket World Cup opener.

The match is likely to be affected by rain, with forecasts predicting intermittent showers throughout the day. Rain is expected before the match begins and may continue at varying intensities during the game.

Colombo has already seen heavy rainfall recently, and yesterday’s match between Sri Lanka and Australia was called off due to persistent showers.

Statistics show that Pakistan have never beaten India in women’s ODIs, with the two teams facing each other 11 times, where India has emerged victorious on all occasions.

The tournament is taking place from September 30 to November 2 in India and Sri Lanka, and Pakistan will play all their group-stage matches at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

If Pakistan advance to the semi-final on October 29 and the final on November 2, both matches will also be held in Colombo.

‘No handshakes’

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia said that the policy about Pakistan will remain unchanged in their upcoming clash in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.

In an interview with BBC, the BCCI secretary stated that there was no assurance that Indian players will shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during their upcoming game in Colombo on October 5.

“I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that country [Pakistan] is the same; there is no change in the last week,” said Saikia.

“India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed. I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club] regulations of cricket, that will be done.

“Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything at this moment,” he added.

His comments come in the backdrop of India’s controversial and widely condemned conduct during the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025, where the men’s team refused to shake hands with Pakistan players and made political statements during post-match ceremonies and press conferences.

India also refused to collect the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

‘Focus solely on game’

Addressing a pre-match presser on Saturday, Pakistan women’s cricket captain Fatima Sana said that her team is solely focused on the game.

However, Fatima was still asked to share whether she would miss the spirit and camaraderie between the two teams, referencing their off-field interactions after their match at the 2022 edition of the mega event, when the Indian players surrounded then Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof and cooed over her six-month-old daughter.

Fatima, who was a part of the national team then, in response, reiterated Pakistan’s stance of fulfilling the spirit but stressed that their primary objective is to ‘stay focused’ on the game.

“Our main goal is to play well. Our relationship with the other teams is good. We will try to fulfil the spirit of the game,” said Fatima.

“What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together, as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for,” she added.

The Pakistan captain also dismissed the notion of odds being against them as they trail India by 11-0 in their head-to-head record in the Women’s ODIs and instead stressed that her team has the potential to beat any top side, stating that the records are meant to be broken.

• Storm moving West-Southwestward, says Met Office.
• Cyclone Shakti is located 480km southwest of Karachi.
• Winds of 40-55 km/hr expected along Sindh’s coast.

KARACHI: The severe cyclonic storm Shakti, currently swirling over the northeast Arabian Sea, is not expected to make landfall along Sindh’s coast, The News reported on Sunday.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said that the cyclone, however, will bring rough sea conditions, strong winds, and light rain to coastal districts over the weekend.

According to the Met Office’s Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Karachi, Shakti was located about 480 kilometres southwest of Karachi on Saturday evening.

The storm has been moving west-southwestward and is likely to track further into the northwest and adjoining central parts of the Arabian Sea before curving east-northeastward by late Sunday.

Meteorologists expect it to gradually weaken after recurving, reducing the threat of any direct landfall in Pakistan.

The PMD said that although the cyclone poses no immediate danger to Sindh’s coastline, its outer rain bands may cause isolated showers in Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hub, Lasbela, Awaran, and Kech districts.

Karachi is expected to remain partly cloudy and humid, but moderate to heavy rainfall is unlikely unless the system shifts closer to the coast.

Sea conditions, however, are expected to remain dangerous for small boats and fishing vessels.

Squally winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 55 kilometres per hour, are expected along the Sindh coast, while near the centre of the storm, gale-force winds could reach 120 kilometres per hour with gusts up to 135 kilometres per hour.

The PMD has strongly advised fishermen to avoid venturing into deep-sea waters until at least Sunday evening.

Explaining the cyclone’s dynamics, weather experts said Shakti formed due to intense convection over warm sea surface temperatures exceeding 31°C in the northeast Arabian Sea — a common condition for cyclogenesis in early October.

The system intensified rapidly into a “Severe Cyclonic Storm” as it drew energy from moisture-laden air and the warm upper ocean layer.

However, the presence of strong upper-level wind shear and drier air to its north is expected to weaken it gradually once it moves toward cooler waters.

“Cyclone Shakti is not on a track to strike Sindh directly, but it will create hazardous sea conditions and intermittent rain in some coastal areas,” said a senior PMD official. “We are continuously monitoring its trajectory and intensity, and further advisories will be issued as the system evolves.”

Satellite imagery on Saturday showed dense cloud clusters around the storm’s eye and spiral rain bands extending outward, indicating sustained strength at sea. By late Sunday, Shakti is expected to move east-northeastward and lose intensity, becoming a deep depression before dissipating over open waters.

Authorities, including the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Pakistan Navy, and coastal development agencies, have been alerted to remain vigilant and ensure preparedness in case of sudden changes in the storm’s path or intensity.

Meteorologists noted that the Arabian Sea has seen an increase in cyclonic activity in recent years, largely attributed to rising sea surface temperatures and changing climate patterns.

While most systems veer away from Pakistan’s coastline, the risk of high tides, storm surges, and coastal flooding remains significant for vulnerable fishing communities along Sindh and Balochistan.

Residents of coastal areas have been urged to stay informed through official PMD updates, avoid unnecessary movement near the shoreline, and ensure small boats are securely docked until weather conditions stabilise.